A House Divided Cannot Stand

Mark 3:25

²⁵And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Mt. 12:25

²⁵And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand

Amos 3:3

³Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Philippians 2:2

²Fulfil you my joy, that you be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

ONE = H259 (from Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries)
אחד
'echâd
ekh-awd'
Properly united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first: - a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.

ACCORD = G3661 (from Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries)
ὁμοθυμαδόν
homothumadon
hom-oth-oo-mad-on'
Adverb from a compound of the base of G3674 and G2372; unanimously: - with one accord (mind).

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We need to be ‘on the same page’. We all need to be in ONE MIND and ONE ACCORD. God can not bless the church if we are in divided. Simple as that. The church will fall.

I did a search on “one accord” and came up with 14 verses. It MUST be important to God if it was mentioned this much.

Take a look for yourself:

Jos 9:2  That they gathered themselves together… with one accord.

Act 1:14  These all continued with one accord

Act 2:1  … they were all with one accord

Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord

Act 4:24  … they lifted up their voice to God with one accord

Act 5:12  …and they were all with one accord

Act 7:57  …and ran upon him with one accord

Act 8:6  And the people with one accord…

Act 15:25  …being assembled  with one accord, to send chosen men unto you

Act 19:29  …they rushed with one accord

Php 2:2  …being of one accord, of one mind

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There should not be division in a church.

Simple as that.

Monday’s Life In Him – Rainbows!

Happy Monday Everyone! Who wants to join in “Monday's Life In Him”? It’s easy… Just grab this button below & post it somewhere either on your blog post or on your main page. Then… Write a post about HIM (Jesus)Sometimes I just post a verse, sometimes I share a short story or sometimes I write a short study.Either way… Let’s spread His Word and His Love! <a border="0" href="http://wedonthaveitalltogether.blogspot.com/search/label/Life%20In%20%27Him%27" target="_blank"><img src="http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab13/jacquiblogger/danielle/buttonlifeinhim1.jpg" width="125" height="125" /> </a>

^{Here is what I have for today:}

^Rainbows:

^{I just thought I’d point out some interesting rainbows in scripture. Or should I say, ‘lack of’ rainbows…}

^{In Genesis 9:16 God says,}

^“When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and I will remember the agreement that continues forever between me and every living thing on the earth."

This is because God has already destroyed the Earth twice with floods. Lucifer's Flood & Noah's Flood. So we know that the rainbow is a PROMISE from God.

Now let’s move on to God’s throne:

Rev. 4:3

… All around the throne was a rainbow the color of an emerald.

Here we see our promise from God! All around the throne was a rainbow!!

We are seeing heaven here. Heaven from the inside! Another thing that is amazing to me is the worship that will be going on in heaven! It says:

⁸“Day and night they never stop saying:
    "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.
       He was, he is, and he is coming."

⁹ These living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever.¹⁰ Then the twenty-four elders bow down before the One who sits on the throne, and they worship him who lives forever and ever. They put their crowns down before the throne and say:
¹¹ "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
       to receive glory and honor and power,
    because you made all things.
       Everything existed and was made,
       because you wanted it."

But now a different view of God’s throne:

^{Rev. 20:11}

^{Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. Earth and sky ran away from him and disappeared.}

^{Why white? Why no rainbow?}

^{This is the “Great White Throne Judgment” – the time when sinners will come out of hell all stand in front of God to be judged out of “the books”. One book being the “Book of Life”. A saved person (born again, child of God) will have their name written in the Book of Life but a sinner will not. The other books opened will have every single deed recorded in them. Every act, every word spoken, every thought… every single time they were told about Jesus and continued to reject Him. The sinner will be judged according to these books.}

^{Unfortunately these sinners, while standing in front of God, will not see a rainbow. They will not see a rainbow because they have no promise. They never accepted Jesus as their Savior while alive on this side of the grave. They are being judged & sentenced to hell for the rest of eternity. There is no hope for them.}

^{If we keep on reading through verse 15 it says,}

^{“And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”}

^{This is so sad.}

^{This is why we need to be proclaiming the gospel in all we do. We need to lead others to Christ.}

^{Jesus said, “}Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" - Mark 16:15

And we need to let our light shine. People should see Christ through us. We may be the only bible some may ever see, so “In all we do, we need to do it for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Now it’s your turn!

Write up your post about Jesus & link up here with us so we can find you! Spread His love!

Monday’s Life In Him

Good Morning & Happy Monday!

This is the second week of “Monday’s Life In HIm”

 Last week we had only two others link up, I hope to get a few more this week.

“Monday’s Life In Him” can be a verse you want to share or a story or a short study. Whatever you feel that God has put on your heart to share.

There is only one rule to link up,  post my button.

Here is what I have for this week:

Mark 1:1-5

John Prepares for Jesus

¹ This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, ² as the prophet Isaiah wrote:
    "I will send my messenger ahead of you,
       who will prepare your way." — (Malachi 3:1)
³ "This is a voice of one
       who calls out in the desert:
    'Prepare the way for the Lord.
       Make the road straight for him.' " —( Isaiah 40:3)

⁴ John was baptizing people in the desert and preaching a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins.⁵ All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to him. They confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

John was to prepare the hearts of the people (Israel) for their Messiah. For hundreds of years the Israelites prayed for the coming of the Messiah and He was finally coming. How tragic that the nation failed to accept Him.

Much like today. Jesus is coming back but He is not accepted by many. Not only is He not accepted, but where are the messengers? Who is preaching repentance? Who is preparing the way?

We need to spread the Word. Mark 16:15 Jesus said to His followers, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone”.

We need to prepare the hearts of the people.

Tithing Means 10% & It’s A Command From God. Deal With It.

Sorry to be blunt like that… but we all need to suck it up & deal with the fact that we OWE God 10% of what we earn. Simple as that. So stop crying about it & trying to make excuses for why you don’t have to!

I know I am going to be disliked for this one… but this will be on tithing. Not too many can agree on this doctrine. Mostly because it hits our precious pocket book. And we don’t like being told what to do with our money. Only problem with that? It’s not OUR money. It’s His. He gives it to us. No scripture even mentions a substitute program for tithing in the New Testament.

There is a difference between tithing and offering. Tithing is a command. Offering is just that. Offering. Tithing is a tenth. A tenth off of the top of your profit. Whether it be your paycheck or your crops ‘back in the day’. A tenth of your earnings should go to God before it is touched for ANYTHING else. Before your mortgage, car payment, groceries.

I heard someone say once, If you want to know what is most important to someone… look in their check book. On the day of payday when that money is deposited… what is the very first thing money is withdrawn for?

Is it God?

It should be. Here is why. First of all, it is commanded by God. Secondly, the true Word needs to be spread.

Mark 16:15 (King James Version)

¹⁵And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

How are we to make sure the true Word of God gets spread if we don’t support the church?

Tithes. Used 23 times in the bible.

Tithe. Used 14 times in the bible.

Tithing. Used 2 times in the bible.

Tithe  means tenth.

It’s really very simple. This does not mean a tenth of your time. This is a tenth of your earnings. Look at all the biblical examples. These people gave what they earned! Not just some ‘community service’ as they chose. That doesn’t mean painting the church in your spare time, or preparing meals for the sick or homeless or donating your baked goods for the church bake sale, or helping the youth on your free day.  All of those things are wonderful, but it all is considered offerings… not tithing!

The very first mention of tithing was in Gen. 14:20, Gen. 28:22 and again in Heb. 7:1-11. This practice was 430 years BEFORE the Law  of Moses!  So we will see, that the doctrine of tithing was practiced before the Law of Moses (Old Testament), Under the Law  of  Moses, and also in the New Testament (after the Law was finished). In the New Testament, Christ taught it & Paul taught it. It was commanded in both Old & New Testaments.

Tithing Under The Law Of Moses:

First of all it was commanded in Lev. 27:30 & Mal. 3:10.

Five Purposes for tithing:

• For  the Levites Num. 18:21-24  {“This is their payment for the work they do serving”}
• Tithes of the tithes every 3 yrs for the poor and the ministers Dt. 14:27-29, 26:12-14
• To  supply God’s house Mal. 3:10
• To honor God Prov. 3:9-10

When were tithes to be brought? Yearly, along with all other offerings for the feast Dt. 12:6-7, 14:22-26

These tithes belonged to God, not the people who paid them Lev. 27:30-34, Mal. 3:8

Where tithes were brought: 2nd Chr. 31:12, Neh. 10:38, 12:44, 13:5 & 12

If someone borrowed  then 20% interest had to be added when it was paid back Lev. 27:31

Tithing in the New Testament:

Christ taught it: (Mt. 23:23 <--- command, Lk. 11:42), Lk. 18:11-12,

Matthew 10:10 (New Century Version)

¹⁰ Don't carry a bag or extra clothes or sandals or a walking stick. Workers should be given what they need.

Luke 10:7-8 (New Century Version)

⁷ Stay in the same house, eating and drinking what the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don't move from house to house. ⁸ If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you.

Paul taught it:

God ordained the support of ministers 1 Cor. 9:7-14

Melchisedec priesthood is eternal & must be supported Heb. 7:1-11

Here are some examples of those mentioned in scripture who paid tithes:

• Abraham (Gen. 14:20, Heb. 7:1-11)
• Jacob (Gen. 28:22)
• Levi in Abraham (Heb 7:9)
• Hezekiah and Israel (2 Chr. 31)
• Nehemiah and Israel (Neh. 13)
• Hypocrites (Mt. 23:23, Lk. 11:42; 18:12)
• Christians (1 Cor. 9:7-14; 16:2, 2 Cor. 7:11; 8:1-15, Gal. 6:6, 1 Tim. 5:17-18, Heb. 7)

Here are blessings mentioned for paying tithes:

• Blessings for obedience (Rom. 4:12, Heb. 7:6-10, 1 Cor. 9:7-14, 1 Tim. 6:17-18. Compare to Mal. 3:8-10, Pr. 3:9-10, Gen. 14:20, Dt. 8:10-20)
• God’s house will not want (Mal. 3:10)
• God’s ministers will not want (1 Cor. 9:7-14, 1 Tim. 5:17-18, Neh. 13:10)
• Material and spiritual blessings (Mal. 3:8-10, Pr. 3:9-10, 2 Chr. 31, Neh. 13)

Malachi 3:10-12 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
      That there may be food in My house,
      And try Me now in this,”
      Says the LORD of hosts,
      “ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.
¹¹ “ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
      So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
      Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
      Says the LORD of hosts;
¹² And all nations will call you blessed,
      For you will be a delightful land,”
      Says the LORD of hosts.

Tithes and offerings belong to God. To use them for personal gain is robbery of what belongs to God. Robbing God of tithes and offerings brings a curse. The purpose of tithes and offerings was to support the priesthood and the work of God in general. In vs.. 10, God challenges men to prove Him regarding the rewards of tithing.

We have all said, “I can’t afford to pay God the full 10% this week” because we have bills due. But someone once told me, “I can’t afford NOT to pay God this week”. Have you ever been faithful with your 10% for a long period of time… and then slacked off for a couple of weeks. ‘Jipped’ God out of His 10%? Then something unexpected came up? Like… your car broke down. Or something in the house went wrong? An extra bill came or you got a ticket? Remember that curse in vs.. 8 & 9? God WILL get His money one way or another.

And on the flip side – If you are faithful with your 10%… imagine the blessings!! God knows what we need. He knows if we are struggling with our bills. He also knows if we are struggling with the idea of paying Him or not paying Him.

If we are faithful in paying Him, then He will provide for us. He will take care of our needs. Don’t forget:

”If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
      And pour out for you such blessing
      That there will not be room enough to receive it.”

He is faithful to us.

Are we faithful to Him?

Ghosts!

Satan, Demons, ‘Ghosts’… OhMy!

Let’s talk about the spooky stuff! Why not?

Everyone falls into 3 categories on this topic: 1) Don’t believe at all & probably don’t want to hear about it, 2) Believe it but don’t know much… but have lot’s of their own theories, or 3) Believe it & know the truth. If you are in another category, sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you out.

{This topic is one of my pet peeves. It bothers me that there are so many that don’t know the truth about “ghosts”. People want to believe that these ‘ghosts’ are long lost loved ones that will watch over them like angels. Or they believe that their house is haunted by a ‘nice ghost’… so it’s ok. This drives me NUTS! The bible is very clear: When we take our last breath here on earth, we close our eyes & die & open our eyes in eternity. This is a fact. The bible is also very clear on the fact that once we wake up in eternity (whether heaven or hell) we STAY PUT & do NOT COME BACK for any reason! (Luke 16)  UNDERSTAND THIS PEOPLE!!! Ghosts are NOT dead people that come back to earth for any reason!!!}

Ready? Let’s get started!

The Greek words daimonion and daimon means “evil spirits” or “devils”. These words are used 77 times referring to demon spirits (‘ghosts’). There is also the Greek word diamonizomai which means “to have or be possessed by a demon”

The Greek word diabolos means “Satan” (The Devil), which means adversary, false accuser, slanderer. It is used 34 times regarding Satan.

There is a HUGE difference between these two different things: Satan & demon spirits. There is only one prince of devils but many demons.

Satan in an angel. He has an angelic body & can NOT enter bodily into anyone. Demons are DISembodied spirits & are not able to operate in the material world except through possession of the bodies of men & animals.

Other words used in the bible meaning “demon” (same Greek word, just different translation): familiar spirits, unclean spirits, evil spirits, seducing spirits.

Some general information about demons: They are subject to Christ and made subject to believers by the atonement, the name of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 8:16-17; 12:28; Mk. 16:17; Lk. 10:17; Acts 19:15; 1Pet. 3:22) This means that IN THE NAME OF JESUS demons have to flee. Now don’t misunderstand – YOU MUST BE A CHRISTIAN in order to use the name of Jesus. The demons KNOW if you are saved or not!! {Acts 19:13-16  - ¹³Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." ¹⁴Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵(One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" ¹⁶Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.} You don’t mess with demons unless you are covered in the blood of Christ because the demons KNOW who belongs to Him!

Here’s the kicker: Demons have been roaming this earth since BEFORE Adam & Eve! Yes, yes… Adam & Eve were NOT the first beings on the face of the earth. Before Adam & Eve there was a whole kingdom here on earth! Lucifer (aka Satan) was created by Christ along with other beings, principalities and powers in heaven and earth (Job 38:4-7; Ez. 28:11-17; Col. 1:15-18) Lucifer fell through pride over his own beauty (Ez. 28:11-17; 1Tim 3:6) and trying to exalt himself above God (Isa. 14:12-14). Anyway… Lucifer had a kingdom on earth long before the 6 days of Gen. (1:3-2:25) and the creation of Adam. These passages reveal that he fell, led an invasion into heaven and was defeated. At that time the earth was cursed and all life destroyed by the first flood, (as in Gen. 1:2… whole other story), NOT Noah’s flood. 

Soooo…. demons were roaming around before Adam & Eve between earth & hell… they know everything that has ever happened here on earth! They have seen every person who has ever lived. They have seen every person die.

Above I mentioned one of the names of demons is “familiar spirit”. This is what we call “ghosts”. We may see a ‘ghost’ that resembles our long lost great-grandpa that died in the attic. This ‘ghost’ looks like great-grandpa…it MUST be great-grandpa! NOT!! This is a “familiar spirit”!! These demons are so devious, they can make themselves look like any person who has ever been on this earth. People fall for this in other ways too. They see this ‘ghost’ that looks like some person who has lived back in the 1800’s or some other far away time period… and they look it up in history & find out this ‘ghost’ was a real person! Yes, demons CAN do this.

What WE need to do… is NOT BE IGNORANT to this! Don’t think these evil things are innocent ‘ghosts’ of dead nice people. The dead nice people are either in heaven or hell… and can NOT come back!!! Regardless if these things are scaring us or not – harming us or not – THESE THINGS ARE DEMON SPIRITS! No matter HOW you want to look at it – THEY ARE EVIL!! You do not want these things around! I think one reason for this is people want to hold on to some kind of hope that their loved one is coming back to visit or something. But this is impossible. It is impossible that our loved one comes back from eternity. This is the Word of God in scripture!

I really want people to understand how powerful the name of Jesus is. Demons know their destiny! In James 2:19 it says the demons know God and TREMBLE! They know that Christ has ALL POWER over them. They know their fate… that at the end of time they will be cast into hell for all eternity!

Demons also know who belongs to Christ. Us believers have the power over demons THROUGH CHRIST! Jesus gave us His permission to use His name to cast out demons, to heal the sick! 

Hollywood (and a lot of regular people) think you need to call in a priest or minister to pray over your haunted house or to do an exorcism… NOT TRUE! Jesus gave us His permission to use His name to do His work!! You just have to be a Christian. A believer. A born again, washed in the blood, child of God!

Luke 9

¹Then He called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

²And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

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Are YOU a child of God? A believer? Are YOU washed in His blood?

You have to believe that Jesus is God’s only son who died on the cross for your sins… and He was raised from the dead on the 3rd day. (Romans 10:9)

If you believe this, then talk to God. Tell him you are sorry for your sins & you want to be saved. Tell Him you believe in His Son Jesus, that He died for your sins & you believe He has risen!

After you have done this…

YOU ARE SAVED!

You are a child of God!

You are washed in the blood of Christ!