" IN THE BEGINNING " Great beginnings from GOD !

     In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the SPIRIT of GOD was hovering over the face of the waters.  Then GOD said.....    Genesis 1:1 thru 3a

      GOD's creating everything from nothing begins; first with the heavens and the earth, then light and the division between light and darkness(Day & Night). Then HE divided the firmament from below from the firmament from above(heaven). Then HE gathered the waters together(seas) and created dry land(earth). Then HE created the land coverings such as grasses and trees, herbs and fruit trees. Then HE created the main lights in the sky(Sun and Moon) which would be for signs, seasons, days, years and to give light on the earth. The greater light to rule the day(Sun) and the lesser light to rule the night(Moon) and HE made the stars and placed them all in their place.  Then HE created all the sea life, birds of the air and all animal life that were to be fruitful and multiply on the earth according to its kind.  Then finally GOD created Adam, from the dust of the ground HE created him and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. This was all done in 6 literal days and the LORD rested from HIS work on the 7th day.

      Psalm 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do HIS commandments. HIS praise endures forever.

          Psalm 119:160  YOUR WORD is TRUE from the beginning, And every one of YOUR righteous judgments endures forever.

         Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

            Proverbs 8:22-23  The LORD possessed me(wisdom)at the beginning of HIS way, Before HIS works of old. I(wisdom)have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

           Proverbs 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the HOLY ONE is understanding.

             Ecclesiastes 3:11-13  HE has made everything beautiful in its time. Also HE has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that GOD does from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor-it is the gift of GOD.

             Isaiah 64:1-5  OH, that YOU would rend(tear open) the heavens ! That YOU would come down ! That the mountains might shake at YOUR presence--As fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil--To make YOUR name known to YOUR adversaries, that the nations may tremble at YOUR presence ! When YOU did awesome things for which we did not look, YOU came down, the mountains shook at YOUR presence.  For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any GOD besides YOU. WHO acts for the one who waits for HIM. YOU meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, who remembers YOU in YOUR ways. YOU are indeed angry for we have sinned--In these ways we continue; AND WE NEED TO BE SAVED.

        John 1:1-3  In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD. HE was in the beginning with GOD. All things were made through HIM, and without HIM nothing was made that was made.

        Ephesians 3:8-9  To me(Paul), who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of CHRIST, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in GOD WHO created all things through JESUS CHRIST.

         Colossians 1:15-18  HE is the image of the invisible GOD, the firstborn over all creation. For by HIM all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. ALL things were created by HIM and for HIM. And HE is before all things, and in HIM ALL things consist. And HE is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in ALL things HE may have the preeminence.

         Revelation 22:13  " I AM the ALPHA and the OMEGA, the BEGINNING and the END, the FIRST and the LAST."

I have picked out only a small portion of Scriptures that have the word " beginning " somewhere in the verses.  GOD HIMSELF has no beginning but HE has made many firsts or beginnings to happen.  Time is HIS creation for us. HE is not governed by time but we plan our whole day by time and HE created it for us to use.  There is no knowledge that anyone has that did not come from HIM.  For HE has all knowledge of all things.  We made computers but HE created the knowledge in man to make them. We made cars and trains, but the knowledge of how to make them came from HIM.  Nothing that our finite minds can come up with are of our own knowledge, but GOD gives the knowledge to whom HE wills. Just remember that, " In the beginning GOD created "

Let us give our CREATOR and SUSTAINER all the glory, honor and praise for all HIS wonderful and many beginnings.  But don't forget this;  that as HIS child our ending will be better than our beginning, because we will be with HIM forever and forever.

Now if you are not a Truly Born Again Believer, then you have a beginning but your end will not be the same as a child of GOD.  For your new beginning you need to become a Truly Born Again Christian and this is how you go about it:

Romans 3:10  As it is written, " There is none righteous, no not one.    Who is good ?  No one

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come shore of the glory of GOD.   Who has sinned ? Everyone

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.  Where sin came from ?   Adam

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD.  What is GOD's price for sin ? Death

Romans 5:8  But GOD commanded HIS love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us.  What is our way out ? CHRIST's death on the cross paid our sin debt in full.

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 believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on HIM shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.

Take GOD at HIS WORD and claim HIS promise for your Salvation, and you too can have a glorious new beginning, in CHRIST JESUS.

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

         

REDEEMING the TIME

     For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the LORD.  Walk as children of light, (for the fruit of the SPIRIT is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), proving what is acceptable to the LORD. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

       But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  Therefore HE says: Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And CHRIST will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly(carefully), not as fools, but as wise,REDEEMING the TIME, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the LORD is.  Ephesians 5:8 - 17

       We had a guest Missionary speaker at our church last night and he spoke on  " Redeeming the Time " and he gave this example of what this phrase really meant in Paul's day.  In our day, if we had a flea market and sales for the day had been slow, you look up and see a fleet of buses pulling off to the side of the road, you as one of the sellers would put everything you had out for sale, because you knew that this was probably the very best time for you to be able to sell your wares.  You would  " take advantage "  of the opportunity as it was presented to you.  The seller was " redeeming the time ", he was taking advantage of the opportunity that was given to him to sell his wares.

           We as Truly Born Again Believers, are to take advantage of the " time " and " opportunities " that the LORD gives us each day to be a witness. I, like you, seem to fall short of this goal, but I press on towards the mark.  Not looking behind, at my failures, but looking forward, asking JESUS to help me to do better. Satan likes to beat us up and to remind us that we aren't perfect.  But our LORD is perfect and in HIM I take my stand against the fiery darts of the wicked one, the accuser of the brethren.

           One of the things we are also to be is "light" to a dark and evil world. In CHRIST, we are light because in HIM there is no darkness at all.  We are to expose those unfruitful works of darkness, by our testimony. That is why it is  "so important" to keep our testimony as spotless as possible, not to let even a hint of sin be against us and tarnish our testimony and the blessed LORD.  I often think that GOD's children give the cause of CHRIST the biggest black eye because of their hypocrisy.  They speak a good sermon but live a life that would make a prostitute blush.  Exposing the works of darkness may have to start in our own back yards, as it were before we can have any impact on our neighbors, friends and families.

           Paul said in Colossians 4:5 & 6  Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, " REDEEMING the TIME."  Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.   Those who are "outside", are the public, unbelievers, co-workers, bank tellers, grocery clerks, cashiers, taxi cab drivers, anyone who we come in contact with or see on a daily basis. Those who are outside of CHRIST, the unsaved, unbelievers, lost.  The next time you want to blow off steam at someone for cutting you off on the highway, being extra slow in the check-out line, taking too long at the drive-thru window, STOP and look into their eyes and see them as lost forever in the lake of fire where the worm dies not nor are the flames quenched for all eternity, give them a tract and tell them to have a great day in the LORD.  REDEEM THE TIME, for the days are short !

         Now to those who may be reading this that are not saved, unbelievers. Let me tell you that as a sinner, I came to know the LORD JESUS CHRIST as my SAVIOR and so can you.  We have " all sinned and come short of the glory of GOD ".  John 3:36 says, " He who believes in the SON has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the SON shall not see life, but the wrath of GOD abides on him."   But GOD loves you and me and made a way for us to be with HIM where HE is, in heaven. Sin has separated us from GOD and HE sent the LORD JESUS CHRIST into the world to pay our sin debt, in full. Romans 5:8 says, "But GOD demonstrates HIS own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us."

           YOU right now can know the love and forgiveness of GOD. YOU right now can admit to the LORD that you know you are a sinner and that you can do nothing to save yourself from your sins. YOU right now can ask the LORD JESUS to forgive you of your sin and to come into your heart and save you. Romans 10:9 says, " that if you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD has raised HIM from the dead (this shows that GOD the FATHER was satisfied with JESUS's sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sin), you will be saved."   So what are YOU waiting for, come to the LORD JESUS, without delay, for today is still the day of Salvation, tomorrow may be too late !!!

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

            

" GOD's Mind on Paper "

     There seems to be a lot of versions of the Bible these days.  I myself use the Authorized King James and the New King James because the KJ has been translated from original manuscripts and not a translation done from other translations and etc. There are some translations that I have seen posted that are nearly unrecognizable from the original KJ and I have a hard time knowing where it is pulled from in Scripture because it is translated so completely different from the original manuscripts.

      We need to recognize that GOD's HOLY WORD does not change and should never be translated by a man's own opinion or beliefs as to what it should say in his own eyes.  So, please, be very careful that you are using only a Bible that is translated from original manuscripts, such as the Authorized King James. So much for the warning and now to GOD's WORD or GOD's MIND on paper.

1st.Corinthians 2: 6 thru 16  says:

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. 

But we speak the wisdom of GOD in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which GOD ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known they would not have crucified the LORD of glory.

But as it is written:

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor has entered into the heart of man the things which GOD has prepared for those who love HIM.

But GOD has revealed them to us through HIS SPIRIT. For the SPIRIT searches all things, yes, the deep things of GOD.

For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him ? Even so no one knows the things of GOD except the SPIRIT of GOD.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the SPIRIT WHO is from GOD, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by GOD.

These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the HOLY SPIRIT teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the SPIRIT of GOD, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

For " Who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct HIM ?"  But we have the mind of CHRIST.

2nd.Timothy 3: 14 thru 17 says:

But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are able to make you wise unto Salvation through faith which is in CHRIST JESUS.

ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2nd.Peter 1:20 & 21 says:

Knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but Holy Men of GOD spoke as they were moved by the HOLY SPIRIT.

     What I am getting at is that GOD's WORD is also GOD's MIND on paper.  We can trust it. We can become wise reading it. We CAN KNOW the mind of GOD by reading HIS WORD.

Now I know what you are thinking !  Can we know all of the mind of GOD by reading HIS WORD ?  NO

There are things, which HE states in HIS WORD, that are only known to HIM, such as the exact time of HIS return for HIS Bride, the Truly Born Again body of Believers which is the church. Also, our finite minds could not hold all the knowledge of GOD, it is impossible in the flesh to know everything that GOD knows. But what is written is for our learning, for our maturing in CHRIST, for our growing in the faith and knowledge of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.     THE BIBLE IS NOT a book of suggestions, it is to be read, believed and put into practice in the life of a True Christian.

     Now if you are NOT a True Christian, then GOD's WORD has something for you as well.  If you are NOT BORN AGAIN, then you have no chance of heaven. Your future is an eternity in a devils hell ( John 3:18 & 36) and just to let you know, all souls were and are created to live forever, somewhere.  It is up to you as to where you want to spend your eternity.

     GOD the FATHER sent GOD the SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST to earth at a specific time in history, to be put on a Roman cross and crucified, to take the punishment that our sin debt required. We are sinners, born sinners and will die sinners.  The only difference is that I will die a sinner " saved by GOD's grace " which the death, burial and resurrection of the LORD JESUS paid the price for my sin; BUT not only for my sin, BUT for yours also.  Salvation is easy and it is a " Free Gift " given by an ALL HOLY GOD. But as any "Gift", you must receive it for it to do you any good.  Right now, where you are, if you believe in your heart that you are a sinner, and that JESUS came and died and rose again to pay for your sin, then bow your head in prayer. Confess to GOD that you are a sinner in need of a SAVIOR and that you believe in your heart that JESUS died and rose again for your sin, ask JESUS to come into your heart and life to save you, and HE WILL.

     The LORD JESUS CHRIST will never turn HIS back on someone who comes to HIM by faith, for without faith it is impossible to please HIM.  Ask JESUS to come into your heart and save you, for TODAY is still the day of Salvation.  

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

" Sound Doctrine " are NOT Dirty Words !

   I have, in recent days, been chastised for my doctrinal stand, in GOD's WORD.  Not because I have been advocating a false gospel, or that I am changing the WORD of GOD.  No, it is because I have been teaching GOD's WORD simply, as it reads, not as some would have it to say. But GOD would have us teach " sound doctrine."  Once a new Truly Born Again Believer has received CHRIST as their personal SAVIOR, the adventure begins.

     A new Believer is referred to as a "Babe" in CHRIST, by Paul & Peter. Peter said in 1st.Peter 2:2 that as newborn babes in CHRIST, we should desire the pure milk of the WORD, that you may grow thereby....Well as any mother can tell you, if you keep a baby on milk only, their minds and bodies will not mature, so to, you have to introduce these " babes in CHRIST " to a more solid food. Paul in 1st.Cor.3:1-2 was chastising the Corinthian believers that they had not progressed onto a more solid spiritual diet, because there was so much strife and envy surrounding their lives. Also, in Hebrews 5:12-14 Paul is again confronting believers about issues and he says - For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles (Scriptures, sayings) of GOD; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the WORD of righteousness, for he is a "babe". But solid food belongs to those who are of full age(spiritually mature), that is, those who by reason of use (practice) have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

     Paul to Timothy in 1st.Timothy 1:3-11 speaks to his young protege' about sound doctrine. Verse 3 he says to stay in Ephesus and to" charge some that they teach no other doctrine," and in verse 10 Paul finishes a list of sins that the law exposes but he ends verse 10 with the phrase "and if there is any other thing that is contrary(or opposed)to "sound doctrine."  Also in the book of Titus, Paul gives clear qualifications for an Elder or undershepherd of the local assembly in Chapter 1. In vs.9 Paul says - holding fast the faithful WORD as he has been taught, that he may be able, "by sound doctrine," both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

     One of my favorite lines, though not written exactly this way in Scripture is - " GOD's WORD is NOT a Book of suggestions ".  If you were to send little Timmy to school, and O he was to learn math. He brings home the Math book in 1st.Grade and it teaches him only how to add. Then the same thing in 2nd.Grade, and 3rd.Grade and so on and so forth.

Little Timmy gets to Junior High which I think would be about 7th.Grade and the teacher looks at him and asks him to multiply 9 X 7, Timmy looks at her and says he doesn't know how, and she asks him why not, and he says " because I was never taught ".

     Babes in CHRIST don't have to stay that way. They have been given an awesome teacher, at the moment of their conversion, the "HOLY SPIRIT". HE is with them wherever they go, HE will not leave you nor forsake you.  You can quench HIS effect, if you live a sinful life (Eph.4:30 & 1st.Thes.5:19) and continue to ignore HIS pricks to your conscience and HIS chastening hand (Hebrews 12:5-11). But JESUS , HIMSELF said HE would send the HELPER the HOLY SPIRIT in John 14:15 thru 26 which reads:

If you love ME, keep MY commandments. And I will pray the FATHER, and HE will give you another HELPER, that HE may abide with you forever, even the SPIRIT of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees HIM nor knows HIM; but you know HIM, for HE dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see ME no more, but you will see ME, Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I AM in MY FATHER, and you in ME, and I in you. He who has MY commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves ME. And he who loves ME will be loved by MY FATHER, and I will love him and manifest MYSELF to him.

Judas(not Iscariot)said to HIM, "LORD how is it that YOU will manifest YOURSELF to us, and not to the world?" JESUS answered and said to him,"If anyone loves ME, he will KEEP MY WORD; and MY FATHER will love him, and WE will come to him and make OUR home with him. HE who does not love ME does not keep MY WORDS; and the WORD which you hear is not MINE, but the FATHER's WHO sent ME. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. BUT the HELPER, the HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM the FATHER will send in MY name, HE will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

     We, as Truly Born Again Believers, are not orphans, we are not without the LORD. HE lives and abides within each of HIS children. The HOLY SPIRIT is our TEACHER, COMFORTER, GUIDE, GUARANTEE, SEAL and many other titles too numerous to even mention. But HE is in you and HE longs to teach, comfort, guide the child of GOD into all TRUTH and DOCTRINE. Like any other child, we need to learn and grow in the grace and knowledge of the TRUTH of GOD's HOLY WORD. Don't stay a babe, grow up !!

     Now to those who have never come to know the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their personal SAVIOR, let me clue you in and this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone;  YOU ARE A SINNER !!! YEP !!!  YOU WERE BORN A SINNER & if you die without CHRIST you WILL go to a devil's hell !!! If you doubt that you were born a sinner, ask a toddler that can answer you simply, if he broke the vase or did you make a mess or did you bite your brother ? What will he/she say ?  Come on, they'll say, NO and you already knew that they did, they lied !!! Surprise, Surprise !!!  Don't feel alone, WE WERE ALL BORN SINNERS. GOD's WORD says, " There is NONE righteous(right with GOD), no not one" HIS WORD says that "we have ALL sinned and come short of the glory of GOD" Romans 3: 10 & 23. GOD's WORD says "For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of GOD is eternal life through CHRIST JESUS our LORD" in Romans 6:23.  It also says that if you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD has raised HIM from the dead, you will be saved..Romans 10:9.

     Why did HE have to raise from the dead ? GOOD question !!!  GOD the FATHER sent GOD the SON to earth to pay the price, the sin debt for your sin and mine. And the only way we know that JESUS's death, burial and resurrection was payment enough for the sin of all mankind, was because HE did raise from the dead. JESUS is sinless and only a perfect sinless sacrifice would be enough to pay the price for sin.

     So with your mouth, in prayer, you confess that you are a sinner in need of a perfect SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Romans 10:10 goes on to say that - For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation.  So you pray, confess, ask JESUS to come into your heart and life to save you, and HE will, HE promised HE would in HIS WORD and HE cannot lie. And you too can have Eternal Life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. 
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie

    

" Fruitful or Fleshly "

                    Galatians 5:16 thru 26

I say then; Walk in the SPIRIT, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts (or wars ) against the SPIRIT and the SPIRIT against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the SPIRIT, you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication(sexual immorality), uncleanness, licentiousness(unbridled lust or a mentality that you have a license to sin), idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice(habitually) such things will not inherit the kingdom of GOD.

But the "fruit of the SPIRIT" is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness(gentleness), self-control.  Against such there is no law. And those who are CHRIST's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the SPIRIT, let us also walk in the SPIRIT. Let us not become vain(conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.

A life that walks "fruitfully" vs. a life that walks "fleshly";  which life are you walking ?  Come on now, this is not rocket science !  If you are Truly a Child of the KING, one who is labeled a Christian, look in your spiritual mirror and tell yourself what you see.  2nd.Cor.13:5 - Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that JESUS CHRIST is in you ?--unless indeed you are disqualified.

What do your days consist of ? Are they filled with taking care of your husband, your children, possibly working outside the home ? Do you do these things in a joyful SPIRIT filled way, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs in your heart ? Ephesians 5:18 thru 20 - And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation(excess) but be filled with the SPIRIT, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD, giving thanks always for all things to GOD the FATHER in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Christian, I know that it is easy to get in a "frustrated funk" about life, especially if you see and hear all the wicked and immoral things that seem to permeate every orifice of life, these days.  But really our days are no more evil than those in Noah's day; it just seems so because we have such and access to it through social media outlets. Look at it this way, when our soldiers came home from WWI and WWII they were looked at as hero's, and they were fighting for liberties, ours and Europe's. But then TV happened and we were in Vietnam and the war was in our living rooms and we treated our Vietnam Vets as if they had leprosy; called them baby killers (ironic since Vietnam, the US has killed nearly 70,000,000 babies through abortion, but I digress) and all kinds of horrible names because the wars before had been far away and we could only guess, for the most part, about what our soldiers had to face and do to survive.  So the evil of today is no better or worse than it was in Noah's day, except that it is in our faces 24/7, unless you do not have an I-phone, or I-pad, or computer or TV or any way to view what is happening in the world.

The "fruit of the SPIRIT" should be the guiding SPIRIT in our lives, not a once-in-awhile spurt of conscience. If you see more " works of the flesh " in your day to day walk then you do "fruit of the SPIRIT, then if I were you I would take stock as to whether you are truly in the faith, as I said and Paul said, Examine yourselves !!!  The "works of the flesh" are pretty self explanatory and none of them are worth your eternity, nor do any of them have good long term consequences !!!

GOD the FATHER wants a "relationship" with you and me, so HE sent HIS only begotten SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST to earth at a specific time to be crucified on a Roman cross, for your sins and mine. And if you are not sure as to what a sin is, the "works of the flesh" list above covers 99% of them. HE knew we would need to have a payment for our sin, just as we pay for things here when we break mans laws, HE made a way to have our sins forgiven, in the death, burial and resurrection of HIS SON the LORD JESUS CHRIST. We are born sinners and JESUS came as our payment for sin. Simply bow your head, admit to JESUS that you know you are a sinner and that you have no way to clean yourself up and ask HIM to save you, come into your heart and life, HE will.  GOD is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  Don't put it off, for today is still the day of grace and the day of Salvation for all who come to the LORD by faith.  Don't wait !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

" WARNING, Savage Wolves in the Church !!! "

     Acts 20:26 thru 31  Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of GOD. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the HOLY SPIRIT has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of GOD which HE purchased with HIS own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day, with tears !!

     Paul gave us this warning nearly 2000 years ago and if he feared this on slot of heresies, apostates, false gospels, evil men, skewed doctrines (or as he put it, deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons in 1st.Tim.4:1) that long ago, what would he be saying about today's hoard of deceptive and outright false ways.  I personally have been conversing with people that are so blinded by false gospels and false doctrines that even if the WORD of GOD is plain and to the point, no other way of reading what it says, it is totally ignored in preference to more obscure and harder to discern Scriptures which can be skewed to mean whatever you want them to say per 2nd Peter 3:16 thru 17 which says - As also in all his (Paul's) epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

     For instance there are clear instructions, for the running of the physical church assemblies and those who are the undershepherds and deacons, in 1st.Timothy Chapters 2 and 3.  It gives qualifications for the office of undershepherd ( also known as the Bishop, Pastor, Preacher, Elder, Minister ) and nearly the exact same qualifications for the office of deacon. This is written clearly and to the point, there is no confusion on what is written in the Scriptures about these two offices within the local church assembly, but it is being completely ignored by many if not most of the mainline denominations, and is a huge reason why there is a fracturing of our churches.

     GOD is not an AUTHOR of confusion, HE has not and will not write contradicting verses of Scripture. So if there is an easily read, easily understood Scripture pointing to the way local assemblies are to be undershepherded and run, then where have all these unqualified and wrong gendered people come from that have inundated our pulpits ???
     WOLVES have not only penetrated our assemblies but they are spewing forth their false gospels and false doctrines that Paul and Peter warned about, from the pulpit. Galatians 5:7 thru 9 says - You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth ? This persuasion does not come from HIM who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.  Paul's Epistles and Peter's also, are replete with warnings about what would happen if just a small " turning away " from that which is true to that which is man's tradition or even as far as fables and doctrines that pander to itching ears of them who preach a " feel good " gospel.

     We have gone " way past " a small turning away ! For the most part, if you were to really check into and check out, the vast majority of mainline churches, they are no more Scripturally run than the religions that we consider cults. This is why you are finding people running from one church to another to find the one that they " feel comfortable " in, or that have " lots of programs " but have no Spiritual backbone, which are the doctrines that Paul, Peter and John, risked their lives to pen as the inspiration of GOD moved them.

     Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:4 thru 6 - There is one body and one SPIRIT, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one LORD, one faith, one baptism; one GOD and FATHER of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all. He did not say that there are various gods, or various ways, or various spirits, just one.  So if you are curious enough to check out, just one of the ways, that your church may not be Scriptural, see if they are running the office of Pastor, Preacher, Minister and Deacon as Chapters 2 & 3 of 1st.Timothy. Is there women, in authority, over men ? Are there men in the pulpit that are divorced ? 

     Other things that may be noticed would be if anyone in the church calls themselves by the title of Apostle ? The qualification for an Apostle is that they have had to see the risen SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. Most of the known cults of the day ( Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, 7th.Day Adventists, Moonies etc.) have only been around since the late 1800's and that in itself should raise a red flag as to its legitimacy, unless you could possibly believe that there have been no Christians on this earth from 95 A.D. to the late 1800's. These cults rose up because there were men who wanted certain doctrines either erased from Scripture or changed to suit what they wanted it to say. Many started out as fable like stories being passed from person to person and then out of that a cult was born.

     But there is just ONE TRUE WAY of Salvation and it is not by anything that we can do, but it is ALL by what has already been done by the ONE TRUE GOD through HIS only begotten SON, the LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. We are sinners, the Bible is unmistakeably full of examples of this fact and GOD said that we are born sinners and have no way of saving ourselves. Romans 3:23 states - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD. As sinners, we cannot wash away our sin, through water baptism nor can we partially pay for our own sin through purgatory (no such place, completely unscriptural). Romans 6: 23 states - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. JESUS's death on the cross was to pay for your sin and mine. Once we accept that we are sinners in need of a SAVIOR to pay our sin debt, then Romans 10:9 thru 13 states - That if you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD has raised HIM from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the Scripture says,"Whoever believes on HIM will not be put to shame."  The Gospel is also spelled out in 1st.Corinthians 15:1 thru 4 which states - Moreover brethren, I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that WORD which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that CHRIST died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that HE was buried, and that HE rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.

     Lastly, but not any less important, there is John 3:16 which declares that, " For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whomsoever believes in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.  I have done one other blog warning of false churches, false doctrines and things to look for as a red flag of warning. Watch, therefore, for those SAVAGE WOLVES will not always be easy to spot, but if you have an uneasy feeling in you Spirit it may be GOD's SPIRIT warning you to beware !!!
Just send me any questions you may have to help in your search for a truly Scripturally run church.
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie

" The GOD of Mordecai, The GOD of Esther and the god of Haman " From the Book of Esther (Please read the book of Esther )

      Have you ever come across someone that just despises the very air you breath and the ground you walk on ?  Well we are going to look at 3 people, 2 are Godly and one, not so much ! We are going to be looking at some Scriptures in the book of Esther to see the shortened version of how these 3 people crossed paths and what were their individual outcomes.

          First we'll look at Mordecai who was a relative of Esther's who took her in when her parents both died Esther 2:7. She was no plain Jane as we would say, she was beautiful, inside and outside. Now there came a day when the current Queen Vashti upset the King by not coming to one of his feasts and made one for herself and other women Esther 1:9 -12. This was told to the King and he was also reminded that the refusal of the Queen to attend the Kings function would become known to all and he would be humiliated in the kingdom. Also other  noble women would decide not to listen to their husbands and this will incite discord in the realm. So a decree went out that Vashti would no longer be the Queen and they were to search for another to take her place Esther 1:17 - 22

          To fast forward beautiful Esther was brought to the King to see if she was the one and she pleased him and he made her his Queen.  Now Esther was a Jew and so was Mordecai, but her heritage was kept a secret and it was not told to the King. Esther 2:9 - 10  Now comes in Haman, not a very nice man at all but the King must have liked him because in Esther 3:1 the King promoted Haman and all the Kings servants bowed down and paid homage to Haman, all except Mordecai. This would go against GOD's law no bowing down or giving homage to anyone other than the ONE TRUE GOD. Days went by and they kept insisting that he bow before Haman, but Mordecai would not. Esther 3: 1 - 6.

          Now Haman was afraid to lay hands on Mordecai so he hatched an evil plot to destroy him, through the complete destruction of a people, the Jews. So he brought the decree to the King and the King signed the decree. Remember he did not know that his own new and beautiful Esther was one of the Jews and neither did Haman. Now when the decree went out into all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews with fasting and Mordecai, along with many of the Jew, tore their cloths and put on sackcloth and ashes. Esther 3:7 - 4:3.

          To fast forward, Haman had a huge gallows built to hang Mordecai on and it was visible from the palace and Haman's home.  He thought that he had finally got the upper hand over this Mordecai that would not pay him the respect that he thought he deserved.  Just think of it, a single persons hatred for another person,Haman was willing to have an entire nation destroyed because of his hatred for Mordecai.  Now there was a law that forbid the Queen to come into the King unless he calls for her.

Well Mordecai told Esther that she had to go in and plead for her people, and she said that the King had not called her and if she went in and he did not put out his scepter for her to enter, she would be killed.

Now I will tell you that I am leaving a lot out and it would be good if you would read the entire book to fill in some of the blanks.

          Esther Chapter 4 was the discussion of Mordecai with Esther and vss. 12 thru 17 are quite useful for us today in our attitude to our Christian walk. The verses are as follows:

     Then Mordecai told them to answer Esther. " Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the King's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this ? " Then Esther told them to return this answer to Mordecai: Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the King, which is against the law, and if I perish, I perish !" Then Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

          Now there was a little known thing that Mordecai had done that was only known by the King's historian. Mordecai had heard of a plot to kill the King at the beginning of the book of Esther. The plot was foiled but Mordecai had not taken any credit nor was he ever rewarded for this heroic act. Just keep that in the back of your mind, because wicked Haman was about to get his. As I said, you really need to read the entire story to fill in the rest of the important info that I am skipping over, and I don't like to do that, but I am trying to make a specific point. Many things transpired and Queen Esther was given the scepter to allow her entry into the King and she had 2 private parties with the King, wicked Haman and herself. During the 2nd feast with the King and Haman, Esther  broke down in Chapter 7:1 - 10 and told the King that her people and herself were being destroyed by the wicked plot of Haman and Haman was taken out and hanged on the gallows that was meant for Mordecai, and Mordecai was given Haman's house because of his relationship to the Queen. BUT there was still a problem, once the King put his signet on any decree it could not be undone, so they came up with another decree that basically said that " In every city where the Jews lived that they were allowed to band together and defend their lives against anyone who would try to kill them Esther 8:11 - 17 and because of this decree many gentiles were converted as proselytes to the Jews so that they would not kill them.

          As I said, I hate to skip or run through GOD's WORD and not write it all down, but my point in this post is to show the difference between Haman's god and the GOD of Mordecai and Esther.  Haman's god was himself, he wanted all the praise and honor for himself and because of this he put an entire nation of the Jews in jeopardy and he lost his life and eternity for him was sealed in the flames of hell.

          But the GOD of Mordecai and Esther was watching out for the Jews and would not allow them to be annihilated. Esther, in her selflessness, came into the King when she had not been called for, at great risk to her life. And as she said, " If I perish, I perish !"  This is the same kind of selfless love our LORD and SAVIOR has for us. When GOD the FATHER sent GOD the SON, JESUS CHRIST down to earth, to eventually die on a Roman cross for the sin of all mankind, even for wicked Haman's and for your sin and mine, HIS love was complete. It covered all sin from the sin of Adam to the last person who will be born at the end of time, whomever that may be.  But as a sinner you need to take responsibility that you as a sinner have no way of saving yourself and need the SAVIOR's forgiveness.  As the Jews above, could do nothing to save themselves from wicked Haman's murderous plot against them, we have no way of saving ourselves from the debt that we owe for our sin. JESUS came and died on the cross, was buried and rose from the dead on the 3rd day, to pay our sin debt. If you believe that you are a sinner and need the SAVIOR's forgiveness, bow your head in prayer, and believe that JESUS came and died for your sin. Ask JESUS to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart and life and save you.  HE WILL, HE will never turn a seeking heart away !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie