Self-Examination

WHY DON'T WE STOP SINNING?

I was laying in bed wondering why we don’t repent. Why don’t we live as the Bible says we should? As I kept thinking about this it seemed there was no one simple answer.

Do we not love Him? Yahshua said that if we love Him we will obey Him (John 14:15). Do we go around cheating on our spouse? If you love them, you would not do that to them. Failure to obey is not just merely sinning but rather cheating on our God. This is why He often calls those who say they love Him but sin whores and harlots (Jeremiah 3:1-5; Ezekiel 16:14-63).

Sin is more than just not doing what we are supposed to or doing what we are not supposed to. Sin is equal to cheating on God. In that case, maybe we look at sin too lightly. We look at sin as if we got angry with our spouse, or forgot to wash the dishes, or maybe refused to cook dinner this day. Sin is not this small, sin to God is like going out and finding that other person and laying in bed with them - sin is adultery.

As soon as we minimize sin in this way then we minimize the cross. We have mental knowledge that the cross was supposed to be this bad thing but we really don’t fully grasp the reality of how bad it was or why. When we minimize sin we then minimize the picture the cross shows. We always see the cross as a picture of God’s love for us, and that picture is there, but the picture of the cross is also a vivid painting of God’s hatred towards those who sin (Psalms 5:5, 11:5; Leviticus 20:23; Proverbs 6:16-19; Hosea 9:15). God crushed Yahshua as an example of his wrath towards the non-repentant (Luke 13:1-9). When Yahshua said, “let this cup pass from me” (Matt 26:39, 42) the cup He was talking about was the wrath of God to be poured out on sinners (Jeremiah 25:15-17, 49:12; Psalms 75:8; Revelation 14:10, 16:19, 18:6). Maybe, since we look at the cross as only a picture of God’s love for the world, we misunderstand how much He hates sin in our lives.

Maybe we continue to sin because we don’t grasp God’s goodness and mercy. Like an abusive man who continues to say, “I’ll quit” and whose wife is continually merciful and stays with the man just for him to be abusive again, we are like the man. We don’t understand the mercy of God to the point we will quit sinning (Romans 2:4). After a while the woman will leave the husband but we’ve been taught that God will not do that to us. The fact is, the Bible is clear that God will leave us if we continue to reject His mercy (Hebrews 10:26-29).

There are, as it is, so many reasons of why we refuse to repent and all those reasons lead to hearing the dreaded words in the end - I never knew you (Matt 7:21-23).

It’s my prayer that we start to understand how bad we are. We need to stop looking around at our lives and see all the blessings of stuff and activities and understand that, to our core, we are a wicked people deserving the punishment Messiah Yahshua received. We then will see how good God is and repent from our wicked adultery against Him.
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A BAD MARRIAGE

I know a wife who spends only a couple hours of the week with her husband. It's not really because of her job, or life in general, it's because she would rather spend time doing things she wants in her free time. Her husband is great. He cooks for her and buys her stuff. He loves her so much that he'd give his life for her. The wife, on the other hand, does very little for her husband. In fact, she barely talks to him - except for asking him for things she wants. She periodically thanks him for things he's done for her but barely offers anything to him. She's been involved with affairs several times. Sometimes she's had long-lasting love affairs with other men.

The worst yet, she has the audacity to call her marriage with her husband a "relationship". Read More…
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IDOLATERS?

When is the last time you worshiped an idol? Over and over, the Bible warns us of worshiping idols. Yet, in twenty-first America, we think of idols as little (or big) statues that are seen as gods.

The fact is, we have many idols in this country; and, unfortunately, many professing Christians are unknowingly worshipping these idols. 1 Cor 10:14 tells us to flee from idolatry. Therefore, we must keep a watch to avoid it.
How do you know you've entered idolatry? There are three great signs of idolatry: speech, money, and action.
That which we talk about the most is that which we love the most. I have two side hobbies, my Jeep, and my physical fitness. I can take a look at how much I talk to people about these, post on Facebook, etc and I can examine that against how much I talk to people about God and Christ and I can self-examine where my heart is lying. (Luke 6:45) Read More…
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CAN YOU BE ACCUSED BY SATAN

We all know that satan is the great accuser. We see that being played out in the book of Job. The question is, “If satan accused you, would you be found guilty of the accusations?” Here’s what I mean.

The primary focus in most churches are health, wealth, and prosperity. Churches fast for stuff, they pray for health, the chant passages for better jobs, men, cars, houses, money, etc. I’m not saying that having these things are bad but the primary focus of the church are these things with very little talk and effort towards obedience and a relationship with God.

When we look at Job chapters one and two we see the accuser of Job at work. What was his accusations of Job? He only follows God because of his stuff and health that God provides.

If our primary focus is on prosperity then do we really have a defense against these accusation?
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THE WATCHMAN

if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand
(Ezekiel 33:6 NKJV)

What does that say of those who refuse to open their mouth to those around them because of fear of rejection?
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LOOK ALIKES, ACT ALIKES

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
(1 John 2:6)

A few weeks ago, I was talking to a man and he asked if Julia was my sister. I told him she was my wife. He noted that we look like brother and sister.

Last week I was sitting with a pastor and a young man who is in an internship at the church. The pastor used the word "dude" in a sentence; then complained that he picked it up from the young man.
It's widely known that married couples, who have been together for a long period of time, start to look like each other. Their mannerisms become the same. Their likes and dislikes become the same. When we hang around people, we tend to pick up mannerisms, words, and phrases used. Read More…
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CHRISTIAN LEFT TWISTING THE GOSPEL

In a recent article, the author broke down "christians" into three groups: Couch-potato, Cafeteria, and Convictional. I'm no ones judge, but I'm convinced by the reading of the Word of God, that only one of these groups look for a relationship with God; therefore only one will make it.

Couch-potato Christians: These Christians adapt to the culture by staying silent on the tough culture-and-faith discussions. Typically this group will downplay God's absolute truths by promoting the illusion that neutrality was Jesus' preferred method of evangelism.

Cafeteria-style Christians: This group picks and chooses which Scripture passages to live by, opting for the ones that best seem to jive with culture. Typically they focus solely on the "nice" parts of the gospel while simultaneously and intentionally minimizing sin, hell, repentance and transformation.
Convictional Christians: In the face of the culture's harsh admonitions, these evangelicals refuse to be silent. Mimicking Jesus, they compassionately talk about love and grace while also sharing with their neighbors the need to recognize and turn from sin.

Full Article
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CHURCH VIEW

I believe that one thing that has hurt the church in the past several decades is the fact that the church is viewed as a building or institution. Though we know the truth and proclaim the truth that the church is the body of Christ, a group of people, we act like and communicate like the church is a building, or an institution. We understand that this is our mindset because of the ways we present the church. Read More…
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GAMERS

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IF WE BELIEVED WHAT THE BIBLE SAID - #7

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
(Luke 9:26)

We often look at this statement and think about a verbal statement in rejecting Christ. There are other passages that specifically talk about the rejection of Christ but this is not the context of what Y’shua is talking about in this statement. Read More…
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IF WE BELIEVED WHAT THE BIBLE SAID - #6

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
(Luke 9:23-26 NIV)

To us, the cross looks like a beautiful thing. But, when you look at Christ’s statement in the 1st century context you get something totally different. The cross was a punishment for criminals that was meant to be as brutal and demeaning as humanly possible. This would be like you guys coming here and I tell you, “You can not be a follower of Christ unless you pick up your electric chair and follow Him.” Now that’s weird enough, but that death is still less painful and less demeaning than the cross. Read More…
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WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

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PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH

In persecution of the saints that appears to be headed to America and all the violent persecution of the saints abroad, I gathered all the passages about persecution. I put them together with their references. They are from the NIV version and I added only the words in brackets in order to make it more first person context, and NOT to change any meanings. The rest of the wording is strictly Bible. After you’ve read, we are going to unpack these amazing passages and see how they relate to the persecuted church abroad and what they could mean of our lives in America.

[Seek] to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11).
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened (1 Peter 3:13-14). However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name (1 Peter 4:16). [Because] “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” (Acts 14:22). Read More…
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IF WE BELIEVED WHAT THE BIBLE SAID - #5

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person
(1 John 3:17)

In America more than 65% of the population believes they are “Born Again”. When Y’shua was talking to Nicodemus He said that one must be born of water and spirit. While Nicodemus was confused, this was a statement that he should have known well (John 3:7, 10).

Y’shua was relating an Old Testament teaching to the term Born Again. Y’shua was not talking about baptism. In fact, baptism is no where in the context of this conversation. He was relating to facts that Nicodemus should have known and is seen most clear in Ezekiel 36 because they are back to back just as Y’shua stated it. Read More…
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IF WE BELIEVED WHAT THE BIBLE SAID - #4

I recently had a friend in Kenya ask me about the electricity in our homes. He seemed to be amazed at how cold it gets here, the snow, and about the homes being heated by electricity. I thought my reply to him should be of interest to us.

Here's what I wrote:

"You ask about electricity in the homes in America. I'm going to be very upfront an honest about what I'm seeing of American homes verses about 96% of the rest of the world (as told by the World Bank).

Almost all the houses are heated with electricity. Unlike your country where electricity is rare, in America, to have no electricity is rare. We live very strangely compared to most of the world. All the times that I've told you that I'm a bit ashamed at this country, this is why. I understand the blessing God has given us. I also understand the curse that upon us because most in America rather care for their own comforts than others.

So that you understand the context of what I'm talking about, I'm going to explain the average home in America. Read More…
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IF WE BELIEVED WHAT THE BIBLE SAID - #3

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? ’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! ’
(Matthew 7:22-23 NIV)

What Y’shua is saying here is that it’s possible for me to stand before Him one day and hear Him say, “I never knew you”. It is possible for you to stand there before Him and for Him to say, “I never knew you”. Read More…
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IF WE REALLY BELIEVED WHAT THE BIBLE SAID - #2

But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
(Matthew 6:15 NIV)

One thing I’ve found is that people inside the church seem to be just as unforgiving as those outside the church. in fact, it seems that those inside the church wear their feelings on their sleeves a whole lot more than those outside the church. There is quite a bit of resentment towards individuals who they believe have done them wrong. One thing I understand from my life is that there is not one single person who has, or could do, more wrong to me then I have done to God. Read More…
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PRAISING GOD WITH LIES

“Here I am, here I stand, my life is in your hands... I give myself away, so you can use me...”

“I give you my life. I give you my trust - Jesus. You are my God, You are enough - Jesus, Jesus... My heart is Yours, My heart is Yours, Take it all, take it all, My life in your hands”

“I love everything You are, That my heart, beats to the rhythm of Your heart... My life is yours and will be forever”

“In view of God's mercy, I offer my all... And take my life, let it be everything, all of me. Here I am, use me for Your glory. In everything I say and do, let my life honor You. Here I am living for Your glory” Read More…
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IF WE REALLY BELIEVED WHAT THE BIBLE SAID - #1

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned
(Matthew 12:36-37 NKJV)

If we REALLY Believed what the Bible said, would we be more careful about what we post on Facebook? Would we be more careful how we interacted with people? What manner of your speech would you change if there was a recorder following you around and you knew that what you said, what you typed, what you shared, could determine whether or not you get to spend eternity with the Creator? Guess what? There is such a recorder.

For the next week, let us watch what we say and do as if we really believed in what the Bible said, as if we really understood the depth of this passage. Then lets extend that week onto a month, year, lifetime.
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MEAT OF FASTING

In a recent church service, the pastor started a thought on fasting; yet I don’t believe he finished the thought. Understanding the context of this message is to America, he said, the reason why we don’t fast is because we love food. Wow, that’s right. He continued to say that the second reason we don’t fast is because we need food to survive. Unfortunately, the pastor ended it there. Honestly, that second point is probably only partially true because, in America, we love food so much, we could do without food for a month and many will still not look malnourished. Read More…
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THE RELATIONSHIP HAS FALLEN

A few years ago I had the privilege of spending seven days of survival in the high desert wilderness, with nine wonderful people. Each of us had a very minimal in supplies: knife, water bottle, blanket, poncho, thermals, coat, gloves, 5x5 piece of cloth, about 25 feet of paracord (no backpack, no tent, no sleeping bag, no matches or lighter, no toilet paper!!!! ahhhh). The food that we had for an entire week was what most people would eat in one sitting. When being put in situations like this people tend to draw off each other. Even though the nine of us had never met before this week in the desert, bonds were built - some fairly strong. Read More…
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MODERN TAKE ON PROVERBS 22:7

The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender
(Proverbs 22:7)

In the contemporary context of this passage, those who have borrowed, to have the things this world offers, are slaves to the very system they are within. Read More…
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AN HONEST LOOK

The book of Acts was written as a historical account of the rise of the church. All through the New Testament, we are told, and shown, how the church is supposed to be a life changing, community impacting, organization. Whether by positive change or by positive persecution, the world is to know that we are here. The church is intended, by God, to stand out and to make Him known in the community.

So, here is the honest look and a question I want to present today. If your church was gone tomorrow, would the community it sits in even realize it's gone?
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SS UNITED STATES

In the early 1950’s the United States Navy and United States Lines commissioned the SS United States. It was a 78 million dollar ship built to convert to a 15 thousand troop carrier for the Navy. It was the fastest and most reliable troop carrier in the world. It could go 10 thousand miles without having to stop for fuel or supplies. It could outrun any other ship. It could go anywhere in the world in less than 10 days. The only catch is... it never carried any troops. It was put on standby once during the Cuban missile crisis but it was never used, in it’s capacity, by the military. Instead, it became known as a luxury liner for presidents, heads of states, and celebrities.

As a luxury liner, the ship could not carry 15 thousand troops. Instead, just under 2 thousand passengers could enjoy the luxuries of 695 state rooms, 4 dining salons, 3 bars, 2 theaters, 5 acres of open deck with a heated pool, 19 elevators, and the comfort of the worlds first fully air conditioned passenger ship. Read More…
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13 CONTRASTS BETWEEN AMERICAN AND BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY

An article was just released that echo’s two things that I’ve been shouting warnings about:
1. You need to learn how to properly study Scripture; because the American Gospel as a whole is filled with lies and deception.
2. Revelation is about persecution of the people of God.

Revelation first warns us of a religious power that arose out of Old Rome and would persecute the saints physically. Revelation warns us second about a religious christian looking empire that would arise from the vastness of the land and speak lies. Revelation 13 warns us that this empire would bring fire from heaven; which is a false spirit or gospel. It’s by this false spirit that the saints will be conquered through deception. Through this deception the people would build an image and that image will be worshiped by all the world. I’ve sounded warnings that the image is the American Dream of security and prosperity. Read More…
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10 JUDGMENTS OF Y'SHUA

The following are a list of ten things which Christ confronts the modern church of. This comes from a great article which you can see by clicking the link below. The article goes into each point with greater detail. Worth a read - More than worth a self-examination on.

If we are not moving forward, trying to present ourselves more like Christ, we are standing still. If we are standing still, we are moving away. There’s only one of two directions - toward God or away from God. Read More…
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CHEATING ON GOD

Before you married your spouse, chances are, you gazed upon other people in “want” and dated other people. How well will a marriage relationship work if we continue to gaze in “want” and date other people? I suspect, not too good. Yet, we can help the situation by understanding, “we are a work in progress” in this marriage; so it’s ok right now, eventually I’ll be able to stop dating other people.

We don’t accept this in our relationships with each other, why do we accept this in our relationship with God? It’s time we stop dating the world and start dating god. It’s time we stop looking like the world we date and start looking like Christ. Before you do something in and of this world, think about how this looks in regards to your relationship with God.
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MESSIANIC JEWS, SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST, AND PROTESTANTS

First, I want to open with we never all agree on everything. But!, what I want everyone to consider is, does your belief come from a lifetime of being guided through Scripture, a head knowledge of Scripture, or a TRUE and unadulterated relationship with the Living God?

I was raised protestant. We were in church faithfully each sunday morning, evening, and wednesday. I ran from the church for a variety of reasons and came back in about 2008. After about a year, I devoted my life to studying Scripture and passing the whole of the context on to others. Understanding that the Bible was given to the Jews, written by the Jews, in a Jewish culture, around Jewish traditions, my wife and I started attending a Messianic Jewish Synagogue: we wanted to learn more to understand more of Scripture. Read More…
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UNHEALTHY FOCUS ON GOVERNMENT

When I look at the pages of many, not all but probably most, professing Christians and I see the majority of post about politics, and little about God, I fear that they have not gotten the “just” of what God said about this. I understand this is voting time, but even still, many professing christians put so much trust into voting and what politicians can do for them and their nation of people. Again, I fear that they have not seen the way YHWH views this.

In the years of my life, which I can track government, and by what history teaches us, we learn that the government is not really for us, they are for themselves. They are not working to make us money, they are working to gather our money. All through history, government has put it’s citizens into a type of servitude to the government; and the US government is no different - they just learned how to sell it to us and make us like it - thinking we actually have a choice in the matter. Read More…
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NARROW AND WIDE

Jesus talks about a narrow road and a wide road. And while many depict this as a man standing at a “Y” in the road, I see it as just one road.

On this long road, one end is narrow and one is extremely wide. I want to be heading towards the narrow end and the closer I get, the narrower the road gets. There are three types of people to which I see on this road. While I’m striving to get closer to the narrow end, those who have been living in sin are closer to the wider end; and I don’t see those. I see three types of people involved in the “Christian” walk.

There are people staggered, walking towards the narrow end. Each are dropping notes of encouragement on the road for those coming up behind, because those behind are not as far along in the journey as they are. Everyone is also picking up notes left by those ahead of them; so it will help with their journey. This is the first group. The second group are those who are standing still. These are those who feel they have gone as far as they need to go and work to stay right where their at. The third group are those walking back towards the wide end. They are in front of me headed back, therefore they once were headed towards the narrow end, but as the road got narrow they felt the walk was too hard and they turned around. In this walk, group 2 and group 3 are failures and they are unhappy inside.

I look ahead and a person walking towards the narrow side trips and falls right next to the person standing still. As they are on the ground, the person standing still, and those passing back the other direction spit on them, kick them, and mock them.

Then I see one traveling towards the narrow end who comes upon the one who fell and he stops a moment; taking time out of his journey to bend over and help up the fallen. He helps clean the wounds and bends over to pick up a note left by one traveling before them. He hands that note of encouragement to the one who just fell and takes them by the hand and continues the journey with them.

When things happen in my life, I ask myself, “Who am I in this scenario?”
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SPIRITUAL FENDER-BENDER

80‘s Cougar, 1971 GMC Pickup, MG Midget, 1948 Plymouth, 1982 Goldwing, 1998 Dodge 4x4 Pickup, 2001 Peterbilt 379 Semi-Truck, 2006 Kenworth Semi-Truck - Those are all the vehicles, that I can remember, that I’ve been involved in an accident with; whether my fault or the other persons.

I’m sure we’ve all been involved in an accident at some point in our lives, most of us, at least one that was our fault. Accidents typically happen because we just are not thinking straight at the time - we’re preoccupied with what’s going on in life and not paying attention. Read More…
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LOVE IS...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

We’ve all heard this portion of passage so many times, I’m afraid they have grown tired and overly familiar. I’ve got another challenge for you, take the phrase “Love is patient” and substitute your name for the word “Love”. Then do it for every statement of “Love” listed in this portion of passage. In other words, I would say, “Wayne suffers long and is kind; wayne does not envy; Wayne does not parade himself, is not puffed up...”

Now that you’ve done this, don’t you feel like a liar? If we are meant to represent what love is, then we often fail to love people well.
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DO YOU TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY?

We’ve conditioned ourselves to hear sermons and not respond. Oh, we say good sermon, but we don’t respond with action. Sermons have become Christian entertainment - I often call church (as it is today) a sunday morning reality show. We go to church to “get our praise on” and hear a well-developed sermon and a convicting thought. We’ve become satisfied with the thought of being convicted, then apparently feel the job is done. Yet, Scripture tells us if we are hearing the Word and not doing something with it, we deceive ourselves.

Think about what it would look like if we actually took the Bible, and what Y’shua had to say, serious. In Luke 6, Y’shua says to “do good to those who hate you”. Think about someone who hates you, are you willing to go do something good for them? Will you do that? Before you continue, think about that serous answer, and be truthful - yes or no? Read More…
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WHAT DO WE ALLOW TO DICTATE OUR TIME?

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. - Matthew 6:33

Many of you know that my job has me traveling out of town each week; yet, my wife must stay home. I have a set schedule with her: on the day I leave, I have lunch with her at around 9:45 AM, then talk with her a couple times on the phone. Each day after, I talk to her at around 9:45 AM, just after 2:00 PM, and at least once more before she goes to bed at around 8:30 PM. If we did not have this open line of communication, our relationship would start to fall apart. Read More…
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COMMANDMENTS REPLACE / GOING TO HEAVEN WHILE STILL KNOWINGLY SINNING

I was recently asked a question behind the wall. We've looked at these two subjects before but, since we have new people in our family, I'm going to post the response again.

Were the Ten Commandments replaced and will we still get to Heaven if we continue to sin but God see's the struggle?

Before the posted response, I told them that we are to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling. Whether one get's to Heaven is between a person and God; but here's what Holy Scripture says about the Ten Commandments and continuing in sin that we are aware of.
Read More…
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 19/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really are not very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong. They dress in the same lustful manner as the world. They focus their desires on the things of the world. They devote their time to the things of world. In all truth, when seeing the looks and actions of both in the secular environment, it's extremely difficult to tell the difference between a lukewarm person and a person of the world.

Matthew 23:25-28
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 18/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE structure their lives so that they never have to live by faith. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens - they trust their savings account. They don't need God to help them - they have their retirement plan (and don't have faith in God if social security were to fail). They don't seek after a life that God would have them live - they have life planned. They don't depend on God on a daily basis - their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.

Luke 12:16-21
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Read All Hebrews 11
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 17/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE feel secure because they go to church, made a profession of faith, "asked Jesus in their heart", were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. God wants far more than these actions and beliefs in a country that has reached the level of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Matthew 7:21
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Amos 6:1
1 Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation
Read More…
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 16/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE want to play it safe. They are slaves to the god of control and refuse to go on a ledge for God. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God.

1 Timothy 6:17
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Matthew 10:28
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 14/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point our, "Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that LOVE of money is". Many lukewarm people feel "called" to minister to the rich; by their actions we see that very few feel "called" to minister to the poor and imprisoned.

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Read More…
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 13/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE think about life on earth far more often that life in Heaven. They see this life as life, and often forget that we are just passing through (at least until life comes closer to it's end). Daily life is more focused on what they need to do each day, each week, watch month, and the things desired. Rarely, if ever, do their actions show that they consider the life to come.

Philippians 3:18-20
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Colossians 3:2
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

"If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of they other world that they ahve become so ineffective in this"
- C.S. Lewis
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 12/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE will serve God and others to a limit. There is only so far they are willing to go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give.

Luke 18:21-25
21 And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 11/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love others, but not really as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is focused on those who love them in return; and there is little love left over for those who can't love them back. There is especially no love for those who intentionally hurt them, whose children are better athletes, with who has a nicer car, or with those that conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is HIGHLY conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings. They will not allow themselves to be put into an uncomfortable position, or allow hinderances in their desires or schedule, so that it could help someone else out. Read More…
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 10/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, mind, and strength. They are quick to try and convince people they love God that much; but inside, they believe that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radicals.

Matthew 22:37-38
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 9/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE say they love Jesus and He is a part of their life. But they can't explain how they show their love for Y'shua, and He is only a PART of their life. They give him a portion of their time, money, and thoughts, but He's not allowed to be first; nor control their lives.

Luke 9:57-62
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 59 Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." 61 And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." 62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 7/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They are afraid of being rejected and don't want people to feel uncomfortable by talking about religion.

Matthew 10:32-33
32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 6/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM CHRISTIANS are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, but they don't think they need to. They assume such actions are not for the average Christian; and they feel (when they read Scripture) that what Jesus expects of His followers is "radical".
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 5/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE only want to be saved from the penalty of sin, they don't really want to be saved from their sin. They don't really hate sin, and are not really sorry for it; they just sorry because they know God will punish them for it one day. Lukewarm people don't really believe that the new life (born again life) that Y'shua offers is better than the old sinful one They claim that Christ's command to "sin no more" is impossible; and instead, He covers all the sin they refuse to eliminate from their lives.
Read More…
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 4/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE, when in conflict, they choose what's popular over what's right. They want to fit in with church, but also with the world. They worry more about what people think of them, looks, clothes, even church going, and giving, than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.
Read More…
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 2/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE believe "good Christians" attend church regularly, it's what we are suppose to do: it's expected of a "good Christian".
Read More…
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BIBLICAL EXAMINATION OF LAODICEA PEOPLE? - PART 1/19

A Self-Examination so that we can come into a closer walk that God desires us to be at.

Philippians 1:27 says to conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of the Gospel. Have you ever really thought about that? If your like me, it has not been that often, if at all. Conduct ourselves, which is the way we act, the way we treat others, and the way we treat God. We are to Conduct ourselves so that it measures up (worthy or worth) to the Gospel of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 13:5 Paul says to examine ourselves to be sure we are in the faith. Too often, actually almost all the time, we tend to judge ourselves with the world and we become satisfied with where we are; but is where we are where God desires us? The New Testament is full of examples of people who were satisfied with where they were but they were not where God wanted them. In Matthew 7 Y'shua said that there will be many who cry Lord, Lord, but they will not make it. These are those who are satisfied with themselves. Read More…
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