Noah and the Last Days

If you like the 180 Movie and Evolution vs. God, then you'll like Living Water's newest documentary, Noah and the Last Days.  Please share with all of your social media below.  We need to get this film out there! 

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What is a Christian?

Are you curious about what being a Christian is all about?  You might feel like you're a little lukewarm in your walk.  Maybe you're just unsure of your salvation.  I hope this page encourages you to give your all to Jesus and to live daily for Him.

If you think you're a good person and don't need Jesus, you can take the Good Person Test  to prove that you are right.

If you want to find out my road to Jesus and what life has been like since then, you can read My Testimony.

If you are not saved and see so many "professing" Christians out there and wonder what is really the truth and what is hypocrisy, I encourage you to get out your King James Version Bible and begin reading in the book of John.

The truth is, you and I both need the Savior.  Just watch the video below to see that that's true:

If you want to know how to be saved, please click here.  Salvation is not just a one-time prayer, but it is a complete rebuking of sin.  Although we will never be perfect as Jesus lived, we should be daily striving to take up our cross and follow Him.  It has been the best decision I have ever made, and I am so thankful of the assurance of Heaven after fulfilling my purpose in this life.  So what is your purpose in life?

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I am a Gomer

I have been trying to write this post for a couple of weeks now!  But it seems something always happens!  I had some other things that I had felt were priority.  Yet, after things calmed down and things began returning to normal, this post was right back on my heart.

Recently, I had polled my readers and asked the following question:

"If your spouse was unfaithful to you more than once, would you take them back? Could you love someone who didn't show you love?"

8% of you said that you were not bound to a marriage of infidelity and therefore would not take them back.

25% of you said you most definitely would because your vows called "For Better or Worse."

16% of you said "as long as their spouse was remorseful."

50% of you stated that there would be no way to know until you're in that situation.


I didn't ask this poll question to talk about adultery.  Not in the sense that you're probably thinking anyways.  I wanted us to see where our hearts were.  You see, it's easy for us to say that we would take back a spouse when things are going well.  Maybe we would.  I hope we would, but as 8% of you pointed out, we are not forced to do so as Christians.

Some of you said you would, but it would be conditional.  It would be based upon if your spouse was remorseful or not.  A whopping 50% of you claimed you don't know what you would do unless you were in that situation.

We will come back to this poll, but first, I want to bring in the story of Hosea. 
It's only 14 Chapters, and if you don't pay close attention, you might miss the love story in the beginning of the book.

I hope you'll read it for yourself, but here's a little bit of the gist of it for you:

Israel was divided up into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.  While the Southern Kingdom continued to serve God, Northern Israel chose to forsake their one, true God. 

The Northern Kingdom was experiencing good times.  As in most cases of prosperity, as the wealth increased, they began to turn from God.   Sin was running rampant in Israel:  prostitution, idolatry, drunkenness, etc.  God was hurt by Israel.  You see, Israel is special.  In the same sense that the church is the bride of Christ, Israel was like God's wife as well.  However, His bride had turned their backs on Him, despite His blessings upon their land. 

In comes Hosea.  Now Hosea (whose name means 'salvation') was a prophet of God, and one of the first things we see God tell Hosea to do is to marry a harlot!  What?  Aren't we supposed to be equally yoked?  But God had a purpose.  (There are many who believe harlotry was in her heart, and she would not act upon adultery until marriage, but that debate is not relevant here).

So Hosea went out and married a prostitute named Gomer.  Now God instructed Hosea to have children by her and to name them according to His purpose.  The first child was to be named Jezreel, meaning "God will sow."  God was sending a message to Israel.
Gomer's second child was a girl and God told Hosea to name her Loruhamah (unpitied or unloved).  Since Loruhamah was likely not Hosea's child, her name shows a representation of not being loved by her true father.

As soon as Gomer had weaned Loruhamah, she became pregnant again.  This time, she was pregnant with another boy.  Lo-ammi's name meant, "Not my People."  Do you see why God is having Hosea name his children in such a way?  It is a direct message to the people of Israel.  It is also a representation of Lo-ammi not being Hosea's child.

The book of Hosea speaks about Gomer's repeated adultery and then returning to her husband.   Chapter 2 and verse 7 gives me the impression she would only go back to Hosea as a last resort.  Can you imagine?!  Not only was she not remorseful, but she did not want to be with Hosea, at least not for love.

Think about how Hosea must of felt?  He knew what she was doing.  He knew his children were not his own.  Yet, he took her back...every single time.  He bought her back, out of slavery, at such a high price, despite what she had done to him.


I am so glad that God is not like us.  I'm glad that when we are unfaithful to Him, He doesn't say, "I'm perfect, and they are sinful.  I am not 'bound' to love them."  I'm also glad He didn't base His love for us on whether we're sorry or not.  God still pursues us even when we have not repented yet.  He loves us and is waiting for us to turn back to Him.
Thankfully, He already knows what He will do in the situation when we sin.  He doesn't make a decision based upon the moment, or His current feelings.  He has ultimate love and it's UNCONDTIONAL.  God loves us even when He knows His love will not be returned.  Much like Hosea's love toward Gomer.

We may think we're nothing like Gomer.  But are we faithful to God above all else in our lives?  Do we look to other gods for self-pleasure?  Maybe we just look to ourselves.  It's almost as though we have made ourselves to be a god.  We consult no one with our decisions in life, but ourselves (because who knows better than me?).  We purchase things to please ourselves.  We don't even want to lay it at another god's feet.  We are the god in our minds and we want to worship ourselves.  Every decision we make is about "what is best for me."

Oh this may sound like a stretch, but it is not.  Think about your thought life.  The part of your life that no one but you and God know about.  Answer these questions to yourself honestly.

1)  Do you love God, and Him alone, above EVERYTHING else?  That includes your children, your spouse, your job, your money, your health, your happiness....
2)  Do you feel like since you give your 10 or 15% to the church, that the rest is for you to spend on your "needs?"  Do you just give the minimum requirement or do you give all you can?
3)  Do we justify a fancy home because it's not as nice as most others you know?  At least we are not wasting our money like some.  Therefore, we must be spending our money modestly.  Do you compare your goodness to others as opposed to God's righteousness?
4)  What is the #1 thing your mind thinks about?  Is it REALLY about God?  Or is it about shopping, your kid's softball games, hunting and fishing, impressing others?
5)  Do you give God a little and keep the rest?  Do you go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, but keep the rest of the week mostly to your doing (even if you're not doing anything "bad")? 

I ask that you really answer these questions honestly.  I find that when I'm honest with myself, I am shameful at my honest responses.  I haven't loved God above all else.  I am a Gomer.

I may not be exactly like her.  I may have remorse, but I am still hurting God when I love other things above Him.  He is the One who breathed LIFE into my lungs.  He is the One who sent His Son to give me an example and to die for my every last sin.  He is the One who has given me His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide me while I am on my mission to serve Him.

If someone were to put a gun to your head and claim that they would kill you, but I came in and said I would take the bullet , but I ask if you would just go to my house every single day and read a book for 30 minutes to my children.  Now, I'm sure you would gladly let me take that bullet and be so grateful to me.  I'm sure you would gladly lose a half hour everyday to meet the wishes of the one to saved your life....at least at first.

Despite your gratefulness, years go by and you've been faithful adhering to my request.  You've forgotten how it felt to have the gun to your head.  You're tired.  You have your own life and keeping your commitment to me has proposed its challenges.  Not only can you never be sick, but you can never leave for vacation.  You can't even get away for a two-day trip.  Suddenly, you feel as though your commitment is keeping you from doing the things you really want to do.

You begin to miss reading time here or there.  It's not like I'm going to know!  It's only for really important things in the beginning, but over time, you begin to miss more and more, until eventually, you stop going at all. 

Do you see what I'm getting at?  Jesus DIED in YOURS and MY place!  Furthermore, He has promised us an eternity in Heaven!  A place of perfection.  His promise is not based upon our works or goodness, but out of His love for us.  Yet, He does ask us, if we love Him, to serve Him with our daily lives. 

Do we?  Maybe "we said a prayer" a long time ago and really had a desire to please Him.  We wanted to share with others the Gospel.  But over time, we have to admit, our desire to evangelize and show love to those who are undeserving in our eyes, well, it becomes more difficult.  As our hearts are ever so gradually slipping away, we find our thoughts more focused on what we will wear tomorrow or what we will do this weekend.

Sure, some of you may think, "I'm saved.  I don't have to try and be perfect.  I'm going to Heaven."  If you're thinking that, I sure would re-evaluate your Salvation.  A genuine Christian will not try and do the minimum requirement.  A genuine Christian will strive for the path that Jesus set before us (despite knowing we will never come close). 

If you are certain of your Salvation, but you find that you are not daily seeking Him...reading His Word and praying to Him, I encourage you to change your path.  Do you find that you love God, but you have to admit, you love pleasing the world (as long as you don't have to sin to do it)?  If that's so, click here.

When I evaluate my own life, I find that even though I am saved, the world sometimes has a strong pull upon my heart.  You may not be able to tell it from the outside, but God sees it.  God sees my "wandering eye."  He sees my Gomer-like qualities.  As a Christian, it breaks my heart to know that I am not sometimes committed to Him 100%.  Even 99% should break our hearts. 

I'm not saying we never sin.  I'm saying, that when we do fall, when we do make mistakes, we are quit to repent.  Furthermore, we need to take steps to prevent from going down that road again.

I don't want to be a Gomer.  Gomer committed the same sin over and over again.  I may be flesh and imperfect, but if I must sin, may it never be the same sin.  I want to learn from my mistakes.  As I grown in the Lord, it's quite possible I will realize I have been committing some sins that I never realized before.  But as they are brought from my attention, I forsake all of my unrighteousness.

So, think about your life.  Think about your struggles.  Are you actively striving to turn from your sins: watching inappropriate television shows (maybe even though shows that only take God's name in vain once), gluttony (regardless of your waist size), gossip (even if it's true), telling white lies (even for a 'good' reason), a prideful heart (one of my major struggles), and just loving your life more than pleasing God (you can tell this if you're spending your time doing things you want to do rather than what He would have you do).

"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."  Luke 9:23

Oh I am not writing this post to depress us.  I just feel like if I'm living a comfortable life, I'm probably not living like Jesus did.  If we look at our sins honestly, it can be very depressing.  My point is for us to stop the busyness of our lives and realize how great God's love really is for us. 
Will you just stop and pray with God right now?  I'm doing it too.  Confess your sins (even the little ones and the ones no one else knows about), but more importantly, FORSAKE your sins.  Leave them.  Take important steps to never go back there.  Find a Christian mentor and confess your sins.  It helps to have encouragement.  I don't want someone patting me on the back telling me what a "good" Christian I am.  I want a friend who is encouraging me to be like Christ and who is humbling me.  If you don't have someone like that, comment here and let others be an encouragment to you.  You can always comment as "anonymous." 

If you're ready to take the next step, I hope you will see my heart in my trying to learn to not just to try and "not sin."  I don't want to say, "God, can I listen to this song?  It has nothing bad in it."  I want to start asking "God, is this song edifying to you?  I don't just want to avoid upsetting You with my sin, but I want to only do things that PLEASE you."

If you have a desire to begin to pray this statement, I hope that you'll click here.  I am looking for others who are wanting to take this stand.  This is so deeply on my heart, but I think we all need encouragement in this area.  This is not about just making a profession of Jesus, this is about each of us learning to only do things that are "edifying" to Him.  Boy, it's a tough road, but it's the road I want to take.  How about you?  Will you join me?

I'd love to hear your thoughts if you want to comment below!  You can also share this post by Email, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, and Google by simply clicking one of the icons below this post.  You can also share via Pinterest by hovering your mouse over the picture above and clicking "pin it."  The pin will link back to this post.

You can also subscribe to my free monthly newsletter by entering your e-mail address in the box at the top right-hand side of this post.  I try to only send one e-mail a month (informing you of posts you may have missed, giveaways, and such).

Thanks for taking the time to listen to my heart!  I look forward to hearing from you!

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How to Know, Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt, That You are Saved and Headed for Heaven!

How can anyone be CERTAIN, without any doubts, they are headed to Heaven?

I often notice the following types of people:

1)  Those who are clearly saved and living a life that declares this to everyone.
2)  Those who "said a prayer," but are uncertain if it was as simple as that.
3)  Those who "said a prayer" at a young age, and can't remember their entire experience.
4)  Those who claim salvation, but live only for Jesus when it is convenient for them.
5)  Those who are clearly living for themselves and seem to not have any conviction toward serving God.
6)  Those who show many fruits of a Christian, but also looks like the world in many other ways.

Do you fall into one of these scenarios?  Are you certain, 100%, of your salvation?

In this post, if you read it in its entirety, you will find the encouragement you need to know by the end of the day, for certain, if you are really saved or not.  No more doubts, no more questions.  You will be able to be CERTAIN from this day forward of your Salvation!  Are you ready?

What is Salvation?

First, we need to define what Salvation is.  Many people will claim it to be many different things, so I want to make sure we are on the same page.

I have heard many good people tell others, "All you have to do be saved is say the ABC's!"  The ABC's as I have heard them (you may have heard them differently) are:

A- Accept that you are a sinner and that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.

B- Believe that Jesus is the only way and believe upon Him and the Father.
C- Confess your sins.
My friend, if this is the plan of salvation you have followed, I'm sad to say that you are not saved.  While these are also required for salvation, there is one VERY important element that has been left off of this....


John 3:16-21

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."


YOU MUST REPENT AND TURN FROM YOUR SINS!!!

Does that mean you never sin again?  No!  But you are declaring before God and others that you will live a life that strives to turn from sin.  In other words, when you make a mistake, you do all you can to keep yourself from doing it again.  You are quick to repent and feel remorse for sinning against the Father.

I'm sad to say that many people believe they are going toward Heaven simply because they believe God is real.  Remember what the Bible says:

James 2:19

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

It's more than just simply believing in God.  The devil knows for certain that God is real.  He's seen Him, been with Him.  He knows for certain that God is real and Holy!  Here, James says they even TREMBLE!  This verse should show you that it is much more than simply knowing that God is God and Holy.  The devil, himself, knows that Jesus died on the Cross. 

So not only do we need to believe that God is the perfect Creator of this world, but we need to believe that God loved us so much that He sent His perfect Son Jesus to be our bridge to Him.

Try to imagine for a moment a perfect God.  Imagine how He could not even tolerate sin or it would corrupt His holiness.  That is why Jesus came.  Previously, for people to speak to God, there was a divider.  Only the Priests could enter the Holy of Holies.  To pay for your sins you would have to sacrifice a clean lamb.  You see, something had to die for our sins.  Our sin is what separates us from God.  Jesus broke that divide and became our bridge.

When Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and died upon the Cross, He took the sin of the entire world (all that you ever did, and all that you will ever do) upon Himself.  God had to turn His back upon Jesus when He died upon the Cross.  A Holy God could not bear the sin.

Jesus came in the form of flesh so that you and I could have everlasting life with God in Heaven.  Not only do you have to believe that, you need to accept Jesus as your Savior (since He is our only chance at eternal life in Heaven), and we need to turn from our sins and live a life that is pleasing to Him. 

Everyone likes to quote John 3:16, as I have shown above, but the following verses are equally as important.  If you do evil, then you hate the light.  We are either living a life to serve God, or we are not.

Matthew 6:24
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. "

 

So Salvation is realizing the need for a Savior, believing that He died on the Cross and rose again in 3 days for you,  confessing your sins before God, and turning from those sins, striving to live a life pleasing to God, not to self.

Salvation, itself, is a very simple concept.  But it's difficult, as flesh, to turn from our sins.  It does not mean we will never sin again.  Once we have done the above, we are saved.  All of our sin is covered under the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary.  However, a person who is genuinely saved, and didn't just say a prayer to guarantee themselves into Heaven, will have remorse when they allow their flesh to win.  A Christian is quick to repent and does not want to sin because they want to be pleasing to their Lord.

So, am I saved?

 

So, how do I know if I'm really saved?  Maybe you were young and are unsure if you understood everything.  Maybe you don't really remember your Salvation experience so well.  Now that you understand what Salvation is, how do you know if you're saved or not?

First of all, let me say that Salvation is simple that, yes, even a 5 year old can understand it.  You don't have to be a Bible scholar, know the names of all the books of the Bible, know every Bible story, or how to pronounce all of the names in the first chapter of Matthew.

All you have to do for Salvation is what we talked about in the previous section (highlighted in purple).  So are you saved?

Well, we can look at the fruits of your life today and tell.  I like how Steve Maxwell puts it:

 

Are you longing for Heaven?  Do you have a desire to see Jesus?  I've heard people say they want to go to Heaven, but not right now.  They've got too many good things going on in life.  My friend, you should want to be with Jesus right now!!!  If not, you need to re-evaluate your relationship with Him.  Christians WANT to be with Him in Heaven!  (You can view more of Steve Maxwell's ministry here!)

Okay, so are you saved?

 Let's take a look at the following questions to find out.  Make sure you are answering your questions honestly, and not trying to justify your sins.  Remember, your eternity is at stake!  There will be no justifying our sins on Judgment Day!

1)  When you sin, do you have a remorse?  I'm not just talking about a simple moral code.  All of us have a moral conscience.  If we didn't, none of us would ever see the need for a Savior. 

For example, if you could steal money from your employer and know 100% that you wouldn't get caught, would you do it?  Don't be quick to answer.  Let's say you could steal enough money to make sure you and anyone in your family would never have to work again, and no one would be the wiser that you took the money.  In fact, your company is so rich, they'd never even miss the money.  Would you do it?  If your answer is yes, then I would strongly question your salvation.  A Christian should have a desire to please the Lord and not want to break His Commandments. 

Sure, there was David in the Bible.  He planned out his adultery and even murder.  Yet, David was a man after God's own heart.  How can this be?  Well, certainly, David was human.  He allowed Himself to become distant from God.  When we are not in daily communion with Him, sin becomes easier.  And the more we sin, the easier it gets.  Also remember that David lived prior to Jesus'.  We now have the Holy Spirit for our constant conviction. 

 

So, if you sin, you will have remorse.  It doesn't mean you won't sin, but if you plan out your sins and dismiss the fact that it is unpleasing to God, I would question your Salvation.

2) Do others know you are a Christian?  Do your friends, family, and coworkers know that you are a child of God?  Do they see it in your lifestyle?  Do you tell them this?  If these people were to write your obituary, would "Christian" be one of the first things they said about you? 

You see, when we are saved, we should have a burning desire to tell others about Jesus.

                               

Are people surprised when you tell them you are a Christian?  They shouldn't be if you're living the life of telling others about Him.  A Christian will have a sincere desire for others to be saved.  So think about some people that you know for sure are headed for Hell.  Do you have a strong desire to see them saved and living right, or do you think they'd be getting what they deserve?  Maybe you're just indifferent about their soul.  A Christian, my friend, will have a desire to see all of the lost saved.  Do you have that desire?

3)  Have you ever sat down and prayed about your Salvation?  I know this sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how many people are going around doing good deeds, assuming they are saved.  WORKS WILL NOT GET YOU INTO HEAVEN.  Don't get me wrong, they are a RESULT of your Salvation, but no matter how many good things you have done, they cannot override yours sin.  You still need Jesus.  You still need the Cross. 

 

So, have you ever sat down and prayed for your Salvation?  Certainly, you may not remember every aspect of that experience.  For me, I was about 10.  I don't remember much about the prayer, but I do remember my heart.  I couldn't forget that.  What about you?

So does answering No to any of these questions mean I'm not saved?!

 

Most likely.  Understand me when I say, there is no way for me to know if you are saved or not.  You see, I don't know your heart.  But you do, and so does God.  You know if you're answering these questions honestly or not.  You are evaluating your own heart right now.  You know if you're trying to justify your actions.  I can't say, with certainty, that if you answered no to any of these questions that you're not saved, but you can answer that.

I CAN tell you, if you answered no to any of these questions, there is a real problem with your relationship with God.


                 So what if I still am not sure if I'm not saved?

Then get saved right now.  Think about it.  If you take steps to get saved now and weren't saved to begin with, you just gained an eternity in Heaven!  If you were already saved, then it doesn't hurt to reaffirm your salvation.  Either way, you can know for certain your heart right now, and know that you are 100% saved!  It is as simple as it is written above in purple.  Don't go to bed tonight without this assurance.  You may not have tomorrow.  You never have to question your salvation again!

 

 

If you're having doubts about backsliding and such, you can read my thoughts on Eternal Security Versus Losing your Salvation here.

There is a great 30 minute video you can watch about false converts.  You can watch it for free on youtube by clicking here, or by watching the video below:

False converts are flooding our churches.  They are "confessing" their sins and asking Jesus to come into their heart, but they are not making a change.  As a result, our churches are straying further and further from preaching the Gospel because it is filled with those who want the promise of Heaven, but without having to change their lifestyle.

I hope that if you may have been a false convert, you would consider rereading what is written above in purple!  Let today mark the day that you changed your eternity!


Okay, so whether you were saved or you just got saved, you're saved, so now what?

Now you need to follow the Lord in Baptism.  Make sure you are attending a Bible Preaching church regularly and tell your Pastor that you need to be baptized.  Church attendance does not save you, but a Christian should want to be with like-minded people. 

Now:
                                                     

Mark 16:15 & 16
 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. "

If you are saved, and want others to have the same assurance as you, I encourage you to share this post on Facebook, Google, Pinterest, and Twitter. 

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Are You a Lukewarm Christian?

Well, first of all, let me answer this question for you without even knowing you.  No, you are not a lukewarm Christian because there is no such thing:

Revelation 3:15 & 16
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. "

 

2 Corinthians 6:14

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

 

Romans 12:1 & 2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

 

1 John 2:15 &16

 

" Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

 

Matthew 12:33-37

 

"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

 

 
You are either a follower of Christ or you are a follower of the devil.  There is no in-between.  I am not suggesting that a Christian does not make mistakes.  Certainly we sin everyday.  However, I am suggesting that we are daily trying to turn from our sins and fix our eyes upon the Cross.

So, ask yourself, are you lukewarm or are you a follower of Christ?  You can find out by asking yourself the following questions:

1)  Are you spending time with Him daily in prayer and in His Word?

2) Are you surrounding yourself with people/fellowship that are encouraging you to fulfill the convictions that the Holy Spirit has laid upon your heart?  If your close friends are lukewarm, they are helping you pack for Hell.  I realize that is a bold statement.  But if your closest friends are lukewarm, they are influencing you.  They are encouraging you to enjoy both worlds.  But Jesus strictly warns against that.  He will vomit those people out of His mouth.  Jesus is pretty clear about how He feels about those trying to live for themselves and Him.

3)  Are you DAILY telling others about Jesus'  love and sacrifice?

4)  Is there a passion that burns inside of you for others to be saved?

5)  Do you spend more time pursing spiritual things or selfish things?  For example, do you spend 5 days a week at soccer practice and games, but no days a week out witnessing?

My goal here is not to judge you, but to challenge you.  Often, when I look at my own heart, I find that I get my eyes focused on things of this world and not things that are eternal.

 

2 Timothy 3:4

"Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;"

You see, I should love God more than love things that please my flesh.  I certainly am not suggesting that if you are not perfect, you are lukewarm.  Rather, I am saying, lukewarm people are content trying to serve two masters.  They serve Jesus with their lips (and occasionally with their lifestyle as long as it doesn't interfere with their personal goals), but they serve themselves with their works.

 Matthew 15:8

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

For example, you may go to church, go to an additional Bible study, help with children's classes and never curse....yet in the same week, you may also......watch television that is not honoring to God, listen to wordly music that curses or speaks of unglodly things, dress in a way to "fit in", even if it is slightly immodest, attend and participate in all the same socials that the unbelievers attend, and focus upon yourself the rest of the week.

Please understand me, we are ALL selfish.  But someone who is lukewarm is trying to be like the rest of the world as much as possible.  Maybe they're not out drinking and doing drugs, but maybe they are attending school prom because "that is what you do" despite it having immodest dress, inappropriate dancing, and ungodly music. 

A lukewarm person often does what their flesh wants and throws God in on the side.  As long as their schedule permits, they are more than willing to help with any church function (for this makes them feel good).  They teach their children not to curse, to have premarital sex, or to hit someone else, but they allow them to watch television shows that reinforce what they're trying to teach against.

This subject is near to my heart because I was in this place for so long.  I loved God, I wanted to serve Him, but I wanted to serve myself more.  So I did.  I can't imagine dying in that state standing before God trying to justify my actions.  I couldn't.

I want to know that on Judgment Day that despite my failures and sins, I was daily trying to live for Him and not myself.

It's a daily battle with the flesh.  The devil is so sly.  We think of him as this evil creature (which he is), but he is a fox in sheep's clothing.  We sometimes forget that.  He tells us that we "deserve" time off, that we "deserve" a break.  When we start to wonder if something is on the line of sin, instead of us asking if it's edifying, he encourages us by telling us to look at someone else. 

When we compare ourselves to others, it is very dangerous.  Why?  Because we are comparing ourselves to the world's standards and not our own.  I used to always think of myself as a "good" Christian because I did not do much of what even the Christians were doing.  Looking back, I realize how sinful I was, and still am.  The closer I grow to God, the more I realize I need Him.  We need to compare ourselves to God's standards, not our own, or even the local church's.

Let me ask you something...Do you want to glorify God or just do enough to get into Heaven? 
Certainly we are not saved by works...don't get me wrong.  Regardless of how much you do for the Kingdom, the only thing that gets you into Heaven is based off of the blood of Christ alone.  However, many of us think we are saved.  We are sorry and have confessed our sins before the Lord.  However, we have not truly repented.  Someone who is repentant and saved WILL show works.  Works are a RESULT of your Salvation, so if you do not HAVE works, one might righteously question your salvation.

To repent is to TURN from your sin.  You are so sorry for your sin that you will do everything in your power (with God's help) to turn completely from that sin.  It doesn't mean that you never mess up again, but if you do, you are disgusted with your sin and you continue to keep your eyes upon the Lord and turn toward Him.

Many of us live in sin everyday.  I have written a post upon gluttony.  It's so accepted and even joked about in the pulpit.  Yet, as Christians, sin should disgust us.  We should not be laughing or making excuses or justification for our sins.  We are to compare our lives to Jesus, not to others.

When we do this, we see our sin for what it really is.  Compared to Jesus, our righteousness is as filthy rags.  If we were to compare it to others, we might mistakenly view it as goodness.

My challenge for you today is to evaluate your life.  First of all, evaluate your Salvation.  I'm not asking you if you grew up in church, said a prayer, and live a good life.  I am asking you if Jesus Christ has CHANGED your life.  Did you confess your sin before God?  Did you repent and call upon the name of the Lord?  Do you believe that there is only one God who sent His perfect Son to die on a cross in shame in your place and that He rose again three days later?  Did you turn from your ways?  Are you still turning from your sin?  If you can't answer yes to all of these questions, you need find Jesus right now! 

If you are truly saved, let me ask you, what are you are doing to further His Kingdom?  How many people have you personally led to the Lord?  Certainly there will be much sowing of that we will never get to reap.  However, if we are truly daily living for God and telling others about Him, we will reap some.  It's sad to think, but many Christians have not even led ONE person to the Lord.

Our whole purpose in life is SUPPOSED to be to tell others about Him.  Instead, we choose to live our own life and tell others about Jesus...as it comes up (which is often never).  My friend, I am speaking to my own heart here as I write this. Please do not think I'm telling you what you should be convicted of.  I'm telling you what I am personally convicted of in my own life.  I'm telling you because I believe that many of you are feeling that same conviction now.

Think about it.  We could have a real REVIVAL in this Country, in our World!  Don't you want to be apart of something big for the Kingdom?!  If each individual person would live for God, a revival would be natural.  Are we ready to turn from the "pleasures" of this world?

 

When Timothy speaks of lovers of pleasures instead of lovers of God, he doesn't mean we are not to have any fulfillment, but that our fulfillment will be in God.  We may really find pleasure in reading a book, hunting, shopping, eating, or anything.  Alone, all of those things can be good things!  In fact, they can all be edifying.  However, they can also become addictions.  Do you love those things more than you love serving God?  You don't have to answer that question.  Your life answers that question.  How do you spend your time?  Serving God or serving pleasures?  What do you think about most?  God or pleasures?  What makes you overfilled with joy?  God or pleasures?


If you answer any of these questions with pleasures, you need to seek your relationship with God.  Are you in a relationship with Him daily?  That would be the first thing to do to rectify your relationship. 

Secondly, I would make sure you are in a constant environment of like-minded people...whether it be church or friends...don't associate with friends you have hobbies in common with.  It is more important to associate yourself with those who will encourage you to walk with God, not make sure you have someone to talk about hunting with.

Do you WANT to serve God above yourself?  If not, I would suggest you evaluate your salvation.

"Have you no wish for others to be saved?  Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!"  -Charles Spurgeon

I want to live a life that is on FIRE for God.  I don't want to straddle the line of sin.  I want to do things that are only NOT sinful, but that are PLEASING to my Lord.  I want to honor Him with my life.  Oh, I have so far to go.  Often, I get discouraged looking at how sinful I am.  But thankfully, my sin is covered under the blood and I have a desire to keep pressing forward:

Phillipians 3:14

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

So, where are you?  Are you lukewarm?  Are you hot?  Are you cold?  Where do you want to be?  I encourage you to comment below and share your heart on this issue.  May each of us encourage one another to be hot and to be striving to overcome flesh in order to be pleasing to our Lord!

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Are we "once saved, always saved" or can we "lose" our Salvation?

Here's a hot topic for you!  Churches battle this question hard.  It divides brothers and sisters in Christ.  It causes arguments and disgruntled feelings.  Honestly, I'm writing this post because I am sick of this argument.  I think it is a way for the devil to divide the Church (the real Church, not denominational churches).  If he can get us bickering and arguing, who would want to be a Christian anyway?!

It is my goal in this post to present both sides of the debate, and to show you, that in the end, it really is not as big of an issue as we make it out to be.  I want to say upfront that your opinions are welcome (even those different from mine), but this is not the place to argue to belittle your fellow brothers or sisters in Christ who hold a different view than yours.  We are to love one another, and to work to winning souls to Christ, DESPITE our differences in interpretation of Scripture.  If we're not doing that, what does it matter who is right?  No one is getting saved anyways because we are not focused on lost souls...we are focused on being "right."  May our hearts be set upon pleasing God and not winning a debate.

Okay, here we go....



Eternal Security

1. First of all, I often hear many Scriptures of the saved having eternal or everlasting life.  I am not going to list all of these verses (for this blog would never end).  The point of using these Scriptures is to show that once you are saved, you are granted everlasting life.  If you are saved and have everlasting life, how could you ever go to Hell?  That would be the first argument.  Scriptures often include those like the following:
   John 5:24- "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
2. The next argument in favor of eternal security is one I hear often.  John 10:28 & 29-"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. "  Often it is considered as proof of eternal security. No man can take you out of the Hand of God once you are in it.
3. John 6:51- "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."  Therefore, this is interpreted to believe that if you are genuinely saved and eat of Christ's bread, you shall live forever.  Therefore, how could you die and be sent to Hell?
4. Ephesians 2:8-9  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast."  Therefore, it is believed in the stance for eternal security that you have been given this gift, not because you deserve it, but because of grace.  Therefore, there is no sin that will make you "undeserving" of Salvation, because you didn't deserve it in the first place.  It's all about grace!

For further clarification on the stance of eternal security, I think Dr. Charles Stanley presents his argument very well.  You can watch his 5 minute YouTube video here.
*Update 5-13-14*  I also found another video that you might like on this topic as well:

Misconceptions about Eternal Security:  Those people and churches that preach "one saved always saved" believe you can get saved and just live the life you want and still go to Heaven.

Answer:  This is just false.  Don't get me wrong, I think many people who attend these churches believe this.  That is why they attend these churches.  It makes them feel good.  They can still be "religious" and "good" and have a way into Heaven.  However, any real leader of the church will tell you, if you are genuinely saved, you will not have a heart to sin.  You will not have that attitude.  If you are saved, you will sin, and make mistakes, but a Child of God who has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, will have great guilt and remorse.  They can't live in their sin for the burden is too great.  If you do not have this guilt or pressing of the Holy Spirit, they would question your Salvation.

"Conditional Security"

Now I am going to talk about those who don't hold the same views as those who believe that above.  This argument is a little more difficult to lay out because it is more diverse.  While the above view is held mostly by Baptists, this argument is held by many different denominations.  Therefore, their views and reasoning is slightly different than even each other.  I have met some who believe that if you sin and are not repentant and die, you will not enter Heaven.  I have met others who believe that if you backslide and don't turn your life around, and die, you will not enter Heaven.  I have also met those who simply believe it would take a total giving back of God's gift in order to go to Hell.
I cannot lay out each individual's view of this.  I will, however, take the most popular view: "If a person is genuinely saved and enters into a life of "living in sin" and "backslides," they will be departed from God into the lake of fire." 
That is the stance that will be taken for this argument (although I know some of you may hold different views), but for the sake of time, that's what I'm going with here. 

1. Galatians 5:4- "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."  This verse is often used to state that there can be a "falling" from grace.
2. Mark 4:16- "And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;"  and Luke 8:13- "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away."  This is interpreted as those who believe upon the Word of God, but in time fall away through temptation and not being properly rooted.
3. I would say one of the most common and strongest arguments against eternal security are these verses in Hebrews 6:4-6: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
    If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."  This is believed to show that you can saved, but if you "shall fall away" it is though Christ would have to die upon the cross again in order to enter Heaven.
4. Revelatoin 2:4-5 says, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."  This is believed to be able to love God, but to fall from Him.  Then it shows that if you do such, He will "remove thy candlestick" unless you repent.
5. I have found a video that you can view from a holiness preacher's perfective here.  If any of you have a more updated video, I'd appreciate it!  This preacher uses other verses in addition to those above, like Revelation 22:18-19. 

Misconceptions about "Conditional" Security- You can "lose" your Salvation.  I hear this often.  Maybe they are out there, but I actually have not met anyone who believes you can "lose" your Salvation.  It almost sounds like you can "lose" your car keys...."Now what did I do with that Salvation" today.  I think a better statement would be that believers of this doctrine say that you can "give up" your Salvation.  In other words, Salvation is eternal on God's end, but since it is a gift, you can choose to keep or not.  You can choose to stay in the Hand of God or to get out of it on your own.  Your choice doesn't end once you accept Christ as your Savior.

And the Winner is...

Okay.  So who is right?  I tried to present both arguments clearly, and unbiased so that you can see the Scriptures, pray and seek God's guidance on this issue.  It is not my goal in this blog post to have you believe one way or another.  If you believe what I tell you, then you're not seeking God on the issue. 
The point in this post is to show you that we shouldn't be arguing over this "petty" stuff.  Petty?  Did I just say that?  I have been to churches that preach both doctrines...you go to one church and they accuse the other church of "losing" your Salvation...as though God's grace isn't enough and you can misplace it...That's a terrible accusation to make against your brother's and sister's in Christ to whom you simply 'disagree' with.  In the same manner, I have been to churches that say that "other" churches believe you can go and get saved and then live however you want.  This is just false!  They believe if you're really saved, you wouldn't have that attitude!  My point is for us to stop bickering.

Here's my take on this issue.  Now, I cannot know someone's heart.  But for the sake of arguments and "what ifs" let's say that there was an 8 year old boy named Joe.  Now Joe went to church camp and got saved.  Not one of those, "I'll go up there because everyone else is," but one who was genuinely saved.  Through life after his Salvation, he experienced many hardships.  For the next 10 years, Joe's mother and father died in a horrific car accident.  His siblings were all burned to death in a house fire.  He, himself, just found out he has a terminal cancer.  He is only 18 and is bankrupt.  These tragedies in Joe's life have caused him to greatly question God's goodness.  But when his fiancé left him for another man, he became angry with God.  He decided that if this was how God treated His "children,"  He didn't want to be a child of God anymore.  In turn, he asks God to take back the gift of Salvation.

How is this possible?  How could a true believer do this?  I can't understand it!  It's like going to Heaven and asking God to be transferred to Hell.  How could someone who was truly saved turn from God?  Well, your Baptists and such will probably say he was never saved to begin with and your Pentecostals and such will probably say he backslid.  Either way, they both agree that Joe is headed for Hell.  So my point is, why does it matter how he got there so much?  Shouldn't we be focused on his Salvation NOW?  I mean isn't this the devil getting us to focus on whether a person is saved or not to take our focus off of the true issue?  His Salvation now?!

If you are saved and living for God, what does it matter?  Both sides would agree you are Heaven bound!  Those who preach eternal security need to be careful to remind those that if you are genuinely saved,  you will not go live like the world.  God will know their heart and if they are "really saved" or not....remember, Salvation is not just confession, but repentance.  For those who believe otherwise, you need to remind those you are witnessing to that God's grace is sufficient.  Those who don't believe in eternal security, I find, are usually the ones who question if they are really saved.  Like they can sin and God won't love them anymore.  Be certain to show that God's grace is good enough to cover our unrighteousness.

My belief?  I guess I believe a little of both.  Always have.  I could always attend either type of church...it was more about the church than this issue.  For me, I cannot fathom how someone who is genuinely saved can turn from God's goodness.  But through Scripture, I believe that they can.  However, I don't believe that is what sends you to Hell.  I think for a believer to go to Hell, he would have to "give up" his salvation, which, in my opinion, would be committing the Unpardonable Sin.  To consistently reject the gift of the Holy Ghost's promptings would be blasphemy.  Otherwise, I don't believe that there is a sin that will send you to Hell as a Christian.  Certainly, it is worse to live in sin than to commit it once.  However, most Christians I know struggle with gossiping, pridefulness, or gluttony...they may not be out partying every weekend, but they, too, are living in sin.  I don't believe anyone would make it to Heaven if those were the standards.

But here's the deal.  I'm not the smartest person in the world, but I know that I am smart enough to know that I don't know it all.  I could be wrong!  It wouldn't be the first time!  My point is, I want to live a life to where this issue doesn't matter!  I know I am saved and am trying to "daily" take up my cross and follow Him.  Therefore, both sides would agree that I am Heaven bound!  I don't want the devil using me to fight and argue with my brothers and sisters in Christ and, furthermore, being a stumbling block to someone else's Salvation!  We each have to work out our own Salvation.

It is my hope that through this post, I provided you with arguments with both sides that you can take to your daily time with God, open your Bible, and seek the Spirit on this issue.  I can't tell you what to believe.  I hope that you will not try and find the more convincing argument here...but to seek God's truth.  Remember, we will answer to Him one day for how we lived our lives.  Wouldn't it be better to seek God on an issue and be wrong, than to never even seek Him at all?!

So my challenge to you is, let's not argue about it!  Let's focus on Salvation and living daily to please Him.  At the end of the day, I don't save people.  I don't even convict people.  That's not my job...it's His :)  My job is to focus on my life and to make sure I am following Scriptures based upon the promptings of the Spirit.  I want others to see my light and desire to have what I have.  I want to talk with people about Salvation and growing closer to God; not trying to convince them to believe like me (for then they're not studying the Scripture themselves).

So, I encourage your comments, but let's not focus on this issue.  Let's focus on Salvation and winning souls to Christ.  Let's let God work out their hearts on these issues that really do not affect us personally.  He is the one who makes us new again and changes stubborn hearts like mine.  We shouldn't even try to do the work that is His in the first place!!!

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