SAVED by MERCY ~ SAVED by GRACE

NOT by Our OWN Righteousness!

Titus 3:5 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;

Scriptures taken from the KJV (King James Version of the Bible).

Believing is putting your trust in God and having confidence that he will fulfill his promises…GOD DOES NOT LIE!

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Jesus is Yeshua (Yeshua means SALVATION in the HEBREW language) JESUS is the WORD! He is God!

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²The same was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

According to Scriptures, even some of the disciples/followers of Jesus had difficulty recognizing that Jesus is our Messiah

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

His disciple Thomas had difficulty believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He had risen from the dead…

John 20:27-29 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.²⁸And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.²⁹Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe. For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be unborn again -unregenerated. That would mean that he would have to “NO LONGER BELIEVE”…once you “TRULY” believe, you will never stop believing…because the HOLY SPIRIT will not leave you. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken away…when you “TRULY” believe, you trust in Yeshua and are filled with HOPE which becomes the path that the Christian walks. That hope lies in knowing that God does NOT lie!

However, the Bible does talk about quenching the Holy Spirit which I will talk about in a future blog. Quenching is not the same as being in unbelief…

John 3:15-16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I can find no place in the Scriptures of the Bible that says: In order for you to be saved that you have to walk the isle, join a church, pay tithes, fill out a card or cry and sob in sorrow for others to witness or do your due diligence (works). It says over and over again…BELIEVE! There are over 150 Scriptures in the Bible that address “Belief”. Even Abraham, thousands of years before Jesus, found favor with God because he believed…yet he lied about Sarah several times and took a concubine because he was impatient for the promise of God to materialize, but through all of that God loved Abraham and to this day is still keeping His promise to him.

Paul asks two very fundamental questions:

Romans 8:33-34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

To put it to you as simply as possible…Who will bring any charge against those whom are believers?

Matthew 7:1-4 Judge not, that ye be not judged. ²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

It says in the Scriptures:

It is God who justifies.

Who is he that condemns? We are not called to condemn, but we are called to share the Gospel with our fellow man…ALL who are made in the image of God…nowhere in the Scriptures does is tell us to make the decision whether or not the person we shared the Gospel with accepted “the TRUTH”. We plant the seed…God will make it grow according to “HIS WILL”. Just because we can’t physically see the change in someone, doesn’t mean that Heavenly Father isn’t working on them…maybe He doesn’t need or want to use them in His ministry on this earth…HE JUSTIFIES THEM because HE LOVES THEM!

John 3:16 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.

Paul makes one of the most incredible claims in all Scripture and the diligent hard working Christian sometimes refuses to accept Paul’s claim…but if you don’t believe this claim by Paul…that must mean that you nullify everything else that Paul teaches about GRACE and SALVATION! It’s not up to us to “Cherry Pick” out of the Scriptures what we want to apply to our lives and to the lives of others. The “WORD” speaks plainly.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. another Translation “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

What an AMAZING promise! Surely, you may think that there must be an error in the text made by whomever transcribed it! You’re maybe thinking that Paul must have said, “God justifies the one who tries to do his best (WORKS). God justifies the nice person who always meant well (the GOOD PERSON), who loved his family (even unbelievers love their family), devoted his time and money to help the needy (there’s many a non-Christian who donates his money and time to charities)(WORKS), went to church (there may be a lot of unsaved people sitting in the pews; people who know who Jesus Yeshua is but doesn’t believe in and trust HIM), a person who reads his Bible and prays every day.” About now, you’re saying to yourself… Paul could not have meant, “God justifies the ungodly, could he? That’s unthinkable!” But the FACT IS: THAT is EXACTLY WHAT it SAYS! We are ALL ungodly because we are ALL SINNERS!

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord...

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

The Bible is clear about the penalty of sin, but scriptures on salvation reveal that we have received a powerful and life altering gift through the death and resurrection of Jesus Yeshua. All we need to do is accept the gift and salvation and eternal life are ours.

Christ Jesus, who died for the sins of the world—and more than that, who was raised to life—who now sits at the right hand of God is also interceding for us.” Jesus Yeshua is our HIGH PRIEST in Heaven. We are only asked to “BELIEVE” that He is the Son of God and that He died for our sins and rose from the dead to sit at the right hand of God!

John 5:23- 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.

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

So ask yourself these questions? Do You Believe that Jesus – Yeshua is the SON of GOD and the He died and rose from the dead to save you from your sins? Then who will bring a charge against you? No one will, because Christ is your advocate. Who will condemn you? No one will, because Christ, the One who died for us, is the One who condemns. We have both Grace and Mercy and through our advocate who is also our judge and especially awesome: HE IS OUR SAVIOR.

When Jesus the Messiah- Yeshua HaMashiach was dying on the cross at Calvary, there were 2 thieves on crosses next to him…one of the thieves mocked Jesus and the other thief BELIEVED!

Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Jesus – Yeshua did it ALL! His last words are “IT IS FINISHED”! He made it so easy: JUST BELIEVE WHO HE IS. There’s NOTHING left for you to do… If you are blessed in the sense that the Holy Spirit uses you for “HIS GLORY”…just remember this…GOD doesn’t need you to fulfill his plan for mankind.

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…

It’s Only Going to Get Worse!

Choose Jesus – Yeshua while there’s still time!

If you haven’t read Revelation, I implore you to do so right now! It’s the only book in the Bible that tells us that you will be blessed for reading it.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Those of us who have “faith alone in Christ alone” have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us and we are expected to obey the command given by Jesus to communicate to everyone around us the Gospel, we must fulfill the “Great Commission”. For time is getting short…

ALL four of the Gospels as well as the Book of Acts, Jesus gives us the command to share the Gospel with the world.

Matthew 28:16–20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:15–16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Luke 24:44–49 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.⁴⁵Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,⁴⁶And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:⁴⁷And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.⁴⁸And ye are witnesses of these things.⁴⁹And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The Apostle John records what Jesus said on the day of the Resurrection.

John 20:19–23 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.²⁰And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.²¹Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:²³Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Just before the Ascension of Christ to Heaven, Luke records this message from Jesus – Yeshua.

Acts 1:6–8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?⁷And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.⁸But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus has made it perfectly clear that we have been called to share the Gospel with the world! My position is this: I believe in a Pre-tribulation rapture, but I don’t want my fellowman to experience even a second of the “Tribulation”…for just as in the days of Noah, those who don’t have “faith alone in Christ alone” will suffer the consequences. When Jesus comes to take possession of the Earth and set up his 1000 year Kingdom, only the raptured believers and believers who survive the Tribulation will live and reign with Christ.

Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.³⁸For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,³⁹And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Sadly, in spite of all the warnings given throughout the entire Bible and especially spoken of by Jesus – Yeshua in the Gospels and Revelation, the world will be both surprised and shocked when Jesus comes again!

Warning others of the imminent end of the world and the consequences of sin isn’t just a “New Testament” calling. The Prophets (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel to name a few) of the “Old Testament” also warn of the end times.

Isaiah foretold the birth of the Savior Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach

Are You Ready to go Home with Jesus?

If Jesus Comes Tomorrow…What Then?

ALL Scriptures: KJV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If Jesus comes to- morrow, what then?

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

A Powerful Prayer

Prayer by Pastor Joe Wright

“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says: ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it moral pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbors’ possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our fore-fathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh GOD, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Amen!”

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

“Are You HIS People?”

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;

America is spiraling to HELL at a faster pace everyday! How much more will our Father in Heaven put up with? We need to remember “Sodom & Gomorrah” and recognize the path the people have chosen is leading us as a nation to destruction! Everyday that HE holds back His wrath gives us one more day to turn it around. As believers, we need to pray for forgiveness for our nation and beg Him to heal our land! But to be totally honest, in my heart of hearts I’m afraid it may be too late for America. I search the Scriptures and I find nothing that tells me that America even exists when Jesus – Yeshua comes back!

Thankfully, if we are blessed to wake up in the morning, it’s not too late for us to share the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach with one more person! The end is coming soon, so time is short, however, we’re told that when the “Fullness of the Gentiles” has happened, then Jesus will return to take us HOME with HIM! The more people we share the Gospel with… a neighbor, a stranger, a friend or family member, the sooner we will no longer be encumbered by this state of dual citizenship that we have to endure, but we will be citizens of the Kingdom and share in His Power and Glory.

HIS WAY…Not Our Way!

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ¹²Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

To KNOW the LORD, we must read HIS WORD

How much time do you spend getting to know our Father in Heaven and the plans that he has for you? Be honest and ask yourself “how much time do I actually waste” in a day? How much time do you spend surfing the internet or browsing social media? How much time do you spend thinking about things that are not pure, or that you know for certain would offend a HOLY GOD? How much time do you spend in Prayer? How much time do you spend as an ambassador of/to Christ or to put it bluntly…when was the last time that you spoke to someone with the hopes and prayers of winning them to Christ? How many times have you… whether accidental or on purpose put yourself above others – whether it be in the way you dress, the car you drive or any other aspect of your life that makes you feel that you have it all together? Have you been a good steward of the gifts that God has given you? How many times have you exaggerated a situation to make it either look good or possibly worse than it actually was? Just how many so called harmless little white lies have you told within the last 24 hours? Are you a slave to the world or as Paul, are you a slave to our Lord? I could ask you to ask yourself many more questions, but what I’m getting at here is to show you how our thoughts and our ways are soooooo very different than those of our LORD and SAVIOR!

Do you embrace the greatest commandments given to us by JESUS – YESHUA?

Matthew 22:37-40 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.³⁸This is the first and great commandment.³⁹And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Mark 12:30-31 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. ³¹And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

As you can see, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Although we live in different times than when these Scriptures were first written down, they’re alive and well in our age too! The verses spoken by Jesus – Yeshua in Matthew and Mark, were the same ones he spoke in the “Old Testament” Book of Deuteronomy several thousand years before he actually set foot on the Earth as a human, but he was also DEVINE. The point is that He does not change! Therefore if we study HIS WORD, we KNOW HIM! We need to have a wake up call listen when Jesus tell us that the Path to Destruction is Wide and the Path to Salvation is Narrow.

WOE, WOE, WOE!

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following are some definitions and uses of WOE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seek Ye the LORD While You Can!

Time is running out!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Granting the HOLY SPIRIT Sole Occupancy

This World is Temporary! We must ALL “REPENT” of our sins today, for tomorrow isn’t promised!

John3:3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Are you ready to be born again? Are you ready to give up your old life and live a life for Christ? Are you willing to allow the Spirit to slay the flesh? If so, are you ready to repent of your sins so that your body becomes a desirable temple for the Spirit to dwell in? The fact is that there’s no room for flesh and Spirit to dwell within you. Are you a genuine follower of Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach?

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Everyday when you wake up, do you say Thank YOU Heavenly Father for another chance to do Your Will on this earth? Do you say thank YOU Father for Your Holy Spirit which guides me in my thoughts and actions throughout my day? Do you say thank YOU for your SON who’s death on the cross was to glorify YOU and to save me and all the other sinners in this world from everlasting death?

Are you a good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23)? Do you trust the Spirit to guide you? Do you resist temptation when Satan thrusts it in your path and do you run the other direction? Do you allow the Spirit to lead you to the path of righteousness instead the path to destruction? Have you lived your life of sin so openly that the “prowling lion” which is out to destroy doesn’t even have to try because you’re an easy mark?

If you’ve pretended to be born again to the point of even fooling yourself, keep in mind that Christ who is our advocate with Heavenly Father cannot be fooled! He knows our hearts and our minds whether they think good thoughts or whether we’re thinking evil…whether we’re doing good things for our fellow man or whether we’re ignoring the plight of those around us. If you’re feeling convicted now…it’s the Holy Spirit working in your heart and mind and this is the first step in changing your behavior.

Do you even know what the difference is to live a fleshly life instead of a spiritual life? Do you handle your money, your time, and your gifts with care? Is your conversations becoming more godly? This is a tough one: Are you more willing to forgive, to love your enemy? Are you changing how you relate to your spouse, your children and your parents? Are you changing how you relate to the world as a whole?

1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Once you’ve truly made a home for the Holy Spirit, you will not only feel more peace than you ever dreamed possible, but you’ll also feel alive and know that you have VICTORY in Christ.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 Corinthians 6:19 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?

When the Holy Spirit lives in you, then the pleasures and unfortunately many of the people in this world can’t be a part of your life! There’s no room for God and this world in your body ~ the temple.

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.

Is it a Matter of Salvation?

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.²The same was in the beginning with God.³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

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

The first verses in the first chapter of the Gospel of John makes it perfectly clear the identity of Christ – Jesus Messiah – Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Hebrew). If you had any question in your mind before now…these Scriptures answer the question.

Do you believe in millions and billions of years and have you convinced yourself that it’s okay as long as you believe that Jesus – Yeshua is the Son of God? I’ve been told that it’s not a matter of SALVATION…make up your own mind.

The belief in millions and billions of years spawned the belief of evolution! When you believe that the dinosaurs died millions of years ago, what does that do to the reason why mankind and all of creation face death as a consequence of Adam’s sin against God? What does that do to the Scripture in Genesis that says “in the beginning God created man in HIS IMAGE? When Adam and Eve believed the serpent over the WORD of GOD they broke HIS trust and disobeyed HIM! Now I ask you to read John 1:1 again and if you haven’t thought about it before now, maybe now is the time to rethink your position on millions and billions of years as well as evolution.

John 3:16 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.

I ask you – WHO do you actually believe in if you don’t believe HIS WORD? The belief in millions and billions of years and evolution are the Secular PAGAN Religion of the era that we live in. Can’t you see that the conception of this belief which began in the early 1700’s and continues to grow momentum day by day in the 21st century is destroying the foundation laid down for us in Genesis?

Psalm 11:3 ³If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Can’t you see that this is Satan’s last ditch effort to pull us away from Jesus who summed it up in one verse, John 14:6 “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.” Isn’t Satan saying again…God didn’t really mean what He says? This secular – science motivated pagan religion is being indoctrinated into our children’s minds from the time they’re 2 or 3 years old and it’s only becoming worse as they get older and have access to the technological and mainstream medias or what is referred to as SCREEN-TIME. When we believe in Secular Science rather than the infallible WORD of GOD aren’t we calling God and Jesus Liars? I ask you – WHO do you actually believe in if you don’t believe HIS WORD entirely? Do you think the Bible is a buffet where you can pick and choose whatever you like and then make it fit into your idea of God and Jesus? He’s been specific right from the beginning! He doesn’t leave one jot or tittle for us to figure out, he speaks to us plainly and we don’t need an interpreter, we only need the HOLY SPIRIT to guide us and help us understand HIS WORD.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom ²Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.³For 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;⁴And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Did you hear that…GOD’S WORD will be turned into FABLES? That is what I call the indoctrination of Secular Paganism Religion (so called science) into the church. When we don’t believe HIS WORD, are we truly loving Him as Jesus instructed?

Matthew 22:37 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.

If you spend anytime at all reading the Old Testament – Tanakh (Hebrew), you will see that every time, the Israelites chose to follow and invite the pagan religions into God’s WORD, they didn’t fair well at all! They stirred His wrath to the point of death!

Today’s world scoff’s at the idea of a 6,000 year old earth being created in 6 days by THE WORD. Our children have been indoctrinated by the merging of this Pagan Religion into the secular schools as well as the Christian Schools. From the first day of kindergarten until they graduate from secular college and even in our Christian schools and seminaries our children have been told that the history of the Bible is wrong and that the secular historical science is correct. According to Lifeway Research, around 1/3 of Pastors have incorporated into their Bible teaching the doctrine of millions and billions of years proclaimed by the secular scientists.

2 Peter 3-7 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,⁴And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.⁵For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:⁶Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:⁷But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

“YOM” is a DAY in the Beginning

I’m now going to address the subject of a “young earth”…from my investigation and study of YOM used in the Hebrew Bible means a literal day! I recognize that there are some out there who in their zeal to promote millions and billions of years as well as evolution within the Biblical timeline will argue otherwise. However, MY ZEAL lies in the WORD of GOD and I don’t find anyplace where there’s room in the Biblical text for an “old earth”.

GENESIS

⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

***it’s obvious from the text that Genesis 1:5 is talking about a 24 hour day…He calls it day and night, He calls it evening and morning and He numbers it “1”.

⁸And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

***In Genesis 1:8 God numbers it day “2” and qualifies it with evening and morning (the Hebrew day started at sunset and still does today).

¹³And the evening and the morning were the third day.

***in Genesis 1:13, God once again numbers the day “3” and references evening and morning.

¹⁴And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

¹⁵And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

¹⁶And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

***One of the arguments I hear is that there had to be light from the sun at the very beginning and I’m here to say that the WORD is light and He has no need of a sun. The sun is for our benefit…not HIS! Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

¹⁷And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

¹⁸And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

¹⁹And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

***In Genesis 1:19, God uses the exact same pattern as days 2 & 3. I believe this is because, he’s already explained to us in Genesis 5 exactly what he means by day.

²³And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

***Genesis 1:23 is the number of day “5” in the exact pattern as days 2,3,4.

³¹And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

***SAME PATTERN

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

As you can see with Genesis 1:31 God is consistent and doesn’t change His pattern. Another argument is from the misinterpretation of 2 Peter 3:8 which says a day is a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. Peter is saying that GOD is outside of time and if you think about it, the two statements cancel themselves. But for arguments sake, lets say a day is a 1000 years…this would still make the earth at most only 13,000 years old which is a far cry from millions and billions. It also says God rested on the 7th day, do you really believe that GOD made a day of rest to last a 1000 years? First of all, HE doesn’t need rest, He made the day of rest HOLY as a model for man to follow…another sign of our obedience to HIM that because he made a day HOLY and gave it to us as a gift so that we could rest from our work is just one more example of how loving and patient our GOD is!

If you read on into Genesis 2 and when you come to verse 4, the WORD tells us “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,”

The only place in the Bible where people have an issue with the meaning of the word DAY (YOM) is in the 1st Chapter of the book of Genesis. Yôm is used over 2,300 times in the Old Testament (making it the most common noun in the Old Testament) (apologeticspress.org), more than 100 of these times, the words evening and morning go along with the usage. Anyplace else in Scripture, when yôm is joined with a number, it references an actual 24 hour day! Nobody questions the meaning of yôm (Hebrew for day) in similarly structured passages in the rest of the Bible. Everywhere else in the Old Testament, when the Hebrew word for “day” (יוםֹ, yom) appears with “evening” or “morning” or is modified by a number (e.g., “sixth day” or “five days”), it always means a 24-hour day. (answersingenesis.com)

Now if you’re asking “How important is this?” I can only tell you how important it is to me! When I asked you at the beginning of this blog “WHO DO YOU BELIEVE?” Recall how Adam and Eve fell for the lies of the serpent. Satan, our enemy, who is alive and well and doing his best to destroy mankind.

Genesis 3:1-4 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? ²And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: ³But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.⁴And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Here’s the question: Did GOD really say that in 6 days he created the Heavens and the Earth and on the 7th day he rested?

When man adds millions and billions of years from the secular world to the Bible, he’s rewriting the WORD of GOD! We have been warned not to take away from or add to His WORD. Who and what you believe makes a difference in whether or not you’re following GOD’S book written by The WORD or Man’s Book written by Satan!

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Spiritual Warfare

Four Books Written by the Apostle John

Of the 66 books that are in the Bible, the Books of John are my favorite to read as they share what we need to know about our Savior, especially if you’re a new Christian. I’m posting this blog today for a new and dear friend. Blessings in Christ to anyone who listens to the Word of our Heavenly Father. I pray that the Holy spirit guides you as you listen to the Word.

I have not included the Book of Revelation which was also written by the Apostle John, because if your a new Christian you need to start out slow with milk and the Revelation is meat. There’s more than one reason why it’s the last book of the New Testament of the Holy Bible. You will need to read and understand the rest of the Bible before you are ready to read and understand the Revelation of John.

Climate Change?

I’m Not Talking about the Weather!

The climate change I’m talking about is the prevailing trend of public opinion or of another aspect of public life. I’m talking about the fact that because of Covid, the prevailing trend has been to use it as an excuse to wield an iron fist when it comes to church gatherings of any kind…even funerals! Now that there’s been a change in the climate of politics, especially in the USA, it’s okay to say on the news that Christians are a threat! No one blinks, except we followers of Jesus – Yeshua gasp! We must realize that we can no longer be “fair weather Christians”! We have to stand up to the storm that’s will soon be raging around us.

It hasn’t been that many years ago that the USA and Canada were considered to be Christian nations, we were in tune with doing our best to live according to the Word of God. Now everything we learned as right and wrong is being impugned by those who don’t want to admit or acknowledge that someday they will have to answer to a higher calling. Morality is dying in our nation – and the world – as we become swept away by a tsunami of sinful behaviors; and as we accept them in the church, we contribute to the decline. When we stand against these behaviors, we as Christians are labeled as a force of evil. God will judge the world, and those who refuse to hear and accept His truth will be forced to face His wrath.

So, we must face it! As Christians, we are facing a society that considers us a threat! So now we’re in the same classification as a weather pattern such as a hurricane or a tornado…a person or thing likely to cause damage or danger. The big difference here is that there’s not much we can do to stop the threat of a hurricane or a tornado, but there’s much that can be done by society and governments to stop the threat of a Christian.

There are many countries in the world, that “the powers that be” go so far as to imprison pastors, make it illegal to own a Bible or to gather together to worship our Heavenly Father. I just read a book named “Tortured for Christ” written by Rev. Richard Wurmbrand. His commitment to Christ and the Gospel as well as the Salvation of his fellow man is beyond anything that we in the “so called” free world can imagine. Jesus – Yeshua warns us:

Matthew 24:9 “Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of My name.

Now…back to “fair weather Christians”…it can also be referred to as lukewarm as Yeshua speaks to the church in Laodicea :

Revelation 3:14-19 To the angel of Messiah’s community in Laodicea write: “Thus says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Originator of God’s creation: ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. Oh, that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spew you out of My mouth. ¹⁷For you say, ‘I am rich, I have made myself wealthy, and I need nothing.’ But you do not know that you are miserable and pitiable and poor and blind and naked. ¹⁸I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white clothes so that you may dress yourself and so the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed, and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ¹⁹Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore, be zealous and repent.

There are so many churches in free countries today who don’t or won’t heed the warnings to the 7 churches in Revelation. I’ve heard it said that they don’t apply to today. I believe that there’s not one jot or tittle written in the Bible that doesn’t apply to yesterday and today and forever! Paul tells us that it’s all there for our learning. When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit affirms it.

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.

Now that we’ve talked about “fair weather Christians”, we need to address the current trend toward being a “foul weather Christian”. Do you live your life in the world until a storm brews and blows you to your knees? Now you turn to God when only yesterday, you turned to the wiles of the world! You turn to God because you lose your job or your retirement portfolio loses money. You turn to God because you or someone you love becomes sick. You turn to God when life isn’t going according to YOUR plan! Now I’m not saying that it’s not good to turn to God at these times, what I’m saying is how long will your faith and trust last? Til the storm subsides? Then back to your old ways…back to living in the world! Paul gives us a lot of instruction about our relationship with the world:

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Now back to the weather… have you looked yourself straight in the eye and told yourself that you’re prepared for the attack that is coming? Have you put on the full Armor of God so you can stand against the storm?

https://jesusamazinggrace.com/2020/06/01/spiritual-warfare/