Jesus was tempted by sin just as we are. We know that Jesus was without sin. Jesus could not sin; because the very nature of sin that we all inherited from Adam, was not passed on to Jesus at his birth. Sin tempts its own. We are all born into sin and when we are tempted, it is by the very nature that we were born into, the nature of sin. Jesus could not sin, because his nature was not of sin, but of holiness and purity. When Jesus was tempted, there was nothing within him, that even remotely gravitated to that temptation. For Jesus to sin, was something that, simply put, he did not know what it was like. Just like we don't know what it is like to NOT have the nature of sin within us; and what it's like to be tempted, but to have no desire to give in to that temptation. Jesus had no desire within himself, to "give-in" to those temptations that he faced. His desire was to be pure and holy and about the Father's business.
Many of us also, want to be about our Father's business. Pastors, assistant pastors, teachers, preachers, or anyone involved in any way of the ministry, want to be, and are about our Father's business. But the one big difference with us and with Jesus is; we have a nature of sin that we have to contend with everyday. We have to face this nature of sin head on, and make a decision each day, as to whether we are going to "give-in" to that nature of sin that lures us, or, are we going to continue being about our Father's business throughout our daily lives?
Are we going to work on our sermons, our Sunday school lessons, or type up our articles, such as this here, as inspired by God, are we going to read our bibles and spend some time in prayer with the Lord as we start our day; or, are we going to give in to our fleshly, humanistic ways and allow that nature of sin to take precedence over our work for God, and cause us to not complete any given task for the Lord's work that day?
The nature of sin is a powerful thing within all of humanity. Satan works to gratify the flesh man. He uses tactics and subtle thoughts in our minds, that plays on the very weakness of each individual. As much as we hate to admit it, we all have a weakness or weaknesses, of some sort.
Again, it's that nature of sin that appeals to our weaknesses, and unfortunately, many people cannot keep their mouths shut when it comes to talking about their weaknesses. There is something about the very nature of the human being, that enjoys hearing itself talk about its' weaknesses. I've done it; and we all have done it, at some point in our lives. But what happens when we talk about our weakness is; we are speaking out into the airwaves, into the spirit world, the things that entices us into sin. The things that we feel our flesh man enjoys, or is weak to.
As we speak about our weaknesses with our mouths, we are giving Satan and his devils, the opportunities to hear us and they take those words and continually use them to entice us to give in to those weaknesses, thus, the nature of sin within us all, has dominance over our lives and causes us to "drop the ball" when it comes to being about our Father's business.
Jesus' words were from the Father in heaven. He said what he heard from his Father in heaven. he spoke words of wisdom, words of truth, words of knowledge and words of redemption and salvation. he used his words to heal many.
Proverbs 18:21, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
We need to really get a tight grip on how powerful our spoken words are! We can speak good things into our lives or just as easily, bad things.
But it's all based on whether or not, we are going to listen to the nature of sin within us, or are we going to listen to God's words, and be about our Father's business, in order to keep the nature of sin pressed down and under submission to the spirit.
We all have failed at times, I have, you have, we all have. But when we do, we get back up, talk to the Lord, ask him to forgive us of our weaknesses, our failures, our sins, and then return to being about our Father's business, and stand back and watch how he will turn what Satan meant for bad, into something good, and how we can benefit from the outcome of the good that only God can give us.
Fight against the nature of sin within us, through drawing closer to God and staying as close to him as possible. The disciple John, evidently knew something early on, when he sat close to Jesus. He was one within the inner circle of disciples, and most assuredly, heard Jesus say things that quite possibly most of the others did not hear. This assisted him in not giving in to the nature of sin within himself.
We must stay close to Jesus, and the closer to him that we are, the further away from "giving in" to that nature of sin within us, we will be.
Written on Face book, on 4-9-14
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
It Doesn’t Matter
How has life been treating you? As for me, I am blessed. It doesn't matter that I have a sprained foot. It doesn't matter that I haven't been able to drive since I got home Tuesday after injuring my foot. It doesn't matter that I haven't worked since I hurt my foot and that I may not be able to work this whole week. It doesn't matter that I didn't get to go to church this morning which is a major part of my life now. It doesn't matter that I can't walk on my foot without crutches. It doesn't matter that I have some private things in my life that only God can work out and that I am battling against them. It just doesn't matter.
What does matter is this: I’ve got a family that loves me no matter what is wrong. I’ve got a family that has been there helping me during this injury. I’ve got next door neighbors that has gone out of their way to do for me, while I am injured. I’ve got friends in church that are praying for me during this injury. I’ve got a friend in Florida that cares and would help me if he were living nearby. BUT! Most of all, I’ve got a God in heaven that loves me with a love that I can't comprehend and with compassion because He's been there. He knows what real pain is like. He knows what it means to suffer. He also knows what it's like to go through something so private that only he, and the Father in heaven could ever understand. He also knows how and when I will see the end of this injury, pain and private situation. He knows. He cares. He's been there, and I'm there. How is life treating me, it’s so grand, it’s so exciting, it’s so unpredictable....It's Jesus.
2000
What does matter is this: I’ve got a family that loves me no matter what is wrong. I’ve got a family that has been there helping me during this injury. I’ve got next door neighbors that has gone out of their way to do for me, while I am injured. I’ve got friends in church that are praying for me during this injury. I’ve got a friend in Florida that cares and would help me if he were living nearby. BUT! Most of all, I’ve got a God in heaven that loves me with a love that I can't comprehend and with compassion because He's been there. He knows what real pain is like. He knows what it means to suffer. He also knows what it's like to go through something so private that only he, and the Father in heaven could ever understand. He also knows how and when I will see the end of this injury, pain and private situation. He knows. He cares. He's been there, and I'm there. How is life treating me, it’s so grand, it’s so exciting, it’s so unpredictable....It's Jesus.
2000
"I am sorry Lord that my birth caused me to pick up the hammer”
I feel so humbled that the Lord would even consider to tell me something this powerful.
I didn’t want to do it! I didn’t want to pick it up. I tried to resist picking up the hammer; but I could not. No one put it in my hands and no one forced me to pick it up. I picked it up on my own free will.
But even though I picked up the hammer at my birth, I didn’t use it for quite a while. I couldn’t lay it down though. It’s as if it was stuck to my hand. No matter how hard I tried to lay down the hammer and walk away from it; I couldn’t let it go! It didn’t get in the way as I laid on my bed and slept a lot, and when I needed a bottle, it never obstructed my hands when I was able to hold my own bottle. It seemed that everything I did as an infant, the hammer was never a problem or a hindrance of any sort. I just couldn’t lay it down!
I noticed as I became a toddler, that the hammer was always by my side, and in my hand. I asked my mommy why this was in my hand, but she could not answer me. Years seemed to go by and I started school. I loved my mommy and daddy and they loved me. They were my world. But when I started school, something happened inside me. I saw other kids at school not behaving and some of them acted mean and did wrong things. I didn’t want to do those things because I knew they were wrong. But something seemed to be drawing me toward those things that were not right. One day, a friend of mine told me to pull a girl’s hair. I said, “Why?” “What did she do for me to pull her hair?” “Why don’t you do it,” I asked him. He said “Because.” So, feeling like I had no choice, I reached over to the girl and I pulled her hair. She cried out very loudly, and began to cry with tears. The teacher came over to us and asked what happened, and my friend squealed on me and I got in trouble for pulling the girl’s hair. But right at that moment, I felt my hand grip the hammer slightly tighter than it had ever been before. But for then, at that time, that is all that happened.
Many years go by and that same grip that I felt tighten in my hand on the hammer that day, never released. It stayed the same.
So now, after a few more years have gone by, I am in middle school and I try to make good grades and do all of my homework and stay out of trouble, but there are these guys at school. I start hanging around with them and even outside of school. We are all around thirteen years old. One day, my friends and I, are at a convenience store looking around. We went there to get a slurpie. While we were standing near the candy aisle, one of my friends told me to put a candy bar in my pocket and walk out. I didn’t want to do it, but again, I felt weird inside, as if I couldn’t resist stealing the candy bar, so I did it anyway. When I got outside, I ran. I never did get caught, but all of a sudden, I felt my hand grip that hammer even tighter than it did years before. I still didn’t really understand why this was attached to my hand, but yet, it was never in the way of anything I ever participated in. Such as baseball, fishing, eating, doing my chores and such.
One day, I got in an argument with my mom, and I was around sixteen or seventeen years old by now. I stormed out of the house and jumped into my car and drove off. Then it happened again! The grip of my hand got really tight on the hammer this time. It felt as if I was holding the hammer tight enough to be using it. I felt like I was driving nails into a board or something. But I still could not let it go! Now, at seventeen, I am noticing this hammer a lot more, and the grip seems to tighten on it a lot more and more often than when I was younger.
As I was driving in an angry rage, I started driving a little too fast for the speed limit. The grip got even tighter. Next thing I know, a blue light and a siren was behind me. I got pulled over and was given a ticket for speeding. Again, the grip gets tighter.
So it seems at this point, the grip my hand has on the hammer is so tight, that I feel like I am using it all the time. I even said once, “Boy, if I was driving some nails in a board with this hammer, with the grip that I have on it, being as tight as it is; I would probably drive the nails all the way through the board and out the other side.”
Little did I know, that is exactly what I was doing. But not in my physical life, in a tangible board that we can see, and touch; but into a board, and first through the hands and feet of Jesus. What I never realized or understood growing up, is that when I was born, there was a hammer lying right next to me as I was being born; and just as my birth was completed; I reached down and picked up that hammer. But I was not the only one to do that. Everyone of us, that has ever been born into this world; reached down and picked up their own hammer, at their birth, and has carried it around since that day.
After I was taught many things in church over the years, I realized that I was a sinner. I was born into sin, and I am guilty of putting Jesus on the cross; as we all are. I am just as guilty of driving the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, as the soldier that was there, that actually DID drive the nails into Jesus. But even after I came to that realization and I repented of being one that drove the nails into Jesus; I found that I still could not lay down that hammer and walk away from it. Was I sorry for using my hammer on Jesus? You bet I was sorry, and I am still sorry to this day for ANYTIME, that I have ever used my hammer.
I didn’t ask to be born into sin. I didn’t go to a store of sorts, and pick off the shelf, a life of sin to be born into. I wasn’t given a choice to be born into sin or to be born without sin. Humanity was not given a choice in this matter. Even to this day, as I have been born-again, and I have a relationship with Christ, I can still see that hammer in my hand. Do I want to use it? No way, not on your life! But WILL I use it? Yes, I will, but it will be completely against my conscious desires to never use my hammer again!
Sadly, the world continually uses their hammer on Jesus daily. Many do not even know they have a hammer in their hand, and those that do know; may not be acting upon what they know, in an attempt to cease from using their hammer. For someone to act upon the attempts to cease from using their own hammer against Jesus; is to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, begin a relationship with him, and to fulfill God’s salvation plan. But even then, we still cannot lay the hammer down and walk away from it.
Being that we are all born into sin, there is the nature of sin within us all. This is something that is really above our comprehension; to know what it really means to have a sinful nature within us, but as well, to never have experienced or lived in this life in the flesh without the nature of sin within us. Many times this subject goes beyond what words can convey for a satisfied understanding. But what we must do, is to seek the face of God daily, and make a commitment to him that we will never relinquish on. We must become faithful to God, as to the best of our abilities; and have the frame of mind that we are “sold-out” to him, no matter what. As we grow and mature in God, learning more about how to live life in this world, free from the bondage of sin; we will always be forever facing the temptations of sin, as it always tries to lure us into committing sinful acts that will bring pleasure to our flesh man in some form or another.
The hammer that we have attached to us, is itself, the nature of sin that we were all born into; as a result of the fall of man through Adam and Eve. It is that sinful nature that when we yield to it and “cross the line” within ourselves, we commit the act of sin that we were lured into; and thus, we use our hammer and drive the nails into Jesus a little deeper each time when we do fail.
The Bible states in Psalm 51:5, Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Humanity was not just born into sin at our birth; but according to God’s Word, we were all conceived in sin. We were all shapen in iniquity,( which is defined as, Wickedness; a wicked act). So all of humanity was conceived in sin, as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve.
Even though we carry a hammer, ( the nature of sin), with us, and have not the ability to lay it down and walk away from it; we can with God’s help; strive to live above the nature of sin, and fight against it through prayer, asking for God’s strength to help us to resist yielding to the sin that so tempts us daily.
We must be renewed in our minds, and our thoughts need to be more on things of God. Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,…. We also need to focus on helping those in their time of need. The old saying goes, “There is always someone worse off than you are”; and with that in mind, we can always be ready to help someone else as best as we can; and this is one of many ways to keep from using the hammer in our hands.
So in conclusion, we were all conceived in sin and we were all born into the nature of sin at our birth. We also have a hammer in our hands, that we use to drive the nails into Jesus, which results from the sin we commit in our lives. We may not have the ability to lay down our hammers, ( the nature of sin), and walk away from it and never sin again. But what we can do is this, trust God, pray to him, maintain a relationship with him, read his word daily, stay committed to him, and desire to live above the sinful nature that haunts us all. If we choose to follow God and learn of his ways, and know that the scripture is true, then when we apply Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me; to our own lives, then we can be assured that God will help us to resist the sin, and therefore we will not use the hammer that we HAD to pick up without a choice.
6-12-12
I didn’t want to do it! I didn’t want to pick it up. I tried to resist picking up the hammer; but I could not. No one put it in my hands and no one forced me to pick it up. I picked it up on my own free will.
But even though I picked up the hammer at my birth, I didn’t use it for quite a while. I couldn’t lay it down though. It’s as if it was stuck to my hand. No matter how hard I tried to lay down the hammer and walk away from it; I couldn’t let it go! It didn’t get in the way as I laid on my bed and slept a lot, and when I needed a bottle, it never obstructed my hands when I was able to hold my own bottle. It seemed that everything I did as an infant, the hammer was never a problem or a hindrance of any sort. I just couldn’t lay it down!
I noticed as I became a toddler, that the hammer was always by my side, and in my hand. I asked my mommy why this was in my hand, but she could not answer me. Years seemed to go by and I started school. I loved my mommy and daddy and they loved me. They were my world. But when I started school, something happened inside me. I saw other kids at school not behaving and some of them acted mean and did wrong things. I didn’t want to do those things because I knew they were wrong. But something seemed to be drawing me toward those things that were not right. One day, a friend of mine told me to pull a girl’s hair. I said, “Why?” “What did she do for me to pull her hair?” “Why don’t you do it,” I asked him. He said “Because.” So, feeling like I had no choice, I reached over to the girl and I pulled her hair. She cried out very loudly, and began to cry with tears. The teacher came over to us and asked what happened, and my friend squealed on me and I got in trouble for pulling the girl’s hair. But right at that moment, I felt my hand grip the hammer slightly tighter than it had ever been before. But for then, at that time, that is all that happened.
Many years go by and that same grip that I felt tighten in my hand on the hammer that day, never released. It stayed the same.
So now, after a few more years have gone by, I am in middle school and I try to make good grades and do all of my homework and stay out of trouble, but there are these guys at school. I start hanging around with them and even outside of school. We are all around thirteen years old. One day, my friends and I, are at a convenience store looking around. We went there to get a slurpie. While we were standing near the candy aisle, one of my friends told me to put a candy bar in my pocket and walk out. I didn’t want to do it, but again, I felt weird inside, as if I couldn’t resist stealing the candy bar, so I did it anyway. When I got outside, I ran. I never did get caught, but all of a sudden, I felt my hand grip that hammer even tighter than it did years before. I still didn’t really understand why this was attached to my hand, but yet, it was never in the way of anything I ever participated in. Such as baseball, fishing, eating, doing my chores and such.
One day, I got in an argument with my mom, and I was around sixteen or seventeen years old by now. I stormed out of the house and jumped into my car and drove off. Then it happened again! The grip of my hand got really tight on the hammer this time. It felt as if I was holding the hammer tight enough to be using it. I felt like I was driving nails into a board or something. But I still could not let it go! Now, at seventeen, I am noticing this hammer a lot more, and the grip seems to tighten on it a lot more and more often than when I was younger.
As I was driving in an angry rage, I started driving a little too fast for the speed limit. The grip got even tighter. Next thing I know, a blue light and a siren was behind me. I got pulled over and was given a ticket for speeding. Again, the grip gets tighter.
So it seems at this point, the grip my hand has on the hammer is so tight, that I feel like I am using it all the time. I even said once, “Boy, if I was driving some nails in a board with this hammer, with the grip that I have on it, being as tight as it is; I would probably drive the nails all the way through the board and out the other side.”
Little did I know, that is exactly what I was doing. But not in my physical life, in a tangible board that we can see, and touch; but into a board, and first through the hands and feet of Jesus. What I never realized or understood growing up, is that when I was born, there was a hammer lying right next to me as I was being born; and just as my birth was completed; I reached down and picked up that hammer. But I was not the only one to do that. Everyone of us, that has ever been born into this world; reached down and picked up their own hammer, at their birth, and has carried it around since that day.
After I was taught many things in church over the years, I realized that I was a sinner. I was born into sin, and I am guilty of putting Jesus on the cross; as we all are. I am just as guilty of driving the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, as the soldier that was there, that actually DID drive the nails into Jesus. But even after I came to that realization and I repented of being one that drove the nails into Jesus; I found that I still could not lay down that hammer and walk away from it. Was I sorry for using my hammer on Jesus? You bet I was sorry, and I am still sorry to this day for ANYTIME, that I have ever used my hammer.
I didn’t ask to be born into sin. I didn’t go to a store of sorts, and pick off the shelf, a life of sin to be born into. I wasn’t given a choice to be born into sin or to be born without sin. Humanity was not given a choice in this matter. Even to this day, as I have been born-again, and I have a relationship with Christ, I can still see that hammer in my hand. Do I want to use it? No way, not on your life! But WILL I use it? Yes, I will, but it will be completely against my conscious desires to never use my hammer again!
Sadly, the world continually uses their hammer on Jesus daily. Many do not even know they have a hammer in their hand, and those that do know; may not be acting upon what they know, in an attempt to cease from using their hammer. For someone to act upon the attempts to cease from using their own hammer against Jesus; is to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, begin a relationship with him, and to fulfill God’s salvation plan. But even then, we still cannot lay the hammer down and walk away from it.
Being that we are all born into sin, there is the nature of sin within us all. This is something that is really above our comprehension; to know what it really means to have a sinful nature within us, but as well, to never have experienced or lived in this life in the flesh without the nature of sin within us. Many times this subject goes beyond what words can convey for a satisfied understanding. But what we must do, is to seek the face of God daily, and make a commitment to him that we will never relinquish on. We must become faithful to God, as to the best of our abilities; and have the frame of mind that we are “sold-out” to him, no matter what. As we grow and mature in God, learning more about how to live life in this world, free from the bondage of sin; we will always be forever facing the temptations of sin, as it always tries to lure us into committing sinful acts that will bring pleasure to our flesh man in some form or another.
The hammer that we have attached to us, is itself, the nature of sin that we were all born into; as a result of the fall of man through Adam and Eve. It is that sinful nature that when we yield to it and “cross the line” within ourselves, we commit the act of sin that we were lured into; and thus, we use our hammer and drive the nails into Jesus a little deeper each time when we do fail.
The Bible states in Psalm 51:5, Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Humanity was not just born into sin at our birth; but according to God’s Word, we were all conceived in sin. We were all shapen in iniquity,( which is defined as, Wickedness; a wicked act). So all of humanity was conceived in sin, as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve.
Even though we carry a hammer, ( the nature of sin), with us, and have not the ability to lay it down and walk away from it; we can with God’s help; strive to live above the nature of sin, and fight against it through prayer, asking for God’s strength to help us to resist yielding to the sin that so tempts us daily.
We must be renewed in our minds, and our thoughts need to be more on things of God. Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,…. We also need to focus on helping those in their time of need. The old saying goes, “There is always someone worse off than you are”; and with that in mind, we can always be ready to help someone else as best as we can; and this is one of many ways to keep from using the hammer in our hands.
So in conclusion, we were all conceived in sin and we were all born into the nature of sin at our birth. We also have a hammer in our hands, that we use to drive the nails into Jesus, which results from the sin we commit in our lives. We may not have the ability to lay down our hammers, ( the nature of sin), and walk away from it and never sin again. But what we can do is this, trust God, pray to him, maintain a relationship with him, read his word daily, stay committed to him, and desire to live above the sinful nature that haunts us all. If we choose to follow God and learn of his ways, and know that the scripture is true, then when we apply Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me; to our own lives, then we can be assured that God will help us to resist the sin, and therefore we will not use the hammer that we HAD to pick up without a choice.
6-12-12
God Created Evil, But Why?
Isaiah 45:7-I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
As we just read here in Isaiah, God did create evil. But one thing that it does not say, is that evil is one of God’s attributes or (mannerisms). Why? Because the bible says that God created evil. So before he created evil, it did not exist. Until God creates something, from nothing, it does not exist. So since evil is something created by God and did not exist prior to its’ being created, then it cannot be a part of God’s mannerisms or a part of his emotions or his personality.
We humans on the other hand, being born into sin, have the nature of evil instilled inside our natural, fleshly existence. What we must do as humans, is to allow God to teach us and show us a better way to live, according to his word. By doing so, this will strengthen us so that we can get to a place in life where we can resist the evil of our lives a little better than before we began living for God.
Why did God create evil? Quite simply this: To give mankind two choices to pick from in life. Good or evil, spiritual or fleshly. Since we will all live in a spiritual eternity, either in heaven or hell, it is up to us now, in this life on earth, to choose good. If we choose to do nothing, then we have made the choice to spend eternity in hell where humanity is destined due to humanity being born into sin. No choice is a choice within itself and that choice will send a person to hell. We really only have one choice and that choice is choose God. What mankind needs to understand is, until we were born and began to become knowledgeable of life and our own consciousness, we did not exist! Furthermore, we do not even know now, what it was like to NOT exist! So if God had not chosen to create humanity and gave us a choice to choose to live for him and come to know him freely, because we want to, then we would not exist and we would not know anything about anything at all, nor would we know that there is a good and an evil, nor the fact that there even is a God because we would not know that we did not exist at all! Rather deep isn’t it.
Even though we were given the choice to choose good or evil; how could we know that we need to choose good if we would have never experienced evil? To choose one or the other, one must have experience in the one and participated in the one, in order to know that the choice made should be the other choice given.
If God had allowed us to be born into good and never experienced evil in our lives; at the point in time of our choice decision, one might as easily choose evil, even though he had never experienced it, but in doing so, one would not know the terrible repercussions of choosing the evil over the good.
So in conclusion, we all have been born into sin(evil). We all have also had experiences from evil influences and have participated in countless numbers of evil activities and had countless numbers of evil thoughts in our minds. But because of God’s grace and mercy and his love for humanity, that he created, he woos us with his spirit, he puts people into our lives in order that they may share the truth of God’s word with us and lead us to a relationship with Christ. As a result of these things, it brings humanity to a ‘crossroads’ in their lives and it puts conviction on their hearts in order to enlighten them to the realization that they are at a place in their lives where they now need to make a choice decision of staying in the evil life that they were born into, or choose the good and choose God and welcome him into their lives and a new way of life to live that will get them into heaven.
God created evil, in order to give mankind a choice to choose the evil or to choose the good and love God freely and not as a programmed robot.
2011
As we just read here in Isaiah, God did create evil. But one thing that it does not say, is that evil is one of God’s attributes or (mannerisms). Why? Because the bible says that God created evil. So before he created evil, it did not exist. Until God creates something, from nothing, it does not exist. So since evil is something created by God and did not exist prior to its’ being created, then it cannot be a part of God’s mannerisms or a part of his emotions or his personality.
We humans on the other hand, being born into sin, have the nature of evil instilled inside our natural, fleshly existence. What we must do as humans, is to allow God to teach us and show us a better way to live, according to his word. By doing so, this will strengthen us so that we can get to a place in life where we can resist the evil of our lives a little better than before we began living for God.
Why did God create evil? Quite simply this: To give mankind two choices to pick from in life. Good or evil, spiritual or fleshly. Since we will all live in a spiritual eternity, either in heaven or hell, it is up to us now, in this life on earth, to choose good. If we choose to do nothing, then we have made the choice to spend eternity in hell where humanity is destined due to humanity being born into sin. No choice is a choice within itself and that choice will send a person to hell. We really only have one choice and that choice is choose God. What mankind needs to understand is, until we were born and began to become knowledgeable of life and our own consciousness, we did not exist! Furthermore, we do not even know now, what it was like to NOT exist! So if God had not chosen to create humanity and gave us a choice to choose to live for him and come to know him freely, because we want to, then we would not exist and we would not know anything about anything at all, nor would we know that there is a good and an evil, nor the fact that there even is a God because we would not know that we did not exist at all! Rather deep isn’t it.
Even though we were given the choice to choose good or evil; how could we know that we need to choose good if we would have never experienced evil? To choose one or the other, one must have experience in the one and participated in the one, in order to know that the choice made should be the other choice given.
If God had allowed us to be born into good and never experienced evil in our lives; at the point in time of our choice decision, one might as easily choose evil, even though he had never experienced it, but in doing so, one would not know the terrible repercussions of choosing the evil over the good.
So in conclusion, we all have been born into sin(evil). We all have also had experiences from evil influences and have participated in countless numbers of evil activities and had countless numbers of evil thoughts in our minds. But because of God’s grace and mercy and his love for humanity, that he created, he woos us with his spirit, he puts people into our lives in order that they may share the truth of God’s word with us and lead us to a relationship with Christ. As a result of these things, it brings humanity to a ‘crossroads’ in their lives and it puts conviction on their hearts in order to enlighten them to the realization that they are at a place in their lives where they now need to make a choice decision of staying in the evil life that they were born into, or choose the good and choose God and welcome him into their lives and a new way of life to live that will get them into heaven.
God created evil, in order to give mankind a choice to choose the evil or to choose the good and love God freely and not as a programmed robot.
2011
Give
"Give and it shall be given unto thee. Good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over".
Why is it so hard for us humans to understand this principle of God? As much as I give to help others as I am able, I, myself, still need to learn much more about the principle of giving. In this year, 2014, I am setting my sights, by the help of God, on reaching out to help others and to give more to help those in need than ever before. We cannot out-give God. But we must, we must, we must; give from the right spirit and the right attitude! yes, I know that when we give to help someone else, that inside our minds we are quietly thinking, "I'll give this and God will bless me with more". I know we are all guilty of that. But it's not wrong to want blessings for ourselves. And it's not wrong to give to someone else and have thoughts in our minds that God is going to bless us with more too. That's just the human nature to want "a piece of the pie" too. But it all falls on how are you feeling and how is your attitude about the giving when you are giving? Do you feel at that moment of giving, that you are doing something to help someone else, to make their day, or to give them something that they desperately need at the time? The Bible says that, "it is better to give than to receive". Yes, when we give with a right spirit and attitude, we will feel that inner warmth and that feeling of goodness flooding our hearts; because we have helped someone else. Giving from a selfish attitude or from an attitude of only wanting something from God, will not produce that inner feeling of goodness and warmth of helping someone else. That will only produce the though of, "well what's in it for me?" That is totally NOT from God. God told us to try him, and bring all the tithes into the storehouse and to see if he would not pour us out a blessing bigger than we could contain. However! Tithes are NOT where the blessings come from! The 10% tithes off the top, already belongs to God. That portion is what he requires from us! The blessings come from the giving that is beyond the 10% of tithes. Giving is not totally in giving money only. yes there are times that is what we will need to do, to help someone else; but giving includes giving of one's self to assist someone else in their time of need. Giving is making sacrifices to go to jail ministries or nursing home ministries, or running a bus route on Sunday mornings, to get some to church that otherwise could not get there. Giving is numbered in many ways. Jesus said" If you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, then you have done it unto me". When we do ANYTHING to help someone else, we have done it unto Jesus. When we do not, then we have not done it unto Jesus. Giving covers a magnitude of possibilities to help someone else. I cannot tell you all the ways of giving here; I would never stop typing if I tried. God will lay it on everyone's hearts as to when someone is in need and how each of us can do something to help them at the time. And he also allows situations to present itself before us, giving us an opportunity to help someone in our daily lives. How can you help someone today? How can you give to someone, in the way Jesus intends for you to give? It starts in the heart. Do you have a heart to give? Or do have a heart of "what about me?"
Written on face book, 1-31-14
Why is it so hard for us humans to understand this principle of God? As much as I give to help others as I am able, I, myself, still need to learn much more about the principle of giving. In this year, 2014, I am setting my sights, by the help of God, on reaching out to help others and to give more to help those in need than ever before. We cannot out-give God. But we must, we must, we must; give from the right spirit and the right attitude! yes, I know that when we give to help someone else, that inside our minds we are quietly thinking, "I'll give this and God will bless me with more". I know we are all guilty of that. But it's not wrong to want blessings for ourselves. And it's not wrong to give to someone else and have thoughts in our minds that God is going to bless us with more too. That's just the human nature to want "a piece of the pie" too. But it all falls on how are you feeling and how is your attitude about the giving when you are giving? Do you feel at that moment of giving, that you are doing something to help someone else, to make their day, or to give them something that they desperately need at the time? The Bible says that, "it is better to give than to receive". Yes, when we give with a right spirit and attitude, we will feel that inner warmth and that feeling of goodness flooding our hearts; because we have helped someone else. Giving from a selfish attitude or from an attitude of only wanting something from God, will not produce that inner feeling of goodness and warmth of helping someone else. That will only produce the though of, "well what's in it for me?" That is totally NOT from God. God told us to try him, and bring all the tithes into the storehouse and to see if he would not pour us out a blessing bigger than we could contain. However! Tithes are NOT where the blessings come from! The 10% tithes off the top, already belongs to God. That portion is what he requires from us! The blessings come from the giving that is beyond the 10% of tithes. Giving is not totally in giving money only. yes there are times that is what we will need to do, to help someone else; but giving includes giving of one's self to assist someone else in their time of need. Giving is making sacrifices to go to jail ministries or nursing home ministries, or running a bus route on Sunday mornings, to get some to church that otherwise could not get there. Giving is numbered in many ways. Jesus said" If you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, then you have done it unto me". When we do ANYTHING to help someone else, we have done it unto Jesus. When we do not, then we have not done it unto Jesus. Giving covers a magnitude of possibilities to help someone else. I cannot tell you all the ways of giving here; I would never stop typing if I tried. God will lay it on everyone's hearts as to when someone is in need and how each of us can do something to help them at the time. And he also allows situations to present itself before us, giving us an opportunity to help someone in our daily lives. How can you help someone today? How can you give to someone, in the way Jesus intends for you to give? It starts in the heart. Do you have a heart to give? Or do have a heart of "what about me?"
Written on face book, 1-31-14
Get God Then Get Clean
When it comes to people giving their lives over to God, start going to church to learn and follow his ways, many people are very disillusioned by what they think they must do just to start living for God.
A lot of people feel like they, have to make changes in their lives before they can start living for God. Some feel like they have to quit smoking, or quit drinking, or quit cussing, or give up their old, bad habits before they can start going to church and living for God. In other words, they feel like they have to get clean and then get God. A lot of people think that God won’t take them in the condition that their lives are in. They have been deceived into thinking that they have to do something first and then God will consider taking them to be his own. How untrue, how untrue.
First of all, humanity was born into sin. We had no choice in the matter. Due to that, we are all on the road to Hell, whether we acknowledge that or not. However, God provided a way out of our destination to Hell. But that plan does not include us, getting clean before we come to God.
We cannot clean up ourselves to a point of gaining God’s approval. Unfortunately, Satan has deceived many people into believing that. So as a result of what they believe, they feel like they can never live for God, because they seemingly, cannot get themselves clean enough for him.
What people must realize is this: We all have been born into sin and we are destined for Hell. Due to humanity being born into sin, we have the nature of sin in our fleshly man, and it is the nature of the flesh man, to satisfy itself. But what everyone must do, is acknowledge that they were born into sin and that they cannot clean themselves up at all. Make an acknowledgement that only God can clean them up, and set them on the right path to follow. They must repent of their sins and fulfill God’s salvation plan, according to the word of God, the Bible. Then, and only then, can God begin his perfect process of cleaning up each individual as to his specifications. But each person must stay faithful to God, by attending church, paying their tithes, reading their bible, praying, getting involved in church programs to reach the lost, and being humble unto God, and allow him time to clean them up. God will not do it overnight. He has to work a lot of junk out of each person, in his timing and at his speed for each individual. In other words, one person might grow with God faster than another, and it’s not fair to the one that grows slower, to be compared to the one that might can grow on a faster pace with God. Also, some things are so deeply rooted inside of us, that it may take God years to get some things out of us. But the most important thing is this: Once an individual comes to God as they are, and begins to allow God to clean them up, they need to stay in church and with God for the duration. They must endure the hard times along with the good times, and keep the verse in their thoughts, that all things work for the good. Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This is the only way that anyone can become a clean individual, according to God’s ways. Come to God as you are, accept and fulfill his plan of salvation, and then begin your lifetime relationship with him, and allow him to work his perfect plan for your life, and you will never regret it.
Dec,2010
A lot of people feel like they, have to make changes in their lives before they can start living for God. Some feel like they have to quit smoking, or quit drinking, or quit cussing, or give up their old, bad habits before they can start going to church and living for God. In other words, they feel like they have to get clean and then get God. A lot of people think that God won’t take them in the condition that their lives are in. They have been deceived into thinking that they have to do something first and then God will consider taking them to be his own. How untrue, how untrue.
First of all, humanity was born into sin. We had no choice in the matter. Due to that, we are all on the road to Hell, whether we acknowledge that or not. However, God provided a way out of our destination to Hell. But that plan does not include us, getting clean before we come to God.
We cannot clean up ourselves to a point of gaining God’s approval. Unfortunately, Satan has deceived many people into believing that. So as a result of what they believe, they feel like they can never live for God, because they seemingly, cannot get themselves clean enough for him.
What people must realize is this: We all have been born into sin and we are destined for Hell. Due to humanity being born into sin, we have the nature of sin in our fleshly man, and it is the nature of the flesh man, to satisfy itself. But what everyone must do, is acknowledge that they were born into sin and that they cannot clean themselves up at all. Make an acknowledgement that only God can clean them up, and set them on the right path to follow. They must repent of their sins and fulfill God’s salvation plan, according to the word of God, the Bible. Then, and only then, can God begin his perfect process of cleaning up each individual as to his specifications. But each person must stay faithful to God, by attending church, paying their tithes, reading their bible, praying, getting involved in church programs to reach the lost, and being humble unto God, and allow him time to clean them up. God will not do it overnight. He has to work a lot of junk out of each person, in his timing and at his speed for each individual. In other words, one person might grow with God faster than another, and it’s not fair to the one that grows slower, to be compared to the one that might can grow on a faster pace with God. Also, some things are so deeply rooted inside of us, that it may take God years to get some things out of us. But the most important thing is this: Once an individual comes to God as they are, and begins to allow God to clean them up, they need to stay in church and with God for the duration. They must endure the hard times along with the good times, and keep the verse in their thoughts, that all things work for the good. Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This is the only way that anyone can become a clean individual, according to God’s ways. Come to God as you are, accept and fulfill his plan of salvation, and then begin your lifetime relationship with him, and allow him to work his perfect plan for your life, and you will never regret it.
Dec,2010
Are Your Afflictions Working For The Good?
It may not seem to make any sense to us at all; but we need to thank God for the afflictions that have been allowed to come upon each of us. Why thank God for afflictions, you may ask? Because God knows exactly what each of us can face and go through and what we cannot endure and go through. He said in his word, that he would not allow more to be put on us than what we can bear.
He also said that it rains on the just and the unjust. No, he is not speaking of literal rain that falls from the heavens that gets us wet. He is speaking of things and afflictions, good times and bad times of life; raining down on all good people and all bad people. But could it be, that if we are afflicted with a sickness or a disease, or a "hissing" problem with our ears, or even the dreaded "C" word; that God also allowed these to happen to us for a good reason and not bad? Of course he did!
For those that are living for God and faithful to him, attending church, paying tithes, reading their bible, praying everyday, living the life as a Christ would have; for them, the afflictions are merely "building blocks" in God's grand plan of things for his children's lives; to develop them into better people and more Christ-like.
The bible says in Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Could it be that this hissing in my ears, is to teach me more patience? Do I have enough patience? Most people learn how to become more patient as we grow older and that in itself, is a natural learning process as we age. But sometimes God sees that we may need a deeper depth of patience to endure such things that come upon us; and we can only gain more patience by experiencing afflictions and trials, to extend our patience into a deeper realm of it.
Patience is not always the only thing we learn from afflictions. God uses these things to strengthen us in our minds, and in our wisdom and knowledge; of not only who he is, but how vast is his limitless abilities are, in being able to help us and "get us through" our storms.
But what about the people that are not living for God? Those that choose not to acknowledge God with their obedience to him; with such things as church attendance, tithing, reading the bible, praying to him daily, and living as Christ would live? What about those people, and those that may be good people, but still, not living for God as they should?
What about those that would be labeled as "bad" people? Those committing crimes, addicted to drugs, hurting and killing other people; those not knowing God and those that even proclaim to be atheists, and not even believing in God at all?
What about the afflictions that they go through? How can they work for the good for them, based on the scripture above? The answer is, their afflictions CANNOT work together for good for them! WHY? Because the very scripture says "And we know that all things work together for good to THEM THAT LOVE GOD....!
The "bad people", and even the "good people" that are not living for God, which includes those that do not love God, cannot and will not see their afflictions work together for their good! It is only for those that "love God!"
We cannot dissect the bible and take out scriptures and live according to some but not according to all scriptures. Their are many other scriptures that instruct us on living for God and how to live for God, and if we are not meeting those criteria, then we are not going to reap the benefits of afflictions working for our good.
A person may say that they love God, but to love him, is to know him. To know him, is to be obedient to him, by fulfilling the above examples mentioned.
Yes, everyone is going to fail and mess up at times and unfortunately, even sin. We are all human, and born into sin. But it's those that "get up" when they stumble and fall, that they get back up, and continue their relationship with God, and continue to be as obedient to him as they can be, as they grow and mature with him.
If we love God, then we MUST keep his commandments.
Afflictions for those not obedient to God, not living for God, and even denying God's existence; will never achieve anything with God; unless they begin to humble themselves in their afflictions, and cry out to God, repent, and seek God's salvation for their lives. God can use those people's afflictions, to draw them to him; but only if they have a humble spirit, and a willingness to begin to seek God and commit to live for him.
If they choose NOT to turn to God, then they very well could be allowed to even lose their lives to death, from their afflictions. In those cases, their eternal destination, would be a total separation from God for all eternity. Now is the time for salvation!
IN conclusion, are you afflicted? Are you sick? Do you have something wrong in your body that medicines and doctors cannot heal? Do have a life-threatening disease? Are you in pain? Are you living for God? Do you know God as your personal Lord and savior? Do you have a relationship with God? OR, do you experience all of your afflictions with no hope of ever being cured or healed? Are you just waiting on "your time" to go? If so, you do not want death to open it's door to you, without first becoming a child of God. Do your afflictions work together for good? They will, if you love God and live for him, according to his purpose for your life.
I write this from experience with my own afflictions in my body. I love God with all my heart and soul; and I have personally been living for him for 20 years this coming October 31, 2013. ON October 17, 1993, I was baptized in the water, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins, according to Acts 2:38. ON October 31, 1993, just two weeks later; I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and I spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave me the utterance, and I have spoke in tongues many, many times since then, in prayer, in my worship, in intersession in prayer, and in giving forth a message to a congregation of believers with an interpretation to come forth. When I spoke in tongues for the first time, when I first received the Holy Ghost, I knew right then, that God was real and that there was no falseness to him; because the bible said I would speak in tongues as I received the Holy Ghost and I did, and at that moment; I "sold-out " to God and have never gone back! That was almost 20 years ago! Throughout my 20 years, I have had good times and bad times. But I have stayed true to God and have grown more in love with him; even in this time of affliction in my ears, because I KNOW he will complete his healing in me, in his perfect timing! I cannot leave him; where would I go?
So afflictions, yes, we will have them. Will God heal them and take them away from us? yes, but only in his timing and not ours. can God use doctors and medicines? Yes, but some things cannot be healed by doctors and medicines; and for those we NEED to have a close walk wit God, to see him deliver us!
So do you thank God for your afflictions? if you don't then you should. Because always remember, someone else HAS it worse than you do; and if you had their afflictions, you may not be able to handle it as they can. Thank God for your afflictions, because they can always be worse.
Written on face book on Oct 14, 2013
He also said that it rains on the just and the unjust. No, he is not speaking of literal rain that falls from the heavens that gets us wet. He is speaking of things and afflictions, good times and bad times of life; raining down on all good people and all bad people. But could it be, that if we are afflicted with a sickness or a disease, or a "hissing" problem with our ears, or even the dreaded "C" word; that God also allowed these to happen to us for a good reason and not bad? Of course he did!
For those that are living for God and faithful to him, attending church, paying tithes, reading their bible, praying everyday, living the life as a Christ would have; for them, the afflictions are merely "building blocks" in God's grand plan of things for his children's lives; to develop them into better people and more Christ-like.
The bible says in Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Could it be that this hissing in my ears, is to teach me more patience? Do I have enough patience? Most people learn how to become more patient as we grow older and that in itself, is a natural learning process as we age. But sometimes God sees that we may need a deeper depth of patience to endure such things that come upon us; and we can only gain more patience by experiencing afflictions and trials, to extend our patience into a deeper realm of it.
Patience is not always the only thing we learn from afflictions. God uses these things to strengthen us in our minds, and in our wisdom and knowledge; of not only who he is, but how vast is his limitless abilities are, in being able to help us and "get us through" our storms.
But what about the people that are not living for God? Those that choose not to acknowledge God with their obedience to him; with such things as church attendance, tithing, reading the bible, praying to him daily, and living as Christ would live? What about those people, and those that may be good people, but still, not living for God as they should?
What about those that would be labeled as "bad" people? Those committing crimes, addicted to drugs, hurting and killing other people; those not knowing God and those that even proclaim to be atheists, and not even believing in God at all?
What about the afflictions that they go through? How can they work for the good for them, based on the scripture above? The answer is, their afflictions CANNOT work together for good for them! WHY? Because the very scripture says "And we know that all things work together for good to THEM THAT LOVE GOD....!
The "bad people", and even the "good people" that are not living for God, which includes those that do not love God, cannot and will not see their afflictions work together for their good! It is only for those that "love God!"
We cannot dissect the bible and take out scriptures and live according to some but not according to all scriptures. Their are many other scriptures that instruct us on living for God and how to live for God, and if we are not meeting those criteria, then we are not going to reap the benefits of afflictions working for our good.
A person may say that they love God, but to love him, is to know him. To know him, is to be obedient to him, by fulfilling the above examples mentioned.
Yes, everyone is going to fail and mess up at times and unfortunately, even sin. We are all human, and born into sin. But it's those that "get up" when they stumble and fall, that they get back up, and continue their relationship with God, and continue to be as obedient to him as they can be, as they grow and mature with him.
If we love God, then we MUST keep his commandments.
Afflictions for those not obedient to God, not living for God, and even denying God's existence; will never achieve anything with God; unless they begin to humble themselves in their afflictions, and cry out to God, repent, and seek God's salvation for their lives. God can use those people's afflictions, to draw them to him; but only if they have a humble spirit, and a willingness to begin to seek God and commit to live for him.
If they choose NOT to turn to God, then they very well could be allowed to even lose their lives to death, from their afflictions. In those cases, their eternal destination, would be a total separation from God for all eternity. Now is the time for salvation!
IN conclusion, are you afflicted? Are you sick? Do you have something wrong in your body that medicines and doctors cannot heal? Do have a life-threatening disease? Are you in pain? Are you living for God? Do you know God as your personal Lord and savior? Do you have a relationship with God? OR, do you experience all of your afflictions with no hope of ever being cured or healed? Are you just waiting on "your time" to go? If so, you do not want death to open it's door to you, without first becoming a child of God. Do your afflictions work together for good? They will, if you love God and live for him, according to his purpose for your life.
I write this from experience with my own afflictions in my body. I love God with all my heart and soul; and I have personally been living for him for 20 years this coming October 31, 2013. ON October 17, 1993, I was baptized in the water, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins, according to Acts 2:38. ON October 31, 1993, just two weeks later; I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and I spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave me the utterance, and I have spoke in tongues many, many times since then, in prayer, in my worship, in intersession in prayer, and in giving forth a message to a congregation of believers with an interpretation to come forth. When I spoke in tongues for the first time, when I first received the Holy Ghost, I knew right then, that God was real and that there was no falseness to him; because the bible said I would speak in tongues as I received the Holy Ghost and I did, and at that moment; I "sold-out " to God and have never gone back! That was almost 20 years ago! Throughout my 20 years, I have had good times and bad times. But I have stayed true to God and have grown more in love with him; even in this time of affliction in my ears, because I KNOW he will complete his healing in me, in his perfect timing! I cannot leave him; where would I go?
So afflictions, yes, we will have them. Will God heal them and take them away from us? yes, but only in his timing and not ours. can God use doctors and medicines? Yes, but some things cannot be healed by doctors and medicines; and for those we NEED to have a close walk wit God, to see him deliver us!
So do you thank God for your afflictions? if you don't then you should. Because always remember, someone else HAS it worse than you do; and if you had their afflictions, you may not be able to handle it as they can. Thank God for your afflictions, because they can always be worse.
Written on face book on Oct 14, 2013
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