You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shudder. James 2:19

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Jesus responded, saying to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

The sin debt has been paid by Jesus through His death, burial, and resurrection!

What does that Mean?

God is no longer holding humanity’s sins against it. 2 Cor. 5: 18,19

Those sins and issues you find yourself struggling with., 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Gal. 5:19-21

Why?

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2Cor. 5:21

When?

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:13,14, 2: 11-22

Response to The Good News

You no longer have to take responsibility for the condition you were born in, those issues of sin. Psalm 51:5, Rom. 5:12-14

They are not your fault! Psalm 51:5; Rom. 7:14-25

However, if you desire to live the quality of life God intended and spend eternity with God. 1 Pet. 3:10-12

You will have to take responsibility for the condition in which you die.  John 3:3; 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Gal. 5:19-21

Keep in mind because of free will, you are free to do whatever you want to do! Gal. 6: 7,8; 1 Cor. 6:12

Just know, everything you are free to do may not be beneficial for you if you what to live the quality of life God intended and spend eternity with God. 1 Cor. 6:12-20

Just like you were born a sinner with no doing of your own. Rom. 5:12-14

You can now be declared righteous with no doing on your own. Rom. 5:15-21

Know that there is only one way to get right with God. Acts 4:12

There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. Eph. 4:4-6

The choice is yours; what will you decide?

Why God’s People suffer for living for righteousness Here… If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.

But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household.

And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”

So, if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep doing what is right, and trust your life to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.

That’s why today we want to talk about “Practical living as a born-again believer as we pursue the kingdom of heaven and God’s righteousness.

We will be coming from James 1: 1-8 https://biblehub.com/james/1-1.htm

Inverse 2-3, we are told, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

This requires developing a totally new perspective concerning life that is opposite our worldly perspective.

From our worldly perspective, trials are difficult experiences, and problems, that are unpleasant to the human nature and something to avoid.

The word count means “to evaluate.” When James says to “count it all joy,” he encourages born-again believers to re-evaluate their perspective concerning trials.

This is important because our perspective determines our beliefs and impacts our state of mind. Our state of mind determines how we respond to any given situation.

The kingdom principle is if you persevere during trials, you will be made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

To be made perfect and complete refers to your love for God, allowing God to experience your love for Him in all circumstances.

Scripture teaches, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4: 16-18

However, we understand from scripture that you go through various trials so that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1: 6,7

Therefore, as a born-again believer, your first priority is to perceive trials as testing your faith.  Faith must be tested to see if it’s genuine or not.

To understand James’s encouragement, we must understand why God wants us to go through trials in the first place. Look at Deut. 8:2-8

God wants believers to know that their greatest source of sustenance, security, and protection is spiritual, not physical. That spiritual sustenance is provided by the word of God.

This is key because we come from a world that treasures money as sustenance, security, and protection.

God says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” “No one can serve two masters.

You will hate and love the other, be devoted to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. Matt. 6: 21,24

Therefore, in our new life in Christ, we must choose between serving God or money as our source of sustenance, security, and protection.

Now that God is our father, he wants us to trust Him as our sustenance, security, and protection source. He is now our source. The word Abba for father means source and sustenance.

Trials come to test our faith in God as our source of sustenance, security, and protection. Scripture teaches, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

We were told in Hebrews, “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.

Now that we know the purpose of trials, we must learn what to do to ensure that the outcome is reached.

This brings us to our first principle: “Practical living as a born-again believer.”

 #1. You must understand the value of suffering v.1-3: Heb. 5:8,9. Scripture teaches, “Although Jesus was a Son, He learned obedience through the things He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.

Through His obedience, while suffering, Jesus was displaying self-government and self-control. Trials and suffering allow us the opportunity to practice self-government or self-control.

 This is the value of suffering!

Self-government is the original principle of God for man to rule over creation and serve humanity while representing God’s character and glory.

Scriptures teach that when Jesus comes, “The government will be on his shoulders. There will be no end because of the greatness of his government and peace.

He will reign over His kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. Isa. 9:6,7

That kingdom government is over the spiritual realm, influencing everything in the physical realm.

The further we move away from self-government, the more destruction we will experience.

Self-government confirms you are following the kingdom principle of working hard to show the results of your salvation and obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

Confirming that God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Phil. 2:12,13

Self-government is validated by born-again believers living a self-controlled life by the power of the Holy Spirit characterized by righteous and abundant living

The question is this, is becoming like Jesus more important to you than material blessings? Is becoming like Jesus your number one priority?

Paul said, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of Christ’s actions.

Yes, everything else is worthless compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.

For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so I could gain Christ and become one with him.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.

God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another, I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

This must be your state of mind, passion, and the pursuit if you truly what to become like Jesus!

The kingdom principle for experiencing the mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead happens when you, through the Spirit, are putting to death the misdeeds of the flesh. Rom. 8:13

The world around us is suffering social decay because God’s peoples lack self-government, allowing society to become lawless.

Scripture teaches that most people’s love will become cold because lawlessness increases. Many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

2. In verse four, we are told, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

God is saying let the spirit of perseverance finish His work. This is in reference to the Holy Spirit.

This is very important; write it down; Humanity was created with the inherent desire to protect, guard, and keep, making life better for himself and bringing out the best in creation.

However, Satan took this God-given desire and corrupted it, influencing man to operate independently of God for his own self-interest.

Therefore, we are told to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

That is why when you were born-again, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to take His place and dwell inside you.

The Holy Spirit’s job is to indwell, instruct, secure, and tell you what’s to come from God. John 16:12-14

However, you must give the Holy Spirit permission to work on your behalf. He will never force His will upon you. It must be your will and decision to follow Him to carry out God’s will for your life. 

We must understand that everything that is going on in the physical realm is influenced either by the spirit of evil or the spirit of righteousness.

This is key because when you were born-again, “you” spirit got saved, but the seat of your will, belief system, and emotions, your soul, did not get saved. It is being saved by you and the Holy Spirit.

This is your salvation journey, a journey that started with being born-again. Your focus now is improving your relationship with God.

The challenge is that your soul is programmed to operate independently of God. It sees everything concerning God as foolishness, will not submit to God on its own, and cannot do anything to please God on its own. 1 Cor. 2: 14

Therefore, you, spirit, that has now been set free from Satan’s control, must take authority over your mind, body, and soul, driving out Satan’s influence through the Holy Spirit’s guidance as He leads you to be tested by the devil.

God intends that through this process, the evidence of your success will be that there is no grumbling and complaining when going through trials and suffering as the children of Israel did, whose bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 1 Cor. 10:1-11

The Bible says Jesus Christ was in agony, as his sweat contained great droplets of blood (Luke 22:44).

He asked his Father to remove the cup of suffering. Then he surrendered, “Not my will, but yours be done.

Scripture says, “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.  Through Satan’s attempts to tempt Jesus to dishonor God, Jesus always replied from a biblical principle. Matt. 4:1

Satan believes and accuses you before God of having a place in your heart that will influence you to dishonor God by what you say, do, think, and believe.

The Bible says that we overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of our testimony, not loving our life even when faced with death. Rev. 12:11

We can take comfort that God will not allow us to be tempted above what we can bear. Therefore, we must not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

This brings us to our second principle as we learn more about “Practical living as a born-again believer.”

# 2: You must allow the Holy Spirit to lead you v. 4: John 16: 5-15: Jesus told the disciples during His last days here, “It is best for you that I go away because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come.

If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.

He will not speak independently but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said. John 14:15-27

The Holy Spirit is to you what Jesu was to the disciples. The greatest difference is that Holy Spirit lives inside you, and he can be in all places simultaneously.

Therefore, Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the moment’s need, say that so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Allow Him to do His work in and through you.

All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.

Be kind to one another, compassionate, and forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Eph. 4:

The Holy Spirit is the most important person in your life. You need Him more than anyone or anything in your life.

3. In verse 9, God tells the brother of humble means to boast in his exaltation.

Humble means refers to having very little.

God promises to raise the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage heap to seat them with the noblemen of His people. Psalm 113:7,8

#3. You must be content with your state: 1 Cor. 7:20: Each person is to remain in that state in which he was called.

Were you called a slave? Do not let it concern you. But if you can also become free, take advantage of that.

The one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freed person; likewise, the one who was called as free is Christ’s slave.

You were bought for a price; do not become slaves of people. Brothers and sisters, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

This deceptive world system encourages humanity to determine one’s worth by possessions and status.

This worldly evaluation of oneself has created an identity crisis in the lives of most people

Everyone wants to be successful. Success is predictable, and failure is predictable. This is true because God has designed everything to function by His principles for life.

Success is fulfilling and completing God’s purpose and assignment for your life. Purpose is the reason why you were created. You were created to represent God’s character and, in your will, reasoning and intellect, to think like God in your decision-making. Gen. 1: 26

This new life is about who you become, not what you accomplish or possess.

Remember, you are still in momentum, so it will take a while to get the results you are believing for.

Another life challenge is being content with where we are and what we have while pursuing what we want to become.

The events in your life do not control your life; it is how you respond to events!

Satan’s deceptive world system encourages humanity to determine one’s worth by possessions and status, leading to an identity crisis in most people’s lives. 

This new life is about who you become, not what you accomplish or possess. Therefore, you must focus on being yourself, who God created you to be.

The events in your life do not control your life; your decisions do. You are more than any moment.

Just like in the physical realm, some laws will not and cannot be broken; they do not change. They work everywhere and anywhere and work for all God’s children.

This kingdom’s success and prosperity cannot be purchased with money. This success and prosperity can only be experienced by God’s children.

So, what must we do to be successful and prosperous?  Jesus told the people, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

Therefore, they said to Him, “What are we to do so that we may accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. John 6: 27-29

Your future is not in this world. Your future is in the kingdom of heaven. That’s why God says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, your heart will also be.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matt. 6: 19-24

“For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or drink, nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food and the body more than clothing?

But seek His kingdom and righteousness first, and all these things will be provided to you.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt. 6: 25-34

God’s outcome for your life is to transform you into the image of Jesus. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; Rom. 8:29

This is your work. This is where you will find success and prosperity. Money is not the answer. Money is not evil. It can help somebody. God says it can cure a lot of things. However, it is not the answer or measure of your success.

Doing the things God tells you to do is how you become successful. The currency of the kingdom of God is faith. Money is not your source it is a resource. And all these blessings will come to you and reach you if you obey the LORD your God. Deut. 28: 2

Faith is the answer to your success. With faith, nothing will be impossible for you. Faith in God and His word is how we get things done and be successful, not money. Money is just one of many resources God provides for success.

4. In verse 10, God tells the wealthy to boast in their humiliation. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery.

You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I’ll repeat it—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible.” Matt. 19:18-26

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

“I know everything you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!

But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want.

I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

So, I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then

Also, buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness and ointment for your eyes so you can see.

I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.  Rev. 3:14-22

#4: You must not trust in wealth v.10: 1 Tim. 6: 17-19: Teach those rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is unreliable.

Their trust should be in God, who gives us all we need for enjoyment. 18Tell them to use their money to do good.

They should be rich in good works, generous to those in need, and ready to share with others.

By doing this, they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

Luke 12: 13-21: Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’

Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have enough room to store all my wheat and other goods.

And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:13-21

God says those who trust in their riches will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises, and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

Now that we know God’s outcome for our lives, we must follow Jesus’ life if we are to be like Him.

The first thing you must do in any endeavor is learning how it works. As believers, understanding the sovereignty of God is essential to understanding and coping with the unexpected pain, problems, confusion, and tragedies of life. I like to call it the big picture!

The sovereignty of God means that God rules over all creation; nothing happens unless God causes it to happen or consciously allows it to happen.

When you understand that this is the kind of God, we serve you will take the issue of His authority seriously.

God’s sovereignty means that God exercises His prerogative to do what He pleases with His creation. The earth, the fullness thereof, the world, and those that dwell within are the Lord’s.

Understanding God’s sovereignty is critical because Satan has programmed humanity to live independently of God and does not want anyone to rule over him.

If you do not understand the sovereignty of God, you will constantly be trying to blame others, circumstances, conditions, government, economy, taxes, et. for the unexpected pain, problems, confusion, and tragedies of life.  

In His sovereignty, God says this is what I want to happen, or He says this is not what I want to happen, but I am going to allow it to happen to cause what I want to happen.

The sovereignty of God provides us with the proper perspective through which to view all of life. When you get the sovereignty of God, straight your life will begin to take shape.

If God is your referenced point, you will be able to make sense of the senselessness all around you. If your circumstances are your reference point, you will not be able to make sense of life or God because you have a worldly view of life.

If you understand the sovereignty of God, you cannot believe in fate, coincidence, luck, or happenstance. To believe in these things suggest that they happen haphazardly, with no control; they show up.

Therefore, the governing reference point for life must be the sovereignty of God. That means you cannot look at your life circumstances first as the reference point of life.

When life treats you in a way that you believe is wrong, God is still in control; when it’s unjust, it doesn’t mean it’s not God! When God allows people to do things to those committed to Him, he allows it for good reasons. Job 1:6-12, 1Kings 22:21-23

Exploring
Gender Roles in Christianity: Understanding Biblical Teachings and Relevance Today”

In 1 Corinthians 11: 2,3,7, Paul praises the Corinthians for remembering him in everything and for holding to the traditions that he passed on to them.

He then discusses the hierarchy of authority, stating that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Additionally, Paul mentions that a man ought not to cover his head, as he is the image and glory of God, while the woman is the glory of man. Cor. 11: 2,3,7:

How long will you attack a man, that you may murder him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

They have planned only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth, but inwardly, they curse. Sela Psalm 62;3,4

I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.

But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

A man ought not to cover his head since he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man.

God established the church to represent the kingdom of God. In the Kingdom of God, the church is the agency that represents the Kingdom of God, teaching God’s people how to spread Heaven’s influence on the earth.

God’s purpose is that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. Eph. 3:10

The church’s goal is to serve as God’s agency to call men back to their source, the creator God through Jesus Christ, and to restore their heavenly citizenship through the Holy Spirit. Granting those who decide to leave the world system as a political refugee.

When a man steps outside of the word of God and does and allows things outside of God’s word and will, he has covered his head and acted independently of God, which is a sin.

When a woman steps outside of her role of man being the head because she believes that what she is doing is correct, as Eve and Sarah, she has uncovered her head, a sin in God’s eyes.

This order is mandatory by God when the church comes together collectively to hear a word from God regardless of where we gather.

1 Corinthians 14: 34, 35: Women should remain silent in the churches. The law states that they are not allowed to speak but must submit.

If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their husbands at home; it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

God says, “But if anyone does not recognize this, God does not recognize him.

God ordered women to teach the younger women and children as helpmates to the pastor as she does in her home.

Titus 2: 3-5: These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then, they will not disgrace the word of God.

1 Tim. 2:11,12: Women should learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.

Why would God command such a thing? What is the rationale behind the specific gender roles and hierarchy in the text?

The rationale behind the specific gender roles and hierarchy mentioned in the text is 1 Tim. 2:15: For God made Adam first, and afterward, he made Eve. And it was not Adam who Satan deceived; it was the woman resulting in sin.

God never intended for the Bible to conform to societal norms; it was and is intended to do the opposite.

God tells us in His word. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom. 12. 1,2

In 1 Cor. 3:18-20 we are told to stop deceiving ourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you must become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.

As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their cleverness.” And again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.1 Cor. 3:18-20

Jesus came to challenge our ideas. That is why Jesus is such a problem he defies everything you have learned in the world system’s knowledge. 

Jesus’ first word in public ministry was to repent. Repent is not an attack on your spirit; it is an attack on your mind. The word repent means changing how you have been conditioned to think. Change your mind. Repent is an attack on your mind, your philosophy, your belief system.

How do modern interpretations of these biblical teachings align with societal norms and gender equality? What are the potential implications of strictly adhering to these teachings in contemporary Christian communities?

By strictly adhering to these teachings in contemporary Christian communities, they will be like people who build houses on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents, the floodwaters rise, and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. Matt. 7:24,25

These people, through their organized religion, tradition, and belief systems they uphold, try to serve God through human effort and worldly wisdom! Unfortunately, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, and God has ensured that no one will come to know Him through worldly wisdom.  (Matt. 26:41)

They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with, the knowledge of God’s word. Not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they do not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

Therefore, religion, in an attempt to pique people’s interest in their religious practices, has turned to sensationalism, nationalism, patriotism, emotionalism, musical entertainment, prosperity, celebrity worship, and the list goes on. 

This humanistic approach to please the senses has critically diluted biblical content, both trivializing and marginalizing the instruction of the Word of God. 

This approach has resulted in a shallow religion with a breed of harmless professing believers who represent a poor example of the transforming power of the grace of God. 

Thus, a religion with a form of Godliness lacks spiritual power and authority to carry out God’s will for their lives. (2Tim. 3: 1-5) 

Rather than teaching its members how to live a life that pleases God, their religious practices nullify the word of God for man-made religion and tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation.

The minds of those who practice religion have been blinded to the truth of the gospel by Satan. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy and famous. 

They follow the world’s way in what they believe is important in how they live, work, reason, and make decisions. They measure a person’s worth in life based on their possessions and status in life according to the world’s standards.

These religious practices eventually lead to frustration and disengagement mentally for no apparent reason. They are no longer truly excited about church and all the activities.  Dread starts to set in at the mere thought of them.

The religious acts they were performing seemed like a wise decision because they required strong devotion, commitment, sacrifice, self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provided no help in conquering their lust and desires. (Col. 2: 8-23)

Their religion was not teaching them how to live a self-controlled life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Instead, those called were led to be caught up in religious tradition, chaos, emotionalism, and confusion. 

Instead of being delivered from their carnal nature, it was being strengthened. Those who practice religion will not listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They follow their own desires, reject the truth, and chase after myths. 2 Tim. 4:3

Religion is and has always been the enemy of the true church since Jesus’ day. Those who practice religion do not come to know God. This has led to a generation of professing believers seeking to be rich, famous, and praised by man. They see being recognized and talked about in a favorable light by millions of people as the goal in life. 

As a result, most of their lives end up in chaos, unmanageable, unpredictable, and unrewarding. Through this horrible deception, they became no more than a group of misguided people motivated by pride seeking to elevate themselves and their religious practices over others. (Matt. 15:1-14)

Of the many people that practice religion, there is no fruit of a Spirit-led life. Frustration, burnout, and immorality are common.

True love and obedience to God are rare. With the same tongue, they bless our Lord and Father, and with it curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. (James 3:9,10)

Women carry the stigma of leading humanity into sin because of Eve. God, in His infinite mercy, provides women the opportunity to be freed from this stigma by raising godly children

1 Tim. 2:15: Through bearing children, women can be delivered from this stigma if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity with self-restraint.

We must remember one of the consequences of the woman being deceived and leading the man.

Gen. 3: 16To the woman, He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth.  In pain, you will bring forth children;

Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”

The only way to be freed from this cursed desire to rule over man is to submit to God’s word and obey it. Being free from this curse is all possible because of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Just look at what Satan has accomplished by getting the man out of the home. Satan has created a generation of males that are ok with being ruled by a woman.

It’s all about God’s order of things!

A Call to Action!

Statistics from Barna Research recently reported that the top reasons people leave a church have to do with not being connected in the church and being disgusted by gossip and turned away by conflict and strife and ineffective teaching and pastoral care.

In actual numbers, 36 percent fewer Americans attended church weekly in 2020 than in 1993. This change could be related to several reasons, including the growing number of Gen Z and Millennials making up the U.S. population.

Also, they feel that the teaching is irrelevant to their daily needs. Thus, making the teaching uninformative, without depth, or relevant to them, making it ineffective worthless for them to grow or use in their daily lives. Another big turn off is being overly money-orientated focused on their money but not them.

Also, people leaving the church site disputes about who gets to be a part of or lead in the church, past, and current church scandals, and perceptions of the church’s role in politics, to name a few.

The top reasons people leave a church would suggest that the church experience is the problem!

If we don’t change this, do you realize what is going to happen? We must move back to the basics of the Word of God for what is acceptable and what is not.

If you and I don’t do this, Satan will win; we will have failed Jesus in completing what He started. If we are going to be successful, we must do this immediately.

We must take better care of the believer and the church.  Listen, we as a family must do this.

We must empower a generation of professing believers while developing a new era of Church leadership. This empowered new era of Church leadership will bring the church together as never experienced before.

 This empowered new era of Church leadership will impact the church and the world for righteousness and justice.  This empowered, new era of Church leadership is an entirely new approach to serving God. We are entering an era of spiritual empowerment for the Church as God moves it to spiritual maturity.

The church must become a symbol against fear and hopelessness; only then will it lead people into a meaningful church experience as they learn to experience God for themselves. The teaching must become informative and relevant to them, making the experience useful and valuable for them to grow and use in their daily lives.

In April of 1983, I had an encounter with God. God informed me that I was at the point of no return. I had to decide that night to serve Him or the world because my recovery chances were nil to none. Sin had mastered me. It was a Friday night as I was planning another weekend of partying and vice.

That night I was born spiritually into the family of God as a royal priest, part of a holy nation, God’s very own possession. The following Tuesday, I married my Son’s mother. That was 37 years ago.

These were the first two major decisions in my life to take responsibility for my actions and be accountable for the decisions I had made and would make moving forward.

The following year March 1984, I started my own cleaning business to take responsibility for my financial well-being. I no longer wanted to depend on others or the world to provide for me.

I told God that from that day forward, I would depend totally on Him for my well-being.  Deciding to depend on God for my well-being was the third major decision to take responsibility and control my life.  That was 36 years ago. Since that time, I have never turned nor looked back!

As I began my learning journey to depend on God totally, God through His Word helped me put things in their proper perspective.  He helped me understand that Satan deceived Eve to believe that she could not trust God and that He was holding back the best from them. Gen. 2: 1-3

Satan accomplished this deception by arousing Eve’s desire through sight, pleasure, accomplishments, and possession, which enticed her and drugged her away from God as her husband followed. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. Gen. 2:15-17, James 1: 12-15:

Thus, humanity became dominated by the sinful nature which only thinks about what the world offers, only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. 1 John 2: 15-17

Letting your sinful nature control your mind will lead to death because it is hostile to God and will not obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why being under the control of the sinful nature prevents you from pleasing God. Rom. 8:5-8:

Understanding the sinful nature prevents you from pleasing God is essential to understand because, when you were born-again, “You” spirit, got saved!

Your soul the seat of your emotions, your sin nature seeks to be independent of God in expressing itself in life, did not get saved. Rom. 7:1-25.

God informed me that my new life in Christ was a battle for my soul. As a born-again believer no longer conformed to the world, I was now responsible for building a life and community that represents the kingdom of God. Rom. 12:3, 1 John. 2:15-17

Building a life and community that represents God’s kingdom is all possible because I am, “spirit,” created in the image and likeness of God. In His likeness, I have the unique ability in my reasoning and intellect to think like God in decision making. 1 Cor. 2:16

In His image, I have the unique ability to represent God’s character through my lifestyle. Therefore, to be successful in my new life in Christ, I, spirit, must take control of my mind and program it in the things of God. Eph. 5:1,2

Therefore, I, “spirit,” must focus MY attention on the three spirits through which human nature’s tempted to turn away from God. The spirit of attraction, pleasure, and boastful spirit of pride. 1 John 2: 15-17

Taking control of my mind and programing it in the things of God was crucial in preventing me from fighting a winless battle against man as those before me because our battle is not against flesh and blood but principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Eph. 4:23

I discovered from God’s Word that if I wanted to live the life, He created me to live, it would require me to pursue righteousness in obedience to the Word of God.

For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So, then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. (Rom. 14:18,19)

This new-found knowledge started the journey of living a self-controlled life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Living a self-controlled life by the power of the Holy Spirit empowers you to take control over your mind, sinful nature, and creation. 1Thess. 4:3-8,

Therefore, it is essential to build a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the power agent of God assigned to the born-again believer to empower you to fulfill God’s will for your life. Rom. 8:12-14; Gal. 5:16,17

His work is to indwell, sanctify, instruct, empower the born-again believer for service, and seal them until the day of redemption.  John 14:26, 16:13, Rom. 8:26, 1 Cor. 2:7-13, Eph. 1: 13,

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. If we live by the spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit Gal. 5:22-25

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but power. 1 Cor. 4:20, Acts 1:8

Overcoming these spirits that are assigned to my family tree and taking authority over them has led to operating in spiritual authority in my life and my circles of influence, thus bringing about change for righteousness and justice.

Growing in knowledge of God’s Word has required me to practice what I know. God makes it very clear in his word. “It would be better if I had never known the way of righteousness than to know it and then reject the command given to live a holy life.” (2Pet. 2:21)

Practicing what I know is essential because believers are held accountable for the Word of God, we know. God said that if I know the right thing to do and do not do it, it is a sin for me. (James 4:17)

Although we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. Our weapons of war are not of the flesh but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations, and every lofty thing raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10: 3-5; Eph. 6:12

This pursuit of righteousness has come with great sacrifice in my relationships, desires, my old comfort zone, and things that I thought were valuable. (Mark 10:28, 29)

Understand clearly, I am not trying to become righteous. I am in pursuit of living up to my righteous standing in Christ. Eph. 4:1

I am not saying that I have reached perfection. What I am saying is this, “When I find out from the Word of God that what I am doing does not line up with the written Word of God; I through faith in that word and the power of the Holy Spirit purpose to do it!

The Holy Spirit then empowers me through faith to turn away from my disobedience to God’s Word and start practicing that word in my daily life. Turning away from disobedience to God’s Word is called sanctification. Practicing God’s Word is my reaching for the Mark of the High calling mentioned in Phil. 3:14.

God assured me that if I committed faithfully to obey His Word, He guaranteed that He would make sure I do it. He told me that He would be the one who would give me the desire to do right and the ability to do it. (Phil. 2:13, Jude 1:24) “Wow, what a relief”!               

I discovered that there’s much to learn because the mind is programmed in worldly wisdom, which considers God’s word foolishness. Not only that, but God has also made it impossible for people to come to know Him through worldly wisdom. 1 Cor. 1: 18-26

So, for the past 37 years of weekly observation, study, and application, I can confidently say that the Word of God is a fact, not a theory. God does what He says, and how He says; my life is living proof of this truth. (1 Pet. 2:12) 

The Word of God is now the standard for the evaluation, judgment, and validation of my life experiences. The Word of God is the standard by which I measure events and circumstances in my life; it provides the standard for what is acceptable and what is not as a new creation in Christ. Thus, I can measure my success by visible spiritual behavior and attitude development, representing God’s nature. (Gal. 5:16, 22)

The pursuit of righteousness has been the most gratifying, fulfilling, and rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced. To God, be the glory. (Deut. 28: 1-14; Luke 18:29)

God told me in His Word that in his house, there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood, earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from youthful lusts, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2Tim. 2:20)

Cleansing myself from youthful lusts is the sacrifice” that I decided to make for the Lord, to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart that I may become a “vessel of honor,” nothing more nothing less.

Since being born-again, pursuing a life of righteousness has protected me from the deception of the enemy. It has allowed me to fulfill my vision of living a life that glorifies God while fulfilling my purpose of representing God’s character through my lifestyle. 

Pursuing a life of righteousness has allowed me to experience security, stability, peace of mind, clarity, and total assurance that God is pleased with my life and service to Him and humanity. It is a lifestyle that is characterized by abundance, prosperity, and good health.

Being born into God’s family has empowered me to overcome identity confusion, a sense of not belonging, a sense of not having control over my life, and a sense of failure.

Training and practice in the word of righteousness, my senses are trained to discern good and evil. I am no longer deceived by false doctrine and men’s trickery, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. Heb. 5:11-14

Through this authority, principalities and powers submit to my spiritual authority in Christ, which has strengthened my faith and confidence in God’s written word. Luke 10:19

Now that the Holy Spirit has taught me how to rule in spiritual authority. I can now command the spirit realm to submit to my spiritual authority. I am now experiencing an unusual movement of God in all my life situations.

As I have mastered spiritual authority over the spirits working in my personal life, I am now taking authority over spirits working in my environment.

Through these victories, I observe a movement worldwide for justice and righteousness as I take authority over God’s creation.

This authority in the spirit realm frees those in the physical realm to be open and receptive to the word and will of God. Taking authority over spirits working in my environment has created an environment that inspires others to follow Christ and my counsel.

Now that God has established, strengthened, and placed me on a firm foundation, my focus moving forward is effective proclamation and demonstration of God’s transforming power.

My message is rooted in the demonstration of the spirit and power so that people’s faith will not rest on my wisdom but God’s power.

People are afraid, and fear breeds hopelessness. The world needs something only God’s people can provide, that’s, protection and deliverance from the things that bind them!

I must be a symbol against fear and hopelessness; only then will I be able to lead people into true salvation and deliver them from the destructive emotions controlling their minds.

People are looking for security, stability, peace of mind, clarity, and total assurance that God is pleased with their lives. Therefore, my message and experience is one of deliverance from the things that bind, guidance, comfort, healing, transformation, and empowerment

My purpose in life is clear, my values are spiritually sound, and I am fulfilling my life’s vision! Life is Grand! I am enjoying the peace of God, nothing that arises causes concern!

I strive to bring together humanity’s diversity while allowing for freedom of growth in non-essentials to all through mutual trust and respect. Thus, delivering measurable value, understanding, and solutions to life’s predicaments.

I now understand that my responsibility as a born-again believer is to establish, maintain, develop, and strengthen relationships. It is a community that operates on the philosophy that “Unconditional Love Requires No Change It Inspires Change”!  (2Cor. 5: 16-21)

The church is the center of this community of believers living a self-controlled life through the Holy Spirit’s power characterized by righteous living.

A community of believers living a self-controlled life through the Holy Spirit’s power, characterized by righteous living, is essential because many churches have become no more than social clubs focusing on entertainment over the last three decades.

To pique people’s interest in attending the church, most churches have turned to schemes and gimmicks that mimic the world, ignoring God’s formula for church growth.  This sophisticated approach to please the senses has critically diluted biblical content. 

It has both trivialized and marginalized the instruction of the Word of God. The teaching of sound biblical doctrine and theology is, for the most part, non-existent, exchanged for musical entertainment, human experience, and emotional hype. 

This sophisticated approach to please the senses has resulted in a shallow church experience with a breed of harmless professing believers who lack the power of God in their lives and represents a poor example of the transforming power of God’s grace.

Thus, churches that have a form of Godliness but lack spiritual power and authority to carry out God’s will for their lives. (2Tim. 3: 1-5)

I believe this to be the church community’s root problem; identity confusion, no purpose, and no kingdom vision or power to live a life that glorifies God.

I believe the solution is establishing a church community empowered and knowledgeable, operating in kingdom authority. (Luke 10:19)