Examine Yourselves

 “EXAMINE yourselves, 

whether ye be in the faith; 

PROVE your own selves...”

  — 2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)

Examine yourselves....

What are my actions revealing?

What are my words revealing?

What are my thoughts revealing?

What is my conduct revealing?

What is the way I dress saying to others?

Do my actions, my words, my thoughts,  my conduct,  what I wear prove to others that I am a Follower of Christ?

🎵Only one life So soon it will pass

 🎵Only one life

So soon it will pass

Oly what's done

For Christ will last

Only one chance

To do His will 

So live for Jesus all your days

It's the only life that pays 

When you recall you have but one life🎵

We're not promised tomorrow. 

We're not even promised the next breath.

Live for Jesus. 

Love Jesus. 

Follow His teachings and commands.

Achievements in this life will mean nothing in the end.

Only what's done for Christ,

Our obedience to His Word - ALL of it

Will be what truly matter when we stand before Jesus. 

Eternity is forever. 

It matters where you will spend it. 

So live for Jesus all your days

It's the only life that pays 

When you recall you have but one life.

Don't Be Deceived

 Ephesians 4:14  KJV

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

As we grow in Christ, Paul is admonishing and warning not to be as children who are easily swayed in their beliefs.  

There are wolves in sheep's clothing, false brethren, and false prophets who appear to be looking out for your good and come as an angel of light, but if they are causing you to question the doctrines of holiness and separation from the world, that is the same serpent spirit which beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden. 

"Did God really say....?"

"Is it really wrong to....?"

"That's not really a heaven of hell issue."

"We need to appear more relevant."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

Those are serpent lies sent to beguile and deceive. If the Bible says it's wrong, it is wrong no matter how much that person may sweetly convince you that it's not. 

Guard your heart and try the spirits to see if they are of God.  A person sweetly talking and even appearing to reason away holiness and separation from the world convincingly is not from God - those are doctrines of devils subtly sent to blur the lines between holiness and worldliness with cunning craftiness. 

They are walking in the vanity of their own mind, devoid of truth and appropriateness.  There is blindness on their heart. They are trying to hold onto the world while reaching for God in attempts to blend the two, but all you get in the end is strange fire that is displeasing to God.  He is a Holy God and requires holiness from His people!

You may think I'm being a little strong. If I am, it's because the spirit of deception is running rampant and doctrines of devils are subtly deceiving and drawing away souls from sound doctrine.  They are being enticed by the desires of their flesh. 

We're too close to the end to lose out now!

We're too close to the end to fail Him now!

Don't be deceived! 💔🙏

Repost from 2-19-23

No Turning Back

 🎵I have decided to follow Jesus...

No turning back. 

No turning back.🎵

We're too close to the finish line to turn back now.

Love not the world

 1 John 2 (KJV)

¹⁵ Love NOT the world, neither the things that are in the world. 

* This includes its music, its entertainment,  its 'stars', etc

Too many love and are clinging to the things of the world more than the things of God. Actions reveal whether you truly love God or love the world.  

What is your priority?  Where is your priority? Sleeping in or attending an event rather than attending church?  How much is God in your thoughts? How much do you pray? How much do you read your Bible? How much do you deny your flesh through fasting? Time with Jesus must be our #1 priority.  

The Bible continues to warn:

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, 

and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, 

is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Time for a heart check: who/what do you truly love more? 

Words may say: Jesus 

But what are your actions revealing?

The Parent and the Pastor

 The Parent and The Pastor

As A Parent....
You want good for your children.
You want them to be healthy
And to excel and do well in life

Yet, there are times....
when you have to have a talk with them.
They're getting into things they shouldn't.
At times, they are putting theirself in danger.
May even be putting their sibling in harms way as well.
You, as the parent,  see how what they're doing will harm them.
Sometimes,  no matter how much you admonish or try to reason with them, they continue to do it anyway,  pushing boundaries.
The last resort is issuing correction or instituting a punishment.

Your child whom you love...
Cries
Gets angry with you
Accuses you of hating them
You hear them falsely accuse, "you don't love me!"
Or even,  "Abuse!"
And yet that is the furthest from the truth.
It is BECAUSE you love them
It is BECAUSE you care
that you had to correct or punish them.
You understand that even though they may not at the moment.

Your Pastor...
Wants good for those God has placed in his care.
He want you to be healthy spiritually
And to excel and do well in the Kingdom of God.

Yet, there are times....
when your Pastor may have to talk with you.
He sees you're getting into things you shouldn't.
God shows him you are putting yourself in danger.
Your actions may even be influencing someone else and putting them in harms way (spiritually) as well.
As the Pastor, he sees the danger lying ahead.
Sometimes,  no matter how much he admonishes or tries to reason with them, they continue to do it anyway,  pushing boundaries.
The last resort is to issue a biblical correction.

This person whom the Pastor loves and cares for...
Cries
Gets angry with him
Accuses him of hating them
He hears them falsely accuse, "you don't love me!"
Or even,  "Church hurt!"
And yet that is the furthest from the truth.
It is BECAUSE he loves them
It is BECAUSE he cares
that he had to admonish them.
He understands this even though that person may not at the moment.

And, It is his duty - Biblically.
The Pastor is mandated by God to teach us the difference between what is right and what is wrong,  between what is holy and what is profane. (Ezek 44:23)
If the Pastor does not sound the alarm warning of danger, then God said our blood will be on his hands.  (Ezek 3:17-21 + 18:24-32 + 33:1-9)

That is a heavy responsibility. 
It is BECAUSE God loves us. (Heb 12:6)
It is BECAUSE the Pastor loves us.
If he didn't love you,  he wouldn't warn.

The Holy Ghost laid this heavily on my mind Monday morning (2-5-24) before I was even fully awake.

God is trying to admonish someone.
Will you hear and heed His voice.
Don't harden your heart.
God is reaching - BECAUSE He loves you. 

The Incense of Prayer

The Incense of Prayer

Exodus 30

⁷ And Aaron shall 

BURN THEREON SWEET INCENSE

EVERY MORNING.....

⁸ And when Aaron lighteth the lamps AT EVEN, 

he shall burn incense upon it,

A PERPETUAL INCENSE before the LORD.....

REV 5:8

...having every one of them harps, 

and GOLDEN VIALS FULL OF ODOURS, 

which are THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.

Revelation 8

³ And another angel came 

and stood at the altar, 

having a golden censer; 

and there was given unto him MUCH INCENSE, 

that he should offer it 

WITH THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.....

⁴ And the smoke of the incense, 

which came with the prayers of the saints, 

ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

*Our prayers are like sweet incense before God.

*They are to be a perpetual incense =  Pray without ceasing. — 1 Thess 5:17 (KJV)

Have you offered up an incense of prayer before God this morning?

fb memory 2-4-23

Do You Love Jesus? Truly Love Him?

 February - the month of love

Many will give hearts, and cards, 

and chocolates,  and roses, 

and some even plan a nice place

to take the one they love for dinner. 

Many will do many things 

to show that special someone in their life 

how much they love them. 

But what about Jesus?

Are you in love with Jesus?

What are you doing to show Him

That you love Him?

It's easy to say

But actions speak louder than words.

Do you love Jesus?

Truly love Him?

How are you showing Him?

When you love someone 

You long to spend time with them.

You call them often 

Your heart flutters as you read their text to you

And you hurry to send a message back.  

Are you doing that with Jesus?

Are you calling Him often through prayer?

Are you reading His text to you? (the Bible)?

Are you planning special places and times to meet?

Those secret special places of alone time with Him

Uninterrupted,  just you and Jesus. 

Do you love Jesus?

Truly love Him?

How are you showing Him?