What Is Trust

Recently, a scripture has been playing over and over in my head. I figured God is trying to teach me something so pay attention.  So I said, Lord you have my attention,  what are you trying to show me?

The Lord wanted me to examine how much do I really trust him. I said, Lord you know I trust you. I reminded the Lord what we have been through. He didn’t need reminding. Maybe I was trying to reassure myself. I don’t know.

The scripture was  Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
[6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

How many times I have quoted, out loud, those verses, especially in difficult times. I’ve never been a greedy or selfish person. Actually, I would always give things away. Then one day the Lord showed me  Proverbs 10:4 KJV “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” So I learned to consider situations and facts before I gave. I’m still a push over sometimes.

God has taught me, the flesh trusts in what it sees, what it thinks, the physical earthly realm. It is quite a different matter to take something to God in prayer and then in complete quiet, listen for that still small voice of the Holy Spirit speak God’s answer. Many times the answer may be just one word. In my case, it was trust.

Trust has been a word I have struggled with all my life. How many times I have trusted people who have used, abused and abandon me. All but Jesus. God has been faithful to me and I have tried to be faithful to him. So when people say trust, my brain says, trust in no man but trust in God. The Lord has helped me soften that position.

Scripture is clear. King David had an unwavering trust in the Lord in everything.  People today don’t really trust in the Lord. They trust their abilities. They trust their money, their investments. Some trust in their job. Some trust in their spouse or their family. And some even trust in themselves. They trust what they think.

I wonder how many “Christians ” would trust the Lord if they had a stroke or were diagnosed with terminal cancer. How many would trust the Lord if they lost their job. How many would trust the Lord if the financial system collapsed and their pension and social security was gone. How many would trust the Lord when all the money they have will just cover their bills but not if they tithe or give to God first as Proverbs 3:9-10 KJV says – “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
[10] So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

People work in government for “job security”. Why have company benefits? Security. This security in things is misplaced.

When you take a matter to the Lord, one of the hardest things is waiting. Oh God will give you an answer pretty quick. It is the waiting for it to come to pass that’s difficult. Just ask Abraham and Sarah. God told him he would give him a son of his own flesh. 14 years or so later, Isaac was born and even Abraham had difficulty waiting and that is why Ishmael was born. And look at how the Arabs have been a thorn to Israel.

Why does God make us wait? Scripture tells us, to refine us, to try us, to try our hearts. It is like God wants to see what we are made of. Will we be faithful. Will we not wavier. Will we stick with him and trust him no matter what.  Only we can answer these points. Even Jesus Christ was tried when Satan tempted him in Matthew 4.

Friends, you need to decide how much you are willing to trust the Lord God. Until next time.

How Your Heart Brings Wealth

Many know the story of King Hezekiah from the Old Testament.  King Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, not to be confused with the wicked King Ahab. Hezekiah started his reign in Jerusalem at the age of 25 ( See 2 Chronicles 29:1 ) and he reigned in Jerusalem 29 years. King Hezekiah was a good king that loved God. He restores worship to the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

But when the King of Assyria threatened God’s people in Jerusalem and spoke against ” the God of Jerusalem ” Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet prayed and cried out to God ( See 2 Chronicles 32:9 – 20 ).

Did God send an army? NO! Did God send America? NO! God sent ” an angel ” one, an angel. God dispatched one angel to help Jerusalem, Hezekiah and Isaiah. Why mention this? Because Hezekiah is a good example of someone whose heart is for God, not just their deeds. Hezekiah is a good example of how God works with mankind – Those who genuinely love God.

Hezekiah was lifted up as a leader.
He was faithful to God ( 2 Kings 18 )
God healed him and extended his life 15 years ( 2 Kings 20:1-7).
God sent an angel to help him ( 2 Chronicles 32:21 ).
God gave him riches and honour ( 2 Chronicles 32:21 ).
So if anyone tells you God does not do that next time, point to Hezekiah.

I wanted to point out, it is not what people say, or what people do (deeds/works whether good or evil), God looks at the heart. And because God is holy and we are created in sin, we could never be good enough for God. And that is why Jesus Christ came, to make things right with God and man. What does your heart say about God? About Jesus Christ?

But I want to point out a couple other points. I wondered, who were these Assyrians? Where were they? The map below shows what is believed to be the Assyrian area. I have not checked it out from scripture yet. With the turmoil in Jerusalem and Israel and their neighbors trying to steal their land again, I recalled Hezekiah made the news recently.

Assyrian area. Notice Jerusalem owned by Israel

When the Arabs were excavating under The Temple Mount for plumbing, they dumped the dirt over the walls. Archeologists sifted through the dirt and found coins inscribed King Hezekiah King of Jerusalem. When you look at biblical timelines ( Bible Timelines   , King Hezekiah became king of Jerusalem in the 8th century BC meaning from 715 BC to 687 BC. That means before the common era.

Islam says Muhammed was born about 570 CE and died about June 8, 632 CE / Common Era – that means Muhammed was born about 1257 years after King Hezekiah. So when the Arabs threw the excavation dirt over the wall and the coins were found in the dirt, the Arabs sealed their fate proving, The Temple Mount belongs to Israel. Here is a picture of the coin found in the dirt from the Temple Mount dirt.

Food for thought. Until next time.

Is Jordan Next

Bill Salus from Prophecy Depot mentioned from his new book The Now Prophecies, events he was looking for now. Prophecies being fulfilled now. Not only was the destruction of Damascus one of the main prophecies Bill is looking to see but he said there was going to be trouble in Jordan. I thought, Jordan? Why Jordan? Prophecy is not one of my strengths. When Bill said Jordan was next on the list of Middle East countries to have a revolt, I couldn’t understand. After all, Jordan was friendly to Israel and the west, right? Now I must confess, I have not yet read Bill’s book. But I have been researching The Temple Mount.

 

From what I have gathered so far and I have not fine tuned any of this yet, I noticed the connection between the 4 blood moons and Israel going back into their land and being birthed as a nation in May 1948. Then in 1967 Israel recaptured Jerusalem, their ancient city King David purchased. The same city from Abraham’s time too. Now we have just gone through another 4 blood moons and we have finished the Shemitah year and are now in the Jubilee they say, which is soon coming to an end. When was the last Jubilee you ask? Around 1967 I believe. The pattern has been the 4 blood moons, a Shemitah and then a Jubilee and every time that happens, Israel has war and then a blessing. So I have said for over a year now, I believe the next war where Israel is involved will have something to do with The Temple Mount.

 

The scriptures are clear – when the antichrist comes, he is going to sit in the temple of God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

 

The temple of God is The Temple Mount in Jerusalem. So there has to be a temple of God standing in Jerusalem for the antichrist to sit in the temple of God. History records in 1967 Israel regained Jerusalem and The Temple Mount. However, Israel chose to allow Arabs access to The Temple Mount. As one article states – ” David Ben-Gurion, who already during the War of Independence in July 1948, when it appeared that the Jewish forces were about to conquer the Old City, ordered David Shaltiel, Haganah commander in Jerusalem, to “prepare a special force, loyal and disciplined…that will use without mercy a machinegun against any Jew who tries to rob or desecrate a holy place, Christian or Muslim.” Ben-Gurion also recommended that Shaltiel mine the entrances to the holy places so as to prevent harm to them.

Nineteen years later, a few hours after Dayan’s decision, he summoned Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and the heads of the religious communities, and promised them that the places that were holy to them would not be harmed. Eshkol, for his part, announced to the chief rabbis of Israel that they would be responsible for arrangements in the vicinity of the Western Wall, and promised the religious leaders of the Christian and Muslim communities that they would continue to determine the arrangements at the places holy to them: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Temple Mount.

Which brings me to Jordan. I couldn’t figure out why Bill Salus was saying Jordan was going to fall, without reading his book yet. Then God showed me. Jordan made a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. The basis for the treaty? The Temple Mount. Who rules the Temple Mount?

The Jordanian Waqf has had de facto rule of the Mount since the 1967 Six-Day War, and keeps an iron fist on the Temple Mount and its activities. The Jordanian government has threatened action several times over what the Waqf and other groups claim is the “Judaization” of Judaism’s holiest site. Imagine that, Jews making their holiest site Jewish, in their own land.  If you Google The Jordanian Waqf you have to skip past the slanted Wikipedia posts that are Arab friendly and anti-Israel. Scroll deeper.

In April 2014, Jordan summoned the Israeli ambassador to the country to protest the “Israeli provocations” on the Temple Mount. This took place after Israel closed the Mount to members of the Waqf as a result of riots by Arab youths. Several days earlier, Jordan urged the United Nations Security Council to end Israeli “escalation” at the Temple Mount after it was opened to Jewish visitors.

Previously, Jordan threatened to revoke its 1994 peace treaty with Israel over a historic debate in the Knesset about providing religious freedoms and prayer rights for Jews on the site. The only entrance for non-Muslims Controversy over the Rambam/Mughrabi Bridge began in 2004. In winter of the same year, the old embankment collapsed in the plaza of the Rambam Gate’s entrance to the Temple Mount, following an earthquake and inclement weather.

The Mughrabi Gate is the only one that serves non-Muslim visitors to the Mount, and the one security forces use during the frequent outbursts of violence there. Following the first bridge’s collapse, Israel quickly built a temporary wooden bridge on metal pillars, in order to replace it with a permanent stone bridge later on. However, the plan quickly drew international condemnation, with opponents claiming that Israel is in violation of the status quo on the Temple Mount.

Terror groups, including Hamas and the Islamic Movement in Israel, claimed that the purpose of the program is to take over the Temple Mount and cause damage to mosques, and threatened to respond with violence if the work on a permanent structure would begin. Jordan and other countries threatened political crisis.

Even though Jordan’s involvement with Israel is not broadcast on the nightly news, Jordan is playing a role with Israel and wants Israel to maintain “ the status quo”. The one thing Jordan has not considered? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has other plans according to 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The study of the antichrist in the temple of God is a very interesting study I hope to cover next time. Now however, I need to read Bill Salus’ book The Now Prophecies to see why he says Jordan. An interesting read on the countries involved when Israel was established and recognized by the world as a nation is Accuracy in Middle East Reporting. You can get a brief understanding of the countries in the Middle East and what they have done to Israel or how they helped Israel.

Regarding Jordan, Accuracy in Middle East Reporting says,

“Jordan (originally called Transjordan) was created out of the Palestine Mandate by Great Britain in 1923, and achieved full independence in 1946. In 1948, during the war against Israel, Transjordan conquered and annexed what became known as the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Old City of Jerusalem, but only Britain and Pakistan recognized its sovereignty there.

Though the majority of Jordan’s population is Palestinian or Beduin, since its inception the country has been ruled by the Hashemite clan of Arabia. The Hashemites, said to be descended from the Prophet Mohammed, ruled the Islamic holy city of Mecca from 1201 until 1925, when they were expelled by the al Saud family (which is how Arabia became Saudi Arabia).

From 1953 until his death in 1999 Jordan was led by King Hussein bin Talal, known more commonly as King Hussein. Under King Hussein’s rule Jordan maintained generally close ties with the United States and Great Britain. Though the King’s relations with Egypt’s President Nasser were very poor – Nasser’s intelligence service had tried to assassinate the King multiple times – when the rest of the Arab world lined up behind Nasser’s promises to destroy Israel in May of 1967, King Hussein followed suit.

In a meeting with Nasser on May 30, he was presented with the treaty that Egypt had signed with Syria, placing the Syrian military under an Egyptian general. After quickly skimming the treaty, King Hussein suggested to Nasser “put in Jordan instead of Syria and the matter will be settled.” With his signature King Hussein tied his fate and that of his country to the judgement and wisdom of President Nasser. It was a decision he would quickly come to regret.

Until next time.

Stand With God Then Stand With Israel

 

 

The Jew / Gentile Connection

Psalm 122:6 KJV  “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” This is a promise from God to Jew and Gentile. King David writes Psalm 122 ” For my brethren and companions’ sakes,”

The original blessing went to Abraham aka Abram and others – those that bless him. See Genesis 12:1-3. Paul, a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin,  explains in
Galatians 3:7-9 KJV “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
[8] And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying , In thee shall all nations be blessed.
[9] So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”

Abraham was after Noah but before Moses and the law. When I was first  saved, someone tried to tell me Abraham was a type of the church. Why? Their reasoning was Abraham was a type of Gentile. Scripture clearly does not teach that. Scripture teaches Abraham was a Hebrew, a Jew.

When Lot and others were captured, one escaped and came to Abraham to tell him of Lot and the others being captured. Notice the account in Genesis 14:13 KJV “And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.” Notice Abram the Hebrew? Abraham was not a Gentile but a Hebrew.

Any Jew or Gentile truly seeking the truth from God need only to look to the Scriptures for truth. The Old Testament and the New Testament present the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. You choose to believe God and his word or reject God and his word. Your decision determines where you will spend eternity once you die. God does not send anyone to hell or to the lake of fire, they send themselves.

The lake of fire was not created by God for mankind. Matthew 25:41 KJV “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”  People send themselves to hell, just like the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Notice Yeshua / Jesus never said this was a parable, but a true account.

So people send themselves to hell. Then on judgment day, God is going to call up those in hell and judge them according to their works. Why their works? Because they trusted their works not God. So God is going to judge them by their works and then cast them into the lake of fire with the devil and the devil’s angels. Revelation 20:11-15 KJV “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Believers are not judged by their works for salvation because believers believe and received God’s free gift of salvation, Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Believers works are judged for rewards, not salvation see 1 Corinthians 3:11-23.

Friend, all are sinners, Jews and Gentiles.

Jews:
Psalm 14:1-3 KJV
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
[2] The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
[3] They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Daniel 9:5-7
Psalm 53:1-3

Gentiles:
Romans 3:10 KJV
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23 KJV
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
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All owe a debt for their sin, Jew and Gentile.

Jew:
Ezekiel 18:4 KJV
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

2 Chronicles 25:4 KJV
But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

Gentile:
Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 3:10 KJV
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
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Yeshua / Jesus Christ came to pay the sin debt for Jews and Gentiles.

Jew:
Isaiah 53 (all of it)
In part Isaiah 53:4-6 KJV
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
[5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Psalm 22
Psalm 69:21
Psalm 34:20

Gentile:
Romans 5:8 KJV “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Colossians 1:14 KJV “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
John 3:16
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You must believe God in your heart. In your heart believe and receive Yeshua / Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.
Jew:
Psalm 32:5 KJV “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord ; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”

Psalm 32:1-11 KJV
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
[2] Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
[3] When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
[4] For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
[5] I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord ; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
[6] For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
[7] Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
[8] I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
[9] Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
[10] Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord , mercy shall compass him about.
[11] Be glad in the Lord , and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”
Psalm 45:7

Gentile:
Romans 5:11 KJV
And not only so , but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Romans 10:9-10 KJV
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
[10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
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Once you believe God and receive Yeshua / Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour,  God protects you, keeps you, seals you.
Jew:
Psalm 37:28 KJV “For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.”
Isaiah 32:17 KJV
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Gentile:
Ephesians 1:13 KJV
In whom ye also trusted , after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise”

Ephesians 4:30 KJV
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
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When a Jew believes on Yeshua / Jesus as Lord and Saviour that does not mean they are no longer a Jew. They are a believing Jew. And when a Gentile believes on Jesus that does not mean the Gentile is now a Jew. It means they are a believing Gentile. And believing Jews and believing Gentiles – Galatians 3:28-29 KJV “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
[29] And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for Israel to be saved and for Gentiles to be saved. Until next time.

Praise God!

God Reveals Secrets

As mentioned in our post Sealed and Revealed,  there are several mysteries mentioned in God’s word. Some were sealed for specific times, time frames, generations. That is what God told Daniel in Daniel 12:9 KJV “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

We could look at the differences in how the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament and compare to the New Testament.  But that is not the focus of this post.

Since Jesus Christ came, shed his blood on the cross to pay for all sin of mankind ( Hebrews 10:12 KJV “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”)  and conquered death, hell and the grave, those who believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour  (Hebrews 10:19-23 ) – have boldness with God.

Paul was explaining this to Jews in Hebrews 8:6-13 that God set up a “better covenant” through Jesus Christ and Paul was explaining this to Gentiles in Romans chapter 10.

This is one of those mysteries that God sealed for generations but later revealed. Colossians 1:25-29 KJV
” Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
[26] Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
[27] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
[28] Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
[29] Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”

God had shown King David this time frame was coming. David commented on this revealing / revelation in Psalm 32:1-2 KJV “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
[2] Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

The question then, who can know these secrets? Clearly scripture teaches if we seek to know these things of God, all we need to do is ask him and then through searching them out in his word, we can know. That does not mean we can know everything. Only God knows everything.

One of the secrets misquoted many, many times today is 1 Corinthians 2:9. How many times I have heard Christians  and even Pastors say 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Then they stop. They try to make it vague. I start yelling at my tv sometimes, Yeah but READ THE NEXT VERSE!

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 KJV “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
[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.”

It is no wonder why people do not know or do not understand things of God. Friends, let God be true and every man a liar. Believe God and his word over any man. Until next time.

 

Sealed And Revealed

In Matthew 24:15 Jesus references something in the book of Daniel as a future event. The references are Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 12:11. One interesting point is Daniel is told specific things God is showing him is  “sealed ”  until the time of the end. In Daniel 10:14, the vision is for many days and in Daniel 12:9, “sealed” to the time of the end.

There are several areas in scripture we are told things are sealed. For today, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are sealed by God. I have never understood how “believers” could think they could loose their salvation. Not all believers think this but many do, especially Pentacostals. Salvation is a free gift one receives by grace through faith and not works.

So if you don’t receive salvation by works, what makes you think you can keep salvation by works? Pure silliness. Paul clearly teaches the church – believers God establishes, anoints, give us the Holy Spirit and seals us in Christ.  2 Corinthians 1:20-22 KJV “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
[21] Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
[22] Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

And just in case you did not understand that, Paul says it again and again. Look at  Ephesians 1:13 KJV “In whom ye also trusted , after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

Earnest is part of. If you put an “earnest” deposit down on a house offer, you are showing your “good faith” in desiring to purchase the house by giving a small deposit. Paul says giving believers the Holy Spirit and sealing us is just “part” of our inheritance as believers. Ephesians 1:14 KJV “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Again in Ephesians 4:30 KJV “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Believers are sealed by God – PERIOD!
People get messed up when they put Jesus comments to his disciples,  not the church, into the church. Or when they take tribulation verses and put them into the church when clearly the church is not even on earth then.

What is the purpose of doing good works then? Getting saved tells you where you spend eternity. Good works tells you how you will spend eternity. God is righteous. Good works by the saved give rewards from God. Good works by the lost tells them the severity of hell they obtain. Those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ( not in but on Acts 16:31 to the church age) unto salvation send themselves to hell by their unbelief. God does not send them to hell, they send themselves.

2 Timothy 2:19 KJV “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

We also see God seals 12,000 Jews from each tribe of Israel in Revelation 7:4. The Jehovah Witnesses think they are the 144,000 but scripture clearly says who they are. Jews.

So God hid things from people and as in Daniel, God said when things would be revealed. Another example of God hiding something and later revealing it is 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 KJV “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom , which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
[8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it , they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Some say there are 7 mysteries God hid and later revealed, others say there are 8 mysteries. We will pick it up from here next time. Has God sealed you? Have you put all your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to pay your sin debt? Click on How To Get Saved from our menu above. Until next time.

Cancel PayPal – Pick 12 Others

We have supported missionary efforts worldwide. One common way to send money to missionaries has been PayPal. Now we are recommending Christians cancel their PayPal account and select another payment provider.

Cancel PayPal Use Another
Boycott PayPal

The American Family Association [ their website is American Family Association Website ] put out a notice on PayPal. The notice is below. There are alternatives to PayPal and we have posted a link to the top 12 including Google Wallet, ProPay and others. Please support God’s word and godly behaviour. See the top 12 alternatives to PayPal Here.

 

This week, the American Family Association canceled all use of PayPal payment services.

Our decision comes after PayPal announced last week it was, in essence, threatening the state of North Carolina, which recently passed a law that would require people to use the bathroom of the gender assigned on their birth certificate. Read AFA’s press release here.

Shortly after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed HB2, PayPal announced it was pulling plans to open a new global operations center in Charlotte, which would have created 400 new jobs with an investment of $3.6 million in the area.

In response, we have canceled our use of PayPal and encourage you to do the same.

As a pro-family organization that continually works to strengthen and protect families across America, we cannot sit idly by while a company like PayPal supports laws that punishes a state like North Carolina for protecting women and children.

AFA continues to support the North Carolina law, and other similar laws, that protect women and children by preventing them from being left vulnerable to predators. The bullying by PayPal over common sense legislation is reason enough to cancel their services.

If you have a PayPal account, join American Family Association and cancel it today. Also, be sure to let PayPal know why you are canceling.

TAKE ACTION

Cancel your PayPal account today. Here’s how:

To close your account:

Call: 1-888-221-1161

-Or-

1. Log in to your PayPal account online.

2. Click the Profile icon next to “Log Out.”

3. Click “Close your account” under “Account options.”

If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can still call and share your concern.

If you’re looking for an alternative to PayPal, read this encouraging article about ProPay.com.

Boycott Target

Target announced, “[W]e welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity. …Everyone deserves to feel like they belong.”

This means a man can simply say he “feels like a woman today” and enter the women’s restroom…even if young girls or women are already in there.

Boycott Target for supporting transgenders

Contact Target and let them know you are boycotting them and telling your family and friends to boycott Target. Call Target Guest Relations at 1-800-440-0680.

Share your concerns on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/target. When sharing this on social media use #BoycottTarget.

Are You Sitting Down

One of the things I could not understand was when do people draw a line and say, No. I am not talking about forced into rape or incest. How bad do things need to get before people finally say no, no more?

1 Corinthians 16:13 KJV  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

As an avid baseball fan,  my favorite team was the Cincinnati Reds. I’m a fan of the old Cincinnati Reds when Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Ken Griffey Sr, Davey Consepcion, we’re in their prime. When I saw Curt Schilling a former baseball star take a stand against men using a ladies bathroom I was proud of him for taking a stand. ESPN fired Curt Schilling for his opposition to transgenders using bathrooms of their “new sexual” identification.

A guy  ( I won’t call him a man because a real man would not consider being a transgender ) can dress up like a woman all he wants – but in his pants he’s a man. And according to God’s word, he is a pervert.

Just because an unsaved person says something is ok does not mean it is right. Lawmakers, judges, even presidents now change laws that were established on God’s word. Laws are wiped out with the stroke of a pen. And where are the people to oppose these changes? Sitting down. Sure they have their protest but whatever happened to boycotts  from believers? Whatever happened to doing what’s right?

I remember years ago when there was an issue with peanut butter. I forgot what the issue was, but a nationwide campaign was started boycotting peanut butter. Parents even told their children no eating peanut butter in school. It was a massive word-of-mouth campaign. it even made the news at some news outlets. You know what,  it worked. The peanut butter makers backed down. Godly people today don’t take a stand for anything. They are sitting down. Sure they murmur and complain, but that’s it. They do nothing.

Consider how many transgenders are there in America – even if 3% of the population. America is about 333 million people so almost ten million people are forcing 320 million people to do what they want. And instead of taking a stand for what is Right – Georgia’s governor caves, North Carolina’s Governor considering a compromise and Mississippi’s Governor is taking a stand.

How are the heathen supporting the transgenders? Boycotts. How many companies like PayPal and sports organizations have said they will pull out of North Carolina because 10 million perverts want to use the ladies bathrooms? How many transgenders are in North Carolina?  Boycotts work so now North Carolina is caving. Where are the 214 million Christians to support North Carolina standing against transgender perversion? Friends, this is a war between good and evil.

How many Christians are in America? Some say 80% some say 64% or something much less than that now. But let’s say 64%. So 10 million people shut down 320 million people. And if Christians make up 64% or about 214 million people in America why are they letting ungodly laws and actions happen without any fight? Any boycott? Without even speaking out?

If you were going to take a stand against the ungodly and God rejecting people, people come after you.  Use it as an opportunity to call for a boycott against advertisers, against supporters, and even TV stations who support the ungodliness. Boycott the companies, the products, the people supporting the ungodliness, the state. Reward those who stand with God and his word.

Look at the ACLU trying to help a Satanist put up a Satan statue and Monument glorifying Satan. Where are the 214 million Christians? Oklahoma has the Ten Commandments Monument on their lawn of a government building. The people are the government not some high-society organization being a government. The people are the government, we the people,  of by and for the people. The people put a Ten Commandments Monument on the people’s land at the People’s Building.

Someone comes along and decides he wants to put up a monument for Satan. He hires the ACLU to help him subvert  the people’s wishes. Where’s the backlash against the ACLU, their advertisers, exposing their lawyers, shunning attorneys and their families?

A Blog called Vice on blogger.com published the story about Oklahoma. Christians should be outraged and take action for God’s word and what is right. Put up signs naming the attorney and his family for supporting Satan.  Below  is a photo of the monument the Satanist wants to put on the people’s land in Oklahoma. This photo came from the blog Vice.

The American Family Association use to organize boycotts but we have not heard much from them in 20 years. Friends, just like the teaparty started with all these local groups fighting for our Constitution, Christians who want to stand with God need to organize local groups to oppose evil and set up boycotts in their communities. It is way past the time of sitting down. It is time to stand up for God, his holy word and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:27 KJV. “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

Until next time.

Bite And Devour

There are those that teach and say we should manifest love and kindness to everyone. We should be meek and turn the other cheek all the time.

Then there are those who teach and say we need to take a stand and fight for truth. We need to speak up and get our whole armour of God on and fight.

Both viewpoints are scriptural. So how do you decide what to do? The Lord has shown me the best answer to this is

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
[2] A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
[3] A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
[4] A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
[5] A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
[6] A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
[7] A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
[8] A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I have seen the churches with the “warriors” and the churches who focus on encouragement.  Both seem to attract those after their own kind. How they will handle being in heaven with each other will be interesting. Scripture gives us examples of both types.

Imagine the impact Stephen had on Paul the apostle after Paul was saved. After all, Paul was caught up into the “third heaven” 2 Corinthians 12:2 so when he was caught up, imagine him seeing Stephen who he watched get stoned to death on his watch. Stephen, I think, is a good example of the encourager. There are some churches that focus on encouragement and present the gospel as some might say, watered down.

Then you have the “warrior” churches. Again we have a good example in scripture,  Peter. Remember when Peter took out his sword and cut the soldier’s ear off? These “warrior” churches are quick to the battle, like Peter. These churches will fight for truth and righteousness.  But as Jesus told Peter,
Matthew 26:52 KJV. “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
Jesus went on to say he could call thousands of angels to help but he didn’t.

The “warrior” churches, like Peter appear to stand when it is convenient. I am not knocking them. I am saying when push comes to shove to take a stand, even if it means jail and loosing everything you have, most “warrior” churches cave, just like Peter did 3 times. The proof is in our society today. If the “warrior” churches would have taken a stand even if it meant jail and loosing everything, our society would not be in the mess they are now.

You don’t have to give up sound doctrine to realize there are different types of people that are genuinely saved. You don’t have to give up sound doctrine to get along with those you do not agree with.

Most Christians pick their “comfort” battles. Those are battles where they can speak out against something without loosing anything. And sadly, many Christians choose to pick battles with one another and then we end up with what Paul said in Galatians 5:15 KJV  “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”

When the heathen see churches devour one another, why would they want Jesus? Christians are suppose to be sharing the gospel so people get saved. If Church A is not doing that,  what business is it of yours? That’s like when Peter stuck his nose into what was John going to do in John 21:21-22 KJV

“Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do ?
[22] Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.”

What business is it of yours what other churches do? Follow Jesus. Do your own work. Yes, I agree, if we see apostates we should take note but that doesn’t mean we start turning our focus from sharing the gospel to attacking others. You are not going to be held accountable for those in Church A. You are going to be held accountable for your own actions. Pray for them, don’t bite and devour them.

Churches can stand on sound doctrine but if they bite and devour others, they will not grow and have a ministry outreach that reaches a field for harvest. My family use to bite and devour everyone. When the family would get together my grandfather would play like he was friendly to everyone. When everyone would leave he and my grandmother would discuss and knock everyone for their decisions. They talked about them behind their back.

Sadly, they taught their children to do the same thing. What was the result? A family that was not close. Back biters,  discontent, anger and everyone in the family knew the faults of everyone else.  It split the family and no one wanted to see or be near the others. It took a while for my mother to stop doing that. She would tell her children the faults of the others.

I will be one to take a stand for sound doctrine and for the KJV but I will not bite and devour others over the KJV. I know I am accountable to God for my actions, not others. If they chose to not use the KJV that is their business, not mine. I pray Christians focus on soul winning and not devouring one another.

Until next time.