Tag Archives: holiness

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Isn’t the Price Too High for Living a Lie?

Has anyone ever seen a poker game or watched a poker player play their hand? Well in poker, one of the objects of the game is to not let your opponents know if you have a good hand or not. They call it having a ‘poker face’ and that will cause your opponent to play their hand hoping that they will win the pot. So you try to keep a straight face while playing your hand. The better hand you have, the more of a poker face you need to have so you don’t give your opponent the upper hand. Well, in life a lot of us use some kind of poker face, to hide the sin that we’re in to, or to hide the pain that is going on inside of us. Some people use a type of poker face even when trying to hide the truth from one another; even when looking into the mirror at oneself. When an individual wants to be free from any form of bondage, you can’t and I mean can’t, continue living a lie or keep lying to yourself. Because in one way or another your opponent will call your hand. 

In the word of God it reads in Romans 8:6-11:

6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

And even with so-called christians, there are so many people these days claiming to be christians, but you would never know it by their lifestyle these days because it’s getting so hard to tell the difference between who’s a christians and who’s of this world due to their lifestyle. 

It reads in 2 Corinthians 5:16-19:

16 “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.“

In my conclusion, I’ll share this 1 Corinthians 6:15-20: 

15 “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Also in the book of Matthew 6:24:

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

So it is written, it is so!

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How Far Are You in This World or is the World in You?

One might ask, “When am I in the world or of the world?” The Bible states that so a man thinks in his heart so is he. How many people hear the sound of my word today with a stable mind and heart which is not controlled by their emotions? Have you ever begun speaking with someone and noticed that as you were speaking they looked to be preoccupied with something else on their mind? It’s almost as though the lights are on, but no one is home. Sometimes I believe the Lord looks at us this way as well. We are sometimes so preoccupied with self that we can not hear His voice or see Him moving in situations or in the atmosphere.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:9-19

In these verses when you’re preoccupied with things in your life, you may inadvertently tune out Christ. When He tries to talk to you with the simple things, if you’re preoccupied with your life, how will you ever hear Him in the deep things? You see, when you have locked yourself into this world, you won’t know how deeply rooted into the world you are.

What does it read in the 19th verse again of Mark 4? “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”

Not with standing you might want to ask yourself how far have you gone or how far are you willing to go in this world?

3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. 4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven 6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Proverbs 23:3-7

You have to remember Christ wasn’t of this world and neither should we be (John 17:16.) With the advent of so many things going on in our lives these days, where does your hope and treasure lie?

30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Matthew 12:30-35

Always know an understand this, if your more preoccupied with this life and the cares of what going on around you, then ask how far am I in?

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Peace Breakers and Promise Shakers

Peace Breakers
Psalms 12:1-8

Peace: A state of calm and quiet, freedom from disturbing thoughts or emotions. The hebrew word for peace is Shalom.
Shalom means complete welfare and health.
The verb of the word Shalom is Shelem which means to be complete, and sound.
In 1 Kings 9:25, there is a display of a peace offering up to God. This was shalam. Shalam means to make peace. Proverbs 16:7 has an example of this as well.

Christ came not send peace on this earth but a sword as in Matthew 10:34. Jesus is concerned about our personal peace because through individual peace does one obtain unified peace. Before individual peace can take place you must first rebuke those things that cause you not to have peace. In Mark 4:39, Christ rebuked the wind and sea and it stopped.Then you need to operate the same as Christ did against all situations that come your way to disturb your peace. You need to tell that situation to be at peace. You have to, in your mind, look at that situation and speak peace and calmness into it. Your making up scenarios in your own mind of things that haven’t even happened, causing your inner being to be at war with itself. Sometimes you just have to say “mind be quite, be still, be at peace.” Christ will rush in and stop the chaos right then and there.

Ephesians 2:14, “for he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” The second chapter of Ephesians talks about being at peace. God is our help, our glory, and our need…HE IS. When you are in your moments alone, ask yourself, why am I going thorugh all these thoughts in my mind? Because your not at peace. You are at peace when your mind is stayed on Christ. But when your on every situation you can’t reslove by your own power, you’ll allways be worried, fearful, and upset.

Philippians 4:6-7, “be careful for nothing;  but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Promise Shakers
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” There are people who like to shake your world, but as in Hebrews 12:26-27, we’re reminded that no matter how people treat us, no matter what people say should not shake us. Because the world  is coming to an end, that should not shake you. If that disturbs you, you need to sitt back and think about where you are in Christ.  We can not be soon shaken by what people say, how they receive us, or whether they love us, or for any situation.

Promise means a pledge to do or not to do. The greek word for promise is epan-gelia. It is a law term which denotes a summons.  Shake means to move or cause to move or disturb emotionally. There are people who will distrub you emotionally and mentally, and take your peace. By taking your peace they disturb your relationship with God. The author of the confusion of peace is Satan; You will be moving yourself in to his realm, therby enabling him to cause others to destroy your peace and your relationship with God. You need to watch where and what you place your attention and emotions on. Fear will cause your peace to be distrubed, anger will cause your peace to be distrubed. Satans main job is to cause you to loose it and delay God’s promise for your life.

Always be reminded of Hebrews 12:14, “follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”