I think so. And I trust Jesus to be with her in it.
From what I've seen from the redeemed Nala, and from what I know about Jesus, I have no doubt that she has been given a chance to grow in spiritual awareness. And at the same time I've seen how many who claim to be "in Christ" have not Christ's Spirit within them. And I believe this because of the fruit they are bearing.
As for Nala's spiritual fruit? That's yet to be fully seen, but she is not alone, Christ is with her because she has been born again into the spiritual awareness. She's on her way with Christ. And he is with her on this spiritual journey.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?" (John 3:12)
The believers that are regenerated, those who are born again, are made spiritual in their new nature, and they are being refined from the dregs of sensuality. They've revolved from whitewashed external performances and rituals into spiritual experiences of the heart and mind. It isn't enough for followers to admire Christ’s miraculous works, and to acknowledge his mission by professing belief in that mission. In the rebirth there needs to be a spiritual connection between the man or woman, and the Messiah. The natural person must become a spiritual person, before she is capable of receiving (accepting) and understanding the things of the Spirit. Accepting is the first fruit.
"The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God..." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Because of our sin nature, it is absolutely necessary that we are regenerated. If we're to be happy and blessed in our new relationship with Christ we must be washed, sanctified from within the Spiritual life. And this is mainly necessary, because left to our own human nature, we would chase after only the things of the world and not for the things of the Spirit. We'd seek influence. We'd seek prestige. We'd look for opportunities of personal power and gain wrapped up in our own glory as we go about our humanist and religious busyness.
Through this man of God-teacher-temple priest, and his inability to understand the spiritual truth, Jesus instructs all of those who would follow him. He wants us to know him. It's why he has promised that he'd send the helper, and has commissioned us to become his disciples.
Jesus said:
"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:20)
It's all very ordinary.
Teach.
Obey.
And be sure to know he is with you.
God is spirit. How will we know he is with us if we cannot know spiritual things?
He is with you always.
How?
Is Jesus the man, in all his glory, standing next to you? Is he hand in hand guiding you throughout your days in his physical form?
No. He is with you always in the works of The Holy Spirit. Teaching you spiritual things. Giving you wisdom. Empowering your prayers. Enlivening your inner person into fellowship and service. He is sanctifying your soul with his Spirit.
Jesus is with the disciples always to help them overcome the obstacles of their human nature that stand in the way of fulfilling his mission. When we are so hardened and used to the things of the world dominating our lives, we're going to struggle with knowing Christ. Jesus is searching our heart and we're searching the world for our own answers. Our ears tingle with joy as we walk in the ways of the world. Hardhearted. Unforgiving. Not giving grace and mercy in the same way Christ gave us. Not loving our enemies and being Christ's humble disciples. Not forgiving the sins of many who don't fit into our own self righteous agenda. Not born again in the Spirit.
Jesus said,
“If you forgive people their sins, your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also. If you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
(Matthew 6:14-15)
It's a simple proposition. Forgive and you'll be forgiven. It's simple for those who are born again in the Spirit. It's simple for those, who like Jesus said, are trusting in what he says about redemption, forgiveness, mercy, and friendship with God. It's too simple for those who want to complicate things. It's like when the priests tried to hush Jesus' crowds of followers, or when Jesus' family tried to restrain his extravagant message of forgiveness and his seemingly rebellious ministry. They wanted to rein him in, they tried to mute him. But Jesus muted them because he knew his message was meant for more than what small minded folks were trying to make of it.
And these small minded people continue even today. Christ's message of redemption is being ignored because some want to make sure that the redeemed have met their idea of salvation. They've got religious ideas and demands, and make no place for the Spirit.
What did Jesus say about these people?
"They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. Everything they do is for show."
(Matthew 23:4-5a)
And it just goes back to this same idea that they haven't learned from Christ, they haven't been born again into The Spirit. They remain in the world, religious yes, but worldly just the same.
They shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in the repentant people’s faces. And they won’t go in themselves, and don’t let others enter either (Matthew 23:13).
So they haven't seen because they are spiritually blind. Blind guides. They ignore the more important aspects of the Truth—justice, mercy, and faith.
They strain their spiritual drink to capture a gnat, and meanwhile they swallow a whole camel of religious fundamentalism. Clean on the outside, filthy on the inside.
Jesus said,
"Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness."
(Matthew 23:28)
Here's to praying that they will dig out that huge log from their own eyes so that they can then help their friend with the sawdust in hers.
Nala Ray - former Only Fans performer redeemed in Christ and Christ is with her...always.
Matthew 24:6-8 "You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of labor pains."
There has been thirteen years of war for every one year of peace since the time of Christ. Mankind loves war.
"Many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another." (v.10)
Love grows cold. Lawlessness spreads faster than the gospel. But through endurance the kingdom of God will be preached. And the angels will fulfill this mission:
Revelation 14:6 "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.'"
And just as a side note, for all ...
Matthew 10:16
"Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves."
"Beware the moon, Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors." (From: An American Werewolf in London 1981)
I was 19 when that movie came out and it was then that I was at my lowest point ever. I was dying and couldn't see it happening to me.
It's nearly Halloween, and I've arrived here in my daily studies at Jesus sending his children, as lambs, out to preach the gospel among wolves. And I have to admit this morning my head went to the movie I rewatched (for the hundredth time) again last night. I confess I'm somewhat of a connoisseur of werewolf movies. It's really an odd and unexpected fascination since throughout my entire childhood I was plagued nightly by nightmares of invisible werewolves that stalked me trying to bite me. I couldn't see them but could hear them. And when they were just about to bite, they'd suddenly be visible (this is how I knew they were werewolves). And this was a ...
Matthew 10:32-33
“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven."
Jesus calls and sends his disciples to the lost sheep of Israel because he has a great compassion for the needy. He sees them as sheep without a shepherd, lost and living in miserable conditions. They're harassed, and cast down. And in the face of many evils they're unable to help themselves. They are outside of Christ, living in darkness.
And what's interesting is the disciples are sent to be forerunners to His coming. Like heralds they are to go into the towns and villages healing the sick, casting out demons, raising spirits and preaching the good news. It's a mission trip, he's sending them outside the congregation to free these people from the bondage of evil. This is aggressive evangelism. It's like rustic camping. Bring it in and take it out. They must depend entirely on God for all their needs. It's a mission trip focused upon aggressively reaching ...
James 2:1
"My brothers and sisters, show no partiality [favoritism] as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory."
It may be smart, this sign of showing favoritism, but it is sin, in the same way that murder and adultery are sin. It's the sin of discrimination. And it's contrary to God’s design. It's difficult to say you love your neighbor as yourself when you are motivated to be discriminatory towards others who are not to your liking. Living a life in faith is living selflessly always, not just when it's convenient. There are never moments when it's not sin to discriminate against others. To operate in this discriminatory manner is to make yourself a law unto yourself. A law contrary to God's law. And this attitude toward the law of God draws attention away from the needs of others and makes the merits of the self into law. This is how one arrives at self-righteousness and a philosophy of self justification.
With God there is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). We know Jesus was no respecter of persons because his disciples taught that he ...
Mark 9:23
And Jesus said to him, "‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes."
Whatever the situation, a follower of Jesus should respond always in faith. For it is always faith that does the will of our Father. And what the Father requires is the prayers and fasting of his people.
And to be honest, it's not really that hard a task. It's no great sacrifice to pray for others and fast of the things that distract you in prayer. At any rate, like it or not, a life of prayer is our duty.
The father of this young boy, in Mark chapter nine, was greatly troubled. His son probably was afflicted with epilepsy. And he's desperate for a solution that will save his son from this horrible malady. And yes, it's possible that this affliction is inspired by Satan, certainly the demons believed that to be the case.
You may ask, "how does that happen?"
The obvious answer would be that the boy was likely already frail. I mean to say he likely had the condition at least available for the demon to take advantage of in its possession of his body. They'll prey upon human weakness in the mind,...
Mark 9:1
And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."
Jesus began his earthly ministry by proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. Now he tells his disciples that some of them there would not taste death before they see the kingdom of God coming with power.
Q: Just where is the kingdom of God?
A: It's where God reigns as king, simply put.
Wherever God reigns is where his kingdom is.
The kingdom of God is not just a geographical place or a moment in time and history. It's not like a mirror that reflects only external realities. In many ways the kingdom of God is already within us and in the world. If God is reigning in your heart and mind, then his kingdom is already among you, and some would say it is within you. If you haven't been completely compromised by your need to control your own spiritual life by worldly things then you have access to the prolepsis of God's heavenly kingdom realized in your faith.
Luke 17:20-21
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of...
