Be the change

We live in a world where we are bombarded with messages of how we should think and behave.. from Nike’s ads to “Just do it” to political activists that call us to “be the change”, we are surrounded with information that we are supposed to take in, wise up, and change the world. We are told it’s our job to “fix the planet” in so many ways.. from the #metoo movement that calls women to share their stories of abuse, to the feminist movement that is persuading women to admit to their abortions without shame, to the homosexual movement that tells gays they needn’t be ashamed of their identity and that they deserve equal representation in the churches and schools, to the muslims who say they deserve the freedom to pray five times per day and now some schools are making special prayer rooms for them on their campuses (what happened to separation of religion and state?)..and the list goes on. Many groups are pushing for the world to defend their rights.. all the while, the preaching of the cross is becoming lost in all the “noise”. People are becoming so preoccupied with the problems they see that they are missing the fact that every person has an eternity to face when they die. The things that occupy our time today will have an eternal impact. Are we working on spiritual growth according to God’s word or are we labouring and working for the wrong boss.

God is kind and merciful but the devil is not. We get to choose which master we will serve. The devils greatest lie is that he will make us wise but the fruit he feeds us is cancerous. The world is caught up in a strong current of lies and those lies affect believers when we get caught up in the course of this world. Guard your minds brothers and sisters! We are in a battle that is not won by fleshly battling but by transforming our minds daily with God’s pure word.

What kind of change should we as believers in Jesus Christ who are saved by his grace called to be? Romans 12:2 says we are not called to be conformed to this world but transformed with the renewing of the minds. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13 we see we are changed by the word of God as we believe it. We should change daily as God’s living word dwells in us more and more. Paul says he hadn’t attained yet that which he was apprehended for but he pressed toward the mark of the high calling. Our high calling is to be made more and more perfect (Christ like)… paul said he travailed over the Galatians til Christ be formed in them. What would he say to us if God inspired him to write a letter directly to us? I am at times like the Galatians who want to prove my goodness through keeping laws. I am at times like the Corinthians who mixed true and pure worship of God with “self focused” religious expression. I am at times like the Colossians who get disconnected in their theology from Christ the head. But as my mind is transformed by God’s word, I am given true sound doctrine which changes my thinking, I am given reproof, correction and instructions in righteousness and I trust God is the one who is changing me as I read, study and apply his word to the details of my life.

Verses:
Galatians 4:19
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

2 Corinthians 4:5
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Philippians 2:2-3
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Philippians 3:12-14
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Your life is not your own

You were a servant of sin and an enemy of Christ before you heard the gospel of your salvation and believed. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, romans 1:16. You were alienated from the life of God and were dead in your trespasses and sin. Ephesians 2:10-11 There was no hope for you outside of the hope of salvation to get you near to God and to be in his presence, for God cannot join himself to sin.  God is holy and unsaved man is unholy.  So, he provided the perfect sacrifice for sin by sending his only Son, who was born in the flesh and lived a sinless life, and shed his blood on the cross for all our sins.  He was buried and rose the third day and the Father accepted his perfect sacrifice and was pleased.  Now, if we trust in Jesus and what he did for us on the cross, we are justified of all things which we could not be justified of under the law. Romans 5:6, 5:9, 6:14

So, whose life are you living?  Your own, or God’s?  1 Corinthians 6:20 says For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.  So, whose body are you living in?  God’s!  He bought you and you are his now.  Is that a good thing?  Many of us believe that if we are God’s and we must serve him, then that makes our lives dull and uninteresting and without true joy and excitement.  But when we think about who we were  before we were saved and where we were headed, we should always feel indebted out of gratitude to serve God. Did he save us so that we could continue to lie, cheat, steal, and serve ourselves?  Romans 6:1-2 No!  He saved us so that we could finally serve Him.  Without salvation, nobody can serve him.  Now that we are saved, God does not want us to be double minded.  We cannot serve two masters.  So which will we serve now that we are saved?  Self, or God?  Satan or God?  Serving Self is what Lucifer did when his heart was lifted up in pride.  We follow his pattern and the pattern of fallen Adam when we choose to serve self over God.  But God makes it possible for us to serve him if we will allow his Spirit to lead us. His words are power and his words are life John 6:63.  We can only live by his word if we let his word dwell in us Colossians 3:16.

After all God has done for us, we would be fools to go back to our old man and serve self.  Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

It is reasonable for us to offer up our own bodies as a living sacrifice of service to God after our Saviour laid down his life for us to have the life we have in him. If we let his Spirit lead us, we can not only bring him glory, but he will also reward us when we stand before him at the judgment seat. Let us not lose any time and get into the word to learn and grow and serve him according to his will.

When you serve God, you are working towards a lasting eternal blessing from God.  When we serve self, we injure the witness we have to be a minister of his grace and truth to others and will reap loss of reward.   Let’s keep being transformed by his word so that we can work toward his eternal glory! Romans 12:2 Colossians 3:1

 

Woman

The word “woman” is under attack in some universities today just as the word “man” is under attack. How dare men use the word “man” to include women. Really? To be honest, I once thought this was an injustice myself. This thinking comes from females who have been taught that it is sexist to have so many references to mankind with a masculine pronoun.

Sexism is real on both sides. It is a result of the “fall” that men and women oppose one another. Men and women were created to take care of God’s beautiful creation and to have children and replenish (fill up) the earth. They were called to care for God’s “good” creation. Genesis 1:31

Man and woman were with God prior to the fall and there was no strife but it was all very good. Genesis 1:28-31. Woman was made from the rib of man of which Adam said she was “flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone” Genesis 2:22-23. Then came sin and Eve blamed the serpent for tricking her and Adam blamed Eve for offering him a bite. The war has been waging ever since.

But I would like you to think about this. When you identify yourself so intimately with another being, you are recognizing not just your love for the other, but your equal worth and value. A woman who has child understands the love we have with one that comes from our body for we will love our children unlike any other human being.. we care for “our” children, nurture them and feed them. We treasure them and as we see we are responsible for their wellbeing, we are willing to sacrifice all for them. Is it inhumane that we call them “our” children? The pronoun “our” denotes not only possession but responsibility. Does it mean they are less human because we call them as they are? It is with affection that we can them “our” children. We don’t call our own children “persons”. The changes in the English language today are challenging not just the culture but will bring people to disdain God’s word and his design even more.

The woman came from man as in Eve coming from Adam. How is that condescending for us to be called women? Was it not God’s design for the man to care for the woman as he cares for himself? God designed an amazing pattern that will never be done ever again! A woman will never be formed from the rib of a man ever again. But we all have human DNA that tells us apart from every other species because we both have human DNA. Our DNA (woman’s) actually has an extra segment that men don’t have which is protective.. the XX chromosome is much more resilient which is revealed with increased mortality in male children that are born. But both the woman and the man were made originally in God’s image.. meaning they had his glory equally before the fall. After the fall, the lights of the glory went out for both and they saw they were naked.

Women and men today no longer carry that glory as we are all born in the image of Adam, but if and when we place our trust in Jesus Christ as our God and Saviour and we trust that our sins were all paid for at the cross, we begin to bring back his image into this dark world. The gospel that saves brings us into the domain of light once again and as we share the gospel and the word of God rightly divided with others, we can know that we are being part of God’s plan as co-laborers with God to redeem mankind from the curse.

Eve was decieved into usurping Adam’s role as spiritual leader when the serpent tricked her into thinking he would teach her things that would make her more wise. Today’s academia is using the same trick against women today, making us feel as though we need to turn the culture upside down to correct sexism. They are making us feel like we are the victims of men in power and that the only way to fix this problem is to take over and exert our power in the places they have thrived in times past. Of course, many men have fell short of their role to lead and this has left a gap for women to fill. I can imagine the grief God suffers when he sees his creation shirk from the responsibility we have been given.

Jesus turned the world upside down with his grace and truth. What a concept for us as women to consider. The servant is no greater than the master. Jesus was God and yet he laid his life down so that we could have eternal life with him. He calls husband’s to follow his example and lead and nurture their wives with the washing of the water of the word.

Ephesians 5:25-30 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherrisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Don’t buy into the lies that being a “woman” is somehow inferior to being a “person”. God created us with genders and he created the woman out of the man. The fact that the Bible uses the word “man” so much reveals in fact our commonality as the human race.. we all came from one man.. and spiritually we are given life by one man, Jesus Christ. A patriarchal design was God’s design for order. Let’s not take his design and turn it on its head.

No doubt, there are many men who struggle with sin and how they treat women. There are many men who are failing at leading. But if they never get to “practice” they will never understand that they were designed by God to lead. Pray for them and be an example of how faith in God’s word brings joy and peace beyond anything external.

More and more women are becoming “pastors” and “prophets” and many women are becoming more educated in our universities than men. Let’s be careful not to feed the fire that is being fanned that is “anti-man”, “anti-bible” and that shames women who are prefer to be called “women” as old fashioned and out-dated.

In Paul’s letters, there are many instances where Paul encourages the women who help in the gospel. There are churches in the houses of some women. A husband and wife team that are both tent makers help Paul in ministry and also suffer together for the ministry. You can still work as a woman if you like. You can still share the gospel as a woman. But if you think you are called to be a pastor, I ask you to consider praying and reading the pastoral epistles and see what Paul says about a bishop. Also, read about what Paul says about women teaching men in the congregation.

If you add the number of times you find the word woman, women, wife, wives, girl(s), aunt, lady, queen, princess, bride, she, her, mother(s), and daughter(s) you will find a total of 4,622. The word female is mentioned 24 times. If you add these two groups, you get 4,646. Do you think God has made a mistake on how often he mentioned women and the female gender? He is perfect and he has a perfect purpose for women and men.

Men are called to teach and are called to lead. Have we as women ever considered ourselves blessed that we were given fewer demands than men? Adam was held responsible for the sin of Eve because he was in charge. God will hold us all accountable when we stand before him of what we were given as our calling on our respective genders. Families reproduce thanks to men and women and children of every generation are the future hope. Will we teach our children o reproduce the truths in God’s word to the next generation? If your children do not have children, they still have the capability to produce fruit for God by sharing the gospel with others and teaching others of the truth in the word of God. Pray for these children who are surrounded by teachings of man that are subverting whole houses.

Foolish questions

But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes 2 Tim. 2:24

Have you ever had someone who has never read the Bible criticize the Bible? There are many foolish questions that are abstract and philosophical that are just a distraction from the truth.

Indeed many of the Bible’s biggest critics are people who don’t even know what’s in it! And then there are those that do have some knowledge but they don’t know the difference between the modern versions and the preserved word of God in the KJV.

Avoid foolish questions..

When Eve was in the garden and the serpent asked “yeah hath God said”.. and he proceeded to add to the word of God saying God said she couldn’t eat from every tree in the garden..

Eve would have done better to not engage, resist and walk away. How many times do people ask foolish questions and they really don’t have any faith in God’s ability to preserve his word.

I had a pastor tell me.. “so you think you are the only one who has the truth and everyone else is wrong?” Foolish question. The question isn’t about what person is right.. the right question is which book has all of God’s words in it. Does God really expect us to look and compare all these versions and be able to figure out which one has the best wording where there are hundreds of differences and 17 verses are completely removed? And there are key verses that are called into question because they weren’t in the “older versions”. Tomfoolery!!! God is not the author of confusion.

Every bible version takes out the word study in 2 Timothy 2:15 except the King James.. so of course people following the modern versions don’t know that they were given a brain that is able to study and know what book is from God and what isn’t.

When we study, we compare spiritual things with spiritual things.. we sort things out in our minds and we are able to slowly comprehend the Big Picture.

18 times in the Kjv, Paul is identified as OUR apostle today. He is God’s spokesman of the revelation of the mystery. Romans 16:25. He has given us the commandments for us today just as Moses gave Israel the law.

Check out the book of Galatians or 1 Corinthians with this in mind and you will see how much his authority has been opposed from the beginning of his ministry. People have put other teachers alove him, but Paul says:

For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 1 Corinthians 4:15

Paul is our apostle. If you want to know Jesus, read Paul’s letters first.. romans through Philemon.. read Acts.. then read Paul’s letters in the order they were written.. slowly, your eyes will be opened to the riches of God’s grace and you will never be the same. It’s all there in the King James Version. Don’t worry about the words you don’t understand.. keep reading and you will get it in time.. pray before you read, after you read, and while you read. You will be transformed if you read it and believe it. I am a witness of the transforming power of the word of God. Our God is an awesome God, and author, and teacher and he enlightens our understanding as we seek him💗

Immaculate Conception

• Immaculate Conception

  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

— Romans 5:12

To the serpent who twisted God’s word and decieved the woman,  God said:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy  seed and her seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise bruise his heel. 

— Genesis 3:15

It is through the woman’s seed that the head of the serpent would be crushed and that seed was ultimately Christ.  It does not say through Adam’s seed, the serpent ‘s head would be crushed.  Thus, the Saviour would come through a human woman.  The Bible does not say the woman would be without sin but that the seed (Jesus Christ) would come through the woman.  The woman carries the child, not the man. The child has a separate internal blood supply than the mother and though it lives in the mother, does not have the identical DNA nor blood type as the mother. Jesus, being fully God and fully man would need a human mother and a Divine Father in order to be the Saviour of the world. In the book of Ruth, we see the type of Redeemer the world needed.. a kinsman Redeemer.. a blood relative had to pay our debt which we couldn’t pay.
Innocent blood had to be shed to reverse the curse of sin and death… for without the shedding of blood, no flesh could be justified.

Back to the term “seed”, When Paul is explaining that Christ is the ultimate recipient of the promises given to Abraham, he speaks of Christ being that “seed.”

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:16

When Jesus’ parents are mentioned in the King James Bible, (the preserved word of God) it always mentions Joseph by name and says Mary is his mother.  So, we can see that Jesus had one Heavenly Father.  Mary surely had a special place in God’s plan to bring the Saviour into the world and her life and service to bear the Son of God and raise him should be highly esteemed.  And yet, she never claimed to be without sin.   If Mary did not have sin, she would not need a Saviour.  But she calls God her God and Saviour.  Luke 1:46

Was Mary without sin?
Mary made a sacrifice according to the law of Leviticus for herself also.  Luke 2:22 and when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, …  

This rite of purification was done for a “sin offering” to make an atonement for her.. read the full text in Leviticus 12:6-8  Atonement was necessary where sin is involved to make man right before God.  According the Hebrews, Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.  Blood had to be shed for sins to be forgiven.  Mary needed a Saviour just as we did.

The Bible says For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Jesus said that there is one  that is good to the man who called him Good Master… not two but One and that is God.  Luke 18:18-19  Jesus later says that he and the Father are One in John 10:30.

Mankind has been without hope without a sunless sacrifice on our behalf.  The blood of bulls and goats in the Old Testament was just a shadow of what was to come, which is Jesus Christ.

The priests of Old offered blood of bulls and goats according to the law.. but something better came afterwards..

Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Catholicism teaches that Mary is a type of intercessor and co-redeemer, but the Bible says the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

Romans 8:26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Mary is blessed amongst all women to have born the Son of God and she is Favoured among women for that.  What a privilege that no other woman will carry.  But she was not sinless and she does not answer prayers as Catholicism teaches.  She is a believer like us who needed a Saviour and she loved him and nurtured him and yet she suffered as a mother to see him crucified like none of us have.  She was a godly woman indeed but I sincerely doubt that she would have the world believe she was sinless.  As a Jewish woman, she believed the scriptures and there is nothing in the Old Testament that insinuates that the mother of the Messiah would be sinless.

Pray for the deceptions that have entered the realm of “Christianity”..

Beware of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.. the same people that teach the immaculate conception teach many other things.. such as celibacy for priests, giving up meats for lent, and many other things that add to the word of God.  God has given us his word to protect us from being led into false doctrine (doctrines of devils). Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4.

1 Timothy 4:1-5

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  Speaking lies and hypocrisy; having their conscience seated with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know he truth.  For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.  

 

If you know someone who is Catholic, I ask that you pray for them and for all Catholics.  There is a teaching in the Catholic Church that Mary was born without sin.  This is contrary to what the Bible plainly reveals.  Mary never claimed such a thing and only one was born without sin.. and that was Jesus Christ.  The way that sin was not passed down to Jesus through Mary was easy.. Sin was passed down through the Father.  So, we either have Adam’s sinful blood pumping through our veins or we have the blood of Jesus Christ that cleansed us from all sin.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; Rom.5:12
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.  And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. Rom. 5:14-16

Do you want the gift of righteousness?  You can be made right with God through Jesus Christ the Son of God.  It’s either that or we suffer the condemnation of Adam.  I accept the gift of grace that Jesus Christ bestowed upon me by dying on the cross for my sins and being buried, and the third day, being raised for my justification.  Because of his offering, I can be free from the wages of sin romans 6:23 and instead receive the gift of eternal life with him!  Receive the gift and enjoy the benefits eternally!

For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Romans 5:17

We are children Adam or we are children of God through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  From the one, there is condemnation and sin but the other is life and righteousness.

Finally, there is one mediator between God and man and that mediator is  Jesus Christ.  1 Timothy 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

 

Having a seared conscience

What is a seared conscience?  When you sear something, you cook it on a high heat.  When you sear something, you don’t have to cook it long.. you just have to expose it to high heat  for a little while.

Well, the Bible talks about people having their conscience seared.  If our conscience is the guide that God has given to us to be sensitive to sin and departing from the truth, then a seared conscience would not be a good thing.   It can hurt for our witness (influence) to others and it may cause us to behave ungodly.  We too can destroy our work in the Lord as we can bring destruction as we turn away from the truth.  On top of that, we can grieve the Holy Spirit by neglecting proper thinking and conduct in our stewardship. Everyday we are either building God’s way or our way. And the saddest part is when someone believes only parts of the Bible but has missed the gospel that saves!!!

Let’s look at these verses:

1 Timothy 4:1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

There are things that men add to the word of God.. rules and regulations.. of which have a form of godliness but they are not of God nor do they reflect his true power which is in his written word.

2 Timothy 3:

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

There are people that have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.  We are told to turn away from them.. they seem godly but they are leading people into divers lusts and sin.. they are teaching something but they don’t lead people to the truth.  The truth is found in the word of God in the KJV.  The power of God is in the preserved scriptures in the KJV. Here is a verse. But I challenge you to take any modern version and go beside the KJV to notice differences. You will find several verses that depart from the truth quite a bit and though the meanings are similar, the new versions miss the mark and fall short of the preserved words in the KJV. Did you know modern versions change 10 percent every time one is published for copywriter reasons? Please check it out for yourself and don’t take my word for it. These are hard things but God will persuade you to the truth if you seek him with your whole heart as you pray, study and compare.

Matthew 22:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

If you do not believe the scriptures are the power of God, then you then to your own mind and experience and you have departed from the truth.  As far as I can see,  if you don’t know the scriptures, you cannot know the power of God.  The scriptures are our map so to speak in how to walk through this life.. and God is not the author of confusion. So if there are all these books that say “Holy Bible” in front but the words inside say different things, they can not all be Gof’s words.
If you have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof, you have denied the power of the written word of God and are apt to searing your own conscience.   To put experience or opinion (being led by divers lusts) above the power of the written word is to be caught in the snare (trap) of the devil.

How do you feel when you see an animal caught in a trap and you know eventually a nearby predator will come a take the life of that animal?  So it is when a person has been caught in the snare of the devil.  The devil is like a roaring lion who goes about, seeking to devour whom he will.  The longer a person is in his snare, the more danger they face unknowingly.

So, if we love those who are caught in the snare, we will warn them!

2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 

I encourage you to read more about how God has preserved his word in the King James Bible and how it is the very word of God.  I encourage you also to beware of people that have turned the truth of God into a lie and those that suppress this truth.  God will judge people according to his word and so we cannot think that we are pleasing him when we worship him according to the tradition of man and not of God. In Revelation, the title for Jesus Christ when he comes back to judge at the second coming is the Word of God.

Tradition says that all bibles are God’s word.  Tradition says we can spiritualized bible passages to mean what we want them to mean.  Tradition of men is something God warns us about.  There are new traditions that are entering Christianity at break neck speed which has assimilated new age and watered down confusion into the Christian institutions that call themselves believers.  But the Bible warns about listening to other doctrines… doctrines of devils.

Again, don’t forget: … 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

If you don’t know sound doctrine (the real thing) , how will you recognize doctrines of devils (counterfeit doctrine). You can’t.  Study the truth so you can spot he lies of the devil.

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. Colossians 2:8

If you are a woman who wants to follow the God of the Bible in the KJV, I pray you find other like minded believers to help you in your walk.  I also pray that if you are married, you can learn how to walk in this truth without being overly controlling of your spouse but that you have opportunities to share these truths with your spouse with a meek and quiet spirit. A humble spirit is the attitude that will garner the best advantage.. and if your spouse will not believe with you, you can pray from him and I will pray for you as you walk in this truth to the best of your ability.  The Lord sees your labour of love, your work of faith, and our patience of hope.. may he bless you and may you abound in  hope, knowing that of the Lord, you will recieve your reward.

2 Timothy 2:15  study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth 

May we all grow more and more to be conformed to Jesus Christ as we renew our minds in his word! Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:16

 

God’s view of women

Have you ever struggled with how God views women?  How can a male Father understand a female?

Well, for one, God created us!  But for what purpose?  Many women today have been taught the serpent’s lie that the God of the Bible does not esteem women high enough.  We have been taught by society and even friends that we need to compete with men and until we can compete with them and “win”, we have not yet found our emancipation from patriarchy.  Patriarch has become a bad word sadly among many women.  Why?

God has given fallen mankind (men and women) a recipe to live peacefully with one  another.  God formed man from the dust and breathed on him and made him a living soul.  He took a rib from Adam and created the woman whom Adam named.  Man was to be the head of this beautiful help meet.  She was created for man as a companion and helper.  She was also given the ability to bear children and Eve is called the mother of all living.  What a wonderful privelage she was given!  She is also called the “glory of the man” as she came from man.  What a blessed privilege and honor.   She was God’s crowning creation.. his final act of creation.  Should that make us feel like less or should we feel humbled to think that all of creation was incomplete with out the final touch of a woman.

Unfortunately, she was misled and questioned God’s goodness.  She was led astray from the One true God and believed a lie about him.  How sad!  She gave up her eternal life with him for one taste of the forbidden tree.  She did not consult with Adam as she was his help meet but instead made a decision against the command she was given and usurped Adam.  Adam failed God and Eve by letting this happen while he was right there.  He was not ignorant nor deceived and so it was Adam’s sin that brought sin into the world and the consequences of it.

Through one man sin entered into the world. Romans 5:12 .

As women, we should pray for more godly men to rise up and lead as the church is in desperate need of more men who will stand for the truth, preach the truth of God’s word.  In marriage, the head of every women is the man and the head of the man is Christ.(Ephesians 5:22-23).   This is the formula for success in Christ and when we choose another way, we are entering at our own risk.

Christ submitted to the Father in all things.. and he gave himself for the Church which is his body.. so too the relationship should be that the man carries in the home.. to obey Christ and the Father and to give himself for his wife.. the women also are called to be in subjection to the husband as Christ was to his Father.  The Father is called to be the head of the home.. in a day and age when all forms of authority are being called into question, may we pray for men who go against the grain and lead their families for Christ!!!

 

references in Ephesians 5:22-27 and Colossians 3:18-19

Recipe for godly living

A godly life is a sanctified life.  Jesus said “sanctify them through thy word.  Thy word is truth.” John 17:17. It is God’s words that sanctify us and set us apart to live lives that reflect his goodness to the world.

The opposite of godliness is ungodlinesss. We should know what ungodliness is, don’t you think if we are to avoid it?  If we have lived in the world long enough, we may very well have become desensitized to ungodly things.  That is why it is so important to see what God calls ungodliness.  In Titus 2:12 we see a list.  It says:  teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously, and godly, in this present world.

Also, as a married woman and a mother, I find more instructions on godliness in Titus 2:3-5 the aged women likewise, (read the prior verses to get understanding) that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may be able to teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.  To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Feminism has an agenda to dismantle this type of godliness.  It looks good as it gives a voice to women who are oppressed but instead of leading them to the Saviour who can heal their wounds and empower them to live a life pleasing to God.. in modesty, meekness, humility and honesty.  Meekness must come before honesty.  Honesty without meekness is based on pride.  Knowledge puffeth up according to God’s word. But charity edifies.  If we don’t have charity, we are a sounding brass and we are not profitable to God. Charity is long suffering.. charity sees God’s viewpoint of a situation, not only ours:  charity recognizes that we are all sinners in need of a Saviour and if we are saved, we are still in need of sanctification (becoming spiritually mature). Charity esteems other better than ourselves and is not self driven but Christ driven.

So let’s just remember that God gives us all instruction for his glory, not to diminish nor belittle us.  Christ humbled himself and became sin for us.. he was spit upon and mocked and beaten and he was innocent.  May we strive to let our hearts be humble and obedient and godly today.  Young women need aged women who will teach them good things.  One of those good things is to know that God made men and women for the purpose to show the relationship between Christ and the church.  One is called to be the head and lay down his life for his bride while the other receives that service graciously and serves the head willingly.  Both men and women are called to holiness.  We needn’t try to wear the man’s shoes.  But let us pray that our men willingly live godly lives and as spiritual leaders in our homes so that there is not temptation to usurp the head.  God’s design is always best.

Colossians 3:23 -24 and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall recieve the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

If a woman reading this is in an abusive relationship with a man, I pray you seek counsel from a bible believing counselor who can coach you into safety.  There are circumstances that I do not cover in this study and God knows those that are in difficult circumstances who need a safe haven and I pray you find that.  I also pray the women reading this continue to seek the Lord’s will in their home through prayer and bible study and through godly fellowship. The more you study God’s word and believe it, the more you will be discerning about what is that good and perfect will of God.  And what a joy to serve a God who teaches us how we can live godly in this present evil world.

I am a witness to say that even when you start the wrong way, God can help transform your home when you and your husband allow his word to be read, studied and revered.

Blessings

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 speaks of living and dying as a member of the body of Christ.  As a member of the body, we are resurrected with Christ and our life is his in God.  We have an inheritance eternal in the heavens.  As we take that perspective at life, everything down here (on the earth) seems so much more “earthy” and so imperfect and that which is above seems so strikingly more perfect than anything we can imagine.

I know a few people who are facing a terminal illness.  This scripture should give them hope. We all will one day meet death.  If we are saved, that day will be a relief for us, hopefully, as we know our future destiny will be far greater than what this earth could offer.

Well, we are bought by God but he has not redeemed us completely yet.  Our souls are still held in these bodies of sin.  And these bodies will one day be replaced with a new body that will reflect his glory.  But until then, there is a groaning within us for that day.  That is why the Bible says that we should set our affection on things above.  Colossians 3. When we set our affection on things of the earth, our hearts are disappointed and hope disappointed leads to a crushed spirit.  But God has given us his love and it is shed abroad in our hearts (romans 5:5) as we have the glory of God in us, sealed to the day of redemption.  So we live in this bittersweet condition.. our souls are saved, yet our bodies are waiting for redemption.

Remember the scripture says that hope that is seen is not hope.  To live is Christ but to die is gain.  It also says “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” Philippians 1:23

We wait for a better hope..to be with Christ is far better.  That is why it says,” to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” Phil.1:21  “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”  2Corinthians 5:1.

We pass through this life but once.  We have but one life to determine our eternal reward and inheritance.  For those that are saved must stand before the judgement seat of Christ.  And there is another judgement for the lost that will not end nicely.   May we keep that in mind and appreciate each day we have here to bring forth fruit unto God and pray for the strength and wisdom to walk according to the will of Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Shun profane and vain babblings

What are profane and vain babblings?  Let’s look at the context.  2 Timothy 2:15-20  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. 19Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Hymenaeus and Philetus are named in the Bible for their heresy of saying that the resurrection is past already.  Wow.. and before it says their names, it says “their word will eat as doth a canker”.  In agriculture or gardening, cankerworms are a pest and can destroy crops.  In a like manner, false doctrine and not being dispensational can destroy also.  Hymenaeus was right about there being a resurrection, but he got the timing wrong!  Clearly, timing matters greatly to God.  The result of the false doctrine from these two names men is that it overthrew the faith of some.

What should we do with people who overthrow the faith of some with their false predictions, forecasts, etc.  False doctrine corrupts good manners.  The Bible says “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Corinthians 15:33.

Is false doctrine evil communication?  Well, the Bible says there are doctrines of devils so I would think the answer to this would be yes.  What’s the danger of doctrines of devils?  Well, it leads some to depart from the faith.. and when we depart from the faith, we depart from the teachings of Jesus Christ our Saviour and are left to our own devices, which is never a good thing.

1 Timothy 4:1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies and hypocrisy; having their conscience seared  with a hot iron;  forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

God has shown us in his word that false teachings, like people that are teaching against our blessed hope (the coming rapture) or who are setting dates, are to be avoided.

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.

Profane and vain babbling is in the category of overthrowing the faith of some.. so if a pastor, or teacher is teaching against the word of God in the KJV, they need to be avoided.

The other bible versions also would fit in the category of things to avoid.. for their words are words of confusion and they contradict and oppose the truth found in the King James Bible.  They speak lies and hypocrisy.  Compare any Bible with Genesis 1:1, Luke 4:4, 1 John 5:7, and 2 Timothy 2:15 with a King James Bible.  Those are just a few verses that are changed.  There are many more and by the time you realize how different they are, you realize that the newer versions take out the name Lucifer, they diminish  Jesus Christ, and they make spiritual discernment very foggy, as they change distinctions that matter. Study your King James Bible and compare it to anything else and see for yourself!