It’s not easy to live a God-honoring life and still live our daily lives in the world. Still, that’s exactly what we are supposed to do. Christians are to be in the world but not of the world. It’s difficult for a person who has been a Christian for many years, but even more difficult for a babe in Christ who needs to learn and grow in the faith.

Jesus had many verbal confrontations with the Pharisees, and in one such battle of words, Jesus told them, “And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23).

One of the descriptions of Satan is that he is the god of this world, and Christians need to turn from serving him and only serve Jesus. Christianity is faith, not religion, so there isn’t a list of rules you must follow. You don’t have to knock on doors or empty your mind through meditation. Jesus is our example, and Scripture is our guide. Placing faith in Jesus is what makes the difference between eternal life and eternal death. It isn’t a complicated thing to do. The Apostle Paul says how simple it is. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

Of course, each denomination has a list of rules they feel must be followed, but that’s religion and has nothing to do with faith or being saved.

When a person truly understands they are a sinner and that sin separates them from God, that’s when they need to confess Christ as their Lord and Savior. That’s called justification. A change should be evident in the way they speak, dress, and live. That change may happen immediately, or it may take time. That’s called sanctification and will continue throughout our life on earth. That change is a choice each one of us makes daily. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

Being a living sacrifice means that we live our life to honor God. Jesus lived His life on earth as an example of how we should live for Him. He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Works don’t save us, but doing good for others glorifies God.

The change from a worldly attitude to a God-honoring attitude may take time. If that change doesn’t happen, does that mean the person isn’t saved? Only God truly knows if the confession of faith was true. We face many temptations in the world, and a person who has been living a life that reflects worldly thoughts and actions may make a true, honest, and heartfelt profession of faith, but the pull of the world is strong. Satan is the god of this world and isn’t happy when someone turns to Jesus. Old ways of life may pull that person back into the ways of the world.

Where are the Christian mentors who can lead the babe in Christ to live for Him?

Jesus told us how to combat temptation. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Prayer is important in the life of a Christian. It isn’t a magic incantation but a heartfelt conversation with God. He listens, but so must we listen for His answer.

One of the biggest failures among Christians today is a lack of mentoring. The Gospel is shared, but if the person hearing the message receives Christ, there’s little or no follow-up. In truth, that’s when the struggle begins. Satan doesn’t like to lose a follower, so he and his minions target new believers with temptation and place thoughts in their minds to discourage them. Unfortunately, there is very little support and encouragement from older Christians to help the new babes in Christ to grow and become strong in their faith, and too many pastors only feed the flock milk, but no meat of Scripture is taught.

Peter was told directly from Jesus to feed the lambs and to feed the sheep. “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs” (John 21:15). The lambs are young in their faith and need to be gently fed the truth in order to grow. Quite often, the new ones are children, but they are also adults who have professed faith and need to learn Scripture. We usually don’t seem to have a problem sending our children to school and college to be taught and mentored by secular humanists who contradict Scripture. Shame on us for neglecting to mentor children and adults in God’s truth.

Many new believers feel that the pews are filled with hypocrites and are uncomfortable in a church setting. All Christians are sinners saved by grace, and we all stumble at times. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:10-11).

It’s true that there are many people sitting in pews who think they are “holier than thou.” That’s a wrong attitude. A babe in Christ must be mentored and guided by a person with a heart to serve Christ. They need encouragement and human forgiveness when they fail. God forgives; so must we.

The truth is, we all need encouragement from fellow believers. We also need to be encouragers and help our brethren to walk close to God. When a person first realizes they are a sinner and bound to spend eternity in Hell, that’s when they understand that faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only way to find forgiveness.

At the moment we first believe, all our sin is forgiven. Not just the sins of the past but also future sin. That’s something that’s hard to come to grips with. We all fail in our walk with Christ, but He knew that we will fail and loves us anyway. As Christ hung on the cross, all of your sins were in the future. He willingly spilled His blood for you long before you were even born. As the Son of God hung on the cross, looking at those who had pounded the nails into his hands and feet and at those who had cried out for His death, He felt love and compassion. “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34). Jesus asked God the Father to forgive those sinners as they kept on sinning. His love for us hasn’t changed.

When we first come to Jesus, there’s usually excitement, and the new life in you is very real. Then, after a short time, the pressures of life close in, and you’re back to your job, and co-workers annoy you. The office gossip is still tempting you to share the latest scoop with others. After work, your friends want you to join them at the bar and possibly find a “one night stand” who is willing to tempt you to sin. This is when you need a mentor to help you see that Jesus still loves you but that you are in a spiritual battle and need Christ to give you strength in the fight.

Sadly, most churches drop the ball in helping new Christians. Instead of helping the babe in Christ to understand that failures are forgiven, many older Christians shake their heads and shun anybody who fails. Too many pastors care more about not offending anyone than they care about calling sin what it is… sin. Remember, Jesus cared about sinners but never accepted the sin. Jesus changed sinners; the sinners didn’t change Christ. No matter how much sinners want to change God’s word to condone their sin, God’s word hasn’t changed.

When Jesus called the men who would follow them, they left their old lives behind and followed. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him” (Matthew 4:19-20). Jesus didn’t call the religious elites but called fishermen, tax collectors, and other sinners. Then He spent the next three years helping them to change.

How long are you willing to mentor and teach a man like Peter, or even Judas?

Many people have a bad feeling about stepping into a church building, so why not open your home to a Bible study? Or possibly go to a park and let others hear and be drawn to the teaching.

When I was a teenager, my youth group went on an outing. We stopped at a hamburger stand to eat, and while we ate, we began asking our pastor questions. Then someone who wasn’t a teenager asked a question. I looked around, and a large number of people gathered and were very interested. That was amazing and taught me never to be afraid to talk about Jesus.

Before a person has placed their faith in Christ, they cannot understand anything about Scripture. They may pick and choose verses that seem to contradict other verses, or they just don’t understand why Jesus being crucified and rising from death is the greatest event in history. Why are they so blind and deaf to God’s truth? “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). It’s the Holy Spirit that makes understanding and discernment possible. When a person first truly believes, the Holy Spirit is sealed within them. God wants us to know Him better and learn.

The Holy Spirit is given to all Christians in order for us to understand more. “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12-14). That seal is unbreakable. The Holy Spirit lives in you and will help you to understand Scripture.

As with all things, you have a choice whether to let Him guide you or to ignore Him. There are many, many excellent Bible teachers, but there are also some who twist God’s truth. The Holy Spirit doesn’t want you to fall victim to false teachers. Ask God to help you discern truth from lies.

If you are a new believer, ask God to guide you to a Christ-centered, Bible-believing place of worship. Ask Him to lead you to a mentor who will help you to grow. Babes in Christ need to grow into full-grown sheep and be able to reach others.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

Do you like watching scary movies? I don’t. In my opinion, movies have gone way too far in horror and many other genres. These movies serve a couple of purposes in Satan’s agenda. First, they make evil and sin familiar and acceptable. They also can open a way for real demons to enter a person.

Are demons real? I read my Bible and see that Jesus says they’re real, so that means they’re very real. Humans have dabbled in the occult since Adam and Eve were sent out of Paradise. While living in the Garden of Eden and obeying God’s commands, they had protection. Then, an evil entity entered into the Garden. Just like us, Adam and Eve were protected from evil as long as they obeyed God and walked near to Him. God provided for all of Adam’s and Eve’s needs.

“And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9).

Mankind is rebellious, but God blessed us with free will, and we can choose how we use it. God gave Adam one rule. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Adam was entrusted with that truth before Eve was created. That set the standard for men to be the leaders. After Eve was created, Adam may have been enthralled by her beauty and forgot his role as the leader of his family, but Eve decided to chat with Satan. Eve was deceived because of her choice and lack of faith in God’s truth.

Was it really Satan, or just a snake? Taking the whole truth of Scripture into consideration, yes, this was Satan speaking lies. Eve was deceived by Satan twisting God’s word. Doubt was placed in her mind, and she began adding to God’s word. God said not to eat the fruit, but Eve added to that, saying they weren’t even to touch it. By eating the fruit, God knew that it would become a part of Adam and Eve. Today, when we eat “junk food,” we make that sugar a part of our body, but Satanic deception is more evil and destructive to life than a poor diet. Eve added to God’s word by saying they weren’t even to touch the fruit or else they would die. That’s when Satan knew he could beguile her.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

Satan is a liar, and Eve’s lack of discernment caused her to listen to this demonic evil, and she ate the fruit. It was tasty, and she didn’t drop dead, so she convinced Adam to also eat the fruit. “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Genesis 3:7).

Attempting to cover sin is always uncomfortable, and fig leaves are very scratchy indeed. The Garden of Eden provided Adam with everything that he needed, and there was no death. Sin changed all of that. Temptation to sin is all around us today. For some reason, sin appeals to all of mankind. God says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

That’s pretty plain, but we put everything ahead of God. Mostly, we put ourselves before God, believing ourselves to be gods. We pamper our own egos, and pride is a downfall to our walk with God. We get angry if we feel someone has dishonored us. Riots happen because one group of people thinks the world owes them everything; pride causes sin. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Solomon had a lot of wisdom and wrote the Proverbs to teach us truth from God. In the New Testament, James tells us, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10). Those are wise words. If you are admired and praised by fellow humans, you’re being judged by a faulty measuring tool. If you humbly obey God, He will lift you up. It’s much better to seek the Lord’s favor than human favor.

Sin looks appealing, but it only causes pain and suffering. Satan can make even the ugliest sin look enjoyable. Have you ever seen someone who is drunk? Nowhere in Scripture does God forbid drinking alcohol, but getting drunk is the sin. If drinking wine was a sin, God wouldn’t tell the Israelites they could buy alcohol with their tithe money (Deuteronomy 14:22-26). Jesus would not have turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11). Jesus would not have drunk wine Himself if it was a sin, even though the religious leaders condemned Him for it (Luke 7:34). Scripture does caution against being drunk on wine. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

Like Eve added to God’s words, so do many Christian denominations add to God’s words. Drunkenness is the sin. You might look at people who are drinking alcohol, laughing and seeming to have a lot of fun. The fun is only temporary, but the damage to their body can be devastating. Don’t misconstrue what I’m saying. I’m not telling anyone to drink alcohol. I’m just saying that God doesn’t forbid it.

There are many things that God forbids, but we tend to ignore His warning. “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

Today, we don’t sacrifice our sons or daughters by passing them through fire, but we condone abortion, which is an act of evil straight from Satan’s lying lips. Do you read your horoscope? Play with a Ouija board? Do you practice Yoga? All of these things are abominations to God and can open the doors for demon possession. The thing you must do immediately is repent of the sin and ask for God’s forgiveness. Then, don’t continue with the sin.

Why do you think God finds these things to be abominable? Abortion violates one of the Ten Commandments. “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). All sin is prompted by Satan and his minions. God loves you, and Satan hates what God loves.

When you listen to Satan’s lies, you open yourself up to demon possession. Demons are real. Jesus says they are real, and I believe Him. Today, there are many people who are treated for mental illness when, in reality, they have invited a demon into their life through the use of drugs, drunkenness, and dabbling with the occult. Christians have protection against demon possession because we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We can be oppressed by a demon but not possessed.

Demons can be cast out of a person; it doesn’t take a Catholic priest with magic water and fancy words to do it. It takes a Holy Spirit-filled Christian who understands the power of God. The Christian needs to have studied Scripture about demons, or things can go terribly wrong. Read Acts 19:13-16 to see what happened to some would-be exorcists who thought the name of Jesus was a magic word, but they had no faith.

When dealing with demons, it’s important to remember that they always look for embodiment. When one is rebuked in the name of Jesus, the door needs to be shut so they won’t return. “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation” (Matthew 12:43-45).

Jesus spoke those words, and we know we can trust what He says. Jesus knew demons are real, and the Gospels are full of accounts of Him casting out demons.

How can we avoid demons? Walk close to Jesus. Don’t participate in activities that invite a demon to come into you. That means don’t use drugs and don’t get drunk. Too many people think Yoga is a nice stretching exercise when it is actually a process used to attract demons. The goal of Yoga is to invite in the kundalini spirit, which is a serpent spirit. Eastern mysticism of all kinds encourages releasing this evil spirit. Don’t participate in any meditation where you clear your mind and meditate on emptiness. That leaves your mind wide open to be filled with an evil spirit.

When you meditate, be sure you meditate upon Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to fill your thoughts. “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways” (Psalm 119:15). When you keep your thoughts and your heart turned to Jesus and the things of His glory, you won’t leave yourself open to demon possession. You will avoid demons.

We live in a time when demons are manifesting more frequently in UFO sightings, sleep paralysis, and more. The only way to avoid them is to keep close to the Lord. Put on His armor for the spiritual battle we are fighting.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Don’t try to fight the battle unarmed. It’s too bad that Eve didn’t have God’s armor on her when Satan came to deceive her.

Many things can open the way for demons to have rights to your life. Books that condone sin, movies that glorify evil, and video games that are filled with violence are just a few. Christians can’t dictate what the world accepts, but we can choose what we accept. When you choose to walk close to God, you will avoid demons corrupting your life.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.