Justifying The Lying!

The LORD said to Job: “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”Then Job answered the LORD:  “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”  Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like his?  Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at all who are proud and bring them low, look at all who are proud and humble them, crush the wicked where they stand. Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you. Job 40:14 NIV

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers  23:19 NIV

And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and calamities will come on them, and in that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come on us because our God is not with us?’ Deuteronomy 31:17 NIV

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Romans 14:17 NIV

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. 1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10 NIV

If we look at the plight of America and Americans, we can see that there are problems all around us. Job had problems after Satan got permission from God to test him. Though the assaults were devastating–the loss of property, children, and covered with boils–Job maintained his faith in God. Because of his faith in God, all he had lost was restored.

The story of Job is the oldest known book of the bible and in it we find what real faith in God is. Yes, we acknowledge our circumstances, but we don’t dwell on the negatives and try to see God in all we do. In all of the story–with his friends trying to persuade him to curse God and die and even his wife–Job remains steadfast–determined not to allow anyone to deter his faith in God. And the one thing we must remember in all of his trials–Satan couldn’t do a thing to Job without God’s permission and because God knew Job–He allowed the unfolding events in Job’s life.

Does God know us well enough to know our end from the beginning? Of course He does. He knows who will remain faithful to Him without lying on Him in the process. He knows who will obey and do what they’re told to do whether they understand it or not. He knows the level of our faith and nothing we say or do to justify a lie–especially about Him–will surprise Him.

God is not surprised by the lies people tell on Him–especially those in the “church” arena. In fact, part of the problem is that people are “in churches–the physical buildings” but they are not the church which we are supposed to be. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV

We are the body of Christ–whoever believes and obeys! It is the body of Christ (the collective group of Believers) who is the church–not a building–where people meet.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13, NIV

Now if we are the Body of Christ–and have been filled with His Spirit--we know when He speaks and we know He will never lie to us and everything He speaks, aligns with The Word of God. So, why then are people–the church leaders lying on God and then trying to justify the lying?

It is simple as breathing. People lie because Satan is their father and we know that it is true because God’s Word tells us so. Since we know God won’t lie we also know He would never choose a liar to govern people. But God allows things to happen and it is possible that Satan got permission to test God’s people as it pertains to the 2016 Election and the people failed the test–because their faith was not in God, but a man–a mere mortal.

And this is why we have the situation in Washington that exists–church leaders failed the test, but God never fails. God has not forsaken those who truly love Him and will obey–even in the midst of persecution and derision. He knows our thoughts from far off and He knows the direction He wants us to take. It is truly unfortunate that many will suffer because of those who sought to control other people rather than allowing Holy Spirit to do His job.

There is no justifying the lying and all those who are yet lying–claiming God chose Trump to be president are lying. If God was in the business of choosing elected leaders then those same people who hated Obama with a vengeance would have to acknowledge that God chose him to be president, too since God is not a respecter of people. Now which it is-is God choosing presidents or is He allowing people to choose through the election process?

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Why Jesus said, “God’s Worshippers Must Worship In Spirit And in Truth!”

“God is a spirit and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24 NIV)

It is probably because of this passage and some others that reference God as a “spirit” that many naysayers casually belittle Believers by calling God a ghost. Ghosts are spirits of the dead, therefore God is The Spirit of life since He was neither born nor died, He simply is. For those of us who know God, not just believe “in God” we know Truth.

What was going on when Jesus had to make this distinction? Jesus had sent His disciples to purchase food and He waited for them by a well and had a conversation with a Samaritan woman–a no-no for a Jewish people to interact with the Samaritans (then). At any rate, Jesus told the woman all about herself and a conversation rose about where a person should worship. And the following is Jesus’ response to her:

John 4:19-23

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

What were the Samaritans worshipping? Idols (images) with altars set up in the mountain who served no purpose other than pagan worship. Unfortunately, the debate about where a person should worship is still going on between some factions of Christians and what Jesus said, then, is true now. God, the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in the spirit (allowing His spirit to interact with our own) and in truth (with knowledge of who He is and how He wants us to live). 

There are many people who go to church buildings out of tradition, but for no real purpose or knowledge. They go through the motions of singing songs, praying empty prayers, and listening to sermons with half an ear. I know people who attend a church service on a regular basis, but then they claim they don’t know if they believe the Bible or not. If they don’t know if the Bible is true or not, why are they wasting their time going into a building? These are those who believe “in God” but do not Believe God.

This is the point Jesus was trying to make to the Samaritan woman and those who Believe God, not just believe in Him. We cannot believe God if we don’t know His Word. His Word reveals who He is and for those who understand this, we know we do not have to be in a specific place to worship Him–acknowledging all He has done for us and giving Him praise for who He is.

For this reason, many church services are devoid of the Spirit of God, because His spirit is not welcomed due to the traditions of man, taking precedence over the leadership of Holy Spirit. None who are led by Holy Spirit would encourage anyone to live in opposition to God’s Word. None who are led by Holy Spirit would call God said was wrong, right nor what He said is right, wrong. None who are led by Holy Spirit would deliberately entice anyone to live a life apart from the knowledge of God and His purpose for our lives.

When we become so complacent as leaders in the church that we choose not to stir people with Truth and allow God’s Word to convict of sin, we are merely going through the motions of a bland, flavorless service. We are told to preach the Word–whether it is convenient or not, whether people want to hear it or not and we are to say what God says, not just teaching a “feel-good, sugarcoated messages” because we don’t want to offend sinners. If we are afraid to offend those in sin and choose to offend God instead, we place ourselves in a position to know His wrath.

Satan isn’t concerned about the leaders in some churches; he has already recruited them as commanders in his army. What they have forgotten is this–the payment for sin is death. And this is why there are so many spiritually, dead churches–devoid of life–because Satan’s job is to kill, still, and destroy. Can we not see that is exactly what is happening around us today?

Be filled with the Spirit of God and know Holy Spirit will not dwell in an unclean temple, but meditate on The Word, knowing there is life in The Word of God, leading us to closer relationship with Him and giving us power–to stay bold and courageous–to say what God says. Worship Him in Spirit and in the Truth of His Word. 

More of what Jesus said and why, next time!

Who’s Glorified in The Meetings?

“In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.” (I Corinthians 11:17,18 NIV)

If we use the “church” as an example of how behavior should be in any meeting, and the church does not know how to conduct itself, how can there be progress in any other type of meeting?

I feel Paul’s frustration over having to instruct–Believers–in how they should conduct themselves in church. One would think (at least I do) that if we truly believe in every Word of God and respect the authority of the Word that we would have no need to have anyone correct errant behavior. Of course, we know this is not true, not only for the church but  for various types of meetings in other venues.

In particular, I’m referencing meetings in which an elected body should know what they’re doing, but don’t and instead of seeking advice, they attempt to run things like a dictatorship. When things start falling apart, they want to cry foul because their leadership style has not drawn others into the fray. God is not the author of confusion and where there is confusion, He is not present.

When business meetings–of any type–become embroiled in personality conflicts, rumors and he say, she say commentaries, racial divides and social cliques–people have lost sight of the purpose and nothing is accomplished and then we wonder why. If our purpose in meeting for any reason is not to create an environment in which there is productive, forward movement obtained in harmony and unity, our meeting is in vain and we are wasting our time.

Anyone who takes on a position of leadership should know what they’re doing and if they don’t, they should know how to obtain the information they need to know from other resources and proceed as expeditiously as possible. Instead of making excuses for not getting the job done, people need to find reasons to get them done. If we keep in mind that everything we do should glorify God, confusion in the midst of meetings would not be an issue.

Is God glorified in the confusion that exist because of low-esteem and insecurity when people feel a need to belittle others or start rumors about them? No! The only glory is for the enemy who loves confusion.

When we are able to relate God’s Word to every area of our lives, we learn to move forward in peace and harmony. God does not want us to harbor ill-will towards anyone and when we do, it affects our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. So, instead of making noise to bring attention to ourselves, let’s practice seeking Him in the matter of all things and when there is disagreement, solve it in all Godliness, not pettiness.

Getting Back to The Foundation of His Truth!

“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.”(I Corinthians 7:2 NIV)

No matter how hard we try–at least some of us–we cannot get away from the fact that the bible addresses every aspect of our living right before God. Through Paul, God’s purpose for us is emphasized in a number of chapters–how husbands and wives should treat each other, how to raise children, how to conduct ourselves in worship services, and how to establish order in the church. Whatever question we could possibly have, the answer–is in there.

The problem for many in accepting what is in there is the fact that whenever a person or persons choose to dispute the information or instruction in the bible, they do so selectively, without understanding, totally missing what is being said because they choose to take things out of context. This verse of scripture is one of those people “prefer to ignore” because Paul said and not Jesus (it’s not written in red).

It’s amazing how people can “discount” the value of what is being said based upon who said it. They do so because they did not read further–“all scripture is written by inspiration of God” no matter who He uses to say it.

Moving along–when the early churches had questions regarding behaviors that were once considered “okay” based upon the environment in which one found themselves, Paul addressed them. There had been “temple prostitutes” and many other unsavory behaviors operating because of unbelief. Adultery and fornication were the status quo and because some dared to seek truth, Paul spoke it as it pertains to sexual activity. Here it is very clear--sexual activity should be reserved for those who are married and then the married should have only sex with their “own husbands” and “their own wives.”

When we choose to ignore righteous instruction because of fleshly dictates, we set ourselves for disaster and until we can right the wrong, nothing will change the devastating course of events that will be the result of sin. If we claim to accept one part of the bible as God’s truth, then we must claim it all–with understanding and keeping all of it in context of God’s purposes for mankind.

This is not the only passage of scripture that is often refuted in the church world. Many in the church have disputed women’s roles within the church because they overlooked what Joel said. Many have claimed that people of color are the result of the curse on Ham, lacking understanding that the first man, Adam–was a man of color–a fact simply deduced by looking at where God formed him and how. People use the bible to promote hatred and superiority because of a lack of understanding. God has no respect of persons and He sees us all as equals–no male or female, Jew or Gentile, all one in Christ Jesus.

But we don’t see us as God sees us and as a result, we tend to overlook passages that go against our flesh. This is why there is confusion, hate, and unrest in the land–we allow our flesh to dictate what we want and when others don’t agree, we rise up and promote hatred–either with the bible or refuting it. Either way–God is not pleased and when He is not pleased, none of us has peace.

The sooner we see things the way God sees them (and we can if we truly develop a relationship with Him), the sooner we’ll see peace in the land. We have no excuse–His written instructions–given to and by all who desired to please Him–provide us the foundation of His Truth. It’s time we got back to that foundation, rather than attempting to build one that is bound to crumble and fall.

The Foundation!

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:10,11 NIV)

Paul admonishes those who are attempting to “teach doctrine” other than what they learned. He reminds them (the Corinthians) that everything he taught was based upon his relationship with Jesus Christ and who He is. He goes on to tell them in (subsequent verses) that if they attempt teach any other doctrine, their works will be tried with fire.

Now, for clarity’s sake, I must explain that in the subsequent verses, he mentions the building materials that will be tried and possibly burned up with fire. Paul uses the building materials–gold, silver, etc. in a figurative analogy. He does not mean that churches cannot use gold or silver in the buildings, as some have taught.

What is more important–the church (Body of Christ) or the building? I think this is where some err. The body of believers is the “Church of Jesus Christ” and the buildings are simply places where people go to worship, ideally. So, Paul is really concerned about the condition of the believers and the foundational truths they are taught and believe. When we change the foundational truths of God’s Word, then we subject our works to being judged by the fire. EVERY TIME WE CHANGE GOD’S WORD TO PACIFY FLESH, WE ERR AND ARE CREATING AN UNSTABLE FOUNDATION.

When a firm, stable foundation has not been laid for a physical building, it will not withstand, the moves of the earth as it settles and sometimes, the foundations crack, lean, or fall apart, causing the entire building to crumble. When a firm foundation has not been been laid regarding the truth of God’s Word, people lean, fall apart and crumble every time a crisis comes their way–their foundational knowledge is flawed and will not withstand the wiles of the enemy when the attack comes.

We should all aspire to be like Paul–as a wise builder–teaching and proclaiming only the truth of God’s Word so when He comes, we will be found blameless and not guilty of promoting false doctrine trying to make ourselves to be something we are not. God knows the truth of all and He knows when the foundation is His or ours. If we think we can fool Him, we only delude ourselves. Make sure the foundation laid regarding God’s truth–is His Truth!

Decently and Orderly!

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (I Corinthians 14:40 NKJV)

To keep things in context before I start my rant, remember this verse has to do with doing all things decently and in order in the church; especially in how we conduct church services. Though I could “rant” about how many don’t understand this as it pertains to the church, I’d rather take another route so hopefully, people will think about how they do things–outside of the church, as well as inside.

Old School Teaching about Etiquette–apparently no one is teaching anyone how to conduct themselves when in the presence of others. So, I decided to take this upon myself because rudeness and inconsiderate people really try my patience.

1. Ignoring given time-frames for an event and showing up whenever a person feels like it is rude and inconsiderate. People don’t have to explain why they decide to do things at a specific time and if a person plans to participate in the event, they should be on time. If they cannot be on time, don’t attend at all. But do send the host an RSVP whether attending or not so they don’t waste their money.

2. Ignoring common courtesies such as–not talking with a mouth full of food (no one wants to see what you’re chewing), having “very loud” conversations on a cell phone in public (this is your business and the rest of don’t need to know it).

3. Knowing that children have not been raised to respect other adults and taking them with you to be rude and disrespectful. Until a child is trained how to behave away from home–keep them at home so no one will just how neglectful you’ve been as a parent.

4. Excluding other people invited to an event in a home. People should learn how to communicate effectively with conversation that all can join–not play games that exclude others when there are number of people at the event.

5. Inviting yourself to eat at someone’s home. Don’t visit other people or drop by their house and ask for their food. If offered, then it’s okay; but if not offered, don’t ask–this is a sign of no home-training whatsoever. If you don’t know how they budget their food for their convenience, don’t disrupt the flow of someone’s plans for themselves.

This list could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. Etiquette rules–though not followed very often–are still available online and in bookstores. Think about this–how would you want someone to treat you and your home?

If I have offended any–good–perhaps it’s time someone told you how to act in public. If any have learned anything–even better since the purpose was to remind people how to act in public. When we learn how to do things at home and practice it at all times, we have no need to be reminded when in public.

I’m praying for us all to learn to do things decently and in order at all times–in church and at home!

Can We Hear?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:29 NKJV)

This admonition is repeated seven times in this Revelation to John by Holy Spirit–and if we believe that seven is the symbolic representation of completion, it is a finished work–the Revelation–and we must hear in order to get ready for His return.

Why do we need to hear? Because in the revealed work–we are reminded of the seven types of churches–their character traits, their strengths and their weaknesses. Regardless of what denomination we proclaim to have an affiliation with, we all fit into one of these types that persist. God knows from the beginning to the end, what we will do and when we will hear and change, which is why is mercy and compassion is so important to us–He gives us room to repent and turn to Him, time after time, but there will come a day, when we will no longer have time to change, so we must make that change–now!

Throughout this book, we are reminded of all these things that the prophets (and all who God used) have said and as Solomon reminds us Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun.God has used people, those chosen by Him to remind mankind throughout our history to choose to do right–His right–and forsake all those things that do not honor Him.

Some of us–as in times past–have selective hearing. We have read The Word, we have heard The Word, and many know when Holy Spirit speaks, but yet we do not hear and obey. When we selectively choose which parts of the message we will hear, we put ourselves into position to miss God and eventually, we will enticed to believe that other spirit, rather than Holy Spirit because that other spirit–manipulates and deceives and tries to make things “sound” like God when they are not.

Engage in conversation with The Lord today and hear what Holy Spirit has to say about everything around us and when you hear–obey for “obedience is better than sacrifice.”

Going to church–a good thing when The Word is being taught–does not mean a person has a relationship with God. Memorizing scripture–though a good thing–does not mean we have a relationship with God. We need to know what He said, believe that He is and will be, and obey His commands to love. When we do this, we establish a right relationship with Him and then we can praise Him no matter what happens in our lives because we know–in the end, we win!

People of God!

“This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD. “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:32,33 NLT)

Before He came down from heaven and walked among us, He promised us a new covenant–a covenant that made the one null and void. Before anyone ever saw Him in the flesh, He decreed that He would write His instructions and establish them within in our hearts. Before the captivity of a people He loved, He promised to increase humanity and for those people, He would be their God and we would be His people.

People of God–those who have a relationship with Him, those who understand not only the written Word, but the importance of having a relationship with Him in honoring all He has said, it is time for us to rise up in the power He has given through Holy Spirit and proclaim the Year of The Lord–in all of His glory!

We have become too comfortable with sin–too comfortable with ignoring those who attempt to change who God is–too comfortable in watching our society slide back into captivity and the enemy is rejoicing over our laxity. The enemy wants us to be quiet and say nothing because the more silent we become, the greater the victory for him. For those who know–how the enemy functions–tearing the foundational beliefs, bit by bit–like that small fox eating away at the grapes on the lower vine until those at the top are also destroyed–it is time for ACTION, FROM GOD’s PEOPLE!

Stop winking at sin and covering your ears! Open your mouths and speak what God speaks–written in His Word and upon your hearts! Live a life that compels others to want to emulate you in serving our God in obedience. Do good for all you can and pray for those who either you cannot help or refuse to be helped. Rise up–People of God–every morning with a praise on your lips and worship in your heart–determined to share the Good News with everyone you meet. Get out of the buildings–the brick and mortar–and change what happens on every street corner to the glory of God. After all, YOU ARE THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD and your life should not be confined to serving Him in a building.

The time is now! Time to let the world know that God has people and those people have a God who they are not ashamed to serve–in the public as well as in private. Let’s truly make this year–The Year of The Lord–the year under-cover Christians threw off the covers and walked proudly among those who do not know Him. This is the Year and we may never get another chance, if we who know Him, don’t get up and out and proclaim sin–sin! If we don’t remind people of Judgment Day, we will not be able to stand before our God and expect to hear, “Well Done!”

People of God–Rise up and Do all that you can to prove to a dying world that God is real, His love is real, and you are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ–our Risen Savior!

Follow The Good!

“Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.” (3 John 1:11 NLT)

As I was re-reading this passage of scripture this morning, what John was saying to the church in his letter reminded me that we are indeed “without excuse” when it comes to knowing how we should live.

The bad example John references is the “church leader” who throws people out of the church when people don’t do what he says, rather than what is good. John was encouraging people to help support “the traveling teachers” (evangelists), Diotrephes was opposed to welcoming or supporting those traveling to teach The Word and told people not to help, and when they did help, he threw them out of the church. Considering this church was probably meeting in his home–he felt he had every right to control what occurs in his home.

Are there any church leaders who are doing the same thing today? There are some who are so puffed up with their own importance and what they have to say, that if a person doesn’t support what they want, they invite them to leave the church! I have been in churches where the leaders were dictators and felt they had a right to be so since it was their “father or mother” who had founded the church. What they failed to realize is that a relative may have established a ministry in a local building, but that does not give them the right to dictate to people who do not support their “self-righteousness”.

In one church in particular, I got tired of the attitude and left. When a person can “see” that God is not in charge of the situation, the only recourse one has to stay in right relationship with God is to just leave–the madness–not God.

That’s the other thing that baffles me. When people do leave a church because they do not see God’s hand in anything that’s taking place, why do people assume that person is “leaving God” and not just a building?

It is amazing to me that some get so caught up in themselves that they do not even recognize when they have taken charge in a church and left God completely out of the situation. Oh, they “posture” at teaching, using The Word, but then they negate The Word with their own sense of righteousness and setting standards for others according to what they do–not what The Word says. God is not mocked–He sees it all and understands the motives in the person’s heart–and only that person is deceived–by their self-righteousness.

This is why John was writing this letter–to encourage people to follow the “good examples” and influence of those who are not only teaching God’s truth, but living God’s truth for all to see.

I am a passionate advocate for those who have want to follow truth and have been deceived by people. And my advice is similar to John’s. If there is no indication of a person or church leaders doing things according to God’s Truth–RUN and don’t look back! When we know what God has said, we are held accountable for what we do–on all levels and what we say.

Don’t be fooled or cajoled into following people—FOLLOW THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST IN WORD AND DEED–ALWAYS DOING GOOD FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS!

What Are We Sowing? (Reblogged)

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Luke 8:8 NIV)

Jesus said, when seed (The Word of God) falls onto good ground, it will yield a crop (growth) a hundred times more than there once was. He also goes on to say, “he who has an ear to hear, let him hear.” So why does Jesus relate this parable to his disciples and how does it apply to us today? The point being made here is two-fold; both on a spiritual level, but one pertaining to the wealth that God has entrusted us with and the other, the wealth of souls that God has entrusted to us. If we misunderstand God’s intent, we sow discord and doubt into the midst of the congregations and fuel the unbelievers’ attempts to thwart the Word of God.

First, we must understand that the resources (money) that God provides to us are to be used as seed to be sown in good ground. If we are sowing seed (giving money) to churches in which there is no growth and in fact is being used to promote man’s kingdom instead of the kingdom of God, we do God a disservice. We are to be good stewards—weighing carefully how we use the resources God gives us and making sure that our use—will eventually bring glory to God.

We need to make sure that we are wise teachers (sowers) of the Word and our only agenda is to win souls to Christ; not to us. We must make every attempt to fulfill the commission given to us to go out into all the world, teaching the Word, baptizing in Jesus’ name so that all can come into the knowledge of the Truth (God’s truth, not ours).

The flip side of seeing growth and maturity is to see stagnation of both money and people. Misusing the resources will eventually feel like money placed in pockets with holes—steadily being lost along the way. Manipulating the Word for selfish gains will eventually see more space and vacant seats in churches as people leave. For those who have an ear to hear, let them hear.

We must be good stewards of what God has given us. Are we promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ (salvation, forgiveness, and love) or are we just having church? Are we utilizing the monetary resources to assist the poor and the needy, to promote the Gospel, or are we just having church fundraisers? Church leaders must be accountable to the Word. Church members must be accountable to the Word by studying for themselves. Remember, he/she who wins souls must be wise. They who anticipate seeing growth/increase must make sure they are sowing (or watering) in good ground. We must be willing to do deep soul searching and introspection to make sure we are doing everything we can to glory God. He that has an ear to hear, let him hear.

What are you sowing? Are you sowing in good ground?

(Revised and re-blogged from 12/13/12)