How to Find a Good Fellowship

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]

40 Serious Questions to Ask

“I will build my church (people).” Matthew 16:18

Jesus is building His revelation truth – that He is the Christ – in the hearts of all who are authentically born again and following Him. So, His remnant people are the church – the called out ones.

When we finally become exhausted enough in the journey of “finding a church,” we may then begin to realize that God just wants us to be His church. Church is not where are go but who we are! We perhaps should cease trying to find a church and just be Christ’s church. Yet, if one insists upon finding a church to go to, here are some things that should be considered.

Below is a list of questions to ask when seeking out the ever so rare and elusive, true New Testament fellowship. These same questions should be asked of the current fellowship you may be involved in.

Perhaps we should begin realizing that God is not impressed with our Sunday morning shows, pretensions, and plastic passifications which we perform in His name but not under His lordship (Matt. 7:19-23; Lk. 6:46; 2 Tim. 3:5). The early believers did not “go to church” they were the Church, and met house to house daily to fellowship. Certain specific elements made up their genuine fellowship with Christ and one another (Acts 2:42-47). Friend, read this passage at the end of Acts 2 closely and prayerfully and see how much of a difference there is between commercialized modern church business houses and the early Church model of authentic Christian fellowship.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:41-47

The early Church setting was prior to the centralizing of “worship services” under the abominable roman religion of Catholicism which is where much of the structure of modern-day evangelical religion comes from.

It is my prediction that many house churches will result from the truth found on this page, which just may reveal that much of the modern church model is not according to the will of the LORD. Please proceed prayerfully.

If you are a pastor, please pray that the LORD will give your heart His gift of repentance, and bring forth fruits consistent with such change.

Perhaps the peril of finding a truth-seeking, truly God-fearing group of believers has never been so pronounced and critical as it is in this late hour, the hour of the foretold great falling away. Yet all wise-virgin believers realize that they must maintain fellowship with God’s true people. This leads them to leave most modern church settings which do not reflect New Testament Christianity see in the Word.

Looking for a good church? Join the club…. Well, on second thought, many whom God has called out of the visible, apostate church world, are simply being His Church in an organic fashion just as after Pentecost when the Church was born (Acts 2:42-47). Church-shopping can be a long and painful process. I gave that up and am now fellowshipping with the LORD’s people daily. Yet, if you insist …. To shorten your search, call the pastor of the church before you visit and ask the following questions. This will save you a lot of Sundays.

1. What is man’s biggest problem, sin or self esteem? Seeker-sensitive and felt-needs churches focus on man’s hurts and problems. The Bible says that man’s biggest problem is sin and depravity and that His need is to repent before a holy God to obtain His mercy and grace to be transformed. Beware of errant programs like Celebrate Recovery which do not honor the One who made man as the only One who can heal men’s lives. For a more in-depth study of the “seeker-sensitive” movement, get Deceivers & False Prophets Among Us 2 full chapters are dedicated to this movement and its practices.

2. What must a man do to inherit eternal life? Repent and trust fully in Christ alone is the Biblical answer. If the word “repent” is never used, say “thank you.”

3. How do you deliver the salvation message? Watch out for “asking for a decision” and “hand raising.” No one is going to sneak into the kingdom of God. Jesus wasn’t ashamed to come and suffer shame and crucifixion for mankind, and told us that anyone ashamed of Him or His Word will be rejected (Mk. 8:34-38). Also, ask the pastor to describe specifically his approach to the lost. Does he encourage people to simply say a prayer, or lay their lives down completely? Does he tell people to ask Jesus into their hearts, or fall upon His mercy in light of their utter sinful depravity, holding nothing back?

4. How hard is it to become a Christian? If the pastor says it is easy, he probably does not understand that dying to self is the hardest thing a person can do.

5. Pastor, How often do you talk about sin, righteousness, and judgment? Balance is key. This should not be the only emphasis, but it should be a regular emphasis as it was with Christ and His apostles which we read about in the Scriptures.

6. Do you preach on “sin” by name, or do you speak of “mistakes”, “addictions”, “disease”, and “shortcomings”? When is the last time you preached the 17 sinful “works of the flesh” named in Galatians 5:19-21? Is God’s Word, Holy Spirit, and true believers the answer, or a psycho-heretical, 12-step program of sinful men? See 2 Peter 1:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

7. Do you believe and teach often that God is holy? If so, when is the last time you preached a whole message using the myriad of Bible passages which speak of the utter holiness of the Almighty and the necessity of such in the life of any person who will be with Him eternally? Hebrews 12:14

8. How “seeker-sensitive” is your church? Men who fear God are sensitive to Him first and foremost, and preach His original Gospel, recorded on the pages of holy Scripture, which begins with “Repent.” (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Acts 3:19) The seeker-senstive message originates from the selfish motive of enterprising pastors, to grow their numbers by farming their communities, but only the LORD Himself can add to His Church. He does this by His Spirit, when His Word is preached and men come to repentance, laying down their lives for Him.

9. Who do you do church for, visitors or believers? Both is not acceptable. Church should be done for the body of Christ and pagans are welcome to watch and to repent when the call comes.

10. Do you dumb down your sermons? If the pastor says “yes” to this question, he is probably not trying to wean his members from milk to meat. Answers like, “We try to make our sermons relevant and accessible to everyone” reveal that he is not obeying God (Heb. 5:11-6:3). In other words, he is preaching “another gospel” to allure men to his little church business and in order to avoid offending those who give their monies to him. Instead of fearing God and preaching His pure and holy Word, this pastor is being “sensitive” to sinners while defying the Almighty (2 Tim. 4:2-5). He is building his own kingdom, not Christ’s.

11. What is your mixture of topical vs. expository preaching? Topical preaching is fine, but if a pastor never or rarely preaches expositionally (verse by verse), then you are going to be learning from the pastor and not God’s Word.

12. Do your sermons emphasize Bible theology, or are they just relevant? Are they meaty or full of filler stories and facts while purposely avoiding preaching line upon line Scripture truth? Many pastors will say their sermons are relevant. What you are looking for is whether or not they are afraid of biblical theology and sacrificing it on the altar of building their own congregation by withholding full-counsel Bible exposition (Acts 20:20, 27).

13. Describe your youth programs. If fun and games is the major (and usually first) emphasis, you have a youth program that is trying to compete with MTV, instead of calling the youth to repentance and making disciples of those who are born again.

14. Describe your evangelism programs. Don’t just accept, “We have an evangelism committee.” Dig. Are they serious about saving souls? If a local church fellowship is serious about obeying Christ in the Great Commission, they will be reaching those in their own community, first and foremost, not just sending money to Africa, India, or Russia (Acts 1:8).

15. Do you have a Gospel tract rack in your facility? If not, it may be that they are not interested enough in reaching the lost to have done so before now.

16. What church growth model do you follow? Hopefully they don’t have one. Churches should be reaching out to the lost with raw biblical truth, The LORD grows His true Church as He wills and as His people obey Him. Local fellowships that are plugged into new church growth models tend to follow man’s modern ideas rather than the Bibles. This they do because they seek to grow their own local business/agenda, not the kingdom of Heaven.

17. Do you espouse Rick Warren and His purpose-driven books? The Purpose Driven Lifeand The Purpose Driven Church or books by Warren that are full of error. Apostate local churches across the nation have gone crazy over this foolishness, making The Purpose Driven Life a national bestseller. What is most disheartening is that these same fellowships refuse to make God’s Word their Textbook. Rick Warren learned his church growth principles from notorious false prophet Robert Schuller who pastors the Crystal Cathedral. Schuller learned under Norman Vincent Peale, a deceiver posing as a Christian leader who has stated that it is not necessary to be born again and that he found his salvation at a shinto shrine – not Jesus Christ, who said “Ye must be born again.” (Jn. 3:3,7) More on Rick Warren.

18. Do you honor the LORD by celebrating the 66 books of His Word, or do you follow fad teachings via best-selling authors/books? What you are looking for is whether he is excited about and using the Bible as the Textbook of that local fellowship, and not poisoning God’s flock with deception-laced fad books.

19. What version of the Bible do you preach from and why? This is ultra important. If a man has no more discernment than to see and know that the new versions are corrupted, how can he be seen as one who is truly in the fear of God and captivated by His Word and Holy Spirit? Some leaders will even reveal the depth of their blindness by seeking to justify the tens of thousand of words removed from the new versions and numerous perversions of the essential, pillar doctrines that make up the Christian faith. See Bible Versions.

20. How much money do you give to missions and the hungry? Again, this reveals the heart of the church. While most churches give to missions, many never consider the poor, widows and fatherless. Most local churches have a token or photo op outreach program or two, yet their hearts do not burn to help the lost, hungry and hurting, because they are in the ministry for themselves, not Christ. Many local church leaders refuse to help fund the genuine ministries within their own fellowship, overlooking the need to minister to their own communities. In many cases this refusal to support godly people among them who do ministry is due to their own condescending perspectives of those they shepherd (they vainly imagine that their useless seminary/Bible College degree grants them authority, while those who do not have such are inferior. If we read the words of Christ, we will discover that usually, the opposite is true).

21. This is not a question. If you ask for the pastor and the receptionist says, “She will be right with you,” hang up before you get transferred. No woman could possibly be the “husband of one wife” which is one of the requirements for an elder (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6).

22. Do you believe the Bible contains no errors or contradictions?

23. Do you believe in a literal 6 day creation?

24. Do you believe in a literal hell and eternal punishment? Diary of a Dead Man Tract

25. When you distribute the Lord’s Supper, do you emphasize the need to examine yourself and repenting of all sin?

26. Can a practicing homosexual, fornicator or adulterer inherit eternal life? 1 Cor. 6:9-10

27. Does your church exercise church discipline? (Matt. 18:15-17) Do you have examples? For example: what if a married couple divorces for non-biblical reasons? What if there is someone fornicating, greedy or stealing? (Eph. 5:5-9)

28. What would be your response to a homosexual couple attending your church?“Repent”? or, “God accepts all the way they are”? What would be your response if that couple requested membership?

29. Do you know those who labor among you? (1 Thess. 5:12) This would include those who teach, nursery workers, and youth volunteers. Do you require beforehand that they answer questions about their core beliefs and salvation, or are all volunteers accepted because of a lack of volunteers?

30. Pastor, do you personally win souls? (Prov. 11:30) Is every Christian suppose to win souls? Do you equip your body to win souls? (not necessarily street evangelism, but not just “Friendship Evangelism” either, but talking to strangers, friends, and family about Christ)

31. Do you, the pastor, fund and promote the propagation of the Word through the printed page/tracts? Do you invest in local souls by supplying Gospel tracts for those who gather to use? Many a leader sends money to help those overseas while letting those in his own community perish. For some pastors, their thought is that the perceived impact in the minds of his congregation will help his own image/cause, making it look like he really cares for people because he sends money overseas. But why not this nation? Is there a nation more in need of truth than America. Where does the Bible tell us to start ministering? See Acts 1:8.

32. Do you (the pastor) believe “Once Saved Always Saved”? If he says “Yes” you may want to introduce him to a few verses of volumes of Bible truth that refute this fable. If he is not teachable, you will be best to part ways quickly. Anyone teaching this doctrine is deceived at best and fulfilling the prophesy in Jude 4 by “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness.”

33. How important is it for the believer to abide (remain in) in the fear of and obedience to the LORD? (John 15) If he doesn’t fully live in worship of God, will he forfeit all like the foolish virgins, or still go to Heaven and just lose his rewards? See also Ezek. 33:12-13; Heb. 3:12-15, etc.

34. Do you believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still for today? (tongues, interpretation of, prophecy, 1 Cor. 12,14)

35. When community outreaches are done, is the original Gospel preached? This includes: the holy law to bring conviction of sin, repentance, eternal damnation to all who don’t repent, Heaven, and turning from sin & faith to the end.

36. Why are you in the ministry? Are you consumed with the love and fear of God and moved by His Spirit daily in the care of souls, or is your position merely a profession? Are you crucified with Christ? (Gal. 2:20) What is your daily goal? (Phil. 3)

37. According to the New Testament apostolic pattern, do you preach, warn and teach? (Col. 1:27-29) Do you warn of deceivers and false teachings abounding, and the danger of being spoiled? See Col. 2; Rev. 3:11. Most pastors preach and teach something, but few seek to protect God’s flock by warning them of the many wolves operating in the midst and media world of the modern church.

38. Do you often stress and preach God’s Word concerning the essential nature of personal holiness, a crucified life, and the soon return of Christ? See Lk. 21:34-36; 1 John 2:24-3:3. The return of Christ is the most prevalent doctrine in the New Testament cannon and yet is rarely ever mentioned in the modern church. Astounding omission! For more on the return of Christ, see This Hope.

39. Are you or your affiliated religious organization final authority? Or, is God’s Word? Do you fully and completely possess and teach this revelation? If not, he is a deceiver and false teacher and to be marked and rejected as a heretic. See Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 4:2-5; Tit. 3:10.

40. Do you give yourself continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word, or are you busy administrating and marketing your local church business? Is the LORD adding to your local fellowship, or are you adding to it by worldly marketing schemes? Are you daily immersing your heart and mind in God’s holy Word, and have you renounced all the falsehoods taught you by men (in seminary or Bible College)? Acts 6:4; 1 Tim. 5:17

Could it be time to go back to the early church model of in-home meetings? Read Acts afresh and pray for understanding and repentance.

Dear Pastor: Open Letter | True and False Assemblies | Essentials of False Leaders | Wolf Expose’

LET’S LEARN GOD’S WORD TOGETHER – ONE TRUTH AT A TIME: Are you tired of reading Scripture or hearing a good message from the Word and not retaining it for yourself and to help others? We can help you. This message was sent out to each person who is on the Moments For My Master e-mail devotional list. In supplementation to your personal daily study of God’s Word, we would love to add you and have the privilege of nourishing your heart with God’s Word (Jn. 5:39; 1 Tim. 4:6, 16; Heb. 5:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:2). Sign up here.

The Importance of Fellowship

The Gospel Centers Upon Christ’s Blood

Church Membership and Money [podcast]

Abiding

The Good Shepherd and His True Sheep [podcast]

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant …” Hebrews 13:20

“To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” John 10:3

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:27-29

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 2 Timothy 3:1-13

“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

“My Sheep Hear My Voice, and I Know them, and they Follow Me" [podcast]

There are 7 portraits of Jesus in the Gospel of John. One of those seven portraits is Jesus our “the good shepherd.” (John 10) The first thing the good shepherd of the sheep did was give His life to purchase the sheep with His own blood. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 Jesus who created us, then came to die to buy up back to the Father and Himself. The Bible, God’s Word, is full of illustrations of who God is, and who He is to us. He is our […]

"Feed My Sheep" [podcast]

The Paramount Divine Importance of Nourishing the Saints of Christ “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1 Timothy 4:16 Nourishing Christ’s Sheep “Feed the Flock of God.” 1 Peter 5:2 First, it’s God’s flock, paid for with the very blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). Jesus Christ is “that great shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20). He instructed us to follow Him and, in doing so, to “FEED my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Tending to the sheep of Christ’s pasture involves nourishing […]

Favorite Eternal Security "Proof" Text? [podcast]

Excerpt from the book Lie of the Ages Does John 10:27-29 Prove “Eternal Security”? WHO are Jesus’ Sheep? Defined by, in God’s Word. John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” ~ John 10:27-29 Verse 27 is the condition necessary to appropriate the promises of verses 28-29. Those […]

Abiding

“He that Loveth Pureness of Heart” [podcast]

IS YOUR HEART PURE BEFORE THE ALMIGHTY BELOVED?

DO I truly love “pureness of heart”?

“HE THAT LOVETH PURENESS OF HEART, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.” Proverbs 22:11

Without a pure heart, obtained from seeking, worshiping, knowing, and obey God …. no one “shall see God.” Not one.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

If you or I have every word of the Bible memorized and die today with a heart that is defiled with sin, we’d bust hell wide open – and be trapped there irrevocably forever.

TODAY is our day, it’s your day, to throw up those hands and that heart to the LORD who made you, and cry out to Him to grant you a pure heart, one that is innocent, clean, washed, delighting in Him.

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:4

When the LORD is truly working in a man, that man is learning to love “pureness of heart.”

“He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.” Proverbs 22:11

Coming and continuing to come to the light is essential to final salvation.

“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

Choosing the Fear of the LORD

WE must surround ourselves with the Word, the people, the praises of our God! FLOOD your ear and eye gates beloved (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus is coming.

“But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:21

Coming clean: To be sanctified by Christ, one must repent and believe upon Him. As the LORD works in them, there will be the response of honesty, humble repentance and a coming to the light, continually. If not, judgment will be incurred (Isaiah 1:19-20).

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

Those who cover instead of bring their depraved hearts into the light to have them changed and cleansed by the LORD, “shall not prosper.” In other words, they are stifled. Those who remain humble, teachable, correctable, rebukeable, and obedient, will receive divine mercy perpetually.

“God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.” Psalms 55:19

Those who refuse to “choose the fear of the LORD” have no changes in their lives.

“For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:” Proverbs 1:29

Psalms 73

“Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. 24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.” Psalms 73:23-28

Drawing Nigh (close) to God Afresh

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 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.” James 4:6-10

Fresh Start with God

You can Have a … Jesus is the Great Shepherd of His Sheep (Heb. 13:20; Lk. 15) A FRESH START WITH GOD (First, if you are not certain that you are genuinely born again, please go here first) Let’s get something straight…. the disciple, the mere man writing this message is more in need of JESUS than anyone who ever lived! No one needs Jesus more than I do and yet, we must do things HIS way, not our own (Ephesians 3:8). “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs […]

Loving and Coming to the Light [podcast]

Recorded at a home fellowship. The first part of the audio reverberates then clears up. Father we come to You in the name of Jesus. Expose the darkness in our hearts and lives and deliver us in Jesus’ name. In Jesus’ name, Amen. May God vanquish all darkness in our own hearts, filling, flooding us with His holy light. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” John 1:47 “HAVING NO PART DARK” “If thy whole body therefore be full of light, HAVING NO PART DARK, the whole […]

MAKING PEACE WITH GOD [podcast]

MAKING PEACE WITH GOD Are you ready to Pass from Death to Life? God desires to pardon you – before it’s too late. Jesus beckons you to “Come unto me” — while you can (Matthew 11:28-30). “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 GOD sees all sin and will either forgive or […]

"To Wait for His Son from Heaven" [podcast]

Waiting for His Son from Heaven “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 I wonder […]

Articles

Out of the Mouth of Babes – “What is Love?” Hilarious. Revealing [podcast]

Hilarious and heart warming: What these precious children say will have you laughing and perhaps crying.

“What a blessing this was to my heart! My favorite was the 4 year old white sat on his neighbors lap! Phew! We could learn so much from children about love. They aren’t judgmental. There arms are open wide to give and receive love.” Karen Cochran

Jesus says that we are to be “converted” and also to “become as little children.” (Matthew 18:3-4)

Our LORD Jesus, the greatest Servant says:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

This “greater love” of our Creator, Jesus Christ, was busy blessing each of us in our mother’s womb.

Reading 1 Corinthians 13 today will refresh your heart and mind on the divine importance placed upon LOVE. Share.

Recently it occurred to me…. That the younger the child, the less corrupted they are by this world and the closer they are to God, as in they were more recently in the womb, being fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139).

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” Psalms 139:13-17

“Out of the Mouth of Babes” is a Scripture and an idiom, a biblical idiom that teaches us that the young and innocent are often unexpectedly wise. This term originates in the Old and New Testaments. The Book of Psalms (8:2) has God ordaining strength out of the mouths of babes and sucklings; the Gospel of Matthew (21:16) has praise emerging from the same source.

“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4

What does Love mean to 4-8 year old kids? How do they define love? (by an unknown guest)

“The problem is; We look for someone to grow old together with, While the secret is to find someone to stay a child with!” (Charles Bukowski)

What does Love mean to 4-8 year old kids?

Slow down for a few minutes to read this…💕

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, ‘What does love mean?’ The answers they got were broader, deeper, and more profound than anyone could have ever imagined!

‘When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore… So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.’ Rebecca – age 8

‘When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’ Billy – age 4

‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’ Karl – age 5

‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.’ Chrissy – age 6

‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.’ Terri – age 4

‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.’ Danny – age 8

‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and just listen.’ Bobby – age 7 (Wow!)

‘If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.’ Nikka – age 6

(we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)

‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.’ Noelle – age 7

‘Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.’ Tommy – age 6

‘During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that.

I wasn’t scared anymore.’ Cindy – age 8

‘My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’ Clare – age 6

‘Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.’ Elaine – age 5

‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.’ Chris – age 7

‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.’ Mary Ann – age 4

‘I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.’ Lauren – age 4

‘When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.’ (what an image!) Karen – age 7

‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross…’ Mark – age 6

‘You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.’ Jessica – age 8

And the final one: The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, ‘Nothing, I just helped him cry.’ (This made me cry!)

Now, take a few seconds and post this for others to inspire and spread Love like butter!

And then go be a child again today!

“It’s good to be weak in flesh and strong in the power of His might. It’s good to be vulnerable like a child and abide under the shadow of His wings.” Debbie Lord

Jacob, Joseph, and Job got Better not Bitter! [podcast]

Each of these beloved men, these patriarchs of God, suffered greatly and yet, chose to see those things as a blessing to conform them to Christ and became better instead of bitter (Romans 8:28-29). Your iniquitous tendencies must cause you to walk with a limp, a crutch of dependence upon Him for He has dealt with them, with you (Genesis 32). In the night, in the darkest hour of his life, Jacob wrestled with the angel of the LORD and was subdued, was brought down to nothing, dead and buried (Genesis 32). This was the cross that preceded and […]

Getting BETTER not BITTER! [video]

Are You Getting BETTER or BITTER? “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 Some get bitter rather than better as they age and perhaps experience hardships. This does not have to be. This is a choice, either way. Warning against becoming bitter: “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye […]

13 Times the Bible Commands Us to "Love One Another"

“Love One Another” “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE ONE ANOTHER; as I have loved you, that ye also LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” John 13:34 “This is my commandment, That ye LOVE ONE ANOTHER, as I have loved you.” John 15:12 “These things I command you, that ye LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” John 15:17 “Owe no man any thing, but to LOVE ONE ANOTHER: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE ONE […]