Have you ever asked yourself this question? WHO AM I REALLY?

Not the person I have led everyone to believe that I am, but who am I really. Who am I deep down inside.

WHO AM I? IS GOD PLEASED WITH ME?

God has promised us he can tranform us from the inside, if we will just be honest with ourselves and with him. Each of us need to stop pretending for just one minute and focus on real change in our lives.

We need to stop relying on the lies we have told ourselves and others. We need to be real with ourselves. We need to be real with God, because God already knows who we really are. He knows our hearts better than we do.

Let us strive to keep ourselves pure before God for he knows all, and not just before men who are easily fooled. For a deciever of men is not pleasing unto God, especially one who tries to deceive men into thinking he is more righteous than he really is. Therefore, let us choose to be pleasing unto God, and produce for ourselves Godly fruit worthy of a repentant heart unto God.

1Ti 5:24 The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.
1Ti 5:25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.
The "place of jugement ahead of them" is this world. These sins are so obvious even imperfect men can see them in us.

The "sins of others trail behind them" are the sins which will not be uncovered until the judgement day. So eventhough we may have decieved men by hiding our sins from them, the heavenly father will reveal them on that day. So no sin will be hidden forever.

Appearances can be decieving, let us therefore focus on our appearance before God and not men. For when we struggle to keep up appearances before men we fall into temptations, but when we struggle to remain pure before God we remain humble through our shortcomings. Afterall, we can hide some things from men, but nothing can be hidden from the Lord. So in the end, our deceptions will find us, and our deceptions will be uncovered before the entire world on the day of judgement, when all secrets will be revealed. Both the secrets of the heavenly things, and the secrets of satan's deceptions.

Let us therefore be honest with God about our shortcomings, and confess them before him, and ask him to forgive us our sins, and let us ask him to help us overcome them through him. Let us confess them to each other so that we may have the prayers of other brothers to help us overcome as well.

When we are at our weakest, he is at his strongest, and where we are not strong enough in ourselves to resist temptaion, he will make us strong enough to resist temptation through his spirit which is now in us. Let us therefore pray to God that he gives us strength to overcome this world, just as Jesus Christ overcame it through the spirit of God. As Jesus himself was overcome by the spirit, now let us ask God to overcome us by his spirit. Let us be persistent in our prayers unto God and let us continually ask him to help us overcome this world.

So now when a brother confesses to us that he is battling a sin in his life, let us now pray for him, not just to be forgiven, but also to be given the strength by God to overcome it. Let us not judge him, but rather let us pray with him for God to help us overcome this world and its deceptions. For in all things we are to love one another in the sight of God in a Holy manner which is pleasing unto him. Let us not be decieved by telling our brother it is ok for us to continue in our sins, but let us pray for strength through Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us all do the same for the struggles we face ourselves.

I cannot lie. At times in my life I have been a drunkard, I have been sexually immoral, I have been a liar, I have been a swindler, a braggard, a lustful man, a seeker of the flesh, a seeker of money, a seeker of worldly recognition, and I have been all of these things and more, but those were my old ways. I have asked God to pardon me of my sins. I have asked him to help me overcome them in my life, and he has stirred in me a new beginning. A new beginning before him of which I don't want to tarnish with my old ways, with my old heart. So God haqs given me a new calling. He has called me to remain in him and his teachings for me. Not that I am perfect, but that I have overcome my old self through him. I am no longer living in my old ways, having put them to death in me.

So now I am focussed on overcoming new things, and not battling my old sins over and over again. I am constantly in prayer for God to continue to deliver from my old ways. I am constantly asking for God to move me in the direction of his will for me. I am no longer focussed on my old ways for they are dead now. I am focussed on God's spirit and following him in truth. I am focussed on producing Godly fruits against which there is no law. I am focussed being pleasing before God, and not before men who seek to judge me in my walk with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Let us go to the Lord in prayer in all things, for all reasons, and in all seasons. Let us ask God to guide us in all things. Let us pray for God to help us overcome this life, and forgive us of our sins as we forgive others who sin against us. Let us walk in faith and love unto the Lord God almighty. May the Lord grant each one of us the strength to do what is pleasing in his sight. Amen

Is the Cross Sacred?

Let us set our minds on the cross and the promise we made before God and he made with us as we stood in its shadow as our Lord and savior Jesus Christ hung on it, sacrificing his blood for our sins. He bore the brunt of our iniquities so that we might be forgiven and set free to worship him in spirit and in truth. So let us continually go back to the cross in our minds, for that is where the blood of Christ and our salvation was given to us. Let us have a clear mind when we think on the cross, so that no harm should befall us. Let us not count his blood lightly, nor abuse his sacrfice for us to do evil. but rather; let us therefore continually strive to be pleasing to God who lives in heaven.

Oh how perverse this generation of men are. Even some of the ones who presume to worship God. For they battle against the reign of God for themselves. For do you not know that on the cross Christ died, and in that he died so that we might be set free from sin. Do you not know that all who are called by God are called to a life of righteousness before him. Not a righteousness unto salvation, for that is not earned it is freely given, but a righteousness before God.

Is God pleased with a wicked heart? Is God pleased with a luke warm heart? What do we think those things mean? Did God himself not call us to walk upright? Did God himself not call us to flee from sin? Did God himself not call us to resist the devil, and he would flee from us?

Those of us who were called, do we not now love God? Do we not love God more than we love this world. If God hasn't given you a yearning to know him, pray that he would give you a yearning today. God has called us to love him, to worship him, and to follow him and his ways for us, by now picking up our cross for him as he picked up his cross for us. For those of us who are now in Christ, weren't we crucified on the cross with him. Haven't we already put our old selves to death in him? So if we are dead to the flesh, we are already living in the spirit. So now those of us who now live in the spirit, aren't we to live as one who has already departed this life? Aren't we to live as the spirit of God dwells on this earth. Helping those who are in need. Clothing the naked. Feeding the hungry. Ministering to those who are too weak to minister unto themselves. Bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ which has now saved us to all who will hear.

Have you not changed? Didn't we put our old lives, our old ways to death? Haven't we been redeemed and therefore reformed in Christ's image? If we didn't change then what was the point? If we didn't take on Christ to be something different, then why did we do it? Did we take on Christ so that we could continue in our old ways? Weren't we called to repent of our old ways? Didn't he promise to transform us from the inside out? So now, why do we oppose God as he attempts to change us, isn't that what we were promised?

So now that we understand what we must do in our new life for Christ, let us make more mature decisions in his name. For the time is coming when there will be no more chances only regrets. For the end is near for us, even if there are future generations to come. For won't we all die in this life a physical death? And aren't we promised 2 deaths if we are not in Christ Jesus?

What did Christ mean when he said, unless we be born again we will not see the father in heaven? What did he mean when he said, unless we be born of water and of the spirit we will not see God? What does being reborn of the spirit mean if it doesn't mean to change who we are? Isn't it true, if I am a liar, that my spirit is a liar? So then isn't it true if I lie no more, then my spirit no longer lies and has therefore been born again? Isn't it true if I once did not live in Christ nor walk according to his teachings, I was lost and my spirit was lost? Now isn't it true, if I am baptized of him in Christ's name, and have renewed my spirit in a good concious towards the Lord and I now follow his teaching, that my spirit is reborn?

So now our faith saves us, but a righteous walk with God is our proof that our spirit is reborn in his likeness, which is to say born again. Is it possible to be born again on our own? No, this is impossible for a man to do on his own accord. Therefore let us ask God to renew our spirit through prayer and meditation to him. For the word of God tells us to pray without ceasing. For it takes a moment to come to Christ, but it takes a lifetime to overcome the flesh in him. For his work is not completed in us as Christians until we take our last breath in him doing his bidding, so that it may be fullfilled in the words of the prophets, Mat 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Mat 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Don't you see? Salvation is not just a gate, but a road. Christ is the gate and his teachings are the road. The road is the race of a Christian. Narrow is the road for it is the path which Christ made in his walk here on this earth. The path of servanthood by serving God.

Therefore let us all help to sustain one another in a brotherly love. Let us keep reminding each other to be ever vigilant and watchful, for we know do not at which hour of the day or night the Lord will come for us, but it approaches quickly. Pray for one another's spiritual well being, and pray that the Lord delivers us all to his kingdom clothed in a white robe of Jesus Christ. Amen

Is God our genie in a bottle?

Soon, man's halls will be empty. Soon his classrooms of higher learning will be no more, because he put his own knowledge above God the creator.

God is a God of war for he defeats his enemies.
God is a God or wrath because he consumes his enemies.
God is a God of jealously beacuse he is jealous for us to worship him before all other gods.
God is a God of love because he chose to give up heaven to overcome this world in the flesh by a pure walk and then to die for us.
God is a God of forgiveness because he has chosen to forgive all who will worship his name.

So now let everyone who can hear my voice fall down and worship God. How dare we complain before God that he is not our servant. Who are we to question God? We, who are seeking to know him, are we looking for a magical genie lamp to rub and be granted all of our selfish desires? Are we seeking God so that we can get something in return from him? Although Christ was God in the flesh, he was not our example of who God is, for he is our example of how we should worship God. He came here to live as our example of what a Godly man should be. He came here to be a servant unto others and to reveal to them the gospel of Jesus Christ. For eventhough he was Christ himself, he still preached the gospel of Christ as a fact before men, even before it was revealed to them by the deeds which God would later do before the entire world. It was done in this manner so that we would know it was ordained by God.

So now that Jesus has given us our example, why do we hesitate? Why are we waiting on God to be something for us to be edified in? Why are we seeking a god who grants the evil desires of our hearts? Is God a god to worship us? Or are we here to worship God in spirit and in truth?

Some have said that truth is God in all things of this life, but all things of this life are not truth for satan works here with great deceptions. While it is true that God is truth and all truth is from God, because God is truth. So on the appointed day we will know truth, for he will reveal himself to us. For truth is not 2+2, but rather the truth is God. So let us pray that his truth is revealed to us on this earth, so that we may see beyond the apparent truths of this world and its deceptions, peering into the very kingdom of heaven where God is alive and sits on his throne with Christ at his right hand. For now we see as through a cloudy glass, but on the appointed day when perfection has come, we will see God face to face. On that day we will know him as we now know each other. We will not be looking dimly through an obscure galss, but we will be in his presence, and on this day all secrets will be revealed because we will be in the presence of the truth, that is to say God.

These truths are revealed to us so that we may have hope and understanding in him and not lose our faith. For to know God is to overcome our fear of this world and its limitations for us. We are not ruled by its apparent laws of sin and death, for our reward is in Christ Jesus and our victory is in his resurrection. We now have been purchased at a great price, so that we are servants of him who paid the price for us. He has given us his example, because God himself came in this flesh, so that we would know how he wants us to worship him. He wants us to love him with all we have, even unto a physical death, of which we are all a witness that he gave up his life to follow his own will for God. So now we are to give it all to him, whatever he requires of us. For God who knows all, who is the only living God, is only worthy of our praises and our worship unto him.

Christ who is God himself in the flesh got down on his knees and washed the feet of his own creation to be our example of humility. If God who created all things could humble himself to do this, how much more are we who are below him to such things?

So now let us stop questioning God and his wisdom for us. Who are we to challenge God? Who are we to expect God to worship us in this life? Isn't he God and isn't that enough for us? Did he give us complicated commands?

Live in Love for him who made you in his own image. Believe that he came in the flesh and died in the flesh so that you may be saved and have an example to follow in worship to him. Treat your neighbor as youself ( which is the opposite of sinful nature which seeks to destroy our neighbor by taking what is theirs), and live by the fruits of the spirit.

Christ rebuked those who opposed to worship his father in a righteous walk beofre him. Christ opposed those who denied who his father was. Christ helped those who needed his help. Christ taught others who did not understand by imparting the truth of God to them. Christ exposed the unbeliever to his ways through the word of truth, which is the word of God, and therefore the Word of God will be their judge. Christ used the power given to him by the father who is God, to do God's work not his own. Christ submitted himself to the authority of God even though he was God. Christ saught the good of the father in all things. Christ refuted satan at every turn when he was tempted, and chose to walk in God instead of the deceit of temptaion. Christ spead the gospel of God which was to believe in him who sent him and obey his commandments. Christ was baptized, acknowledging himself, that God's way is right. Christ confessed on his father's name and gave his life for our father in heaven. Christ never doubted, but always believed, even when he asked his father, "why have you forsaken me," which is to say, why have you let me linger here so long, and so God answered his prayer by taking him immediately. Even in his last breath, Christ demonstrated forgiveness, by asking God to forgive thse who sinned against him.

If we are wondering why our prayers aren't being answered, let us first consider this question. Is this a prayer which will make me stronger for the Lord, or is this a prayer of selfish ambition. For the Lord has promised to give all who take their delight in him, the desires of their hearts. But if God is the desire of our heart, then won't our prayer be about him and his will forus? After all, aren't we to be advancing the kingdom of God as forceful men, just as it is written?

Love is the answer

So what is love?

1Cr 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

So now that we know what a Godly Love is, for it is the fruits of the spirit and the opposite of sinful nature, let us live in the spirit and therefore love. For are we commanded to love, use the fruits of the spirit towards them, or to hate, use our old ways of sinful nature against them, our fellow servants who are slaves for Jesus Christ? Aren't we as Christians, who now live in the spirit, commanded to oppose our enimies in the love of the spirit which is to say by the fruits of the spirit? Aren't we as children of God, being led by the spirit to produce the fruits of the spirit on all occasions?

For there are some who are teaching that a love in God is the acceptance of everything, even wickedness in both the believer and nonbeliever. But we now know that God detests everything wicked, and has promised to destroy everything wicked in the lake of fire and brimstone. So those of us who now live in the spirit are to oppose everything wicked even our own sinful nature. So if we cannot accept our own sinful nature, because our new spirit is opposed to it, how can we accept the wickedness of others? Are we not to love our neighbors as we love ourselves? So then, just as we oppose sin in our own bodies, are we not to oppose sin in the bodies of others. Are we to be rude in our teachings of Godly things? No, that would be in opposition to a Godly love which is not rude. So we oppose wickedness by following the spirit which produces fruits of the spirit? Yes, because we are following the spirit, it now compells us to do his work which produces the Godly fruit of love (which we just discussed), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (conviction of the truth towards God), gentleness, and self control; for against such things there is no law only repentance.

Since the word of God and his spirit both teach us that God himself opposes our sinful nature and the wicked heart of unrepenant men, and we are following the same spirit which he has now given us, will we not ourselves oppose such things? Therefore, let us not be deceived of the wickedness in the world, nor the cunningness of our adversary the devil. We are to oppose sin on every front, including our own bodies. So now that we are struggling against ourselves, we must trust in the grace and fogiveness of God, and rely on his teachings through his word as revealed through his spirit which now guides us all who are his children. Let us cast down sin and lift up God in our lives. Let us put on Christ in all things. Be blessed dear brothers and sisters, as the day quickly approaches when we must be ready to give an account for lives before the world. If our account is lacking in any of his truths then we will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. If our account is pleasing to him, by the intercession of the lamb, which is Jesus Christ, then we will be saved on that day. Continue to pray for all of the saints safe passage until that day comes. Amen
Love is the answer.

Feeble Minded?

What are we called to be as children of God, feeble minded? Didn't the Word of God himself say that because you are lukewarm he will spew you out of his mouth? There are some who try to say that God is not a god to be feared, but I tell you the truth; God is coming to take his vengence on everything that is unGodly and burn it in the lake of fire and brimstone. His enemies will be made his footstool. Who are his enemies? Anything wicked that doesn't follow his commandments.

Some say that God is not a God of Wrath and vengence. Who destryoed Sodom and Gomorrah? Who destroyed the walls of Jericho? Who destroyed a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, who both fell down dead when they lied to the Holy Spirit of God?

While God loves anything good, he detests anything wicked. Did he cal us out from among the dying to continue in our wickedness? Is a wicked heart before God pleasing to him? Has he not wiped the slate clean and offered us a new life in him? Didn't we pledge to him a new conciousness by our baptism? Brothers and sisters, how can we continue in our old ways when we have been given a new spirit? While it is true our works are like filthy wrags, didn't God promise the keys to the kingdom of heaven to the poorest among us?

Therefore, let us lay down our excuses before the Lord, and repent of our wickedness. Let us ask him to forgive us and to restore us to his throne. Let us produce fruits of the spirit which are worthy of repentance. For the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-contriol. Against such things there is no law, because we have been set free from the law by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now that we follow the spirit we will produce the fruits of the spirit that are in opposition to our sinful nature, which are sexual immorality, impurity and bebauchery; idolotry and witchcraft; hatred, dischord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. Anyone who lives like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Let us now put away the wicked ways of our past, and cling to our new life in Jesus Christ. There are some who will say, we are not to feel bad about ourselves when we commit such acts, but the spirit commands us differently. For it is a Godly sorrow that leads us to repentance from these things and reconciles us to God. Therefore don't be carried away by foolishness before God, for the same spirit has told us that a worldly sorrow, produced by giving up worldly things, leads to death.

Some will say not to fear God, but the Word of God says to work out your salvation with much fear and trembling. The early Christians lived in fear of the apostles after the spirit struck the husband and wife dead for theie wickedness. Let us therefore not oppose the will of God for us, which is turn away from our wickedness.

It is true that God loves us, so much so that he gave up heaven to walk in this flesh and shed his blood for us, so that we through him might be saved.  Be strengthened and encouraged in the Lord. Lift up your brothers and sisters. Help one another out of love. Be mindful of each other's weaknesses and instruct in a loving manner the ways of God. Do not be like the pharasees and judge someone too hasty, or have an unclean heart before God. Continue walking in the light all of your days.

Christian Freedom

Dear Lord I pray that you send us your spirit to reveal to us your truths and write your will for us on our hearts using your spirit.

What is the Christian freedom? Are we really free to do as we please as some are teaching?

Gal 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 
But what is the yoke of slavery?

Gal 5:2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 
Gal 5:3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 
Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 
In verse 4 Paul explains that the yoke of slavery is the Law of Moses, and if we are trying to be justified by following the old law we are alienated from Christ because we have fallen away from grace.

So what are we to do?

Gal 5:5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 
Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

So the only thing which counts is faith expressing itself as Love? But what does that mean? Does that mean we are free to do as we please as Christians, and live any way we choose?

Gal 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love. 
Gal 5:14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Gal 5:15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

The word destroy in verse 15 is analiskō and it means:
1) to expend
a) to consume, e.g. spend money
2) to consume, use up, destroy
I read this as use up our energies to the point of exhaution so that we have nothing left to give.

So even though we are no longer to look to a list of rules and regulations to save ourselves, we are to refrain from sinning as Paul later illustrates more fully.

Gal 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 
Gal 5:17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 
Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Wait. So the Spirit compells us not to do what we otherwise would do, which is follow our sinful nature? So we who have the Spirit are at war with our bodies and our sinful nature.
So what is sinful nature?

Gal 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 
Gal 5:20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 
Gal 5:21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Incidentally, the word debauchery or aselgeia means 1) unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence
But aside from refraining to sin, what is living by the Spirit?

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 
Gal 5:23 gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law. 
Gal 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 
Gal 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 
Gal 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Have you been chased from church?

So it has been a hard day for me. There are so many people who have had their faith destroyed by others, and are now rebuilding it because they have been called by Jesus, thus they are responding to his call to them. There are so many people out there who have been made weaker in Christ by the condemnation of men, even at times other Christians, who have no authority over the children of God. Let us continue to pray that we are forgiven, and let us all be willing to forgive others as we ourselves need to be forgiven. Let us be mindful that while we are to be obidient servants unto the Lord, not everyone shares the same strength in the Lord. Therefore let us help lift each other up in edification unto the Lord. For before we can run we must crawl and before we can crawl we must have faith in the Lord. For faith cometh by hearing that God is alive and he loves us so much that he died for us all. That faith gives way to hope of a life everlasting through the remission of sins through God's son and our salvation Jesus Christ. This hope leads to a firm belief in the father in heaven through the acts of his spirit in us which he has sent as our guarantee of things to come. So let us all rejoice in the Lord and be mindful that although God can destroy us, he has chosen to forgive all who will ask him through his son Jesus Christ. So even though we are to be obidient to him and help others stay the course of Love in Christ, we must be reverant and follow the example of Love and forgiveness God has showed us. So we must be willing to forgive others as we ourselves need to be forgiven. Let us compell one another to finish this race we have entered into with one another in Christ and let us be diligent in our faith until the end. Be blessed and uplifted in the hope we all share in God, which joins us all in a common work unto the Lord. For we are all of one spirit which was born out of the Love the father has for us as his children. Be blessed today brothers and sisters in Christ and let us focus on strengthening one anothers faith in Christ Jesus our Lord and not destroying it in others. Let us all become slaves to his will and learn to serve others and not ourselves.