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 Posted June 15th, 2011 07:31 AM IP   
THE BOOK OF MORMON IS NOT ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST AND HERE'S PROOF!
Anyone believing that The Book Of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ has been spiritually deceived. What the Book of Mormon IS … is a Satanically inspired book (testament) masterminded by none other than Satan himself.
If you read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, many will walk away wondering: What can be so wrong with it? It’s just a supposed historical account of God essentially working with people in the America’s. I mean, is God against history?
God has no problems with history. What he DOES have against The Book Of Mormon and the people trying to convince the world that’s it “another sacred testament of Jesus Christ”, and/or a continuation of the Holy Bible … is that it portrays the subtle message that the Holy Bible either can’t be trusted for accuracy nor completeness … and/or that there evidently was/is a need for God to write more for us humans to please Him than what the Holy Bible contains.
Satan absolutely does NOT want people believing the Holy Bible can be trusted in its entirety. He has attacked the trustworthiness and completeness of the Holy Bible like nothing else and no one else since Christianity began. Here is an excellent link as to WHY: War Of Words
God gives in the last book of the Holy Bible (Book of Revelation) this warning:
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)
Could the sobering warning be expressed any more clearly? To have one's name removed from The Book of Life means to spend eternity suffering in hell.
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you...please don't make such a tragic mistake.
BE RECONCILED TO GOD
Precious one ... how important is it to you to get to know God? Above all else, God wants you and I to get to know Him. Yet there is a barrier that keeps that from happening. That barrier is called sin. Yet God loves us so much that in His mercy, He provided a way for our sin barrier to be removed. What was that way?
Maybe you have heard this before, or maybe it’s the first time you have ever heard it: Jesus Christ died for your sins so all your sins can be forgiven - so that no barrier now has to remain between you and God.
Have you ever heard this: God Himself died for your sins so they can all be forgiven - so the barrier of sin between you and Him can be removed?
The New Testament Bible clearly states that literally, God Himself, was the one who purposely took the punishment on the Cross for the sins of every human being, (Read the entire first Chapter of the Book of John in the New Testament Bible for proof, or for convenience sake, click: HERE) so that they can be forgiven of all their sins, and they can have confident assurance that if they will believe this to be true -- fact -- they can be fully reconciled back to God in good standing, and can have full assurance that they not only are totally acceptable to God now … but have complete confidence that upon dying, they will immediately be in the presence of God for eternity, receiving His joy forevermore.
Simply stated, when you ask God to save you from your sins, and trust that He has (and He truly wants you to believe that He has, but the devil doesn’t!), you immediately are spiritually “reconciled back to God” in good standing. It requires nothing else! You don’t have to try to be “good enough” to ask Him, because there is nothing so bad you may have done that He won’t forgive. We are not lying to you.
However … sooner the better … you need to understand how you became spiritually separated from God in the first place. Here is what the New Testament Bible communicates:
Every person born on this planet is spiritually separated from God at birth, because of the sinful disobedience of the first two created people, Adam and Eve. All offspring of Adam and Eve was born with (inherited) this same disobedient nature to God, separating us spiritually from Him. It is our sin (and our sinfully rebellious nature) we inherited at birth that separates us from a holy God.
That's why Jesus tells us in John 3:5 that: "We must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God." We need to be spiritual reunited with God, because our sins – our sinful nature – God cannot tolerate and will not allow in His presence ... and furthermore, must judge it. An all-righteous Judge must give punishment for wrongdoing against Him and others.
Is there any way then, we can be saved from being punished in hell for eternity for our sins?
Do you want to hear some incredibly Good News? God the Father judged all our sins on the Cross! God the Father dumped His anger and wrath against our sins on Jesus Christ (who was fully God before He came to earth as a human being, and was fully God when He resurrected and went back to heaven) so that we can now be forgiven of our sins! Past sins we committed – sins we might commit tomorrow or next week or next year or next decade, if we live that long, are ... and will all ... be forgiven. Have you ever heard of such wonderful news?! Can you say? … “WOW!”
Let’s say it a little different way to try to help you understand what God did for humanity – for you. God Himself took full punishment for all your sins upon Himself on the Cross so that you could be fully forgiven for them, and have total, complete confidence that you will not be judged by God and sent to hell for those sins! If we believe this, and are willing to die believing it … we have been immediately and fully reconciled back to God in good standing, and with that comes our full right to believe that God totally accepts us just the way we are upon our asking the heavenly Father to forgive us for our sins. When we ask Him to forgive us for our sins – He promises that He does forgive us of them … and it’s as though we never sinned in His eyes! Simply incredible, isn’t it?!
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -- 1 John 1:8-9
But remember … you have an enemy who does not want you believing this incredible truth. His name is Satan.
(An important side note before continuing: God does in fact accept us just as we are when we confess our sins to Him and ask His forgiveness … but He loves us too much to let us stay “just the way we are” as we continue in our personal relationship with Him in the days ahead. He forgives our sin ... but He also has expectations that we will strive to stop committing those same sins in the future, because they will only do more harm to us than any eternal good).
Here is God’s promise to everyone of us from the Bible what we have sought to communicate about being "reconciled back to God" up until now:
Scripture assures us in Romans 5:8-11 of this fact -- (Words in brackets are ours to help people understand):
"But God (the Father) demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners (spiritually disobedient in our nature to Him because of our arrogant pride and rebellion - selfishness - self-will - self-centeredness - self-preoccupation - and our lust for recognition, power, money and pursuit of pleasure without any boundaries or constraints), Christ died for us.
"Much more then, having been justified by His blood (shed on the cross), we shall be saved from wrath (eternal punishment in hell at the Judgment Day, out of the presence of God and eternal joy ... forever) through Him (Jesus Christ -- The Son of God. This happens just to be two of His names).
"For if when we were enemies (separated from God because God cannot and will not bless our sin; and with our sins assuring us that upon Judgment Day, we will be judged and sentenced to hell for eternity for them) we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (if we put our trust in Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins, because He gave His life for this very purpose).
"And not only that, but we also rejoice in God (the Father) through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation (the MEANS in which we can become acceptable and intimate with God the Father this very moment in time).
Scripture also assures us in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 that we not only can be reunited in good standing with God NOW . . . we can also find purpose in helping others to know that they TOO can be used of God to help others spiritually separated from God to be reunited with Him in good standing as well:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new (spiritual) creation; old things (our sin that kept us separated from God, and/or our attempts to be pleasing to God by "earning our way to heaven" and by "somehow trying to be good enough") have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
"Now all things are of God (The Father), who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us (saved - spiritually reborn - Christians) the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
"Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
"For He (The Father) made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus Christ)."
[To help you understand what it means "that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" you can click: Here ]
So, precious one, if you would like to be spiritually reconciled to God this very moment, all you have to do is ask Him. You can do it in your own words, or you can repeat this simple prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you right now in the name of Jesus Christ ... asking that you save me from my sins ... so I can get to know you - so I can be friends with you.
God, I admit and confess that You paid the price for me to be able to be made right (be reconciled in good standing) with You . . . by dying that painful death on the cross and shedding Your innocent blood for me. When You were hanging there dying, You had me in mind. You died for me! So now, Lord Jesus, I accept You as the one and only sacrifice that God the Father will ever find acceptable to pay full ransom payment for my sins, so that I can be reunited in good standing back to HIM, for the purpose of getting to know You, and to be qualified to be one of your closest friends.
Heavenly Father, I ask forgiveness for all my sins, and I receive your forgiveness. I ask you and thank You now for the help of the Holy Spirit [third person of the Eternal Godhead] to help me on this new spiritual journey of intimacy with You, so that I can be pleasing to You from this moment forward in every way You desire. I willingly and willfully give You my life now, to do with it as you please. I am Yours! I belong to you FOREVER! Use me to bring You glory from this moment forward and forever, however you want to do that! Show me from this moment on what I need to do to become one of your closest, most intimate friends.
In Jesus' name I ask it, and believe it to be so! Amen.
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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Posted June 15th, 2011 07:33 AM IP
If you have just made this decision to trust God to save you from your sins through the Lord Jesus Christ and mean it, there are a few things we would like to encourage you to do now that you are reconciled back to God in good standing:
1) Tell another Christian about your decision. It's the most important decision you have ever made! We would also love to hear of your decision and share with you in this joyous occasion.
2) Obtain a Bible as soon as possible. Trust God to provide you with an easy to read New Testament Bible. God speaks to us in different ways, but the primary way He speaks to us is through the Holy Scriptures. To hear God speak to you, lead you, and instruct you, you need to read the words He has written to you. (I realize, depending where you are right now, obtaining a Bible may be a bit difficult. So - you can have confidence that He will communicate to you in the days ahead, as is needed, even without a Bible. God is not limited in His ability to communicate to us, wherever we happen to be).
3) Trust God and actively seek Him to lead you to a group of Christian believers who you can grow with and be encouraged by. The devil is now going to assault you with his harassment, because he has just lost you from his grip. You will need help from other mature Christians who can encourage and pray with you from time to time or until you are strong enough to stand in prayer against the enemy on your own. Please, be wise and do NOT isolate yourself from other Christians.
4) Be wise in who you make spiritual relationships with. The devil has all kinds of spiritually misinformed and arrogant, know-it-all Christians (questionably "Christian", it would seem at times) to use to try to hinder your new relationship with God, and even counterfeit "Christians" on this planet (Scripture calls them "wolves in sheep's clothing"). The Holy Spirit will give you peace about who you should fellowship with, and who you should not. Follow your "heart" and not your emotions or fallible human logic. God tells you in scripture to be wise as a serpent, yet gentle as a dove. There is so much spiritual deception floating around this planet and it operates the most effectively when the label "Christian" or "Godly" or "Spiritually enlightened" or "supernatural revelation and/or divine visitation" is attached to it. You may not know a whole lot about what I'm talking about now, but I can assure you, you will in time, if you hang around here on earth for any length of time. Demonic deception has one ultimate purpose: to somehow try to shipwreck your faith and effectiveness in Jesus Christ, and/or to get you to believe it so you can pass along it's spiritual poison to others.
A demonic "religious spirit" (which often includes a "controlling spirit") covers this earth and operates at "peak efficiency" in many churches as well as in nice, cozy home settings where "religious people" often meet. The Bible calls this simply the working of the Anti-Christ spirit. It is difficult to spot often-times ... until it slowly begins to chip away at every tiny piece of joy and peace you may have. It best functions with a Bible in one hand so-to-speak and a FREE cross in the other for you to wear that injects secret tiny poisonous darts into your soul and spirit, if you innocently wear it around your neck. A dimension of the anti-Christ spirit may well even be residing in your spouse or other family members or friends, and you haven't a clue, until it seeks to devour your faith and confidence and joy in God. It is the same "spirit" that operated through the Pharisees and the Sadducees ... the very ones who hung Jesus on the Cross. It will seek to "spiritually hang you too" ... to try to get you so discouraged and even angry with God to the point that you will want to quit trusting Jesus Christ for anything ... let alone staying engaged in helping advance His kingdom in the lives of others. It doesn't want to hang you to spiritual death in a moment of time (unless it can persuade you to commit suicide). Ideally, it wants to put you in a pot of cold water like you would a frog and let the water heat up so slowly so that you don't even realize you're dying, but having a nice, hot, relaxing bath ... until you slowly cook to death! It doesn't like to get exposed, so it operates as subtly as possible. It appears as very "religious," always remember that.
You may have never heard this, but Christianity was never meant to be "religious." It was and is meant to be "a relationship" -- a personal relationship with the living God. "Religion" will not impart to you spiritual life. It will only in the end impart to you spiritual death, in one way or another.
The demonic anti-Christ spirit will also try to get you to mix Old Testament teachings that never were to be applied to New Testament Christianity. Be extremely cautious of "teachers" who are not teaching you the critical importance of understanding Law and Grace. Mixing Law and Grace is one of Satan's most lethal yet subtle and effective strategies to confuse what you are to believe ... to walk in maximized freedom and joy in your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Learn everything you can about waging effective spiritual warfare as quickly as you can. You're going to need all of the Armor of God -- learning how to affectively use it as soon as possible, to keep any degree of joy and peace. Satan and his demonic hordes may not have liked you all that much before committing your life to Christ, but now that you have ... you are their most hated enemy, other than God and His holy angels and other true believers in Christ. You will remain their hated enemy as long as Satan and his helpers are allowed to continue to operate on this planet, and the Bible assures us they will until Jesus Christ comes back again for all the world to see ... yielding one big, bad sword that is more lethal than all the nuclear warheads of the world combined!
5) Commit yourself to spending time each day talking with God in prayer. Above all else, prayer is the means God has given us to develop our personal relationship - our personal friendship with Him. He is the one who saved you from being punished for eternity for your sins, and He is the One you will NOW spend eternity with. To become intimate with Him, you will need to begin talking with Him on an intimate basis. Prayer is our direct link to God. Treasure this privilege from the very beginning, and never let ANYTHING stop you from maintaining priceless on-going communication with Him. Satan will do everything in his power to frustrate your prayer life (intimate communion - intimate communication) from this moment forward. He has a lot of strategies to do that. If you let Satan "devour" your prayer life ... your peace and joy will also die with it. Don't ever let the devil trick you into that, please!
And finally . . . CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome home, child of God!
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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Posted June 15th, 2011 07:36 AM IP
Who REALLY Is Jesus Christ?
Who is Jesus Christ? Is He God? Once people realize who Jesus Christ REALLY is … they will never be the same.
Here are facts about Jesus Christ. We can choose to wisely believe them, or unwisely reject them.
Before Jesus Christ was manifest on earth in the form of a mere human, He was named the WORD, and shall retain that name (among other names) forever.
FACT: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5 NKJV – New King James Version of the Bible. All following scriptures will be quoted from the NKJV)
FACT: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
FACT: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and of those in heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)
FACT: Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)
FACT: For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. (1 John 5:7)
FACT: Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:54-58)
FACT: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
FACT: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:9-10)
FACT: God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, who He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4)
FACT: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
FACT: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2: 11-14).
FACT: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
FACT: Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:21-24)
FACT: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)
FACT: Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:8-10)
FACT: To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 3:8-9)
FACT: Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:15-23)
FACT:
Christ claimed to be absolutely sinless.
He prayed, but He never prayed for personal forgiveness.
Although He called God His Father, He never called Him His savior.
He was in the temple, but He never offered sacrifice for Himself.
He taught that all need to be born again, but He never so much as hinted that He needed such a change.
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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Posted June 15th, 2011 07:46 AM IP
Godhead
by Wayne Blank
The meaning of the English term Godhead was more obvious when spoken in its original Anglo-Saxon form, Godhood (the connection is still sometimes seen in some usage, such as a hood goes on the head). As a suffix, hood means a state of being e.g. parents live in parenthood, children live in childhood, neighbors live in the neighborhood, and so on.
Godhead, or Godhood, is used 3 times in the King James Bible to translate 3 closely-related Greek adjectives of the New Testament (see New Testament Fact File), pronounced thee-oss, thee-ot-ace and theh-ot-ace - all of which are based on the Greek word pronounced thee-ohs, which means divinity, or deity. Godhead simply means being God, or as a noun, the God Being.
What Does The Bible Actually Say About The Godhead?
When the apostle Paul spoke before the pagan philosophers of Athens, he explained to them that the Divine Being, or Godhead, was not a lifeless idol, or merely an abstract idea, but an all-powerful living God who created all things - the creation being the incontrovertible proof of the existence of a Creator:
"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands [for the reason that God had a Temple constructed in Jerusalem, see "My Father's House"]; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring."
"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device [see The Second Commandment]. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead." (Acts 17:24-31 KJV)
Pagans made, and make, "gods" out of all sorts of created things, rather than the Creator. As Paul plainly states in the verses below, failure, or more precisely, refusal, to recognize the only true God also produces a perverted view of His creation, including all sorts of "vile affections" which are "against nature" (history records that many of the "great" pagan philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, were homosexuals):
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
"Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the Truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet." (Romans 1:20-27 KJV)
Jesus Christ is The Logos of God (John 1:1-18), "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily":
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:6-9 KJV)
Fact Finder: What did Paul mean by "we are the offspring of God" in the verses above?
See Spiritual Conception and Children Of God
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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Posted June 18th, 2011 07:29 AM IP
BREAKING THE BONDAGE OF SIN
OFF YOUR LIFE
The Bible has much to say about secrets - secret sins - and my whole reason for dealing with this issue is from the stand point that those things you do in secret, will one day be seen in the light of day. That goes for me, you, and even the President! My heart is breaking, because I know that many who are reading these words are hurting because of secret sins in your life. To those in your life, everything looks wonderful. Many envy you. Most see you as a person who is strong in the Lord and a pillar of faith. You are a business person, a mom, dad, son, daughter, or pastor. You serve God in many ways. You love God. You have put your faith in Christ.
But there is sin in your life. Secret sin. Sin nobody else sees. Sin that possibly has been part of your life for many, many years. Sin that you have swept into a back closet so nobody else would know about it. SIN THAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM THE JOY, PEACE, AND ABUNDANCE THAT GOD HAS PROMISED FOR YOUR LIFE.
What is this sin? For each person that is different. For some it is alcohol. The two beers each night, the scotch after work, have become so much a part of your life that even though you are not classified as an alcoholic, you know and God knows, that you HAVE to have it. THAT is a problem. Some of you woke up this morning after not sleeping well because you are deeply involved in gambling. Possibly you owe a local bookie for sports bets. Or maybe it is those lottery tickets you HAVE to buy each day. Or maybe it is the local casino down the road that you just can't stay out of. Just as bad are those who play the markets each day, not investing for the future, but looking for the daily "hit."
Others of you are dealing with sexual sins. Pornography is the easiest since it can be just you and your movies, or magazines, or computer. Possibly you have evolved past the solo stage and it involves other people. Still others of you are secretly involved in drugs, legal and illegal. Actually, those who use prescribed drugs to get that "high" outside of the medicinal purposes it was designed for, is a MUCH larger problem than the more publicized illegal drug problem. However, that is a multi-billion dollar a year industry so SOMEBODY is buying all that cocaine, pot, heroin, meth, ecstasy, and the rest. Still others of you are involved in the sin of greed. Making money is more than just a way to support yourself and family; it is an obsession. Money is your drug of choice. And of course, there are a multitude of other sins people are secretly involved in.
You see my friend, the Bible says that the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. (See: John 10:10). That verse is talking about believers. How does that happen? We know that if we give our lives to Christ by faith we are saved. The enemy can't have our souls. But he can destroy us from being the productive servants God has called us to be. The easiest way to do that is to get us trapped in sin. Sin is like cancer. It starts out almost innocently. But it grows and spreads. Very few who are involved in gambling, don't drink. Very few involved in drugs are not involved in sexual sins. Very few are tied to just one secret sin.
As a matter of fact, once you let sin into your life, and practice sin, it opens the door for other sins. You see, at some point it doesn't matter any longer. The great justifier Satan says, "Oh well, you already are this deep, what harm could a little more sin do?" This my friend is the trap. It is like quicksand. You get in, and get deeper, and deeper, and deeper, and getting out becomes harder, and harder.
I realize that this word has made some turn their computer off, some have hit the delete button, and others are sitting right now in tears. You see, the Holy Spirit is talking to YOU! God is speaking to you this moment louder than He could if he were on a public address system at a stadium. He is talking to YOU and saying READ THIS . . . THIS IS YOU!!!
The Prodigal Son came from a Godly, good home. I think when he went out, he was a good person. I think like many brothers and sisters in Christ, he simply allowed sin to enter into his life, and it ate him up to the point of near destruction. But in the end, he knew when he hit the bottom, there was only one place to go . . . HOME to his father!
Were there consequences for his sin? YES! His inheritance was gone; he suffered the damage of the horrible experiences he encountered. He probably had some health issues. But the point was, when he "came to himself" he went home!
MY WORD FOR YOU TODAY IS THAT GOD LOVES YOU. GOD CARES ABOUT YOU. NO AMOUNT OF SIN CAN EVER STOP HIM FROM LOVING YOU. READ 1 JOHN 1:9. YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE IN YOUR SIN, BUT YOU CAN STOP TODAY AND LET GOD HELP YOU. THE CHOICE IS YOURS. AT THE END OF THE ROAD YOU ARE ON IS DESTRUCTION. GOD IS THE FLAG MAN WITH THE ORANGE VEST SAYING . . . STOP NOW!!!!
I know that many of you are hurting because of secret sin. I wish I was able to help make it all okay by snapping my fingers. I would but that is not reality. Sin didn't start overnight, didn't occur overnight, and the effects of sin won't go away overnight. As a matter of fact, they will be with you the rest of your life. Sadly, that is one of sin's by-products. But you can have victory over sin today! Today can be the first day of victory over sin in your life. But the first step MUST BE YOURS!!!
Here is some practical advice for you to follow if you really want victory. You are in a battle. To win a battle, you must have a battle plan. Pray, sit down and let God give you a plan that you can faithfully work each day. Then, you need someone you can be accountable to on a daily basis. You can't win this fight alone. You need someone to stand with you, and to hold you accountable. Lastly, you need the strength you can only get from God. That comes from your daily relationship through prayer and the Word, from being in church, from finding ways to serve the Lord. All of this working together will help you overcome this battle and see victory.
There is victory in this life; victory from the help of Jesus. The biggest trap we as Christians must avoid are those secret sins that will eat away at us from the inside. Destroy us from the inside. Make us virtually useless in serving God. Never forget, our purpose in this life is to serve and glorify Him with our lives. The easiest way for the enemy to stop us from fulfilling that purpose is to get us entangled in sin in our lives. We can live FREE from sin if we choose to. That is what God is calling you to do today. Turn from your secret sin, and turn fully, 100% to Him.
God will strengthen you, embolden you, and help you see victory. The first step, however, is yours. The prodigal son had to go home before he could get victory. Bury your pride since God already knows the full story, and go to Him today.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:1-4 NKJV)
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you...please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God, to be at peace with God, to have your sins forgiven, to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity, to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... here to help you understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life, because in Christ, it is impossible to put a value on the worth of your soul in light of eternity.
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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Administrator
Posts: 13135
Registered: Mar 2009 |
Posted June 20th, 2011 07:23 AM IP
PROPHETIC WARNING! BEWARE! THE FLOOD IS COMING!
"But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." - Matthew 24:36-39
Jesus told His disciples that in the last days specific events would take place and warned that a flood would once again sweep away many, even if possible, His elect. Now we know that God promised He would not destroy the world with water, so what is this flood and why should we be concerned? The Word of God is very specific about this flood, but it is hidden to those that have chosen to ignore it. Jesus gave us His Word for a guideline and a boundary in which all are to follow and God Himself will not violate or change it.
Several years ago when the terrible tsunami hit, caused by an earthquake that moved the earth out of its GPS position in that region, I felt in my spirit that this was a prophetic event designed to get our attention and warn us of what was to come. This flood of enormous proportion came on a beautiful sunny day and seemed to appear out of no where. Children were playing in the water and everything seemed normal, until the water began to recede and then all at once, all hell broke loose. The tsunami devastated the land and killed thousands that were totally unaware of the impending danger.
Next comes the tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. I'll forgo mentioning the devastation caused by it, because at the present, the damage to that part of Japan has not yet been fully understood.
Where and when will the next earthquake - tsunami - tornado hit? On the very ground we live on, perhaps?
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger. - Isaiah 13:13
BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION
In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus is giving instruction about being on a solid rock foundation when the flood comes less you be swept away. If we are rooted and grounded in the Word of God and are standing firm against the schemes of the devil then we have a much better chance of surviving what I believe is about to come upon the whole world. The devil is a master of subterfuge, deception and deceit and he is trained by his upbringing in heaven being an angel of light. His name even means "Shining One" and he knows how to make anything shine to gain an advantage.
Satan will try and counterfeit any move of God and introduce false signs and wonders to deceive many, even God's chosen. If someone is not rooted in the Word of God or maybe young in the Lord they will be easily deceived by his signs. If their house is built upon sand when the flood of deception comes it will wash them away into a false and sometimes deadly scheme of the enemy. In Dubai, a rich Arab is building the largest man-made islands in the world and constructing high-rise hotels and buildings of all size on sand. One of the first rules of architecture is to have a good foundation built on solid rock, not on sand, but pride will deceive you into ignoring these basic truths and lead you to be swept away.
The serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. Revelation 12:15
DISCERNING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Then the Pharisees and Sadducee's came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them. "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; "and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. - Matthew 16:1-3
Jesus was very clear about what would happen in the last days. He said that we would experience wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes, and so we have, and then He warned that there would be many false prophets and they would deceive many. In the last twenty or so years we have had a prophetic movement sweep the earth with its messages of prosperity and healing speaking of great signs and wonders, all the while promoting their own ministries.
If you compare the prophets of today with the prophets of old there is a drastic difference in their messages. Another comparison was the way they were dealt with for the message they preached. For example: Jeremiah was cast into a deep pit for preaching repentance; Isaiah was sawn in half for his message, and Paul lost his head for what he told the people of his day, not to mention the Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified for our sins.
Today the so called five fold ministry travel in style and luxury, traveling the world spreading their polluted messages of healing and prosperity but intentionally leaving out the important parts of the gospel such as, repentance, self denial, the cross, the blood and the sacrifice of service. Taking huge offerings promising extravagant returns for anyone who will sow into their ministry, but never bothering to equip the saints that so willingly support them.
Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, The Lord has said, "You shall have peace, and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, No evil shall come upon you."
For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? Behold a whirlwind (storm) of the Lord has gone forth in fury, a violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the last days you will understand perfectly.
"I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings." - Jeremiah 23:16-22
A WICKED AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION SEEKS AFTER A SIGN
"A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. - Matthew 16:4
Jesus rebuked the religious crowd for wanting a sign and He told them that the only sign that they would receive was that of Jonah. Although not wanting to obey God's command to go to Nineveh and preach repentance to another wicked generation, after the fish puked him out on the beach, he obeyed and the entire city repented.
This world doesn't need another sign, it needs to get right with a holy God that is deeply offended by our defection to other gods. No one performed more miracles than Jesus, but in spite of all that He did only 120 showed up to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit and to follow Him with all of their heart. His requirements to become a disciple kept most of them from giving up their life to follow Him. Thousands flocked to see His display of signs and wonders, the dead being raised, the sick healed, demons cast out and the true gospel preached to a lost and dying world. But with all of that, sadly, only a few gave up their life to follow Him.
Today the church is enamored with signs and wonders and will follow anything that comes down the road. Discernment is cast out and reckless abandon leads them to another false prophet performing a sideshow and selling snake oil to a bunch that doesn't have enough sense to come out of the rain. Satan has captivated the entire world with his miracles of deception and he is so good that Jesus said that His very elect could be deceived. Does that not speak volumes to you about maybe testing some of this stuff before diving headlong into it? READ YOUR BIBLE!
At least compare what Jesus did and said to what is being done today. Jesus had the most powerful anointing ever and yet people didn't fall out, in most cases they leaped up and praised God for setting them free! He raised the dead, healed the sick, and cast out demons and that was a full time job. There was no gold dust, feathers or female angels to gawk at, but a people oppressed by the devil that needed to be set free and not entertained. When Jesus was approached by something or someone barking, chirping, clucking, growling or jerking, He cast out the demon that was causing it, and so should you!
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. - Revelation 12:17
THE UNHOLY TRINITY
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God almighty. - Revelation 16:13-14
Satan's unholy trinity is a counterfeit of the real thing and is designed to deceive and lead the masses into hell. Don't be fooled by power or signs and wonders because they target the unsuspecting with delusion and deception.
Demons are referred to in the Bible as wild beasts and a lot of the so called miracles are in fact demons performing for people who do not know the true from the false. If it sounds like a beast, and acts like a beast, then it is a beast, and its coming from the devil.
Remember that Satan is an angel of light and his servants are also angels that can appear and deceive you with their beauty and cunning deception. Satan grew up in heaven and even shielded God's throne and the glory penetrated his body with brilliant light. Do you not think that he can counterfeit that and do almost anything? He told Jesus in the wilderness that if He would worship him he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world.
If Satan can get you to break the chain of command and worship signs and wonders, the Holy Spirit, a man or a ministry, then guess what? The Holy Spirit won't be there, but something else will be and it will be straight from hell! God is holy and demands reverent fear for His name and presence and won't involve Himself with idolatrous worship of men or even His Spirit. The only way to the Father is through the shed blood of His Son Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords and every knee will bow before Him in reverence and awe.
A SPIRIT OF HARLOTRY HAS LED THEM ASTRAY
They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, and they do not know the Lord. - Hosea 5:4
Because of a lack of true spiritual fathers to lay a foundation in the Word of God, many have been polluted with false teaching. Not wanting to run off any new church members or seekers and a fear of man has caused a spirit of harlotry to enter the church. This spirit produces an atmosphere of sensuality and spiritual eroticism that seduces fleshly Christians into all kinds of perversion and spiritual idolatry.
Remember that Paul warned that in the last days men would be seduced by demons and would receive false teaching from them. The powers of darkness have entered the church to seduce God's people into a fleshly and deceptive form of idolatrous worship. Because of a lack of sound doctrine, even leadership has been deceived by this demonic scheme.
We are living in very dangerous times and this world is in need of a true revival of repentance and true Holy Spirit power. The world has seen enough foolishness from us and needs to see Jesus and His redeeming blood set them free. We have set aside the "Great Commission" and have gone after other gods and worshiped them and the church has been lulled to sleep by the powers of darkness.
My warning to you is this: test everything, examine everything, look at the fruit of those that are ministering to you and don't be in a hurry to receive anything coming down the road. Be extremely careful about people laying hands on you, being mindful that you are going to receive something, good or evil. In every move of God the powers of darkness will try to distort or deceive people to lead them astray and defeat the purpose of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. - II Peter 3:14-18
May the Lord open the eyes of your understanding and bless you with wisdom.
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen. - Hebrews 13:20-21
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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Administrator
Posts: 13135
Registered: Mar 2009 |
Posted June 22nd, 2011 11:41 AM IP
THE IMPORTANCE OF RENEWING YOUR MIND
I am convinced that outside of John 3:16, the most important verse in the Bible is Romans 12:2. You see, the foundation of who we are and the decisions we make that leads to our actions, come from our mind. This act of renewing your mind becomes the most important task a new believer has, and not doing so is the number one reason people backslide.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. - Romans 12:2
Think about it this way. The things you see and hear go into your memory.
The more you do something, see something, hear something, the more of your memory is taken up by those things. For example, those who are into pornography have a tremendous problem kicking that problem.
Why? Their memory banks are full of the images and sounds. Just looking at an attractive person can trigger those memory banks into full action. You see, before we get saved, most spent many, many years filling their memory banks full of ungodly content. When a person accepts Christ, those memory banks are still full of that content.
The renewing of a person's mind needs to become one of the very first priorities in their new life with Christ. All of the ungodly content did not get there overnight and it does not leave overnight. It is a process. The process involves replacing the existing ungodly content with new Godly content.
That is why reading the word is so important. God's Word acts as a spiritual detergent as it replaces the garbage in your mind with God-inspired content.
That is why it is so critical what you watch, what you listen to. What is in your mind ultimately manifests itself in your day-to-day decisions and actions.
The reason most new believers fall away is that they never successfully clean out the old thoughts and information in their mind with clean God-inspired information. It is similar to programming a computer. The computer basically does exactly what the program says. Your mind reacts based on the program that is in your mind. If that program is full of ungodly information, you have a big chance of being involved in ungodly activities. If it is God-inspired content, then you are more likely to be involved in God-honoring activities.
This basic concept of renewing your mind is the most important process any believer can go through. Many have been walking with Christ for many years, yet have never really totally cleaned out their mind. They have learned how to compartmentalize their mind and keep the ungodly content in a back closet, hidden away in the back. But trust me, not dealing with that closet will ultimately result in major problems in your life at some point.
This is a message that needs to be printed out and passed around to your friends, associates, schoolmates, bible-study, Sunday school, and hung on bulletin boards in churches.
Not enough sermons are preached on this most basic issue that is the cause of so many of God's people falling away. My prayer is that you will sit down after reading this, and ask yourself what is in your mind that is not God-honoring. Then make an effort to spend each day cleansing your mind.
Don't forget, the cleansing process is only part of the problem. You then have to KEEP IT CLEANSED by not putting ungodly content back in. This battle is won or lost in your mind. Realize that your mind is the battle zone and treat it accordingly. PROTECT IT!!!
This is critical to our ability to serve God and is a war that must be won.
God will help you. God will strengthen you in this renewal process.
Recognize it's importance and begin this process today of renewing your mind so that you can be the best servant for the Kingdom possible, and know the joy, peace, and blessings this life has to offer. It won't happen overnight, it is a process...day by day. Your number one weapon is His Word. Start the process today. It will change your life.
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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Administrator
Posts: 13135
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Posted June 23rd, 2011 02:56 PM IP
WHAT IS “THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY”
(Revelation 12:11)
THAT OVERCOMES SATAN?
Revelation 12:11 (NKJV) reads: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Starting with Revelation 12:7-10, it tells about Satan being kicked out of the heavenlies and being cast down to earth for we earthlings to have to presumably deal with in greater intensity. Revelation 12:11 is giving Christians three different categories of effective spiritual strategies to use to overcome Satan’s never-ending attacks upon their minds and bodies.
Let’s examine these three different categories (Notice the order I place them: 1,3,2)
1) “And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb” is essentially the truth of the Good News of the Christian Gospel message. None other than God HIMSELF shed His innocent blood on the cross so that mankind can have total forgiveness for their sins – receive the imputed righteousness of God that is the ONLY righteousness God will find acceptable on the Judgment Day to stay with Him for all eternity – and be at peace with God no matter how intense the demonic battle rages against them to try to somehow shipwreck (hinder, slow-down, rob, steal) their confidence in God.
3) “And they did not love their lives to the death” is addressing total surrender to God in that even if called to have to do so – die as a martyr for one’s faith in Jesus Christ. Once one is no longer afraid to die for their faith in Jesus Christ and all He stands for (however painfully cruel that death might be), Satan is no longer able to use fear to control them.
2) “And they overcame him by the word of their testimony” is NOT about one’s personal testimony as we may think “testimony”. Satan and his demon helpers are not in the least threatened by one’s personal born again testimony, deliverance testimony, healing testimony, etc. What they ARE threatened by is when a blood bought Christian uses wisely applied Holy Scripture to rule their life!
To bring clearer understanding … it may be better understood to say, “And they overcame him by the Word.” Consistent with so many other scriptures given in the Old and New Testament Bible, believing and standing on the wisely applied Word of God when human intellect would appear to say something ELSE … this is how God tells Christians “to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.” (See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
The "word of our testimony" is what God says about us in His Word. Christians need to know their position in Christ. They need to learn who they ARE in Christ Jesus.
For those who have read their Bible a great deal, they are familiar with Ephesians 6:10-18. Found therein are the spiritual weapons God has given Christians to counter Satan’s attacks against them, and sharing one’s personal testimony is not included in them. Rather - Ephesians 6:17 reads: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
In Jesus’ 40 day encounter with Satan in the desert (See Matthew Chapter 4), what weapon did the Holy Spirit reveal to us for today that Jesus used against Satan’s temptations? “It is written” – and then Jesus would quote to Satan the wisely applied scripture that addressed the temptation.
Yes – God certainly uses our personal testimonies to help advance His Kingdom causes in the lives of His people (If He didn't, I sure wouldn't be wasting time publishing testimonies), but some Christians have erroneously tried to make their audience believe this is the PRIMARY interpretation of Revelation 12:11. It is not the primary interpretation. It is a secondary truth of much less importance than the primary truth. The PRIMARY truth is that God honors His wisely applied Word when we put our faith to it. When we apply God’s wisely applied Word to any and every situation of conflict we face … we are rightly dividing God’s Word and rightly applying God’s Word.
Satan had no comeback when Jesus quoted Him back the Word during that 40 day confrontation in the desert. Satan may attempt to try to convince us that quoting him the Word has no effect on His plans for our lives TODAY, but he’s bluffing. He’s lying. God has not allowed Satan to have power over God’s wisely (correctly) applied Word. The best Satan can do is to do everything he can to try to get people to believe that the Word of God can’t be trusted and/or has been inaccurately translated (“Therefore don’t trust it" - sayeth Satan, ESPECIALLY if it calls something a sin that we don’t like, such as homosexuality being a sin that the Bible says it IS, or sex outside of marriage IS a sin, as examples). Satan can get people to twist Holy Scripture out of context (UNWISELY misunderstood and UNWISELY misapplied) which cults and false prophets (“well-meaning” Christians included) thrive in doing, because Satan knows God does NOT honor His Word when it is being used out of context, no matter how much we quote it out of context … let alone try to make it fit our situation.
Here is what God has to say about His Word: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
And if we have any lingering doubt about how serious God is about the words in the Bible He has recorded for mankind to live their lives by:
“Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will by no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33)
Jesus said, "If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed;" (John 8:31).
Satan’s attacks (attempted mind control) over people becomes so much easier when people don’t believe the ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY and TRUSTWORTHY ACCURACY of God’s Word. Or – maybe they just haven’t studied God’s Word sufficiently enough to be able to STAND on His Word when it’s time to BELIEVE it and KEEP believing it as doctrinal disputes and/or as personal conflict arises.
Believing and confessing God’s wisely applied Word as the FINAL SAY on every situation we face in this life are the “the words of our testimony” that Satan hates. The more we are equipped to know HOW to wisely apply God’s Word to every situation life confronts us with … the greater victory we’ll maintain in our relationship with God.
Conversely – the less we know how to apply God’s Word to each and every situation we face in this life … the easier it is for Satan to control our thought-life (And remember: Our ultimate actions start with what we first think).
In case you haven’t noticed, near tops on Satan’s agenda is to discredit the Holy Bible, (Old and ESPECIALLY the New Testament) every way he can think of. If Satan can keep a person ignorant of God’s Word; get people to not trust God’s Word; get people to misapply scripture in regards to their situation or the situation of others … he can make HUGE headway in keeping that Christian from becoming ALL that God would like that Christian to become, which most likely will cause a loss of eternal rewards for them.
Of course, another tactic of Satan is to attempt to deceive people into believing that writings other than the Old and New Testament Bible are ALSO God’s word(s). When the exclusivity of the Holy Bible being God’s sole final authority on all matters spiritual and eternal becomes “questionable”, then it is “up for grabs” as to WHAT can be, and IS, God’s written and/or spoken authority and what isn’t.
The Book of Mormon is not in any way God’s word, no matter how they try to spin it, though a fully deceived Mormon will try to convince you differently. The Koran is not God’s word, though devout yet deceived Muslims will try to convince you differently. (Other examples could be given). God’s word is SOLELY recorded in the Old and New Testament. Everything humanity needs to know in how to please God is recorded in the Old and New Testament Bible. Anyone willing to believe and TEACH differently will find out the hard way on the Judgment Day (See James 3:1). Revelation 22:18-19 is a very sobering directive regarding such:
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Could it be made much clearer? Do NOT mess with God’s Word! Be quick to testify to its first, complete and final authority on what is spiritual truth and what is not, and never waver. That’s the “word of your testimony” Satan goes into a seething rage over!
No OTHER spoken or written words are needed to explain the Holy Bible. Everything we need to know to please God has been written in the Holy Bible, and the Holy Spirit is FULLY QUALIFIED to give us more than sufficient illumination of the truths in the Holy Bible – especially if our heart’s desire is to please God every way He would desire we please Him. If there is any small doubt in your mind regarding this matter … BEWARE! Satan already has an open door into your mind!
A Christian who has diligently studied God’s Word and diligently dug in with the Holy Spirit to know how to wisely APPLY God’s Word in all of life’s situations – this is the “Word of our testimony” that God is telling us to use in every waking moment of our life here on this planet if we want to walk in maximized victory in our relationship with God.
Saying it another way … when our confession lines up with God’s wisely applied Word because we have chosen to elevate God’s Word as the FINAL say in all matters human and spiritual … we are honoring God in probably the HIGHEST way we can honor Him in this life, other than giving him full obedience to His commands in the New Testament Bible (See Revelation 12:17)
Bottom line: Anytime anyone makes a claim or tries to teach you something that is inconsistent with the Bible, you should know right away that it is wrong. But you have to know what a trustworthy translation of the Bible says in order to make a wise judgment call! So … study, study, prayerfully study God’s Holy Word to know what the REAL is … so you can spot deception (the false) when you’re being confronted with it.
Additionally: Just because masses of humanity start to believe a thing does NOT mean God endorses it. It makes no difference if millions or billions of people believe a given thing. If what they are believing disagrees with God’s clearly revealed Word … the masses are believing lies and spiritual deception. The same applies to “human logic.” When our human logic – human reasoning - wants to believe contrary to the clearly revealed Word of God – our logic - human reasoning - has to be thrown in a garbage can to be hauled off to the public dump to be burned to ashes.
If there is one thing to remember in all things spiritual … God LOVES to be honored. When we fall for Satan’s lies and deception and become passionate about passing our deception along to others … God sees that as dishonoring Him. If you want maximized blessing from God, do everything it says to do in His Word to honor Him. Refraining from being caught up in spiritual deception as to what is God’s word and what isn’t – and how God’s word is to be wisely applied - is the wisest place to start giving honor to God.
As a side note: For those who may be struggling as to WHICH Bible or Bibles can be trusted the most for being the most accurately translated from the original Greek and Hebrew texts: The original King James translation can be fully trusted, though it can be a difficult translation to understand for some. (However, I always read what the original King James translation has to say before coming to any final conclusions on a matter). The New King James translation is my personal choice because it is easier for me to understand than the original King James, though I have a number of different translations at my disposal to study when it’s called for. The New American Standard is a trustworthy translation, and there are a few others that you won’t go wrong in reading and believing. However – in my opinion and in the opinion of many other believers, too many different translations of the Bible are now being published and promoted, and deep within my spirit, one word comes to mind: Caution!
God, Whose Love Is Always Stronger
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