It is God's desire that His love is suppose to be imparted into our children First off, it is supposed to be transferred from the parents into the children; this is the responsibility of the parents. The parents are supposed to transfer God's love that they have received from Him and transfer it into their children. Let me explain how this is done below.
Let us examine people in general before we go on with our children. All the people in the world can be split up into three groups. There are the few people that are totally made good by Christ's Holy Spirit residing and living in and through them. Then there are the multitudes of people that have a mix of good and evil, and then there are the few that are completely evil. The extent of how good or how evil a person is is determined by how much of God's love/truth they have accepted in their life.
To a certain extent, God has poured out his Spirit onto all people. This is why you won't find very many people that are totally evil. Even the ones that don't believe in God, they will almost always believe in some of God's truth. When anyone believes in any of God's truth, it will produce some good. Most of us know many people that aren't Christians, but we can also see some good in them while we can also see some evil in them as well. This mix of good and evil will only produce works that are tainted with evil (bad fruit). This is what God calls "dirty rags". But we have to admit, there is some good in almost everyone. So, we also have to admit that God's Spirit of goodness is also partially in these people, because God is the only one that is good and all good things can only come from Him. Most people reflect the world they live in, where there is good and evil. God has created an environment in this world where there is both good and evil. He did this so we could all have a choice between the good and evil. Most people pick both. But for the ones that choose only good, they search out God to receive a full filling of His love, which in turn produces only good fruit out of a pure love.
Now, getting back to how God's love is transferred to other people, including our children. God's love is transferred to others by sharing God's truth and living His truth. What a person believes will determine what love a person will live by. If a person is truly living by God's love, that love of God will be transferred to others that they have a relationship with.
When we believe God's truth, we will then live by that truth. When we live by God's truth, it will produce only pure love. Belief in God's truth will bring a person to a point of being totally free of their self love and empowered to live by God's love alone. Anyone that totally believes in God's truth will live by that truth and can only act in God's love.
God's love and God's truth are one and cannot be separated. When we share God's love with people, we are sharing God's truth. When we take the time to share God's truth with people, we are showing God's love to them. God's love is actually God's truth in action. This is why the first and second greatest commandment is:
Matt 22:37-40 - Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." NIV
God's commandments are to "LOVE" - To have and share God's love. All the Law (all of God's Truth) and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (to have and share God's love). If we go and share God's truth, but do not have the action of showing God's love, the truth we share is empty and possibly damaging. This is why God primarily calls us to have the action of His love, because then we are also showing others the real truth. We must show others the truth by the way we love. Then they will believe in God's truth, because they see it in action through His love flowing through us. In this way the lost can experience God's love and in turn believe God's truth and be found by God.
So, what comes first, God's love or God's truth? It is very important that we first believe in God's truth, otherwise we can't come to know the true love of God. Belief in God's truth will produce obedience to God, which will produce God's love in us. It is very important that we get "whole" ourselves in God's love before we try to help others. If we aren't fully believing in God's truth, then we will not be able to witness to others with the love of God. Anyone that is not believing in God's truth will not be obedient to God, and will not be able to have the full love of God to share with others. It is only through faith in God's truth that we are led into God's love. Once we have become obedient to His truth (commandments), God comes to live with us in the form of pure love and truth (the Holy Spirit). It is then that God empowers us to witness to others in His love.
As parents, if we are full of God's love, we will then transfer God's love into our children. The children will see and experience God's truth and love in action by the parents and then the children will believe in God's truth also, which will produce obedience in the children and result in receiving God's love for themselves.
Blessings,
Michael W Reid
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Beast and the Harlot
I was listening to the news this morning (6/3/2011). They were discussing why our country is going down the drain. Our schools are turning out less educated kids and our country's financial system seems to be tumbling into another recession or maybe a depression. They are looking at what we have to do to make our country great again.
The truth is, they don't have a clue why the world seems to be falling apart. Almost no one is recognizing that we have lost our love for God and have thrown Him, His truth, and His morals under the bus for our own personal gains.
It is the "Beast and Harlot" story all over again. The human nature of people never changes and they keep being blind to their own selfishness and greed. They don't learn from the past, so they end up being fooled by their own human reasoning into do the same foolish mistakes again.
Rev 17:8 - The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast , because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. NIV
This has happened before and it is happening again. We have turned materialism and money into a beast, so that mankind can prosper and the ones enjoying and riding this beast of materialism and money is the harlot. The beast is the worldly materialism and money that almost everyone has given their life to acquire. The harlot/woman/prostitute riding the beast represents Babylon.
Babylon is happening all over again because people have turned from loving God to loving money and things. This time around the harlot or woman riding this beast is the United States. We once were a God fearing and God loving country, but have turned our love over to another and committed adultery against God.
The love of the people of this once God fearing country has now grown cold. We have removed ourselves so far away from God that most in the United States don't have a clue of why the blessings of this country are disappearing. Not only that, but we have gotten a lot of the world to commit adultery with us. Almost every nation in the world wants to have the life that the Americans have, while at the same time they are jealous of the United States and want to tear us down and take our riches away from us. Our love of money and materialism has spread through out the world.
Rev 17:15-18 - Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." NIV
Babylon has risen again, and it will also fall again. We are the Babylon this time; as a nation we have turned our love to money and things, and far away from God. But be assured God's plan is right on track.
Isa 1:21-27 - See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her — but now murderers! Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them. Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." NIV
Now, whether this is the last Babylon time, or it will happen again before the very end is up to God’s timing. But woe to the inhabitance of Babylon.
Blessings,
Michael
The truth is, they don't have a clue why the world seems to be falling apart. Almost no one is recognizing that we have lost our love for God and have thrown Him, His truth, and His morals under the bus for our own personal gains.
It is the "Beast and Harlot" story all over again. The human nature of people never changes and they keep being blind to their own selfishness and greed. They don't learn from the past, so they end up being fooled by their own human reasoning into do the same foolish mistakes again.
Rev 17:8 - The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast , because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. NIV
This has happened before and it is happening again. We have turned materialism and money into a beast, so that mankind can prosper and the ones enjoying and riding this beast of materialism and money is the harlot. The beast is the worldly materialism and money that almost everyone has given their life to acquire. The harlot/woman/prostitute riding the beast represents Babylon.
Babylon is happening all over again because people have turned from loving God to loving money and things. This time around the harlot or woman riding this beast is the United States. We once were a God fearing and God loving country, but have turned our love over to another and committed adultery against God.
The love of the people of this once God fearing country has now grown cold. We have removed ourselves so far away from God that most in the United States don't have a clue of why the blessings of this country are disappearing. Not only that, but we have gotten a lot of the world to commit adultery with us. Almost every nation in the world wants to have the life that the Americans have, while at the same time they are jealous of the United States and want to tear us down and take our riches away from us. Our love of money and materialism has spread through out the world.
Rev 17:15-18 - Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." NIV
Babylon has risen again, and it will also fall again. We are the Babylon this time; as a nation we have turned our love to money and things, and far away from God. But be assured God's plan is right on track.
Isa 1:21-27 - See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her — but now murderers! Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them. Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." NIV
Now, whether this is the last Babylon time, or it will happen again before the very end is up to God’s timing. But woe to the inhabitance of Babylon.
Blessings,
Michael
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Keeping God First – Not Second
We are called to love others more than ourselves or as ourselves, but not to love them more than God or in place of God. Many people get caught up with trying to do the second greatest commandment before they have done the first greatest commandment. God's commandments don't go like this:
The first and greatest commandment is to 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And the second is like it: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is not the correct priority of God's commandments, but most so called "Christians" end up trying to do them this way.
If we try to do the second greatest commandment before we do the first greatest commandment, everything gets messed up. Instead of getting positive results we get chaos and hatred from the ones we are trying to help or love. When we try to love them, we instead end up misdirecting them and causing them more harm. We usually end up directing them away from God instead of closer to Him.
No one can understand how to love as God until they first love the source of all pure love. Because most don't love God first, we end up trying to love others with our own self love and what we understand as love. This only causes more problems for them and us. If we're not loving God first and above everyone else, then we should take heed when we trying to help anyone else.
Matt 7:3-5 - Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. NIV
If we still have sin in our life, because we don't love God with all of ourselves, then we shouldn't try to help others with getting rid of their sin. We will usually only make the sins of everyone involved even greater. If we have a plank in our own eye and try to get the speck out of someone else's eye, isn't there a good chance we might stab or hurt their eye even worse? This is like the blind leading the blind. If we still have sin, then we should not lead others until we have gotten rid of all sin in our own life first. The only way to conquer all sin in our life is by loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. No one can sin in this kind of love.
God’s word says to leave the spiritually dead alone, at least until you have followed Jesus in His foot steps first.
Matt 8:21-23 - Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. NIV
It is not that Jesus didn't love these people that were spiritually dead, but Jesus knew the disciples were not ready to help these spiritually dead yet. First they must follow Christ and become like Him, and then they would be able to help in bringing these spiritually dead to life, life in Christ.
God always has to come first in our life. God always has to be our first and greatest love. If God is not the love of our life, then we will only be blind sinners leading other blind sinners astray.
God's Blessings to you,
Michael W Reid
The first and greatest commandment is to 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And the second is like it: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is not the correct priority of God's commandments, but most so called "Christians" end up trying to do them this way.
If we try to do the second greatest commandment before we do the first greatest commandment, everything gets messed up. Instead of getting positive results we get chaos and hatred from the ones we are trying to help or love. When we try to love them, we instead end up misdirecting them and causing them more harm. We usually end up directing them away from God instead of closer to Him.
No one can understand how to love as God until they first love the source of all pure love. Because most don't love God first, we end up trying to love others with our own self love and what we understand as love. This only causes more problems for them and us. If we're not loving God first and above everyone else, then we should take heed when we trying to help anyone else.
Matt 7:3-5 - Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. NIV
If we still have sin in our life, because we don't love God with all of ourselves, then we shouldn't try to help others with getting rid of their sin. We will usually only make the sins of everyone involved even greater. If we have a plank in our own eye and try to get the speck out of someone else's eye, isn't there a good chance we might stab or hurt their eye even worse? This is like the blind leading the blind. If we still have sin, then we should not lead others until we have gotten rid of all sin in our own life first. The only way to conquer all sin in our life is by loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. No one can sin in this kind of love.
God’s word says to leave the spiritually dead alone, at least until you have followed Jesus in His foot steps first.
Matt 8:21-23 - Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. NIV
It is not that Jesus didn't love these people that were spiritually dead, but Jesus knew the disciples were not ready to help these spiritually dead yet. First they must follow Christ and become like Him, and then they would be able to help in bringing these spiritually dead to life, life in Christ.
God always has to come first in our life. God always has to be our first and greatest love. If God is not the love of our life, then we will only be blind sinners leading other blind sinners astray.
God's Blessings to you,
Michael W Reid
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Flesh
Most people are looking forward to getting their new incorruptible body when they pass on. They think, if only I could be rid of this fleshly body and have my heavenly perfect body now, and then I wouldn’t keep doing the things I know are wrong. This is the thinking behind the understanding that no can be perfect until we die. It’s because of this evil fleshly body. That’s the real problem. Is it really?
Let us take a look at the physical fleshly body and try to see if it is really evil or not.
As adults, unless some chemicals in our body are out of normalcy, we have all experienced the sexual desires. So, we should ask ourselves, is the sexual drive good or evil? God created a sexual drive in us. What if we didn’t have the sexual drive, what would be different? Even the animals have the sexual drive programmed into them by their creator. Are the animals evil or good because of this? If something can be used for either good or bad, does that make it evil?
All flesh, people and animals have the need to eat to survive. It is a requirement to eat, so is the flesh good or evil because of this? If some people eat to much, does that make the need to eat evil? If someone doesn’t eat enough, does that make the flesh evil?
Everyone needs to learn to protect their flesh from harm; otherwise a person wouldn’t last long on this earth. Why do we teach our kids to stay away from fire if we think the flesh is evil? God has put certain senses into the body to warn us from harming our bodies. If our flesh was evil, why would God build in protection systems into it? If someone intentionally wants to hurt their flesh, do we consider this self infliction action evil or good?
We can see God’s creation with our fleshly eye’s, is that somehow evil, or does God want us to share in His creation?
We can hear with our ears. Are the sounds we hear with our ears automatically evil somehow? Are the birds singing, the sounds of the waves, or a mother’s disciplining words to her child’s ears evil somehow?
With a fleshly physical body, we can do physical work and earn money to buy the food we need. Does the body make us love money or does it just help us provide for our needs? We can physically hurt other people with our flesh, but we can also help others in many ways. So is the flesh good or evil?
Does the physical flesh make us lie or is it some other force?
Does the physical flesh make us covet something that is not ours, or is it from some other force?
Is it the physical flesh that rejects God’s laws and love, or is it the love of self that rejects the goodness of God?
Is it the physical flesh that wants to be god instead of accepting the one and true God, or does the physical flesh listen to another god?
Why does God’s word say about Christians: “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor 3:16 NIV) How can the physical flesh be considered God’s temple in a Christian if the flesh is evil?
God’s Word can help us sort this out. Even though the physical flesh has to eventually die, because of the fall of man, the physical fleshly body is only a temporary housing for the spirit within. The spirit that is contained within the flesh is what controls the fleshly body. The spirit within is what makes the fleshly body do it’s good or evil works. The good or evil desires are from the spirit and not from the physical flesh. The physical flesh of a person and the spirit of a person are separate from each other, but it is the spirit that controls the flesh.
I have found some faulty interpreted areas in the words of the NIV bible, but in this area of describing the “flesh”, it has the correct translation. The King James Version of the bible uses the word “flesh”, but the NIV uses “Sinful Nature” in the place of the word “flesh”. The KJV is not wrong, but must be understood correctly. See the differences below between the two versions.
NIV - Gal 5:16-21 - So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
KJV - Gal 5:16-21 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The “sinful nature” is the spirit of the flesh. It is the dead spirit that is born along with the physical fleshly body. It is called a dead spirit, because it is separated from God because of the fall. Everything apart from God is considered dead. Even though the spirit of the flesh and the physical flesh were created at the same time, they are distinctly different. One is spiritual and one is physical, even though they were talked about as if they were one identity. Under the new covenant with Christ, the dead spirit in us can be replaced with God’s living Spirit, but the body is physical and is not replaced and eventually turns back to the dust from which it came.
There are only two kinds of spiritual natures, the sinful nature and God’s pure love nature. It is between these two spirits or natures that all spiritual wars are fought. The nature that wins in you will be the one you feed.
The nature/spirit of our soul when we physically die is the spirit that goes on into eternity. What eternity realm it enters, depends on which nature we have.
Draw close to God and His righteousness and His nature will be added onto you.
Michael W Reid
Let us take a look at the physical fleshly body and try to see if it is really evil or not.
As adults, unless some chemicals in our body are out of normalcy, we have all experienced the sexual desires. So, we should ask ourselves, is the sexual drive good or evil? God created a sexual drive in us. What if we didn’t have the sexual drive, what would be different? Even the animals have the sexual drive programmed into them by their creator. Are the animals evil or good because of this? If something can be used for either good or bad, does that make it evil?
All flesh, people and animals have the need to eat to survive. It is a requirement to eat, so is the flesh good or evil because of this? If some people eat to much, does that make the need to eat evil? If someone doesn’t eat enough, does that make the flesh evil?
Everyone needs to learn to protect their flesh from harm; otherwise a person wouldn’t last long on this earth. Why do we teach our kids to stay away from fire if we think the flesh is evil? God has put certain senses into the body to warn us from harming our bodies. If our flesh was evil, why would God build in protection systems into it? If someone intentionally wants to hurt their flesh, do we consider this self infliction action evil or good?
We can see God’s creation with our fleshly eye’s, is that somehow evil, or does God want us to share in His creation?
We can hear with our ears. Are the sounds we hear with our ears automatically evil somehow? Are the birds singing, the sounds of the waves, or a mother’s disciplining words to her child’s ears evil somehow?
With a fleshly physical body, we can do physical work and earn money to buy the food we need. Does the body make us love money or does it just help us provide for our needs? We can physically hurt other people with our flesh, but we can also help others in many ways. So is the flesh good or evil?
Does the physical flesh make us lie or is it some other force?
Does the physical flesh make us covet something that is not ours, or is it from some other force?
Is it the physical flesh that rejects God’s laws and love, or is it the love of self that rejects the goodness of God?
Is it the physical flesh that wants to be god instead of accepting the one and true God, or does the physical flesh listen to another god?
Why does God’s word say about Christians: “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor 3:16 NIV) How can the physical flesh be considered God’s temple in a Christian if the flesh is evil?
God’s Word can help us sort this out. Even though the physical flesh has to eventually die, because of the fall of man, the physical fleshly body is only a temporary housing for the spirit within. The spirit that is contained within the flesh is what controls the fleshly body. The spirit within is what makes the fleshly body do it’s good or evil works. The good or evil desires are from the spirit and not from the physical flesh. The physical flesh of a person and the spirit of a person are separate from each other, but it is the spirit that controls the flesh.
I have found some faulty interpreted areas in the words of the NIV bible, but in this area of describing the “flesh”, it has the correct translation. The King James Version of the bible uses the word “flesh”, but the NIV uses “Sinful Nature” in the place of the word “flesh”. The KJV is not wrong, but must be understood correctly. See the differences below between the two versions.
NIV - Gal 5:16-21 - So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
KJV - Gal 5:16-21 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The “sinful nature” is the spirit of the flesh. It is the dead spirit that is born along with the physical fleshly body. It is called a dead spirit, because it is separated from God because of the fall. Everything apart from God is considered dead. Even though the spirit of the flesh and the physical flesh were created at the same time, they are distinctly different. One is spiritual and one is physical, even though they were talked about as if they were one identity. Under the new covenant with Christ, the dead spirit in us can be replaced with God’s living Spirit, but the body is physical and is not replaced and eventually turns back to the dust from which it came.
There are only two kinds of spiritual natures, the sinful nature and God’s pure love nature. It is between these two spirits or natures that all spiritual wars are fought. The nature that wins in you will be the one you feed.
The nature/spirit of our soul when we physically die is the spirit that goes on into eternity. What eternity realm it enters, depends on which nature we have.
Draw close to God and His righteousness and His nature will be added onto you.
Michael W Reid
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Christ's Rod of Iron
We have all been fools. We have all believed lies, because we have desired lies more than the truth. That is why we keep falling into the same traps of the devil, over and over again. Man has not changed and God and the devil have not changed. So the devil’s lies that worked before, will keep on working as long as man keeps his sinful nature.
I am mainly talking about the reason Jesus was rejected upon His first coming. Men were expecting a different kind of savior and king, a physical earthly savior. For the very same reason, Jesus’ second return has also been rejected by man. The reasoning or lies of the devil that man wanted to believe ended up having the result of crucifying Jesus Christ on the cross the first time He came. For the very same reason, men have rejected Christ’s second coming. Men are still looking for a physical reigning king. Men have been fools for the devil, over and over again. As long as man clings onto his/her selfishness, we will be fools and take in the devil’s lies for our own truth.
What is this major lie that we have believed about Christ’s return? It is an assumption by man that Christ or God wants to setup His kingdom and reign on earth as an earthly or physical king. An earthly/physical kingdom is the last thing God wants His kingdom to be. God is Spirit and His kingdom must also be Spirit. Just because we are stuck in this physical earthly realm for a small amount of time, doesn’t mean that God wants to be stuck to a physical earthly kingdom. Just because we are in a physical body for now, doesn’t mean that God wants to be limited to an earthly physical body. With God you have to start thinking out of the box – by getting out of your box.
People have been waiting for God to rule over His kingdom with a “rod of iron.” Of course we automatically think of a physical rule of Christ where everyone is kept in line by God’s great power and will conquer all that is evil or bad. Please think again! There are only two great powers that control every person’s heart and actions. They are fear, which is out of loosing something of one’s own self, and love, which is all about giving of one’s own self. So, does the words “rod of iron” indicate that God wants to rule out of fear or love? Most have taken it to be out of fear. We have been fools, this is not God’s way, especially under His new covenant with us. The only one that wants to rule out of fear is the devil, his demons, and the people with the devil’s nature (selfishness). God on the other hand has always wanted to rule His people out of a pure love for Him and others.
People have greatly under-estimated the power of these two loves, the love of God and the love of self. These two kinds of love rule over every spirit on earth, in heaven, and in hell. It is the “love of God” that is the “rod of iron”, for nothing is stronger than pure love. The next ruling power under God’s love is the love of self (the devil’s nature). We currently live in a realm where there is both the love of God and the love of self. If a person is ruled by God’s love which has filled their heart, then they will have the nature of God and will always do God’s will. It is God’s love that will rule everyone in His kingdom. If a person is ruled by self love, then they will think and do as the devil has done from the beginning. It will be the self love that rules and destroys every soul in the devil’s kingdom.
Can anyone point to a time in history when God ruled His people by fear? It is true that everyone should reverently fear God for His greatness, but he has never ruled anyone by fear. God only punishes by fear. God has brought people to the point of fearing Him out of His wrath, usually for their past disobedience, but He always allows them to become disobedient before He sends His wrath. God has always wanted to rule His people by His people loving Him and the people being obedient to Him out of that love. It is only after people weren’t obedient, out of love, that He would send His wrath. God’s plan is not to whip us into shape and into obedience; He wants to love us into His perfect spiritual kingdom. The only ones that God has to discipline and show His wrath to are the ones that are still in the devil’s spiritual kingdom, the selfish and disobedient.
Somehow through our selfish assumptions, man has assumed that there will only be a peaceful or perfect kingdom during Christ’s millennial reign, that there will be no evil. Why did we and why do we still assume this, because we want to believe it. We don’t want to have to fight the evil ourselves; we want God to do it all. We want God to create an environment where everything is perfect, where there is no evil, and there are no temptations for our selfishness to take up on. Why do we keep fooling ourselves, where ever there is selfishness, there is evil. There can be no perfect environment where there is still any selfishness.
During Christ’s millennial reign, the scriptures don’t indicate there is no evil. The scriptures just say that the devil is locked up for those thousand years while Christ reigns. There was still evil during that time, because there were still a lot of people with their selfishness. Selfishness is evil; self love is the spirit or nature of the devil. No where does scriptures mention that Christ reigns over and controls every person during His millennial reign, again we assumed that. We have assumed wrong.
So, all of you that have been fooled by the devil’s tricks and are still waiting for Christ’s second coming, quit fooling yourself and realize that men have already rejected Christ’s second coming for the same reasons that they rejected Christ’s first coming. Christ has already returned and is waiting for more souls to enter His kingdom. If you keep rejecting His return, then you will probably miss out on Him reigning in your heart as well.
The Lamb and the Lion have already lain down together. The Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God have already laid down on the cross together. Don’t let the devil deceive you any longer. His kingdom is here and Christ wants you to fight for it.
As for our near future, we are all to see God’s wrath come upon us, because we have rejected Christ and His kingdom. It doesn’t matter that we were mistaken and deceived, because we let ourselves be deceived. It doesn’t matter if we believe God’s wrath is coming or not, God doesn’t need for you to believe in order for Him to do what He has already decided to do. Even though God’s wrath will not be stopped, any person that still wants to die to his own self love and be filled with God’s love will enter into His eternal kingdom.
Date: 4/20/2011
Michael W Reid
I am mainly talking about the reason Jesus was rejected upon His first coming. Men were expecting a different kind of savior and king, a physical earthly savior. For the very same reason, Jesus’ second return has also been rejected by man. The reasoning or lies of the devil that man wanted to believe ended up having the result of crucifying Jesus Christ on the cross the first time He came. For the very same reason, men have rejected Christ’s second coming. Men are still looking for a physical reigning king. Men have been fools for the devil, over and over again. As long as man clings onto his/her selfishness, we will be fools and take in the devil’s lies for our own truth.
What is this major lie that we have believed about Christ’s return? It is an assumption by man that Christ or God wants to setup His kingdom and reign on earth as an earthly or physical king. An earthly/physical kingdom is the last thing God wants His kingdom to be. God is Spirit and His kingdom must also be Spirit. Just because we are stuck in this physical earthly realm for a small amount of time, doesn’t mean that God wants to be stuck to a physical earthly kingdom. Just because we are in a physical body for now, doesn’t mean that God wants to be limited to an earthly physical body. With God you have to start thinking out of the box – by getting out of your box.
People have been waiting for God to rule over His kingdom with a “rod of iron.” Of course we automatically think of a physical rule of Christ where everyone is kept in line by God’s great power and will conquer all that is evil or bad. Please think again! There are only two great powers that control every person’s heart and actions. They are fear, which is out of loosing something of one’s own self, and love, which is all about giving of one’s own self. So, does the words “rod of iron” indicate that God wants to rule out of fear or love? Most have taken it to be out of fear. We have been fools, this is not God’s way, especially under His new covenant with us. The only one that wants to rule out of fear is the devil, his demons, and the people with the devil’s nature (selfishness). God on the other hand has always wanted to rule His people out of a pure love for Him and others.
People have greatly under-estimated the power of these two loves, the love of God and the love of self. These two kinds of love rule over every spirit on earth, in heaven, and in hell. It is the “love of God” that is the “rod of iron”, for nothing is stronger than pure love. The next ruling power under God’s love is the love of self (the devil’s nature). We currently live in a realm where there is both the love of God and the love of self. If a person is ruled by God’s love which has filled their heart, then they will have the nature of God and will always do God’s will. It is God’s love that will rule everyone in His kingdom. If a person is ruled by self love, then they will think and do as the devil has done from the beginning. It will be the self love that rules and destroys every soul in the devil’s kingdom.
Can anyone point to a time in history when God ruled His people by fear? It is true that everyone should reverently fear God for His greatness, but he has never ruled anyone by fear. God only punishes by fear. God has brought people to the point of fearing Him out of His wrath, usually for their past disobedience, but He always allows them to become disobedient before He sends His wrath. God has always wanted to rule His people by His people loving Him and the people being obedient to Him out of that love. It is only after people weren’t obedient, out of love, that He would send His wrath. God’s plan is not to whip us into shape and into obedience; He wants to love us into His perfect spiritual kingdom. The only ones that God has to discipline and show His wrath to are the ones that are still in the devil’s spiritual kingdom, the selfish and disobedient.
Somehow through our selfish assumptions, man has assumed that there will only be a peaceful or perfect kingdom during Christ’s millennial reign, that there will be no evil. Why did we and why do we still assume this, because we want to believe it. We don’t want to have to fight the evil ourselves; we want God to do it all. We want God to create an environment where everything is perfect, where there is no evil, and there are no temptations for our selfishness to take up on. Why do we keep fooling ourselves, where ever there is selfishness, there is evil. There can be no perfect environment where there is still any selfishness.
During Christ’s millennial reign, the scriptures don’t indicate there is no evil. The scriptures just say that the devil is locked up for those thousand years while Christ reigns. There was still evil during that time, because there were still a lot of people with their selfishness. Selfishness is evil; self love is the spirit or nature of the devil. No where does scriptures mention that Christ reigns over and controls every person during His millennial reign, again we assumed that. We have assumed wrong.
So, all of you that have been fooled by the devil’s tricks and are still waiting for Christ’s second coming, quit fooling yourself and realize that men have already rejected Christ’s second coming for the same reasons that they rejected Christ’s first coming. Christ has already returned and is waiting for more souls to enter His kingdom. If you keep rejecting His return, then you will probably miss out on Him reigning in your heart as well.
The Lamb and the Lion have already lain down together. The Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God have already laid down on the cross together. Don’t let the devil deceive you any longer. His kingdom is here and Christ wants you to fight for it.
As for our near future, we are all to see God’s wrath come upon us, because we have rejected Christ and His kingdom. It doesn’t matter that we were mistaken and deceived, because we let ourselves be deceived. It doesn’t matter if we believe God’s wrath is coming or not, God doesn’t need for you to believe in order for Him to do what He has already decided to do. Even though God’s wrath will not be stopped, any person that still wants to die to his own self love and be filled with God’s love will enter into His eternal kingdom.
Date: 4/20/2011
Michael W Reid
Monday, April 18, 2011
Meaningless Words
The more I talk to people and listen to other people, the more I realize that real communication has become almost impossible. Two or more people can be speaking the same language, but still totally misunderstand what each other are saying.
For instance, when Barack Obama told us that he would bring “Real Change”, everyone understood “Real Change” in their own way. Now that we see the change that the president was proclaiming, most of us will agree it wasn’t the change we understood it to be. Many politicians will use many words in their speeches that have many meanings or have relative meanings, so depending on who is hearing it, it will be taken the way the listener wants to take it.
Words have almost become meaningless. Take the word “believe.” What does “believe” mean to you? Is it something you can accept? Is it something you can understand? Is it something you can touch or see? Does it represent what you experience? Is it something you have because of tradition or family practices? Is it something you were taught in school by others which have a certain belief, so you go with the crowd? To believe, does it have a cost, or is it always free to believe? To believe something, are you required to act on that belief, or can we say we believe without taking any action on that belief? What does the word “believe” mean to you, does it have a different meaning to you other than what I listed? In our world the word “believe” has become almost worthless, because it has become a relative term.
Another word that is confusing is the word “love.” The word “love” is also relative in meaning and we have almost made this word meaningless. It was such an important word at one point, but because of its misuse, it is almost a worthless word now. We can love our shoes, a car, or a house. We can love our pet ant, a tree, a cat, or a dog. We can love our son or daughter. We can love our girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, or same sex mate. When we say we love our spouse, are we saying we love them like a car, or maybe a dog, or maybe like one of our children? I can say I love my neighbor or my neighbor can say he loves me, but what does that mean? The neighbor might often kick his dog that he says he loves; does he love me like that? I just don’t know.
“Obey” is another word that has become a relative term. Even though we don’t hear or use this word as much anymore. It has kind of become a dirty four letter word. When we “Obey”, is it only something we do when someone is watching? Is it something we do when it only benefits us? Do we do it because we feel we have to or because we want to? Are there consequences to not obeying, or is obeying an option with no consequences or blessings attached to do it? Did you have to obey while you were a child to receive the blessings of your parents, or did they bless you anyway even when you didn’t obey? Do we feel we need to obey a higher power, or are we the higher power that others need to obey? Maybe you feel you need to obey, or maybe obeying is for people lower then you?
The word “Lord” has also seemed to become another four letter forbidden word, because almost no one wants to have anyone be Lord over them, because they want to be in control of their own lives. Many people want Jesus Christ to be their Savior, but the Lord part is just too much to ask. So the word “Lord” hasn’t been used much anymore. In essence, it has been made an optional part of the Gospel.
So, when I say to people that God’s word says Jesus Christ must be the “Lord” of our lives by “loving” Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, they really don’t have a clue of what I am saying, because the words have been made worthless. These words have been made so relative that people can make it mean what ever they want it to mean.
When I tell people that God’s word says that a person must “believe” in Jesus Christ to be saved and be born again spiritually through this “belief” in Christ, they really don’t have a clue of what I am saying, because the words have been made worthless. These words have been made so relative that people can make it mean what ever they want it to mean.
God’s word says if we “love” Him, we will “obey” Him. What does this really mean? What does it mean to you?
It has really come to the point where:
2 Tim 4:3-4 - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. NIV
Michael W Reid
For instance, when Barack Obama told us that he would bring “Real Change”, everyone understood “Real Change” in their own way. Now that we see the change that the president was proclaiming, most of us will agree it wasn’t the change we understood it to be. Many politicians will use many words in their speeches that have many meanings or have relative meanings, so depending on who is hearing it, it will be taken the way the listener wants to take it.
Words have almost become meaningless. Take the word “believe.” What does “believe” mean to you? Is it something you can accept? Is it something you can understand? Is it something you can touch or see? Does it represent what you experience? Is it something you have because of tradition or family practices? Is it something you were taught in school by others which have a certain belief, so you go with the crowd? To believe, does it have a cost, or is it always free to believe? To believe something, are you required to act on that belief, or can we say we believe without taking any action on that belief? What does the word “believe” mean to you, does it have a different meaning to you other than what I listed? In our world the word “believe” has become almost worthless, because it has become a relative term.
Another word that is confusing is the word “love.” The word “love” is also relative in meaning and we have almost made this word meaningless. It was such an important word at one point, but because of its misuse, it is almost a worthless word now. We can love our shoes, a car, or a house. We can love our pet ant, a tree, a cat, or a dog. We can love our son or daughter. We can love our girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, or same sex mate. When we say we love our spouse, are we saying we love them like a car, or maybe a dog, or maybe like one of our children? I can say I love my neighbor or my neighbor can say he loves me, but what does that mean? The neighbor might often kick his dog that he says he loves; does he love me like that? I just don’t know.
“Obey” is another word that has become a relative term. Even though we don’t hear or use this word as much anymore. It has kind of become a dirty four letter word. When we “Obey”, is it only something we do when someone is watching? Is it something we do when it only benefits us? Do we do it because we feel we have to or because we want to? Are there consequences to not obeying, or is obeying an option with no consequences or blessings attached to do it? Did you have to obey while you were a child to receive the blessings of your parents, or did they bless you anyway even when you didn’t obey? Do we feel we need to obey a higher power, or are we the higher power that others need to obey? Maybe you feel you need to obey, or maybe obeying is for people lower then you?
The word “Lord” has also seemed to become another four letter forbidden word, because almost no one wants to have anyone be Lord over them, because they want to be in control of their own lives. Many people want Jesus Christ to be their Savior, but the Lord part is just too much to ask. So the word “Lord” hasn’t been used much anymore. In essence, it has been made an optional part of the Gospel.
So, when I say to people that God’s word says Jesus Christ must be the “Lord” of our lives by “loving” Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, they really don’t have a clue of what I am saying, because the words have been made worthless. These words have been made so relative that people can make it mean what ever they want it to mean.
When I tell people that God’s word says that a person must “believe” in Jesus Christ to be saved and be born again spiritually through this “belief” in Christ, they really don’t have a clue of what I am saying, because the words have been made worthless. These words have been made so relative that people can make it mean what ever they want it to mean.
God’s word says if we “love” Him, we will “obey” Him. What does this really mean? What does it mean to you?
It has really come to the point where:
2 Tim 4:3-4 - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. NIV
Michael W Reid
The Heroes
Date: 12/7/2010
As we remember what happened at Pearl Harbor on its yearly anniversary, we usually remember all the heroes that were lost, or the ones that lost parts of their body for their country. Many lost family and friends in that devastating attack, but there were losses on both sides. Both Japan and the U.S. lost people in that fight, but each side tends to remember and be concerned about the loss on their side of the fight.
Whether it be Japan or the U.S., each side considers the ones that died for their kingdom to be the heroes. The people of United States don’t consider the Japanese people bombing our ships to be heroes, because they were the enemy. The Japanese don’t consider the United States people that died and fought in that fight to be heroes, because the U.S. was their enemy. From each “kingdom’s” point of view, the heroes are the ones that fought to preserve and expand their kingdom’s way of life. Each kingdom in this fight had their heroes and their enemies, even though the other side’s enemy was the other side’s heroes. How people look at things is always a matter of perspective.
So why are all these people called heroes? They all have something in common. Even today’s war heroes have this same thing in common. The thing they all have in common is that they were willing to sacrifice and leave the comforts of their own homes and fight for their kingdom. They left what they considered the good things of their kingdom and fight to preserve or expand those good aspects of their kingdom for others. The US soldier fights to preserve the freedom and what that soldier thinks is good. The U.S. soldier is also willing to fight to expand this kingdom of freedom to other countries. Each soldier, on each side of the war(s), is willing to give the ultimate sacrifice of their own physical life. They are willing to give up all what they understand to be good in their life and never experience it again, so that their kingdom can expand and/or other people of their kingdom can keep experiencing that good. For instance: even though the Japanese clearly won that fight at Pearl Harbor, all those Japanese pilots knew they would not survive the attack. All these pilots were instructed to release their torpedoes and ammunition and then use their own plane to kamikaze into an enemy ship. They had no plans of returning back to the Japanese ships that they were launched from. From my understanding only a few planes returned back to the ships and the planes were not even equipped to land back on the ships. The Japanese saw Pearl Harbor as a great victory for them, but their heroes knew when they took off from those ships that they would not come back. They died with honor, but never to experience the “good” they were fighting for. Each kingdom fights for what they understand to be good, even though the enemy thinks the enemy’s good is the evil they need to fight. They do this to preserve or expand what they think is good.
Fighting for temporary or eternal kingdoms:
Now, let us put these worldly kingdoms that heroes have sacrificed and died for over the many centuries in perspective. For the most part all these earthly kingdoms are temporary. They are not eternal. There are only two kingdoms that are eternal, which is God’s kingdom and the devil’s kingdom. A person can argue that some of these earthly kingdoms are more evil than good and some are more good than evil, but they are all temporary.
Why is it that people will temporarily or forever give up the things that they see as good in this life and go out and fight to preserve or promote those freedoms and earthly good things and not sacrifice and fight for the eternal good of God’s kingdom? It is sad to say, but many of these heroes that have died for the temporary earthly kingdoms, which they have left behind, only come to find out that they were not fighting for the kingdom that has eternal life. Instead they realize they were tricked by the devil’s kingdom by loving the temporary things. God is not a respecter of people or earthly kingdoms. Earthly kingdoms usually get in the way of people realizing God’s eternal kingdom. Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. So why do we keep stressing about the different kingdoms of this world? It is because the devil wants to keep us busy with the concerns of this world. In that way we keep our minds on protecting the temporary good things of this world and forget about the eternal good things of God’s kingdom. If the devil keeps us protecting and cherishing even the godly temporal things of this world, then the devil wins by default, because our attention has been diverted from the important eternal good things of God’s kingdom.
We have to realize that even if something is considered godly and good in this world, it doesn’t mean we need to acquire or have it. If our goal is to have and work for what is considered good in this world, then we will not fight for what is eternally good, which is God’s kingdom. Even if it seems that something in this world is godly and every person should have it, our goal should not be on attaining it or preserving it for ourselves. Even the things that are considered good and godly can feed our selfish interests and take us away from God and His eternal work for Him. Even the godly good pleasures of this world will bind us to the devil’s kingdom by loving the things of this world instead of God Himself. The way of attaining God’s kingdom is attaining God Himself by the way of Jesus Christ.
God’s kingdom is spiritual and the worldly kingdoms are temporal and of the devil’s kingdom. The only things that are eternal are of the spiritual realms. The only things that enter heaven or hell are of the spiritual nature. Since the spiritual realms are the only things that are eternal, then that is where we should do our fighting. We can’t let ourselves be bogged down by any physical things of this earth, no matter how good they might seem. Don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that God has blessed you with many good things of this world, when in the spiritual reality; it is the devil that has sidetracked you into loving the world and God’s creation instead of loving only God Himself. Be a hero for God’s kingdom and not for a temporary worldly kingdom.
As Christians we are called to fight, to preserve and expand God’s eternal kingdom, not physical kingdoms. The only way to expand God’s kingdom is to bring more souls into it. This is what God’s plan is. Is God’s plan also your plan? Are you willing to forsake even the temporary good things of this world in order to grow God’s eternal kingdom. God’s says we are to store up treasures in heaven. Well, the only things we can store up in heaven is our soul and the spiritual souls of others. There is nothing else that we can store or bring with us. No matter how good and/or amazing God’s created things are, the only things that enter His eternal kingdom are the spiritual things. So, if you are working to acquire God’s physical created things instead of His spiritual eternal things, then the devil has tricked you. We must not worship or desire the created things, but instead worship and desire the creator.
Michael W Reid
As we remember what happened at Pearl Harbor on its yearly anniversary, we usually remember all the heroes that were lost, or the ones that lost parts of their body for their country. Many lost family and friends in that devastating attack, but there were losses on both sides. Both Japan and the U.S. lost people in that fight, but each side tends to remember and be concerned about the loss on their side of the fight.
Whether it be Japan or the U.S., each side considers the ones that died for their kingdom to be the heroes. The people of United States don’t consider the Japanese people bombing our ships to be heroes, because they were the enemy. The Japanese don’t consider the United States people that died and fought in that fight to be heroes, because the U.S. was their enemy. From each “kingdom’s” point of view, the heroes are the ones that fought to preserve and expand their kingdom’s way of life. Each kingdom in this fight had their heroes and their enemies, even though the other side’s enemy was the other side’s heroes. How people look at things is always a matter of perspective.
So why are all these people called heroes? They all have something in common. Even today’s war heroes have this same thing in common. The thing they all have in common is that they were willing to sacrifice and leave the comforts of their own homes and fight for their kingdom. They left what they considered the good things of their kingdom and fight to preserve or expand those good aspects of their kingdom for others. The US soldier fights to preserve the freedom and what that soldier thinks is good. The U.S. soldier is also willing to fight to expand this kingdom of freedom to other countries. Each soldier, on each side of the war(s), is willing to give the ultimate sacrifice of their own physical life. They are willing to give up all what they understand to be good in their life and never experience it again, so that their kingdom can expand and/or other people of their kingdom can keep experiencing that good. For instance: even though the Japanese clearly won that fight at Pearl Harbor, all those Japanese pilots knew they would not survive the attack. All these pilots were instructed to release their torpedoes and ammunition and then use their own plane to kamikaze into an enemy ship. They had no plans of returning back to the Japanese ships that they were launched from. From my understanding only a few planes returned back to the ships and the planes were not even equipped to land back on the ships. The Japanese saw Pearl Harbor as a great victory for them, but their heroes knew when they took off from those ships that they would not come back. They died with honor, but never to experience the “good” they were fighting for. Each kingdom fights for what they understand to be good, even though the enemy thinks the enemy’s good is the evil they need to fight. They do this to preserve or expand what they think is good.
Fighting for temporary or eternal kingdoms:
Now, let us put these worldly kingdoms that heroes have sacrificed and died for over the many centuries in perspective. For the most part all these earthly kingdoms are temporary. They are not eternal. There are only two kingdoms that are eternal, which is God’s kingdom and the devil’s kingdom. A person can argue that some of these earthly kingdoms are more evil than good and some are more good than evil, but they are all temporary.
Why is it that people will temporarily or forever give up the things that they see as good in this life and go out and fight to preserve or promote those freedoms and earthly good things and not sacrifice and fight for the eternal good of God’s kingdom? It is sad to say, but many of these heroes that have died for the temporary earthly kingdoms, which they have left behind, only come to find out that they were not fighting for the kingdom that has eternal life. Instead they realize they were tricked by the devil’s kingdom by loving the temporary things. God is not a respecter of people or earthly kingdoms. Earthly kingdoms usually get in the way of people realizing God’s eternal kingdom. Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. So why do we keep stressing about the different kingdoms of this world? It is because the devil wants to keep us busy with the concerns of this world. In that way we keep our minds on protecting the temporary good things of this world and forget about the eternal good things of God’s kingdom. If the devil keeps us protecting and cherishing even the godly temporal things of this world, then the devil wins by default, because our attention has been diverted from the important eternal good things of God’s kingdom.
We have to realize that even if something is considered godly and good in this world, it doesn’t mean we need to acquire or have it. If our goal is to have and work for what is considered good in this world, then we will not fight for what is eternally good, which is God’s kingdom. Even if it seems that something in this world is godly and every person should have it, our goal should not be on attaining it or preserving it for ourselves. Even the things that are considered good and godly can feed our selfish interests and take us away from God and His eternal work for Him. Even the godly good pleasures of this world will bind us to the devil’s kingdom by loving the things of this world instead of God Himself. The way of attaining God’s kingdom is attaining God Himself by the way of Jesus Christ.
God’s kingdom is spiritual and the worldly kingdoms are temporal and of the devil’s kingdom. The only things that are eternal are of the spiritual realms. The only things that enter heaven or hell are of the spiritual nature. Since the spiritual realms are the only things that are eternal, then that is where we should do our fighting. We can’t let ourselves be bogged down by any physical things of this earth, no matter how good they might seem. Don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that God has blessed you with many good things of this world, when in the spiritual reality; it is the devil that has sidetracked you into loving the world and God’s creation instead of loving only God Himself. Be a hero for God’s kingdom and not for a temporary worldly kingdom.
As Christians we are called to fight, to preserve and expand God’s eternal kingdom, not physical kingdoms. The only way to expand God’s kingdom is to bring more souls into it. This is what God’s plan is. Is God’s plan also your plan? Are you willing to forsake even the temporary good things of this world in order to grow God’s eternal kingdom. God’s says we are to store up treasures in heaven. Well, the only things we can store up in heaven is our soul and the spiritual souls of others. There is nothing else that we can store or bring with us. No matter how good and/or amazing God’s created things are, the only things that enter His eternal kingdom are the spiritual things. So, if you are working to acquire God’s physical created things instead of His spiritual eternal things, then the devil has tricked you. We must not worship or desire the created things, but instead worship and desire the creator.
Michael W Reid
What Is Perfection
I have a good friend that asked me how a person can tell if someone is perfect or not. I thought it was a good question and maybe some others might wonder about this also. So I am sending on my response to my friend to all that might be interested.
“How can you identify when someone is perfect?” Good question. Most would not ask this question, because either they think of this as judging someone, or they don’t believe anyone can do this except God, or they are really fearful of knowing the answer.
To think and act perfect before God, a person must live totally by unselfish love. When a person lives by the love of God, they will automatically be holy and righteous. But the terms “unselfish love, holy, and righteous” can be defined in many ways other than by their true godly meanings. So how does perfection really look in a true born-again believer?
The perfected (sanctified/saint/born-again) believer:
Being perfect is when a person loves God with all their heart, soul, mind, body, and strength: Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. NIV Some might say “I do the second greatest commandment, which is: Mark 12:31 - The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ NIV If I do this second commandment, doesn’t that prove I love God by loving others?” The answer is NO. There are probably many people that think they love God by trying to please and love others the way they would want to be loved, but the way a selfish person wants to be loved is not the way God loves us or the way we need to love God. If anyone switches these two commandments around to be like: Love your neighbor with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love the Lord God as yourself. This is how some people might see how to love God, or what they might end up doing sub-conscientiously. People can easily have some form of a relationship with a real physical person, but how do they have a relationship with a God they can’t see or touch. So people resort to trying to love people instead of God. What does all this have to do with being perfect? Unless we FIRST love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; we cannot truly love others as God loves. If we try to love people without having God as our first love, then we will try to please others instead of giving them what they need. When we love others perfectly, we will help them with what they need and not necessarily with what they want. God’s perfect love doesn’t give people what they want, but instead gives them what they need. A perfect person will be willing to give the other person what they need, even when it might cost their relationship; whether the relationship be a spouse, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend.
A perfect person loves God above everyone and anything else. He/she will please their Father in heaven first, even if that love for God causes problems with others being displeased with them. If anyone is more concerned about pleasing someone else more than God, then their love is not perfect. Anytime anyone loves anything of this world, including people, more than God, then that worldly love will make them desire to please what they love instead of God. God’s perfect love is not about pleasing people, but doing what is best for His glory and their eternity. So a perfect person will have God first in their life, then people second, and then things and money after that.
Jesus tells us how to be perfect:
Matt 19:21 - Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." NIV
To understand God’s priorities of how to be perfect, we must read the sections of the verse above in reverse order. Our first priority is to follow Jesus Christ – “come, follow me.” Our second priority is to take care of people – “give to the poor.” Our last priority in life is to acquire wealth – “sell your possessions.” For most of us, having wealth will get in the way of following Christ. Also for most of us, getting to attached to un-perfected people will get in the way of following Christ – when we end up loving other people more than God.
A perfect person will not sin against God’s will. If any person is knowingly sinning against the good and right will of God, then they are not perfect. For they love someone or something else more than God. Their love for themselves, others, or things are really their God. God commands: Ex 20:3 - You shall have no other gods before me. NIV
A perfect person will not worship anything or anyone else other than God. A lot of people put other people up on a pedestal and worship them as higher than other men. One man is no better than any other man or women. The only one good is God. Any man/women can only be considered good if God is perfectly controlling their life. It is not the man/women that has any good value of their own, but only the good of God living in them. To be perfect, a person must consider themselves worth nothing and God worth everything.
A perfect person will always love what God loves and hate what God hates. They will hate evil (selfishness) and always love what is good and perfect. They will hate the sin of a person, but love the sinful person.
A perfect person will have no damming anger for another, but will always return good for evil.
A perfect person will always value the person and not the sex of the other person. Their sexual tendencies will always be overridden by the value they place on the other person. The pure love that a perfect person has, will always value the other person over their own sexual desires.
A perfect person will value other people and the other person’s possessions and not envy what the other person has. If anyone envies other peoples possessions, then they still are selfish and not perfect. The only thing a perfect person needs or wants is God Himself.
A perfect person never steals. Anyone that steals, even for food to eat, is not depending on God for all their needs. God is all we need and He will supply all our needs.
A perfect person never lies. Not even a little white lie. Perfection has nothing to hide. Anyone that lies is still of the devil’s spirit.
A perfect person fears nothing, for he/she knows God is in control of all things. If anyone fears anything, then they have not been made perfect yet. 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. NIV We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but after fully being made perfect by the fullness of God’s love, there is no longer any need to fear. A perfect person no longer has to fear God, because they have been made perfectly in Christ’s image (love) and have become one in Spirit with God. If a person is one in Spirit with God, then fear is gone. A person that is one with God cannot fear the perfect love that now fills every part of his/her heart and soul. There is no selfish left and Satan cannot touch him/her any longer because there is no selfishness left for the devil to tempt.
A perfect person always has the choice to return to sin, but since all selfishness has been defeated by God’s love, sin has no power over a perfected person.
A perfect person is a brother of Jesus Christ and is no longer under the priesthood of Christ. The priesthood of Christ is only for the sanctification process to enable a person to become perfect. During the perfection process, Christ is our High Priest, but after perfection Christ becomes our brother instead. A perfect person has the same Spirit of Christ and the spirit of the devil (selfishness) is gone.
Michael W Reid
“How can you identify when someone is perfect?” Good question. Most would not ask this question, because either they think of this as judging someone, or they don’t believe anyone can do this except God, or they are really fearful of knowing the answer.
To think and act perfect before God, a person must live totally by unselfish love. When a person lives by the love of God, they will automatically be holy and righteous. But the terms “unselfish love, holy, and righteous” can be defined in many ways other than by their true godly meanings. So how does perfection really look in a true born-again believer?
The perfected (sanctified/saint/born-again) believer:
Being perfect is when a person loves God with all their heart, soul, mind, body, and strength: Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. NIV Some might say “I do the second greatest commandment, which is: Mark 12:31 - The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ NIV If I do this second commandment, doesn’t that prove I love God by loving others?” The answer is NO. There are probably many people that think they love God by trying to please and love others the way they would want to be loved, but the way a selfish person wants to be loved is not the way God loves us or the way we need to love God. If anyone switches these two commandments around to be like: Love your neighbor with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love the Lord God as yourself. This is how some people might see how to love God, or what they might end up doing sub-conscientiously. People can easily have some form of a relationship with a real physical person, but how do they have a relationship with a God they can’t see or touch. So people resort to trying to love people instead of God. What does all this have to do with being perfect? Unless we FIRST love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; we cannot truly love others as God loves. If we try to love people without having God as our first love, then we will try to please others instead of giving them what they need. When we love others perfectly, we will help them with what they need and not necessarily with what they want. God’s perfect love doesn’t give people what they want, but instead gives them what they need. A perfect person will be willing to give the other person what they need, even when it might cost their relationship; whether the relationship be a spouse, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend.
A perfect person loves God above everyone and anything else. He/she will please their Father in heaven first, even if that love for God causes problems with others being displeased with them. If anyone is more concerned about pleasing someone else more than God, then their love is not perfect. Anytime anyone loves anything of this world, including people, more than God, then that worldly love will make them desire to please what they love instead of God. God’s perfect love is not about pleasing people, but doing what is best for His glory and their eternity. So a perfect person will have God first in their life, then people second, and then things and money after that.
Jesus tells us how to be perfect:
Matt 19:21 - Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." NIV
To understand God’s priorities of how to be perfect, we must read the sections of the verse above in reverse order. Our first priority is to follow Jesus Christ – “come, follow me.” Our second priority is to take care of people – “give to the poor.” Our last priority in life is to acquire wealth – “sell your possessions.” For most of us, having wealth will get in the way of following Christ. Also for most of us, getting to attached to un-perfected people will get in the way of following Christ – when we end up loving other people more than God.
A perfect person will not sin against God’s will. If any person is knowingly sinning against the good and right will of God, then they are not perfect. For they love someone or something else more than God. Their love for themselves, others, or things are really their God. God commands: Ex 20:3 - You shall have no other gods before me. NIV
A perfect person will not worship anything or anyone else other than God. A lot of people put other people up on a pedestal and worship them as higher than other men. One man is no better than any other man or women. The only one good is God. Any man/women can only be considered good if God is perfectly controlling their life. It is not the man/women that has any good value of their own, but only the good of God living in them. To be perfect, a person must consider themselves worth nothing and God worth everything.
A perfect person will always love what God loves and hate what God hates. They will hate evil (selfishness) and always love what is good and perfect. They will hate the sin of a person, but love the sinful person.
A perfect person will have no damming anger for another, but will always return good for evil.
A perfect person will always value the person and not the sex of the other person. Their sexual tendencies will always be overridden by the value they place on the other person. The pure love that a perfect person has, will always value the other person over their own sexual desires.
A perfect person will value other people and the other person’s possessions and not envy what the other person has. If anyone envies other peoples possessions, then they still are selfish and not perfect. The only thing a perfect person needs or wants is God Himself.
A perfect person never steals. Anyone that steals, even for food to eat, is not depending on God for all their needs. God is all we need and He will supply all our needs.
A perfect person never lies. Not even a little white lie. Perfection has nothing to hide. Anyone that lies is still of the devil’s spirit.
A perfect person fears nothing, for he/she knows God is in control of all things. If anyone fears anything, then they have not been made perfect yet. 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. NIV We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but after fully being made perfect by the fullness of God’s love, there is no longer any need to fear. A perfect person no longer has to fear God, because they have been made perfectly in Christ’s image (love) and have become one in Spirit with God. If a person is one in Spirit with God, then fear is gone. A person that is one with God cannot fear the perfect love that now fills every part of his/her heart and soul. There is no selfish left and Satan cannot touch him/her any longer because there is no selfishness left for the devil to tempt.
A perfect person always has the choice to return to sin, but since all selfishness has been defeated by God’s love, sin has no power over a perfected person.
A perfect person is a brother of Jesus Christ and is no longer under the priesthood of Christ. The priesthood of Christ is only for the sanctification process to enable a person to become perfect. During the perfection process, Christ is our High Priest, but after perfection Christ becomes our brother instead. A perfect person has the same Spirit of Christ and the spirit of the devil (selfishness) is gone.
Michael W Reid
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