Agape Love | God's Truth in Love

Archive for the ‘Agape Love’ Category

Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth

Clothes and Salvation

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Revival, Spiritual Fruit, Truth, Uncategorized on June 4, 2014 at 6:00 am

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

Jesus wore a tunic form of clothing, so does that mean wearing the same type of clothing will get us eternal life so we can go to heaven?

Reply:

Wearing a tunic or any form of clothing will neither get you into heaven nor keep you out of heaven. Eternal life and salvation through Jesus, the Christ, has absolutely nothing to do with clothing.

It is our simply faith in and dependence upon Jesus, and His shed blood on the cross for us, that secures us forgiveness of sin and ensures our salvation. It is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the power of that resurrection, that make eternal life possible for us.

John 3:16 (AV)(KJV) Jesus speaking

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.

When you look into the Greek language at the meaning of the word “believeth” found in the above verse it has three parts and collectively they make it clear that this belief is not merely an intellectual assent of Truth. It goes much deeper than agreeing with the facts. To “believeth” in Jesus is “to have faith in, upon, and with respect to” Him with “moral conviction of a religious truth” as to “the truthfulness of God, especially when it comes to reliance upon Christ for salvation.” Believing in the “only begotten Son” means “to entrust oneself, especially one’s spiritual well-being to Christ” with all we have within us and to “commit to put trust with” Him and “believe” Him continually as we “credit” Him with our salvation, growth, change, eternal life, et cetera. There is the clear meaning in the Greek language that this belief or to “believeth” is a form of “persuasion, credence, and moral conviction” which is so strong we continue with “constancy in such profession, assurance, belief and faith” with “fidelity” throughout our lifetime. To “believeth” is to submit to “the system of religious (Gospel) – truth itself.”

Romans 5:12 (NKJV)

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 (NKJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is no individual of any age who has never sinner. Whether one sin or one million it is all the same to God. Whether you told a white lie or murdered someone it is all the same to God. Sin is sin and sin stinks in the nostrils of a Holy God. Therefore, we need Jesus and His shed blood to cleanse us from that sin and keep us clean.

Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9–10 (NKJV)

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Simply cry out to Jesus, ask Him to forgive you, ask Him to be your Lord and to direct your life according to His Will. Then continue in that for the rest of your life, when at last you will exchange the temporal life for the eternal life you gained, or will gain, at the moment you called, or call, out to Him.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 (NKJV)

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Regarding worldviews:

Secular sources – self-help, advice, mass media – some of these resources can be useful in obtaining knowledge about what is going on in our world but they are not credible sources for a Believer when it comes to establishing beliefs, opinions, and directives for life. The gap between the two foundational platforms (biblical vs. secular) is too vast at this point in our present day society to bring reconciliation between the two. A Believer should seek out Christian lifestyle training, godly counsel, and Christian forms of mass media using those to shape their approach to life.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

▶ Comment

Do We Quit?

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Truth, Uncategorized on June 1, 2014 at 6:00 pm

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

A young person, 20 years old, expresses they are becoming filled with anxiety and have been overwhelmed with stress during the last year as they work as an apprentice. The individual feels their boss wishes them to working at a greater level of skill and speed than they are capable of doing. They have tried their best but the demands are simply not possible for them and their excessive effort results in mistakes and a product that is of low quality. Ultimately, it leads to unhappiness and personal embarrassment for this young person because they know the quality of the product they are producing is low, to the degree the product does not even function correctly. It does not seem the situation is going to get better and the person is seeking counsel about what to do. They want to know, “Do I quit?”

Reply:

You are twenty years old and your life will be much more fulfilling if you learn early in life that God created you with a specific temperament, with certain talents, with certain abilities, with certain strengths, and with certain weakness.

Most people agree with the above statement, generally, except the last part – “with certain weakness.” On that point, people like to believe they are a mini god who can do anything. Well, you cannot. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING GOD WILLS FOR YOU TO DO! This is a more scripturally accurate statement. Our weaknesses are used of God to keep us out of areas of life where we do not belong. Our strengths are used of God to cause us to excel in the areas where He wants us.

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16 / King David speaking

Definitions in the Hebrew Language –

possessed = formed

7069 to erect, i.e. create; to procure, by purchase, to own, possess (-or), purchase, recover, redeem

my reins = inward parts =

3629 an essential organ); fig. the mind (as the interior self)

made =

6395. to distinguish (lit. or fig.)

fashioned =

3335 (through the squeezing into shape); to mould [skeletal makeup aka mold] into a form; espec. as a potter; fig. to determine (i.e. form a resolution):— × earthen, fashion, form, frame, make (-r), potter, purpose.

God made each of us a specific way with everything we need to accomplish His Purpose for our lives. We are meant to allow God to grow us, change us, refine our character, educate us, train us, et cetera as He manifest what He placed on the inside of us before birth. We are to cooperate with this process not go against this process.

The secular world uses aptitude testing to determine what people would be good at and the Christian community has a godly version of something similar. I personal do not believe in secular aptitude testing and find it can be harmful to people because of its worldly approach. However, finding someone who understands temperaments and someone who could guide you toward the path more in line with your God given design would be wise because you should not have to struggle with your profession throughout your lifetime. That said, we all do jobs we don’t like at times out of necessity but it is not God’s plan that we remain in a situation where we are not productive, where we are unhappy, and where we expose ourselves to so much stress that the door to Satan is opened through anxiety, which is what you have described.

The truth…it may not be possible for you to get good enough at what you are currently doing to make you happy, your boss happy and to bring your stress level down to a healthy level, which does not involve anxiety. You may not have the talents and abilities for that profession but I assure you that you have the talents and abilities for the profession God ordained and desires for you. Find someone to help you figure out what that profession is and find that person soon, so you maximize the amount of your lifespan you spend within God’s Will for your life. Then once God opens a door make the change.

Regarding worldviews:

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Activism, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Questions, Revival, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth

Updates – Godly Spiritual Activism

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on May 28, 2014 at 5:15 pm

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

I want to thank each one of you who are actively involved in godly spiritual activism on behalf of the godly men and women in the United States of America. We give up our rights to Christ, we do not give up our rights to man and we certainly never betray or deny God and His Principles to make life within our society easier for us. We are perhaps at one of the most difficult periods in American history to be a Devote Follower of Christ and sadly, I believe it will get worse before it gets better. However, biblical history and general history has proven that the persecution of the Body of Christ results in revival and growth. I personally believe godly spiritual activism is going to be one of the most powerful weapons of spiritual warfare used of God in the very near future to further His Will and His Causes among His people and in the world as a whole. I fully intend to allow God to use me in such a capacity according to His Will and encourage you to do the same.

Thank you to everyone who used godly spiritual activism to bring about a positive result in the Florida Atlantic University Jesus stomping issue. Whether you made your voice heard through going to the university in person, calling, or emailing; it worked, they were so overwhelmed with Outraged Christians that they issued a formal apology and stated that the practice of having students write the name of Jesus on a piece of paper then stomp on it, would never be used again at that university. The professor who facilitated this assignment and then persecuted the student[s] who would not participate claimed he was only doing what the textbook in use, instructed him to do. Textbooks…the common core teaching curriculum is going to be a tough issue for Christian parents. As there is much for concern in that material. However, for now, a victory for God’s people and those who stood up for their right to respect Jesus’ name.

One of the current moves against godly men and women who are ordained ministers is the act of being deliberately sought out by homosexual couples or a homosexual individual for the purpose of asking that ordained minister or pastor to perform a wedding ceremony for them. If the man or woman of God refuses to perform the same sex marriage, they are then reported to authorities as discriminating against said couple – a couple who often do not even exist as an actual two party couple. The goal of the homosexual community is to have the ordained minister or pastor criminally prosecuted for a crime, one preferably that is considered a hate crime. States are attempting to pass special legislation, amendments, that would protect ordained ministers from being able to be targeted with this form of persecution. However, the legislation has to be supported and passed, so please speak up and speak out, let the Christian voice be heard. Pass this legislation in your state if your state offers this form of protection to its ordained ministers. Far too frequently, people are able to retain political power even when they fight against the causes of protecting the very rights and freedoms of the people they were elected to protect and serve. The Governor of Kentucky is the child of a Baptist Preacher yet, vetoes the amendment to protect ordained ministers from unconstitutional prosecution, which is nothing more than persecution for ones religious beliefs. [Side note: We know it is always the will of evil to try to use the children of God’s called men and women to do his bidding, often succeeding for a season; yet, a glimpse through history shows us that the majority of these children return to Christ and become an even more powerful force for godliness and God’s agenda than they might have originally. Thus, proving the general principle found in Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”] Nevertheless, ask yourself where this country will be if people who claim to support freedom and adherer to conservative belief are allowed to continue in office when they would veto such legislation.

I ask for your prayers, as I have been under much spiritual attack lately in my physical body. God has reminded me recently that He allowed Satan to attack Job because God had a purpose. I have, and am, allowing God to reveal changes in my life, lifestyle, and schedule He wants made so I might benefit from why He has allowed this attacked. One the other side, Satan brings this attack at a time when he could use it to attempt to hinder my work in spiritual activism and my work with a specific individual whom God has intended to use for His glory. This attack comes at a time when this individual is close to finding their freedom from bondages and their true purpose in Christ. Satan has sent people to stop this, Satan has brought personal division and strife to stop this, and now Satan is attacking me personally in an attempt to stop this and keep his claws in this person. Therefore, I ask each of you to pray for me and pray for the situation that God would be glorified and Satan would be defeated.

Lastly, I know I am behind on quite a few questions and the follow-up comments on answers. I will be moving forward as quickly as possible. If you feel your question is urgent, please send me a message indicating so. I will not be adding follow-up comments to the questions and replies unless an additional question is prompted. This is not personal in any way; it is merely policy for me. I have never allowed publically posted comments and will not be doing so with the Q&A series. However, I will still respond to your comments privately and personally, so please continue to submit them. The intent of this forum is to promote Truth and only to promote Truth, which is why no comments or names are allowed and why I do not even list my name or ministry. I am here to promote Jesus and His Truths not to promote anyone else, including myself.

Regarding worldviews:

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Spiritual Gifts, Tongues, Truth

Do Spiritual Gifts Cease?

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Truth, Uncategorized on May 19, 2014 at 9:10 pm

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

“I have done some reading on my own but would love your input on this particular verse, 1 Corinthians 13:8. It seems it could be taken out of context to mean something different then intended but I’m not sure.”

Reply:

Thank you for your question about 1 Corinthians 13:8 and yes, it is a verse that is often misrepresented and misused, by those who do not believe in what is often referred to as the Pentecostal or Charismatic Gifts, of prophecy, words of knowledge, and tongues. It is a verse that is distorted in order to make a claim that these Spiritual Gifts are not in operation anymore within the Body of Christ.

As I frequently try to remind people, context is everything with Scripture. Context of the verses surrounding the verse you are studying, context of the entire chapter, and at times context of the entire book of the Bible you are examining. Therefore, we should look at the context of 1 Corinthians before and after chapter thirteen.

Chapters 1-4 Talks about spiritual gifts, the use of wisdom, carnality, the need for good stewardship in handling mysteries of God, the need for spiritual parenting and spiritual care…

Chapters 5-7 Deals with immorality within the church, the need to “judge”, yes judge immorality, how Christians should treat each other, how we should treat our bodies, how we should act in marriage, instructions for the unmarried and widowed…

Chapters 8-10 Has us examine ourselves internally (our conscious), the need for self-denial, service, and perseverance throughout the Christian’s lifespan…

Chapters 10-11 Addresses religious practices and ordinances.

Chapters 12-14 Focuses primarily on love and on the use of the spiritual gifts in their proper form.

Then we reach the part of the book on which the question is based and that will be the focus of our examination. However, it is important to point out the context of the few chapters that follow this portion.

Chapter 15 Addresses our Resurrected Christ and our ultimate glorification in the next life.

That for the most part is the book of 1 Corinthians. Now understanding the context of 1 Corinthians, we examine this specific passage of Scripture.

Paul has just described what “love” looks like in a tangible sense (1 Corn.13:4-7) and is now going to make a point about love.

1 Corinthians 13:8–13 (AV) (KJV)

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

“they shall fail” v.8

“it shall vanish away” v.8

“shall be done away” v.10

“I put away” v.11

All four of these phrases have the same Greek definition. It is as follows:

2673. καταργέω katargĕō, kat-arg-eh´-o; from 2596 and 691; to be (render) entirely idle (useless), lit. or fig.:— abolish, cease, cumber, deliver, destroy, do away, become (make) of no (none, without) effect, fail, loose, bring (come) to nought, put away (down), vanish away, make void.

There is clearly a time when these gifts will cease to exist. However, the key to when that time is, or will be, can be found in proper understanding and context of 1 Corinthians as a whole and through understanding of other passages in the Bible.

In order for those gifts to cease, “that which is perfect” v.10, must come into existence.

According to the Greek language, “that which is perfect” is a “variety of states of completeness, in character, perfection, growth, labor” and that completeness means “to set out for a definite point or goal”, “the point aimed at as a limit”, “a result immediately or ultimately or prophetic of a purpose”, “specifically to levy an end”, “the uttermost” of a state, and most importantly, “the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literally, figuratively, indefinitely]” – which speaks to the eternal not the temporal.

This addresses the state of being once the Body of Christ has entered Glory, not while the Body of Christ is on the earth.

Let me elaborate on this point by addressing each verse that follows verse eight, where the statement about the ceasing of the gifts is made – verses ten through thirteen.

v.10 In perfection (glory) everything will be complete, there will be no more need for gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc.

v.11 Paul equates transferring from this life to glory, as a level of perfection or maturity that is simply the next step. Then he gives the example of transferring from a level of maturity a child would have, to a level of maturity a man would have. He says, ‘he put away childish things’ because it was the next step in his perfection or maturity as a young man. One day, our next step in our maturity or perfection in Christ, will be to put off this world, the spiritual gifts we use in this world and move into the next realm of our existence, glory, where we will be perfectly completed in Christ.

v.12 Paul talks about the completeness and maturity of his understanding, of our understanding, and spiritual insight once we see Jesus face to face and know ALL there is to know and UNDERSTAND all there is to understand. He acknowledges that he, Paul, is fully known by Christ but that he, Paul, does not fully know the things of God this side of heaven, this side of residing in His, Christ’s, Glory.

v.13 Paul talks about faith, hope, and charity (agape or action type love) and he tells us that for now we act, live, use our gifts, etc. out of “faith”, to the degree of our “faith”, and we rest our “hope” in the Truth that God will use them, having our “hope” in God alone, as we act motivated by “charity” aka love for God and the Body of Christ. He makes the point that of the three, “charity” (love) is the primary one that will transcend this life into the next life, eternal life in glory. Once in glory, faith will not be needed, for our faith will become complete because all will be seen and known (Heb. 11:1). Once in glory our hope will also be made complete because we will have the fulfillment of all we have hoped for during our Christian walk on earth (Heb.11:1).

Paul then immediately launches right into encouraging us and exhorting us to desire the most coveted spiritual gifts and tell us why. Therefore, the use and importance of these gifts are a priority, both then and now. Paul had addressed the three gifts of, Words of Knowledge, Gif of Tongues, and Prophecy because he had been teaching in the prior chapters that all gifts were important and needed within the Body of Christ; therefore, there was no need for spiritual jealousy among the brethren – that ultimately all spiritual gifts regardless of their power would go away once we were all in glory together. Prior to this point in 1 Corinthians 13 and 14, the focus has been on the need for unity and love among True Believer, instead of infighting and jealousy over gifts and callings (1 Corn. 12:12-31).

1 Corinthians 14:1–5 (NKJV)

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

It is also made clear in the book of Ephesians, when spiritual gifts are being addressed, that the need for apostles and prophets exist, the two callings that tend to use the aforementioned gifts the most. The purpose is to grow the Body of Christ and keep them from the spiritual danger of being lead astray or becoming apostate, which sadly is exactly what wrong teaching on the subject of 1 Corn. 13:8-13 does. Proper teaching, which the fivefold ministry is required by God to do, is to continue until the Body of Christ or the individual is completely spiritually mature, which is something that never happens until a saint goes to be with Jesus in glory. I have never met any mature Christian, who consideration themselves to be completely mature, or perfect – only perfect in Christ. Each mature Believer, I have ever encountered, knew there was so much more they had to learn – this attitude, in and of itself, is a testimony to their maturity.

Ephesians 4:11–16 (NKJV)

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Again, in conclusion, in the end all spiritual gifts will go away once we are all in glory together, but not prior to that time. They might be exhibited among the Brethren to a greater or lesser degree at any given time in history but they will not completely cease until after the rapture and/or the Body of Christ has been transformed in the New Jerusalem. This passage in 1 Corinthians 13 is meant to remind us of our need for unity and love among the True Saints of God, Saints being another name for Believers.

Regarding worldviews:

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Overcoming, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth, Victory

His Cross or Your Cross

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Truth, Uncategorized on April 29, 2014 at 8:37 am

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

This man indicates that as he grows in his faith he is becoming even more confused about how to overcome issues in his life. He feels that his begging and pleading with God has fallen on deaf ears. He has tried reading his Bible and resisting but still struggles. He can sense something is wrong but does not know what is wrong. All he knows is that, try as he might he cannot seem to have overcoming victory, to be righteous. He is seeking input and feels very confused.

Reply:

Dear Sir,

Let me first say that your question is a question I have heard hundreds of times, if not more, asked in an untold number of different ways. You are not alone in your concerns and doubts. I was there at one time myself.

If you know Jesus and have truly made Him LORD of your life, you cannot become righteous, given that you are already righteous in God’s eyes and in the spiritual realm. The reader must first realize that he is asking Jesus to do something Jesus has already done. Jesus is not going to help you, me or anyone "overcome certain things in life" when He has already overcome those things for you, me, and all His children on the cross. We experience freedom from any form of bondage once we place our faith in the TRUTH that Jesus did overcome those things for us on the cross thus He is able to manifest the power of that overcoming victory once, by trust and faith; we fully accept what He did.

This is one of the major reasons I recommend Neil Anderson’s book, “Victory over the Darkness” to all new Believers in Christ. If we do not understand who we are in Christ and what His death on the cross accomplished for us, our spiritual foundation will be unstable consequently, our walk with Him will be difficult to say the least. All new Believers would do well to absorb this book fully in their spirits before taking on greater pursuits in the Lord. The book is filled with Scriptures and packed with Truth.

Dear man, stop asking Jesus to do for you and start thanking Him for what He has done. We accept victory the same way we accepted salvation by way of by trust and faith.

Regarding worldviews:

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Blessings, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, Evil, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Good, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth

Blessing of Good and Evil

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on April 24, 2014 at 3:34 pm

You may submit your own question via the contact information on the “ABOUT” page. A link to the about page can be found at the top of any of the website pages.

Question Summary:

Why do people who are sinful get blessed? Why do people who are godly have trouble? Why do people believe sin causes trouble and blessings? How can we make sense of all the mess and injustice in the world?

Reply:

This is actually a combination of several questions whose answers have the same basic root. I have been asked this question in one form or another ever since I became a minister. It comes from the heart of hurting people or angry people who cannot understand how the world, Satan’s kingdom, and the eternal, God’s Kingdom work. Jesus is our example for all things so I will use situations surrounding Jesus to address these questions.

The first point I will make, regarding the evil aspect of the question, is that people can be rewarded, bribed, or compensated by Satan in this world. He can do nothing that has not been allowed by God, Job is an example of that, but Satan can in fact provide worldly blessings for sinful people. We have seen some of the most corrupt and depraved, sometimes privately, individuals and families receive blessings in this lifetime. Their ultimate cost however, for those evil blessings is something much deeper that they lack inside and their eternal souls many times. Satan even tried to bribe Jesus.

Matthew 4:8–11 (NKJV)

⁸Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

¹¹Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

The first point I will make, regarding the godly aspect of the question, is that people can know God, people can profess all the right things but still be deeply rebellious in their hearts and that rebellion will cause them problems in life. Even Jesus chose obedience over rebellion. Scripture referring to Jesus, states how He had to hear the Father and choose not to have a rebellious heart. If Jesus had to consciously make that choice, while He was here in human flesh, of course we each must do the same every day. If we remain in rebellion, either inwardly or outwardly, against God’s Will we will not be consistently blessed in life.

Isaiah 50:5 (NKJV)

The Lord God has opened My ear;

And I was not rebellious,

Nor did I turn away.

Another reason we see both groups blessed and both groups suffer is because God has chosen such for His own purposes. Jesus taught that, when He walked the earth in the flesh.

Matthew 5:45 (NKJV) Jesus speaking

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

For a True Believer any suffering or difficulty they go through that is the type, which Jesus taught about above, has a guaranteed redemptive purpose. God wants to use what they went through. For the Unbeliever any difficulty they go through that is the type, which Jesus taught about above, are magnets meant to draw them to Him.

For the True Believer any blessings they obtain from the hand of God that is the type, which Jesus taught about above, are meant not merely as a form of reward but as a source to be used to glorify God further. For the Unbeliever any blessings they obtain from the hand of God that is the type, which Jesus taught about above, are intended to draw them to God through His goodness. Those blessing given to both groups are almost always removed one day if the Giver is not acknowledged and glorified.

There is much injustice, evil, and wrongdoing in the world. It is often hard to make sense of it all but people, most especially Christians must keep in mind this world is currently under Satan’s dominion and Satan can afflict people, including True Believers, with harm, disease, various afflictions, and general difficulties.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV)

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

John 14:30 (NKJV) Jesus speaking

³⁰I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

Luke 13:16 (NKJV) Jesus speaking

¹⁶So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Most dedicated Believers make claims about wanting to be like Jesus and to live for Him. They aspire to resemble their Savior but then are shocked and backslide when life, the world, and the Devil brings about difficulties. Yet, do they really know their Jesus, who He really was and is, as well as what He went through while walking the earth. I will end with passages form Isaiah, one of which that addresses some of what Jesus was to expect, and received, when He came to the earth. The passage also reflects how He responded.

Jesus knew and knows who He was and is, He knew and knows His power and ability, yet, He states what He choose to allow people to do to Him and how He chose to respond. We should pray for the grace of God to do likewise when we find ourselves in difficult circumstance for there is abundant life to be found in that type freedom, strength, and power.

Isaiah 50 (NKJV)

The Servant, Israel’s Hope

50 Thus says the Lord:

“Where is the certificate of your mother’s divorce,

Whom I have put away?

Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you?

For your iniquities you have sold yourselves,

And for your transgressions your mother has been put away.

² Why, when I came, was there no man?

Why, when I called, was there none to answer?

Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a wilderness;

Their fish stink because there is no water,

And die of thirst.

³ I clothe the heavens with blackness,

And I make sackcloth their covering.”

⁴ “The Lord God has given Me

The tongue of the learned,

That I should know how to speak

A word in season to him who is weary.

He awakens Me morning by morning,

He awakens My ear

To hear as the learned.

⁵ The Lord God has opened My ear;

And I was not rebellious,

Nor did I turn away.

⁶ I gave My back to those who struck Me,

And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;

I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

⁷ “For the Lord God will help Me;

Therefore I will not be disgraced;

Therefore I have set My face like a flint,

And I know that I will not be ashamed.

⁸ He is near who justifies Me;

Who will contend with Me?

Let us stand together.

Who is My adversary?

Let him come near Me.

⁹ Surely the Lord God will help Me;

Who is he who will condemn Me?

Indeed they will all grow old like a garment;

The moth will eat them up.

¹⁰ “Who among you fears the Lord?

Who obeys the voice of His Servant?

Who walks in darkness

And has no light?

Let him trust in the name of the Lord

And rely upon his God.

¹¹ Look, all you who kindle a fire,

Who encircle yourselves with sparks:

Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—

This you shall have from My hand:

You shall lie down in torment.

Isaiah 55:1–13 (NKJV)

An Invitation to Abundant Life

55 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

² Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

³ Incline your ear, and come to Me.

Hear, and your soul shall live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—

The sure mercies of David.

⁴ Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,

A leader and commander for the people.

⁵ Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,

And nations who do not know you shall run to you,

Because of the Lord your God,

And the Holy One of Israel;

For He has glorified you.”

⁶ Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

¹² “For you shall go out with joy,

And be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills

Shall break forth into singing before you,

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,

And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;

And it shall be to the Lord for a name,

For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Regarding worldviews:

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Advice, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Peace, Questions, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth, Unity

Peace and Unity

In Advice, Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on April 23, 2014 at 5:10 pm

Question Summary:

The quest for peace and unity or oneness in all circumstances, is that always good? Like in the case of world peace, community peace, family peace or unity, religious unity, and so on.

Reply:

As stated in the past, without specifics about a person’s circumstances it is hard to address a situation in an absolute way that will honor God and be a wise godly answer. However, I can provide some various insights about the topic.

This I can state with absolute authority that honors God and is in keeping with His Will and His Word. If keeping the peace or having unity or bringing about oneness requires an individual or group to compromise God’s Word, God’s Will, or God’s Purpose then it is an ungodly form of peace, unity, or oneness. Satan often brings a form of peace that is ungodly in order to bring about some form of evil. Again, if it causes you to dishonor God, then it is wrong.

Religious unity is not of God and is not supported anywhere in Scripture. Scripture teaches the opposite on numerous occasions. An example can be found with Muslims, the Koran states that Christians are considered infidels and if they refuse to renounce Christ when asked to do so, they are to be killed. As peace loving as some Muslims may appear, the text they consider holy gives this mandate. Some Muslims will even deny the Koran states this mandate. This is why these two groups Christians and Muslims, and their members, cannot be reconciled as friends. Now unity of Jesus’ Church, The Body of Christ, is supported throughout the New Testament.

Unity among Believers and unbelievers is not supported by Scripture for we are not to be yoked with unbelievers in any form of attached relationships, (2 Corn. 6:11-17) however, we can live at peace with unbelievers provided doing so does not cause us to dishonor God.

2 Corinthians 6:11–17 (NKJV)

Be Holy

11 O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13 Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore

“Come out from among them

And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean,

And I will receive you.

Keeping the unity of a family or keeping peace within a family, again, is subject to whether or not the Believer in Christ can honor God and remain in unity or keep peace with other family members. This is not always possible as beliefs will differ and bring about division and even the simply desire to honor and follow God will bring division.

Luke 12:49–53 (NKJV) Jesus speaking

Christ Warns of the Costs of Discipleship

49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The idea that following Christ brings about some type of utopian love-fest with all people is simply not true and has not bases in Scripture. If Jesus states that following Him would bring division within families, in the most intimate relationships, will it not bring division among, friends, colleagues, associated, and people in the world? Of course, it is going to do so. If you believe you are doing all God has instructed you to do in following Him and find yourself at peace with all people and everyone likes you, something is very wrong with your walk with God.

Additionally, many times in Scripture we find that had people not left family and homeland to go where and do what God had called or asked them to do they would have never been able to fulfill His Purposes for their life. Abraham, the Father of our Faith had to leave his family and homeland (Gen. 12 & 13) to fulfill God’s Plan for His life and our ultimate enfolding into the gospel message.

Community and/or global peace are much larger issues. Global peace and unity sounds wonderful and seems like such a noble idea but it is clearly the work of an Anti-Christ Spirit. (See the books of Revelation and Daniel.) It may seem great for a season to unbelievers and immature or carnal Christians but it is a concept whose end will be horrible for True Christians, the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God and mankind in general.

The idea of a utopian society has been around since just after the fall of man and early creation. It is a notion driven by and based in sin. It is about the desire to be independent from God or to reach God and/or heaven on one’s own terms or to ascend to god-ship one one’s own terms. Man wants to be their own god and man wants to reach God on their own terms. That is a concept, idea, and practice God has been disturbing from the beginning and will continue to frustrate and disrupt until the end of time. Only God will bring about the true world peace and Divine unity in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21). Therefore, we do not compromise God’s Word or dishonor God even for community or world peace.

The earliest reported account of an example of man’s attempt at this ascension is found in the Book of Genesis. God’s response then, and ever since, has been to bring about circumstances that disrupted man’s ability to succeed at such behavior.

Genesis 11:1–9 (NKJV)

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

It amazing me when I see individual people, a community, or a society that thinks they are going to be in charge of life, they are going to create and make their own destiny, or they are going to live independent of God on their own terms. No they are not, only if God allows them to live as such! At any moment, God could require their life of them, yet they think themselves so in charge.

Ezekiel 3:16–21 (NKJV)

Ezekiel is a Watchman

16 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

20 “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

Well here is your warning…

As I stated at the beginning of this reply; this I can state with absolute authority that it honors God and is in keeping with His Will and His Word. If keeping the peace or having unity or bringing about oneness requires an individual or group to compromise God’s Word, God’s Will, or God’s Purpose then it is an ungodly form of peace, unity, or oneness.

Regarding worldviews:

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Easter, Encouragement, God, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Resurrection, Rhema Words, Salvation, Truth

Resurrection Power

In Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophet, Prophetess, Truth, Uncategorized on April 20, 2014 at 6:00 pm

It is my prayer that each one of you, who have truly embrace Jesus as your Lord, have awareness of the Resurrection Power living inside of you. It is also my prayer that in the year to come between this Easter Sunday and the next that you will grow in your understanding and execution of this Truth and the use of that resurrection power.

Romans 8:11 (NKJV) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

As you celebrate the glorious resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus, the Christ, this Resurrection/Easter Sunday in your own way, I pray His Presence will not be far from you and He will be continually in your thoughts. Despite what we might do today we must always remember today is about HIM and His glorious victory.

Today will be, and has been, filled with many activities for each of us. Such as our usual Easter Sunday; a wonderful morning service to celebrate the Triumphed King followed by a massive family reunion at our family compound also know as my great, great, aunt’s (long since gone to be with the Lord) sprawling home tucked away from the world. This family reunion dates back to before I can even remember attending and is inclusive of every family member imaginable past and present; every aunt, uncle, cousin, etc. and for a family who enjoys reproduction that is a throng of people. There will be all the kiddies with their Easter clothes and Easter baskets. The adults of a certain generational group will be called to the caretakers house in the back of the property where the elders of the family, men and women alike, will dispense the wisdom and lay down the law (as I like to call it) for how the family matters and business will be handled for the next year. No one would dare dream to tell them otherwise; you respect your elders and your leaders and God blesses you, you don’t and He doesn’t. I know for many people they will experience a very similar day, which is wonderful and I believe God rejoices over such gatherings, but I want to suggest something more you might want to do with your day.

If the server for this website works correctly, you should be receiving this posting or it will be available via the blog in the early evening, my time, on Easter Sunday. The day will be coming to a close in just a few hours and you just may have a few minutes for the following. I would like to encourage you to take a few moments alone, just Jesus and you, and read the account of the first Good Friday and the first Resurrection/Easter Sunday.

Luke 23:26–24:12 (NKJV)

Christ is Crucified

Also found in Matt. 27:31–56; Mark 15:20–41; John 19:16–30 .

²⁶Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

²⁷And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. ²⁸But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ ³⁰Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ ³¹For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

³²There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

³⁶The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, ³⁷and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

³⁸And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

³⁹Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

⁴⁰But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

⁴⁴Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.

⁴⁷So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

⁴⁸And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. ⁴⁹But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Christ is Buried

Also found in Matt. 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42.

⁵⁰Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. ⁵¹He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. ⁵⁴That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

⁵⁵And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.

In the Grave

⁵⁶Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

The Resurrection

Also found in Matt. 28:1–8; Mark 16:1–8; John 20:1–10.

24 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ²But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. ⁵Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

⁸And they remembered His words. ⁹Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. ¹¹And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. ¹²But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

We too should marvel at the great power of our Savior!

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruit of the Spirit, God, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Salvation, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ Part Sixteen – Self-control/Temperance

In Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on April 7, 2014 at 6:12 pm

Monday, April 07, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “self-control” and “temperance” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly temperance and godly self-control not the worldly version of self-control or self-discipline. When self-discipline is applied in a worldly setting, it commonly has the undertones of refining oneself into a self-god. Self-discipline is mainly applied to accomplish ones own goals or remake oneself in one’s own desired image. Godly self-control is about walking out the steps necessary for God to manifest His Will in your life. Temperance is about bringing balance and simplicity to life through bringing all things into subjection under the Will of God for your life. Though the differences may appear slight, the attitudes and motives behind the differences vary vastly.

What does it mean to be in subjection to God’s Will? Subjection per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary means, “to make (as oneself) amenable to the discipline and control of a superior.” In order to come under God’s Will, and stay under God’s Will, a person must make any number of choices daily that places his or her will aside and chooses God’s Will instead. When we make those choices, we are exhibiting the virtues of the fruit of Spirit known as godly self-control and temperance.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness [KJV – gentleness], goodness, faithfulness [KJV – faith], ²³ gentleness [KJV – Meekness], self-control [KJV – temperance].

As stated previously in earlier writings, the word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses the word self-control the KJV uses the word temperance in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “temperance” used in Galatians 5:23 is as follows.

“temperance”

1466. ἐγκράτεια ĕgkratĕia, eng-krat´-i-ah; from 1468; self-control (espec. continence):— temperance.

1468. ἐγκρατής ĕgkratēs, eng-krat-ace´; from 1722 and 2904; strong in a thing (masterful), i.e. (fig. and refl.) self-controlled (in appetite, etc.):— temperate.

2904. κράτος kratŏs, krat´-os; perh. a primary word; vigor [“great”] (lit. or fig.):— dominion, might [-ily], power, strength.

Note: Continence has to do with sexual appetite and desires.

Let me make a distinction here. Self-control and temperance are not exactly the same things. They would affect, or effect, two different areas of a Believers life. Temperance will bring about a form of habitual moderation, which will spread over the entirety of the individual lifestyle. Self-control will deal with bringing control to a person actions, emotions and impulses. God uses the one, temperance, to allow God’s character to be walked out in a person over the course of a lifetime in every area of life. God uses the other, self-control, to break the bondages, bring order, and give victory to the individual in areas where their life does not exhibit godliness and could even be out of control.

For the reasons explained in the previous paragraph, I believe the change in Bible translations that brought about the use of the word “self-control” in place of the use of the word “temperance” has damaged the overall meaning God intended for this verse. This change, like so many others, has to do with the societal vices of our day and society’s attitudes toward excess. Habitual moderation in all things is extremely unpopular among the world and carnal Christians.

I also want to touch on another point very lightly. Temperance is connected to having “a sound mind” as described in 2 Timothy 1:7. Having study the various aspect of the mental health profession for many years, I can tell you that in almost all psychological problems an imbalance in behavior or thinking is present and is a factor in the cause of the problem. Just review in your mind the symptoms of most disorders and you will find a pattern of imbalanced behavior and/or thinking. Balance brings order to a person’s life, mind, and relationships. Extremes and excess bring disorder and destruction.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:7

The definition in the Greek Language for the term “of a sound mind” is as follows.

“of a sound mind” =

4995. from 4994; discipline, i.e. self-control:— sound mind.

4994. from 4998; to make of sound mind, i.e. (fig.) to discipline or correct:— teach to be sober.

4998. from the base of 4982 and that of 5424; safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion):— discreet, sober, temperate.

4982. “safe”); to save, i.e. deliver or protect (lit. or fig.):— heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

5424. (to rein in or curb; comp. 5420); the midrif (as a partition of the body), i.e. (fig. and by impl. of sympathy) the feelings (or sensitive nature; by extens. [also in the plur.] the mind or cognitive faculties):— understanding.

5420. apparently a strengthening form of the base of 5424; to fence or inclose, i.e. (spec.) to block up (fig. to silence):— stop.

Note: “moderate as to opinion” is not inclusive of, nor an excuse for, compromising or watering down God’s Word.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly self-control/temperance toward God, self, and others as well as through service.* When we practice temperance in our daily schedule, we do not become too busy to spend a bit of time in solitude with God each day. We exhibit self-control and temperance toward ourselves by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, balancing our work and recreation, and not eating to excess. By deferring to other people’s desires and wishes in a balanced way, where the relationship benefits both parties, a person is showing temperance. Not allowing your Christian service to place you in a position where are too busy for quiet time with God or too busy for your spouse and friends is an act of using temperance, and through being balanced the quality of what you give to those you serve will honor God.

“the more holy the life the more mysterious it becomes by its apparent simplicity and littleness.”

Rev. Jean-Pierre De Caussade S.J.

*I have a question for all of you. I have written this series from a template I set up at the beginning of the series. That template included the following sentence. “Here are some examples of how we might express godly ________________ toward God, self, and others as well as through service?” Does anyone see a problem? The question mark is the problem. This is not a question it is a statement. All of you let me write this entire series and never once mentioned I had misused a question mark. Now I know several of you are writers yourself, others teachers, pastors, psychologists, etc. I guess that since it took me until the end of the series to catch the typo myself, then perhaps, most of you have suffered from word blindness and like me just placed a period there instead. Like I often say, thank goodness for proofreaders. Although I am not interested in hearing about every little typo, in the future, if you see me repeating the same mistake over the course of several postings please send me a comment or note and let me know. I would be grateful. As a Christian Community, are we not suppose to be our brother’s keeper? We are all supposed to be helping one another to be better, to do better, and not to inappropriately use question marks.

I hope you all have enjoyed the series. This concludes the Fruit or Vegetable Series and I will be undertaking your questions with my next posting. I have quite a few questions and I am currently sorting though how to tackle them. Questions I currently have, or that come in, which I consider high priority will be, answered a soon as possible. Other questions, I may just put in order by what book of the Bible they might apply to or if the topic has particular relevance in society at the time.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Advice, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Christian, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruit of the Spirit, God, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Salvation, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth

Thoughts and Answers

Thursday, April 03, 2014

Here are a few thoughts, pebbles of wisdom that will provide the answers to many questions, which have come up as of late. I realize these appear to be only one or two sentence answers to questions, which for many people are profoundly life changing, but I assure you often the answers in life are truly simply but accepting them and applying them can be extremely difficult.

If you are not confident that God loves you then you will never truly be able to love beyond yourself, with godly love.

A life void of individuals who will tell you the truth is a life lived like a masquerade party; no one ever knows what is behind the mask.

You cannot give away what you yourself do not acquire, apply, and cling too consistently.

It is better to feed a few spiritual thirsty Devoted Followers well than to pour yourself out on religiously dry bones found among the masses. Keep in mind Jesus’ core group consisted of twelve.

What is done over the course of a lifetime is what matters; you cannot live off one huge victory/success nor should you allow one huge failure/mistake to define your life.

The holiness of a Devoted Believer’s life should be both disturbing and soothing to non-believers.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ Part Fifteen – Gentleness/Meekness

Friday, March 28, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “gentleness/meekness” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly gentleness/meekness not worldly apathy and passivity. Gentleness/Meekness, like many of the virtues found in the fruit of the Spirit, is both and inner and outer quality. A person can appear to be very meek and humble on the outside but on the inside, they sit with a constant sense of superiority rarely vocalizing the inner judgments they feel and the mental tearing to shreds of the people around them they participate in, all the while veining a mask of false modesty and false gentleness.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

As stated previously in earlier writings, the word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses the word gentleness the KJV uses the word meekness in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “meekness” used in Galatians 5:23 is as follows.

“meekness”

4236. πρᾳότης praiŏtēs, prah-ot´-ace; from 4235; gentleness, by impl. humility:— meekness.

4235. πρᾷος praiŏs, prah´-os; a form of 4239, used in certain parts; gentle, i.e. humble:— meek.

Just as we should not misinterpret apathy, passivity, or false modesty as true godly meekness we must not misinterpret holy boldness and godly confidence as a lack of inner or outer gentleness and meekness. Just as individuals have their own temperament, the fruit of the Spirit is exhibited through that temperament in a way specific to that particular temperament. We are not all cut from the same mold but we are created in the same likeness, the likeness of our Creator, the Almighty God.

Humility is very much a part of meekness. If we cannot evaluate ourselves accurately, which is what true humility is, then we cannot be gentle or meek when we relate to others. A person who exercises true humility recognizes both their strengths and their weaknesses, understanding their capabilities and their limitations; essentially, they understand who and how God created them to be.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly gentleness/meekness toward God, self, and others as well as through service? With God, we exercise the greatest form of meekness when we subject ourselves to His Will, showing reverential fear for Him, and change in the areas in which He desires us to change. ^“God will hear, and afflict them, Even He who abides from of old. Selah Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God.” Psalm 55:19 (NKJV) By understand and accepting ourselves as God created us we show the greatest amount of gentleness we can ever show to ourselves. People’s continual struggle with who they are, how they look, etc. is ultimately their greatest source of pain and the prison in which others can lock them. Choosing to deal with a sincerely distressed person, not an attention seeker, with gentleness and meekness shows them we love them. Giving time to, and showing care for, those individuals the world deems all put worthless and who are often overlook, is meekness found in the form of humility and gentleness; a great act of service for people who often have no way of repaying your kindness.

Meekness and gentleness is not a form of weakness. On the contrary, it is the exact opposite for it takes great personal inner strength to be gentle and meek. Jesus was our example of the highest form of meekness and gentleness.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ Part Fourteen – Faithfulness/Faith

Saturday, March 22, 2014

This part of the Fruit and Vegetable Series will be the most important part by far. The virtue of faith and/or faithfulness is without a doubt the aspect of the fruit of the Spirit that will impact the life of a Believer the most and leave the most lasting results, either positive or negative upon their life.

As we will look at the virtue of “faithfulness/faith”, what we will examine is godly faithfulness and faith not a worldly concept of dedication and positive thinking. Often the world and religious legalism are dedicated to a project or practice because it makes them look good or feel good about themselves. These practices and projects are not things done out of faithfulness to God and faith in what God has ordained.

Immediately I need to bring clarity to difference between faith and faithfulness and why they cannot be separated spiritually. Faith is about what we believe. Faithfulness is about what we do. What we believe will directly impact what we do. What we do and do not do will directly impact our faith. If we do not believe we will not act and if we do not act our ability to believe will never grow, thus, deeper faith will be allowed to develop. Some people believe what they choose, others believe what they know; the latter is faith. Any aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, along with all faith, originates with God but once originated God allows us to choose what we will do with that faith.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

As stated previously in earlier writings, the word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses the word faithfulness the KJV uses the word faith in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “faith” used in Galatians 5:22 is as follows.

“faith”

4102. πίστις pistis, pis´-tis; from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; mor. conviction (of relig. truth, or the truthfulness of God or a relig. teacher), espec. reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstr. constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:— assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

3982. πείθω pĕithō, pi´-tho; a primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by anal. to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); refl. or pass. to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty):— agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) confident, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.

You cannot separate faith and obedience of which faithfulness is a part. Faith and obedience are kind of like two sides of one coin. Noah believed God and built an ark. Abraham trusted God and went. In order to have such faith one must be willing to grow their faith through faithfulness and the testing of that faith/faithfulness.

In order for a person to walk in faith, they must walk in Divine protection. Authentic godliness rather than religiousness is our best defense against Satan’s seductions and attacks. One’s godliness must be tested if they, or anyone else, are to know the depths of their faith. There is a peace that comes from walking in godliness and faith, and then there is the peace with which Satan seduces people.

Satan’s false peace is a peace that comes not from overcoming in a godly way but instead is produced from the evasion of apathy and deadness into ones faith that leaves them lethargic, numb and sleeping in the light – faith is decaying or all but dead in individuals who experience this form of peace. They are spiritually lifeless people with little or no passion in life, drones living off of the faith of those around them. Again, testing the spirits of people exposes these individuals and the depth of their faith.

I do not know a godly spiritual leader who has not had their faith and faithfulness tested, otherwise they would not have been found ready to be a leader. Testing of one’s faith is a tough and often painful process but absolutely necessary. The Bible is filled with examples of tested faith. Jesus did not sweat blood in the garden because He was breezing through His assignment. He struggled, He sought another path, and then He obeyed. He lost everyone and went to the cross alone. Most of the prophets and apostles struggled alone with their faith and the resulting persecution.

Why alone? Dejected identity – rejection causes people to loss heart – test the depth of someone’s faith by putting them in a position of rejection and see how they respond. This will tell you a great deal about their faith and faithfulness. You will quickly discover who cares enough to fight for what they said they believed in, their desires, their beliefs, their relationships, their godly passions and purpose, etc. or do they fall into self-pity and respond with no action, or even worse, they pull back or turn back. Faith not worth acting on is not much faith. Faithfulness that cannot overcome a few roadblocks is not a characteristic that is rooted very deeply in a person.

There is a Jewish practice, which is also used by Christian Spiritual Leader to test people’s faith and faithfulness before giving them a place of leadership and authority, as the novice Believer should not be a leader. 1 Timothy 3:6 (NKJV) not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. This practice is typically reserved for proselytes and is meant to detect godly faith in Truths verses intellectual ascent to Truths. The practice has its roots in Scripture and was done many times. Essentially the practice is to reject or rebuff a proselyte (new convert) three times, in varying degrees of severity, both to see if he or she is sincere in their faith and faithfulness and to show him or her that it is hard to be a Devoted Follower and live a life of faith and faithfulness to God. How the individual responds tells the Spiritual Leader what they need to know about the person’s preparedness, commitment, faith, and faithfulness.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly faithfulness/faith toward God, self, and others as well as through service? By trusting in God and obeying His directives, we show Him our faith as well as our faithfulness to Him and His purpose for us. We express godly faith/faithfulness toward ourselves when daily, in our private lives, we follow the personal directives we have been given by God based on His priorities for our life. Our faith and faithfulness shows to people as we continue in our commitment to them and our commitment to godly covenants, such as marriage. By being there for people, time after time despite the hardships, we show them our faith and faithfulness through the act of service to them.

Faith in the faithfulness of an Unchanging God is something that is developed to a greater and greater degree as each year passes and you continue in faith and faithfulness. It can grow to the degree that there is almost nothing you do not believe can happen, or you can do, if God tells you it is going to happen or you must get it done. That is a glorious day! That makes for a glorious life!

People complain about never getting a chance in life, yet, they never take any risk in life. The difference between people who make a difference in society, their world, their community, their Christian Fellowship, who stand for something, and who fulfill their godly purpose in life and those who never do hinges greatly on their faith and their faithfulness.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Updates – Name and Questions

Saturday, March 22, 2014

I wanted to take a few moments and post a couple of information updates before releasing the next posting in the Fruit and Vegetable Series on faith and faithfulness.

The other night I went to a movie called, God’s Not Dead and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Jesus, the TRUE Christians, the Spiritual Remnant of God, and especially those that can see that Christian Liberties are being stripped away in America.

God’s Not Dead

http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/

At the end of this movie, they listed a website, which I did not recognize and that surprised me so I investigated. I learned something I had not realized and want to pass the information along to any of you who might not know yet. The long cherished Christian advocacy organization, which the former head of International Christian Media helped establish years ago is no longer the Alliance Defense Fund, the organization changed its name to Alliance Defending Freedom. They are still affiliated with all their ministries, doing the same powerful work, and still providing their Christian Allied Attorneys to those in need; all that has really changed is the name, but what a change.

In my view, the name is more aptly applicable today in our oppressive society where government and secular mass media are rapidly becoming so generalized and socialistic that only empty generic religion will be tolerated and having true godly principles that you voice and/or stand up for is becoming a crime, socially and legally. From what I can surmise, in part, the name change was a desire to make a stronger statement about their intent to defend Christian liberties and the right to free speech as well as freedom of religion in the United States.

On another note.

Whereas there are many questions that need to be addressed and answered via the blog, I would like to finish the current series before addressing any more questions. Questions are emerging from secondary sources outside of blog subscribers, therefore, I am going to open the blog up so questions can be sent directly though the “comment” link at the end of each posting on the main page. As always, you have my assurance questions will be handled in a generic fashion and the privacy of the individual asking the question will continue to be honored, as it always has been. Questions can also be submitted anonymously via the “comment” link.

Please continue to send your questions and comments and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ ~ Part Thirteen – Goodness

Saturday, March 08, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “goodness” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly goodness not a worldly concept of doing good. People will often do good in order to get the praise of man in the form of applause, being thought well of, their name on a building or listed in a program, etc. Things done with this type of motive are not things done out of a godly heart that just wishes to please God and bless others.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

The definition in the Greek Language for the word “goodness” used in Galatians 5:22 is as follows.

19. ἀγαθωσύνη agathōsunē, ag-ath-o-soo´-nay; from 18; goodness, i.e. virtue or beneficence:— goodness.

18. ἀγαθός agathŏs, ag-ath-os´; a prim. word; “good” (in any sense, often as noun):— benefit, good (-s, things), well. comp. 2570.

When we decide to be given to benevolence, the walking out of goodness, it should be because it is something that God has instructed us to do and for no other reason. Any alms, benefaction, acts of kindness, or contribution we make to another person’s life should only come from a heart willing to do as God desires them to do, for goodness is born out of virtue and virtue produces benevolence toward others. Goodness towards others can take many different forms from giving a friend the $1,000.00 they desperately need, no strings attached, to buying a stranger a hamburger and everything in-between.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly goodness toward God, self, and others as well as through service? We express goodness toward God when we are willing to sacrifice what we want in order to contribute to what He wants us to do, for we are contributing our time and money to His cause, not our own. By taking the time to care of ourselves with proper rest, food, and exercise we are showing ourselves goodness, for all three benefit our lives. When we go clean the house of a sick friend, we are showing goodness to them. That phone call we make to another who has lost a loved one to death is showing goodness to them in a society where to pick up the phone and actually talk to another person takes too much of people’s precious time, so they text for convince. Preparing meals for those who are overloaded with stress, sickness, or grief can be a tremendous act of service exemplifying the virtue of goodness.

If you are spreading goodness to others as an act of agape love for people and an even deeper love for Christ then you are acting with godly goodness. If you are doing good toward another in order to score points with them or God then you have your reward for you are acting out of worldly motives.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ ~ Part Twelve – Kindness/Gentleness

Thursday, March 06, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “kindness” and “gentleness” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly kindness and gentleness not worldly politeness, good manners or tolerance.

The first and most obvious question would be, ‘Are we always to be kind and gentle with people regardless of their actions?’ I would answer that in part by asking you ‘Have you read the Bible?’ God could never be consider anything less than kind and gentle, yet, we see Him on many occasion treat His people with what one could only perceive of as harshness and even meanness. I assure you however, that God is always good so anything we perceive as harshness or meanness on His part serves a purpose. When nothing else will work with us God will use trials laced with difficult hard harsh circumstances to teach us what we refuse to learn any other way. God often uses people in our lives to get this done. The Book of Judges is a good example of such.

There comes a time when nothing but tough love is left because people refuse to respond to goodness. It would be more unkind to allow a person to remain in their denial and sin than it would be to try to shock them into reality and action. God has often brought about harsh circumstance in order to bring His people to repentance. This is a truth that can actually be found in the Greek definition of the word “gentleness”.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

The word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses kindness the KJV uses gentleness in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “gentleness” used in Galatians 5:22 is as follows.

“gentleness”

5544. χρηστότης chrēstŏtēs, khray-stot´-ace; from 5543; usefulness, i.e. moral excellence (in character or demeanor):— gentleness, good (-ness), kindness.

5543. χρηστός chrēstŏs, khrase-tos´; from 5530; employed, i.e. (by implication) useful (in manner or morals):— better, easy, good (-ness), gracious, kind.

We are to employ kindness and gentleness in order to be useful in spreading the moral excellence of a Holy God.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly kindness/gentleness toward God, self, and others as well as through service? We can show kindness/gentleness toward God by not railing at Him when do not understand our circumstances but instead simply expressing our distress. When we choose to let go of the things or people that are hindering our productivity for God, we are being kind/gentle with ourselves. There are times when telling someone the harsh unfiltered truth is an expression of kindness/gentleness in that we have considered their circumstance enough to do so and speak out. When we act with kindness/gentleness to those we encounter everyday yet, do not even know, and who are often ignored, out of a gracious heart we are doing service to the kingdom of God for we are showing that there is something different about God’s people.

Godly kindness and gentleness is not a politically correct façade of politeness and empty pleasantries it a much higher form of expression where agape love can be found.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

▶ Comment

God's Truth In Love

God's Truth in Love

Archive for the ‘Agape Love’ Category

Clothes and Salvation

Do We Quit?

Updates – Godly Spiritual Activism

Do Spiritual Gifts Cease?

His Cross or Your Cross

Blessing of Good and Evil

Peace and Unity

Resurrection Power

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ Part Sixteen – Self-control/Temperance

Thoughts and Answers

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ Part Fifteen – Gentleness/Meekness

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ Part Fourteen – Faithfulness/Faith

Updates – Name and Questions

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ ~ Part Thirteen – Goodness

Fruit or Vegetable Series ~ ~ Part Twelve – Kindness/Gentleness

Follow Blog via Email

Categories

Recent Posts

Follow Blog via Email

Follow Blog via Email

Archives