Lead us by the Spirit

Flesh or Spirit?

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

1Pe 4:6  For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

Dead in sin- alive in the Spirit!

Living according to God IN THE SPIRIT.

Tit 3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour

Flesh serves lusts and pleasures.

Flesh lives in malice and envy, is hateful.

Spirit serves God.

Spirit lives in mercy, saved by Jesus Christ- washed regenerate- renewed of the Holy Spirit.

Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

The PAST should be fulfilling the desires of the flesh, the mind.

The PRESENT quickened with CHRIST, living in HIS mercy!

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

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

WALK AFTER the SPIRIT.

Rom 8:5  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.

Do WE mind the things of the flesh?

Or

Do WE mind the things of the SPIRIT?

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Christ in us we are Spiritually alive.

Christ in us our flesh is dead.

Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Rom 8:12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Rom 8:13  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.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Please LEAD us by the SPIRIT OF GOD!

Please, through our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

Taught of the Spirit

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gal 5:26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Live in the Spirit.

Live in the knowledge of Christ crucified.

The Holy Spirit, we are to live in the Spirit. 

The Spirit is the knowledge of TRUTH.  Do we have the knowledge of truth?

Joh_14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

We need to be TAUGHT by the Holy Spirit, when we are taught we learn and what we learn we need to live.

As babies learn all the necessities for living, growing from infants who are completely defenseless and totally dependent to toddlers who begin to learn to feed themselves, walk for themselves, relieve themselves properly. Toddlers growing to young children who keep learning more and more about what it means to be a proper older child going into teen years. You see where this is going- we learn constantly!  Ideally we learn enough to enable us to live successfully in the world. 

More importantly we need to learn enough spiritually so we can LIVE spiritually.

What have you learned spiritually?

By the grace of God we are going to study this more in the next few days!

Please Father in heaven, please bless us as we seek to learn of the Spirit! Teach us, help us, save us!

In the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior!!!!

Now and forever.

Amen!

Immortality

Will you put on immortality?

1Co 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 

1Co 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 

1Co 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 

1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 

1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 

1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 

1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 

1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 

1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 

1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

*******

This is truth--

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

We shall ALL be changed.

At the LAST TRUMP.

The DEAD shall be raised - this is very important -  ASK yourself this ONE very important question, why do the dead need to be raised if they are already in heaven? 

Corruptible must put on incorruption.

Mortal must put on immortality.

Again, ask yourself another question- how are you corrupt if you are in heaven already? How are you mortal if you are in heaven?   Aren't you incorruptible and immortal if you are in heaven?

Don't you understand?  It is true when the Bible tells us the dead know nothing. Why can't we believe this? Why?! What stops us!? Why do we have to believe lies?

Has Satan weaved his web of deceit so perfectly that people just can't see through it? 

Does believing in what the majority believes truly what it's all about? Don't we remember this--

Mat_7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat

BROAD is the WAY that leads to DESTRUCTION and MANY there be which go in.

Mat_7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

FEW find the narrow way that leads to life.

This should tell us something! It should wake us up and call us to examine ourselves, our beliefs. Do we truly want to follow the TRUTH of our Savior?  If following whatever our hearts desire was fine with God, why did Jesus die for us?  If believing in whatever we want to believe brought no consequence then why did Jesus die for us? Why? If nothing we do is really sin, or really matters, did Jesus have to die?  There is truth, and there is the way and Jesus is that WAY, Jesus is that TRUTH. His way, His truth was not to do as we please without consequence, yet so many believe this is how it is. They are deceived. 

Please, Father God in Heaven, please keep us in YOUR TRUTH. Please keep us from the evil of deception all around us. Help us to find the narrow way and walk in that way. PLEASE.

All in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now and forever.

Amen.

Without Conscience

Do spirits speak to you?

Do demons show you their doctrines?

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. (1Ti_4:1-2)

Do you speak lies in hypocrisy?

These words are truth.  The Holy Spirit- God the Holy Spirit tells us that in the latter times some will DEPART from the FAITH. 

They will depart from the faith when they HEED deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. They will believe these deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons. They will speak LIES and have NO conscience, it will be cauterized!  

The evil spirits are REAL.

Demons are REAL.

These evil spirits, these demons use human beings they've seduced to their lies to deceive even those who are in the FAITH causing them to leave the FAITH.

The truth is all we have and we have to hold fast to it! 

People being used by evil forces will twist the truth so that we stop believing. Taking the truth and distorting it, taking the truth and taking even a tiny bit away from it and introducing lies to fill the gaps that have been made will have people believing LIES.

Over and over again we face the choice to lie, it never ends, it's a constant. Lying has become acceptable and believing lies acceptable.

People have hardened their hearts, they've destroyed their consciences as they seek things that are pleasing to their flesh ways, their lusts.

Is your conscience seared?  Seriously. We need to know! We need to examine ourselves and we need to know if we've allowed our conscience to be seared so we begin to call evil good and good evil.  Are we calling right wrong, and wrong right? Are we erring on the side of self-soothing rather than embracing the chastising, embracing the hard truths, the searing fire that refines?

There is a hot iron that cauterizes, and there is a fire that refines, we need the fire that refines, not the hot iron that destroys all conscience- covering it in scar tissue so thick it can't ever be right again. To be refined is not destroying anything good, but separating all the impurities that would have us depart from the faith.

May we pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray-  'Deliver us from evil'. May we believe our Savior when He prayed this prayer to the Father God- J oh_17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Please Heavenly Father,  KEEP us from the EVIL!  DELIVER us from EVIL! Please, by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming

 1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

All shall be made alive.

Every man in his own order.

Now answer me this? If we are *alive* immediately upon death- transitioning instantly into some other form of living- why would we need an order to be made alive?

Every man in his own order-  Christ the firstfruits.

After Christ the firstfruits then those who are Christ's at His coming.

1Co_15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Them that slept.  The sleep is death's sleep. 

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air

Sleep in Jesus.

The dead in Christ shall rise first.

Why, I ask this again, why do people believe they immediately live after dying?  What does 'Dead in Christ' mean if no one is truly dead in death?

I have to bring this up and I do often because this world we live in has dupe the majority of people into believing that death means transitioning from living in our flesh to living in a spirit form with all our same thoughts and feelings. Some choose to believe they live in this spirit form with their same thoughts and feelings and go on to live in heaven. Others believe they live on earth in the spirit form walking about interacting on some level with humans that still have their flesh. Then there are those who believe you live in a place to do your time as punishment for your sins. And again others believe you are sentenced to a life of spirit form living- knowing and feeling- while being burned in a place they call Satan's home- hell. You also have those who believe you don't go into a spirit form but are reborn in a newborn's body to live another life- just not knowing who you were before. There are SO many different beliefs, but the majority of those beliefs have to do with living in another form right upon the death of your flesh.

Lies.

Satan's grand lie- 'Ye shall not surely die.'

But death is an end, a REAL end of things, not a simple transition.

You will stop thinking. You will stop feeling. You will stop knowing all things.

The only time you will know something again is when CHRIST comes for His people- the dead in Him and the living in Him. The dead in Him- they will think again, they will know again, they will feel again when they are woken up from death's sleep.  How glorious that will be! Waking up from death's sleep and rising to meet the Lord in the air, your mortal body now an immortal body. You won't be awake in spirit form looking down at your dead body, venturing off into some new spirit life. You will wake up and know the oneness of being with Your Savior! You and all those who are His will wake to this indescribable glory!

Of course then there are those who are not Christ's and they will wake to the horror in realizing what they chose, and it wasn't life in Christ. They will not put on immortal bodies. They will not live on forever in torturous conditions.  Eventually they will be as if they never were, something no living person can fully comprehend- never being.  Yes, we know there was a life before us- history proves that- and we know there will be a life after us- history proves that possibility will be a reality.  But we've fashioned some notion that once we are alive, we will not ever truly die from that point on-  a lie.  We can die without any spirit body thinking and feeling after our death. We can die only to be raised again to die again and then raised to die to never be again.

We choose. 

If we choose Christ we choose life because He is the Author of life, He is the Sustainer of life, He is life.

Every man in his own order will be raised from the dead. This is truth. This is life. This is Christ Jesus our Savior now and forever! Amen.

Truly we reap what we sow

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

*******

Sow to the Spirit.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

TRUTH!

So denying ourselves our flesh affections and lusts that want to consume our lives is necessary.  Is there  ANYTHING in your life you would choose to do over doing the will of God?  Would you rather sow to your own lusts than sow to the love of God, of Godly love, of joy, of peace, of longsuffering, of gentleness, of goodness, of faith, of meekness, of temperance?  Seriously? We have to examine ourselves! We are accountable for examining ourselves.

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.

1Co 11:27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Examining ourselves is necessary!

We are told NOT to be deceived. 

God will not be mocked.  We mock God when we refuse to examine ourselves. We mock God when we believe that we do not have to be accountable for all of our actions. We are accountable and we must seek forgiveness and repentance when we fail, which is often and always. We cannot be stupid enough to believe that we are doing God's will when we are sowing to our flesh, when we are sowing to our selfishness.

I'm NOT talking about our survival needs- rest, food, drink-  but when we seek in excess selfish desires we are not sowing to the Spirit but to self and to sow to self is to sow to the flesh. I'm guilty of it! God forgive me and help me, I am! I need to sow to the Spirit! By His grace and power alone it will be possible!

People truly will REAP what they SOW.  If you sow to self you will reap self, not God.  If you sow to the Spirit you will reap to the Spirit!

May we all reap to the SPIRIT because we SOW to the Spirit!

May we be truly God's!

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and FOREVER!

Amen!

Who introduced you to Jesus?

Who introduced you to Jesus?

 If someone asked me who introduced me to Jesus I'd probably start out by saying my parents.  I'd say my parents because I have a memory of myself being very, very young and kneeling by my bedside hands folded, head bowed, and reciting our bedtime prayer.  I also have the memory of saying grace before dinner. Another memory of myself as a very young child was in the nursery at church and being taught the song- 'Jesus Loves Me'. So I'd definitely have to say my parents were the ones who introduced me to Jesus.   My parents laid the foundation that was built upon but it wasn't a steady building, but rather a build-up and then a tearing down only to rebuild and tear down over and over and over again. The only thing that has ever remain solid is the FOUNDATION- JESUS CHRIST MY SAVIOR. 

I went from being raised a Methodist to a period of rebellion, then joining the Seventh-Day Adventist Church only to find out a few years later that they'd apostatized from their original beliefs and so I discontinued my membership with them.  After that I entered another period of rebellion. Then by the grace and mercy of my Savior, my Lord Jesus He pulled me out of that rebellion and now, by His continued and constant grace I seek to worship Him in all truth.

Do you see? It truly has been a building upon the foundation of Jesus only to have the buildings torn down and then built up again, and I can only hope and pray that the building going on right now by my Savior will continue on until He returns to takes all those who choose to be His in all truth home with Him. 

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ

I have to believe that through all the ups and downs, that my Savior, Jesus Christ will see me through until He returns.

He is the good work in me, He is the ONLY good in me!

I must be confident that if HE began in me, that He will see me through to the very end when we can be truly face to face.

By His amazing LOVE, I must believe! He will save me, even from myself and especially myself and my many failings.

Please Father in heaven, please, through the Holy Spirit may I have the confidence I need in Christ to do all for me, because I can do nothing myself. Please, Father in heaven, I would be YOURS.

In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ my LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!

Amen.