Romans 5:

"1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

Why does a Christian need to cultivate Biblical discernment?
Three reasons why you need Biblical discernment:

Sometimes you hear the right voice (a believer) say the wrong thing. When this happens, if you exercise Biblical discernment, then you’ll understand that the person simply mis-spoke. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. Mis-stating something doesn’t make someone a bad person. It simply means that they’re human…like you.
Sometimes you hear the wrong voice (a non-believer) say the right thing. When this happens, if you exercise Biblical discernment, then you’ll understand that the person didn’t say the right thing to help you; they said what they said to try to mislead you because…
The wrong voice NEVER says the right thing for the right reason.
Now that I’ve stirred up a hornets nest, let me make some clarifications.

The insights I’ve shared in this post only apply to true Christians - followers of Jesus - who live the way they live to glorify God and point people to the Savior, Jesus Christ. And just to be perfectly clear: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. In fact, He’s the only Savior, which means that there is NO way to connect to God the Father apart from Jesus.
The Biblical discernment I’m referring to is developed over time by making God’s Word (the Bible) a priority, along with praying regularly and fellowshipping regularly with other believers. Biblical discernment is NOT available to unbelievers. So if you want Biblical discernment, but you have not yet surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus, then your next step is to do what the Bible tells us we have to do to connect with the Father through Jesus:
Believe in God the Father and in His only Son, Jesus Christ.
Confess that Jesus is Lord and that the Father raised Him from the dead.
Repent of your sin (your wrongdoing - we’ve all done wrong).
Surrender control of your life to Jesus, who will then become the Lord of your life.
Accept by faith the forgiveness that God offers freely through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Believe that you are now justified before God (put in right-standing with God), and that He’s forgiven you of EVERY wrong thing you’ve ever done.
Believe God’s Holy Spirit is now living in you (that’s a mystery, but it’s true), and purpose in your heart to live as God intends, with the help of His Spirit.
Learn to enjoy being in God’s “forever family”, and share with others what’s happened to you. Discover God’s gifts to you, and then use them to make a difference in the lives of other people. Become an ambassador for Jesus! Tell everyone you meet about how He’s changed your life and given you a purpose (a reason for living).
I hope these insights inspire & motivate you to open yourself up to all that God is and all that He has for you! God bless!

Why do Christians ignore the fact that there are many people named Jesus?
We don’t ignore it. It’s actually of no consequence because there are many people named James, John, Peter, Andrew, etc. The important thing is that there is only one person known as Jesus Christ, because He’s the only Messiah - the only Savior. His name - Jesus Christ - is above every other name, and at that name, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus (Christ) is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This stuff isn’t hard. Stop complicating the issue. Of course, the reason people do this is to avoid getting to the heart of the matter, which is this: have I believed in and trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, so that I can be put in right-standing with God the Father? That’s the issue!

How can I become a better Christian influencer?
For all those seeking to influence others for good, here are 5 things to remember:

#1 Emotional impact is the currency of influence, and it begins with self-awareness. Ask the question: have I been emotionally impacted by the insights with which I hope to influence others?

#2 Influence is valuable. It can be wasted, so it must be stewarded.

#3 Emotional impact happens because of impartation; relationship is the conduit for impartation.

#4 Influence grows when trust has been earned because character has been established.

#5 Real influence leaves a lasting legacy, very often a multi-generational legacy.

To live the most satisfying life possible, discover your gifts and then use them to make a difference. You'll be glad you did.

I hope these insights inspire & motivate you to open yourself up to all that God is and all that He has for you! God bless!

TV Preachers & Beggers

I've had a train of thought congeal within the past few minutes. The type of well-know TV preachers who always end their meetings/broadcasts with "I know there's 10 of you that can give $100...or 100 of you who can give $1000..." We've all heard it until we're sick of it; well, if you're like me you're sick of it. Here's the thought that congealed just a few minutes ago: (1) they learned it from their predecessors; (2) they were taught how to do it by their mentors; (3) they've been doing it so long that they're absolutely unable to understand why it's a problem; (4) it's one of the biggest hurdles for non-believers, especially those who've been hurt by church folks; (5) it needs to stop! Nationally-known church leaders who walk in integrity and who do NOT engage in begging for money need to start addressing it in every way possible, and even demand that these charlatans cease & desist. Now, that's my take on it. What do you think?

Social Media Plagiarism

What do y'all think about these content creators who are sitting at a desk with a microphone (and sometimes headphone) at the bottom of the video (with someone else's original video above them, who do nothing but point upward and say, "You gotta watch this!"? You can find them by Googling their name. But do they ever produce any original content? I can't figure out how our culture evolved to create systems which reward plagiarism. Now, do you wanna know why it bothers me? Because I'm a true content creator who's trying to make a difference with what God has given me - music, insights, etc. I guess since I've ranted again (several times lately) I guess I deserve whatever negative feedback I might get. Nevertheless, I'd really like to know if this bothers anyone else….

I came here to find God fearing companions. Maybe make some good connections and grow. Mainstream sm have become too desanitized and toxic...

LEP'S FAITH QUOTES: The Prayer Responsibility 8/26 Wednesday Wisdom
If you don't take time to pray, you are losing out.
You can't say that you have no responsibility in the prayer life, for you have.
To see a need is to have a call to prayer.
There are people who will be utterly lost unless you take your place.
Unless you do your part, men will cry against you through eternity.
You can't plead that you have too mcuh work to do. You can pray while you work.
You can't put up the plea that you do not know how; you can learn if you wish.
For you to disobey the prayer call is for you to disobey the call of your Father.
The prayer responsibility today is the most important thing of our lives.
E. W. Kenyon

REPROBATE: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

These questions were asked today: "What is a reprobate? What's so bad about being a reprobate?"

First of all, let's define the term: depraved; morally corrupt; rejected by God. So, what's the big deal? Glad you asked:
* You don't know you're a reprobate because the Holy Spirit never again convicts you of your sin and of your need for a Savior.
* There's no coming back to a place of repentance, again because you're never convicted.
* You live the rest of your life thinking that everything is okay between you & God, but it's not. You're actually on your way to hell, and there's nothing you can do about it.

So, what's the takeaway for us who are born again, who desire to have a Godly influence on others? Whenever you encounter someone who is very cold (or even hostile) toward the Gospel, warn them that they may have already crossed a line. And then plead with them to lose sleep over their eternal state, and call out to Jesus for mercy. We're not God, so we can't say if someone has gone too far, but we can warn them about the cliff they're headed to.