Forgiveness – Jesus ~ Amazing Grace!

Are You Ready to go Home with Jesus?

If Jesus Comes Tomorrow…What Then?

ALL Scriptures: KJV

John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.⁴And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Please keep in mind as you read this blog, that the song that I’m quoting verses from isn’t exactly correct when it comes to theology, but it does ask some pretty direct and critical questions. The questions are designed to make us think about our relationship with Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach.

This is the 1st line of a “humbling” song that I discovered on YouTube: “If Jesus comes tomorrow to spend some time with you…would you answer all His questions or lie to hide the truth?”

We all should know that there’s nothing that can be hid from Jesus – Yeshua, but is it possible that you should ever be so unwise as to think that you could? The Bible starts with the first two humans Adam and Eve trying to hide from God in the Garden of Eden when they’d sinned and unfortunately for mankind, their sin not only brought them loss of righteousness and separation from God; at the end of the day it brought them and the entire world the death sentence.

Hebrews 4:12-14 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Jeremiah 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

The 2nd line of the song: “Would you welcome Him with open arms or even let Him in? If Jesus comes tomorrow, what then?”

Are you ready? Have you forgiven your family members, friends or acquaintances of perceived wrongs…have you asked their forgiveness or forgiven yourself? Will Jesus find you rejoicing in His love and peace or will He find you angry, tired, and in conflict with yourself and others? Will He find you sharing your faith with the weak and the lost? Is there anything in your life that you regret? Is there anything in your life that you have not repented of? Is there anything in your life that could keep you from sitting at the feet of Jesus? Are you allowing this world to keep you from the Light of Christ?

John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Collosians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

The 3^rd’ line of the song: “If Jesus calls your number, could you leave today? Are you ready to lay down your worldly goods and walk away?”

No one knows when Jesus will be coming back for His Church/Bride, but we do know that He is…He has told us to be prepared…He will arrive when we least expect it. His return to rapture His church is imminent, but He makes it clear that only the Father knows when that is going to happen. Have you allowed your love of the world to get in the way of your walk with God? Are you doing your best with the last moments of your life to serve Him, to share Him, to bring as many people to Him as possible before the end comes?

Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Mark 8:35-36 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.³⁶For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

The 4^th line of the song: “Would it take a month of Sundays, to tell Him of your sin? If Jesus comes tomorrow, what then?”

1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Heavenly Father gave us a way out, but because we have a way out do we continue to sin? God Forbid!

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

John 8:7-11 When a woman was about to stoned as an adulteress, Jesus was there: So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.⁸And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.⁹And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.¹⁰When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?¹¹She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

When Jesus – Yeshua said “Sin no more”… my heart tells me that He meant you know when the flesh is leading you to where you shouldn’t go, so it’s your place to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and then you do your best to “sin no more” as Jesus commands us. Ask yourself these questions: Do you recognize your own sin? Do you blame your sins on others? Do you enjoy your sin? Are you so wrapped up in “ME” and the world that you don’t see your sin for what it is? The Apostle Paul said many time in regard to sin: “God Forbid”!

The entire Bible from the beginning to the end addresses sin. From the Garden of Eden and through all the words of Jesus in the New Testament, it’s made clear that God, our Father, abhors sin. This is why He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, to cloak us in His righteousness because He knew that man could not live without sinning. It’s also true that the Old Testament focus is more pointed toward sin than the New Testament, but that still doesn’t mean that you should sin “willfully”. I want you to notice that Jesus – Yeshua didn’t preach fire and brimstone to the people, but His language was absolutely clear when He did preach about sin. Jesus knows that you know when you sin, so he doesn’t hold it over you or accuse you…but I do believe He expects you to repent and turn the other direction from your sin.

Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

I believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and that Jesus – Yeshua, my Lord and Savior will bring me home to the Father’s house before the sky turns black as midnight. But for those of you who don’t believe in Pre-Trib or for that matter, those of you who don’t know what to believe or possibly you don’t believe at all…this 5th verse is for you. The people of the church are the Body of Christ, His church is not a building and in the last days, He will not leave His body behind to be destroyed by the evil of the earth or the wrath of God! He saved Noah and his family from the flood and Lot and His Family from the hail and brimstone that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah. They didn’t have to suffer the wrath of God, so I believe He will save His body – His Bride the Church and take us home to the dwelling that He’s been preparing for us for the last 2000 years and this will happen before He deals with the the last 7 years that was promised during the time of Daniel the Prophet.

The 5^th line of the (chorus) song: If the sky turns black as midnight in the middle of the day

The following verses tell us that the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. I remember when Mt. St. Helens, a volcano in Washington state blew it’s top…it was an eerie feeling as I watched out the window and the darkness rolled in like a tidal wave…of course, the news had informed us that it was the result of the volcano blowing up and the cloud of ash headed our way…so it wasn’t scary, but it certainly was unexpected. I personally believe that if you have given your heart to Jesus and are born again, you will never see the scenario of the following scriptures. The Pre-tribulation Rapture will rescue us from the wrath…but for those who aren’t believers you need to think about and be warned about what lies ahead!

Ezekiel 32:7 “And when I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud And the moon will not give its light.

Isaiah 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

The 6^th line of the (chorus) song: “And somehow you knew that Jesus would soon be on His way”

When Jesus is on His way to rescue us from the wrath that is about to befall all unbelievers on this earth, we will be caught up to Heaven and to the Father’s House to be protected. The reason I believe this to be the case is because Jesus loves us and HE already paid the price for our sins. He isn’t going to allow His Church/Bride to be beat up! Yes, we may face many trials in this life, but he sent the Holy Spirit to be our comfort and the Holy Spirit lives inside the people who make up his church. The 1st seal cannot be broken and the antichrist cannot come to power until the Spirit or comforter is removed from the earth. Since the Holy Spirit lives in the believer, HE WILL NOT Abandon you or me!

When people believe that the Rapture and the 2nd coming of the Lord are the same scenario, they don’t recognize that when we’re raptured, Jesus – Yeshua meets us in the clouds as a Bridegroom embracing His Bride and at the 2nd coming He comes to the earth as a Lion of Judah to take back the earth and to sit on His throne as the King, the sovereign ruler of ALL.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

**1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.**

The 7^th line of the (chorus) song: “Would you have to beg forgiveness or could you reach out and take His hand”

Have you noticed in the Gospels of the Bible that when Jesus puts out His hand and touches someone, they are immediately healed from sickness, deformity and even death! How foolish of us not to take the hand that He offers us…there’s no strings attached to His gift of LOVE! All we have to do is believe that He’s the Son of God and that He died for our sins and rose from the dead! When you do this with all sincerity in your heart (God knows our Hearts!), you will be saved and will receive the gift of eternal life!

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

The verse in Matthew 7:14 leads me to believe that there will be many who don’t reach out and take His hand or accept His invitation!

If Jesus comes to- morrow, what then?

If you have the time to listen to this song, it’s very beautiful and the young man really does a nice job presenting the song.

God means what He says and says what He means! My hermeneutics are “literal”, however, that being said…study the scriptures yourself and make up your own mind! Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit…

Resurrection!

WE CELEBRATE HIS LIFE! HE LIVES!!!

As Christians, we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ – Yeshua(Hebrew name of Jesus) because we know that He, a Jewish, sinless man, the Son of God; fully God and fully human in every way, feeling pain and sorrow as we do…died on the cross for us, but the Good News is that on the 3rd day He rose from the dead.

You need to keep in mind that the death of Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach wasn’t the tragedy that some people make it out to be…it was a “TRIUMPH”. His death and resurrection was the convergence of a plan that Jesus and Our Father in Heaven had worked out before the foundations of the world. That being said, what He suffered physically and mentally in our behalf in order to pay the price for our sins is beyond anything we can imagine. It’s absolutely impossible for us to feel the magnitude of His pain and sorrow as it was caused by an entire world of sin both then and now. Because of the sin that covered Jesus, Heavenly Father couldn’t even look upon Him…why…because sin is abominable to our Holy God. However, if we genuinely feel pain, regret and sorrow when we recognize our own sin and confess and repent from sinning we can ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we become believers we have so much to be thankful for…Jesus was put on the cross by His own hand and died for us because He loves us that much, and now He intercedes for us with the Father. He covered our sins with HIS BLOOD and He bore the “wrath of God” that should have been ours and would have been ours to bare if it hadn’t been for His “LOVE” for us.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

After 3 days in the grave, Yeshua Ha Mashiach means “Jesus the Messiah” rose from the dead and gave the whole world his grace and peace. This is a gift that too many of us take lightly…it’s not only for us who are Christians…it’s for ALL…to be shared generously!

Believing is only the beginning…what happens after that is up to you…believing that on the cross Jesus endured the wrath of God to save us from our sins should be your wake-up call and the beginning of you taking steps towards a life that shows the world who you belong to and to share the gift of our Salvation.

There are many steps, but here are 3 to start your journey:

1. Truly repent, accept Jesus – Yeshua is the son of God and your Savior and give your life over to our Redeemer Jesus Christ…then share your belief in your Salvation by the Grace of God with everyone you meet. Display your faithfulness in words, actions and deeds.

2. Get to know your Heavenly Father through His “WORD”, spend time with Him every day asking that His will be done in your life so that you can serve Him.

Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.

3. Be still and listen desiring the Holy Spirit to make changes in your heart so that you can walk nearer to God in every aspect of your life and obey Him.

Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Time is short…we don’t know when Jesus will return, but we do know that He will. In the meantime, He asked us to share the Gospel with everyone we come in contact with as well as reaching out to those we don’t know. When we choose Jesus as our Savior he expects us to intercede on His behalf with those who are “lost” and don’t realize that the wonderful gift of Salvation can be theirs.

Matthew 29:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

WOE, WOE, WOE!

Scriptures tell us…. “WOE” is not a good thing!

Mark 14:21 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.

Most of the prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel used the term “WOE” frequently; the Blue Letter Bible website tells us that “woe” OR “woes“occurs 107 times in 98 verses in the KJV. Jesus used the term “WOE” 8 times in Matthew 23

https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?criteria=woe+OR+woes&t=KJV

Link to the Blue Letter Bible Website…very useful when studying Scripture.

WOE is generally the precursor to God’s Divine Judgement! Especially in the Old Testament, God says WOE to the inhabitants of Jerusalem when they worshiped Idols, the Philistines recognized WOE unto them when they had stolen the Ark of the Covenant, Job also stated that sin leads to WOE and in Revelation…WOE, WOE, WOE is a familiar phrase when the Angels declare the wrath of God.

The following are some definitions and uses of WOE:

The Dictionary of Bible Themes categorizes the uses of the word woe in the Bible: “Woe as an exclamation of judgment on others,” Woe means “grief, anguish, affliction, wretchedness, calamity, or trouble.” “Woe as an exclamation of misfortune on oneself,” “Woe as an exclamation of sadness over others,” “Woe may give way to forgiveness, comfort, and deliverance” Zondervan, 1999).Matthew 26:23–25 “The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

Anyway you look at it, it was a desperate time for the man Judas or as Jesus referred to him as “a devil”.

John 6: 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver back to the chief priests when he heard that Jesus was condemned; he realized that he’d betrayed innocent blood.

Romans 3: 10-18 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
“Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Mark 14:21 is a clear reference to Judas and what was to follow when Judas betrayed Jesus. A man who’s destiny was to be intertwined with and is integral to “the story of salvation of us ALL when Yeshua shed His blood for our atonement and died on the cross for our sins”.

It’s not my place to say whether or not Judas is in Heaven or Hell and to be sure I’m not advocating for Judas, just like YOU and ME, he has only one advocate – Jesus – Yeshua. However, like all of us, he had the freedom to choose good or evil. Obviously Judas chose evil!

The purpose of this blog is to wake us up to the fact that consciously or unconsciously we are all guilty of judging our fellowman. If we go to the Scriptures, we find Jesus’s words and also in a letter to the Romans written by the Apostle Paul speaking to this matter:

Matthew 7:1-2 Judge not, that ye be not judged.²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Luke 6:37-38 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:³⁸Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Romans 14:10-12 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.¹¹For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.¹²So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

We all need to think twice before we take it upon ourselves to judge someone when ultimately we have NO RIGHT to make a judgement. We have only “ONE JUDGE” and he knows the content of our hearts. He alone only knows whether or not there is “true repentance” and He alone can judge fairly.

Judas had been able to hide his deceit from the other Apostles, but Jesus knew his heart and when Mary, the sister of Martha anointed him with fragrant expensive oil, Jesus knew why Judas was making a fuss about it:

John 12:5-6 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? ⁶This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

During the “Last Supper” before Jesus was crucified as the Passover Lamb, He stated clearly that there was one who was eating with them that would betray Him.

When Judas left Jesus – Yeshua and the disciples at the last Supper, he went to the Chief Priests to seek payment or reward for the betrayal of Jesus.

Matthew 26:11-14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, ¹⁵And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Matthew 26:21-25 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. ²²And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? ²³And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.²⁴The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.²⁵Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

Admittedly, there is NO ONE more guilty of shedding innocent blood as Judas was, it’s beyond us to think that we know whether or not, Jesus – Yeshua will intercede for him.

I’ve heard it said by some that Judas was a “pawn” in the scheme of the plan of God, but I prefer to believe that God does not use us as pawns, but as with His faithful servant Job, God will allow Satan to work his wiles on us, but only to a point and ultimately, we have been given the freedom to choose whom we will follow.

John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Seek Ye the LORD While You Can!

Time is running out!

Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Throughout the Scriptures in the both the Old Testament and the New Testament, Heavenly Father is letting us know that He’s there for us, but we need to SEEK HIM! What does that mean? How do you SEEK HIM? First of all…it’s a heart thing – a soul thing and finally it’s a mind thing to search Him out. He’s not hiding from us, this isn’t a game! We must know Him in order to find Him!

Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

2 Chronicles 15:2b The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

The first and best thing that you can do is to get to know him by reading your Bible. He’s provided for us in His WORD everything that we need to know about Him. He expresses to us exactly what He hates and what He loves. He leads us in the path of righteousness and guides us every step of the way…all we have to do is follow Him and listen for His voice. If we SEEK HIM FIRST and CHOOSE to PLEASE HIM we make better life choices, we will have a different attitude about everyone around us and people will say: what happened to him or her?. When you Seek and Allow God to have His Presence in your life, you’ll become forever changed and people around you will notice the change. The Holy Spirit will come to reside in you and with every breath you take, you’ll become more like Jesus – Yeshua.

Psalm 14:2 the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

Don’t you see that every morning when you wake up that this world is becoming a darker place and day by day mankind falls deeper and deeper into sin? Can’t you see that sin has become such a “normal” part of the human existence that we no longer recognize just how horrible it is and how much our Holy God – Heavenly Father hates sin? He’s held back the tide of His punishment for thousands of years! You ask WHY? The answer is simple and right to the point…because He LOVES us! Because He doesn’t want to feel the pain and anguish that He suffered when He destroyed the world and everything in it with a flood!

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Did you read that? Heavenly Father doesn’t want anyone to perish! We see how the world is doing its best to drown out the light, so we as followers of Him must PUT HIM FIRST in our LIVES! Everything we do and think must be for HIS Glory…not for ours! There are many of us who are crying out to the LORD to come and put an end to the suffering of those who Love Him and Follow Him. But can’t you see that we need to humble ourselves? That we need to fall to our knees, turn away from our wicked ways so that He will forgive OUR SINS! We need to recognize that we too are the problem!

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The previous Scripture was spoken to the Israelites, but we are now the children of God too! So if we want to clean up the United States of America or any other place in this world, we can’t expect politicians to do it, we can’t expect the New World Order to make things better, we can’t expect the local authorities to clean it up! We can’t expect the church to do it because most people think of the church as a place you go on Sunday for 90 minutes or so a week.

Acts 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

As Christians we have taken HIS NAME…the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! As the followers of Jesus – Yeshua we must recognize that God made us for His Glory and listen to and follow the instructions given to us in His Word. We must separate ourselves from what is going on in this world and ask God what He desires of us…how He would like us to serve Him. How we can Glorify Him? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God wants us to pursue our dreams, he told us to be fruitful and fill the earth. It says that when we face judgement, we will be rewarded according to our “fruits”. ALL throughout the Bible it tells us the story of how HE pursues us, forgives us when we repent from our sins and ultimately He came to this earth to serve mankind and then died to save us from our sins.

We say we are covered in the Blood of Jesus – Yeshua, but we don’t often give the impression that this is the truth. If your neighbors were subpoenaed to testify against you in a court of law would there be enough evidence to convict you as a Christian? If not…WHY NOT? If you’re not walking in the WILL of GOD, then who’s will are your walking in? The Worlds Will? Satan is in charge of the World! Heavenly Father is Sovereign over all, but he warns us many times in His WORD that Satan is the ruler of this world: Satan is the force behind the darkness and the evil that envelopes the majority. Satan is the force behind divorce, lust, abortion, addiction and everything that goes against the WORD of GOD. Satan is out to devour and destroy us and many of us are giving him the opportunity to do so!

Jesus warns us in the Gospels as well as Revelation that the end will come, Satan and his followers are defeated and the battle will be beyond anything that we can imagine. Blood up to the horses bridles for 1600 furlongs –

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

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

The Scriptures tells us that NO ONE is without SIN…the preachers and followers of Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach are walking in sin too! So if we’re not LOVING GOD and our NEIGHBOR with all of our hearts, and if we are not obedient to Heavenly Father and if we’re not sharing the Gospel of Jesus – Yeshua, we are like the white washed sepulchers that Jesus – Yeshua described:

Matthew 23:27-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.²⁸Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Those of us who spend our time pointing out that this is a sin or that is a sin…or that this person or that person is on the wrong path needs to wake up! We have to straighten our own path and clean up our own personal swamp! We need to REPENT! REPENT! REPENT! We need to PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! We need to ask forgiveness for our sins and we need to forgive those who sin against us! Then we have to give it all up to Heavenly Father.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

We need to SHARE the GOSPEL with everyone we can while there’s still time!

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Luke 18:7-8 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

Revelation 2:16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.

Revelation 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Revelation 22:12 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Luke 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

Yes! Time is Running Out! Choose your side! Choose LIGHT or choose darkness! Choose Heaven or Hell! Decide now who you are going to seek guidance and approval from. No matter where you’re at in this life, if your truly seek the LORD in Faith, Trust and with a genuine willingness of heart and mind, YOU WILL FIND HIM!

Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Important Guidelines for Life Part 3

Reflecting the Image of our Creator:

Mind Your Temper: Everyone has become angry at one time or another, it’s a natural human emotion. Do you blow up over the smallest of incidents? Instead of allowing yourself to feel grief, fear or pain, instead you feel anger? Do you wake up in the morning and you’re already angry?

Before I get deep into the scriptures, I want to remind you that there’s such a thing as righteous anger, such as the time when Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and animal sellers who were defiling the Temple of God.

Matthew 21:12-13 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,¹³And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

One of God’s attributes is that He’s slow to anger:

Psalm 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/04/13/knowing-god-and-obeying-the-gospel-pt-1/

However, I’m not going to address righteous anger until a future blog article. Of course, anger in itself it no sin, it’s the results of the uncontrolled reaction that I’m talking about – that destructive Satanic force that once it’s been unleashed, it can lead us to sin and woefully, it’s the destroyer of your peace and without peace we’re unable to live the loving and fruitful life as disciples of Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach.

When Cain murdered Abel, he was angry at his brother and also at God! When Esau threatened Jacob’s life, he was also angry to the point of sin (murder), so Jacob had to flee for his life. Moses became angry with the Israelites and struck the rock to get water instead of speaking to it as God commanded him to do and because God saw it as a lack of faith, it cost him entry into the “Promised Land”. All of these cases and many more in the Bible ended badly for the people involved. This is why it’s so important to recognize and learn how to control your anger.

When a person becomes uncontrollably angry, very often they become hurtful and find themselves saying things that they otherwise wouldn’t even think! Then before you know it, everyone is angered…it’s almost like a contagious disease as it can spread to anyone close enough to either feel the brunt of it or believe that they should try to calm the other person down. Sometimes anger can turn in to a grudge against the other person or persons and then it’s not only turned on those around them, but it’s now turned inward on themselves. People have a tendency to hold grudges for a lifetime and just think what that does to their salvation.

I’m going to share Scriptures that will encourage you to control your anger. Scriptures that will bring you peace:

First of all, you need to confess to Heavenly Father that you know that you have a problem with anger and ask Him for his help. Then turn to your Bible and have the faith that He will change you! Depend on the “WORD” of God for your strength as we truly have no strength without Him.

https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/05/03/the-plan-of-salvation/

Biblical Definition: Anger is a strong feeling of being upset or annoyed because of something wrong or bad. When anger turns into wrath, it can cause you to sin.

Scriptures are from the KJV – King James Version of the Bible.

Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Colossians 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

Choose LIFE – Not Death!

Do you live every single day of your life for Jesus?

If not, isn’t today the day to start?

John 12:26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Do you want to turn away from your sin? Do you want to not just turn, but RUN away from your sin? If this is the case, you’re most likely feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Do you know which way to run? Do you feel that you’re not good enough because of the sinful life that you’ve lived and that possibly there’s no turning back? I sincerely plead with you to run to the arms of Salvation – Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach! He didn’t just start loving you yesterday or today, HE has ALWAYS loved you! He’s waiting for you to give your life to Him. He gave His life on the cross for ALL Sinners…not just the ones who sit in church on Sunday.

This is a quote from a southern Baptist Pastor Adrian Rogers: “Holiness is not the way to Christ. Christ is the way to holiness.”

You cannot clean up your life without Him! Christ’s blood on the cross washed away the sins of those who believe and trust in Him. So if you are reading this and you haven’t already done it, I beg you to fall on your knees and repent from your sins, ask his forgiveness and trust HIM to do the rest. I’m not saying you won’t have weak moments, I’m saying when you do, pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you. The following Scripture should help you to realize that you’re not alone!

Romans 3:10-12 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. ¹¹There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.¹²All have turned away; all alike have become useless.There is no one who does what is good, not even one.

Until you are born again, the Scripture you just read from Romans 3 describes the plight of mankind.

Being born again means giving up your old life to live a new life through Christ Jesus. Becoming a born again Christian might sound difficult, but God has made it easy for his faithful to come to him. By accepting Christ, you can come before God and be born again.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and we are covered by the righteousness of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

When the first man Adam disobeyed God, his sin became a DEATH PENALTY for the entire world! Then the second Adam (Jesus -Yeshua) the son of God, came to earth as a man, HE satisfied the DEATH PENALTY so those who believe and trust in Him don’t have to suffer eternal damnation.

John 17:3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.

The Deceitful Heart

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?

According to Romans 7 Paul tells us that recognizing sin is the beginning of the battle (Satan doesn’t give up easily). If Paul, a chosen apostle of Christ, has a struggle with sin, just think about how difficult it must be and how we must give in completely to the Holy Spirit in order to be led away from the desires of the flesh.

Romans 7:18-23 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. ¹⁹For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me. ²¹So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. ²²For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law. ²³But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.

Do you continue in sin and grieve the Holy Spirit?

James 4:7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.

Do you hate your sin? God Hates SIN too! But HE LOVES YOU!

Luke 15:10 Jesus tells us “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

When you recognize your sin, do you ask forgiveness?

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Ephesians 5:8-11 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:⁹(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)¹⁰Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.¹¹And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

1 John 1:5-6 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.

1 John 3:6-7 Everyone who remains in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him.⁷Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

Keep this thought in the forefront of your mind if you’re not yet ready to give your ALL to Jesus – Yeshua today! The Gift of Grace will not last forever, the Scriptures tell us that there will be a day when it’s too late. Also keep in mind that today or even the next moment may be the last of your life…do you want to risk burning in HELL?

Matthew 25:41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!

Matthew 25:46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Revelation 22:11 Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy go on being made filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; and let the holy go on being made holy.”

Where is Your Focus? What is the END ALL – BE ALL of your life?

In the Light of Eternity…what are you striving for?

What are you choosing to chase in this life? What brass ring are you reaching out for? What are you throwing away that is more valuable than all the gold on this earth?

I’m quoting Scriptures from the King James Version of the Bible.

There’s absolutely nothing more important in this life than relationships. MOST especially your relationship with Jesus and your Father in Heaven! I’m here to tell you that following Jesus isn’t about religion…following Jesus is about relationship. Our relationship with Jesus is the only relationship that gives us all the opportunity to change our lives as well as someone else’s life for eternity. We’ve all been put on this earth by the creator…God…Our Heavenly Father to advance the Kingdom of God and that through Jesus Christ, His Son, we may all be saved and given the Crown of Life on judgement day.

Once you’ve formed your relationship with Jesus Christ then the focus of your life should be to point your fellowman to Him. If you haven’t already done it…then start today to care about your relationship with Jesus more than all others and once you know that He is where your heart is…start the process of prioritizing your life! Be generous with your time and your money and then most all of your relationship issues that you may think you have will dissolve and fade away into the past where they belong.

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: ³²And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

It’s never too late to look back at past relationships that are broken, such as a friend or family member that you haven’t spoken to for a time, possibly because of a moment of pride or disrespect. It’s never too late to say thank you to the people who have made a difference in your life. Being humble is the example that Jesus set for us in…Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly (humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. What does it mean to be humble? I believe it means don’t put yourself or your desires above those of others. Jesus tells us in Matthew 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Sadly… an example of the lack of humbleness is the “ME” generation; but I’m not just talking millenials here! Every generation that I’ve known since the generation that survived the depression is standing pretty solid on the “ME” platform. I know so many men and women that have put their career ahead of family. They worked overtime to afford the new car or the big house not because it was needed by the family, but it was needed as a status symbol…another marker of success. I know of people who even put sports events ahead of family time. I’ve heard the saying, it’s TGIF, so it’s Friday night beer time, so what…I worked all week, I have the right. Then Saturday comes and we work in the house and in the yard all day and when Saturday evening comes along, we deserve a few cocktails instead of taking time that could have been spent with their children just enjoying each other. And the next thing you know they’re walking down paths that you don’t approve of and the parents are asking…what happened? I’ve heard them say: we gave them everything! Yes…they did give them everyTHING, but not what they needed…they needed a relationship with their parents who have a relationship with Jesus. I’m quite certain that most of us can look back and see these “ME” moments in people around us as well as “ME” moments within ourselves. Now if you’re the child of one of these parents, then you need to forgive, if they’re still living, you need to mend the relationship. If they’re already gone, you need to let go and forgive the past. If you’re a parent and see yourself in this description, now is the time to let your children (even grown up children) know that you’re sorry and that you want to change…in other words, you need to humble yourself to your child. Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

It’s never too late to humble yourself with others, just as Jesus came to earth and humbled himself for us. Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

In the Light of Eternity…how are you spending your time?

Psalm 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

If you are allowed to live the 70 years that God says he gives us that’s 25,550 days (613,200 hours) and if you’re particularly healthy and live to 80 years that’s 29,200 days (700,800 hours). Keep in mind that you sleep approximately 1/3 of this time. So once again, I ask…how are you spending your time? Every hour you live, you’re making a withdrawal and it’s not like a bank account…you can’t deposit time back in, you can only make time withdrawals. If you haven’t thought about it before, maybe the numbers will wake you up. If you’re 30 years old, you only have 14,600 days left before you’re 70 years old.

Does this put a new perspective on the value of your time? If you don’t like what you’ve just realized, then WAKE UP and make a decision right now to change it. Think about the hours that you waste on Social Media. Think about the hours you waste texting and looking stuff up on your cell phone. Think about the hours you spend watching television shows. Think about the hours you spend reading fiction books. Think about the hours you’ve spent trying to solve a problem because you couldn’t humble yourself to ask for help. Think about the time you spend dwelling on the past. Think about the time you waste worrying about what others may think about you. Think about the time you waste trying to sort out a problem instead of giving it up to God.

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. JUST PRAY about it asking for God’s help in the name of Jesus and then make a conscience decision to let go and give it up to God.

Now that you’ve figured out how you don’t want to spend your time, you need to decide how you do want to spend your time. I know most of you dislike the idea of it when someone says make a list…but I’m telling you that’s a good place to start. A list of things that will give you time to know God and also to bring quality moments with family into the time you have left.

Now keep in mind! When I talk 70 or 80 years, I’m talking “best case” scenario. More than 150,000 people die everyday! Do you think they woke up this morning and said today is my day to die? I don’t think so…but we need to live everyday like it’s our last…with NO regrets! Most important of all have you taken the time to repent and ask Jesus to be your Savior? https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/05/03/the-plan-of-salva tion/

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” We don’t know when He’s coming back, but we do know that we need to be ready. We need to be able to stand before him with clean hands and a pure heart. We need to take the time to prioritize HIM to number one in our lives and everyone we care about and everyone around us will recognize His love in us. https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/05/06/clean-hands-and-a-pure-heart/

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Love & Forgiveness ~ Parents

This world is full of pain because we say that we can’t or won’t forgive one another for either a wrong or a perceived wrong. Through the Love of GOD, forgiveness has the power to restore and forgiveness opens the door to a new life and LOVE! LOVE and FORGIVENESS walk hand in hand! Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

PLEASE forgive one another! Time is short! Today could be the last day of your life! Around 150,000 people on this earth die everyday! Don’t let your lack of forgiveness not only be a chasm between you and your fellow man, but it will also become a chasm between you and Heavenly Father! Pay heed to Jesus’s words.. Mark 11:26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. If you carefully read those scriptures…he’s said the exact same thing from two different angles. FORGIVE!!!

How many of us hold a grudge against our parents and blame them for the failures we have in this life? When things go wrong, they become our scapegoat. How many of us give praise to our parents for our successes? When things go right we claim all the credit. How many of us actually think about the fact that without this particular pair of parents…we wouldn’t be here or who we are today? If you’re blaming your parents for everything that goes wrong in your life…then it’s long past time to forgive! It’s also time for you to realize that they weren’t necessarily supposed to be “perfect”! If you’re a Christian, you know and believe that God’s plan is perfect from beginning to end. If anything, we are the ones who throw the wrench in His plans…simply because He’s given us freedom of choice and WE make the wrong choices.

The parents or parent we have are who God chose for us to help make us into the human beings that we are today. If you’re not measuring up…take a good look at yourself! What can you do to change your life for the better? I believe that you can start by giving your Life to Jesus as we are to LIVE for GOD! HE DIED for US! Once you’ve given your life over to Jesus, you will find continual change going on within yourself and because of this change, people around you will change too and they will see you with different eyes. When you LIVE for JESUS, HIS light will shine inside you for the whole world to see.

God calls us to be salt and light, to stand out in the crowd. What better way to do so then to do something so utterly unheard-of and counter-cultural like loving one another regardless of the hurt…Jesus taught us to pray “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”. Displaying this Christ-like love in today’s hate-filled world will force people to take notice and wonder who or what could compel us to love each other in this way.