Soul vs Spirit

Is there a difference between the soul and the spirit?  To answer this question you must go to God's word.  The primary meaning of the words, soul and spirit is invisible force.  These two words are so closely related that it is hard to distinguish the difference between the two of them but there is a difference.

We are a spirit being, we live in a body and we possess a soul

^{1 Thessalonians 5:23} And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

^{Hebrews 4:12} For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In general you could say that the spirit is that which knows.

^{1 Corinthians 2:11} For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

And the soul is that which feels.

^{Job 14:22} But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

The spirit is what allows us to have an intimate relationship with God.  The spirit connects with God because God is a spirit.  

^{John 4:24} God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Our spirit is instantly reborn and made new the moment we accept Christ, but the soul is not born again. Our souls are transformed by the renewing of our minds:

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

^{Ezekiel 36:26} A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

^{2 Corinthians 5:17} Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I have a few more thoughts I want to get together and will update this post as I do.  Have a blessed day.

Kathy Wellman

RE:  King James Bible

Better be Ready!

God woke me up and gave me another day, I am thankful. Now the devil is telling me I am foolish to want to share a dream with any who would read it, but I'm going to share it anyway, because if the devil thinks it's foolish then it must be just the opposite because he is a liar. I dreamed last night that I was in a large crowd of people in a big beautiful building with lots of passageways. I knew many of these people but most were strangers to me. But it was a church gathering. They had food everywhere like a storage pantry. They were all getting ready to do a play of some kind and people all gathered in. I ask a lady what they were doing and she said oh, it's just a play, but then the children gathered around and started chanting something strange. I turned again and said what does that mean, what are they doing. These were supposedly christian people and she said,  it's just a play, the words are saying "Give it all to him, give it to the devil" but this is not for real it's just a play. I stood up and began rebuking them all in the name of Jesus and shouting to them that they should be ashamed to let their children be in such a play and the Holy Ghost came upon me and I began rebuking them in tongues and gathering my church children to leave that place. My cousin, Reba White was there and she began singing a song about Giving it all to Jesus as I was leaving.
I have never dreamed anything like this before that I can remember. I dream all the time and have since I was a child, but this is the first time I have felt that it had true meaning behind it and God was trying to tell me something for someone. Jesus is coming soon and we better get ready. No more pretending, we better be ready because in a moment, in the twinkle of an eye he will call his children home. Don't be in the middle of something that is "Just a play" and miss the real thing!!

kwellman

Today could be your last day!

God told us in his word to watch the signs, that his children would know when the time of his coming was close at hand. I believe that those times are today. You can see it on every hand. Men have become lovers of themselves, Christians are persecuted today in a country that once held God above all else, people have become blinded and are calling what is sin the right way. They murder our children through abortion by the thousands. God said his spirit would not always strive with man. One day he will say enough is enough and he will step out on the clouds of Glory and call his children home. That day could be today. If you thought today was your last day, would you seek his face? I believe God's children must leave this world in the rapture before many of the tribulations can come to pass, today could be your last. Jesus loves you and suffered a cruel death on the cross, taking your sins upon himself so that you would not have to suffer the horrible tribulations that are coming upon this world. All you have to do is accept him, love him and he will open his arms and wrap you in them and bring a peace to your life that is beyond all comprehension. Seek him today while he can still be found.

He is risen

God has blessed us to awake to another beautiful day. He loves us even though we are unworthy of that love. I am so thankful that he is a part of me and he knows my name. He said my sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not follow.... The Lord is my Sheppard!  May his blessings be yours on this Easter morning and may you hear his voice calling your name.

 John 3:16
(KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Acts 8:32
The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

Mathew 28: 5-7

 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

 Kathy Wellman

Re: King James Bible

Christian or Sinless Perfection

Christian perfection or Sinless Perfection is a doctrine whose beliefs stem from Methodism, which basically says that the heart of the born-again Christian may attain a state of holiness in which believers are made free from sin.

The doctrine is often associated with John Wesley,  the founder of Methodism from his understanding of sanctifying grace.  John Wesley deliberately avoided using the term "Sinless Perfection" but many others that follow his teachings have taken up using the term.

I believe that to teach someone that they can obtain a sinless state of perfection is a false doctrine that will lead many good people down a path of destruction.  We need to read God's word and understand that we will never reach a state of perfection while in the flesh. 

One scripture that you may see quoted to teach this doctrine is:
1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Jesus was the only man to ever live that was literally "born of God" and could not sin.   What I believe John is trying to teach us here is that if you are a true believer then your character will be like the one you believe in.  If you are a born again Christian then you will strive to live Christ like and his character will shine through.  You can tell a saint or a sinner by their actions.   You've probably heard the saying that actions speak louder than words, well in some cases they certainly do.

Another one is:
Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

If you read further you will see that the bible is not saying you will be sinless or perfect.  It is teaching us that Jesus offered himself for our sins and that if we keep his laws in our hearts and on our minds that he will not remember our sins and iniquities. 

Hebrews 10:16-17
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

1 Kings 8:61 teaches us to strive to be perfect.
1 Kings 8:61
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

We are to strive to be perfect, but Roman 3:10 teaches us that none are perfect. 

Roman 3:10

 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

This verse in Romans is teaching us that there is none righteous, none sinless, none perfect, no not one. 

1 John 1: 8-10 further teaches us that all sin at one time or another, but if we confess our sins, Jesus will forgive them.

1 John 1:8-10 
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The best proof that I can offer you to show that Christian Perfection or Sinless Perfection is a false doctrine can be found in:

1 John 2:1-2

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

And he is the propitiation for our sins:  and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

This scripture alone teaches us beyond a doubt that no one can reach Christian Perfection or Sinless Perfection in this life.  If it were possible then there would  be no need for Jesus Christ to be our advocate with the Father.

This is where people need to be reading their bibles and learning to rightly divide the word of truth.  Don't let someone give you a scripture and accept it until you read it in the context of the word and know it's true meaning.  Contrary to what some believe, the bible does not contradict itself.  There is a lot more that can be written on this subject, but I hope I have helped you in some way with what I have written.

Kathy Wellman

Re:  King James Bible

Keeping God's Word Alive

This morning I am thinking of the importance of keeping God's word alive in our lives.  Have you ever wondered just how much what you do affects what goes on in the lives of those around you?  If you are a sullen, sad person, it affects those around you and makes them unhappy.  If you are a happy person with a smile on your face, others are uplifted by your attitude.  I believe we should apply this concept to our everyday lives and how we keep God's word alive in our homes.  The bible teaches us that his word is to be a constant part of our lives.

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7
⁶ And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
⁷ And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 11: 18-19
¹⁸ Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
¹⁹ And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Children mimic what they see parents do.  They are like sponges soaking up water.  The bible teaches us that God's word should be talked about and taught to our children.  We are to teach his commandments to our children by obeying them ourselves.  We are to apply his word to every aspect of our lives and by doing so we are ensuring that our children will know to trust in God for all things and will do the same with their own children. I would love to see bible study taught in school, but it is not the school's responsibility to teach our children about God, it is not even the churches responsibility, it is the parents sole responsibility to teach our own children.  God placed them in our care and it is our responsibility to teach them about God and help them to become good, moral adults.  If we allow someone else to do what God said we should do, we are slacking in obeying God ourselves. 

Proverbs 22:6
⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

You can be sure that your children will learn all about sin from the world.  If they are not learning about God at home, then they are left with nothing but sin in their lives and the wages of sin is death. 

Romans 6:23
²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In order to keep sin out of our lives, we are to keep God's word alive in our hearts.  We are to pray without ceasing.  We may not be able to be in our prayer closets all day long, but we can have our minds upon the Lord.  We should keep a song in our hearts and talk about God's goodness at every opportunity.
1 Thessalonians 5: 15-18
¹⁵ See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
¹⁶ Rejoice evermore.
¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.
¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Act 12:5
⁵ Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

2 Timothy 1:3
³ I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

Author:  Kathy Wellman

Reference:  King James Bible

The "Lamb's" Book of Life

Is your name written in the Lamb's book of life?  Do you know when it was written down?  Can your name ever be blotted out of the book?  If you have ever ask yourself questions like this, then maybe this post will be of help to you. 

I will start with the first question.

Is your name written in the Lamb's book of life? 

I believe and the bible supports this belief that every person that is ever born already has their name written down in the Lamb's book of life.  (See next section on when was your name written down for references on this)
As you grow and mature if you accept Jesus Christ into your heart as Lord and Savior, then rest assured that your name will stay written down. 

In Luke, Chapter 10 the Lord chose 70 men and sent them out to minister to others, to heal the sick and teach others about the gospel of Christ.  When the 70 returned to him they were rejoicing because even the devils were subject unto them through the power of his name.  Little did they know that they had greater things to be rejoicing over. 

In Luke 10:20 he told them this.
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

We too have much to rejoice over.  If you are a born again Christian, then you should be rejoicing because your name is written down in heaven.  When he opens the book, he will see your name written there!  That is truly something worth rejoicing over!

Now let me move on to the next question. 

 When was your name written down? 

I have ask several people this question and have gotten the same answer every time I ask it.  Invariably the answer will be, when I got saved, but is that what God's word teaches us.  I went to the source of the truth for my answer.  The bible is the inspired word of God and it's there that I seek answers to all my questions.  The bible teaches me that our names were written down before the foundations of the world!!  Think about it, God knew your name before the world began!  That is something to rejoice about!

II Timothy 1: 8-9 teaches us this.
⁸ Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
⁹ Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Ephesians 1: 3-4 teaches us this.
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Revelations 17:8 teaches us this.
⁸ The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

There are many scriptures in the bible that teach us about the book of life.  God wrote our names there before the foundation of the world.  He looked ahead in time and knew your name!  He is worthy to be praised.

This brings me to my final question. 

 Can your name be blotted out of the book? 

The answer is YES it can.  It was never in God's plan for man to have his name blotted out.  Hell was not created for man, it was created for the devil and his angels, but God gave man free will and we make the decision to sin against God and cause our name to be blotted out of his book.  Moses walked and talked with God.  He loved the children of Israel so much that he was willing to have his own name blotted out of the book of life in order to save them.

Exodus 32: 31-34 teaches us this.
³¹ And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
³² Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
³³ And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
³⁴ Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

This teaches us that every person will answer to God for their own sin.  It is up to each one of us if our names stay written down or get blotted out.  In the end, during the great judgment day of the Lord, his books will be opened and those that were not worthy of the first resurrection  will all be judged according to their own works. 

Revelations 20:4-6 teaches us this.
⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
 ⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
 ⁶ Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelations 20:12-15 teaches us this.
¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
 ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
 ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
 ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Author: Kathy Wellman

Reference:  King James Bible

  
 
 

How do we worship God in spirit and in truth

Worshiping God in spirit and truth

The bible says in John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and
in truth.
How do we worship God in spirit and truth?   This is a good question and one that I hope to help you understand. 
In order to worhip in the spirit our worship needs to show reverance to God and bring glory to his name.

Hebrews 12:28 tells us:

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

You can show God reverance in several ways.  Have a smile on your face.  Enjoy the service and join in by giving him praise, singing songs, being attentive to his word.  Show him respect by not playing games, eating in his santuary, playing with the children or talking to the person sitting next to you.  Worship is Holy to God and  in order for our worship to be in the spirit and be acceptable to him, we need to be sincere in heart and strive to be holy.

Psalm 89:7 tells us:

God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
1Peter 1: 15-16 tells us:
 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

We should prepare ourselves to be in his presence by getting our thoughts upon him and when we walk into the  church we should  come in with praise on our lips and a song in our hearts.  We need to honor him by trying to always be on time for worship services and having our minds set only on lifting up his name. 

Psalm 47:6 tells us:
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

At all times our worship should be to glorify God.  He is the creator of all things and holds our very souls in the palm of his hand.  He loves his creation unconditonally and is deserving of all honor and praise.  He paid a great price that we might live with him eternally. We should strive at all times to live our lives to please him.  Others should be able to look at us and know that we are christians not only by our speech but also by our actions and yes, even by the way we dress.

I Corinthians 6:20 tells us:

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

2Corinthians 6:17 tells us:
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

1 Timothy 2: 8-10 tells us:

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

So far we have talked about how to worship God in spirit.  Now let’s take a look at worshiping him in truth.

He told us to worship him in spirit and in truth.  We know that the bible is the infallible word of God and what is written is truth.  Therefore in order to worship God in truth, we are to worship him according to his word. 
God is the same yesterday, today and forever and his truth is the same for everyone.  He is no respect of persons and what he expects from me, he also expects from you. 

Hebrews 13:8 tells us:

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.

Romans 2:11 tells us:

For there is no respect of persons with God.

There are many people today that think they can serve God any way the choose.  They believe that all they need to do is live good and do what they believe to be right. This is not God’s truth.  If we don’t apply the word of God to our everyday lives and live according to his word, we are not worshiping him in truth and we are placing our souls in jeopardy.

Proverbs 14:12 tells us:

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

2 Peter 1:3 tells us:

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Ephesians 5:17-19 tells us:
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

The last thought I leave you with is this, Jesus taught us the way to live pleasing to God.  His way is the only acceptable way and the only way to prove ourselves acceptable.  If we live and worship according to Christ’s teachings, we are worshiping in truth!

Mathew Chapter 5

¹And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

² And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

³ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

⁵ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

⁷ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

¹⁰ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

¹³ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

¹⁷ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

¹⁸ For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰ For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

²¹ Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

²² But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

²³ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

²⁴ Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

²⁵ Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

²⁶ Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

²⁷ Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

²⁸ But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

²⁹ And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

³⁰ And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

³¹ It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

³² But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

³³ Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

³⁴ But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

³⁵ Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

³⁶ Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

³⁷ But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

⁴² Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

⁴⁵ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

⁴⁶ For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

⁴⁷ And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

⁴⁸ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Author Kathy Wellman

References: King James Bible

What is LOVE?

If you ask this question of ten people you would probably get ten different answers.  Some might say Love is when a mother holds a newborn child for the very first time.  Others might say that Love is when a man loves a woman so much that she fills his every thought.  There would be a few that would say  God is Love.  These are all good answers, but to fully understand Love, we must embrace God and have a relationship with him. 

What I want to talk about is God’s love for mankind.  To me it defines what LOVE is.  This is a special kind of Love that I don’t believe can be compared to any other.  Most of us know the scripture

John 3:16

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We know the scripture, but have you ever really thought about the depth of love that this is.  God the Son loved us so much that he stepped outside his deity to become a man in order to die for our sins.  That is LOVE.  Most of us that are Christians talk to Jesus and thank him every day for loving us enough to give his life for us, to suffer and die so that we might live with him eternally.  I thank him every day that he loved me so much when I didn’t deserve his love, but right now I would like to ask you to look at God the Father when thinking of this scripture.  Those of you that have children will relate to what I am about to say. 

John 15:13 says

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I look around at all the people in my life; family, friends, neighbors and I ask myself, if it ever came to the point of dying, could I die to save them.  I have to say that God has filled me with such love that I would consider it.  Then I look at my son, my one and only son whom I love beyond life and I ask myself the same question.  You guessed it, my answer is emphatically NO, not even for an instant would I consider allowing him to die to save another, not even to save the world.   I am human and not capable of that kind of Love.  My son means more to me than the whole world.   Yet God the Father did just that for you and me.  He allowed Jesus, his one and only begotten son to step outside his deity, to suffer and die for you and me.  That my friend is what LOVE is.  God is LOVE beyond human comprehension.  He is LOVE of the purest kind.  The kind of LOVE that can take a drunkard and wrap him in his arms, save and heal him body and soul.  That can look down on an adulteress, a murderer or any other kind of sinner and LOVE them still.  God loves you more that any words could ever say. 

I hope I have given you something to think about and if you haven’t given your heart to him and accepted the Lord Jesus as your savior that you will think about how much he loves you.  He is always standing ready, with outstretched arms waiting for you to walk into them and be made perfectly whole. 

Author Kathy Wellman

References: King James Bible

Will God give you burden too heavy to carry?

A friend of mine ask me something about burdens and it got me to thinking.  Will God ever give us a burden that is to heavy for us to carry?  Sometimes when we stumble from the load we may think that he does, but let me assure you that God will never burden his children with so much that he can't lead them through it. 

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Jesus taught us that if we will only trust in him and come to him with our needs and our burdens that he will be there and see us through. 

Matthew 11

 ^28:Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
  ^29:Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
 ^30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

In times of great sorrow in our lives when we feel that the burden is weighing us down and that we can't carry the load, Jesus will be there to lighten it and give us the strength we need.  We can run to him and he will lift us up.  Remember that it is not about how a heavy a load you can carry, it's about how heavy a load Jesus can help you carry. 

Psalms 18:2

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

2 Corinthians 12

⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Author Kathy Wellman

References: King James Bible

 

God hears every prayer!

Sometimes we may feel that when we cry out to God that those cries reach no further than the ceiling in the room. God hears us the very first time we call out to him. Obstacles may stand in the way and prevent us from seeing this, but it doesn't change that fact that his ears are inclined to listen. Daniel cried out to God for 21 days and thought God didn't hear him. But he got his answer and God let him know that he heard him the very first time he called. Samuel, David and so many others are good examples showing that when God's children cry out to him, he will hear from heaven.

Psalm 20:6
Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Daniel.. 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

2 Samuel 22:7
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears

Psalm 18:6
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Author Kathy Wellman

References: King James Bible

Does God hear sinners when they pray?

I believe there is a common misconception that God doesn’t hear sinners.  This belief comes mainly from the scripture in John when Jesus healed the blind man.

John 9:31 “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

In order to get the full understanding of this verse in the bible, it should not be taken out of context.  You have to first ask yourself who said this?  Was it Jesus or one of the Apostles?  No, it was a blind man that Jesus had healed.  He was saying this to the Pharisees when they questioned him about being able to see.  He didn't even know who Jesus was.

The Pharisees told him in verse 24 that Jesus was a sinner and he replied that he did not know: 
John 9:24 ^“Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.”
Verse 25 lets you know that he didn’t even know if Jesus himself was a sinner. 
John 9:25  ^“He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

One of the best scriptures I can use to show you that God does indeed hear the prayers of sinners is found in chapter 10 of Acts.  Acts 10:2 teaches us that Cornelius was devout and God-fearing, but it doesn’t teach that he was a Christian.  There are many devout, God-fearing people that are not Christians. 

Acts 10:2 “A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”

Cornelius did not accept Jesus and become a Christian until after he sent for Peter and he heard Peter preach the gospel to him and his household. 

If you read Acts chapter 10 you will see this is clearly the case.  This should not leave you with any doubt as to whether or not God hears sinners.  He heard Cornelius and gave him a vision while he was yet a sinner.

Some may say that Cornelius knew God and that's why he heard him and that may be so, but there are other examples showing that God hears sinners.  Take a look at the harlot, Rahab.  she hid the spies when they were searching out Jericho.

^{Joshua 2:1}  And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

 ² And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

 ³ And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.

 ⁴ And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:

Nowhere in the book of Joshua do we read that she was anything but a sinner, a harlot, yet in Hebrews we read that she was saved by faith.  Not because she came to know God, she was still a sinner, but God heard her and saved her because of her faith in what the spies told her they would do.

^{Hebrews 11:31} By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

I believe that just because God hears a sinner does not mean he will give them the answers to their prayers.   Isaiah teaches us that God’s hand is not so short that it cannot save and his ear is not so heavy that it cannot hear.  That it is our iniquities that separate us from God and it’s our sins that cause him to turn his face from us that he will not hear.  He NEVER says that he does not hear, simply that he chooses not to listen.

Isaiah 59:1 “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

I believe the sinner must be sincere at heart when asking God for something and just like he heard Cornelius  and Rahab he will turn his face again and hear the sinner. 

I sincerely hope this has helped someone to understand that God hears and see all things.  Whether you are a Christian or a Sinner, he hears.  Whether or not you choose to heed his call will determine if you get the answer to your prayer. 

Author Kathy Wellman

References: King James Bible