What Comes First???

I am a Christian first. I may be direct & bold in my walk with Christ, but hopefully never cruel. The truth I speak is always spoken/written in love for people - the hurt, lost, & broken, the fellow believer alike. My political position is further down the line & not my main focus. People are deceived & confused, hurt & angry, even & especially in their political stance. Everyone thinks they are right - and most are cruel about it. This party is telling people how to be a Christian, while the "Christian" side gets angry & attacks. Neither side has evidence of godly fruit in their lives, so in the spiritual realm they are on the same side of the bird. I refuse to condone any cruelty against political lines. Educating people does not have to be cruel. But also, realize when they can't hear you, & don't just get louder & more aggressive. "Don't cast your pearls before pigs." Pray that they will have eyes to see & ears to hear what is true. Perhaps pray for that for yourself while you're at it! Pray for wisdom & discernment, as well.

What does it matter if we are right if souls are not being saved? Several weeks ago I commented on a Christian post that talked about how Scripture is God-breathed. I wrote simply that "unless one has ever heard God speak, they do not understand how Scripture was written by Him! I hear God talk to me all the time!" I got roasted, ruthlessly, by atheists telling me I was crazy & schizophrenic, even worse. Some of the comments were kind of clever & funny actually! But I never got angry or attacked them. What do we expect when non-believers act like non-believers? I know that Christians have probably attacked them & their beliefs to the point they don't even want to be a Christian nor converse with one. I am absolutely guilty of being this type of "Christian" in the past. So this new-found peace in this situation is fruit that the Lord is changing me! I was more hurt for the lost than for their attacks on me. The Bible tells us to either be hot or cold, not lukewarm, so I can appreciate their coldness; I can work with that. Lukewarm-ness leaves little to work with. Their comments to me allowed me to do something, though. They opened a door for me to forgive them, pray for them, asking God to reveal Himself to them, reveal Jesus to them, show them the truth so they could be set free! Instead of being offended, I used that open door they gave me to pray into their lives. I will not likely ever see any fruit from that, but I learned so much from them! We can learn from everyone & every situation if we allow God to teach us something!

"Our fight is not against flesh & blood, but against the principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). Our fight is not with other humans, but against evil, wickedness, demons, satan. Our enemy loves it when we argue with each other about political, moral, Biblical, & evil things. He loves what the quarrelling produces in the atmosphere, the instability, & when Christians look just like the world. We play right into the devils hand when we are more interested in being right than loving people as our neighbor; when our own agenda is more important than glorifying a risen Savior in Jesus Christ, & when our motives are about getting people to see my point of view rather than that of Christ. There is so much deception & confusion. A man can call himself a woman, but that does not make it so. A person can call themself a Christian but that doesn't make it so. We are so busy arguing who is right that few take the time to self-reflect & to see who they truly are, what they are truly about, the god/God they truly serve. If your voice is used to simply attack people who believe differently than you, you are not doing the will of Christ, you are your own god. The Lord God Almighty had to teach me this first. I am not speaking from a place I do not understand, I know this place of cruelty & desire to be right & justified very well. The fact that I no longer attack when people disagree with me is fruit & evidence that He is moving in my life!

What fruit or evidence is there in your life? Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit, or evidence, when the Holy Spirit is in us are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. Against such there is no law. But, just before that, in verses 19, 20, & 21, the works of the flesh that are evident, fruit you are living for the world, not for Christ, are: "adultery, fornication, orgies, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery/witchcraft, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of rage, disputes, dissensions, factions (that promote heresies), envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, & the like. Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Really ask the Holy Spirit which direction you are going. If you are claiming to be a Christian, are you really living for Christ? If you are lukewarm, somewhere in the middle, I encourage you to become hot & on fire for the Lord. The lukewarm "Christian" will not inherit the kingdom of God, but rather will be spewed, vomited out of Christ's mouth (Revelation 3:15.16).

I have been lukewarm. That is why I know that place, that position in one's life. But you can seek Him, live for Him, obey Him, & be on fire for Him! God will waste nothing in your life. He will use for good those things that the enemy meant for evil! You can do it! I encourage you to seek Jesus TODAY! I do not want to see anyone miss heaven because I failed to inform of the truth. Once you actually start reading Scripture for yourself, once you start living for Jesus in obedience, you will be less angry at me for telling you the truth! I would be happy to pray for you, just message me, or send me an email (genuinejodie@gmail.com).