Once I asked the Lord how many times will He listen to those who refuse Him. Is it a hundred? A thousand?
How many times?
He answered, If it is an influence, such as demonic, there is no amount. If it is from their heart, I listen once.
We do not know. We have these people in our lives for whatever the reason that we really like and care for.
We must pray for them and cry tears of sadness that they have not yet chosen the Lord.
We also must realize they may not choose to follow the Lord.
Keep preaching the gospel to whoever will listen.
Keep praying for the soil of the heart to be absorbent to God’s word, that it not be stony and unable to accept His word.

It is not easy to be a wheat amongst tares and to grow up together with them.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him,
Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him,
Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,
Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:
but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:24-30

So many we know have decided on their own that they are fine with God,
that God loves them and they can live how they want and do whatever they wish.
They are trusting in their own goodness and not Jesus Christ, the Risen Savior.
They are blinded and deceived.
Pray for opportunities to share the gospel of Christ.
The Lord Jesus has to be the One to reveal to them the truth.
We can pray for their hearts to be prepared.
We can pray for opportunities that we can share the truth with them.

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down,
and the fowls of the air devoured it.
And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.
And when He had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 8:4-8

He who has ears to hear. Another prayer we can pray for them, to have ears to hear.

I’m going to ask one of my loved ones to pray that she has ears to hear.
God is the One who gives the increase.
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6

There are many things that happen in this world that are evil.
it is detestable to God to call them good. God, in His word, has made righteousness very clear.
He has also made evil very clear.
Those who disregard God’s instructions and commands will find themselves on the side of evil.
It may seem harmless, but it is a choice.
Whenever anyone usurps their opinion over God’s word, they are in great danger.
To decide they know more than God or that what God says does not matter is very dangerous.
It might be something they do not answer for while they are here on Earth, but there will come a day
when they will stand before the Creator of Heaven and Earth and will answer for their choices.

Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him?
When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them;
or, Where is the God of judgment? Malachi 2:17

Whether acts are done in secret as though hidden from God or out in the open, in His face,
either way, He will deal with the offenders. Their time shall come where they will face the Lord for their offenses.

Love, patience, gentleness, self control, obedience to what the Lord Jesus asks of us.,
forgiveness, charity, kindness, love, loving your enemies, blessing those who curse you,
sharing the gospel, praying, worshipping our Creator, letting bygones be bygones,
going the extra mile, taming your tongue, avoiding gossip, believing God’s word,
humility, generosity, hospitality, faith, hope, doing good and not evil,
letting God repay others for their deeds, and many many more too numerous to mention.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Colossians 2:23-24

People still get the works of God confused with work in the kingdom.
They also have a hard time understanding that we do not work our way into heaven.
Paul had much to say about works.. So did James. Both were inspirited by the Holy Spirit.
People then and now have had difficulties grasping the concept.
 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Ephesians 2:17
And
Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:9

The scriptures do not contradict each other. It is all about the heart. Why do you work? For others to see?
For others to glorify you? To earn your way into the Kingdom of God? All fleshly reasons are not valid to God.
Ideally, we do what we do out of adoration and love for God.
Ideally, we follow His commandments because He asks us and on a voluntary basis.
We don’t earn our way. Jesus paid it all. It’s quite simple:
Where is your heart? Are your efforts fleshly or spiritual?

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

The treasures of this world fade quickly.
A strand of pearls are lovely and fun to wear.
They can be put away and protected in a safe place.
Maybe a jewelry box.

 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21

The treasures we lay up on Earth will all be destroyed.
The treasures we find in Christ will always be.
The most important treasures in Christ are realizations of Who He is.
Those revelations that permeate our inner person, those treasures about Him that become a part of us.

Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Isaiah 55:6

There are several scriptures that show that Jesus truly is the treasure we are searching for:
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-6

Find the fear of the Lord first and foremost and then do not let it go.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23
How do you buy the truth?
You consider it valuable. You do what it takes to acquire it.
If you do not consider it valuable, you will be lost until you do value it. Maybe forever…

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 tells us to love the truth.
It also tells us what will happen to any of us if we reject the truth:
 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
There is no playing with God. If we reject His word, the truth, which is Jesus, we are condemned.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

We are earthen vessels. Seek after the hidden treasure that only those with eyes to see and ears to hear understand.

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one,
I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. John 21:25

The man of perdition will conduct miracles. People will be amazed.
This is why we must know Jesus Christ, the One who created all things and recognize His heart.
Jesus did not do miracles to impress people. Jesus was always reaching out to the person.
His miracles were from compassion. His miracles were to draw people close to God.
If we do not know Him, we may not be able to tell the difference when we see other miracles.

There is a YouTube channel which documents supernatural happenings.
Some of them are very concerning as they emphasize an angel or other entity and do not exalt Jesus.
That is always the litmus test, who is being exalted? Does Jesus have the preeminence?

Some use the name of Jesus to bring their powerful entity into the realm of Christianity.
That is where it gets confusing. Jesus the Christ is not confused.
He does not know them. He will tell them so at the final day.
Until then, He is letting the wheat and the chaff grow together.
He will separate the wheat from the chaff.
Only they who have been worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth will be left standing.
Those who have not will be burned with fire unquenchable.

Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner;
but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:12

God knows. God cares. He sees what we need. He puts our needs on His calendar.
We are working toward the End of Time. Whatever our part in this world is, it is happening now.
Our days are numbered, our paths carved out, that is, if we decide to walk in Jesus’ way.

Turn not the right neither to the left, but keep your eyes on the prize.
Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Scriptural References:

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:
but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:22

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:27

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

Though some of the commands were outward, such as the burnt offerings which all had a representation of the inward man.
Some would look holy on the outside, but God always looks on the heart.
He sees deeply into the thoughts and the intentions. He is not fooled.

Circumcision was considered one such outward proclamation of dedication to God.
God also said to Abraham, “You must keep My covenant—you and your descendants in the generations after you. 
This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep:
Every male among you must be circumcised. 
You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
Genesis 17:9-11
While it was a covenant between God and His people, it was not just an outward symbol.
Gpd always wants hearts dedicated to Him.
And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed,
to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. Deuteronomy 30:6
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart,
ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it,
because of the evil of your doings. Jeremiah 4:4

Even today, there are outward acts of obedience to God and there are those that honor God from the heart.
Obligation is one such variance. If we are obligated to humans to do something,
but it is not out of obedience to the Lord or done unto the Lord,
it is not optimal. We do what we do to serve the Lord in fullness and love for Him
and our brethren and even for the sake of helping others, but God is always looking on the heart.
Ask yourself:
What are my intentions?
For what purpose am I doing this thing?
Who am I trying to impress?
Who gets the glory?

Remain humble before the Lord Jesus and let Him have the glory.
Jesus said to those who seek the glory of men for themselves:
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Matthew 6:2
A reward from a human or even many humans seems to be a pretty empty reward
when compared to an eternal Heavenly reward.
Two ways to look at things, two different angles.

Several years ago, I saw the cup of wrath that is in God’s hand.
It was full, so full that when He walked with it, it splashed out here and there.
It was close to the time when He would pour it out on the Earth as has been prophesied in His word.

For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at My hand,
and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 
And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad,
because of the sword that I will send among them.
Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink,
unto whom the Lord had sent me: Jeremiah 25:15-17

This is the same God we serve. He does not change.
Sin and rejection of God’s ways bring about Judgment.
We are in the Last Days.

God has given many warnings. He has written about the End Times in His word,
Jesus warned us what would come to pass when He walked on the Earth.
He was warned us, He has told us what to look for. Ecclesiastes 3:11 said:
He hath made every thing beautiful in His time:
also He hath set the world in their heart,
so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
The Greek word is eternity. He hath set eternity in the hearts of men.
Somehow everyone knows there will be an end to the world.

Do not ignore the signs.
He gave warnings to Noah before He flooded the Earth.
He gave warnings of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
He warned Tyre before He caused it to sink.
Many times before, God warned and then He performed His word.
We can expect nothing less.

Paul’s writings remain in question by some. He is a target of those who are heretical.
If we can be deceived into refusing the teachings of Paul,
which were perfectly given to him by the Holy Spirit,
Satan gains a lot of ground. Part of the deception in the End Times.
Do not let that happen to you. Love the truth.

Paul seems to be under attack, yet again.
The Bible has not changed.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

None of this devaluing God’s word by those who are deceived should surprise any of us.
We know God’s word is offensive to the flesh.
Jesus was killed because of the words He spoke.
His word is very powerful and infuriates those who already hate goodness and holiness.
Some even want to destroy it the same way they tried to shut Jesus up by killing Him.
That did not work, of course, and this will not work either.
Since God’s word is an exact representation of Himself, He cannot be destroyed.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35

Satan has been twisting God’s word since the beginning.
This is no surprise to God that the most wicked generation would despise God and His word.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:21

The word of God is alive, sharper than any two-edged sword. It brings about revealing of what is in the heart. These people who hate Paul are hating God.
If you have a problem with what Paul said, take it up with God.
Show Him some humility and remember that His ways are higher,
His thoughts are higher and His word will accomplish what He set it forth to do.
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because,
when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us,
ye received it not as the word of men,
but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13
Without rejection, let His word do work within you.

He said, I am the Lord your God. I am not your friend first. I am not your brother first. I am your Savior first.
I am the One who holds you in My hand. I am the One who nourishes you, who cherishes you.
I am your guide and your comforter. I am the One you can lean on in times of trouble.

Hard times are coming on this earth. I am requiring each of you to follow Me, to stay close to Me.
I am your refuge. Hide under the shadow of My wings.
The earth is convulsing. I am coming soon. Stay close to Me.
Read My word. Memorize My word. Fast as you are able.
Seek Me and don’t expect things to go as you think they should.
I am in control. Trust Me. Lean upon Me says your God.