On Self-Righteousness

 On Self-Righteousness

Self-Righteousness is one of the worst things you can do. It is equal to, and akin to Pride.

So what's the big deal?

Well, humans are fallen. We have become utterly corrupted. The thoughts of our minds are wickedness repeatedly. 

We were not created this way. But after the Fall. We changed, and grew worse and worse.

Even the best of us are stained from the things we've done in the past, and we omit things, we should do, and still fail miserably.

Not only that, but the world is ruled by Satan and his fallen angels, who keep us in chains to them, and continually work to corrupt us even further.

That's the human condition.

God Himself, came to Earth in the form of a man; Jesus Christ. He lived a holy life, and died for us to set us free from The Plague of Sin, and the control of Satan.

All a person has to do is hear the call of God. Turn to Him, asking Him to save you. Confessing Jesus as their Lord, and believing in Him alone, for salvation.

That's it.

BUT....

Pride will prevent us from doing this. Self-Righteousness will get us to try to save ourselves, by our own righteousness, instead of God's. If we think we can do it, or don't need it, then how can we turn to Him for real?

We cannot.

We must give ourselves to Him and trust in his righteousness, because ours isn't good enough.

Pride and self-righteousness prevents salvation. It leads us to think we can save ourselves. It gets us to think we can help God.

It gets us to think that we are some how required to earn salvation. 

It often leads us to treat others badly and judge them, because we think we are better. Or that if we can do the good works, then others can as well.

This self-righteousness is the disease of the Pharisees. It's what killed Jesus. Self-Righteousness and Pride breed envy, when you see that someone is better than you.

Kill self-righteousness in your life. You cannot do it. You cannot save yourself. Even trying is a sin, because you call God a liar. You are saying Jesus's death wasn't good enough to save you.

Just give yourself to Him. Let Him save you. Let Him change you and grow you. Let Him have His way with you. He loves you, and seeks your good.

Just turn to Him. Let Him save you.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called "The Future is Coming" and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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The Great Falling Away

 The Great Falling Away

A Word on Prophecy by Chris Bunton

" Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day ( The Day of The Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"--- 2 Thess. 2:3   (2 Thess 2:1-15)

It seems that this event is an obvious occurrence. It is not falling attendance in churches as we see now.

But, when the real falling away occurs, there will be no doubt as to what it is. Because every Christian will be tempted with it.

Let me explain.

 The Great Falling Away will most likely occur because of terrible persecution of the church in every corner of the world. (No I do not believe in the PRE-TRIBULATION Rapture. We will meet Him in the clouds when He returns.)

Notice that Jesus cleansed His temple twice in His earthly ministry. At the beginning and at the end.

This is a picture of something.

Likewise, persecution from Rome came upon the first church and will come again in these latter days from the revived Roman Empire or New World Order Kingdom of The Anti-Christ.

The Persecution weeds out the false believers. It chases out the money changers. This cleanses the temple, which is the body, which is the Church.

We see in Revelation that after the four horseman there is great persecution. ( Rev. 6:9-11, Rev 6:12, Matt. 24:29)  In Daniel, it says the Anti-Christ will make war with the saints and overcome them. Daniel also shows that the Anti-Christ starts out behind the scenes. (Daniel 7: 21, Daniel 7:24-25, Rev. 13:7)

In Revelation the Anti-Christ and False Prophet do not publicly appear until chapter 13 (Revelation 13).

Despite the teaching that the White Horse of the Four Horseman is the Anti-Christ. It is not.

What will probably occur, is that when the world is being devastated by fake or manufactured viruses, divisions and war, economic collapse, famine, deception, and the death that follows.(Rev.6)

The Anti-Christ behind the scenes will start blaming Christians for the devastation and war. This will stir up the persecution that comes after the Four horsemen have ridden the Earth.( Rev. 6)

At the same time the False Prophet will probably appear with a new global religion, that answers all questions, and satisfies every need, bringing false hope to people.  

It could also coincide with a discovery, of something that devastates Christian teachings. Possibly Aliens, or the Pre-Trib Rapture is shown to be a lie when the Anti-Christ appears, or they claim to have found the Body of Jesus in a hidden tomb.

In 1 John the scriptures speak of Christians leaving the Church because they were not of us. (1 John 2:18-19) (Preachers use this verse to condemn folks who leave church. It is wrong to do that. This verse has nothing to do with that)

This happens in conjunction with persecution. They left the church because they were not saved and feared persecution and death. The early Christians thought that the persecution coming upon them was from the Anti-Christ, and it was the end and Jesus was coming.  But, they did not see that there were TWO cleansings of the temple. and that there are many anti-christs, till THE Anti-Christ comes. As John explained.

Likewise, in today's world the church is full of non-believers who are money changers, benefiting from church membership, in business, politics, and life. But they do not really KNOW HIM.

So when the end times persecution comes, And the False religion and the waves rise upon them. They will fall away, because they never built their house on the True Rock of Christ.

They waited for the Pre-Trib Rapture, so they could escape tough times. But, it didn't come. And now they are like foolish virgins with no faith in their lamp. They can't trust God for the tough times because they never prepared. So, they fall away, because they never knew Him. They never trusted.

All those in the Church who never really knew Him fall away and become the Apostate Church who turn on real believers and sell them to the Anti-Christ.

Children betraying parents unto death, because they were brainwashed in the schools. Pastors handing over trouble makers in their church unto death. Friends betraying friends, killing every true believer.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints."(Psalm 116:15)

This is the cleansing of the Temple in the latter days as all the False brethren and false teachers and deceived ones fall away. Because they never knew Him

If you know Him you cannot fall away. He won't let you go and you would never deny that Jesus is the Lord, and curse Him. This denying and cursing,  will probably be an aspect of falling away, joining the Apostate Church, avoiding death, and receiving the mark. (1 Cor. 12:3, John 17:12)

Draw closer to the Lord. Build faith for the tough times to come. Stop trusting in a Pre-Trib rapture, because if it's wrong, you will be terribly shaken. Start trusting God to be able to carry you through tribulation. Jesus is coming soon.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called "The Future is Coming" and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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Divide The Word

 Divide The Word

Spiritual Truth by Chris Bunton

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”---2 Timothy 2:15

So, how do we do this? Let’s break it down.

 “Study to shew thyself approved UNTO GOD.”--- 2 Timothy 2:15a

Notice it says “Unto God”.  We are not studying to prove anything to other humans. This verse is about a relationship with God. Everything in our existence is about a relationship with God. Nothing else matters. We cannot understand the Word or anything else really without Him.

The Scriptures say in 1 John that you have no need that any teach you, but the anointing you have will teach you. We are to be taught by the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of John, it says the same thing. The Holy Spirit will lead us into ALL truth.  (1 John 2: 27)

 In the next line it says

“a workman that needeth not to be ashamed”--- 2 Timothy 2:15b

How are we ashamed? At the last day, two things will be said unto you by God. “Well done thy faithful servant.” Or “Depart from me I NEVER KNEW YOU.”

So, the relationship is paramount. It’s not about anything else. It’s about abiding in Him. It’s about acknowledging Him and letting Him direct your paths. It’s about knowing Him, and being known of Him. When we reject Him, we are rejecting the relationship.

It is not about knowing the Bible front to back, or knowing every piece of doctrine. Jesus Christ is the Living Word. Do you know HIM?

 It’s like salvation. We trust that God has saved us, and is saving us and will save us. Well, we can also trust that He will teach us through His Word and through our lives. We can read scriptures, and then pray for God to explain it, and then watch our lives morph into a lesson that explains the Word. The Word says He teaches and answers our prayers. We can believe it. We can believe that He is sanctifying us. We can believe that He is molding us. We can believe that He is refining us. We can trust Him.

Sitting in a Sunday school class or a worship service being spoon-fed truth from someone who probably shouldn’t be teaching anyway, is not building that relationship.

Can you hear from the Lord? Yes, of course, God can use a donkey to speak to his people if He wants to. But, your growth in Him needs to be Spirit led. That means that you are learning from Pastors and Teachers, and others who are gifted by the Holy Spirit for that work, and whom the Holy Spirit has led you to.

The scriptures tell us that false teaching will be rampant in the Church and the world, in the last days. That cannot happen if we are following the Holy Spirit. It happens because we are listening to doctrines of devils, philosophies of men, and fables, from false teachers. The Holy Spirit is how the elect avoids the deceptions of the last days, which surround us.

 It’s ok to struggle with the Word. But, instead of running to your preacher every time you have a question, try asking the Lord. That struggle is supposed to draw you to HIM. When you see Him answer and move in your life, you grow, you learn and your faith is strengthened.

“rightly dividing the word of truth.”--- 2 Timothy 2:15c

So, how is the Word of Truth rightly divided? Well again, it stands to reason that the Word of Truth can be divided rightly by The Spirit of Truth.

Doesn’t that make sense? The Holy Spirit wrote the scriptures. The Holy Spirit can bring them to life in you. This is not about digging into the Bible and breaking out the concordance. This isn’t about listening to the latest fad preacher with his multi-media, multi-million dollar sermon.

It’s about believing that the Holy Spirit is real and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He will lead you into ALL Truth.

Do you believe that?

 Do you trust Him? 

Let me ask you. If you were trapped in a prison cell with nothing but a Bible. Could Jesus find you? Could the Holy Spirit teach you? Could He bring the Word to life in your spirit as you read the Word? Could he bring things in your life to your remembrance as they apply to the Word? Could He give you other verses of scripture to match what you just read? Could He wake you up in the night with a verse on your mind or an answer to a question? 

Yes He can.  He can also do it on your couch.

My desire is for you to be saved and to have a relationship with the Lord.

What I am telling you will save you, and give you an abundant life in Him, and protect you from the deceptions to come.

Always seek that relationship or chance to hear from God. He will be there. He promises.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called "The Future is Coming" and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Photo by the author

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A God of Infinite Chances

 A God of Infinite Chances

A Word on Forgiveness by Chris Bunton

I hear Christians say this a lot. “God is a God of second chances.”  Every time I hear it, it is like a punch in the face; because I need a God of infinite chances. And so do they, despite what they might believe.
       

     They seem to often believe that if you don’t drink, smoke or chew, or run with girls that do, that you’re ok. If you haven’t been arrested for DUI or drug possession you’re ok. If your marriage is still intact, or you haven’t been fired, you’re ok. They often ignore the sins of pride, gluttony, idolatry, lust, covetousness, and un-forgiveness. They think that since they only sin a little that they are not one of those people who need a second chance. They are in God’s good graces, and no harm shall come to them. But, they are wretched and poor and do not even see it. They don’t realize that they need third, fourth, fifth, and thousands of chances, just like me, and you. They are blind to the fact that every day, they need infinite chances, yet they only want to give others one more chance.
      
     Jesus said “I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven”---Matt. 18:21-35.  He said this after Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive his brother. “Up to seven times?” Peter had asked. Then, Jesus gives a parable showing how we are to forgive others, and how God is angry that we do not.
     
      But, there is an under lying lesson; it shows us how often God forgives us. We read the parable and we think it’s one time. And it is. But, it is a forgiveness we experience and work through every day, even though He forgave it all already. We have no right to hold things against others because of what God forgives us of everyday.
      
     It’s not easy to forgive. It’s certainly not easy to forgive the way God forgives. Ask, yourself, “What if God forgives me the way I forgive others?” Maybe He doesn’t answer your prayers because you ignore others who have wronged you. Sure you forgive, but you never forget, right? Fool me once, right?   I fall into the same trap.
     
      But God is not like that. He forgives. He lets us off the hook. He throws our sin into the deepest sea and remembers it no more. He removes our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. It’s gone. Never to be brought up or remembered. That’s God, and that is what we are to work to do. That’s godliness. Being like God. It’s being like we want God to be toward us. It’s hard, and we can’t do it on our own, we have to let Him do it in us, and through us. But, we must be willing and we must take that first step, and He will come rushing in. He works to fix us.
      
     God is a God of infinite chances. He is a God of growth, a God of design and building. He doesn’t quit. God is not a quitter. He doesn’t say “Oh well, you messed up this time. I’m done with you. I didn’t see that coming. I came and died for you, but I never imagined you would do THAT! Are you kidding me? Pack your stuff and get out. Get out of my house.”
      
     Nope, He washes you when you turn to Him. He doubles down His efforts, and works even harder to mold you. He is there. It is God’s goodness that brings men to repentance. No matter what, turn to Him, and do not run away. Talk to Him, and be real with Him. Tell Him, what’s up. He already knows, but He wants you to see it, and come to agreements with Him on it. By confessing it to Him, over and over and over again, it gets old. It starts to work out of you. It gets less and less, as He works. 

Trust Him.He is working. He doesn't throw us away. He grows us and heals us and helps us.

He gives us Grace, and wants us to give it to others.

Praise Jesus.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called "The Future is Coming" and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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Support the work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public