Category Archives: forgiveness of sin

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To shun the Son….

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET HAVE BELIEVED.” JOHN 20:29 

Faith. Faith is a funny thing and sometimes we can have faith to move a mountain and then sometimes our faith errs more on the side of the mountain moving us. But we do have it, whether we always use it or not it is very much there. God told us that to all believers we are given the measure of faith and to some, even the gift of faith.

Even in our lost pre Christ days, we still have faith in things working at certain way, and cause and effect of all situations , things that are without question as, just being and working as they should and no one has to tell us otherwise. But when it comes to the Kingdom and believing for the afterlife, it gets tangled, many have no problem with the reality that as magnificent as it is, they were formed inside the womb, they grew, and bodies and minds faced amazing changes, and all taken for granted as a bald, toothless, helpless person soon started to walk, talk and explore the world and they believe this happens because it has been proven over and over as each child is born.

They could easily believe in Jesus because they had seen Him, they walked with Him, ate with Him, learned from Him and now were witness to absolute living proof that He had indeed raised from the dead. I truly believe that we are born with a knowledge deep inside of us that there is so much more than this life and even those who don’t want to seek the Lord still end up spending their lives seeking something, anything to fill that void. they seek false religions, seek paganism, humanism, and the never-ending search for alien life forms:

2TIMOTHY 3:7 “ EVER LEARNING, and NEVER able to come to the knowledge of the TRUTH.”

As those who profess to be wise, boy, we could list some doozies right there, reputable for their “brilliant” minds and lead countless people straight to hell because they detest God and want everyone else too also and have done a great job convincing the secular world that not only does he not exist, but that those who believe are of a Neanderthal  intelligence.

And yet, Jesus said that we are BLESSED. Starting with those who are crushed, afflicted, and wounded in their souls:

BLESSED are the poor in spirit; for their’s IS the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

BLESSED are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

BLESSED are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

BLESSED are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

BLESSED are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

BLESSED are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

BLESSED are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. REJOICE, and be exceedingly glad: for GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”                                                                                             MATTHEW 5:3-12

Notice our rewards ARE in heaven, in the afterlife in which we must believe and as my last post, I know that there are those who do believe and yet refuse to accept Christ. Whatever reason, if it is just peer pressure from friends or spouses, that the world will just not think your cool anymore, you’ll be laughed at or mocked.

Well , He said when you “lose your life” for His sake, you WILL find it. When you are ready to give up the fake friends and false bravado and humble yourself into the hand of a mighty God, then, and only THEN you WILL begin to live as you were created to, and that life WILL be eternal and all the Blessing of God WILL come upon you and your life.

What most people fail to realize is this, we ALL influence someone, there is always someone who watches how you live your life and the decisions you make WILL affect them. If you choose Life eternal, how many more could you bring unto that life? If they saw the change in you and your acknowledgment of God, how can that affect THEIR eternity?

And if you refuse eternal life, you are exchanging that blessed state for an eternal cursing and again all who follow you and your ways will be more inclined to that path of destruction also.

And being a “Closet Believer” is the equivalent to being an unbeliever, Jesus said you are not condemned because you do believe but yet in not acknowledging Him to those in your life, then it like being married to a person and hiding them from your family and friends as if you are ashamed of your association with them. Being ashamed of a person means that you acknowledge them as that person you just don’t want anyone else to know that you know them.

Which is what makes it clear that in this verse, Jesus was SPEAKING to those who DO BELIEVE in HIM: 

LUKE 9:25,26: ” For what is a man advantaged (benefitted) if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (be destroyed), or be cast away (lost)? For WHOSOEVER SHALL BE ASHAMED OF ME AND OF MY WORDS, OF HIM SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE ASHAMED OF, WHEN HE SHALL COME INTO HIS OWN GLORY, AND IN HIS FATHER’S, AND OF THE HOLY ANGELS.”

So if we deny Him here on this earth, if we are too proud, too stubborn to admit we need Him, even though we believe in him, it will be counted as nothing.

Because we have chosen to deny Him in front of our peers, He will then deny us in the presence of the host of heaven itself and as He said, what will it profit then? What will anyone give in exchange for their own soul? At that time there will be no more opportunities to make it right.

So you see, BELIEVING is not quite enough, even the “devils” believe in one God and tremble”. They BELEIVE because they know He exists but they are still going to hell because they knew the judgment of God and chose to rebel against Him. It is like “having a form of godliness and DENYING the power thereof.”

 Like all who are saved from the least to the greatest among disciples and all the saints, NO ONE is of a higher standing than another in the eyes of God, and just as Nicodemus came to Him by night, so many in our world today want to do the same, come to Him under the cover of the night, come to Him in secret with the plea, “I believe, but I can’t let others know” a sad cop-out.

Well, there is only one way: ROMANS 10:9-11:

” That if THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED. FOR WITH THE HEART MAN(HUMANS) BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION. For the scripture saith, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED.”

Pretty point on there, we must first believe in our hearts through faith that HE IS and we must then confess that belief openly and willingly, and then at His coming we will not be ashamed.

So we all have a choice, surrender while there is time, call on Him while He is nigh, answer the door as He knocks on our hearts, and for the record, if you are straddling this fence and putting off until tomorrow the decision for Christ, when you are not guaranteed a tomorrow to make that decision, I want you to know, if He has allowed this to come to you, you have consented by reading it, you are bound by it, you will never be able to stand before the Lord and plead blissful ignorance to these things, “to know to do good, and do it not, is a sin unto you”, heed this carefully.

You have been presented with YOUR choices, accept Him, and His Word, His Blessing, or reject Him and His blessings and keep the world, shun the Son, but know that one day, it will be you that He will shun.

Φλογίζω Σαλπιζω NBJ 2016  Original post 10/15/2015 REVISTED 01/27/2021, & 08/12/2022

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WHITER THAN SNOW

 

Now that we’ve admitted that not very many can lay claim to the titles of “Patty Purity” or “Captain Celibate” and in reality it would be more along the lines of ” A Randy Dandy” or “Backstreet Barbie” but there is hope, so much hope!
The moment that we realize our sins, mistakes and failures, when true conviction comes and suddenly our minds and spirits are faced with the realization of what miserable creatures we really are. Once that takes hold, real change soon follows and the spiritual “brain damage” due to “sin”trifugal force of this world is both reversible and completely curable.
But it requires a most awesome physician, Jesus is that physician.

He heals mind, spirit, body, and soul.
He is the great potter, taking the old, marred and cracked vessels, gently re-firing them, he then shapes those lifeless, lumps of clay into  beautiful, new creations that don’t even resemble the broken mess they  once were.
Each one a vessel strong and new that can now hold the goodness of his spirit and also has the strength to withstand the wear and tear of this world.
He takes minds that were completely broken and renews them to such clarity that his very mind can now be in us.
He takes all the shame, guilt and pain, and he casts it into his sea of forgetfulness, never again to be remembered by him.
As he flung the stars into the sky at creation, he flings all those sins as far as the east is to the west.
“COME NOW, AND LET US REASON TOGETHER, SAITH THE LORD; THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE AS WHITE AS SNOW; THOUGH THEY BE RED LIKE CRIMSON, THEY SHALL BE AS WOOL.” Isaiah 1:18
He doesn’t care where you have been, or what you did while you were there, he died to save us from all of that. He knew our sins would be worthy of a price that we could not afford to pay. He only cares about where you are going and wants to help you every step of the way, His promises are “Yes” and “Amen”. He has never been up there with a chalkboard, keeping score, just waiting to send you to hell and he will do everything within his power  to keep you from going there. BUT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT HIM.
Most make their fatal mistake in believing the lie that Satan tells them, that they have gone too far that God would never accept them now or that they have to be able to change themselves.
Number one, if a person had gone too far to be saved, then conviction, or a conscious knowledge of the need for salvation would never enter their mind!
Number two, WE CAN NEVER, NEVER, EVER CHANGE OURSELVES! So put that to rest right away. That is why we must be washed in the blood of the Lamb, He changes us!
You will not even think the same or have the desires you once had. He allows us to be able to live a life holy and pleasing to him through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit, which leads us and guides, gently nudging us in our spirit as to what we should do and most importantly what not to do.
Think of  “Rahab, the Harlot” her name being referenced in many sermons, she is actually referred to in the Bible as “The Harlot” but because of her kindness to the servants of God and her desire to repent, the Lord saved her and her family while everyone else there were destroyed.
Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus cast seven demons out of went on follow him faithfully, never looking back but pressing forward and she was the first that he appeared to upon resurrection.
And how can we forget our favorite trip junkie Samson, who after a lifetime of running wild and doing his own thing, finally, this great warrior of God, saw the light.
God never belittled any of these or countless others, who were as prodigal sons and daughters that once they realized they were wallowing with pigs, they longed for home and the Father eagerly welcomed them back in.
He cleansed them, healed them, answered their prayers and never once put the burden of their sin on their own shoulders, now that is why he gave his life.
How did they receive God’s mercy, peace, and forgiveness? They confessed their sin to him, asked for forgiveness and never looked back.
Remember, you never have to tell a church house full of people your darkest secrets, and you certainly are not required to tell it to any man, you are only required to ask Jesus, and Jesus alone to forgive you of your sins.
So whatever you’ve been through, leave it right there, get yourself to the cross and let his precious holy blood wash you whiter than snow.
Original Post Date:11/29/2014. All rights reserved.  Φλογίζω/ Nina BrownJohnson 2015

REVISTED and linked 06/27/2021 NBJ 2021

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To shun the Son….

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET HAVE BELIEVED.” JOHN 20:29 

Faith, Faith is a funny thing and sometimes we can have faith to move a mountain and then sometimes our faith errs more on the side of the mountain moving us. But we do have it, whether we always use it or not it is very much there. God told us that to all believers we are given the measure of faith and to some, even the gift of faith.

Even in our lost pre Christ days, we still have faith in things working at certain way, and cause and effect of all situations , things that are without question as, just being and working as they should and no one has to tell us otherwise. But when it comes to the Kingdom and believing for the afterlife, it gets tangled, many have no problem with the reality that as magnificent as it is, they were formed inside the womb, they grew, and bodies and minds faced amazing changes, and all taken for granted as a bald, toothless, helpless person soon started to walk, talk and explore the world and they believe this happens because it has been proven over and over as each child is born.

They could easily believe in Jesus because they had seen Him, they walked with Him, ate with Him, learned from Him and now were witness to absolute living proof that He had indeed raised from the dead. I truly believe that we are born with a knowledge deep inside of us that there is so much more than this life and even those who don’t want to seek the Lord still end up spending their lives seeking something, anything to fill that void. they seek false religions, seek paganism, humanism, and the never-ending search for alien life forms:

2TIMOTHY 3:7 “ EVER LEARNING, and NEVER able to come to the knowledge of the TRUTH.”

As those who profess to be wise, boy, we could list some doozies right there, reputable for their “brilliant” minds and lead countless people straight to hell because they detest God and want everyone else too also and have done a great job convincing the secular world that not only does he not exist, but that those who believe are of a Neanderthal  intelligence.

And yet, Jesus said that we are BLESSED. Starting with those who are crushed, afflicted, and wounded in their souls:

BLESSED are the poor in spirit; for their’s IS the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

BLESSED are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

BLESSED are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

BLESSED are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

BLESSED are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

BLESSED are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

BLESSED are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. REJOICE, and be exceedingly glad: for GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”                                                                                             MATTHEW 5:3-12

Notice our rewards ARE in heaven, in the afterlife in which we must believe and as my last post, I know that there are those who do believe and yet refuse to accept Christ. Whatever reason, if it is just peer pressure from friends or spouses, that the world will just not think your cool anymore, you’ll be laughed at or mocked.

Well , He said when you “lose your life” for His sake, you WILL find it. When you are ready to give up the fake friends and false bravado and humble yourself into the hand of a mighty God, then, and only THEN you WILL begin to live as you were created to, and that life WILL be eternal and all the Blessing of God WILL come upon you and your life.

What most people fail to realize is this, we ALL influence someone, there is always someone who watches how you live your life and the decisions you make WILL affect them. If you choose Life eternal, how many more could you bring unto that life? If they saw the change in you and your acknowledgment of God, how can that affect THEIR eternity?

And if you refuse eternal life, you are exchanging that blessed state for an eternal cursing and again all who follow you and your ways will be more inclined to that path of destruction also.

And being a “Closet Believer” is the equivalent to being an unbeliever, Jesus said you are not condemned because you do believe but yet in not acknowledging Him to those in your life, then it like being married to a person and hiding them from your family and friends as if you are ashamed of your association with them. Being ashamed of a person means that you acknowledge them as that person you just don’t want anyone else to know that you know them.

Which is what makes it clear that in this verse, Jesus was SPEAKING to those who DO BELIEVE in HIM: 

LUKE 9:25,26: ” For what is a man advantaged (benefitted) if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (be destroyed), or be cast away (lost)? For WHOSOEVER SHALL BE ASHAMED OF ME AND OF MY WORDS, OF HIM SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE ASHAMED OF, WHEN HE SHALL COME INTO HIS OWN GLORY, AND IN HIS FATHER’S, AND OF THE HOLY ANGELS.”

So if we deny Him here on this earth, if we are too proud, too stubborn to admit we need Him, even though we believe in him, it will be counted as nothing.

Because we have chosen to deny Him in front of our peers, He will then deny us in the presence of the host of heaven itself and as He said, what will it profit then? What will anyone give in exchange for their own soul? At that time there will be no more opportunities to make it right.

So you see, BELIEVING is not quite enough, even the “devils” believe in one God and tremble”. They BELEIVE because they know He exists but they are still going to hell because they knew the judgment of God and chose to rebel against Him. It is like “having a form of godliness and DENYING the power thereof.”

 Like all who are saved from the least to the greatest among disciples and all the saints, NO ONE is of a higher standing than another in the eyes of God, and just as Nicodemus came to Him by night, so many in our world today want to do the same, come to Him under the cover of the night, come to Him in secret with the plea, “I believe, but I can’t let others know” a sad cop-out.

Well, there is only one way: ROMANS 10:9-11:

” That if THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED. FOR WITH THE HEART MAN(HUMANS) BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION. For the scripture saith, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED.”

Pretty point on there, we must first believe in our hearts through faith that HE IS and we must then confess that belief openly and willingly, and then at His coming we will not be ashamed.

So we all have a choice, surrender while there is time, call on Him while He is nigh, answer the door as He knocks on our hearts,

(and for the record, if you are straddling this fence and putting off until tomorrow the decision for Christ, when you are not guaranteed a tomorrow to make that decision, I want you to know, if He has allowed this to come to you, you have consented by reading it, you are bound by it, you will never be able to stand before the Lord and plead blissful ignorance to these things, “to know to do good, and do it not, is a sin unto you”, heed this carefully)

You have been presented with YOUR choices, accept Him, and His Word, His Blessing, or reject Him and His blessings and keep the world, shun the Son, but know that one day, it will be you that He will shun.

Φλογίζω Σαλπιζω NBJ 2016  Original post 10/15/2015 REVISTED 01/27/2021

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“2020 Constant in continuance”

“As he spoke these words, many believed in him,  If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”  John 8:31,32   

Going to be going back to those passages in just a bit, but I wanted to stop there and talk about that truth, His truth, the truth that this entire season is supposed to celebrate. Jesus arriving on earth as a perfectly innocent babe, just as Jesus always was and still is and will forever be.

That is the truth that He brought to us, his beauty, his humility, and most of His grace.

A grace to so compassionate and so extensive that instead of destroying us in judgment against our sins, He chose to save us, save us from sin, save us from the devil, and most of all save us from ourselves. 

That is what I have always found so astounding and so amazing, not that everything about God and His majesty isn’t astounding, it is because He is supernatural while we are just barely natural!

But how a being who could speak everything that we know as the universe into existence, could separate the heaven from the earth and the heavens from the heavens and fling the starts, planets, sun, and moon into an endless space.

Created innumerable species on such a scale from the largest of beasts to the tiny little daphnia, who being only 0.01-0.20 inches in size has a beautiful little features including a perfect little heart that can be seen beating through its translucent body under a microscope, so tiny that this does not hurt them in anyway.

The SAME God who created the mammoths, the whales, also created the tiny little humming birds, the incredible assortment of color changing and electrically charge sea creatures and right down to the microscopic communities of absolute GOD GIVEN life.

And every single one with hundreds of types and varieties within their species, all intelligent, beautiful, and with uniquely their own social orders.

The birds who are especially brilliant with their dances of courtship and the bower-birds, the males building beautifully designed masterpieces of found art to impress potential mates, while other males seriously stake out his joint waiting for a chance to destroy it so that he can take out his competition for those potential mates.

And the male red birds who sing sweet songs as their “lady” birds set patiently on the eggs that will be their new family.

And all these much better parents and partners than their human counter parts on any given day.

And we could go on forever with example after example across the board of God’s creation.

And in all the splendor, all of the magnificent display of His creations, He came to save but one of all the kinds he created. the only species that ever questioned his existence, the only species that ever dared think itself quite so high, the only species that needed  a Saviour!

You can “see” this uniquely human attitude as we return to our scriptures, now bear in mind that these guys are actually saying this to God, the very one who created them!

And yet they question him.

John 8:33-43:”They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, (descendants), and we were NEVER in bondage to any man: HOW sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 

Jesus answered them,  Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever (forever). If the Son shall therefore make ye free, ye shall be free indeed.

I know that ye are Abraham’s seed: but ye seek to kill me, because my WORD has no place in you.

I speak that which I have seen with my Father; and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.  

They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father, Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Ye do the deeds of your father.  Then said they unto him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.”  

They couldn’t hear, even though they probably had perfect hearing they still could not hear the word, even with the Living Word standing right in front of them.

And in our world today it is so easy to get side tracked to get out of focus with the truth of God’s word, as Jesus so simply stated as this, John 8:47: “He that is of God heareth God’s words…” 

And that is not even about hearing the literal voice of God (which I am not disputing that some do) He means His written word, his commandments, his teachings and all that he had others write to us when giving us the Bible as our handbook to survival of this world.

2 Corinthians 3:1-17: “Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

Forasmuch as ye manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God: not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. 

And such trust we have through Christ to God-ward: 

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God. 

Who also hath made us ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather (more) glorious?

For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

For if that which was done (passing) away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.  

Seeing then that we have such hope,  we use great plainness of speech:

And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished.

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

Nevertheless when it (one) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. NOW the Lord IS that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord IS, there IS Liberty.”

So basically what he was saying with much of that is this, as Moses face actually shone from being in the presence of God, and that glory was there even though the Mosaic law called for strict punishment and when the law of Christ comes into our heart how much more is that glory because the glory of that is the promise and hope of ETERNAL freedom!

And if you have Jesus and have his word and keep his word as he told us multiple, multiple times then we will have that promise.

Not much for him to ask, is it? And why doers he ask? For the same reason he warns and advises on any other subject… it is for us, for our GOOD. 

Psalm 119:11: “THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MINE HEART, THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST THEE.” 

Lack of his word leads to sin and as his word tells us “sin leads to death” and death without him leads to an eternity no one wants to think of. 

So continue in him, in his word, and take him for his word and enjoy the goodness, mercy, and grace that he came to this earth to give us. 

What better way to start our new year in him, a fresh commitment to staying in his word and true to the simplicity of his word, not mega ministers not theories or thoughts but JESUS, and his word at face value, just as he intended, one of the many reasons he came, prophet after prophet he sent, but then he came and he told us HIMSELF!

Think of that as we go into 2020…

Φλογιζω NBJ 2019/ REV. Nina BrownJohnson

 

 

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“Turning upside down right side up”

“And in the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought an offering of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.

And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering; But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.

And Cain was very wroth (angry), and his countenance fell.

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth (Why are you so mad?) And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? 

And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door: And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” Genesis 4:3-7 

Starting at the “process of time”, ever think of the effects of the PROCESS OF TIME? So many old sayings, “Time waits for no one”, “All in good time”, “Time will tell the tale”,  quirky maybe, TRUE nevertheless and time is NOT any ones friend!

But you know, God actually WANTS our “latter days” to be BETTER than our former days! So why do we often feel the complete opposite? I want to give you a comparison post.

Written “thoughts’ from scriptures, true words of who other’s have felt during the “process of time” and what the scripture states we SHOULD experience during that process. 

So over time Adam & Eve’s boys grew and they offered up their “best” unto the Lord. Abel offered what he knew to be right and what he had been taught to be right.

Cain on the other hand offered up the “fruit of the ground”, things he had grown and sometimes spiritual, maybe we can be guilty of NOT doing what is right but rather “offering” to the Lord the leftover things in our lives.

Instead of giving him the first and the best, we give him what we have left of what we have pulled out of earth and “earth” is us and our hearts. God loves us but God will NOT accept second best as an “offering” of devotion, love, and praise to him.

He has to be number one, so sins sets in and what he was saying to Cain is this, IF he would give HIS best He would be accepted. ANYTHING less than his best would not be accepted.

And that this attitude and failure to correct that attitude would result in SIN controlling him and that Cain himself SHOULD rule over that sin and NOT be snared by his own attitudes and correctable shortcomings.

As we know with the story of Cain and Abel, Cain DID NOT take the Lord’s advice, but went contrary to God’s warning and through jealously and hatred murdered his own brother.

Now we’ll get a glimpse of what it is to FEEL when our countenance “has fallen”, when trouble has taken our joy and worry consume our thoughts, and even when that sin that lie in wait has won and we have fallen to its snare.

Psalm 38: 1-9: “O Lord, rebuke me NOT in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

For thine arrows stick fast in me (deeply pierce me), and thy hand presseth me sore (down).

There is NO soundness in my flesh BECAUSE of thine anger, NEITHER is there any rest (peace) in my bones BECAUSE of my sin.

For mine iniquities have gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.  

My wounds stink (are foul and festering, growing worse) and are corrupt BECAUSE of my foolishness.

I am troubled (bent down); I am bowed down greatly: I go mourning all the day long. For my lions are filled with a loathsome disease ( inflammation):

And there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart (groaned during turmoil) 

Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.”

The feelings of nervousness, no soundness in our “flesh”, anxiety and fear causing stomach troubles, and the “wounds” that grow worse, actually translating to “festering” as NOT ACCEPTING the forgiveness of God does cause all those spiritual conditions that manifest in our “countenance” to intensify and grow worse, because of the overwhelming FALSE thought that God is SO angry that he will never forgive us.

When David wrote this, he was clearly distressed in multiple ways and really expresses the “punishing” hand of the Lord upon him. And i can’t help but wonder how often do we feel this way?

God’s word offers us such hope, such forgiveness that it will clearly offer the healing for these conditions but we have to be willing to ACCEPT it and it is so easy for us as humans, to want to beat our selves up over mistakes and “wrong turns” in life that we will suffer these conditions of OURSELVES rather than to ask God to deliver us and set us back on that right road.

And he will, just as he advised Cain, only Cain refused God advice choosing to “take care of his own problem”.

You know kinda like a “I made my bed, I’ll lie in it” kind of mentality. But God NEVER told us to have that mentality!

And his word is actually quite opposite to these self-destructive, self- punishing, being your own judge, jury, and executioner!  Back to Cain, once God called him out about the murder of his brother and had leveled his penalty for that action, he STILL showed unmerited MERCY and forgiveness to Cain, when Cain expressed his fear of dying for those actions.

Genesis 4:13-15: “And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment (iniquity) is greater than I can bear.

Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth: and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 

And the Lord said unto him,(NOT SO) Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, VENGEANCE SHALL BE  TAKEN ON HIM SEVENFOLD. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.”

Now THAT is mercy and forgiveness! So knowing not many has angrily murdered there brothers, but also knowing sin is sin, why do so many RESIST just letting the Lord take over, forgive them and set his “mark” upon them and rest in his love, mercy, and provision? I think it goes back to that same old messed up thinking, and again that thinking IS NOT right! It does NOT line up with God’s WORD for us!

And it actually takes precedence OVER God’s role in our lives because instead of bowing down to God, we can find ourselves bowing down to our own prideful need to reprimand ourselves, and it is pride based.

It is pride that makes us falsely believe that we should “take care of our own problems” and it really is like telling God that you believe that he saved you, or a list of all the other things he has done for you in your life, BUT you “made this mess, you’ll clean it up”, kinda crazy isn’t it? How exactly do we do that?

We can’t save ourselves.

As the Bible tells us,  a leopard can’t change its spots, and Jesus told us, we can’t change our height, there are things we can never change, only God can can.

And we can’t “get out of our own messes” we have to accept God’s help and I say “accept” because I know God always wants to help his people and it is his desire to see ALL of us free and living in the peace and joy he preordained and purchased for us with his own life!

And we can take a lesson from Cain, even though he fell to that anger and pride, he still had the good-sense to ask God for help and ask God to CHANGE  his future!

Job 5:1-9: ” CALL now, if there be any that will answer thee: and to which of the saints (holy ones) wilt thou turn?

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one, I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robbers swallow up their substance (wealth).

Although affliction cometh not forth  of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground.  

Yet man is born unto trouble (distresses and toil), as the sparks fly upward. I (but as for me) would seek unto God,and unto God would I commit my cause.  Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number.”

Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to WILL and to DO his good pleasure.” 

Luke 12: 32: “Fear not, little flock;  for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Take him up on it! Don’t let false guilt and self persecuting pride rob you of what Jesus is trying to give you! Let him turn that upside down warped thinking right side up and save you not only from the devil but for a more formidable enemy…yourself.

The enemy doesn’t have to destroy you when you are needlessly destroying yourself.

Φλογιζω Σαλπιζω NB 2018

Awesome song, wonderful message to remember!

 

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Relinquishing Regret

“Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness’ sake O Lord. Good and upright IS the Lord: therefore he will teach sinners in the way. The meek (humble) will he guide in judgment(justice): and the meek he will teach his way.

ALL the paths of the Lord are MERCY and TRUTH unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O, Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.” Psalm 25: 7-11

Nothing can eat away our life, our health, and our soul quite like guilt. The most self destructive of all human emotions and the biggest of all burdens that are to be brought and LEFT AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS. 

It is often the binding tie that satan uses to hold his prisoners captive, convincing them in themselves that they DO NOT deserve to be free from the chains of actions taken yesterday whose consequences are forever now written.

He uses it on Christians, who even though they have come to the cross, they have failed to lay down that burden and continue to beat and badger themselves over and over again, not accepting the truth of forgiveness and allowing that guilt and regret to taint and rob the joy and peace that Jesus provided at the cross.

When we are constantly emotionally punishing ourselves over and over, the enemy has little to fear because we are doing his job for him. Why does he need to accuse the brethren when the brethren accuse themselves?

Regret WIIL make you sick, it WILL make you miserable, and it can very well lead you to hell, IF you allow guilt and regret to prevent you from accepting God’s salvation.

We can think we are not worth but Jesus thought we were VERY MUCH WORTH IT and He gave His life for ALL our sins. ALL of our mistakes, shortcomings, and failures and to hold the guilt rather than accepting forgiveness is making our guilt our god.

Regret is just guilt’s enabler, a life spent pondering things we could have and should have done is again a life, precious, given of God, completed wasted in endless analytical thoughts of how things could have been different.

Guilt and regret have no place in your life, they are past tense only and to bring them with you in the present is only sabotaging your future and the well-being and futures of all you interact with and have influence with.

As we know I am BIG on preaching influence because WE all have influence, even if you live alone, you have the POWER to impact others, someway, somehow, or maybe due to your availability, there is a ministry of service and outreach with “your name written all over it”, just waiting in the background, until you are ready to shed guilt and regret, send them packing, and spread your spiritual wings and let God lead you where HE ALREADY PREDESTINED FOR YOU TO GO!

But if your holding guilt and regret, He is NOT going to just reach down and jerk them out of your hands, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO LET THEM GO! Then He can give you all the good things of His mercy and His Truth that HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU.

The verses above, for me is the absolute guide to repentance, quoted them many, many times myself and when I was first saved it was reading these verses over and over through floods and rivers of tears.

We have ALL messed up, we have ALL sinned, we have ALL been best friends with guilt and regret, but Jesus is faithful and HE wants us to let them go and TRUST in Him and forget all those things and press on, IN HIM.

And the ONLY way to true freedom IS found in Him and His blood and the washing by that blood, we can’t drink them away, can’t snort them away, and your sure not going to wish them away, all the methods people use in attempt to dull their inner pain always ends the same, once your down and the crash comes your only more messed up and deeper and deeper in that sinking pit and NOTHING is going away, more regret is just being added.

Continuing in Psalm 25:12-22: ” What man (human) is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. HIS SOUL SHALL DWELL AT EASE (in goodness) and his seed (descendants) shall inherit the earth.

The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew (cause them to know) his covenant. Mine (my) eyes are ever toward the Lord; FOR HE SHALL PLUCK MY FEET OUT OF THE NET. Turn thee unto me, (please come to me) have mercy upon me; for I am desolate (lonely) and afflicted.

THE TROUBLES OF MY HEART ARE ENLARGED (burdened with worry, guilt, regret) ;O BRING THOU ME OUT OF MY DISTRESSES. LOOK UPON MINE AFFLICATION AND MY PAIN; AND FORGIVE MY SINS. Consider mine enemies (negative emotions and even ourselves ARE enemies); for they hate me with a cruel hatred.

O keep my soul, and DELIVER ME: let me not be ashamed; for I put my TRUST IN THEE. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I WAIT ON THEE (wait IN FAITH on thee). Redeem Israel, O, God, out of ALL his troubles.”

Jesus is more than willing to heal us in these places, if we only ask. So many are trapped in prisons of heartache, regret, and remorse but PLEASE, PLEASE, as a minister of HIS GRACE, I am pleading with you, DON’T STAY THERE.

We ALL have those spans of time we dearly wish would could go back and change.. but we can’t. What we CAN change is how those times can be used to propel you into your destiny and in to the kingdom where you can maybe one day use those lessons learned to help another NOT make the same choices.

As my very wise sister always says, it really is like burying something dead and going back and digging up rotten old bones.Take them to the cross and leave them there and never think about them again.

God gives us beauty for ashes, to produce ashes something has had to burn. Don’t wait another moment, You can talk to God anywhere,  you don’t have to be in a church house, HE WILL MEET YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE.

STOP being your own enemy and unwittingly sabotaging your own life, lay guilt and regret, and all that hurts you today, on HIS altar and let it all be burned away. Let a NEW day unfold because you will never EVER know freedom until you are FREE in Him. Blessing and Peace to you in Jesus’ name.

Φλογίζω Σαλπιζω NBJ 2017     Original Post 02/27/2017 Revisited 02/14/2021 Praying this will be a blessing to someone today! Also my beautiful sister who is referenced above as since went home to be with Jesus, two years now on the 16th, but her love,words, and wisdom live on, so today, please don’t let anything, anything keep you away from funding peace in Jesus, He is there, and He is only a heartbeat away.

 

 

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To shun the Son….

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that HAVE NOT SEEN, AND YET HAVE BELIEVED.” JOHN 20:29 

Faith, Faith is a funny thing and sometimes we can have faith to move a mountain and then sometimes our faith errs more on the side of the mountain moving us. But we do have it, whether we always use it or not it is very much there. God told us that to all believers we are given the measure of faith and to some, even the gift of faith.

Even in our lost pre Christ days, we still have faith in things working at certain way, and cause and effect of all situations , things that are without question as, just being and working as they should and no one has to tell us otherwise. But when it comes to the Kingdom and believing for the afterlife, it gets tangled, many have no problem with the reality that as magnificent as it is, they were formed inside the womb, they grew, and bodies and minds faced amazing changes, and all taken for granted as a bald, toothless, helpless person soon started to walk, talk and explore the world and they believe this happens because it has been proven over and over as each child is born.

They could easily believe in Jesus because they had seen Him, they walked with Him, ate with Him, learned from Him and now were witness to absolute living proof that He had indeed raised from the dead. I truly believe that we are born with a knowledge deep inside of us that there is so much more than this life and even those who don’t want to seek the Lord still end up spending their lives seeking something, anything to fill that void. they seek false religions, seek paganism, humanism, and the never-ending search for alien life forms:

2TIMOTHY 3:7 “ EVER LEARNING, and NEVER able to come to the knowledge of the TRUTH.”

As those who profess to be wise, boy, we could list some doozies right there, reputable for their “brilliant” minds and lead countless people straight to hell because they detest God and want everyone else too also and have done a great job convincing the secular world that not only does he not exist, but that those who believe are of a Neanderthal  intelligence.

And yet, Jesus said that we are BLESSED. Starting with those who are crushed, afflicted, and wounded in their souls:

BLESSED are the poor in spirit; for their’s IS the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

BLESSED are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

BLESSED are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

BLESSED are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

BLESSED are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

BLESSED are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

BLESSED are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. REJOICE, and be exceedingly glad: for GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”                                                                                             MATTHEW 5:3-12

Notice our rewards ARE in heaven, in the afterlife in which we must believe and as my last post, I know that there are those who do believe and yet refuse to accept Christ. Whatever reason, if it is just peer pressure from friends or spouses, that the world will just not think your cool anymore, you’ll be laughed at or mocked.

Well , He said when you “lose your life” for His sake, you WILL find it. When you are ready to give up the fake friends and false bravado and humble yourself into the hand of a mighty God, then, and only THEN you WILL begin to live as you were created to, and that life WILL be eternal and all the Blessing of God WILL come upon you and your life.

What most people fail to realize is this, we ALL influence someone, there is always someone who watches how you live your life and the decisions you make WILL affect them. If you choose Life eternal, how many more could you bring unto that life? If they saw the change in you and your acknowledgment of God, how can that affect THEIR eternity?

And if you refuse eternal life, you are exchanging that blessed state for an eternal cursing and again all who follow you and your ways will be more inclined to that path of destruction also.

And being a “Closet Believer” is the equivalent to being an unbeliever, Jesus said you are not condemned because you do believe but yet in not acknowledging Him to those in your life, then it like being married to a person and hiding them from your family and friends as if you are ashamed of your association with them. Being ashamed of a person means that you acknowledge them as that person you just don’t want anyone else to know that you know them.

Which is what makes it clear that in this verse, Jesus was SPEAKING to those who DO BELIEVE in HIM: 

LUKE 9:25,26: ” For what is a man advantaged (benefitted) if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (be destroyed), or be cast away (lost)? For WHOSOEVER SHALL BE ASHAMED OF ME AND OF MY WORDS, OF HIM SHALL THE SON OF MAN BE ASHAMED OF, WHEN HE SHALL COME INTO HIS OWN GLORY, AND IN HIS FATHER’S, AND OF THE HOLY ANGELS.”

So if we deny Him here on this earth, if we are too proud, too stubborn to admit we need Him, even though we believe in him, it will be counted as nothing.

Because we have chosen to deny Him in front of our peers, He will then deny us in the presence of the host of heaven itself and as He said, what will it profit then? What will anyone give in exchange for their own soul? At that time there will be no more opportunities to make it right.

So you see, BELIEVING is not quite enough, even the “devils” believe in one God and tremble”. They BELEIVE because they know He exists but they are still going to hell because they knew the judgment of God and chose to rebel against Him. It is like “having a form of godliness and DENYING the power thereof.”

 Like all who are saved from the least to the greatest among disciples and all the saints, NO ONE is of a higher standing than another in the eyes of God, and just as Nicodemus came to Him by night, so many in our world today want to do the same, come to Him under the cover of the night, come to Him in secret with the plea, “I believe, but I can’t let others know” a sad cop-out.

Well, there is only one way: ROMANS 10:9-11:

” That if THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED. FOR WITH THE HEART MAN(HUMANS) BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION. For the scripture saith, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED.”

Pretty point on there, we must first believe in our hearts through faith that HE IS and we must then confess that belief openly and willingly, and then at His coming we will not be ashamed.

So we all have a choice, surrender while there is time, call on Him while He is nigh, answer the door as He knocks on our hearts,

(and for the record, if you are straddling this fence and putting off until tomorrow the decision for Christ, when you are not guaranteed a tomorrow to make that decision, I want you to know, if He has allowed this to come to you, you have consented by reading it, you are bound by it, you will never be able to stand before the Lord and plead blissful ignorance to these things, “to know to do good, and do it not, is a sin unto you”, heed this carefully)

You have been presented with YOUR choices, accept Him, and His Word, His Blessing, or reject Him and His blessings and keep the world, shun the Son, but know that one day, it will be you that He will shun.

Φλογίζω Σαλπιζω NBJ 2016  Original post 10/15/2015 REVISTED 01/27/2021

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Just to be crystal clear…….

“Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them.  STRIVE to enter in at the straight (NARROW) gate: for MANY, I say unto you, WILL SEEK to enter in, and shall NOT be able.

When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door, and ye began to stand without (outside), and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know NOT  whence ye are (where you are from): THEN shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

But he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are (where you are from) DEPART FROM ME, ALL YE WORKERS OF INIQUITY. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first that shall be last.” 

                                                                     LUKE 13:23-30

So to see what is going on there, we often gaze into a pool and are mesmerized by the reflection we see, only the problem is this, we often see OUR reflection, OUR HUMAN FACE, and not see clearly through the water to see a reflection that God wants, a reflection of Him. The reflection staring back should be that of Jesus Christ.

These are those who SAY that they have done the will of God, SAY they have basked in His presence but the problem comes when met face to face, HE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THEM AS HIS! We have so many FALSE teachings today that “there are many ways to heaven”.

JESUS SAID, JOHN 14:6:…. I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.”

Considering these people are talking to the Lord as though they BELONG there, something must have happened somewhere along the way.  Heaven is real, Hell is real, there are people IN HELL at this very moment and hell is not fun and games, hell is not a partying spot where men and women “enjoy” all the sin and perversion there hearts desire. { For a heads up on this topic, please read my post, “Demons, the Devil, and the Deceived, part 3 Making reservations for hell”, may enlighten you to the Biblical truth answers to the lies of this world} and NO ONE wants to hear this, BUT SIN IS REAL…. YES! SIN! IT IS REAL!

People STILL commit sin, God STILL hates sin and there are those who desire to have your soul for Satan that wants you to believe that what you think that you see so clearly is perfectly okay with God. AH but it is not, what you are seeing in that STILL reflection is flesh and NO flesh, which simply means our human state and DESIRES of that WILL NOT enter into heaven or the presence of God. Without REPENTANCE of SIN (OH MY, DID I REALLY SAY IT AGAIN?!) and ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR, YOU ARE NOT SAVED.

And works upon works, good deeds, calling on Him and even those who dare say they preach the Gospel (twisted version 101, the devil quoted it too) are those who will hear “DEPART! I DO NOT KNOW YOU” and no one wants that!! When Jesus taught on these things, He never once gave a however clause.

Our problem is that we ADD the however clause to make the Gospel FIT US, the Bible states that we are “carnal BEFORE we are spiritual” You WILL not know or understand the things of God UNTIL you are saved and He reveals them to you, whether you think you know it now or not, but we really need to decide whether or not believing and putting trust in NON BIBLICAL TEACHINGS, or another humans INTERPRETATION of those scriptures, is really worth betting our eternal soul on them.

In these next passages Jesus is referring to sin, He does not mean to literally poke out your eye, He means don’t be looking at things, pleasing your flesh that we lead you into sin. He does not mean cut off your hand, it means “keep your hand out of the cookie jar” so to speak, If something will lead you astray STAY AWAY FROM IT then He describes hell to us.

MARK 9:43-48: “And if thy right hand offend thee (cause you to sin),cut if off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands TO GO INTO HELL, INTO THE FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED: where THEIR WORM DIETH NOT (soul never dies), AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED,

And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be CAST INTO HELL, INTO THE FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED;  Where THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out; it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be CAST INTO HELL FIRE: Where THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.”

Doesn’t sound much like  party to me, does it to you?  Let’s dig on, shall we?

MATTHEW 13:38-42,49,50: “The field IS the WORLD; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares (weeds) are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them IS the devil; the harvest IS the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. And therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so SHALL IT BE IN THE END OF THIS WORLD.

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom ALL things THAT OFFEND, and them which do INIQUITY; And shall CAST THEM INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE: THERE SHALL BE WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.

 (49,50) So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth and sever away the wicked from among the just. And shall CAST THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE: THERE SHALL BE WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.”

  Again, crying and screaming in pain and horror, gnashing of teeth for dread and suffering of that pain, doesn’t sound like too much drinking, drugging, and sex going on there, and Satan WILL BE there tormented with everyone who believed his lies.

Now on to SIN! Gotta do it again, YES, SIN! We never get a chance to use the word much without being called intolerant, homophobic bigots, so I’ll say it again, SIN!!!!

ROMANS 3:23:” FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.”

1 JOHN 1:5-10 ” This then is the MESSAGE WHICH WE HAVE HEARD OF HIM, and DECLARE unto you, that God is light, and in him is NO darkness AT ALL.  If we SAY that we have fellowship, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth;

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST,HIS SON CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN.

IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US.

IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

 IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE HIM A LIAR, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US.”

 Pretty self-explanatory there, wouldn’t you say? Now for what God considers  sin ( Oh, there is THAT word again, darn it!) Listen what Paul starts out with, he is talking to the candy coats of his day in that first verse.

1 CORINTHIANS 6-11: ” NAY, ye do wrong, and defraud and that your brethren (teach them wrong also).  KNOW YE NOT (do you not know)  that the unrighteous SHALL NOT inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED, NEITHER fornicators,(sexually promiscuous), nor idolaters,(putting things before God) nor adulterers (cheat on your spouse much?), nor effeminate (homosexuals) nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers (fighting and being belligerent), nor extortioners (blackmail, manipulation), shall inherit the kingdom of God,

And SUCH WERE some of you, BUT YE ARE WASHED, but YE WERE SANCTIFIED, but  YE ARE JUSTIFIED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS,AND BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD.”

 All sin, sin is sin, We have all sinned, I’ve sinned, you’ve sinned , as the scripture states WE HAVE ALL SINNED but one thing is certain “no sin shall enter therein.” Now  for a little back up:

REVELATION 21:6-8: ” And he unto me, It IS done. I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, I will give unto him that is athirst of the water of life FREELY.

He that OVERCOMETH SHALL INHERIT ALL THINGS; I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

BUT the fearful (cowardly), and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL LIARS, SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.”

Now, you wouldn’t want to take just anyone’s word for that, now would you? So WHO was that speaking?

REVELATION 1:8: “ I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING, SAITH THE LORD, WHICH IS, AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY.”  That would be Jesus Christ!

We have established, hell, we have established what sin is, God wants to see EVERYONE saved, but HE IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE HIS WORD FOR US, we must live for him and repent and be washed in his blood:

HEBREWS 9:22 ” And almost all things are by law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is NO REMISSION”

COLOSSIANS 1:20,21:” And having made peace THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

And you THAT WERE sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.” God does not want any of us lost, He wants no one to go to hell, but His word is clear, if you want Him and salvation, you must repent, it IS NOT optional, You must be washed by the blood, and you must accept and HIS WORD.  He will wash you, cleanse you, make you new and NEVER bring your past up again.

ISAIAH 1:18: “COME, LET US REASON TOGETHER, SAITH THE LORD: THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE WHITE AS SNOW, THOUGH THEY BE RED LIKE CRIMSON, THEY SHALL BE AS WOOL.”

Φλογιζω Σαλπιζω  NBJ 2016

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WHITER THAN SNOW

 

Now that we’ve admitted that not very many can lay claim to the titles of “Patty Purity” or “Captain Celibate” and in reality it would be more along the lines of ” A Randy Dandy” or “Backstreet Barbie” but there is hope, so much hope!
The moment that we realize our sins, mistakes and failures, when true conviction comes and suddenly our minds and spirits are faced with the realization of what miserable creatures we really are. Once that takes hold, real change soon follows and the spiritual “brain damage” due to “sin”trifugal force of this world is both reversible and completely curable.
But it requires a most awesome physician, Jesus is that physician.

He heals mind, spirit, body, and soul.
He is the great potter, taking the old, marred and cracked vessels, gently re-firing them, he then shapes those lifeless, lumps of clay into  beautiful, new creations that don’t even resemble the broken mess they  once were.
Each one a vessel strong and new that can now hold the goodness of his spirit and also has the strength to withstand the wear and tear of this world.
He takes minds that were completely broken and renews them to such clarity that his very mind can now be in us.
He takes all the shame, guilt and pain, and he casts it into his sea of forgetfulness, never again to be remembered by him.
As he flung the stars into the sky at creation, he flings all those sins as far as the east is to the west.
“COME NOW, AND LET US REASON TOGETHER, SAITH THE LORD; THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE AS WHITE AS SNOW; THOUGH THEY BE RED LIKE CRIMSON, THEY SHALL BE AS WOOL.” Isaiah 1:18
He doesn’t care where you have been, or what you did while you were there, he died to save us from all of that. He knew our sins would be worthy of a price that we could not afford to pay. He only cares about where you are going and wants to help you every step of the way, His promises are “Yes” and “Amen”. He has never been up there with a chalkboard, keeping score, just waiting to send you to hell and he will do everything within his power  to keep you from going there. BUT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT HIM.
Most make their fatal mistake in believing the lie that Satan tells them, that they have gone too far that God would never accept them now or that they have to be able to change themselves.
Number one, if a person had gone too far to be saved, then conviction, or a conscious knowledge of the need for salvation would never enter their mind!
Number two, WE CAN NEVER, NEVER, EVER CHANGE OURSELVES! So put that to rest right away. That is why we must be washed in the blood of the Lamb, He changes us!
You will not even think the same or have the desires you once had. He allows us to be able to live a life holy and pleasing to him through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit, which leads us and guides, gently nudging us in our spirit as to what we should do and most importantly what not to do.
Think of  “Rahab, the Harlot” her name being referenced in many sermons, she is actually referred to in the Bible as “The Harlot” but because of her kindness to the servants of God and her desire to repent, the Lord saved her and her family while everyone else there were destroyed.
Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus cast seven demons out of went on follow him faithfully, never looking back but pressing forward and she was the first that he appeared to upon resurrection.
And how can we forget our favorite trip junkie Samson, who after a lifetime of running wild and doing his own thing, finally, this great warrior of God, saw the light.
God never belittled any of these or countless others, who were as prodigal sons and daughters that once they realized they were wallowing with pigs, they longed for home and the Father eagerly welcomed them back in.
He cleansed them, healed them, answered their prayers and never once put the burden of their sin on their own shoulders, now that is why he gave his life.
How did they receive God’s mercy, peace, and forgiveness? They confessed their sin to him, asked for forgiveness and never looked back.
Remember, you never have to tell a church house full of people your darkest secrets, and you certainly are not required to tell it to any man, you are only required to ask Jesus, and Jesus alone to forgive you of your sins.
So whatever you’ve been through, leave it right there, get yourself to the cross and let his precious holy blood wash you whiter than snow.
Original Post Date:11/29/2014. All rights reserved.  Φλογίζω/ Nina BrownJohnson 2015

REVISTED and linked 06/27/2021 NBJ 2021

by

AMONG THE THORNS

“As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters” Song of Solomon 2:2
The beautiful spiritual garden of the Lord, filled with every plant and flower to be imagined and the plot he has chosen for you to grow in.

You have been created in the image of God, the enemy knows this and he knows the value of the true beauty which you possess. He despises it, so he plants his briers in your life to rip and shred that image until there is nothing left but bloody, twisted, painful wounds.

Thorns, the gnarled twisted vines that entangle us and who we believe ourselves to be.

Their razor-sharp points piercing our souls, preventing our movement in either direction for fear of their sharp sting. If left to grow they will completely take over our souls.

Proverbs 12:18(a): “There is that (one who) speaketh like the piercings of a sword.” 

We go through some pretty rough stuff in this life but often the real damage to us is not caused by physical sufferings but rather through words.

Words are so powerful, that is why Jesus is referred to as “THE WORD”, He spoke everything into existence and the enemy loves nothing more than to battle you with his own perverted, twisted, destructive words.

As the Bible states, those words stab our hearts, souls and spirit to a greater degree than any dagger ever might, because these cuts go straight to the heart.

“Four Eyes”,

“Dumb”,

“Stupid”,

“Wimp”,

“Fat”,

“Bone rack”,

“Flat chest”,

” Slut”,

“Idiot”,

“Cry Baby”,

“Should have never been born”,

“Never will amount to anything”.

Of course, they are always offered to us with the all too familiar, “YOUR…” which automatically red flags our minds which have been programmed to the values of this world and our social need to conform to default to self-blame.

It hurts just reading them doesn’t it?

These words are so powerful and carry so much force that even not being spewed hatefully at us, they still affect our emotions.

Words piercing our souls, and so many young men and women in our world today have listened to those words and the thorns that accompanied them are now strangling everything a Holy, loving Father has created them to be.

Society has set levels of supposed beauty and social conduct that are both impossible to achieve and disgraceful.
We have all been there at one point or another in life, maybe you are there now and the effects of these words can linger for life.

Self destruct mode takes over when those thorns have convinced us that rather than rid ourselves of them, that we must instead change ourselves to accommodate their presence.

IF we were prettier, more handsome, bigger busted, more muscular, slimmer, sexier, had better skin, whiter teeth, had more friends or could get that perfect date.
Maybe we could fit if… we drank more, tried the cool drugs, give our virtue away to everyone who asked, losing a little of our soul each time, joy, self-esteem and self-worth being strangled out, while depression, guilt and shame moves insidiously and comfortably into their spot.

Achieve one goal and a new one will be set because that score board is rigged and it forever changes to keep the players on the field right where the enemy wants them.

If it is so grand, why do so many celebrities commit suicide and die from drug overdoses?
Their souls have become so covered by thorns even all the money, fame and power can’ take the pain away, they are so miserable inside that they can no longer survive the torment of living.

These thorns manifest themselves in many, many ways the most common alcoholism, drug addictions, pornography and gambling addictions, cutting and eating disorders and host of self-destructive behaviors.

We, as Christians must get our heads out of fairy land and see what is really taking place in the lives of those Christ sent us to minister to and start acknowledging that these problems are very real and offer help to the untold number of teens and adults that suffer alone in silence, fearing that they will be farther ridiculed if their secrets are out.

We have to teach them that is okay to talk about these things and that there is help and most of all there is hope.
The realization has to come that THERE IS NO STANDARD!

We are fearfully and wonderfully  created, completely on purpose by someone who loves and does not make mistakes.

He wants us all to feel beautiful from the inside out and most of that our true value will be found in Him.

That we would understand that true beauty comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and personalities.

Just as roses, daisies and orchids are completely different and yet all equally as stunning.
His love is as the lily, the beautiful precious thing, completely surrounded by those thorns.
His love and His love alone is the only force that can cut all the thorns away and allow us to grow in that beautiful garden, being ourselves, just exactly who he intended us to be.

Hold on to God, give him all your pain and trust him because “HE IS THE ROSE OF SHARON AND THE LILY OF THE VALLEYS” and you are beautiful in Him!
Original Post Date:06/06/2014 

All rights reserved. Nina BrownJohnson/ baresoulphlogizo 2015

Part 1 ASHES