Welcome new brother or sister in Christ! You will find the text from Who is Jesus Christ? and much more to get you started here. Although the information is in the form of a letter I include a menu to help you relocate subjects easier.
October 2002
Last revised April 5, 2005
Dear Friend,
"God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16.
Do not think that God could not want you because of what you may have done in the past. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8 Of course you don't deserve another chance. None of us do. But Jesus, the one who did deserve to live, came and died as a sacrifice for us, cleansing us from our sins so that God the Father can accept us. Because he did not deserve it, death could not hold him down. He lives again. If we have faith in the one who deserves to live, he has promised that he will cause us to rise from the dead to new life as well. By the great mercy and grace of God it is possible to escape death and the punishment that he has ordered for those that have sinned. What? God wants to save us from himself? Paul writes about himself, "For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10. And again, "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." Ephesians 3:7-9.
"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:22-24. Adam sinned and passed the sin on to all of us that came after him. You cannot have something clean from something dirty or something perfect from something imperfect. Also, anyone that has done anything wrong, and we all have, cannot be with God. God cannot tolerate anything or anyone near him who is not holy, that is anyone who has been dirtied with sin. Jesus came to us to show us the way out of this hopeless situation. He himself has died in our place, has traded places with us, taking away our sins and heaping them on himself. "God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind." Numbers 23:19. God is always faithful to what he has said and given. He will never take back anything that he has said or done. Any promise that he has given us will come to pass 100% of the time.
Read these Scriptures and look them up in context:
1 John 4:15: "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 4:13,14: "Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'"
Luke 11:9,10: "So I say to you; Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Revelations 3:19-22: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 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 him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Romans 10:8-10: "'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' (Deuteronomy 30:14) that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
You may have seen or heard these passages hundreds of times but I urge you to consider them here afresh. Look at them together. See how they connect. Savor their flavor. Maybe you never understood their full content. Think about them.
If you attend a church and have already heard a lot of this but not quite in this way and have never confessed with your mouth that you believe these things it could be that you are not a Christian yet. Baptism, Confirmation or the reception of the Eucharist is not a ticket to heaven. The Holy Spirit is the proof, and those whom he has entered know it beyond a doubt. I don't remember the date that I believed, confessed and received the Holy Spirit, I didn't look at the calendar that day, I am not even certain of the year, but that moment is etched on my memory forever. It was not an emotional moment but a revelational one. My being was changed to the core in an instant and no one can overlook or forget such a thing. Indeed, nothing can compare to it. Without Jesus we are all condemned from the start. Jesus said about himself, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:17,18.
God showed his love for us by sacrificing his only Son for us two thousand years ago instead of demanding death from each and every one of us. But we cannot enter his love until that moment when we confess our faith. He bought us back out of slavery to our sinful human nature with the blood of his own Son. Why should we reject freedom? "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death; blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live." Deuteronomy 30:19.
"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the spirit.'" John 3:5-8.
"If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him." John 14:15-17.
If you understand these scriptures and see the truth in them then I encourage you to say the above scriptures out loud, if you believe them. I ask you this question. Do you believe what you have just read? If so, answer with,"Yes, I believe what I have just read." If the belief is genuine, Jesus will send his Holy Spirit to you to be with you and help you; you will become a son of God. "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17.
If you have answered yes, and the Holy Spirit has entered you, you are now a son of God. Although you are a son you are also a servant. Everything in the universe was created to serve God. Even Jesus, by becoming human, became a servant. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:5-8.
Accept no other spirit than the one you are receiving now. Accept no other "truth". The gospel of God is God-centered not man-centered as you will see if you keep reading. Paul scolds the Galatians, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" Galatians 1:6-9. Paul also warns the Colossians, "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." Colossians 1:21-23.
God bless you,
Carmen
This is admittedly a lot of material even though it is only the tip of the iceberg so I suggest you take your time reading it. Print it out if you have the resources.
God has a plan for his children. Jesus tells us, "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Matthew 11:27. "For he chose us in him, before the creation of the world to be holy (set apart from sin) and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will -- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:4-6. This doesn't mean that everyone in the world gets adopted. Only those that are chosen and therefore react accordingly to God's offer to save them. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10. It will take time to find out what you have to do specifically. Our prime directive as Christians is to tell others the gospel, like you have read it above. In general, Christians are to be vessels of God's love to one another first and then to non-Christians. We are to show the world how God wants us to live. Everyone should have the chance to hear the good news of what Christ Jesus has done. We have been bought and paid for by his blood shed on the cross. We do not have to remain dead after death because he has risen from the dead and has also promised eternal life to those of us who believe in him. It is not always easy living a Christian life but Jesus tells us, "Come to me, all you who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28. The Holy Spirit guides and helps us to do what we have to do. At first sight it may be difficult but if you are filled with the Holy Spirit and give all of your cares over to Jesus, who has taken them already anyway as he was on the cross, life is in fact much easier to live. You are no longer a slave to your sinful nature. You can now choose to conform yourself to God's will and not your own.
A small caution here. The gospel is not to "make disciples of all nations" as some are preaching it today (and even as it is contained in my NIV). The message (better stated in the KJV) is to "teach" all nations - this does not mean by force nor does it assume teachability on the part of the nations. Taken with other pertinent scriptures we must assume that most will not listen and will not want to be taught. That is their problem, not ours. Our job is to make the gospel available to everyone and teach those who believe it how to live the life God wants us to. Not more, not less. If someone believes the gospel they do not need to take on a new culture, start dressing up to go to church, change what they eat, or change political parties. The only thing that is important is to, "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:21,22.
Those that insist on making disciples of all nations are using modern versions of the bible that may differ from one another greatly. They sometimes have five or six different versions on the pulpit and take the one that best suits the message that they want to convey, rather than first studying well, what messages God wants to convey to us through his Word. I have used the NIV version of 1983 here for the sake of understandability. For just about everything else that I write I usually use the old King James version. I recommend it not always for readability but for more accuracy of scripture. It contains important doctrinal passages that are altered in newer versions or that they no longer even contain, including the NIV. The NKJV - New King James Version is also reputed to be a good version, using the same basis text as the KJV, but put into modern English. I would avoid versions that corrupt the text by substituting "she" instead of "he" for God. If you can use two versions together for comparison, at least one of them based on an older translation, this may help clarify passages that are more difficult to understand or vague on doctrinal issues.
Our main duty is simply to tell other individuals the good news of Jesus Christ, whether they accept it or not. No pressure, no frills. Mass conversions and signed contracts or attempts to get whole populations into new city-churches are not acceptable methods to bring others into the Body of Christ. In fact I doubt that at least some those so "converted" have really heard the true gospel and if that should be the case, then how can they have received the true Holy Spirit? Maybe they received another. There are many spirits but only one is holy. They have been wooed by flambuoyant shows, flashy speeches and comfortable doctrines that won't offend anyone by making him think that he has sinned. They have received a man-centered gospel that usually begins with, "Jesus loved you and died for you, yes you!" It is true that Jesus' life, death and resurrection have brought benefits for all mankind, but God also specifically says that not all will believe. This sugar-sweet gospel is not what Jesus intended. No, God must get all of the glory for what he has done. "'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.'" Matt 16:15-17. "I am the LORD, that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols." Isaiah 42:8. The gospel as he intended it is simple enough for a child to believe in. The witness speaks the gospel (or writes it as I have done here), the other listens, believes, confesses and receives the Holy Spirit. It is as simple as that.
The Scriptures are the Word of God. By Scriptures I mean the Old Testament of the Bible and the four Gospels and Acts as well as Revelations. The letters I do consider to be a very valuable guideline for the Church, but as Scripture only insofar as they correspond to the Old Testament as seen through the lens of the Gospels. What Paul, Peter, James and Jude wrote concerning the interpretation of the Old Testament was inspired by God, but it is sometimes evident that they are airing their opinions on some minor subjects. I consider God to be infallible, but not the apostles, as much as I respect their wisdom and efforts for the Church. Paul did not presume to be perfect, so I see nothing wrong in not accepting him or the others as such. At one point he had to correct Peter for trying to impose Jewish law on non-Jewish Christians. Even the Apostles were not infallible. Why not accept every single verse of the Bible as infallible? I used to. But I have seen the apostles' opinions treated like God's commands used to oppress good, loving Christians in a way that Jesus Christ never would and if I must accept those opinions as fallible in order to be more Christlike then so be it. I do not accept the books called the apocrypha. Nothing should be added or subtracted from the Scriptures in their present form. Scripture can only be interpreted by using the Scripture itself. Only belief in the Gospel is the sole ingredient necessary for salvation; knowledge and belief of Scripture is not a requirement for salvation, although they are the only guide other than the prompting of the Holy Spirit himself for leading a Christian life. What the Holy Spirit reveals to us must be in line with Scripture, otherwise what we received was not from him.
Jesus saw fit to use the Old Testament and never denied one bit of what was written. He is the fulfillment of what was written. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." John 1:1-4. Jesus tells us, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." Matthew 5:17,18. Paul also extolls the usefulness and authenticity of scripture. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16,17. At that time the Scriptures were composed of the books of the Old Testament. Today we must accept the Gospels as well because they are our only guideline for what Jesus Christ said and did. Acts also contains a bit of this and of course much about the beginning of the Church. Revelations is similar to the books of the prophets in that it records the words of God and contains prophecies. Jesus' words came straight from God the Father. He says, "For I gave them (the disciples) the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me." John 17:8.
No other work is inspired by God except his Word. Many think that it is not authentic because men wrote it. If you study the books of the prophets extensively you see what situations and times they were living in and what they thought and felt at those times. No one man could have written the contents of Scripture as God's only scribe. No one is like God. It took the lives of many men in the most diverse situations and from the most different backgrounds to compile God's commands, thoughts, feelings and forebodings of the future. Even then I doubt that all of Himself can be contained in those pages. Yet the Word is a complete work. Out of it we can find out about human nature, how to conduct ourselves, what to believe, about past and future and a lot about who God is. The pages of the Bible contain so much about God. With every page his personality shines through even more. No matter how many times you read it, it is always fresh and new. There is always something more to learn.
Read the Bible with system. It is boring to read it straight through. Concentrate on one subject and use a concordance to find all or many of the references. Concentrate on one book and try to get an overall sense of it. Always find out who is talking and to whom they are talking. If this is not clear many things can be taken out of context. Concentrate only on one or a few chapters together. There should be at least two, better three or more references if you or someone else is trying to prove something. This also prevents things being taken out of context. Don't try to interpret Scripture according to a particular philosophy or political view that you might have. Come to it with an open mind and heart. Don't shy away from a passage simply because you think it is too difficult to understand. There may be something for you to learn there. Don't use certain passages to prove something while ignoring others. Scripture must be taken in its entirety. The more you know the easier it will be to get around in Scripture and prove a doctrine that you think may be true or disprove a doctrine that seems fishy. Pray about what you read and let the Holy Spirit guide you.
If you have believed the Gospel, confessed it and received the Holy Spirit you have been made new, born again. Many who are thus newly born sense this newness on the inside of them. If you do, hold on to that and never forget it. It is knowing your shepherd. Using that new experience you can judge other spirits that you may sense in the future. Do not try to get this feeling back, though, once it is gone. Do not pursue spiritual experiences. The devil tries to deceive us often through feelings, even feelings of joy and love in order to get us to serve him unknowingly instead. Cling to the new sense that you have. If you stay with it and get to know Scripture you cannot be led away in another direction. At one time I had forgotten how it had been as I was newly born again. I was ignorant of Scripture and was misled by false preaching for a while. I looked for spiritual experiences and although I found some, they were not of the Holy Spirit. I wasted a lot of time this way that is gone forever. Do not let this happen to you. Do as Paul says and run the race to get the prize. Philippians 3:13,14. Top athletes are well disciplined, do not let themselves get distracted and put their whole selves into reaching the finish-line. Jesus tells us, "If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you (Jesus had not been crucified yet as he said this) and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:15-18. With the assistance of the Holy Spirit read the Bible and the words will jump off of the pages at you. They are meant for you at the time you read them. You will understand Scripture so much better with the Holy Spirit. Without him to unlock it for you it is like reading a fine piece of literature. Good, but not enough. With him you will understand passages that left you in the dark before. You will experience that the Word is truly alive and active as no other work can be.
I cannot say this enough: accept no other spirit than the one you are receiving now. Accept no other "truth". Paul scolds the Galatians, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" Galatians 1:6-9. Paul also warns the Colossians, "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." Colossians 1:21-23.
If you are in a church that encourages praying to saints, especially Mary, or venerating the host I would encourage you to leave it. These practices come from paganism and have invaded some churches. A Mary that is venerated, prayed to and worshiped, one that is called the "Mother of God" or "Queen of Heaven," is not the same Mary that carried Christ Jesus in her body and gave birth to him. The Christ that would issue from such a "Mary" would not be Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Jesus Christ of the gospel no matter what they try to tell you. The Queen of Heaven is actually the name of Hera, a Greek goddess also known by other names. These practices have nothing to do with Christianity and were introduced into the Church by those that were forced to convert to it who understandably did not want to give up their old practices as they had no Holy Spirit inside them to tell them the opposite. I have such friends and use the time that I have with them to minister to them and gently try to guide them toward the Gospel. I would advise you not to do this if you are new to the faith. Go and find a church that teaches the real gospel about the real Christ and learn about him there before you go back to help your friends. They can still remain your friends if they are not doing things that are outright evil. Some say that Christians only should have Christian friends. This is not what Scripture tells us. How can we live a Christian example for those that do not believe if we don't have anything to do with them? You can test what I am writing here. The truth will be found in Scripture. Read it and you will see that what I write here is more than reasonable.
It is difficult to recommend a particular denomination of the Church. If you read the other pages of this site you will see that many churches have been infiltrated with false doctrines. Each church community must be taken individually. Just because one community believes something it doesn't mean that this can be applied to the denomination, and vice versa. Be a bit more careful when going to a pentecostal or charismatic church. In my opinion they have been infiltrated the most, although evidence of this has been seen in practically all denominations to one degree or another. Don’t be afraid of being alone if you must. It will not affect your salvation and it is not a sin to do so. But do this only if there is no other possibility within reach of Scripture. Meeting regularly with one or two other Christians would be far better if no larger group of Christians is within your reach. Try to find a bible-believing church that actively rejects false doctrines. It should have a pastor that really cares about his sheep and the sheep in turn should, after making sure that his doctrine is sound and biblical and after testing him for good character as the bible dictates and finding it, respect him and obey him. I am not talking about blind obedience here. The obedience is based on mutual respect. A good pastor loves, respects and wants to help the people under his charge, indeed God holds him responsible for it. He is also under the authority of Jesus Christ and never should forget it. He should not try to manipulate people to believe things or lord it over others. See the parable of the servant in charge of other servants, Mt 24:45-51. A good Christian accepts the authority of those that truly care for him and are responsible for him. See 1 Cor 16:15,16; Phil 2:25-30; 1 Th 5:12,13; Heb 13:7,17,18. See my article "Is Church Membership Really Necessary?" Keep a warm heart but cool head when considering things that are called Christian. Always test the spirits. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." 1 John 4:1-3. Search your bible diligently for the answers. Always insist on the truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jn 14:6.
Get baptized. Now that you believe, the next step is baptism. When you have found other Christians whether one or two or a whole church, tell them how you came to believe and ask to be baptized. Church membership should not be required for this. One can be baptized in a river like Jesus or in a lake, a baptismal made for such occasions or even in the bathtub at home. God is often more understanding than some of his children.
Do not go along with those that practically worship the Holy Spirit separately from the Father and the Son. They call out to him to come and descend on them. What they get, I believe, is another spirit. Some of them let themselves fall down onto the floor in a stupor to "receive" him. There is no mention of this in Scripture. The Holy Spirit as one of the triune God is not revered separately. There is no instance of this named in Scripture. Only Jesus and the Father are worshiped and honored separately, and even Jesus wants to give all glory that he receives to the Father. The Holy Spirit receives worship only when we worship God in his entirety. We receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Lord. This happens only once. What others are doing by receiving a spirit that they think is the Holy Spirit is a form of prostitution, a worship of other gods. They want the good feeling that the other spirit gives them. It is real, I have experienced it without succumbing to it, but it is meant to mislead people.
If you have not read about current false doctrine within the Church read about them on my site and on others that I have referenced. Check out the Links page. Inform yourself. Ignorance is no excuse. In my opinion this type of information should be included when instructing new Christians and even those that have been around for a while to help them avoid spiritual traps. If everyone were thus informed and well read in Scripture new heresies in the Church would not be able to spread so quickly.
Do not forget what God says about his words. "Teach [these words of mine] to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 11:19. We should get to know his words well enough to remember them when we need them.
You will need the knowledge of Scripture to compare whether what others are saying is the truth or not. There are many even now in mainstream churches who are, some even knowingly, teaching lies to God's people to lead them astray. There is more about that on this site and the linked sites. Jesus himself warns us in Matthew 7:15, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them." In Matthew 24:11 and 24 respectively Jesus says, "and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people," and "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect -- if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." See Mark 13: 5,6, Jesus said to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many." Paul scolded the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11: 3,4, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." And again in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15, Paul says, "And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."
1 Thessalonians 5:21,22 says, "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." In Acts 17:11 the Bereans were commended for checking the scriptures to see if what Paul said was true. If we are told to test everything including Paul's words, how much more should we test everyone else's "truths", especially when they are claiming to tell us about the kingdom of God or anything associated with it. Test what I am writing here. Don't just take me at my word. I assure you that I have written the truth as I have learned it and perceived it, but it is your duty to make sure that what I am telling you is correct. You can use the Bible to test people's hearts. Hebrews 4:12,13 says, "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." This is why people are often uncomfortable when Scripture is quoted, especially outside of a church. They feel it penetrating deep inside them and know that they have sinned against God. Even as a Christian it can be uncomfortable being reminded of something that you have done that you are trying to hide from God, if that were possible. Remember that if we are deceived we are still responsible for it and cannot point a finger at someone else. We are responsible for what we do with ourselves, mind, soul and body. Not only that, we will be held accountable for what we teach others. Luke 17:1,2.
Avoid televangelists and travelling word-faith healers and preachers. They may offer the Gospel free of charge, but are usually trying to get as many as they can hooked on their particular message so that they can sell their books, tapes and other paraphernalia. You will find out more about them on other pages of this site and links that I have provided there. A lot of what they say may sound good at first and they even quote the Bible to support it but what they say is often not the truth. It may even be close to the truth and contain some truth but ultimately it is a deception. Jesus admonishes the Church, "Nevertheless I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways." Revelations 2:20-22. I believe that he is talking about those who seem to be Christians but do not act like them. They put themselves in the spotlight and try to preach their false doctrines to others. Sexual immorality here can mean what it says but I believe that it also means prostitution with other spirits (that is to receive them into oneself) and the worship of other gods, paganism. The reference to food sacrificed to idols could also aim the text at those that overritualize communion and treat statues of saints with honor. Stay away from them, at least until you are grown up in Christ. Not all preachers teach false doctrines but you must be very careful when listening to one or reading his books. I cannot say enough, test everything that you hear with the Word of God. If something sounds fishy and even if it doesn't, look it up.
If we cannot believe with our minds what is left? The heart or the soul if you will. Deep down in every one of us is a hollow place. It is filled with death and darkness as long as we do not know Jesus. As soon as we truly accept him, however, this place is filled with life and light. The moment that I believed it was as if I had always been blind and was suddenly given sight. It had always been cold and suddenly there was warmth although I had not known it was cold before. It was a little like stepping into warm sunshine after being in the cold shadow of a big building. It was not a physical feeling, but the change was immediate and total. I did not know that it was dark and cold until Jesus showed me what light and warmth were. Not everyone has such a poignant experience. If you have it, don't just enjoy it but study the Bible as you never have studied anything before and pray, pray, pray. God will expect you to grow up. Use this opportunity to be with grown up Christians, testing everything they say and do with the Word of God. Reform your mind according to Scripture. Go ahead and be a skeptic. But be willing to accept the truth when you recognize it. Do not sin anymore (easier said than done). Be totally honest with yourself. Repent of your sins immediately. Read Philippians 4:8. Keep bad influences and bad "friends" away. We usually know what is bad for us but have trouble giving it up, especially when it involves ingrained habits and friends that we do them with, even family members. Husbands and wives are an exception to this, see 1 Corinthians 7, we also have a duty to our children. Sometimes you just have to be strong and wait. Read 1 Corinthians 5.
Hold on to Jesus like a life preserver in the ocean. Don't stop believing in him no matter what people do to you. He is more real and important than anything else in this world no matter what you see or hear or feel.
The books of Galatians, Ephesians and Hebrews contain many powerful things to help you in your struggle to avoid evil. Of course the words of Jesus in the gospels are of absolute importance and no part of the Bible should be neglected. A small caution here: the word power is often misused these days. Some preach about the power of collective prayer or the power of intercessory prayer. They use the name of Jesus as a magic word to invoke situations that are favorable for us or things like riches. That is not biblical no matter how much they try to use scripture to back those strange ideas up. We have no power in ourselves whatsoever and cannot wield the name of Jesus like a magician wields the words "hocus pocus". I wouldn't want to be in their shoes if this dawns on them too late.
I once met someone who used the word "saved" to describe himself as many Christians do. I asked him what he was saved from but he did not know. Many say, and I used to be one of them, that God is saving us from the devil. This is not true. The devil may be our enemy but he, like all of those that do not want to believe in Jesus and choose to live in rebellion against God, is destined for the fiery hell. Isaiah 14:12-17 tells us about him. "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: 'Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?'" After all is said and done we will look at the devil and wonder how we were ever scared of him. This scripture also talks of his spiritual "offspring" the antichrist, because it tells us of a man with the same inspirations that will have once had power over the world. So, if he is not in the end as powerful as some have made him out to be, who are we being saved from?" God is saving us from himself, for himself. Samuel told the Israelites: "For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people because the LORD was pleased to make you his own." 1 Samuel 12:22. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25. (See the story of Jacob Genesis 25:19-35:15) God told the Israelites, "You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another." Isaiah 48:8-11.
Be aware of the people that you see on the street. Do not just see buildings, cars and trains or colored areas on a map. They contain people created in God's image. People are the most precious resource that this planet has to offer. Read Matthew 10:28-31 Anyone out there could already be a Christian or may become one. Christians live in every country in the world. How can a Christian support a military attack against any country? Of course God has already determined who will and who will not become Christian and thus saved from his wrath. But Scripture is clear on this point that every country in the world will someday experience justice and the wrath of God. A majority of the human race will not be allowed to escape. Until then we are to teach the whole world what it means to live a life of love in Jesus Christ. Although there is much suffering in the world Christians and non-Christians alike have also been blessed with roofs over their heads, full stomachs, even riches. If God had never shown himself to the world at all this world would be a much worse place than it already is. How many philosophies and ways of live have been influenced by the law introduced to Moses, the Psalms and Proverbs and the words of Jesus recorded in Scripture? How many have found some wisdom in Scripture even though they don't believe in Christ? You might ask, "Well, didn't I work hard to get to where I am now? Didn't I learn hard in school so that I could get a good job?" Yes, you may have, but think about who gave you the brain to learn, the hands and resources to work with. Who allowed you to have the health and the opportunity to work? It is for what we do with the things, situations and opportunities that God has given us or despite their lack in our lives that we will be judged. I believe that our surroundings are a test of character that we are being put through. Being a Christian will save you from God's wrath but you are still responsible for your actions. Those Christians that misuse positions of power, waste the time and resources given to them will still lose the reward that they may otherwise have gained had they used their gifts wisely. World leaders have received their authority from God and are held responsible for what they do with it. This does not mean that they will do the right thing with their power. The first king of the Israelites, Saul was jealous of David. David, the king after God's own heart also made mistakes. Read about King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel especially Daniel 4:19-37.
Jesus says: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." John 13:34,35. Unfortunately many Christians do not live according to this scripture. Love for one another, living it minute by minute, demonstrating it every day was evident in Jesus' life and should be in ours. "Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in him." 1 John 4:16. "Knowledge puffs up but love builds up." Corinthians 8:1. "Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:8. "Do everything in love." 1 Corinthians 16: 14. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Love and help your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Remember that your faith in Jesus is very important. Strangely enough, it is as Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3,4. You must put your pride and stubbornness aside. Like a child we must humbly admit that we do not know everything. It is like the trust of a child in the ones that care for him. He believes every word that they say. He knows that they know much more about the world than he does and takes them at their word. He is willing and eager to learn from them. Our parents and families were not perfect, our pastors are not either - but God is. We can trust him fully. Remember that this trust cannot automatically be transferred to a particular denomination, church or individual no matter how vehemently they insist that they are deserving of your loyalty (and money). We can trust true active Christians to a very high extent, but even they can and probably will make mistakes. There can be no one and I mean no one between us and God. Jesus Christ is the only mediator that is necessary.
Remember also that faith without love is nothing. "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2,3. Read 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter about love.
Saving faith originates with God and the bit he initially gives us to help us believe in him stays and grows inside of us like a plant. Nurture it and water it every day by reading the Word of God and through prayer. Plants grow a little every day. Remember that God has given us everything we need to survive and even to flourish in this dark world. He gave us his Son to die for our sins and be raised so that we can be raised too. When we believe, this God can come close to us and we to him. Those whom he has already chosen and who have already been introduced and professed faith in him receive his Holy Spirit to guide them and empower them. He gave us his Word not only as armor but as a sword. Eph 6:10-17 We can defend ourselves and use the Word to show others the truth and help them escape from a horrible fate.
Do not let yourself be religious. Religion has nothing to do with Jesus. On the contrary, it usually criticizes the truths of God. It encourages you to think that God will accept you based on what you do, not based on what you believe. Religion is a heavy yoke that burdens us down. Christians are meant to be free from meaningless religious duties, rituals and customs. Living as a Christian should be a great joy, not something that causes you to want to remain in bed even before the day starts. Read Romans 3 and 4 about faith. Above all walk in God's Spirit and no other, walk in his Love and Joy.
If you need an example to follow, be like Jesus! Read about him in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Follow the examples of Paul and the other apostles.
In reading the Lord's Prayer notice the levels of importance that Jesus gave to certain subjects: that first, praise is given to the Father, that we yearn for his kingdom to come and that his will be done (this includes our prayers for the unbelievers, the nations, and for the Church - which means everyone else). Only after these things do we ask anything for ourselves Matthew 6:9-13. As Jesus prayed, just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, he took the time to lovingly pray a monumentally revealing prayer for his disciples and for us, those who would believe later through their message John 17. Even after his arrival at the garden, he unselfishly asked his disciples to pray for themselves. He made no mention that they pray for him Luke 22:40-42. Only then did he offer up prayers for himself, yet always humbly stressing that the Father's will be above his own. These examples of prayer are worth following.
Pray for all world leaders and Christians according to 1 Timothy 2:1,2. Pray according to: Ephesians 6:18. Put on the armor of God in prayer and always remember that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Ephesians 6:10-17.
All of the components of armor are constructed out of the Word of God. That is why it is necessary to memorize it. You need it handy when you are confronted by the devil the way Jesus was after his temptation in the desert. Very often we are attacked by depression or anger because of circumstances in our lives. Just when you think you can't stand it anymore you have to prove what you have learned and what you really are made of. Don't let those circumstances get you down. Romans 8:37 tells us that, "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." From memory or through consulting Scripture you say just as he did: "It is written..." Read Matthew 4 and James 4:7. If you are in such dire circumstances get the help of some friends you can count on, Christians if possible. We were not meant to go through hard times alone.
A small note here, do not succumb to positive confession. Saying something will not bring it about. You have no power whatsoever and although God hears every prayer that you utter the second you have prayed it, you cannot make Him do anything that is not in His plan for His creation. Some preachers will try to have you believe in positive confession or "the name of Jesus" as a sort of magic set of words that God must respond to. This concept is not supported in scripture.
Pray for your enemies and readily forgive people who have wronged you. Some have a tendency to stew in it for a while which I can understand but it really is a relief to forgive somebody. It is also more difficult to stay angry at someone that you have prayed for. In the sight of God one of us is no better than another because we all have sinned. See Matthew 18:21-35. Agree in prayer with Jesus for what he prayed in John 17:20-26. Agree with every prayer of Paul's written to the churches. They are also for us.
The wisdom of God is not the same as what you may have considered wisdom to be up to now. "God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding." Jeremiah 10:12. "Do not deceive yourselves. If anyone of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a 'fool' so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." 1 Corinthians 3:18,19. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' (Isaiah 29:14) Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."
When you don't know what to do or how to pray ask the Father for revelation and wisdom. Jesus said, "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden those things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." Matthew 11:25. Read Proverbs chapters 2-9 written to "my son" about getting wisdom. "If any one of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man unstable in all he does." James 1:5-8. To get rid of doubt and gain faith and wisdom remember to read, hear, speak, eat and sleep the Word of God. "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17.
humble when he prayed to the Father. I will give Jesus and the Father the credit that they deserve and never forget what I was before.
This is why the twenty-four elders put their crowns at God's feet. "Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.'" Revelations 4:9-11. They received their crowns from God (signs of glory, authority and reward) but offer them back to him because they know that they do not have anything that God has not given them. We should have this attitude as well. Let us be grateful to him in humility and let that show on the outside in our behavior toward others. Mt 23:11 tells us that who wants to be the greatest must be the one that serves the best.
Do not confuse humility with lack of boldness. We are to tell others the Gospel boldly and confidently. This mixture of humility and boldness will be bound to astonish some.
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand (the most important place under God Father) in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet an appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." Ephesians 1: 18-23.
"So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, 'I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.' (Ps. 22:22) And again, 'I will put my trust in him.' (Isaiah 8:17) And again he says, 'Here am I, and the children God has given me.'" Hebrews 2:11-13.
Know here, just as I have written above somewhere, that the church is composed of Christian individuals, not of denominations. No church, just because it says it is one, is part of the real body of Christ. It depends on whether its members really believe in Jesus Christ or whether they are following one or more of the so many heresies available. Some members may believe, some may not.
Don't trust your own human nature. "Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" Isaiah 2:22. "This is what the LORD says: 'Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.'" Jeremiah 17:5. Trusting in human accomplishment for its own sake, whether it is your own or someone else's, is the equivalent of turning away from God. It is putting human accomplishments above God. This breaks the first commandment of having someone else in the place of God. This does not mean that we cannot enjoy the benefits of technology or stop using our intellects. It does not mean that you may have to quit your high-tech job or any other for that matter to work in a church. This doesn't mean to stop using your mind. Dealing with situations in this world requires you to be intelligent. It only means that you cannot have faith by using your mind or your flesh.
Human nature is usually extolled by man. Especially when it comes to major breakthroughs in science and technology. Also, much emphasis is placed on helping the poor of this world to show how good mankind can be. Even the concept of evolution is applied to social systems with the implication that we, as humans, are evolving into something better. Man's opinion of himself stank in God's nostrils. See Genesis 11. Some even put this into words, saying that man has become or is becoming God. Satan promised Eve in the garden that if she would disobey God and taste the forbidden fruit that, "...you will be like God..." Genesis 3:5. Our human nature, what it became after Adam sinned, is what separated us from God. Jesus came to close the gap, to free us from this sinful nature, so that we can not only be able to serve God again, but also become his children.
Just before the great flood, "The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:5 Although God started all over again with Noah it seems that things are reaching a climax again today.
Paul tells us, "For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Romans 7:5,6. Jesus told Peter at the garden of Gethsemane, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Mark 14:38.
Romans 8:1-17. "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
Ephesians 2:1-5. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 4:17-19. "So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles (sinners) do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more."
Galatians 5:16-21. "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Read on about the fruit of the Spirit at that point in Scripture. I include it elsewhere here.
Colossians 3:5-8. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these; anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
James 4:4-6. "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us tends toward envy, but he gives us more grace? That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"
James 3:6. "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."
I am trying to say that the current world that we know is in a state of sin. Even giving money to the poor without telling them about Jesus is wrong. Everything that man has accomplished will, in the end, amount to nothing. We have to separate ourselves from the world while still in it if we are to live as God wants us to. I am not saying that we should reject technological advances or modern medicine. Consider these a gift from God to help us minister to others. Living in a primitive manner may seem fun at first, but would take up so much time simply searching for food and making the most necessary items that one would not have time to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ. Some even go as far as getting rid of their televisions. I, personally, would not do that. I use the news to inform myself of the current state of the world (with care, the news is censored even in Western countries). I use the internet to inform myself about church movements, cults and other related issues. It is important if you want to minister to someone to know where he is coming from. We cannot stick our heads in the sand. If the world is becoming more corrupt as I think it is, all the more reason to get out there and help people. "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; To others show mercy mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupt flesh." Jude 1:22,23. It can be risky for some, but I believe that having non-Christian friends, as long as they are not absolutely steeped in sin and pose no danger of temptation to yourself, is permissible in order to minister to them. Not everyone comes to Christ "spontaneously". It often involves a process of ministry. The one that does the ministering can be an acquaintance or friend that has gained the friendship and respect of non-Christians around him. The workplace, choir or clubs can be examples of this. Also, who would not want to help a friend? The best thing that you can do for them is to tell them the gospel. They will not have any reason to listen to you, however, if you are still living a sinful life. Being a Christian changes you down to your core.
You will notice that as time goes on you will be increasingly different from those around you. Not necessarily in appearance maybe, but you will be completely different in your mind. For instance I do not feel comfortable celebrating halloween with my children as it is a pagan holiday. It is difficult to avoid it completely though. Some have to deal with family members that believe themselves to be Christians simply because they were raised that way, not because they have been renewed in Christ, and so do not understand why children should not participate in such things and even get angry about it. I do not let the children watch programs containing witches or horror. It is possible to celebrate Christmas without Santa Claus (Nikolaus). One can concentrate more on the birth of Christ and the hope that he brought to us. Some choose not to celebrate it at all. If Scripture is not so specific on some subjects then you must use your own judgment. For example, I like to enjoy wine occasionally (for an alcoholic that is addicted to it, it is a sin) but I do not get drunk as that would be a sin. Drinking alcoholic beverages in the presence of others that cannot because of an addiction is not only impolite but also wrong as it is tempting to them. We should hold ourselves back in such a situation and help keep them from temptation. This is what it is to love our brothers. Sometimes we may have to go without something, giving up time or things for their benefit. Good judgment should be used in every situation. It is difficult to avoid some activities because everybody is doing them, like magic, astrology and the like. You put yourself up for ridicule. Those who do not know or ignore Scripture say, "Oh that's harmless!" God says that it is not harmless. I would rather have an approving word from God, however, than every prize and trophy designed by man. If I have to put up with a bit of ridicule, so what. For some this is most difficult. It is hard to be rejected or even made fun of by those around you, especially if you are the kind of person that lives off of the approval of others. But it is what happens when you put the world behind you and God in front. God and his ways should always be our first priority. Read in succession: Jn 1:29; Heb 13:11-13; Mt 16:24; 1 Cor 1:18.
Despite the above scriptures concerning the evil state of the body, I am not trying to say that you should practice flagellation to punish the body like some do. This is an old pagan practice. It is perverse and a waste of time. Jesus suffered all that there was to suffer on the cross. Any self-imposed punishment is like putting another nail into his hand. It is an insult of the highest degree. Jesus is our only judge. He will decide if we need punishment or reward. Our suffering is, I believe, being persecuted for telling others the truth about Jesus, which may involve physical torture, rejection, ridicule and just simply having to live on this sin-tainted earth, not yet in heaven. We should take care of our bodies so that they serve us well as long as possible to do the work of God. Don't let others push vegetarianism or any particular diet onto you. There is no "Christian" diet. There are no more rules pertaining to diet for Christians as there were for the Jews. You don't have to give up smoking unless you feel that God is telling you personally to do it. Other Christians should not be putting pressure on you to do so. Every Christian has a direct relationship with God and there should be no one telling you, "God told me to tell you...." There may be real prophecies out there, maybe even one for you, but many misuse the word "prophecy", saying, "I have a word for you...." to manipulate you into doing something. USE YOUR HEAD AND YOUR HEART. DISCERN!
It is also wrong to force celibacy on someone as some sects and denominations do. Paul tells us that it is better to be celibate if you want to dedicate your whole time to serving God. This is true. You have a lot of time for ministry this way. He also says that it is not a sin to marry. Married life, however, takes up an amazing amount of time, especially if you are a woman and have children. Fathers, including ministers, must also spend enough time with their families, not just with their church communities or whatever work they do. They must maintain a good marriage and be there for their children when they need them. 1 Corinthians 7:25-28.
We need to use the Word of God to change the way we think and act in order to think and act more like Jesus did. "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. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." Romans 12:2,3.
Being humble and serious about life does not mean being depressed or sour-faced as some think Christians ought to be. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7. Even if you tend to be melancholy, let God show you how to rejoice more often. Simply thanking him for what you have every day can perk you up. Doing this can also make you less anxious. Knowing that he is watching out for you is a great comfort.
If, after receiving the Holy Spirit you happen to sin, we all do - we're not perfect yet, confess it to God right away. He is always loving and merciful to his children and doesn't want you to hide from him. You can't hide from him anyway so don't bother to. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:1-4. If you are his child he may punish you occasionally if you are getting out of line but he does not condemn you anymore. You are no longer under the curse that is still on this world. Galatians 3:13,14 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.' (Deut. 21:23) He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."
Once you have professed faith in Jesus Christ based on the faith God has planted in your heart, the Holy Spirit comes to you and lives in you. You do not need to say those words again and again. No matter what anyone tells you, you do not need to receive him again. Only when you commit a sin confess it humbly to God right away and know that Jesus needed to be crucified only once for our sins. Know that you are forgiven and that you stay forgiven. Nothing that you can do now can separate you from Jesus. Once the Holy Spirit is in us it is important to know this: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' (Psalm 44:22) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39. How's that for encouragement? That is my favorite passage in Scripture. If things get tough I like to remember that one. Also, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25.
Here a small word concerning the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." Matthew 12:32. Hebrews 10:26-31 says, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' (Deut 32;35), and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' (Deut 32:36). It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
There are different views on this point. Some say that once a Christian always a Christian. What does Scripture say? In John 10:26 and 28 Jesus is speaking to those who do not believe, even because of his miracles, "You do not believe because you are not my sheep...I give them (the sheep) eternal life." Here he is implying that his sheep, the Christians believe because they are his sheep. What about his sheep? Where do they come from? In John 6:39 Jesus tells us that, "this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." So Jesus receives his sheep from his Father. Even when they do not yet believe they are predestined to believe in him. Jesus promises to raise all of those that truly belong to him from the dead on the last day to give them eternal life.
Some say that even a Christian can commit an unforgivable sin and go to hell. What does the Bible say? Jude 1:24, "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy...". It is certain that some Christians will not fulfill their potential but will be lazy and selfish. These will experience shame and some form of reproach from Jesus at the judgement seat but will not lose their salvation. They will, however, lose any reward they might have received. Paul is addressing Christians in the above passages. He talks of someone that has been sanctified trampling Jesus underfoot. I believe that this situation may apply to someone who is part of a church who openly and repeatedly sins in some way not caring what this does to the reputation of the Church or to God's feelings. This is dragging Jesus' name through the mud. I am not talking about the Christian that may slip once in a while and tell a lie or even cheat on his wife. Although these things can be devastating to a relationship, they can be forgiven. Even insulting Jesus while being a non-Christian will not stand in the way of someone being born again.
I am talking about someone that knows that Jesus is the Son of God, by revelation as it was revealed to Peter in Matthew 16:15-17. Here Jesus said that Peter could not have gotten this information by himself. God the Father had given it to him. If someone receives this information from God, it is the invitation to be born again. He has observed Christians living the life and has enough information to decide to serve Jesus (How could anyone refuse?). If he then, knowing what he knows, decides to live as if he doesn't know it, as if the information has no bearing on his life, this is where I believe that a point of no return is reached. It is debatable as to whether this is the point of no return. This is not a person who intended to obey God but slipped up temporarily. This is a person that heard and understood the gospel of Christ, never accepted it but may have even outwardly attempted to live a Christian life and at one point turned against God and doesn't care one whit what God thinks about it. He does not care that he is doing things that grieve the Holy Spirit. Someone who is born again and still capable of remorse, has, in my opinion not reached this point of no return. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 4:30-5:2. Look this passage up and read beyond it about more concerning Christian conduct. Concerning the one that does repeatedly and continuously sin without a trace of remorse, Jesus cannot die for him again. He has already conquored death once and for all time. There is no sacrifice that is greater than Jesus himself.
I believe that the crime of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is impossible for true Christians to commit especially in the light of John 6:39. There are cases of severe disobedience, though. One example is found in Acts 5:1-11. Ananias sold a piece of land and gave some of the money to the apostles for redistribution among the Christian community. That would have been fine, but he made them believe that it was the full sum of the sale. Paul accused him of lying not to him but to the Holy Spirit. He died at that moment. His wife came by three hours later and told the same lie. She died immediately as well. If she had at least told the truth she could have lived. God himself removed them from the face of the earth. There is no mention at that point that they rejected Jesus and therefore lost their souls, but their crime was great enough to lose their lives.
In John 15:1-6 Jesus tells us, "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him; he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." I know of one woman that was nearly at this point. She had been born again and had lived the Christian life for a while but because of being married to an unbeliever allowed herself to slip back into living like an unbeliever. No, she did not sin grievously, she led what one calls a "normal" life with husband and children, but was not learning and growing, was not spreading the gospel. She was not producing fruit as a good plant should. One day she opened her bible after perhaps years of not looking into it. She happened onto the passage from John above and as the Word of God divides even between joints and marrow, Heb 4:12. It hit her to the core. She knew that if she did not act, did not start learning and growing again, making progress, that God would cut her off of his vine. She knew beyond a doubt that if she did not act immediately that God would kill her. Let us thank God that he helps his children and shows them mercy in such cases. Some will read this and scoff. Hope that it must not happen to you. This is what Scripture talks about in numerous places when you read about the fear of God. Just because you are his child doesn't exempt you from punishment which can even be extended to physical death. He isn't just anybody. He is our creator, and more than that our Father. He has absolute power over us. If he has singled us out and given us to his Son, we have a responsibility to be sons and daughters to him. He has been gracious to us when we have not deserved it. We cannot earn salvation by our actions, but they are proof of it not only for others both Christian and non-Christian but for him as well.
"And God raised (past tense) us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:6-10. For the fear of God, let us not forsake our duties but live as Jesus instructed us and get out there preaching, teaching, consoling, encouraging, serving in whatever way God has told us to.
Always be alert. We are encouraged, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. He is there and on the prowl just as he was after Jesus had finished a long fast. He was waiting for an opportunity to get to Jesus while he was physically weak. In the same way he and his demons wait for us to reach a weak point. They cannot separate us from God or force us to sin. But they can come to us as temptations: overeating, drugs, alcohol, anger and hate, self-pity, bitterness; they can tempt us to lose our tempers, hit someone, even murder someone if we let it get that far. That is why we are told to "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7. At least for a time. Then we strengthen ourselves through prayer, fasting and reading the scriptures. The next time we are attacked with hefty emotions, cravings or a seemingly impossible situation, perhaps even of the magnitude of Job's experience, we are more able to resist letting him control us.
Don't let others convince you that the devil has power over you. If you read the beginning of the book of Job you will see that he always has to ask permission to torment someone. In Luke 22:31 Jesus mentions that Satan had asked to sift Peter as wheat. Apparently he didn't get the permission to do it. He is only doing his job. He is like a dog on a leash and has no power over you. But God has power over you and you had better have a healthy respect for him.
God judged many using plagues, droughts and even conquerors like Nebuchadnezzar. In the past Sodom and Gomorrah angered Him and he sent a rain of fire on them. Nineveh angered him but he did not judge spontaneously. He first sent Jonah to them and had mercy on that generation after it repented, but destroyed another for subduing Judah.
Let us see what God says about his own character. "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:5-7. I used to think that the punishing of the children for the sins of the fathers was rather heartless. But it came to me recently that it was necessary for God to punish over a period of generations because it takes that long to get rid of the results of sins and bad habits of the forefathers who of course passed them on to their offspring. We see this situation today when a disrupted family life causes the children to grow up to have disrupted families themselves. Also, there are families that live off of welfare for generations even though the original reason for receiving help no longer exists. Only some sort of catastrophe will get them out of that rut. Even though a trial of some sort is traumatic they will be better off for it in the end. It is like a parent disciplining their children. It is not pleasant but necessary if the child is to behave more maturely in the future. Only a bad parent does not discipline his children.
The Jews themselves are a prime example of a disciplinary case. A thorough study of their history starting with the Old Testament will show how they made promises to God, could not keep them, and were punished for it, often over generations until they were humble enough to turn back to him again. Repeatedly. Being the chosen people is an honor but it requires more responsibility and maturity. If God expects nothing of you then it really is time to worry. History also shows, however, that they could not meet up to God's standards by themselves. They are living proof that man cannot go it alone. They more than anyone else should have realized that they needed a savior, Jesus. God will show his mercy to them in the end despite the number of times we see him speak out against them in both old and new Testaments. A good passage about this is found in Ezekiel 20: 1-44. See Israel, the Jews, as a sort of mirror in which the rest of us can see ourselves, our own blunders and shortcomings. God, despite the many times that they have angered him, will employ them again, showing them his mercy and love in order to show us how merciful, faithful and loving he is not only to them but to all of us.
God has already shown his mercy to us through sending his Son, Jesus Christ. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit that he sent to us after his death, resurrection and ascension can we have any measure of success in living the way that Jesus expects us to. Of course we fail sometimes. But Jesus' grace is able to catch us and keep us from falling. If you have children you will understand my example. Mine give me drawings and paper constructions that are far from perfect, far from what an adult could accomplish but I accept their gifts lovingly, knowing that this is the best that they can do at the moment. I rejoice with them in their small accomplishments. So God accepts our tiny accomplishments for the sake of his Son. In John 6:39,40 Jesus says, "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Also, John 18:9 concerning the fate of the apostles as Jesus was being arrested, "This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: 'I have not lost one of those you gave me.'" Judas is the one exception to this rule. "While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled." John 17:12 Also see Psalms 109:6-8 and Zech 11:12.
God judges us but he has also provided someone to speak for us. "Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34. Our spirits have been bought back to freedom if we accept Jesus, but our bodies are still destined to die, being a part of this imperfect world. Even though we are still waiting to be made perfect Jesus is there to intercede for us so that God can accept us as we are. Read Hebrews 7:18 through 10:23 regarding the priesthood of Jesus Christ.
Concerning judgement of Christians vs. Christianlike non-Christians read about separating the sheep from the goats Matthew 25:31-46. Many who prophesied in the name of Jesus and even preached the Gospel along with false doctrine will not be accepted by him. Teachers and pastors have even more responsibility than the average Christian.
Jesus also says to us, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." Luke 10:19 This particular scripture has been misused by others that would like to be invincible, but it means that nothing that anyone or anything can do to you can separate you from Jesus anymore. We are truly safe. "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36. James 4:7,8 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This scripture has also been very misused. Some preachers take it to mean that we can verbally tell the devil to get away from us in the name of Jesus. But we should not speak to him directly or have anything to do with him. "But even the archangel Michael when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'" Jude 1:9.
If you have no other alternative you may have to study alone for a while. It would be better to get support from mature Christians. But be careful. As I have told you there are many charlatans out there and dummies that follow them. Look for Christians that do what the Word of God says and that live in his love and in faith. They can encourage, correct and support you. One guide when looking for those you can be with is to look for the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22,23. If someone has these qualities in some measure, no one is perfect on this earth, and if you see that he is making progress as you should be doing, it is a pretty safe guess that that person is an appropriate companion. Test what they do and say with Scripture. These people should not be flambuoyant. Teachings about prosperity, trying to get everyone to "speak in tongues", flambuoyant healings and the like do attract attention but have little support from scripture. Those that teach these things use scripture but only use certain scriptures while ignoring others and usually preach for self-gain. They are often but not always very rich. Jesus and his desciples were neither flashy nor rich. Flashiness tends to impress people but Jesus was not out to gain people's respect, praise or money. He only cared what the Father thought about him. He mission was to give himself. He was always in control of a situation while being humble at the same time (easier said than done). Paul not only accepted gifts from those he already taught but was proud that he could work as a tentmaker to support himself. Out of love and good principle he did not want to be a weight to others.
Be careful when registering officially with a church. Some look all right now but will join so-called Christian movements later that are meant to keep people away from Jesus Christ. The best thing is to look for solid individuals that you can trust. Even if a church breaks up or goes bad they would be likely to remain stable. Some of a stronger mold would even be able to start a new church if necessary. Church doesn't necessarily mean going to a big building to listen to the Word of God with hundreds or even thousands of others. Church can be an informal meeting at someone's house to break bread, discuss passages of Scripture and pray together. Praise and worship, this means singing praises to God, are also important but must not be overemphasized as is being done in many churches today. See the warning to my brothers and sisters elsewhere on this site and the links.
When everything is not roses don't give up. "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8. "Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:19. Don't let others sap your strength. Many are out to deceive you. I know that it is a difficult situation, alternatively you can think of it as a test that you will pass. You take it, pass it and start studying for the next one. I believe that the world is a sort of testing ground. The devil is actually on a leash. He cannot do anything without God's permission. Read Job 1:1-12 to get a good picture of this. Similar scenes also reoccur throughout Job. Note what Job's "friends" say to him and how Job, after being scolded by God takes the proper attitude towards him. Be encouraged. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1Corinthians 10:13. Jesus tells his disciples, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
Jesus did not only come to bring peace. Peace for some means trouble for others. That is why families containing Christians and non-Christians may not hit it off so well. Jesus said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' (Micah 7:6) Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:34-39. A family consisting of Christians and non-Christians is perhaps more prone to trouble than one completely with or without Christians. Being a believer changes one's outlook on the world and one's opinions about everything completely. You cannot share your opinions about the simplest subjects with other family members without some sort of clash. This is unfortunate but true. If couples and whole families would believe together it would be better. But pride and stubbornness are often in the way.
Do not make any compromises in your way of life to overaccommodate non-Christians, not even family members. Sometimes you have to choose to serve God even at the expense of family harmony. Harmony with God is more important. This loss of harmony can weigh heavily on you. You can still learn to deal with it and have peace within yourself.
I do encourage you to keep your mouth shut when you can to avoid conflict and if absolutely necessary read Scripture when all are asleep or read it at work (during the breaks of course), at the café or at a friend's instead of at home. Meet with other Christians at their homes rather than at your own. Quote scripture by paraphrasing it and giving it as your opinion rather than saying "Scripture says…". Don't be too agressive with the Gospel. I have seen many lose any opportunity to witness to their friends and even family because they constantly try to convert them. You cannot tell the Gospel to someone who is not even willing to speak with you. I have had people repeatedly preaching at me because they were unaware of my beliefs. Although I research and write about religious subjects and love the Lord I find something like that very irritating. Their former friends refuse to speak with them not because of the gospel but because of the obnoxious way it is presented. It is not necessary to preach to your unbelieving relatives at all times. The main thing is that they should see changes in you. They should see an example in you as to how you live the Christian life. Being irritating to those around you with the Gospel is certainly not good behavior. Paul and the others only preached to those who were willing to listen and did not take advantage of captive audiences. "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:43-45. If you are a tree with roots to Christ, that is if Jesus Christ is the source of your life then it will show in your actions. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Galatians 5:22-26. Look for the fruit of the Spirit in others that say they are Christians. If they do not show it at all do not have anything to do with them.
Read the Old Testament and see the blunders that the Israelites made. When they were ready to humble themselves (to God and not to man) and cried out to God he always heard them. Read the mistakes that the disciples made. Try to avoid them, but if you are not always successful remember that God still loves you and already has forgiven you. Keep in touch with him, though, and tell him what you did right away. Of course he knows it but he wants to see if you have really registered what you have done and wants to hear it from you. We do the same thing with our children. We want them to tell us the truth about their sins and blunders and want them to acknowledge that they should do better the next time.
One of the things that we can depend on is that God loves us dearly as his children. He has promised that he will not leave us. That is something to be happy about. Freedom after being enslaved is something to rejoice about. The Psalms are full of words of rejoicing. Joy usually goes hand-in-hand with praising God.
Psalm 13:5,6: "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD for he has been good to me."
Psalm 28:6,7: "Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."
Psalm 94:18,19: "When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy in my soul."
1 Peter 1:8,9: "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Habakkuk 3:17: "yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.
A small caution here again. I have discovered that feelings of joy and love can be used to mislead Christians. See the warning to my brothers and sisters in Christ about how people can be misled by their feelings.
Isaiah 12:1-3: "In that day you will say: 'I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." (This passage is addressed to the Jews for the time after Jesus has come back to claim the earth for himself and gathers the Jews that have remained faithful together. If you are interested in the prophecy read Isaiah 9-11. It concerns the prophecy of Jesus' birth and foretells what he will do in the future.)
Many today, including myself, believe that the second coming of Christ is imminent. This word does not mean immediate. It could be allied to the word "soon" which, for God, is not quite the same thing that it is for us. It only means that Jesus could come at any time, since he did not tell us the exact date and time he would come back, but did give us hints as to how the world would be shortly before this. The word "rapture" is not used in Scripture. It was not used by the first Christians. It is used to name an event, however, that is very well described in Scripture. It represents the moment when Jesus Christ comes to remove the Body of Christ from the earth before God's judgment strikes the earth.
At the time that I am editing this letter I know that Jesus has not returned yet. How do I know this? Let's take a look at some scriptures.
Jesus will come back, although, at first, not down to the ground. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18.
Jesus will come and collect the believers in him to himself after certain disasters have happened but before the worst will come. In order not to subject his people to a punishment they no longer deserve by his grace, God removes them from the scene before the real trouble begins. This is not quite the second coming. Jesus meets Christians in the clouds but does not set foot on the earth yet. If you want to see more proofs of this read The Pretribulation Rapture Theory in the book "Things to Come," by J. Dwight Pentecost, ISBN 0-310-20605-7, from Zondervan Publishing House (some other things that they publish contain questionable doctrine, though). He puts this forth as a theory and explains the other existing theories, giving convincing proofs of the Pre-Tribulation Theory. The book is dry sometimes, as theological books usually are, but it is very thorough about exploring things concerning different doctrines and prophecies as put forth in Scripture. I do not recommend many works other than Scripture as sources of adequate Christian guidance. One cannot be too careful, but based on my present knowledge I can sincerely recommend this one.
A caution here. Most televangelists like to lure people to watch their shows regularly with promises of information about the future. They like to hype up their audiences to join their ministries to spread the gospel or buy the latest psychologically devised products because the time is short. Don't fall for their gimmicks. In my opinion the time is indeed short. The Apostles believed this nearly 2000 years ago. We are still waiting. So what! As I mentioned above, we should be prepared, but imminent is not necessarily immediate. Don't get nervous about current politics no matter how much diverse preachers rant and rave about it. The state of affairs is sad but Matthew 24 tells us that things will get worse before they get better. We can do our best to curb things so that laws make life more bearable for the poor and oppressed and for religious freedom, in particular our freedom to spread the gospel. You can be politically active. This is not forbidden in Scripture as far as I know. But never lose sight of the main reason that Christians are still on this earth. We have been given a promise, a seal, which is the Holy Spirit that God has provided the means, Jesus, to rescue us from his own wrath, accepted us as his children and will not punish us with the rest of the world. If there were no reason to stay he could have taken us up to heaven immediately. We are still here because we can and must help others to believe in Him just as someone helped us to believe. That is God's work for us to do before the time arrives for the judgement. He has set a fixed time for the judgement which only he himself knows. If he had not postponed the judgement thus far, we would not have been given the chance to believe. He is still putting it off but no one knows how much longer this situation will hold. It is our job, with the help of the Holy Spirit to help others come to a knowledge of Him just as we have been helped.
Here some scriptures about Jesus coming to remove the Church before God releases punishment on the earth:
Luke 21:28-32: "When these things begin to take place (signs in the sun, moon and stars, roaring and tossing of the sea, heavenly bodies shaken, wars, revolutions, earthquakes, famines, pestilences (verses 9,11,25,26), stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. "I tell you the truth, this generation (the generation that sees the trees sprouting, the events that Jesus described) will not pass away until all these things have happened."
Revelations 3:10: "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
1Corinthians 15:51,52: "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we (the Christians alive when Jesus returns) will be changed."
Read about what will happen in the future, what will happen before and after those who believe in Jesus are taken in Luke 21, Matthew 24, Daniel and Revelations. The books are not as long as you think.
Will those that are alive after these events still have a chance to believe? Yes, they will.
Luke 21:25-27: "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
Acts 1:6-11: "So when they met together, they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'"
Matthew 24:30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
Revelations 19:11 "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is calles Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war." "On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelations 19:16.
Zechariah 14:1-9 "A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You (the Jews) will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him (Those Christians that have already died and the others that were taken seven years before). On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or night time - a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name."
Mark 13:26,27: "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens."
Revelations 1:7: "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen."
Read Zechariah 12-14. These chapters tell specifically of Jesus' coming to Jerusalem and what he will do there. The key Scripture in this case is Zech 12:10: "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."
In Matthew 24:36-44, we read, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man, For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night th