The Story & More - with Nancy Jackson

How to Avoid Falling Into Destruction in Your Life

15 min · 23. Juni 2026
Episode How to Avoid Falling Into Destruction in Your Life Cover

Beschreibung

How to Avoid Falling Into Destruction in Your Life Monday Meditations – Episode 3 Originally written August 22, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/22/1962/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/08/monday-meditations-2-timothy-316/] Today’s Meditation Verse: Proverbs 16:18  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. I love reading the Lexicon version of a scripture.  To me it reveals so much. For instance there is little variation in this scripture from translation to translation.  It pretty much says it like it is and in any language or culture it is pretty much the same. But just now as I was reading this verse in the Lexcon [http://biblelexicon.org/proverbs/16-18.htm] (the original Greek translation) I saw something that I had to meditate on for a bit.  Then I saw how obvious the original word was to our own modern terminology. That word is before.  In the Lexicon that word means faces.  We use that word often now.  She is facing an uphill battle. He is facing termination at work. They are facing the playoffs. We know this word so well. Let’s look at this week’s scripture again using the original word, facing. Pride causes you to face destruction, and a haughty spirit will cause you to face a fall. We know when we face something that it is coming, for sure.  Something that we face is something we know we will have to deal with. So this week when you meditate on this scripture know that the pride in your life will cause you to face with certainty, destruction and that a haughty spirit will cause you to face a fall. Wednesday Word Study – Episode 3 Originally written August 24, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/24/wednesday-word-study-pride/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/08/monday-meditations-2-timothy-316/] Pride  Proverbs 16:18 [http://bible.cc/proverbs/16-18.htm]Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. This is the Strong’s Greek Concordance Number 1347a [http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/1347b.htm] Transliteration: ga’own  Phonetic Spelling: (gaw’-ohn) Definition: arrogancy When I was studying this word I noticed that there were several Greek variations of this word.  I’ve selected the one used here in this verse. I was not surprised by the definition.  It is a word we all know well, and use often. But one thing I did learn when reading all the different words in the definition is the word – exaltation.  I had to stop on that one and think about it. Isn’t exaltation something that should be reserved for God?  You bet it is!  That is exactly why when we are prideful we are exalting ourselves and God will not, cannot stand for that.  Pride – self exaltation is what got Satan ejected immediately from heaven.  Go directly to earth, do not pass go, do not collect $200!!! I’ve added a bit of humor to this critically serious topic, but we do tend to snicker when we think about how quickly, with no debate, Satan was ejected from Heaven.  But we must see that this scripture is warning us that should pride, in any form, enter our behavior or attitude, we are certain to face destruction as well. If that thought makes you shudder the way it did me, then evaluate your life and your attitudes towards others today to see if even the slightest morsel of pride has crept in.  If it has, immediately eradicate it before you too are facing certain destruction. Friday Finale – Episode 3 Originally written August 26, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/26/the-destruction-of-pride/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/12/led-or-driven/] This week the Monday Meditation and Wednesday Word Study focused on the word pride.  I myself have been meditating on what I would write for this blog for some time.  There are so many things I could talk about in regards to pride and all would be good, but space is limited and I sincerely want to write about what I believe is on the heart of God for the moment. As I was re-reading through various scriptures pertaining to the subject, this one stood out to me and in a moment brought into focus what I was to write about today. Romans 12:3 3) For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Pride is arrogance and when we are prideful we are puffed up and exalt ourselves over others and God.  Upon hearing the word we all immediately have thoughts of pride where someone is bragging about something they have done, have consistently arrogant behavior and in general, someone who looks down at others with disdain. We all have someone, maybe more than one person, come to mind when we hear the word.  Prideful people are people we do not like to be around.  We would all generally agree that pride is NOT a Godly attribute and one that those following after Christ should guard against fervently. But… I’ve seen more arrogance and pride in the so called body of Christ than in most other places.  And it not only shames me, but sincerely grieves me. When we become born again and become a true child of God inheriting not only His love but all that the inheritance provides emotionally, physically and materially, we develop a new found sense of status.  We ALL know, or should know that it is not from our works or from what we have done, but simply from the merciful and graciously loving heart of Father God. Yet just like a child born into a wealthy family, bloated with status and influence, they are born with a sense of position that was not obtained from anything they themselves had done.  But it does not stop the arrogance and sense of pride. Now let me write a brief disclaimer here.  I know that not all wealthy people are prideful and arrogant.  There are many who are humbled by the very knowledge of their good fortune. But my point is to paint a picture here.  There is something about becoming a new Christian that makes all the dark clouds roll away and we feel as though we can suddenly see clearly.  There is hope and joy and for a moment it all seems so very simple, life that is. I can look back as a baby Christian and see all the damage I unknowingly did.  I had all the answers.  It was simple, you just did not sin, you just tithed, you just did what you knew was right to do.  It was just that simple.  And I was arrogant about it.  It all just seemed so easy to me ...

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Episode Friday Finale | But Do You Really Believe? – Episode 4 Cover

Friday Finale | But Do You Really Believe? – Episode 4

Friday Finale – Episode 4 Originally written September 2, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/09/02/but-do-you-believe/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/12/led-or-driven/] But do you believe? Mark 11:23 23) “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 2 Corinthians 12:2 2) I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3) And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4) was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. I Samual 17:49 49 [http://bible.cc/1_samuel/17-49.htm]) And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. Joshua 14:6 6 [http://bible.cc/judges/14-6.htm]) The LORD's Spirit came over him. With his bare hands, he tore the lion apart as if it were a young goat. Acts 8:39-40 39 [http://bible.cc/acts/8-39.htm]) When they had stepped out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official joyfully continued on his way and didn't see Philip again. 40 [http://bible.cc/acts/8-40.htm]) Philip found himself in the city of Azotus These men, and many more, experienced dunamis.  The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.  On the Wednesday Word Study this week I wrote about the word dunamis and that the very word describes supernatural power we are meant to receive from the Holy Spirit.  Supernatural powers that remind us of the cartoon super heroes of our youth.  Supernatural strength,  powerful precision, being transported from one place to another, going up into the heavens and seeing supernatural visions, and the ability to move entire mountains with just our faith alone. I do believe that we were meant to be God’s super heroes!  We were placed in this world to do all that is necessary to rescue others, bring them to Christ and disciple them.  In this world of evil and persecution we have not lived up to this calling. Do you believe today that you are called to experience the dunamis of the Holy Spirit?  Do you believe today that the people of this world need us to experience the dunamis of the Holy Spirit to be God’s superhero in their life? If you have been concentrating on growing your faith in the areas of daily provision and health, you are spending time believing for something that God has already promised.   Luke 12:22-32 22) Then Jesus said to his disciples, "So I tell you to stop worrying about what you will eat or wear. 23) Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 24) Consider the crows. They don't plant or harvest. They don't even have a storeroom or a barn. Yet, God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds. 25) "Can any of you add an hour to your life by worrying? 26) If you can't do a small thing like that, why worry about other things? 27) Consider how the flowers grow. They never work or spin yarn for clothes. But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers. 28) That's the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it's alive, and tomorrow it's thrown into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith? 29) "Don't concern yourself about what you will eat or drink, and quit worrying about these things. 30) Everyone in the world is concerned about these things, but your Father knows you need them. 31) Rather, be concerned about his kingdom. Then these things will be provided for you. 32) Don't be afraid, little flock. Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. We need to focus our faith on the distressed on this earth and grow our faith to believe that God will infuse us with Holy Spirit dunamis as needed on a daily basis to be His superheroes in this world.  Seek first the kingdom of God, that is a supernatural kingdom, and all the other provisions will be provided. My prayer today is not that I’ll have enough money, food or health, but that I will be infused with dunamis in order to help others, be God’s superhero whenever and wherever He needs me.  I believe that we are needed today as much as, if not more than ever before.  But are you willing? Do you believe?   This study is a culmination of this week’s Monday Meditation and the Wednesday Word Study. By drilling down on specific scriptures and then specific words, we can begin to gain a better understanding of the Word of God and therefore apply it to our lives more accurately. The Friday Finally episodes take both the Monday Meditation and Wednesday Word Study and pull them together for an overall teaching to equip and train us for a more Godly and beneficial life.   Shop all versions of my novels here: Shop Here [https://nancyjacksonauthor.com/collections/novels] My Media Website: NancyJacksonPodcast.com [https://nancyjacksonpodcast.com/] Check out my website: NancyJacksonAuthor.com [https://www.nancyjacksonauthor.com/] Follow me here: Substack: https://nancyjackson.substack.com/ [https://nancyjackson.substack.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor [https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor] Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAJackson [https://twitter.com/NAJackson] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/najackson/ [https://www.instagram.com/najackson/] Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson [https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyJackson [https://www.youtube.com/@NancyJacksonAuthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en]

26. Juni 20267 min
Episode Wednesday Word Study | Power – Episode 4 Cover

Wednesday Word Study | Power – Episode 4

Wednesday Word Study – Episode 4 Originally written August 31, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/31/2200/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/08/monday-meditations-2-timothy-316/] Power Original Word: δύναμις, εως, ἡ  Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine  Transliteration: dunamis  Phonetic Spelling: (doo'-nam-is)  Short Definition: might, power, marvelous works  Definition: (a) physical power, force, might, ability, efficacy, energy, meaning (b) plur: powerful deeds, deeds showing (physical) power, marvelous works. 1411 dýnamis (from 1410 [http://strongsnumbers.com/greek/1410.htm] /dýnamai, "able, having ability") – properly, "ability to perform" (L-N); for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord's inherent abilities. "Power through God's ability" (1411 [http://strongsnumbers.com/greek/1411.htm] /dýnamis) is needed in every scene of life to really grow in sanctification and prepare for heaven (glorification). 1411 [http://strongsnumbers.com/greek/1411.htm] (dýnamis) is a very important term, used 120 times in the NT. As a people we are drawn to power or the display of power.  From early childhood we are enamored with super heroes and the great and mighty deeds they did.  We all secretly wished we could do those things too! We were also taught that those things were fiction.  There isn’t such a thing as a super hero.  People can’t fly.  People can’t stop bullets with their bare hands, people can’t walk through walls.  So we abandoned the thought of being a super hero. But this word dunamis is just exactly that – supernatural power.  The Holy Spirit came to bring us His power; God’s power and ability into our lives.  We’ve not lived it because we have not believed it.  Believe today that you were meant to receive, posses and use dunamis in your life. DUNAMIS:   physical power – force – might – ability – efficacy – energy – powerful deeds – deeds showing physical power – marvelous works. Maybe we really were meant to be super heroes.   Each Wednesday I will be posting a Wednesday Word Study to further elaborate on a significant word from the previous Monday’s Meditation episode. On Mondays I focus on one verse to meditate on for the week. On the Wednesday after I drill down to look at one specific word to gain further information and knowledge. Then on the following Friday I will post a teaching pulling it all together. Each week will provide a thorough study into a verse, a word, and then the overall concept.   Shop all versions of my novels here: Shop Here [https://nancyjacksonauthor.com/collections/novels] My Media Website: NancyJacksonPodcast.com [https://nancyjacksonpodcast.com/] Check out my website: NancyJacksonAuthor.com [https://www.nancyjacksonauthor.com/] Follow me here: Substack: https://nancyjackson.substack.com/ [https://nancyjackson.substack.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor [https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor] Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAJackson [https://twitter.com/NAJackson] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/najackson/ [https://www.instagram.com/najackson/] Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson [https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyJackson [https://www.youtube.com/@NancyJacksonAuthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en]

24. Juni 20262 min
Episode How to Avoid Falling Into Destruction in Your Life Cover

How to Avoid Falling Into Destruction in Your Life

How to Avoid Falling Into Destruction in Your Life Monday Meditations – Episode 3 Originally written August 22, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/22/1962/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/08/monday-meditations-2-timothy-316/] Today’s Meditation Verse: Proverbs 16:18  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. I love reading the Lexicon version of a scripture.  To me it reveals so much. For instance there is little variation in this scripture from translation to translation.  It pretty much says it like it is and in any language or culture it is pretty much the same. But just now as I was reading this verse in the Lexcon [http://biblelexicon.org/proverbs/16-18.htm] (the original Greek translation) I saw something that I had to meditate on for a bit.  Then I saw how obvious the original word was to our own modern terminology. That word is before.  In the Lexicon that word means faces.  We use that word often now.  She is facing an uphill battle. He is facing termination at work. They are facing the playoffs. We know this word so well. Let’s look at this week’s scripture again using the original word, facing. Pride causes you to face destruction, and a haughty spirit will cause you to face a fall. We know when we face something that it is coming, for sure.  Something that we face is something we know we will have to deal with. So this week when you meditate on this scripture know that the pride in your life will cause you to face with certainty, destruction and that a haughty spirit will cause you to face a fall. Wednesday Word Study – Episode 3 Originally written August 24, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/24/wednesday-word-study-pride/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/08/monday-meditations-2-timothy-316/] Pride  Proverbs 16:18 [http://bible.cc/proverbs/16-18.htm]Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. This is the Strong’s Greek Concordance Number 1347a [http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/1347b.htm] Transliteration: ga’own  Phonetic Spelling: (gaw’-ohn) Definition: arrogancy When I was studying this word I noticed that there were several Greek variations of this word.  I’ve selected the one used here in this verse. I was not surprised by the definition.  It is a word we all know well, and use often. But one thing I did learn when reading all the different words in the definition is the word – exaltation.  I had to stop on that one and think about it. Isn’t exaltation something that should be reserved for God?  You bet it is!  That is exactly why when we are prideful we are exalting ourselves and God will not, cannot stand for that.  Pride – self exaltation is what got Satan ejected immediately from heaven.  Go directly to earth, do not pass go, do not collect $200!!! I’ve added a bit of humor to this critically serious topic, but we do tend to snicker when we think about how quickly, with no debate, Satan was ejected from Heaven.  But we must see that this scripture is warning us that should pride, in any form, enter our behavior or attitude, we are certain to face destruction as well. If that thought makes you shudder the way it did me, then evaluate your life and your attitudes towards others today to see if even the slightest morsel of pride has crept in.  If it has, immediately eradicate it before you too are facing certain destruction. Friday Finale – Episode 3 Originally written August 26, 2011  posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/26/the-destruction-of-pride/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/12/led-or-driven/] This week the Monday Meditation and Wednesday Word Study focused on the word pride.  I myself have been meditating on what I would write for this blog for some time.  There are so many things I could talk about in regards to pride and all would be good, but space is limited and I sincerely want to write about what I believe is on the heart of God for the moment. As I was re-reading through various scriptures pertaining to the subject, this one stood out to me and in a moment brought into focus what I was to write about today. Romans 12:3 3) For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Pride is arrogance and when we are prideful we are puffed up and exalt ourselves over others and God.  Upon hearing the word we all immediately have thoughts of pride where someone is bragging about something they have done, have consistently arrogant behavior and in general, someone who looks down at others with disdain. We all have someone, maybe more than one person, come to mind when we hear the word.  Prideful people are people we do not like to be around.  We would all generally agree that pride is NOT a Godly attribute and one that those following after Christ should guard against fervently. But… I’ve seen more arrogance and pride in the so called body of Christ than in most other places.  And it not only shames me, but sincerely grieves me. When we become born again and become a true child of God inheriting not only His love but all that the inheritance provides emotionally, physically and materially, we develop a new found sense of status.  We ALL know, or should know that it is not from our works or from what we have done, but simply from the merciful and graciously loving heart of Father God. Yet just like a child born into a wealthy family, bloated with status and influence, they are born with a sense of position that was not obtained from anything they themselves had done.  But it does not stop the arrogance and sense of pride. Now let me write a brief disclaimer here.  I know that not all wealthy people are prideful and arrogant.  There are many who are humbled by the very knowledge of their good fortune. But my point is to paint a picture here.  There is something about becoming a new Christian that makes all the dark clouds roll away and we feel as though we can suddenly see clearly.  There is hope and joy and for a moment it all seems so very simple, life that is. I can look back as a baby Christian and see all the damage I unknowingly did.  I had all the answers.  It was simple, you just did not sin, you just tithed, you just did what you knew was right to do.  It was just that simple.  And I was arrogant about it.  It all just seemed so easy to me ...

23. Juni 202615 min
Episode Monday Meditations | Acts 1:8 – Episode 4 Cover

Monday Meditations | Acts 1:8 – Episode 4

Monday Meditations – Episode 4 Originally written August 8, 2011 posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/29/monday-meditations-acts-18/ [https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/08/monday-meditations-2-timothy-316/] Today's Meditation Verse: Acts 1:8 8But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth. I became born again when I was 13 years old. I had known, walked with and loved the Lord for many years prior, but realized at 13 that I needed to be born again. I attended a denominational church at that time that focused on salvation and very little else. I had such a heart for the Lord and yet I still felt like there was something more, something else I was missing. Then on Thanksgiving night in 1977 a co-worker who had become a friend whom had also began to mentor me spiritually led me to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. On that night I received, from true hunger the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. My life was never the same again. A fire was birthed in me, an undeniable passion for Christ that was insatiable and continues to this very day. Many years ago while reading in the Amplified Bible I noticed the paragraphs in verse 8. The word that stood out to me was the word 'efficiency'. For many years I had been amazed at just how much more I was able to accomplish than any of my other co-workers. I did my work, quicker, better and with much more professionalism than anyone else.  It was so noticeable that I was asked by my manager to speak to the entire department at the national meeting on why I was so successful. I knew, and told him, that my success was only because of the Lord working in and through me. But I still had to speak at the national meeting about the steps I took to do my work. The number one comment I received from everyone was that what I did, was just too much work! But what they didn't realize was that I was able to accomplish much more in much less time than they did because of the efficiency of the Holy Spirit in my life. When I read this scripture and saw the word efficiency I finally had biblical proof that my ability to work efficiently had been totally and completely due to the power that I had received from the Holy Spirit.  When you say you do not have enough time to do this or that, or to even spend time with the Lord, you are wrong! Spend time with Him ask for the Holy Spirit power and you will receive the power that gives efficiency. Your work will become so efficient that it will get done better in a fraction of the time. Rest in the Spirit. Don't work harder, work smarter with the power of the Holy Spirit! Each Monday I am going to be having 'Monday Meditations'. I hope to bring to you each Monday a verse to mediate on for the week. This is not for memorization, but to think about and to dwell on. The word meditate, in the bible, means to mutter. So this week as you go about your life, think about and mutter to yourself the verse for the week and think about how it applies to your life. Meditating on a verse will bind it to your spirit and it will become part of you! The more of the Word you meditate on, the more it will transform you into the image of Christ! Shop all versions of my novels here: Shop Here [https://nancyjacksonauthor.com/collections/novels] My Media Website: NancyJacksonPodcast.com [https://nancyjacksonpodcast.com/] Check out my website: NancyJacksonAuthor.com [https://www.nancyjacksonauthor.com/] Follow me here: Substack: https://nancyjackson.substack.com/ [https://nancyjackson.substack.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor [https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor] Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAJackson [https://twitter.com/NAJackson] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/najackson/ [https://www.instagram.com/najackson/] Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson [https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyJackson [https://www.youtube.com/@NancyJacksonAuthor] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nancyajackson?lang=en]

22. Juni 20264 min
Episode Archive Story | Religion - A Dead Man Walking - Episode 16 Cover

Archive Story | Religion - A Dead Man Walking - Episode 16

Archive Story Episode 16 Originally written March 1, 2023 Religion - A Dead Man Walking Sometimes I say things that shock people. Saying that religion is still, after thousands of years, standing in the way of God fully doing what he wants to do on this earth may be shocking to many people. But I am completely honest in making that statement, and it is our fault. Listen to my professionally narrated audio books and other podcasts here: AUDIO BOOKS & ALL PODCASTS [https://www.nancyjacksonpodcast.com/]. We Alone Are To Blame Religion is divisive. It puts boundaries around opinions, thoughts, and ideas, of what a group of people determine is right and it excludes everyone else that does not believe exactly that way. Of course, if the 'others' will change to thinking and believing their way, then they will be included. Once the myriad of boundaries are in place, then the walls are constructed and boom, bob's your uncle, you have what we call a church. And we have literally thousands upon thousands of them across the globe. Each one perpetuating their own brand of religion and they will die defending that they are right, and the only ones that are. Don't Be Tempted to Discard What I am Saying Yes, I am on a soapbox. I've felt this way for a very long time and I feel quite at a loss of what to do. It is honestly my number one prayer request. That God would supernaturally destroy those religious walls in a radical explosion of his mighty power. That we would stop with our diehard desire to be right at all costs, and the cost is high. Being right, if we even are, will not save a person from an eternity away from God. Being right will not help the homeless, feed the hungry, and tend to ANY in need. We would rather choose to die on the hill of our own opinion than venture out from behind those walls and join hands with others who do not agree with us. Being Right Doesn't Matter Putting aside our petty differences and joining hands in unity will accomplish what God has ordained for us to do. And the truth is that none of us is completely right. We have all been given, by divine design, a piece of the truth and only by uniting can we have the whole. But that takes us daring to have an open mind and, at the very least, listen to others in other 'religions'. Listening will not taint your belief system, but the Holy Spirit may take that opportunity to reveal to you another facet of his dimension that you never knew before. Dare to Listen to Those Who Do Not Agree With You Many boxed religion buildings, otherwise called churches, do a measure of community outreach and ministry. If it is done with a genuine hunger to love those in need that is great. If you have an ulterior motive such as to 'get them into your tidy little group', then you have already failed. We must eliminate the desire to fill our four walls, increase our bank rolls, and brag about how many 'we' have. But, these religious walls are concrete obstructive barriers that keep more out than will ever come in. They segregate the kingdom of God and forbid unity. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to" (Matthew 23:13) We can do quite a bit separated into our small boxed religious buildings, but I have a dream of unity, where we all come together with only one agreement - Jesus is Lord. When I think of the possibility of what we could do and how our world would change, I salivate from eagerness. The Kingdom of God Will Take Over Reading and re-reading the bible from front to back, it is clearly evident that God's plan is and always was to get us back to the garden where his glory reigned and there was unity. His kingdom is meant to unite into one body upon which he is the head. In the last few decades I have seen the ekklesia grow more and more in unity, but there is still too much dissension. Too much jealousy and backbiting. I Corinthians 3:1-9 1) And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2) I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, 3) for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? 4) or when one person says, "I am with Paul," and another, "I am with Apollos," are you not ordinary people? 5) What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6) I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7) So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8) Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9) For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. NAS We See Us - God Sees Us in Jesus However, even with increased unity in many areas, the trend which the hardcore naysayers and criticizers of others in the body, have grown more vicious and rabid in their detrimental hammering of others they deem as heretics. They are hungry to tear down others in the body at any cost, only because they believe differently than the way they do. And they are angry. They declare them the enemy and that they must be of the devil. To them, that makes what they are saying and doing right. But no one who says Jesus is Lord does so aside from the power of the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. NAS We Are Not the Holy Spirit We must stop trying to perfect others that Christ himself sees redeemed in Jesus. We are all on a different journey to our salvation in Christ Jesus. It is dangerous for us to meddle and try to force another journey on others. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. Phillipians 2:12 & 13 12)So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13) for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure. NAS We label our own selves, which highlights our disunity. I am a ______ (insert any denomination). Since I was young, I always wondered why anyone would define themselves by their segregation within the body rather than defining or labeling themselves simply a Christ follower, or a Christian. Our Words Should Never Bring Condemnation Social media, as much as I love it, has given a platform to those who want to rail against others in the kingdom of God. Their excuses are plentiful and meant to justify any criticism they so desire to fling out into the world. But there is nothing Christ-like in these actions. And it pushes more people away from the body of Christ than it will ever pull in. Matthew 12: 33-37 33)"Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.

22. Juni 202610 min