disciplehelovestoo

a little humor may help here: a Christian dies and goes to heaven. when he gets to the pearl gates, he sees Peter and says 'Peter, i've lived a Christian life all of my life and i'm here to receive my reward!' Peter: hmm; well, we have a points system in place for people like you, and it takes a thousand points to get in - what have you done? man, visibly shaken: well, uh...i married the first girl i dated and never looked at another woman in lust! Peter: that's half a point; what else? man, now clearly stunned: ok; umm...i went to church every time the doors opened and spent all my vacations on mission trips! Peter: half a point; what else? man, now perspiring heavily: wow; well i gave tithes of all my gross income and offerings above that! Peter: half a point; what else? man, now desperate: Lord have mercy; what does it take to get a thousand points?!? Peter: BINGO! ASKING FOR MERCY IS WORTH A THOUSAND POINTS - come on in brother! holiness is not a goal that you work toward to qualify for God's blessings; it is not a root of relationship with God - it is a fruit of relationship with God. you seem to be concerned with performance rather than fellowship - the more you are led by God, the less you will sin because He will never lead you to sin. if you strive to seek God first, you will sin less; if you strive to sin less, you will miss His leading as you are led by your own reason - let Him decide what faults to focus on, in others as well as in your own life. if you look closely at what the bible says about Paul bringing Christianity to the Ephesians, you will find no evidence that he ever pointed out how unglodly it was for them to worship diana - he didn't correct them for their ungodliness; he told them the good news that they could receive the blessings of God by placing faith in Jesus' perfect godliness. rather than point out what people are doing that they shouldn't, tell them about the good God that will lead them out of darkness through love - it's not the badness of the fruits of sin that causes people to change - it's the goodness of God that causes true repentance. let Him do the correcting, your job is to get them into fellowship with Him so they will hear HIS priorities for correcting faults and behaviors. once you see that they are focused on God, if He leads you to point out a fault, by all means do so - but remember to remind them about the GOOD news first, and be careful to correct based on love and not law - there is no ministry of correction, just a ministry of reconciliation - correction should be an exception to your efforts to get people into fellowship with God after they've heard the good news of reconciliation from you this should help: http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1014

no; we gave satan more than a hammer, we yielded our unconditional dominion over the earth to him when we first decided not to believe God about something we understood. but Jesus bought that dominion back for us; and we recieve that dominion through spiritual rebirth. so now we have thoughts that are either inspired by God or inspired by the devil - there's never been a time in anyone's physical life when both God and the devil weren't trying to influence them; no one makes decisions in a vacuum of no influence from both God and satan. satan is holding man hostage; God gave man dominion over the earth and when we yield that dominion to satan through unbelief in God, we left God with two choices - destroy man for his unbelief (kill the hostage) to get to satan, or take on a flesh body as Jesus and take that dominion over the earth back from satan by living a sinless life (a life where He never yielded to satan through unbelief in God) - thank God that He loves us so much He chose option # 2! God isn't using satan - that is calling evil good - God wants to use us to defeat satan through preaching the gospel that we are to rule and reign over the devil in this life by yielding to God's leading as the man Jesus did as an example to us

i see free will a bit differently. i don't see that we can choose between what God wants, what the devil wants, and what we want - the last choice is invalid.

Rom 14:1-23 KJV (1) Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. (2) For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. (3) Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. (4) Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. (5) One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. (6) He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. (7) For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. (8) For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. (9) For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. (10) But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (11) For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (13) Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (14) I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (15) But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. (16) Let not then your good be evil spoken of: (17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (18) For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. (19) Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. (20) For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. (21) It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. (22) Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. (23) And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. it's all about your focus. if you're eating with someone and God prompts you to say a blessing, say a blessing. if you're eating with someone and you don't perceive God's prompting to say a blessing, then dive in. many a lost person has been driven farther from God by the legalistic behavior of Christians who are led by rules and not by God. keep your primary focus on God instead of how good the food will be or what other people might expect Jesus once ate without washing His hands (Luke 11:37, 38); that doesn't mean we should follow His example in never washing our hands before we eat - it means that we should follow His example of being led by God in each situation...

thanks for your contribution, but what do you make or think of this passage, Deuteronomy 8:3 &116" 3 And He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger.... Please take time to study that very passage very well. the use of the word 'suffer' in verse 3 has the meaning of 'allow' (definition #2 in my previous post); not sure what scripture you are referencing as 8:116 Deu 8:3 KJV (3) And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. but don't loose sight of why they went hungry - it was not a sovereign act of God, but their own disobedience that caused them to be moved by the desert's lack of food supply. Exo 15:26 KJV (26) And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. ... Exo 16:1-4 KJV (1) And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. (2) And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: (3) And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. (4) Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. they could have simply asked God where they would find food out of faith in His goodness toward them as evidenced by His mighty works to bring them out of egypt both healed and rich; but instead they accused God of trying to starve them - this after seeing all of the mighty works God did to set them free from slavery! so was it God that failed to feed them, or was it their own unbelief that separated them from His supply? Jas 1:13-14 KJV (13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. this clearly says that God does not tempt (test) any man AT ALL; much less tempt any man to the limits of what he can handle! 1Co 10:13 KJV (13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. not only does God NOT tempt man, but He limits how much the devil can tempt us so that we aren't overwhelmed - and He provides a way to escape the temptation so that we can bear the devil's test. when you get sick do you try to get well, or do you humble yourself and bear it until you learn the lesson that He is trying to teach you through the test of sickness? if you truly believe that God tests you and teaches you through suffering, then why would you try to avoid the test and miss the point of the lesson by taking action to alleviating your suffering? isn't this disobedience? and how can you tell the difference between instructional suffering from God and oppressive suffering brought about by the devil? is this not confusion? also, notice that the word 'suffer' in this verse means 'allow'

when reading the bible, it is vital to keep several things in mind: -who is speaking? - God or man; and if man, is that man speaking for God or speaking out of his own unbelief (such as most of what job and his friends said in the book of Job) -who is being spoken to? - people under the law of performance (such as the OT people of israel) or people under the law of faith in grace, or just lost people who don't know God -what is the context or subject? many have errored by taking an individual scripture out of context and interpreting it in a way that conflicts with the context or subject that 'surrounds' that scripture. -does the interpretation of a given scripture harmonize with the whole of scripture, including the law of faith in His grace? Jer 33:3 KJV (3) Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. God is speaking here God is speaking to someone who is yielded to Him and under the law of performance rather than the law of faith in His grace the context or subject is both the captivity of Israel and Jeremiah's own captivity does this harmonize with the law of faith in grace of the NT? would God refuse to show you great and mighty things if you do not call on Him? 1Co 2:9-10 KJV (9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. God certainly sees that you desire to receive revelations that He has already given to you, and He rewards the intent of your heart much more so than your choice of words; but a better prayer might be 'thank You Father God that You have made Your wisdom available to me, and that You have faith in me that i will receive it - i agree with You'. you see, you called on Him when you sought Him for salvation; now you're in the mode of receiving what He has already given to you as a grace-minded person of 'like precious faith' with Peter versus a performance-minded person such as Jeremiah: 2Pe 1:1-4 KJV (1) Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, (3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Heb 9:1-14 KJV (1) Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. (2) For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. (3) And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; (4) Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; (5) And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. (6) Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. (7) But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: (8) The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: (9) Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; (10) Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. (11) But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (13) For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: (14) How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? so the Holy Spirit trains you - not to avoid transgressing laws according to your own understanding, but rather to be led by God using the His laws as confirmation of His leading in each situation you face. as the Holy Spirit prompts you back into fellowship with God, and you yield to His leading as a result, you will not sin (as He will never lead you to transgress His laws as HE applies them in a given situation) - the more you are led by God through fellowship with Him, the less you will make your own decisions about what the right action is in a given situation, thus 'purging your conscience of dead works' (dead works being what you decide to do that's right according to your own understanding, versus yielding to God's leading as to what to do that's right according to HIS understanding).

before we receive spiritual rebirth, the conscience is trained by the world on the laws of performance. once reborn, as we allow the Holy Spirit to train us in the law of faith in grace, the conscience shifts from focus on performance to focus on relationship with God. a right conscience is one that alerts you to the fact that you aren't in fellowship with God at the moment; a wrong conscience alerts you to the fact that you've transgressed a law (could be God's law or the world's law); and a seared conscience is one that you've learned to completely ignore.

how do you judge a man's living as righteous? do you measure his actions against those around him? 2Co 10:12 KJV (12) For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. or do you measure his actions according to the perfect standard of Jesus? if you measure a man's actions by Jesus' perfection, then who can be qualified to preach the gospel? and who is qualified to judge another man's living as unrighteous? Rom 2:1 KJV (1) Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. Php 1:15-18 KJV (15) Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: (16) The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: (17) But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. (18) What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. Php 1:18 What then? only that in every way, falsely or truly, the preaching of Christ goes on; and in this I am glad, and will be glad.

Rom 2:4 KJV (4) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? suf·fer ˈsəfər/Submit verb 1. experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant). "he'd suffered intense pain" synonyms: hurt, ache, be in pain, feel pain; More 2. dated tolerate. "France will no longer suffer the existing government" synonyms: tolerate, put up with, bear, stand, abide, endure; formalbrook "he was obliged to suffer her intimate proximity" suffering is not good; it is not sweet; suffering is evil, it is bitter - suffering is not a blessing, it is a curse; it is evil. we must endure the suffering of persecution in order to preach the gospel to the lost, as many will reject it and strive to make us suffer for preaching the gospel to them that convicts them of their evil hearts toward God's goodness - but this suffering is from the devil, not God. suffering is not a tool that God uses to correct - scripture is that tool; suffering does not cause positive change - the goodness of God causes positive change. Jas 5:10 KJV (10) Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. God did not cause His prophets to suffer, their suffering the result of the efforts of evil men yielded to the devil in opposition to God's message delivered by His prophets Isa 5:20 KJV (20) Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! you get what you have effective faith in; if you have faith in suffering, you will suffer - this iis why woe comes to those who call evil good and good evil

it is absolutely critical to interpret each scripture in a way that harmonizes with ALL other scripture... Jas 1:12-18 KJV (12) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried <tested>, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (13) Let no man say when he is tempted <tested>, I am tempted <tested> of God: for God cannot be tempted <tested> with evil, neither tempteth<testeth> he any man: (14) But every man is tempted <tested>, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (16) Do not err, my beloved brethren. (17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (18) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. text enclosed in "<>" added by me 2Ti 3:16-17 KJV (16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. God is all knowing; He doesn't need to test you to find out what you will do; it's the devil that isn't sure about how you will react... 2Co 12:7-10 KJV (7) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (8) For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. suffering comes either by believing lies or through persecution; but God's grace is sufficient (greatest understatement of all time); and His strength is made perfect in weakness of our flesh when we face the messenger of satan that bring infirmities. suffering for the gospels's sake is evidence that the devil recognizes you as a threat and wants to thwart God's efforts to exalt you lest others should follow your example of faith... paying off a speeding ticket may get my attention and cause me to remember the law against speeding, but the government prefers that i simply obey the law to begin with...

oops!!! i need to correct this post to say this: one more thing; from my understanding, the 'heart' as the word is used in scripture is either the body and soul in harmony (evil heart of unbelief) or the spirit of God and the soul in harmony ('perfect' or complete heart)...

1Th 5:14-23 KJV (14) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. (15) See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. (16) Rejoice evermore. (17) Pray without ceasing. (18) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (19) Quench not the Spirit. (20) Despise not prophesyings. (21) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (22) Abstain from all appearance of evil. (23) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. here is where this concept originates; the use of the phrase 'spirit, soul and body' as it relates to us being sanctified or set apart for God seems almost to be a side note, and not at first glance key, to the instructions that precede it; but it is indeed a key concept to understand in following those instructions. as a reborn believer, your spirit is the Spirit of God inside you; your body is just that - your flesh and the desires of your flesh; your soul then is by default what is left - mind, will and emotions. as a reborn believer, the body is absolutely self-centered; and the spirit is absolutely God centered. the soul is like a valve that let's either the body or the spirit of God rule our lives. if you strive to please your body, you will be selfish; if you strive to please the spirit of God, you will be selfless (because He is selfless). being ruled by your body leads to death; being ruled by the spirit of God leads to life. let's apply this to depression. your body, through the five senses, is constantly complaining and focusing on the negative; the effects of age on the body, the fallen state of the world, bad experiences, lack, sickness, self-centeredness - all these things are what the body focuses on. the spirit of God is constantly building you up, encouraging you on, and comforting you through God's revealed written word (that portion of His written word that you understand through fellowship with Him; based on His goodness toward you); the spirit of God is trying to guide you to intersect with all things that pertain to life and godliness that He hath already given to you (2Pet 1:1-4). if you default in your thinking to dwelling on the report of your body and it's five senses, you will get depressed; if you strive to think on God's promises of good through fellowship with Him, you will get happy. the more you know of what God has said in His word, the more you will be prepared to distract your focus from your body's report to the good news of God's report in His revealed written word and the more happy and less depressed you will be. this is renewing your mind - reprogramming your thinking to discount the body's bad reports and focus instead on God's good reports. so set you mind on God instead of things that lead to depression; set your will to be led by Him to all things that pertain to life and godliness that He hath already given to you, and control your emotions rather than being controlled by them; and depression will have no place in your life. so when feelings of depression come, change your focus from what your body and five senses are telling you to God's faithful promises of goodness toward you, and your emotions will change from bad to good

by that logic, God is misleading people by warning them if they don't do as He says, they'll go to hell; but we know from the bible that God can not lie - He can not be a part of deception.... take a step back don't get distracted from what's Good (God) to what's bad; remember that the gospel isn't about 'missing hell'; it's about 'finding paradise' - which means to know God - missing hell is a result of knowing God, so it shouldn't be that important compared to knowing God; it's the goodness of God that causes people to change - stress this to your atheist friend and you'll both see that hell doesn't matter to those who seek God's goodness - whether it's empty or not

what defines the transformation from lucifer into satan is satan's disobedience to God. i assume that the reason you're asking this is because you've heard someone say that some terrible thing that happened to them was actually God's plan to bring them to repentance; but i do not find this in the bible. rather, the bible says that God uses His word to instruct us (not experience); and it is the goodness of God that causes repentance, not the badness of the devil. bad experience can get you to rethink your life, but God's way to get you to rethink your life is for you to hear His 'almost-too-good-to-be-true' gospel preached in faith 1Co 1:20-24 KJV (20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (22) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: (23) But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; (24) But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Luk 4:23 KJV (23) And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. Jesus knew that most of the people of that day (and this one) would not accept their responsibility to seek and follow God's leading; but rather would expect God to do more than He had already done to help them, as their performance was perfect in their own eyes. Rom 8:14 KJV (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. God sent Elijah to the only widow who was willing to obey God's leading and give a part of her last meal to him; Naaman was the only leper in the time of Elijah that was willing to obey God's leading to seek cleansing from leprosy by dipping in a river. the reason this was so offensive to the Jews Jesus was speaking to is that they were convinced that they could justify themselves before God based on their performance to His laws, rather than by putting faith in his undeserved favor (grace) to them. this is still offensive today to those who would pridefully believe they can keep the whole law by their own strength and understanding, using Jesus to merely make up their shortfall. it surely made no sense for the widow to share her last meal in the midst of a great famine, but she yielded to God's leading instead of her own understanding. Naaman surely thought that dipping in a river would not cleanse him, but he yielded to the leading of the Lord instead of his own understanding.

quite obviously, men rule the earth; either yielded to God's leading, or the devil's leading. Gen 1:26 KJV (26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. God gave people in flesh bodies unrestricted dominion over all the earth; people in flesh bodies can use that dominion for good or for evil. in the US, the federal government is sovereign - this simply means that no other government rules over the federal government. but the federal government has, by it's own laws, delegated some areas to the exclusive authority of the states; and in these areas, the federal government is bound by it's own laws ('word') to not interfere - even though the federal government could easily force the states to conform to federal leading. Deu 30:15-20 KJV (15) See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; (16) In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (17) But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; (18) I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. (19) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (20) That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. Joh 3:16-21 KJV (16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. so, 'every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved' are those whose deeds are not wrought in God.

Psa 91:14-16 KJV (14) Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. (15) He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. (16) With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. so the question is: who decides when such a person is satisfied - God, or the person?

in my understanding, in terms of spiritual rebirth, repentance means to stop directing the steps of your own path, and yield to the Lord's leading as confirmed by His revealed written word (that understanding of His written word that you gain through fellowship with Him). indeed, the reason we call Him Lord is because we recognize that His wisdom is infinitely superior to ours, and we recognize His ultimate authority and unlimited power; but the reason we seek Him is because He is SOOO good to us - it is the goodness of God that brings repentance; said another way, it is the goodness of God that brings us to seek His leading in all things, because He always leads us to intersect with blessings He's already placed in our path through this life, and to avoid destruction. the Christian life is not a changed life where God picks us up, dusts us off, points us in the right direction and says 'see if you can get it right this time' - the christian life is an exchanged life, where we realize that we aren't smart enough to avoid destruction in this life, or receive life eternal, by our own strength and understanding, and look confidently to Him for leading - and we know that He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant! to the extent that you are led by God, you will not sin - effortlessly; because He will never lead you to sin. if you strive to 'stop that sinning' by your own understanding and strength instead of striving to 'hear' His leading and follow it, then your focus will be on your performance to the law that you think you understand from your own intellectual understanding of His word, rather than yielding to God's leading as confirmed by the revealed understanding of His word that comes through fellowship with Him and humble meditation of His word - if you strive to 'stop that sinning' instead of striving to 'hear' His leading and follow it, then your focus will be on sin and not on God; and you will find yourself on an endless treadmill of self-condemnation and ineffective faith. the bible defines sin as: 1. unbelief ('sin') and 2. the wrong actions that result from unbelief ('sins'). all wrong actions are the result ('birth') of some kind of unbelief ('conception'); this is why focusing on correcting wrong actions by one's own strength and understanding can't lead to true repentance; as the root cause of unbelief is not addressed - that cause being to refuse to believe that we simply aren't smart enough to apply the multitude of God's laws and commandments in any given situation by our own understanding, and therefore must be led by Him in our decisions. unbelief has four basic forms: 1. 'natural' unbelief resulting from focus on what we perceive through our senses that seems to refute the revealed word of God. prayer (fellowship with God that leads to the revealed understanding of His word) and fasting from things that satisfy the flesh (disciplining one's self to to control one's flesh rather than be controlled by it) reduces this kind of unbelief, but we can't fully overcome this kind of unbelief as long as we are in a flesh body. 2. ignorance of God's word. the cure for this kind of unbelief is to become familiar with God's word; and is also a lifelong process that we never finish while we're in a flesh body. 3. wrong understanding of God's word. the cure for this kind of unbelief is to first see from fellowship with God and His word that what we've been taught isn't consistent with the whole of God's word, and then to receive the revealed meaning of God's word through fellowship with Him, and is also a lifelong process that we never finish while we're in a flesh body. 4. willful rejection of God's revealed word. the cure for this kind of unbelief is to continue on in fellowship with God and the study of His word ('line upon line, precept upon precept' causes one's understanding of the rejected word to change). this kind of unbelief can lead to the 'sin unto death', as this kind of unbelief can't be corrected once someone has fully embraced it, seeing that they have permanently deafened themselves to God's leading. ultimately, all unbelief has at it's core the desire to 'direct the steps of one's own path' rather than allowing one's steps to be 'ordered by the Lord'. all wrong actions have been paid for by Jesus, but unbelief has not been paid for; if you don't believe that all your wrong actions (even future ones) have been paid for, then you won't be able to truly and finally receive forgiveness. unbelief is the variable in the effectiveness of faith. we all receive 'the measure' of God's faith; and God is not a respecter of persons - a 'mustard seed sized' portion of God's faith is all anyone needs to overcome anything we might face in this life, so faith is never the variable. but effective faith is the result of the combination of 'the measure' of faith we receive from God and the unbelief we have yet to overcome; the less unbelief we have, the more effective our 'measure' of faith will be. a man of 'strong faith' is not a man that has more faith than others, but a man that has less unbelief. 1Sa 16:7 KJV (7) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. David was a murderer and an adulterer, but yet it is clear from God's word that he was a man after God's own heart in spite of his wrong actions. with God, it's all about what's in your heart concerning your relationship with Him; not your outward actions. from God's perspective, all wrong actions have been paid for by Jesus - regardless of whether one receives that payment. God doesn't send people to hell for their wrong actions ('sins), people choose hell by rejecting a right relationship with God through willful unbelief ('sin'). salvation is all about a right relationship with God; one based on faith in His grace and independent of our own performance, good or bad. outward holiness is a fruit of right relationship with God, not the root. true repentance results in right relationship with God where we yield to His leading as confirmed by His revealed written word (which is already blessed) rather than making our own decisions ('sin') and asking Him to bless them, this effortlessly produces outward holiness, as He will never lead us to wrong actions ('sins'). Jer 10:23 KJV (23) O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Psa 37:23 KJV (23) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Joh 17:3 KJV (3) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Mat 7:22-23 KJV (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Col 3:15 GNB (15) The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. hearing from God comes first by finding out what He has already said to us all in His written word; the more you know of what He has said in His written word, the more you will be able to recognize His leading as you make decisions during each day, as He will not lead you contrary to His revealed written word. as you read His word, ask Him in prayer to reveal to you what that written word actually means and confidently expect that understanding to come to you without setting time limits on how long that might take, and be careful to interpret scripture only in a way that harmonizes with the whole of the Bible, as no scripture stands alone - many have floundered by taking a scripture by itself while ignoring other scripture that would interpret and clarify it. be careful to not restrict yourself to one transliteration of the Bible; the KJV can be hard to understand, but it's the most predominantly used translation, so if you use a more modern translation as your primary Bible, refer back to the KJV as well; dictionaries and commentaries can also be a help where they reveal potential alternate interpretations of the original languages used in the oldest texts. when you face a decision, always check for peace (not fear); often the way to perceive the choice with the most peace is to first eliminate the choices that are troubling to you, while striving to not be led by fear. Rom 12:1-2 GNB (1) So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. (2) Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect. many know God as Savior, but few know Him as Lord. when someone is your lord, you strive to yield to their authority whether your flesh likes it or not; you seek their instructions and follow those instructions without question or debate; you do not make your own decisions and ask them to approve of them. Pro 2:1-9 KJV (1) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; (3) Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; (4) If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; (5) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. (6) For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. (7) He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. (8) He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. (9) Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. you have to 'incline your ear' (which is to say change the way you make decisions from focusing on your own limited knowledge and understanding to focusing on God's Holy Spirit within you) to 'hear' from God. He speaks in a 'still, small voice' in a world where the devil is always shouting; if you practice 'hearing' His voice in the decisions you make where the consequences of missing His leading seem small, then when you get to a potentially life-altering decision, you will know how to 'tune out' the world and focus on His 'still, small voice'. hope that helps!!!

what causes demons to fear a Christian is faith in the name of Jesus; not faith plus personal holiness. if you could see a demon for what it really is, you would see a small, ugly creature that's full of fear and dread and trembles at everything, but has a really big mouth. you are a part of the Body of Christ and as such have authority over all evil spirits, but you must realize this in order to use that authority. follow His example; simply tell them to shut up and get out; and mean it.

it's interesting how you worded this question; if i answer it literally, then i would have to say that the answer of God is always already revealed in His revealed written word (that portion of scripture for which you have sought and recieved His meaning through fellowship with Him). but i'm not sure that this is what you are asking. if you had asked 'how do we know if God will answer our prayer requests?' i would have to say that this is an invalid question, as God has already offered us continuous fellowship with Him that has already made His wisdom continuously available to us to receive what He has already made available to us to meet all our needs and have more to use for every good work He leads us to do. God doesn't respond to us, we respond to what He has already made available to us through grace; either in faith that He has already made His leading available and that as His sheep we hear and follow that leading, or in unbelief as we decide what is best and ask God to bless our decision. 2Pe 1:1-4 KJV (1) Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, (3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. to them that have obtained like precious faith <as Peter had received>...According as his divine power hath given unto us <those who have recieved like precious faith> all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge <or knowing> of him...Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by <faith in> these <promises> ye might be partakers <of what He hath already given to us - all things that pertain to life and godliness, the 'divine nature'>

to me it means to cease from (be still) making one's own decisions, and instead strive to be led by God ('know that I am God', as in 'Lord')

the only way to keep from leaving one's first love (God) is to seek Him first, above all else, including 'good' works i believe the 'first works' were the two great commandments: Mat 22:37-40 KJV (37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. i assume what had happened is that the Ephesians had fallen back into some degree of legalism, as their works were recognized (verses 2 and 3) but their motive was no longer right; they needed to repent of being led by their own limited intellect, reason and knowledge and return to being led by God as they were at the first 'first works' may also refer to the two great commandments - always to be 'first'

some say that the American Indians were descendants of the lost tribes of Israel; i don't know. but i am certain that their ancestry can be reliably traced to Adam and Eve and Noah too