Category: Wisdom

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: 32 And 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-salvation/

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.

Do You LOVE & CHERISH Things instead of People?

Your answer to this question is probably the most telling of your relationship with our Father in Heaven and humanity. If you care more about things than you do people, what are you thinking? I’m going to start out by using Scripture to show you why people are so special to the Father… and that HE loves us in spite of our sin. He had a wonderful plan for us that we thwarted! That after all of these 1000’s of years He’s not giving up on us! Heavenly Father created man to be loved and things to be useful or advantageous to our existence on the planet. HE didn’t create things to be loved and create man to be used. The world we live in has given license to “love” things…it’s time to reject the devil’s plan and put into action the plan of THE FATHER!

John 15:12 KJV This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Human beings are created in the “IMAGE” of God!

Genesis 1: 26-27 KJV And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

In only six days God created from NOTHING this planet, the heavens and all that’s on this planet including us…and then God actually loved us enough to put “us” humanity in charge… over the dominion of the earth – over ALL of His wonderful Creation! WOW! He said in Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21 & 25 “It was GOOD!” And after God created man and looked at His creation in Genesis 1:31 He said “IT WAS VERY GOOD”! It’s not exactly clear how long Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God in the Garden of Eden, but we do know that before sin entered in, it was perfection beyond anything that we can imagine.

His creation is so incredible: I’m awe struck by his diversity in every aspect of it’s intricate designs. However, in this world of sin that exists today, even the most physically beautiful person is far from perfection because their insides are filled with the filth of sin. Even the most gorgeous rose is but a shadow of what it would have been in God’s Garden. Just think of how sin has caused some plants to become poisonous, some bugs to spew poison and some animals to become predators!

Humans too have become less than what God had in mind for us to be and given the choice, more often than not, we choose to hate rather than love for many reasons: the color of skin, the politics of a man, the religion of a man. Sometimes man has become so used to being angry with their fellowman that the slightest offence will cause them to flare up in anger and spew hatred. Now you might be saying to yourself…”I’m a Christian and I only have love in my heart”…and I pray that this is true, but I do know for a fact, that all you need to do is go to social media and you’ll see that proclaimed Christians aren’t exempt from outrage, anger and division. Matthew 12:25 KJV And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: Mark 3:25 KJV And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Luke 11:17 KJV But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. So how can we as Christians take part in a heated debate that causes division, a debate about conspiracies that cause fear, debates about politics, debates about how to dress, debates about what movie or music is the best, debates that ALL involve the world! What are we thinking to be caught up in such ugly discussions? When this happens, our minds are a long ways from Jesus and the Love he professes when we allow ourselves to become involved in these sordid things of the world. I really don’t know of a single instance when anyone changed someone else’s mind, but they did possibly cause pain to another human being over something that most likely didn’t amount to a hill of beans in the scope of eternity.

Jesus makes it very clear that He and Our Father Who art in Heaven made the plan for how we are to love our fellowman. Luke 6:27-28 KJV But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Romans 13:10 KJV Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Now you might be saying but what about that person…look what he or she has done to me? I’m here to say that there’s “NO” buts about it…so don’t even go there…Jesus called us to Love God and to Love One Another. When you are born again and the Holy Spirit comes to live in you, it will lead you into love…because God’s love for humanity is so powerful that He set the standard for love. Jesus told us in John 15:13 KJV Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. So if you’re inclined to walk away from that friend or acquaintance whom you feel only needs you around as a sounding board…give them an ear and a shoulder to lean on. They’re not asking you to lay down your life in the sense of a crucifixion, but they are asking you to take a few moments of your life and give it to them.

Jesus doesn’t say that the greater love is for “things and stuff”… the evidence of the power of His Gospel is how we love one another. It’s not evidenced by how we love to do things, or love to go places, love that fancy car, love our pets, love that movie, love that particular food, love the bottom line of our bank account and investments. Jesus is telling us that a sign of our faith and our proof that we are following Him is how we demonstrate our love for mankind.

When we look at the plants and animals that exist in today’s world, we say “OH! HOW BEAUTIFUL! Can’t you just see God’s hand in it?” YES!!! We can see God’s hand in it, but we must also be aware that the beauty that we do see is tainted and that what we do see isn’t eternal! The only true realization we should have is that we as humans are created in His image and because of Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Hamashiach (Hebrew), we have been given the chance to live eternally with Him in Glory and we’ll be able to experience creation as he originally planned it – COMPLETE PERFECTION.

Psalm 8:3-8 KJV When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

***God Loves man so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us! See John 3:16

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

***This was the original plan for man before we fell into sin, but now it refers to the deity of Jesus, the Son of God who came to earth to save us from our sins.

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

***Man was given dominion in the beginning and still has dominion over the earth…but sadly, because of sin, we’re in a relentless course of destruction.

2 Corinthians 4:3-5 KJV But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Matthew 5:46-48 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

***It’s obvious that because ALL of humanity is made in the Image of God that we are to uphold one another, share with one another, not only the Gospel, but the Love which he so generously poured out on humanity through the gift of His son’s life. We are to share a smile, a kind word, do a charitable deed…not for thanks, but for love. Sincerely cultivate the fruits of the Spirit!

Today, I’m going to mention a couple of things that people claim to love and in future blogs, I’ll touch on a few others…my goal is to give you food for thought.

Now let’s take a look at what that “THING” called a computer or phone has done to our capacity to LOVE one another. I can’t think of a single instance where technology has improved the LOVE quotient of the World. We need to learn to put our phones away and give undivided attention to the people around us. When we go on the internet, we must be aware that we’re all human and although we can’t actually look one another in the eye and that we may not always agree on a subject, but that we need to treat one another with love and respect…don’t dehumanize someone just because they’re sitting at a keyboard and they don’t agree with you. As a society, we’ve gotten to the point that we’ve decided that any attention, whether negative or positive is better than no attention…and sadly, a lot of people will say that they “Love” technology. What a travesty! There’s only so much information that your brain can process and only so much stimulation that will bring you anything but momentary happiness…nothing you get from the internet can actually give you love in return. It’s fleeting and impersonal.

This next subject is likely to make many of you distraught! People say that animals aren’t things…I’m here to tell you that there are people, places and things…yes animals are living things, but they are in no way people, so as a matter of the process of elimination, they are things. They can be a comfort and very enjoyable to have around and when it comes to feeding the world they are very useful and of course should be treated with gentleness and compassion, but I reiterate…they are not people! They are NOT made in the image of God! Jesus pressed the Pharisees and Scribes into a corner when he exhorted and scolded them for rescuing an animal on the Sabbath, but not caring to rescue their fellowman who was suffering on the Sabbath. That’s not to say that Jesus wasn’t okay with them rescuing their animals, he was just trying to put in to perspective that their love for man was waxing cold and their laws were man’s rules not God’s rules. I’ve heard many of you say…your pet is a member of your family and you would do anything for it; you love your pet and you’d even put it first before your fellowman…possibly even your neighbor? I’ve actually heard people say that they “love” animals more than they do people. What a sad testimony in a world that needs love of mankind more than anything else.

This is Amazing Grace!

Saved by Grace! Jesus is GRACE, our Gift from Our Father in Heaven!

Romans 5:15-17 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

ALL Scriptures come from the King James Version Bible

Jesus said Pray like this:

In Scriptures Matthew 16-20 a young rich man asked Jesus, what can I do to be saved? Jesus asked him if he’d kept the commandments of God and when he said yes, Jesus told him to sell his goods, give the money to the poor and follow Him; at this, the young man turned away sorrowfully.

Now you might be asking…why did Jesus ask the young man about God’s commandments? Was he going to judge the young man by the 10 Commandments? NO…I don’t believe so…He was showing the young man that keeping the commandments of God was just the beginning…although he might be obedient to the law, he must give up the world to follow Jesus. It was indeed, truly a matter of the heart! Did the young man love his neighbor enough to give up his riches to help them? It emphasizes that he had many possessions, so Jesus is making it apparent to us that his love of riches was his stumbling block.

Matthew 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19: 25-26 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Are we guilty of putting the Law ahead of the Gospel? Or are we guilty of putting the Gospel before the Law? Do we sometimes stir them together into a religious soup of Salvation? If this is the case, we’ve sadly distorted the purpose of the Gift of Grace! When Jesus came to earth, he showed us that the law is “designed” to prick our conscience in such a way that we recognize that we need HIM! That we need the gift that God has given us via His SON Jesus the Messiah ~ Yeshua Hamashiach (Hebrew). JESUS is GRACE!!! JESUS is the GIFT!!!

Now back to the Bible Scripture that I started this blog with:

Romans 5:15-17 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

The Law wasn’t given until the time of Moses in the book of Exodus, but sin had been flourishing on this earth since Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command to NOT eat of the tree in the middle of the garden or they would surely die…they didn’t believe Him when He said that they would die. When Noah built the Ark, it was because by this time (only 1,056 years after Adam) the earth was so corrupted by sin, that the only way God could cleanse it of sin was to start over…therefore he destroyed all of the earth with a flood and saved only Noah and his family. Then came the tower of Babel, built by Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah. Nimrod built it in rebellion against God. So sin was and is alive and well since the Garden of Eden and in this world we live in, sin flourishes today more than it ever has in the past!

God gave the Law (10 commandments) to Israel after Moses led them out of Egypt; they’d been in Egypt long enough that although they knew about God, they didn’t know God. The 10 Commandments were given by God out of Love so that they would have a moral compass to obey and also have a better understanding of who God is and the role that He was going to play in their lives. They’d seen the miracles of God: the 10 plagues on Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, water from the rock and manna, but they still didn’t really know God. The 10 commandments were designed to teach them right from wrong in their relationship with Him and with their fellowman…this is why Jesus summed them up in Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Once we know Jesus, our Gift of Grace…should we now trample His law? The law is not dead…however, if Jesus is your Savior, the penalty for sin is no longer death, but the law still remains as the compass by which we understand right from wrong because we Love Him! How can we possibly say that we know Him if we don’t follow His commandments! JESUS is GOD, GOD is JESUS, JESUS is GRACE, JESUS is the GIFT of GOD. JESUS and GOD are ONE in and with GOD the HOLY SPIRIT! JESUS is the SAME Yesterday, Today and Forever! GOD never CHANGES.

Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Now there’s probably many men and women who believe that they can buy their way into the GRACE of GOD, but what they don’t see is that the GRACE of GOD can’t be purchased! It was already bought and paid for by the blood of JESUS on the cross. You can’t ever do enough good works, or keep enough of the commandments to undermine the magnitude of what JESUS did for us sinners!

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Galatians 2:16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. “NO ONE”, but Jesus the Messiah ~ Yeshua Hamashiach (Hebrew) the perfect man, can or ever will be able to keep the 10 Commandments, but by giving our hearts and minds to belief in Jesus, we will be “born again” and when God the Holy Spirit comes to live in us…we will be changed. We become the Temple of God. https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/04/27/dont-you-know-youre-the-temple-of-god/

The great 20th Century Evangelist Billy Graham (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) said: The Holy Spirit has all knowledge. The Bible says, “The Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us and takes us deeper and deeper into God’s truth as we go along in our Christian life. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, but we can grow only by the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is called holy. The Bible says, “Be holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). And one of the Holy Spirit’s ministries is to help make us holy. We ought to be more holy today than we were yesterday. We should always be conforming more to the image of Jesus Christ, and it is the Holy Spirit who helps us in this growing process.

Do you know the story of the thieves who were crucified on crosses next to Jesus? One thief mocked Jesus and the other thief recognized Jesus as his Savior and he believed and he confessed Jesus!

Luke 23: 39-43 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/03/24/at-the-cross-journey-to-heaven-or-hell/

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Romans 10:9-12 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, 12 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Gentile), since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

NOW is the TIME to call on JESUS! INVITE JESUS into your heart, mind and life and you will live with Him forever! Not because of how good you are…but simply because you are forgiven! Ask JESUS ~ YESHUA to rescue you before it’s too late!

https://jesusamazinggrace.com/category/the-plan-of-salvation/https://jesusamazinggrace.com/category/the-plan-of-salvation/

Acts 16:30-31 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

2 Thessalonian 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

Titus 3:4-7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The “LAW” is the “KEY” to the “Knowledge of Sin”

I’m using the King James Version for my quoted Bible verses in this blog.

Have you ever lost your keys? That without the key, you couldn’t open the door to your home or start the engine on your car? You can’t open that chest or box where you keep special things. In other words, in most cases a key is a very important thing to have and definitely something that you want to keep track of and NEVER lose! Key has many definitions according to how you use it, but in this definition of key…it’s a small metal intricately shaped object that’s used to open or close a lock.

What about the key to salvation? What does that key look like? In the past 100 or so years have we lost the key to opening the door to salvation? I say YES if you’re not sharing with people their need to repent as well as their need to be “born again”. What does it take to enter in and be saved? The Key to Heaven isn’t a physical object that opens the door, it’s the power of the Holy Spirit that we receive when we are “born again” and we proclaim Jesus as our Savior and then follow his command to to share the Good News of His Kingdom with the world…John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

It’s a fact that in John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. In John 10:9 Jesus says “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Now begs the question…can we get into the Kingdom of Heaven without repenting of our sins? I don’t think that’s the way it works. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

When we share the Gospel of the Kingdom, we have to explain to people that although they have sinned, that Jesus paid the price for their sin. That doesn’t mean that they have a free pass…that all they have to do is simply believe… as it says in James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. Do you have the Key to the Kingdom of God? If not, do you know where and how to find it? https://jesusamazinggrace.com/category/the-plan-of-salvation/

If we don’t tell people what a sin is are we doing them a favor? How will they be able to repent from it? Do the words REPENT and SIN actually cause people to run away instead of turn away? This is where the law comes into play and you must tell them: NO ONE who has lived or ever will live, except Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Hamashiach (Hebrew Translation) has kept the law; He was sinless…the unblemished Lamb of God who gave His life in order to pay your fine. When we repent from our sins and believe that Jesus is the beloved Son of God and that he died and rose again from the dead and therefore covers us with his righteousness, then the law can no longer kill us. John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Jesus will save us from our sins! That’s why He came to earth and that’s why He died for us…He loves us that much! Jesus and Father in Heaven made this plan from the foundation of the earth that HE would have to save us…WOW…what an AWESOME gift from an AWESOME GOD!

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

REPENTING which means to “turn away from” is the KEY to opening that door. The Law helps us to recognize “exactly” what it is that God expects of us. Romans 3:20 For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. This isn’t legalism that I’m talking to you about, I’m telling you that your faith in Jesus will make you want to turn away from your sin and when you do, with the help of the Holy Spirit you will sin less and less. John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; The Holy Spirit will come to live in you. James 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Jesus spoke in many parables to His disciples…here are 3 parables that he spoke about repentence and how He and His Father have provided the way, the truth and the life:

-The parable of the shepherd seeking the lost sheep illustrates how God seeks to bring those who are spiritually lost into His Kingdom.

-The parable of the woman looking for a lost coin illustrates the diligence with which you should seek for those lost in sin to guide them to the Kingdom.

-The parable of the lost son illustrates the principle of repentance through which you can gain your rightful place as an heir of the Kingdom of God.

James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

A lot of the churches today say that the law is dead that it was nailed on the Cross and yet they also quote the scriptures that say that God never Changes and Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever and that Jesus is God. I don’t think we can have it both ways! So why wouldn’t the law mean just as much today as it ever meant, afterall, the Law encompasses Love and Morality. The death of Jesus on the Cross didn’t give us a free license to sin – God Forbid!

The following Scriptures tell us about the gift we will receive as we humble ourselves before our fellowman and our Father in Heaven…as Jesus was our Humble servant on this earth; he’s teaching us the way and the truth so that we may find eternal life through Him. I highly suggest you read ALL of Matthew 5, and without saying please read ALL of the Bible, both New and Old Testament. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Matthew 5:1-18 ~ Sermon on the Mount

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Our King and His Kingdom

Jesus is God! Jesus is KING!

Another Counselor Promised

John 14:15-21 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

19 “In a little while the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”

There’s no doubt that Jesus is God and that God is in Him…because of our belief in Him, he is also in us. Thus we’ve received the gift of the Holy Spirit!

Psalm 47:7-8 Sing a song of wisdom, for God is King of all the earth. 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. 12 Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all.

Luke 17: 20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

If you’re a Christian, you’re waiting with great anticipation for the Kingdom of God. You’re waiting for Jesus to come back to earth wearing His crown and taking up His place as King of His Kingdom. The Old Testament (66 books) and the New Testament (27 books) both proclaim the Kingdom of God! Every book, every chapter, every verse points us to Jesus as the Messiah – Yeshua Hamashiach (Hebrew translation). When Jesus walked on this earth, he preached and taught the Kingdom of God. The Gospel is the Good News that the Kingdom of God is coming soon and that He will be sitting on the throne. We are told by Jesus to preach to every nation about the Kingdom of God…with the technology that we have had for the last 20+ years, my best guess is that this has already been accomplished. When speaking about His Kingdom: John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

So now we’re in a holding pattern? So, if that’s the case, does it mean that we’re supposed to just sit back and wait? NO…we’re supposed to tell everyone we know and meet about the saving grace of Jesus and that His Kingdom is coming to earth with Him when he returns! Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19-20 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus instructs us to tell them that they must repent of their sins (turn away from) and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and then obey God’s commandments. Luke 4:43 “But He said to them, I must proclaim the Good News about the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.” Revelation 12:17 So the dragon was furious with the woman and left to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and have the testimony about Jesus.and Revelation 14:12 This demands the perseverance of the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”

Matthew 3:1-3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” 3 For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord;
make His paths straight!

Jesus was Baptized by John and the Holy Spirit was sent to Him from God and when He learned of John’s arrest:

Ministry in Galilee

Matthew 4:12-17 When He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
along the sea road, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles!
16 The people who live in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those living in the shadowland of death,
light has dawned.

17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”

The Pharisees had all the books in the Tanakh that foretold His coming by the prophets such as Isaiah and yet they were blind; it’s thought that they were too ingrained in the traditions of their position and authority among the people and that they saw Jesus as a threat to their authority.

What is it that Jesus is talking about in Luke 17:21? He’s telling the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God is already on Earth…it’s obvious that they don’t understand that HE is the Kingdom of God and He’s right there in their midst and either they don’t fathom it or they just refuse to recognize Him.

Jesus had performed so many miracles from the feeding of the multitudes, healing the lame and the blind, to driving out demons; the Pharisees were foolish enough to think that he was possessed by demons instead of seeing that these miracles came from His Father in Heaven. They had been privy to the miracles of God through their reading of the Tanakh and still they weren’t willing to give Him the credit.

Luke 11:20 If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has come to you.

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

To help you out with your studies, here are scriptures found in the Old and New Testament that you can refer to and read about the miracles.

Miracles Are There In The Old Testament:

  1. Creation – Genesis 1:1–27
  2. Enoch’s translation – Genesis 5:24
  3. The Flood – Genesis 7:17–24
  4. Confusion of tongues at Babel -Genesis 11:3–9
  5. Sodomites blinded – Genesis 19:11
  6. Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed -Genesis 19:24–25
  7. Lot’s wife turned to a pillar of salt – Genesis 19:26
  8. Ass speaking in human voice- Numbers 22:21–35
  9. Burning bush – Exodus 3:3
  10. Moses’ rod changed into a serpent – Exodus 4:3–4, 30
  11. Moses’ hand made leprous – Exodus 4:6–7, 30
  12. Aaron’s rod changed into a serpent – Exodus 7:8–10
  13. River turned to blood – Exodus 7:20–25
  14. Frogs – Exodus 8:1–15
  15. Lies – Exodus 8:16–19
  16. Flies – Exodus 8:20–24
  17. Murrain – Exodus 9:1–7
  18. Boils – Exodus 9:8–12
  19. Hail – Exodus 9:18–24
  20. Locusts – Exodus 10:1–20
  21. Darkness – Exodus 10:21–23
  22. First-born destroyed in Egypt – Exodus 12:29–30
  23. Pillar of cloud and fire – Exodus 13:21–22; 14:19–20
  24. Crossing the Red Sea – Exodus 14:21–23
  25. Bitter waters sweetened – Exodus 15:25
  26. Manna sent – Exodus 16:13–36
  27. Water from the rock in Rephidim – Exodus 17:5–8
  28. Amalek defeated – Exodus 17:9–13
  29. Strange fire on Aaron’s sacrifice – Leviticus 9:24
  30. Nadab and Abihu destroyed – Leviticus 10:1–2
  31. Israel’s judgment by fire – Numbers 11:1–3
  32. Miriam’s leprosy – Numbers 12:10–15
  33. Korah and his gang destroyed by unnatural means – Numbers 16:31–35
  34. Murmurers destroyed by a ravaging plague – Numbers 16:41–50
  35. Aaron’s rod blossoms – Numbers 17:8
  36. Water from the rock in Kadesh – Numbers 20:8–11
  37. Brazen serpent healed many bitten by fiery serpents – Numbers 21:9
  38. Jordan supernaturally divided – Joshua 3:14–17
  39. Fall of Jericho – Joshua 6:6–20
  40. Dew on Gideon’s fleece – Judges 6:37–40
  41. Sun and Moon stood still – Joshua 10:12–14
  42. Angel in flame – Judges 13:20
  43. Lion slain by Samson – Judges 14:5–6
  44. Thirty Philistines killed by Samson – Judges 14:19
  45. Water from the hollow place Lehi – Judges 15:19
  46. City gates carried away by Samson – Judges 16:3
  47. Dagon’s house pulled down by Samson – Judges 16:29–30
  48. Dagon’s fall before the Ark – 1 Samuel 5:1–12
  49. Men of Beth-shemesh destroyed – 1 Samuel 6:19–20
  50. Thunder and rain in harves-ttime – 1 Samuel 12:18
  51. Uzzah’s mysterious death – 2 Samuel 6:6–7
  52. Jeroboam’s hand withered and restored – 1 Kings 13:4–6
  53. Rending of the altar in Bethel – 1 Kings 13:5
  54. Drought ordered by Elijah – 1 Kings 17:1; James 5:17
  55. Elijah fed by ravens – 1 Kings 17:4–6
  56. Widow’s oil and meal supernaturally increased – 1 Kings 17:12–17
  57. Widow’s son raised from dead – 1 Kings 17:17–23
  58. Sacrifice consumed by fire – 1 Kings 18:38
  59. Rain in answer to prayer – 1 Kings 18:41
  60. Captains destroyed by Elijah’s command of fire – 2 Kings 1:9–12
  61. Jordan divided by Elijah’s mantle – 2 Kings 2:8
  62. Elijah translated to heavens in a chariot of fire – 2 Kings 2:11
  63. Jordan divided by Elisha with Elijah’s mantle – 2 Kings 2:14
  64. Waters of Jericho healed – 2 Kings 2:20–22
  65. Young mockers of Elisha torn by bears – 2 Kings 2:24
  66. Waters supernaturally supplied for Jehoshaphat – 2 Kings 3:16–20
  67. Widow’s supernaturally multiplied – 2 Kings 4:1–7
  68. Shunammite’s raised from dead – 2 Kings 4:19–37
  69. Piosioned pottage made harmless – 2 Kings 4:38–41
  70. Hundred fed with 20 loaves – 2 Kings 4:42–44
  71. Naaman cured of leprosy – 2 Kings 5:10–14
  72. Gehazi struck with leprosy – 2 Kings 5:27
  73. Axehead caused to float – 2 Kings 6:5–7
  74. Ben-Hadad’s plans revealed – 2 Kings 6:8–13
  75. Syrian army defeated – 2 Kings 6:18–20
  76. Resurrection by touch with Elisha’s bones – 2 Kings 13:21
  77. Sennecherib’s army destroyed by an angel – 2 Kings 19:35
  78. Hezekiah healed – 2 Kings 20:7
  79. Shadow returned to sundial – 2 Kings 20:11
  80. Uzziah afflicted with leprosy – 2 Chronicles 26:16–21
  81. Three men delivered from fiery furnace – Daniel 3:19–27
  82. Daniel delivered from y lion’s den – Daniel 6:16–23
  83. Preservation of Jonah in the belly of fish for 3 days – Jonah 2:1–10

This list is the miracles performed by Jesus and written down in the 4 Gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as well as the books of Acts and Corinthians.

Jesus’s Miracles in the New Testament:

  1. Water made wine in Cana – John 2:1–11
  2. Son of nobleman healed in Cana – John 4:46–54
  3. Christ passed unseen through crowd in Nazareth – Luke 4:28–30
  4. Demoniac in synagogue healed in Capernaum – Mark 1:23–26
  5. Peter’s mother- inlaw healed in Capernaum – Matthew 8:14–17
  6. Draught of fishes in lake of Galileo – Luke 5:1–11
  7. Leper cleansed in Capernaum – Matthew 8:1–4
  8. Paralytic healed in Capernaum – Matthew 9:1–8
  9. Impotent man healed in Jerusalem – John 5:1–9
  10. Withered hand restored in Galilee – Matthew 12:10–13
  11. Centurion’s servant cured of palsy in Capernaum – Matthew 8:5–13
  12. Widow’s son raised in Nain – Luke 7:11–17
  13. Demoniac healed in Galilee – Matthew 12:22–23
  14. Tempest stilled in lake Galilee – Matthew 8:23–27
  15. Two demoniac cured in Gadara – Matthew 8:28–34
  16. Jairus’ daughter raised from dead – Matthew 9:23
  17. Woman with isse of blood healed – Matthew 9:20–22
  18. Blind men cured – Matthew 9:27–31
  19. Dumb spirit cast out in Capernaum – Matthew 9:32–33
  20. Five thousand supernaturally fed – Matthew 14:15–21
  21. Walking on the sea – Matthew 14:25–33
  22. Syro-phonecian daughter healed – Matthew 15:21–28
  23. Four thousand supernaturally fed – Matthew 15:32–39
  24. Transfiguration of Christ – Matthew 17:1–6
  25. Tribute money supernaturally provided -Matthew 17:24–27
  26. Deaf and dumb man healed – Mark 7:31–37
  27. Blind man healed – Mark 8:22–26
  28. Devil cast out of boy -Mark 9:14–29
  29. Miracles by the seventy – Luke 10:17
  30. Ten lepers cleansed – Luke 17:11–19
  31. Jesus passed unseen through crowd in the temple – John 8:59
  32. Man born blind healed – John 9:1–7
  33. Lazarus raised from dead – John 11:38–44
  34. Woman with infirmity cured – Luke 13:11–17
  35. Man with dropsy cured – Luke 14:1–6
  36. Two blind men cured in Jericho – Luke 18:35–43
  37. Fig tree cursed and withered -Mark 11:12–14
  38. Malchus’ ears healed – Luke 22:50–51
  39. Second draught of fishes – John 21:1–14
  40. Resurrection of Christ – Luke 24:6
  41. Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene – Mark 16:9
  42. Christ’s appearance to other women -Matthew 28:9
  43. Christ’s appearance to two disciples – Luke 24:15–31
  44. Christ’s appearance to Peter -1 Corinthians 15:5
  45. Christ’s appearance to ten apostles (Thomas absent) – John 20:19–24
  46. Christ’s appearance to eleven apostles (Thomas present) – John 20:126–28
  47. Christ’s appearance to seven disciples fishing – John 21:1–24
  48. Christ’s appearance to eleven apostles in Galilee – Matthew 28:16–17
  49. Christ’s appearance to five hundred brethren – 1 Corinthians 15:6
  50. Christ’s appearance to James – 1 Corinthians 15:7
  51. Christ’s appearance to eleven apostles on day of Ascension – Acts 1:2–9
  52. Outpouring of the Holy Spirit – Acts 2:1–14
  53. Christ’s appearance to Paul at his conversion – Acts 9:1–5; 1 Corinthians 15:18
  54. Lame man cured by Peter – Acts 3:6
  55. Death of Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5:5, 10
  56. Many sick people healed by Peter – Acts 5:15
  57. Apostles freed from prison by angelic intervention – Acts 5:19; 12:7–11
  58. Stephen’s great miracles – Acts 6:8
  59. Dying Stephen’s vision of Christ – Acts 7:55–56
  60. Philip cast out unclean spirit – Acts 8:6–13
  61. Ananias’ vision – Acts 9:10
  62. Paul’s sight restored – Acts 9:17–18
  63. Aeneas healed of palsy – Acts 9:34
  64. Dorcas restored to life – Acts 9:40
  65. Cornelius’ vision – Acts 10:3–4, 30–32
  66. Peter’s vision – Acts 10:9–20
  67. Agabus’ prophecies – Acts 11:28; 21:11
  68. Peter released from prison by angelic intervention – Acts 12:7–11
  69. Elymas blinded – Acts 13:11
  70. Lame man cured by Paul – Acts 14:10
  71. Damsel delivered from evil spirit – Acts 14:10
  72. Paul’s vision on the way to Damascus – Acts 16:9
  73. Earthquake released Paul and Silas – Acts 16:25–26
  74. Gift of tongues – Acts 19:6
  75. Special miracles by Paul – Acts 19:11–12
  76. Evil spirit overpowered Sceva’s seven sons – Acts 19:13–16
  77. Eutychus restored to life – Acts 20:10
  78. Paul unharmed by viper’s bite – Acts 28:5
  79. Publius’ father healed – Acts 28:8
  80. John’s vision on Patmos – Revelation 1:9; 22:21
  81. Innumerable miracles of Christ not recorded but witnessed by the apostles – John 20:30; cf. Acts 10:38–39

***Thank you to this website for their extensive list of miracles…they saved me untold time in research:

https://www.spiritoflifeag.com/how-many-miracles-are-there-in-the-bible/

Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

Clean Hands:

James 4:8 (KJV) Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!

What does it mean to be double-minded?  The definition of double minded according to the Miriam Webster Dictionary: 1 wavering in mind : undecided, vacillating a double–minded man unstable in all his ways 2 : marked by hypocrisy : insincere.   

As you can see from the language of James in this scripture, he wasn’t talking to true believers and followers of Jesus, he was obviously talking to people who were content in their sin or people who were trying to walk on both sides of the fence; claiming to be followers of Jesus, but still hanging on to their sin and not wanting to change. Not believing that they need to change.

I’m deeply concerned in today’s world that’s where most of the churches are …they deny the value of repenting and turning away from sin and instead they “preach or tickle” the ears of their congregations with what they want to hear, therefore they’re leading them to believe that as long as they say they’re Christians, that’s all that they have to do…that they don’t need to repent and that God is going to grant them every wish or desire including wealth.

2 Timothy 4:2-5 (KJV) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

In the New Testament scriptures, Timothy was an early Christian evangelist, the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, referred to by Paul as “my true son in the faith”. He was trying to follow the instructions given to him by Paul in regards to the church. Paul instructs in 1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV) Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. We know from the scriptures and 2 books in the New Testament that Paul wrote 2 letters to Timothy in order to hold him up in the Gospel and to give him strength with instruction and advice so he could lead the church and continue evangelizing (sharing the Gospel and planting the seeds of faith). He also warned Timothy about false teachers.

There’s only one way to clean our hands and purify our hearts and that is through our faith in Jesus! His righteousness covers all of our sins: this is the only way we can stand before our Father in Heaven. There’s nothing we can do on our own to fix us! WE are sinners and even when we repent from our sins, it becomes a daily battle that we fight against the enemy and can only be won with the help of the Holy Spirit, who keeps us from repeating our sins. REPENT is turning away from sin and truly regretting with every fiber of you heart and mind that you ever partook sin. This cannot be achieved without giving your heart, mind and hands…“YOUR ALL” to our Lord and Savior who gave us “HIS ALL” Jesus the Messiah ~ Yeshua Hamashiach (Hebrew translation).

Keep in mind, that we should always be in a state of repentence and always asking forgiveness…as humans we can sin without intending to sin…we can sin by omission when we neglect to do what’s right and what Jesus told us to do in:

Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV)

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We need to be recognize that when we allow the world to keep us from these two commandments, which as you see by verse 40, incorporate ALL THE LAW…we don’t have clean hands or a clean heart. WE are walking in darkness and there’s only one way out:

John 8:12 (KJV) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Psalm 24 (KJV)

The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Pure Heart:

Proverbs 20:9 (KJV)  Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Matthew 5:8 (KJV) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

I’m now going to refer you again to Scripture found in the Book of James:

James 4:8 (KJV) Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!

Sadly… double-minded is the state that we’re in because we’re human! There’s only one cure: give your mind over to the Holy Spirit so that the Spirit can lead you away from indecision and onto the path of righteousness. You can’t have a relationship with Jesus and also have a relationship with sin, so you must fully surrender yourself to Him by walking away from whatever it is that is keeping you in sin. Keep in mind that even Jesus was tempted by Satan, although he never gave in, we must remember that we cannot get through a day without Satan trying to pull us into darkness! This is why we need to be “born again”, so the Holy Spirit can guide us away from the darkness and keep us in the “LIGHT”. Paul tells us in Galations 5:16-18 (KJV) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

I can hear some of you right now say: SEE!!! We’re not under the LAW!!! YES, we are! This is why we need to ask for forgiveness when we do inadvertently sin! We cannot continue in SIN and if we allow the Holy Spirit to Guide us we won’t continue in SIN, therefore when we’re not sinning and we’re giving our minds to Jesus, then the LAW has no power over us and it becomes a mirror for us to examine ourselves!! Everytime we sin willingly, we are the same as slapping Jesus in the face and saying that his death on the cross means nothing to us! As said many times in the New Testament: GOD FORBID!

When we decide to follow Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, we becoming pleasing to God because we’re covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Savior…therefore, our hands become clean and our hearts become pure. We will find peace unlike anything that we’ve ever known. There will be an end to double-mindedness because we’ll be sharing in the LOVE and PEACE of Christ.

Don’t You Know You’re the Temple of God?

A born again Christian is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit !

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Believe it when I tell you that the entire Bible, from cover to cover, is the WORD of God! Being Born Again is the most important message in the Bible for mankind and the focus of the New Testament…it’s the only way to receive eternal life and spend eternity in the Kingdom of God with Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Hamashiach (Hebrew translation).

Some may think that they’re born again because they go to church on Sunday, their covering is religion, but most important is their covering the blood of Christ? Outwardly, they have conformed to the standards of the church, but inwardly, they haven’t conformed to the standards of God. This is why it is good to know that YOU are the Temple of God, because when you are truly born again, the spirit enters in and you will be forever changed. You will recognize the change because it’s a heart change…YOU WILL KNOW! It’s also a mind change.

I’m going to present some of the verses of Scripture to you in both the King James Version of the Bible and also the easier to understand Holman Christian Standard Bible. For those of you who are just beginning your study of Scripture, I pray this will be of help to you.

I Corinthians 3:16-17: 

(KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

(HCSB )Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.

I Corinthians 6:19:

(KJV) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

(HCSB) Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

II Corinthians 6:16: 

(KJV)And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

(HCSB) And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

The Bible tells us that when we are born again, we are born of the Spirit.

These are the WORDS of Jesus talking about the Holy Spirit. If we listen to our gift of the Spirit, we will know and understand what God has in mind for us. In Matthew 24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Jesus is talking to us about the end times in this statement, so if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, we won’t be deceived! Jesus emphasizes in Matthew 24:11 and Matthew 24:24 that there will be those who are trying to lead us astray! Be aware, that we have everything we need in Scripture to keep us on His righteous path.

These following verses show us that when we are born again, God’s Spirit – His Holy Spirit, dwells inside of us, therefore making us the Temple of God.

John 3:3-6: 

(KJV) Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.“

(HCSB) Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

John 16:13-14:

(KJV) “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

(HCSB) “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.”

This baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean that God will remove your “free will” from you and that you’ll never make a bad choice again as long as you live, but learn to be quick to repent (turn away from sin and turn to God) when you realize that you’ve gone astray. 2 Peter 2:15 They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path and have followed the path of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. This is from Psalm 140:4 Protect me, Lord, from the clutches of the wicked. Keep me safe from violent men who plan to make me stumble. This Psalm is short and gets right to the heart of the matter…it would be good to pray this in Jesus’s name whenever we feel weak. Although the Holy Spirit now lives in you, you may still struggle to keep away from the vices that kept you in sin before you became a Christian. Paul talks about the thorn in his side. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9: especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

You will be lovingly led by the Holy Spirit, but you must want to follow and you must choose to follow. Obviously this will require you to step away from the world as the world will also give you choices and more than likely these are not choices that will enhance your walk with God. If you follow the world instead of the Spirit, you are “quenching” the Spirit. To QUENCH the Holy Spirit is to resist: to fight or struggle against, and in doing so, you may cool or put out the Spirit until you can no longer hear instruction. Matthew 3:11: John the Baptist tells us: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19 , Paul tells the church, “Do not QUENCH the Spirit.” Quenching the Spirit is what happens when we don’t listen to the Spirit, when we do what we know is wrong following our own worldly desires.  (visit this website for definition: https://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-dictionary/quench.html )

In Ephesians 4:30-32: Paul tells the church, “And don’t GREIVE God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption. 31 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.”  

What do you think of when you think about grief? Do you usually associate with death or loss? Is it a time of overwhelming sadness? The usage of the word GREIVE in this instance is a noun: which is synonymous with PAIN! (visit this website for definition:https://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-dictionary/grief.html ) Why would we want to cause our Father in Heaven this kind of grief? According to Scripture God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us grow, to learn about Him to recognize His voice. We all must learn to listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. Please read my blog entitled “My Sheep Hear My Voice” https://jesusamazinggrace.com/category/listening/

Once we’ve been born again we have the blood of Jesus covering us and Satan can no longer touch us…but we also have retained “free will” and we can slowly but surely go astray and back to our old patterns and ways of life that can draw us back into sin.

We must not sleepwalk…we must stay vigilant and we must WALK AWAY from the WORLD!!!

“Knowing God” and “Obeying the Gospel” Pt. 1

KNOWING GOD

2 Thessalonians 1:5-8 It is a clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering, 6 since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, 8 taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

You may say…of course, I know God! Or do you? Do you know the definition of what it is to know someone? It means you’ve met them face-to-face at some point in your life. The number (and length, quality, variety) of times/places that you’ve met in person affects how “well” you know them. How “well” you know God depends on how much time you spend in prayer (face to face) How much time you spend reading HIS WORD (the Bible). How much time you spend with fellow Christians sharing your GOD moments and testimonies. You will soon realize that the more you get to know God, the more “awe and reverence” you have for Him. For me… this pilgrimage has led me to want to “obey” Him in every aspect of my life.

Now here’s a couple more questions: Who is God and what is He like? We’ll start by addressing the attributes of God which you will find when you study your Bible. This is my list so far with a little scripture to back up the attribute.

God is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY immediately comes to my mind. The Merriam-Webster dictionary: Definition of holy. 1 : exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness. I’m not sure that this definition actually encompasses “exactly” what Holy is, but for the sake of our limited human understanding, we’ll accept the definition. Here are some Scriptures that encompass “HOLY” Genesis 2:3 God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation. Revelations 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming. Moses removed his sandals because He was on Holy Ground.

GOD IS RIGHTEOUS: Morally correct behavior. Ethical Conduct. Just and fair! Leviticus 19:36 You are to have honest balances, honest weights, an honest dry measure, and an honest liquid measure; I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Revelation 15:3 They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb: Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations.

God is Glorious: Brightness! Revelation 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Respect, Honor and Majesty are the Definition of the Hebrew word kavod (Glory).

God is Gracious and Loving: Kind and Feeling! Psalm 86:15 But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth.

God is Faithful: True Blue! Loyal! Psalm 52:8 But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.

GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY: He deserves our trust because He is reliable. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill? Psalm 9:10 Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You, Lord.

God is Unchanging: He’s dependable! 2 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV) But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

God is Omnipotent: ALL Powerful! Jude 1:25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

God is Omniscient: All-Knowing! Isaiah 66:18 “Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see My glory.

God is Omnipresent: He’s everywhere! Psalm 139 7-10 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. 9 If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, 10 even there Your hand will lead me;

God is Infinite: The beginning and the end! Revelation 1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

God is Wise: Good Judgement! Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.

God is Just and Merciful: Morally Right and Fair! Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for Him are happy.

I’m quite certain that these attributes are just the beginning of who God is…I pray that they’re the beginning of you wanting to get to know HIM better!

Choose God’s Wisdom… Not Satan’s Trap!

At this time of crisis because of Covid-19…I’m writing this for the churches of America; to all of those who are voicing fear of the government and conveying the idea that this is an ulterior motive for the closing of churches.  PLEASE think about this…if there’s an ulterior motive (it’s God’s will), we’ll address it when it happens, but in the meantime study Revelations, so you recognize the signs of the times. If there’s truly a virus that can wipe us out (it’s God’s will), but in the meantime, if it means practicing social distancing, we need to do that. Romans 13:10 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law. We don’t want to cause unnecessary suffering and death to family, friend or neighbor…do we?

For those who believe that the government is setting a trap for us…do you remember this example from the Bible? Jesus ingeniously and perceptively diverted the trap set for Him by the Jewish Pharisees disciples (which he referred to the Scribes and Pharisees as a generation of vipers). When Jesus was asked should the Jews pay tribute to Caesar, right out the gate, he let them know that He knew it was a trap and then before answering He asked if anyone had a coin.  Everyone was surprised by this, but they handed him a coin…when he asked whose picture was on the coin.  They answered Caesar and Jesus’s reply is found in Matthew 22:21 Then He said to them, “Therefore give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” So if we really believe that this is a trap to end our churches in America, let’s not fall into it! Let’s not give them fodder for their fire. Let’s ask for God’s help and exercise His wisdom.

If we are to respond like Jesus: Did Jesus ever break the law laid down by the Romans? NO   Did He talk about rebellion against Rome? NO   Did He even hint that He expected us to risk our lives? (Not Really! but he did warn us that we would be hated by all nations and that some of us will be handed over for persecution).  Did He say to risk our Health? NO! but He did say in Matthew 4:7 7 “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” 

How can we serve God if we are dead?  How can we share the Gospel if we are hiding out from the authorities?  All Christians know that God will take them when He’s ready and we’re not afraid to go…as a matter of fact, most welcome it…but at the time chosen by God. Jesus told Pontius Pilate John 19:11 11 “You would have no authority over Me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”   

I, personally, don’t know a single Christian who’s afraid of death…why would we be?  We know and believe God’s promise, we’ve given our lives to Christ, but most of us don’t want to be unwise and seek out death or illness (once again refer to Matthew 4:7) Also in Matthew 10:28 2Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Most Christians live by this verse from Matthew… 

Why would anyone even suggest that following the law of the state (Caesar) would mean that a Christian is afraid to die?  What would be the point of stirring up a hornet’s nest? Why would we give them cause to make church meetings illegal, to arrest our pastors (our shepherds on this earth) or church hierarchy? Allowing them to justify our church buildings being bulldozed?  Why would anyone with any sense at all think that going against the quarantine orders of the state could do anything but cause detriment to the work of God?  Especially now, as time gets short (I’m certain that I’m not the only one who feels that Jesus will return soon). Until he does return, He needs all His soldiers boots on the ground sharing and defending the Gospel…not defending a meeting place or a meeting day. Every place and every day belongs to God Psalm 24:1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein …where 2 or more gather in His name He’s there with them. Matthew 18:20 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”

Reminiscent of our empty streets in America and the world as we face this virus together!

If the powers of evil on this earth plan on doing whatever they can to affect the church and cause us to go underground, so be it, but in the meantime, why would we allow them to trap us into doing something so foolish as to break their order… we must stand in our faith and live to fight another day. Every life is a gift from God and what each man decides to do with his gift is between him and God. Let’s choose God’s Wisdom over rash response…

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.