Christian

A Closer Walk

It’s not about going to Church. It’s not about following a set of rules. It’s about having that personal relationship with Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Have you heard this before? The above is a direct quote from the television show, 7 Brides Who Portray the Bride of Christ, Christ in Prophecy, but sadly it’s nothing new. I’ve heard it before.

Do you desire a relationship with Jesus?

A few ways you can actually build a relationship with Jesus:

  • Go to Church – to learn, to sing, to fellowship with Jesus and other believers.
  • Follow God’s set of rules. In John 14:15, Jesus said, If you love me, keep my Commandments. A good place to start is Exodus 20, with the Ten Commandments you’ve heard your whole life.

Relationships take time, but just as in any relationship, be careful where and from whom you get your advice.

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Christian

Wages

Jesus did not die on the cross so that you don’t have to obey God and keep his laws.

Salvation is truly a gift of God, no argument there. But of late I’ve heard two teachers (one on Twitter and one on CBN) say that you don’t have to keep the law and salvation is not because of obedience. These statements are simply not true.

Romans 6:23 KJV For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You can’t disregard the first part of this verse and accept the second. The wages of righteousness is salvation. Conversly, if you continue in your sin, you will die. To say it plainly this means spiritual death. You will not enter Heaven, your eternal destination is the lake of fire.

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Christian

Of Heaven or Of Man

In Genesis 40:8 KJV Joseph asks, Do not interpretations belong to God?

I believe that whether an interpretation of dreams or of Bible verses they only belong to God when they are correct and accurate. Yet, men too often interpret incorrectly and of their own accord. Following are some notable examples:

Hebrews 9:27 KJV And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: . Men treat this as an immutable law seeking to bind God to it. They say Enoch and Elijah must come back as the two Prophets of Revelation in order to die.

Amos 3:7 KJV Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Again, some treat this as a law. Should an observation by Amos bind the Lord from doing whatever he wants, when he wants?

1 Corinthians 16:2 KJV Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. Used by virtually every Church to pay their bills and claim donations to the Lord every Sunday. It was originally a comment by Paul to the Church at Corinth concerning donations to the saints in Jerusalem.

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Then and Now

Context is important, but so is the big picture. The Holy Bible KJV was written by God and his servants both for you and to you.

There are those that take a chainsaw or wrecking ball to their Bible, picking and choosing what they like. They say the Ten Commandments were for the Jews. Exodus and Deuteronomy were written to them. New Testament commandments don’t apply because letters like Corinthians were written only to the church at Corinth and it only applied then.

If it was good to follow then. It’s probably good to follow now. Rightly dividing the word of God does not mean removing entire books and laws just because you don’t like them. It means correctly identifying God’s commands, teaching them to others, and doing them yourself.

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Christian, Inspirational

Freedom of Religion

I have heard several times how blessed we are to have freedom of religion and assembly in the U.S. I think the sad, but more accurate truth is that we have freedom in the United States to be lukewarm.

Where is the persecution Jesus promised?

It could be freedom and grace granted by God or it could be Satan has you solidly in his grip.

Do you follow the Ten Commandments? Is the law even preached in your church?

Satan is content to let you be lukewarm.

Don’t be satisfied with it yourself.

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Do You See What I See

Keeping the law is not intended to be difficult.

Matthew 11:28-30 KJV
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Is it work to not murder? Is it a pain to not steal?

Write the Commandments upon your heart and the rest will follow.

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Do You Love Me?

Hebrews 8:10 KJV
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

The only way to learn the law is through hearing. You can hope to hear all you need to know in Church or you can read the Holy Bible for yourself. I recommend both. Read the Holy Bible and use it to study and verify what you hear from every speaker.

A great place to start is Exodus 20 and the Ten Commandments. To fully comprehend the law you’ll need to read both the Old and the New Testament of the Holy Bible.

What laws then should I follow? Follow what the Lord writes on your heart. What he’s written on mine I am obliged to share.

In Matthew 28:19-20 KJV, Jesus said, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Ten Commandments are valid, present day Commandments of Jesus. In fact, Jesus taught them. Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20 He also instructed that mercy and love are to be a part of the law. John 8:7

The law did have two significant changes between the Old and New Testament. Here are those changes God made to the law:

  • The dietary laws were revoked in Peter’s dream opening the Gospel to the Gentiles. Acts 11:9
  • Sacrificial law or animal sacrifice for sin ceased at the death of Christ on the Cross. John 3:16, Hebrews 10:12

Do you love Jesus enough to keep his Commandments? How much do you actually value his sacrifice?

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Reform School

What is more important to the modern day Church, reform or revival?

I think the answer is reform. What good does it do to have 10,000 or 10 million new potential Christians if you will not teach them the fundamentals of baptism and the law?

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 KJV,
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Paul in Galatians describes the law as a school master. Why then do none of the modern churches teach and in many instances even fail to comprehend what is the law? They can divide it into patriarchal, Mosaic, Old, and New, but they can’t tell you correctly which ones to follow.

Let the Church go back to its schoolmaster the law. And if through faith they can let the Lord write his Commandments on their heart, then a flood of revival will come.

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More or Less

Another disappointing Wednesday night service of people preaching and teaching that we are no longer under the law.

However, Jesus said he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill and if you love me keep my Commandments. Did he need to rename all of them? The New Testament says keep the commandment you have heard from the beginning.

They (errant preachers) claim we are under love and not under the law, but I say if you truly love the Lord why not let him write all his Commandments on your heart.

I once argued with a preacher, why would you keep nine commandments and not all ten. I told him I wanted to do more for the Lord. He said keeping the Sabbath, which admittedly I’m not doing well at, was not doing more.

You be the Judge, is Ten more than Nine?

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Christian, Inspirational

Courageous Women

Fear is a killer. Both men and women fall prey to it. People don’t confess their sins according to 1 John 1:9 for various reasons, one of them is fear of what others may think.

Don’t die in your sins. Read 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16 and follow them.

Courageous women overcome peer pressure and the fear of what others may think, everyday, but can they do it in Church. 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 tells us unequivocally that women should remain silent in Church.

Simply attending church exposes some problems that women may encounter. They need to be courageous in order to keep God’s law. As soon as you walk in the door someone is saying hello to you. You need to ignore them or maybe arrive right at the start of the service. Perhaps wave, but if you keep God’s word on this matter you surely will be talked about. It’s even possible that ignorant preachers will bid you to talk to them or to the people seated next to you. Again you need to be separate and remain silent. Men can’t alter the law of God which is why when a preacher asks women to speak in church I have dubbed it a call to shame.

Women can truly be courageous, but it helps if they know the law. Hosea 4:6 KJV says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge … .

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