The so called American dream, has always bothered me, over the years i have seen it as a trap, seems to be a distraction from the life that Father God has set for us as followers of Christ Jesus, a detour from the path we should be on, we are told by the world that we need to have a big house, a newer car (or a car at all), a TV. or two, computer’s, cell phones, lap top’s, texting, video, cassettes, DVD, blur ray or whatever the latest thing is, boat, travel, the list just goes on and on the list seems to be endless.

 

i keep going back to, Mathew 6: 19, 20

19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20 But instead lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

 

Matthew 6: 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.

 

In witch take’s us back to Matthew 5:48

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect.

 

i truly believe that if we couldn’t be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect then we would not have been told to do so, but sense we have been told to do so i also believe that if we strive to do what we have been asked then the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to us, will be faithful to guide us to fulfillment.

 

And then

Matthew 7: 21- 24, 26

21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father

22 Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?

23 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS,

24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, can be compared to a wise man,

26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man,

 

It seems to me that the American dream is a hindrance to each of us as Christians, One of the largest traps of satin, And if we are true followers of Christ we will do as His word says, we will obey and fallow after Him and His teachings!

 

James 1:27        Keep your self-unstained by the world.

Romans 12:2       And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that witch is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

James 4:4        You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 

1John 2:15, 17

15 Do not love the world, or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

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

17 And the world is passing away, and also it’s lust; but the one who dose the will of God abides forever.

 

So in short if you obey the word of God, you make it to heaven, if you don’t you don’t, and it is your choice, no one else'e, for no one can do it for you.

Ever read Revelation 2:8-11?

Was reading this and became personally aware that you can see your church in one of these churches described, and that at the same time you can see your own life as an individual in one or more of these churches, and what I or we as an individual needs to do to get back in line with the will of God, and that just as God removed the church of Ephesus He can remove us from His presence.

 

Revelation 2: 4, 5

4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lamp stand out of its place Unless you repent,

 

This saw written to the church in Ephesus and even today Ephesus doesn’t have a church. So they must not have repented and their church was removed.

 

It does seem to fit because if we are not willing to repent and turn to our first love of Christ and fallow after Him, we also will be cut off or removed from His presence.

 

Take the time to read Revelation 2: 8-11, in fact take time to read all of Revelation, it is the only book in the bible that we are told if we read it we will receive a blessing, and not only reading it but to even listen to it being read we will receive a blessing. If you take the time to read it really pay attention to what Christ says about the churches and where you fit in.

 

If you don’t have a bible you can read the bible at www.blurletterbible.com this will take yo to the New American Standered Bible translation but you can pick the translation you would like to read then type in Revelation and click the go button and there you go.

Been thinking about things,

Everything happens for a reason, and it is good if you are listening for the Holy Spirit to direct. Listening for that still quiet voice and then acting upon what you hear.

Got up this morning at 3:20 and was reading, looking for where i left off reading yesterday but instead ended up in

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

(9) I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with the immoral people;

(10) I did not at all mean with the immoral people of the world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world.

(11) BUT ACTUALLY I WROTE TO YOU NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH ANY SO-CALLED BROTHER, IF HE SHOULD BE AN IMMORAL PERSON, OR COVETOUS, OR AN IDOLATER, OR A REVILER, OR A DRUNKARD, OR A SWINDLER NOT EVEN TO EAT WITH SUCH A ONE.

(12) For what do I have to do with judging outsiders? DO YOU NOT JUDGE THOSE WHO ARE IN THE CHURCH?

(13) But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

 

God judges the ones whom are not believers, but we are to judge those in the body of Christ, the word says we can tall a brother by his fruit, it takes a judgment on our part to determine if a fruit is good or bad, according to God’s word, so we as Christians need to be in the word to be able to judge properly.

 

And people who call themselves Christians that live a life of immorality we are to stay away from, but the outsider or nonbelievers we need to be around so that through us they may see Christ.

 

These shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven; fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

And we all have been or dune some if not all of these things but we were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the spirit of our God.

 

Our judgment is not one of salvation but a determinatin of the outward effects of an inward dedication for if one is dedicated to the Lord not self or the world they will live a life without these things controling it.

 

Any one cough up in even these sins is loved by the Lord andcan be forgiven by the Lord, all that needs to take place is for that person to repent, ask for forgiveness and turn from the sin and turn to the Lord, for He is wating for you to come to Him, and is willing to forgive you except you in and lead give you salvation.

 

One thing those of you who think I'm not one who lives in the sins of those fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, or swindlers you need to understand sin is sin and alowing a self-richest spirit to dwell in your being is still sin. And sin can not live with the Lord or Father God in heaven.

 

It can be heard to make the change, first repent, admit you are a sinner, ask the Lord to forgive you, turn from the sin or sins in your life, then as you live your life out when you knottiest you are taking part in sin whatever that sin may be, as soon as you notes it stop, ask the Lord to help you, He has given you the Holy Spirit to help you to lead and guide us through life, if you have asked Christ in to your life, give Him the opportunity to guide you out of sin and bring you in to the Kingdome of heaven.

 

if you ask every time you will fine that the span of time between the sin will grow longer and longer untill the day it will not show its ugaly head and ou will be freed from it. when you ask forgivness in instant, but yo still have to do your part to keep from alowing the sin to be in your life.

In church and as Christians we need to get back to the word and stop being concerned that it might offend someone, for it only offend those who are in sin because it opens the eye of the sinner by shinning the light of troth on the sin, if you get offended or you feel guilty about something then take care of it, don’t try to smooth it over with some liberal bandage or phrase that makes you feel better.

 

Love doesn’t cover up the truth, love shins light on the truth so that it may be seen to be dealt with. satin likes to cover up and distort the truth he is the liar, putting a bandage on it so it can’t be seen so you don’t have to deal with the truth works so well, yea right.

 

Matthew 5 through 7

5: 3 through 11 tells us how to be blessed and what we will receive if we are, or do these things.

What more encouragement doses any one need? The next 97 verses lays out how we should live to become the blessed. Now if Jesus shared in this matter and it was good then, then if someone shares in the same mater today, shouldn’t it also be good enough for today, why do we thank that we can better explain and direct people then Jesus?

 

It really lies with the hearer if they are going to except the truth or not, saying you’ve offended me, or your mean, or you have no love, when all we have to do is except the fact that we have sin in our lives and need to get right with God, ask to be forgiven and then apply the word to our lives so we can live a clean life, yes we all have sinned and fallen short but if we except that truth and ask to be forgiven Father God is faithful to forgive us and if we will abide in Him in His word abides in us, then we can live a Godley life filled with the blessing of God, we may not get them until we enter heaven but we will get them.

We will be blessed by God if we obey His word.

 

We will be hated by the world but loved by the Lord, who said “I will never leave you or forsake you, and that He would be with us even unto death”

Who do you fear God or Man?

Matthew 7:13-24

Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.

For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

 

Rather simple to understand, you can go the way of the majority on the broad path that allows you to live and work however you want to, to walk in all the sin you can muster up. Or you can take the narrow path that means you obey the Word of Father God, and not be conformed by the world.

 

Matthew 7 15-23 Tells us that not everyone that calls themselves a Christian are Christians and that we can tell if someone is or isn't a Christian is by their fruit.

Just like a thistle plant cannot produce fig a non-Christian cannot produce holy fruit, they may be able to give the appearance of holy fruit but if you look close it is always rotten.

And the Lord says that many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?

And then I will declare to them, I never knew you;

DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.

 

Matthew 7:24-27 Explains:

That if we hear the Words of God and act upon them we are wise, But if we hear the Words of God and do not act upon them we are foolish.

The conforming of a person is to:

behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards:

To be conventional · fit in · adapt · adjust · follow the crowd · comply · acquiesce · toe the line · follow the rules · submit · yield · play it by the book · play by the rules be similar in form or type; to agree with to be like · correspond to · be consistent with · measure up to

 

These are all good things to do or be but towards the Lord not the world.

So to sum things up, we can be foolish and chose and follow the world and be conformed by the world,

Or we can take the path that we are told is foolish by the world in which, in truth is a wise path to take, even though we will catch a lot of grief from man.

Once we reach the narrow gate we will be small enough to go through it and enter into the kingdom of the Father.

 

Packing around a lot of baggage makes it hard to get anywhere, and your attitudes and worldly concepts are as much as baggage if they ares wrong attitudes and concepts.

 

ill be back Monday