If you answer “YES” to the following questions you are a Christian!
Do YOU BELIEVE that Jesus is the “Son of God”?
Do YOU BELIEVE that He came into the world and lived a sinless life?
Do YOU BELIEVE that He died on the cross for your sins?
Do YOU BELIEVE that He rose from the dead?
Do you claim Jesus – Yeshua as Your LORD and SAVIOR?
JOHN 3:16
The “moment” YOU BELIEVE, you are saved by the “Grace of God”. There’s nothing you can do to add to or take away from Heavenly Father’s “FREE gift of GRACE”!
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Believing and trust are synonymous. When you put your “trust” in Jesus-Yeshua. You become a “new man or woman” in Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells within you! So ask and allow the Holy Spirit to work inside you so that you can serve our Lord and SAVIOR- Jesus Yeshua with all your heart, mind and soul. Recognize that “all” are made in the image of God and that there’s only one race on this planet…The Human Race. When times get tough, keep in mind that the Lord disciplines you because HE LOVES YOU! You may have to get knocked down in this life so that you learn to “look up”! There’s nothing too big for Jesus-Yeshua to handle…so believe and trust in Him and you will be saved!
To put it in as simple of an explanation as I can…John 3:16-17 is the “GOSPEL“! Those who believe (Christians) are commanded to go into the nations and proclaim the Gospel to all who will hear. The Bible teaches that as the church we are the body of Christ. We are to love the people of the world! When we share the GOSPEL, we bring Glory to God and to His SON! We are here on this earth for this very purpose!
So why do we sit in the Pews on Sunday for 60-90 minutes and console ourselves that we have done our part? Whose “Glory” are we there for…ours or our Father in Heaven? How many hours are there in a week? There are 168 hours in a week! How many of those hours do you spend in “true worship” being amazed by the truths given to us by God? How many of those hours do you spend reading your Bible and getting to know your Father in Heaven? How many of those hours do you spend contemplating what you can do for the Glory of God and His SON? Once you leave the Church building, does God even cross your mind? How many hours do you share what the Son of God did for us on the Cross?
Therefore isn’t is selfish of a Christian to keep the “Love of Christ” and what He did for mankind to himself? Shouldn’t the Christian consider the consequences of the persons to whom he doesn’t share the Gospel with? If you read your Bible, you will see that this consequence is burning in Hell for eternity!
Romans 10:13-14 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
NOW don’t exclaim that you’re “NOT a PREACHER”! Are you a follower of Christ? If so, you are a preacher! Keep in mind that today’s society is designed that a “preacher” needs to have a piece of paper from a theology school and give a sermon, but that is not the way it has always been. Is the Holy Spirit living in YOU? If you are a follower of Christ, then you become a disciple of Christ…therefore, you are qualified to “preach the Gospel”.
Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells his followers, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
Qualities of discipleship include going to share the Good News to non-believers, teaching, loving God, loving others, standing out, denying ourselves, being firm in God’s word, fellowship with other believers, imitators of Christ, dedicated and steadfast.
So now I ask you…why don’t Christians share the Gospel? Sharing the Gospel is called Evangelism and it shouldn’t be scary…it’s simply sharing the Gospel with the world, whether the world is your next door neighbor or someone that you meet by chance in a grocery line or at a Doctor’s office. It could possibly be someone far far away that you many never actually meet i6gn person (with the internet that’s a common scenario).
John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In 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. 3 And 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.4 And 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.13 Neither 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 23:24Can 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 3rd’ 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.36 For 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 4th 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.9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10 If 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 8:7-11When 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.8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.9 And 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.10 When 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?11 She 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 5th 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 6th 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 7th 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.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.30 For 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…
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…
This coming Thursday is a National Day of Prayer and I am praying today and everyday that the American people will send their prayers to Heavenly Father to stop our country from the sin of abortion! To stop the taking of the most innocent lives on this planet!
It was a heartbreaking day when the decision in favor of Roe vs Wade was made. Back in 1973, I don’t believe that as a whole, the American people had any idea of what this meant in regard to our standing as a nation in the eyes of God!
Look at the times we are living in! People are afraid to die, yet they selfishly have chosen to be a society that allow the death of a child in the womb. During this time of concern that the people of the our country have been experiencing because of Covid-19, we hear their cries of frustration as they have been afraid to go outside or to work and sick of the quarantine. People have been Afraid of the numbers of the deaths as they mount up. Afraid, afraid, afraid!!! It completely confounds me that people are so outraged and afraid…
I’d come to believe that as a society we’d become numb to death, even embracing it. Between TV, Movies and Video games, we are entertained by death! More often than not, there are times that it seems as if this country has little or no respect for life and especially little or no concern for the the UNBORN!
Other than the life of His perfect Son in place of our sinful lives, I believe that truly the most precious gift that Heavenly Father has ever bestowed upon man is our children.
I’m sickened that the killing of innocent life has been transformed into politics instead of the morality that leads us to Godliness. As a nation, our compasses no longer point to truth…to the Word of God. Many who claim they are Christians and say they don’t believe in abortion, continue to support the rights of women to choose the death sentence for their child. Because of their support the politics of the country shoves abortion upon those of us who are pro-life.
God makes it perfectly clear that He hates the shedding of innocent blood, so I’m speaking up! We all should speak up, because if we don’t, we are allowing others to be led astray…away from God when he’s beckoning us to him. Do you want to shepherd people to God or away from God? What does it say about you and your walk with Him? Are you’re unwilling to rebuke wrong when you see it…bring it to the world’s attention? Rebuking is not the same as judging…God is the judge, but we are required to show our fellowman the right path to Him.
So, all that being said, I ask you…where’s the outrage and alarm when we talk about the number of babies who die every day from abortion? Just in the USA, there are 71+ abortions per hour! How many have given a second thought to the millions of innocent lives that we’ve taken by the abortion industry? Just in the USA, there are 61.8 million since 1973? These figures don’t take into account the number of chemical abortions!
Talk about a PANDEMIC! WE – here in the USA have been experiencing the abortion pandemic for nearly 50 years! There are those who say that abortion has been around forever and I realize that’s the case, but it’s only been this last 50 years that it’s become not only okay, but the thing to do in our country…any excuse is accepted as the right of the woman to choose death for the child in her womb. More and more people say that it’s not their problem…I’m here to say that in my opinion, it’s most likely the shedding of innocent blood that will end this world!
Don’t you know that abortion is the leading cause of death around the world? This article I’m writing isn’t about statistics, but if you don’t know them you should, then you need to wake up to how devastating these numbers are: More than 42 million abortions took place globally in 2019 according to the tracking service Worldometers, once again finding abortion to be the single largest cause of death across the planet for the year (figures provided by WHO).
As Christians, we have to stand up against this Pandemic, this holocaust against the unborn! We have to make our voices heard!
Psalms 94:16 Who stands up for me against the wicked? Who takes a stand for me against evildoers?
If we don’t stand up, I believe that we are going to experience the Wrath of GOD unlike anything that this planet has ever experienced…how much longer do you think he’s going to put up with the shedding of innocent blood?
I recognize that to a degree, I am repeating myself, but I can’t scream loud enough! Abortion is a despicable and reprehensible act against the most helpless of our world and it’s spread unlike any disease has ever spread in the history of the world! If abortion is an abomination to me…what must it be to God? I do wonder how long it will be before Heavenly Father pours out His wrath upon us? How long before He says He can no longer stand our heathen, pagan ways! How long before He destroys us ALL!
We deserve every ounce of wrath that He has stored up in His bowls. Especially, here in America, where over the last 50 years, we’ve slowly but surely degraded to the point of hideousness! In a land where His gifts have been plentiful…unlike any other land on this planet. But His gifts haven’t been enough! Everything about us is disgusting: our entertainment, the way we dress, the way we talk, the way we squander the gifts that have been given us…our government, our wars, our self righteous attitude toward the rest of the world. Talk about inciting a fall from Grace… I believe that as a nation – WE ARE THERE!!!
When you’re thinking that you don’t have to worry because you believe in God…perhaps you have a misunderstanding about what belief in God means. Maybe people think they believe, but in truth, they do not. There’s a huge difference between believing in God and serving and obeying God.
James 2:19-20 (KJV) 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
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
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.2 For 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:38 Give, 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.11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.12 So 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? 6 This 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, 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. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Matthew 26:21-25And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.24 The 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.25 Then 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.
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…
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 beopened.
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 thatdiligently 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; andif 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 7:14If 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 15:17That 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.28 Even 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 22:12I 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.
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…
Mind Your Behavior: To put it simply…behavior is how we conduct ourselves around others as well as when were alone and believe no one is watching!
However…God our Heavenly Father sees all and knows our motives – whether good or bad! When we have asked Jesus Messiah- Yeshua Ha Mashiach into our lives, through our faith and trust we can change our behavior to please God. Mark 9:23Then Jesus said to him, “‘If You can’? Everything is possible to the one who believes.”
The Bible…the Word is full of instruction as to how we are supposed to behave toward one another and toward God and how we will behave when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. The Bible often speaks of our lives producing fruit. Sometimes, we make it more difficult than it needs to be…some think that fruit and works are the same, but from my study, I believe that works are the natural outcome of the fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT that propels our lives after we have repented, believed and asked Jesus into our lives.
Galations5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Love:God loves us relentlessly or He wouldn’t have allowed His SON to sacrifice His life to cover our sins. God loves us so much that He’s given us the gift of mercy which none of us deserve! He’s given us the gift of Eternal life when we believe and trust in His Son Jesus!
John 15:12-13 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.
Joy: When the Holy Spirit enters into you, you will experience everlasting Joy! We will rejoice in Scripture, we will rejoice that we are alive! We will rejoice in the Love that the Father has shown us.
Sometimes, we foolishly connect our joy to the things of this world such as new car, new house, new, new, new… When we do this, we’re treading upon the true gift of Joy which is to be found in Jesus, our Savior!
Psalm 16:11 You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant JOY; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Peace: I’m not referring to peace such as a treaty to avoid war. When we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and that’s when for the first time, we become “WHOLE” or “COMPLETE”; this state naturally brings PEACE into our being.
Jesus told the disciples in advance of the gift of the Holy Spirit that they would receive after He would go to the Father:
John14:27“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.
Patience: God has been patient with man since Noah disembarked from the Ark. Another of His gifts that we truly don’t deserve. To think that His patience humbled Himself to actually serve and die for us! Yet as humans, we have very little patience for our fellowman; we become easily angered and intolerant of one another.
Patience is maybe one of the most difficult for us to allow the Holy Spirit’s work in us…because we are human, we allow the flesh to dictate to us when we should be listening to the Spirit.
1 Timothy 1:16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
So the next time that you’re feeling impatient with someone, stop, take a deep breath and think about your life and how Jesus has saved you by His extraordinary patience!
Kindness: We don’t have to look any farther than Jesus – Yeshua to see the embodiment of kindness! He was selfless because He came to serve mankind. He was compassionate and when Lazarus died, he cried tears for the pain the family and friends were experiencing. He was merciful when they were about to stone the prostitute when he told them that he without sin should cast the first stone.
Ephesians 4:31-32 All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Goodness: Goodness is Godliness and as Jesus told us only God is Good!
Luke 18:19“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One—God.
Jesus wouldn’t allow himself to be called good!
Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
So when something good occurs in your life or of someone close to you…remember the following Scripture:
Faith: The Biblical definition is belief, firm persuasion, assurance, firm conviction, faithfulness. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance that the Lord is working, even though we cannot see it. Faith knows that no matter what the situation, in our lives or someone else’s that the Lord is working in it.
We have all had times in our lives when our faith wavered…the loss of a job, the discordance of family, the death of a loved one…these amongst many others are can be faith shaking. Unfortunately, there are some who never recover their faith. No matter what happens in our lives, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus! Don’t lose our focus because when we do, Satan, the roaring lion is poised for attack. So no matter what happens…hang on to your faith and you will be rewarded.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight for the faith; take hold of eternal life that you were called to and have made a good confession about in the presence of many witnesses.
Gentleness: The easiest way to describe gentleness is to tell you “what it isn’t”. Gentleness is NOT obstinate, hateful, harsh, unfriendly, unpleasant, thoughtless or insensitive!
Matthew 5:5The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth.
Matthew 11:29-30All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Self Control: The first step to self control is your full surrender to God, our Heavenly Father! The secular world looks at self control as something that we can accomplish by physical and mental self-mastery. However, unless we have God, we are flesh driven and of the world: perpetuated by money/greed, lust, food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, sports…on and on it goes. Sadly, these are all “heart” issues. Until you give your heart fully and unconditionally to God, you will suffer from these worldly ailments. But if you have faith and trust in Jesus and study the Scriptures the temptation to follow your flesh and live in the world will fade.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
When God brought judgement upon the world during the time of Noah, He was sorry that He’d made man… Then about 2000 years ago, He sent His Son to Save us from our wickedness which is sin and death with is the wages of sin!
John 3:16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
I didn’t write this, but when I read it, my heart said to share it with YOU!
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. ‘Just a minute’, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. ‘Would you carry my bag out to the car?’ she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. ‘It’s nothing’, I told her.. ‘I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.’ ‘Oh, you’re such a good boy, she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, ‘Could you drive through downtown?’ ‘It’s not the shortest way,’ I answered quickly.. ‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ‘I don’t have any family left,’ she continued in a soft voice..’The doctor says I don’t have very long.’ I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
‘What route would you like me to take?’ I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ‘I’m tired.Let’s go now’. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.
The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. ‘How much do I owe you?’ She asked, reaching into her purse. ‘Nothing,’ I said ‘You have to make a living,’ she answered. ‘There are other passengers,’ I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly. ‘You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’ I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life.. I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift.
I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one. PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
Thank you, my friend… Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.
Jesus ~ Amazing Grace! 
You must be logged in to post a comment.