"Winning" One To The Lord

I guess it is time for a personal rant. I don't like doing it, but I consider it like eating something that is spoiled. You'll feel better and health will return once you vomit it out of your system.

On a Christian forum, yet again I watch as people were being admonished for wanting the rapture to come quickly. I saw another person being jumped on because they not "winning souls to Christ." Still others being down on others because they weren't acting as "street preachers."

Enough is enough!

First, NO ONE wins anyone to Christ unless that person was already predestined to be called to Christ! Anyone that really thinks that, by the strength of their own works they can coerce a person into Christianity, is truly blind of what the Bible teaches us.

"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified."
Rom. 8:29-30

If you'll notice in the above verses, at no point does it say anything close to, "...them also He was lucky enough to have a person go and win to Him, so He could do...." Man, we humans have massive egos, to actually think that God needs us to being anything to the table. He has done it all...He is doing it all...He will do it all...forevermore.

As for the thought that Christians that desire the immediate rapture are being mean or cruel, that somehow this sentences great numbers of people to hell that otherwise wouldn't go...BALONY!

"He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by [their] names. Great [is] our Lord, and of great power: His understanding [is] infinite."
Psm. 147:4-5

OK, is there anyone out there that would actually dare to say that the one true God, who is of infinite understanding, who created the stars and knows each one of them by name...is going to someday say, "Oops, guess you all should have worked harder. There's a bunch of people going to miss getting saved because you didn't do enough, and I wasn't smart enough to know that some of my own children were unaccounted for...."

If this is your god, then do us all a favor and don't even dare touch the term "Christian." That is NOT the God of Israel, the Father of Jesus, YHWH, the I AM. That is some imaginary friend, a fake god with a small case "g." The Father of Jesus Christ IS GOD ALMIGHTY! He needs nothing from any person. He, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, were the ones that were there at the beginning of time, and will be there at the end of that which will never end. Nothing escapes the will and knowledge of God Almighty.

And, accordingly, no one will be lost by any human action.

"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them."
John 17:9-10

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. I and [my] Father are one."
John 10:27-30

Again, it takes a whole lot of ego, as a sheep, to declare that you have something to do with the actions of the shepherd.

Finally, it should be stressed that, as Christians, we have the obligation to be a witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The problem is, some people want to turn this into some kind of "I'm holier than you" contest. Instead of realizing that we can only do what our Father gives us to do, we try to take control of the situation. This results in trying to steal God's glory for ourselves.

Consider a witness in a court of law. This is a person that, when called upon, delivers a truthful testimony of what they have personal experience of. The same is true of a Christian's witness. We should give the truth of the how and what of Jesus in our lives. If we do this, then the following should make complete sense:

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."
1 Cor. 3:6-7

We must accept that the increasing presence of ego in the world is a dead on indication of just how late the hour is.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
2 Tim. 3:1-5

But, we should be ever prayerful that we not find ourselves described by that passage. In everything, give God the glory. Don't try to take any of it for yourselves.

Grace and Peace....

What's On The Menu - Part 2: Real Good Eats

"They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

"Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
John 6:30-35

The people that had gathered around Jesus were wanting to see a sign from Him that would prove that what He was saying was true. As an example, they wanted something like what the people in the wilderness had seen when being led by Moses. When the people were hungry, God sent a form of bread, called manna, to fall on the ground. They could eat what they needed to survive, but they couldn't try to keep any extra. Anything that was stored would rot.

But, there were two points that got in the way of anything like this happening. One, Jesus was not here to provide their daily groceries. That doesn't mean that He couldn't have done so if He so desired. But, He was sent to show the people that the things of this mortal life are not what is of eternal importance.

Second, the whole purpose of the life and teachings of Jesus was to give power to faith in the life of each believer. As soon as you give a proof that can be touched, tasted or the like, then it is no longer faith that is at work.

Jesus told these people that the REAL bread of life was Himself. Manna could keep the body alive for a day. Jesus could provide life forever.

However, this statement was being lost on most of these people. They were too wrapped up in the "now", and not able to grasp the "evermore" of the situation.

This is why they were asking the Lord to evermore give them this bread He was talking about. They were not wanting to be saved. They were wanting free groceries, so to speak. They wanted the needs of the flesh; the needs of the day, to be taken care of.

This led to one of the most important statements that Jesus ever made.

"I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

For those that were given the ability to hear and understand this statement, an offer was being presented unlike any before. Jesus was showing that, by "feeding" upon Him (as in, taking in those things that the spirit and soul hungered for) a person would find eternal life.

Jesus promised to fulfill the needs of all those that would partake of Him. The promise of never being hungry nor thirsty again was beyond simple food and drink. It was the power to be with Him forevermore.

Today, if you will hear His call in your heart, you too can join Him at a table that never runs out.

You may starve to death in this life, but Jesus will take care of your needs for all eternity. This life is but a blink of an eye compared to the future that awaits those called to be His people.

If you are being called to repentance by the Holy Spirit, do not try to fight the call. Instead, put down your fleshly life, take up His cross, and follow Him.

Grace and Peace....

When Satan Punches You In The Gut....

Just remember: satan tends to punch us in the gut when we have our heads lifted up high, nose in the air and full of ourselves.

To avoid being hit, it is always a good idea to keep your head down...bowed in prayer to God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Make a commitment to spend more time in loving prayer to God as 2007 comes to an end. Our rapture is drawing closer with each passing second. So, today would be an excellent day to spend thanking God for the gift of Jesus. That gift will allow us, as adopted children in the family of our Father, to be with Him forevermore.

Grace and Peace....

What's On The Menu - Part 1: Prosperity Gospel

"The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but [that] his disciples were gone away alone; (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks.)

"When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

"Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."
John 6:22-27

There is a movement of evil afoot in the Christian community. People are being led astray from sound doctrine, and into the camp of the "name it-claim it" prosperity gospel.

Now, before I say anything else, let's look at what is their key Scripture for making such a claim:

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it]."
John 14:13-14

That seems to make a pretty bold statement that a person can have ANYTHING they want. They just have to ask for it in the name of Jesus and "poof", there it is at your feet. But, is this really what is being said, when taken in the context of the passage?

First, in verse twelve, there is the point that, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also...." So, we see that the passage is being addressed to those that believe in Jesus. That eliminates those that would just use His name as a "magic spell" or "lucky charm."

Next, in verse ten, we read, "...the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." Jesus is showing us that even He is under the willful direction of God the Father in the things that He (Jesus) does.

Finally, the biggest thing to note here is in verse thirteen. Jesus says, "...that the Father may be glorified in the Son." The things that are to be done must result in God the Father receiving glory.

One has to ask the obvious question here: Does the thing being prayed about result in God being glorified? If a person prays, "God, in the name of Jesus I ask for a brand new car with all the options", does it deliver glory to God? Did Jesus need a brand new car to bring the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to the people?

Most prayers, sadly to say, don't even meet these minimum requirements.

So, when looking at the prosperity gospel, we see a flawed concept of Jesus, not as sacrifice and savior, but as either a magician with a hat filled with your every wish, or as a lawyer, demanding that God provide our every desire due to a legality.

Not gonna happen, I'm gonna say.

The good news is, that when we pray, we as born again believers do have an audience with the Creator of All and Everything. We have Jesus, standing on our behalf as our advocate, defending us from the attacks of satan. We have the Holy Spirit in us, speaking for us with words we can't even say. We have a loving Father, listening to His children with an open heart and a spirit of mercy.

Now, with that said, consider carefully what you do next.

Pray for a winning lottery ticket?

Pray that your boss drops dead from a heart attack?

Pray that you can be used to deliver the witness of Jesus to others?

Pray thanks for being given life's necessities, like food, clothes, shelter?

Pray out of love for Father, Son and Spirit, that they might have a good day?

Pray for those that are in authority over you?

Pray for those that work under you?

Pray for those that are around you?

I can't tell you if any of the above is a good prayer, I can't tell you if it is a bad prayer. That depends completely on the situation of the prayer. If God would be glorified by you getting a new car, I promise you He will send one your way. If you are praying for your coworkers to get a promotion just so you can get them away from you, that might not happen. The result is between your heart and God's will.

But, just remember: Jesus showed us the way to pray, in what is commonly known as The Lord's Prayer. A most important element in His teaching is something that we should all keep in mind when we talk to our Father....

Thy Will Be Done

If we keep that in our hearts while we pray, the chances are we won't be praying for our own greed, but to see and do those things that will glorify our loving Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son, Jesus.

Grace and Peace....

You Really Shouldn't Read This Post!

I'm not kidding! Maybe, you should just turn around and surf off the other way.

After all, like a line from a certain movie stated:

"You can't handle the truth."

But...

If you are willing to take the risk...if you are willing to accept the responsibility for what you are about to read, and quite possibly learn...

Click Here

Most people will never click that link. Of those that do, most will lose the will to read what is there. And, of those that read it, most will never take the time to be Berean, and look to the Bible to see if what they are reading is right or wrong.

But, those that do click, read and check, will find that their knowledge and wisdom will have been expanded, to the praise of God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Go on. Click and read. I double-dog dare ya! :)

Grace and Peace....

Alive And Well

As that day approaches, when people turn their hearts to gifts, carols, trips, trees and pretty much everything EXCEPT Jesus, allow me to tell you the story of what is REALLY important....

"The first [day] of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

"Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

"Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

"So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

"And he stooping down, [and looking in], saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

"Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

"Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

"For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

"Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

"But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, [and looked] into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

"And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

"And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

"Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God."
John 20:1-17

People, Jesus Christ is not laying in a manger somewhere in Bethlehem. He is not the son of a carpenter. He is most assuredly not hanging on a cross. He is not dead.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God Almighty, is very much alive and well!

Jesus Christ is not the brother of satan. He is not throwing a temper tantrum requiring Mary to calm him down. He cannot be mystically dragged from heaven and stuffed into a cookie.

Jesus Christ is God Almighty, who took up the mantle of humanity so as to live a sinless life, tempted but triumphant, sacrificed so that His perfect blood could atone for the sins of His people.

Jesus Christ has no need for our works. He doesn't need any help in accomplishing the will of God the Father. He doesn't need Muhammad, Mary, Buddha, Sun, Moon or any other person to pave a way to or through Him.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Jesus --Ἰησοῦς (Iesous - pronounced "ee-ay-sooce'") was raised from the dead. He was seen by family members, friends, His apostles, groups of people--over 500 people saw Him walking on earth. After this, He was ascended into heaven, where He and He alone acts as our "attorney", defending us before God the Father when satan brings charges against us. He is preparing a place for His people. He is awaiting the word from His Father (and ours) to go and get His bride, which is the body of believers known as "The Church."

And that word could be issued by Our Father, YHWH, any moment.

Maybe now. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next year.

But, it is coming--much sooner than most people would care to imagine.

So, now is the time when you must choose. Do you worship the god of yourself? The goddess Mary, queen of heaven? The god allah, who is nothing other than satan himself? Or, are you called to believe in Jesus Christ, Savior, King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

Grace and Peace....

Let's Talk About A Special Day In December....

It's a very special day. It is the celebration of the death and rebirth of the sun-god. No matter what that god's name (Tammuz, Mithra, Baal, Adonis, Saturn, Osiris), it was considered the unconquerable sun-god. And, in pagan culture, his rebirth was celebrated at the winter solstice, which is at or near December 25th.

This day of celebration has been around since the days of Nimrod, far before the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. It was a time of giving gifts to one another.

They would even celebrate using a tree. They would cut one down, nail a couple of boards to the bottom, then decorate it. So what, you might think. Surely the Bible doesn't even mention anything about this being wrong, does it?

"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

"For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

"They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."
Jeremiah 10:2-4

Hmmm. The Lord commands that we "Learn not the way of the heathen", yet many proclaimed Christians jump all over the place to do just that.

What else is used in christmas...how about holly. Everyone loves having holly wreaths. Of course, most people never bothered to find that holly (the red berries in particular) was used in pagan rituals to symbolize the menstrual blood of the queen of heaven.

Of course, there's also mistletoe, where the berries are symbolic of semen of the sun-god. And the kissing tradition dates from the use of mistletoe in temples as part of the sanctioned prostitution, which was part of the celebration.

And we won't even get into the yule log, the candles on the trees (which are electric nowadays) and all the rest. Instead, we'll just ask two simple questions: Where did christmas get attached to Christianity and is it really the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

The first question can be answered in the short form with one word: Constantine.

Emperor Constantine decided on day that all the Roman Empire would be "Christian." What a nice man, one decree and everybody is converted. Well, it doesn't work like that, and the people did not want to part with their celebrations, such as Saturnalia and Natalis Solis Invicti, where you had drunken parties, gift exchanges, public orgies and such. So, Constantine decided to combine the pagan holidays with new, Christian titles. So, the winter celebrations were combined into christ-mass. Other holidays, such as aster (easter) would follow suit. The result is an unholy mix of pagan and Christian. You probably wouldn't drink a glass of water if a portion of it was rat poison. So, should Christians have anything to do with this mixture?

"Learn not the way of the heathen"

You decide.

As you might guess, the second question above has already been answered, but let's add a point or two.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."
Luke 2:8

By the end of the month of September and the first of the month of October, the shepherds are no longer abiding in the fields. That one verse ends any question as to christmas being the birthday of Jesus. It wasn't.

Now, here's a pop quiz for you. Where in the Bible are we either asked or commanded to remember the birthday of Jesus?

Answer: We aren't.

Think about it for a minute. Jesus is the Son of God. He has been alive and with God FOREVER! He temporarily took on the role of human in order to live the life of a perfect sacrifice for the sins of His people. So, how do you, in good faith, celebrate the birthday of a person described as:

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Heb. 13:8

Jesus was much more insistant that we remember Him in this manner:

"And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake [it], and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave [it] to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many."
Mark 14:22-24

Now, some people will wish to remind me of this passage of Scripture:

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]:"
Col. 2:16

To this I must answer: I am in no wise judging any person. That is not my job, nor is it my right. I merely am teaching about the days that some see as Christian. If, after reading this information, you can of pure heart and in a respectful spirit continue to celebrate christmas as the world does, then that is your decision.

If, on the other hand, you can see the mixing of truth and lie as something to be avoided, then you are now responsible to God Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ for what you do from this point forward.

Grace and Peace....

A Worldly Christian?

We have talked many times about the process that leads to salvation.

But, what about AFTER you recognize your calling?

It is far too easy to just go on about your affairs, happy that Jesus is your Lord, but without understanding the responsibilities that come with being His man or woman.

Let's take a look at one of the things that we are called to do when we are His servant:

"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
1 Pet. 1:14-16

We understand from our readings in Romans that before we are called to be one of Jesus' people, we are dead spiritually. This means that our soul will always choose to follow the lusts of the flesh.

However, now that your are reborn in the spirit, you no longer get to claim ignorance of the truth. The Holy Spirit leads a Christian to follow a path that is no longer led by the desire for fulfillment of fleshly lusts. You will be shown that there is a good and proper way to go in life, and there is a bad and disobediant path that you can choose.

As Peter is showing us, we are given a new, high standard to aim for. We, as children in the family of God by adoption, must do our best to model ourselves after our new Father.

Just as in any earthly family there is a drive to copy the actions of the parents, so too is there a desire to conform ourselves to the image of God. And God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are all 100% HOLY.

So, one might ask, what is holy?

To grab a definition from Webster's, to be holy is to be "one perfect in goodness and righteousness." God, in all aspects of the Trinity, is holy. He is perfect in all ways. He is perfectly good. He is perfectly righteous in all ways. Without flaw, without error.

So, how important is it for us to be perfect? Let's see what the Bible says:

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Matt. 5:48

"The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master."
Luk. 6:40

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."
Phl. 3:15

"Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"
Col. 1:28

And this is just a small portion of the many verses that detail to us that perfection is not just a goal, but an expectation.

But, how on earth could ANY person be perfect, seeing that we are still attached to a sinful, evil flesh?

"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
John 17:23

We can only be perfect by the presense of Jesus in us. But, that doesn't mean we can just sit back and rest happy in the knowledge that Jesus has it covered. Because, even though the work is already done, we are still (while on this earth) taught to be molded into the pattern of Jesus.

Our day-to-day actions should always be a reflection of Jesus in us. Each day, we are to take up our cross and follow Him. Not only does this bring glory and honor to Our Father, but it proves that we have truly been grafted into the Vine that is Jesus.

So, take these words to heart: If you a Christian, it should be your daily, moment-by-moment effort, to live a life that would be pleasing to God Almighty. If you are living a life of a Christian that is defeated by sin, then you are depriving yourself of heavenly treasures, and you are failing to display a useable witness to the world of Jesus in your life.

If this is you, and you are living life at odds with God, then repent now! Turn away from that sinful journey, and ask Jesus to heal the wounds that sin has inflicted upon you. A joyous fellowship will certainly follow.

So, my brothers and sisters...be ye holy!

Grace and Peace....

One More Time, With Feeling....

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

While reading a Christian forum recently, I was amazed to see, once again, Christian brothers and sisters almost get it right, then lose it at the end.

What am I talking about? The act of salvation of man, and man's role in such.

These people admitted to certain points that would be called "Calvinistic" by some. They got these points right. Then, they messed it all up by stating that man must still make the free will choice to be saved.

Bzzzzt! Wrong answer...thanks for playing, but you don't win what's behind door number two.

Now, this doesn't mean they aren't saved. As a matter of fact, the very part that they are getting wrong is the part that ensures that they are, in fact, saved.

So, let's take a look at one passage of scripture that could very easily be considered the summary of the process of being saved.

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

"For by grace" - In other words, this process that is being talked about (salvation) is produced by grace. Grace is defined in the dictionary as "a favor rendered by one who need not do so." Grace is a free effort, that has no requirement driving it to be given. God chose to make an effort--to render a gift, a favor--where no person deserved such an effort to be made.

"are ye saved" - In a more modern rendering, this would read as "you are saved." It means the same thing either way. Your salvation, your forgiveness in the eyes of God Almighty, your adoption into His Family by the work of His Son Jesus...this is the result of God's grace.

"through faith" - This is the passage by which the gift of grace, your salvation, is delivered. Two points about this faith. The first is, we do not possess it of our own accord. In fact, let's see what Jesus Himself had to say about faith:

"And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

"And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

"But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

"And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

"Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

"So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
Luke 17:5-10

Jesus told them that if they had even the smallest portion of faith, they could command the tree to pull itself out of the ground and go reroot itself in the sea and it would obey.

Jesus even goes a step farther, and shows how it is not the place of the servant to be in a position of authority. The servant knows his place, and does what he is commanded to do.

Faith is the right and the balliwick of God Almighty. He portions it out when and where He chooses, in accordance with His will.

"and that not of yourselves" - Paul is making the point crystal clear. The process of salvation by faith through grace is in no wise originating from you. All of the process, each and every step, has the common factor of not coming from the person being saved. Why?

"[it is] the gift of God" - If salvation had anything whatsoever to do with the person involved, it could not, would not, be a gift from God. Say two people are building a boat. When they finish the job, one turns to the other and says, "Here, I'm giving you this boat as a gift." Wouldn't that be somewhat stupid to say? After all, part of the boat was already the second person's property. How can you give what you don't possess? How could you think to claim what isn't yours?

Yet, misguided people still try to do that very thing. They are dead to God, yet He gives them a new life in the spirit. His Son pays off their sin debt. God does it all. So, what does the saved person say? Does he do as Jesus said to do? Does he say, "I am an unprofitable servant: I have done that which was my duty to do."?

Nope. The misguided Christian, after having all this done for him as a gift, says, "I'm just so happy that I chose to follow Jesus. It just makes me proud to know I decided to let Him into my heart."

"Not of works" - Salvation has absolutely NOTHING to do with what you do! It makes not a single bit of difference to God if you are a good person. It makes no difference if you go to church every Sunday. He doesn't care if you give the tithe every week. Nothing, nothing, NOTHING you do, oh, little man, does anything to influence God in giving or not giving salvation. Why not?

"lest any man should boast" - First and foremost, God wants His adopted children to understand that HE is the author of your salvation. He wants the glory for what He has done. The first step towards true worship is to know why you should worship. Look at what satan did to bring about his expulsion from his position in heaven:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
Isa. 14:12-14

What do the sayings of satan (I will ascend...) and a misguided Christian (I will decide) have in common?

EGO!

This is something that God, rightfully, does not want from His children.

Think about it: God made heaven and earth, made man, gave a way for man to remain close to Him, gave gifts of land, food, security to His people, allowed His Son to be killed to pay for our sins, is making a place at His table in His house for us for all eternity. Is it really so much for God to desire the recognizition for His works?

There it is, laid out on a silver platter, so to speak, for all to see. Many people will find this offensive. Good. Many will get mad about not being part of their own salvation. Great. Some will think me blasphemous, stupid or "hyper". Thank you! I appreciate that. Because, it is exactly what the Bible is saying. It glorifies God our Father. It magnifies Jesus Christ, our Savior. It puts us exactly in the position we belong in--servants, doing our duty because it is what we were commanded to do.

Praise be to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ forever!

Grace and Peace....

Moth And Rust

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

Have you been watching the financial news recently?

There are some serious events coming around the corner at us. Things that most of us have only read about. Allow me to drop a few quotes on you.

"The Government must suspend a set of key banking regulations at the heart of the current financial crisis or risk seeing the economy spiral towards a future that could make 1929 look like a walk in the park."
Peter Spencer, Economist

"There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved"
Ludwig von Mises, Economist

"According to Merrill Lynch, the slope of the yield curve and the value of credit spreads point to a 100% chance of a recession."
Doug Kass, Analyst, Contributing Editor-thestreet.com

Ah, poodles...the list goes on and on. Even though you won't hear many facts or opinions like this on your average network news program, the people that WORK in the field day-to-day are worried. Near panic, if truth be told.

The American economy (and, by association, the world economy) is standing on the tippy-toe edge of disaster.

Most of the problems stem from the practice of the last decade of buying bad debt with bad debt, making even more bad debt. OK, that's accurate, but a bit cryptic.

Let's look at the housing market for a real-world example of what's happening.

Person "A" really can't afford a house. Bank "B" comes up with some wacky methods of making it "affordable" (read that as, where it is easier to delude person "A" into thinking that the debt of the house will, in the future, become a credit.) Bank "B" takes a bunch of "A" people, and sells their packaged debts to Bank "C". Bank "C", hoping to make some profit off of this package sells it, combined with other packages of debt to Bank "D". And, they also sell it to Mutual Fund "E". And maybe, even to Foreign Investor "F".

If this sort of looks like a pyramid scheme, you wouldn't be the first to notice the similarities.

Now, as long as "A" makes payments on time, everybody is happy.

But, along comes, say, food prices going up 20%. Or, maybe, a loss of job. But, something happens that makes "A" stop payments on the debt.

The result? "A" loses a house. "B" through "F" lose value (money) of their investment.

If there are a bunch of "A"s, then "B" goes under. If "B" goes, "C", "D", "E" and "F" are going to be treading water like a passenger on the "Titantic". A few might get a ride in a life boat, but most will go under.

The problem is, even though only these people CAUSED the problem, everyone will feel the pain. When a bank goes under, it doesn't go alone. It takes the savings accounts, the checking accounts, the loans, the business accounts...all of it, right to the bottom of the sea. And, when one of those business accounts gets lost, a business goes dark. This means people that had a job, no longer do. So, they become "A" people.

Lather, rinse, repeat...often.

The REAL root to this is the simple truth:

"For the love of money is the root of all evil...."
1 Tim. 6:10(a)

Paul had told Timothy just a little before this statement:

"And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
1 Tim. 6:8

Being clothed and fed should be enough for any person. But, when the lust for wealth takes over, nothing good can come of it.

So, it may be a matter of years, or it could be just a few days. But, this economy is heading for the trash dump.

I recommend investing heavily in heaven, as our opening verses show. Doing those things that can open an account in heaven (such as surrendering to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior) and can deposit riches into that account (doing those things commanded of us as bondsmen to Jesus) make a whole lot of sense.

God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, when it is all said and done, are the ONLY treasures worth having, on earth or in heaven!

Grace and Peace....

Notice: Group Prayer Taking Place

Just to let everyone know, at 5pm Central time today (December 16th, 2007), there is going to be a nationwide group prayer that our Father might consider sending Jesus to get us very, very soon.

It is the opinion of those involved that the evil and hatred in the world is reaching a point where the best medicine would be the removal of the Church. That way, the wrath of God can be poured out on earth. When that is complete, our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, will begin His reign on earth. This is the healing that the world needs.

So, I would like to invite each of you, no matter where you may be, to take a moment or two and pray that the Father would say to His Son:

"Go and get your bride!"

Grace and Peace....

Time For A Change?

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Isa. 55:6-7

When the rapture of the Bride of Christ (the true and faithful Christian church) takes place, the Age of Grace as we know it now will come to an end. The final week of Daniel's 70 Week Prophecy will take center stage, as the Age of the Law is finished. During this time, the Jewish people will once again be the focus of God's actions.

That doesn't mean that there will be no more gentiles called to Jesus. But, if the expectations of many people prove to be accurate (as the Bible seems to tell us), these future Christians will pretty much to a person have to give their life in defense of their new-found faith. Also, these people will be called to render service in the Kingdom:

"And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

"And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

"Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
Rev. 7:13-17

Notice, however, that these are not part of the Bride of Christ. They serve in God's temple. Still, an incredible job to have, serving our Father and our Savior!

But, the Bride has a different path in store:

"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ."
2 Cor. 11:2

The church that is raptured will be going off with their Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, for seven years. This will be a time of celebration and rewards. On earth, however, this will be the time of tribulation. A time period that will be so evil, so vile, so distressful that it will make the worst of days now look like a day in the park!

So, the question is, why would a person desire to NOT be part of the Bride?

Pray now, that the Lord would grant you mercy in the form of forgiveness for your sins. Repent, turn your back on the ways of the flesh, on the paths of earthly life. Die now, and be buried with Christ, so that He may live in you anew, and that you may receive eternal life. For we are promised:

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
Matt. 10:39

You only get one life. You must determine if that life is to be an earthly life, lost when you die, or if it is to be eternal life, gained by giving up this life as your own.

"And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?"
Luke 9:23-25

Grace and Peace....

Chick Tracts

I want to tell everyone about a resource that many do not know about.

Jack Chick has been providing a fantastic ministry to the salvation of the called in the form of tracts. For those that don't know what a tract is, it is a (usually) small pamphlet or book that provides a narrative detailing information. Chick tracts are small, comic books that are used to deliver the witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Although these tracts are a bit more "free will" based than I for one would like to see, there is no denying that they deliver the message of Jesus' work in bringing about salvation. And, as we know from the Bible:

"And Jesus said unto him, Forbid [him] not: for he that is not against us is for us."
Luke 9:50

These tracts can be viewed online for free, and actual physical copies can be purchased so you can distribute them in public. This is a great way to "spread some seeds" for the purpose of seeing others called to Jesus.

Not only do these tracts cover basic salvation, but they are a gold mine of information on the satanic basis behind Catholicism, Islam and other false faiths.

Please, if you get the chance, check their website out at:

www.chick.com

Remember: Anything that spreads the Word of God is a good thing!

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it."
Isa. 55:11

Grace and Peace....

When Is A Sinner A Sinner?

Sometimes people are so caught up in trying to see the big picture that they miss the finer points. This is one area that needs to be perfectly clear. Is there a point at which a person becomes a sinner? Let's find out what the Bible has to say about this subject.

First, what is sin?

In Genesis 2:16-17, we read:

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

God gave a command to Adam. It had a directive (thou shalt not eat) and a result (thou shalt surely die). Yet, Adam disobeyed. In Genesis 3:17-19, we see:

"And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return."

Now, notice something here. Because of Adam's actions, the ground is cursed (with such as the sorrow required to make use of it, the difficulty of using it, the physical efforts involved in working it). Also, Adam is further cursed with physical death (going back to the dust). But, didn't God say that "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die"? Did God lie? Was God confused?

God forbid! Adam DID die on that very day wherein he ate of the tree!

His spirit died. That part of us that made us a living part of the spiritual family of God died when Adam turned from God.

You see, up until this point, Adam and Eve had three distinct parts that made up the whole of their persons:

• physical
• soul
• spiritual

Until Adam and Eve sinned, their physical bodies were capable of living for ever, being made in the image of God. Their soul was that part of them that comprised their personality, if you will--their ability to think, do, plan and decide. The spiritual part was what "connected" them (to coin a phrase) with the heavenly realm. It was what connected them, brought them together with, the family of God.

When they sinned, God cursed the physical body to return to dust. In other words, he made them mortal and base. Their spiritual side died upon sinning. They were no longer a part of the family of God. They could not approach God directly--they could only be approached by God, and that would be at a cost.

Their souls, once capable of "free will", of independent choice between flesh and spirit, now only had one option left. They would from this point on follow the leadings of the flesh, seeing how there was not a spiritual part left to give them a choice.

God, acting on their behalf, performed the function of a High Priest, and sacrificed an animal, giving them the skins thereof:

"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them."
Gen. 3:21

Why would we assume this was a sacrifice? Hebrews 9:22 tells us:

"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

Blood is the currency that sin requires as a payment against debt. Animal sacrifices were sufficient to sort of "pay the interest" on the debt, but they would never be able to clear the debt itself. So, these animals were quite possibly the way God was able to overlook the sinful natures of Adam and Eve for the short term.

So, we now know what sin is (disobedience to God). Now, we must find out when we first sin.

In Numbers 14:18, we see the following passage:

"The LORD [is] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation]."

This seems to show that a sin nature is passed on from father to son. But, in Ezekiel 18:20, we read:

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."

This would seem to say that the sin is NOT passed on from father to child. So, is this a contradiction?

God forbid!

The sin nature is passed on from generation to generation. When the spirit of Adam and Eve died, it was gone. There was nothing left to be passed on, because it existed no more. The iniquity is visited upon the children from the father. However, each soul is responsible for their own iniquity. As we saw above, "the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him". This isn't just double speak, but it is as accurate of a description as one can get. The sinful nature is passed on, but the actual sinfulness is a product of the flesh and soul of each individual person. The mechanism to sin is inherited--the sin is created brand new in each person.

So, the final piece of the puzzle come from 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."

Remember, the spirit side of Adam and Eve died the day they ate of the tree of knowledge. It was gone, and was not passed down to their children. Without a spirit that is righteous before God, we cannot be in the presence of God.

Thus, Jesus explained to Nicodemus:

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. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
John 3:5-7

We must be born of water (physical birth) and of the Spirit (spiritual rebirth by the Holy Spirit, which can only be done after the debt of sin is removed from us.) Otherwise, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

So, we can see where sin starts now. Because we are spiritually dead, even at conception, we are inherently sinful even at conception. Because we have the sinful nature visited upon us, we are sinful by nature even at conception. Because we are predisposed to sin due to having only our flesh as the source of our lusts, we are creating sin from the first moments that we can be sinful.

In short, we are sinful creatures from the moment the spark of life takes place. This is completely in agreement with Romans 3:23:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Likewise, Romans 5:12:

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"

This also ends several false doctrines found in Christianity today:

• Age of accountability - no such thing, we are sinful from moment number one.
• Free Will - nope, that requires a set of options. Sinners can only choose to follow their sinful flesh until God makes changes in His called people.
• Babies (abortion) - are sinful at conception. Aborted babies are people that are going to hell. Don't blame God - if you don't want to take responsibility for your sinful nature, blame Adam and Eve.
• Mentally Ill - unless a person confesses Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as their savior, they WILL go to hell.
• Backsliding/Loosing Salvation - you can't lose what you had no part in gaining. God the Father/Son/Holy Ghost did ALL the work to bring each Christian into their family. Each Christian was at war with God until God made saving changes in their lives.
• Works Required For Salvation - balogna! Never did a branch graft itself into a vine. However, a living branch that has been grafted into the vine CAN produce good fruit.
• Christian Choice - yes, now that we have our old flesh and our new spirit, we once again have free choice. But, we are instructed to follow Jesus. So, any other choice is sin. That sin won't cost us our salvation, but it will break our fellowship with Jesus and our Father.

Jesus has paid the sin debt. He is in the process of gathering His people. Only by Him, can we regain access to the throne of God Almighty. Even today, Jesus is approaching people and saying, "Follow me."

Grace and Peace....

Psalm 50

"[[A Psalm of Asaph.]] The mighty God, [even] the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

"He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God [is] judge himself. Selah.

"Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I [am] God, [even] thy God.

"I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, [to have been] continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, [nor] he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest [is] mine, [and] the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field [are] mine.

"If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world [is] mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

"Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

"But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or [that] thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

"When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest [and] speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

"These [things] hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether [such an one] as thyself: [but] I will reprove thee, and set [them] in order before thine eyes.

"Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear [you] in pieces, and [there be] none to deliver.

"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth [his] conversation [aright] will I shew the salvation of God."
Psalms 50:1-23

We who have been grafted into the Vine praise God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We know (not just think, not just believe--we KNOW) that His return is imminent. Yet, we will in no wise be a partaker in the wrath which is fast approaching. Let us offer our thanks and our praise for the life eternal that we have been given, not because we have in any way earned it. But, we shall live forever because God extended His love to us, through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus.

Soon, all the world will glorify God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Soon, the saints of grace will take their place before Jesus the Messiah. Soon, every knee shall bow and every mouth will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and King.

Those that don't believe in God, those that reject the witness of Jesus, those that seek their own way to heaven, those that believe their works will be sufficient, those that believe a church provides salvation, those that believe Mary can save their souls, those that follow their father, satan...all who have not been washed in the cleansing blood of the Lamb shall suffer the embarrassment and humiliation of being forced to admit that Jesus is the Son of God.

And after that comes judgement. Then, the lake of fire for eternity.

Do NOT wait another moment! Pray to Jesus that you be forgiven your sins, as paid for on the cross through the suffering and death that He withstood for YOU! Turn away from your sins, and make Jesus the ruler of your daily life. Believe that He was resurrected from the dead as the first member of a new, eternal family of God, of which you can (and will be) a part of.

You will be somewhere throughout all eternity. Today is the day that your role in the hereafter is decided: as an adopted child of God Almighty through the salvation of Jesus Christ, or as a child of satan, destined to burn and suffer forever.

Grace and Peace....

Neither Will They Be Persuaded

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."
Rev. 20:1-3

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea."
Rev. 20:7-8

I have heard people ask time and time again, why in the world would God, at the beginning of Jesus' thousand-year reign, have satan locked up? Why not just flat out destroy him? And, even if He didn't destroy him, why would God let satan out of the pit? Why would God allow satan to form an army to fight against God? And why, after a thousand years of peace and plenty, would the number of people joining this satanic army be like "the sand of the sea" in number?

I believe it could be so as to put to death the false doctrine of free will.

During the reign of Jesus as King and Lord of earth, there will be people alive that will need the salvation offered by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Sin will still be earning the wage of death. Life will be like a paradise under the rule of Christ, but man is still man.

Today, there are people that claim that THEY choose Jesus, THEY make the decision to believe, THEY are the controlling force in their lives. Delusion, but still, it isn't something that stops God from calling the person to believe in Jesus. It merely takes away a portion of the glory that should be going to God Almighty. But, those that God will have, God will have. Those that will be the people of Jesus will belong to Jesus. Free will is nothing more than a confused form of self-idolatry. Praise God, that He is able to do His good will, in spite of us and our beliefs!

So, at the end of the thousand-year reign, satan is going to go out into a world unlike that which he left behind when he was imprisoned. The new world is one where Jesus is seen as Lord and King, where the presense of God is not a dream, but is a known, daily fact. Disease, famine, war, fear....all reduced to levels so low, that a person that dies at the age of one-hundred years old is considered but a babe. In summary, everything that can be done by God to give proof of Jesus and His Lordship is evident on a daily basis.

So, there is absolutely no way that any man with a free will and at least one functioning brain cell could possibly turn away from Jesus. Right?

Yet, turn away they do--in droves.

That's because, no matter what takes place in life, the truth is that:

"Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
Rom. 8:7

Man will still be man, until God changes man. Therefore, man will never willingly follow God, nor will man ever accept the Lordship of Jesus, unless faith is given by the grace of God to the individual man. Then, that faith can lead to belief in Jesus, which is the beginning of rebirth of the spirit, and the start of eternal life.

So, with Jesus sitting on the throne of earth, God's presence filling the lands, the Holy Spirit covering the world like the winds, every possible blessing provided to mankind...

...man still rebels. And this final rebellion will bring about death--both physical (during the upcoming fight) and of the soul (when the unsaved are tossed into the lake of fire.) Of course, there is no spiritual death, for the spirit was dead since Adam, having never been reborn through the work of Jesus.

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Rev. 20:15

Pray that God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ would be your King, Lord and Savior, forgiving you of all your transgressions and giving you rebirth into the family of God forever. Do not ignore the calling of God the Holy Spirit. For as sure as Jesus is the Alpha (the beginning), He is also the Omega (the end.)

Grace and Peace....

Too Much "Love"

There once was a hunter that decided that it was time to grab his gun and go shoot some game for dinner. While he was out in the woods, he tripped, dropped his gun, and accidentally shot himself in the gut.

He made it back to his truck and drove back to his house where his family was awaiting his return. Even though he was bleeding rather badly from his wound, he managed to get inside his house.

When he asked his wife how bad the wound looked, she realized that it would embarrass him terribly to acknowledge that it was the result of his fall. So, because she loved him so much, and didn't want to hurt his feelings, she told him, "That really doesn't look too bad. It's a very small hole. I bet it'll heal right up in no time."

So, he endures the pain and stumbles out side and sits on the porch. A passing neighbor sees the wound and asks him wwhat happened. After the hunter explains things, the neighbor, filled with love and compassion, tries to encourage the hunter.

"People get hurt like this all the time. In fact, I shot my own foot once, and I can relate to the pain you're feeling. Just be strong--it'll work out just fine."

By the time Sunday came along, the hunter was very pale from the wound. Even with bandages, there was still a lot of blood being lost, and the beginnings of infection were well set in. As his family made their way to church, several people saw the condition the hunter was in. But, because they loved him, they wanted to respect his privacy. "He must know what is wrong", they whispered amongst themselves. "He's on the fast track to death. You just can't miss that." And so, they gave him plenty of space. After church, the pastor came up to the hunter and told him, "You know, we must each make our own choices in life. So, I wouldn't dare to offer medical advice. But, your church family loves you, so we took up a collection and bought you a new shirt."

Monday morning, filled with pain beyond description, the hunter went to see the local doctor. The doctor, recognizing the hunter from a distance, realized that there was no way the hunter could afford the treatments the doctor would perform. So, out of love and respect for the hunter and his family, the doctor said, "It might just be best if you go to the park and have a seat on a bench and just rest. The problems will be over very soon."

As the hunter sits in the park, feeling his life slip away, he realizes just how fortunate he was to have so many people that loved him so much.

And then, he died.

CHRISTIANS! Wake Up! Just because we have eternal life doesn't mean that we can just sit back and wait for the end without doing the Lord's work NOW!

How many people are we "loving to death?" How many people are being so well-respected that they are falling into the flames?

Now, as we all know, God will have those that He chooses to have. Jesus will have all that are given unto Him to have. This isn't about people being lost because of our actions.

It's about our actions being the method of those people being lost!

Do we really wish to be the clay pots that deliver eternal judgement and damnation? Or, do we desire to be the clay pots that deliver the hope of eternal life, as found in and through the Word of God, Jesus Christ?

We have the ability and the unction to perform a type of miracle just as Jesus did.

"He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave [them] to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men."
Mark 6:38-44

Jesus made five loaves of bread and two fishes feed five-thousand, with twelve baskets to spare! So, I tell you:

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
John 6:35

So, get out there, and start sharing that Bread of Life! You'll never run out, you'll never fail to see people fed, and you'll be doing the job that Jesus intended us to be doing as we occupy until the end!

Grace and Peace....

To Build A Bridge

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6

Today, let's take a look at the role of Jesus in the salvation of His people.

In this part of the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus had just told His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them, and that He would return to take them to that new place. Thomas responded to this by asking Jesus how they would know the way while He was gone.

Jesus gave them three descriptions of Himself. They were:

• {the} way (Greek: οδος - hodos, meaning either the highway, or the act of using a highway...a road, path or journey.
• {the} truth (αληθεια - alethia, which means truth.
• {the} life (physical vitality, bodily functioning)

Before I go any further, the reason I put the {the} in front of each word is that, in each Greek phrase, the word "η" (ho - the definitive article for "the") preceeds the descriptive word. This makes it a much stronger, much more specific statement (like we might say, "That is THE CAR for you.") It shows that each phrase isn't leaving any room for other choices. Each description is THE description.

So, three ways in which Jesus is all and only. This is powerful as it stands, but for a moment, think of how completely this covers the needs of a man.

We humans have three basic components that make up everything that we are: our spirit, our soul and our body. When we are unsaved, our spirit is dead from the death originated all the way back to Adam and Eve. Our soul (that which forms our personality, makes our decisions and such) is enslaved to following the lusts of our physical bodies (1 Cor. 15:45.) Our bodies are cursed to eventual death. During the time that our bodies are living, they are forever in pursuit of the lusts of the body, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16.)


Here, Jesus shows how He fulfills the needs of each of those areas.

Using Ecclesiastes 3:21 as an example of the spirit of man:

"Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"

And, 1 Corinthians 2:11:

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."

We can draw the conclusion that the spirit of man is a moving, flowing, active part of the individual. Knowing this, we see that Jesus, in being "the path or the journey", provides both the roadmap and the road itself for those that will follow Him.

Our souls are the heart of our being. As we can see in a few of the relative verses:

"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."
Luke 1:46-47

"And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch."
Mark 14:34

"Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."
John 12:27

"Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
Acts 2:27

The soul is the seat of emotion, of reason and of decision. When we are unsaved, it has no option but to follow physical lusts. After salvation, it has both the good of a reborn spirit to follow, and the deadly urges that still originate in the cursed flesh. How can we know which way is the right way when we must choose?

Simple. Jesus stated as the second description that He is the truth. When our soul is standing at a fork, where the choice is the lie of sin or the truth of God, Jesus provides the truth. As such, it can be truly said, that:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]."
1 Cor. 10:13

Finally, the body is cursed, sinful and well on it's way to death and the grave. Yet, when we are saved, we are promised that at the rapture, be we either dead or alive, we will be changed:

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality."
1 Cor. 15:51-53

Check out that last line. We are looking at a swap out, so to speak, of our current mortal bodies. In the place of the dying flesh, we will be changed, taking possession of new, incorruptable bodies. See how well that stands with Jesus' last description above? Jesus provides the physical life to His people.

And, to what end does He do these things?

By doing these things for His people, He provides the bridge by which we may approach God Almighty, our heavenly Father. Jesus flat out states that He is the ONLY way that people will ever be able to go into the audience of Abba God.

Jesus will have all those that are given to Him by His (and our) loving Father. God has done all the work, God has taken every step, God has paid every debt. All that is left for us is to enter into the joy of our Lord (Matt. 25:23.) Praise God Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ!

Grace and Peace....

What Will The Rapture Be Like?

"And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him."
Gen. 5:24

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw [it], and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces."
2 Kin. 2:11-12

"And He [Jesus] led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven."
Luke 24:50-51

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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."
1 Thes. 4:16-17

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality."
1 Cor. 15:51-53

"And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
Rev. 11:11-12

The rapture of the church is one of the key elements that set apart true Christianity from other systems of belief. Whereas most other "faiths" aim to make this current world a better place, or strive to make the current condition of man better in ways spiritual and/or physical, the Christian believes that both this time and this world are beyond repair. We know that true healing for this realm can only come when Jesus Christ returns in power, sets up His Kingdom, and takes reign over all mankind.

Before this happens, though, believers are promised that they will be removed from the earth. This happens in order to allow God unfettered access to all the earth as He pours out His wrath on the family of satan. During this time period, the people of Israel will be tried by fire, refining the nation into a people that are dedicated and devoted to their God. This time will also bring about the acknowledgement by the Jewish people that Jesus is, in fact of truth, the Messiah.

Many Christians have wondered what that moment will be like when we are called to be with Jesus, nevermore to be apart from Him, our Savior, our brother in God's family, our King. From the above verses, I believe we can piece together the picture of what it may be like.

At a point in time, very close to now, all the world will be going about it's business, just as it has everyday for two-thousand years. There will be wars, rumors of wars, plans for making wars, plans for making peace. But, all of that will be "somewhere else" involving "somebody else." For us, it is just another day like any other day, full of plans, hopes, dreams and schemes. Weddings, births, funerals...life, death and taxes. Gossip on TV, violence in the streets, corruption in the governments. Same ol' same ole.

But, this day is about to become unlike any other in the history of mankind. Today, an event that God Almighty has had scheduled since before the creation of the universe. This is the day that God the Father has given God the Son approval to go forth and receive His Bride, the collective body of predestined, called out believers known simply as the Christian Church.

As Jesus Christ comes forth from the realm of heaven into the realm of the earth, as the angelic host shout and cheer, as the archangel shouts out the alert to those awaiting Jesus' return, and the trump of God sounds out loud (for it was the custom of Jewish weddings that a member of the groom's party shout, "Behold, the Bridegroom comes!" This was followed by the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn trumpet). At the sound of the horn, the wedding procession would go and retrieve the bride....) Jesus Himself may well shout out, "Come up hither!"

In an instant, two things happen: those that are dead, but who belong to Jesus, are revived into new, incorruptible bodies. The second thing is that we who are alive are changed from corruptible, mortal bodies into incorruptible, glorified bodies. Trailing just a blink of an eye behind the resurrected brothers and sisters, we shall follow them into the sky, into the clouds, into the presence of our beloved Savior, Jesus. To the people that are left behind, the changes will look to have taken place instantly. Our departure will probably be visible, but unbelievable. A thousand excuses will be pondered and debated as to how we have disappeared. Or, perhaps, due to other events taking place at the time, our departure will be ignored at that time. Either way, how many people will dare to even consider that it was the rapture? Hundreds? Millions? We know that, before it is all said and done, a huge number of "tribulation saints" will come forth. As described in Revelation 7:9, the number will be "...a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues..."

And those that DO understand what has happened, and what the truth is, will be presented with two simple, stark options.

Believe in Jesus Christ, hold on to that belief and the reward it will bring--and probably die for that belief. Or....

Believe the delusion that will grip much of the earth and the people therein. Follow the antichrist, be amazed at his beauty, his charm, his talent, his might--and join him in everlasting fire, tormented throughout eternity.

Today would be a great day to understand that "many are called, but few chosen." If you are feeling the Lord knocking at the door of your heart, today is the acceptable day--reach out and grab hold of that which is being given to you. This is the day to surrender to His effective calling, to drop to your knees, and to confess your sinful ways unto the Son of God, the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. You must be born again in order to be adopted into the family of God Almighty.

"Behold! The Bridegroom Comes!"

Grace and Peace....

Four Points Of Prayer

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and [for] all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."
1 Tim. 2:1-2

In this letter from Paul to Timothy, the first verse of chapter two gives us four areas that we are called upon to address in our prayers:

• supplications
• prayers
• intercessions
• giving of thanks

As we take a look at each of these, we can get a better idea of how our prayers are seen by God.

Supplications - In Greek, this is rooted in the word δέησις (deesis), which means requests or petitions.

Prayers - προσευχή (proseuche), which means roughly "oral worship."

Intercessions - ἔντευξις (enteuxis) - to interview, or basically, to confer with, as in reference to a certain subject.

Giving of thanks - εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), which means an active display of gratitude.

We are to perform these things on behalf of all men (mankind, if you will.)

In verse two, we are even made specifically aware that we should be doing this for those that are leaders, and those that are in positions of authority. In so doing, we can ask God to provide lives that are "quiet and peaceable", that are filled with "godliness and honesty."

Let's make an effort, even more so now in these end times, to fulfill our obligations and our honorable duties, and pray on behalf of not just our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, but for all those that might be predestined to be part of our heavenly family in God Almighty!

Grace and Peace....

The Problem With Rick Warren's Gospel

Rick Warren, leader of the Emergent Church movement, has recently been pushing for a "common" ground between his christian faith (notice the small-case letters there) and the islamic faith. He has suggested that we should all "love god together" and "find peace" between the two religions.

This whole dialog is based on the teachings that the church should "love God above all and love your neighbors." The problem here is that this is a fine example of D-Con rat poison in doctrinal form.

Now, the statement that we should love God above all and love our neighbors as ourselves is Biblical. See here...

"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
Luke 10:27

This was the answer the lawyer gave Jesus, when Jesus asked what he (the lawyer) thought the law showed as being the way to inherit eternal life. And Jesus told the lawyer that he got it right:

"And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."
Luke 10:28

But, as we all know (or at least, as we all should know), man is unable to accomplish even this most simple requirement in order to be found pleasing to God. After all...

"Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
Rom. 8:7

The person that is unsaved, and therefore still of "the carnal mind", cannot love God Almighty, because they are at total opposition to Him. There is only one way that we can approach YHWY, God the Father, the I AM...

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6

Muslems do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Therefore, they cannot approach God Almighty. They likewise cannot love God the Father. There love is, by elimination, for their father, satan.

So, one must ask, why is Rick Warren willing to ignore the Bible when it says:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
2 Cor. 6:14

There is a simple answer: Rick Warren and his followers (willful and misled) are NOT followers of Jesus Christ. They do not teach the Gospel as it was given to us through the early church. The garbage they teach is not Christ-centric.

That doesn't mean that there are not some Christians growing in the Emergent Church ranks. It does mean that they who are saved didn't get there because of the teaching of Rick Warren.

So, when I said that this is an example of D-Con rat poison of a doctrinal sense, here is what I meant.

D-Con, if you look at the ingredients listing, is 99.995% non-toxic substances. This includes things like sugars, dyes, filler and the like. Almost 100% safe for rats, even for humans, to eat.

Boy, that last .005% can sure spoil the dinner! That little, tiny bit of poison would put both man and beast either in the hospital, or in the grave. And so it is with the teachings of Rick Warren.

People are being led to believe that the God of all Christians, the Father of Jesus Christ, is the same god that is worshipped by islam. Nothing could be further from the truth. Islam rejects the deity of Jesus Christ. And this WILL be fatal to many, many people. And if we, as Mr. Warren suggests, align ourselves with islam, many, many more people will be deceived into following a path straight into hell.

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
Gal. 1:8

"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."
1 Cor. 16:22

Grace and Peace....