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Follow Christ Not Your Heart

Welcome to Shining the Light Ministries Bible Study. This week we will be studying about how we should follow Christ, not our own hearts.

Helpful Links:

How To Get To Heaven

https://youtu.be/_eDRhg-cnio

Parable of The Sower
https://youtu.be/1aJppszIB7c

Sins A Saved Person Cannot Fall Into
https://youtu.be/ne86lPQ1lZM

When is the age of accountability?
https://youtu.be/SuS8DOPSNGQ

Not of Works:
http://shiningthelightministries.com/2022/10/14/not-of-works/

My Brother’s Testimony – Proof We Are The 2 Witnesses
http://shiningthelightministries.com/AquilaJordanTestimony.pdf

A Mature Christian

Welcome to Shining the Light Ministries Bible Study. This week we will be studying about what is a mature Christian.

Link Mentioned In Video:

Kick The Wolves Out of The Church

http://shiningthelightministries.com/2021/06/08/kick-the-wolves-out-of-the-church/

Helpful links:

How To Get To Heaven

https://youtu.be/_eDRhg-cnio

Parable of The Sower
https://youtu.be/1aJppszIB7c

Sins A Saved Person Cannot Fall Into
https://youtu.be/ne86lPQ1lZM

When is the age of accountability?
https://youtu.be/SuS8DOPSNGQ

Not of Works:
http://shiningthelightministries.com/2022/10/14/not-of-works/

My Brother’s Testimony – Proof We Are The 2 Witnesses
http://shiningthelightministries.com/AquilaJordanTestimony.pdf

Don’t Be Ashamed To Pray In The Name Of Jesus

Pray

Many Christians (even in church) close their prayers with things like “In your Son’s Name,” “In your Name,” or they just say “Amen.” The Bible commands us to pray in the Name of Jesus!

We can only access the Father by praying in the Name of Jesus

John 16:23 “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

We only receive what we ask God for, if we pray in the Name of Jesus


John 16:24 “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

If we want God to hear and answer our prayers, then we must pray in the Name of Jesus, like Jesus commands us too! You can also add Christ to it. I usually close my prayers by saying “In Christ Jesus Name Amen.”

Note: Language translations are allowed. Some people believe they are not. Some people believe you can only call Jesus by the Hebrew pronunciation of “Yeshua.” God is the One who confused the language at Babel, and nowhere in the Bible does God forbid translating any of His Names into other languages. My point is we are to pray in God the Son’s actual Name however it is pronounced in the language we are praying in.

All Things Are Possible With God

Pray

The Bible says All things are possible with God

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”


Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Last week God answered an almost 50 year old prayer for America with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Much more still needs to be done to outlaw abortion in all 50 States. A law by Congress would accomplish that the fastest.

I believe that if we keep praying then that law will be passed as soon as Conservatives take over Congress and the Presidency again. The next 2 elections are extremely important in accomplishing this.

All things are possible if we believe.

Matthew 17:20 “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Persistent prayer of righteous people prevails!

James 5:16b “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Therefore, lets just keep praying, believing, and doing our duty to vote in Pro-Life leaders and pushing for legislation banning abortion Nationwide. We will see it happen.

Even if the Devil throws us a curve by this evil Congress passing legislation to legalize abortion, do not get discouraged. The next Congress can just as easily ban abortion. Legislation is much easier to change than Supreme Court decisions. When the pro-death crowd lost Roe v. Wade their days of legalized murder in this Country became numbered. And not only for abortion, but also for infanticide, euthanasia embryonic stem cell research, etc.

We Are Commanded To Pray For World Peace

Pray for World Peace

We Are Commanded To Pray For World Peace

1 Timothy 2:1-6
1 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Notice: The Bible says we are to pray for all earthly authorities that they get saved, so that there can be world peace in godliness and honesty. It does not say we are supposed to sit back do nothing while the world goes to hell and just pray that Jesus comes back and brings world peace!

Since we are commanded to pray for world peace through the salvation of all people (Including and especially all earthly authorities), we are commanded to believe that it will happen.

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

James 1:6-8 “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Since world peace through the salvation of all people is God’s will, God will give it to us if we pray and believe.

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

Christian Duty

How to Resist the Devil

The Bible says in

Ezekiel 22:30 “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”

We are to fight against evil, so God does not destroy our land.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

What Is Duty?

Duty is your moral obligations to God and others. It can also include legal obligations to others.

Christians have many duties.

It is true that all Christian duty can be summed up in one verse:

Luke 10:27 “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

However, because of the moral decline of society and the apathy of the church, people are no longer taught what specific duties they have, and therefore they are neglecting them.

The end of Christian Duty is to create a better world for everyone

  1. Seek to bring everyone to Christ

Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

1 Timothy 2:4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

It is God’s will for everyone to be saved, Therefore, it is possible for everyone to be saved. 1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” Also, Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

2. Pray that everyone comes to Christ

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

3. Seek peace and ensue it

1 Peter 3:10-12 ‘For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Are you praying for your political leaders, or just griping about them?

4. Seek the happiness and prosperity of others above your own

1 Corinthians 10:24 “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”

Romans 15:2 “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”

Love is sacrificially giving. Not selfish!

5. Seek justice for everyone

Isaiah 56:1 “Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.”

Proverbs 21:3 “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

1 Timothy 5:21 “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

Deuteronomy 1:17a “Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: “

Deuteronomy 16:19 “Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.”

Proverbs 24:23 “These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

Proverbs 28:21 “To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.”

Proverbs 24:24 “He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:”

Colossians 3:25 “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

Proverbs 17:26 “Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.”

James 2:1 “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”


James 2:9 “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Ezekiel 45:9 “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.”

God has made all Christians kings! Therefore, all Christians have the sacred duty to God and their fellow man to remove violence and spoil, and to make sure judgment and justice are executed in their Country and the rest of the world!

Revelation 5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

Malachi 2:7 “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”

To give up and neglect your Christian Duty to create a better world because Jesus is coming back soon is the ultimate betrayal of God’s trust, and you are trampling over the blood of Christ!

Jesus died to save the world and make it better!

John 10:10b ” …I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Jesus did not just die to save everyone’s souls! But also to make everyone’s physical lives better! How can we have “abundant life” if our world is full of evil and injustice? Therefore, in order to have the abundant life Jesus died for us to have we must diligently seek to remove evil from our world! If we don’t, then we are disregarding His death!

The Bible indicates that the world being full of evil hinders Christ’s return!

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

The more evil the world is, the more longsuffering God is to wait for Christ’s return, because He wants to give people as much of a chance as possible to repent. Therefore, if the world became Holy, He would come back faster.

Romans 11:14-15 “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”

That “life from the dead” is speaking of the rapture! Therefore, if the whole world got saved, and especially Israel, then Jesus would come back faster!

Therefore, if Christians want Jesus to come back faster, then they had better stop being lazy and apathetic, and start doing their DUTY to diligently work and pray for the salvation of Israel and the rest of the world! And start doing their DUTY to diligently work and pray for the removing of evil and injustice in the world!

And Fasting and Praying is essential!

Jesus said one of the best ways to get rid of devils is through fasting and prayer.

Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

The world is full of devils, who facilitate evil and injustice. Therefore, fasting and prayer is essential to riding the world of evil and injustice. Churches must start calling on their people to fast, and they must start having all night prayer services in order to save the world and make it fit for Christ’s quick return!

Only faithful Christians will rule and reign with Christ.

Matthew 25:23 “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

Luke 16:10-12 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?”

Revelation 2:10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Jesus is our King! No king will reward a lazy unfaithful servant to a position of power!

Matthew 25:

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

The Talent that God hath given to us is the abundance of the Christian life. If we do not seek to multiply that talent by bringing others to Christ, teaching them to observe all things that Christ has commanded us, and thereby removing evil and injustice from the world, then we have hidden our talent! If you shirk your Christian Duty to diligently seek to remove evil and injustice from the world because Jesus is coming back soon, you will not rule and reign with Him!

What Is A Mature Christian?

What is A Mature Christian?

A Mature Christian is Not Envious of Other Christians.

 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”

I have seen stuff like this in churches my whole life! We are supposed to worship God, not preachers!

Another type of envy I have seen a lot is where one Christian will be envious against another Christian because of their talents, or their calling.

We are supposed to humbly serve God in whatever calling He gives us; with whatever talents He gives us.

1 Corinthians 12:14-31 “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

The More Excellent Way Is Charity.

A Mature Christian Has True Charity

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

True charity is not just giving to the poor. True charity is producing the fruits of the Spirit.

A Mature Christian Consistently Produces the Fruits of the Spirit.

If you compare charity with the fruits of the Spirit, you will see they match.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

A Mature Christian Bears the Infirmities of the Weak.

Romans 15:1-5 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:”

1 Thessalonians 5:14 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

Some people are weak and feebleminded and struggle with things like depression, and anxiety. A mature Christian will be patient with these people, listen to them and comfort them.

A Mature Christian Views Trials as Training

James 1:2-7 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

I have realized that most of the trials in my life have been caused by my own ignorance. That is why the Bible says to ask God for wisdom in the passage above, because wisdom will keep us from falling into so many trials.

2 Perter 1:5-8 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

However, we are not to tempt God by asking Him to send us trials.

Jesus showed us in the Lord’s prayer that we are to ask God to have mercy on us and not lead us into trials.

Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

The word “temptation” in this verse means to try and roots back to a Greek word meaning to test (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries # 3986 and then #3985 both in the Greek.)

The word “evil” in this verse can mean bad, hurtful, or even “figuratively calamitous; also (passively) ill, that is, diseased.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries #4190 in the Greek.)

Therefore, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus showed us that we should always pray that the Father has mercy on us and does not test or try our faith by sending us calamity or disease.

I have never heard this preached. God showed my family and I this a few years ago, and we have seen God protect us and deliver us from some situations that could have been very calamitous financially and health-wise.

 Now, God will still test your faith some, (He still tests us some at times with little problems), so trust Him to meet your needs.      

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

The more you trust God the more apt He will be to not try your faith, because you have already proven your faith to Him.

God never took everything away from Job again.

A Mature Christian has a Strong Prayer Life.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Luke 10:2 “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Luke 22:40 “And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

A Mature Christian Trusts God and Does Not Worry.

Matthew 6:24-34 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

A Mature Christian Knows the Bible Well Enough to Teach Others .

Hebrews 5:12-14 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

A Mature Christian Can Spot the Wolves.

Hebrews 5:12-14 “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

A mature Christian knows the Bible well enough to be able to spot wolves who are preaching heresy, being deceptive in their preaching, and are not living right.

They will not be led astray to destruction by a wolf.

To learn how to spot these dangerous wolves please read my post at http://shiningthelightministries.com/2021/06/08/kick-the-wolves-out-of-the-church/

Trust in God Not Yourself

pray

We are to trust in God for everything. Not in our own hearts or thoughts.

Pray about every decision.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ” Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

If we are always mindful to pray and seek God’s will in everything, then He will lead us in the right path and we will not make mistakes.

Why can’t we just trust in our own heart?

We are never to lean on our own understanding, and think that we can handle things ourselves, because our own hearts can deceive us and lead us the wrong way.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Our own understanding can lead us to death.

Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

The Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.

Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

God wants us to ask Him for wisdom in everything. Nothing is too small or too big.

James 1:5-8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

God’s wisdom will always lead you right.

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

Trust in God for all your answers and you will live a life without regrets.