THE STORYLINE NEEDS TO CHANGE

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

THE STORYLINE NEEDS TO CHANGE

By Linda A. Knowles

“Without wood, a fire goes out;

without gossip, a conflict ceases.

Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels

that go down into the inmost being.”

Proverbs 26:20-22 (Berean Study Bible)

The storyline hasn’t changed even after all these years. I watched it growing up. The storyline goes like this: Mary gossiped to Ella. Ella didn’t stand up to Mary and chose to listen to the gossip. Daphne heard the gossip Mary was telling Ella, and Daphne told Joe and Elsie who then whispered to Myron then Maria then Julie then Victor. Mary made she sure spoke to everyone Daphne spoke to so she could make sure they had all the details and “correct information.” One person after another heard the gossip, either shared the gossip, participated in the gossip, or just remained silent as the gossiping was going on. Florrie, who was the object of the gossip, was unable to recover her reputation from all the lies the gossipers said. She ended up leaving the church, never to be heard from that church again. Florrie left the church completely disheartened, discouraged, and extremely hurt; the End.

Does betrayal happen in the church from one member of the body of Christ to another member of the body of Christ? Absolutely. The storyline I told above is an all too familiar storyline that still saturates the church today. Gossip doesn’t just happen within the walls of the place of worship, but members of the Body of Christ will sit down over a cup of coffee at another’s house or at a cafe.

Proverbs 18:22 & 26:22 both echo the same words, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.” Gossip has a way of seeping into your spirit, your heart, your mind, and your soul. If you allow yourself to listen to gossip about a person, you will see that person not as he/she is, but you will see them in the light of the gossip you told or entertained.

Lies are always soon exposed according to the book of Proverbs. Truth will always stand the test of time. Whether gossip is all lies or all truth or part true and part lies, gossip just like lying is a sin. The Apostle Paul even addressed this, “Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds,” Colossians 3:9. We must remember we are not controlled by our fleshly desires. We are controlled by the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us into all truth. According to Romans 8:12, we are under no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do. As children of the Most High God, we must understand that our Heavenly Father is the God of Truth and His language is Truth. Therefore, His children should speak the language of truth, not lies.

May I encourage you not to participate in conversations that will tear someone apart? Do not allow yourselves to engage in conversations that will disrupt the unity amongst the believers within the Body of Christ. Remember always your words will either portray or betray who you are.

Heavenly Father, You are the God of Truth. Help me to always speak truth as You do. Give me the words I need to speak. Fill me with the wisdom and understanding that comes from You alone. Give me the strength and help me to walk away from conversations that will compromise my character and my witness. Help me to stand up for what is right and what is true. Your approval is the only approval I need to gain. I give You all the glory, the honor, and the praise. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God On The Gurney, In The ER, & Amongst The Perplexed Doctors

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

GOD ON THE GURNEY, IN THE ER, AND AMONGST THE PERPLEXED DOCTORS

Slightly Graphic – Healing Testimony

By Linda A. Knowles

“Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved,

for You are my praise.”

Jeremiah 17:14

Well, it started as an ordinary evening on Monday, January 25 of 2021, and then this happened…  My husband had come to bring me a glass of water because I wasn’t feeling very well, but when he came to give me the glass of water, he found me completely unresponsive, passed out on the room floor, and drenched in my own blood.  It took two minutes for my husband to get me conscious, and even when he did get me conscious, I couldn’t register anything he was saying.  And then when I could finally understand what he was saying I heard him say, “Linda, Love, you passed out.  I called 911 and they are on their way.”  IT WAS A PURE ADRENALINE RUSH THAT STRUCK ME AT THAT MOMENT.  I heard “I called 911,” and I dragged myself up off that floor, slipped on some of the blood on the floor, and managed to stagger like a drunkard through the living room, calling Teresa on the phone.  I had lost close to a pint of blood before calling her, and because of that, I made zero sense to her when I was talking to her on the phone as I was crying.  I wasn’t crying because I was soaked in my own blood or because I had passed out and really had no idea what was going on.  I was crying because my husband called 911, and doctors and needles were the images flooding my mind at that point.  I ran into the firemen as I was trying to leave my house as if I could outrun anyone in the state that I was in.  I was determined to get down the house steps, but those firemen and rescue workers stuck to me like glue and I was met by the paramedics who saw that I was clearly in slow motion going down the steps just wanting to get away from all of them.  They helped me up onto the gurney, strapped me on, loaded me into the ambulance, and they closed the ambulance door.  I had no idea what was going on outside the ambulance.  All I knew was that the paramedic was trying to stabilize my vital signs, trying to keep my blood pressure from dropping down to the 80s, and was connecting an IV to me.  To top everything off, due to COVID rules and regulations, Bill could not come with me in the ambulance or come to the hospital.  I told him I had my phone, and he and I stayed in contact by phone when I was able to use my phone.

They got me to the ER, checked me in, still trying to stabilize me.  Several doctors did several tests, but half way through my ER visit, they came to me and said they were moving me to their other hospital location where I would be met by a team of specialists.  I waited for them to take me to the hospital and found myself talking to God while I was trying to get some rest in the hospital ER.  Everything was just… well silent.  “Lord, You said you were with me, and now, I have to see a team of specialists?  Get me through this night.  It’s been crazy.  I don’t know what to think not that I can at the moment.”  So they loaded me up onto the gurney, strapped me on, and into the second ambulance I went.  I got to the second hospital, and upon entry, the doctors went to work on me.  The doctors, at this location they took me to, consulted with the doctors at the first hospital.  It was an hour later and I heard this from a doctor, “I see an abnormal tissue,” and so that doctor spoke to the second doctor, “I didn’t see anything.”  The third doctor was consulted, “I can’t confirm what you saw or what you didn’t see because I couldn’t see in far enough.”  The fourth doctor was in the mix in the background.  One of the doctors who had already examined me was puzzled because of the consultation with her colleagues. She asked me, “Are you still bleeding?”  I looked at her, and at the point, I was tired, the loss of blood took its toll, more blood was taken from me for more tests, and trying to keep track of my surroundings was getting impossible “I have no idea.”  She looked at me even more puzzled, “Linda, if you were still bleeding, the blanket you are on would have been soaked.  I looked at her, “Then I guess I’m not bleeding.”  She checked, “How did you stop bleed…” there was a pause, “ing?”  She told the other doctors, and I was listening to them in and out.  “She stopped bleeding.  There’s no more bleeding.”  “How did she stop bleeding?”  “I have no idea.”  I was muttering under my breath, “I know how I stopped bleeding.”  But then how do you explain to a group of doctors that God does miracles, and it’s a miracle I stopped bleeding.  Explain a miracle.  What happened that night to me cannot be explained by logic or human reasoning.  Bill came and picked me up eventually and he got me home the next morning on Tuesday just before 8 a.m.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021 – I was scheduled for surgery because the fourth doctor in the background at the ER had me scheduled.  I got to the doctor’s office, and they did what most women hate…  They weighed me.  I found out I had lost just a little more than 50 pounds.  I was so ecstatic I jumped off the scale and did what I call the Linda dance in the middle of the hallway causing doctors to smile as the nurse was laughing.  And I thought, “God, the only thing that would make this day even better is if I needed no surgery!”  I was sitting on the exam table and was so happy that I lost weight I nearly fell headfirst off the exam table.  The nurse ran to the other side of the table catching me and pushing me back up before I fell onto the floor.  She was still laughing and smiling.  After she did her usual routine for patients on me, and she was about to leave but said to me.  “Linda, don’t dance.  I won’t be here to catch you.”  She left the room.  I was waiting and waiting, trying to figure out why I hadn’t been told to get undressed, trying to figure out why I was not in a normal room being prepped for surgery.  I found myself talking with God, “God, this is so strange.  Usually, they prep a person for surgery.  I have never had surgery, but I know they prep you for it.  Usually, they ask you to get undressed.  What is going on?  Am I not going to have to go for…”  The doctor came in.  The doctor began talking with me, “Linda, you don’t need surgery.”  I stared at her blankly, wanting to do another Linda dance but keeping myself calm, “Doctor, did you say I didn’t need surgery?”  She smiled, “That’s what I said.  All your tests from the ER came back negative.  Your blood tests clear.  Your pap smear is clear.  All your other tests clear.”  I looked at her and held back my smile for a moment, “So what you are saying is that all the tests are cleared and I don’t have anything at all?”  The doctor said, “That’s what I’m saying.”  I had to have looked crazy to the doctor because I shot my hands and in the air saying, “Thank you, God!”  I was doing the Linda dance on the exam table as I was sitting on it and the doctor saw I was about to fall off the exam table and she pushed me back on it when she saw I danced half off the table.  She was laughing.  All I kept saying was “Thank you, God!  Thank you, God!”  She looked at me smiling, not knowing what to say.

I left her office practically dancing all the way back down to the lobby of the hospital.  I called Teresa.  “Teresa, I didn’t need the surgery.”  Doctors and nurses, medical staff, and patients looked at me like I was crazy.  I could barely contain myself.  I proceeded to skip Linda style down the hallway as I was talking with Teresa.  Hey, I had just been told I was cancer free, no viruses, no infections, no nothing.  The hospital lobby clerk looked at me like I was insane.  The parking lot attendants thought I was insane.

A few days later, I got a call from my doctor’s office because “I’M GOING IN FOR A HYSTER-what!!!!” I gulped, “WAIT!  WHAT IS A HYSTER What you said?”  The doctor explained over the phone and it was to rule everything out.  “Doctor, couldn’t you just have said you were going scope the inside of my body by using a camera rather than using the word hysteroscopy?”  So on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, I went to the hospital to my doctor’s office, where I was prepped and went under anesthesia.  A team of about 20 plus more doctors specializing in women’s health were present viewing the screen as they were examining the inside of me.  Two days later the pathology report came back, “Linda, no cancer.  Nothing.  There was nothing.  You’re clear.”  None of the doctors were able to understand.  They read and reread the Emergency Room reports and tests.  They consulted with the ER doctors and the specialists in the ER that night.  No one had an explanation.

Cancer free.  That’s my God.  He let me know He was right there.  He was the One who told me that there was nothing wrong with me.  And then later on, He gave me another word letting me know nothing was wrong with me, but it was through the entire process God showed His faithfulness to me.  He was the One who showed me on the gurney that He is faithful to His promises, that He loved me, and that He has never left me.  He is the One that in those moments showed me His character in a deeper way.  He was the One who told me He was greater than any feeling I had in those moments and that it was Him who guided the hands of each doctor and nurse who interacted with me.  We often like to tell God how to heal us, but we forget that God uses doctors and nurses.  Don’t forget God gave them the mind they needed in order to help people get well.  He gave them the knowledge to build equipment to be able to let you know what is going on inside of you physically.  The camera showed the inside of my reproductive system.  A small camera traveled inside of me and that entire team was there to see all the film the camera provided, and God left them dumbfounded; There was nothing.  Now I’ll tell you that when it comes to the Hospital, Medical Doctors-Surgeons-Specialists-Internal Medicine-Et Cetera, Needles, and the like I’m chicken!  I freely admit that!  Especially when you have a nurse at your side who has a needle that appears to be the giant superhero of all needles, but I digress.

God was with me from beginning to end.  My husband told me, “Linda, the problem with the doctors is that they need an explanation for what happened to you.  They have no explanation right now.”  And I looked at my husband, “Bill, I’m a medical mystery to them.  There is no human reasoning or logic that can explain what happened in the ER that night.  None.”  How can I explain the miracle God has done.  He did the impossible.  My God, My God specializes in the impossible.  What He did for me.  He can do for you.

All I can say is I’m grateful to God for what He did.  To God be all the glory.

What is your god?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.” -Psalm 96:45 NKJV

What is your god?  Before you answer too quickly, think about it.  What is your god?  Sports, Cooking Shows, Cell Phone, Television, Internet, Social Media?  Is it seeking the approval of men, wealth, prestige, or popularity, or is it something else?  An idol is whatever takes God’s rightful place in our heart.  Whatever we have set all of our affections and adoration on, whatever sits upon the throne of our life is our idol.  God must come first in our lives.  God must be the one we seek to live for first (Matthew 6:33), the one we seek to please first, and it is His approval we must first gain (Galatians 1:10).

It is vital that each of us guard our heart because every decision, every action, whether or not we follow God stems from the heart. Why should we guard our heart so diligent? (1) Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Reference Luke 6:45;  (2) Your heart will determine the course of your life. Reference Proverbs 4:23;  (3) Your beliefs about God and who He is comes from the heart.  “But what does it say?  ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with your heart you believe in and justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved,” Romans 10:8-10; (4) Wherever your treasure is (what you value and cherish most, what you cling to) that is where your heart lies.

What is your god?  Each of us as individuals must decide if we will rid our lives of idolatry and repent for putting other things as first place in our lives.  We cannot be a friend of this world and be a friend of God.  To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.  Nothing is worth losing your soul over.  The Lord is to be our First Love always.

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.  What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:35-36)

In His Service,

Linda A. Knowles

Thou Shalt Not Take The Name of The Lord Thy God In Vain

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

There are some things that grab my attention in such a way that I cannot let it go. So I thought since my mind won’t let me let it go, why not share it here on my blog.

These verses found in Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11 are just a couple of things that have grabbed my attention.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” -Exodus 20:7 KJV

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” -Deuteronomy 5:11 KJV

The English word “vain” in these verses is from the transliteration of the Hebrew word “shav,” meaning “without value, valueless, worthless, frivolous.” To say these verses are pertaining to perjury or lying under oath, not holding to one’s word, and using the name of God to swear falsely when making a vow is an accurate interpretation of the verse. However, it also means that we are not to render the Lord’s name as empty speech, as if His name is futile or insignificant.

We are commanded not to take the name of the Lord our God in vain, and His name is not to be used frivolously. Nowhere will we find in the Scriptures, “I highly recommend that you don’t take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” and we definitely won’t find, “I suggest that you don’t take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” We are commanded, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

This is what the Psalmist declared in Psalm 30:4, “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” Some translations state the latter part of that verse as, “and praise His holy name.” God is holy. Therefore, His name is holy. So then we each must come to a point when we ask ourselves how we cannot be concerned or take care of how we use His name? King David said, “and praise His holy name.” If King David recognized the name of the Lord as holy, then shouldn’t we be cautious in not taking God’s holy name capriciously? I would have to say, in accordance with God’s Word, that we must be cautious of how we use the Lord’s name.

To take the name of the Lord in vain is defined as “not a prayer.” While I understand it may be popular and cultural to use “Oh my God,” “OMG,” “Oh Lord, or “Oh my Lord” (the list goes on), culture and popularity has zero clout when it comes to God, His Word, and His commands. Even the name of Jesus is used as a swear to the point where it has become so commonplace that no one even bats an eye. How did we ever get to this point where it is considered acceptable within the churches to drop “Jesus” as a swear rather than calling out to Him in prayer? Just because culture says something is okay to say doesn’t mean that God approves.

The Lord’s name has significance. He is the Living God, Eternal Father, and Mighty To Save. How do we even dare use His name without concern or care of how we use His name. If we are going to claim to bear His name, then we must not bring reproach to the name we claim to bear. Let us remember to always bring honor, praise, and glory to His name.

In His Service,

Linda A. Knowles

Peace And Strength Are Found When Our Eyes Are Fixed Upon Him

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Peace And Strength Are Found When Our Eyes Are Fixed Upon Him

By Linda A. Knowles

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever; for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength,” (Isaiah 26:3-4).

There is only One I know who is unfailing, and that is the LORD. The LORD is faithful, and He never breaks His promises. We, as the true children of God, can put all our hope and trust in Him who is the God who never slumbers and sleeps, the God who has ordered our steps. The LORD is our “everlasting strength.” Our strength comes from no one else and is found in no one else except the Almighty Everlasting God.

No matter what circumstances or situations we find ourselves in, God is the One who is able to carry us through. He carries us through good times and bad times, joys and sorrows. Our God is able to sustain us in times of adversity and in times of testing and temptation. He is the God who always provides a way of escape for us, helping us to stand up under any temptation that comes our way. Through our LORD, we are able to overcome the enemy of our soul. He is our Hope and our Savior. He is our Deliverer, and He is our Rock; and when you are trusting in the Eternal Rock, Our God, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, then you will have peace.

Do you trust in the LORD where true peace is found or have you fixed your mind upon the things of this world? Are you elevating anything else above seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? Who or what is your hope in?

“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.” (Romans 5:5)

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

A Fearful Thing

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Hebrews 10:31 KJV

If any verse in the Scriptures makes me shudder, it’s this verse, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Some translations say, “dreadful thing,” “terrible thing,” “terrifying thing,” and then one translation says, “fearful and terrifying thing.” God is the Almighty, the Omnipotent One (Revelation 1:8, 15:3, 19:6). God does NOT play games (Leviticus 10:2, 1 Chronicles 13:10, Psalm 50:3).

What is so terrifying about falling into the hands of the Living God? Because this verse is speaking of judgment. God is awesome, and He is holy. His righteousness is pure. The Lord warns us of sin and the consequences (Romans 6:23). He warns us what happens when we do not turn from our evil and wicked ways (Luke 13:3, Romans 2:5). By warning us, God is granting us mercy. By giving us a chance to repent, He is demonstrating His longsuffering and patience towards us; the Lord does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). Through the Scriptures, we can see He is calling people to repentance (Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19). When someone sneers arrogantly at the Holy Spirit, when someone mocks or reviles the Holy Spirit and shows complete and utter contempt for the Holy Spirit, they are severing themselves from the Holy Spirit. In other words, they have broken themselves off from the Holy Spirit and they are unable to know the prompting of the Holy Spirit and His leading. It’s the point of no return (Deuteronomy 28:15, Isaiah 63:10). When someone falls into the hand of the Living God, at this point, is where they discover how wrong they are, but it’s too late. Judas is a great example of this. Judas betrayed Christ, and by the time, he realized how wrong he was, it was too late for him (John 13:21-30). Falling into the hands of the Living God will be frightening for the one who has rejected and scorned the Holy Spirit and committed the outright rejection of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-32, Hebrews 10:28-29). The true children of the Living God do not need to worry about facing God in judgment. Those who are not living lives that practice sin will be able to stand before God.

“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God,” (1 John 3:7-10 NLT).

“In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like him. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us,” (1 John 4:17-19 BSB).

Linda A. Knowles

THE DEMON CHALICE

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is the-demon-chalice.jpg

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THE DEMON CHALICE

By Linda A. Knowles

Thursday, 12/10/2020

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You chose to drink from the demon chalice,

Which was passed all around;

Then you chose the chains,

That now have you bound.

*

You bought the lies,

And you bought into the deceit;

You sold out to gratify your fleshly need.

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You chose the honey from Timnath,

And you filled yourself with her seductive,

sensual intoxicating wine,

Drinking yourself into a deep sleep,

Cheapening your own life.

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You should have been vigilant and sober minded

But your lust-crazed mind and soul has left you bound;

Your lust-crazed heart has left you spiritually blinded.

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You drank from the demon chalice;

Tell me, who can help you now,

Since you’ve chosen to swim in willful ignorance

while drowning in disgrace?

“PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU”

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU”

By Linda A. Knowles

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“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on thee:

because he trusteth in thee.”

Isaiah 26:3 KJV

*

There is no one like Jesus. He gives us a peace that this world cannot afford. As a Child of the Living God, peace is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit that is produced and worked in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This peace is something you don’t have once in awhile. The peace Jesus gives you is for ALL the time, not once in awhile, not sometimes. ALL THE TIME. The peace He gives you is perfect. The peace He gives you is complete, not lacking.

In Isaiah 26:3, we see it is the Lord who gives us perfect peace. The transliteration for the words “perfect” and “peace” is the Hebrew word “Shalom.” That phrase perfect peace means “calmness, tranquility, rest, contentment, safety, soundness, complete.” Think about that for a moment, you can go about your day knowing you, as a Child of the Living God, have been given that kind of peace by Jesus Christ your Savior. The peace that Jesus has given you allows you to be free. When you keep your mind fixed upon Jesus and all that He has done for you, He keeps you in perfect peace (Complete Rest) because you are trusting in Him.

As you are going about your day, remember you can be in complete rest and know that, as a Child of God, you have this kind of peace, a peace this world cannot offer nor can it afford.

Heavenly Father, You are my Shalom, my Complete Rest, and You have not given me the spirit of fear but of love and of power and a sound mind. Lord, be my Guide throughout this day and instruct me in Your ways as I fix my mind upon You knowing that You will keep me in perfect peace as my mind is fixed upon You. Thank You for guarding my heart and mind with the peace that surpasses all understanding me. Thank You for the Complete Rest You have given me. I put my hope and my trust in You and will stand upon the truth of Your word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I Can Rejoice

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

If You Go Into Ministry…

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

IF YOU GO INTO MINISTRY expecting to make a great amount of wealth, then you do not understand what ministry is. Ministry is about reaching out to the hopeless, speaking for those who have no voice, and reaching the lost and dying by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ so they may inherit eternal life. Ministry is about winning souls for Jesus Christ. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost,” Luke 19:10.

IF YOU GO INTO MINISTRY expecting to make a great amount of wealth, then you have lost the purpose of what ministry is about. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28. We lay down ourselves, our ego, our desires, our will in exchange for picking up our cross, dying to selfishness, and following His Will, giving our lives in service to Him, and going forth to tell others about Jesus Christ and who He is. “He must increase; I must decrease,” John 3:30. “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me,” Luke 9:23. Note the words “Let Him Deny Himself.”

THE WORD “MINISTER” on its own means “servant.” MINISTERING TO (SERVING) OTHERS is a calling.

IF YOU GO INTO MINISTRY JUST SO YOU CAN GET WEALTHY AND MILK PEOPLE DRY, then your ministry is built on the foundation of self and on things that will collapse when the storms come. IF YOUR MINISTRY IS BUILT ON SELF, THE LOVE OF MONEY, EGO, GREED, AND BUILT WITHOUT CHRIST BEING THE FOUNDATION, your ministry will eventually collapse.

“Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head,” Luke 9:58. There isn’t a bible verse that says Jesus lived in mansions while He on earth, and there’s isn’t a bible verse that shows Him demanding payment before or after He ministered to people. There isn’t even a verse that shows Jesus demanding money for His ministry. You will find Jesus preaching repentance and bringing hope to the hopeless, healing the sick, teaching crowds of people, delivering those who were possessed. He is Savior and Lord, and we see Him in the Scriptures as ministering to those who cried out to Him, those who recognized their need for salvation. In those same Scriptures, we see Jesus overturning the table of the money changers for taking advantage of those who were purchasing animals they needed to make sacrifices, “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers,'” Matthew 21:12-13.

I will end this post with these words from the book of Jude Verses 10 and 11 and 2 Peter 2:11-13, “These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively. Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion,” and “Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord. These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed. The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you.”

Linda A. Knowles

ARTICLE: Sinning Against God AND Your Body

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” -1 Corinthians 6:18 KJV

“Flee sexual immorality.  Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” -1 Corinthians 6:18 BSB

The moment we accepted Jesus Christ and received Him into our life to be Lord, the moment we believed the truth of God’s Word (John 1:12), we became one with God. We were joined with the Lord, and we became one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). In Christ, we are a new creation, and since we have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), we are to glorify God, bringing Him honor in all we say and do because WE ARE UNITED AS ONE WITH GOD and His Holy Spirit dwells within us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the BASIC LAW of the TEMPLE is holiness.

“This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.” -Ezekiel 43:12KJV

Back in the Bible times, the physical temple had the outer courts (“Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement,” Ezekiel 40:17KJV.), and then inside the temple were two rooms: (1) The Holy Place and (2) The Most Holy Place, which we can see in Hebrews 9:1-5NLT, which says, “That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place.  Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place.  In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement…”

Our soul belongs to God, and there is nothing that is worth forfeiting your soul to. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?  Please understand your soul is the seat of emotions, and out of your heart flows all the issues of life, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life,” (Proverbs 14:23KJV).  The ESV states it this way, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”  Guard your heart.  Maintain your purity before God, walking uprightly before Him.  Ask yourself this: “Is there anything worth losing my soul for?”

Understanding The Phrases “COMMITTETH FORNICATION” and “SINNING SEXUALLY.”

Look again at the phrasing of this verse in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”  The phrase “sins sexually” is transliterated from the Greek word “porneuon” which means (1) to fornicate (the KJV says the phrase “committeth fornication”); (2) to practice idolatry; and (3) then the first part of that word “porne” means to act like a prostitute, indulge in unlawful lust or the practice of.

Committing fornication is simply stated as “sinning sexually.”  Sex without the commitment of marriage is not only a sin but it is also cheap, tawdry, and crude.  Sex without the commitment of marriage is emotionally exhausting and can make a person feel wiped out.  Sexual sin of any kind is sinning sexually against God and your own body.  Sinning sexually is completely and undeniably against God’s design for the gift of sex.  Within the context of marriage between a husband and wife, sex is pleasurable and enjoyable with the commitment of the blending of true love and marriage with Christ as the Solid Foundation upon which that marriage is built.  Within the context of marriage between a husband and wife, sex is fulfilling and doesn’t drain emotionally because of the intimacy shared between the man and the woman who have now become one flesh in the eyes of God, a Christ-centered marriage.  In the two becoming one, the consummation is creating a bonding in their commitment to each other, causing the intimacy between husband and wife to deepen and increase. 

Here is a truly sobering thought: Since it is clear that the two become one flesh, that means if one is sinning sexually, then anyone he/she is having sex with, he/she is becoming one with every single person he/she gives his/her body to.  That is both disturbing and a sin in the eyes of God.  It is called fornication, sexual sin, and wickedness.  There has to be a noticeable difference between the children of God and those who are unbelievers.  When the children of God stray and take on the world’s philosophies and vain imaginations, this angers God.  It does not please Him at all.  First Thessalonians 4:3-8BSB states, “For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.  For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.  Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.”  If you are committing sexual sin with someone you have no intention of marrying, you are having sex with someone’s else’s future spouse.  When you commit acts of cheating and acts of adultery, God is going to avenge all such acts.  You will not be able to escape the consequences of your actions.

We are called to be holy.  Being made holy is being set apart.  We are a holy nation, a peculiar people, and a royal priesthood.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord is working in you to shape and mold you into a man or woman of God.  The transformation begins on the inside.  Your love and obedience to God is a direct result of an inward transformation that takes place in your heart and mind, from your innermost being.

When you are committing sexual sin, you are giving up full control of your entire body over to the lusts of your flesh and allowing yourself to indulge in what God has called sin (“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous,” Hebrews 13:4ESV).  You are giving complete control of your body not just to your lustful thoughts but also to the one you are having sex with.  When you are giving complete control of your body to sexual sin to the one you are sinning with, you have made yourself and the one you’re engaging with a god; you are practicing idolatry.  As previously stated one of the meanings of the Greek word is “to practice idolatry.”

“I can’t help myself.”  Yes, you can.  When you are truly a child of God, the Holy Spirit residing in you gives you all the power you need to walk in purity and holiness before God.  When you are truly a child of God, you will allow the Holy Spirit to instruct you into all truth, and out of your love for Jesus, you will obey the commandments set out in the Word of God.  In Romans 8:12, we are told we are under no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do.  You have God and all of the weapons He has supplied you with to combat every thought that goes against God and His Word.  You have God and all of the weapons He has supplied you with to resist temptation and flee from any kind of sin that would try to take you down.  Those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit are not controlled by their flesh, “You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you,” (Romans 8:9-11 BSB).  The Holy Spirit is your Helper, and when you are tempted, God provides a way of escape so that you are able to stand against the temptation.  “So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it, (1 Corinthians 10:12-13BSB).  Please never think you are so strong that you will stay in temptation’s path if it comes your way.  To think you are so strong that you cannot fall into sexual sin is foolish thinking, and if you believe you cannot fall into sexual sin, then you have been deceived and taken in.  The Apostle Paul made it very clear in his warning to believers, “SO THE ONE WHO THINKS HE IS STANDING FIRM SHOULD BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL.”  This is a warning.  EVERY SINGLE PERSON is capable of falling into sexual sin, and if believe you are not capable of falling into any kind of sexual sin, then that is pride.  When temptation for sexual sin crosses your path, the only victory to overcome falling into sexual sin is to “Flee sexual immorality.”  You need to run from it.

LIVING SACRIFICES.  Since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, since God says be holy for He is holy, it is necessary to remember in all we say and do that we are worshiping God.  According to Romans 12:1KJV, the Apostle Paul had this to say, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  Therefore, not only is your body the temple of the Holy Spirit but you are also a living sacrifice unto God that is to never be defiled.  Inside of you is the presence of the Lord which is the Holy Spirit dwelling in you.  In John 14:17ESV, it states, “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”The Holy Spirit cannot tolerate defilement of the temple.  God is NEVER pleased when we defile the temple of the Holy Spirit (YOUR BODY) because you are dishonoring God and sinning against Him by idolizing yourself and surrendering control of your heart and soul to another, partaking in sexual sin.  You are sinning against your body by giving up your self-respect and letting other people who you are committing sexual sin with control you.  You are sinning against your own body by allowing another to defile you, not knowing if the other person has some disease or health issue that will affect you later on.  There is no victory when you are constantly falling into sexual sin.

Let me put it another way: A Man and a Woman get married and they consummate the marriage.  The consummation is the two becoming one flesh.  They are now joined together.  That consummation is the ultimate and complete expression of the commitment of love between a husband and a wife.  They are now united as one; the two became one flesh.  The married couple shares a mutual love, respect, and honor to each other.  With Christ, you were spiritually joined together, one in spirit with Him, you have become one with Him and have experienced is everlasting love and unwavering commitment to you as a child of the Most High God.  As a result of your love for Christ, you obey His commands, spend time in the Scriptures learning of God’s laws and commands, communing and communicating with God, and walk in wholehearted devotion to Christ.  You are joined as one with the Spirit of the Living God who has taken up residence within you.  Let’s look at these verses found in 1 Corinthians 6:15-17NLT, “Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, ‘The two are united into one.’ But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.”  If you are controlled and consumed by lust, then you are controlled and consumed by sexual sin.  Those thoughts need to be brought under control.  Do not allow yourself to be consumed and controlled with lust.  If you allow yourself to be controlled by unbridled passion, you will find yourself in spiritual quicksand.  When you give yourself over to the control of sexual sin (just in case anyone is wondering, this also includes the sexual sin of masturbation which begins with uncontrolled lustful thoughts), you are bringing dishonor and defilement to the temple of the Holy Spirit because you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, bought with the price of the blood of Jesus shed for you.  Verses 18-20 continues on to say “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.  Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

WHO CAN CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD?  In Psalm 24:3NLT, David asked two questions: “Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in his holy place?”  And this is the answer is given to us in verses 4-6, “Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.  They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.  Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.” 

Did you know that not a hint of sexual immorality or impurity is to be found amongst those who are true children of God?  In Ephesians 5:1-5BSB, it states, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.  But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”  Note the words, “there must not be even a hint.”  There should be nothing at all that we demonstrate that shows impurity amongst us.  We are to be fragrant living sacrifices to the Lord, bringing Him glory and honor in what we do and say.  We are to be imitators of God, to be perfect as He is perfect, to be holy as He is holy.  We are to be faithful to God, loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Our allegiance is first and foremost always to God.  He is faithful, and we are to “be imitators of God.”  Therefore, we honor God with our bodies.

You cannot claim to be a child of God and be chasing the lusts of the flesh at the same time.  You are either a child of the devil or a child of God.  You are either of the world or you are of God.  Which are you?  You cannot have it both ways.  Either you are walking in purity before God or you’re not.  There is no neutral ground.  Every other sin committed is outside the body, but sinning sexually is sinning against your own body and sinning against God.  It was King David, after Nathan the prophet confronted him, repented before God and confessed his sin of adultery.  This is what King David said, “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just,” (Psalm 51:4NLT).  God did forgive King David, and he was called a man after God’s own heart.  However, King David still reaped a whirlwind of consequences from his act of adultery with Bathsheba.  God does not allow sin to go unpunished.  Will God forgive you of sexual sin if you repent?  Yes, God will forgive you when you come before Him in sincere and genuine repentance with a humble heart.

PRAYER:  PSALM 51 (A Psalm of King David) “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.  Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.  For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.  You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.  For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.  But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.  Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice.  Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt.  Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spiritfrom me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.  Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.  Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.  Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.  You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.  You do not want a burnt offering.  The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.  Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.  Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.”

Linda A. Knowles

Executive Director at Thread of Hope, Inc.

www.threadofhope.org

Diluted or Polluted?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.” -Leviticus 2:13 (NLT)

“Never forget to add salt…” was the command for this grain offering. The significance of the grain offering was that it represented honoring and worshiping God alone, acknowledging He alone is the Provider for all His Children. We cannot overlook the great significance of this offering. It is clear we are to honor and worship God alone and that God is our Provider. We are His temple, and our foundation is Christ. Since Christ is our foundation, then it is God alone whom we bring honor and glory to in what we say, what we do, and how we live. This grain offering could be offered by anyone even if he/she was poor. Anyone can honor and worship God alone. We are living sacrifices before God.

Let me explain the significance of salt: Back in Bible times, some middle eastern lands would gift someone with salt if they were making an agreement. Gifting with salt in those days represented that an agreement or legally binding contract (covenant) was permanent. Simply put, the gift of salt you gave to the one you made an agreement with represented a permanent agreement, a lasting and unchanged agreement indefinitely. That is why the salt could not be forgotten on the grain offering. The salt added to the grain offering was symbolic, representing the permanent covenant God and His People had. When this offering was made by the people of God, God was pleased by their intentions and motivation in making this offering. When we offer the sacrifice of praise and when we worship the Lord in how we live, we bring honor to God. “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him,” (Romans 12:1 NLT).

Salt can be diluted or polluted. “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless,” (Matthew 5:13 NLT). Job had this to say about unsalted food in Chapter 6 Verse 6, “Don’t people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg?” There are a few things we must understand: (1) We are used to the chemical compound we call “table salt.” (2) The salt we know is not the salt they had back in the days of Jesus, and (3) Jesus used salt an example. If you were to look at me, you would not see a pile of salt. Jesus used salt as a way to describe the Remnant, the People of God.

Let’s agree on one thing. If we are going to eat, we want our food seasoned. We don’t want to eat bland food. We want flavorful food that tastes good. God wants us the salt of the earth to keep all its flavor and not to lose any of flavor by being diluted or polluted. If we lose our flavor by being complacent, then we are diluted salt -in other words we lose our godly influence in the world we live in, and we become rendered ineffective in ministry and to reach out to seek and save the lost. When we lose our godly influence, how will others see God being glorified through us? When we are complacent, then we are diluted salt. Salt can even be diluted to the point where you cannot even taste the salt.

Being salt that has not lost flavor is representative of God being active in your life, preserving you from the wickedness of this world and from the evil one. Being salt also shows that God has shown His grace and mercy to you, restoring and healing and forgiving you of your iniquities and transgressions.

Are you salt that still has all of its flavor? Are you polluted salt that has bought into the vain imaginations and philosophies of this world, or are you diluted salt whose flavor has been lessened by indifference or by complacency?

Let us not allow ourselves to lose our flavor. Let us strive to be ready at all times to serve the Lord effectively by having our roots deeply rooted in Christ and being grounded in the Word of God. Let us be the salt of the earth, bringing God glory as we are His hands extended (“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV). Let us not be polluted by the things of this world but fix our eyes on Him who is the Author and the Finisher of our Faith. Let us never lose our influence in this world so that we might seek and save the lost by the power of His Holy Spirit working through us (“And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone,'” Mark 16:15 NLT). God can only work through us when we are sold out for Him.

Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of glory and honor. You alone are my Provider. Thank You for the blessings You have bestowed upon me. Thank You that I can freely worship You. Let me be the salt of the earth. Be my Instructor, and help me and remind me You are the One who sustains and keeps me. Teach me how not to be the salt that loses its flavor. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles