WHERE IS YOUR CITIZENSHIP LISTED?

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WHERE IS YOUR CITIZENSHIP LISTED?

According to the Bible there are two forms of citizenship. First, all human beings are born physically of this world within a country of which they become a citizen. In America you are not only a citizen of the United States but within the boundaries of the state where you were born. What we need to realize that no human form of citizenship will last and will eventually come to an end.

The worldly citizenship is under the influence of Satan. Here in America, we have Satan’s influence in politics, among the different races, and even in our religious groups. There is racial unrest and instability, killings, robbing, destruction, without regards for the laws of the land and no consideration for human life. Satan is becoming the god of this country and the world. The present age is becoming more and more evil. Slowly, each generation is adopting the culture, practices, and desires that Satan wants through people’s unfaithfulness, untrustworthiness, greed, disloyalty, and misguided views.

For those that have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, you should not feel comfortable in this world, you should feel out of place, it is because this world is not your home. Do you feel like strangers in a foreign country as stated of Abraham in Hebrews 11:9? When you are born again by faith in Jesus, John 3:3, you are born into the Kingdom of Heaven. When you have that spiritual rebirth, God grants us citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven and we become new creatures, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

With this spiritual rebirth, God sends His Holy Spirit to indwell with our spirit and our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit begins to transform our sinful nature and desires into the will of God. How long this takes depends on your surrendering of self to the will of God. Some will give themselves over to the Lord completely, some will take a little longer, and some will turn away from God. God’s goal is to make us as much like Jesus as possible in this life before making us citizens of His Kingdom. Our time in this physical body is short and the older you get, the faster time seems to go by.

Because God loves you beyond your understanding, He has given you the privilege to accept His invitation to become a citizen in His eternal Kingdom. God is not going to beg you, threaten you, or entice you to accept His invitation. It is a free gift by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ who suffered and died on the Cross of Calvary and shed His blood to cover our sins. You have the freedom to choose (and I mean freedom) to make your choice. You do have to make a choice. You can follow Jesus or you can follow Satan. You cannot ride the fence so to speak. In Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV) Jesus says: 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. In Matthew 6:24 (NIV) 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. In other words choose your place of citizenship.

For those whose name is written in the Book of Life, their citizenship is in Heaven and those that are not, their citizenship is in Hades. Revelation 20:12-15 (NIV) 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire, and in Philippians 3:19-21 (NIV) 19 their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Please make a choice today as you have no promise of tomorrow. As for me, my citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. I pray that yours is there. Love to all.

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Good vs. Evil

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GOOD vs. EVIL

Good vs. Evil begins in Genesis 2:9. Evil ends in Revelation 18:2 with the destruction of Babylon.
First, let us look at the definitions of these two words.
GOOD: virtue, righteousness, goodness, morality, integrity, honesty, truth, and honor.
EVIL: wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, corrupt, depraved, malicious, demonic, monstrous, despicable, atrocious, heinous, contemptible, and horrible.

The Bible divides the definition of evil into two categories. Evil against one another and evil against God. The majority of people would agree that evil is real. If you don’t believe that evil is real then you must live in a bubble. Just look at what is happening in our country and the world. It is having devastating effects on the world and has for centuries.

There are groups of people that say, since God is the creator of everything, He is the creator of evil. We that believe in God the Creator know that according to the Bible that God is not the creator of evil, but that Satan is. Satan has the ability to twist men’s mind so that they are convinced of anything that is against God and His righteousness. God created man so that he is free and has the ability to make his own decisions. Would you want it any other way? Otherwise you would be a robot. After God created man, He gave him instructions, and later He gave us the book of instructions, the Bible. Remember you are free to make your own choices. It is like you buying something that comes with instructions to put it together. You can chose to follow the instructions or not. The instructions regarding assembly make life easier, so does the Bible. It requires reading and studying so that you will know the truth that sets you free.

Evil began when Satan choose to disobey God. Satan then tempted God’s creation of man and woman by causing disobedience to God’s command. In the freedom that Adam and Eve were given, they choose to disobey God. God did not create evil; it is the result of people exercising their freedom by wrong decisions. God has given each one of us the freedom to make our own choices whether it is right or wrong, good or bad, or whatever the case may be. By our own choices we choose to commit evil whether in the form of sin or by our actions that may cause pain to someone. You alone and no one else is responsible when you chose to commit evil. By taking that first step in letting temptation enter your mind (soul) it grows into a sin. Evil then begins to cause you to come up with all kinds of excuses that it is OK to carry on. Most often this scenario will turn bad and you are faced with the consequences. Furthermore, you then decide that it is all God’s fault and play the blame game. Everyone must realize that evil does not have existence in and of itself. It only exist with those that let it take over their lives.

So, I ask you, what is more evil than calling God a liar and then expecting Him to bless you and answer your prayers? Are you familiar with Matthew 4:4 (KJV) where Jesus replied to Satan’s temptation; It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The key word in this verse is every. Not just a few that fit your program, but every word that God has spoken. Hebrews 11:3 says that God created everything by speaking it into existence. It is by faith that we accept these verses and the following verses:
Romans 12:21 (KJV) 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Corinthians 15:33 (KJV) 33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
Psalm 37:27 (KJV) 27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
These three verses are just a few of many verses that speak of good and evil. Evil is having horrible effects on our country and the world today. Satan is gaining momentum as predicted in the Scriptures. It is becoming so bad that brother is turning against brother and sister against sister over subjects that may or may not be explained clearly in the Bible. The truth in any subject only comes by the Holy Spirit. Not everyone is at the same level of knowledge regarding anyone subject of the Bible. Your level of understanding is determined by how surrendered you are to the leadership of the Holy Spirit and not of your own understanding.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV) 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
There is a saying that I believe everyone should come to understand. It is: ‘Do not let the word (Bible) prevent you from knowing the Word (Jesus).’
John 16:33 (KJV) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you invited Him into your life? When you surrender your life to Jesus, He will send His Holy Spirit unto you so that your spirit will unite with the Holy Spirit and he will guide you into the truth. Love to all.

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

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Who Do You Think You Are?

Have you ever thought about your creative being? The Bible tells us that we were created in three parts: body, soul, and spirit. We need to understand that the soul and spirit are not the same although they interact. Man is a triune being because he is created in the image of God. The Bible is very clear on this subject.

Genesis 1:26 – 27 (KJV) 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 27 So God created man in His own image, male and female created he them.

Since God created us in His image, it would stand to reason that we have a spirit.

John 4:24 (KJV) 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.

Spirit beginning with a capital “S” refers to the Holy Spirit. Spirit beginning with a small “s” refers to mans spirit. The above verse indicates that man must worship God in spirit, small “s.” In other words, the Holy Spirit must connect to man’s spirit in order to have a relationship.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) The man without the Spirit (Holy) does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Let us look at the makeup of the body, soul and spirit of man.

* The body of man is the outer layer of his being. It is made up with the five senses: ‘Sight,’ ‘Smell,’ ‘Hearing,’ ‘Taste,’ and ‘Touch.’

* The soul(mind) of man is the next inner layer of his being. Genesis 2:7: and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

The soul (mind) is made up of man’s ‘Imagination,’ ‘Conscience,’ ‘Memory,’ ‘Reason,’ and ‘Affection.’

* The spirit of man is the innermost part of man.

The spirit and the soul (mind) of man will have an interaction with each other. The spirit of man receives communication from the Holy Spirit with regards to ‘Faith,’ ‘Hope,’ ‘Reverence,’ ‘Prayer,’ and ‘Worship.’ Now, these elements must interact with the soul (mind). This is accomplished by what is stated in the following verse.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (soul). Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Man’s natural desire is to satisfy the needs of the body and he loses sight of what God wants. Your body is not the real you, it is something you possess. You need to remember that the body will go back to dust. The soul (mind) and spirit continue to exist at the discretion of God.

Let us look at what John 3:6 – 7 (NIV) says: 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit (capital “S”) gives birth to the spirit (“small “s”). 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, The Spirit (Holy) gives birth to spirit (man). The part of you that is born again is your spirit. The spirit sends a message to your soul. Now, you are in communication with the Holy Spirit who will lead you into the truth.

Only one thing blocks man’s spirit from being born again and that is his will. When you surrender that will, the Holy Spirit is able to take up residence in your spirit. You are to bring your body and soul (mind) under control. You control these by what feed your mind with.  It is written that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things God hath prepared for them that love Him, 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Many people are content to remain in the same old condition. Yet, they confess that they get little or nothing from reading the Bible. Oh, they may attend church regularly  and even read the Bible regularly. The key to a regeneration is spoken by Jesus Christ and written in John 3:7: you must be born again. The deep things of the Bible and Jesus Christ will never be understood outside of the spiritual realm. Only when the Holy Spirit is connected with your spirit will you ever know the truth and then the truth will set you free, John 8:32. Don’t let satan rob you (and he will if you let him) of the blessings God wants you to have, if you continue to resist surrendering your will to Jesus Christ.

One day and it may be soon, Jesus will return to gather His believers. Also, you are not promised tomorrow. The Bible is clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJ): Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Notice that spirit is mentioned first.

According to the Bible, there is only one way for salvation and that is by and through Jesus Christ. Seek and you will find the truth. Love to all.

WHAT IS THE HELMET OF SALVATION?

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WHAT IS THE HELMET OF SALVATION?

The human mind is the key to the Christian life. The reason why non-Christians do not respond to Christian truth is that they cannot discern spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). The gospel is a call for the unbeliever to repent of his sin and embrace Christ by faith. The Greek word translated “repentance” carries the notion of a change of mind. Our thinking must be changed (transformed) from old, ungodly ways of thinking into new, godly ways of thinking. What we know in our minds to be true forms a conviction in our hearts of that truth, and that conviction in our hearts translates into action. Therefore, we must first renew our minds.

The only way to replace the error of the world’s way of thinking is to replace it with God’s truth, and the only infallible source of God’s truth is His revealed Word, the Bible. Transformation through renewed minds comes as believers expose themselves to God’s Word through the faithful exposition of it each week in church, personal Bible study, and group Bible study. A solid church that believes in preaching the Word, reading the Word, and singing the Word is invaluable in helping us renew our minds.

Let’s look at some of what people keep their minds focused on even to extent that it becomes an addiction. When it becomes an addiction, it becomes even harder to set your mind on the things of God. In fact, God is gone and in His place is the addiction. When there is an addiction, the first thing to surface is denial. Drinking alcoholic beverages, drugs, pornography, sex, work, sports, TV, cell phones, and the list goes on. With an addiction, many people will suffer. Some people go into rehab, others die, and as I already mentioned almost all will enter into denial. This is one of the major goals of Satan, to destroy you and your family. The most important area of the body Satan wants to destroy is your mind. This is where he will attack first and will continue his attacks.

Why is the helmet related to salvation? Satan’s attacks are primarily directed at our minds in the form of discouragement and doubt. He constantly points to our sins, failures, health problems, financial problems and any other thing he can cause us to doubt God in order to get us to turn away from our salvation.

Putting on the helmet of salvation does not refer to receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. This is reserved for the saved, those who are born again and under the attacks of Satan. Satan does not care about the non-Christian as they already belong to him.

1 Thessalonians 5:8   Paul calls the helmet “the hope of salvation”. The word hope has a different meaning than how it is generally used. The helmet covers our mind and provides the assurance of our salvation. Through God’s word we learn (in our mind) to have faith in all the promises God has given us in His Holy Word. The helmet of salvation protects the critical part of our body, our head which is the seat of our mind.

Christians need to read Ephesians 6:11-17. Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly under attack from Satan. You cannot stand alone and fight Satan’s powers. We cannot ignore God’s Word concerning the putting on the full armor of God. The helmet is only one piece of the armor. I am writing about the helmet because I believe that if a person is to become a true Christian they must have a renewing of their mind. They must have a clear understanding of what God requires of them. It is very important that God’s word touches our mind and our hearts. Put on the helmet of salvation and take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Jesus prays for us in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth, your word is the truth”.

Love to all

Understanding Faith

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UNDERSTANDING FAITH

If there was ever a word that Christians need to understand, it is the word “faith”. From Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, it is what God requires from His people. God requires people to have faith more today than when Jesus walked the earth.

I believe that some of the most important verses regarding faith are found in the following:

John 20:29 (NIV)  29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Faith is the key word in order to have a relationship with God. If you read the Bible carefully, you will see that God requires you to have faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)  6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Mark 11:22 (NIV) “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

God requires everyone who calls themselves a Christian to have faith in Him even when things are not going well or the way we think they should. If we do not understand, we cannot have true faith. If we were honest, most of us base our faith on what is seen instead of what is not seen. This is the normal concept of faith in our lives today. We limit ourselves by what we believe and have faith in. We are afraid of stepping out in faith because it is not natural. A lot of people have been taught that stepping out of the norm is impossible and scary, so they stay in their comfort zone. Many lose so many blessings because of fear to walk in faith. Some may lose their salvation.

Romans 10:17 (NIV)  Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

The truth of the gospel comes by faith in the Holy Spirit’s teaching and causing us to believe. It only stands to reason that if the Temple of the Holy Spirit is not in order, we will not experience His persuasion. By faith learn to listen and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. His leadership will not fail you.

2 Tim 1:12b-14 (NIV)   I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you, guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit that lives in us.

We are nothing if we do not have faith in Jesus Christ. Every Christian should desire true faith and don’t waver when things don’t go as you want. I know it is not easy when we battle the desires of the flesh but through faith we can overcome. All you need to remember is that Jesus Christ is our Savior and God is our Heavenly Father. We need to have faith in them for they both love us very much, more than we love ourselves. They are always with you.

Fill your mind and soul with Bible verses regarding faith. Hebrews, Chapter 11 is a chapter on faith. Also, the bible is full of stories about men and women of faith. Read the stories of faith regarding Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Samson, David, Gideon, Mary, Elizabeth, Ruth, Sarah, and Naomi, just to mention a few. When you are feeling low, read Bible verses about faith. When your circumstances seem like there is no light at the end, keep the faith by claiming the many promises that the Bible gives to you. Yes, Jesus said I am coming back soon and I say, Come Lord Jesus.

Love to all.

TEMPORARY

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TEMPORARY-Definition of temporary: Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent.

When I was younger, I thought time seemed to drag by. Now that I am much older, I believe that time is going by so fast. Days seem like hours, weeks seem like days and years seem like weeks. Oh! Where does the time go? I have witnessed individuals who have lived just a few minutes and others who have lived over a 100 years. Regardless, God has a time frame for your life here on earth and it is only temporary. The moment you are born, you begin your journey into eternity and that is not temporary. It is forever and forever. Read the following Scriptures and then decide if you are prepared for eternity.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

1 Corinthians 7:31 NLT   Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.

Sometimes it feels that life is too short and too some it is. No one can take life for granted. We need to cherish and be thankful for what time we are given and the time we have with loved ones. Be joyful, prayerful, and loving, for life is temporary and it is only a one time experience. Seek God’s wisdom on how to spend your time here on earth. Psalm 90:12, NLT Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

This is only a temporary home regardless of whether you are a born again believer or not. Your final destiny is in your hands and you will be assigned a permanent place when your temporary life expires. Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment

Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV … I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Now choose life, that you and your offspring may live.

Matthew 6:19-21, ESV Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Love to all.

IN CHRIST

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“IN CHRIST”

What does “in Christ” mean? It means to be anointed. To be “in Christ” means that all of the things that the Bible says are true about a believer in Jesus are a present reality and can be enjoyed in the here and now. Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed one” or “chosen one.” This is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Mashiach, or Messiah. Jesus was called “the Christ” (or “Messiah”) because He was “anointed by the Holy Spirit.”

The expression “in Christ” occurs 216 times in the Pauline letters. It appears 28 times in Ephesians. Let us look at a few.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now condemnation to them which are “in Christ Jesus”, who walked not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life “in Christ Jesus” hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye “in Christ Jesus”, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Jesus alone is the Christ. As the Christ, He has three offices: Prophet, Priest, and King. The title, also treated as a name, given to Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was the man who discovered and expressed his divinity and became known as Jesus Christ. Since we were created with the exact same potential as Jesus, we, too, can discover and express our divinity.  The Christ is the presence of God in each of us.

Your Spirit and the Christ are the same thing. A born again believer needs to become aware, fully understand his or her divine gift(s) as God intended through the Holy Spirit. According to Luke 10:19 God through Jesus Christ gave us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. The question is: are you “in Christ” or not?

With all the references regarding “in Christ”, the Holy Spirit is witnessing to us through God’s Holy Word so that we can have God’s approval through faith “in Christ”. In order to be found “in Christ” you must be united with Him by His Holy Spirit, walk in Him, and live in Him all in faith.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father”.

The name Jesus means “Savior.” It is given to our Lord because “He saves His people from their sins.”

Christ” is His title, signifying Jesus was sent from God to be a King and Deliverer.

To be found “in Christ”, it is not through your own righteousness but through faith in Him. 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Praise be to God!