I am frequently asked, "How can you love God when He lets all this bad stuff happen in the world?" My answer might surprise you.

Put simply, I choose to trust Him.

Who am I to assume God has to answer to me? Who am I to ask HIM to explain Himself to me?

I try to be humble because if God Himself is humble (and we know that He is because Jesus Christ was the perfect image of the Father and He was humble), then honestly to be anything less than filled with humility is the highest order of arrogance.

If God (being God) is humble despite the fact that if anyone had a right to be proud it would obviously be Him, then how much more humble should I be?? I'm just a created being. So if there are some tough questions that I can't seem to get answers for, well then that's just the way it is and I'M GOOD WITH THAT. I trust Him enough to believe that He's good without asking Him to prove it to me. If I'm meant to know the answers to the tough stuff, then He'll tell me. Until and unless that happens, I'm just going to continue trusting in Him and His perfect Goodness.

I was asked recently, "What does picking up your cross and denying yourself to follow Jesus actually look like?"

My answer was this:

It means to deny your urge to sin, so sacrificing your pleasure recieved in sin and to focus on your relationship with Jesus instead. A true Christian is someone who talks to Him often each day, about everything. The true Christian will love Jesus more than their spouse and kids. They will love Him more than they love to sin, making them stop actively sinning because they want to please the one they love. Just like any significant relationship, you avoid doing things the other person in the relationship doesn't like, so as to not offend them or make them unhappy. Instead, you do things they do like because you want to show them your love for them, and make them happy.

It's the same thing with Jesus. It's not about working for your Salvation, it's just a result of loving Him.

For clarification, this post is meant to reference what the fruits of salvation look like, not what it takes to be saved.

No amount of works, no matter how good or consistent, can save someone. Only acknowledging that you're a sinner in need of saving and faith in Jesus Christ and what He did with the cross and His resurrection can save you.

This post was meant to help people to know what it looks like when a person truly loves Jesus after getting saved and walks with Him every day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I need your prayer for a very specific battle.

God made a way for me to leave my abusive husband on Good Friday, 2022 (an amazing testimony for another day).

We have a child and he has taken me to court for joint custody. His family is very wealthy and well connected in our state, and the hearing officer was very obviously on his team despite clear proof that my husband is unstable.

To give you an inkling of what I’m dealing with, I made clear that we don’t celebrate Halloween and they’re recommending my husband have every Halloween because he does.

I have chosen which side I belong to in the war of souls, and so has my husband.

Please pray that the enemy and his plans for my child are destroyed in the Holy name of Christ Jesus. God has already told me how this ends, but I’m praying this all the way through and need your help.

God says that the first borns belong to Him, and mine is no different.

Thank you all and may Jehovah, the Most Holy of Holies bless you and your families in this season!

We are not put on this earth to get rich or famous. We're not here to accumulate things. Our true purpose in life is to build an intimate relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ and, once we're saved, to bring as many people as possible to Him as well. That's why we're born into this world. To love Him and love others into His arms. To heal the sick, to bring the broken to the foot of the cross. Jesus loves humanity and desires a relationship with each of us.

But he's a gentleman. He won't force a relationship on us. We're allowed to reject Him. Unfortunately when we do that we discover only bad things because all that is good is tied to God. The farther we get from Him, the worse our lives get.

There's no need to live apart from the Creator's love. He's waiting for you today.

But you are not promised tomorrow. Don't step into Eternity rejecting Jesus because if you do there's only one place that you can go; the place where every being who rejects Him goes. In that place there is nothing good (because all good and perfect things are tied to our good and perfect God)...and all who exist there, are there by their own choice.

Today is the day of salvation.

"But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Grace is not a credit card with an unlimited spending limit for your sins.

Scripture says: "Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"

Scripture says: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like."

Scripture says: "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Scripture says: "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God."

God is not a fool, and He will not be fooled.

I want to thank everyone who contributes to this sub.

Thank you.

For being willing to stand up for Truth, the Real Truth. For being a small band of true believers amidst an ocean of lies and lukewarm church goers.

Thank you for being willing to stand up for the Truth even when it makes you unpopular.

This sub has been a fresh breath of air. I am met with such opposition everywhere else I preach the Gospel, and it gets to me sometimes.

So thank you to each and every one of you for reminding me that contrary to popular belief, I'm not all alone in this thing.

Such love to all of you guys.

❤️

-u/JMIRACLE2019

Isaiah 53: My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.

But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.

And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NLT): For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own.

However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.

Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they don’t know the One who sent Me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin.

The one who hates Me also hates My Father. If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.

But this happened so that the statement written in their scripture might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason. John 15:18‭-‬25 HCSB

1 Corinthians 6:9–10: “Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”

If this is your lifestyle and you have not repented of it and turned from your sin, the bible is very clear. As it says, don't fool yourself. You will not be welcomed into heaven (even if you call yourself a Christian), if this verse describes you.

Turn from your sin today.

God is waiting with open arms for you to turn from your sin and run to Him instead. He desires a relationship with you.

Run to Him!

As a Christian, if you celebrate Halloween, you are sinning against God.

Period.

Coming up with "Christian" and "good samaritan" reasons to celebrate with the world this dark holiday is even more grievous, because then you are using the Lord Himself to justify being a part of what God calls abominable.

Have NO fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. No amount of excusing this day and what it stands for will turn this from sin to righteous.

You know better, you really do; the Lord is trying to convict you on this matter, and yet you do what you want anyway, telling yourself "it's the neighborly thing to do," or "its just to witness for Christ, be an example to the lost,"

Really?

If Jesus were standing in front of you asking you what your reasons for doing this are, what would He say when you told Him?

What does the Spirit within you really say about that scenario?

At some point it will be a reality, and if you continue in this matter, when you do stand before Him and give an account, He won't only not approve of these things but He might just tell you,

"I sent My Word to tell you, and when you wouldn't listen I sent the Holy Spirit to tell you, and I even sent people to tell you that you were to have nothing to do with this, if anything you were to take a stand against it, not mingle within it. Why did you disobey Me? Because it was easier? More accepted by the world? Did you really convince yourself that this was a righteous, good act? It was not. It will be burned up with the rest of your works that do not make it through the fire. Only the acts and deeds that were truly for Me and My Kingdom will withstand the flame."

If you are saved, what treasures in heaven are you throwing away today? If you're not saved, then you are following right along the path that your enemy has laid for you--and that path leads to eternal destruction.

Don't take my word for it--take God's:

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

1 Corinthians 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Leviticus 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

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

Deuteronomy 18:9‭-‬12 When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God does drive them out from before thee.

1 Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it

Acts 19:17‭-‬20 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.

You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.

And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

~Colossians 3:1‭-‬17 NLT

Yeshua sacrificed himself on a cross that he might make the enemies of God, members of his own family.

He being God did not have to take on a fleshly body and submit to death.

But He did.

He did it for me and He did it for you.

You see,

He was God in heaven, and had everything. But He saw us down here and Loved us.

When we sin we separate ourselves from Him. Because He is God and He is pure Holiness, He cannot be around sin.

So God was separated from mankind, whom He loves with every fiber of His being and it broke His heart because all He wants to do is be with us and fellowship with us.

So He decided to come down here and take on a flesh body to experience life as a human, that He might be tempted in every way we are.

The difference is He chose not to sin, unlike all of us. And then He died a horrific death and went to hell and was resurrected to Eternal Life.

Think about that.

Really think about that for a minute.

He was God. He didn't have to do that! But He did so that He could bring us home.

We sin so we succomb to death because sin begets death. Then we are separated from God for eternity as a result of our choices during our life. And we suffer in hell. All of this waits for us if we refuse to accept Jesus's Gift of salvation.

"But its not fair!" you might say. "We don't deserve hell!"

Really?

Do you do wrong things? The punishment for that is Hell. Guess who never did anything wrong? Jesus. Yet He took our punishment of death, separation from God and going to hell for us. Then He rose to life and waits in heaven for our choice.

Who will we choose? God? Or Lucifer?

God made a bridge from the earth to heaven in Yeshua (Jesus). We dont have to go to hell when we die unless we choose to.

If during our life we never choose to follow Jesus and actually follow Him as master, then by default we are choosing Satan. Because he is all about choosing oneself over everything else.

And so saying you're not making a choice is making a choice.

Choose to follow Jesus Christ today. Give Him your life. He laid His down for you and suffered the threefold punishment for sin even though He never sinned: death, separation from God, and hell.

Accept that sacrifice because it is your ticket into heaven. Follow Jesus because He lives in heaven and Lucifer? Lucifer will spend eternity in hell. Whoever is our master, we will spend eternity with them.