Marketplace Evangelism Today

God is Love

God is Love (1 John 4:7-12)

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

Yes friends, God is love. In 1 John 4:7-12, we are instructed that since God is love, we are to love one another. It is implied that those who do not love does not love God, nor do they know Him. The reasoning is that if they knew God, they would know that God is love.

Through God’s love, He made manifest among us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. God did not send His Son into the world because we loved Him, but because God loved us so very much that He sent His Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins. Therefore, if God loved us this much, we ought to love one another. Since no one who is living now has ever seen God, if we love one another, then that is a sign that God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

The love of our Heavenly Father for His own Son is the source that binds all believers together as a family. By our Heavenly Father who has willfully given us His only Son, He has introduced us to perfect love and eternal life. By Christ Jesus coming into the world, He turned His Father’s righteous anger away from us and Jesus satisfied God’s justice in our place. Jesus did this to fulfill God’s love for us.

We should be comforted that God does love us so very much that He was willing to send His only Son as a living sacrifice for the redemption of our sins. If we say that we love God, then we must love one another as Christ loved us.

One of the most important commandments that Jesus told us was to love God with all our hearts, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. Matthew 22:37-39). And if we have love for our neighbor, then we love God. If we do not have love for our neighbor, then we do not love God.

Once you invite Jesus into your heart, the Helper which is the Holy Spirit will live in you and help you with your faith. He will teach you. Your life will start to change. Your hatred for others will dissipate and through the Holy Spirit, you will have love for those who have hurt you and ridiculed you. You will have the love of Christ Jesus in you. That is how you can love others. I pray that you will find the peace and love of God only found through a relationship with Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I ask that you forgive me of my sins and those who I have sinned against. Please help me to forgive others as I have been forgiven. I ask that you help me to love others as you have loved me. Amen.

Watching Horror Films and other TV Shows Can Open You Up to Demonic Influences

Recently, on Instagram, a man was in a video talking about Demonic influences from watching horror films. He said that sometimes in these horror films, the producers of the film will introduce Satanic rituals, sayings, curses, and witchcraft. He was correct in all that he disclosed.

The same holds true for other films, TV programs, and secular music. For instance, in films that have sex or a lot of cursing, after listening to those words over and over, the demonic forces can infiltrate your mind, and you might be alone one day and start to hear these curse words in your mind. I know of someone this has happened to.

Watching sexual relations on film or TV can allow demonic activity into your home through a Jezebel spirit. You may think that you are mature and think that you can handle this, but there was a reason that Jesus said that looking at another woman and having lustful thoughts is committing adultery. See Matthew 5:28.

Watching these films and TV shows that promote sexual sin, perversion, and opening your mind to satanic rituals and witchcraft on film, is a dangerous endeavor. It can lead to demonic oppression and possession.

The Bible says that we should seek to live holy lives that are pleasing to God. Look at Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” In Ephesians 4:27, we are not to give any opportunity to the devil.

Our Heavenly Father gave us His ways to live by. See Leviticus 19:31, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.” Opening your mind up to these things are dangerous and will make a person who follows Christ Jesus unclean.

The filmmakers in Hollywood do not have your best interest at heart. They produce some of the most vile things which are abominations to God. We are to stay away from such things. Stop watching filth and evil on your TV’s and devices. By doing do, you are opening your minds up to negative influences which are demonic in nature.

If you have done this or are currently doing it now, stop it! Repent from these things. Ask forgiveness that you have done these things. Renounce them to the Lord and pray that the Holy Spirit will live in you daily.

I am going to tell you that unless you are serious and determined, if you are addicted to watching this stuff, Satan isn’t going to just let you go. He already has been influencing your life through these films and movies. You must plead the Blood of Jesus over yourself. Ask a Bible believing Christian to pray for you and over you.

These influences are of the spiritual world. If you have been taking this stuff in over the years, you may not be able to break away so easily. I know of professing Christians who got addicted to porn and it took a great deal of prayer and counseling for them to finally break away and walk upright and righteous with Jesus.

I will pray for you that you will stop allowing sin in your homes, that you will turn all of your life over to Christ Jesus. Stay away from evil. Don’t allow it in your homes. Repent and turn from this wickedness. Jesus will forgive you if you ask.

Clean Hands, Clean Heart

Yesterday, while washing my hands before eating at a restaurant, a thought came into my mind. As I looked down at my hands, I thought about the work my hands have done throughout my life.

I have not always lived for Jesus. I remembered how my hands were used in my sin nature. No matter how often I washed my hands, the sin nature would always be there. I could not make myself clean.

Then I thought of Pontius Pilate and how he washed his hands after condemning Jesus to be crucified on the cross. See Matthew 27:24, “So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”

The fact is Pilate was not innocent as he had no authority to wash his own sins away. Symbolically, he thought he was innocent, but he was the one to order the death of Christ Jesus, and there was nothing to take that stain of sin off his hands.

The same is with us. Without true faith in Christ Jesus, all the sins we have committed are on our own hands. Our dirty rotten sin nature is caused from an evil heart, which is full of vile thoughts and sin.

In order for the heart to be cleansed, and to be made righteous through Christ Jesus, one must turn from their evil ways, believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, and they will be saved. Belief without true life changing works is dead. If one truly comes to the saving grace of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will come into our lives as promised by Jesus. The Holy Spirit will teach us and convict us when we sin again.

If one says they believe, but there is no change in their life, and they continue sinning like the way they have always sinned, then I would say that they are not following Jesus, because when one truly comes into the saving grace of Jesus, there will be evidence that their life is starting to change. They will not desire to continue sinning.

Look at James 2:14-26, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Issac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Once the heart is cleansed through Christ Jesus, then the Holy Spirit seals you. Your heart is cleansed from sin and now your hands are cleaned. You have been washed clean through the blood of Jesus. He died on the cross to save you and me of our sins.

The gift of everlasting life is yours to take as long as you believe in Him. Jesus said in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Look at Romans 10:9-11, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Now look at Revelation 1:5b, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” It is only through Christ Jesus that all of our sins can be completely washed away. Jesus took all our sin on the cross with Him. In His death, our sins were forgiven. In His resurrection, we have life and have it more abundantly.

If you want clean hands, you must start with a heart cleaning. Faith in Christ Jesus and repentance from your sins will cleanse your heart and then you will have clean hands. You will be washed in the blood of the lamb. I pray that you will turn over your heart and your life to Him today.

Roofing Storm Chasers are Coming!

As many of you know, not only am I involved in ministry, but I also own an independent insurance agency. Our agency sells a lot of homeowners insurance, and we feel confident that we have insured our clients correctly. We made sure that when we sold our clients, they had all the extra endorsements to take care of wind damage in the event of a major storm.

This weekend, a tropical storm will most likely hit the area. The meteorologists are forecasting that this storm will have some significant hail. Hail can cause major damage to your roof. I want to assure you that we will be there when you need us most!

I also want to warn you about out of town roofing storm chasers. Some of these contractors may be legitimate, but there are always certain individuals that do the most ungodly things to people who have major damage to their property.

Unfortunately, what comes after these storms are roofing contractors from out of town. We call these contractors storm chasers. Please beware of Roofing Contractor Storm Chasers who are not located in Virginia or your state. Be careful who you decide to do business with. If they only have a business card but no office or location that you can confirm is legitimate, I suggest that you do not do business with them.

There are many reasons why I issue you this caution. A few years ago, one of my clients used a storm chasing contractor. I had warned her not to use him because I could not verify him through any local companies. The out-of-town contractor took all of the insurance money and then did a sub-par repair to her roof and siding. He left and was unable to be found. Unfortunately, the insurance company is only going to pay once for storm damages per claim. She came back and wanted the insurance company to issue her a new check, but it was too late. The contractor cashed the check that she wrote him, and the money was gone. She was a victim of an unscrupulous contractor. The insurance company will not pay twice.

Don’t become a victim of being scammed. There are several things that you can do to verify these contractors. To avoid problems, I would only use a Virginia Licensed Contractor is who insured and will issue you a Certificate of Insurance proving they have insurance. You may send me a copy of the certificate and I will be more than happy to verify insurance for your contractor on your behalf. A local contractor who has been in business for years would be my recommendation.

Here are the tips to verify a contractor.

Get the Contractors Name and company name. I can call the Commonwealth of Virginia on your behalf to verify if this contractor is in good standing with Virginia. If he or she is not, then I would not use them.
Call the company to verify that the person you are speaking with is with that company. Look the company number up on Google. Look at their Google Reviews. If they have a bad review, stay away.
Obtain a Certificate of Insurance from the Contractor. If he or she hands you a copy of his or her policy, ask for a Certificate of Insurance be sent from their insurance agent to you listing you as a Certificate Holder. (Remember that I will call the insurance company listed on the Certificate on your behalf to make sure they are really insured.) If they hand you a policy and you do not verify that the policy is in force, then you may have a problem as the policy could be cancelled.
Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if said contractor has any complaints. If they do, look at the resolutions done by the contractor. Do not do business with a contractor that has bad reviews with no positive resolutions.
If the contractor cannot be verified as legitimate, then please don’t do business with them. As I mentioned before, I would only do business with a licensed Virginia Contractor who is insured.

By doing these simple checks, they can save yourself much grief in case you hire a bad contractor.

Let’s discuss why you need a Certificate of Insurance. By obtaining a certificate, this is a legal document which a licensed insurance agent will issue. This describes coverages. You want a contractor who carries General Liability with Products and Completed Operations. If that contractor puts a sub-par roof on, you may have recourse against the contractor by filing a claim against his insurance. As I mentioned, I will call the insurance company to verify coverage for you. This is a service that I do for all my clients.

I pray that we will not see any significant damages, but if we do, we will be there when you need us most! I will be praying for all my clients and friends.

The Key to Success

Recently, I saw someone post on Facebook the following message, “The Key to success is to Put God First. Matthew 6:33.” Now, I do agree that I have found success in my faith walk, when I put God first, when I embrace Christ Jesus and all that He did for me on the cross, that is the KEY to my Salvation, which is belief on the Lord Jesus Christ, and I will be saved. But is what I just mentioned the real intent of the original post? I do not think it is.

I have seen writings from the prosperity gospel preachers that will say, the key to your success is to “Put God First.” But how does one measure success? What did Jesus mean when he said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Exactly what will be added to you?

First, let us understand that Matthew 6:33 is not talking about success of becoming wealthy. One Scripture taken out of many means that this Scripture may have been taken out of context. This was the last Scripture verse of many. I will provide you with the context of what is being discussed by Jesus. Let us look at the entire passage taken from Matthew 6:25-34. In the Bible, the subject matter is titled “Do Not Be Anxious.”

Do Not Be Anxious

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.³⁴“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Now tell me, did you see anything in the above Scripture passage that discussed success or wealth? Neither did I. The passage discusses that we, as Followers of Christ Jesus, should not be anxious about anything in life. God will provide for us what is needed. According to the notes in the Reformation Trust Bible, “Anxiety over the uncertainty or scarcity of resources to sustain physical life reveals a faltering faith in the Father’s care for His children. Confident prayer, with thanks is the antidote.”[1]

The passage says that we should not be anxious or worry, that the Father will provide food and clothing for us. He is the source of what is provided to sustain us in life.

The conclusion is this, we must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things such as food and clothing and shelter, will be provided to us. According to the concordance notes, “seeking the kingdom of God means that we must repent of our sins, and we make God’s Redemptive Rule, repentance, and desire a right relationship with Him. These are the highest priorities of our lives. Worry is inconsistent with this priority; its doubts distract from these supreme goals. God will meet all the needs of those who risk all for Him.”[2]

The phrase “The key to my success is to put God first” is correct, but in the context of only when we consider that success is not monetary gain. We have success in Christ Jesus when we repent from sin and follow Him and risk it all for Him, by doing so, our Heavenly Father will supply all our needs to feed us and clothe us. We should not worry about tomorrow because God has this for us! He will provide what we need to survive today.

Reference:

[1] The Reformation Study Bible, Sproul, R.C. General Editor (Sanford, FL: The Reformation Trust Publishing, 2015) 1682.

[2] Reformation Trust Bible, 1682.

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Sexual Immorality is the Number One Sin that Can Destroy a Marriage!

Written by Joseph T. Lee for Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc.

Did you know that sexual immorality is the number one sin that can destroy a marriage? That is our opinion because of what the Bible says what will occur in the last days before the return of Christ Jesus. Now there are many great sins one can commit, but sexually immorality can lead to a diverse set of problems in a marriage that causes one to lie, be deceitful, have a secret sin, be unfaithful, have extra marital affairs, and sleeping with a prostitute. Lusting after another woman or man means that one is committing adultery in their heart according to Jesus (cf. Matthew 5:28-29).

Men and women, when you view pornography, you are looking upon another human being with lust in your heart. You are engaging in adultery of the heart. If you take it one step further and masturbate to these images, you have committed adultery if you are married or fornication if you are single, by proxy, meaning using masturbation, another substitute process to achieve the desired outcome of orgasm. By doing so while married, you have in fact cheated on your wife. You have in your mind and heart, lusted after another woman or man. You have in fact committed adultery in your heart and in your mind.

Here are some starling facts. According to Barna Research, there are over 40 million Americans who are regular visitors of pornographic websites. There are over 42 million porn sites on the internet. As of 2022, around 50% of families in the United States reported that pornography was a problem in their home. Pornography increases marital infidelity by over 300%. 56% of American divorces involve one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites. 70% of Christian Youth Pastors report that they have had at least one teen come to them for help dealing with porn in the last 12 months. 68% of church going men and over 50% of pastors view porn on a regular basis. Of young Christian adults 18-24 years of age, 76% actively search for porn daily. 59% of pastors state that married men seek help for porn use. 33% of women aged 25 and under search for porn at least one time per month. 13% of self-identified Christian women say they have never watched porn. 87% of Christian women admit to watching porn. 57% of pastors state that porn addiction is the most damaging issue in their congregation. 69% of pastors state that porn has adversely impacted the church.

As you can see, pornography leads to sexual immorality. There are many Scriptures speaking out against sexual immorality in both the Old and the New Testaments. It is mentioned in all the four gospels as well as in Paul’s writings. Jesus said that marriage is a holy union of a man and woman. See Matthew 19:5-6, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Once a man or woman starts to view pornography and the addiction starts, then the marriage is in trouble with the offender satisfying himself or herself by viewing images of other men and women. The offenders have defiled the marriage by committing adultery in their hearts and again by proxy while masturbating to images of naked people.

Why is there so much sexual immorality in our nation and world? I as well as other pastors believe that the demonic spirit of Jezabel has been released on this earth to roam and is influencing the hearts and minds of men and women. The Bible has spoken of Jezabel multiple times. She was a wicked queen and wife to an evil king named Ahab. She had a reputation of murder and sexual perversion and sexual immorality. A Jezabel spirit is of demonic influence and causes destruction in marriages through deception and seduction.

In the Book of Revelation 2:18-29, the Apostle John has had a vision of what is to come. Jesus is addressing the seven churches and mentions the following of the church of Thyatira.

“18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am He who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ -Revelation 2:18-29

The Church of Thyatira could apply to any Christian Church today. The fact that a Jezabel spirit can destroy marriages with the use of pornography and sexual immorality is awful. Demonic influences are helping men and women to destroy their marriages because these men and women are not truly grounded in the Word of God. With only 8% of Christians who read their Bible daily, no wonder there is so much sexual perversion and immorality in the Church as well as in the United States and all over the world. Reading your Bible daily will feed your mind with holy words from God. Once one becomes a true Christian, the Holy Spirit comes into your life to dwell in you to teach you as well as guide your life. He will help you recognize when you have sinned by conviction and encourage you to pray to God to ask for forgiveness of sins. But when a person starts to view wickedness, then those demonic spirits will start to influence you to lust and to sin. That is why it is so very important for young and as well as older married couples to read the Bible together and to pray together as well as pray alone.

I once knew a man who professed to be a Christian but did not lead in his family. He thought he knew it all and would not take advice from those who truly loved him and wanted the best for him in his spiritual life and marriage. He did not take the opportunity to lead his wife in Bible reading or study. Instead, he was more interested in the ways of the world, and he read books on other religions, got involved in occultic practices, and started viewing pornography. This man would go into another room to watch his porn, masturbate, and then denied his wife of love and affection. The marriage ended up failing and now they are divorced.

Those of you who have ears, let them hear. Repent of your wickedness. Pray and ask forgiveness to Christ Jesus for your sins and ask your wife or husband to forgive you. Turn back to Christ Jesus. Immerse yourself reading the Bible and praying daily. Pornography addition can be overcome through a dedicated commitment led by the Holy Spirit. If you must, seek counseling from a Christian counselor. Do not get yourself involved in such wickedness that you allow demonic influences to enter your life and into your marriage. I pray that you will turn back to God and confess your sins and seek forgiveness.

Credit: Barna Research

Photo Credit: Text Art

Grieving the Holy Spirit

Grieving the Holy Spirit

Written by Joseph T. Lee

As I lay here in bed, I started to think how we grieve the Holy Spirit. I just cannot imagine how Yeshua (Jesus) would feel when He see’s His children rebelling, suffering, and turning from Him.

Then the Lord reminded me of how when we grieve about things that have happened concerning loved one’s, our children, our parents, siblings, and spouses. It is because we love them that we grieve when something bad happens.

Now multiply that by an infinite amount of times and the grief is so overwhelming, that we cannot even comprehend it! When we grieve the Holy Spirit, we are in fact grieving Jesus as well as our Heavenly Father. Many times more than we can imagine!

Let’s look at what it says about how we should live our lives and not grieve the Holy Spirit, which sealed us when we came to Jesus.

Ephesians 4:17-32

The New Life

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Look at verse 30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

We were sealed and our name is written in the Book of Life. If we willfully sin, we are grieving the Holy Spirit. We are not to do that because there will be consequences of the spiritual realm as well as the physical. Grieving the Holy Spirit will affect your walk and relationship with our Heavenly Father. It will affect your spiritual fruits as well.

If you have fallen away (backsliding) and are grieving the Holy Spirit, ask Jesus to forgive you, repent which means stop doing whatever sin you are doing, and turn back to Jesus. He will forgive you.

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Causing Another to Sin: There Are Consequences

Causing Another to Sin: There Are Consequences

Written by Joseph T Lee

There are very serious consequences in causing another person to fall away from the Lord Jesus as well as causing them to sin. Matthew details this in Chapter 18, verses 1 to 6.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

In this section of Scripture, the Disciples were concerned about who was the greatest among them. They were so concerned about who among themselves will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus asked for a little child to be brought into his presence and he began to use the child as an analogy. He said that men and women should turn from their wickedness and have faith like a child so that they can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Then He went on to say that those that humble themselves like a child is the greatest in heaven. Whoever receives a Follower of Christ in Jesus name actually receives the Lord.

There was one more very serious point that He wanted to drive home and it was this. Whoever has come to believe in Jesus, and you cause that Follower of Jesus to sin and fall away from the faith, “it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” This was the strongest language Jesus used to indicate that there are grave consequences to causing Followers of Christ to sin, to fall away from the faith, to practice immoral practices.

We live in a society that is godless and unholy. There are so many abominations going on in the United States alone, I am surprised that our Heavenly Father does not punish our nation severely! I know that God is slow to anger, but there is so much immoral behavior, our nation no longer looks like a Christian nation, but looks more like Genesis 19.

The United States has made pornography legal among other abominations. “Every year, the pornographic industry in the United States produces $97 Billion Dollars of filth. Every second, $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography. (The Porn Pandemic written by Lyndon Azcuna) Pornographers and the actors who willfully act in these films and print are causing others to sin.

Satan loves to focus on the sexual immoral. He delights in causing the Children of Christ to fall away from the faith and causing them to sin against God.

Then there are people who do not know Christ but may tempt a weak Christian into sin. Although the baby Christian may have been following Jesus for years, they are not strong in the faith because they have not sought to move closer to Christ Jesus and are still on the milk as opposed to the meat of the Gospel. So a non-Christian comes along who has no morals, and they tempt the young believer in Christ with sex or an affair. They in fact have caused a “little one” in the faith to sin and fall away from the faith to participate in an abomination of God. Woe to the person who does this. They will be severely dealt with by God.

There is a passage in God’s Word that says that we should not be unequally yoked. Look at 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” Entering into a relationship with an unbeliever can be detrimental to one’s faith.

If you have believed and received Christ Jesus as your Savior, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as a Child of God. Then you enter into a relationship with an unbeliever, you most likely are entertaining the presence of demonic activity since the unbeliever is not a Child of God, and is still living in darkness and sin. There is no holy fellowship with light and darkness. Why would someone who has experienced the Light of Christ Jesus get involved with a person who is of the Darkness?

Having a relationship with those who do not love God with all their hearts, soul, and mind, means that you have willfully entered into a relationship with someone of darkness. This is willful disobedience to Christ Jesus and this itself can come with serious ramifications.

As true Christians, we are not to willfully participate in sin or allow others to influence us to sin. But if one who is not a Follower of Christ, but is in darkness causes a Follower of Christ to sin against the Father, then on the Day of Judgement, that person will be held accountable for every horrible deed they did while on earth.

For sexually immoral people to attempt to groom other people into their world of darkness and sin, and cause others to sin with them, there will be consequences that can be eternal. For the sexual immoral people, Satan is in control of their lives. Satan is the prince of this world but there will be consequences even for Satan at the end of this age.

Friends, if you know of someone who has been led astray, pray for them. There is power in the Name of Jesus. We are not fighting flesh and blood but we are in a spiritual warfare with darkness, with evil demonic spirits, with rulers of the air and principalities. These evil demonic spirits can be overcome through serious prayer and fasting. Before you go into this spiritual battle, put on the Full Armor of God as described in Ephesians 6. Then leave it up to the Holy Spirit to do His work.

Reference:

Being Fed

Being Fed

Written by Joseph T Lee

Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc.

One of the most enjoyable things I do now is to work in my backyard patio garden. I love planting the veggies and loving them by giving them the nourishment to blossom and grow into productive plants. Three of the veggies, we planted were from seeds. They will ultimately produce vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, snap beans, green peas, spud potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, and lemons from a lemon tree we have been caring for.

In order to get them to produce, we need to plant them in organic raised bed soil, feed them with the right amount of fertilizer and plant food, and give them just the right amount of water. I have a garden gauge that I can measure the soil to determine there are enough nutrients in the soil to feed them as well as measuring the soil for just the right amount of moisture.

In contrast, as I think about my garden, I also think about the men and women I come in contact with for Devine Appointments, and led them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

This reminds me of Matthew 9:35-38; “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

We, as Followers of Christ, must pour into others lives, to disciple them in the way they should live their lives. We are to teach them to read their Bibles and to pray, not just for themselves, but for others. Living a life of Christ is like being fed plant food by God. You get your nourishment from God by reading the Bible and praying. We are to teach those who have already come to Christ Jesus the same concepts. New Christians must be nourished so that they will have a deeper walk with Christ Jesus.

Photo Credit – Joseph T. Lee

The Triumphal Entry

The Triumphal Entry

Written by Luke

Luke 19:28-44

²⁸And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” ³²So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

⁴¹And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴²saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”