Tag: Are You In Need of Cleansing?

⁹ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. ~ Matthew 2:9-12

The wise men were diligently seeking a sign for the birth of the Jewish Messiah. When they saw it, they packed up and traveled a long distance to where He was. Bearing gifts, they fell down before Him and worshipped Him, even though He was only a young child. He wasn’t what you would expect. He didn’t come in His Heavenly form but in the form of a helpless child. If the wise men didn’t know who they were looking for, they would have missed the Messiah altogether.

Today, so many people miss out on Christ Jesus because they don’t know who they’re looking for. They’re strayed away by false teachings and prophecies about a man that the world doesn’t know nor could ever understand. The wise men weren’t distracted by the world or even the kings of the world. The wise men held tightly to the prophecies told of the Messiah and followed His star. This is the only way we will find the one true Messiah. We’ve been given an entire book from God filled with His Word describing who He is and how to recognize Him. And He’s sent us something greater than a star in the sky to guide us to Him. He sent His very Spirit to not only guide us but to dwell in us.

The Messiah has come. We have His Spirit dwelling among us. What more are we waiting for?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow His Spirit.

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⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ~ Luke 2:7

Imagine if the Christ was born in our time. Would you be able to recognize Him? Let’s put this into perspective. Approximately 385,000 babies are born every day around the world. That’s approximately 140 million every year. Would you be able to recognize which child was the promised Messiah out of 140 million? The majority of people missed the birth of Christ. They missed the promised Messiah when He was born. Matter of fact, the innkeeper had the opportunity to give the Messiah a room to be born in, but instead gave Him a stable to be born in.

The birth of a tiny baby in the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, and laid in a manger sounds so insignificant. What is that in the scheme of things? 140 million babies are born every year; what’s the significance of this one? This one just so happened to be the promised Messiah. The importance was that without the birth, we couldn’t have the death. Without the death, we could not have eternal life. Just because it doesn’t seem significant to us doesn’t mean it’s not significant to God and His plan.

If the Messiah was born in our world today, would you be able to recognize Him? Here’s the point of that question. Things don’t always seem important to us, but if we knew the heart of God, then we’d see the importance in the little things we overlook. The Messiah already came 2000 years ago, but He’s coming back again. Do you know God enough to recognize the Messiah and the little things that makeup God’s plan?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Know God To Recognize Him.

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⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ~ Galatians 4:4-5

Jesus gave us the first Christmas present. It is the gift that keeps on giving because it’s the free gift of life. From the very beginning, God had in mind what He would do to redeem mankind. Though it was dark and gloomy, though it was hopeless and without light, and yet a light shone in the darkness. The light of Jesus Christ.

In the words of the old beloved Christmas carol “O Holy Night”:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born

That is the true meaning of the promise of Christmas. The salvation of the world was born. God Himself came to redeem all of mankind. He came at the perfect time. He wasn’t late. He wasn’t early. He came at the exact perfect time. But the world wasn’t prepared for Him. So on that night when Jesus the Christ came as a little helpless baby, born in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

The same is true today. Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts, but there’s no room for Him in our busy lives. There’s no room for prayer or for devotions. There’s no room for Bible reading or meditations. There’s no room for church. In other words, there is no room for Him in the inn of our lives. Little do we realize that without the Light of the World, our world will remain in sin, error, and darkness.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Make Room For Him.

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³³ Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” ³⁴ Think carefully about what is right and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:33–34

Even though God is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, He still punishes the guilty and does not just let them go free. So, don’t let anyone tell you that you can live and do whatever you want because their god will never send anyone to hell.

People who say such things do not know the one true God. They think they know God, but to their own shame, they do not! Because everyone will be called to give an account of all, they’ve said and done. Don’t be confused because God blesses the righteous and the wicked alike. He will let both the moral and immoral dwell together on this earth until the time of the Judgment, and then He will separate them.

On that day, it won’t matter how much good you’ve done. It won’t matter how much evil you’ve done. It won’t matter if you were an upstanding citizen or a useless street bum. The only thing that will matter on that day is whether or not you followed Christ while on this earth. All other things will be irrelevant when the LORD separates mankind between believers and nonbelievers. Between actual followers of Christ and those who just speak of Him.

Don’t let the Day of Judgment hold you in fear or catch you unawares. Prepare for this day in Christ Jesus so that you won’t fear the Judgment. So that you will be able to stand before the LORD in full confidence of who He is and who you are in Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Fear That Day.

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Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Paul said the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. Then he made a list of offenses that were separated by the word “neither.” Did you notice that? I believe by inserting the word “neither,” he was making a distinction between the wicked and someone else. So why did he make a distinction? What exactly did he mean by that?

I believe when he referred to the wicked, it was those who openly and outrightly rejected Jesus, so to be sure, he said not only those who will not enter in but those who may believe, who may call them Christians, who break down the church door every Sunday. In other words, those who disguise themselves as sheep yet still indulge in then he listed a string of offenses, including Sexual immorality, Idolaters, Adulterers, Male prostitutes, Homosexual offenders, Thieves, Greedy, Drunkards, Slanderers, and Swindlers.

And then there are those who claim holiness and love for God yet throw their lot in with those who support, celebrate, and encourage this kind of wickedness against God. Let me suggest something to you, if you support it, vote for it, or deny it when you know it is going on, you are a part of it, and you are just as guilty. According to Scripture, Christians are not even to eat with those who say they are Christians, yet willfully do all these disgraces against God. They even support the shedding of innocent blood, something that God hates totally and will swiftly bring His judgment.

Everything you do in this life will have a consequence in the next. Whether the consequence is good or bad will be determined by your actions. Don’t let something that seems important now keep you from an eternity of peace and joy with your Creator because, in eternity, it won’t matter.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Flee Sin.

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³⁸ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in Him.” ~ John 18:38

Pilate was confused about the meaning of Truth, at least knowing how to recognize it. He lived in a time when the pagan gods were worshipped as truth. Their world was centered around religion, but they were still bound up in their sins. Today, we are in the same dilemma as Pilate. We’re living in a society where we’re constantly trying to get to the bottom of Pilate’s question, what is Truth?

Today’s society is hard-pressed against answering this question. We no longer seek Truth, but instead, we now only want our own truth. Jesus said He is the Truth. Jesus said that the Truth will set us free. Right now, we no longer seek the Truth because we no longer want to be free. In our society, we’ve normalized slavery. Slavery to darkness. Slavery to lies. Slavery to sin. Why? Because in the darkness, we don’t have to change. We don’t have to accept that we are flawed and we need a Savior.

This is how the enemy keeps us bound up in chains. This is how the enemy keeps us from the freedom of Jesus. The enemy convinces us that our chains are actually freedom, and our freedom is actually chains. The only way to overcome these lies is to step out of the darkness into the light that is Christ Jesus. The only way to do this is to accept the one and only Truth. And that Truth is the LORD Jesus Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Choose Freedom Over Slavery.

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⁹ When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. ¹³ You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. ¹⁴ For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you. ~ Deuteronomy 18:9-14^NKJV

If you are a Christian, the occult is off-limits for you. Plain and simple. But someone will say, but I’m a good witch, or I’m a white witch. I practice white magic. I believe in God, and I do good with my white magic. There are no double standards in Christianity. You can’t separate the two. Why? Because God does not separate the two.

Did you notice that it didn’t differentiate between white witches and black witches? Or between white masses and black masses? No, it said one who practices witchcraft. It was all-inclusive. These same white witches have familiar spirits that they consult, and they are enchanters. There’s no way to get around it. Each one is involved with the other, and God forbids all. In fact, Paul implies to drink from the cup of the LORD and from the cup of demons is like we think we are stronger than God and can take on His wrath.

²¹ You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. ²² Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

1 Corinthians 10:21-22

What does this have to do with you? Well, if it’s not from God, which is why the LORD forbids it, then it is of the Devil. And if it is of the Devil, then most likely you are in communication with demons. Just as the people of Israel thought they were worshipping gods in the land of Canaan, God clarified for Moses that they weren’t even worshipping gods, which was bad enough. What they were worshipping was lower than the gods.

¹⁷ They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.

Deuteronomy 32:17

We think we understand what we’re doing and who we’re worshipping when actuality, we know and understand very little. We only know what we’re told. If God is Truth itself and Satan is the father of lies, why would we take Satan’s word on how to better our lives and those around us instead of God’s word? If the thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus comes to give life and life more abundantly, why wouldn’t we follow Jesus over the false prophets that make our ears tickled? They only lead to death, so why not live? Put away the things of the darkness and dwell in the light. Dwell in life. Dwell with Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Avoid All Wicked Customs.

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²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²² The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³ but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ~ Matthew 6:21-23

Jesus warned that our bodies are run by our eyes, and our souls will spend eternity based on the actions and desires of our hearts. Why? Because our bodies are a housing place for either good or evil. Either light or darkness. Our eyes dictate the level of light that enters our bodies. Jesus wasn’t just referring to sins like porn when He was explaining the lamp of the body, but also our focus.

See, if we only focus on the things of this world, such as financial gain, job promotions, earthly relationships, etc., our hearts will only desire these things. Therefore, our souls will be tied to a dying world that will be judged and found wanting.

Desiring these things, in itself, isn’t bad. It only becomes a problem when these things are put before the LORD and His Kingdom. Jesus said to build the Kingdom of God first; then, these will be given to us. He wasn’t saying, don’t have goals or desires. He was saying, build God up, and God will build you up. James even clarified further that we don’t have things because we don’t ask for things. We can have desires, goals, and wants. We’re to even ask our Heavenly Father for these things, but above all else, we have to first build the Kingdom of God.

Seeking a relationship with God should be the first thing we do when we wake in the morning and the last thing we do before we go to bed at night. But if all our eyes and hearts are focused on our own carnal desires and goals, then our soul isn’t getting light. Why? Because Jesus is the only Light, and His Light is the only light that can light the darkness of this world that has corrupted us all. So, seek Him first above all else, then He will provide your needs and desires.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Light Your Lamp.

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⁴ When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. ⁵ It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ~ Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

So many of us take for granted that the LORD is holy, so we make vows or promises to Him that we don’t keep. We often think about these vows or promises as just specific actions we vow or promise to do, but what if it’s more than that? When we accept that free gift of salvation and begin our walk with God, we’re making a vow to Him. We’re making a promise that we’re never going to turn away from Him. That we’ll always follow Him, but so many of us take this vow for granted and get drawn away by the world and all of its shiny toys.

Maybe if we focused more on who God is and not on what our flesh wants, maybe we wouldn’t forget our first love. Maybe we would be able to withstand the temptation of the evil one. Maybe we will be able to be one of the five virgins that make it into Marriage Supper of the Lamb instead of one whose oil has run out.

We, the Church, are the soul of the world. If we can’t keep our vow to God that we will always follow Him, then how can we lead the world to His light? We’re dividing ourselves over what has been established as sin from before the Law of Moses was even given. We’re dividing ourselves over feelings and emotions rather than uniting over the love we have for our Creator. Our vow to follow Christ and all that He does is more than just empty words or even a promise. It’s a covenant between us and God that we will follow Him from this day on and forever. Never let the temporary things of this world draw you away from the eternal things of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep Your Vow.

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¹³ Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. ~ Matthew 7:13-14

The reality of eternal punishment often is a miss on us. We can’t fully comprehend how God could allow this to happen, but the Truth is that we choose to go to Hell. We choose to enter through the wide gate. Our eternal dwelling place is strictly left to one person to decide, and that’s us. Each of us will decide where we each spend eternity.

There are only two eternal promises in which one will spend eternity.

One: A place of blissfulness

A place of peace and joy
A place where all your needs will be abundantly supplied
Never to worry or be concerned again
Never to be mistreated or misused
Never to fear or be disrespected ever again

Two: A place of eternal torment

A place of anguish and discomfort
A place without the love of GodForever thirsty
Forever hungry
Forever fear and agony in a perpetual darkness

Chose wisely this day whom you will serve, for the day of the LORD is near and His rewards are with Him.

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