Whose life is it anyway?

If Jesus is not the desire of your heart you're serving the wrong god.

I was in sales for 25 years, 15 without God during that time I was asked what would I consider to be enough money to make in a month, easy I said 50 thousand without blinking an eye.

You see I once walked with the world, I had great hunger for wealth , the same thirst for power and same desires as the world has. I had everything the world could offer, I was empty inside , lonely fearful of losing it all , I had no peace, was filled with anger.

This is what I know now, nothing the world has can satisfy the soul of mankind for everything the world offers is dying, falling apart , covered in moths and rusting.

Only what God offers through a relationship with Jesus Christ can satisfy mankind's soul eternally.

God changed everything through Christ in my life, the same He will do for you. Come broken to be mended, come sick to be healed , come as you are and be made new in Jesus.

If you do not know Him, you're an empty vessel looking to be filled, don't fall for satanic imitations offered in the guise of religion, there is only one way to God through Jesus.

If you say you know Jesus and are not seeking Him you're serving the wrong god, if Jesus Christ is not the desire of your heart then stop now and repent

But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.  Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you   and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent.

Revelation 2:4‭-‬5 HCSB

So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ’ or ‘What will we drink? ’ or ‘What will we wear? ’ For the idolaters   eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God    and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Matthew 6:31‭-‬33 HCSB

The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord ; for He laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord ? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord , and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.  Selah

Psalms 24:1‭-‬6 HCSB

For the Lord says to the house of Israel: Seek Me and live!

Amos 5:4 HCSB

“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.   Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.   Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:31‭-‬34 HCSB

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.  What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?   For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each according to what he has done.

Matthew 16:24‭-‬27 HCSB

Join me in prayer

Daniel was a righteous man he sought the Lord for his Nation who had turned against God.

God had struck them and scattered them but Daniel confessed the sin of the nation to the Lord God and asked for forgiveness he repented even though the sin was not his but his Nations.

He repented to a holy God the sins of the nation would you join me in seeking God and repenting as Daniel did,  for the sins of our forefathers, the sins of our nation the sins of the church for not standing up for the truth, not standing on the truth,  for not seeking God, for not trusting God, confess the sins of this nation for abortion the murdering of unborn children, for pornography, for fornication, for sexual perversion,for racial tension, for greed, for poverty, for love of money, for pride, for being a divided nation, for being ungodly, and unholy in almost all that we do.

These sins are the sins of a godless nation, if we want God to hear our cry we must repent and turn away from these things as the bride of Jesus Christ and turn back to Him

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord , belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. "O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."

Daniel 9:1-19

Men with grit

Oh to have men in the pulpits,  the family rooms, the boardrooms, the halls of government, the classrooms, and in our communities who would stand in the truth of God's word.

Who would lead with Grace and love and be driven by a desire to honor God the Father in all they do. Men who would not compromise their values or morals for dollars, or votes for popularity.

I pray Lord God that I would be such a man and you send men to stand with me against a morally bankrupt society. But if you don't send them Lord, I will still stand for you are my God.

C. H. Spurgeon said this in a sermon.

" I pray God to send a few men with what the Americans call “grit” in them; men who when they know a thing to be right, will not turn away, or turn aside, or stop, men who will persevere all the more because there are difficulties to meet or foes to encounter; who stand all the more true to their Master because they are opposed; who, the more they are thrust into the fire, the hotter they become, who, just like the bow, the further the string is drawn, the more powerfully will it send forth its arrows, and so, the more they are trodden upon, the more mighty will they become in the cause of truth against error."

We need to stand as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did against the crowds and corruption.

Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 

Daniel 3:15-18

Slavery today!

Do you know that there are 27 million people who are slaves in our modern times there are more people enslaved now than have ever been before in the history of mankind. Most of these children, women and men are involved in sex trafficking, and one third of them are used in pornography video's and pictures.

Every time that men and women click on pornography or purchase pornography you are directly involved in this trade of human life.

God calls you an abomination these people are kidnapped enslaved and sold for pennies. And they are not just in third world countries they are on our streets in small town USA and they need your prayers, your support and for you men and women to stop being a part of the problem.

The next time you think about pornographic pictures or videos think what if this was my child or my neighbors or my spouse who was stolen and sold or forced to do this?

Get off the pornography, repent before a Holy God and sin no more.

We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral and homosexuals, for kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching
1 Timothy 1:9-10 HCSB

Is it right to be angry?

Is it ever right to be angry?

I’m not very good with anger. I hate it when people get angry with me. And when I say something in the heat of the moment out of anger I spend hours afterwards regretting it.

What does God’s anger mean to us? Do we really expect him to get angry with us, punish us?

God does get angry, and rightfully so, He sees beginning and end at the same time, and sees the heart of wickedness in mankind, and He deals justly with it, God never reacts He acts against it, and says leave vengeance to Him.

There are many things in our world today which can rightly make us angry. We have to do what we can to put things right, and then leave the rest to God. We need to help people to realise, that only true repentance can turn away God's anger.

We need to pray we will understand our own anger  and know when to use it and when to apologise to God.

Humanity is brought low, man is humbled, and haughty eyes are humbled. But the Lord of Hosts is exalted by His justice, and the holy God is distinguished by righteousness. Lambs will graze as if in their own pastures, and strangers will eat among the ruins of the rich. Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes, to those who say: “Let Him hurry up and do His work quickly so that we can see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take place so that we can know it! ” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight.  Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Hosts, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the Lord ’s anger burns against His people. He raised His hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look — how quickly and swiftly they come! None of them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose and no sandal strap broken. Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows strung. Their horses’ hooves are like flint; their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind. Their roaring is like a lion’s; they roar like young lions; they growl and seize their prey and carry it off, and no one can rescue it. On that day they will roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. When one looks at the land, there will be darkness and distress; light will be obscured by clouds.
Isaiah 5:15-21, 24-30

We should know the Love of God with the laws of God.

Jesus was hard on the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes for each of them knew the words of God, they preached them but did not live by them.

They were givers of the law, but not lovers of God.

Let us live by the grace and the love we have been given, this does not mean to agree with sin and those who commit it, (which we all do.) but rather share the love of Christ with them instead of spewing out condemnation on them.

We can talk about things without clubbing those who do not know Jesus.

Do all things out of love for your Heavenly Father.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,  so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.  They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,  and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues  and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.  And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.  Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.  The greatest among you shall be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.   “But woe  to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you  shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you  neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show.   This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.   “Woe to  you,  blind guides, who say,  ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’  You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?  And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’  You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?  So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.  And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.  And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.   “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For  you tithe mint and dill and  cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faithfulness.  These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.  You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!   “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For  you clean the outside of  the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of  greed and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.   “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like  whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and  all uncleanness.  So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matthew 23:1-28

Are you one of them??

Today billions of people will attend worship services across this world, most of them seeking God.

  Everyone one of them inperfect and struggling somewhere or somehow in their lives. What they know and have peace with is this ;God is with them, God is for them and God will help them through their struggles.
  It is not that we have perfected life, we have learned to submit to and trust our Creator, God almighty in all things.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 ESV

Thus says the Lord : “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord .   He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.   “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , whose trust is the Lord .   He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?   “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

"Are you still sleeping, resting"

When we see what is going on in our world today, it is sad and disheartening. Wickedness seems to rule the day. Criminals have more rights than victims, what is good is considered evil, and evil is good. Morality, mercy, forgiveness, compatibility and peace seem to be just words we read about, not actions we live by.

I think back to when Jesus was betrayed , in the garden where He prayed , He asked Peter, John and James to stand watch while He prayed but they fell asleep 3 times Jesus woke them, 3 times He chastised them for falling asleep. The same things must have been happening then as now, chaos seemed to rule the day.

But like Peter, James and John the church is falling asleep while the world is being taken over by evil, God told His people if they would humble themselves and pray He would heal their lands and restore them.

We have had two great awakenings in America, when God's people where woke up, Jesus is calling now " are you still sleeping and resting, look the betrayer is near"

Will you wake and stand up, and warn the world that the betrayer is here, and give them the hope of redemption and salvation found only Jesus Christ, He alone can deliver us from evil, we must wake up, humble ourselves to Him and pray.

Matthew 26:36-46 HCSB

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,   and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.   Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow   — to the point of death.    Remain here and stay awake with Me.”   

Going a little farther,  He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” 

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you    stay awake with Me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this    cannot pass    unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 

  And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?   

Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.   Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”

The writing is on the wall

When you read the headlines of our nation, we see the debauchery of our leaders. Money and power are two gods they treasure , they raise money for themselves and other candidates charging anywhere from $10,000 too $35,000 a plate with the rich and elite in our nation (both sides,) they raise their cups to their gods and they worship them with their hearts and words while the nation and world burn.

Then they pander the poor and voiceless for money promising things they will not deliver. Don't put your faith in man, take your tithes and offerings to your local place of worship. Help them feed the hungry, pay bills for families that are struggling, clothes those who can't afford new clothes, serve orphans and widows. If you truly want to make a difference and impact your Nation and community give unto the body of Christ, not a political party.

Can't you see the writing is on the wall in America as it was in ancient Babylon. MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.

Daniel 5:1-31 HCSB

King Belshazzar  held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. Under the influence of  the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels  that his predecessor  Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. So they brought in the gold  vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem,  and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand  that was writing, his face turned pale,  and his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together. The king called out to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck,  and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale,  and his nobles were bewildered. Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen  came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.  

There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.  In the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the diviners, mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. Your own predecessor, the king, did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and perception, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.  Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.” Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah?  

I’ve heard that you have the spirit of the gods in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom. Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems.

Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else;  however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty,  greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar.  

Because of the greatness He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages  were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant,  he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him.  

He was driven away from people,  his mind was like an animal’s, he lived with the wild donkeys,  he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over the kingdom of men and sets anyone He wants over it.

“But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart,  even though you knew all this. Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them,  you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. 

But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life.   

Therefore, He sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed. “This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.

This is the interpretation of the message: MENE  means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. TEKEL  means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient. PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck,  and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed,   and Darius the Mede  received the kingdom at the age of 62.

Trust in God, not man.

The battle battle raging around us is real, dangerous and destroys lives and families everyday, it is a spiritual battle that has been raging against God and His children since the beginning.

It is a battle nevertheless that we fight from victory , not for victory we don't need to engage in our flesh only in Spirit, The Holy Spirit, it is time we stood only on the truths of God word and works in our lives and be steadfast and immovable.

C.S Lewis said this during WWII "The anti - Christian forces that are destroying the west from within are paralleled by the Nazis who threaten it from without. The sins of the democracies are very great. But very likely,those of the totalitarian states are even greater."

Don't look to man for answers, look to God.

Ephesians 6:12-18 HCSB
For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

What is truth?

Absolute Truth has been declared politically incorrect, morality is defined by politicians instead of God in our society today.

But there is a cry today in out families, our churches, and our communities for moral authority.

We need to turn back to the Bible , the Bible is and always has been the source to which we can look and say with confidence, "This is right," or "This is wrong."

You and I need authority in our lives.
And as we live among foriegners, we need it more than ever. I believe the Bible the Word of God is that authority we need. It is infallible. Even if others who call themselves brothers or sisters fall away we who believe must be steadfast and immovable when it comes to God's word. It's precepts give us a place to stand, and a foundation for right living that is unshakeable and true.

2Timothy  3:1-7, 9, 12-17 HCSB
But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people! For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions, always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also. In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.