Recently, I have become cognizant of a striking, yet very common thought which I feel that the Holy Spirit has been calling me to share in the form of a blog post. The thought revolves around the importance of ensuring that we, as believers, do not allow ourselves to become complacent.
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Author: Jesus_Follow3r
Beware of False Prophets: Jesus’ Warning Explained
Greetings to all my brothers and sisters in Christ!
As I return from my hiatus with blogging, I will share an effective means whereby we can discern false prophets. The key scriptural text which will support this teaching is found in Matthew 7(bold emphases mine) from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount when He discusses false prophets:
Matthew 7:15-23
Continue reading15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“Bible Devotional” Short Podcast with Detailed Reflection
Key Bible Verses in 2 Translations
Proverbs 28:9(KJV)
9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer shall be abomination.
Proverbs 28:9(NIV)
9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.
The Importance of Listening to God’s Instruction
In today’s devotional, we delve into a powerful lesson from the Book of Proverbs, specifically Proverbs 28:9. While the King James Version (KJV) offers a traditional translation, we’ll focus on the interpretation found in the New International Version (NIV). The NIV reads: “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.” This verse delivers a stark reminder of the vital connection between listening to God’s word and the effectiveness of our prayers.
Continue readingInsight: “Wake Up Church”
Christian, have you fallen into such a religious stupor where you are no longer awake but you have instead become like the “walking dead”? Have you backslid in your faith where you have provided backdoor access for the enemy to gleefully regain power in areas of your life you thought you already gained victory over? Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Have you recognized that your strivings and well-intentioned efforts are inadequate to successfully fight this battle of faith? Have you reached the end of yourself?! If this sounds like you, you are right where God needs you–emptied of yourself so that He can indwell and mightily work through you with His Holy Spirit. You don’t need more lukewarm, entertainment-driven, half-committed Christianity, what you need is the infilling of the Holy Spirit Himself Who will be given only as we die to our fleshly-selves! Stop playing games with God by trivializing sin and start providing your faith with the weight of seriousness that it requires!
Please heed this message closely.
Continue readingPerspective: “Church, Just Because I Wrestle with Depression Does Not Mean I Am Being Chastised by God for Sin”
Sadly, there are numerous misconceptions surrounding Christians who wrestle with various forms of mental illness. In my humble opinion, the Church(brothers and sisters in Christ) needs to be better educated on issues related to mental illness. This is so that we are better equipped on how to minister to the needs of believers who have some form of mental illness.
Continue readingInsight: 3 Practical Ways Believers Live Immersed in The Holy Spirit(Part 2 of 2)
In the first part of this series, I discussed the importance of living in the fullness and the power of the Holy Spirit through abiding in Him by humbling yielding to the Lordship of Jesus. Today, I would like to explore three practical ways in which believers can live immersed in the Holy Spirit. Unquestionably, the believer’s heart must be humble, repentant and submitted to God so that His Spirit can operate undeterred by the works of the flesh. This is an over-arching focus that will be interlaced throughout each recommended way. Being humble and taking up our crosses daily is at the core of what it means to live in Christ and to clothe ourselves with the righteousness of Christ.
Continue readingInsight: Do You Have the Holy Spirit or Does the Holy Spirit Have You?(Part 1 of 2)
Once we have placed our saving faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, God graciously sealed us with the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Because salvation is derived from the finished atoning work of Jesus on the Cross, our deeds will never be righteous enough to earn us our salvation. As believers, the loving work of Christ on the Cross mightily liberates us to be all who God has purposed us to be. We now have this remarkable assurance that our salvation is not contingent on our overall performance as Christians. While I do vehemently believe that genuine believers cannot lose their salvation, I do believe that it is possible to live a defeated life as a Christian failing to live in the fullness of what God has ordained.
Have you ever wondered why so many Christians are merely scraping by within this life? They may go to church faithfully, know all of the right things to say within Christian Culture, avoid committing the obvious sins, and even become involved in a ministry or two. But, they are still struggling with the same addictions and struggles that they have for decades as Christians. They may have accepted Jesus as their Saviour, but not as the Lord of their life; they have not wholeheartedly surrendered every area of their lives to Jesus. Why is this? Why would a Christian choose to live a mediocre life with a divided allegiance? What I believe God has taught to me through His Holy Word and through other mature believers is the importance of being immersed in the Holy Spirit.
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Theological Reflections 