Hearts of Light Teachings
Written by: Minister Nancy Marcinik
© 2012-2019 Minister Nancy Marcinik All Rights Reserved
Be Sure to Check Back for New Teachings
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GODLY ROLE OF HUSBAND AND WIFE
Is there a capable, intelligent and virtuous woman who can be found? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls (Proverbs 31:10).
A virtuous and worthy wife (earnest and strong in character) is a crowning joy to her husband but she who makes him ashamed is as rottenness in his bones (Proverbs 12:4).
He who finds a (true) wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22).
Houses and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding and prudent wife is from the Lord (Proverbs 19:14).
When God created man and woman, He created them in His own image. When God created Eve as Adam’s companion, He created her to be his equal. Eve was a gift to Adam from God. She was created to walk in harmony with her husband.
Harmony means in accord, oneness, union, fellowship, friendship, agreement, amicability, peacefulness, cooperation, like-mindedness, unison, etc. This harmonious relationship was for both man and woman to walk as husband and wife in unity before God. It is not meant to be one sided. Both husband and wife are to embrace these harmonious qualities.
God created the man first and out of the rib of man, God created woman. God created the husbandman as the headship of his household and woman was created with her husband as her covering. The headship of Jesus Christ is God the Father. The headship of the husband is Jesus Christ. And the headship of the wife is her husband (1 Corinthians 11:3).
Many confusing doctrines have come from this scripture believing that the headship of the husband meant he ruled the nest. With that belief system, husbands have lorded over their wives in abuse, control, and master of commands. He believes what he says goes and the wife was to follow regardless and, if she didn’t, a price was to be paid. Therefore, many households are filled with strife, discord, disunity, unrest, and chaos and not the peace that comes from God.
God’s intention for marriage in the rule of headship is that the husband is in the leadership role as Christ is of the church. The husband’s responsibility is to lead, guide and direct his family in the things of God. It is his responsibility to teach his children the righteousness of God and to walk in the ways of Christ. He is responsible for the souls of his children and the care of his wife.
Jesus Christ loves His church. He died for all of mankind for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus gave of His life willingly for the joy set before Him. His crucifixion not only saved us from sin but it gives benefits to the church to live, grow, have authority, be empowered, fruitful, encouraged and edified to fulfill its God given destiny.
The husband is to carry this responsibility in his marriage to his wife and to his children. He will love her as Christ loves us. He will edify and encourage his wife to fulfill her true identity in Christ. He will help bring her into the fullness of her destiny in Christ. He will lead by example as Jesus Christ has for His church.
Jesus brings His church into the full knowledge of their power and authority in Him. The husband is to reflect the true love of Christ in his household. By doing so, his wife sees the man he is in God. She not only can see but also witnesses his love toward her and their children through his actions.
When the husband loves his wife as Jesus loves His church, the wife in turn gives the husband respect and honor. She is every one of the scriptures listed above from Proverbs because she wants to edify and love her husband. It becomes natural for the wife to love her husband because she knows in her heart that he is walking in the ways of Christ Jesus. She knows that she will be blessed through her husband. You can’t demand respect and honor when you are not acting as the headship Christ has ordained.
When the husband reflects the true love of Christ in his household there is peace, unity and love. Under the rule of Satan is strife, chaos, hatred, malice, disunity, discord, and all things opposite of what Christ offers.
The meaning of strife is conflict, anger, bitterness, disagreement, friction, discord, dispute, quarreling, argument, wrangling, bickering, dissension, controversy, ill/bad feeling, falling-out, bad blood, hostility, and animosity. The opposite of strife is PEACE!
God does not impose strife in your life. You accept it when you negate Jesus Christ as the headship of your family rejecting Him as your covering. If your relationship falls within any of those definitions of strife, then you are in need of reorganization.
First start is to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. Give Him full reign over your life and your family making Him the covering of your household. It is important husbands and wives are equally yoked in receiving Jesus and surrendering to Him.
Covering means protection and concealment. With Jesus Christ as the covering of your household, He protects you and conceals you. Just as you cover up a flower to protect it from frost, Jesus covers you with protection from the attacks of the enemy to bring strife into your household.
Husbands…seek the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and spirit. Seek the present help of Jesus Christ in His Holy Spirit. Ask Him for guidance. Ask Him to help you lead your family in the ways of Christ Jesus. Ask Him for wisdom, discernment and strength to guide your children. Ask Him to pour His love into you so you may pour it out upon your wife and children. The change must come from you by surrendering to Christ Jesus. Bring Him into your life and He will do the rest.
Wives…it is important that you not speak death into your marriage through bad mouthing and cursing your husband when he is not leading the family in a godly manner. It is important you speak life into him praying he comes to the full knowledge of Christ Jesus to realize and understand his position as headship.
The enemy wants nothing more than to destroy marriages and families. When hurtful, backlash and backbiting is present in your marriage from one or both sides, the enemy will pick it up and run with it causing your circumstances to greatly enlarge and worsen to even the point of abusiveness or separation and divorce or worse.
There is never a better time than today to change the road you have been traveling. Send the devil his eviction papers and bring unity to your family. The enemy comes but to steal, kill and destroy. Do not allow him to steal your family, your spouse, your children and your peace!
Husbands….I pray in Jesus’ name that you are blessed with an abundance of strength, knowledge, wisdom and discernment in the ways of Jesus Christ to lead your family as the man of God you are intended to be. I pray that, in doing so, you are overwhelmed with the love of Christ and everything the enemy meant for harm against you and your family is turned into your good. I pray that Christ Jesus blesses you with the love of a wife that surpasses the Proverbs woman.
Wives….I pray in Jesus’ name that you are blessed with an abundance of strength, wisdom, knowledge and discernment in the ways of Christ Jesus to support, bless, and encourage your husband, and to uphold the godly nature of a true Proverbs woman. I pray that Jesus Christ overwhelms you with His love so you may pour it upon your husband and children. I pray that Jesus Christ blesses you with the godly man you deserve who loves you, supports you, honors you, respects you and protects you as the gift you were always meant to be.
God Bless you with love and life everlasting. Peace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and your family. (5/11/2020)
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Hearts of Light Ministry is establishing a coordinated effort around the globe for all shofar owners to blow their shofars for 7 days beginning Sunday, March 29, 2020, at 3:00PM EST until 3:30PM EST, through Saturday, April 4, 2020. We will gather as one in unity to blow our shofars each day. Then on the 7th day, we shall blow the shofar from 3:00PM-3:30PM EST and at 3:30PM EST, we shall shout a GREAT SHOUT of victory. This is in hopes of releasing the armies of heaven to eradicate the coronavirus from the earth. Please JOIN in this endeavor to unite across the globe as one in unity to stop this virus in its tracks. I pray you will join in this heart felt endeavor to call upon the Lord of Hosts to fight this battle for us. (Reference Joshua and his miraculous battle of Jericho) Thank you for your participation!
With much Love and prayers, Hearts of Light Ministry
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Hearts of Light Teachings
Written by: Minister Nancy Marcinik
© 2012-2019 Minister Nancy Marcinik All Rights Reserved
Be Sure to Check Back for New Teachings
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!
Receiving Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior does NOT give you a free pass to stay in sin and live the ways of the world. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
If you receive Him and love Him as your Lord and Savior, you will keep His word. You will NOT conform to the ways of the world. For the world will lead you astray and you will be deceived into thinking it’s okay to continue in sin claiming that because you have Jesus, you are saved. NO!! Sin is SIN! There is no free pass to continue in sin when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Jesus paid a high price for you! He wants you to live holy lives, as He is holy. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
You can’t pick and chose those scriptures that suit you and those that don’t. God’s word is truth! He didn’t say in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “except those who received Me into their hearts!” He didn’t say you could continue living sinful lives! He didn’t say it is okay to live with each other committing fornication outside of marriage. He didn’t say you are free to sin only as long as you have me in your heart. He said, “if you LOVE ME, you will keep My word.” You will obey Him and not be rebellious.
The world will say it is okay to live ungodly lives. Hypocrites! Flee from such! You were washed in the Blood of Jesus! You were meant to be His own! Do NOT defile your bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Remaining in sin defiles your body. If you continue in such sin, the Lord will eventually hand you over to that sin. Romans 1:21-32…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Repent from all wickedness! Repent and return to Jesus Christ! Receive Him into your heart and ask Him to cleanse all wickedness from your heart, mind, soul and body. Then NEVER return to that sin!
Yes, we are weak in this corruptible human body; however, God gave us a way out! REPENT! REPENT immediately! Confess to Him your sin. Ask Him to wash you clean. Then turn away from sin! NEVER return to sin again!
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CHOICE!
This reflection of my choice came in light of all the new laws coming out of states legislating that the conception of human life forming in the womb has no rights and is less valued than a neglected dog or cat on the street.
This poem has been written from a contrite heart of the decision made that my right to choose overruled what was conceived inside of me. I believed the lies that what was conceived in me had neither life form nor value. I believed it was nothing and chose to end it and bury all memories of what I had done.
Upon finding Jesus Christ, He shone His purifying light upon all my darkest sins. Aborting my child being one of them. It was not easy to release that deep hidden dark secret but His love, grace and mercy upon me brought healing to allow me to let go and give it to Him.
I know what I did was wrong and the devil will cast it up in my face until the day I die– why? – Because that is what he does. Nevertheless, I know that my Savior has forgiven me and has taken this heavy burden from me.
I pray that whoever reads this and may be contemplating an abortion or even disregards conception as human life, will realize that your choice is murder in God’s eyes. You have no right to murder a child whom God knits together fearfully and wonderfully made in His image.
I pray you seek help in saving the life of that child. Seek adoption but never seek abortion. Abortion is not birth control; it is murder! Your day will come when you will have to stand before God and answer to murdering one of God’s dear children.
CHOICE!
I never got to hold you; never got to see your face.
I never got to count your toes; never got to hear your voice.
I listened to the lies; that you were nothing yet.
I made the choice to abort you; it was my right my way to forget.
I looked at the hardship; faced it with such sorrow.
I never gave you a chance; for you there would be no tomorrow.
That day was dreadful; deep horror struck within.
There was no heart, no compassion only filled with desolation.
In a moment it was done; your life was terminated.
The pain ripped your existence away only emptiness existed.
I had to bury you deep within erasing it from my mind.
Yet darkness brought in guilt and shame; torment would remind.
The day had come; a Light rushed in; exposing all my hidden sin.
What I buried deep within no longer hidden from view or Him.
All I’d done was before His light; how wretched I am in His sight.
How could I be saved before such Majesty, Holiness and Light?
By a Savior whose love and grace had mercy upon my soul;
Whose blood was shed to wash away my shame and guilt and make me whole.
The Hope I prayed for revealed His love; His forgiveness was mine to behold.
He took my burden and made it light; His gift of salvation disclosed.
His love and grace, mercy beholden He revealed to me you in heaven.
In the Light of Love He has shown; In His presence you have grown.
My time will come when I shall see you grown so handsomely.
I’ll meet the son whose life I stole; A blessing I await for in eternity.
Thank you Lord for saving me from the wickedness of my ways.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with a Hope I’d never known.
Thank you Lord for raising my child whose life I took away.
Thank you Lord for forgiving me and making heaven my home.
Date: February 4, 2019
© 2019 Minister Nancy Marcinik All Rights Reserved
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MATTERS of the HEART – THE SANCTUARY – A HOLY and SACRED PLACE
January 28, 2019
What is a Sanctuary –
A Holy place, a Sacred place, a temple or a church.
The inmost recess or holiest part of a temple or church.
Holy –
Morally and spiritually excellent
Sacred –
Regarded with great respect and reverence
Reverence –
Regard or treat with deep respect
Due regard
Avoid harming or interfering with
Respect -
High opinion, esteem, honor
Regard –
Consider or think of something in a specified way
Esteem –
Admiration, Value, Treasure, Favor, Honor
Value –
The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth
Honor –
A conventional standard of conduct
Worth –
Deserving to be treated or regarded in a specified way. High value or merit. Excellence, importance, significance.
The area around the altar is called the sanctuary; it is considered holy because of the physical presence of God. When entering the sanctuary of a church, it is like entering into the holiest of holies in the Tabernacle of Meeting or Temple in the Old Testament. If the priest entered the holy of holies with disregard, disrespect, dishonor or any ill will in character or nature that priest would immediately die by the hand of God. That is why there were bells attached to his garment.
Has it changed today when entering a church? Should you enter the church as a social club and chat away with friends, laughing and talking about whatever? I don’t believe so! I believe that when you enter a church, any church, you should be respectful; honoring and revering it with high esteem and admiration as a place where the presence of the Lord resides.
It amazes me when I watch people enter into the sanctuary disregarding it as having the presence of the Lord. They treat it as though they were in a social club or meeting friends and acquaintances at the mall or a restaurant. They chatter away laughing and making loud statements filling the sanctuary with an atmosphere of disrespect and dishonor.
The Lord commanded that we be holy as He is holy. Do we understand His holiness? What is holy? Holy means morally and spiritually excellent, being godly, god-fearing, righteous, virtuous, sinless, and pure and the list goes on. If you walk into a church and treat it no different than the local mall or social club, you are being disrespectful and dishonorable to the nature of God and His presence. If you lived in Old Testament era, your life would be in jeopardy of walking out alive.
All throughout my church life no matter what church I entered, I always felt the need to whisper and show respect for the place it was representing. The church referred to is the building where like-minded believers and churchgoers enter to worship the Lord and hear His word. So it didn’t matter to me whether it was a Catholic church, Baptist, Methodist, Nondenominational, etc., I entered with the thought in mind that God resided there. Therefore, I always felt the need to respect the atmosphere and be quiet, walk softly, and take my seat and pray before the service began.
Don’t get me wrong; I am not innocent of always maintaining that stature of obedience. Yes, I have been harassed and provoked by others causing reactions that elevated my voice beyond the whisper and soft low tone I adhere to only leaving me feeling the need to repent before my God for disrespecting and dishonoring Him.
Why inside the sanctuary? Why have such disregard and dishonor for the House of God to stake out your confrontations upon someone else inside the holiest of holies? Is there no honor or respect within your moral compass to be so upheaved that common sense vacates discernment entirely defiling the holiest of places sanctified by God Himself. Stop for a moment and think!
Where are you? Is this the place? Is it that important? Should I be chatting up a storm over what I had for dinner or what I plan to do for the day or week ahead? Are these the things that should be foremost on our minds when entering the Sanctuary? What is your purpose of even going to church in the first place?
Attending church is for the assembly of like-minded individuals for the edification of each other. First Corinthians 14:26 - [Order in Church Meetings ] How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
First Thessalonians 4:4 - …that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor; and 7 - For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. God did not call us to uncleanness but in holiness…HOLINESS – morally and spiritually excellent as Jesus Christ, Himself, is HOLY. Do you not know how to possess your own vessel? Do you not have control over your body and how it functions and especially over your tongue and your mind? Proverbs 25:28 - Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.
If you sense a feeling of conviction while reading this, then perhaps the Holy Spirit is nudging you to repent for your actions and to be thankful to the Lord for His longsuffering, mercy and grace. For without that, you would have been dragged out dead with the only sound of life being the bells ringing off your garment. Repent before a Holy God and ask for forgiveness of your unwalled behavior. Learn what it is to be holy as HE is HOLY.
Enter into His holy and sacred sanctuary esteeming His reverence and holiness with honor and respect upholding His valued worthiness. The importance of who HE is!
God Bless!
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IN HIS PRESENCE
What a wonderful thought! As a believer, seeking His presence should be on the top of our list of things to do each day. Deuteronomy 4:29 …but from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
However, how is it that you seek Him? More importantly, would you recognize Him in the seeking? Or will preconceived ideology limit your ability to find Him?
When Jesus was on the earth fulfilling His ministry, the Jewish religious sect did not recognize Him. Even though throughout the Old Testament, scriptures foretold of His arrival.
The following is a small representation of what was spoken in the Old Testament of the coming Messiah which Jesus testified to in John 5:31-40 giving a fourfold witness to His coming.
John 5:31-40
31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Jesus was rebuking the Jewish people as they diligently studied the scriptures (which at that time were the 39 books of the Tanak/Old Testament) that were about Him and not recognizing Him.
These are just a few of the Old Testament scriptures that foretold of the coming Messiah.
Psalms celebrate the person and work of the coming Messiah, but even though he would be rejected (Ps 118), and betrayed (Psalms 69, 109), die and be resurrected (Psalms 22, 16), he would come as Conqueror and Enthroned Ruler (Psalms 2, 110), as Planner and Groom (Psalms 40, 45), and as Triumphant King (Psalms 68, 72).*
There are some 39 predictions of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament prophets. A sample of these announcements before they happened would include these facts. First, it was predicted that Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; cf. Matthew 1:33). His birthplace would be Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; cf. Mt 2:1, 6), and John the Baptist would be his forerunner (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; cf. Matthew 3:3, Mk 1:3; Luke 3:4-6).*
It was further announced ahead of time that Messiah would enter Jerusalem [what turned out to be Palm Sunday] in Triumph as the crowd shouted “Hosanna” (Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 118:25-26; cf. Matthew 21:9; Mk 11:9; Luke 19:38; John 12:13). But in less than a week, he would be betrayed [by one of his own disciples, Judas, as it turned out] (Psalm 69:25; cf. Acts 1:20).*
These are only a few of the Old Testament scriptures foretelling of the coming Messiah that were not recognized when Jesus walked in His ministry. Is this the same today? The religious Jews (i.e., Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees) had in their minds formulated an ideology of what the coming Messiah would look like and Jesus, to them, did not fit the part.
So, what ideology have you developed? What thoughts and ideas have you perceived in your mind as to the likeness of Jesus’ presence? Unfortunately, when we perceive our own ideas in seeking His presence, or how He will answer a prayer, we can completely miss the outcome.
There has never been a time in my own life that an answer to prayer or an outcome of His presence was my own preconceived idea of how it would look. Jesus does not work in a box and unfortunately all too many times, we tend to put Him into a box.
In my own experience, His presence has come in many forms. His presence came in like a flood washing over me and overwhelming me with the weight of His Glory leaving me weeping and crying out in the spirit. His presence has come softly and gently in peaceful love and holy reverence that left such a Holy Hush in the atmosphere I couldn’t move or speak. His presence has come with such weight I felt pressed into the floor unable to move. His presence has come with such joy I wept with gladness.
My experiences are of my own and not necessarily formatted to be the same for all. His presence comes in as He sees fit to do according to His will and not our own. He knows the heart of those who seek Him and He presents Himself accordingly.
If you think you haven’t been in His presence based on your ideology of how it should look, you may have missed it all together. Perhaps you should step outside the box and allow Jesus to work His will according to His ways and not your own. His ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Let that soak in! His ways are way past our ways! His ways are always better for He is a good God. He wants nothing more than to bless His children.
My recommendation is to rid your mind of all preconceived ideologies of how you think it should look or how it should feel. Soak in His presence by allowing Him to bless you in His way according to His riches in glory.
You will be amazed!
*Notes taken from article 2009 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
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PRAYERS
You pray and you wait! Perhaps you wait and wait and your prayer seems to go unanswered. You grow impatient thinking an eternity has passed. You begin to wonder, “Did God hear me at all? Doesn’t He know I need an answer?” After all, in your world, you are important and exclusive.
Proverbs 15:29 – The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
1 John 5:14 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Mark 11:24 - Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 - Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
So according to the Word of God we have what we ask in prayer, right? Not necessarily!
In Proverbs 15:29, He hears the prayer of the righteous. Do you need to examine your heart? Is it righteous in the eyes of God or in your own eyes? Are you in unrepentant sin?
First John 5:14, is the prayer according to the Will of God? Reexamine what you ask. God hears and answers prayer that is according to His will. Most assuredly the Lord wants what is best for you. He wants you to be healthy and well provided. He is a GOOD God!
Mark 11:24, if you “believe” when you ask that you have already received. Is doubt seated in your heart during the asking? If so, it’s a fruitless attempt in the asking.
And most importantly, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 declares that we need to always rejoice in the Lord giving thanks even if our prayer is delayed.
Prayer in itself is a personal connection with the Lord God Almighty. He is more than capable of providing what your heart is requesting. He is a good father and wants to give good things to His children.
What condition is your heart in the asking? Is your request pure of heart or one of selfish desires? He will hear the prayers of the righteous. However, is something unfinished that you have not let go?
Mark 11:25-26 - “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
We think that God should answer our prayers just as we ask and in the timing we want. We strongly feel we should receive what we ask even if it happens to have selfish tendencies or any tendencies against the will of God. And, of course, we exhibit such impatience that we want what we ask for immediately.
God’s timing is perfect!
Have you ever stopped and given much thought to your prayers? What I mean is, considering there are billions of people on this earth with millions of people asking for things and praying for God’s attention at the very same time that you are praying. Just think about that! How marvelous that the Lord is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. He is not a man that He should lie, or not uphold a promise, or not answer a prayer.
Omnipresent – the Lord God is present everywhere at the same time.
Omnipotent – the Lord God has the ultimate power and authority and influence to do anything.
Omniscient – the Lord God knows everything.
So imagine a sovereign God, Creator of all things, who sees all, knows all, hears all, and has the ultimate power to do anything. He can hear your prayer and millions of others at the same time and He can answer each one according to His ultimate will and power. He doesn't say, take a number and stand in line. No! He is God!
In all your thinking of exclusivity and importance, the Creator of all things in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, hears your prayer. And, He will answer your prayer according to His will, if only you will believe.
We should always rejoice in the Lord giving Him thanks for who He is whether for immediate answered prayers or prayers that take time. He is a good father who knows the needs of His children. He will bless you with answered prayer in His timing.
I’ve come to realize that delayed prayer is not unanswered prayer but one that will come when we need it most. God knows our needs and sometimes He answers our need before we even ask.
The Lord God is always listening and always answering. Sometimes we need to look and see because it does not always come wrapped as we would expect. Be patient! Believe!
In all things, give thanks and rejoice in the Lord for He is truly wonderful, loving, kind, thoughtful, caring, and wants to bless His children.
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GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO OBEY –
NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE
In Ezekiel 29:17-20, The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel saying that because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; where every head was made bald and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre for the labor which they expended on it. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me.”
Ezekiel 29:17-20 - And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me,’ says the Lord God.
If God made sure that the king of Babylon received compensation for laboring His work, how much more so of His saints. Is not the Lord God the same today, as He was yesterday and will surely be tomorrow? If the Lord God of heaven and earth saw to it that the king of Babylon, a heathen king, was recompensed for obeying all that He required, why is it so hard to believe that God would do the same today.
Throughout scripture, God blessed those who were obedient. Abraham left his homeland to travel to the Promised Land and yet never saw it. However, he was greatly blessed with flocks, herds, servants, etc., making him a very wealthy man. Abraham’s obedience was his righteousness. Joseph upheld his righteousness in the face of slavery, threats and imprisonment. Yet God restored him as second in command to Pharaoh. When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, God provided restitution for the hundreds of years in slavery by having all the people of Egypt load up their wagons and carts with all the gold, silver, fine linens, and herds and flocks, etc. They did not leave Egypt empty handed.
Even in the New Testament people sold their land, flocks, homes, etc. to give it to the apostles for their ministry. Jesus wore a seamless garment, which was a sign of wealth. The apostles received money from the people they preached the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In turn, they were able to care for the poor, the widow, and the orphans.
Why is it that so many believe that a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ, must be poor? How are the poor to be cared for if the believer is poor? God gave a command in His Word that the believer is to care for the widow, orphan and the poor. It’s quite difficult to obey such a command if the one supposed to care for the poor is also poor.
The Lord God is a God who blesses and a God who curses. In order to receive His blessing of goodness and kindness, one must only believe and obey His command to bring their tithes into the storehouse. What is the storehouse? The storehouse is the place where you are fed the Word of God as the food and drink to nourish your soul.
All too many times obedience to this simple command becomes the roadblock to the blessings God so desires to bestow upon His children. In Malachi 3:8-12 God warns not to rob Him.
Malachi 3:8-12
Do Not Rob God
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
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.
God requires 10% of your wages to be brought into the storehouse so that there is food in His house. God is not talking about food to fill your stomach. He is talking about the food of His Word to feed your soul. The storehouse is the church or venue where you go to be fed the Word of God. The tithe is to help keep the church facility operating and functioning so that the Pastor, Minister or Preacher has a place for gathering people to hear the Word.
In Malachi 3:10, God gives us permission to test Him in this. Meaning that when we give over and above the required 10%, it is now an offering, which is blessed greater.
What God says is, Do NOT rob Him of what is due Him. If you want to be blessed, be a cheerful giver and give what God requires. Ask Him what to give as an offering. If God can compensate a heathen king for doing His work, how much more will He compensate us as His children, when we obey His command to tithe?
Obedience does not stop at the tithe, however. You must be living holy and righteous lives unto the Lord. If you are steeped in sin, your tithe is meaningless. Listen to God; be obedient in ALL His ways.
Verse 9 proclaims if we rob God of His due share, then we are cursed. Think about that for a moment. Are you having difficulty making ends meet? Are you running out of money before the month is over? Well, perhaps you need to consider that you may be cursed. The devourer has come and your money is leaking out like a punctured tire loosing air. Plug up that hole and remove the curse by obeying the God of heaven and earth, our Lord, and begin tithing and living holy and righteous lives.
Repent and return to the Lord God who wishes to bless you!
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Hearts of Light Teachings
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JUSTIFYING SIN AND SIN NATURE
God is pure and holy. God is light. There is no sin or darkness in God. God is truth and justice. God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, God’s Word made flesh, to die upon a cross for our sins and the sins of the whole world.
Is God okay with sin? Jesus bore the sins of the world upon the cross. Every sin until the end of time was upon Jesus nailed to the cross. Jesus, being God in flesh, could’ve called down an army of angels to free Him off the cross. However, He remained obedient nailing every sin of mankind to the cross. The ugliness of sin was on Jesus when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) It was at that moment God, the Father, could not look upon His Son because of the grotesqueness of the sin He bore. Jesus felt the pain of separation from His Father in heaven. Sin separates us from God.
When I hear someone who is living in sin claim that God is okay with it, they are living a lie of Satan. The one whom they obey is the one who is their god. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree that God gave a command not to eat, they obeyed the serpent, Satan. By obeying Satan, they turned their back on God thus making Satan the God of this earth.
Sin cannot be justified. Sin is sin! It is not of God. I hear many justifying their sin by claiming that God understands their needs. Just as Adam and Eve received the lie of Satan to eat from the tree, you are being deceived as well. Obedience to the lie has made Satan your god.
The Word of God in Paul’s writing to the Romans in Chapter 1 verses 21-25 stresses that those involved in sin “although they knew God but did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, their foolish hearts were darkened. They became fools. Therefore God gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.”
Therefore, by obeying the lie and sinning against God you have made the creature, the serpent, Satan, the devil, your god. You serve Satan and not the Creator, God, Jesus Christ, who is the blessed forever, the One who is pure, Holy and filled with Light.
Romans 1:28-32 further explains that for this reason “God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Also, the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Because of this God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting: sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, strife, deceit, haters of God, backbiters, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, unloving, untrustworthy, unforgiving, unmerciful, undiscerning…filled with all unrighteousness.
If you believe that sin is justified or even if you approve of those who practice such things, knowing the righteous judgment of God, you are deserving of death, you will be punished in the same manner as those who are committing the sin (Romans 1:32). Sin has no right in God’s Kingdom. Those who practice sinfulness and even those who approve of sin, by justifying it as human rights, will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetousness, drunkards, revilers nor extortioners are all sins that cannot enter heaven. (Not an exclusive list.)
If you believe in anything that is sinful in God’s eyes such as believing human rights for transgenders and homosexuals, in pro-choice, or in anything that is sinful in nature, then you will be judged in the same manner as them who are committing the sin.
God is light! God is pure! God does NOT condone sin in any way. There is no such thing as a small or little sin. All sin is judged in the same manner. Sin is sin! Any sin is disobedience to God. If you are in sin, any kind of sin, it is time to repent before a loving God. You cannot live with your boyfriend or girlfriend fornicating outside of marriage and believe God is okay with that because you have needs. Those lies are of the devil.
If you believe God made a mistake in your birth, you are deceived by the devil. God does NOT make mistakes! God created you fearfully and wonderfully made in your mother’s womb. He made you as a male or female. Satan lies and schemes to corrupt, divide, breakdown and annihilate mankind through his deception that you were a mistake. Believing the lie of the devil makes him your god.
God loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die upon a cross for all sins. Jesus Christ loves you so much that He was obedient to death on a cross. He was tortured, beaten, and nailed to a cross for our sins. A punishment we so deserved. He took upon Himself the sins of the world so we could have a chance at eternity. The power of the Holy Spirit raised Jesus Christ from the grave. Jesus emerged victorious holding the keys of death achieving what God had planned to give us a chance at eternity with Him in heaven.
Turn from the lies and deceit of the devil. Repent of all sin and darkness in your life. There is no sin too great that God won’t forgive. Confess with your mouth and receive Jesus Christ into your heart. Make Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior over your life. Watch your life change dramatically. Be baptized in the Holy Spirit to receive the power that raised Jesus from the grave. The Lord God has plans for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
How many times in your life has someone hurt you that has left you battling thoughts of vengeance, retaliation, disassociation or any kind of enmity?
What is enmity? It is the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.
What is vengeance? It is the punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.
What is retaliation? It is the action or returning a military attack; counterattack, or the action of harming someone because they have harmed you.
What is disassociation? It is to disconnect or separate; to declare that one is not connected with or a supporter of someone or something.
Someone has wronged you in someway or another and you feel the need to become hostile towards them; or you feel it necessary to pay them back in the same manner as you have been treated; or you completely separate yourself from them wanting nothing to do with them.
When these take hold of you, offensiveness comes in and takes over. Offensiveness has no limits; it comes in all shapes and sizes and it doesn’t pick and choose whom it afflicts. It may be as simple as a misunderstanding to an even more devastating blow that has caused you or someone close to you bodily harm or loss. It doesn’t matter how small or how large a misunderstanding may be, the offender has trespassed against you in a way that has left you outraged. You have been wronged and you demand justice be served!
Hurtfulness from such an offensive is not limited to who it affects. All too often those closest to us seem to hurt us most. Arguments and/or disagreements may occur between friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers and even strangers. The bottom line is that every person, at one time or another, has been hurt by someone in his or her lifetime.
How dangerous are those feelings of wanting justice served? Wanting justice for an injustice is not necessarily the issue. How you intend on having justice served – that is the issue. If you seek vengeance and/or think harshly toward the offender, then you are more than likely suffering from “unforgiveness”. Key components that can alert you to unforgiveness are anger, wrong thoughts or attitudes, dislike, grudges, retaliation, bitterness, disrespect, resistance, hurt, anguish, rebellion, and resistance to the Word of God.
If you suffer from any of the above (which is not an exhaustive list), then perhaps you need to look within. The dangerousness of these feelings can cause unforgiveness to fester and grow like a cancer. It is not a healthy way to live. The devil will stop at nothing to keep you prisoner to unforgiveness. He will find ways to validate your feelings and deceive you in believing that you are justified. Self becomes the culprit in thoughts as, “I am right, they are wrong”; “I have a right to feel like this. They hurt me (physically, emotionally, mentally).”
The enemy will stop at nothing to keep you prisoner to unforgiveness. It may not seem easy to forgive because of the deceitfulness poured into your mind. But be of good cheer! YOU CAN BE SET FREE!
The Bible (God’s Word) has equipped us with scripture to assist us in times such as these. God’s Word provides us with instruction to be forgiving and with warnings when we are not.
Matthew 6:9-13 is what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. Verse 12 – And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. (NKJV) Some versions use the word trespass instead of debtors. The word trespass means to commit an offense against a person or rules. It is referred to in scripture as sin or offense.
Even while we were still in our sins, God forgave us through the crucifixion of His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. How often do we pray this and not understand what it fully means. We are asking God to forgive us our sins. If God can forgive us our sins, then He expects us to forgive others of their sins against us.
I’ve heard many people validate their unforgiveness and claim they are working on forgiveness. Basically, what this is saying is that you are better capable of serving justice than Jesus Christ. Further investigation has found that they have been “working” on forgiveness for months or years. Such action is highly dangerous especially for a child of God.
How dangerous is unforgiveness?
Matthew 6: 14 For if you forgive people their trespasses [their [a] reckless and willful sins, [b] leaving them, letting them go, and [c] giving up resentment]; your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [d] reckless and willful sins, [e] leaving them, letting them go, and [f] giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
Matthew 18: 34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed. 35 So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.
Matthew 18:21 – 35 – Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. The servant owed his master ten thousand talents and the master was going to sell him, his wife, his children, and all his possessions. But the servant fell down before his master begging him to have patience that he would repay his debt. The master had compassion upon him and forgave him the debt. The servant went on his way and came upon a fellow servant that owed him a hundred denarii. So the servant took him by the throat demanding that he pay him what he owed. His fellow servant begged him for compassion to have patience that he would repay his debt. However, he would not but threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. The master then called his servant and said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?”
God expects His children to take on His likeness. If they do not resemble Him in their willingness to forgive, they prove they are not His children.
Straight forward – you are not truly saved in the eyes of God. Accepting Jesus into your heart was lip service at best. You were not the seed cast upon fertile soil that took root and grew deeply. (See the parable of the sower Matthew 13:18-23)
How dangerous is unforgiveness? It is dangerous enough to fear the loss of the kingdom of heaven and be cast into the lake of fire with all the unbelievers, fornicators, adulterers, idolaters, and unclean.
The philosophy in which I use in my ministry to help those suffering in unforgiveness is this:
By you holding onto to unforgiveness, YOU are drinking the poison hoping the other person dies. When in truth, you are the one dying! STOP believing the deceitfulness of the devil! Trust in the Word of God.
If Jesus Christ can forgive YOU of your sins, shouldn’t you then forgive others! It is that simple!
Now, repent of your unforgiveness. Take it to the foot of the cross and give it to Jesus Christ. Then… LET IT GO!! DO NOT TAKE IT BACK!! Let Jesus handle it because He is the RIGHTFUL JUDGE! HE IS YOUR VINDICATOR! “VENGEANCE IS MINE!” Says the Lord!
TRUST IN-BELIEVE IN-OR ACCEPT DEFEAT
Unforgiveness - How dangerous is it?
There was a group of people in a severe battle. They were exposed in the middle of a field. They had no protection around them. The enemy was closing in and they felt absolutely helpless. They cried out for help. But they thought no one could hear them. They continued to cry for help until finally someone heard them.
Those who heard knew these people were in deep trouble. They called upon the One who could help and had weapons sent to assist them in their battle. When the weapons arrived to their location, the people were quite surprised that their cries had been heard. However, the people did not know from where these weapons had come, they were unsure of the use of these new weapons. So they returned the weapons back to its sender with thanks.
The battle became more and more fierce! The people cried out louder. Stress from the battle was overtaking their peace. They cried more and more until their cries were heard yet again. This time more wagons were sent to their aid carrying greater supplies and weapons. However, once again when the supplies arrived, the people had no idea what to do with them. They said that they would consider this kind help and thus, once again, returned to the sender all the weapons and supplies. When the supplies and weapons returned to the sender, He became quite perplexed.
The stricken people were heard for miles of their strife and hardship. A war had come upon them to destroy them. They were in danger of being defeated and wiped out. Exhaustion and extreme stress overwhelmed them. They were suffering in all areas of life. They were bruised and wounded and near defeat. They suffered greatly thinking they had nowhere to turn because the enemy had bludgeoned them with such fierceness.
Again, the people cried out in their pain and suffering. They cried for help wondering if anyone would save them. This time it was the General, Himself, who thought to come to their aid. He thought for sure if He, Himself, came to their assistance, the people would receive Him. He gathered up all of His warriors and made haste to the suffering people.
Much to their surprise, the people saw the General, Himself, coming to their assistance. When the General arrived with His mighty weapons of war and thousands of warriors at His side, the people were amazed. The General offered His assistance to once and for all defeat this enemy. With one mighty blow He could destroy the strife, the pain, the constant badgering, and put to end this war. Surely, He could deliver this people from the hands of the enemy.
The people were astonished that the General, Himself, would come to their aid. They didn’t even know the General. They heard of Him but they did not know Him. They weren’t sure they could trust the General. They doubted He could wipe out this enemy with one blow. After all, they had been suffering weeks, months, and even years with the constant badgering and war with the enemy. Surely, they could survive this time.
They rejected the General's help claiming they would give His help consideration. They felt sure His help wasn’t necessary at this moment. They thanked Him and bid Him on His way.
The General, with tears in His eyes, commanded His troops to retreat and withdrew all the supplies and the weapons. The General's heart broke when the people believed they didn’t need Him. He wept to Himself as He withdrew. It pained Him to turned away from their strife, their pain, and their torturous situation. But what pained Him the most was that the people did not trust in Him to end this war.
The people stayed and withheld their ground; however, the enemy became even more powerful against them. It seemed the enemy had become crazed in his efforts to destroy them. The battle enraged not only throughout the day but also throughout the night. The people became weakened and exhausted. Surely they thought this was the end of them.
So how long will these people think that the battle is theirs to fight? How long before these people realize that the General (the Lord of Hosts) has the ability to wipe out the enemy from their lives once and for all? Will the people come to understand that their only hope is in the aid of the One who can destroy the enemy? Or will they suffer tragic defeat, suffering all the pain, strife, and blows of the enemy?
Written by:
Minister Nancy Marcinik
March 2, 2018
DON'T LOSE YOUR SALVATION
Is it possible to lose your salvation? Yes! Careless living and blatant sinning will separate you from the grace of God’s salvation. Grace is not greasy whereas it allows you to commit sin when, in fact, you know in your heart it is sin. God’s forgiveness of our sins does not justify us to continue in a sinful nature, otherwise, we have taken His Grace for granted. Yielding to and committing sin and living in a sinful nature separates you from God’s Grace. It proves you are NOT a child of God. Those who are His children, heed His written Word in living holy lives of righteousness, as He is Holy.
Romans 7:5 - When we were living in the flesh (mere physical lives), the sinful passions that were awakened and aroused up by [what] the Law [makes sin] were constantly operating in our natural powers (in our bodily organs, in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh), so that we bore fruit for death.
Since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living and eternal life with Him. Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching, which has been given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
Romans 6:15-19 - (15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! (16) Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (17) But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. (18) And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (19) I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
Because of the weakness of our human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help in understanding all this. Previously, you allowed yourselves to be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
Romans 6:20-23 – (20) For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (21) What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. (22) But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You were ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness with the result leading to eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Yes, you can 100%, without a doubt lose your salvation. Any person who tells you otherwise is utterly deceived. The wages (payment or outcome) of sin is death, period! If anyone preaches that God’s grace covers all sin even those you commit willingly, is a fool. They talk about grace as though it was something we should worship and esteem greater than Jesus. It was NOT Grace that died for your sin; it was Jesus Christ who died for your sins and all the sins of this world. But He did NOT die so you could continue in that sinful nature. That is a pure outright lie of the devil!
1 John 1:7 - But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].
1 John 1:9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
As a child of the living God, no one is without sin. We fight our sinful nature daily. That is why it is so important to crucify those sinful desires of the flesh daily. We must immediately repent before a loving God and turn from sin to NEVER do it again.
1 John 1:10 If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts].
1 John 3:4 Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect—being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).
Continuing in sin is lawlessness. Arrogantly believing we are covered in God’s grace and can continue in our fleshly desires is death. Anyone who believes they can continue in sin for any reason is not of God.
1 John 3:8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
See how easy that is to understand? God’s Word explains it clearly. If you sin, your master is the devil. If you strive to live holy lives, your master is Jesus! Simple! For those of you who don't know what sin is, read the following:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 –(9) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals nor sodomites, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Galatians 5:19 -21 (19) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, (21) envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul warns believers about their ability to lose their salvation in 1 Corinthians 9:27 as he, himself fought his flesh daily.
1 Corinthians 9:27 - But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
Paul crucified his flesh daily to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord so that he, himself, would not be rejected into the kingdom of God. We must all crucify our flesh daily to enable our ability to walk in the spirit of God’s word. We must fight daily those fleshly desires to sin. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. We must be alert, vigilant, mindful, and as wise as serpents against all the wiles of the enemy who seeks to ensnare us back into the old character, the sinful nature we have been saved and set free from.
Do NOT take God’s merciful grace for granted! Live according to His Word! Be holy as He is Holy! Live your life righteously unto God inheriting the kingdom of God for eternity.
It is NOT too late! REPENT of your sins! Confess them with your mouth and submit back to a loving God! Receive Jesus Christ into your heart! Make Him Lord of your life! This life is but a mist! Eternity is forever!