Mercy and Grace

One thing that took me a while to tell the difference between is mercy and grace. I always thought that they where synonyms, but they sure are not.
So first, I'll start with mercy. If you show mercy, then you're NOT doing what someone deserves.
Now I'll do grace. If you show grace, then your're doing MORE what someone deserves.

God saved us by grace and through mercy.

For it is by grace you have been saved
Ephesians 2:8a

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
Titus 3:5a

Here is one of the only verses that is about both grace and mercy.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

In the case of salvation, God has to show us both mercy AND grace. Mercy because, as Christians, we are not going to hell. And grace because, as Christians, we are going to heaven.
And, even after that, God shows grace by blessing us and mercy by forgiving us

But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
Nehemiah 9:31

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Psalms 103:8

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
Romans 9:14-21

God made us. God is free to be gracious and merciful.

"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'?
Isaiah 45:9

Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"?
Isaiah 29:15-16

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
James 2:12-13

Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Jude 1:21

Mythological? The Unicorn

For all of these verses, I'll put the KJV (Because that's the only version that has the word unicorn in it) and NIV (Because I think it's easier to understand).

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
Numbers 23:22 KJV

God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.
Number 23:22 NIV


The King James Version is the only version of the bible in English that mentions a unicorn, other translation use "wild ox". The unicorn can be used to say that the bible is a fairy tale because we think that unicorns don't exist, but did they? Are they extinct animals that once walked on earth?

The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
Psalm 29:5-6 KJV

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
Psalm 29:5-6 NIV

This psalm has real objects in it, that no one would doubt existed because they still exist. The cedar tree. A calf. And then a unicorn. Why is there doubt that a one horned beast exists, but we don't doubt a baby cow, and a tree...faith is believing in what we do not see (Hebrew 11:1). There are animals that no longer exist, like the dodo bird. And the unicorn is among those animals because the bible is the word of God, and God does not lie.

The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, [and] with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
Isaiah 34:6-7 KJV

The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat--the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in Edom. And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat.
Isaiah 34:6-7 NIV

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?  Wilt thou trust him, because his strength [is] great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather [it into] thy barn?
Job 39:9-12 KJV

Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
Job 39:9-12 NIV

In Job 38-41, God is describing his awesome creations to Job. The constellations, lighting, lions, donkeys, unicorns, ostriches, horses, hawks, eagles, behemoths, and leviathans. I'll save behemoths and leviathan for another post. But all those other things are not questioned. We can see them, we can even touch a horse and a donkey. But that's not faith! Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see!

His glory [is like] the firstling of his bullock, and his horns [are like] the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.
Deuteronomy 33:17 KJV

In majesty he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh.
Deuteronomy 33:17  NIV

Why is the bible changing? Why don't we believe in unicorns? Why can't we trust the bible and God? 
Answers in Genesis also has something on their website about unicorns, if you want even more evidence for a unicorns existence, go here: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/aid/v2/n1/unicorns-in-bible

Now faith is the assurance of

things hoped for, the conviction

of things not seen. Hewbrew 11:1 ESV

Want to read about more animals that aren't mythological?

Dragons

Behemoth

Leviathan

Mythological? The Leviathan and Dragons

Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words? Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life? Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls? Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering. No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me? Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form. Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle? Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth? His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.  Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth. Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him. The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing. The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood. Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him. A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance. His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment. Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair. Nothing on earth is his equal--a creature without fear. He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud."
Job 41

This is a very good description of the leviathan.

• It lives in the water (Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook) (Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?)
• The mere sight of him is overpowering.
• No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
• He has sharp teeth (Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth?)
• He has scales (His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together)
• His eyes are like the rays of dawn.
• He breaths fire (firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.) (flames dart from his mouth.)
• Smoke pours from his nostrils.
• Strength resides in his neck.
• The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.
• His chest is hard as rock
• Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood.
• Weapons do not effect him.
• His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
• Behind him he leaves a glistening wake
• Nothing on earth is his equal

Leviathan seems to be a sea dragon to him, but, despite popular legends, he does not have a tender underbelly. His undersides are jagged potsherds and His chest is hard as rock But leviathan is just a type of dragon, so there could be dragons with soft underbellies that inspired that thinking, or it a soft spot could simply be a legend.

My friend Kaycee told me about the 40 foot Sarcosuchus imperator.

This a a 21 foot crocodile. Imagine something twice its size...that's how big the Sarcosuchus imperator is.

Here's a crocodile skull and a Sarcosuchus imperator skull.

That's huge! "Nothing on earth is his equal--a creature without fear."

And I found out about the 82 ft. Liopleurodon.

Here's a Liopleurodon and a sperm whale and a sperm whale.

And here's a sperm whale.

Going by the bible, I think Leviathan is a Sarcosuchus imperator (Super croc). "His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge" And if it leaves trail in the mud, it might be able go on land, or in a swamp. And I know that the picture of a Liopleurodon and what an artist thinks it looks like, but the Liopleurodon looks like it is built more for water and the super croc look like it could go in the mud and leave trail in it.

For God [is] my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, [and] gavest him [to be] meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
Psalms 74:12-15 KJV

In psalms, though, leviathan is mentioned as well as dragons, so there might be a difference between the two. If Leviathan was a a sea dragon, then why would God break the heads of both sea dragons and leviathan, but then again, nothing on earth is it's equal, so breaking the head of a leviathan is much more impressive than a sea dragon.

How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number--living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
Psalm 104:24-26 NIV


In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that [is] in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 KJV


In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 NIV

From Isaiah 27:1, the King James Version makes it sound like the leviathan might be evil and not coiling. And look at the last part, God could be slaying mutiple sea creatures, but by the wording, I think that Isaiah is still speaking of leviathan. If that is true, than the leviathan is a sea dragon.

And now to move more into Dragons. So why doesn't the bible mention dinosaurs? (Just in chase you didn't read my previous post)

That's why. the word wasn't inverted until the 1800s.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Psalm 91:13 KJV

The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which [came] the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people [who] shall not profit;
Isaiah 30:6 NKJV

And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
Revelation 13:1-2 NIV

You've probably heard this before, but dragons are dinosaurs. And the Leviathan is a Leviathan. Maybe Leviathan is a type of dragon, a sea serpent, or maybe not. Maybe Leviathan was a super croc, or a Liopleurodon. I have no way of prove what a Leviathan is, but I can tell you that dragons and the Leviathan exist because I have faith in the bible. And if you want even more evidence, go here: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/what-happened-to-the-dinosaurs

Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence

of things not seen. Hebrew 11:1 KJV

Want to read about more animals that aren't mythological?

Unicorns

Behemoth

Mythological? The Behemoth

Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword. The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him. When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth. Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose?
Job 40:15-24 NIV

What is behemoth? The NIV footnotes say this: "Possibly the hippopotamus or the elephant" and I say this: "Have you seen the tail of a hippo or and elephant?"
His tail sways like a cedar Well, do you remember my post about the cedar tree? Those huge trees that live to be 2,000 years old? Yes, those. These big trees. You agree with me, right? Cedars are big! And I know you're dying to see a hippo tail, you know...just so we can see how much a hippo tail looks like a cedar tree. How many of you have seen a hippo tail? 

Well, now you all have. That puny scrawny little thing!

That doesn't look like a cedar either.

(Cartoon by Answers in Genesis)

This is what these two would have to look like to be a behemoth. 

I think behemoth is a dragon! Because dragons are dinosaurs. (the word dinosaur wasn't inverted until the 1800s) I can give you all the evidence in the world, but believing it takes faith. The bible is God's word, and you'll be better off if you believe it.

Now faith is the assurance of

things hoped for, the conviction

of things not seen. Hebrew 11:1 ESV

Want to read about more animals that aren't mythological?

Unicorns

Dragons

Leviathan

Be Ready

In America, there are many things that are encouraged, like that we should save our best for last. I think that there are so many thing we unknowingly work into our mind. There's that last little bit that gets all the glory, we focus so much on the end. Why? Why doesn't the middle mater? Well, to God it does. God wants your best now. Why? Well, you don't knowing when your end is...your death. If you want a great end, then you need to be ready always. Be great always. You could die any time, anywhere, any day. That is why you push. That is why you give your all, so your finish is great. Maybe you'll live a long life. Maybe you won't. Only God knows that. That why you don't save your best for last...you don't know when it is. You've got to show endurance and push, doing your very best until you cross that finish line.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Philippians 3:10-16

Paul says that he's running a race. In a race, if you're going to win you can't just push hard at the end. You have run or jog all the way. Walking is not an option if you want to win, so press on towards the goal to win the prize. God will will reward you in heaven.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

And again, Paul says life is a race. This time, he says only one person gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize. Your reward is in heaven, not on earth.


I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Acts 20:24


I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 
2 Timothy 4:7-8

Paul has now finished his race in this verse. You should race in such a way that when your race almost over, you know that there is a crown for you in heaven. 

since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3

You've got a race marked out for you, so run hard. And the best way to run hard is to fix our eyes on Jesus. So let's do so. And think of Jesus, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
This race is something worth fighting for, so stop saving your best for last.
As a Christian, your job and duty is to do things differently. People don't want to race hard until the end, they want to race hard at the end. If you want a crown, that's not how you race. That's how things have to happen. If you want to come to heaven having accomplished nothing, then you can walk across the finish line, but do you want to spend all of eternity knowing you did nothing with you life. Our minds cannot comprehend eternity, but imagine spending more than one trillion year in a place that is perfect and you get to Jesus and you have nothing to give back to him. Nothing at all. You will be in heaven, but don't you think you'd feel left out?

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

There are tons of people wearing crowns as God gives them out to his faithful servants and you get nothing. People are telling about everything they've done for God and why they got there crown and you have nothing to tell.
Sure you'd be in heaven, but wouldn't you want a crown to adorn your head that shows what you've done for God? 
So be Ready. Know that you will get a crown in heaven. If you aren't sure, then figure out how to get one of God's crowns. Stretch before your race. Be totally prepared, and then when that race starts (If your a Christian, it already has) Run! Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. So train! Go! Fight! Win! You need to always be prepared for death know that you'll have a crown in heaven and if you aren't prepared death, then you might die unprepared. You might die and not receive a crown. So always be Ready.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the

author and perfecter of our faith

...Consider him...so that you will

not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:2a;3a,c

Forgiveness: MY thoughts

Forgiveness is an interesting topic, and it is the one I have chosen today. I spend several hours debating with my family over what I though forgiveness was. And I'm going to tell you MY interpretation of what the bible says about forgiveness.
I have been told to forgive as God forgave me...So how does God forgive, anyway?

declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Jeremiah 31:34b 

Forgiving isn't being able to have amnesia, but rather when you forgive someone, your saying that you will not dwell on their sin or bring it up. God doesn't hold our sins against us after we've been forgiven.

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalms 103:12

God removes sin from us, it completely takes it away. But I haven't yet got to the part that I had an argument about, I'm stilling getting there. I just need to make sure everyone understands that. Let me ask you this: 

When does God forgive us? When we ask for it.

So does that mean we forgive other WHEN THEY ASK FOR IT?

So am I saying you can be angry and bitter until forgiveness is asked? NO WAY!

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:31-32

You get ride of bitterness, anger, and rage BEFORE you forgive. These two verses say we should...

1. get ride of sin
2. be compassionate
3. forgive

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry

Ephesians 4:26

So you CAN be angry (Jesus was) but you must not sin and you must no dwell on why you are angry. So, now, here's back to what God does.

God, the perfect one, does not forgive until we confess, or ask for forgiveness

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

So when WE ask, he WILL forgive. BUT he doesn't forgive us UNTIL we ask. Were suppose to forgive like God, right? So that means that we shouldn't forgive UNTIL the person who wronged us asks for forgiveness...RIGHT?

One thing my mom said was that we we are not God (I agree) and we shouln't forgive like him (I disagree, Note Luke 17:3-4)

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
Luke 17:3-4

Jesus says "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." 
Jesus, the perfect son of God, says that IF HE SAYS 'I REPENT' YOU SHOULD FORGIVE

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'
Mathew 18:15-16

If you forgive someone before they repent, you cannot rebuke him or her. This is why Jesus says not to have unconditional forgiveness.
My family brought these two verses to my attention:

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:59-60

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Luke 23:24

Was Jesus sinning? Was Stephen sinning? No, and no.
Neither Jesus or Stephen said "I forgive them" they said "God, forgive them." I MY OPINION these two where saying, God, do not hold this against them. (Stephen was saying that, but that's what I THINK Jesus was saying as well). Jesus did not sin, but he was ready to forgive the men who killed him, as was Stephen and, had they asked for forgiveness, I think Jesus would have also said "Father, I forgive them."

Here's a summary of all this:

1. Forgive like God forgives
2. When you forgive, you are saying that you will not bring up the offenders sins anymore
3. God forgives us when we repent
4. We should forgive others when they repent
5. If someone sins, you should talk to them alone and show them how they have sinned

Anything I said that was not clearly stated in a bible verse is MY OPINION I tried to make it clear what was my thought and what is God's word.

-Ruth

Demons and the Devil

You believe that God is one; you do well. 

Even the demons believe--and shudder!

James 2:19

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not followig us." 

But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.

Mark 9:38-40

And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!"

Luke 4:41a

• Demons shudder when they think of Jesus, as should any who is not for Jesus Christ.
• As it says in James 2:19, Demons shudder at the name of Jesus. They fear it. In Mark 9:40
  it says who ever is not for God is against him, so if you are not a Christian, then you are against God.
• Jesus is the opposing force and demons know that they don't stand a chance against him.
• Demons acknowledge God.
• With Faith you can do anything (Mathew 17:20 Mark 9:38)

Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
1 Corinthians 10:18-21



Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever.
1 Peter 5:9-11

• All False god's are demons.
• You cannot believe in God and demons.
• Satan is like a lion, and is ready to devour his prey. Be alert and stay close to God. " Resist him, standing firm in the faith".
• Every Christian is going through trials of there own.
• God " will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." Trails bring you closer to God.

Don't Take it Lightly!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

As a Christian, it is your job to be an ambassador, so make sure you represent God well. You might be the only representative some non-christian ever see or ever hear from. Don't take your job lightly. As a christian, you are also God's disciple. Don't be a Hypocrite! You have chosen to follow God's will and you will become a fisher of men. One important thing to remember is that you need to make up your mind. Will you cling onto the bible and what is right, or will you let yourself slip and become like everyone else. If you've already slipped, then know that God is merciful and is ready to give you another chance to pick up you bible and spread the message of salvation to a world that desperately needs God. God has set a few expectations himself. Here is one verse that clearly states what God wants us to be.


You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mathew 5:13-16; 18-19


Your not just showing the  world who you are, your showing the world who God is. They have no idea what God is like and you will make a difference. Will it be for the better or for the worse?

until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law...whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.