Abiding

Are You Authentically Thankful to God? Let’s Test that Claim

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

Is your spoken gratitude authentic or is it mere lip service, feigning gratitude to God with no repentance, or proportional giving, or contrition of heart?

If you truly GIVE THANKS, you will be a GIVER.

You will give our of that which God is giving into your hands.

“All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14

Jesus commanded us to:

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38

The way we spend our money is a direct reflection of the priorities of our heart.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

If your stewardship/financials are not in God’s stated order, it’s because your life is not in God’s order (Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 12; 16).

What’s the LORD purpose for giving you the ability to earn the money you are earning?

“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18

Some reading this can remember the very day they rejoiced when the LORD blessed them with that job/income/business whereby they could earn money. Then, they continued to covet this fleeting world’s trinkets and are not in financial bondage and living a Laodicean consumeristic lifestyle. They love this temporal world and are therefore living in “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” which are “not of the Father.”

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17

Saints, let’s all pray and repent if need be….. that God will mercifully rebuke and turn upside all who call Him LORD and do not obey Him. They are all hell bound according to the only Savior.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Look at your bank statement: You spend how much on coffee, on junk food? And how much are you giving to the LORD’s work? Does He get the first portion, or is Jesus a second class citizen to you? See Matthew 6:33 and Proverbs 3:9-10.

IF you don’t want God mercifully getting in your business, shining His holy light into your darkness, before it’s too late – you will want to unfriend this account to make room for others who are choosing to be Christ’s authentic disciple and not a counterfeit (Psalms 119:130; Ephesians 5:7-11, etc.).

“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Proverbs 30:12

The root determines the fruit and if you don’t have the tanbible, literal fruit to prove you are Christ’s, it’s only because you have need of repenting and re-turning to Him (Hosea 14:1-2).

Do you love Christ and the light of His truth? Or, do you love “darkness rather than light”?

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:19-21

Seems like to me that if this message angers you, that’s only more proof you are in need of truly repenting, laying down your life in this fleeting world, and following Jesus, bringing forth fruit to prove you have genuinely repented (Matthew 3:7-10).

Hell is chock full of those who made excuses instead of truly repenting and obeying God (Matthew 3:7-10). If your life doesn’t bear the fruit of full blown obedience to the Word of God, what does that reveal?

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16

You were saved by God, by His grace in Christ’s perfection to do good works and not to live in rebellion, sinful disobedience.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

If the LORD Jesus’ work means nothing to you, it’s because He means nothing to you. You have not truly repented.

Choosing God’s Way

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

Are you ready to begin to feed your spirit and starve the flesh? One will live and the other will die.

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:5-9

What is being addressed with Scripture in this message is walking in the Spirit vs walking in the flesh. This is a life or death situation.

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13

The only way to live in the Spirit instead of the flesh/sin, is the cross, daily. Memorize this verse. Make it your life verse, truth. Say it out loud now:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Speak this truth out each morning as you awake and are seeking God.

Making the Change – Setting Your Life up for Success

Are you truly, literally putting God first – in your heart, your life, you time and your treasure?

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

Firstfruits of what He allows you to earn:

“Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 30:9-10

“Good Success” in the Divine Economy.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8

Have you memorized that verse above yet? Index card. KJB | Should God’s People Memorize His Word?

ARE YOU READY to do something other than just spend all your resources on the false god of sinful, already overfed, unrepentant self? Good: Go now and give some money to support this brother in Christ. His name is Sam. More in a moment. Let’s continue with the open rebuke to all who claim Christ and that this applies to…. Repent now for wasting all of the money God has given you on your selfish flesh.

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12

If you claim Christ as Savior and LORD, today is your day to put your money where your mouth is – or prove you are a total counterfeit. Am I angry? Yep, righteously indignant. Quick sitting there and doing nothing by making yourself fatter while Christ’s ministers/ministries can’t even stay afloat. There will be no apology. Repent now. And prove you’ve repented by dropping some money to this brother in Christ. Those who don’t regularly support Christ’s work need to repent. You are in big trouble – and your lack of action proves you are unrepentant and wicked, full of your wicked self, an enemy of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18-19). Sick of the devils claiming to be Christ’s and giving nothing to His work. “Depart from me” lies just ahead for them (Matthew 25; Lk 12, 16, etc.). You don’t give because you could care less about anyone but yourself. Matthew 6:19-24.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, REBUKE, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2

There are literally ministers right now who can’t travel to go minister to eternal souls while you have $50 of junk food in your fridge and pantry. Something wrong with that picture?

If this message of rebuke does not apply to you, if you conscience is clear because you literally give generously to God’s work – you may wish to stop to thank God now for continuing to unite your heart to truly fear His holy name and to continue to be a doer of His Word and not just a hearer (Psalms 86:11).

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22

Now drop brother Sam, a labourer in Christ’s Gospel, a percentage of what God is giving you this week or off the top of what you have sitting there in the bank rotting – because you lay your head down on your pillow each night with no concern for anyone except yourself. Unreal. Sick. Vile. Depraved. Pure evil. This inaction is the fruit of a lost, hell bound soul. This is exactly what the now-in-hell inhabitants of Sodom were doing before the brimstone began to fall (Ezekiel 16:49-51). This is the lifestyle that was lived by the earth’s rebel population before the rain, the judgment began to fall in Noah’s day (Genesis 5-10). This was the lifestyle being lived by the once “rich man” who has now been in hell consciously suffering now for 2,000 years (Luke 16:19-31). He lavished his filthy self with all the pleasures of this world while a righteous man named Lazarus sat right under his evil nose and he lifted no finger to help him other than dusting off the crumbs from his bountiful table so Lararus could subsist. Read Luke 16:19-31.

Jesus commands those who are His to pray to the Father to send forth His “few” “labourers” and He is giving you money each week to supply them (Matthew 9:35-38). Are you obeying Him? Are you in need of real repentance?

There are men in ministry whom God has called out, whose families have needs. Does that matter to you? Find them and send them supply, now. Stop the rebellion.

Do not email or contact them and ask if they have a need. IF they are truly preaching the Gospel (sin, repentance, hell, the cross/crucified life, the blood of Jesus, holiness, etc.), they are gross lacking in supply. Just give!

“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” Proverbs 21:13

God is watching. He sees exactly what you have, every penny of it whether in cash, investments, gold, silver, or property. Don’t believe Jesus sees and is watching you to see what you will do with what He gave you? Think again: “Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how people cast money into the treasury… ” [podcast]

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18

Remember, you do no one a favor except yourself when you repent. And when you repent, you will begin funding God’s work. Read Haggai 1-2 to see why diminishing returns are upon your life. There’s only one way to break that – and that’s real repentance which always results it giving freely with a grateful, cheerful heart, and an open, a generous hand (2 Corinthians 9:6-11).

“Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

YOUR PRAYER: Father, in Jesus’ name, I here and now repent. I acknowledge and admit that I have been full of self, a self-idolater, instead of truly worshipping and give the glory to You, that is due to You. I have been a hypocrite and committed spiritual adultery and been full of pride and served the lusts of the evil, depraved god of self. Right this moment, I turn to You, asking You through Jesus Christ to forgive my sins and unite my heart to fear Thy name. Please take away the stony places out of my heart and grant this heart to be an obedient heart of flesh. Please break me LORD. In Jesus name, amen.

Talk is cheap: Now’s the day for you to begin doing your part – to get off the bench and on the field, in the game.

Locate, find, and give now to an authentic Gospel ministry that is uncompromising.

The Greatest Servant [podcast]

Jesus Sat Over Against The Treasury [podcast]

Dollar Dialogue [podcast]

Build the House [podcast]

Christ’s Great Commission is Central to the Original Gospel [podcast]

Abiding

The Death before the Death [podcast]

Gethsemane Preceded Calvary

“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:42-44

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:23-25

Shall We Freshly Declare the Cross to be Front and Center in our Personal Lives?

5 Aspects of the Mind of Christ [podcast]

5 Components of the Mind of Christ from Philippians 2 Jesus Christ made Himself of no reputation. He took upon Him the form of a servant. He was made in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:2-10 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but […]

The Cross and the Throne of Grace [podcast]

“Hid with Christ in God” “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 The safest place in the universe is in the cross of Christ: “your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Our place of protection is […]

Raised Up in Christ [podcast]

3 Resurrections to Celebrate 1. Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 27:64; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, etc.). 2. Your resurrection at the moment of regeneration and daily resurrection (Romans 1:4; 4:25; 6:3-14; 8:11; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Ephesians 2:6). 3. Final resurrection into glory or damnation (John 5:28; 29; 1 Corinthians 15). Christ’s resurrection guarantees ours and that we need not fear death. Dancing on hell’s grace. Read 1 Corinthians 15 serveral times. “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and […]

The Only Way Up is Down [podcast]

Chapter 8 from the book Raised Up (narration) “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 The Down and Up Principle of God’s Kingdom “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNWARD, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31 The Scriptures follow a pattern of death and resurrection, a downward death and upward life. See if you can observe such a truth in the following verses: “The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth UP all those that be bowed DOWN.” Psalms 145:14 Do you possess the blessed desire to be raised up by […]

Abiding

“Rend Your Heart, and Not Your Garments” [podcast]

Who Does God Look to? Who Does God Dwell in?

Beware of any man pretending to represent Christ who isn’t praying and preaching for you to be possessed by a humble and contrite heart.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

“‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:3). A low condition. ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4). To mourn over our sin and our utter wickedness before a holy and righteous God. Those are the ones who will receive the comfort and ‘joy in the Holy Ghost’ (Romans 14:17).” Karen Cochran

Abandoning Our Own Sin, Our Own Way, for God and His Better Way!

To “rend your heart” is a biblical phrase meaning to tear open your heart in radical sincerity, true humility, and genuine repentance.

The phrase comes from Joel 2:13 in the Bible: “Rend your heart and not your garments and return to the Lord your God.”

One source notes the following:

“Context and Deeper Meaning:

Cultural Background: In ancient times, the Jewish people would tear (rend) their clothes as a public, highly visible display of grief or repentance.
The Spiritual Message: God is warning that outward rituals (like ripping clothing) are meaningless if the heart remains unchanged. Rending your heart implies breaking through your pride, letting go of excuses, and being completely vulnerable and authentic before God.
The Reward: The verse goes on to say that God is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” Tearing open your heart allows you to experience His forgiveness and restore your relationship with Him.”

To see an example of rending one’s physical garment in representation of rending their heart, see Acts 14:11-18.

Where is the LORD Looking?

“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God” Joel 2:12-14

“What a gracious invitation is contained in these words. How tenderly the Lord reasons with his people. And what an encouraging assurance it folds up with. Reader! do not fail to observe that this call of the Lord, the accompanying grace to incline the heart to the observance of it is implied. It is most blessed ever to remember that when the Lord thus comes forth in his endearing invitations, he is secretly inclining the heart to accept them. Grace must first enter the heart, or there will be no inclination to obey.” Robert Hawker

“Jeremiah’s message was never meant to leave the heart in despair. Every warning from God carried an invitation to return. The Lord does not expose empty religion to shame His people, but to heal them. Repentance is not the loss of hope, it is the beginning of hope. Christ still receives every soul that comes with humility, and He gives living faith where there was only habit, peace where there was only fear, and joy where there was only emptiness. The call remains the same today, to draw near to Him with a sincere heart, trusting that His mercy is always greater than our weakness.” Dan Blincoe

A Fresh Start with God Always Begins with Humility and True Repentance

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

Concerning rending our hearts before the LORD, one source notes:

The classic Bible passage on this concept is Joel 2:13, where God commands: “Rend your heart and not your garments”. In ancient biblical culture, tearing (or “rending”) one’s physical clothing was a customary, visible display of extreme grief, despair, or repentance. Through the prophet Joel, God is essentially telling His people: Stop doing the empty, outward religious ritual of tearing your clothes to show everyone how sorry you are. Instead, let me see true, inward brokenness over your sins.

Examples of Rending Physical Garments

In the Bible, the physical act of tearing clothes was used as a dramatic expression of deep emotion in several well-known narratives:

Joseph’s Brothers (Genesis 37:29, 34): When Reuben realized Joseph was not in the pit, and later when the brothers brought Joseph’s blood-stained coat to Jacob, they tore their clothes in grief and despair.
Job (Job 1:20): After hearing that he had lost all his wealth and his children, Job stood up and tore his robe as an outward sign of his overwhelming sorrow.
King David (2 Samuel 1:11-12): When David received news of the deaths of King Saul and Jonathan, he and his men tore their clothes to mourn.
The High Priest (Matthew 26:65): In a dramatic display of hypocritical outrage, the high priest tore his own garments when Jesus declared He was the Son of God, falsely accusing Him of blasphemy.

The Spiritual Meaning of “Rending the Heart”

The concept of “rending the heart” contrasts an outward show with inward reality.

Genuine Repentance: Tearing your heart means being vulnerable, acknowledging your brokenness, and deeply repenting of sin before God.
Prioritizing Relationships over Rituals: God desires a sincere heart—true sorrow and a desire to change—more than he desires traditional religious pageantry or dramatic, public displays of grief.
The Promise of Forgiveness: In Joel 2:13, the command to rend the heart is immediately followed by the promise of grace: “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love”.

God sees beyond our external habits and religious actions, requiring instead a humble, contrite heart to fully experience His mercy.”

God’s Mercy

“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?” Joel 2:12-14

In God’s Word, where we see men who tear open their garments…. This holds the illustration of rending our hearts before the LORD.

Don’t render outward tearing, no, rather, tear open your inner man, your heart—be honest, sincere, exposed, and vulnerable to the LORD whom you trust.

Let’s attempt to get at, to ascertain what God is commanding of His beloved people to do in this “rend your heart” passage.

“Joel 2:13: Rend your heart—Let it not be merely a rending of your garments, but let your hearts be truly contrite. Merely external worship and hypocritical pretensions will only increase the evil, and cause God to meet you with heavier judgments.

For he is gracious—Good and benevolent in his own nature.

Merciful—Pitying and forgiving, as the effect of goodness and benevolence.

Slow to anger —He is not easily provoked to punish, because he is gracious and merciful.

Of great kindness—Exuberant goodness to all them that return to him.

And repenteth him of the evil—Is ever ready to change his purpose to destroy, when he finds the culprit willing to be saved. See the notes on Exo_34:6, Exo_34:7.” Adam Clarke

“Joel 2:12-14: III. DIVINE APPEAL TO JUDAH TO REPENT (2:12-14)
Even now, the LORD calls the people to repentance. It is not too late to return to Him. But it must be more than outward ritual. Their turning was to be with all their heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Believer’s Bible Commentary

To rend our hearts is the consistent message, mandate of God to His people of all ages and eras.

“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:18

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalms 51:17

In Joel 2 the LORD reminds those who are backslidden that He “is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? …”

They must meet His stated conditions to receive His blessings ….

He promises that He will forgive them as they…..

“Joel 2:12-27: THE AVERTING OF JUDGMENT
To rend the garment is easy, but a broken and contrite heart can be imparted only by the grace of the Holy Spirit. The love of God should bring us to repentance. He takes no pleasure in our miseries and if men repent and turn from their sin they find an immediate and loving welcome to the Father’s heart and home. Joel had called for the trumpet to announce war; he now directs the trumpet blast to summon the people, from the highest to the lowest, to plead for help. Prayer and true repentance and faith bring an immediate answer. As the husband yearns over his erring but repentant wife, and is indignant with those who have maltreated her, so will Jehovah remove from us, when we turn to Him, those who have cruelly oppressed us.
The great things Jehovah did against Egypt and Babylon are an earnest of what He will do again. The earth (and all the creation of God) … have good reason to rejoice in what awaits them. God promises not only to forgive sin, but to make us happy and well provided as if the locust and cankerworm had never settled upon our lives.” FB Meyer

Religious hypocrites, counterfeits, emphasize the outward to cover their inner darkness, rebellion.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Matthew 23:23-25

“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” Mark 7:6

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Jesus’ longest recorded message to His people stands on the foundation of the very first words our Savior uttered in this sermon on the mount. The foundational truth of the entire sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) is found in the very first words of our LORD when unveiling this elaborate, far-reaching, and profound message to His disciples of all ages. Here are His first words: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 Note, “poor in spirit.” Not poor financially or religiously. The two should be mutually exclusive. The Greek word translated into English as “poor” is PTOCHOS. It […]

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Abiding

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Satan thinks he has Stolen the Fellowship of the Saints “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Revelation 12:12 Exhorting God’s People “Daily” – not weekly. “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing […]

Church Membership, Manipulation, and Money [podcast]

Is there a connection between church membership and money? “Her princes (leaders) in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.” Ezekiel 22:27 There is no evidence in the New Testament of what we see today perpetrated as “church membership.” Church membership is merely a tool in the arsenal of modern pastors to capture the souls and the money of those ensnared by it. “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” 2 Corinthians 1:24 In […]

Is Church Membership Biblical? [podcast]

Churchianity vs Christianity Many use the term “very involved in church” instead of deeply rooted and in love with Jesus Christ. See the difference? Beware. Christ Jesus is your identity. “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14 What is your identity? Why have you chosen such to be that with which you identify? Most pastors make a big deal out of belonging to some organization, church, or group—because this puts them in charge—instead of Jesus. Beware. […]