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Following the Shepherd's Voice Verses

Confusing the Voices?

Chaos and confusion are poured and stirred together by the hand of Satan.  His potent concoction of deceit has made generations after generations intoxicated.  We can trace the introduction of his damnable elixir to the Garden of Eden, and even today, he is still offering it by the buckets to mankind.  

Make no mistake:  Satan opposes the righteousness of Almighty God.  Satan's plan is to place you on the path of sin, wickedness, iniquity - and most importantly, his plan is to have you continue on this path, leading you far from the presence and transforming power of God.  And let's face it, if we are not in God's presence, we are none of His.  The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.  The character of God has not ever changed nor will it ever change, but Satan would have us believe that God will negotiate His Standard of Righteousness.  Satan is a liar!  

Psalm 23:3 teaches that the Shepherd leads His sheep in the paths of righteousness.

We are taught in the Word of God what will not be found in the paths of righteousness and what will be found in the paths of righteousness.

(Place your cursor over verses in order to read them.)

Proverbs 8:8   There is nothing froward (morally torturous, twisted, deceitful, crafty, unsavory)  or perverse found in the paths of righteousness.

Proverbs 11:19   Wickedness and perverseness will not be found in the paths of righteousness.

Isaiah 45:19  Wrong will never be found in the paths of righteousness, only that which is right.  God only declares that which is right.

Romans 6:13  Those who yield themselves to UNrighteousness (sin) are not in the paths of righteousness.  Sin is clearly the opposite of righteousness.

Romans 6:16  Serving sin places one in the path leading to death.  Since physical death is appointed to all men, the death described in this verse is a spiritual one, an eternal separation from He Who is Righteous.  Obeying God places one in the paths of righteousness.

Romans 6:19  Those who are in the paths of righteousness are being made holy.  In this verse, Paul (by the Holy Spirit) is exhorting believers to yield (submit) themselves to being servants of righteousness.  Obedience is required from a professed believer.  Free will.  Obedience is always a choice, and the Word of God promised that if a believer obeys the Lord, holiness will result.   Examine the following verses and concentrate on the word holy or holiness each time:  Ephesians 5:27, Colossians 1:22, 1:23, 1 Peter 1:15, 1:16, Romans 6:22, Ephesians 4:24, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 1 Timothy 2:15, Hebrews 12:10, 12:14

Romans 6:20  Serving sin and serving righteousness cannot occur simultaneously.  The two cannot coexist, for they are in stark contrast to one another.

Hebrews 1:9  Notice that, again, iniquity and righteousness are not allies.  Does this sound strange that I would point this out?  It should, but we are hearing more and more professed believers and professed teachers of the Gospel saying that "God understands that we are all sinners."  "God knows my heart even if I am sinning."  "God knows my flesh is weak. I look forward to heaven so that I won't give into my flesh there."  When we are hearing those very distorted statements being spoken of by those who profess to be Christians, we then must actually spell out the fact that being a servant to sin and being a servant to righteousness will ultimately result in two definitive and separate outcomes:  Those who are servants to sin will be eternally separated from God (Galatians 6:8, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 6:10, Ephesians 5:3, 5:4, 5:5, Galatians 5:19, 5:20, 5:21, Revelation 21:8).  Those who are servants to righteousness will spend eternity with the Lord, Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:6, 21:7, 1 John 2:29, 1 Peter 5:8, 5:9, 5:10, James 1:12, James 1:21, Hebrews 12:11, Hebrews 5:9, Titus 2:11, 2:12, 2:13, 2:14, 2:15, John 15:1-10).

The perfect work of Christ within a believer will not throw a mask over sin and wickedness;  No, He fully purges a believer who continues with Him through the process of sanctification.  Jesus speaks of believers who dureth/believe for a while, but who fall away during temptations, trials, etc.(Luke 8:13, Hebrews 6:4, 6:5, 6:6, Hebrews 10:26, 10:27, 10:28, 10:29, 2 Peter 2:20, 2:22, 2:23).  Don't be that past tense believer!  I implore everyone who reads this.  Stay. Remain. Abide in the Vine of Jesus Christ.  As we follow the great Shepherd in the paths of righteousness, He will do a transforming work within us.  We need only abide.  But I don't say that lightly.  The battles will be extremely intense.  The enemy will use techniques to confuse you and to convince you to step off the paths of righteousness.  If you rely on the Lord and wait for the Lord's voice, He will lead you to safety through the affliction/trial.  IF.  IF you rely on the Lord.

When you are being tempted to sin, you are not hearing the Shepherd's voice.  You are hearing the voice of the stranger!  I implore you again to try the spirits when temptation comes.  Why am I saying what should be clearly understand by believers?  Too many times over the years, I have heard & seen believers confuse the voice of the Shepherd with the voice of the stranger.  How heartbreaking!

The Lord, Shepherd, will never ever lead His flock in the path of sin.  Never.
Murder = path of sin.  Suicide = path of sin.  Adultery = path of sin.  Lying = path of sin.  Stealing = path of sin.  Addiction = path of sin.  Lust = path of sin.  Homosexuality = path of sin.  Gender Confusion = path of sin.  Idolatry = path of sin.  Anything against His Righteousness is never from the Lord.  The Lord will never accept sin.  He will never wink at your sin.  He will never water down sin. He will never change His Righteous Standard.

Sin is utterly detestable to a Holy & Righteous God!  As we are told in John chapter 1, in the beginning the Word was with God and the Word was God.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us: Jesus.

Jesus was brutally persecuted by the masses, yet He endured all of that in order to abolish the power sin has over mankind.  IN Christ Jesus, we can overcome our despicable fleshly desire to sin.  Step by step in the paths of righteousness, the Lord will lead those who follow.  On this journey, the Lord will cleanse His sheep, purify His sheep, and transform His sheep.  Walking in the paths of righteousness is not simply a symbolic journey on land, but it truly represents a transformation that takes place in the hearts and in the external lives of believers who follow the voice of the Shepherd.

Friends, please know this:  The Lord will only point followers to righteousness.  In Hebrews 1:8 & 1:9, the Word teaches:

"But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;"

The sceptre described in verse 8 above is a ruling rod held by a king.  In this case, it is The Ruling Rod held by The King.  It is described as a rod of righteousness, for His kingdom is a Kingdom of Righteousness.

In the midst of your battle, no matter what it is, you must wait for the Shepherd to lead you with His rod of righteousness, and do not move until He has spoken and directed you.  The path that leads to Him is righteous.  May we never allow the stranger's voice to convince us that we can do that which is UNrighteous and still be following the Shepherd.

______________________________
Personal Testimony:  The past 3 months have been filled with remarkable trials.  The battles that have presented themselves to me have been like no other.  Satan presented himself (his voice) in a very different manner than he had in the past, so dealing with him was slow going.  There were times when I thought, "I didn't see that coming."  He has truly sought to blindside me in several ways (sometimes all at once).  His goal has been to stifle me and prevent me from being obedient to the Lord's calling.  He truly seeks to stun people with confusion, but hallelujah for the Shepherd's voice!  A few weeks ago, the Lord spoke the word "Mordecai" to me.  Very distinctly.  Two times.  I opened the book of Esther and felt the Lord's presence at Esther 4:14:

Mordecai spoke these words:  "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

This verse was so precise to a personal event that had occurred just days before the Lord spoke "Mordecai" to me.  I read this verse, and I read Esther's response:

"Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."

I have been very hesitant in sharing this testimony, and even as I type it, I wonder if I will just delete it.


It wasn't until the next day that I realized the Lord was calling me to an "Esther" fast.  My spirit was willing, but Satan was all over my flesh.  During the fast, I witnessed the powers of Hell rise up in opposition to the Lord's plans of revelation for me.  Those 72 hours were 72 of the most difficult hours I have experienced in years. There were times that I said to my husband, do you see this? Do you see how against this fast Satan is?  I knew down in my spirit, the Lord was surely going to move and speak and lead and guide me! During the fast, the Lord gave me very precise instructions and revelations.  He revealed His Truth at different points of the fast.  At the beginning, in the middle, at the end, and after the fast ended.  God's revelations (grace) were so utterly precise that He silenced every snare Satan had thrown my way for the last 3 months!  Every one of them.  A few months ago, I even said, "Lord, will you speak to me on "this calling" you have given me in a way that you haven't in the past so that I won't back down no matter who or what opposes it?"  God surely answered that prayer, so much so that when He spoke,  I STOOD AT ATTENTION.  I do not say that lightly.  I am serious.  He had my undivided attention!  Like a soldier standing in line as the Captain gives orders, I heard Him.   Let me be clear, there is no pride in typing that.  He showed me the consequences of not obeying Him.  The weight of that moment almost buckled my knees.  I read a very short statement the other day:  When He called His followers to carry their crosses, that involves the burden of dying to our flesh, but it also involves carrying the burden of the calling and the instructions He gives each believer, no matter the yells of "Crucify!".  My allegiance must be to Him, and if I perish, I perish.   In Christ, all things are possible!  Praises to this Holy King with the Righteous Sceptre.

Looking Right, But SINcerely Wrong

There must be a balance between understanding what God's love means and what our responsibilities are to HIM.  We are living during an age when the Word of God is being preached as a lopsided distortion.  We are living during a time when people are joining the church thinking (because they have been taught this) that God's love will save them - yet there is no conviction of sin within their hearts!

They praise the Lord loud in "church," they shout to others about His love, but they don't say anything about REPENTANCE.  Those in the church speak almost solely about the Goodness of God and constantly use uplifting verses of His Goodness, but they rarely - if ever - teach others of the SEVERITY of God.  The church doesn't teach that there are consequences to disobedience.  Why?  Preachers, teachers, and congregants are afraid of 'running people off.'

News Flash:  If the Truth runs people off, then they are not saved, nor are they interested in enduring in Christ until the end!  

The "church" spends most of its time making those in the seats feel comfortable in their sin.  "Let me congratulate them on this latest sin by telling them how much they are accepted or by 'yukking it up' with them so that they know I am their friend."  This is INSANITY!  The church is confusing people who could possibly come to repentance because the church is afraid to speak the Truth in black and white.  Instead, these people who are already confused are fed gray lies and distortions. Thus, they never truly repent, all the while believing they are saved.  Whose fault is that?

The church has left its first love and spends most of her time focusing on loving others.  But - you see- once a person has left his or her first love of Christ, that person cannot truly love man.  When our love for Christ waxes cold, then any attempt on our part of showing love to others will be distorted, highly emotional, and vain!  It will be pointless!  We better stop convincing ourselves otherwise.  Matthew 24:12, Revelation 2:4, 2:5, Galatians 1:10,

The Lord showed me a few weeks ago that we can't love any one else the way HE defines love unless we FIRST love Him, and loving Him can never ever be separated from OBEYING Him.
John 14:15; 14:21, 1 John 3:18, 1 John 5:2, 1 John 5:3, Psalm 7:11, Matthew 13:49, Matthew 16:4, Matthew 22:18, Acts 8:22, 1 Corinthians 5:13, Romans 9:13, John 9:31

What people perceive as the Fruit of Love has been distorted by our culture and by false churches!  Being nice to someone and trying desperately to keep people in a church building by puffing them up with a lopsided (only the happy Bible verses) Gospel is sending those very same people to eternal damnation!  It is time to wake up Church.  Somewhere along the way, the wolves have crept in and changed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is an urgency right now for the Truth to be preached in the churches.

The Truth:  All people are called to repent and believe. Mark 1:15

One cannot place the cart before the horse and truly believe without having first recognized how evil his heart is and that nothing good emits from a fleshly heart.  Matthew 15:18; 15:19
  Then, man must long for the Lord to deliver him from the misery and wickedness that flows from his heart, mind, and ultimately, his actions.  Man must see himself as filthy and see God as Holy. Every Sunday, millions of congregants walk out of their church building thinking that God's love would never send them to Hell, no matter what sin they practice.  Dangerous & Deadly!

We are living during an age in which people are being taught in churches that vile is acceptable to God.  Here's the Truth:  The Holiness of God will never enter a defiled mind without repentance.  If the Holy Spirit abides within a person, then that person will transform into HIS Holiness.  We better stop pretending that sin is acceptable to God!  The Holy Spirit will quickly make a person aware of what is UNacceptable to Him.  We don't have to sit around wondering if something is right or wrong.  No. The Word of God and His Holy Spirit are there to show and to teach us.  Are you willing to listen and read?

We are seeing preachers and church leaders fall away, but we must understand the "falling away".  They are not physically leaving the church.  They stand up and preach just as they always have, but the MESSAGE IS CHANGING!  Friends, we better wake up and stop sleeping our salvation away.  It is getting so dark, and the Lord teaches us of the coming tribulation and persecution of the Church.  Will you hold on to the Truth - the REAL Truth, not a watered down, highly emotional false gospel?

There will be and currently are highly emotional events surrounding people in these last days.  Are you going to be distracted by those events and those so-called noble causes?   The Lord taught me a valuable lesson regarding that recently. You can read that blog here:  Follow Me.

How many people are being transformed by Jesus Christ?  Really transformed - not just a verbal "I am changed."   Unfortunately, when blessings pour into their lives, they see that as a confirmation that God is okay with the sins they practice, instead of realizing that our love for Him must simultaneously birth disgust for our sin.  John 5:14

After a blessing, a healing, a moment of forgiveness, God wants us to turn even more to Him in gratitude and obedience.  

Just as a marriage between a man and a woman grows as time progresses and the bond between the two strengthens,  our relationship with the Lord must grow as well.  We are to become more obedient to Him.  Our longing to please Him will supersede all else!  It is truly a beautiful covenant between man and His Creator, much like the beautiful covenant between husband & wife.
Ephesians 5:23, 5:24, 5:25, 5:26, 5:27

A few weeks ago, the Lord surely opened my eyes regarding the evil that has crept into the church. Although this church actually exists about an hour from my home, its description, no doubt, matches a description of a church near you as well.

The Church That Looks Right:

• Feeds the Hungry
• Clothes the Homeless
• Houses the Homeless During the Winter
• Cools the Homeless In the Summer
• Has Talented Musicians Who Pour Out Great Emotion  
• Receives Accolades from the Local TV News Station for Their Charitable Deeds
• Is Celebrated in the Local Newspaper, not once, not twice, but multiple times

The Church That Looks Right, But Is SINcerely Wrong:

• Places much faith in the wonderful works listed above but does not realize those good works are as filthy rags to God without repentance and obedience to Christ. Isaiah 64:6
• Refuses to address particular homosexual behavior present within the congregation. Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26, Romans 1:27
• Rarely, if ever, preaches against sin
• Rarely calls those in the congregation to turn from their sin and to Christ
• Thinks 'good works' cover willful sin (Galatians 2:18)
• Believes grace covers practicing sin (Romans 6:1, 6:2)

When I became aware of the accepted sin in this church and how this church attempts to cover the sin, I was reminded of these verses below.  I am afraid many churches will hear this response from Jesus one day.  

Matthew 7:21-24
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Clearly, in the verses above, there are and will be those who believe they are laboring for the Lord when in reality, they are not.  They will perform what appear to be Biblical noble works all the while being disobedient to the Lord God Himself.  In the church detailed above, their noble actions are applauded by the masses, but some of the very ones who are feeding the homeless, etc. are openly and actively engaged in homosexuality.  In one sentence written by their own hand, they are sharing how much the Lord loves us, and in the next, they are applauding themselves for having been in a monogamous homosexual relationship for 11 years.  Do we not see how the love of God has been distorted.  When a sinner hears about the love of God and only this side of God, they believe their sin is ACCEPTABLE in the eyes of God.  We are not doing any sinner a favor when we share a lopsided Gospel.  

When the church does not teach the Goodness & the Severity of God, we are placing the noose around our own necks, so to speak.  Can we not see the writing on the wall?  Hate for the Truth of the Gospel is growing outside of the church, and more devastatingly, hate for the Truth is growing INSIDE the church.  Believers have braced themselves for the coming persecution of professed UNbelievers, but those people really are not the greatest threat.  No.  The greatest threat and greatest persecution will come from the "professed church."  The "professed church" will seek to destroy those who are true followers of Christ.  Be aware of this, or your heart will fail during the coming persecution.

God loved the world so much that He offered Himself as the Saviour of the world.  But - the Gospel does not end there.  Will you accept, follow, obey Him as your Saviour?  Will you turn from your sin and allow Him to do a transforming work IN and THROUGH you?  His Love offers a way of escape, but if a person does not accept and follow Jesus, that person is eternally lost and condemned.

John 3:18, 3:19, 3:20
John 15:10
1 Samuel 15:22

May the Lord be our compass.  

His direction is the Only Way.

If God Has Called You

When the Lord gives a believer a specific calling, may that believer stay on the path of that calling.  Will there be great opposition?  Yes.

Paul said, "For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears" (2 Corinthians 7:5).  

Keep going no matter what opposition arises; continue on in the calling the Lord has given you.  If spirits have been tried, and there is no doubt that, in fact, the Lord has given you a specific ministry, then run with the Lord!  Oh, it will be worth it.  There will be tremendous spiritual warfare, for Satan certainly does not want you to continue in the calling, but God will provide all that you need to withstand the fiery darts of the devil.  Praise the Lord for a Saviour who requires your resolve & your free will to continue IN Him!  Mountains can be moved when you resolve to look straight to the Lord, not to the right or to the left, but straight at God - waiting only for His cue & His direction for you.  You will be hated.  You will be persecuted.  You will be isolated.  You will.  But nothing is worth more than our obedience to Jesus Christ.

I have seen God move in unbelievable ways after I have resolved to follow Him.  When I have made my mind up, He has always immediately stepped in, literally within seconds, to show me that no power on Earth or in Hell can destroy that which He has called me to do by His Power.

I recently heard a pastor say the following:

"There is a broad way leading to damnation... and a narrow way leading to eternal life.  They will deliver you up to kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations. Why? For Jesus' sake.  Because you will not abdicate your submission to [Jesus], people will despise you. ... You will be more and more hated.  And you must become comfortable with being hated." 

Friends,  the distractions are increasing at an alarming rate.  We who are born again cannot be sidetracked by anyone.  There are those professing to be in the faith who will disagree with your calling in Christ.  You cannot allow yourself to be molded into someone's false image and false assumptions about you.  If that is your inclination, you will find yourself compromising the Lord's calling for you - and ultimately, you will step by step become who others want you to be, which is a part of 'another gospel and another jesus' (Galatians 1:6).

Who you are IN Christ Jesus is what truly matters.  Do what He has called you to do and make no apologies to those who are offended by it.   The devil distorts the truth and uses people to do such things.

A few years ago, I had a dream that I know was from the Lord.  I have written about it in detail here. It will be located at the end of the blog entry if you decide to click on it.  In a brief summary, the dream had a scene in it that represented what the true body of Christ will and must do in order to survive attacks from the enemy.  Based on the details I gave him about the dream, my husband sketched a scene from my dream.  I'll include his drawing below.  The lions represent all that is evil and all that attempts to destroy the Truth.  The women represent the body of Christ.  The women (followers of Christ) are surrounding and looking intently, yet peacefully at what represented Christ in my dream.  Notice how the women blend in perfectly with that which represents Christ.  The lions never harmed the women because the women never took their eyes off of the Lord.

As born again believers, we are to remain steadfastly focused on Jesus Christ - and no one else.  When our eyes fall away from the Lord, we can be sure that the lions are lying in wait to kill, steal, and destroy.

2 Peter 1:10
1 Corinthians 1:25, 1:26, 1:27
Hebrews 3:1
2 Timothy 1:9
2 Thessalonians 1:11
Philippians 3:14
Ephesians 4:4
1 Corinthians 7:20

Follow Me

Following Jesus means you must say goodbye to everything else.  The Lord does not mince words.  We either follow Him completely, or we do not follow Him at all.

 I can remember being called to share a word from the Lord to a group of individuals.  A few days before I was to share, I found myself in a strange predicament.  An event had occurred that seemed to contradict the timing of my speaking.  In fact, I literally said to the Lord, "Surely, I am not supposed to speak now in light of these tragic events."  I thought, "I'll speak on this topic another time, Lord. It just doesn't seem right to do so now."  The topic the Lord had given me to speak was a difficult topic, one that centered upon an unwavering message of Repent:  The Kingdom of God Is At Hand.  The message was clear and sobering to anyone who would have ears to hear, but again, certain outside events that led up to this moment of sharing what He had instructed me to speak caused me to question the timing of the message.  I was prepared not to speak on the topic.

My assumption that I should not speak on the topic of repentance (and the consequence of non-repentance) was fueled completely by my emotions.  I was examining a sad event that had occurred in the natural and emotionally assumed that no one should hear that particular message at that particular time.

The moment I thought of postponing the message, there was a very subtle note of disapproval from the Lord.  However, I took little notice of it at that time because I was allowing my emotions and the world's philosophical reaction to such a tragic situation to guide me.  It wasn't until later that I was able to recognize the Lord's presence and clear stand on the matter.

I found myself in deep prayer a day later, still seeking the Lord's guidance on this matter.  While praying, I heard very clearly:  "Let the dead bury their dead."  On some level, I rebuked that thought, thinking it was from my flesh, and I continued praying.  My prayer was one seeking the Lord's guidance and will.  It was a humble prayer, so when I heard "let the dead bury their dead," it was a very unexpected phrase - one that I had not at all considered prior to praying.  I had been fasting leading up to and during the prayer; fasting has always ushered in the Holy Spirit on such a deeper level for me. There is a humility of mind when one fasts.  It is one of the most precise ways to die to our flesh and specifically, to our emotions.

After the prayer, I resumed normal activities.  I walked downstairs, and within 30 minutes, I decided to go outside and read the Bible while my children played.  Before walking out the door, I felt an urging to also take outside a particular notebook in which I had written in the past.  I have accumulated several notebooks over the years, where I share personal writings to God or about God.  Prayers have been written within these notebooks over the years.  Tremendous anguish and pleadings to God have also been written within those notebooks.  In the last few years, I have found myself writing in those notebooks less and less because I tend to share my personal trials and praises on this blog.  And the deepest and most personal experiences, I tend to write inside the pages of my Bibles so that I never forget all that God has done during my walk with Him.  When what appeared to be my thought of reading from a notebook of the past entered my mind, I had no idea that God was really the One nudging me to pick up a specific notebook with a specific message inside.

I carried the black notebook outside, opened it, and began reading.  The entry was dated almost a year and a half before:

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Keep my eyes on God - nothing else - the times are growing darker and darker.  Only those who keep their eyes on the Lord unto the end will be saved.  Only Those 

"Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." Matthew 8:22

The Actual Written Entry Within My Notebook 

Did I not just hear "Let the dead bury their dead" thirty minutes prior to reading the above entry? Who orchestrates such moments...  When I heard those words while praying, they seemed to come out of the blue, but I literally thought those words were too raw for God to have spoken them.  Surely God did not say such a thing.  But He had!

Did He not say 'such a thing' to a man who was hoping to postpone his journey with the Lord for what appeared to be a "legitimate" reason?  His father's death.

Matthew 8:21-22 - And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.  But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Had I not attempted to postpone speaking what He had given me because of another tragic event?  The precision of His response to this event was impossible to deny.
 
The full revelation of the Lord in this event showed me (and should show you) that even authentic events, no matter how tragic they are, must not sway our focus from Him and must not interrupt our calling in Christ.  If He tells you to speak or do something, you must follow through!  He knows what He is doing even when the message to be shared is difficult for ears to hear.  He is not surprised or taken aback by any event, so we must keep our eyes on Him - especially when chaos erupts in the natural world.  To our natural eyes, we may think that we should crawl into a burrow and 'wait it out' until the calamity has passed, but that may not be God's will for you at all.  He may be calling you to stand up and speak even when all "Hell" has seemingly broken loose.

So what did I do?  I followed Him, as He requested.  I dropped my emotions and my assumptions about the circumstances and stood before a group of others a few days later pleading - Repent, for the Kingdom of God Is At Hand.

I feel no regret because I know I obeyed Him, my great Master.

I am truly inspired by the Lord when He takes me to a deeper level of understanding regarding who He is and what He expects of and from me.

I have included every verse of the Lord calling specific disciples to follow Him.  Notice, that He calls them to leave what they are doing, no matter how inconvenient or impossible it may seem.

I encourage you also to leave it all behind, and follow HIM!  It will cost you everything.  Even so, Amen!


Matthew 4:19
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Matthew 8:22
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Matthew 9:9
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Matthew 19:21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Mark 2:14
And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

Mark 8:34
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 10:21
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Luke 5:27
And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

Luke 9:23
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 9:59
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Luke 18:22
Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

John 1:43
The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

John 12:26
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

John 21:19
This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

Trodden Under Foot the Son of God

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:5

Even Jude spoke of it, and it seems to be an ever-growing epidemic in Christianity.  Many television preachers paint a false picture of grace.  If the lie stopped there, then perhaps there wouldn't be a need to address it, yet Jude addressed it then.  And the lie must be addressed today, in this age, because many have been taught and have, unfortunately, accepted a different grace.  A false grace.  A grace of lasciviousness (Jude 4).  Lasciviousness in the original Greek means "lacking legal or moral restraint, especially sexual and marked by a disregard of strict rules or correctness."

The original Greek definition of true grace is "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life."

 "Wait... that doesn't sound like the grace I was taught in church or the definition that I had formed in my heart."

The grace that has been falsely taught denies the power (Greek=dunamis) of God.  False grace teaches believers that if or as they practice sin, their sins are covered under the blood.

Listen carefully:  If we profess to believe in Jesus yet we do not believe that He has the power/dunamis to help us overcome any sin birthed in our hearts, we are denying His Power.  We may "say" we believe He has the power to do so, yet when temptation to sin rises in our hearts, do we truly seek the Lord to deliver us or do we say, 'I can't help myself...'?  We must honestly ask ourselves why we do not believe that He can help us overcome every sin that presents itself in our hearts and in our flesh.  Could it be that we enjoy the sin and enjoy saying that "we are all sinners"?  Thus, we use the tried and not so true phrase of "we are all sinners" as our excuse to sin...

"We are saved by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8).  We do not have faith if we do not believe that Jesus through His miraculous & dynamic power can destroy all sin that we lay at His feet.  Without that kind of faith, we are not saved by grace.  Ephesians 2:8 is crystal clear.  When we hear people comfort believers IN their sin, leading them to believe that although they are practicing sin, they are still saved, faith IN THE FLESH is being demonstrated, not faith IN JESUS CHRIST! Somewhere along the way, Satan has crept into churches and done so in such a subtle way that the masses started believing a lie!  Not just the masses, but those who were truly Holy Spirit-filled followers of Christ!  I will never forget when the Lord showed me last fall how the most godly and holy followers of Him can be deceived.

Let me repeat a previous sentence:  False grace teaches believers that if or as they practice sin, their sins are covered under the blood.  Yet the Bible does not teach that willful, knowing sin is "under the blood".  The Truth of Grace, as depicted in the Holy Scriptures, does not at all condone willful sin.  To the contrary, the warning associated with willful sin toward believers is strong, fearful, and designed to quickly turn any brother or sister in Christ from the error of their ways... if they will repent.

Please carefully examine these verses below.

• First, believers IN Christ are being addressed in the verses below, not unbelievers. 
• Second, it is important to understand that the True Grace of God reveals areas of Truth to believers.  When Grace reveals Truth to a believer through the Holy Spirit of Grace, then that believer is no longer ignorant to that area of Truth.  
• Third,  when Grace teaches a believer the Truth, that believer will always have free will to either obey what Grace has taught him/her or will have the free will to disregard Grace.  
• Fourth, it is absolutely possible for a believer to trample on the sacrificial blood of Jesus by willfully sinning against the Holy Spirit of Grace.  Disregarding the Grace that the Holy Spirit has imparted to a believer is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.  Matthew 12:31

Hebrews 10:26-30
"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people."

As a believer follows Jesus, the Holy Spirit will do a mighty work of transformation in the believer.  By the Spirit, the believer can overcome sin after sin after sin.  The Spirit will make the believer aware of any errors the believer is ignorantly (not knowingly) committing.  The believer will always have the free will to repent and to turn away from the sin by the Power of Jesus or to continue in that sin.  Know this: Continuing to practice a sin -that the Holy Spirit has shown you- is dangerous, and if not repented of (turned away from), insulting the Holy Spirit of God by disregarding Him will result in eternal separation from Jesus Christ.

Please study these verses on grace:  1 Peter 5:8, 5:9, 5:10, 5:11, 5:12, Titus 2:11, 2:12
Please study these verses on sinning (obeying fleshly desires): 1 Corinthians 6:9, 6:10, Galatians 5:19, 5:20, 5:21, Ephesians 5:5, 5:6,
Please study these verses on falling away from the faith:  Hebrews 6:4, 6:5, 6:6, 6:7, 6:8, 2 Peter 2:20, 2:21, 2:22, Hebrews 3:6, 3:7, 3:8, 3:9, 3:10, 3:11, 3:12, 3:13, 3:14

Brothers and sisters, we must wash away the lies we have been taught and have believed regarding grace in order to truly fall at the feet of Jesus when any sin seems to easily beset us.  Sinful thoughts can very easily creep in, but we are to bring those thoughts to the Lord and continually seek Him, for ONLY HIS POWER can set us free from the sins that attempt to destroy us and that separate us from Christ.  This warning applies to me as much as it applies to anyone who reads this.  All of us must remain at the feet of Jesus.  Only He can help us overcome sin.

This entire blog is written to edify those who are the brethren IN Christ Jesus.  The Lord has repeatedly told me over the years to speak on this issue to those who profess to be IN the Faith.  He has repeatedly said, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah 58:1

Other posts that may be helpful:
Budding
The Olive Branch
Being Led of the Spirit
Chastisement
Harden Not Your Heart
Stand in the Gap
Prodigal Son
Statement of Faith
Ichabod

Vine of Sodom

Make no mistake:  The Rock of Salvation is not the same as the rock that opposes the very God Who is Salvation.  Does that sound confusing... Read on.

There is a distinction made between these two separate rocks in the Word of God.

"For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges." Deuteronomy 32:31

Just as the Rock of Salvation is associated with a Vine (See John 15:1-10), so is the rock that opposes Truth.

The verses immediately following Deuteronomy 32:31 read:

"For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:  their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps." (Deuteronomy 32:32-33)

Most who have relatively little contact with the Holy Bible are at least aware of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and are also aware of the story in Genesis 19.  Most can summarize that God destroyed these cities for their sinful ways.  Most understand that the men of Sodom sought to "know" (have sex with) the men who visited Lot.  It is important to recall these events in Genesis to understand that anything that springs forth from or abides in the vine of Sodom is absolutely and diabolically against the God of creation.

The God of creation destroyed Sodom for its ungodly lusts and sinful actions.  Period.  This is the God who professes to be "the same yesterday, and to day, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).  Let us not attempt to change the personality of God Almighty to appease angry mobs and to appease those residing inside church buildings who still love sin or are afraid to speak against sin.

Isaiah 1:10-13

"Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? . . . Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting."

No amount of vain "works" will make those who are practicing sin acceptable to God.  In fact, He is insulted by such vanities and such filthy rags.  Practicing sin and professing to love the Lord have absolutely no value in God's eyes.  No matter the sin that is being practiced, God won't share His Throne with sin.  You must either choose Him alone or don't bother at all.  Practicing sin today, praying tonight, and practicing sin tomorrow is hypocrisy in the eyes of God.

He says this of such "prayers":

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." (John 9:31)

"The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous." (Proverbs 15:29)

"And when ye spread forth your hands, I [God] will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." Isaiah 1:15

This is not a blog that is picking on any particular sin; to the contrary, it is being written to say shame on every sin that is practiced.  When a nation reaches a level of "accepting" homosexual behavior and recognizing it as normal, we can be sure that the acceptance of such an abomination is a clear indicator that countless other sins have already been accepted by that same society.  Look at America right now.  What other sins have been accepted over the decades? The path is long and wide that has led to this detestable time in our nation:

• Pre-marital Sex    
• Drug Abuse and Addiction
• Divorce
• Adultery
• Profanity
• Abortion
• Ungodly music
• Immodest dress codes 
• Disrespectful attitudes
• Partying
• Atheism   
• Lying
• Pornography
• Lustful Behavior
• Narcissism 

There isn't enough room to add in all the sins that we, as a people of this nation, have gradually accepted as normal over the decades.  

Make no mistake, the vine of Sodom is heavy laden with the fruit of many, many sins - including homosexuality, but not limited to homosexuality.  It is a dangerous thing to point fingers at one sin, thinking the other sins you practice are excusable to God.  Satan would also have people "feel" secure in their sin because "Well, at least it is not that sin."

Don't fall for Satan's deception.

Review the following verses:

1 Corinthians 6:9,6:10

Galatians 5:19, 5:20, 5:21

Ephesians 5:3, 5:4, 5:5

Revelation 21:8

Isaiah 1 continues with advice & warning for the sin-filled Sodom.  This, too, is advice for all who are sinning against God.

"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers." (Isaiah 1:16-21)

Can you see how the Lord is pleading with the people to turn from their wicked ways?  What a God of mercy, what a long-suffering God whose hand is extended to the people!  And what a just & righteous God who promises a severe consequence to those who refuse to turn from their sin and to those who choose to continue in rebellion!

When people refuse to follow Jesus Christ, they are in rebellion.  Let me clarify:  Following Jesus means repenting, turning from sin and turning to Christ.  Christians are to abide in the Vine of Jesus Christ.  There is a life-giving process that takes place for those who abide in Christ.  Read a previous blog on this topic if you so desire:  The Budding.  (Simply click.)

For those who prefer that which is unrighteous and that which is sinful, there is another promise in the Word of God that coincides with Isaiah 1.  Let this be a clear warning to anyone who continues to either dabble in that which is sin or continues to support those who are practicing sin:

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 
(2 Thessalonians 11-12)

There is no toying around with God, friends.  A person will either bow at His Throne, or a person will bow at the throne of sin.  There are no two ways about it.   Choose now.

 "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1:24-32)

 When you are not in DISagreement with those who are bearing fruit on the vine of Sodom, you are in AGREEment with those who are a part of the vine of Sodom.

Even if you once genuinely followed the Lord and were abiding in the Vine of Christ, make no mistake - because the Bible is without confusion, those who do not continue in Jesus' goodness will be removed from His Vine.  Evil will not be permitted to spring forth from that which is Good.  That is confusion.  And God is not a God of confusion. Romans 11:22

If you love others, tell them the Truth.

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)

I'll repeat the original statement:  The Rock of Salvation is not the same as the rock that opposes the very God Who is Salvation.

If you profess to stand for and on the Rock of Salvation, yet you are practicing sin or you are in support of that which is sin, you are standing on "THEIR rock" which would make it "your" rock.  

Shake It Off

The TRUTH has a way of being accepted and embraced by those who are in search of it.  Those who are not in search of THE TRUTH tend to reject it, speak against it, pretend not to hear it, and/or twist it.  

The LORD, in Matthew 10:11-39, told His disciples to perform and to say all that He had given them.  He did not say that everyone would accept the TRUTH.  In fact, Jesus indicated that there would be those who would outright reject the Truth. In fact, He even details family members who will rise against family members in such cases (Matthew 10:21).  There will be times when disciples are to speak in front of and against those that are deemed superior by society's standards (Matthew 10:18).

To those who reject the Truth, He told His disciples to do the following:

"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet."  Matthew 10:14

In Acts 13:50-52, the disciples are rejected by a group of people, even though the disciples were speaking that which was True.  What did Paul and Barnabus do?  Did they stay and plead with those who were not willing to hear the Truth?  Did they wallow in the people's rejection of the Truth they had shared?

No.   They did precisely what the Lord said to do in such circumstances:

"But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." Acts 13:51-52

They continued in their specific calling, their ministry.  The Truth continued to be spread in word and in signs & wonders, and "with joy".

We are told in Romans 12:1-2 to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord.  We are to allow Him to use us as He sees fit, not as man deems acceptable.  Our calling in the Lord must always be taken seriously, and with humble submission we are to obey His every command for us within that calling.   When opposition arises, we are to continue in the calling, being led of the Holy Spirit.

Sacrificing our lives, our comfort, our desires for the Lord's work is reasonable and expected in the eyes of God.  Let that be our only focus.

Will everyone receive your calling in and your yielding to the Lord, even if it is designed to edify them?  No.

Rest in knowing that you have delivered the Truth to them, even though it was rejected.  Then, move on.  Don't allow their rejection to stop you in the calling God has given you.  Period.

Never be ashamed of obeying the Lord.  Shake off the dust of their rejection, and shake off the dust that has settled on your feet as you attempted to share the Truth with them.  Move on.

Continue on your God-directed journey.  There are ears that will hear the Truth.

Dead Men Walking

Genesis 3:1, 3:2, 3:3, 3:4

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Satan whispered his poison to Eve.

Do you not think he has whispered lies to you?

When the serpent has spoken to you (and he has), did you believe him?  Did you think those thoughts were your own - and that there was no changing your thoughts? Did you proceed to do what he said, all the while believing those were your feelings and your thoughts and that you had no control over such thoughts?  

If mankind would only understand that Jesus came to set men free - fully and completely.  Mankind’s Redemption has a name:  JESUS.  He has the power to forgive & readily wants to forgive all of your past sins when you repent . . . and here is the often UNpreached part -- Jesus has power to deliver you from any sin that plagues your minds.  Your mind can only be changed by Jesus Christ.  When He transforms your mind, you will no longer desire to commit the sins you were in bondage to commit.

1 Timothy 2:3, 2:4, 2 Timothy 1:7, Revelation 21:6, 21:7, Mark 16:15, 16:16, Romans 6:7, 6:8, 6:9, 6:10, 6:11, 6:12, 6:13, 6:14, 6:15, 6:16.  

Do you struggle with homosexual thoughts and actions?  

Do you struggle with lying?  

Do you struggle with stealing?  

Do you or have you committed adultery?  

Are you lusting in your hearts for someone else?  

Do you struggle with thoughts of murder?  Have you murdered?

Are you living with or having sexual relations with someone you are not married to in the eyes of God (1 man & 1 woman, an official covenant for all people to hear and see)?  

When you choose your clothing everyday, do you think about how “good” you look in the clothing and how many people will find you attractive?    

Do you hunger for the next pill or the next drink or the next food item more than you hunger for the Lord?

Do you long to listen to the music that is filled with hate, pornography, and all that is against God?  

Do you want to speak up for the Lord’s Truth, but you find yourself being fearful of what man will do to you?

Do you hold hate in your heart against others?  

Do you think about killing yourself?

Are you consumed with pride?

Do you brag about yourself?

Do you love material wealth?

Do you view pornography?

Are you practicing anything that is against God?

God can deliver you from any sinful act you have committed and are committing.  

You see, Jesus has the power to transform your mind. Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23.

But you must want Him to change you.  You must want to die to the desires of your flesh.

Where do I begin if I want to change?  

You start in the Word of God, The Holy Bible.  Read John 3.  

Jesus said in John 3:5:  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Let Him know that you have read this Truth & this Promise in His infallible (incapable of being wrong) Word.  Let Him know you want to be born again.  Let Him know you are sickened by your sin and by your thoughts and by your actions.  God moves when we are moved by His power!  This is not simply a confession with your mouths, it must be a change of heart - a change of mind.  Do not stop seeking God on this until He moves in your life.  So many people will tell you to speak a few words and will say you are “good to go.”  Those are lies.  

You must diligently seek the Lord with all that you are.  The word diligent means “constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything.”  This type of diligence cannot span 1 day, 1 moment, 1 year, 30 years.  No, it is a lifelong journey of seeking the face of God.  There will be many issues and struggles that arise in your lives, but in all of them, you are to diligently seek the LORD and the LORD alone.  Every single day is the day of salvation - every obstacle, every sin - beckons all of mankind to fall at the feet of the Jesus and stay there until He helps you overcome the sin, no matter the sin.

Proverbs 7:15

Proverbs 11:27

Luke 15:8

Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 3:7, 3:8, 3:9, 3:10, 3:11, 3:12, 3:13, 3:14

Psalm 95:7, 95:8

I will offer you a word of caution:  Never seek God in a way that you want Him to condone your sin - to understand your sin - to acknowledge that you just can’t overcome your sin.  If that is your heart, make no mistake, God won’t speak & God won’t help you, for God is Holy.  He won’t change His mind regarding sin. He won’t be enticed by a weeping person who pleads that he or she can’t overcome their sin.  In and through Jesus, you can overcome that sin, no matter the sin.  Even if you have been practicing a particular sin for many years, God is bigger than any sin.  Put your faith in HIS ability to transform who you were into who HE wants you to be.

If a person has prayed without humility, without a broken spirit, and instead prayed seeking permission to continue in sin, there will, in all likelihood, be manifestations of that which is a lying spirit.  If you believe the Lord has approved your sin or that God has acknowledged that you can’t overcome this sin, then know this, the serpent has spoken.  Not God Almighty.  The Lord will never contradict His Word.  Never.  

1 Peter 1:16, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 6:10, Ephesians 5:3, 5:4, 5:5, 5:6, 5:7, Galatians 5:19, 5:20, 5:21, Revelation 21:8, Matthew 18:8, 18:9, Revelation chapter 2 & 3, 1 Corinthians 10:21.

A lying spirit can present in many forms:  lying prophets, lying friends, lying family, lying teachers, lying co-workers, supernatural lies, wolves in sheep’s clothing.  If there is an inclination in you to continue to commit that sin, you will most certainly believe the lying spirit.  You may even tell others that God has told you … what God has not really told you.  This is a warning to save you from Satan’s manipulative ways!  Click on Counterfeit Deception for a previous blog article on this topic.

You must detest that sin nature in you, and you must detest the serpent who spews his venom your way!    

There is hope and power in the name of Jesus Christ, but you must want Him more than you want the sin that clings to your flesh.  There are no two ways about it.  If you are attending a church that condones sin or tells you that God’s grace covers the sin that you are practicing, know this:  that church is a synagogue of Satan.  Get away from anything and anyone who attempts to make what is Holy into that which is profane.  

Jude 4, Ezekiel Chapter 22 (all of it)

You will never know the Truth unless you read and study the Bible in obedience and humility.

Revelation 21:6, 21:7

The Lord Jesus Christ has the ability to forgive sins, and He has the transforming power to deliver us from committing willful sin. However, there is a condition: We must want His forgiveness & His deliverance from practicing sin. We must want it.

When a person is on death row and his time of execution has arrived, he is called a "dead man walking." The dictionary actually defines this phrase as "a condemned man walking from his prison cell to a place of execution."

If we don't diligently seek the Lord all of our days, then we are all "Dead Men Walking."

God help us.