Making Things Plain _Why Did Jesus Come?

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I spoke with someone who claimed to be native American and they said they did not celebrate Thanksgiving. Surely the native Americans celebrated with the Pilgrims. And, when you can not thank God for all his blessings, you may be headed into distresses of life.

Last time we posted we were going to make things plain and that is exactly what we plan in doing.

The world is going to celebrate Christmas soon. The student of the word of God knows Jesus was NOT born on Christmas day but Scripture suggests he was born in October.

All “religions” blend in their denominational rules and teachings with Scripture. It is technically called adding to the word of God and mankind is warned, by God, not to add to or take away from his word.

So if you are going to start at the beginning to learn truth, you need a King James Bible, a good unabridged dictionary (we like the 1828 Webster Dictionary) and the little book titled Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. This is a book of scriptures that cross reference scriptures. Lastly, a good Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Have notepads and pens and now you are ready to really get to know God. As 2Timothy 2:15 says – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We will help you organize this later. Note: There is a free online King James Bible at https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ and there is a free King James Bible app at https://www.blueletterbible.org/android/index.cfm (this is the android app and search Apple for the Apple app for the Blue Letter Bible app.

So with these tools we just mentioned, let me ask you a question. If a stranger came up to you and asked you, Why did Jesus come, how would you answer them? Could you prove, from Scripture, Why Jesus came? Using your pad and pencil/pen, write out the question and find the answer in Scripture.

How do you find the answer? Use keywords in the question and look those keywords up in your Concordance. Look up come and came where it refers to Jesus.

Example: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. Before he came to earth his name was Word. The gospel of John tells us in the beginning was the Word and it was made flesh and dealt among us.

So Jesus was the Word and he was a man, a son. When Luke 19:10 says the Son of man is come to seek and save that which is lost, Son of man refers to Jesus as a man. Jesus was God and man so when Scripture talks about the Son of man, it is referring to Jesus’ humanity and those scriptures refer to mankind too. There is a difference between Son of man and Son of God. One refers to humanity and the other to his deity aka Godhead known also as trinity.

Our hope is you will find this series of studies interesting, helpful and you will share them with your family and friends. God gives us a lifetime to seek him, let us discover the real Saviour Jesus Christ and learn about God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Until next time.

Knowledge / Bringing Thoughts Captive

What an eye opener. Let us try to show an example of knowledge and bringing thoughts captive.

Below is John chapter 4 verses 5 through 42, KJV. Keeping in mind our topic, knowledge, what was Jesus trying to teach this woman at the well? Remember,  the woman at the well was “thinking” water from the well. We know she was thinking water from the well by what she said.

But Jesus was not speaking about the literal water in the well. What was Jesus trying to teach the woman?

Here are the verses and next time, we will explain.

John 4:5 – 42 “Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7¶ There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9¶Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10¶Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11¶The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13¶Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15¶The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16¶Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17¶The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19¶The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21¶Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25¶The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26¶Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27¶And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28¶The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31¶ In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32¶But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33¶Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34¶Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39¶And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
42¶And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

Until next time.

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Knowledge And Thoughts

Did you ever think about where your thoughts come from? Like when you first wake up in the morning and sit on the edge of your bed, thoughts about all kinds of things start going through your mind. Have you ever sat there and wondered, why am I thinking about that? And why am I thinking about that now? I have.

Let me show you how thoughts and knowledge tie together.

Colossians 1:19-22 KJV  ” 19 For it pleased the Father that in him (Jesus Christ) should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Notice where the thoughts come from? Thoughts that God hates me, thoughts of God is angry with me because I did this terrible thing, or I did this or that. Those thoughts are put into your mind by people, by family, by friends and sadly, even by some preachers and even by the enemy Satan. But what does God say? Read it again, Colossians 1:19-22 above. Read it over and over again until it sinks down into your heart and mind.

Thoughts planted in to your mind can be true, they can be a lie and (like Satan did with Eve) they can be half truths.

If the thought is true, it can be backed up with other scripture verses. As my favorite Old Testament prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 28:9, 10 – ” Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”

Notice the topic is knowledge?

So knowledge comes from comparing line upon line and precept upon precept. Remember, knowledge is knowing that you know something. The information you sought was investigated thoroughly and you experiment and test your theories, you ask questions and you
come to a conclusion. When others test your information and come up with the same results you did, then they say you have knowledge in this field.

Some people devote their whole life to specific things. At the end of their life, you would assume they are very knowledgeable of that topic plus they have a lot of experience with their topic of choice.

The reason people get messed up with scripture doctrine is someone plants a thought in their mind. Most people never investigate or research that thought from scripture. They never compare thought or idea (precept upon precept) with other scripture verses. The result? God tells us the results in Ephesians 4:14 ” That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”

The result is we end up with (58) different religious denominations that use (15) different Bibles.

But when you can take a thought and search it out from scripture (AV1611 King James) you will see God will show you the truth from his word. You notice what you were searching out begins to be explained to you, by God himself.

Once you have searched it out in scripture and in prayer, God gives you your answer. Then it is up to you to decide if you will believe God or reject what God shows you or believe the person who put that thought in to your mind. Once you make your decision you have acquired knowledge in that topic.

Now let me say, if you choose to believe the person who put that thought in your mind over believing God, you base your knowledge on flawed information.  An example.

For years people thought the world was flat and they based that teaching of a flat earth on information. But then one day Christopher Columbus sails and discovers other countries and proves when God’s word says the earth is a circle (round not flat) God was proven to be true and correct.

Isaiah 40: 21, 22 KJV ” Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:”

For years people had what they thought was accurate knowledge of the earth (it was flat) only to discover later that their knowledge was based on false information. Christopher Columbus believed God and the scriptures.

People have all kinds of thoughts about God, heaven, salvation and other topics. The question is, where are you getting your information from regarding these topics. Then, are you checking it out, precept upon precept, to make sure your knowledge lines up with the truth of God’s word.

Anyone with any real amount of scripture knowledge can make the word of God teach almost anything.  That is how false doctrine is perpetuated. But to obtain knowledge in the truth, you must search out the scriptures and tackle topics line upon line and precept upon precept. Until next time.

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The Cipher/Code of Scripture Explained

Let us look at Matthew 16 in context. The chapter starts with religious people called Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus Christ. Neither of these religious groups believed Jesus was the Messiah, (The Christ) even though they heard God the Father speak from heaven who Jesus is. They saw the miracles Jesus did. They heard him preach.

Jesus tells these religious people (in verse 6) they are like leaven (an ingredient put in bread to puff it up, make it rise). Jesus warns his disciples to watch out for religious people who add outside ingredients  (rules and duties) to the truth of God’s word. They will bring you in to bondage of their rules and not the truth of God’s word.

Then Jesus and his disciples come to the coasts of Caesarea Philippi and he asks his disciples, ‘ Who do men say that I the Son of man am? ” The disciples answer Jesus. Then Jesus asks his disciples, “But whom say ye that I am?”

Here is that exchange between Jesus and his disciples.

Matthew 16:15 – 19 KJV  ” 15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ”

Remember, every jot and tittle, every word in scripture God puts there for a reason. So look closely at the words God uses in that exchange between Jesus and his disciples and see if you can find the cipher.

You see, a cipher is like a code, a hidden message. A cipher is created when two or more people come up with a way to communicate, in writing, where the message is disguised. Only those who understand the “code”, the cipher, can understand the message.

When you look back at General George Washington communicating with his troops and the militias, planning attacks against the British, letters were sent to commanders. The letters were written in ciphers. Why? You know the answer to that question. So if the letter carrier was captured by the British on his way to or from a commander, the British would not understand the messages because they were ciphers.

Mel Gibson in the movie The Patriot helped show this cipher use and the letter carriers to be true. Also the movie series National Treasure. Both excellent movies to explain ciphers.

God conceals things until a time it needs to be revealed OR until someone understands the cipher. Look at Proverbs 25:2 – ” It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. ”

Just like believers knew Israel would be back in their land because of God’s word and treasures hidden God revealed. So religious leaders who were not true believers did not understand how some believed Israel would be back in their own land. So these religious people did not teach their followers prophecy. They never understood the prophecies. Then in 1948 when it happened, Israel was back in their own land, some said, Oh, now I see.

Well I submit to you that Matthew 16 and the account of Jesus asking his disciples who do you say the Son of man is, is a cipher. And just like the religious groups and organizations of old and today, they do not know or understand the cipher. The result, years of teaching people Peter guards the gates of heaven.  That is not the message of those verses in Matthew 16.

So look and read carefully those verses I have put within this post and see if you can see the cipher. Can you find the cipher, the code? What is the real message of those verses?

We will continue this next time. When you get to parts in scripture that just don’t seem to make sense or you do not understand why God popped that verse in there, consider it may be a cipher.

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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Unmasking

Making decisions and trying to figure out the right direction when troubles intercept your life has an underlay. Believers often think of Job being attacked by Satan, but what about you? Can you think of times where Satan has attacked you? Your family?

Remember, when Satan fell, he took one third of the angels with him. So that third help Satan come against believers. Scripture clearly tells Satan does not know God’s plan. Had he known God’s plan he would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

We see evil increasing in the world, just as scripture says will happen in the last days. Why do you think Israel is always being attacked physically and by nations at the United Nations.

When we look at the attack on Jesus, by Satan, we notice it was not a physical attack in the flesh. Satan was playing head games with Jesus. Just like we set godly things in our mind that we want to do, Satan tries to convince our mind to deviate a little or to go a different direction. Hence, making decisions. We are not always sure what direction to go. God provides us with a blueprint though. Prayer and guidance through his word. But God’s word does not tell us who to marry, what job to take, where to live and a host of other decisions we make. But we can know.

For over 35 years now I have heard how Eve did not quote God’s word exactly. She added to God’s word. That is true but people are missing the concept. People get so hung up on Eve changing God’s word they miss the concept of how Satan deceived Eve. What method did he use? How did he convince her to make the decision she made? Therein lies the nuggets. Those answers provide or unmask methods of Satan.

Look at Jesus and when Jesus was tempted by Satan. The account is in Matthew chapter 4. Ask yourself, what methods did Satan use on Jesus? How did Satan try to convince Jesus to go a different direction? What was Jesus going through at the time Satan came to get him off track? It is not about if Jesus quoted the scripture exactly.  Here is the account:

Matthew 4:1-11 KJV  ” Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9. And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. ”

God loves us and has a great plan for our life. We go off course when we get deceived or people obstruct our path. We must learn how to recognize attacks and deception and then fight against Satan and his angels the way Jesus fought. Remember,  Ephesians 6:12 –

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ”

When you pray about direction and God leads you in a specific direction, be prepared for attacks and battles from things you can not see and you must fight in the spirit realm. It is not the exact words but unmasking the deception so you can find the right verses from acripture, to fight back using the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. Until next time.

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Revelation 9

Revelation 9

Let me repeat, it is not my job to define symbols in the scripture, God defines symbols in his word. We dig out the meanings of symbols. I look at the order of events and who is involved with the events. I leave symbol definitions to those God gifts with understanding of symbols and then examine what they say to compare with scripture.

Keep in mind, John the apostle is writing Revelation in about 90AD. So John describes things from a 90AD understanding. So when John describes something like a bright star has a key in his hand, we know stars do not have hands. And we know stars are not called “him” so a bright star, called a him that has hands and can unlock the bottomless pit is referring to someone or something that has hands and can understand how to do things. Also consider, would you give your house key to your enemy? No. Do you think God would give the key to the bottomless pit to Satan?

Remember, at the end, an angel binds Satan and casts him into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet were put. This angel that casts Satan into the lake of fire could very well be the same angel given the key to the bottomless pit mentioned in Revelation 9.

Also notice Revelation 8 ends with an angel of God declaring Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Students of the word of God know when God says “woe” it means something really bad is going to happen. And if woe is mentioned two times in a row, woe, woe, something really, really bad is going to happen. So the angel declaring woe three times over the “inhabitants of the earth ” something catastrophic times three is coming to the inhabitants of the earth. And notice, the church is never mentioned so the church can not be on earth. The church has been in heaven as we showed from the previous chapters in this study series.

So here is Revelation 9. Pray before you read it and ask God to help you understand what he is saying. We will look at it more next time.

Revelation 9:1-21 KJV  ” And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
[2] And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
[3] And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
[4] And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
[5] And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
[6] And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
[7] And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
[8] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
[9] And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
[10] And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
[11] And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
[12] One woe is past; and , behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
[13] And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
[14] Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
[15] And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
[16] And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
[17] And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
[18] By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
[19] For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
[20] And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
[21] Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

Now you understand what a “woe” means. Until next time.

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Mind – Your Will

Does God’s will for you line up with your will? What is your will and how do you determine your will? What is your will? Is it an emotion? Usually when you ask people about their will for their life they tell you – to get a decent job so they can provide for their family and have some comforts in life.

But man’s will is defined as, “That faculty of the mind by which we determine either to do or to forebear an action.” So how do we determine if we will do or forbear an action? Usually by the judgment of the action. Example – if you rob a bank, you go to jail and loose your freedoms. So based on what the judgment is if you rob a bank, you determine, in your mind, your soul, if you will rob a bank.

When it comes to God and his word, scripture says you are either saved or lost. What determines if you are saved or lost? What you do with Jesus Christ.

John 1:12-13 KJV  ” But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
[13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

When we use our free will and choose to believe on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour we become a child of God and  our names are written down in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 20:15 KJV  “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Those who use their free will to reject Jesus Christ, according to scripture, are not children of God.

John 8:42-45 KJV  “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
[43] Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
[44] Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
[45] And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”

Many of my readers know, when I got saved I did not love God, I did not love Jesus. I had read about hell and the lake of fire and it scared me. I did not want to go to hell or the lake of fire. I would have done anything God asked of me to not go to hell. And all God asked me to do was believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. So I did and I told him I did February 2, 1983 at 10:52pm at a dining room table at a pastor’s house.

I didn’t love God or Jesus. I didn’t know much of anything about Jesus or God the Father and I never heard of the Holy Ghost. Then I went out and bought a Bible and a 5 subject pad and told the Lord I guess I need to learn about you. I started in Genesis and started writing down everything God taught me, one on one. Just him and me.

As I read how God protected Abraham and Israel and learned about God’s character and personality, I started to fall in love with God. Then when I saw Jesus in the Old Testament and read the New Testament, I fell in love with  Jesus. Then I began to understand questions I had for God.

Even though I could not see things with my physical eyes, when I took myself out of the picture and tried to look at things from God’s viewpoint, I could see a Master Builder. I could see a loving Heavenly Father and a sacrificial Saviour redeeming mankind. I could see the Holy Spirit comforting believers and working through believers one person at a time.

Our will is in our mind, our soul. If we do not renew our mind, change our thinking to line up with God’s word, our own will runs our life. We choose and determine if we will let go and let God steer our life and trust him to guide us through the straight and narrow path or if we will run our own life.

We can be as close to God as we choose. Our will to learn, know and love the Lord determines how close of a relationship we have with the Lord. He is willing, are you?

And as believers, we are told what the will of God is for us. 1 Thessalonians chapters 4 & 5 list 30 things that are the will of God for believers. See if you can find all 30 things.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-18 KJV  ” For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
[4] That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
[5] Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
[6] That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
[7] For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
[8] He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
[9] But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
[10] And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
[11] And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
[12] That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
[13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
[14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
[15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
[16] 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:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 KJV  ” But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
[2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
[3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
[4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
[5] Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
[6] Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
[7] For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
[8] But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
[9] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
[10] Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
[11] Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
[12] And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
[13] And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
[14] Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men .
[15] See that none render evil for evil unto any man ; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men .
[16] Rejoice evermore.
[17] Pray without ceasing.
[18] In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
[19] Quench not the Spirit.
[20] Despise not prophesyings.
[21] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
[22] Abstain from all appearance of evil.
[23] 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.
[24] Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
[25] Brethren, pray for us.
[26] Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
[27] I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
[28] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Until next time.

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Looking For Answers?

Proverbs 10:1-25 KJV  “The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
[2] Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
[3] The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
[4] He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
[5] He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
[6] Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
[7] The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.
[8] The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.
[9] He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
[10] He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.
[11] The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
[12] Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
[13] In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
[14] Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
[15] The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
[16] The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.
[17] He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.
[18] He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. [19] In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
[20] The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
[21] The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
[22] The blessing of the Lord , it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. [23] It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
[24] The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
[25] As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more : but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.”

Hate groups are not our ancestors, they are groups pushing an agenda that does not line up with scripture. Time to take a stand and get involved and ask them if they believe God and the Scriptures. Then ask, does God support vandalism?
Does God support hate?

Understanding The Bible Part 2

Last time we said – If you only use 2 of the 4 keys, for reading comprehension, your conclusions are only half right. Read How To Understand The Bible

So those using only 2 of the 4 keys confuse the second coming of Christ. Those who use the 4 keys of reading comprehension know and understand the second coming of Jesus is in two stages, one in the clouds and one on the mount of Olives.

When we try to understand what God is telling us, we need to use the 4 keys of reading comprehension:
~ nouns – person, place or thing
~ verbs – action words
~ adverbs – modify verbs, adjectives, and qualify words. They tell us who, what, where, when and how.
~ adjectives – descriptive words that define a noun. They describe a person, place or thing. They tells us which, what kind, how many and sometimes why.

There are 3 main doctrinal books in Paul’s epistles (letters) to the churches. The 3 main doctrinal books are Romans, Ephesians and Thessalonians (Thessalonians has two letters, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians). If we were to say, what is one of the key messages of those three books we might say –

The book of Romans focus is salvation. Showing mankind how to be saved, born again. How to get into the kingdom of God.

The book of Ephesians focus is on our spirit man and spiritual matters including spiritual warfare. Here we see a separation of our life in the flesh and our life in the spirit realm.

The book(s) of Thessalonians focus on Jesus coming back. These books are key to understanding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Naturally, there is a lot of other teachings in these three doctrinal books but the focus of these three doctrinal books is sure; Romans = Salvation; Ephesians = Spirit Realm; Thessalonians = Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  The other epistles or letters of Paul to the churches elaborate on these issues and living the Christian life.

A key in understanding the scriptures is to look at who the information is directed to. If the president wrote a letter to North Korea, Japan would not follow what the president said to North Korea because the letter was not addressed to Japan. It was addressed to North Korea.

In scripture, if the letter is addressed to the 12 tribes, we know the 12 tribes are Israel’s 12 tribes. The 12 sons of Jacob and their families as laid out in Genesis 49, these are the 12 tribes. If the letter is addressed to the 12 tribes, who is the letter instructing, Israel or the church made up of Jews and Gentiles? Israel.

So when we read James 1:1 KJV
” James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”
We see the book or letter is addressed to Israel, not the church. So the book of James has good information, spiritual application but is not church doctrine. Another words, we can glean from the book but it is not a foundational doctrinal book for believers in the church age. How do we know? Because Paul says the church is made up of believers in Christ, both Jew and Gentile in the book of Romans. James has left out believing Gentiles.

And the book of Hebrews? Just look at the title of the book. The Epistle of Paul To The Hebrews. So who wrote the book? Clearly Paul and anyone trying to say we don’t know who wrote it is rediculous. And who is the book addressed to? Hebrews. Jews. Why? Because Paul is a Jew who wanted to reach out to or get through to his people, Jews. So Paul explains the purposes for all the ceremonial customs taught in the Old Testament to his Jewish people in the book of Hebrews.

Believers are not suppose to pick and choose what teacher’s theology or what church teachings do we believe and follow. God clearly tells the church to
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV  “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Another words, you study to show God you are working to understand what God is telling you. You show God you care. And because studying requires work day after day, you show God you care about what he is telling you. It is not going to church to hear a message. It is getting into God’s word with a good dictionary ( 1828 Dictionary ), and a good reference index of Scripture such as The Treasury Of Scripture Knowledge (TOSK) which has 500,000 Scripture references and parallel passages.

Why use the TOSK? Because scripture tells us to compare scripture with scripture. It is so important to compare scripture with scripture that God had Isaiah the prophet write it twice to be sure people understand.

Isaiah 28:9-13 KJV  “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
[10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
[11] For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
[12] To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
[13] But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

What is a precept? A precept is defined as a thought or idea. So to have precept upon precept means to have the same thought or idea, topic, compared to the same thought or topic. If you are studying the Second Coming of Jesus and you know Jesus comes in the clouds and Jesus comes physically on earth and stands on earth in Israel, you compare all the scriptures that speak of Jesus coming in the air, in the clouds and put them in one column. Then take all the scriptures that deal with Jesus physically coming where he stands on earth into another column. Now you have an understanding of Jesus coming back. You have doctrine.

So let’s look at the Second Coming as an example. You do a study on Jesus coming back and make your columns. Look at who the scripture is addressed to and what happens. See what you come up with and remember to use the 4 keys to reading comprehension, not only 2 keys like most people use. Until next time.