God has called us out. We are not “better” than the world, but we are not to be like them. There should be a noticeable difference; not just initially, upon conversion, but always. And we are to maintain and guard that difference even, and especially, amidst the unbelief, skepticism, mocking, persecution, reviling, character assassination, anger, malice, opposition and more, of others around us. We see this in James 1:27, 1 Peter 1:13-16, Deuteronomy 7:3-4, Ezra 9:2, 1 Peter 2:9 and others. We can’t have only an interest in Him, we’ve got to be fully committed, abundantly grateful, humbled, submitted, obedient and willing to follow Him wherever He leads us, His sheep (John 6:58-63, 68; Luke 9:57-62; Matthew 19:16-22). It has been taught—and we fully agree—that you can’t simply be a “fan” of Jesus, but that you must be a devoted follower. You can’t simply be a “convert;” you need to be and should want to be a disciple. We, His sheep, need it and He, our Shepherd and King, deserves it.

If we attempt to enter His kingdom in or through (our own means or wrong teachings) any other way than by the conviction of the Holy Spirit concerning our sinful nature and repentance from it, we do not have salvation (John 14:6, John 3:3; Luke 13:3). There are no works or deeds we can do (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can’t obtain it based on our lineage, affiliation, tradition or anything else (Matthew 3:7-9). He laid down His life for us; we must do the same for Him (Matthew 16:24-26). Jesus said that we must be born again; the flesh must die and the spirit must live. That’s what our baptism means and why Jesus said, “It is necessary to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). True baptism is a death to self (Galatians 2:20) and a burial of that same self (Colossians 2:11-12). The VERY LAST WORDS we would ever want to hear– especially when we believe we are true Christians—are the words of the Lord Himself, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father in Heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name…’ (on Your behalf, using Your name, not knowing if it’s Your will or not) ‘…and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And I will declare to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WORKERS OF LAWLESSNESS.’” We just don’t want and you can’t afford to be disillusioned, or forever lost! Jesus again said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15); if you say you are a Christian, it doesn’t necessarily translate into you “being” a Christian. One sure test is loving Him by keeping His commandments—doing the will of the Father. You must have real faith; not just belief, but TRUST. Belief can be intellectual, but trust is proved not only in words, but in actions. This is what James meant when he said, “But someone will say, ‘you have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will you show you my faith by my works.” He also says, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” This ministry of the Lord and His words are not to be taken as harsh, but as necessary instructions to keep us on the right path, or even to get us on the right track to begin with. Romans 10:17 tells us, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” And that leads to the need for these words in 2 Timothy 4:2-5, “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching…” (or even discern it!) “…but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the Truth and wander off into myths. As for you, BE SOBER-MINDED, ENDURE SUFFERING, DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST, FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY.”

Many people, including non-Christians, nominal Christians, and even pastors wrongly say or refer to humanity as “children of God.” This is wrong biblically and it can leave unbelievers thinking and feeling that their standing with the God of the universe is acceptable just the way it is. It may be unintentional or it may be strategic, but it’s wrong. We are all His creation, yes. But the truth of the matter, the Bible, the Word of God says in John 1:10-13 that, speaking of Jesus, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world DID NOT know Him. He came to His own, and His people DID NOT receive Him…” Does this sound like a healthy relationship to you? Do “children” and their fathers relate to each other this way? It continues, “…But to all who DID receive Him, who believed…” (TRUSTED!) “…in His name, He GAVE them the RIGHT to BECOME CHILDREN…” (sons and daughters) “…OF GOD, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Another important issue that I think all believers and churches are guilty of, to one degree or another, is a lie we fall for at some point and it is a personal, transparent and vulnerable one. I have done so. I understand it, but it also leaves us, as a body and as individuals, weak and detached. Simply stated, we need to “BE REAL” with each other. I suppose not everything you may have dealt with or are currently feeling needs to be exposed to everyone. Even then, that’s where we need someone to confide in—one good brother or sister to whom you can bare your soul and unburden yourself. Depending on the issue, and the possible or anticipated reactions of others, maybe only one or a few besides the Lord, needs to know. BUT, in virtually all other cases, we need to be able to open ourselves up to the body as a whole, and let them know they’re not the only ones struggling, having doubts or experiencing fear. That brings forth freedom and spiritually familial safety and bonding despite what the enemy will try to convince us of over and over. We don’t need to pretend we’ve got it all together. There is nothing shameful in admitting that. We are at different stages of our journey with Christ Jesus and we are individuals—not all perfectly alike. The elephant in the room that everybody knows is there CAN and SHOULD be acknowledged, dealt with, prayed for and surrendered to God; it doesn’t need to be covered up or ignored or postponed. None of us have “arrived.” None of us are “all that.” We all are still being sanctified and have our own doubts, fears, worries, struggles and hardships. None of us are immune, so let’s not act like we are.

The Word Says…

Philippians 1:6; 3:12-14, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” … “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

1 John 1:9-10, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.”

James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. * The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (*physical AND spiritual—from sin—same as 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5= these plainly deal with sin, not ailments or infirmities of the body).

Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven times.’”

Romans 7:15- 8:8, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the Law, that is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So, I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the Law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. For the law of the Spirit of Life has set you free IN CHRIST JESUS from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. But YOU WERE WASHED, YOU WERE SANCTIFIED, YOU WERE JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

There is SO much more we want to share with you! SO much more the LORD JESUS wants you to know! SO much more the SPIRIT OF GOD wants to teach you! SO much more the FATHER has revealed in His Word! This site is to be a tool for unbelievers to come and seek, for seekers to use and learn more in hopes of becoming true Christians, and for the Next Generation of Saints to go to in order to be encouraged, corrected, edified, taught, and connected to their Savior (first), His truth (second), us (lastly, not thirdly), and for us to be used by the Almighty as vessels to help you to know and grow in the “implanted word” which has saved your soul! And, ultimately, to hopefully meet together in a way that is consistent with the will of the Lord when He walked this earth, and how His church (His ekklesia) did upon His return to glory for so long. We’re not against a building, an organization, denomination or institution altogether. But we don’t believe, according to Scripture or our hearts, that buildings and additions need to be erected, gone into debt over, utilities paid, facilities to be maintained, lawns to be mowed, parking lots to be paved, painted and repaved, etc. There are better ways to manage and more wisely utilize, spend and manage God’s (not our) money and resources. We’re not suggesting giving us money- NO. But giving alms, helping genuine Christian ministries, blessing people, yes. God didn’t tell Abraham to use all He had given him on himself but, rather, said “I will bless you… that you may BE A BLESSING” (to others). We’re not slandering or attempting to point fingers at those who are our brothers and sisters and who operate under a former model or paradigm. Instead, we are trying to stay true to a vision (and I rarely receive them) the Father gave me. And I learned from God that He told the prophet Habakkuk in chapter 2, verses 2-3, “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” We believe and trust now is the time He wants to fulfill that vision. This is NOT about us. He can do anything He wants without people. He simply has to speak it. This is about us obeying the Lord Jesus by being a kind of “Elijah” and passing the torch, his mantle, to you, as a kind of “Elisha” (2 Kings 2:12-14).