Friday, September 18, 2020

Things God Will Never Do

In this "never" series, I have covered God's "never" promises to the wicked, as well as His "never" promises to the righteous. I have also covered what we as righteous followers of Jesus should never do. Today I want to remind you of the things God will never do. Aside from the fact that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2), here are several more things He will never do.

He Will Never Stop Doing Good To His Covenant People
"I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me." (Jer 32:40)

He Will Never Drive Away Sincere Seekers
"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." (Joh 6:37)

He Will Never Count Your Sins Against You, if You Repent and Ask Forgiveness in Jesus' Name
"Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them." (Rom 4:8). The key is you have to repent of your sin and ask forgiveness from God in Jesus' name. Then He will never count those sins of yours against you.

He Will Never Leave Nor Forsake You
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deu 31:6)

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deu 31:8)

"No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Jos 1:5)

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb 13:5)

He Will Never Blot Out The Overcomers' Names From The Book Of Life
"The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels." (Rev 3:5)

He Will Never Let The Righteous Be Shaken
"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." (Psa 55:22)

He Will Never Forget The Needy
"But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish." (Psa 9:18)

He Will Never Curse The Ground Or Destroy All Living Creatures
"The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done." (Gen 8:21)

He Will Never Let Days And Seasons Cease As Long As Earth Endures 
"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (Gen 8:22)

He Will Never Again Destroy All Life With A Flood
"I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." (Gen 9:11)

"I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." (Gen 9:15)

He Will Never Forsake His Inheritance
"For the LORD will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance." (Psa 94:14)

He Will Never Forgive The Blasphemy Of The Holy Spirit
"...but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin." (Mar 3:29)

He Never Fails And His Love Never Fails
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." (1Co 13:8)

His Compassions Never Fail
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." (Lam 3:22)

His Covenant With David (Jesus) Will Never Fail
"I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail." (Psa 89:28)

His Word Will Never Pass Away
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Mat 24:35; cf. Mar 13:31; Luk 21:33)

His Dominion Will Never End
"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end." (Dan 6:26)

"He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Dan 7:14)

His Kingdom Will Never End
"...and He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; His kingdom will never end." (Luk 1:33)

Closing Words
I hope this has been an encouragement to you to remember God's faithfulness, His enduring kingdom, His power, and His love.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Who is God?, Who is God Part II, Our God is an Awesome God, Hide and Seek with God, and God Forgives and Forgets. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: The Top Ten Things Jesus TaughtLiving a Life Worthy of the LordThe Wardrobe of the SaintsFollowing in His Steps, and Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Things You Should Never Do

In my last two posts, I explained the "never" promises to the wicked and to the righteous. Today as part of that series, I want to remind you of the things you should never do if you are a saint who is following Jesus.


Never Follow A Stranger
"His sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." (Joh 10:4b-5)

Never Use Flattery

"You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness." (1Th 2:5)

Never Tire Of Doing Good

"And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good." (2Th 3:13)

Never Stop Teaching And Proclaiming The Good News

"Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah." (Act 5:42)

Never Be Lacking In Zeal

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Rom 12:11)

Never Boast, Except in The Cross

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Gal 6:14)

Never Let His Word Depart From Your Mouth

"Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws." (Psa 119:43)

Never Forget His Precepts

"I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life." (Psa 119:93)

Never Let Love And Faithfulness Leave You

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." (Pro 3:3)

Closing Words

In summary, some of the things we should never do, according to the Bible include the following: never follow a stranger, never use flattery, never tire of doing good, never stop teaching and proclaiming the Good News, never be lacking in zeal, never boast, except in the cross, never let His Word depart from your mouth, never forget His precepts, and never let love and faithfulness leave you.

As a companion to this article, you are invited to read my "Always" post and the other articles in this "Never" series.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Sins That Will Keep You From HeavenThe Top Ten Things Jesus TaughtLiving a Life Worthy of the Lord, Keeping a Good Conscience, and Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The "Never" Promises to the Righteous

 In my last post, I explained the "never" promises to sinners. If you have never repented and given your life to Jesus Christ, then please go back and read that post. Or if you once knew the Lord and you have returned to sin, then go back and read that post, because until you repent and get your life right with God, the promises to the righteous do not apply to you. Instead you are subject to the same promises that God has given to all the wicked. But if you are walking in the Light, in fellowship with the Lord, and you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then all the promises below are for you.

A Treasure That Will Never Fail
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." (Luk 12:33)

An Inheritance That Can Never Perish
"...and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you..." (1Pe 1:4)

Never Thirst
"...but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (Joh 4:14)

Never Hunger
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (Joh 6:35)

"Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat." (Rev 7:16)

Never Walk In Darkness
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (Joh 8:12)

Never See Death
"Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death." (Joh 8:51)

"...and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (Joh 11:26)

Never Perish
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." (Joh 10:28)

Never Be Put To Shame
As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame." (Rom 9:33)

As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." (Rom 10:11)

Never Stumble
"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble," (2 Pe 1:10)

Never At The Bottom
"The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom." (Deu 28:13)

Never Be Shaken
"...who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken." (Psa 15:5)

"Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever." (Psa 112:6)

Never Forsaken Or Begging For Bread
"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." (Psa 37:25)

Never Be Uprooted
"The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land." (Pro 10:30)

Closing Words
I hope this has been an encouragement to you that you have these promises in God's Word that you can claim for yourself.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: The Afflictions of the Righteous, God Exalts the Humble and Brings Down the Proud, . You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The "Never" Promises to Sinners

There are many promises in the Bible, but today I want to highlight just a few of them that pertain specifically to sinners. When the Bible refers to sinners or the wicked, it is referring to those who have never known the Lord Jesus Christ as well as those who have known Him but went back to their sin.

He Will Say to Them, "I never knew you."

The first promise I should mention is that Jesus promised He would say something very terrifying to all evildoers one day. It is something that nobody would ever want to hear Him say to them. Jesus said, "Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Mat 7:23). There are two very terrifying things about this. First, that He will say, "I never knew you" to such people, even those who thought they were doing so much for Him in His name, including operating n the supernatural. Secondly, He will say, "Away from Me" or "Depart from Me!" When He says that, the wicked will immediately be thrown into hell for eternity, which is the most terrifying thing that could ever happen to you.

Their Fire Never Goes Out in Hell
The reason why being thrown into hell is the most terrifying experience is that it is a very scary place, even scarier than the scariest horror movie you have ever seen. There is no escape from hell either. Hell is forever, and there is no way to get out. Here are some of the descriptions of it that Jesus gave, in which He promised what would never happen in hell:

"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out."(Mar 9:43, NIV)

"[where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.]" (Mar 9:44, NASB)

"If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.]" (Mar 9:46, NASB)

"If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." (Mar 9:48, NASB)

Please do not go to that terrible place! Don't go to hell! There is a way out, so that you don't have to go there. The Way is Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

He Will Never Drive Away Sincere Seekers
We have a sure promise from Jesus that He will never turn away anyone who sincerely comes to Him, seeking Him. 

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." (Joh 6:37)

If you come to the Lord humbly and sincerely, seeking mercy from Him, He will never drive you away.

They Will Never Enter His Kingdom Unless They Change and Become Like Little Children

When I say the Lord will never turn you away, if you sincerely seek Him, I mean that you have to change and become like a little child when you do so. And that is how you have to remain throughout your entire life, remaining humble and childlike until you die and go to heaven. 

Jesus said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don't, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."(Mat 18:3).

This is the only way to enter the kingdom of heaven. If you don't enter this way, then you will never enter heaven. This promise is so important that it was repeated in the three synoptic gospels, Matthew Mark, and Luke (Mt 18:3; Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17).

Closing Words
Everyone will stand one day before the judgment seat of Christ. And the wicked are promised that He will say, "I never knew you. Depart from Me!" They will be cast into hell where the fire never goes out.

But aren't you glad that Jesus came to seek and save the lost? He said that He will never drive away those who come to Him. But you will never enter the kingdom unless you change and become like little children. Do you want to know Him? Please see my article below on how you can know Him personally as your Lord and Savior.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: The Top Ten Things Jesus TaughtLiving a Life Worthy of the LordThe Wardrobe of the SaintsFollowing in His Steps, and Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

What We Should Always Be Doing

There are several things that the Bible says we should always be doing. I have found at least twenty-two of them in Scripture. Let's take a look at God's Word and see what they are.

Always Pray
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luk 18:1)

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."  (Luk 21:36)

Always Do What Pleases the Lord
"The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." (Joh 8:29)

Always Keep Your Conscience Clear
"So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." (Act 24:16)

Always Do As Love Does
[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1Co 13:7)

Always Give Yourselves Fully to the Work of the Lord
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1Co 15:58)

Always Being Given Over to Death for Jesus
"For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body." (2Co 4:11)

Always Confident
"Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord." (2Co 5:6)

Always Giving Thanks to God for Everything
"Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:20)

Always Pray in the Spirit
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Eph 6:18)

Always Rejoice in the Lord
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Php 4:4)

Rejoice always, (1Th 5:16)

Always Full of Grace
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Col 4:6)

Always Strive To Do What Is Good For Each Other
"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else." (1Th 5:15)

Always Be Gentle
"...to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone." (Tit 3:2)

Always Be Prepared to Give an Answer
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," (1Pe 3:15)

Always Keep Your Eyes on the Lord
"I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psa 16:8)

Always Be Mindful of God's Unfailing Love
"...for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness." (Psa 26:3)

Always Extol and Praise the Lord
"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." (Psa 34:1). We never take a vacation from praising God.

"For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good." (Psa 52:9)

Always Have Hope
"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Psa 71:14)

Always Seek His Face 
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." (Psa 105:4)

Always Do What is Right
"Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right." (Psa 106:3)

Always Obey God's Commandments
"I will always obey your law, for ever and ever." (Psa 119:44)

Always Trust God
"Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psa 62:8)

My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. (Psa 119:20)

Closing Words

Therefore, based on what we have read in God's Word, there are certain things we must always do. To summarize them, we should always pray, always do what pleases the Lord, always keep your conscience clear, always do as love does, always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, always being given over to death for Jesus, always be confident, always give thanks to God for everything, always pray in the Spirit, always rejoice in the Lord, always be full of grace, always strive to do what is good for each other, always be gentle, always be prepared to give an answer, always keep your eyes on the Lord, always be mindful of God's unfailing love, always extol and praise the Lord, always have hope, always seek the Lord's face, always do what is right, always obey God's commandments, and no matter what, always trust God. May the Lord help us to do so. Amen.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, The Wardrobe of the Saints, Following in His Steps, and Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Sins of Omission

In my previous post, I wrote about sins of ignorance.  In this post I would like to explain sins of omission, which can either be committed knowingly or unknowingly.

James wrote: "If anyone, then, knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for him." (Jas 4:17)

If you read Matthew 25, you will see that beginning in verse 31 Jesus spoke of the coming judgment when He will separate the sheep from the goats. You may already be familiar with that passage, but let me point out that the goats were guilty of committing sins of omission. He told them:

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'" (Mat 25:41-43)

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' (Mat 25:44).

They may not remember ever seeing Jesus hungry, thirsty, a stranger, needing clothes, sick, or in prison. But here is what the Lord will tell them:

"He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Mat 25:45-46)

So if you don't believe it's possible to commit sins of omission, then this passage proves you wrong. The goats will most certainly be guilty of sins of omission. 

On the other hand, the sheep are the ones who do meet people at their point of need and show mercy, feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the one who is thirsty. visiting the sick and those in prison, etc. And whenever they do it for the least of these His brethren, they have done it unto Him. 

Let's repent, brothers and sisters, for our sins of omission, as well as our sins of commission.Let's repent for the both kinds of sin, whether we did it knowingly or unknowingly in ignorance. Let's ask the Lord to put it all under the blood of Jesus and cleanse us white as snow. Let's have a total change of mind about those sins. Then he will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and we will hear the Master say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."


Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.The image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Sins of IgnoranceAsk for the Ancient PathsSins That Will Keep You From Heaven, The False Gospel of Eternal Security, and Repentance That Leads to Life. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Sins of Ignorance

I want to talk to you about sins of ignorance. By sins of ignorance, I mean sins that you commit unknowingly and unintentionally. Everyone commits sins unknowingly, and we could divide everyone into two categories like this.

First, there are those who don’t know they commit sins of ignorance. Very few people actually know that they can commit sins unknowingly. Then on the other hand are the people who do know that they sin unknowingly.

Just like in the field of Calculus mathematics, there are things you don’t know; but you don’t know the things that you don’t know. There are those who say that “ignorance is bliss.” The people who don’t know that it is even possible to commit sin unknowingly don’t care, since they don’t know. This is especially true of those in the "Once Saved Always Saved" (OSAS) camp.

On the other hand, people who know that it is possible to commit sins of ignorance can ask the Lord to reveal to them anything hidden in them that must go (e.g. sins of omission, as well as sins of commission). If you don’t know about the sin, you can’t do anything about it. So the first step is to ask the Lord to reveal those particular sins to you that you are not aware of.

But what you need to do before and after the Lord reveals to you those sins is to repent of them, and ask God to forgive you. The difference is that before you know what they are, you need to repent generally of them, but once the Lord reveals to you specifically something in your life that is displeasing to Him, then you can repent for it specifically.

Ask for deliverance from those sins. God is holy, holy, holy. You probably thought God’s standard was high when you read the Old Testament, but you find it’s even higher when you read the New Testament. The theme of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7) is “Be perfect even as My Father in heaven is perfect,” as found in Matthew 5:48. Jesus taught that we can commit sins in our hearts and thoughts, such as adultery by lusting in your heart, or murder by hating someone.

You should repent of your sins of ignorance daily. Specify “sins of ignorance” when you repent. Ask God to show you your hidden faults. A pastor I know of once prayed for his daughter for the Lord to reveal her mistakes to her so that she could repent. That's a good way to pray for yourself and for others as well.

Why would God allow people to commit sins of ignorance? He’s bound all men over to disobedience, so that He can have mercy on them. There are those who think they are sin-free, but are committing sin unknowingly. Those who don’t care about sins of ignorance don’t do anything about them. God allows them to go to hell even though He is not willing (i.e., it is not His desire) that any should perish but that all would come to repentance.

It is important to ask God to take sin away from you -- out of your life, because you cannot overcome it in your own strength. Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing." One who really knows and loves God will ask Him to reveal sins to him and will repent even before they know specific ones. As Christians, we should seek the Holy Spirit, and then we will have the mind of Christ so that He can reveal unknown sins to us.

If you’re praying through the Bible, God can show you your sins through the Word. God has expectations of us. He expects us to pray, seek Him, read the Bible, and repent. We should stay in repentance. Everyone needs to repent and believe. We must repent daily. As the Scripture says:

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2Ch 7:14)

If you acknowledge that there is sin in your life, confess it to God, repent of it, ask Him to forgive you, and trust Him through Christ's finished work on the cross to do so, then you will make it to heaven. Even if you are trying to be the best Christian, you’re still committing sin. We must be doers and not just listeners of the Word. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mat 7:21).

When people commit sins of ignorance, God will judge them with regard to why they didn’t know. People who commit sins of ignorance may not read the Bible, or if they do, they may not read the Old Testament, and thus they don’t see the verses that God put there to warn them about sin (such as tattoos in Lev 19:28). Or if they do read the Old Testament, perhaps they don’t believe that what they’re reading is relevant for today, and they don't think it applies to our lives today, which is the sin of unbelief. The sin of unbelief is a very serious sin (Heb 3:12, 18-19; 4:1-2).

People who sin unintentionally will still go to hell even if they didn’t know. The Old Testament made provision for sins of ignorance (Lev 4:1-2, 13, 20, 22, 26, 27, 31, 35b; 5:17-19; Ezek 45:18-20). Jesus has also made provision for sins of ignorance. He wants us to claim that atonement.

"If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible." (Lev 5:17)

It’s actually easier (in my opinion) to commit sins unknowingly than to commit sins knowingly. That’s because you don’t know what you don’t know. We may be committing sins unknowingly, because we learned them from our parents. That's why parents are supposed to be a good example and not cause the little ones to stumble. But even if your parents set a bad example for you, the fact is that you are still responsible for your soul. You ultimately must give an account before God.

It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'" So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." (Rom 14:11-12)

And elsewhere it says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2Co 5:10)

Likewise the Bible tells us, "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead." (Ac 17:30-31)

I hope this has helped you see the seriousness of sins of ignorance, because it is possible to commit them. You will be held accountable for them, unless you repent.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Sins of OmissionIgnorance is Not BlissAsk for the Ancient PathsSins That Will Keep You From HeavenThe False Gospel of Eternal Security, and Repentance That Leads to Life.. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Global Prayer Meeting


Please join us for a Christian, global prayer meeting on Monday, April 20, 2020. In 12 locations of the world it will be on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. We will pray for one hour beginning at the time listed below, so that all participants will be praying simultaneously throughout the world during that hour.

How to Pray
Pray with your spirit and with your understanding. Pray to our Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ His Son. Pray in your own language and in tongues.

Main Prayer Points
Pray for the following three main prayer requests:

God's Kingdom to come
His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven
To forgive our sins as we repent and forgive others

Secondary Prayer Points
Here are the secondary prayer points:

For Jesus to reveal Himself to everyone with COVID-19
That everyone with COVID-19 would call upon Jesus' name and be saved
That everyone with COVID-19 would call upon Jesus' name and be healed
For Jesus to reveal Himself to all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients
That all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients would call upon Jesus' name and be saved and strengthened

You can print the prayer points here at this link.

Time and Date
Here are the start times and dates, depending on your region of the world: Times and Dates.

If for some reason beyond your control you cannot join us at the appointed time for that hour, then please plan to pray during the hour before or the hour after the prayer meeting.

Invite Others
Please share the link to this post on social media, via email, and word of mouth to those you know. Please let people know they can use Google Translate to translate this page into their own language. It is located in the lower left-hand column of this web page.

We hope you will join us!

Preparation
While you are preparing for the meeting, here are some things you may like to read that are relevant:

Stay at Home and Seek the Lord
If My People Who Are Called by My Name
Coronavirus: Origin, Reason, and Remedy
Economic Turmoil Worldwide
This Pales Compared to What's Coming
The Gift of Speaking in Tongues
Keys to Prayer
Prayer Promises

Pass the Word -- Invite Others!
Since the link to this page is banned as abusive content on Facebook, please post the following link instead: Global Prayer Meeting Invitation.

Confirmation
Less than an hour after the prayer meeting ended on April 20, 2020, I received the following comment from a sister in San Antonio, Texas USA named June, whom I had invited to the meeting:

"Dear brother in Christ! I live in San Antonio, TX - so I prayed at 10:00 am today and just finished my prayers!!! And I would like to share with you what happened during this global prayer meeting!  As you know brother I have awake visions during my prayers to Christ- So this is what I experienced- 10 min before praying - I got scratched my a demonic force on my left arm and left side of my face... This I understand is a demonic force trying to prevent me from praying. I had to plead the blood of Christ our Lord Jesus for protection during this prayer.... Once I started praying- I experienced great visions from our Lord Jesus! And felt the Holy Spirit greatly!!! Our Lord Jesus showed me holy writers in Heaven writing down this event - Letting me know that this prayer event was very important!!! The Lord Jesus showed me many lighted candles  during our prayers - letting me know that many that have our candle burning bright are praying to Him and He is listening!!!! Also before ending our prayer meeting, I saw many lamps with oil- And the the lamps that I saw in my vision were very old oil lamps from a long time ago- not the oil lamps of today. The Lord is letting us know that our lamps are lit and full of oil... Dear brother - Yes indeed this global prayer meeting did have the holy anointing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus and He did hear our prayers and it is written... I pray that you will find these words encouraging and thank you for inviting everyone to this very important global prayer meeting!"

Praise the Lord for that confirmation! Please share this with all those whom you know who participated. Here is sister June's video where she placed that comment.

Author's Note: You may also visit our Home page for this blog, or access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Stay at Home and Seek the Lord

At this unprecedented time, the whole world is staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, which I have written about in my article Coronavirus Origin, Reason, and Remedy. This has caused a major economic crash globally, which I have also written about in Economic Turmoil Worldwide. This is a time of great shaking in the world. We all need some encouragement and direction regarding what to do at this time, so let me share with you some Scriptures that will provide that for you.

When God Shakes the Land
First of all, the Psalms are full of encouragement about hard times, and one of them says:

"You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us; you have been angry—now restore us! You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking. You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered." (Psa 60:1-5)

When God shakes the land, so that it is quaking, and shows the people desperate times, giving them wine that makes them stagger, there is hope for the saints of God who fear Him. He has raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. We should cry out to Him to save us and help us, so that those He loves may be delivered.

Enter Your Rooms, Shut the Doors and Hide Yourselves 
Then there is a passage in Isaiah that seems to fit perfectly this moment that we're all in together. It says:

"Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until His wrath has passed by. See, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer." (Isa 26:20-21).

That's great biblical advice for what to do during this quarantine period. We who are the people of God should enter our rooms and shut the doors behind us; we should hide ourselves for a little while until His wrath has passed by. The ungodly scoff at the notion of God's wrath or a plague like this being God's wrath, but this is what the Bible teaches us. For more on this see End Time Plagues.

What is the Lord doing at this time? See, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The shaking is necessary to dislodge sin and idolatry. There has been much innocent bloodshed, and the earth will now reveal the blood shed on it; the earth will no longer conceal her slain.

The coronavirus pandemic (with it's accompanying economic collapse) is just one of many things that are going to happen to shake the earth. As of the time of this writing, the pandemic has infected more than 3.6 million and killed 251,838 people worldwide (latest count here). And there are going to be many more slain. The Case Fatality Rate in the UK is currently 98.1%! Worldwide it is 25.7%. Italy has experienced over 17,000 deaths already, and the US has experienced almost 14,000, but there could be multiplied millions more deaths before this is over. After the first spike that we're in now, there will likely be subsequent spikes later, such as in the fall and in 2021. Therefore, we should take this seriously.

The good news is that this period of staying in our homes won't last forever. We will eventually be allowed back out. The passage in Isaiah above says that it is "for a little while".

Come, You Who Have No Money
As I said, the economic impact from this crisis has been severe. People are out of work, going hungry, they have no money, the supply chain is experiencing major disruptions, there are food and supply shortages (which is essentially a famine), and people are becoming desperate. What should we do? The Lord says:

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David." (Isa 55:1-3)

What a perfect verse for us at this time for those who have no money. If you have no money right now, you should be very encouraged by this, because the Lord is calling those who have no money to come to Him and buy from Him without money and without cost.  He promises that we will delight in the richest of fare. It reminds me of what Jesus said to His disciples when He told them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." (Joh 4:32). He went on to say, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." (Joh 4:34)

The Lord wants to make an everlasting covenant with those who take Him up on this invitation and come to Him.

Seek the Lord While He May Be Found
This crisis is a perfect time to seek the Lord. You no longer have the excuse that you have to work and you are too busy. You are at home now and there is plenty of time to seek the Lord. The non-essential places are closed where people normally go for entertainment and fun, so there are fewer distractions. Seek Him now at this time while He may still be found. There may come a time soon when it becomes so chaotic that you cannot seem to find Him in the midst of it (see here), but this is your opportunity to get alone with Him in your prayer closet. It's not time to be playing games and filling up your time with useless distractions.

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." (Isa 55:6-7)

It's time for everyone -- those who know the Lord and those who don't know Him -- to stop doing the things of the world, repent, pray, and seek the Lord. Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved. God loves you and is calling you to Himself right now. Don't miss this opportunity! He will have mercy on you and freely pardon your sin.

Protection During Passover
In one sense, this plague resembles the deadly plague that God brought upon Egypt, in which He sent the death angel to kill the firstborn male child of each household. But the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and put its blood upon their homes, specifically upon the doors and doorposts. They were to stay inside their homes that were covered by the blood of the lamb, and when the death angel would come, it would see the blood there upon it, and it would pass over that home, sparing the life of the firstborn male child in it.

Likewise, as we stay in our homes during this time of the Passover feast (April 8-16th), we should cry out to the Lord for the blood of Jesus to be upon our homes, upon the doors and doorposts, and upon each person within our homes. Name each one inside your home. If they have repented of their sins and invited Jesus to come and live inside their hearts, then His blood is upon them. You can ask the Lord for the covering and protection of His blood, and He will protect you. 

The Passover Lamb was a type of Jesus Christ, who is the true Lamb of God, and His blood saves us from death and hell. For more on this, please see my article, The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ.

Claim the Promises of Psalm 91
You should also pray a personalized version of Psalm 91 each day over yourself. Make it personal. For example, pray, "I dwell in the secret place of the Most High. I abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Surely He will save me from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover me with His feathers, and under His wings I will find refuge; his faithfulness will be my shield and rampart. I will not fear the terror of night,  nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at my side, ten thousand at my right hand, but it will not come near me. I will only observe with my eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. I make the Most High my dwelling --- even the Lord, who is my refuge -- so no harm will befall me, no disaster will come near my tent. The Lord will command His angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways. He will protect me, for I acknowledge His name. With long life He will satisfy me and show me His salvation."

It's important to note that these promises are only for those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Ps 91:1). There is an amazing aspect of God's Kingdom called "abiding in Christ", which we see illustrated in various ways in Scripture, including the way that Noah and his family went into the ark and stayed there until the wrath of God had passed. For more on this, including other examples from Scripture, see my article, Abiding in Christ Illustrated.

Closing Words
I hope this has been an encouragement to you, during this time of unprecedented shaking, to go into your rooms, shut the door, hide yourself for a little while, and seek the Lord while He may be found. Buy from Him without money and without cost. Call on Him while He is near. Ask for the precious blood of Jesus to be upon you, your loved ones, and the house you dwell in.

Get yourself ready for the rapture. Be like the five wise virgins that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 25, who go and buy oil to fill up their extra flasks with it in preparation for the bridegroom's coming. Get filled with the Holy Spirit. Make your preparations now, before the next major cataclysm happens and before the Lord comes with the clouds of glory. He is coming very, very soon!

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Author's note: You may also want to read my other related posts:

Economic Turmoil Worldwide Coronavirus: Origin, Reason, and Remedy Are You Rapture Ready?
If My People Who Are Called by My Name This Crisis Pales Compared to What's Coming The Seven Seals Being Opened in Real Time
Seeking the Lord The End Has Come Abiding in Christ Illustrated
The 311 Moment Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ Synching Up the Seven Seals with the Gospels

You may also visit our Home page for this blog, or access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org