All posts by AOCM

My name is Pastor Tony Catron I graduate from K.S.U. with a degree in electronic/electrical engineering. While doing that I became a Junior Deacon and also a musician in my dad's ministry in Cleveland, Ohio. Years later, my career took me to Michigan where I worked as a Electrical/Electronic Engineer. While in Michigan I became a Minister, then later went to Seminary training at Birmingham Bible Institute and became an Elder at a large Pentecostal church in Michigan called LLCC. I was called to the ministry by God. So I headed up an outreach ministry based on the End Times, dealing with restoration in people lives. Then my dad called me back to Ohio to help him Pastor his church. During that time, God changed my outreach ministry, turning it into a full-time restoration ministry. He gave me the name Ark of Covenant Ministries and the rest is history.
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Zephaniah and the Great Day of God at Hand

The Book of Zephaniah is one of the shortest books of the Bible but best known for being the least known book of the entire Bible. It is a small book, nestled in the midst of the Minor Prophets, toward the end of the Old Testament. Among the Minor Prophets, we are certainly much more familiar with Jonah and Hosea. Nevertheless, this is a great book with a significant contribution to make to the Old Testament and to the lives of the saints of every age. Zephaniah was the great-grandson of Hezekiah, thereby making him of royal blood. He is kin to Josiah, Josiah’s reign was from 639-608 B.C. This was preceded by the long wicked reign of Manasseh, who wrought a great reformation in which Zephaniah was a prime mover. Thus this prophecy was uttered only a few years before Judah’s day of doom struck.  

Zephaniah Chapter 1

1 The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord. I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham; And them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, nor enquired for him. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord‘s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off. And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,  A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord‘s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Jerusalem on that day of destruction is coming. All the routines everyone was going through if you were doing crookedly before you would be doing crookedly on the Day of Lord. If it was coming in the city, it is coming on the whole world. They were marrying and being given in marriage, building houses and not able to live in there. No horse you’ll be able to ride upon fast enough, no ship to sail far enough will allow you to escape that day. That day is fastly approaching, the judgment on nations. This is what were are dealing with today. The sins of all this world, are coming to a point, all the lies, all the hated, all the jealousy, all the strife that is in the world but also in the Chruch, it is coming to a head. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. All the mess going forth now in the house of God today will cease. The Bible says judgment begins a the house of the Lord first. Before He goes out into the streets, He’s going to clean house. We have to be waiting for His return. I don’t mean standing up looking at the sky, but doing the work of the Lord, going out in the highways and hedges and compelling the people. But everyone has their own thing going on today. They aren’t concerned about their brothers or sisters, but themselves. They are only concerned about themselves, their agenda.

 

Zephaniah Chapter 2

2 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord‘s anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord‘s anger. For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts. The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

 

You be found doing the work of God with your whole heart, so when the day of the Lord comes upon all these, you won’t hide but stand boldly working the works of the Holy Ghost. It is too late to pursue your career and do what you want to do, but stand still and see the salvation of God, walking in the Will of God and not your will. It’s not about you it’s about doing the will of God He has for you.It is not about hating your neighbors and getting over of them or on people in general, but about doing the will of God in your life, while you have life in your body. All these people like you see in California and the Ivory Coast, marveling at what they did like they are somebody. The Lord said all these places will be desolate, nothing there. The animals will use it to roam in, no people there, all the buildings utterly destroyed, like Soddom and Gomorrah. If you look at the place of Soddom and Gomorrah today, there is nothing left but potash, no green things grown there. All that has been destroyed, all the different form of arts of voodoo, witchcraft and devil worship will be utterly destroyed because they have offended God and His people. We need to understand that the Word of God says touch, not My little ones. Don’t bother something that doesn’t belong to you it belongs to Me. That’s an important statement to make. The World has got away with making all these rules and structure. This country has adopted homosexuality, that it is ok. My comment is like the Word of God, its an abomination. You cannot produce any seed from a man-man or woman-woman. There is no increase, its death, dead. Because there is no life in that situation that can be generated, then it is an abomination just like Sodom and Gomorrah. You hear in the new how they always say “I love this person, and I have a right to love who I want to love.” You can love who you want to love, you are to love everyone, but not sexual arousal love. Every couple of the same sex, there is always intimate sexual contact in that relationship. Why? You are acting out the same thing a man-woman goes through. What’s more is you can’t accept that you have problems with the opposite sex. If you look at any kind of homosexual or lesbian relationship, there is always a dominate person in that relationship that acts like a man, and the other acts as a woman. Now if it was meant to be natural in this existence, then they wouldn’t take such dominant roles as one being male and other female. They do this out of only one thing, a lustful, sinful, demonic feeling, to satisfy their soulish lusts.

Zephaniah Chapter 3

3 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God. Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.

We know this is dealing with the fall of Judah, how the Jews were scattered, all their enemies were upon them, and they were filtered into the World. But the Lord brought them back as a people again. Now we have a lot of people who say they are Jews, but I call them “wannabes.” My great-grandmother was Jewish so that makes me Jewish. No it doesn’t. You have Jewish blood but that does not make you a jew. The whole point is Zephaniah was given a prophetic saying from the Lord talking about the destruction of Judah, but I correlate that to today. Jerusalem and its surrounding areas will be under attack again. Those who have chosen to be their enemies, God will utterly destroy them, caring not if they aPalestiniansans, Canaanites, Assyrians, they are the enemies of Israel and of God. So it behooves people today to stand behind the Lord. Do His will. Don’t attack His people. Because if you are a Child of God, you are one of His people, grafted int to the Body of Jews. We only have one Lord, faith and baptism. In this great day coming upon this world, on this great day ahead, we will see and hear things that we never thought would ever happen. We will see people going back to the old days, the demonic tribal days, the hatred, insults, all of the things that use to be shall be again. Its up to the Children of God, the people who call themselves the Children of God to stand, after having done all they have done stand, stand for what the Word of God says. Walk by faith and not by sight. God has ordained that. He said in John 15 if you abide in Me and My word abides in you, you will ask what you will and it shall be done. Remember. God has not given us the spirit of fear but of love, joy and a sound mind.

 

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Being of Oneness Mind and Heart

Philippians 2:1-2

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded,

That is a strong statement because in this day and age, all these different fellowships and ministries out there are not being likeminded. A lot of them are perpetuating a fraud. They are teaching only how to be one up on their fellow brothers. They are not teaching the same word, they are teaching about power, money, and bigger ministries.

 

Philippians 2:2-3

having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

 

This is the problem because when you are trying to get one up on another ministry so you look better than another ministry or “the one,” you tend to walk over other ministries. You tend to attack other ministries. And to let you know up front this is not the love of God and not what he intended for the body of baptized believers. He wants you to support your brother of lesser finance of help. He wants you to look on your brothers and help them so that they won’t have lack. But if you know of a ministry who is struggling along, but still reaching out and trying to touch the heart of the people in this world and know that they are in financial devastation or in need of spiritual help, how dwells the love of God in you? How does it correlate with Philippians 2: 1-2?

 

Philippians 2:3

 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

 

It’s not about you. God gave us a ministry to help our brothers and sisters first and then to help the world who are in need and crying out for help and for us to show God’s love toward them. But in this day and age, everyone seems to be promoting one another, taking them to another level of leadership. They haven’t even begun to go out into the high ways and hedges and compel those come into the house. God is not about that.

 

Philippians 2:4

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

 

In other words, don’t be selfish. Ministries today are looking more on how to please their ministry than to help fellow ministries. They only can see themselves, selfishly.

 

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

 

That is about supporting your fellow ministry, your brethren and sister in ministry.

 

1 Corinthians 1:10-11

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

 

It talks about we who are of one mind should address the things of God. The Lord keeps saying over and over, be you of one mind.

Romans 12:1-5

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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

 

The problem is someone is thinking more of their brothers because they have a lot of members, finances, a location. So they look down on their brothers and mistreat, find problems, quickly find that their brother is not adequate in the Word. This is the heart of these individuals. Not realizing the world of God tells you to be careful Matthew 7, judge not that you be not judged. You begin to kill your brother, assassinate him slowly so that his ministry will not get out of the rut it was in. The Bible says if you see your brother standing in need and you shut up your bowels of compassion toward him, how dwell the love of God in you? Its a terrible thing to look down on your brother, and count how long he’s been in ministry and say maybe he shouldn’t be in ministry. What you’re saying is God made a mistake. You stand in a very dangerous place because all that you have God will take away and you will be as the pauper on the street all because of what came from your mouth spreading gossip.

 

Romans 12:5

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

 

Christ has been trying to get this message across for countless generations. It tells us that we should have the same mind, walk the same talk the same, renew our minds so that when people see one of us they will see Christ. Christ is not confused and not misdirected. He wants us to be Him down on this Earth because the only Christ that He will see in this day and age are his people. So if His people are talking about one another assassinating one another, they are not going to come to Christ because they see this is the same thing that goes on in the world. We’re supposed to be helpers one to another, and not a helper with your own ulterior motive or agenda underneath. It is not about promotion, it’s about dedication and devotion. Like the world of God said:

 

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

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Do You Need the Validation of Others?

Matthew 6:1-6

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 

Do you need the famous work “ok,” do you need to hear that word often to make you fit in your surrounds? Do you need a pat on the back after you’ve finished that job or task you were assigned to do? Do you surround yourself with people who always give you compliments? Are you constantly in need of encouragement? Do you really care about what people say about you? If you were able to answer yes to any of these questions, then its time for you be self built up in your most holy faith, without the need or the “ok” or the validation of anyone in your life to make you feel secure about you in you Christian walk, without you having the need to lift you up or give you praise.

 

Matthew 5:13-16

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 

You are the salt of the earth. Salt is to make something better, taste better more palatable. When you look at that understanding, God has made you the salt of the earth. If you are the salt of the earth, what does He expect from you? It only takes a little salt to change something from what it used to taste like to make it better. It is a savory taste used to enhance, change or preserve something after being changed. Once it has been placed in the food or seasoning, that salt will preserve what was changed from one taste to the other. When you see that, understand this when the Lord said you are the salt of the earth. We were sent here to changed the direction things were going and preserve it. Once Christ gave us walking in the good news of what HE came to bring, He has placed that inside of you. You don’t need to be validated by any man, child, woman, or thing. He has made you the head and not the tail of somebody. If you’re not made the tail of somebody and you are the head, then why does the head need to talk to someone else other than Christ who is the head? You don’t need to go to any other individual to get God’s will of what He promised He said He’d do for you. Can you not count on other people? He will send you pastors after His own heart for you, leading and guiding to individuals in your own life, there to support you and keep your mind focused on the purpose that God has given you for your walk in Christ, mission in Christ and more than that for you to stay strong in His will.

God has not given us the spirit of fear. Some of us go around allow fear to dominate what God has placed into our lives to help us go forth in ministry so that we can do our part, touch the hearts minds and lives of individuals to bring them into the understanding of who Christ is. So when you allow salt to be the structure that you form yourself after, and do what it does, it will change the taste of, or change the heart of, it will make every change and preserve the change that is made earlier because of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that keeps us and gives us purpose.

If you don’t know your purpose in Christ, taking advice from men, without consulting God first, then you will be lead down a false road of security until you run into that first bump in the road. If you don’t believe in something, you will fall for anything. That is why its so important that you fail not to assemble yourself together, because someone may be going through the same thing you are. God has not given us the spirit of fear but of a sound mind. You can’t have a sound mind if you are listening to every individual who you think may have a word from God. If you’re not aware of how you are affecting your surroundings by your stability in who you are, and what purpose Christ has for you if you’re not aware of that, and you have no focus, how will you be an effective child of God?

The Bible says an unstable person is unstable in all his ways. If you don’t have focus and balance in your life, everything around you will not have focus and balance. What purpose do you have and serve, what good are you for? You are not up to par on being a Child of God. How can you be the salt of the earth? If you are allowing individuals to esteem you, validate and extol you, praise you and pat you on the back, that becoming your lifestyle looking forward to those things, then how effective of a Christian would you be? You’re waiting for validation from things around you. No, no, no. Christ can not use you because you need something other than Christ, other than the Holy Ghost, that strengthens you and guides you. If you have no stability what kind of example are you setting in your own house? If you are not sure what God’s perfect will or purpose for your life is, how can you be an example for those in your own home? Do you want everybody in your house to look up to you, and you go looking for someone else to check your validation of what you are doing and saying is correct? That has been the problem with a lot of people in this day, they look so much of what people are saying about them, looking at them, and they are allowing that to control what they say, do, and how they act.

As a Christian, you can not allow individuals to guide you or lead you for their own purpose. You have to make sure that it is coming from the Holy Ghost. The Word said it will lead you and guide you into all truth (John 16:13). Its time out for waiting to hear from a prophet, from an apostle, from a pastor, from a Bishop, from a friend, from a boss, from a loved one, its time to listen and read your word because God said He will lead and guide you. No don’t get it wrong, I’m not trying to say don’t get away from the leaders, if they are men of God, they are going to enhance and encourage and push you forward in what God has ordained for your life. If you have a mentor, whether Bishop, Pastor, friend or loved one, always check what they tell you with the Word of God, and the Holy Ghost that is in you will lead you to the right understanding. The Word of God says lean not to your own understanding, acknowledge Him and he shall direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6). Don’t look for anyone else, to your own understanding, but lean to the Word of God, through prayer and supplication, God will give you the answer, and to every answer, He gives there will be a witness to that answer.

Don’t show yourself off to the world to validate that you are a Christian. You need not be on national tv with a banner in your hand or any such thing alike declaring that you are against this and you are a Christian, so others will see you and say “oh that is a Christian.” The world doesn’t know what a Christian is, all they know is what a Christian does. So when you have an issue with a particular thing, take it to God and pray about it, or get together corporately with a group of baptized believers where you are all standing in agreement. Where there are two or three touching and agreeing on a thing, He is in the midst (Matthew 18:19).

 

Romans 6:12

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 

By us operating and doing things using our hands, ears, nose, arms, legs, for the purpose of Christ, he said remember you should act as though you’ve just risen from the dead. Before when you were in the world, you were dying. Now you are alive in Christ, and if so, don’t exemplify the deeds of someone who was dead, but exemplify yourself and one being alive from the dead of the world, alive in Christ. Behold you are a new creature old things have passed away.

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Pushing Towards the Mark

Philippians 3

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

 

The Bible tells us to count it all joy when you enter into various temptations. During your walk in Christ, you will enter into situations that seem overwhelming. You will encounter individuals in your life, family friends, jobs or just with contact with individuals around you. People are very persuasive in what they believe. They will try to convince you to see this world the way they perceive it. When you don’t accept they will bring about statements of disillusionment. Isolate you, separate you and tag you with names and statements so derogatory to get others to think very negatively about you. They will say things like, “why are they serving a God no one has ever seen?” They will call you a conspiracy theorist. They will so called tag you on social media, give a hastag and say #unreal, #notbelievable. Because as it may be seen, this world knows that they are bound for Hell. To keep from facing that fact, they will surround themselves with individuals who will speak to their desires, not to their needs. When you’re surrounded by a lot of yes people, and no one to say no and challenge you or challenge your lifestyle, then you’re bound for disaster. The Bible says in the last days that people will heap to themselves teachers after their own flesh. In other words go to ministries that titillate your flesh and desires, groups or organizations that make you feel like you’re in control of your own life.

 

The Bible clearly states in Philippians 3:13

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

 

Don’t allow your past to become your future, what people say about you to deter you from your purpose in God.

 

The Bible says in Ephesians 4:1-3; 21-32

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

 

No matter what people try to say in saying you don’t have a clue, let them understand that your mind is not confused and you do know who you serve and you do understand that you have to put off those things that you use to be a part of, put away the conversations of that old man. I don’t care what people say about you, as long as you serve our Lord Jesus Christ, you will be talked about, provoked and challenged because you’re going against the norms of this world. Don’t expect the world to love you because they won’t. Your love is hidden in Christ Jesus. Don’t allow them to catch you acting the way you use to because then they can say you are a hypocrite. In simple terms, if you aren’t a duck anymore, quite walking like it and quite quacking. Because some of us have been convinced that the changing of your heart doesn’t mean the changing of your lifestyle. One goes with the other synonymously. How many of you have mentally gone to sleep after having been in a fight, an angry confrontation and put it off saying that they’re the one that had the problem? I say to you, you need to get that clear at that time frame, do not let a day go by because that day gone by will turn out to be days and those days weeks, and those weeks months, and those months years. There are some people who have been angry and upset with individuals for more than 10 years over a stupid matter, thinking they are justified by saying they were right. How will Jesus forgive you for your sins, when you can’t forgive each other? I say to you, renew your mind.

 

The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:2-5

 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

 

Pressing toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. We can’t allow these things to delay our calling in Christ Jesus.

 

Hebrews 12:1

2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

 

 

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What is Sin

The biggest problem with most people or just, in general, is there has been a debate over what is sin and what is not sin. Some people in the world say wrong doing when you are evil towards someone else, but the actual definition of what sin is Biblical. It’s an immoral act against God. The definition that the dictionary says is this: an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. Synonyms of sin: wrong, wrong doing, active doing evil, wickedness, transgression, crime, offenses, misdeed, lying, cheating, vices. Any act under the aforementioned words is considered to be sin unto God. So you may ask, what does that mean? What it means unto God, we all have sinned and we all have come short of His glory. Is sin wrong? Well, yes. Does sin cause other people to be harmed, hurt, or injured or even killed? The answer again is yes. So we all have come short of God due to sin. For instance, if you tell a lie or half truth as they say, on an individual on a situation, you may cause someone or something to go wrong to the point of someone getting hurt or killed. If you mistreat someone evilly, harm them verbally or physically, you still have commited a sin. Most individuals don’t want to accept the fact that their sin has transpired in their life. But what we must reconginze is one important factor: sin has destroyed many hearts, lives, and possessions. So I ask you again, have you sinned, has sin played a big portion of your life? Have you ever been lied on, has anyone ever cheated on you, has anyone ever caused harm in your life?

 

Romans 6:9-23

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

I read all that to say to those who say they have no sin or don’t know what it is, in todays modern day language the word sin is being limited and pointed at partiular events or situations. But the fact is its all sin, whether you lie, cheat, kill, steal, tell white lies, or mistreat, abuse, even to the point of miscarriage of justice, its still an evil act. So if you don’t like the term sin, its an evil act. No one likes an evil act, no one, and

No one likes an evil act, no one, and everyone understands what an evil act is. Well the Bible termed it as sin. So again it points to we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but Christ has died for your sins. He did it one time. There remains no more sacrifice, that anyone can do say or act, He is the untimate sacrifice because He died for sin. When He rose 3 days later, He brought captivity of sin captive. He made everything that we do of sin nature, dead to us, because He brought it to death. That is why it asks the questions, so since we are freed from sin, so is it ok for us to go ahead and continue sinning since we’e been freed from it? God forbid. No one else can die for you or deliver you from sin anymore, so there remains no more sacrifice athat anyone can do. SO is sin wrong, someone may ask? Is someone slapping you in the face, shooting you killing you, burning down your house, stealing your possessions, stealing your food, stealing your kids, killing your husband or wife, kidnapping, raping, are those things ok with you? If so, then you have become a part of the problem with society. You need to seek help to be delivered from that type of mentality. THe only one who can deliver you from you is our lord and saviour Jesus CHrist and for you to recongize that and understnad that these things have brought you in to being captive, these evil things. Christ came and died on the cross to set the captives free. Whom the Lord has set free they are free indeed. While you were in sin, you served another master, and the master of that term sin or evil doing is Satan, the Devil Beelsivub, and all his impts and demons, they are who you were serving. In Romans 6:16

That is why it asks the questions, so since we are freed from sin, so is it ok for us to go ahead and continue sinning since we’ve been freed from it? God forbid. No one else can die for you or deliver you from sin anymore, so there remains no more sacrifice that anyone can do. So is sin wrong, someone may ask? Is someone slapping you in the face, shooting you, killing you, burning down your house, stealing your possessions, stealing your food, stealing your kids, killing your husband or wife, kidnapping, raping, are those things ok with you? If so, then you have become a part of the problem with society. You need to seek help to be delivered from that type of mentality. The only one who can deliver you from you is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for you to recognize that and understand that these things have brought you into being captive, these evil things. Christ came and died on the cross to set the captives free. Whom the Lord has set free they are free indeed. While you were in sin, you served another master, and the master of that term sin or evil doing is Satan, the Devil Beelzebub, and all his imps and demons, they are who you were serving.

 

Romans 6:16-17

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

 

It all starts by giving your heart over to Christ, repenting for who you were, asking for forgivness for where you are, and being baptized in His name for the remission of sin. In simple terms, you are changing who you serve, you stop serving Satan, and now serve the Lord. Whom the Lord sets free from sin is free indeed. Now you can go about serving God. We might get those who may say whats going to keep me from going back and serving Satan?

 

Acts 2

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

 

So if you have that same question, then Peter says in the 38th verse: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Not the Holy Spirit but the Holy Ghost

Continuing on to the 39th verse: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Holy Ghost and Holy Spirt, I hear some say that there is no difference becuase of the writers of that time. If you look at the OT it talks about the Holy Spirit from God, but the New Testament talks about the Holy Ghost from Jesus. One is from the Father the other is from the Son. The Holy Ghost will lead you and guide you into all truth. All comments and questions are welcome.