#Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness

[thinkingonscripture]

When Jesus Says: “I Never Knew You”

Towards the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7), Jesus warned His disciples to “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt 7:15). These false prophets will bear bad fruit (Matt 7:16-20), which is their false teachings and demonically empowered miracles. These pseudo-prophets are deceived, thinking they’re doing…

[a1tarpiece]

Thinking about Cooper Howard, combat veteran eager to leave war behind him, in the months and years after the bombs fell (assuming he remained on the surface). Family sealed in a vault or otherwise lost. Entering the apocalypse wearing the costume of an authority figure of sorts, one who is easy to notice, hear, ask for help in a situation that is helpless for everyone.

The Cooper we see protecting his daughter while blast waves tear down civilization—that Cooper might do his best to fill the shoes of the on-screen hero, practiced in lawless lands, that people associate with his boots, the fringe on his clothes, his stained white hat. The blue and yellow detailing that makes people think of Vault-tec branded promises of safety, of relief from the fallout in exchange for enough money. Of smiles and thumbs-ups on bleached, faded billboards.

Isn't that Cooper Howard?

Mr. Howard, please, don't you know the way to a vault? You can take everything, Mr. Howard, you can have all my treasures, all my worthless dollars, all the gold heirlooms that my wife used to wear before she lost her mind to the radiation. All the little baby teeth we collected as keepsakes while our son grew up, before he left for his friend's birthday party on October 23rd with two teeth still wobbling.

Just get me into a fucking vault, Mr. Howard. You should know how! You sold a spot to five of the highest earners in my department. You sold a spot to my boss's boss.

It might have become harder and harder to get desperate people to listen, to be convinced that order, reason, compassion are worth anything in the face of violence and hunger. Leaning into a gunslinging cowboy persona, deepening his accent, could have helped people pay attention. Could have helped strangers drop their guns a little faster.

It could have made his entry into bounty-hunting easier to bear. He might have started building his reputation by accepting bounties that seemed just. Doing business with a heavy drawl, dirty hat brim shading his eyes, embroidered scorpions peeking out from under a bandolier. Eventually, under the weight of the wasteland and the burden of radiation eating at his skin, he might have found it difficult to convince himself of the value of justice or kindness.

Isn't that Cooper Howard? I remember you. Not looking so good, Mr. Howard. Looks like you might need something to help. There are chems for that. If you take care of something for me, we can strike a deal. It should be no problem for someone like you. All you need to do is put one person in the ground.

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Shadows Without Hope 

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ 1 Corinthians 2:5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+    2 Chronicles 29:15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow without hope.

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SUBJECT: Shadows Without Hope 

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM FOCUSING ON GOD 

I AM A STRANGERS 

I AM LOVING 

I AM HOPEFUL

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READ TIME: 7 Minutes & 18 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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    We often hear that we must be careful when handling things because we never know when our last day will be. We never know when we will see someone again. Sometimes, we take stuff like this for granted when we argue about things with family, especially since we never know when we will see them again, so we must be careful with what we do and speak. 

     I can say that sometimes looking over certain things is hard, and I immediately go to God and say, God, I can't get past this. Show me how to deal with this , and he would, and he’ll guide me through. The verse tells us we are strangers, foreigners, here, no matter how many ways we say it or see it, we got a home and a car and this and that, but if something happens today, we will be gone. The word says we are like a shadow, a vape, a mist; having any of theses things matters the disagreements we have all of is meaningless.

 

•James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

 

•Psalm 39:5 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly, each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah

•Psalm 144:4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

 

 Since we don’t know what day what hour Jesus will return and we don’t know what our last day is here, even in our verses today, it tells us we are like a breath, and because we aren’t sure we must live a life of holiness yesterday, we talked about holiness and being a special instrument of God. Still, if we are going to continue to live any way when we die, we will go to hell.

   Many people don’t want to hear this apart; they want it sugar-coated, and they want this part made up, or they can’t dare hear any of it, and they want to believe  everyone goes to heaven, but friends,  I won't lie to you if you're not living a life of holiness if I am not living a life of holiness we aren’t going to make it to heaven, but it's up us, and a lot of people say well it’s no way God is sending me to hell for this, or it's no way he is sending me to hell for that, in our word it tells us who will make it and who won't, and he’s not sending us we are sending our selves. 

      •Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

     •Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

    •1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

     This devotional is packed with scriptures because I want everyone to see this and know this is coming straight from the word of God. A lot of people say they don’t read the bible because they don’t want the bible to show them why or what they are doing wrong; we can go to any preacher to fill our itchy ears, but getting someone to tel us something we want to hear versus what we need to hear won’t help us in the long run.

  If you or I don’t live a life of righteousness   neither one of us will make it to heaven; we have to start getting it right and ask God to give us strength to let go over our fleshly ways and not hold on to every slight bit of bitterness, the word says to flee from it, and I know that some of us have had a lot we have went through. Still, we also must know that holding on to bitterness doesn't help us grow; it stagnates our growth in God. 

    ***Today, we learned that having all the things in the world cant keep us from hell; everything we do that’s not right in God's sight, we need to fix it, and to do this, we go to him; a lot of people don’t like devotionals like this because it’s stating we have a problem and a lot of people think how they are is just fine in the eyes of God but if you haven’t asked him to clean you with hyssop , do so by saying this “ Father if it’s anything in me that you don’t like please show me it can be selfishness, bitterness, lustful ways whatever it is I want to be pure for you, cleanse me like hyssop father.

  We never know when our time will be, so when we have arguments with anyone, we need to go to them and fix it; we always want to be ready and prepared, but this isn’t saying. We did nothing wrong, but we must go to them and say I am sorry if I offended you, and it’s up to them to accept. However, in everything we do, we must do it in love. God wants us to understand that certain things won’t be accepted in heaven: sexually immoral, thieves, greedy, idolaters, murderers, the faithless, etc. We must strive for perfection and holiness, and to do this, we must do it in his strength, not in ours; everything is impossible for us but not God; that’s why we do this in his strength. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for everything; we ask you today to be with us and show us the way.  Father, we are struggling right now, and we ask you to give us the strength to walk on the narrow road. Father, every day, we try, and it’s tough. We ask you to help us not to fall, but if we stumble, please help us to keep holding on to you, in Jesus' Name, Amen 

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REFERENCES 

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+ Jeremiah 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

 

+ Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

 

+ Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love, he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.”

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FURTHER READINGS 

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Proverb 20

Leviticus 20

Jeremiah 26

Ephesians 3 

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[soonsweetheart]

“I never knew you; depart from Me.”

What? He was joking. He had to be.

I wanted to laugh it off. To see him smile like he always did, to feel his warm embrace. But I was terrified.

But there I stood before his throne, my legs giving out and leaving me on my knees before him. I needed to speak, to make sure this was some sort of misunderstanding.

“Father…what’re you saying?” I whispered. My body was trembling, and my heart was pounding. Sure, I’d made mistakes. Plenty of them. But he’d always forgiven me. He’d made it better. He said he loved me.

“Depart.”

I flinched at his command. What had I done? My mind was racing with every regret I’d had, every mistake and bad choice, every sin. I didn’t want to leave him, not ever. I loved him.

“P-Please,” I whimpered. Immediately tears ran down my cheeks. Not at the thought of going to hell, but at the idea of being apart from him for eternity.

But he didn’t look back. I was nothing to him.

I felt a strong pair of arms lift me from the ground and pull me away from him. From his light. From his love.

“Baby?”

The soft voice stirred me out of my nightmare and my eyes slowly opened to meet his. I was speechless, blinking back tears that only pushed through and soaked my cheeks.

“Daddy?” I whimpered.

The dream had felt so real. Too real. I almost didn’t believe this was him. The real him. But the relief was overwhelming.

I crumbled into his arms and broke down. I had really thought it was over, that he’d rejected me, abandoned me forever.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

He looked so concerned, and beautiful. He was so beautiful. I just cried into his chest and clung to his waist. He was a lifeline, something I would never let go of.

“I thought you didn’t want me anymore,” I choked out. I could hardly breathe with how panicked I was over the dream, but the instant his arms wrapped around me, I felt safe.

“Didn’t want you anymore?” he repeatedly softly. I just nodded, unable to even lift my head because of how scared I’d been.

“Like in the verse,” I whimpered, pointing at the Bible on my nightstand with a shaky hand, “last night, we read Matthew 7. Depart from me, I never knew you. That’s what you said.” I cried.

His arms tightened around my waist and I could feel his lips plant the softest kiss on my forehead.

“Listen to me, sweet girl”

His hand came to wipe my tears away and lift my chin until our eyes met.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare unto them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ That is what we read yes? In Matthew 7?”

“Yes,” I mumbled into his chest. I could feel him trying to calm me down, his fingers moving to gently brush through my hair.

“Yes, that’s right, little one. Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father. And you have done well, my love.”

“I have?” I whimpered. I knew I should believe him, but I didn’t. I sinned all the time. Every day.

“Yes, you have done well. Sure, you make mistakes, but you try your hardest to follow me and love me with all your heart. You’re such a good girl, and I’m proud of you.”

It didn’t make sense. Part of me still felt like I was dreaming, that this mercy couldn’t be true.

But it was.

My grasp around him only got stronger. “You know I love you, right?” I whispered. It was true, I did love him. More than anything.

“I know, baby. I know.”

[feedingtheflockministry]

Christians that Slander Other Christians

Slanderous speech in the Christian faith has become increasingly popular due to social media platforms. Prior to social media we had select church pastors that participated in slandering other pastors or churches, but this was not the standard for most pastors or churches out there.

Many Christians prior to social media read their bibles, and were raised to show respect to those around them, especially in the faith. However, today we have a generation of preachers, as well as other believers, that choose the path of slandering others in order to either produce new content for those that follow them or attend their church week after week, or to simply look like they are righteous themselves by exposing what they deem heresy or false teachings.

None of this should be taking place among the disciples of Christ. None of it! Christianity is perhaps the most divided religion in our world today. It’s divided into various denominations, theologies, and practices. When the world takes one look at Christianity they do not see a religion of peace, love, mercy, grace, understanding, compassion, and kindness but rather a group of people that not only attack their way of life, but also attack one another as well. People calling Jesus their Lord and their God, but acting worse than those in the world in terms of treatment towards others in the faith.

Christian’s publicly attacking other Christians openly before the world is absolutely not biblical behavior nor a righteous standard.

Stop and consider this for a moment. If any owner of a business hired several people to work at it, and the owner left for a little while only to come back and see several of their employees standing around criticizing the ones that are working, what would happen to those that were standing around criticizing? They would be fired immediately and replaced with other workers. The Church / Body of Christ is The Lord’s business. For He uses it to bring about more increase for the Kingdom of Heaven, and it is not anyones place to criticize or insult His workers in His business.

Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23. He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

What is the will of the Heavenly Father? It is for us to look to Jesus and believe in Him. To learn from Him, and to listen and obey Him. For the Heavenly Father spoke to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration this, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” What did Jesus say for us to do? He said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” There is no slander in love. Slander is not a fruit of The Spirit, but rather the fruit of the flesh.

James, the younger brother of Jesus, wrote this himself, “Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?”

Paul the apostle also wrote this, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious (relating or inclined to dissension) man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”

Slander leads to arguments, arguments lead to divisions. These divisions lead to more slander and arguments, and even more divisions. It is a vicious cycle that we as believers must stop participating in. It is not profitable for the Kingdom of Heaven, but rather causes a deficit in it because people leave the faith or never come to Christ because of it.

Lastly consider the warning that Jesus gave to us through His apostles, “If anyone causes one of these little ones (those who believe in me) to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” Do not be the reason someone stumbles in their faith. Do not put yourself in the way of His judgement.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable (if anything is excellent or praiseworthy) think about such things.

[hollers-and-holmes]

Psalm 6! 🙌

A few things I learned about this one…

Jesus quotes it in John 12:27–Now my soul has become troubled…

…in Matthew 7:23–Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness…

…and that same verse again in Luke 13:27

Also Hebrews 5:7 echoes this pattern of anguish, a cry for deliverance, and righteousness as the basis for hope of being heard as the author describes Christ’s earthly ministry

[bond-servant-of-christ-jesus]

Matthew 9:37

[37]Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Matthew 28:19-20

[19]Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

[20]teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 5:13

[13]"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

Matthew 7:21-23

[21]"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

[22]Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

[23]And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'

[thereformedprincess]

TULIP understanding reformed faith

💔DID YOU JUST LOSE YOUR SALVATION?💔. ❤️ IT ISNT YOURS TO KEEP!❤️.

❤️🙌🙇‍♀️🙏. Many professing Christians will post scripture out of context to ignorantly support a prideful view of keeping their own salvation. They will think they have saved themselves (Armenians) and they keep themselves. This is just not true.

❤️🙌🙏🙇‍♀️. This is the second post in a series defending unconditional election and perseverance of the saints..

💯 Sadly many professing Christians will use Matthew 7:21-23 to establish a works based salvation

✨ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.

💯 Little do these people know that their own scripture refutes their claims.

💯If we look at this verse and read it carefully it clearly states that Jesus is referring to people he NEVER knew. As well. I see many that are in works based salvation claiming the gifts and this verse is aimed at a specific set of people. Namely people that seek after the gifts, signs and wonders over a true relationship with Jesus.

❤️🙏🙌🙇‍♀️. What is the will of the Father after all? If we let scripture interpret scripture we can find out.

✨James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

✨Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

✨Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

👆👆👆👆. These verses tell us clearly that the will of God is a humble repentance. A genuine belief in Jesus!

❤️🙏🙌🙇‍♀️. But there is more to this passage that is completely ignored in the next verses by those that claim they can lose salvation. Let's take a look

✨ Matthew 7:24-26 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

💯. This passage clearly states that our foundation in the belief in the Rock of salvation is what will keep us. And beautifully we can look to other scriptures that tell us whom the rock is. I would also note that when scripture uses the word "who" and not "that' it signifies a lack of works but is a foundation of true belief. Unconditional election

✨psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

✨1 Samuel 2:2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.

💯 Again a genuine saving belief in Jesus.

❤️🙏🙌🙇‍♀️. But who does the works of sanctification and why does that matter? Well ofcourse it is all him! The Lord! And so if it the Lord who saves us and sanctifies us what BOASTING do we have?! Absolutely none. Let's see the scripture here:

✨1 thesselonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

✨John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

✨Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

✨1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

❤️🙏🙌🙇‍♀️. In conclusion to this post if we are looking at boasting we are on dangerous ground! The only one allowed to boast is Jesus himself. We are children born of sin! We cannot be divorced from it. We boast in our weaknesses because Jesus does his best work through them. We have unmerited Grace not as a lisence to sin but to be set free from it! We are grateful to be free of sin as we recognize it is bondage. A grateful heart to see what THE LORD has done. Pride shall not avail against the kingdom of heaven. Nor in God's children. Let us always remain humble for salvation and cleansing ❤️❤️🙏🙏

[onechildspath]

The 8th Commandment Exodus 20:15 Thou Shalt Not Steal

Stealing is trying to get as much as possible, while giving as little as possible. Greed – the desire to get as much as possible. Laziness – the desire to contribute as little as possible. Stealing goes hand in hand with falsehood, because thieves must lie and deceive in order not to get caught.

• Stealing stems from a lack of genuine conversion; a main cure for stealing is truly to trust in Christ as your Savior. • Jesus said (Mark 7:21-23), “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” • Paul warned the Corinthians (1 Cor. 6:9-11), “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” • The great news of the Bible is that none of these terrible sins put a person beyond the reach of salvation. Jesus came to save sinners. Even though your life has been consumed with any or all of these sins, as many of the Corinthians’ lives had been, God can deliver you from them through the power of the cross (see 1 Cor. 1:18-31). • But, Paul’s warning indicates that a person may make a profession of faith in Christ and yet continue to live in these sins. Such a person is deceived into thinking that he will inherit God’s kingdom, but he will be shocked to hear the Lord say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23). In other words, while believers may fall into these sins, if they characterize someone’s life, with no repentance and no effort to change, it is evidence that he is not genuinely converted. So the cure for stealing is to make sure that you have been washed from your sins through faith in Jesus Christ, crucified in your place. • STEALING STEMS FROM A TEMPORAL VALUE SYSTEM. • A CURE FOR STEALING IS TO ESTABLISH BIBLICAL PRIORITIES. • STEALING STEMS FROM NOT TRUSTING GOD TO SUPPLY YOUR NEEDS. • A CURE FOR STEALING IS TO TRUST GOD FOR FINANCES THROUGH PRAYER AND FINANCIAL FAITHFULNESS. • Stealing stems from selfishness and greed; a cure for stealing is to look for opportunities to serve and give. • A CURE FOR STEALING IS TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AND GIVE. • STEALING STEMS FROM LAZINESS. • A CURE FOR STEALING IS TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH HARD WORK.

[arcanigenum]

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

[awideplace]

Two questions:

Are we in the pre Rapture/very near coming of Christ?

What will happen to those who had died tragically in murder cases when Christ comes?

Hi, yes. We are told he is coming soon and we are to pray for his return; the second to the last verse in the Bible says, "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" Revelation 22:20.

It does not matter how someone died, whether through murder, old age, heart attack, etc. It has no standing on your salvation whatsoever how you died. The only way to get to Heaven is through Jesus. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6. "I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture." John 10:9. "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.'" John 11:25. "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand." Romans 5:1-2.

Who doesn't go to Heaven? Those who do not trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, those who have not repented of their sin and are not clothed in His righteousness alone (not their own righteousness- which most religions and cults put forth as a way to earn one's way to Heaven by being "a good person"). Furthermore, Matthew, 1 Corinthians and Galatians outlines the following clearly the sins below that we must be on guard against otherwise if we willfully live in unrepentant lifestyles with no change of heart/new nature/salvation then we are not truly saved,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21.

[gatekeeperwatchman]

Daily Devotionals for December 3, 2022

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living Devotional Scripture: Proverbs 29:18 (KJV): 18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Proverbs 29:18 (AMP): 18 Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God), the people perish; but he who keeps the law (of God, which includes that of man) --blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.

  Thought for the Day

The history of those nations that have had God's light demonstrates the truths of today's proverb. Whenever Israel turned away from God, such as during Samuel's early life, the nation suffered. "…And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision" (1 Samuel 3:1). Judges 21:25 reveals the terrible state of lawlessness and violence into which Israel had fallen when Samuel was a child, for "every man did what was right in his own eyes."

History illustrates that times become very dark when a vision of God's revelation departs. The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D. is generally regarded as the ending of ancient history and commencing of Europe's Dark Ages. The Roman Empire brought peace, prosperity, culture, and learning to Europe. When it fell, the Romans were followed by illiterate barbarians. Western Europe plunged into political chaos and social disorder. Civilization almost completely disappeared. Illiteracy and ignorance of God's ways governed nobles and peasants alike. Education and literacy were relegated to monasteries. Churchmen preserved the Bible and other books that had been written in Latin before Rome's fall, but records from this period of the "Dark Ages" bear little clarity. The works of the many clerics of this time are inconsistent and show great ignorance because they accept fanciful stories as truth.

Satan strives to keep people in ignorance, and "in the dark." He has tried many times to destroy Scripture, prohibit the preaching of the Gospel, and persecute God's people. When a society turns its back on God and restricts the Gospel, as many nations have done, that nation regresses into violence and immorality. Those opposing the Bible do not realize that they are opposing the very influences that make life pleasant, for God is light and His light brings revelation, which liberates people. The revelation of Biblical truths and their practice of them always produces an orderly and civilized society and affects all aspects of its culture positively.

True Christians strive to obey God's commandments, not as a means of getting to heaven, but because they desire to honor and please God. Heavenly vision and revelation come to those who know Christ. Without this vision, people perish. "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it" (Amos 8:11-12). Prayer Devotional for the Day Dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us Your revelation and vision. I do appreciate the light You give me as I am walking in a dark and fallen world. Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I will always be filled with Your light and love. Draw those who do not know You, unto that light. Fill my mouth with the right words so that those who do not know You can hear the gospel and come into the knowledge of Your dear Son, Jesus. May I practice good deeds in this life, so that others may see them and thereby bring glory unto You? I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

From: Steven P. Miller CEO/ Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA. @ParkermillerQ, @GatekeeperWatchman1,

GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller

[christessays]

Make sure you know you know you’re saved

2 Peter 1:10 - Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Hebrews 4:11 - Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. (read in context)

Luke 13:24 - Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Matthew 7:21 - 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

How do you make sure? You ask God and Jesus directly. I’ve had God confirm myself many times, personally, and I need that confirmation. You can get confirmation from God as well.

Also, don’t rely on man to point you to the truth, including man made doctrines. Understand the bible for yourself, it really is the living word.

Your salvation. This is the one thing you don’t want to be wrong about in Christianity. It’s not as simple as a one time belief, it is a path and walk we must tread every day with our Lord Jesus Christ. Cling to Jesus, because he is your only life raft in this ocean.

[steveezekiel]

WHEN YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD

"AND SO IT WAS, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “MY WRATH IS AROUSED AGAINST YOU AND YOUR TWO FRIENDS, FOR YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN OF ME WHAT IS RIGHT, AS MY SERVANT JOB HAS."

Job 42:7 (NKJV)

"AFTER the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I AM ANGRY WITH YOU AND YOUR TWO FRIENDS, FOR YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN ACCURATELY ABOUT ME, AS MY SERVANT JOB HAS."

Job 42:7 (NLT)

• Some who claimed to be preaching or teaching or telling others about God, have not been truthful, straightforward, and unequivocal, about it.

- Some wanted to use sweet words, partial truth, to convince others about God. If you do such a thing as a leader; a believer or a preacher or a teacher of the Word, you may find yourself to blame At the end of your journey on earth (James 3:1).

- You cannot use deceit to convince or win people's hearts to God. If that is what you are doing, God will never be part of it. A message or sermon you preach or teach that does not agree or consistent with the Bible, the Word of God, would not be backed up by God.

- The teachers of the Word of God will receive stricter Judgement, thus, you had to be circumspect about what you teach or tell others about God (James 3:1).

- The three friends of Job were sort of defending God, saying things that are not true or genuine or consistent with God's Character or attribute. God said He was angry with them because they were not being truthful about things they said about Him (Job 42:7).

• If you are deceiving people in the name of propagating the work of God, you may be shocked At the end that God Himself would disown you (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 13:25,27; 1 Corinthians 9:27).

- Many claim they are working for God, but they are working for their selfish motives (Philippians 3:18,19).

- Whatever is done in God's name with deceit or gimmickry, He would vindicate Himself and not be part of it. Those who even claimed to have performed miracles in Jesus' name, with tricks and deceits, would be disowned (Matthew 7:22,23).

- God would not tolerate, say, you have done whatever wrong you did to defend His name or work, He would not condone it and completely stare clear from such a work:

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN YOUR NAME, CAST OUT DEMONS IN YOUR NAME, AND DONE MANY WONDERS IN YOUR NAME?’ 23 AND THEN I WILL DECLARE TO THEM, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS!’ " (Matthew 7:22,23 NKJV).

- The Job's friends thought they had to say good things about God, but what they were saying was not the truth; Thus, God was not happy with them (Job 42:7).

• The so-called believers or ministers who are doing this—using deception to draw people to God—always thought the end justifies the means, but that is not true with God.

- If it was not right, or not done in the Bible way, God will not be part of it—He would not support It. Whatever is built on falsehood in the name of working for God would never stand. Only what is built on the integrity of His Word would stand.

- The means through which the work is done must be right, before the end could be justified. Both the means with which His work is done and the end matters immensely to God.

- Tell the people under your leadership the truth, If they wanted to leave let them go. Do not use sweet words and gimmicks to tie the people down in your ministry or church. Tell them and let them decides whether to stay or not.

• Some who are doing such a thing thought God will only judge what they considered as big Sins or blatant Sins; like sexual Sin, murder, and others. The Sin of lying or deception is As grievous as murder in the sight of God.

- In fact, liars would be barred from entering the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:27). Lying is one of the Sins listed in the passage that would send people to the lake that burns with brimstone (Revelation 21:8).

- Some ministers deceive people so that they can attend a meeting. Some even use the picture of a popular minister on their posters to draw crowds to their meetings or programmes. That is lack of integrity and It is against the ethics of the ministry work.

- Whether you use deception or falsehood to gather crowd or to raise money or to claim that a miracle is performed through your ministry, when it is not true; you are still in the same category or class with whoever is sinning: "THEREFORE, PUTTING AWAY LYING, “LET EACH ONE OF YOU SPEAK TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOUR,” FOR WE ARE MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER" (Ephesians 4:25 NKJV).

"DON'T LIE TO EACH OTHER, FOR YOU HAVE STRIPPED OFF YOUR OLD SINFUL NATURE AND ALL ITS WICKED DEEDS."

Colossians 3:9 (NLT)

• Some ministers cheat, lie, steal, commit immorality and deceive, yet justifying what they are doing; claiming they are doing it to promote God's name or do His work.

- If you repented not, you would regret at the end of your journey on earth: "BUT I [Paul] DISCIPLINE MY BODY AND BRING IT INTO SUBJECTION, LEST, WHEN I HAVE PREACHED TO OTHERS, I MYSELF SHOULD BECOME DISQUALIFIED" (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV).

- The fear of God is said to be the beginning of wisdom by the Scripture (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10).

a. The fear of God would cause you not to drag the name of Jesus Christ, God, in the mud (2 Peter 2:21,22).

b. The fear of God would cause you not to give occasions to the enemies of God to speak against Him—His name and Kingdom or work (2 Samuel 12:14).

• Note: God will not need your help, thus, do not try to help Him; lying in His name or because of His work, in order to draw people to God or impress them.

- God is enough, He would not need your support or assistance before He does whatever He intended to do.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

- Whatever is not planted in your body by God, that is working against your health, such is cursed and completely uprooted in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

- The hold is broken now As you read this piece, and the Affliction will never rise again in Jesus' name.

Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION

• Take notice of this:

IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).

a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).

b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).

c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!

[bond-servant-of-christ-jesus]

Matthew 7:1-5,16-23

[1]"Do not judge so that you will not be judged.

[2]For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

[3]Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

[4]Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?

[5]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.

[16]You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

[17]So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

[18]A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

[19]Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

[20]So then, you will know them by their fruits.

[21]"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

[22]Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

[23]And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' The Two Foundations

[godsmanforeverhis]

(via "Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven" 10/30/2024 Written by Roland Ledoux, a good friend)

“Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven” 10/30/2024 Written by Roland Ledoux, a good friend

 I witness to people all over the world through many social media outlets... And it is amazing to me about their thoughts on God, assuming they aren't atheists, and what it takes to get into heaven...

 But no matter what they believe, it's not about being a good person or doing all these things in the name of the Lord like going to church every week, fulfilling the 7 Sacraments, or donations to the old age home, or working at the food bank that will earn them a place in heaven...

 I post this eye-opening scripture often, because it is spoken by Jesus to people who have died, and are standing at the gates of heaven to get in... Jesus tells them this, in...

 Matthew 7:21-23... “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (NKJV)

 When Jesus says to them- "‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’... Jesus is sending them straight to hell, with no Purgatory, for those who falsely believe in this man-made doctrine !!

 It is what the Bible teaches that is important to understand...

 Not yet a "born again" Christian ?? Not 100% sure you will be going to heaven when you die ?? You absolutely CAN be sure you are heaven-bound when you are "born again" by God above... Open the P.S. below, and seek Jesus Christ to become your personal Lord and Savior before it’s too late...

 Read this post by Roland, "Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven”, for more about why one must become a redeemed, "born again" child of God before they die...or they will be separated from God and heaven for an eternity, in a horrendous place forever and ever !!

 Blessings in Christ, bruce

 Click below to open Roland's post-

https://godsmanforever.com/2024/10/30/jesus-is-the-only-way-to-heaven-10-30-2024-written-by-roland-ledoux-a-good-friend/

 P.S. When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!��If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…  https://godsmanforever.com

 To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

 Written by Roland Ledoux, a good friend @ https://www.facebook.com/roland.ledoux.52