Slave Master Money

 Riches

Remember Jesus said this.

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:13

 As discussed last time, your translation may say “ Money” instead of “Mammon.” This is ok, and Money is what we will be talking about today, but it doesn't cover everything Jesus was talking about. All these can be considered Mammon.

Mammon - Money

Mammon - Drugs and Alcohol

Mammon - Pornography and Sex

Mammon - New Age Nonsense.

Mammon - Fame.

Today we will start with Money. As we begin, I want you to be assured that God does not hate money. Money is not a concept God created. We did. Look how He responded to the Pharisees when they asked about taxes.

“And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Matthew 22:16-21

Money is a tool. Money is not inherently good or evil like a car. It can be used for good, to get you where you need to go, or you could drive into a crowd of people. A knife can cut your food, or be plunged into someone's back. A gun can defend against evil or it can be used for evil. Money is the same way. We set up our financial system. Not God. We declared this shiny rock valuable. We declared this piece of paper valuable. God did not come up with the concept of money. We did.

In many cases, we have put this money, before God himself. Mankind has made money important in our lives. Our banks have become churches. The stock market has become a god. It gives, it taketh away. Money has in essence, become our god.

God says, no. God says He is God. One of the hardest things for us to do is this.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Money is not “the root of all kinds of evil” The LOVE of money is.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Look at this from King Solomon in Proverbs 23

“Do not toil to acquire wealth;

be discerning enough to desist.

When your eyes light on it, it is gone,

for suddenly it sprouts wings,

flying like an eagle toward heaven.” Proverbs 23:4-5

I have felt like that. Get paid on Friday morning and be broke by Saturday morning. Where did it go? All that hard work is gone. You start looking for mistakes. Mortgage, rent, electric, TV, car payment, insurance, phone, nope. It’s gone. Come on Monday so I can return to work and hope to get more money next week.

Money is nothing more than a tool. We need it to operate in the system we created. The sad truth is this, so does the church. This is why God created Tithing.

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:10-11

What is the purpose of Tithing? Is it for the Pasator to get rich? For the Pastor to wear expensive suits, drive flashy cars, or live in castles? No. It is for this. “That there may be food in my house.” Just like you, the Pastor has to pay a mortgage, rent, electricity, TV, car payment, insurance, and phone, oh and he needs to eat too. This is the reason for the Tithe Not greed, but out of love.

Is there abuse of the Tithe in the church today? Of course, there is. Does that mean you are free from this obligation? No. Of course not. You meet your obligation when you give your Thite and Offerings. If the Pastor or someone else at the church is misusing it? That is between them and God. I would not want to be in that situation.

However, if you look at money, for what it is, a tool, you will become content. Going back to this. “for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” Jesus told us plainly in His parable of the rich fool who built bigger barns and took pride in his wealth.

“And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying,

"The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry."'

But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15-21

We have no idea what tomorrow will bring. We do not even really know, that we will have a tomorrow. So who’s stuff will all our stuff be? Jesus tells us not to be anxious about anything. Our Father knows what we need, and if we seek Him and His kingdom, and put Him and His kingdom first, He will meet all of our needs.

I know some people who have become workaholics. I was one at a time. Got to make that money. But when you realize, your Father has got ya, just be obedient to Him and follow what He asks you to do, you will have a lot more time on your hands. Less worry. More sleep. More peace.

Money is a tool. Pay your Tithe. Bless someone else. Pay your bills. Buy food. Do not worry. Here is a little quoted scripture for you.

“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Ephesians 4:28

Work for that big house? Nope. Work for that brand new shiny sports car? No. Work to store up riches here on earth? No. “Doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

Just like most things, so is money too, as a child of God, it is NOT about you. Don't fear, trust. Do not be anxious, have faith in God. Do not trust in your abilities, but His. Your Daddy has you. You do not have to worry about anything.

Do you know the Love of God? Is He your Daddy? If you have not already done so, you need to ask Jesus into your life, then say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be, say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of Mark, Chapter 8

 Chapter 8 

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees Demand a Sign

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Are You a Slave?

 Were you at once? 

I know many people, and if this is you, ok, no offense to you, but many people read things like this.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3

Or they read this.

“For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

When some people read things like this, they think, or say, I’ve never been a slave so this does not apply to me. Again, if this is you, no offense is intended. However, you are wrong. Before Jesus set you free, you most definitely were a slave. You may still be a slave today by your own doing.

Jesus puts it this way.

“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” John 8:34

There are certain Masters out there that have without a doubt, enslaved many people before you, and since. One of these Masters may be holding your leash now. Remember what Jesus said about serving two masters?

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24

Now wait, hold on. Your translation may say “Money” and yes, Money can be and is a Slavemaster to many. But the actual word is “Mammon” What is that? “Wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion.” Yes, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. What about Fame? What about drugs and alcohol? What about pornography?

In this series, I will be introducing you to some of the most popular Slavemasters and it will be up to you to be honest with yourself and God or not. In some of these, God may have already set you free, and by your own doing, you enslaved yourself all over again.

In this series, we will be discussing these Slavemasters.

Mammon - Money

Mammon - Drugs and Alcohol

Mammon - Lust and sex

Mammon - New Age Nonsense.

Mammon - Fame.

Here is the good news though.

“And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 

He rolled up the scroll gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.” Luke 4:17-20

Jesus has already set you free.

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Romans 6:6

Paul puts it this way.

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” Romans 6:16

Turn to Colossians 3. Start at vs 1

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Why?

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

We should be looking forward to this. Living our lives as if we are free because we are. We need to,

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.”

As children of God, we need to,

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:1-10

YES! You were or are currently, a slave. I've got good news for you. Jesus has the key. He is at your cell door. All you have to do is allow Him to set you free.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

Join us for the next few weeks to discuss these Slavemasters and how they have a hold on so many people. Have you been set free? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be, say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yesuah's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yesuah, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of Mark, Chapter 8

 Chapter 8

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

8 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees Demand a Sign

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Righteous Judgment

 Are we barred from Judging? 

We read things like this.

“Judge not, that you be not judged”

People, usually those who are choosing to live in and remain in sin, will even quote this verse to us. Then you have this one

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;” Luke 6:37

What about this one?

“There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:12

So the Bible is clear, right? We can not judge. Just accept everyone as they are and allow them to be themselves. This is not even remotely true.

Go back to Matthew 7:1

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Why?

“For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

What Jesus is talking about here is simple, He does not want us to be hypocrites. This is the sort of thing that the Religious Leaders of the day did. They constantly judged everyone and put harsh restrictions on people yet did not follow them themselves.

“so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their fingers. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.” Matthew 23:3-7

This is what we are warned against. Not Judging falsely or for self-gain in importance or appearance. Look here in Romans 2

“Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?” Romans 2:3

The Bible DOES make this clear.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

Yes. We are not to judge others falsely or live in the same or worse sin we are judging someone else for. As Jesus pointed out with the adulterous woman. “He who is without sin cast the first stone.” We are not perfect. We need to pray for each other and help each other to be the best we can be.

However, there is a time a place to judge.

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” Romans 16:17-18

And here,

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

One last one.

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” John 7:24

Yes, we are called to judge. We are called to judge between Sin and Good, although we should be very careful how we choose to judge. We should be judging rightly for the good of the person. This should be done to attempt to lead them to Christ. To attempt to show them there is a better way. To share the Gospel. It is true. There is only one Lawgiver and one who will save and destroy. However, that Lawgiver gave us the Law. He told us right from wrong. Sin from Good. Yes. We are called to judge.

Ok, one last one.

“Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 1 Corinthians 6:2-3

Understand that we are living in the times depicted in Romans 1 and 2 Timothy 3:1-7 It is clear. This is why those who know there is a God or those who choose to reject God and “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Those who are

“filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them.”

These are those who 

“will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Judge rightly between Good and evil. Any question on the difference? {Holding up the Bible} Here is the answer. This is the Truth. This is the Judge. This is how we, as children of God, can keep ourselves from becoming false judges or teachers. Take care of what the Bible says you need to work on in your life, then go help someone else. But make no mistake about it. Sin is Sin and we are called to share the Gospel. The Good News. There is a better way.

Also, sadly in this day and age. We have to judge the church in many ways. Is it a true Bible-based church? Or is it something else? Prosperity Gospel? False love and compassion? Teaching to accept sin? Any Church that does not have Jesus as Lord. Flee from these. They are not of God.

Be careful child of God. Judge rightly. Call sin sin and good good. Do not accept sin. Certainly do not celebrate sin. Do not partner with a false church. Be the child of God God calls you to be. Are you? Have you been adopted? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yesuah's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yesuah, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of Mark, Chapter 7

 Chapter 7

Traditions and Commandments

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

    but their heart is far from me;

7 in vain do they worship me,

    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

What Defiles a Person

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Biblical Heart Check, On Guard

 Guarding your heart.

We are talking about the prayer to God, for Him to examine our hearts.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Pslam 139:23-24

Why is this scary? Because if you are being honest, God will show you the truth. Most likely you will have some serious changes to make. Deep serious changes. Real changes. Life-altering changes. You may be believing in God, however, you may still be living for yourself. This prayer and this series may have pointed out some things you must change in your walk with God immediately. Are you ready to do so?

We talked about these distractions of the heart.

Love of Money
Idolatry
Worldly Desires
Pride

How can you be more intentional about guarding your heart? This may sound somewhat simplistic to some, but the answer is with God's Word and prayer.

A great place to start is to examine your own heart. One of the biggest issues a lot of people have is unforgiveness.

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15

Jesus tells us this

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25

Now I understand this can be hard. I have struggled with this one. I know it can be extremely hard to forgive someone who has intentionally used and abused you. Someone who has intentionally tried to hurt you or your family. It can be both fellow children of God or the unsaved, in which case you should not be surprised at all.

Let's start with the obvious. The unsaved. Those we have already talked about are the property of Satan himself. Those that live in and for the flesh. Of course, they hate you. Of course, they use and abuse you. Of course, they want nothing to do with you and your Bible-thumping self.

 
Jesus, or Yeshua, warned us about these. He told us this.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18-19

Of course, those living in and feeding their sins are going to hate you telling them they are wrong. Of course, those who do not believe in God or the Bible, will not listen to you. Jesus tells us that they cannot even hear God’s Word, for the sole reason, they are not of God.

In His famous “Sermon on the Mount,” our Lord said this.

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12

These are children who never grew up. They do not even understand. However, here is something else for you to think about when dealing with those who are lost. They are already lost. They are on their way to Hell. What in this world, what within your power, can you possibly do to them that is worthy to be compared to the Hell that awaits them?

It is Human Nature to hold grudges. It just is. We think and I hear people say things like this. “You have no idea how I was wronged.” “You do not understand what they did to me.” “ I just can't forgive them for this.” “I trusted them.” ”I did nothing wrong.” “They used me, abused me, and mistreated me.” “How do I forgive them for that?” My answer is simple to hear but may be hard to accept for some.

1- Your Father says so.
2- When you do, you allow God to justify forgiving you.
3- You give them over to God.

Think about that last one. Someone wrongs you. You hold anger in your heart. It festers. You come to hate that person. You play the event over and over in your mind. You are losing sleep. You are having a hard time with the whole situation. Them? They are just fine. They do not care. They are going on with their lives. You are the one who is still suffering. Let it go, and let it be in God’s Hands.

“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written,

“Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21

When you fully understand it. When you claim it, you will live a more peaceful life. You will truly pray for, and mean it, for those who wrong you. You will fully get, and pray, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." You see, when someone wrongs you, you have the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, The Creator of all that ever was, is, or will be, God Himself, your Daddy, to turn to.

Those that wronged you? They got nothing. They have nowhere to turn. They have nothing they can do. When God turns His wrath upon someone or something, there is nowhere left to turn. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. There is NOTHING. Instead of being angry with them, or hate them, you should pity them. They are about to be devastated in ways only God can do.

What about your brother? What about your sister? Those fellow children of God? What about if one of them wrongs you?

“Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22

Jesus gives us a whole process of dealing with this situation.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17

If this happens, you are forgiven. You did your part. You let it go out of your hands and put the person in God’s.

However, there is yet one more type of unforgiveness that some, more than you think, have in their heart. Self unforgiveness. Some people feel that they are so far gone, that they have done such evil things, that a loving God could never forgive them.

I’ve got good news for you, you are the type of person that Jesus came to die for. You are right. You are that far gone. You have done the unforgivable. You are evil. You are worthy of an eternity in hell. Yet while you were in the middle of your sin, Christ died for you.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person, one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8

You are right. There is nothing you can do. You can never make yourself good enough to even approach the Holy God. That is the whole reason Yesuah came. The whole reason that Christ died on the cross. The whole reason He rose again. There is no other way.

What happens when you do accept this? What happens when you do ask for forgiveness?

“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

Look here.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

I love this passage in Micah. Turn to Micah 7 and read this with me. Remember. There is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, once you are adopted into the family of God, you ARE His remnant. You ARE His child. “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:17

“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19

This is why it is so important to deepen your connection through prayer: Prayer is a powerful tool for communication with God. Regularly talking to God, expressing your gratitude, and seeking guidance can open you up to understanding His will.

Study scripture. Do not just read it. The Bible is God's living Word. Dedicating time to reading and reflecting on scripture can provide insights and direction for your life.

Find a local church that teaches the truth. Seek a spiritual community. Surround yourself with people who share your faith. Discussing scripture, praying together, and participating in church services can provide support and encouragement on your journey.

Slow down, stop even. Reflect on your actions: Consider how your choices align with your faith's values before making decisions. This can help you make choices that honor God.

Practice self-reflection. Regularly examine your thoughts and motivations. Ask yourself if your desires align with your faith's principles.

Remember, this is a lifelong process. There will be times when you need more clarification or make mistakes. The important thing is to keep striving to grow your faith and live a life that honors God.

Have you been adopted? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yesuah's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of Mark, Chapter 6

 Chapter 6

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

And he went about among the villages teaching.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

The Death of John the Baptist

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's[e] head. He went and beheaded him in prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it was made well.

Biblical Heart Check, Pride

 Pride

We are talking about this prayer that David prayed to God and challenges us to do the same;

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Pslam 139:23-24

As we have been talking about, it is scary for us to pray because of the answer that God may give us. We may be going to church. Some may even be reading their Bible all the time and praying daily. However, are there distractions in your heart? This is a big one. This is the original Sin.

Pride: Pride, or an inflated sense of self-importance, can blind us to our faults and lead us away from God. Proverbs 16:18 says

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

However, the world says we should celebrate Pride. You really cannot escape it. Our kids see it everywhere, from school to stores trying to cash in. While walking in a Mall or down a street in some towns nationwide. What am I talking about? Encouragement to celebrate sin.

Now understand. Yes, the flags and the signs, the stolen meaning of the rainbow on everything LGBTQ+, and the phrase “Celebrate Pride” are about this particular sin. However, it is not just the LGBTQ+ communities encouraging you to celebrate pride. We see it in many forms all day and every day.

What is pride? Pride is a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or qualities or possessions that are widely admired. It is also the love of self. What do you think led to this?

“How you are fallen from heaven,

O Day Star, son of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low!

You said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

above the stars of God

I will set my throne on high;

I will sit on the mount of the assembly

in the far reaches of the north;

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Highest” Isaiah 14:12-14

What do you think led to the fall of Mankind?

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:1-6

What do you think the devil tried to tempt Jesus with?

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands, they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Satan said If you are, and He is of course, but if you are, the Son of God, meaning you are the most important thing around, take pride in yourself and do whatever you want. Jesus said, uh, no.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:8-10

Pride. Pride caused the fall of Lucifer, now known as the Devil or Satan. Pride is what caused the fall of Mankind. Pride is what the devil tried to tempt Jesus with. Twice. Look what Jesus wanted to teach us during the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Wait. Did He say blessed are those who are proud?

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Are those full of pride?

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

No child of God, Jesus teaches us the exact opposite. Pride is a symbol of sin. It stands for sin. In some cases, it requires us to sin. Funny how when someone points this out, we are attacked and persecuted. Oh, wait, keep reading.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

We live in a time when Romans 1 is played out right before everyone’s face.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:18-32

PLEASE, read that again. Reread it. Reread it. Fully understand all that is in this. Look around. Understand we are living in these times. Even some of our churches have stopped teaching the truth, in exchange for lies and opposite to what God says. This is also warned about in the Word of God.

“preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Prosperity Gospel, No Hell. No Sin. Compassion and Love say we must accept all and they need not change. God only wants you to love. There is no right and wrong. Each is their own god and we are all in it together. Just love. Live and let live. Jesus is not required. The Bible is not required. Just be you. Celebrate you. Celebrate Pride.

As I said, it is not just the Gay, Lesbian, Trans, and whatever other nonsense you want to call out, it is also daily teachings to us and our children, to be prideful. Be the next internet superstar with millions of “followers.” You failed the test little Johnny, that’s ok. You are unique and you tried, so do not worry about it. Take pride in who you are.” Did your team lose? Who cares? “You get a trophy because you played and you are awesome. Take pride in yourself.”

I'm not telling you to protest stores displaying Pride to cash in. You can if you so choose. I know people who will not step foot in any business that is attempting to shove sin down everyone’s throat. I’m not telling you to call or write to their headquarters. Not sure what that would do, to begin with.

But what I am telling you, are three things.

1- Be mindful of this. This is not compassion. This is not “love on display.” You are not celebrating anything good if Pride is involved. Most of these businesses that are trying to jump on the bandwagon are doing so out of the love of money and profit. Not out of genuine respect or love.

2- Be mindful of what God says. Understand that God condemns Homosexuality and all this other nonsense. Some places in The Word? Leviticus 18:1-5, 22-24, 29, Leviticus 20:13, Ezekiel 16:49-51, Romans 1:18-32

3- You cannot avoid it. Your children cannot avoid it. So teach them what the reality of the truth is. Lay a foundation in them where God is the final authority. Not man. Not sin. God.

Pride is not a good thing. Pride is the original sin. We should never, as children of God, celebrate sin. We are to love those who are in sin. Attempt to guide them, teach them, and love them. Show them there is a better way and Jesus is His name.

Do you need to ask Jesus into your life? Say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Lead your children in this prayer when they reach the age of accountability. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

The Email if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!