Friday, June 29, 2018

🏳️‍🌈✝️πŸ”» Heart Matters when it comes to serving the LORD




06/29/2018


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Heart Matters when it comes to serving the LORD – it is NOT about your body that matters it is about your HEART…



God does not look at the outward appearance. He is NOT concerned with your appearance; He is concerned with your heart. Does your heart magnify the Lord or does it long after the things of this world?



But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judge’s persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7


Do NOT let the hateful words of other HUMANS create stress in your life. YOU and GOD are the only ones who matter when it comes to WHO you are in CHRIST JESUS!!! LGBTQI+ or Straight; God created us in HIS image and NO MAN can take that away from you!!!

We read in the very beginning of the Word of God about what mattered to God; that would be our REFLECTION of HIM. God feels so strongly about His creation that if someone shed’s the blood of another man they too must have their blood - shed.  {Genesis 1:27, 5:1, 9:6} God really values His creation therefore you can be encouraged to know that He loves you too my LGBTQI+ brothers and sisters. God did NOT make a mistake when He created you. Mankind has made a mistake by treating you like you are less than human.

Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in **Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.” So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

**Imago Dei ("image of God") ("image of God"): A theological term, applied uniquely to humans, which denotes the symbolical relation between God and humanity.

The fifth chapter of Genesis contains the genealogy from Adam to Noah. It begins:
This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.

In the  Book of Psalm 73 we see David describe how God must feel when He has to look upon the “image” of His creation that has become wicked, while at the same time giving refuge to those who chose to follow Him.

Surely You set the wicked-minded and immoral on slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are completely swept away by sudden terrors! 
Like a dream [which seems real] until one awakens,
O Lord, when stirred, [You observe the wicked], You will despise their image. Psalm 73:18-20

Who have I in heaven [but You]?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful and have abandoned You.
But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him,
That I may tell of all Your works. Psalm 73:25-28

That man is in the image of God means that man as a whole person, both physically and spiritually, is in some sense like his Maker. Just what the nature of this likeness is, we are not told. But we are told what really matters: even as sinners we bear God’s image. As a result of this image in us, we have dominion over all the earth and we have a right to live out our days upon the earth. Beyond this teaching about the image of God in man, the Old Testament is silent.

Scriptures to study in the Old Testament about the likeness of God in mankind:  Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 5:1, Psalm 39:5-6,  Psalm 73:20, Psalm 104, Genesis 9:6, Genesis 5:3

Further study of God’s Word reveals how much we are a REFLECTION of our creator, even becoming more like Jesus His Son when we chose to accept JESUS as our Lord. Take some time to read and reflect on these Scriptures and learn about the “image” of Jesus Christ and how we as humans can be transformed into that likeness if we believe in Him. {Colossians 1:15, Colossians 3:9-11, Ephesians 4:22-24, Romans 8:29-30, Romans 8:17-21, 1 Corinthians 11:7, 15:49, 1 Corinthians 11:1-6, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6,  2 Corinthians 4:4, John 12:45, John 14:9, Hebrews 1:3, John 1:14, Colossians 1:9, Colossians 2:2-3, James 3:9, 1 Corinthians 15:35-50, 1 John 3:20}  

No ONE {human} knows the HEART of another {human}. God knows your HEART and He knows the HEART of those who try to pass judgment upon you. Mankind did not understand the WISDOM of God 2000+ years ago for if they had they would NOT have crucified Jesus, so I tell you now that mankind unless they are being Spiritually lead and NOT being lead by their own vain imaginations, still have NO idea about the Spiritual things of God. 

 None of the rulers of this age recognized and understood this wisdom; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written [in Scripture],“Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed].” For God has unveiled them and revealed them to us through the [Holy] Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things [diligently], even [sounding and measuring] the [profound] depths of God [the divine counsels and things far beyond human understanding]. For what person knows the thoughts and motives of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So also no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from God, so that we may know and understand the [wonderful] things freely given to us by God. We also speak of these things, not in words taught or supplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words [for those being guided by the Holy Spirit]. But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters]. 15 But the spiritual man [the spiritually mature Christian] judges all things [questions, examines and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals], yet is himself judged by no one [the unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer’s spiritual nature]. 16 For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes]. 1 Corinthians 2:8-14

The Word of God teaches us NOT to judge each other in Matthew 7:1-5

We learn in James 3 that the tongue of mankind is one of the most unruly things on this planet. Therefore we should ask God to help us keep our mouths shut when we have NO clue as to what is going on in another person’s life.

For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. James 3:7-9

Since I have now brought up judging another person let me take a moment to bring up the “CLOBBER PASSAGES” that most of the EVANGELICAL CHURCH likes to use to judge and humiliate the LGBTQI+ Community with.

ABOMINATION? - "Straight Talk" About Homosexuality (NOT ANTI-GAY!!!!!!)




 A Video Tract for the Biblically impaired! What does the Bible REALLY say about the term "ABOMINATION?" Is it possible to commit an "abomination" within a heterosexual context? So many people love to use this word, yet so few have any real idea as to it's definition and meaning. This term is so often used against Gay-Lesbian people, but is it used correctly?




The Six Commonly Used passages of Scripture used to clobber the LGBTQI+ Community are:

1.
Sodom & Gomorrah
2.
Levitical Laws
3.
Pederasty in Corinth
4.
Pederasty in Ephesus
5.
Strange Flesh
6.
Cult Prostitution





1. Sins of Sodom revealed in Ezekiel: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away” (Ezekiel 16:49-50). We also learn that adultery and lies is compared to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah in Jeremiah: “Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become like Sodom to Me, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.” Jeremiah 23:14



2. Levitical Laws were known to the people of that time as the laws written against Temple Prostitutes who used sex as worship of false gods and goddesses. We this brought up again {6.} in Romans 1.

3. The people in Corinth used younger people as their personal sex slaves. Child prostitution was common in the temples when worshiping fertility goddesses.

4. Here again we find Paul telling Timothy that the people of Ephesus need to refrain from child prostitution.

5. Here we read about the angels that had fallen having sexual relations with mankind.

6. This chapter deals with those people who do not follow the laws of God and chose to worship false gods and goddesses in the shrines of those false gods and goddesses.
 
Learn more about the Word of God concerning the LGBTQI+ Community from Gay Christian 101



Let us move on to more about the HEART of Mankind.



In the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, verses 35 to 50 answer the questions, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” (v.35). After discussing in detail the resurrection of the dead, Paul gives the summary statement: “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (verse 49, AMP). The context makes it clear that Paul is thinking in personal terms: Adam is the earthy and Christ is the heavenly. We must ask what the “image of the heavenly” involves. The answer is found in noting what specifics verse 49 summaries. The “image of the heavenly” has to do with the nature of the resurrection body. “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (vv. 42-44, AMP). Thus to take on the ‘image of the heavenly” is to be incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual.

In Romans 8:29-30, Paul tells the reader just how much they mean to God. Praise God my friends that GOD already knew before you were born how you would be.

Romans 8:17 tells us how great our reward will be if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord.

“And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.”

We learn from studying Hebrews what happens to those who chose to follow Jesus and what happens to those who chose to not follow Jesus.

Hebrews 6 Amplified Bible (AMP)


The Peril of Falling Away 


Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of teaching about washings (ritual purification's), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.] And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits. For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted {This is the same Greek word that is used in Matthew 27:34 regarding Jesus’ tasting the wine mixed with gall during His crucifixion. After tasting what was being offered to Him He refused to drink it. Perhaps the use of this word in this passage (vv 4-6) refers to those who superficially “tasted” the gospel and outwardly appeared to embrace the Christian experience, but inwardly never committed in full surrender to Christ. In this case, the act of “falling away” was simply the public expression of their true position and their rejection of Jesus as Messiah regardless of the evidence.} and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted and consciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come, and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace. {1) some interpret the passage to teach the possibility of loss of salvation, 2) some see the text as hypothetical, with the author using an illustration of what would occur in the case of apostasy, but which, in fact, cannot occur, 3) some suggest the passage refers to apparent believers who are in the church, but who are not truly saved. These commit apostasy, depart from the fellowship, and thus give evidence they were not genuinely converted, and 4) the loss of rewards view that suggests that the context indicated the people described in vv 4-6 are genuine believers who commit willful sin and fail to press on to maturity. These are disciplined by God in this life, and lose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ along the lines of 1 Corinthians 3:11-17.} For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God; but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. 


Better Things for You


But, beloved, even though we speak to you in this way, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and of things that accompany salvation. {The concerns of the writer of Hebrews as outlined in vv 1-8 have not happened to the Hebrew believers and the writer does not expect them to happen.} For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do. And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realize and enjoy the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises. For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” And so, having patiently waited, he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God]. Indeed men swear [an oath] by one greater than themselves, and with them [in all disputes] the oath serves as confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute. In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervened and guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragement and indwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us. This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]—a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells], where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek {Learn more about the Order of Melchizedek, here}.


In Hebrews 9 and Hebrews 10 we learn that through the ONE sacrifice of Jesus Christ we become new creatures. Our old lives are done away with and we take on the life of Jesus Christ. There is NOTHING in these passages that says only “WHITE, STRAIGHT, EVANGELICALS become new it says EVERYONE!!!



God also reminded the people in the Old Testament that NO ONE was righteous:



Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who always does good and who never sins.  Ecclesiastes 7:20






Jesus makes it very clear that EVERYONE who chooses to follow HIM will be saved and has a new life through HIM. Here are some examples from the Word of God:

This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believes [and trusts in Him and acknowledges Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion]. It was to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus [and rely confidently on Him as Savior]. Romans 3:22-26

Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever]. “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. John 3:14-19

Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

John 11:25-26 Jesus says HE is the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. WHOEVER believes in Him will have ever lasting life!!!

The One and only way to get to Heaven is through Christ Jesus period!!! John 14:1-7

Read what Paul had to say to the people in Rome who worshiped idols while claiming to worship God, God will not allow this to happen.

Romans 1 Amplified Bible (AMP)


The Gospel Exalted


Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the gospel of God [the good news of salvation], which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures— [the good news] regarding His Son, who, as to the flesh [His human nature], was born a descendant of David [to fulfill the covenant promises], and [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated to be the Son of God with power [in a triumphant and miraculous way] by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. It is through Him that we have received grace and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name’s sake among all the Gentiles, and you also are among those who are called of Jesus Christ to belong to Him; [I am writing] to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called to be saints (God’s people) and set apart for a sanctified life, [that is, set apart for God and His purpose]: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith [your trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness] is being proclaimed in all the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how continuously I mention you in my prayers; always pleading that somehow, by God’s will, I may now at last come to you. For I long to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift, to strengthen and establish you; that is, that we may be mutually encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that many times I have planned to come to you, (and have been prevented so far) so that I may have some fruit [of my labors] among you, even as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I have a duty to perform and a debt to pay both to Greeks and to barbarians [the cultured and the uncultured], both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am ready and eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.”
 
Unbelief and Its Consequences

For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them. For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. For even though they knew God [as the Creator], they did not honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. {Anyone who attributes the existence of the world to chance or to a different creator is already guilty of deliberately rejecting God, because to deny the true God one must set aside common sense.} On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasoning’s, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles. {Paul’s indictment of idolatry (images) is logical and devastating. He emphasizes that idols are essentially copies of living creatures, whether in human form (as, for example, in ancient Greek myth) or otherwise (as in Egyptian idolatry and metaphysics). These lifeless images are clearly powerless, and even the living creatures which they supposedly represent are either nonexistent hybrids and monsters, or else ordinary creatures on earth who could hardly create so much as a grain of sand.} Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin], because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.For this reason God gave them over to degrading and vile passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural [a function contrary to nature], and in the same way also the men turned away from the natural function of the woman and were consumed with their desire toward one another, men with men committing shameful acts and in return receiving in their own bodies the inevitable and appropriate penalty for their wrongdoing. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness. They are gossips [spreading rumors], slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors [of new forms] of evil, disobedient and disrespectful to parents,without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful [without pity]. Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them. {This is what happens to those who chose NOT to follow God and His commandments. These are those people who chose to worship in the shrine temples set up to worship FALSE gods. Temple prostitution was performed by both women and men for the purpose of worshiping fertility gods and goddesses.}


My friends I pray that you will chose to follow GOD and not this world, just because some holier than thou “Christian” has decided to take it upon themselves to persecute you because you do not fit into their preconceived idea of the perfect “Christian”.



Remember to be a “Christian” is to be Christ Like NOT like this world that is ruled by Satan and his demonic forces right now going about condemning people and making them feel they cannot be a part of God’s chosen ones. DO NOT fall for the LIE that you are NOT WORTHY. IF you chose to follow JESUS you will become worthy through HIS ONE TIME SACRIFICE for you. There is no need to CRUCIFY HIM again!!!





Here are seven promises for those who choose to follow Jesus:

1. Life


“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it’” (Matthew 16:24–25, New International Version). How many people in the “Church” today do you think actually take Jesus at His word here???


It seems like an incredible contradiction, but we will only find life when we quit pursuing it. When we stop chasing the things we believe will bring us life and instead, pursue the creator of life, we discover life as it was designed to be (John 10:10).


2. Acceptance


All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37, NIV).


Charles Spurgeon once called this one of his favorite verses. In this passage, we discover Christ’s assurance that he will not send those who come to him away. We see this acceptance peppered throughout his interactions in the Gospels. If we come to him, we will find him waiting with open arms. Christ’s invitation extends to everyone and he accepts all those who follow him.


3. Reward


“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:29–31, NIV).

Following Jesus requires sacrifice. There are times when the immediate benefit of going our own way may appear to outweigh the potential gains of obedience. Jesus wants us to know that our sacrifices aren’t in vain and there’s nothing we can surrender that exceeds what’s attained in following him.


4. Revelation


Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21, NIV)

When you get down to it, there’s an element of God’s truth that one can only understand from the inside. All the arguments and proofs for God’s existence pale in comparison to actually experiencing a relationship with God through Christ. Jesus promises us that, when we obey him, he will manifest himself to us.


5.  Friendship with God


You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14–15, NIV).

Jesus came to reconcile God to mankind. The surprise there isn’t just that a bridge would be built between God and humanity; it’s that we would enter this relationship as friends. Yet, this is exactly what Jesus promises us.


6. Joy


“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9–11, NIV).

We’re instructed to continually exist in God’s love, and he tells us that we can do that by keeping his commands. Our obedience keeps the relationship alive and active, allowing us to remain in his love. Why does he want to securely stay in this relationship? So our joy will remain full.

Jesus promises us that joy is a byproduct of remaining in God’s love.

7. Trials




“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12, NIV).



When you get down to it, following Jesus puts you at odds with the world. This persecution can vary in extremes. Some that belong to Jesus will lose friends, family, jobs, opportunities, maybe even their lives. This truth is partially why these other promises exist. It’s as if God is saying, “Following me will be a struggle, but here are the things I will promise those who persevere.”



Jesus says it this way: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:10–11).


God has not created a less than person in you, He has created a wonderful Representation of HIS likeness in you. All you have to do is believe it and receive the wonderful GIFT of LIFE through His Son Jesus Christ.

Remember Satan is a LIAR and a DECEIVER and sends  out many FALSE Prophets and Teachers and Preachers into this world to deceive as many people as he can, even those who claim to follow God: {John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 11:14, Ephesians 6:11, Revelation 12:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, Daniel 8:25, Matthew 24:24, Revelation 13:13-14, Matthew 7:15, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:4, James 3:14-16}

The Word of God says that NO TEMPTATION from the enemy can overtake you if you are following GOD. As a matter of fact you will be able to OVERCOME TEMPTATION with JOY!!!

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy]. 1 Corinthians 10:13

I pray that you will humble yourself before the Lord so He can lift you up against the HURTFUL WORDS that come from those who try to bring you down.

Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]. James 4:10

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time 1 Peter 5:6

God has known since before time began who would chose to follow Him. If you {LGBTQI+} have chosen to follow GOD, His promise to you is that you will be sons and daughters of HIS. There is NOTHING in His promise that says you have to be someone other than who He created you to be.
What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said:I will dwell among them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “So come out from among unbelievers and be separate,” says the Lord, And do not touch what is unclean; And I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favor], And I will be a Father to you, And you will be My sons and daughters,” Says the Lord Almighty.2 Corinthians 6:15-18



Serve the Lord with gladness Psalm 100:2





Let the prayer from our lips everyday be the same prayer that David prayed in Psalm 51:



Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You. Rescue me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousness and Your justice. O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 5:10-17


May the Lord God of heaven and earth give you peace of mind as you continue to learn the TRUTH of His Word for your life!!! Let ALL the PEOPLE of the LORD, including LGBTQI+ and Straight PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Blessings and Peace,

Rainbow Pastor David