People do a lot of talking AT one another these days.

One of the greatest challenges of our time is the art.. skill…responsibility to LISTEN.

It’s interesting that LISTEN and SILENT are both spelled with the same letters…an anagram.

To truly listen their must be silence…

Not necessarily the absence of noise in the room…

But, the absence of noise in your head.

How many times have you has trouble listening because you’re…

Thinking of your response…

Processing what is being said…

Distracted by their voice, grammar, appearance, something in the room, what you’re having for dinner…your own thoughts.

Pray for the ability to focus better.

Learn to truly listen.

Remember what God told us through James…

James 1:19
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be SWIFT TO HEAR, slow to speak, slow to wrath…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

YES, of course homosexuals are welcome in the church.

Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

NO, it does not excuse nor condone that particular sin. All sinners must repent and work on turning from lifestyles displeasing to God.

Romans 1:26-27 (NKJV)

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

YES, there are fornicators and adulterers in the church…

1 Corinthians 5:1 (NKJV)

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named^[a] among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!

NO, their sins are not excused or condoned either.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,^[a] nor sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

YES, we are to speak out against homosexuality as any other sin…

Ezekiel 3:19 (NKJV)

¹⁹ Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

NO, speaking out against it doesn’t equate to hate speech or judging.

Hebrews 3:13 (NKJV)

¹³ but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

YES, the church isn’t perfect…

1 Corinthians 11:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.

NO, that doesn’t make the church as a whole bad. We are all works in progress.

Ephesians 5:26-27 (NKJV)

²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

YES, some people are passionate in their feelings against this sin…

Romans 10:2 (NKJV)

² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

NO, that’s not an excuse to call people derogatory, hurtful, mean-spirited names.

Galatians 6:1 (NKJV)

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

YES, people are born with innate desires they didn’t ask for…

 Psalm 51:5 (NKJV)

⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

NO, that doesn’t necessarily make them okay.

Romans 1:29-32 (NKJV)

²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,^[a] wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,^[b] unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them

Romans 2:1 (NKJV)

Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

YES, this post is to provoke healthy, respectful dialogue.

Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.

NO, I know everyone won’t agree with me.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I may lose some readers and/or ‘followers’ for making this post, but it’s my prayer that God will gain some.

Okay, I know this is a morbid unpopular subject, and most people don’t like to talk about or preach about it any more, but as I read Matthew Chapter 7, I can’t read past verses 13 and 14 without drawing the conclusion…that most people will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15).

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are MANY who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because^[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are FEW who find it.

The LORD says, “many go in by it” meaning the gate to destruction, and then He goes on to say, “ few are they who find it” in regard to those who find the way which leads to life. Jesus lets us know that the road that leads to life is difficult.

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So, according to scripture, the truth is that MOST people will not enter into God’s Kingdom.

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We all have loved ones who died without accepting the Christ Jesus as LORD and Savior. It’s a difficult thought to accept their eternal plight.

That’s why in Jesus’ parable of “The Rich Man and Lazarus”, the rich man who died asked for a message to be sent to his brothers so that they would not end up like Him.. Your loved ones who died outside of Christ would tell you the same thing if they could…

Luke 16:19-31  (NKJV)

¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell^[a] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ ²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

The awesome news is that if you’re able to read this post, God has given you grace and time to accept Yeshua, (Christ Jesus) as LORD and Savior of your life.

Romans 10:9  (NKJV)

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

That’s how easy it is to avoid eternal separation from the presence of God. Now, I know there is much debate over whether it’s a literal Hell, Lake or Fire, whether you burn forever or are immediately consumed. I know there are those who say that the church ‘created’ Hell to control the masses, but all of that is another discussion….all I know is I don’t want to find out the hard way.

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As much as I love to encourage you, I wouldn’t be responsible as a minister of God if I didn’t warn everyone of the ultimate consequences of sin…

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So, even though it’s difficult, enter into and continue the narrow path. Even though most people ‘won’t make it in’, you can make sure that you do.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all have ‘night seasons’ in our lives. Seasons of struggles, trials, storms and pain. These seasons can seem to go on forever.

As we pray for God to change things in our lives, and walk and work in faith, we can sometimes sense a transition. We can sense that God is gradually changing things.

I have a quick word of encouragement for you.

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I want to remind you that no matter how subtle, gradual or slow the transition change may seem that change is always sudden.

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Think about the longest, darkest, stormiest night you’ve endured. I’m not using a metaphor here, I’m talking about a literal, long, dark stormy night. No matter how long that night was, when the morning light broke through…it was sudden.

Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)

⁵ For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But ^[a]joy comes in the morning.

Think about a gradual 180 degree turn. No matter how gradual the change, when you finally begin to go straight is always sudden.

In fact, the action of even gradually changing direction is still sudden. No matter how subtle the turn…you aren’t going straight any more.

I know we often hear the cliché, ‘a change is coming’. If you think about it, your change may not be coming, you may be in your season of change right now. And, though your transition may be slow the change is always sudden.

Please don’t give up in your season of turnaround. DON’T GIVE UP IN THE ‘TURN AROUND’!

Remember that everything that God predicted, declared or promised…no matter how long it took — always happened suddenly.

Isaiah 48:3 (NKJV)

³ “I have declared the former things from the beginning;
They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it.
Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

BE BLESSTIFIED!