Living in a Foreign World

 You are no longer a citizen of this world

Hello. Welcome, today. Today we will start a new series of messages. I am speaking, and will be speaking, directly to children of God. If you are not a child of God, that is ok too. You can be, and I hope you will be, by the end of this series.

Another June has passed. You know, “Mental Health Awareness Month.” Also known now as “Pride Month.” No, you can not avoid this. We are living in it. Our children are living in it. So how do you respond to it? Do you throw the Bible at people? Do you rip down flags? Knockover displays? After all, Jesus did turn over the tables. So how do we as children of God live in such a crazy time as June? Why are you only asking about June? Do you not know that the world is crazy all the time?

This is what we are talking about in this series. How do we live in this increasingly foreign world as children of God? How should we raise our children in the increasingly foreign world?

We will start today with Paul’s warning to the people of Laodicea. Laodicea was a wealthy, dynamic city in the province of Phrygia in the Lycos Valley, approximately 9 miles from Colossae, in a region now known as Denizli, Turkey. It seems to have had a church there, however, they became lukewarm in their living for Christ. They were letting the world in. They were allowing sin to enter into the church. They stopped teaching God's whole truth and started to water down the message. Look what God Himself said about them in Revelations.

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

"'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he will be with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" Revelations 3:14-22

It is not hard to look around and see America today sounds a lot like Laodicea. Not only have we as a nation become lukewarm in our service to God, we have started to let sin into our churches.

Make no mistake about it, any church that explains away, celebrates, or accepts sin is not a real church. Any church that denies the devil or hell is not a real church. Any church that does not have the Jesus or Yeshua, of the Bible is not a real church. Do not walk away from these churches. RUN!.

Here is Paul’s warning to the church in Laodicea.

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.

This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations, "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” Colossians 2

This is what we will be talking about in this series. Living in this crazy world.

We are not of the world. {We are a Citizen of Heaven}
We answer to a higher authority {God over Man no matter what cost}
Religion is not salvation. {Relationship, not Religion}
Laying a solid foundation for our kids. {Living, Teaching, Praying.}
Being a Peacemaker.

Speaking a Heavenly Language  
Finding Peace in chaos.
Victory is ours.

Let’s look at these things a bit closer.

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline,” and here, “being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of the full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

He is talking about the Wisdom of God. He is not talking about gold and silver. He is talking about the wisdom of God.

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than the gain from silver
and her profit is better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.” Proverbs 3:13-18

The wisdom of God is far more profitable to you than any amount in your bank account. Look here.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17

We need to read this. {Holding up the Bible} We need to have a foundation in the Truth according to God and not man. Why? If you know the truth you will not fall for a lie. This is what he meant when he said this. “I say this so that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” A lot of our churches today preach to “itchy ears.” The prosperity gospel, no devil, no hell, no sin. Homosexuality is ok and good. You do not need the Bible. ETC. “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,” “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Look how Jesus put this one.

“And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God to establish your tradition!” Mark 7:6-9

These are the churches that “have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

Listen, child of God. Look around. See what is going on, This is a crazy world that you are no longer part of. Oh, you are still in it. Do not be of it. You are now a stranger in a strange land. Join us next time for this aspect of what we are talking about. Make no mistake about it.

“For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 1 Corinthians 3:19

Do not be fooled child of God. Do not be misled. Do not be deceived. If you are not a child of God, you really should start there, for,

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.”Proverbs 1:7

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!