"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20
Jesus Christ simply knocks at your door. He does not force his way in and force you to accept Him as Lord. He knocks; you're free to ignore it but you're also free to accept it.
How many times has the Lord knocked on your door? In my own life, as I look back, I see many times when the Lord was knocking gently on my door. Sometimes I ignored it, sometimes I kept the security chain on and opened it just a peek, but the last couple of times I opened the door all the way. Jesus allows you time to accept Him. Sometimes we have the "Road to Damascus" experience with Jesus or sometimes we have the simple call to follow Him. Whatever the way it is that the Lord reaches out to us, we must accept it... it is the start of a whole new life, a whole new calling, and a whole new mission. We are God's workmanship and we are called to work for Him.
We must work for LOVE to heal this world and the only real solution is to live as Christ followers.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
The Love of Money
I've been on a huge hiatus from the internet, but lo and behold I have returned to it.
On the news, I have been seeing too many stories of people being killed in cold blood for money. It makes me step back and look at the world we live in, what kind of culture have we cultivated for ourselves here on this earth? Is life really dependent on money? Is it really THAT important?
It is a truly saddening thought that our culture has devolved so far into arrogance, materialism, and greed that people are shooting other human beings for a few dollars. Is that the price of life? Is life really that cheap?
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Money is the root of all kinds of evil.
It is truly saddening that the world kills itself in the name of money. It is hard to collect my thoughts right now because some images are too fresh in my mind but I do plan on making another post about money and how it can be put to good use and how the love of money should be completely abandoned in our thoughts.
We must remember that all gifts are from the Lord and we cannot store up material wealth on the world for ourselves. We must store up spiritual wealth for ourselves because THAT is what we can take with us to Heaven; that is what is useful. Since every gift is from the Lord, we should give it to somebody else. We should give to those in need. If we do for the lowest, we do for the highest which is our Lord Jesus Christ.
I plan to write lots more on this subject but right now my thoughts need to marinate a little bit more.
On the news, I have been seeing too many stories of people being killed in cold blood for money. It makes me step back and look at the world we live in, what kind of culture have we cultivated for ourselves here on this earth? Is life really dependent on money? Is it really THAT important?
It is a truly saddening thought that our culture has devolved so far into arrogance, materialism, and greed that people are shooting other human beings for a few dollars. Is that the price of life? Is life really that cheap?
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Money is the root of all kinds of evil.
It is truly saddening that the world kills itself in the name of money. It is hard to collect my thoughts right now because some images are too fresh in my mind but I do plan on making another post about money and how it can be put to good use and how the love of money should be completely abandoned in our thoughts.
We must remember that all gifts are from the Lord and we cannot store up material wealth on the world for ourselves. We must store up spiritual wealth for ourselves because THAT is what we can take with us to Heaven; that is what is useful. Since every gift is from the Lord, we should give it to somebody else. We should give to those in need. If we do for the lowest, we do for the highest which is our Lord Jesus Christ.
I plan to write lots more on this subject but right now my thoughts need to marinate a little bit more.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
A Hope for a World in Despair: New Jerusalem
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."" Revelation 21:1-4
The order that rules today will pass away! All that makes us sad will cease to exist and what is the root of human seperation from God? It is sin. Sin is what causes the pain in the world but God has given us the chance to become united with Him; to one day live with Him eternally.
No longer will greed reign supreme over human compassion: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" I Timothy 6:10
God will heal the world as He promised.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:16-21
Only through the peace and joy that comes in believing in the Name of Jesus Christ can we even begin to do good works for God. Some people think that works and faith are equal; they are not. Faith comes first, works are then the extension of faith. We need to spread the message of God. It doesn't always need to be preaching and converting. We need to shower the love that God shows us onto other people. These are the people that we step over daily, these are battered women and children, these are the countless starving. We can no longer sit here in luxury and claim that all we have is a blessing from God. We cannot horde our gifts to ourselves. God gives to us and we must give to others without judging them. Whatever you do for the least of people, you do for the King: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 25:40
It is time that we show the world what New Jerusalem looks like, we can do this by doing God's work on earth and loving every person. People who believe nobody loves them: God loves them. We can be instruments for God's love and convey that love to EVERYONE.
Let God use you as an instrument for his work: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" Ephesians 2:10
The world will be fully healed once Christ returns but let us fulfill our duty and give the world a taste of what New Jerusalem can be like. We CAN change the world through love and we can prepare the world for the time coming and we can all share in the glory of God as brothers and sisters no matter what divides us here on earth.
The order that rules today will pass away! All that makes us sad will cease to exist and what is the root of human seperation from God? It is sin. Sin is what causes the pain in the world but God has given us the chance to become united with Him; to one day live with Him eternally.
No longer will greed reign supreme over human compassion: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" I Timothy 6:10
God will heal the world as He promised.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:16-21
Only through the peace and joy that comes in believing in the Name of Jesus Christ can we even begin to do good works for God. Some people think that works and faith are equal; they are not. Faith comes first, works are then the extension of faith. We need to spread the message of God. It doesn't always need to be preaching and converting. We need to shower the love that God shows us onto other people. These are the people that we step over daily, these are battered women and children, these are the countless starving. We can no longer sit here in luxury and claim that all we have is a blessing from God. We cannot horde our gifts to ourselves. God gives to us and we must give to others without judging them. Whatever you do for the least of people, you do for the King: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 25:40
It is time that we show the world what New Jerusalem looks like, we can do this by doing God's work on earth and loving every person. People who believe nobody loves them: God loves them. We can be instruments for God's love and convey that love to EVERYONE.
Let God use you as an instrument for his work: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" Ephesians 2:10
The world will be fully healed once Christ returns but let us fulfill our duty and give the world a taste of what New Jerusalem can be like. We CAN change the world through love and we can prepare the world for the time coming and we can all share in the glory of God as brothers and sisters no matter what divides us here on earth.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Let's become FUNDAMENTALISTS!
Really, let's get down to the fundamentals of Christianity. Some might have you think that being a Christian is quite rigourous, but really it isn't. Jesus himself attests to the TWO commandments that sum up all of the rest in the Old Testament. Let's see what he says:
Matthew 22:36-40
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Luke 6:27-31
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Mark 12:29-31
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
This is what Jesus taught. He didn't teach pre-emptive war or tick-for-tack revenge. He taught that first you must love God and second you must love your neighbor as yourself. Your neighbor isn't always going to be Christian, your neighbor isn't always going to be someone you would normally like, but Jesus tells you to love them anyways. Love your enemies. The fundamentals of Christianity is simple: it all hinges on LOVE.
James, the brother of Jesus, notes this:
James 2:8 "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. "
This means, don't worry about every little law or even commandments. Just remember to love your neighbor as yourself and the rest of the law is fulfilled.
Christ came to free us of the yoke of slavery of law-keeping. The term fundamentalist has a bad connotation in a religious sense and many "fundamentalist Christians" give Christianity a false image. Many people I have spoken to actually think Christ promoted war and war was just if Christians were the ones starting it. This is the image we get from political leaders evoking the name of Christ to stir up religious support. This is dangerous to Christianity so I thought it would be good to get back to the basics, the fundamentals. The fundamentals are these: Love God and love your neighbor.
Matthew 22:36-40
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Luke 6:27-31
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Mark 12:29-31
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
This is what Jesus taught. He didn't teach pre-emptive war or tick-for-tack revenge. He taught that first you must love God and second you must love your neighbor as yourself. Your neighbor isn't always going to be Christian, your neighbor isn't always going to be someone you would normally like, but Jesus tells you to love them anyways. Love your enemies. The fundamentals of Christianity is simple: it all hinges on LOVE.
James, the brother of Jesus, notes this:
James 2:8 "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. "
This means, don't worry about every little law or even commandments. Just remember to love your neighbor as yourself and the rest of the law is fulfilled.
Christ came to free us of the yoke of slavery of law-keeping. The term fundamentalist has a bad connotation in a religious sense and many "fundamentalist Christians" give Christianity a false image. Many people I have spoken to actually think Christ promoted war and war was just if Christians were the ones starting it. This is the image we get from political leaders evoking the name of Christ to stir up religious support. This is dangerous to Christianity so I thought it would be good to get back to the basics, the fundamentals. The fundamentals are these: Love God and love your neighbor.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Holy War, Iron Christian Soldiers, and the Armor of God
We have a duty to wear the armor of God as Christians for God in an on going "war." Yes, we are soldiers. Does this alarm you?
It definately should not. We aren't soldiers in the worldly sense. We are soldiers of a different kind; fighting a war FOR LOVE with LOVE.
In Ephesians 6:17, Paul gives us advice as to what we should armor ourselves with: "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Our sword is the word of God; it isn't a man made weapon. The word of God is love: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you," as Jesus says himself in Luke 6:27-28. We fight our enemies with love, we do good to them and we pray for them. This is how we are "Iron Christian Soldiers."
There is a common understanding that Jesus will come down at the end of the world with fire and fury killing all of his enemies. Let's just examine what is said in Revelation 2:16 "Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against you with the sword of my mouth." This is fighting with love; Jesus is fighting his enemies with the "sword of his mouth" which is the word of God.
In Romans 15:7 Paul says "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." We can praise God by accepting one another. We fit into God's plan, we are part of His plan. What is his plan? To bring peace to a world at war with itself, to bring healing and reconciliation to the world. Evil will be defeated but not through the methods of evil. Evil will be defeated with love and peace. That is how the true Holy War can be fought everyday with our actions and our thoughts. That is how evil is defeated and that is how we are a part of God's plan.
It definately should not. We aren't soldiers in the worldly sense. We are soldiers of a different kind; fighting a war FOR LOVE with LOVE.
In Ephesians 6:17, Paul gives us advice as to what we should armor ourselves with: "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Our sword is the word of God; it isn't a man made weapon. The word of God is love: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you," as Jesus says himself in Luke 6:27-28. We fight our enemies with love, we do good to them and we pray for them. This is how we are "Iron Christian Soldiers."
There is a common understanding that Jesus will come down at the end of the world with fire and fury killing all of his enemies. Let's just examine what is said in Revelation 2:16 "Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against you with the sword of my mouth." This is fighting with love; Jesus is fighting his enemies with the "sword of his mouth" which is the word of God.
In Romans 15:7 Paul says "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." We can praise God by accepting one another. We fit into God's plan, we are part of His plan. What is his plan? To bring peace to a world at war with itself, to bring healing and reconciliation to the world. Evil will be defeated but not through the methods of evil. Evil will be defeated with love and peace. That is how the true Holy War can be fought everyday with our actions and our thoughts. That is how evil is defeated and that is how we are a part of God's plan.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
God's Magnificent Love
Hello everyone.
It has been awhile since I've posted but I have been buried with reading the Bible and talking with fellow Christians and I truly feel that I have grown immensely within just a few weeks.
Today my post is about God's magnificent love for his creation. Even sinners and "heathen" can be saved!
When Jonah was ordered to go into the city of Nineveh by God to preach against its wickedness, Jonah ran away in fear. God sent a storm while Jonah was riding a boat into Tarshish with unbelievers.
"Then they cried to the LORD, 'O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased'" (Jonah 1:14).
With that they threw Jonah overboard. Did God want these men to kill Jonah because Jonah blatantly disobeyed God's command? NO! God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah: "But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17). God's masterplan wasn't to punish his disobedient servants; as we read more his plan is revealed.
By being saved by the fish who swallowed him whole, Jonah saw the error of his ways and called to God with a prayer: "From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry" (Jonah 2:2). God listens because God loves!
The fish spit Jonah out and God commanded Jonah once again to go to Nineveh and this time (with his second chance provided by God's mercy) Jonah obeyed. "He proclaimed: 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned" (Jonah 3:4). The Ninevites heard and believed that God would punish their wickedness so they fasted and repented.
"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10).
Jonah was angry and went out and made himself a shelter and waited to see what would become of Nineveh. "Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine" (Jonah 4:6). But then God destroyed the vine and Jonah became even more angry as the sun scorched his head now that the shade that the vine had provided was gone. Jonah was "angry enough to die."
God's response to Jonah is where the message of the Book of Jonah is so uplifting and beautiful: "'You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah 4:10-11).
Too often, as Christians, we hope to see people punished for their wickedness rather than forgiven for their sins. We expect our own forgiveness because of God's grace but too often we catch ourselves hoping for somebody else's demise. Instead of waiting and watching for punishment, we should pray and hope that they repent for their sins and be forgiven rather than destroyed.
This is an Old Testament example of God's abounding love and grace. I will end with an amazing story of God's love for his creation. At the cross, as Jesus Christ was crucified, one of the criminals who was crucified with him said:
"'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!'"
But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise'" (Luke 23:39-43).
On the criminal's cross, he displayed compassion and recognized the Jesus was being unjustly punished while he and the other criminal were being paid the proper punishment. For this display of humility, Jesus granted him salvation even though he was being punished justly for crimes he did commit. This is a great example of God's love. Jesus said "'For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted'" (Luke 18:14).
Let us humble ourselves and not boast about ourselves, love each other, and pray for everyone's forgiveness of sins rather than their punishment.
Goodnight!
It has been awhile since I've posted but I have been buried with reading the Bible and talking with fellow Christians and I truly feel that I have grown immensely within just a few weeks.
Today my post is about God's magnificent love for his creation. Even sinners and "heathen" can be saved!
When Jonah was ordered to go into the city of Nineveh by God to preach against its wickedness, Jonah ran away in fear. God sent a storm while Jonah was riding a boat into Tarshish with unbelievers.
"Then they cried to the LORD, 'O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased'" (Jonah 1:14).
With that they threw Jonah overboard. Did God want these men to kill Jonah because Jonah blatantly disobeyed God's command? NO! God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah: "But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17). God's masterplan wasn't to punish his disobedient servants; as we read more his plan is revealed.
By being saved by the fish who swallowed him whole, Jonah saw the error of his ways and called to God with a prayer: "From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry" (Jonah 2:2). God listens because God loves!
The fish spit Jonah out and God commanded Jonah once again to go to Nineveh and this time (with his second chance provided by God's mercy) Jonah obeyed. "He proclaimed: 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned" (Jonah 3:4). The Ninevites heard and believed that God would punish their wickedness so they fasted and repented.
"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10).
Jonah was angry and went out and made himself a shelter and waited to see what would become of Nineveh. "Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine" (Jonah 4:6). But then God destroyed the vine and Jonah became even more angry as the sun scorched his head now that the shade that the vine had provided was gone. Jonah was "angry enough to die."
God's response to Jonah is where the message of the Book of Jonah is so uplifting and beautiful: "'You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah 4:10-11).
Too often, as Christians, we hope to see people punished for their wickedness rather than forgiven for their sins. We expect our own forgiveness because of God's grace but too often we catch ourselves hoping for somebody else's demise. Instead of waiting and watching for punishment, we should pray and hope that they repent for their sins and be forgiven rather than destroyed.
This is an Old Testament example of God's abounding love and grace. I will end with an amazing story of God's love for his creation. At the cross, as Jesus Christ was crucified, one of the criminals who was crucified with him said:
"'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!'"
But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise'" (Luke 23:39-43).
On the criminal's cross, he displayed compassion and recognized the Jesus was being unjustly punished while he and the other criminal were being paid the proper punishment. For this display of humility, Jesus granted him salvation even though he was being punished justly for crimes he did commit. This is a great example of God's love. Jesus said "'For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted'" (Luke 18:14).
Let us humble ourselves and not boast about ourselves, love each other, and pray for everyone's forgiveness of sins rather than their punishment.
Goodnight!
Friday, February 10, 2006
Wolves Pt. II
"For you were once darkness, but now youare light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists of goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruiltess deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible" (Ephesians 5:8-14). These words stated by the Apostle Paul gives Christians a certain task: that task is to expose the deeds of the darkness. If you live in the light, and you were once part of the darkness, shine on the darkness to expose it and to possibly change it and bring the darkness to light.
One of these darknesses is the Restoration movement. To re-establish the original Christian Church during Christ's time. What calls for this Restoration?
Many end-time legalist churches believe that there was a great apostasy after the apostles died and the first century church had to be restored. But what is the truth found in the Bible?
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). NOT EVEN THE GATES OF HELL CAN OVERCOME CHRIST'S CHURCH. Once it was built, it was built to last. And it did.
Further evidence resides in Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." The key part is "to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever." The church is still in existence and will be in existence throughout all time.
Is there a lone messenger out there after Jesus Christ that established a church in which membership within that church is a key to salvation? In Matthew 11:2 John the Baptist sends his disciples to see if Jesus is the Christ, or if they should wait for someone else: "'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'" The message throughout the New Testament is that YES! Jesus is the one to save all of mankind. Jesus wasn't sent to start a mission to save the world. He WAS the mission. There is no one else to "finish the job." He is THE messenger. There are none after that have the power to save mankind.
It is tempting to fall into a church because we feel like we are "special." Many churches will be very kind a caring to you to make you feel special. But BEWARE and be on guard and test every spirit that comes to you! Not all are from Christ. One of the first warning signs should be that a church says they are the ONLY way to salvation. We know that we are saved by God's grace and we are justified by FAITH. Membership in a man-made church is meaningless in terms of salvation.
There is no messenger after Christ; for he is first and last: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). Christ is the first and last. None come between you and him. Remember this and be strong in your faith and share it!
One of these darknesses is the Restoration movement. To re-establish the original Christian Church during Christ's time. What calls for this Restoration?
Many end-time legalist churches believe that there was a great apostasy after the apostles died and the first century church had to be restored. But what is the truth found in the Bible?
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). NOT EVEN THE GATES OF HELL CAN OVERCOME CHRIST'S CHURCH. Once it was built, it was built to last. And it did.
Further evidence resides in Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." The key part is "to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever." The church is still in existence and will be in existence throughout all time.
Is there a lone messenger out there after Jesus Christ that established a church in which membership within that church is a key to salvation? In Matthew 11:2 John the Baptist sends his disciples to see if Jesus is the Christ, or if they should wait for someone else: "'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'" The message throughout the New Testament is that YES! Jesus is the one to save all of mankind. Jesus wasn't sent to start a mission to save the world. He WAS the mission. There is no one else to "finish the job." He is THE messenger. There are none after that have the power to save mankind.
It is tempting to fall into a church because we feel like we are "special." Many churches will be very kind a caring to you to make you feel special. But BEWARE and be on guard and test every spirit that comes to you! Not all are from Christ. One of the first warning signs should be that a church says they are the ONLY way to salvation. We know that we are saved by God's grace and we are justified by FAITH. Membership in a man-made church is meaningless in terms of salvation.
There is no messenger after Christ; for he is first and last: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). Christ is the first and last. None come between you and him. Remember this and be strong in your faith and share it!
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Wolves
"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me" (John 14:23-24).
What is obeying Jesus? Obedience isn't the first step to love. Love must come first. If you LOVE Jesus, obedience will come naturally out of love. What is the Law and naturally what is obedience to the Law?
In Matthew 7:12, Jesus says "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
The heart of the Law is the Golden Rule. If you treat others how you would like others to treat you you are fulfilling the Law. If you love one another you will not need to worry about obedience; by loving you are obeying.
"I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" (John 5:41-44). People of Jesus' time did not accept Jesus even though his coming was made known through the Scriptures of the Prophets. His validity was testified by GOD! Yet they would more readily accept people who testified themselves in their own name. Today we do this also. There is no MAN between you and Christ and there is nothing between Christ and God. Christ is your only way to the Father. Do not let people say that you must join a certain man made church to be saved. This places someone in between you and Jesus Christ. Many of these churches that claim secret knowledge or call themselves the final prophets will say that Christ is the only way to salvation but if they say that their church is the ONE and ONLY church then they have put themselves in between you and Christ.
As Christians we must be on-guard against these "false prophets." In Matthew 7:15, Jesus says "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." These men who claim to be the only way come to you with the costume (sheep's clothing) of being a Christian but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
There are many of these wolves and false prophets out in the world today. Some are big and some are small but it is important for us to realize that by faith in Christ we are justified as it states in Romans 3:21-26 "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrafice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forebearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." We are not justified by doing a series of rituals or joining a church. By faith we are in the body of Christ and through this we are a member of his Church.
We must be aware of the evils of the world and how crafty evil is so that we do not place anyone or anything in between us and God. Above all we must love God and Christ with all our hearts and we must show our love to the people of this world, including our enemies.
What is obeying Jesus? Obedience isn't the first step to love. Love must come first. If you LOVE Jesus, obedience will come naturally out of love. What is the Law and naturally what is obedience to the Law?
In Matthew 7:12, Jesus says "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
The heart of the Law is the Golden Rule. If you treat others how you would like others to treat you you are fulfilling the Law. If you love one another you will not need to worry about obedience; by loving you are obeying.
"I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" (John 5:41-44). People of Jesus' time did not accept Jesus even though his coming was made known through the Scriptures of the Prophets. His validity was testified by GOD! Yet they would more readily accept people who testified themselves in their own name. Today we do this also. There is no MAN between you and Christ and there is nothing between Christ and God. Christ is your only way to the Father. Do not let people say that you must join a certain man made church to be saved. This places someone in between you and Jesus Christ. Many of these churches that claim secret knowledge or call themselves the final prophets will say that Christ is the only way to salvation but if they say that their church is the ONE and ONLY church then they have put themselves in between you and Christ.
As Christians we must be on-guard against these "false prophets." In Matthew 7:15, Jesus says "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." These men who claim to be the only way come to you with the costume (sheep's clothing) of being a Christian but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
There are many of these wolves and false prophets out in the world today. Some are big and some are small but it is important for us to realize that by faith in Christ we are justified as it states in Romans 3:21-26 "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrafice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forebearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." We are not justified by doing a series of rituals or joining a church. By faith we are in the body of Christ and through this we are a member of his Church.
We must be aware of the evils of the world and how crafty evil is so that we do not place anyone or anything in between us and God. Above all we must love God and Christ with all our hearts and we must show our love to the people of this world, including our enemies.
Friday, January 27, 2006
A Look into Romans
"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:8-10).
What is the Law? Love. If you love you are in obedience to the law because if you love you will not do these things that harm your fellow man.
However Paul does say in Romans 12:9 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Love must be sincere. You cannot trick God. You must learn to love with all of your heart.
In Romans 14:13 Paul says: "Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." If eating pork is considered a sin to a fellow follower of Christ and by you eating it in front of him you ruin his faith, decide not to eat pork in his presence. Paul goes on in Romans 14:14-15 "As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convincd that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." If you love your brother, you will not do something that may destroy him. Again, LOVE is the key to all of our actions.
No one is righteous in God's eyes but as Paul states in Romans 2:7-11 "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favortism." What is the "good" that Paul is talking about? As we read before in Romans 13:8-10, LOVE is what is good because if we love we are in full obedience to the law. What is evil? Evil is greed and self-seeking. Evil is not having love. We must truly understand that LOVE is the key to our walk with Christ.
Many times I've heard people say "If there is no evil then there can be no good, so it must be good to be evil sometimes" or the even more common "The end justifies the means." When I heard this first, I thought it was just some kind of joke or play on words and morality. However, Paul addresses these kind of people because there are truly people who hold this saying close to their heart and believe that there is a relative morality and if there isn't relativism then it must be good to be evil because good can not exist without evil. Paul states in Romans 3:8 "Why not say-as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say-'Let us do evil that good may result'? Their condemnation is deserved."
Many exclusivist churches and cults claim that God is the God of their church only. They may be heard saying (as I had heard many times) "But the God of OUR religion does not listen to unbelievers. He is the God of us." Paul, by maintaining that we are justified through faith and God's grace, notes that these sayings are wrong in Romans 3:28-30 "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith." God is the God of all. He no longer has a chosen geographical nation of people. God's nation is the nation of followers of Christ and that cannot be mapped out geographically. He is the God of Jews and Gentiles alike. He is the Creator of all things and the God of ALL.
Righteousness comes through faith as it shows in Romans 3:21-26 "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrafice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forebearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Jesus died for our sins and all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all sinners and through faith we are forgiven and justified. In Romans 5:1 Paul clearly states that we are justified by faith and because of this we have made peace with God. We have made peace with our God and now we can hope for the glory of God at the end of time: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
God loves us all. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6-8). You see? God saved us while we were sinners. He loves us all and we all have a chance for peace with God through the Son, Jesus Christ, no matter how wicked and corrupt we are before we turn to Christ.
With that I will put an end to this post on the beautiful teachings we can find in Romans. There are many more and it is best to read the entire book for yourself. If there are any thoughts please post them!
I would like to end this post with an excerpt from the book of John. Jesus, the Word made flesh in which all things were created through, says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17). God sent Christ to save the world, not to condemn it. God is a loving God, not a hateful one. God saved us through Christ. Through Christ He gave us life; He gave us a chance to live in the glory of God no matter how wicked and corrupt we were before it. We live in a wicked world filled with evil and hate, but God loves the people that populate this evil and wicked world. Through Christ we are given the chance to be saved from death, from this sinful and wicked world. We are given a chance through Christ because God loves us. That is the most powerful message of the Bible. God loves us and through Christ we can triumph over death and be saved from this wicked and sinful world. God loves us; that is why He sent his Son to die so that we may be saved.
What is the Law? Love. If you love you are in obedience to the law because if you love you will not do these things that harm your fellow man.
However Paul does say in Romans 12:9 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Love must be sincere. You cannot trick God. You must learn to love with all of your heart.
In Romans 14:13 Paul says: "Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." If eating pork is considered a sin to a fellow follower of Christ and by you eating it in front of him you ruin his faith, decide not to eat pork in his presence. Paul goes on in Romans 14:14-15 "As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convincd that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." If you love your brother, you will not do something that may destroy him. Again, LOVE is the key to all of our actions.
No one is righteous in God's eyes but as Paul states in Romans 2:7-11 "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favortism." What is the "good" that Paul is talking about? As we read before in Romans 13:8-10, LOVE is what is good because if we love we are in full obedience to the law. What is evil? Evil is greed and self-seeking. Evil is not having love. We must truly understand that LOVE is the key to our walk with Christ.
Many times I've heard people say "If there is no evil then there can be no good, so it must be good to be evil sometimes" or the even more common "The end justifies the means." When I heard this first, I thought it was just some kind of joke or play on words and morality. However, Paul addresses these kind of people because there are truly people who hold this saying close to their heart and believe that there is a relative morality and if there isn't relativism then it must be good to be evil because good can not exist without evil. Paul states in Romans 3:8 "Why not say-as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say-'Let us do evil that good may result'? Their condemnation is deserved."
Many exclusivist churches and cults claim that God is the God of their church only. They may be heard saying (as I had heard many times) "But the God of OUR religion does not listen to unbelievers. He is the God of us." Paul, by maintaining that we are justified through faith and God's grace, notes that these sayings are wrong in Romans 3:28-30 "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith." God is the God of all. He no longer has a chosen geographical nation of people. God's nation is the nation of followers of Christ and that cannot be mapped out geographically. He is the God of Jews and Gentiles alike. He is the Creator of all things and the God of ALL.
Righteousness comes through faith as it shows in Romans 3:21-26 "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrafice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forebearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Jesus died for our sins and all of sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all sinners and through faith we are forgiven and justified. In Romans 5:1 Paul clearly states that we are justified by faith and because of this we have made peace with God. We have made peace with our God and now we can hope for the glory of God at the end of time: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
God loves us all. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6-8). You see? God saved us while we were sinners. He loves us all and we all have a chance for peace with God through the Son, Jesus Christ, no matter how wicked and corrupt we are before we turn to Christ.
With that I will put an end to this post on the beautiful teachings we can find in Romans. There are many more and it is best to read the entire book for yourself. If there are any thoughts please post them!
I would like to end this post with an excerpt from the book of John. Jesus, the Word made flesh in which all things were created through, says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17). God sent Christ to save the world, not to condemn it. God is a loving God, not a hateful one. God saved us through Christ. Through Christ He gave us life; He gave us a chance to live in the glory of God no matter how wicked and corrupt we were before it. We live in a wicked world filled with evil and hate, but God loves the people that populate this evil and wicked world. Through Christ we are given the chance to be saved from death, from this sinful and wicked world. We are given a chance through Christ because God loves us. That is the most powerful message of the Bible. God loves us and through Christ we can triumph over death and be saved from this wicked and sinful world. God loves us; that is why He sent his Son to die so that we may be saved.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
An Introduction
As I read the Bible more and more, I discover more and more things. And I learn that many of the churches I have attended are controlling churches that are not what they say they are. More on my history will come up later but for now I have just a few things to say.
Any church that claims it is the true and only church deserves to be tested. Anyone who says they should not be questioned is violating scripture. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 16:17-18 very clearly "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
The true Church exists inside your body. Your body is the temple. In I Corinthians 3:16 Paul states "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" God's spirit lives inside of YOU!
Christ is God. Christ is not a creature. He was with God since the beginning. In Colossians 1:15-20 Paul states "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Also be onguard for people who deny the Word becoming flesh, John warns in II John 7-11 "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work."
Also, I discovered that you cannot believe every spirit. Do not believe everyone who claims to be of God. You must test these men who claim to have the Spirit. Anyone who says that they cannot be questioned is a liar. The apostle John demands that you question! These are cultic strategies to keep you uninformed of the truth of the Bible. In I John 4:1-4 it is said: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
These are things to be onguard for but remember we must LOVE. We must not regard the people who follow bad prophets as enemies. They just need our prayer. We must LOVE our enemies; Christians are to be a peaceful people. As Paul says in Romans 12:14-18 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
That is all for now, these are just my thoughts as I read and learn. All of these verses of scripture were taken from the New International Version of the Bible.
Any church that claims it is the true and only church deserves to be tested. Anyone who says they should not be questioned is violating scripture. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 16:17-18 very clearly "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
The true Church exists inside your body. Your body is the temple. In I Corinthians 3:16 Paul states "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" God's spirit lives inside of YOU!
Christ is God. Christ is not a creature. He was with God since the beginning. In Colossians 1:15-20 Paul states "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Also be onguard for people who deny the Word becoming flesh, John warns in II John 7-11 "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work."
Also, I discovered that you cannot believe every spirit. Do not believe everyone who claims to be of God. You must test these men who claim to have the Spirit. Anyone who says that they cannot be questioned is a liar. The apostle John demands that you question! These are cultic strategies to keep you uninformed of the truth of the Bible. In I John 4:1-4 it is said: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
These are things to be onguard for but remember we must LOVE. We must not regard the people who follow bad prophets as enemies. They just need our prayer. We must LOVE our enemies; Christians are to be a peaceful people. As Paul says in Romans 12:14-18 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
That is all for now, these are just my thoughts as I read and learn. All of these verses of scripture were taken from the New International Version of the Bible.
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