ephesians 4:14

signs and wonders and even a feeling of joy can be the work of the devil, but the Word of God, spoken through man, woman, child, beast, or object remains the Word of God. therefore, i do not place my trust in the former things, but in the latter i rest my hope: in the doctrines of God laid out in His Word

you say you hate doctrine? then you make yourself out to hate the Word of God. to say that you dislike doctrine because it can cause division and quarrels is like saying that we should ban all cars because it can be used for crime. just because a good thing can be misused, doesn't mean it is bad. doctrine is defined as a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group of school. therefore, it is extremely naive and ignorant to say you don't like doctrine because that in itself is a doctrine and thus would be making yourself out to be a hypocrite

to rid yourself of doctrine is to rid yourself not only of lies but truth, for in the realm of doctrine there are both truth and lies. instead, you and i must search out correct doctrine which is to search for truth, and this can only be done using the Word rather than unreliable feelings and extrabiblical experiences

for what is love, but to lead and teach others correctly how to follow after and be like Christ through words, deeds, and a lifestyle marked out by the fruit of the Spirit

joel 2:12-14

the true blessing is not found in health, wealth, and prosperity. the true blessing is when the Lord inclines your heart toward Himself and allows you to worship. for worship is not a duty, but rather a privilege given unto us from God. and what is heaven for that matter? what do you think when you think of heaven? is it the gates of pearl or the streets paved with gold? no, for without God and the worship of His Name, would just make it a glittering hell, for it is God that makes heaven heaven. and as it is done in heaven, may it also be done on earth, in our hearts, our thoughts, our desires, to worship the Lord above any other things: gifts, "blessings," ministry, etc.

for Christ is not adorned by jewels or even heaven itself, rather heaven is adorned by Christ, for Christ does not need jewels to increase His appearance, He is an adornment unto Himself. He does not need to put on something to make Himself look splendid and majestic. He is robed in splendor and majesty. He does not do good works. He is good. He does not do acts of love. He is love. all good things find their source from Him. for there is no one like Him. truly He is set apart from the rest.

is heaven the gold, or jewels, or gates of pearl?
is it the angels and singing and glory unfurled?
it is Christ, it is Christ, heaven is adorned by Jesus Christ!
not gems or jewels or all these things,
but to Christ alone all attention bring!

degrading grace

it's sad how they always talk about grace
and yet continue to deliberately spit in Christ's face
justifying their actions thus denying His power
only to be found devastated in the final hour
they talk of love and know not what it means
for if they did, they would honor romans 14:15
but they continue to love the things of this life
and instead of repentance, they bring only strife
for as the saying goes, the blind leading the blind
and in their hearts and their minds no truth can you find
shifting words and shifting eyes
their best works all pretense and lies
for the mind set on the flesh cannot please God
and the Word tells us that they are enemies to God
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace
which would mean that all your willful rebellion will cease...
unless your confession was merely lip service
and so my friend, i hope this makes you nervous
and makes you rethink where you stand
is your house built on the Rock or sinking sand
for the Word says that even demons believe and tremble
which is actually more reverence than you resemble
for you call Him your homeboy and belittle Him with your attitude
far from true worship, and lacking in even an ounce of gratitude
for if you truly believed you would love His commands
but instead, you obey all that your depraved heart demands
repent today before it is too late
repent today and ensure your fate
repent today but not merely to save your soul
but repent today to reach the ultimate goal…
the honor and glory of Christ and His eternal kingdom
for in this truth, in this desire, in this hope, is true Christian freedom