Counterfeit Values

God is good. God is everlasting. God has expectations on how we should live. For every good thing that God has in store for us, the devil has a counterfeit. According to Dictionary.com, anything that is counterfeit is made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; not genuine; forged. Counterfeit money for example is used to be passed off as legal tender. Ultimately, anything that is counterfeit will not last for long and anyone who participates in counterfeiting will get caught.

Christ

God sacrificed his only begotten son so that souls of humanity may be saved. Jesus performed many miracles and He accomplished great things. He also died for our sins. He will return again (very soon) to save His people.

The devil will use a counterfeit Christ or an antichrist. The antichrist will perform great miracles, but the antichrist does not want to save us, he wants us all destroyed. The miracle that will be performed by the antichrist will be used to deceive us. Study and learn about the second coming of Christ.

Love

God loves us all. He wants us to love each other. He wants us to love each other as we would love ourselves. ”Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). God also wants us to love our enemies. ”Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Love is a very powerful attribute of God’s character.

The devil has a counterfeit for love. Most people think that the counterfeit for love is hate, but in actuality, the counterfeit of love is fear. 1 John 4:18 tells us that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” Have you watched the news lately? The devil use violence among other crimes to introduce fear to our lives.

Worship

God wants us to worship Him and only Him. This is expressed in The Ten Commandments. ”Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). God is a jealous God. He created the earth and everything that is in the earth. He does not want us to worship or praise anything or anyone else. We should not put anything above God. Not our jobs, homes, cars, relationships, etc.

The devil wants us to worship him. He wants us to indulge in sin. When we sin, we give the devil much delight. He gets happy when we go against God. The devil wants us to put everything above and God. He wants to deceive us. He wants us to have multiple gods. Let’s not give in to the devil.

Marriage

Marriage is a gift that God has given to mankind. Long ago in the Garden of Eden, God created Adam and Eve. God gave Eve to Adam. God’s plan for marriage is for one man and one woman to come together and become one flesh. Marriage is sacred. Marriage is a touchy subject in society. I am not judging anyone, I am just telling you what God’s plan for marriage is. It is not God’s plan for marriage to be shared with the same sex. It is not God’s plan for people to have multiple wives or multiple husbands. God’s plan for marriage is the union of one male and one female. God created us in his image. Males have a set of God’s qualities and females have another set of God’s qualities. When male and female come together in marriage, they represent the complete image of God.

The devil wants to distort the image of God. The devil deceives people into thinking that same sex marriage is Ok. He wants to confuse us and cause us to attack one another. People who are in same sex relationships and want to get married feel that they are being discriminated against because in many places, same sex marriage is illegal. Same sex relationships are the work of the devil. Also, the devil wants us to believe that having multiple spouses is acceptable. Having multiple spouses is not part of God’s plan for marriage. The devil’s counterfeit to marriage is same sex marriage and polygamy.

Sex

Sex is a gift that God has given to married couples. Sex among married couples is beautiful in the eyes of God. If you are married, you should not have sex with anyone other than your spouse. Period. If you are not married, you should not be having sex. Period. Waiting until marriage to have sex is not popular. I have failed at this myself, but it is what God wants for us.

The devil wants us to experience pleasure at any cost without discretion. He wants us to have sex with anyone who wants it. He wants to see us destroy ourselves. The devil likes to see us get diseases, he likes to see teenagers have unplanned pregnancies, he likes to see the baby-mama-drama. We have to rise above sexual temptation. There are too many single parent homes, there are too many people who don’t know who their father is, and there are too many people dying.

Satan / The devil

Satan was created by God. Satan was a glorious angel who was given the gift of song. A pastor I know once said that Satan was able to sing three part harmony all by himself. There was one major flaw with Satan; he thought that he was above God. He thought that he should be worshipped. He even got some of the angels to worship him. Satan and the angels who worshipped him were kicked out of heaven.

Satan’s counterfeit to this is that he wants us to think that he does not exist. If we think that he does not exist, then we will not be ready for his attacks. Have you ever been attacked by something that does not exist? Satan’s biggest weapon is deception. Our biggest weapon is the word of God. Our weapon is greater than Satan and his weapon. Satan has his reward, eternal damnation. I don’t want to join him. I am sure that you don’t want to join him either.

The bottom line is that for every good thing that God has for us, the devil has a counterfeit. The devil is the enemy and he is always trying to deceive us. He wants us to be destroyed. Always remember that the devil has already lost. He knows this and he wants to take us with him. No matter what negative thing that you have done in your life, God will forgive you. Ask for forgiveness and sin no more. It is also very important to study the Bible. Think about the following:

Who do you serve? Whose side are you on? Do you even know?

“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).

JESUS CHRIST

Be Hot For God

Are you “Hot For God”? Do you model your life after the teachings of Jesus Christ? If so, do you exhibit your Christianity when you are out with your friends? Many people say that they are Christians. Many people act like they are Christians in front of certain people. True Christians should act like Christians all of the time. If you are asking yourself if you are “Hot For God”, then think about the following: What have you given up for your Christianity?

In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus says “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth“. So, Jesus wants us to serve him whole heartedly. We have to make up our minds. Will we serve Jesus whole heartedly, or will we not serve him at all? If you are cold, then Jesus and others will at least know where you stand. If you are cold, you made the decision not to serve him. If you are hot, then Jesus and others around you should know that you are whole heartedly a servant to Christ. But, if you are luke-warm, then Jesus rejects you all together because you are straddling the fence. I don’t know about you, but I want to be “Hot”.

The reason that the luke-warm are rejected is because they say one thing, but their actions say another. I can not whole heartedly serve God if I am constantly doing evil. If I say that I am a Christian and people see me constantly sinning, then what am I truly saying? By being hypocritical, I am deceiving the non believer or the fringe believer. I am showing them that a Christian can constantly do evil and still serve God. I am showing them that they can have the best of both worlds. Even worse, I could be turning people away from Christianity all together. People could think wow, that guy says he is a Christian but he is always gossiping about others, I don’t want to be a Christian now. ”No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

I will leave you with the following: Are you “Hot For God”? Are you “Cold”? Are you “Luke-warm”? If you don’t want to serve God, then you are cold and God knows where you stand. If you strive to serve God in everything that you do, then you are hot. If you try to rationalize your sin or if you try to make excuses for you sin, then chances are you are luke-warm. The luke-warm people will be spewed from the mouth of God. I want to be “Hot For God”. I suggest that we all strive to be “Hot For God”. Remember that God loves us all. Serve Him whole heartedly. God Bless!

JESUS CHRIST

Follow these steps in order to begin a New Life with Jesus Christ this day:

STEP ONE- Recognize the real problem: sin and separation:

We were created to know, love, and glorify God. When we choose to go our own way, living life in willful disobedience to God, we are choosing to be separated from God both now and for all eternity.

The Bible says we are sinners…

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23

STEP TWO - Understand that we cannot save ourselves:

Because God is Holy, He cannot allow sin to enter into Heaven.

Most people attempt to save themselves by their own efforts, good works, or church attendance. The Bible says…

"There is a way that seems right unto man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

How then can a sinful person enter Heaven where God allows no sin?

STEP THREE - Receive the unmerited love of God through Jesus:

But God is love…

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16

God is also just…

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23

STEP FOUR - Trust that we are saved by grace:

The good news is… in spite of our sin, Christ died for us.

"By grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8

STEP FIVE - Respond to God's gift by faith:

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9

If you would like to accept Jesus as Lord of your life, you can pray the following prayer:

Lord, I confess that I have sinned against you and I'm asking for your forgiveness. I am aware that all of my wrong doing was against you and you only. I acknowledge that I could never earn salvation by merely my good works, but I come to you right now by faith and trust in your saving grace that you displayed on that cross for me. I believe that Jesus died and rose again so that I can be free, forgiven, and a permanent part of Your family. I ask you to come into my heart and make me whole and I surrender my entire life over to you by faith. In Jesus name, Amen.

Do You Know JESUS CHRIST?

Do you know Jesus Christ? Many have heard of Jesus and know a little about Him. Many sing songs about His birth at Christmas and know that Easter commemorates His resurrection. Some think of Him as a teacher or perhaps the founder of a major world religion. But, do you know Him personally? Do you know thatJesus died and rose again, not to start a spiritual movement, but because He loves you and wanted to provide a wayfor you to know Him?

The Bible tells the story of God's love for people. In the beginning,God created us to reflect His image and to have a relationship with Him (Genesis 1:27). We were created good but sin entered the world and we essentially chose to try life on our own without God, instead of living our lives for God as we were designed.

God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins and bring us into a relationship with Him. Jesus' resurrection is proof that we are now accepted and made right by Jesus. We can know the promise of eternal life and experience the joy of knowing God here on earth!

If you would like to have a relationship with God, the Bible tells us that we begin by acknowledging that we have sinned and that there is nothing we can do to earn our way into God's love (Romans 3:23-26). We believe and confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9) and allow Him to guide our lives. Where we once wanted to control our own futures, we now allow Jesus into our hearts to be our Lord.

Knowing God's peace, perspective, and purpose for your life begins with a personal relationship with Christ.

How do we really know that Jesus is the Son of God?

How do we really know that Jesus is the Son of God?

How do we really know that Jesus is the son of God? Did Jesus ever say, "I am God" in those words? Those words are not recorded in the Bible. However, Jesus did proclaim His deity. For instance, in John 10:30, Jesus said, "I and My Father are one." How did His audience react to His words? "The Jews answered Him, saying, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God'" (John 10:33). They understood that Jesus claimed to be God.

You can read another example in John 8:58, "Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'" The Jews picked up stones and wanted to stone Jesus. The Jews believed Jesus' statement to be blasphemy. They understood that Jesus claimed to be God!

Thomas, Jesus' disciple said, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). You will see that Jesus doesn't correct him.

In the Bible, Jesus often receives worship. For example, Matthew 2:11 says, "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (See also Matthew 14:33; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38).

Is Jesus man or God? It is essential to believe that Jesus is God! Jesus has to be God for His death to be sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. 1 John 2:2 says, "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." Only Jesus, who is God, could pay such an infinite price!

Since Jesus is God, when did He realize it? Jesus realized who He was from eternity past. Consider these verses:

John 8:58 - "'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I AM!'"

Genesis 1:26 - "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

John 17:5 - "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

Revelation 13:8 - "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world."

Even as a child, Jesus was aware He was preparing to finish the work of His Father. In Luke 2:49 Jesus says, "Why were you searching for me . . . Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" Later in Luke, it reads "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

If Jesus knew everything, He would not need to "grow in wisdom." Jesus needed to grow physically. He also voluntarily put himself in a position to gain knowledge as a human. Yes, Jesus was still God. Theology refers to this as the hypostatic union. (Hypostatic union means the union of two natures - God and man.)

Is Jesus God? Yes, and He has known from eternity past that He is God.

Ask yourself, "Do I believe that Jesus is God?" and "What are the reasons why I should believe that Jesus is God?" No legitimate historian denies that Jesus lived on earth, but it is up to you to decide for yourself whether Jesus is God in your life.

Continue Answering the Question - Is Jesus God?

Who Is God?

Who Is God - Who Does He Claim to Be?
Who is God? He's been described as everything from an impersonal life-force to a benevolent, personal, almighty Creator. He has been called by many names, including: "Zeus," "Jupiter," "Brahma," "Allah," "Ra," "Odin," "Ashur," "Izanagi," "Viracocha," "Ahura Mazda," and "the Great Spirit" to name just a few. He's seen by some as "Mother Nature" and by others as "Father God." But who is He really? Who does He claim to be?

Who Is God - Father God or Mother Nature?
Who is God? What has He revealed about Himself? To begin with, whenever He refers to Himself in parental terms, He always addresses Himself as "Father," never "Mother." He calls Himself "a Father to Israel,"¹and in one instance, when His "children" were particularly disrespectful to Him, He said to them, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?" ²

His prophets acknowledged Him as Father by saying, "You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand,"³ and "do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us?"⁴ Never once does God refer to Himself as "Mother" and never once is He called such by the prophets to whom He spoke. Calling God "Mother Nature" is comparable to calling your earthly father "Mom."

Who Is God - What Does God Care About?
Who is God in terms of moral attributes? What does God have to say about Himself in this regard? He says that He delights in justice and righteousness: "…Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight."⁵ "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity…"⁶

Justice and equity are very important to God. But so are grace and mercy. And so, while God will hold everyone accountable, each for their own lives, He extends His grace to the repentant sinner. He promises that, "'If the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,' declares the Lord GOD, 'rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?…I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,' declares the Lord GOD. 'Therefore, repent and live.'"⁷

By "death" God is not referring to the physical death which we might have in mind. Rather, God is referring to something which will happen in eternity, after our physical deaths. The Scriptures refer to this event as the "second death."⁸ The first death separates us from our bodies and takes us from this world. The second death is different. It also entails a separation, but it's the separation of one group of people from another: the righteous and the forgiven on one hand and the wicked and the unrepentant on the other. The two groups will be judged separately.

The one group will be rewarded according to the good that they've done. Their evil deeds will be overlooked, forgiven by God. The other group will be judged according to the evil that they have done, and their good deeds will not keep them from their punishment. God says, "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die." But "when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. …Therefore, repent and live."⁹ In this way, God will see that justice ultimately prevails, but that mercy is given to the humble and the repentant.

God has made a provision for those who want to repent, a provision to atone for the sins of those who want to be made right with Him. He sent a "Messiah," a Servant who willingly suffered and died a vicarious death in order to pay for the sins of those who would repent and trust in Him. The Scriptures say, "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?…Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows…He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.…it was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the LORD makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand. After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.…he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." ¹⁰

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