Deceived By The Enemy!

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:1-8 NIV

Remember when trump claimed Hillary was “unfit” to have classified information and all the Republicans fell in line behind him? Nothing on her server has ever surfaced, but this morning, trump admits–he shared classified information with the Russians–his buddies and kept the US press out of the meeting.

Most of us have always known the Russians are not our friends–at least the leadership is not a friendly person and we know–he orders the execution of his opposition. The Russian people–may not be as brainwashed by false propaganda as Putin wants them to be. At any rate–we can say–the Russian leadership is an enemy no matter what disguise they attempt to use.

Personally, I don’t believe they deceived trump–they manipulated him into doing their bidding in exchange for his 2016 election win–a win that is still under a cloud of legitimacy considering we all know–the Russians interfered with it.

The leak in the WH–is trump’s best friend at this point.  Or at least I can say, they are ours. They should tell the press what’s going on in the WH in total transparency so we know what we’re up against, daily.

The Republicans who claim to be true Patriots and the moral majority–have proven they are the hidden enemy of The State–of America. They have hidden their bigotry and disguised their hatred for “all Americans who don’t look like them, think like them or worship like them” by claiming something that just isn’t true (God chose trump) in their support of the worst person in the world now sitting in the WH. They knew he wasn’t fit to serve as president, but they promoted him anyway because of their personal agenda. They knew he wasn’t competent and certainly not a Christian, but they promoted him anyway. They knew he was not a Patriot because he doesn’t want to pay taxes that support our government, but they promoted him anyway.

Now–who is America’s greatest threat? The enemy occupying the Oval Office is Public Enemy #1 with Pence, Ryan, and McConnell following right behind them. They all knew about the Russian hacking and are complicit in the cooperation to just “win.” How do we know–by paying attention to what they’re doing or not doing as Christians.  They support and condone a pathological liar who is a bigot and ignites the worst in those who hate people because of their differences. This is not Christ-like behavior; this is the enemy hidden under the umbrella of the Republican party deceiving the masses.

There are a number of people in America who would make a better president than the one we have; I am one of them! The proof will be in the pudding. Watch for it!

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30 Days of Prayer and Praise–21!

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods.Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him. Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the LORD. Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4 NIV

Day Twenty-One

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for allowing us to see a new year, a time for reflection of the past year events, and new beginnings for the coming year. Thank You for continued determination to stay strong in the face of adversity, courage to stand up and speak out against injustice wherever we find it and boldness to resist the attacks of the enemy and strike back.

Lord, we know You see all and hear all, now hear the distress of Your people and calm them now. Speak a word of encouragement to their hearts and remind them You are always with us. Because of love for us, we are never alone and never in a battle to defeat wickedness on our own for You proceed us and where You are–victory reigns–true victory and not one garnered by manipulation and deception.

Lord, thank You for keeping us–people of integrity and honor–as we navigate the many venues and platforms offering a word of encouragement and support to those who are also in the battle. Let everything we do–honor and praise You–so others will come to You and honor You as their God and not see any man or woman as a substitute for You.

Lord, we look to You to establish justice for all the corruption and dishonorable activities established by those who seek positions of power and authority. Thank You for exposing the lies and deception and for giving us a platform by which we can share the revelations with others so truth will reign and not lies.

To You, our wise God and sovereign Lord–who exists without us, but love us enough to keep us focused on You–we give You praise and magnify Your Name in the morning when we rise, throughout the day, and as we lay upon our beds at the end of the day, knowing we can count on You and the angels You have assigned and dispersed to keep us safe. Thank You for the peace and knowledge that You and You alone will solve any problems and answer any questions we may ever have.

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–2

I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue? He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush. Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. Psalm 120 NIV

Day Two

Lord Jesus,

I know You see all that is done in the earth and hear all that is said. I know that Your Word has said, all that is done in the darkness will be exposed in the light for all to see.

Lord, I ask You to reveal truth to all–Your Truth--the truth that allows us to live in peace, not a war–with anyone or any warring spirit; the truth that opens our hearts wide to receive Your love so we have an abundance of love to share with others; Your Truth that soothes even as it pierces the hearts of demons and those who plot evil; Your Truth that will stop lying lips and tongues in the midst of their mischief; Your Truth that will right all wrongs perpetuated by those who deliberately deceive the masses for personal gain; Your Truth that will shine brightly–high above all the fog of lies and clouds of evil deeds–thought to be hidden.

Lord, I thank You for giving us the courage to be bold–to speak up with clarity and stand against injustice where we find it.

It is to You O Lord, I give the praise! It is to You I give the glory-–for You have done so much for us that I will bless Your holy name, now and forever, Amen!

Hope everyone reading has a wonderful day in The Lord–as you continually seek Him and thank Him for guiding you in all that you do!

Deception and Corruption!

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else,  for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:3-10 NIV

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:8 NKJV

Deception is defined as the act of deceiving, fraud or artifice (trickery, guile)

Corruption is defined as being corrupt–moral perversion, depravity, corrupt and dishonest proceedings, and bribery.

Knowing that God sees and knows all things, just how long would a person who practices deception and corruption think their actions will remain hidden? For we know, Holy Spirit will reveal the hidden things–if we are willing to hear and see the truth of the matter. However, when people are blinded by misplaced loyalty, they often miss (evidence, proof) that is right in front of them because they choose not to believe what they hear and see. For if they dared to see and hear truth (through credible sources), they would have to admit being wrong about misplacing their loyalty in one who did not deserve it.

We have seen much deception revealed in the last few days by the person elected to govern this country. For most of us with eyes to see–this is not surprising–we have seen the deceptive practices exercised throughout the campaign. The distraction of calling Hillary Clinton crooked and a liar when it was actually him who is crooked and the liar. It would appear that the corruption began in June where bribes and promises were made to all who would assure his election. Throughout the campaign, he spouted his plans to deceive, but not many–people, were able to discern the meaning behind the words.

The rigged election that he was “supposedly afraid would be stolen” was his plan to rig and steal the election.

His boast at one of his rallies that, “perhaps the campaigning should stop and the election just be given to him” said volumes.

The constant repetition of lies and falsehoods that denigrated Hillary–with the most salacious tenets–promoted as “evidence” when there was none–with all the lies debunked through credible sources (House investigations, FBI investigation–all led by Republicans). Though the evidence presented proved no wrong-doing, people continued to believe the lies promoted by Fox News, Breitbart, Alex Jones, manipulated emails leaked by a vengeful man–Julian Assange, and deceived church leaders.

But it was a corrupt strategy designed to deceive the gullible (the same type of strategy used by all the madmen of the world to gain positions to rule as dictators) and it did–deceive the gullible. Those of us who see truth provided in the Spirit knew and understood what was happening, but try as we might–the enemy’s tactics prevailed–for a season.

That season–of sowing corruption and deception is being exposed almost daily with his attempts to exaggerate his greatness in saving jobs with Carrier and in the alleged job creation from Masayoshi Son and the Softbank Group. The truth has already been revealed and the only thing he accomplished with Carrier was to give the company a $7 million tax break (at tax payer expense) and the jobs–most of them, are still headed for Mexico. The deal for through Softbank was already in the works before the election and had nothing to do with drumpf being president–as he alleged (outright lied).

The proof–as they say–is in the pudding. The final outcome of all the chaos and distraction and dishonesty and corruption will be revealed and those who looked to a man as their savior will be distraught as they come to grips with the fact that he never had their best interests at heart, but his own bank account. Time Magazine said it best–president of a divided nation–no unity or attempt to unify–will ever be accomplished with him as a leader of a “free nation.”

Some may trust in chariots and horses–people and things–but my trust remains firmly rooted in The Lord and no matter what the corrupt and the deceivers do–He will keep us on the alert and ready to push back with truth as He reveals it to us.

Lord, thank You for Truth and the desire to promote it and not lies.

Self-Appointed Leaders!

Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah. Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon. Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? I Kings 1:5-11 NIV

Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.The king then took an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.” I Kings 1:27-35 NIV

Looking upon where we are today, I can hear the same question being asked of God by those who know Him and are in strong relationship with Him, “Is this Your doing God?” And while I cannot speak for anyone else, in my spirit I hear God’s response, “No!”

But we have to understand what happens when people use all manner of deception and manipulation to accomplish what they want and the best way to understand how God is consistent in what He does is to look at what happened with Adonijah! And for that, we’d have to keep reading, but I’ll sum it up. Adonijah died at the hands of King Solomon after making an insulting request–through Solomon’s mother.

Instead of acting like a man, Adonijah acted like a child, making the request of Solomon’s mother instead of going to Solomon directly. The request–give me the virgin that had been assigned to King David (his father)–covetousness and desire to make a mockery of David’s last days by taking what was his.

Perhaps, the greatest lesson we can learn from the history recorded in the Old Testament is that when we rebel against God–thinking we know more than He does–in order to make our own name great–we are doomed to suffer the consequences.  God is not mocked. He sees all that is done by those who do not reverence Him, but make a mockery of all He has planned. In the end, we reap the consequences of our actions when we fail to heed the warnings.

The only great name anyone should reverence is Jesus and when we denounce Him and disavow all He is by our actions, we place ourselves in a position to be judged and all the world shall hear the noise when the end has come upon those who appoint themselves as leaders–and those who supported the nonsense.

Look at what some Americans have done–in the name of patriotism, but in actuality because of hatred and bigotry! Elected a president with no qualifications and certainly no approval from God. And then he mocks the entire democracy, by appointing the most despicable people in positions of authority and more who are even less qualified than he is to head vital departments of our nation. The noise in the streets–the cry of outrage for people know only disaster awaits. And the noise we hear and have heard is nothing to compared to the noise we will hear–from those who supported the unqualified person to lead to this nation.

Not my will, but Yours–to do as You direct in all things–to sound the alarm when You speak it to me and let others know–You are yet watching over all that occurs in the earth and You have the final Word.

Focused On What Matters!

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. Philippians 3:13-17 NIV

Lately, I’ve been feeling a little bombarded with the weight of all the negative things that are reported in the news. Part of the problem is–I’m listening to far more newscasts than I should. Normally, I see the early morning newscasts because I need to be aware of weather and traffic and in listening to this–I can’t ignore the sad events that are repeatedly reported.

Knowing as I do, how the enemy deceives people and confuses their minds, I should not be surprised at the number of people who commit random crimes and kill others with no thought as to how their acts will affect others. I don’t just mean how the killings affect immediate family and friends–I mean everyone who has a heart. And the killers–people who kill older people in their homes–are heartless; people who hit people with their cars and then dump the body–heartless; people who randomly shoot at others not caring who gets hit in the crossfire–heartless.

Sensitivity to all the negativity reminds me that I do indeed have a heart, but if I focus on all the negative stuff, my heart will too heavy to continue doing what may make a difference in the lives of others.

At some point, I’m sure others have felt the same way. How do we keep moving forward with all the tragedy that is constantly bombarding us? We stay focused on the things that matter. We cannot control people any more than God will–He gives us all freewill to make our own choices. Some choices people make are not good and some are even worse, but the choices we make–keeping our focus on hearing God and being obedient, can and will make a difference.

We must continue to encourage all to live according to God’s Word. We must continue spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ–no matter how heavy our hearts are and we must continue to love–even those who hate us because of our obedience to God. Our focus on doing the will of God is what matters and for that reason, we have to filter what we hear and deliberately choose to ignore all that will distract us from our purposes.

There is absolutely nothing we can do to change those things which have already happened, but we may make a difference in our present and future–for us and others. Let’s focus on the things of God and encourage others to live for Him.

Now Is Not The Time To Get Tired!

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:7-10 NIV

No matter what happens–locally, nationally, or globally, we must keep our focus on doing what God has called us to do–promote His love and love others.

Let’s face it–none of us has any control over anything that happens in our communities, our nation and certainly not in the world at-large. What we do have is an ability to seek God and His wisdom and the power to love others–continuing to always seek what is best for all.

However, what is best for all–according to The Word–will not be what everyone wants to see, especially the enemy. For what is best for him–is for all mankind to cease to exist. Therefore, he will always stir up confusion and strife among mere mortals because he loves to see us at odds with one another. The devil wants us to hate one another because God wants us to love one another. The devil wants people confused about their gender because God has a specific purpose in making men–men and women–women (male and female). God was not confused when He created the universe or mankind nor is He the author of confusion, but we know who is.

And this is why we (who have a relationship with God) must continually, without fail or getting weary of repeating the same message–God is love and we–as human beings–can only receive His best in our lives when we choose to do things His way.

If the only thing people care about is what pleases their flesh, then they have nothing coming from God for He has said in His Word that the flesh is enmity against the Spirit. In other words–what the Spirit desires for us is what God wants, but what the flesh craves is what the flesh craves and the satisfaction is temporary at best, while the benefits from allowing Holy Spirit to lead us are eternal.

Let me say it this way–giving into fleshly desires–leads to obesity, sickness and disease, sexual depravity, addictions of all kinds and crimes of all nature–theft, murder, extortion, and more. Allowing Holy Spirit to lead us–keeps us from all harm because He wants us to do all things–decently and in order. Holy Spirit will never steer us wrong or in doing wrong and when we get tired–weak from fighting against the demonic forces we face on a daily basis–He is right there–empowering us to keep going and we find we can accomplish more in His strength than in our own.

This then is what we must remind ourselves on a daily basis–God is not fooled by anything the devil influences anyone to do. He is not fooled by fake conciliatory pronouncements by foolish politicians; He is not fooled by the phony rhetoric designed to deceived others; He is not fooled by anything and the only thing the devil does is to make himself in those he has influenced. The devil is a master of deception, but those who know God can spot the deception because we know The Word.

Remember the enemy works to defeat all God loves and when we get tired–physically and spiritually–he’s ready to pounce to convince us our efforts are in vain. Our efforts in promoting The Gospel of Jesus Christ are never in vain and when we feel we’re getting weary, we need to be refreshed and restored, by constant re-visiting of The Word. We can do all things through Him who loves us and with Him, nothing is impossible! He will not withhold any good gift from those He loves and no weapon–not fear or tiredness or anything else–formed against us shall prosper. Nothing the enemy attempts to do to deter us will work. We have victory in Jesus!

Knowing When The Enemy Is Working!

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:11-13, 18 NIV

There are some passages of scripture that are relevant and worth repeating for any number of themes or expressions of caution. Paul’s admonition to the church of Ephesus is certainly true today.

We live in a society in which a lot of people talk about God, without knowing Him and without being in a relationship with Him. But then that’s true of people when it comes to celebrity worship. People talk about celebrities, go into swoons over them, celebrate them no matter what they do, and then mourn them as if they were close relatives. The truth is–they never met them, the celebrities didn’t know them, but they talked about them as if they did. Some even emulate them in their manner of behavior and dress. 

The sad part about people talking about God is that they actually think (most of them) that they know God, but refuse to live by His Word. They don’t exhibit the same type of worship for Him as they would a celebrity and they certainly don’t emulate Him and adopt His ways.

The reality is–they have been fooled, duped, manipulated by the enemy into thinking that just talking about God is good enough. We see that in political candidates, in Supreme Court Justices, and all manner of people in authority–and these are the people the enemy seeks to deceive. After all, his job is to kill, steal, destroy, deceive and lie.

The enemy has convinced people that it’s okay for same-sex couples to enjoy marital relationships that God has said was intended for a man and a woman. The enemy has convinced people that it’s okay to change their biological genders to pacify flesh. The enemy has convinced people that it’s okay for a man–pretending to be a woman–to use the same bathroom in which children and women can become their prey. The enemy has convinced people that God didn’t know and still doesn’t know what He’s doing and therefore, it’s okay to change–whatever a person wants to change about themselves–and then expect others to celebrate them for defying God.

And the people that the enemy has convinced–proclaim to know God and they sit in the pews of churches on a regular basis. They sing about God, they dance to the songs about God, they pray to a god (not sure it’s the God of heaven), they read God’s Word and talk about it, but they refuse to live it.

But this in itself should not surprise us since we know that The Word says, that at the end, some of very elect (chosen by God) would be deceived and see it now. For those of us who know God and have a right relationship with Him, it’s time to stand up, speak up, and maintain our stance in promoting living The Word before all mankind.

If we do as God as told us to do, “Preach The Word, whether it’s convenient or not,” and that means whether people receive it or not. It is not our job to make them receive anything, but we must tell them what God says and warn them about the enemy who so easily deceives. It’s time to shut the enemy down by standing on God’s Word, fully armored up with God’s Truth!

Believers’ Instructions for Daily Living (Part 2)

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:6-11 NIV).

What are empty words? I can think of a few–political correctness, alternative lifestyles, inclusiveness, living in the moment, just do it, it’s about me, no pain-no gain, God doesn’t care what we do, and the list could go on and on. The fact of the matter is–God cares very much about what we and what we say.

Jesus said, “let your yea be yea and your nay be nay–for anything more is sin.” In other words, our communication with one another should be concise and specific. We should say what we mean and mean what we say.

How many times have people been hurt when they discover the object of their affection–the one who claimed to love them–doesn’t really love them. In fact, they have demonstrated repeatedly that they don’t love themselves and if people can’t love themselves, they certainly can’t love someone else. But they said, “I love you.” Did they even know what that four letter word means? If they used it to persuade or entice to get someone to do something they normally wouldn’t, they are empty words.

Young girls are enticed into having sex with males (and females) when someone says, “I love you.” The same is true for some males when enticed by other males. ALL SEXUAL ACTIVITY OUTSIDE OF GOD-DEFINED MARRIAGE IS SIN! Just wanted to make sure this point is made before I go any further. And for those who want to debate the point, try debating with someone who doesn’t know God. I know Him and I will not debate what He has said since it is so clearly defined and graphically described.

People have been enticed into committing crimes with those words, “I love you.” There are a number of people sitting in jail cells right now because they did something stupid for someone else who led them to believe, they loved them.

People who really love others would not do anything to cause the object of their affection any grief. They certainly wouldn’t want them spending time in prison or in having an incurable sexually-transmitted disease. That’s not love–that’s self-hatred and self-gratification based on fleshly desires.

People who love others wouldn’t encourage anyone to drink and drive or to drive under the influence of any substance. People who love understand consequences–for every action, there is a consequence, whether it is positive or negative. But people who really love others–know this.

Know that the devil loves to use “empty words” to entice and snare those who are unaware of how he works. He has no problem deliberately, miscuing meanings and concepts of words and he’s doing a bang up job deceiving those who believe that same-sex marriage is anything but sin. If in fact, there is any value to the term, there would be no need to define by using the phrase, “same-sex” because God-defined marriage is intended to produce children and in this setting–no children can be produced (they can be adopted–not produced) by the process God intended to use.

Emptiness–having a void that needs to be filled and unfortunately, many people fill the voids in their lives by listening to the enemy who certainly does not love them and is using them for his purposes–to destroy mankind. Don’t be deceived–fill your time with study in The Word and in communication with the Father–who knows best for all of His Children.

 

(more to come)

Why Jesus Said, “Keeping His Commands Shows Our Love For Him!”

“If you keep my commands, you remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love.” (John 15:10 NIV)

This entire segment in the 15th chapter of John is Jesus talking, most of the 16th chapter and all of the 17th chapter which is His prayer (I’ll expound on that later). The point I’m making here is that Jesus had a great deal to say and the only way ANYONE can know that is by reading “all of His Word” and not just selected phrases that appear to justify a person’s behavior. If I was to take the time to expound on every verse noted of Jesus speaking, I’d have more to write than time to write since I probably won’t live that long.  I have chosen the selections used to make a point–to refute what groups of people are saying that Jesus just said, “love” and “don’t judge.” I know when they say such things, they have no clue as to who He is or His purpose in our lives. 

But getting back to His teaching–using the analogy of the vine and branches, something the disciples walking with Him, understood and so would most gardeners. It’s about relationships that grow, with correction and instruction.

John 15:1-9

v.1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

v.2 He CUTS OFF every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he PRUNES so that it will be even more fruitful,

v.3 You are already clean because of the WORD I have spoken to you.

v.4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit UNLESS you remain in me.

v.5 I am the vine; you are the branches, If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; APART from me you can do nothing.

v.6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers, such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and BURNED.

v.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

v.8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, SHOWING yourselves to be my disciples.

v.9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

Walking with Jesus–in the spirit–since He is no longer physically here walking with us–means that we demonstrate our love for Him, by keeping His commands (obeying His Word) to love God and love one another. Of course, in order for anyone to understand this, they must be in relationship with Him–accepting His love and knowing who He is and how He wants us to live.

It’s not enough to accept God’s unconditional love–if we truly love–we know that love is reciprocal–we must love Him. If we love Him, we must be willing to accept the occasional pruning, His correction, so we’ll become more like Him. If we reject His correction and instruction, we reject His love and risk missing spending eternity with Him.

I’m not a gardener, but I have rose bush in my back yard that for some reason, has a mind of its own. The branches dry out and break off and when I have the time, I cut them back to a spot where I can tell there is still life (green on the outside and pulpy on the inside). No matter how much of the branch I end up cutting off, they grow back and roses blossom. As long as I prune off the “dead” part, this rose bush will live.

When God uses His messengers–then and now–to correct people about their behavior, He’s trying to cut off the DEAD part (the rebellious part) so we can have life and blossom under His guidance. Teaching His Word in truth, not selectively distorting it, is about a love relationship–not judgment as some believe. Actually, I don’t believe they think we’re judging them, they just need something to say in an attempt to justify their opposition to living according to God’s Word. Deep down, they know–that sin is killing them on a daily basis and if they will not heed righteous instruction, they will die off and nothing will be left of them in the earth.

When people know they are wrong–they are quick to justify their actions–as we can see with lawsuits, false claims of discrimination against those who will not support a celebration of sin. And now, the great oxymoron of them all is the production of the “Queen James Bible” which removes any reference to homosexuality as a sin. If they didn’t know they were in sin, they would have had no need to “re-write” the bible. The very production of the book demonstrates they KNOW they live in sin, but they want to “feel” better about it.

People have been “adjusting” The Word for generations–so much so that not many even know which translation is right. I can tell which translation is right–THE ONE IN WHICH GOD HAS REVEALED THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD TO EVERYONE IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. An experience with God, reveals who He is and how we are to live. We don’t need a book to validate us–we need to know truth to grow and bear much fruit. For the Believer, the experience with Him, leads us to insight and revelation and He’ll show us which Bible speaks Him.

If we truly love Him, we make no excuses and choose to live right because our desire is to please Him, not people or our flesh.

More about what Jesus said and why, next time.