A few years back, God spoke to me about a "great separation" that was coming, where He would grant a stronger ability to discern between good and evil to His true children. He said the world around me would get really loud and everyone would be shouting at me, telling me what to do, insisting they were trying to help me. He said He would show me who really belonged to Him and that I would know (without a shadow of a doubt) who is for me and against me. What I didn't realize is that the reason people are against ME is because He lives inside of me. THEY have been against Him since the days He walked this earth, God incarnate. THEY hated Him too, so why should I be surprised when I am hated for speaking the truth. He was popular with some and hated by many, and even the ones who started off liking him (even shouting Hosanna as He passed by) ended up yelling "Crucify Him" when things got a little tough. They were fair-weather friends. The truth is that THEY were never with Him in the first place. Their hearts had never truly changed. They had never truly accepted His words and message, how He showed them the Father, and how He embodied all the perfectly righteous qualities of God. They never became a new creation.
No, they tried to trick him, hurt him and THEY eventually killed Him--not recognizing Him as the Messiah. They weren't His people.
Over the past few years, God has spoken to me many times about the separation of the wheat from the tares, the goat from the sheep and the difference between the five foolish virgins and the five wise virgins. There are many more parables that speak the same message of separation and the division between God's true sons (children) and the sons of disobedience.
Recently, God started speaking about something a little different--a new aspect of the same message. He said, "Sarah, those who are not mine have become really adept at imitating those that are mine."
This was a profound truth. These people have grown up in church, learned the language of the Bible and Christianese and learned how to adeptly COPY the behaviors of God's children. They know how to sing the hymns, perform the ritual religious sacraments, and say all the right things in church. They know how to say the Lord's prayer and take communion, while quietly sobbing and kneeling at the rail in church. They know how to give a tithe of 10%. They can do all the godly things that give a strong perception of godliness and righteousness to the world. They insist that YOU must do all these things in just a certain way--to become like them.
God spoke again, "Sarah, there's one thing they can't imitate...the wisdom of God."
If you don't have the wisdom of God, you can't fake it until you make it. This is wisdom that only comes from God, and the world absolutely cannot duplicate it--no matter how many programs they create, or devise "wise" plans for the functioning of families, work, churches, or anything else. They come up with plans, but the plans fail--time and time again. God's wisdom is precious.
God's wisdom leads to honor, riches and life.
Satan can even emulate and duplicate the signs, wonders and miracles of God (in some cases)--just read the book of Revelation and you'll see this is true. You can't judge the righteousness of a person or ministry by the miracles or signs that you see. There has to be something more. The person has to KNOW God, not just know about God, and this person will have the wisdom that comes through pursuing intimacy with God. Wisdom leads us away from the unfruitful works of darkness and leads us to be cleansed of all unrighteousness, at any cost. When someone receives the holy wisdom of God, this person realizes that nothing is more precious or important in life. There is nothing else worth pursuing, except to be submissive and obedient to God in every way possible. It's a wonderful, joyous union of a person's spirit into the Spirit of God. Out of this deep relationship flows wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment, the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives--as He wills--to people.
This cannot be imitated by those who don't really know God. It's simply impossible.
It's this wisdom of God that separates the wheat from the tares and the sheep from the goats. Where does one get wisdom? The Bible says that "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). We get wisdom when we come into a true relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ...but it has to be true faith.
The five foolish virgins believe that there is plenty of time to buy the oil, so they don't bother with buying it now. They think there will be time later. I will do what I want now, and then I'll buy my oil at the last minute.
I have heard people say, "God will save me, even if I repent at the last second of my life." Is this true? Absolutely. However, you don't know when the last second will be. You imagine it will resting in a bed somewhere at the ripe old age of 100, gently taking your last breaths and you quietly slip into the dark night.
I hate to tell you, but your last second might happen today. You might be pulling out of a stop sign and somebody looks down at a phone and crashes into you. You have milliseconds between life and death and you don't have TIME to think about getting saved. Vehicular accidents happen every day and I'm guessing that most people have no idea when, or how, they will happen. They never expected this would be their last day on earth. It just happens, in the twinkling of an eye.
In the same way, Jesus will return to earth to take His own children with Him--in the twinkling of an eye. If you don't have oil in your lamp (salvation and the anointing of God on your life to protect you), you will not go. This isn't RELIGION.
Religion will never save you. Jesus will save you. You have to KNOW Jesus (in a personal relationship of intimacy). Knowing about God, or knowing about Jesus, or any combination of religious practices and knowing about anything will not save you! You can know every scripture in the Bible, quote them flawlessly and go straight to hell when you die. That's not what Christianity is about...it doesn't matter how many times you have been to church, sung worship music, prayed for others, fed the homeless, took care of the widow and orphans, or performed ANY other good works. It will NOT get you into heaven and you WILL NOT have eternal life with Jesus (which is the greatest benefit and purpose of heaven).
Religion kills. Jesus saves. Period.
If you don't know Jesus in a personal relationship, you can get to know Him now. Tell Him that you have sinned against Him only and rejected His grace, ask for forgiveness, turn from your wicked ways. Confess that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into you and help you to live righteously. If you call on the name of the Lord Jesus in true faith, you will be saved!
Proverbs 9:10-12 (KJV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
Proverbs 8:17-19 (NASB)
"I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. "Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness. "My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.
Matthew 7:19-27 (NASB)
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall.
No, they tried to trick him, hurt him and THEY eventually killed Him--not recognizing Him as the Messiah. They weren't His people.
Over the past few years, God has spoken to me many times about the separation of the wheat from the tares, the goat from the sheep and the difference between the five foolish virgins and the five wise virgins. There are many more parables that speak the same message of separation and the division between God's true sons (children) and the sons of disobedience.
Recently, God started speaking about something a little different--a new aspect of the same message. He said, "Sarah, those who are not mine have become really adept at imitating those that are mine."
This was a profound truth. These people have grown up in church, learned the language of the Bible and Christianese and learned how to adeptly COPY the behaviors of God's children. They know how to sing the hymns, perform the ritual religious sacraments, and say all the right things in church. They know how to say the Lord's prayer and take communion, while quietly sobbing and kneeling at the rail in church. They know how to give a tithe of 10%. They can do all the godly things that give a strong perception of godliness and righteousness to the world. They insist that YOU must do all these things in just a certain way--to become like them.
God spoke again, "Sarah, there's one thing they can't imitate...the wisdom of God."
If you don't have the wisdom of God, you can't fake it until you make it. This is wisdom that only comes from God, and the world absolutely cannot duplicate it--no matter how many programs they create, or devise "wise" plans for the functioning of families, work, churches, or anything else. They come up with plans, but the plans fail--time and time again. God's wisdom is precious.
God's wisdom leads to honor, riches and life.
Satan can even emulate and duplicate the signs, wonders and miracles of God (in some cases)--just read the book of Revelation and you'll see this is true. You can't judge the righteousness of a person or ministry by the miracles or signs that you see. There has to be something more. The person has to KNOW God, not just know about God, and this person will have the wisdom that comes through pursuing intimacy with God. Wisdom leads us away from the unfruitful works of darkness and leads us to be cleansed of all unrighteousness, at any cost. When someone receives the holy wisdom of God, this person realizes that nothing is more precious or important in life. There is nothing else worth pursuing, except to be submissive and obedient to God in every way possible. It's a wonderful, joyous union of a person's spirit into the Spirit of God. Out of this deep relationship flows wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment, the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives--as He wills--to people.
This cannot be imitated by those who don't really know God. It's simply impossible.
It's this wisdom of God that separates the wheat from the tares and the sheep from the goats. Where does one get wisdom? The Bible says that "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). We get wisdom when we come into a true relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ...but it has to be true faith.
The five foolish virgins believe that there is plenty of time to buy the oil, so they don't bother with buying it now. They think there will be time later. I will do what I want now, and then I'll buy my oil at the last minute.
I have heard people say, "God will save me, even if I repent at the last second of my life." Is this true? Absolutely. However, you don't know when the last second will be. You imagine it will resting in a bed somewhere at the ripe old age of 100, gently taking your last breaths and you quietly slip into the dark night.
I hate to tell you, but your last second might happen today. You might be pulling out of a stop sign and somebody looks down at a phone and crashes into you. You have milliseconds between life and death and you don't have TIME to think about getting saved. Vehicular accidents happen every day and I'm guessing that most people have no idea when, or how, they will happen. They never expected this would be their last day on earth. It just happens, in the twinkling of an eye.
In the same way, Jesus will return to earth to take His own children with Him--in the twinkling of an eye. If you don't have oil in your lamp (salvation and the anointing of God on your life to protect you), you will not go. This isn't RELIGION.
Religion will never save you. Jesus will save you. You have to KNOW Jesus (in a personal relationship of intimacy). Knowing about God, or knowing about Jesus, or any combination of religious practices and knowing about anything will not save you! You can know every scripture in the Bible, quote them flawlessly and go straight to hell when you die. That's not what Christianity is about...it doesn't matter how many times you have been to church, sung worship music, prayed for others, fed the homeless, took care of the widow and orphans, or performed ANY other good works. It will NOT get you into heaven and you WILL NOT have eternal life with Jesus (which is the greatest benefit and purpose of heaven).
Religion kills. Jesus saves. Period.
If you don't know Jesus in a personal relationship, you can get to know Him now. Tell Him that you have sinned against Him only and rejected His grace, ask for forgiveness, turn from your wicked ways. Confess that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into you and help you to live righteously. If you call on the name of the Lord Jesus in true faith, you will be saved!
Proverbs 9:10-12 (KJV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
Proverbs 8:17-19 (NASB)
"I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. "Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness. "My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.
Matthew 7:19-27 (NASB)
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall.
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