Encouragement

Christian is only used three times in scripture. Jesus related to His disciples as followers. A disciple is one under the lordship of Jesus’ authority for discipline and to produce maturity.

The closer you get to Jerusalem the more powerful the religious spirit is—a form of godliness that denies the power thereof. It is amazing that the three major religions lay claim to Jerusalem and are centered in Jerusalem; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The word Christian has become a catch-all term bringing the scripture by men’s traditions to no effect.

Repentance comes before forgiveness and is to be preached: turn away from sin to receive forgiveness of sin. Turn from following the world, change direction (180), receive forgiveness and follow Him. The call to repent is how the spiritual distance between us and God is reduced and how we draw near to Him and He draws near to us. Some 46 times in scripture is the call to repentance. This is how faith—real faith—comes. By hearing the word of God, which is proclaimed first, then forgiveness, faith in God is revealed.

The mind cannot be opened to renewal without repentance, which is the first response toward God’s love for us. Hallelujah!

-KC

The Bible is not just a book with words on pages—ideas, stories, myths, or legends. It is the Word of God, written for our benefit to live life to its fullest.

Jesus, quoted the Word of God many times. Many times He would say to the Pharisees and Sadducees: “Have you not read?” In His confrontation and temptation with Satan, His one response was, “It is written.” He was quoting from Deuteronomy, confronting the three temptations. When it came to the devil and the religious spirits of the day, He did not engage them in debate or arguments; He spoke the written Word of God. The only way for us to deal with the tempter and his many temptations and schemes is to speak to him what is written. It is astounding to me that when Jesus spoke—it is written—the devil had no comeback, but tried a different way, intensifying his scheme. He was prepared to find a way to take Jesus out at any cost, to find a place in Him. Jesus, who is our example, demonstrated to us how to deal with the temptations of the devil. He simply spoke, confessed, believing the written Word of God.

In Hebrews, it is written that every Word is inspired, God-breathed, given to Holy men of old. Not just some of the words, not something that you can pick and choose according to our lifestyles. Every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God is to be adhered to, believed, and confessed. Let it be known to each of us that the Scriptures cannot be broken and only the traditions of man and his religious deceptions make the Word of God of no effect.

This is what Jesus spoke to the religious spirits in the leaders of His day. It is vital in every generation to receive, believe, and confess the Word of God that is able to bring us by faith into spiritual maturity—growing up in Him. Hallelujah!

-KC

“the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” – ‭I John‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The importance of walking in the light and fellowship—this is where the blood cleanses us from all sin. It is continual, the blood and fellowship, starting with the Father and Son, and our abiding in them.

Hallelujah for the blood.

Oh precious Is the flow, that makes me white as snow ❄️ no other fount I know nothing but the blood of Jesus.

-KC

Photo: “The Blood of Jesus Christ” by Thomas Hawk is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.