Category: priorities

Avoiding Deception and Manipulation

Valuable information is found in scripture and if we learn and apply this, it will keep us from being deceived or manipulated. The tool to know if a person is a deceiver or manipulator is found in Galatians 5, a letter Paul wrote to the Galatians around 50 AD (about 20 years after Jesus was crucified to put this in historical context).

Pay attention to the descriptive qualities of a person to know if they are truly guided by the Holy Spirit or as scripture states still under the bondage of the evil one who opposes God. There are some who may call themselves Christians but when we look at the description of a person’s character of one who is “in Christ,” a true “Believer”- these traits will be seen if the person is guided by the Holy Spirit. If none of these traits are seen in a person, that person is a liar about being a Christian (so stay away from them, do not trust them), if some of the traits are seen that person may be a new Christian in process a “baby Christian,” so still be cautious, but a mature Christian will show these traits consistently, more often than not, with occasional “mistakes,” this person is more trustworthy, but not still not perfect, because no one will be perfected until Jesus returns. The fruit of the Spirit is what can be seen in someone truly being guided by the Holy Spirit. Here are the verses:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

There are definitions of the 9 characteristics:

  1. Love: agapē (ἀγάπη– Greek word): Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…1 Corinthians 13:4-8
  2. Joy: chara (χαρά– Greek word): cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight
  3. Peace: eirēnē (εἰρήνη – Greek word): by implication, prosperity:—one, peace, quietness, rest,
  4. Patience: makrothymia (μακροθυμία – Greek word): forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude:—longsuffering, patience.
  5. Kindness: chrēstotēs (χρηστότης– Greek word): usefulness, i.e. morally, excellence (in character or demeanor):—gentleness, good(-ness), kindness.
  6. Goodness: agathōsynē (ἀγαθωσύνη – Greek word): i.e. virtue or beneficence
  7. Faithfulness: pistis (πίστις– Greek word): persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
  8. Gentleness: prautēs (πραΰτης– Greek word): gentleness, by implication, humility:—meekness.
  9. Self-Control: egkrateia (ἐγκράτεια – Greek word): (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites)

Not only is this a good checklist when encountering others and determining how trusting we should be with them, but this is equally as important as a checklist for us. Do we exhibit these qualities? Do we need more help from the Holy Spirit in certain areas? Jesus said to his disciples:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:12-14

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:15-17

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

John 3:5

And Paul warns us:

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.

Ephesians 6:12

We are told we live in a spiritual world, where the unseen is present and influencing events in our daily lives and we may even interact with angels unknowingly:

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:17

Knowing what to look for (the traits of a person guided by the Holy Spirit) helps us avoid deception and manipulation. Don’t be swayed by emotion, use scriptural knowledge and overcome.

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From Feeling Unloved to Experiencing Love

Life is full of lessons: we learn something (good or bad) from each experience. Hindsight often makes the lesson clear. I’ve gone from not feeling loved to experiencing love, but before you “exit” from this story – this is for everyone’s benefit, so keep reading. If it happened for me; it WILL happen for you too, if you seek “Love”.

Before we seek the experience of love, we need to know what love is and what it is not or we will be searching for something “unknown.” And how hard is that!? Finding something we truthfully don’t comprehend or only understand from what’s been defined as “love” by the world surrounding us will leave us in a bad place. I’ve found the world (secular) view to be deceptive, it keeps us “unsatisfied” in experiencing love. I’ll give some contrasting comparisons to prove this (the message the world gives us = lies vs. the truth):

LOVE IS FOUND THROUGH MONEY VS. THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

The lie: The world view tells us if we accumulate money then we will be satisfied, so people seek money to satisfy themselves. But does that eliminate the drama in people’s lives? Not at all. People with money have drama and unsatisfaction just as much as those who don’t. In fact people with money are targets for “parasite people” – ones that will use whatever means they have to “life off” the person with money, definitely not love, but being someone gets used for their money.

The truth: Loving money will cause people to do evil: lying, cheating, manipulating, deceiving, harming others to get money. Love isn’t obtained through money. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) God is love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

NUMB THE PAIN OF FEELING UNLOVED: ALCOHOL/DRUGS WILL MAKE US HAPPY VS. NOT HAVING A SOBER MIND WILL INFLICT MORE PAIN.

The lie: The world view associates “fun, happiness” with drinking but doesn’t mention the side effects of excessive drinking: headaches, vomiting, embarrasing moments, bad moral decisions, addictions, unhealthy unattractive physical condition, physical and mental disabilities as a result of drinking. While drinking may numb the pain temporarily, it causes more pain later and it doesn’t solve the problem, but creates more problems.

The truth: Alcohol in moderation is okay, and no alcohol at all is even better. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”(1 Peter 5:8) and “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” (1 Peter 4:7)

GET RID OF “HIM OR HER” VS. LOVE NEVER LETTING GO.

The lie: The world view tells us to dispose of anything we don’t want: ie. pregnancies, children, people in general, and recently elderly people- we are seeing this in Canada. While there are good reasons to let go of unhealthy, harmful people in our lives, “getting rid of someone” certainly doesn’t apply to children or people because we simply don’t want the responsibility for, or “tire” of them, or because once they “did something for us” but now it’s “don’t feel anything for them” so get rid of him or her and eliminate that responsiblity. This is a lie that will destroy us and our world.

The truth: Love never lets go. We see this in God’s character: He doesn’t let go, He keeps pursuing, He continues to love us despite our ways that don’t please Him. We are valuable to God, so valuable that He sent His Son, Jesus to rescue us, to die for us, to pay for us, to save us from the grip or slavery that evil has on us. Evil will take us to a place of eternal unsatisfaction and torture, but deceives us with mottos such as “Care Diem!” Live for the day- in a reckless way that won’t allow us to receive the good things God has prepared for us. It’s a great deception: short-term thinking, not looking at how the way we live and what we choose having eternal consequences. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) God showed us the greatest love possible.

COSMETIC SURGERY WILL BRING LOVE VS. WE ARE VALUABLE AS WE WERE CREATED.

The lie: changing the outward appearance does not bring love! It won’t make someone love us more. There are many attractive people whose partner cheated on them. The world view today encourages extreme changes (man into woman and vice versa) and it seems these people inwardly just want to be loved by someone. They are hurt, unloved and seeking love they do not know.

The truth: We are valuable as we are, as God made us. God made us in the image of Him! We are so valuable to God that He sent His one and only son to die for us to make it possible for us to be with God in eternity. Our outward appearance will not be perfected (glorified) until the day Jesus returns and we are raised to be with God.  “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep (die), but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15).  Mankind was damaged, corrupted by evil, so we don’t need to place so much emphasis on our outward appearance, we are in temporary bodies that will be changed. What is inside us is more valuable than the outside appearance. Even if someone is considered beautiful or attractive today, with enough time, that physical beauty will change, age, die and decompose. The body we have is temporary but what is inside is valuable and remains forever.

BUYING LOVE VS. ACCEPTING PRESENT LOVE.

The lie: This relates to money, the world view tells us if we have money we can “buy love”- but that’s a fake love if we can “buy it”, so is a “fake love” satisfying in the end? Just like everything: it’s temporary and won’t be satisfying long term. Anyone who chooses this is being “short-sighted” not seeing long term reality.

The truth: God’s love is present- always. He is merciful, forgiving, loving, and patient with us. When we personally experience God’s love, it will change us. This is the only love we need to seek. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

(Matthew 7 – the words of Jesus)

DEMANDING LOVE VS. PATIENCE IN LOVE.

The lie: The world view shows us that we can demand love and therefore receive it. What a joke, although it’s not funny, but ridiculous, but some people believe this; those who are sadly deceived. They will find out this is a lie. We can’t “force” someone to love us, either they will or they won’t. So if we find out they don’t, let them go, they were not meant for us.

The truth: God is patient with us and loves us. He pursues us but also waits for us to get to know Him. We learn how to love from God (alone) through scripture. The characteristics of love are important to recognize especially because God is love, so the following describes the character of God:

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. “(1 Corinthians 13)

FIND A RICH PARTNER VS. GENEROUS GIFTS ARE ALREADY PRESENT.

The lie: The world view slang calls it “a sugar daddy” or “sugar momma” and some single people search for this as their most important criteria due to their love of money. They won’t be satisfied, they still will want something “more.” Mankind is imperfect and will never be the ultimate provider.

The truth: God gives great gifts to those who love and obey Him. He is the supplier, provider of all things, so we won’t find anyone greater. If we love God, He will provide all we need in life. “13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. (Deuteromomy 11)

and

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23)

and

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.(2 Corinthians 9:8)

COMPARISON/ENVY/JEALOUSY VS. CONFIDENCE.

The lie: The world promotes beauty, luxurious material things making us feel if we don’t have them we won’t experience happiness. This subliminal message causes people to compare, envy and be jealous of others.

The truth: When we comprehend our value to God we will have confidence in our value, our worth. Jesus described it this way: 12 “What do you think? If a man (symbolic of God) owns a hundred sheep (symbolic of people), and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.(Matthew 18) We are important and valuable to God. Jesus wouldn’t have died on the cross to redeem us if this wasn’t true.

LOVE CHOICES: THE “TROPHY” PARTNER VS. GOOD MORAL CHARACTER.

The lie: The world emphasises beauty rather than moral character.

The truth: Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthian 15:33) This happened to many people throughout scripture, it led people to their physical and often eternal destruction (Samson, Solomon, Ahab and others).

SEEK REVENGE FOR WRONG DOING VS. LET IT GO.

The lie: The world loves vengence and seeks it, but doesn’t seem to know right from wrong. What some think “is right” is wrong in the opinion of others. If there is only one truth; which is correct? On whose opinion do we rely?

The truth: 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3) and “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

UNFORGIVENESS VS. FORGIVENESS.

The lie: We can’t forgive some people.

The truth: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15) and “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37) God forgives! If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) and Micah the prophet tells us:
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.“(Micah 7:18)

UNSAFE LOVE VS. PROTECTION IN LOVE.

The lie: The world relies on mankind, nations, alliances for protection.

The truth: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” (Psalm 118:8)

LOVE LIES VS. TRUTH/TRUST.

The lie: The world tells us that “my truth” is truth.

The truth: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3) Truth is found in love. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6) “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

DESTROYING VS. BUILDING UP (HOPE).

The lie: There is no hope.

The truth: Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. (Job 8:13)For what hope have the godless when they are cut off, when God takes away their life? (Job 27:8) But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.(Psalm 9:18) For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.(Psalm 37:9) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; (Lamentations 3:25) And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Romans 15:4) in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,(Titus 1:2) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

ABANDONMENT VS. STAYING.

The lie: The world tells us if someone or something isn’t serving you, leave it.

The truth: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (Galations 5:13) “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,”(Ephesians 6:7) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”(Luke 4:8)

LOVE FAILS VS. SUCCESS IN LOVE.

The lie: The world tells us: most marriages end in divorce, and those who stay married are unhappy, so stay single and have sex with whomever you want.

The truth: The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”(Genesis 2:18) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? …(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”(Proverbs 27:17) He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22) Marriage CAN be good, but getting married to the wrong person (an ungodly person) is not God’s intention:” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthian 15:33) “No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.”(Deuteronomy 23:2)– the forbidden people are the ones who are idolatrous and don’t serve God. “He followed the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.”(2 Kings 8:27) “Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’” (Ezra 9:2) “Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.” (Nehemiah 13:26) “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”(Hebrews 13:4) “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”(Revelation 21:8), “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”(Revelation 22:15) This is where each person’s decision has consequences which can be good or bad.

SELF-LOVE VS. LESS-SELF/ SELFLESS LOVE.

The lie: The self-love the world values: having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness, taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing anything to take care of others, promoting selfishness, conceitedness, egotism, narcissism, et al.

The truth: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”(Deuteronomy 6:5) Our focus should be on God, His will, not ours. Jesus showed us by his example when he knew the upcoming crucifixion he was facing and asked God if there was any other way to do this, but then surrendered saying “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:41-43) Love is selfless not selfish.

All these lies we hear from world views keep us “unsatisfied,” continually seeking “false love,” or giving up on love completely as a result interactions with ungodly people, and from not knowing the truth, when we define love from a worldly view. God is Love. God loves us. God is all we need and when we feel like we have nothing because of what the world says, this is important to remember. God is a loving Father, a provider, a comforter, a gift giver, compassionate, generous, merciful, forgiving, a protector, a refuge; everything good comes from God. He pursues us, we are valuable to Him, He sent His son Jesus to save us. He knows the number of hairs on our head- intimately knowing us better and more completely than anyone else does or ever did and He loves us continually. God has unimaginable good plans for our future, for those who seek Him, and love Him in return. The evil in the world tries to overcome the goodness of God, but remember the words of Jesus:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

“… Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Mark 10:18

Knowing God is knowing Love!

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Growing Our Faith

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Romans 10:17

I found this statement to be true -personally. I knew of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit since I was a child, emphasizing the word knew “of” because I didn’t “personally know God”- just was taught about Him, but that all changed as I studied the Bible. No longer was God some mysterious being, Jesus some historical figure of the past or the Holy Spirit (a “mystery” to me) but I started to understand God’s character, thoughts (in more detail than “love your neighbor”), things He hates, what He loves, and what His will is for all of us: to be with Him in eternity. Thankfully, He went through extraordinary means for us (meaning Jesus on the cross) and for me personally that my “eyes finally opened” as a result of studing scripture, I finally know God personally. It didn’t happen from anyone “teaching” me anything, it happened when I started seeking to know Him to understand what’s in the Bible and studying scripture. There are several true statements about seeking too, some are:

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isaiah 55:6

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 (Jesus said this)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7 (Jesus said this)

My way of thinking drastically changed (in a positive way) as I studied and I realized “truths” about many questions I had. My faith grew and I believed deeper. I have a solid faith now. Before I had some questions, but those were answered by studying scripture. Due to the impact scripture had on me, I began to share what I was learning on this website, on Instagram, and in a podcast.

Spotify Podcast Link

I’m currently working on a Bible Study Podcast covering the Book of John, reading and discussing a chapter per day (when I can). I chose this one because John was one of the first disciples and he expressed in his writings that he thought he was closest to Jesus (like a best friend), so I’m interested in his insight. He was also the one who wrote the book of Revelation, which I’ve learned so much from; he expands on what the prophets of Israel: Daniel, Zechariah and Ezekiel taught. If you want to grow your faith, try listening to this podcast and see if studying scripture affects you the way it did me?

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Video Recommendation

If you are a Christian, especially if you study scripture, you will be blown away by the information in this video, some of it I’ve noticed as I’ve studied scripture over the past 4 years, but there is so much more symbolic and metaphoric meaning in scripture that I didn’t even notice, but see it now after it’s pointed out. This is not a video that scares, it is beautiful and full of the hope that Christians have for our future. You will enjoy this!

Despite the title of the video “Messiah 2030“, the creator of the video is not saying this “theory” is absolute which I find being humble because none of us can say with certainty, but after you hear the scripture, notice the symbols, prophecies, patterns and traditions that point to this date, especially as I said if you are familiar with scripture, it is hard not to think this could be a strong possibility. We will ultimately know this only in hindsight.

The main reason for sharing this is for all of us to ask these questions: What if it’s true? Am I prepared to meet Jesus? Have I been “born again” (born of the water which is repentant and born of the spirit which is received the spirit from God)? Jesus said we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we are “born again.” Read John Chapter 3 for more understanding of this. If it is this soon, or sooner, in fact we don’t know if we will personally be living tonight/tomorrow if some freak situation happens – so the time to prepare is now, not later. Turn away from “sinful” things and turn to God, live a changed godly life with the help of the Holy Spirit (this is called Repentance) and Believe what Jesus taught. Jesus took care of the rest and made it possible for us to be saved. If you seek him you will find him; he will reveal himself to you.

Here’s the video:

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The “Day of the Lord” is approaching; What is Your Strategy? (Part 2)

If we seek success in anything; we typically create a strategy to achieve it. Agree? So I’m going to ask THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF YOUR EXISTENCE: The “Day of the Lord” is approaching; What is your Strategy?

First of all, what is “the Day of the Lord”? Here is a link summarizing the “the Day of the Lord” also read the 22 exact verses found in both Hebrew and Greek scripture from the Bible (click link here). The Day of the Lord is both a good day (for those prepared) and a bad day (for those unprepared). You have time, right now, to prepare.

Since The Day of the Lord hasn’t arrived yet: is your current strategy, I am prepared or I am unprepared (haven’t done anything about it yet)? Like everything else in life, we can say, I’ll do it after…(whatever excuse follows in the ….). That excuse/reason or delay may be okay for some decisions in life, but for this decision in life, remember, we have no guarantees on the time remaining in our life. That’s God’s decision. Our decision about preparing or remaining unprepared holds the highest possible risk and is THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION you will ever make because it will affect you ETERNALLY. If you haven’t prepared yet, be thankful to God that your life hasn’t ended and you can change where you reside eternally.

Some people are procrastinators, this probably applies to many of us: We procrastinate on decisions or things we don’t want to do. We make excuses about being “too busy,” but that is just an excuse making us sound important, in demand, etc. But the truth is, we make time for what is important, so being “too busy” means whatever we delay on, is simply not a priority, is not important to us. Again, this might not be critical when it comes to other people, but when it comes to us and God, it is critical. It is a matter of eternal placement.

I grew up Catholic, so I want to mention this made up place of “Purgatory” – it DOES NOT EXIST according to the Bible! After we die, there are no second changes to make amends with God. Jesus clearly told his followers this, when he told the story of Lazarus as documented in the book of Luke Chapter 16 verses 19-31, once we die, our eternal placement is finalized. We will be in a “holding place” called Heaven or in Hades (two very different places). There is no way to cross over between the two places and no way to go back to earth to warn others. There is no way to change the outcome of your eternal destiny at that point. We are given a certain unknown number of opportunities by God (we don’t know how many, the number is up to God), but at a certain point, when God sees us reject Him over and over and not desire a change, He lets us have what we want and He turns us over to our decision. So we can’t blame God about this. We are responsible for this outcome- it was our choice. This is important to know, believe what Jesus said and if a “church”, religion or person ever contradicts what Jesus said, trust Jesus (the way the truth and life- John 14:16) and reject the other. Jesus came to save us, no one else can accomplish that for us nor do they care about us the way that Jesus does. The point is this decision (to be prepared) must be made before we pass away. There are no second chances! Don’t be deceived!

Because this question: “What Happens after Death?” is unclear for many of us, I will write a follow up article on what scripture tells us so people will no longer be confused. It’s unbelievable how many fables have been created to cause confusion and deception. Yes, I think it was intentional to cause confusion and deception – that’s what the enemy of God does: causes confusion and deception in an effort to steal, kill and destroy the people God created. (John 10:10)

I plan to write another follow up article to this one: “What are the signs the Day of the Lord is approaching?” supporting this statement with scripture.

If you want to prepare:

Learn about Jesus from the books of Matthew (one of Jesus’ followers), Mark (a friend of one of Jesus’ followers – Peter), Luke (a doctor who interviewed people who knew Jesus and documented what they said) and John (one of Jesus’ followers, who claimed to be a close friend of Jesus). Do you believe what Jesus said/taught? Can you see that Jesus came to bring eternal life to sinners? Do you understand that Jesus is the ONLY way that it is possible for us to live in eternity with God? (We can’t get there by being “good.” Jesus said: no one is good, but God. and He also said: “no one comes to the Father except through me“)

Ask God for forgiveness of sins and commit to changing (with the help of the Holy Spirit- ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit to help)- this is what scripture calls: “Repent”

Get Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit– this is symbolic of the inner commitment you make to change, turn away from the sinful way of living. When our commitment is honest, God will give us His Spirit when we ask Jesus. This
indwelling of the Spirit is when we are prepared. From this point forward, we wait for the return of Jesus. Those who have died in the past will raise from the dead and be given immortal eternal bodies (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17), those who are still alive when Jesus returns will be changed in an instant (1 Corinthians 15:52) and will be gathered by Jesus and angels to be sheltered and protected from the wrath of God (on the Day of the Lord),

Only you can prepare yourself for this, no one else can do it for you. This is your decision and your destiny as a result of your preparedness: Will you be Prepared or Unprepared?

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, Face Fear, FAITH, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The “Day of the Lord” is approaching; What is your Role? (Part 1)

This topic (“the day of the Lord”- search those words in a digital bible for understanding) came to mind after I woke up remembering a vision from a dream. I was in the middle of the woods, trees had no leaves, like on a trail, but there were no trails. I saw gentle, loving cute puppies and dogs that were infested with fleas. The puppies and dogs acted completely normal, greeting with wagging their tails, one was injured, without an eye, and shied away a little, but the fleas didn’t seem to make a difference regarding how they responded. I saw a person off in the distance, she was right in the middle of all the flea covered dogs, still loving them as they were, petting them, letting them sit on her lap, as if nothing needed to be done about their condition. It was a strange scene, but most dreams are strange, after praying then reflecting on this dream, I see some biblical applications.

The dogs are symbolic of people, there are many gentle, loving, attractive people who don’t realize they are “infested.” They don’t know what is in the bible, they are unaware of their condition in God’s eyes and their future according to what scripture tells us. People are injured (the dog without an eye and all with fleas), struggling, damaged from life experiences, (still acting normal, doing what we do every day, the same, with no change) yet completely unaware that something can be done to change the condition. The fleas are symbolic of what separates us from God (our actions which are contrary to God’s commands- aka “sin.”) The person in the vision is a loving person who accepts all people as they are (which is a good thing) HOWEVER that person is not doing anything to help the dogs get rid of the fleas and improve their condition, so that person could be doing something more than comforting the dogs.

So the question for all of us is: what part of the scene are you? The dog covered in fleas? The dog without an eye (injured)? The person comforting infested dogs (people)? The person observing all of this? Whatever role we see as ourselves, this shows us there is an action ahead for each of us.

If you are the dog, are you covered in fleas? Do you know what separates you from God? Are you reading, studying the Bible (scripture), asking questions to find out?

If you are the person comforting others or if you are the person observing this, there is more for you to do. Help the dogs (people) get rid of the fleas (sin that separates us from God). Lead people to Jesus through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the bible, through becoming an active participant in a Bible Study, keep doing good things for others, but “step up your game,” there is more to be done. Get active in preparing people for God’s kingdom. That is the kindest, most loving, most comforting thing we can share with others.

Preparation for God’s kingdom is this:

First: knowing Jesus, not knowing of him (as in a “fact”), but knowing him personally (his character, the meaning of the stories he told, the wisdom of God’s kingdom that he shared). Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through him.

Second: knowing what separates us from God (as described by Jesus and every author of the books found in the Bible).

Third: Commit to changing whatever separates you (personally) from God. Surrender your life to Jesus, (when you decide you want to change and live life better, live life as God wants us to.) This is what is meant by “Repent.” As a symbol of this decision, get baptized. Luke 3:3- verse study link From the time Jesus began preaching he said to repent for the kingdom of God is near. (Matthew 4:17) Jesus showed us what surrender means. Jesus did this when he prayed “Not my will but yours be done.” This surrender to God’s will is also found in the one prayer that Jesus taught his followers:

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one. ’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6: 6-14

Fouth: Ask Jesus for the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) after you decide to repent, change because you want to be with God in eternity. The Holy Spirit will work with you, help you, begin to change you into a more godly person. We won’t be perfect, not until Jesus returns when we are given new immortal supernatural bodies, but we will begin to change into better people and will then be prepared for when Jesus returns. On our own this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Fifth: Stay connected to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit through daily prayer, reading scripture. John 15

Then help others do the same. This is the most loving thing we can do for others: sharing God’s kingdom, eternity with others so they can prepare themselves with the help of the Holy Spirt, then REST and ENJOY all that God has planned for us. Revelation 21 and Revelation 22.

This article is Part 1 of a multipart series focusing on “the Day of the Lord” and advance preparation. Follow this podcast or website to continue in the series.

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment