5 Ways to Counteract Church Hurt and Become Mature Believers

1. It’s our responsibility as Believers to know God for ourselves outside of our teachers. We should always be a student of the Word, know the difference between right and wrong, and learn to cast our cares upon God. The Lord is our defender and vindicator.

• “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 KJV

• “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:19 KJV

2. We must be led by the Lord first and place complete confidence and truth in Him so when someone acts out of character, we’re able to know the difference between the carnal verses spiritual man. However, it is the Lord’s will for us lead by Him and Godly leadership. But if they don't uphold God’s standards, we are not permitted to continue under their leadership and self-serving standards. Jesus is our Lord, not any leader or any other person. Additionally, we must always stay in right standing with God, no matter who leads us.

• “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Psalms 118:8 KJV

3. Righteousness and holiness is the “prerequisite” for a true Believers life. Without which, we run the risk of playing “Russian Roulette” with our eternal life because Heaven is based on our acceptance of Jesus as Lord and savior, being born again, and upholding God’s standards and not our own. However, acceptance of Christ without God’s standards is the same as not accepting Him at all. God is His standards and precepts. It’s not just our talk; it’s our walk.

• “Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 AMPC

4. The Believer’s life is a daily walk. Satan and his demons work around the clock. With that being said, we can’t afford to take a day off from walking in obedience unto God.

• “Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).” Philippians 2:12 AMPC

5. Keep away from carnal Christians and others who aren’t serious about godly living, keeping His commands, and maturing in Christ.

• “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 KJV

The Purpose and Power of Purity

Purity is not a subject matter we hear teaching and preaching on often or ever in many cases, but it is one of the most important topics and way of living for a true believer who wants God’s blessings and favor on his or her life. When we study God’s Word and develop a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him, we will understand that everything about God is pure and Holy. No unrighteousness dwells in Him and it is impossible for Him to sin because He’s perfect in all of His ways of being and doing.

When we understand the True Omnipotent God we serve, or the gods we serve (all false gods are hidden in Satanism and Satan is leader over all false gods) we also understand that there’s a lifestyle (with sacrifices included) that each of them requires from us in order to worship either one as our God. In addition, we must also live according to the standards they both require and there’s no way around it. There’re only two standards: Holiness (purity - cleanness from known and unknown, habitual sins) and unholiness (defilement - living in known and unknown, habitual sins). Nonetheless, we are to stay clean and pure by living holy, applying the blood of Jesus to our lives daily, and respecting the grace that God gives us daily because of Christ.

Let’s talk about sin! What is sin? Sin is impurity, unrighteousness, imperfection, darkness, poison, and a system of ungodly behaviors (created by Satan) that leads us to a spiritual and physical death which ultimately results in an eternity that doesn’t include Heaven (unless we repent and turn our lives around and live completely and intentionally for God). Also, “all” sin is Satan’s standards, while righteousness and Holiness is God’s standards. And whose ever standards we’re living out (God’s or Satan’s), reveal who we serve.

Sin is everything that God called sin in his word and He didn’t change His mind (nor will He) just because it’s the twenty-first century. What many people and believers don’t understand about God is that none of our unrighteousness and abominable ways will ever be accepted by Him, and our good works won’t give us a pass either. In other words, we can’t worship God and live in sin at the same time and we most definitely won’t possess God’s power, favor, or blessings. If we’re going to claim God, and walk in purity, then we’re required to live righteous and holy without excuses. The reason God will not except excuses is because He sent His Son Jesus, to die on the cross for us so that we can have the ability and choice whether to live for Him or live for the enemy. With that being said, God didn’t call us to live pure without giving us the ability to do so through His Holy Spirit. Without having clean hands and a pure heart, we will not experience the true presence of God and we will not walk in His power because His power is connected to purity. But once again, repentance and turning completely to God, places us back in right standing with Him.

Here’s a couple of scriptures that proves God’s unchanging standards:

• “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” Psalms24:3-4KJV

• “We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.” John9:31AMPC

• “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).” Matthew6:24AMPC

Everything to we do as followers of Christ, has to be done from a place of purity or it won’t be accepted by God. That principle includes our prayers as well! For example: if our prayers of repentance aren’t prayed from a pure heart, our prayers will not be accepted by the Father. A pure God, “only” accepts what and who He is—Pure and Undefiled. And for the record: God will never come down to the level of His creations (all of humanity), but we must come up to the level that He has ascribed for us. Why? Because He created us; we didn’t create Him. God always knows what is best for what He manufactured.

Moreover, purity gives us access and favor with God, through Christ Jesus because once more: that’s what God requires. On the other hand, sin gives us favor with Satan because that’s what he requires. With that being said, we can’t live in favor of the enemy and get God’s results. It doesn’t work that way! God demands righteousness, holiness, purity, and the like. And without fulfilling God’s requirements to become a true believer, we place ourselves in the position to be deceived by Satan and his demonic spirits.

Here’s the insight: the purer we are as believers; the more God can use us supernaturally by way of His Holy Spirit. However, the more defiled we are (living contrary to God’s Word and practicing sin) as people, the more Satan can use us to do demonic things because we’re in his will, practicing his evil customs for our lives, and not the will and ways of God. Remember, we are the servant/slave of whomever we decide to obey: God or Satan.

Here’s what 1 John 3:7-10 had to say:

“Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous. [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).” 1 John3:7-10AMPC

I conclude, purity is God’s way of living for us if we want to be in right standing with Him and protected by Him. If we choose not to live in purity (intentionally or unintentionally) in every area of our lives, that leaves an open door for Satan to demonize us (in those same areas we left opened, which will impact our whole life) or demonically oppress us by evil spirits and other external hindrances which influences us to do Satan’s will instead of God’s. Here’s the hard truth: we’re not in God’s will and neither do we have His favor on our lives unless we’re walking in “His ways” and doing what is righteous and holy according to the Lord’s precepts (Word) and not our own. There’s purpose and power in purity which causes us to genuinely commune with God; and without purity, Satan will deceive us and destroy our lives--both now and forever. Let’s repent, change our minds, turn from our sins, and walk in holiness and obedience to God, so that our lives are not just earthy safe, but eternally safe as well. That being said, life on earth is temporary, but eternity is FOREVER! Let’s not allow impurity (sin) to separate us from a pure God.

“Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.” Hebrews12:14AMPC

We are stewards, not owners!

If we pay attention to people around the world via TV, social media, on our jobs, and even within the body of Christ, we will see that many of them are living as if there is no eternity after this earthly life we’re now living. What we need to know is that nothing on this earth is forever and that we all have an expiration date. Many of us have not even fathomed in our minds that what we have materially is “ONLY” for our time here on earth and with every tangibly possession, we are only stewards of them; not owners. That includes our gifts, talents, and all abilities.

What is a steward? Someone who gets to maintain and oversee the property or affairs that belong to someone else. In this case, we as people get to maintain the property and affairs that God blesses us with or permit us to have for such a time as this. However, we should never become so endowed with people, material things, possessions, and the likes to the point where we’ve allowed it all to take us away from God. How is that possible you ask? By allowing such to become first place in our life, when first place always belongs to God. When the Father is moved out of first place, whatever takes His place becomes our idol, which enters us into idolatry.

As followers of Christ, we must live knowing that there’s a bigger picture. And while having nice things, titles, etc., which are clearly okay with God, we can’t take any of it with us when we leave this world. Can we imagine spending our whole life accomplishing great works, but never spent time getting to know God? And when we don’t know Him, we are unprepared for life after death.

Here’s the thing: we get to steward over everything God provides for us with (and the things we get on our own) here on Earth. If we were owners, we would be able to take everything we have with us, even after death. To bring even more clarity to the table, we don’t even own ourselves! We’re even stewards over our bodies, the air we breath, our time, and money. We are not our own! We were brought with a price by the precious blood of Jesus, on the cross for our sins.

Here’s what the Word of God says:

* For we have brought nothing into the world, so [it is clear that] we cannot take anything out of it, either. 1 TIMOTHY‬ ‭6:7‬ ‭AMP‬‬

* Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body. 1 CORINTHIANS‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭AMP‬‬

* For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] life [in the kingdom of God]? Matthew‬ ‭16:26‬ ‭AMPC‬

* For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 1 John‬ ‭2:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In addition, we must make time to reconnect ourselves back to God because the world as we know is not getting better, but our relationship with the Lord can. In order for that happen, we must give God back His rightful place as number one in our lives and take our confidence and dependence out of our physical advantages, outward privileges, and external appearances (see Philippians 3:3-10). We Believers have the responsibility of maximizing our time here on earth by doing what God created and called us to do (and do it His way) because tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us; not even the next second.

The Word of the Lord says “we’re merely a vapor (like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot) that is visible for a little while and then vanishes into thin air (see JAMES‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭AMP‬‬). With that being said, we must become and remain great stewards over God blessings and opportunities. Because when our number is called, we are instantly disconnected from everything and everyone on this earth. That’s reassuring that we are stewards and not owners. Eternity is a everlasting! Do you know where you’re going? Just remember, we don’t own anything here, we’re only stewards.

P.S. If you want to get your life back in alignment with the Father and understand His ways in a practical and revelatory way, purchase your copy of my book, God’s Mind on the Matter at michaelmoorerbooks.com.