Are You Known?

"'Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:23

In modern Christianity, we put so much emphasis on whether or not we know Christ. You may have been asked on several occasions, "Do you know Jesus?" When you pass that question then you may hear, "But do you know Him as your Savior."

While it's important that we come to know Christ in a saving relationship, the aspect that matters most is not whether we know Christ, but does Christ know us? It's very easy to fall into easy believe-ism and decisionism. It's very easy to fall into a watered down Gospel. It's preached and advocated everywhere. But whether or not we know Christ is not where the Bible puts the emphasis. When Christ proclaims "I never knew you", He's speaking to those who were convinced they knew Christ through all sorts of means and methods, but they will suddenly hear "I never knew you".  Can you imagine how horrific that will be for those who hear this?

As sinful creatures, depraved and hostile toward God from birth, we are accustomed and prone to making idols out of anything...including God. Yes, even God by bringing Him down to our level and turning Him into something that suits our own ideas and lifestyles rather than the real God of the Bible.

God already knows us and He gives us the means and opportunity to come to know Him through His Word, who is Christ (John 1:14), therefore through His Son. In our fallen state and in these prisons of dust, we will never be able to come to a full knowledge of Christ until we reach Heaven. Even then we will spend an eternity getting to know Him even more. But God being infinite doesn't give us an excuse to not put everything we have into this relationship He chose and called us into by neglecting the only means we have of knowing Him.

"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15 

This is an amazing statement from Christ. First He says He knows us which is completely awesome, then He states we know Him. How do His sheep know Him?

"To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." John 10:3 

They hear His voice. They know when He is speaking. They can differentiate between Christ and an imposter. They know the Shepherd well enough to know when He's speaking or when it's an enemy. Not through some mystical experience, some inner stirring or the planets seemed to have aligned and all things point to one thing or another; they know His voice. Scripture is paramount in knowing Christ. It is our food.

"So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.'" John 6:53

He gives us His Spirit to further aid, teach and keep us in Christ while we are sojourners on this earth. But the Holy Spirit cannot and will not be separated from Christ. If He can't be and Christ is Scripture in the flesh, then the Holy Spirit will never separate Himself or His help in our lives from Scripture. In fact, He doesn't even speak on His own or for His own purpose. He simply repeats what He hears and relays it to us....

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." John 16:13
 

Since we know this to be true and find ourselves not interested in Scripture or prayer, but rather being tossed about by every new wind of doctrine and teacher that comes along, we can claim we know Christ all we want. Does evidence show that He knows us? We can tell everyone that will listen how much we love Jesus, but is there evidence in our lives that Christ knows us? We can assure ourselves and everyone we know that we know Christ and believe in Him...

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36

It's not enough to simply say that we believe in Him..."Even the demons believe that--and shudder."  James 2:19

I know where Eminem lives. I've seen him in public out and about with his kids and alone. I can read about him, watch all of his videos, know every one of his songs, know every detail of his life that I learn from others and what I watch and see, but if I were to walk up to him and strike up a conversation, he'd be absolutely clueless as to who I was. But if I spent time with him personally, talk to him regularly, hung out with him, knew the inner workings and details of him and his life direct from the source, then I can truly say, and Eminem would agree, that he knows me. Not based on what I hear from "reliable" sources or what I easily have access to through a third party, but because we're in a mutual relationship.

The difference between us believing we know Christ and Christ actually knowing us are two very different things. In the end, we can stand before Him and claim we know Him and try to jog His memory and retell every event in our lives we believed Him to be there to prove we know Him. If He doesn't know us, however, if He hasn't chosen us, if He hasn't sealed us with His Spirit, led us into truth, taught us, loved us, brought fruit forth from us, that's all that's going to matter.

"I never knew you."

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5

He's At the Door

"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:34-36

Prior to making this statement, Jesus spoke vividly about the coming end times and all the signs leading up to it. He spoke about the destruction of Herod's temple, wars and Christian persecutions, the destruction of Jerusalem and the signs we'd see right before His return. He followed it with a warning in the verses above.

 The word "dissipation" in the Greek is κραιπάλη, ης, ἡ. It's a noun and it means to over indulge whether in food, drink and any other excess or self indulgence. Drunkeness is self explanatory, but then He states, "the worries of life". 


Being on guard has the idea of high alert and vigilance. Every sound, every movement is met with readiness. Think of a soldier in a war zone. He's not drinking from his canister, crying to his mom over the phone, playing video games or flipping through a catalog picking all the material things he's going to buy when he gets home while faced with the enemy. He has his weapon in hand, he's aware of the slightest sounds and movement and every muscle in his body is tense and ready to spring into action any second.

 The warning for us in these verses that followed the signs of the end and the lesson of the fig tree, is to look around us. We are surrounded by the enemy in enemy territory who will throw every tactic under the sun at us. We see the signs. We know His return is close, even at the door. He's saying "Watch yourselves! Don't become distracted and weighed down by worldly pleasures, self indulgence, partying, drinking, drugs (whether illegal or to help us cope) or let worries and stresses, struggles, heartaches or troubles take your attention away from what's coming."

In our society and culture the days are becoming increasingly darker and we're surrounded by the blackness of evil. We tend to use forms of escapism to distract ourselves from the stress of it all. The very foundations of our the world are being shaken. Economies are collapsing. Entire societies are imploding. We're worried about our own jobs and financial security. We're worried about the future of our own nation. We're worried about terrorism. The culture has shifted dramatically. Going through a economic collapse would be catastrophic because people are more wicked and iniquity abounds.

We use the internet, TV, movies, music, partying, drinking, drugs, etc., to distract ourselves and get our minds off of what's happening around us. We accept the notion we deserve to indulge ourselves with the world and all it offers because we've worked hard, had a tough week, went through a serious financial, mental, emotional or physical upheaval. The world advocates and presses the idea of over indulgence, treating yourself to all it offers because you deserve it.

It's all a smoke screen. It's a tactic of the enemy who knows our own sinful, selfish nature better than we do. It's a dangling of the carrot. It's an attempt to start a fire in another corner to get your attention off the elephant in the room and Satan is well aware of what the elephant in the room is. Jesus warns us not to fall for it. He's telling us to keep our eyes on Him and not what's around us because He's at the door. What's coming through the door is far greater and more devastating than anything happening around us.

The final sobering warning is if we allow ourselves to be distracted, that day will close on us like a trap. If we see the signs then we should be expecting Him and preparing for Him. The trap will close on those who've become so distracted they no longer think about it therefore expect it. Like a bear or deer wandering its usual territory suddenly finds itself caught in a trap it never expected, so are we wandering with the world. We no longer pay attention or are alert. We follow the same paths day after day and life moves along, but soon enough we will find a trap slamming down on us.

By all worldly accounts we should be worried. We should be entering panic mode with the state of our society, world and mankind in general. The sin nature's course of alleviating that panic is self indulgence and escapism through several means. Yet, Jesus warns us not to do it. Because of the increase of wickedness and the deep furrows we all bear from it, we tend to sink into ourselves by throwing elaborate pity parties and keeping our focus on us and/or the wrongs against us. Yet, Jesus warns us not to fall for it.

We must be vigilant and on high alert. Nothing is out of God's control and every frightening sight or news we hear about has already been known and being brought about according to God's plan and purposes.

"Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD." Zephaniah: 2:3

This is what should be weighing on our hearts and we should be concerned with. We should be in prayer, study and preparing for His arrival. If you've found yourself focused on the fire in the corner while ignoring the elephant in the room or following the carrot  then first, praise God for the warning He gives to all of us. Second, be thankful He's pointed it out to you. Next, act on it lest that day close on you like a trap.

The Master of the house is at the door.

He Will Finish It

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:6 

This is probably one of the most powerful Scriptures I've read. In it do we come to understand that our confidence is never in us or should be in us, but in God alone. As imperfect, fallen creatures we are more prone to fall then to rise. There's nothing in us deserving of confidence. Our confidence is in Christ alone. Not only did He seek us out and save us, but He won't give up and will complete the work He began.

If you are a believer then God began a work in you and no matter what, He will finish it. It's all His work and not ours. We did nothing to provoke it and can do nothing to finish it. We were dead in our sins therefore incapable of doing anything. He has done it apart from us for us. His church, His body, all of us, have been built on rock, a solid, sure foundation that cannot be shaken or destroyed. We stand and live on that rock in spite of ourselves because He keeps us standing on that solid foundation.

This good work God began in us is of grace and it will make us good. It is making us like Christ and all things work together for that good whether times are great or you're going through the most painfully difficult time of your life. It's all working under His control that good work He began in us. God is not like us. He finishes what He's begun despite us. If He didn't then He wouldn't be any more worthy of confidence than our own flesh is.

But He has promised to not forsake us, to not give up and everything He plans He carries through. There is our confidence. Though we fail, though we sin and fall flat on our faces, though we can't lift a finger anymore to help ourselves, He will continue on the good work He began and will not only finish it, but crown it in perfection. He will finish it even if He has to beat the daylights out of us to do so. He has promised a spotless bride and He will deliver.


Are things just spiraling out of control and you feel like a failure? Do you wonder how you will ever get out of the mess you've found yourself in? Are you depressed? Do you wonder how you will ever see another good day? Are you afraid you've crossed the line with God? Do you feel as though you are one sin away from God throwing up His hands and saying "That's it! I can't take you and your failure anymore"?

He will finish it.

 Again, He began the good work in all of us while we were still His enemies, depraved and hostile toward Him. We did nothing for Him to begin such a work and we can do nothing for Him to finish it. Thank God for His unconditional love. Thank God His good work is not dependent on us or anything we can or can't do. We may be failures, but He's not. We may not finish things, but He always does. That work He began in you, He will finish it.

Avoid Being Idle

"An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. .." Proverbs 31:10-31  

Fall has arrived! The trees are changing and losing their leaves, the days are getting shorter, the grey clouds have moved in and linger for days, the autumn winds are constantly howling outside and beating against our homes and the last of the sun's warmth is fading fast. Soon, we'll be buried in snow and arctic cold. For those of us who are stay at home mom's or who can't work outside the home, we can find ourselves battling idleness day after day.

Idleness is addressed in several places in the Bible and we're told to avoid it. Idleness not only tempts us to sin, but is the cause of a lot of sin and depression. When we get bored and are idle we tend to over eat, become sick easily, slipping into depression, stressed out, dredging up old memories and marinating in them for hours on end, complaining, in and out of bad moods, laziness, gossipping with friends, sitting on the internet, watching way too much TV, etc.

Winter commonly breeds depression, but this can be avoided with keeping ourselves busy and soaking up sunlight while it's available. Going outside for a short walk or even just to stand in the sun for a few minutes (especially during midday) allows us to soak up some vitamin D from the sun even on cloudy days, which directly impacts the emotional center of the brain.

Outside of the seasonal changes, idleness anytime can be deadly. There is truth in the old saying "Idle hands are the devil's workshop".

"Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not." 1 Timothy 5:13

"or even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies." 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11

In modern times, we don't have fields of crops that need planting, care and harvesting. Canning and storing food is no longer necessary. We can buy clothes cheaply rather than having to make them. Cooking can be done in 30 minutes or less and we've found ourselves with more free time than we can stand. Therefore, we find ourselves getting into all sorts of trouble or worse watching Jerry Springer.

 "Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy." Ezekiel 16:49
Man was made to be laborers. It's unnatural physically and mentally to be idle even in the work place. Part of the reason the West battles so many illness and diseases is due to lack of physical labor and "life of ease". We have diseases and illnesses, both physical and mental, killing us at high rates that are rare in 3rd world countries. The root cause is idleness.

For us women, there are a number of things we can do to keep us busy and productive especially during the winter months. Learning the old ways, even though we don't need to anymore for survival, has tremendous benefits and I'll throw out some suggestions...

Learn how to can food. Plant a vegetable garden in the Summer and in Autumn can them. It's not difficult, it's time consuming. If you didn't plant a garden this year then fresh vegetables and fruits can be bought cheaply and canned just as well. Canning jars and lids can be bought cheaply also at places like Target and reused. If you don't want to keep the food for yourself give it to others in need.

Save big projects that can be done during the winter for those short, cold, depressing days.

There are so many crafts that can be made at home and make excellent gifts, opportunities to make extra money or can be given to the needy such as homemade soap.

Learn to sew. You don't need an expensive sewing machine to make something. There are several stitches by hand that are just as nice and strong as a machine's and they only take a few minutes to learn via the internet. If you want to sew with a machine then check out second hand stores, flea markets or Craig's List for cheap sewing machines. Patterns for all sorts of things and fabric are cheap. It's also easy to make your own pattern. None of this is hard, it's time consuming and that's what we're after anyway. It's amazing the things that can be made using old and new material from curtains to purses to clothes. Have an old dress or skirt you can't wear anymore, but love? Use the fabric to make something else. If you don't want to make things for you and your family, then make them for others in need. A great example of this is a charity called "Little Dresses For Africa." A group of women make dresses for little girls in Africa from pillow cases.

Make a memory quilt from old material that can be past on as a sort of heirloom. Quilt making it surprisingly cheap and time consuming. You can get good material on discount and pay next to nothing. Or you may have an old quilt that can be refurbished. Buying a good quilt for winter months is expensive. Making your own is cheap and better made than a store bought quilt.

Learn to crochet. Crocheting is very easy. If I can do it I know anyone can. New patterns can be quickly learned from the internet and it's amazing what can be crocheted from some yarn and a needle. Multicolored blankets in soft yarn are awesome gifts especially when they're hand made or they can be given to the homeless.

Learn to make jams and jellies. My sister in law makes different homemade jams and I love walking into her house and smelling the strawberries, grapes or some other fruit being cooked down and prepared for jars. She's offered to teach me and I'm going to take her up on it. Making jam can also be looked up on the internet, is fairly easy to make and it's so much better than anything you can buy in the store. Afterwards they can stored for use, given away as gifts or given to the needy.

 Outside of learning new activities to keep your hands and brain busy, there are a lot of ministries we can get involved in such as collecting mittens, hats and gloves for homeless or needy families. Volunteering at soup kitchens (who always need help), volunteering at women's shelters or teaching other women a craft that you've mastered. You can take classes for something new and interesting at your local community center or community college cheaply or even free.

Not only does God expect us to stay busy, but we were made to keep busy. It's a sure way to beat depression, over eating, warding of sin, providing for our families and helping those in need. The benefits of avoiding idleness are enormous. Happy Fall!

 

Discerning The Voice Of God

This phenomenon has been going on for millenniums. This phenomenon is what the false teachers and Gnostics used to disrupt and divide the flock in Paul's day. It is the method used that's created entire religions that began with people "hearing" from God or an angel that ran contrary to revealed Scripture and has led billions astray (Galatians 1:8) such as Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, so on and so forth. Still, Christians are looking and hoping for a voice from God for guidance, for an experience that would bring them closer to the Creator or as a means to puff themselves up over other Christians. Whatever the case may be, there is no method or strategy to hearing directly or discerning the voice of God apart from Scripture. That's certainly not the popular idea, especially these days.

Have you ever heard someone say "God told me..."? It's used in many revelatory ways such as dreams and visions, promptings, voices, visitations, etc. They often have an entire mystical experience to go with it. Most popular teachers use this method to gather for themselves flocks of followers. They portray themselves as being so spiritual, so special, so mighty for God and so learned that God speaks directly to them. And you must listen because if He's not speaking to you in the same way then you're weak, wandering aimlessly and need that teacher's guidance to get on the path they're on. First you must buy their material and send them love gifts. Hey! The path isn't free you know!

There are examples in Scripture where God did speak directly to his people to give His will in a matter or offer divine guidance. Before we can point at those and say "See, He does speak!" We also have to consider the context in which He chose to speak. God parted the Red Sea and made a donkey speak as well. Does that mean He'll part the Detroit River for me to get to Canada? Does that mean He may speak to me through my cat? One of the main factors in the methods God used in special circumstances was the cannon of Scripture hadn't been completed yet. It was still in the process of being completed and those experiences were added in Scripture for us to learn from. God speaking audibly to Elijah is not what God wants us to focus on, but rather what He was teaching Elijah and the circumstances surrounding it.

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

Today we have the complete Word of God. There are a myriad of reasons Christians don't study Scripture. They'd rather rely on a "moving" from God or a direct "word" or "revelation". There's several problems with this....

1. As fallen creatures we're incapable of discerning God's pure and lofty thoughts.

2. As fallen creatures our experiences aren't reliable as they are tainted by the sin nature and subjective.

3. Scripture warns against adding to the revelations in the Bible (Revelation 22:18)

4. It's putting an awful lot of trust and confidence in our flesh when Scripture distinctly warns that the heart of man is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and anyone who trusts in his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26). Trusting in a feeling or voice is absolutely foolish and just asking for disaster.

5. There's absolutely no way to test what we've heard. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

6. Christ is the Word of God made flesh. (John 1:1) Want to know Christ, God's will and direction? Study the Word. It's from this feeding on Scripture does the Holy Spirit lead us, teach us and make Scripture applicable to our lives (John 14:26)

7. More often than not we have no idea what God's doing in our lives or around us until after He's already done it. Even then we don't grasp the magnitude in which He's worked or moved in our behalf.

8. To hear voices and assume it's God is dangerous especially when we have a powerful enemy who is just looking for a foothold to attack and devour. (1 Peter 5:8) How can we know we're hearing the voice of God and not a demon or Satan himself? I heard a girl say she knew God was speaking to her because He used Scripture. Yet, what she claimed God was telling her ran completely contrary to Scripture. Satan distorted and twisted Scripture to the Word of God Himself (Matthew 4:6). How are we safe from him? if we don't know Scripture how can we know Satan's not doing the same to us?

There is nothing...no feeling, no mystical experience, no voice, no revelation, dream or vision that can hold more weight than Scripture itself. It is the divine authority and complete revelation from God. All other promptings or voices is like equating a Ferrari to a huffy...straw to grain...

"'Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has My Word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the LORD. 'Is not My word like fire,' declares the LORD, 'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?'"

God speaks loud and clear through 66 books. If that's not enough for us then we have far bigger and perilous problems than trying to figure out if God is speaking to or prompting us. He's already said everything He's needed to say. We just need to listen by knowing the method He chose to speak to man...the Bible. We don't get to choose how we have a relationship with God or how we communicate with Him. He chose and we must follow. It's on His terms not ours.

"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." 2 Peter 1:19

Peter heard God's voice several times and witnessed countless miracles, some even he performed, walked with Christ Himself, was on the mount of transfiguration and saw God move powerfully, but even he knew and understood Scripture trumped all these experiences.

Scripture is sufficient. Scripture is the revelation of Christ to mankind. Christ is Scripture. If Scripture is not sufficient for us or we're looking to add to our walk by other methods and means then we're setting ourselves us for disaster and we've rejected truth, Christ and the only means we have to divine truth...the Bible.

Prayer Is The Beginning

"For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." Psalm 109:4

"America will come to the place where we will either learn to concentrate in prayer or we'll pray in concentration camps " Leonard Ravenhill

 John Knox was a Scottish Reformer who lived from 1514-1572. He learned that the secret to enduring trials was prayer. The secret to needed grace, strength, wisdom and power to perform the duties to which he was called was prayer. On the shoulders of men like this do we stand today and on their backs was Prostestantism built.

Before John Knox began his Preaching ministry, he was arrested in 1547 and spent 19 months as a slave in a French gallery ship. They would chain slaves in the lowest bowels of the ship to row. He was eventually released and taken to London in 1549 where he became a Chaplain. Because of the harsh circumstances that Knox lived for 19 months, he learned about prayer. As a slave in the lower parts of that ship where he was forgotten and chained, Knox was torn down and rebuilt by God as a man of prayer.

Knox lived and breathed prayer. He constantly had an attitude of prayer. He learned well in that ship what prayer does and can do. Mary the Queen of Scots is recorded as saying "I fear more the prayers of John Knox than all the assembled armies of Europe."

Robert Bruce came after John Knox and he's described as being the Gospel wielding William Wallace. Like Knox, Bruce was a habitual man of prayer. King James would, at times, go to hear Bruce preach. Anytime king James would become uncomfortable in the conviction of sin during Bruce's sermon, he would begin talking to those around him. In one instance, Bruce said to king James "It is said to have been an expression of the wisest of kings 'when the lion roars all the beasts of the field are quiet.' Well, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is now roaring in His Gospel and it becomes all kings of the earth to be silent!" This king could have taken off Bruce's head for that rebuke, but it doesn't seem that Bruce was concerned. He spent much time in the presence of an all powerful King therefore no earthly king frightened him.

All men, like Bruce, had was God. They didn't own expensive cars and several homes or take expensive vacations. They didn't plead for money from their hearers or preach about prosperity and loving yourself. They didn't offer DVDs and self help material. They preached the Gospel only and would do it after hours of prayer. They were only concerned about the work God called them to do and nothing else. Because they gave themselves over to prayer they preached with power.

Imagine where we'd be as a people if we spent as much time in prayer and in studying scripture that we give to TV, movies, computer and chasing after worldly things. In such evil times, in times when everything around you is falling apart and discourages you, it's prayer and spending time with God that makes you bold, full of faith and gives much needed strength. It comes no other way. You would have no fear when trials come, but would rest in God. Instead of worrying about trials and tribulations and desperately looking for ways out of them, you would be steadfast in your faith, in His sovereignty and ability. There wouldn't be room for fear and shrinking away.

Robert Bruce often had to hide and run from persecution. On those occasions he saw them as opportunities of more prayer. He didn't look for support groups or circle time with groups of other men. He got alone with God and was on his knees. The key to his life was prayer. The first time Bruce was thrown into prison for preaching he didn't pray, "Why are you doing this to me God! Where are You?! What did I do? Why do I have to suffer! God please get me out of this!" Bruce prayed this...

"God, if it be Your good pleasure to exercise me with a new trial and pull both the ministry and people from me, if it would please Thee, instead of the king's favor and the priests favor being toward me, please triple Thy Spirit upon me and let me see in my heart Thy face brighter and brighter."

God will often use pain, heartache, extreme trials and pressure to drive us to prayer. The preacher Thomas Boston buried six of his children. His wife was on a continuous spiral into insanity and she was confined to their home for years. These things drove Boston to prayer and made him a man of prayer. In every situation Boston learned to run to God. Boston let nothing interfere with his time alone with the Creator, but how often do we? Not even the death of six of his children or his wife's constant needs and spiral into madness kept Boston from prayer. Even things that seem necessary to deal with...how often do they interfere with our prayers?

They did so much with so little and we do so little with so much. If we are use to being in the presence of a great God then we won't be afraid to be in the presence of little men and anything they can throw at us. The dependence on the Holy Spirit through prayer was the nucleus in the lives of these men just as it was for Christ, the Apostles and Prophets. Everything God did through ordinary men, He began it in the prayer closet.

When we look at some of the giants in the Bible, no ministry, no power came to anyone without a deep prayer life. Being a good speaker or some gift we think we've identified in ourselves is not a prerequisite for  any type of ministry. The prerequisite is prayer. John the Baptist spent his entire life in the desert to preach for six months. Jesus spent thirty years in preparation to preach for three years. All of it began in prayer, continued in prayer and ended in prayer.

God made many promises in the Bible to His people that He would put His words in their mouths and would teach them what to say in the moment they needed it. What all these men had in common was a habitual prayer life. This isn't something only they had access too. We are all commanded to be a people of prayer. God doesn't expect to hear our feet running to His throne, He expects them to be rooted before His throne.

Christians look at Muslims and are amazed that they pray five times a day. Five times a day they stop whatever they're doing and where ever they are for prayer and I did this too. This baffles Christians. Why? Have they never read 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "pray continually"?

God doesn't want to see us and hear our prayers five times a day. He demands Christians pray constantly. That we live and move and breathe in a state of constant prayer, in total dependence on Him. He expects us to be looking to Him for every moment, every need and every situation. He commands we live every moment of our lives in continuous communion with Him.

We wonder why we feel so stagnant. We wonder why nothing ever seems to work out. We wonder why God seems to constantly be blocking us and frustrating our efforts. We wonder why we are continuously facing the same battles with sin in our lives without any victory. We wonder why our lives are the way they are. We're constantly looking for some easy fix and looking to others who claim to have secrets to fix our circumstances, but nothing ever works because what we're missing is one crucial component....prayer. We don't pray. We don't wrestle.


"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;" Isaiah 51:1

Recommended Reading 50,000 Prayers Answered

The Retirement Crown

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:8

In this Scripture, I hardly think Paul was alluding to retirement, shuffleboard in Florida, golfing, cooking as a hobby and traveling the country in an RV when he wrote this. Paul was near death. He knew his time was almost up and he would be leaving this earth.

There's nothing wrong with retirement from a long time job and collecting a pension...in the world. Most people save most of their lives for the moment they retire and think they're really going to enjoy the few years they have left. Maybe get a dog, go fishing, wander around the house, plant some flowers, take trips. That's the world. What blows my mind is to read about so many ministers doing this. They even pump their congregations in their remaining years to add to their retirement.

I know of a man who ministered in his church for 50 years and he refused to retire because he wasn't dead therefore was still charged with administering the Gospel. He was eventually forced out of his own church and into retirement. Despite his years of service, despite teaching the unadulterated Word of God for 50 years, most of his congregation believed he was too old, too tired and should retire to enjoy what few years remained for him.

I have yet to find anywhere in Scripture anything concerning God's servants retiring from His work while they still have breath left in their bodies. God's retirement plan doesn't kick in until we're dead. Our pension and other retirement funds is the crown of righteousness. Our rest won't come until we stand before God Himself.

The church so emulates the world in almost every aspect that it's hard to tell them apart anymore. When Believers are given the administering of the Gospel as Pastors there is no cut off date until death. God doesn't call anyone in for a retirement meeting and hand out RVs and golf clubs. The Prophets and Apostles never looked forward too a pension, social security and retirement to wander around the country side sight seeing and playing shuffle board. They looked forward to standing before Christ unashamed as loyal, faithful servants.

The Apostle John eventually became so old and so weak that he had to be carried into the synagogues, but he never stopped teaching. His voice was barely audible, but he would teach and instruct the Believers until the day he died. No one forced him out because he was getting too old. Paul never stopped, James never retired, Peter continued to preach even as he was being put to death and so on. Why do we have so many Pastors retiring from leading and teaching flocks? Why do we have so many ministers setting up retirement funds early on and eventually leaving the pulpit to collect money and "enjoy life".

There are ministers today so worried over health insurance that they're forming a sort of union to pool funds in case someone gets sick. They scoffed at one minister who said quite frankly "If I get sick I'll put my faith in God. I'm not going to worry about it."

When we have leaders that do as the world does how can we not expect the flock to follow? When a lone leader steps out and says "Wait. This isn't how those who came before us lived", they're scoffed at. I'm not against relaxation or enjoyment, but leaders and sheep have made it the focal point of our lives and we plan heavily and live for it.

I had a minister on my facebook who knew my parents before he was a minister so we became friends. He leads a large congregation. All he talked about is retiring and all his happy plans, his Beatles memorabilia collection and things he did as a kid. Most of his congregation is on his facebook page and they think he's the coolest Pastor ever. The frivolity infects the people and they follow. I've never learned so much about a band in my entire life. I never put that much effort into my favorite bands when I was an unbeliever.

This is how he leads his congregation and he's not anomaly. This is what his flock learns from him. A short sermon on Sundays that he brags about writing several times during the week and a whole lot about the Beatles, his plans for retirement and what he was like as a kid. This world is going down like the Hindenburg right before our eyes, millions are dangling over hell and already have the stench of smoke on them and we're looking forward to retirement, a pension and all our happy relaxing plans.

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
   and who seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
   and to the quarry from which you were hewn;" Isaiah 51:1 

We have to return to the foundation. We have to go back to the quarry which is the Bible and live by our faith, serving God continuously as He demands and expects until we have no more breath. Leaders need to take their flocks back to the quarries. If you've found yourself surrounded by this worldly mentality in your church and in your leaders then for you as the individual I give you this...

"This is what the LORD says:
   'Stand at the crossroads and look;
   ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
   and you will find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16


"The West is crumbling before us and we still choose to be trite, frivolous and happy. The fact of the matter is man is twisted and broken and dead. The fact of the matter is judgment is coming. The fact of the matter is all that we can see will be melted as with fire." - Paul Washer from The Reality of Judgment

Renewing Our Minds

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

This is a scripture I've read many times, but I remember the day it jumped out at me as if it slapped me across the face with a brick. Ever have those "A ha!" moments? You've read a scripture so much, but you never really got it until...BAM! That's the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. He teaches us, gives understanding of Scripture and how it applies to our lives.

We really don't need false teachers keeping us stuck in the old man to sell books, DVDs and conference seats. We do it just fine on our own. Our own minds are our worst enemies and it's true our minds are a battle ground. Everything begins with a thought. Behaviors, depression, sadness, sin, etc., all have their beginnings in the mind. Action is a manifestation of what's been sitting there.

In Ephesians 5:25-26, husbands are told to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and cleansed her by the washing of the water with the Word. Renewing our minds daily with Bible study is a constant cleansing and changing of our minds. Behaviors, sins and patterns of sin can't survive when they're being washed over and transformed into the image of Christ. When we buy workbooks written by others and DVDs, go to their conferences, pray the prayers they've written for us in their books, they're keeping us locked into our old ways of thinking. Nothing they do, say, promise or sell us can renew our minds and change those patterns. Only Scripture can. The Holy Spirit never operates outside of God's Word or independently of it. He only speaks what He hears (John 16:13) and it's always right in line with Scripture, thus being in the Word daily can't be neglected or replaced.

When Christians look to other methods besides God and Scripture that's exactly what the world does. That's the pattern of the world. The world goes to motivational speakers, psychiatrists, doctors, therapists, seminars and gurus. They take drugs and spend  hundreds of millions on self help material that do nothing other than keep them harping on the same issues for years and in the same corrupt patterns of thinking. Are they ever transformed? No and they never will be. If they could then Scripture wouldn't tell us to stop conforming to it. Anything the world offers is like sprinkling perfume on a decaying corpse. We're told to be transformed...to be changed by renewing our minds. Put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13) and those deeds come from a sinfully corrupt mind. In order to put them to death, the first thing struck must be the mind.

We're not changed overnight when we're saved. It's a process of conformity to Christ. Christ is the Word of God made flesh (John 1) therefore, we can't be conformed without Scripture. There can be no transformation and cleansing without a washing. If you've been looking to every other method outside of Scripture...therein lies the problem.


Renew Your Mind...

Lazarus - Suffering Doesn't Mean God Hates You

"The Beggar" Aziz Ben  fineartamerica.com

Luke 16:19-21 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores."

When we think of the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus, we tend to focus on the aspect of the rich man ending up in hell. He could see, was fully conscious, could hear, could think, reason and could feel. Lazarus often gets past over. As if he's only the counter weight to the rich man's plenty.

Lazarus was poor. It appears he was in such dire poverty due to leprosy, which was a common ailment back then. He was forced to beg just to survive. So down, so low was Lazarus, he yearned to have the scraps from the rich man's table. Even the scraps, that were discarded and thrown away, were far better than what Lazarus was having to live on. To make matters worse, Lazarus was further humiliated and beaten down by having the local, roaming dogs surround him to lick his open sores. Beggars weren't treated kindly and were often viewed as having committed some grievous wrong against God to be in such a state (John 9:2). The people assumed he was under a curse and treated him that way. Like most of humanity, we keep our eyes fixed on the shiny objects in front of us, lust after them and miss the real treasure the earth can't contain.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side." Luke 16:22

The beggar didn't inherit eternal life simply because he was poor, a beggar and sick did he? Of course not. How would the diseased, down trodden beggar end up in eternity if he wasn't in a relationship with God?  He wouldn't have. Obviously, despite his deplorable circumstances in life, this man was a lowly servant of the Most High God. Despite that, he suffered far more than most of us could ever imagine. By all worldly accounts, he didn't appear to be blessed by God in any way, shape or form. Subsequently, it appeared that the rich man, was in fact, the one blessed by God.

There was a much bigger picture that would reverberate throughout time to teach billions of people to come, however. In order to have that reverberation and impact, God allowed Lazarus to suffer. Lazarus may have suffered greatly in his short life while the rich man seemed to enjoy life, but in the end the roles were entirely switched. Now Lazarus was enjoying life, and not just any life, his is lasting forever, while the rich man now suffers beyond anything even Lazarus could ever begin to comprehend.

Don't be deceived. Trying to accomplish your best life now means you're forfeiting an eternal life later. The rich man had his "best life now" yet, with all his riches, with all his luxury, ease and "happiness", he lacked what Lazarus had...a relationship with the Judge. By the time the rich man realized it was all worth nothing, he was already in hell. What we endure now is a vapor. It's like spitting in the ocean compared to what's to come. This life is the closest we will ever get to hell. While for most others like the rich man, this life is the closest they will ever get to heaven. How many of us in the west are suffering like Lazarus did or even coming close?

Despite the conditions Lazarus lived in daily, he never turned on God. He never demanded better. He never whined or complained that the rich man lived in ease while he suffered. He lived in horrible conditions, but the one thing he did have was a treasure even the rich man couldn't afford: a relationship with the Almighty God.

"Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. " Psalm 73:25-26

Having all the riches in the world is not a testimony to God greatness, love and mercy. Being a Lazarus and still trusting God and serving Him in spite of suffering is a testimony heard loud and clear by everyone. Millions of people have been won to Christ while witnessing Believers being persecuted severely and suffering in some way, but still refusing to compromise, complain or lose faith. Persecution and suffering is what made the Gospel spread like wild fire during Biblical times. Persecution and suffering still spreads the Gospel even today.

If you're suffering or being persecuted then be encouraged. Be content in your situation and with what little you may have (Hebrews 13:5-6). There is a much bigger picture that goes far beyond your situation and will reach to the ends of the universe and the depths of hell. If we know God controls all things and nothing can happen without His permission then therein lies our comfort.

Who do you have in heaven? God. What can earth possibly offer you to take His place? Though you suffer, though your body fail you, though you suffer persecution for the cross, though you lose everything and everyone you love, God is your strength and inheritance. Not heaven. Not riches. Not meeting up with long lost loved ones in Heaven like a bus station. God is your treasure and strength and this world, and all we experience in it, is only temporary and a speck in eternity.

Frances Chan "What are you living for?" He puts this short life we wade through compared to eternity, in a very clear and powerful perspective.

Does Jesus Knock?

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me." Revelation 3:20


This has to be the one Scripture I've seen taken out of context the most. It is widely used in churches, books, witnesses, tracts, etc., as a general call to salvation. Jesus is pictured and misquoted as standing at the door of a person's heart and knocking on it to come in. As if He's on the outside looking in like the smelly kid on the playground no one likes or wants to play with or He's wanting to borrow some sugar. We are His creation in His creation that He fills (Ephesians 2:10, John 1:3). He's not on the outside. We're the ones on the outside. 


When we take that verse into context there's several important things going on that often gets past over...


In that verse Christ was addressing the Laodicean "Lukewarm" Church. The modern Turkish name for Laodicea is Eskihisar. They were neither hot nor cold and because they were neither one or the other, He said, "I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Rev 3:16) The Church of Laodicea was filled with professing Christians, but was, in fact, apostate. Not a single believer is mentioned in the letter to Laodicea. Lukewarm is not ever used in Scripture to describe any believer whose become lazy, unmotivated or depressed. It's used in regards to the unsaved who profess to be Christian. It's a metaphor of professing Christians in their lost state and self deceit.

Of all the letters sent to the seven churches, this letter is the harshest of all of them. It's the only one that comes with a serious threat. It's the last of the churches and, by far, the worst of the seven. Like John MacArthur said "Some churches make Him angry. This church made Him sick." And Laodicea was and is a picture of the end times church.


Laodicea was a very important city because of its trade routes. There was also a significant number of Jews there. The resources Laodicea had caused it to grow in population, strength and commercially. Laodicea was a banking center as people past through the trade routes. They were famous for their wool industry...black wool that was soft, glossy and highly desired and exported for clothing. Laodicea also had a medical school that later became famous for the eye salve invented there. All these things come into play in the letter.


Laodice was a half hearted church. They were settled and satisfied in their wealth and power much like many in the modern day church. They were secure in that wealth and power and delusional. This church was filled with those who believed they were Christians, but weren't. They lived and breathed selling to others and making their wealth. They were in need of nothing...so they thought...


"You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." Revelation 3:17-18

To a church full of apostates and hypocrites God was still showing grace and love to this unsaved, hypocritical church and giving them an opportunity to repent or they would be condemned. If there was even just one person in there who might turn, then the invitation went out. This wasn't an invitation to the unsaved as it's often used. These people genuinely believed they were saved. This was not a general call to salvation as it's often used. He was addressing them to discipline them, not as true followers know discipline, but as a means to convict them.


Finally, in verse 20, Jesus was not knocking on the heart of the individual. He was knocking on the door of the unsaved church...the church of Laodicea. Christ wants into the church that bears His Name. It's not an image of Him being locked out or being unwelcome. It's an image of Him having long deserted Laodicea. He left. They didn't drive Him out like an eviction. He could have kick the door down, went in and started dishing out judgment, but He chooses rather to show compassion, patience and grace to them by returning and giving an offer. "I could demolish and be just in doing so, but I'll knock first and give you an opportunity to do what's right". If there was anyone inside, even just one, then Christ would enter the church through that person and there would be hope for it before His judgment falls. 


Jesus has never professed nor has Scripture ever alluded to Christ standing outside and waiting for an invitation to come into our lives. We don't choose Him, He chooses us (John 15:16). We don't choose to come to Christ. We don't decide one day we'll check Jesus out. We don't invite Him in. We certainly don't "find" Him as if He's been lost or like we're looking for Waldo. We are sought out by God. We are drawn to Christ by the Father (John 6:44) When He calls, We follow and not the other way around. Christ isn't sitting around waiting for someone to yell "Hey Jesus! I'm ready to have you in my life now! Hurry up!" We don't have it in us to seek Christ (Romans 3:11-12). He doesn't come to us and knock on hearts. The Father draws us to Him.

You Cannot Blame God

I used to blame God for things that had happened to me or things that occurred in my life that deeply affected me. Most people do. Growing up in abusive homes, living in abusive marriages, poverty, sickness, struggles...whatever the case may be, we often wonder "Why did God allow this to happen to me" or "Where was/is God". More often then not it breeds anger, resentment, discontent and distrust of God and we move farther away from Him. But we can't blame God for the sin of others. We can't blame God for our own sin. We can't blame God for consequences that always follow choices we've made. When we have to stand before Him there will be no excuses that anyone can offer. No amount of "blame" will work in our favor. God didn't create sin, God doesn't condone sin, God hates sin whether it's our own or was thrust on us. We cannot blame God for what's happened to us...



You Cannot Blame God for What Happened to You - Diego's Testimony from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.


"Creator" Paul Washer...

Feeding Sheep Or Amusing Goats?

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted Christian can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years this evil has developed at an alarming rate. The devil has seldom done a more clever thing then hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people with a view to winning them. From speaking out the Gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders.

Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses. My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is no where spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15) and provide amusement for those who do not relish the Gospel. No such words are, however, to be found. It did not occur to Him. Where did entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them.

Were the Prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they confronted them? The concert has no martyr role. Again, providing amusement is a direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His Apostles. What was the attitude of the Apostolic Church to the world? You are the salt of the world not the sugar candy. Something the world will spit out not swallow. Had Jesus introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements to His teaching He would have been more popular. When many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him, I do not hear Him say, "Run after these people, Peter! And tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow. Something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick, Peter! We must get to the people somehow!"

No, Jesus pitied the sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them. In vain will the epistles be searched to find any trace of the Gospel of amusement. Their message is, "Therefore, come out from among them and separate yourselves from them. Don't touch their filthy things." Anything approaching amusement is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the Gospel and employed no other weapon.

After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, "Lord grant unto Your servants that, by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation, we may show these people how happy we are." No, they did not cease from preaching Christ! They had no time for arranging entertainments! Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the Gospel. They turned the world upside down. That is the only difference from today's Church.

Lastly, amusement fails to effect the end desired. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard, to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God's link in the chain of their conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today's ministry is earnest spirituality joined with Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.

Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her and bring us back to Apostolic methods.
- Charles Spurgeon

How To Honor Abusive Parents

This is something I've struggled hard with. My father is a Malignant Narcissist. He was all I had left after losing my brother and mother before I was 12 and my maternal grandmother (who helped take care of me) in 2009.

I don't even speak to him anymore. I love my father despite what he is and has done. I would love nothing more than to have a normal relationship with him and to have him in my life and my unborn son's life, but I also know that's not possible right now unless God intervenes. In order to avoid further dishonoring him and sinning 6 ways to Sunday against him and God, in order to avoid any further emotional and mental abuse, I was forced to cut contact.

God never laid down conditions for honoring parents. Honoring parents is also the only commandment that comes with a promise. He never said "If parents are worthy of honor, then honor them". He simply said "Honor your father and mother". The ramifications of honoring/dishonoring parents are vast and reflects far more than just obeying a commandment. If you are estranged from your parents or parent, you can still honor them despite their sins against us....

1. Don't speak against them in anger or dishonor them in speech to them or to others...

You may struggle with this because your wounds are still very raw. The only option for us is to repent of it and let it go. It's not about them. It's not even about us. It's about God. As Christ didn't slander, gossip or verbally attack His abusers, neither are we to.

2. Don't dwell on it....

"Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'" Luke 9:62


"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19 

This is difficult, but nothing causes more damage to us  and our walk with Christ then when we dwell on past hurts and abuses and hold grudges. If we stay focused on that then we are completely unproductive for God, it ruins our witness, ruins our life and keeps up stuck in a rut. All it does is cause bitter roots to spring up and bitterness breeds hate and unforgiveness. The best way and only way to deal with it, is to let it all go. We can forgive, but we can't forget and God knows that. Cast your cares on the Lord (Psalm 55:22). When you hit a snag or feel yourself sinking into self pity and the pain of past abuse, take it immediately to God. Tell Him about it. Pour your heart out to Him (Psalm 62:8). Only He can bring healing and comfort anyway and He promises to do just that.

3. See it for what it is....SIN...

Any abuse we've come out of, whether mental, emotional, physical or sexual, we have to understand it's all sin. It is the wickedness of sin. As man increased so did sin. We also need to understand that if it were not for our salvation and the restraining grace of God, we would be no different then our abusers. Sin spreads sin. Sin spawns more sin and we eventually live what we've learned apart from God. "There, but for the grace of God, go I." (John Bradford)

4. Do not retaliate or lash out against them...

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

Not retaliating can be extremely difficult, but....

"Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men." Romans 12:17

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.'" Romans 12:19

"Do not say, 'I will repay evil'; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you." Proverbs 20:22

"Do not say, "Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work." Proverbs 24:29

5. Love and pray for them...


"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:44


“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
 
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:27-36

6. Don't hold it against them....


"But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.' And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves." Luke 23:34


"Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!' Having said this, he fell asleep." Acts 7:60

7. Love them from afar...

Sometimes we just need to love people from afar. If being in contact with them would cause you to sin against God, them and to protect yourself from further abuse, then love them from afar. Pray for them. Fast for them. Hope for them and be rid of all animosity toward them. If you must cut contact then do it, but do it carefully, respectfully and prayerfully.

8. Don't lose hope for them...

God is God. He can do anything. He can change anyone. The Apostle Paul is a good example of this. He was an abuser, terrorist and murderer in every sense of the word, but God was still able to reach him.

9. Understand and appreciate they gave you life. Maybe they didn't do much more than that, but it is enough.

(This post is for adult children of an abuser and not someone who is currently in an abusive home. If that's you then understand that honoring and obeying parents does not mean  allowing them to abuse you. When we're in a situation and we know obeying our parents is disobeying God then we are to obey God and disobey our parents (or any others in authority over us). If you're being abused, then reach out to someone...anyone. Call the police. It's not dishonoring to parents to stop atrocious forms of abuse and it's certainly not your fault you're being abused. Putting an end to it is beneficial for you and also beneficial to the abuser.)

What It Truly Means To Follow Christ

The first time I ever saw this video I was a Muslim. I remember being absolutely blown away by the Preacher and his message. It was the first time I'd ever heard of Paul Washer and ultimately it was this man God used to plow the soil of my heart to be brought to Christ later. "The Shocking Youth Message" that stunned hearers all around the world in its entirety...



Shocking Youth Message - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Don't Look To Feelings

Not only can feelings be deceitful, but they change so quickly. Basing our salvation or faith on how we feel is not Biblical and can lead to a derailment of our walk. On Christ we stand. Not on feelings.

Mason Vann...


Don't Look to Your Feelings, Look to Christ! - Mason Vann from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

He Who Inhabits Eternity

"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isaiah 57:15


One of the greatest things we Christians struggle with in our walk is patience. We live in a culture where everything is almost instantaneous. Anything we want is easily accessible. No matter what time of day it is, we need only drive somewhere, pick up a phone or get on the internet to get what we want when we want. All the information we can stand is at our finger tips.

With God, we grow very impatient as if prayer should be as fast as ordering a Big Mac at a drive thru. Why can't it be? He's almighty isn't He? He can do anything? When God doesn't answer the instant we want Him to we have melt downs. Perseverance and modern culture are like oil and water. It's a foreign concept to us.

We struggle with questions as to why God has allowed certain things in this world to go on? Why has He allowed Satan to run amok for so long? Why does He allow evil to flourish so long? It's hard for us to wrap our heads around. We struggle with giving answers to others. We just don't get it why God takes so long sometimes.

 Actually, He's not taking long. He seems to take long to us because we live and die on a timetable. Our years are few. Even without a fast paced culture we are always aware of time. But God inhabits Eternity.


"For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night." Psalm 90:4


There is no such thing as "time" where He sits enthroned. He doesn't operate as we do with such constraints. There is no yesterday, today, tomorrow or the next 5 minutes. From creation to modern day no time has past at all for Him. It's as if all is laid out before His eyes and is happening in front of Him simultaneously. He talks about time for our sake because we can't comprehend living where time is non-existent and we live on a timetable, but He also puts great emphasis on waiting for Him, trusting Him and patience.  He's fully aware of the constraints of time on us, but God only acts when it pleases Him. He knows the right moment in our limited world to act for maximum impact whether it's answering a prayer or putting an end to evil. He sees the beginning and the end at the same time, but we need patience and trust as He operates for our good in Eternity.

There are prayers we may have persevered in for years we may never see answered, but that doesn't mean they will go unanswered. Since our time frame and His are on extreme opposite ends of the spectrum, understanding God's "timetable" means our trust and confidence in Him is paramount. Though we are a vapor now (James 4:14), we will one day dwell in Eternity with Him. Until then, what few moments we've been given here, with such a constraint, we need to make the most of because time is of the essence for us. We must trust in Him, grow in patience and live with Eternity in mind.

"Live For Eternity"A very short, but amazing message packed into 3 minutes.

The Holiness of God

Having even a small grasp on the paramount attribute of the holiness of God changes everything for us. It drastically changes our entire relationship and our understanding of God. How we pray, worship, serve and reverence Him. An understanding of the holiness of God is absolutely vital to our relationship with Him. For more sermons on the attributes of God that will change everything for you, look on the right sidebar and find the title "The Attributes of God Series" taught by very sound teachers.

He Gave Them Up

I'd like to think God's blessings are still over America and that there is hope for this country, but the truth is I truly believe God has given America up. In speaking about the depravity of man in Romans 1, we get a very clear picture of what drives God to the decision to hand a people over to their sin and depravity, which is a form of judgment. God will sometimes hand a person over to their sin. He uses it as a means to discipline and bring the person back to restoration. (1 Corinthians 5:5)

Handing them over, like what's described in Romans, is entirely different. From Romans 1:21 to Romans 1:28, three times it's declared that He gave them up. Three times signifies the emphasis and finality of it. "He gave them up", the declaration. "He gave them up", the repetition. "He gave them up", the finality of it.

Nothing will cause a house to crumble like abandonment. Even if a house has fallen into disrepair. As long as it's occupied, the progression of rot is significantly slowed. Those living there will still attempt to make some repairs even though minor and use, itself, acts as a preservative. Abandon a place and over a short period of time, it will begin to crumble. Just being without electricity and heat will cause it to rot at a staggering rate.

In Romans, we can see depravity has reached all mankind and it's been getting steadily worse since the fall of man. The difference is in one verse that shows when a people have hit bottom and have forced God to abandon them....

"Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones." Romans 1:26

Women have always been the last line of defensive morality in a culture. Women are not driven like men are sexually. Even in cultures where men are sexually depraved, women, for the most part, have maintained dignity and morality that was missing around them. Thus, they acted as the salt that preserved a society. As long as the women maintained a certain level of morality, there was hope for the children who would be under the woman's influence. When women have sunk to the same level of depravity in a society there is nothing left to preserve them and it can never be brought back.

Sodom and Gomorrah are prime examples of God giving a society over to their depravity. Homosexual sin wasn't the only problem these cities had. Destruction didn't come on them for homosexual sin. It was, in fact, the end result of insisting on sinful standards and lifestyles, being handed over to their depravity and the last straw that brought divine judgment.

No other sin lays waste and shortens life like that of sexual sins. This is why we're warned in 1 Corinthians 6:18 to flee all sexual immorality. "Flee" is a forceful word used. It means to drop everything and run as hard and fast as one can from it.

"All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body." 1 Corinthians 6:18

There are sins that do damage to the body such as alcohol and drug addiction, but in the bigger picture, no other sin has caused more damage to an individual and shortened life affecting entire societies like sexual immorality. No other sin directly and immediately impacts the individual and causes instant damage like sexual sin. When God hands people over, as Romans describes, it's finished. He has abandoned the people and left them to the destruction of their own sins. No longer is God restraining them with grace as an act of mercy. In fact, He is now allowing them to fill their cup of wrath every moment they take in another breath.

Just in the US alone, we have frightening statistics...

17% of all women struggle with porn addiction
* 1 of 3 visitors to all adult websites are women
* 9.4 million women access adult websites every month
Internet Filter Review

That's just the women who admitted to it. The number is much higher. This also doesn't include how we are bombarded constantly by TV, Movies, internet, books, music, schools etc., that promote sexual immorality and send the strong continuous message that "it's ok" and appeals to our sinful natures. All women may not participate in homosexual sins, but society has been forcing its acceptance for decades. Society has forced it in the church and many churches have allowed it in, made excuses for it and exchanged the truth for a lie to feed the sinful nature.

In America alone, homosexuality is celebrated especially between two women and it's forced on our children. The last line of defense has been demolished and God has abandoned America. A country that once had the light (1 Timothy 2:4), but turned against it. There's hope, of course, for the individuals who cling to God and God demonstrates His mercy to the few with the story of Lot, but for the country as a whole, all that's left now is the fearful expectation of judgment (Hebrews 10:26).

Run The Race

A very cute and short video titled "A Person's Life In 30 Seconds". As silly as it is, there is a deeper message it's demonstrating spelled out for us in the Bible that we often forget when we become so weighed down and distracted by life and all of it's snares...







"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," Hebrews 12:1

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." 1 Corinthians 9:24