Michelle Bentham

Somehow, for the most part, our parents and grandparents managed to disagree with their neighbors and still remain neighborly.

1 John 5:18...

This verse describes the confidence a believer has when they live consistently from faith in the truth and righteousness of Christ.

Notice I said live from faith, not strive to achieve. Here's the thing, a life surrendered to His Lordship by faith will be sensitive to sin when the Holy Spirit convicts us.

We should daily practice 1 John 1:9, confessing any known sins and allowing God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Through confession, we create vulnerability with God and awareness of the places we tend to fall short if righteousness -- the Holy Spirit convicts believers of righteousness (John 16:8-11).

Jesus came to save you -- not condemn you, that is what He said to Nicodemus in their midnight session recounted in John 3.

And, if this is true... The what he writes in 1 John 5:18 is also true. That one who is born of God (us) does not make a lifestyle of sin, but Jesus (the ONE born of God) keeps us and the enemy cannot touch us.

What would it be like to put up a no trespassing sign in our yard and tell the enemy he has to get to stepping?

Not irreverently, but through the finished work of Jesus Christ deny him any further influence in our lives. What would living that way mean to us?

It requires intentional obedience -- a long obedience in the same direction -- and intentional daily surrender to the pattern of Christ who forgave those who mocked, scorned, and crucified Him. Jesus, who sought to seek and save even those who would reject Him. Jesus, who washed the feet if His betrayer even as He knew what He would do.

The enemy has no right to influence, assault, or have access to our lives unless there is some lie we believe, an unhealed wound that is open, or life patterns of sin we've not yet closed the door on.

Proverbs teaches us that the legal rights of the enemy in our lives give him access, but a curse without a cause cannot alight.

We should not resign ourselves to greater attacks of the enemy bringing calamity because the Kingdom is advancing. Instead, we should put on the full armor of God and fight the good fight of faith -- overcoming sin, the world, and destroying the works of the devil so that Jesus gets everything He paid for to set us free.

Kingdom Focused Ministries Michelle Newsom Bentham

So much is happening - We've been moving to a new location at Michelle Bentham Creates LLC. I'm excited to share more with you in the weeks to come.

I am preparing to teach 1 & 2 Timothy later this month in my next Bible study offering, and I am deeply moved by Paul’s treatise in 1 Timothy 1 about the false teachers — He identifies them as teachers who are stirring up speculations, arguments, and division in the body by teaching “strange doctrines” (which I understand to be contrary to the Gospel), as well as mythologies, genealogies, and ultimately tied to their pride-filled desire to actually be TEACHERS of the LAW!

As I read this, I cannot help but think of the current state of both Christian Celebrity Leader Culture AND, by extension, the OPPOSITE EXTREME: Christian CALL OUT Cancel Culture. Both extremes are dangerous because they lead us astray from the overflowing love of God found in His Gospel, the pure heart motives governed by moral integrity and a clean conscience, and a sincere faith that results in heart change and genuine belief in Christ’s truth that transforms and frees us.

So why would we prefer to listen to the latest Call Out or clamor to our favorite preachers, teachers, and… MOVEMENT. Why would we not desire to help people seek that love, pure heart, and sincerely faith-filled response? A response that results in secure attachment to a loving Father who not only heals, but also strengthens, redeems, and completes us. Why do we cling to the cancel culture call outs that also function outside the parameters of scripture in their response. Teaching the law over grac,e and questioning repentance when it is being walked out publicly.

I do believe that some of this is necessary, but those who seem to be smug and glorying in the fall of others. That smacks me all kinds of wrong ways.

I do call for elders, leaders, and pastors across the body of Christ to examine their hearts, and the actions of their leaders. To publicly repent of ungodly actions and policies that injure people and protect leaders and abusers within the body of Christ. But, I am not going to bash them and then bash them again and again. Like some I have seen. My heart aches and breaks on every side of this conversation. For the victims, for the body of Christ which is suffering as one part suffers so we all suffer, and for those leaders who have been led astray in this western culture institutional church that is rapidly becoming an old wineskins that is being destroyed by new wine.

The pride of standing on the street corner and beating our chests saying we are not like those sinners over there must end.

All this muck and mire being exposed in the church? Leaves us stuck, damaged, divided and victimized.

Lord, have mercy and bring healing to Your and forgive us when we know not what we do.

I’m weary of the arguments, speculations, accusations, and divisive nature of if you don’t see this the way I do you must be evil. Weary. Does it mean leaders or abusive individuals harming the body should not be called out? Absolutely not… But when we are smug, arrogant, and outright unashamedly opposing individuals because we disagree on doctrines that are secondary to the Gospel — the
Laws of our interpretations of scripture apart from Christ — I believe we have missed the mark.

We must protect the vulnerable, abused, and exploited, but we also must protect unity within the body of Christ. And so much of what is happening in the Christian Celebrity and Call Out Cancel Culture is speculation, argumentative, unkind. Law-based judgments, and unloving triggered activism that needs to STOP. FULL STOP.

In Jeremiah, the prophet writes that the Lord held it against the Shepherds that they dealt with the wounds of the people slightly, declaring peace, peace when there was in fact NO PEACE. Have we, as the body of Christ, become those same kind of shepherds, allowing the sheep in our midst to be injured without even drawing attention to the fact that they are suffering in our midst because of the actions of other professing believers?

There has to be a better way, and I pray we find it. We all need to repent with the ways we’ve been complicit or ignorant, and abusers should repent and step away from ministry to make amends for the harm they have caused. I pray the fear of the Lord would meet us all.

When we expect others to fill what only God can, we end up drained and disappointed.
But when our hearts are anchored in Him, love flows without pressure or pretense.
Release the pressure. Embrace grace.
Let God be your source — so you can love others with freedom, not expectation.

🤍Alita🤍

This is wild to me. I just shared i a comment nearly this same thought, and Danny Silk's post about punishment not being Kingdom. The Lord is speaking.

Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection.

1 John 4:18 (tPt)

Givers create beautiful, lasting friendships. They pour out love without expecting anything back.
People give differently — through encouragement, service, prayer.
Also, be willing to graciously receive gifts and help.
When you're a giver, your heart shows up. No checklist, no scoreboard.