Who Are You Part 4

We said last time, our flesh – our body, is a shell made of dirt, made from the dust of the earth. Our body can do nothing on its own. Our flesh absorbs things through our five senses; hear, taste, touch, see and smell.

Our body absorbs odors through smell. It absorbs sounds through hearing. It absorbs visions through seeing, flavor through taste and sensations through touching. So why did the asostle Paul say our flesh “works” ? Glad you asked.

Paul explains in Galatians 5:19-21 KJV  ” 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ”

Paul lists 17 works of the flesh. For example, let’s pick one of the seventeen – hatred. How can flesh “work hatred” ? Remember,  your flesh absorbs things through your five senses. So how does your flesh work hatred?

In the 1828 Webster Dictionary, there are “26” definitions of the word “work”. When we think about the word work, we often think of working to produce something. Most people think of manual labor. But in this case, our flesh “works” to produce hatred in our example.

It is not that our flesh alone can work at producing hatred, but our flesh obeys information and instructions from our “command center”, our soul. Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. Your mind tells your flesh what to do. Your mind tells your flesh I like this or I hate this.

Your mind tells you this smells good or bad. Your mind tells you this sound is pleasing or this sound is horrible. When you look at something, your eyes absorb what they see, but it is your mind that tells your flesh, this is beautiful or that is ugly. Your flesh tastes things, but it is your mind that tells your flesh, this tastes good or not. It is your mind that tells you if you touch something hot or cold, smooth or rough.

It is your mind that tells your flesh to work hatred. It is your mind that tells your flesh to commit adultry. It is your mind that tells your flesh to participate in witchcraft. It is your mind that tells your flesh to sow strife. When you understand it is your mind that commands your flesh to act on something, good or bad, you can understand how Jesus Christ could hang on a cross and say to the Father, ” forgive them, they know not what they do”.

When you understand a person’s mind is causing them to act the way they are acting, you can forgive people who wrong you.

Today, people are pushing chaos, hatred, strife and division. God hates it. Look at the six things God hates and the seventh thing is an abomination. Proverbs 6:16-19 KJV

” 16. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. ”

Today, people will kill someone over a parking space. Some people will not work, but they will steal from those who do work. Even believers will sow strife and divisions with another believer because they do not agree with them. Not good. I am not saying drop doctrine. I am saying, no two people agree on everything so why would you want to have God angry with you just because you do not like or agree with another believer? Each of us are accountable for only our own walk, not your neighbor’s walk and not another believer’s walk.

People will try to destroy people because they do not agree with them. Some are asking, what is going on in this world? Has the world gone crazy? You already know the answer to those questions. The flesh works what the mind commands.

If the mind is focused on things of this world, the flesh will work things of this world. You will work to lay up your treasures in this world. But if you are a true believer, one who has really been born again, not from saying a prayer but from a true heart conversion to Jesus Christ, you want to obey God. You want to lay your treasures up, not on this earth but up in heaven where they will last forever.

Believers are to understand their flesh only does what their mind commands. Believers must understand their flesh wants things of the earth, things of this world. Why? Because the flesh is part of this world, not of heaven’s world. So the believer’s struggle is to bring their flesh under subjection to God knowing perfectly well, their flesh is going to fight them all the way. Scripture says,

1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

This is what Paul was saying when he says his mind wants to do one thing but his flesh/body wants to do something different.

Romans 7:14-25 KJV ” 14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. ”

Until next time.

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Who Are You – Your Body

Why did God create mankind?
Answer: Genesis 1:26 – 30 KJV
”  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. ”

How did God make man?
Answer: Genesis 2:7 KJV  ” And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ”

God gives man a spirit, a soul and a body, see 1 Thess. 5:23 KJV  ” And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ”

So God plants a garden and puts man in the garden to keep the garden. A description of what is in the garden is in Genesis 2:8-17. Then God makes Eve and we read how Satan deceives Eve. We know it is Satan because God calls him, that old serpent the devil.

Adam and Eve disobey God and take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But notice after Adam and Eve sinned, they “heard the voice of God” walking in the garden.

God was walking in the garden and he calls Adam (Gen.3:9). God pronounces judgment on Satan, Eve and Adam for the sin. And notice what God tells Adam in Genesis 3:19 – ” 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. ”

You are going to sweat and toil working until you return unto the ground. You were made from the dirt/dust of the ground and you are going to return to dust. Adam’s body was made from dirt and so is your body and my body, made from dirt.

Today we have cemeteries but think back hundreds of years ago, thousands of years ago. All those people who lived before us for all the years before we were created, have returned to dirt. Did you ever think that when you take a walk in a park or dig your backyard garden, you are walking or digging where dead people returned to dirt? Maybe it is just the way my mind works.

God tells us, we came from dirt and our body/flesh will return to dirt. People spend millions of dollars pumping up and beautifying a fleshly body that is slowly dying. Until one day, 70, 80, 90 years down the road, their body/flesh dies and ” gives up the ghost/spirit”. Do you think they will get rewards for working and spending thousands of dollars on beautifying their dirt?

I am not saying people should not take care of themselves. Remember,  we are discussing our spirit, soul and body.

Remember,  God created us like himself and God created us with a spirit, soul and body. 1 Thess. 5:23 tells us we have a spirit, soul and body.

Our body/flesh is dirt that God gave life to, living dirt. Our body has five senses; hear, taste, touch, see and smell. These five senses are like gates to our flesh. These gates allow our flesh to receive sound, odors, vision, sensation and feeling.

There is no such thing as a sixth sense. There are only five senses – hear, taste, touch, smell and see. What people allude to as a “sixth” sense is not part of the flesh. It is part of the soul and spirit.

Through our five senses our body/flesh absorbs things like a sponge. Our flesh absorbs sounds, absorbs odors, absorbs what we see, what we touch and taste. But our flesh itself can not make distinctions or decisions, it only absorbs sounds, odors, what things feel like, and so forth.

If you look at a person who is in a coma, lying on a hospital bed, you see a fleshly body lying on a bed. Their flesh can do nothing but lay there until their “control center” tells their flesh to do something. But can their body still absorb sounds? Absorb odors? Absorb touching?  Yes. Their body still absorbs but can not do anything until their control center tells their body to do something.

That may sound very simple but understanding your body is dirt that absorbs through your five senses is key to understanding Who You Are. It is crucial to understanding your spirit, soul and body.

So if a person is lying on a hospital bed, in a coma, does their body still operate with their five senses?

Remember, your five senses are like a sponge to your flesh. If the person is in a coma, they may not be seeing things in this world, in their hospital room, but they still can see. Look at 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 KJV.

Your flesh can not do anything on its own but absorb. Your flesh needs the command center to tell it what to do; lift your arm, sit up, clean yourself. 

Remember, your flesh is made of dirt and God gave your dirt life. Your body absorbs things just like the earth absorbs smoke, chemicals, the sun, water, rain and so forth. Your body absorbs things through your five senses. Your body is living dirt that can not do anything on its own but absorb. It is your command center that tells your body what to do, whether good or evil. Until next time.

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Who Are You Part 2

We said last time –
Scientists are trying to clone life but they can not create life. So scientists take living cells from living animals and try to create a new life. They will never do it. They can not create a brand new life from nothing. They always need to take cells from something living.

My son and I were discussing the mind this morning and how the world operates on a system of what mankind thinks. Mankind’s thoughts. When mankind gets an idea, they try to make their idea come to life.  So we veered into discussing life. I reminded my son about cloning and how scientists can not create life. I said, everything on this planet has life because God is life and created this planet with life. Everything is alive.

So my son asked me about mashed potatoes. I said yes, they are alive and that is why, if you take one potato and put it on your counter, after a period of time, it will sprout. If you cut the potato into wedges with each wedge having a sprout and then plant the wedges outside, in the ground, you will get potatoes. If you put mashed potatoes in the refrigerator, mold will form.

I explained it is like the whole earth is breathing. Trees are living, grass and flowers are living,  everything is alive. God created everything alive, living.  The only difference is, God created mankind like himself. He created the earth with life.

Man has realized he can not create life from nothing like God can. This man discovered through attempts at cloning. So now, man is creating AI ( Artificial Intelligence ).

Artificial is defined as not natural, fictitious. Another words, fake. AI is fake intelligence. In our computer age, information from volumes of books is fed into a mainframe. The information is stored and the computer sifts through the information in lightening speed and produces the answer. The answer is based on the information that was programmed into the mainframe. Did God put the information in to the mainframe? Is the world programming God’s answers in to the mainframe? No! AI is based on man’s understanding and man’s knowledge. Based on man’s information and leaves God out.

Which brings me to one of the keys for this series, the soul – the mind. After God formed man from the dust of the ground giving man a body, then breathed his breath into man giving him life ( a spirit ), man became a living soul.

Imagine forming someone in the dirt. Then breath into their nostrils. Nothing happens. But God is the Creator of all and after telling us how he created the earth and the heavens, he tells us how he created mankind – like himself.

Consider this. You die. Your spirit and soul leave your earthly body. Where do they go? What do they look like? Lord willing, we will pick it up from here next time. Until next time.

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Who Are You?

Genesis 1:26 KJV  “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ”

Who is God talking to? Genesis 1 describes creation of the earth, the heavens, the seas and animals, and mankind. God tells us how the earth was made and everything in the earth.

And for those who want more details about creation, God provides the information in the book of Job. Start in Job 38 where God asks Job the following,  verse 4 ” Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8. Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10. And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11. And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? ”

Now that you know God created everything, you have to make a decision. Do you believe God created everything as he says or do you believe man (whom God also created) do you believe everything evolved from a bang? You have to choose who you will believe. You were not there when God created everything and neither was any man. Which brings me back to the beginning of this post.

God explains how he created man in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. In Genesis 1 God says, let us make man in our umage, in our likeness. Clearly the word us and our is plural, meaning more than one. But scripture says God is One. So how can God be one and yet say, let us make man in our image?

Is God eternal? Does God laugh? Does God speak? Yes, yes and yes. Scripture tells us these answers are yes. So if God said, let us make man in our image, God is speaking to someone who has the ability to create man.

Plus, God tells us how he makes man. Look at Genesis 2:7 KJV  ” And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ”

God formed man from the dust of the ground, the earth, giving man an earthly body. Then God breathes his breath into man’s nostrils giving man a spirit. That spirit is what gives life because it is first, God’s spirit of life and it causes man to breath.

Scientists are trying to clone life but they can not create life. So scientists take living cells from living animals and try to create a new life. They will never do it. They can not create a brand new life from nothing. They always need to take cells from something living.

After God formed man from the dust of the ground giving man a body, then breathed his breath into man giving him life, man became a living soul.

Imagine forming someone in the dirt. Then breath into their nostrils. Nothing happens. But God is the Creator of all and after telling us how he created the earth and the heavens, he tells us how he created mankind – like himself.

Now we know who God was speaking to when he said let us create man in our image. If God created man with a body, with a spirit of life and man with a soul, then guess what God has. God has a body, a spirit and a soul.

Question. Did you ever talk to yourself? When you talk to yourself, who are you talking to? Are you talking to your soul? Are you talking to your flesh? Are you talking to your spirit? Who are you talking to when you say things like, we can do this, I’ve got this, now what do I do? So who was God talking to?

Until next time.

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Definitions Matter

Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding – what do these words mean? Define wisdom. Define knowledge. What is understanding? Definitions matter. We define saved and we define lost. Definitions matter.

We would not know what sin is had God not defined sin in his word. Most people define sin as an action of the flesh. But notice God defines sin of the flesh and sin of our spirit man. There are two definitions of sin in scripture.

James 4:17 KJV  ” Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

This definition of sin affects our flesh. It requires we do something in the flesh. We do something in our flesh, our body, or we do not do something in our body. A good example of this is the Good Samaritan example Jesus spoke about. Jesus asked at the end, who was more righteous. The answer was the Samaritan. Why? Because he did, in the flesh, something to help the man.

So there is sin in our flesh, our body. But look at God’s other definition of sin from his word.

Romans 14:23 KJV ”  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Here we see sin is defined as a lack of faith. Another words, God showed Peter in the book of Acts, everything was now clean to eat. If someone eats of something that use to be unclean but he is doubting if he should eat it or should not eat it, he dams himself. He brings condemnation on himself. Is this condemnation on his body? On his flesh? No! It is on his spirit man.

Faith is an attribute of our spirit man, not our flesh. So according to God’s word, whatsoever is not of faith is sin. So if you do not live in faith, you do not operate by faith, you cause your spirit man to sin. Why? Because faith is a spirit man attribute. God communicates with your spirit man. Once you are born again, you can hear God speak to you because your spirit man is “quickened”  or made alive unto God.

Did you ever wonder about when Satan and one third of the angels fell, where did their sin come from? God told Lucier that sin was found in him. Satan did not have an earthly body. The sin was in his spirit man. That falls into the Romans 14 definition. Satan did not believe God. He thought he could overtake God according to Isaiah 14:12-16 and Ezekiel 28:13-19.

When Jesus was offered as the Passover Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, Jesus paid for all sin. Jesus died, was buried and rose from the dead and was seen of over 500 people after his resurrection. He paid for all sin, past, present and future.

I can not emphasize enough the importance of understanding the spirit, soul and body. Most people think, live, walk in their flesh only. They do not know about or understand their spirit man and their soul. So when asked to define wisdom, define knowledge and define understanding, do not just look at the flesh, define those words from your spirit man perspective as well.

One verse I keep on my desk is 2 Corinthians 4:18. In context, I will post verses 13 through 18.

“13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Until next time.

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Moments of Time – Prophecy

In this series of time, we have learned how long one day is (sunset to the next sunset). We have learned how long one month is (the new moon to the next new moon). And we know, by counting the lunar days, how long one year is, 354 days and six hours.

The Jewish calendar was short of the Roman calendar by about 12 days. Do you think that really mattered unto God?  It did however, matter unto the Jewish people.

God laid out a lunar calendar. The world is using a solar calendar based on the sun. A Roman calendar. The Jew’s calendar was about 12 days shorter than the solar calendar so about every three years, the Jew’s calendar separated the new moon and added a thirteenth month they would call Adar II – Adar 2. By doing this, their year would almost line up with the world’s solar calendar.

When we look at Noah and the flood, we can calculate exactly when the flood started and when the rain ended. Look at Genesis 7:11 KJV  “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”

People using the Jew’s civil calendar and even students of the word of God who do not understand God’s sacred calendar, would say the flood started in the month of Heshvan aka Bul. Heshvan/Bul is equivalent to our November. And these people, including believers, would be wrong.

According to the calendar God lays out in scripture, the flood started in the month of Iyar aka Zif. Equivalent to our month May. And because the month starts on the new moon and goes to the next new moon, that means from mid May to mid June is the lunar month. So count seventeen days from the new moon in May. The seventeenth day from May’s new moon is what day the flood started.

When we look back, we understand the day the starting of the flood happened is pretty close to fifty days after Passover or around the same time as Pentacost, May/June. Today, Iyar is also written as Sivan.

Although the spellings may have changed throughout the years, the months on God’s calendar are what counts for scripture references and prophecy. When you search out the Messiah’s birth, we learn two things: One, we are never told to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We are told to celebrate his death, burial and resurrection. Second, you discover scripture points to Jesus Christ being born in the month of Tishri, equivalent to our October, the seventh month on God’s sacred calendar. We understand the number seven is also God’s number of perfection.

So where does celebrating Christmas come from? Certainly not the scriptures. But that is not our point in this series.

To help students of the word of God understand time frames God lays out in scripture, the photo below lays out the Jewish civil calendar which they use to this day and God’s sacred calendar. Plus, how the months correspond with the world’s solar calendar.

We know the Jews adding a month every three years and calling it Adar 2 and there are fewer days in the lunar calendar compared to the solar calendar, that God’s timing is different. Compared to our calendar and time, God’s time clock is closer than most realize.

I would recommend you buy yourself a Hebrew calendar. Most Hebrew calendars are civil calendars. It is extremely difficult to find the sacred calendar. Why? Honestly, I do not know.

When people, Bible teachers, base their teachings on the solar calendar or the Jew’s civil calendar, red flags should go off in your spirit man. God laid out his calendar and that is the calendar he uses.

The image below came from an 1840 dictionary of Scripture. Until next time.

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Moments of Time God’s Calendar

We found, last time, God identified how long one day is, the evening and the morning. A day starts at sunset and goes to the next sunset.

God established the sun and the moon for light but also for times and seasons. See Genesis 1:14  ” And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.”

There are many scriptures that lay out days, months and years. A new month starts with the new moon. I remember calendars use to have the moon cycles posted, each monrh. So on God’s calendar, a new month starts on the evening of the new moon. The new month starts at sunset on the evening of the new moon.

Psalm 104:19  ” He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. ”

Remember when God told Moses to put the blood on the door posts and mantle? God establishes the passover for Israel. Not only is the passover a picture of the sacrifice Jesus Christ would make on the cross thousands of years later, but establishing the passover, God established his sacred calendar.

Look at Exodus 12:1-10 KJV  “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
4. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6. And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. ”

Now look at the name of the first month – Esther 3:7  ” In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar. ”

From our last post and including this post, we learn God laid out how long one day is, how long one month is, how long one year is and seasons plus God lists the names of the months in scripture.

When we read in scripture, on the fourteenth day of the first month, what day is God talking about? You should be able, by now, to calculate that. Simply go to the evening of the new moon in Nisan. From sunset to sunset the next day is one day. Now count fourteen of those and you know what day, specifically, God is talking about.

So when prophecy records, in the fourth month or in the 1260th day since the abomination of desolation sets up…. you can calculate to the day. We will pick this up from here next time. Until next time.

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Moments of Time

Frequently we read in scripture, In the third month on the tenth day of the month or, In the seventh month. How can we know what month God is talking about? What calendar is God using?

Later in scripture we read, for 1260 or 1230 days. God tells us specifics but people do not understand. Why? Because most people do not know the point of reference.

God laid out time for us in his word. In Genesis chapter one God tells us how long one day is – the evening and the morning were the first day. So God tells us one day is from evening and morning. Evening starts at sunset. So one day is from sunset to the next day’s sunset.

Immediately, we see a difference in the definition of one day. God says one day is the evening and the morning and the world says one day is from midnight to midnight the next day. Scripture teaches us one day is sunset to sunset. Is this important? You bet it is. Why? Because when Jesus Christ was three days and three nights in the tomb, it clarifies the time Jesus rose from the dead. And further study of the resurrection proves using scripture, there is absolutely no way Jesus was buried on “Good Friday” and rose from the dead ” Easter Sunday morning”.  It is impossible.

If Jesus was crucified and buried on “Good Friday” the evening of Good Friday would be night one. Then Saturday night would be night two. And Sunday night would be night three.

Matthew 12:39, 40 KJV  ” But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

So if you are serious about learning the truth about God, salvation, prophecy and all other similar topics, you have to ask yourself, ‘Where did the teaching of Good Friday and Easter Sunday come from? Simple arithmetic / math proves that teaching is a lie. As we said in our last post, what do you do when you realize what you were taught does not line up with what God says. When what you thought is not what scripture teaches?

How do religious leaders handle the contradiction of what they teach to what God says in the Scriptures? Simple. They write their own version of the scriptures making them say what they believe. Then they call it a Bible.

Some even put their own thoughts into their “new” Bible. Some explain what they think verses mean which removes the Holy Spirit from the verses. The Holy Spirit gives us understanding of God’s word because the word of God is alive, living, just like Hebrews 4:12 tells us –
Hebrews 4:12 KJV  ” For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ”

Look the word quick up in an 1828 Webster Dictionary and you discover quick means alive. Today, everyone seems to be making their own Bible version. They try to explain the verses within their Bible version. This is dangerous ground when you add to God’s word. These “religious” people are removing the inspiration of God’s word. Holy men of God were breathed on, by God, as they wrote God’s word.

2 Timothy 3:15,16 KJV  ” All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. ”

2 Peter 1:20,21 KJV  ” Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

When anyone changes, alters, rewrites, adds to or take away from the inspired holy scripture, they are on dangerous ground and asking for trouble, from God. This is why we use only the AV1611 King James. It is the only “Bible” that does not have a copyright for man to profit from. It is available free to the world. It was the scriptures used for revivals.

Man puts reference verses, maps and a small concordance in the book and they copyright their references, maps and corcordance but not the scriptures. For years, World Publishers was the only publisher that never put a copyright in their bibles. I have several of them. Now however, World Publishers has added notes to their bibles and have copyrighted their notes.

In the early 1900s we saw the Revised Standard Version (RSV) come out. One had to ask, what were they revising? But this study is not about Bible versions. But if I want to learn truth from God’s word, not a revision of man, of God’s word, I will stick with the King James.

If you want to research where all the different bible versions come from, I would highly recommend a short booklet titled Monarch Of Books by Peter S. Ruckman. He traced the bible versions and wrote a booklet of about 70 pages diagramming where all the versions come from. The booklet costs about $ 3 – $5. Peter S. Ruckman dedicated his life to studying the Bible origins and in his lifetime, he defended the inspired authenticity of the King James bible.

Our focus is on time in this study. As mentioned last time, God lays out his calendar. Now that we know a day is from sunset to sunset, how long is a month? God’s time frame is based on lunar cycles. Another words, time is based on the moon’s cycles. The world’s system is based on the sun.

When does a new month start on God’s calendar? Let me ask you a question. What are the moon cycles? Way back in the early 1800s, a booklet was published called The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The booklet is still published today, every year. Farmers use that booklet for determining the best time to plant their crops for the largest harvest. That almanac shows lunar cycles.

We will pick it up from here next time, Lord willing. Until next time.

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Your Moment In Time

For thousands of years, mankind has been born and died. During the time you are here on earth, you make all kinds of decisions about your life on earth and decisions on where you will spend eternity. And not just where you will spend eternity, but how you will spend eternity.

God will not force mankind to believe him, receive him or live for him. God told man to choose ye this day whom ye will serve. You have a free will to choose. Your choices affect your life on earth and affect your destiny.

When I first got saved 35 years ago, I understood that all my questions for God, all of my questions about life, death, my purpose, and understanding how to do things God’s way, was in the scriptures. The question I had to answer was – If God’s answer to my question is different from what I was taught or what I believed, how would I respond? What would I do about that answer? Would I listen to God and do what he said or stick with what I was taught or believed?

I did not need to understand the whys, the hows. I needed to learn to trust God and his word no matter what. Trusting God, at first, was difficult for me because so many people let me down in my life. But I told the Lord, I choose to trust you and your word no matter what.

So I bought a five subject notebook and started in Genesis and went through to Revelation writing down everything God taught me through his word. Remember, I was also learning about who God is and how he operates because I knew nothing about him or Jesus Christ before I got saved.

So when something would come up in my life that I did not know how to handle, I picked key words and looked the key words up in my Strong’s Concordance. I would write the verses down that seemed to apply to my situation and then went through all those verses one by one. Then I prayed and told God, based on your word, I think you want me to handle this situation like this. Then I would explain how I thought God wanted me to handle the matter.

Needless to say, my decision was based on what God’s word says and the decision I made was not always popular with my family. Actually, the first year or two I was saved, I felt like my family wanted nothing to do with me now that I believed on and received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Then I threw in the trash, all my Christmas decorations. I could not justify giving them away because then I would be condoning a pagan festival. So I threw the decorations in the trash.

I even threw books in the trash that I thought God would be displeased with those pagan books in my house. I cleaned out my house. My family was shocked.

Any serious student of the word of God knows Jesus Christ was not born on December 25th. If you study out the origins of ” Christmas ” you realize it is not scriptural. So I asked God, what are your holidays?

That led me to a Hebrew university where I met with a man who explained to me the differences between the Hebrew calendar and the American calendar. Back then, I was so naive I thought the world was on our American calendar.

The professor explained the Hebrew calendar was based on the holy scriptures. He them explained to me, Jewish people have two calendars. I asked him why they would confuse things with two calendars? He told me the Jews have a sacred calendar based on scripture and a civil calendar based on Jewish priest’s declaration.

The professor then gave me some information to take with me including a current Hebrew civil calendar. The information explained Adar 1 and Adar 2. Now I could research God’s calendar from scripture and look at the Hebrew calendar.

That is when I realized God was not using our American calendar but he was using his calendar as laid out in scripture. Then I understood, all prophecy laid out in scripture is based on God’s calendar, not America’s calendar and not the Jewish priest’s civil calendar, but His calendar.

So when someone called me a couple weeks ago and was referring to Roshashana  (the Jewish New Year based on the Jews civil calendar) in a prophecy question, I explained to that person, God has his own calendar. God laid that calendar out in his word. Do you know what the first month of the New Year is in scripture? They said no.

I explained God’s calendar and gave them a few verses to kick off their study. Then I said, if you are going to look at prophecy, you must use God’s time frame, God’s calendar. They seemed a little put out with me because I popped their balloon.

So God has put it on my heart to explain the sacred calendar as best as I can. When looking at holidays, prophecy and times and seasons we must base truth on the word of God. So in my next post, I will attempt to explain the sacred calendar and God’s holidays. You need to choose what you will do with the information. I made my choice a long time ago, 35 years ago.

Until next time.

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Finding Gifts And Talents

I was focusing in on the prayer Jesus prayed right after the last supper and just before going into the Garden of Gethsemane. The prayer is recorded in John chapter 17. I was looking at John chapters 15, 16 and 17 and finally understood the vine and branches.

I knew what scripture said and I believe scripture. I understood the concept of the vine and branches. My mind understood that teaching clearly. But it is like my heart did not quite get it. I was raised by a single mom who had to fight for everything she got. Why? Because in those days, a single mom was considered, well, lets just say how times have changed.

My mom would tell us kids to work hard and fight for what is right and what is yours. Then when you achieve your goals you can look back and glory in your labors. It was very difficult for me to understand the vine and branches in my heart. I would say yes but I practiced 8, 10, 12 hours a day for years. Or I would read and study and give 150 percent to my work.

It never occurred to me back then that God had given me gifts and talents. Those gifts and talents God created and put inside me when he formed me in my mother’s womb. I just did not know it.

Once I got saved, my mind was exposed to the vine and branches teachings. But I still struggled with fully understanding the vine and branches because I would ask God, what about all the work I put in to that?

About 5 or 6 years ago God showed me it was he who had given me the abilities to do what I do. He gave me the brains, the will and the talent. How did he let me know that? I heard a preacher say one time, when what you do and the way you do it looks easy to others but they can not do it, it is a gift from God. I remember thinking wow, I didn’t know that. Then I remembered back years and how so many people told me when I would play the organ, you make it look so easy.

So about 5 or 6 years ago is when I first began to realize what gifts God had given me. But it did not help me understand, in my heart, not my head, the vine and branches.

When I decided to really focus on John chapters 15, 16 and 17 last week I saw the vine and branches teaching again. When I study I sit at my desk and write notes and I talk to God about things in his word. I ask him questions, out loud. And often I hear the Holy Spirit teach me, guide me and answer my questions. So when I brought up the vine and branches again, God reminded me of one word, vessels.

I have known we are vessels but this time, it was different. I could understand in my heart that when God created us, he put gifts and talents inside each of us. And God has made us stewards of those gifts and talents. And if we develop those gifts and talents and use them for God’s glory, we are in God’s will for us. Once we develop our gifts and talents and have used them to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ we begin to share them with others by teaching others our trade.

Think of it like this, if we do not develop and use these God given gifts and talents, we struggle through life. We can be confused about God’s will for us. And we would not be a good steward. If you do develop the gifts and talents, you need to choose to abide in Christ. And because God gave you those gifts and talents you are a branch, a vessel.  Someone our Dad (Heavenly Father) can look at and glory in your stewardship.

Friends, we are vessels God wants to use to further the gospel of salvarion. If you use your gifts and talents to do that, God gives you rewards that are eternal. Until next time.

Psalm 32:7,8 KJV

“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.”

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