One Goal for 2015: Read the Bible Everyday!

One Goal for 2015: Read the Bible Everyday!                      by Kelly Durant  12-28-14

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

2. How many people do you know when they go to a buffet fill their plate until it’s over flowing only to discover that they were not able to eat but half of it? Go to Golden Coral sometime and look around at all the plates of people with leftover food and you might conclude that the majority of us as human beings always believe we are capable of more than what we actually are! It stems from pride and greed in our sinful nature. We really should never waste food, but many people are not taught the virtue of considering others. I try to not over serve, not overeat, and not waste food just because I can! The lesson: People should never commit to something and then not finish what they accepted.

This concept, of having eyes bigger than your stomach I am applying to the goals you set for yourselves this new year of 2015. Many people propose losing weight this time of year and gyms make a lot of money in January but by February the New Year’s resolution goals are totally forgotten.  I was reviewing the past goals that we had set for ourselves as a Corps in the past and it seems that even though we may have chosen 5 goals in 2014 or 2013, which seemed reasonable, in reality we all know we really only have been getting one done! So this year let’s make only one goal! The goal will be to read all the New Testament of the Bible in one year!

How many of you have read all the New Testament all the way through? It is a contradictory to claim to be a Christian yet never study the divinely inspired Word of God. It is our instruction manual for life. It is our light in the darkness of this world. It contains the soul of God himself so we are guided to understand his love, purpose, and direction for our lives.

3. I recall when I was a kid I had an aunt who had a big Bible on the coffee table. One time I asked her, I see this here all the time do you read it? She replied, “Well, not really, I have it there to bring us good luck!” Sounds crazy, right? That is like buying a new TV because all the neighbors say they are informative and then never turning it on! The Word of God is only as effective as it is put into use! In South America I recall many people saying, never start reading the Bible, it will make you crazy! What bad advice! The Bible can lead oppressed people out of government control, out of sin, out of poverty, but only if collectively everyone lives by it!

How does the Word of God work after you read it? It sticks in your memory and the precise verse needed comes to the front of your brain when you are in the situations life throws at you. For example, how many of you have ever been cut off in a line, or in traffic, or been insulted by an aggressive person? Knowledge of the Word could save your life! Reacting carnally and not spiritually can get you killed! Just last week two guys at a convenience store started arguing and one man full of anger turned around and did a surprise punch in the face to the other. The sad part is the punched man fell down knocked out cold and his skull cracked after he hit the floor and died soon afterward! So this 2^nd degree murder charge means the man who was an aggressive fool will spend the rest of his life in jail and another man’s life was sadly lost over foolish arguing. Had one of them been a practicing Christian, with emotions controlled, this would not have happened!

I can’t tell you how many times the Word of God has come to me in my head reminding me of verses, ones like Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. People are ignorant, arrogant and insulting at times but our mission from God is to respond in His way as taught in the Word, not in our own way. Always as yourself, what would Jesus do? Do you do what Jesus would? To know what he did, you have to know His story frontwards and backwards! There is a time to be silent and a time to speak up and God’s wisdom reveals what to do when you need it. Today, Biblical minded people are a rare breed!

4. There are so many things of wise counsel that people are ignorant of because they do not know God’s word. After learning God’s word you and I, are faced with the dilemma of changing our rough, mistake prone human nature way of doing things to fit God’s ways. It is hard but not impossible to practice Jesus’ words like in Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Some people argue that we only have 2 cheeks so on the third one you can get them back, but that is not how it works. It is the spirit of the statues that dictate. But before it getting to the point of someone getting hit we should recall, Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

What is the general point so far? That the knowledge of the Word will give you wisdom in dire situations, so that it protects you from adding fuel to the fire of evil, and when God’s Word with peaceful ways are practiced then you live in peace with God and with everyone else! Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

The practical part of following the Word of God is of great importance to live a blessed life full of wisdom but there is more to it than that. God’s word internally motivates us encompassing our emotions as well. The deep feelings we all harbor but have a hard time dealing with are the hard questions in life like, who loves me? Who really does love you anyway?

5. You should also ask yourself, who do I love? How have you expressed love lately? A real Christian will take in love and reflect it back to you like a mirror, but a person of darkness will just suck up your love like light disappearing into a black hole. So many people in life get burned out because they miss the mark of loving God and others with all their hearts, minds, and souls, so their love, energy, and time all gets wasted on worthless Godless fools! What frustration and depression people live in because they are ignorant of God’s word concerning relationships!

Many people say they love God and Jesus but they really know little about Him because they have read little of His teachings. Again, many people have never read the Bible even once in their lives, so how can God believe they love Him when they do not care to know much about Him? In this country of freedom where Bibles are everywhere there is no excuse either. I have discovered that when you love God and His Word, God does love you back by sending strange warm emotions to you through the Holy Spirit. When one studies the history of the disciples, their stories and lessons come alive in our lives and we get moved and awakened to be bold and do new things. The Word makes us wiser, more convicted to live right, and this brings us peace and blessings. Love, which we absorb through God’s word, is an emotion and it causes you and me to react and reach out and do something good! People then want to serve!  

Not being deep with God is not God’s fault but rather ours. Not spending time in God’s word is like having a friend that every time you want to talk about something of the heart they shut you up by changing the subject or leaving. How many of you know people like that? They are good for superficial talk but they are worthless for connecting with the things of the heart. Don’t be that way with God! God was the first to give you and me love, it is a recorded fact and written down, and He would like a whole hearted response of love back! So fall in love with God, Jesus, the Word, and go deep into the Christian life of walking in the spirit in holiness! You will start living above the clouds and be victorious! You may have bad days, but God’s word will lift you back up!

6. So, for your practical and emotional well-being, and maturity, each of you in the Corps must have one goal for this new year of 2015, to read the Word of God! And is this goal just my vision only? No it is not! I try to march in step with what the rest of the Christian world is doing so we have unity with our brothers and sisters in the spirit.

The Salvation Army has printed a booklet on guiding us through the New Testament in one year and every regular member here will get one of these. It is a part of the 150 year mark celebration of the SA and the General, and the people organizing the Congress, proposed this challenge to the SA around the world. Let’s do it, the rest of the world is doing it; just one goal for the year is doable! 

After all, to understand the whys of what motivates Christians, Officers, and volunteers worldwide about 3 million strong (1 million Soldiers, 2 volunteers) to keep doing what they do for the good of all and just for the love of God, with little or no pay, you and I must understand what the Word of God teaches. The Word of God changes hard indifferent hearts into beautiful loving compassionate ones!

7. Christmas just passed and what do people do on Christmas? They share time together and give gifts to each other. Think of this, what did you give Jesus for Christmas? I know a few people went out to serve food to the poor, some visited the sick and some of you did serve the Lord recently, but what could you and I give Jesus anyway?

I want to reiterate that this year you and I must take the opportunity to give Jesus our time daily by reading His word. Just think how much better life will be if we all could just study, learn, and apply better what God has recorded for us. It is only a sacrifice of about 10 minutes a day to read through the New Testament. People who want to read through the Old Testament as well need to add another 10 more minutes to that. That is just an extra hour or two a week for God! Everyone should want to do that!

8. A finally, we should want to know the Word of God so we do not sin against God and get ourselves into reaping the consequences of retribution and suffering.  Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Whatever is in our hearts is what is going to govern our actions. People act out what they think about, and if they have a single mind with God’s light, everything they do becomes rewarding and meaningful. But if not, the contrary happens: everything turns into frustration and meaningless-ness.

Matthew 6:21-23 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! The things of earth bring darkness, God’s word is light!

One goal, one promise this year! Who is with me? Will your friends and spouses ask you if you have read to keep you accountable? Who will swear now to do it? If you do promise then recall as in the verses of James today that you must not be proud and loud and then not do it. Just say, “I will read the Word of God everyday”, and then just do it. Let your yes be yes and nothing more. By the end of the year 2015 you will have grown spiritually without a doubt.

9. If questions do arise from you Bible readings, then take note of them to ask us or a knowledgeable leader later. For those of you who are retired and have more time in the day, take time to study even deeper as Nikki Pantoja and several of you do. Get full of the Word to gain wisdom so you can teach it. When you give a Bible class, the Word impacts even more!

This time when you read the Bible, take into account the historical cultural setting. Try to notice details, like how and where the story is told, and notice what is being highlighted. Try to imagine the speaker’s emotions, being Jesus’ or Paul’s, and envision the crowds and their reactions. Do you see how it all can come alive? Jesus words are spirit and life!

But most of all this commitment to God of reading the Bible daily is for you and your own good! Don’t miss a day! Let the Word of God guide you like a light and mold and shape you into a new person! Read the chapters with your spouse or a friend when possible. Psalm 119:130  The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. We all are too simple in this world where snakes govern and we all truly need more wisdom, love, light, and inspiration! This year, God’s Word is the priority! By each of you reading, growing, and connecting to God like never before, collectively we will all holistically progress and this year of 2015 will be great one!  

Christmas Controversies: It’s Been Scandalous from the Beginning!

Christmas Controversies: It’s Been Scandalous from the Beginning  By Kelly Durant  12-21-14

                                                                                                                    

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Luke 1:30-33 KJV

2. The recent news outlets make it known that many U.S. companies have created policies that do not allow greetings or signs with Merry Christmas in them anymore. More and more the persecution of baby Jesus persists! How does Satan attack God’s people? Quite often he uses the scandal tactic! Satan and his followers are the ultimate guilty hypocrites seeking always to scandalize all the things of God. Satan empowers demons in humans to create conflicts, commit murders, start wars, spread disease and immorality with the goal to destroy humanity through the lusts of the flesh with pride while accusing others of being guilty of his own game. He hates the pure and innocent as represented by Jesus birth. The people of the world are already in Satan’s pocket but his target is God’s men and women who are active, and sadly some fall from temptation due to their pride, adultery, theft, and scandal! Some abandon the Christmas tradition as well!  

Scandal is a violation of the society’s norms. Today the ruthless media uses a double standard to create scandal. For example, they steal information and then instead of paying for their crime of theft, they defame others with this scandalous information which often turns out to be outright lies. Both parties may be guilty and should be punished but only the one attacked gets condemned and that public condemnation comes with no trial or any proof of truth in the accusations. Satan is the ultimate hypocrite who accuses and condemns others while being totally corrupted himself! But God beat him at his own game by creating scandal for him with something wonderful, something we love and enjoy, Christmas!

The Nativity starts with an out of wedlock baby scandal. Who likes babies? Everyone, right? A baby seems to make even the hardest hearts warm and smile. Most people inherently want to give new life a chance in this world. Most everyone when they smile and talk to a baby will get a smile back! How controversial of God to send a baby to rid the world of evil! God controls countless legends of angels but instead of an attack on earth to right the wrongs he sends a baby! God’s attack on evil and Satan begins with innocence and purity in a body weak and dependent on the father and mother for survival. Our lives in Jesus must start there too, in a rebirth of purity of mind, heart, and soul, with a total dependence on God.

3. All of the elements in Christmas and in Christians are controversial according to the world’s double standards! Have you ever noticed that? Jesus was a shock to the world and the world has never been the same ever since! Christmas keeps surviving by the efforts of all Christians! 

The next controversial Christmas principle, that for many philosophical types is an illogical absurdity, is that God could claim to have a Son that is born from a human, of Mary the virgin. This premise, that God can be the Father of an earth born child, was scandalous when He was born and is scandalous still today with many other world religions and is considered heresy. People are getting beheaded and killed daily even today for affirming that God had a Son whose name Jesus is above all names! That name, offensive to some yet dear to us who love Him, is Jesus Christ the Lord! His life of miracles and resurrection prove He was God’s son, supernatural, glorious, and worthy of our sternal adoration!

The problem originates from the Greek agnostic line of thought that erroneously deducts that God is made up of pure good positive spiritual material, but that man and this earth is made up of all bad imperfect negative material so therefore the good and bad can never mix together for there to be a son of God. This is an absurd conclusion since the obvious is we as humans contain a spirit, a piece of the pure God, living in our degenerating material bodies.

No evidence supports this premise yet many hold onto it. All things are made up of positives and negatives and common knowledge taught in science proves that matter in our material world, as in atoms, contain negative charged electrons and positively charged protons. God, however, is not containing Himself within or without the material physical systems of our simple universe operating solely within harmonious duality systems. We observe that His material creation is one huge conglomerate of mixtures, of the light and of the void, yet purity is refined out of the material earthly mixtures as one refines gold. Our spirits must be refined as well.  

God’s person is in fact pure holiness but God’s attributes are not paralleled succinctly into to His diverse created worlds. God is above restricting Himself within the world He created because He transcends His own creation of weak and great physical forces and spiritual mysteries. Satan desires that all people reject the fact that it is possible for purity, as in baby Jesus, to have entered into our imperfect world but the scandal remains that it did! Another fact is that because Jesus came, you and I too can become perfected by holy living as Jesus lived full of love, grace, and truth. God’s purity of heaven can exist within this hell of a world within our hearts if we connect with the source, Jesus! Christmas with its pretty lights cause many to imagine how wonderful heaven must be where Jesus is preparing a home for us!

4. The next scandal that many cultures have a hard time accepting is that God chose not a noble person but a humble woman, a simple pure person, a virgin, through whom to manifest Himself and fulfill all prophecies through in order to establish a righteous kingdom forever. God found only her to be willing and worthy enough to become the mother of the future savior of the world. It is obvious that this world is filled with evil, but for God to choose to combat evil with the weapon of a simple, respectful, obedient woman is too humiliating for many men of distinct cultures to accept. In general 9/10ths of the world’s men are macho with little regard for women and what they can do in the things concerning God’s mission.

Imagine, Mary was told not to fear over the fact that she would become pregnant by the Holy Ghost and she, contrary to an average person, actually trusted and did not fear! She knew that by trusting God she was risking rejection from her future husband, rejection and maybe a death sentence from her own people for a perceived fornication, or the possibility of living the rest of her life as an outcast in shame. Yet she obeyed and trusted God. How many people have this kind of trust in God today? In her shoes, would you accept a challenge similar to this one and be found worthy for your willingness gaining God’s favor on your life?

So the scandal hitting Satan in the face was the fact that a pure, humble person. Mary, honoring God would actually accept anything that God wanted to do in their life. Satan lost this same battle with Job (trying to prove that humans will betray God if subjected to adversities or seemingly unfair requests). Satan is persistent and what he wants is for everyone in the world to believe that it is unfair and unreasonable to accept the controversial things God wants you and I to believe or go through for His high purpose. The truth is many Mary’s do exist in the world, and humble sweet, obedient to God people do suffer rejection by the world but God protects them supernaturally as He protected Mary! Take note: Mary did not fear rejection; she preferred God’s will above all! Are you close enough to God to not fear but to trust and accept whatever God wants to do with your life?      

5. Here is a detail we must not overlook in the verses of today, what is implied by the part of the verses of today in verse 33? “And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Certain Jews were familiar with this prophecy and the local ones would also have known that Mary was from the house of David, a bloodline descendant. But the spiritual leaders of the Jews, the ones chosen of the 12 tribes to teach and live exclusively in service to God were the Levites. You had to be born within that family to grow up to be a leader, teacher, or guide.

David was from the tribe of Judah so what do we conclude? The Levites must have been scandalized to discover that God would choose his Messiah from the tribe of Judah and not from their refined hierarchical spiritual ranks.  So Jesus came to establish a kingdom like David’s. Didn’t a form of this kingdom already exist within the Jews? The verses here indicate however that Jesus would reign over all the tribes of Jacob forever. This is in essence inferring a new kingdom that would be established over all people and His kingdom will be forever and ever.

6. Referring to a new kingdom presenting itself, scandals occur when the envious controlling people of Satan in this world get threatened by someone hinting that they may suddenly lose their power. Herod was scandalized when he found out through the wise men that a king was born in his region so decided to kill all the babies soon afterward! What a horrible way to prevent a new king from rising! In the 1980’s they found a mass grave of baby skeletons near Bethlehem in Israel confirming this account of what is recorded in God’s word.

Imagine Roman soldiers pulling the babies from the arms of their mothers and fathers and killing them! The entire region of Bethlehem was scandalized by the fact that their despotic envious leader was killing all their babies over a jealous rant believing the prophecies were true, that a new king was born. But the infant king was protected by God and escaped to Egypt. Imagine Herod, a despotic man with absolute power to kill anyone and yet he was in fear of baby Jesus!

7. So Christmas began with several scandals and true Christians that worship Jesus Christ still draw ire by those who will not accept the celebration of Jesus birth. When you declared that you had received Jesus Christ in your life and that you would serve Him did some of your friends or family get scandalized by your announcement? Mine did! Most everyone’s does!

The message of Jesus birth communicates that one who accepts Him must have a total change of mind, heart, and soul. The mind programed by the world, by Satan’s indoctrinations, refuses to accept the fact that God did send his perfect Son and that He is the savior of humanity in this disastrous world. It goes against our logic to believe in the virgin birth, but faith confirms to us it is miraculously possible.

Human hearts have to get over having pride to understand Christmas. Most people are shocked at how rich wise men and poor shepherds alike contained so much humility that they bowed to worship Jesus even when he was just an infant. To connect with Christmas one’s soul must merge with God’s spirit in obedience to become touched by the innocence and holiness. Mary’s heart was holy, so we get the message that it is imperative we too must submit to God’s will to bring about His plan for a new kingdom. The implication is that God expects that we let our lives get totally interrupted by Jesus birth and this creates an internal controversy that all of us must resolve. Scandal and all hell breaks loose when you speak up and serve Jesus!

Accepting God’s kingdom means we leave behind our petty dreams of grandeur in order to adopt the kingdom dreams of Jesus, to bring about a new world with new loving people with hearts converted made new full of joy and love for God and their neighbor.

8. Jesus said that offenses (scandals) would come but he also said in Luke 7:23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And imagine today some people refrain from even pronouncing the words Merry Christmas because it offends some people!

Concerning Christmas and its original message that some deem offensive we can conclude that the people without faith, that people with mental confusion concerning the mechanics of God’s creation, that the people who reject God’s miracles, that the proud jealous people in high places, that the people governed by their own close minded cultures, that the people who believe they run God’s kingdom or Jacob’s house already… all collectively are rejecting Jesus until this day! Christmas to them is an offense! Christmas to us who love Jesus, however, is a beautiful wonderful time to celebrate and remember the fulfilment of prophecy that a savior was coming and He did. It is a story of dedication and humility. It is a happy celebration that reminds you and me to be thankful, humble, pure, giving, and loving. Christmas is where our salvation began! Culture has jazzed it up with lights and decorations, but each year there is a new chance to tell the wonderful story of Jesus to others!

We Take On Wrath, Yet Have Peace

We Take On Wrath, Yet Have Peace      12-7-14  by Kelly Durant

2 Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid

2. The prophets of God in the Bible, the Christians in historical times, the true pastors of today, and any sincere Christian who will speak truth from the Word of God to others will suffer persecution!

Frequently in my past I would take my 4 children out with me to pass out gospel tracts. We would go into stores, laundry mats, beauty salons, and anywhere where we could give a salvation tract and even pray with people. But on the streets you will get attacked and I recall a very ugly incident one time.

A homeless type man with the most vulgar mouth I have ever heard got in my face and started pronouncing curses on me and my children. He said things I cannot repeat here but he claimed he had power to send do good Christians like me to hell that my children would grow up to be perverts living in misery and poverty that I would be cursed the rest of my life for sharing about Jesus with my kids! It was an ugly battle I will never forget! Not all homeless people are sweet and victims of society; some are demon possessed crazy violent people who are very evil!    

3. We live in times when it is dangerous to speak the truth of God because the offended people go on to inflame the mainstream media, the social media, and they seek to destroy you. God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus are pure truth and light and Satan and his demons are empty of light and they are all about manipulating as many as possible with a lie. Satan’s people hate God’s people because they expose them so they cannot carry out their destructive agendas. 

There will always be a time when you will need to rebuke someone with truth from the Bible to guide them in love, but what happens when instead of that person accepting it that it was from God for their good they reject you and God’s word? What happens when they take it that you are being personally intrusive disturbing their agenda, criticizing them for an obvious major sin and morally calling them out?

You get the blunt of their rage and blame for what God convicted you to share with them! They want to kill the messenger over the message! And more than that, some people are so ignorant of the ways of the Lord and they are so evil that at the first insinuation that they could be at fault over something, suddenly you change from being a friend to an enemy they want revenge on! Christians most often get persecuted by those whom they are trying to love and trying to help!

3. I have experienced the loss of many dozens of so called friends throughout the years and it does hurt deep inside! It hurts when you discover that a person was only your friend for their own self-interests and not because they really were your friend in the love of God sharing your ideals of love and salvation in Jesus!

Where do you think the devil does his dirty work to destroy as many souls as possible, in bars and clubs? The truth is he already has most of those people in his bag so he doesn’t even worry about destroying them! They just keep giving into temptation after temptation because they have no power to overcome it and they destroy themselves! Life on earth is a misery for them and they inherit that as their eternal punishment for not repenting due to the fact they hurt many people and dishonored and dissed their Maker that loved them!

The people governed by their own greed and inordinate out of control passions not living Godly are not suffering persecution. They will suffer judgment when they die though! On the news today it seems like the violent people and unjust ones are praised and the ones conserving good are attacked. But despite good people and Christians being attacked, the Christians have power to gain great victories with our prayer partners! We will be saved from the hell that is to come as well!  But we must be faithful to the end to get a crown of life and never go back! Satan spends a lot of his time in the church and uses a lot of weak people to bring the good ones down and depress you! I have seen how some people go on their knees and pray for long periods of time, who are always there at the Bible studies too, but because they are weak, Satan uses them as a mouthpiece to persecute the ones doing good for God as they stand on the sidelines doing nothing!

4. The Word even states that Jesus went to get the church to face the demons and get them out of the church.   Mark 1:23

23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit;

Why is it that in so many churches there are many divisions and some so called men or women of God suddenly fall into sin? It is because Satan spends time in the heads of Christians and wants to destroy them! Those that fall prove some were true to the faith and some were not! The devil does his best to make Christians dead, compromised, and carnal critics of others. Satan, the accuser of the saints, wants us to imitate him (not Jesus)! If a person of us has their eyes on their own self, Satan takes advantage of one’s envy, pride, and weaknesses and the words or actions generated brings on serious consequences!

Knowing we would have to stand persecution and attacks from demons either within our own thoughts, or from without, Jesus sent his disciples in twos. Mark 6:7

7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

5. Why did Jesus send his people out in twos? Because when one falls the other one can lift him up. We all need to be accountable to another person. That means that we need husbands, wives, children, parents, or Christian friends aware of all the private areas of our lives that are weak to be sure we are not falling into sin. Satan does hate you and he attacks you in horrible ways but when someone is there to encourage you, they become your God sent protection.

We need to be confessing our faults one to another as the scripture commands in 1 John 1: 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

As human beings, we can get into a lot of wrong, unchristian habits, as many of the people of the world are doing today. If we do not have someone there to stop us when we are wrong then, we are at risk and in danger of leaving the way the Lord has taught us and don’t think it won’t happen to you. You and I have seen it happen to some people we thought were strong and inspired in the Lord’s way.

6. Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.

Many people do not take it serious enough to be Holy and to not be into the sin the world offers but it is a command to “be ye holy as He is Holy”

We want to see others pure in God but do you realize what happens when you correct people, even gently with love with God’s standards? Often they will interpret that you are a holier-than-thou fanatic person, and you get labeled a traitor for not defending them!? Have you ever corrected someone only to find they hated you and persecuted you (gossiped behind your back) for it later?

Think about it, Jesus was the most loving and kind man who ever walked the earth, yet he only had 11 who choose to follow him. At one time He had 70 but when He told others they would need to eat His flesh and drink His blood (symbolic, of course meaning they would need to partake of His body that heals & blood that forgives sins) he lost hundreds of other followers right there because they did not have faith to believe there was an explanation for His words. They only reasoned with their carnal minds and that told them to forget Jesus. Too many do not have the patience to absorb and adapt to Jesus ways and His ways include accepting the uncomfortable, the corrections of our past understandings, and it includes trusting in Him totally which goes against the trends and popular ideas of the world!

7. Jesus taught, healed, and helped thousands, but only a handful appreciated Him and His purpose which was to get others close to God with a new vision of the kingdom of God within us that needs to be shared to save the world. Jesus rebuked Peter in public when he was out of line in his way of thinking but Peter stayed with Him as a friend and later even died a martyr’s death for Him! Only those that are sincerely close to Jesus understand and stay with Him! Wrath, hate, and persecution from others always falls on Christ lovers!

Today, ask yourself, do I suffer persecution and rejection because I offered Jesus love and salvation to another? If you have lost a few friends in the past, if certain family relatives avoid you because they fear you will start talking about Jesus, if the truth of Jesus has been a disturbing issue in a conversation, then maybe you are doing it the right way! John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” A true Christian still retains his peace despite being rejected, persecuted or even while facing death!

God’s people always take the brunt of the wrath of those who hate God and Jesus! People are very cruel with their words and even violent to attack those who will not stop proclaiming their faith in Jesus. We face this fact, Satanic people hate Jesus and His followers! Having Jesus means having eternal life and no one will take that from us with their words!  

If you have been hurt, abandoned, or rejected by family or friends and it hurts you still, today is a good time to ask God to heal you from those wounds! Come and pray, and trust prayer does change and heal the wounds others have inflicted!