Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the
Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up
the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.
Isaiah 23 : 13 kjv
Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no
account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they
raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and
turned it into a ruin.
Isaiah 23 : 13 niv
Now I'm sure you can see the difference but think that is is a minor verse to mess up the truth is that is not so , The Assyrian is very different from the Assyrians. The Assyrian is a name used for the Anti-Christ in Micah 5 : 5-8 . Here in the King James it gives us more clues on the Assyrian saying that he founded the Chaldeans , the Chaldeans were in control Babylon . In fact Isaiah 23 : 13 in the King James Version eludes the Tower of Babel episode in Genesis 11 and if you go back to Genesis 10 : 8-12 you would see that Nimrod founded both Babylon and Assyria , in fact Assyria is called the land of Nimrod . So the Anti-Christ aka the Assyrian will be like Nimrod he won't look like a Hitler or a Stalin , he will instead be a hero to the Earth and unite the people.
Let's look at another mis-translation :
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to
another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Daniel 2 : 43 KJV
And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will
be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with
clay.
Daniel 2 : 43 NIV
Do you see the difference????? One is telling us that something that is not Human will be involved in the ten toes kingdom , meanwhile the NIV switches it around to basically hide the fact that there is a "they" that will mix with the seed of men , if you want more on this they check out Genesis 6 : 1-4 , Jude 1 : 6and 7 , 2 Peter 2 : 4-6 , notice the Angel's act and punishment in Jude and Peter is followed by references to Sodom in the verses after . To put the top on this bizarre story read Genesis 6 :9 and ask yourself why Noah was perfect in his generations because he wasn't sinless we know that . You have to read these in King James because NIV even distorts the Jude passage enough to make it sound different than the King James .
Two mis-translations that have an effect for us in these days , you have to ask yourself who is behind the NIV translations????
Here's a final one , this one made me sick
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isaiah 14 : 12 KJV
How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You
have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
Isaiah 14 :12 NIV
The problem with this one? Jesus is the Morning Star!!!!!! Not Lucifer!!!!!!!
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Revelation 22 : 16
The NIV commits blasphemy in Isaiah 14 : 12 and that's not something I accuse someone of that often.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Eternal Security
No issue is bigger in the church it seems than this one , I have seen people on both sides of the fence on this issue and they provide scripture for there side of the argument . I will make a few points and leave you with a passage of scripture . The Bible never says that you lose your Salvation , passages like Galations 5:4 say "fall from grace" , not from Salvation and to be honest in that one Paul is talking about how the Galations after receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ (You know saved by grace through faith) , had let some people come in and tell them that they had to follow the law to either be saved or keep there salvation (which is funny because people that use fall from Grace to say you can lose your salvation are actually guilty of trying to make people do the same thing that Paul is fighting here) , but notice he doesn't say that they loss there Salvation , if anything he says they have defeated themselves and made Christ ineffective , but he never says they are now condemned nor does he say that they have lost Salvation , just grace , and he never said they couldn't repent and get back into Grace . This is the major problem with the passages that are used to say that someone can lose Salvation none of them say that a person loses Salvation , John 15 is a another example people say that is says that if you fall out of the vine you lose your Salvation , no where there does it say that , it actually is talking about how apart from abiding in Christ you can DO nothing , do would be an action word and that the branches that stop abiding are burned hmmm..... to me it sounds similar to the judgement seat of christ where works that were not done for Christ are burned ......... [If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 cor 3:15] The point is it never says that Salvation is loss , as to "security" It says in John more than once that a believer will never perish and I will give just one example here :
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand”
(John 10:27-29).
Now people can argue whatever they want , they could say it's conditional and that you can jump out of his hand or whatever but they miss a part before the hand where he says they shall NEVER perish. That is a key and a promise from God (who can never lie) . He doesn't say that they might not perish , nor does he say "as long as they believe they won't perish" , nope he says they will NEVER , NEVER , NEVER perish . The definition of never is :
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand”
(John 10:27-29).
Now people can argue whatever they want , they could say it's conditional and that you can jump out of his hand or whatever but they miss a part before the hand where he says they shall NEVER perish. That is a key and a promise from God (who can never lie) . He doesn't say that they might not perish , nor does he say "as long as they believe they won't perish" , nope he says they will NEVER , NEVER , NEVER perish . The definition of never is :
1. at no time; not ever
2. certainly not; by no means; in no case
Most English versions use the word never in this verse as well : http://bible.cc/john/10-28.htm
Monday, March 26, 2012
Confusion Solution : Read the Bible !!!!
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2 : 15
11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Acts 17 : 11
I've got to admit a lot of topics I have seen on some sites have left me scratching my head , now while a lot of the bible is meat and requires study and revelation by the Holy Spirit , some topics are easy to answer just by reading your Bible!!!!! A clear example would be the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) , I think it is safe to say that wanting to have an affair is wrong , or wanting what someone else has (coveting) is wrong , or bearing a false witness (i. e. lying) is wrong , but I have seen people ask questions along those lines , the point is if you don't read your Bible you won't know.
2 Timothy 2 : 15
11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Acts 17 : 11
I've got to admit a lot of topics I have seen on some sites have left me scratching my head , now while a lot of the bible is meat and requires study and revelation by the Holy Spirit , some topics are easy to answer just by reading your Bible!!!!! A clear example would be the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) , I think it is safe to say that wanting to have an affair is wrong , or wanting what someone else has (coveting) is wrong , or bearing a false witness (i. e. lying) is wrong , but I have seen people ask questions along those lines , the point is if you don't read your Bible you won't know.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Few lessons from David and Solomon
Many Christians know the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 and 12) , but what is usually missed is that God did not define David by this incident . In fact if we read on the end of Solomon's life we can pick up on a few things about the character of God for those that are his.
9 Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
1 Kings 11 : 9-13
Ok so first thing we notice is that God appeared to Solomon twice on this issue (9-10) , that right there is a good life lesson that anytime we get into messes we can know that at some point God tried to warn us about them. But now we can get to the points of this post , Solomon despite not really serving the Lord will be spared while alive because David is his father . There is a good point in here for any of us with children , this shows us that because of our relationship with the Lord our children can receive blessings even if they purposely disobeyed the Lord. The other thing we can notice in here , is that David is not remembered for his sin with Bathsheba , we all know he did it but God does not remember him for it and if you listen to God here , if this was the only part of the Bible you ever read you would assume that David never sinned . This is good evidence for us to believe the Lord when he says that our sins and transgressions he will remember no more .I will leave you with a couple of scriptures on God's forgetfulness of our sins and on God's blessings to the children of those that love Him.
If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
1 John 1 : 9
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 43 : 25
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household
Acts 16 : 31
but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20 : 6
9 Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
1 Kings 11 : 9-13
Ok so first thing we notice is that God appeared to Solomon twice on this issue (9-10) , that right there is a good life lesson that anytime we get into messes we can know that at some point God tried to warn us about them. But now we can get to the points of this post , Solomon despite not really serving the Lord will be spared while alive because David is his father . There is a good point in here for any of us with children , this shows us that because of our relationship with the Lord our children can receive blessings even if they purposely disobeyed the Lord. The other thing we can notice in here , is that David is not remembered for his sin with Bathsheba , we all know he did it but God does not remember him for it and if you listen to God here , if this was the only part of the Bible you ever read you would assume that David never sinned . This is good evidence for us to believe the Lord when he says that our sins and transgressions he will remember no more .I will leave you with a couple of scriptures on God's forgetfulness of our sins and on God's blessings to the children of those that love Him.
If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
1 John 1 : 9
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 43 : 25
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household
Acts 16 : 31
but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20 : 6
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Calling Evil Good
20Woe unto them that
call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light
for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Isaiah 5 : 20 -23
In the times we now live in , we clearly see this passage of scripture taking place all around us . Everyday we are confronted with people calling evil good and calling good evil. We see this in such topics as "Universalism" which is the belief that every faith leads to Heaven , this is directly against the bible where Jesus teaches :
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14 : 6
Yet should a Christian tell someone this we are seen as being "bigots" and even "delusional" , when all we are doing is trying to tell people the truth. Then we might hear that we are being "old fashion" and that God has "changed" . The fact is that the bible is quite clear that God does not change :
For I am the LORD, I change not
Malachi 3:6a
It is real important that we stick to what the Bible says and that if we dare say we are Christians that we believe what it says . I read some alarming statistics recently , about a high percentage of "Christians" in this country that don't even believe in the Holy Spirit or the Devil , my response would be how can you be a Christian? Or Homosexual ministers the word of God is clear that Homosexuality is a sin(Lev 18:22) ,(1 Cor 6 : 9) , how can a homosexual be a minister???????? This generation is indeed the Laodicean church , not Hot (believer) or Cold (Unbeliever) , but Luke-Warm (I believe God loves me but don't believe in Judgment , Hell , Sin , The Devil , The Trinity , etc , etc, etc, you get the point?)(Rev 3: 15 -16) . The fact is to be a Christian you either believe all of it or you believe none of it.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3 : 16
Notice how it says ALL Scripture , not some , not part , but ALL.
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6 : 24
No one can serve two masters and that is not just money two masters could be God and yourself , God and the Devil , God and your Pastor . The Fact is you either serve God or you don't.
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Mark 3 : 25
It is real important that Christians recognize the deception that is under way everything that God calls good society is trying to paint as evil and everything that God calls evil society is trying to paint as good , it is time to wake up and recognize this , do not be afraid to be called a bigot or a hypocrite or old fashioned, out of touch , or whatever else someone may call you , you can love the sinner but don't ever tell them that there sin is "alright". Don't make them think that you agree with their sinful behavior , remember a sinner can not come to repentance if they don't think they need a Savior. I will also say don't be surprised by what is happening in society this is suppose to happen remember what was written to Timothy :
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.
2 Timothy 3 : 1 - 9
21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Isaiah 5 : 20 -23
In the times we now live in , we clearly see this passage of scripture taking place all around us . Everyday we are confronted with people calling evil good and calling good evil. We see this in such topics as "Universalism" which is the belief that every faith leads to Heaven , this is directly against the bible where Jesus teaches :
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14 : 6
Yet should a Christian tell someone this we are seen as being "bigots" and even "delusional" , when all we are doing is trying to tell people the truth. Then we might hear that we are being "old fashion" and that God has "changed" . The fact is that the bible is quite clear that God does not change :
For I am the LORD, I change not
Malachi 3:6a
It is real important that we stick to what the Bible says and that if we dare say we are Christians that we believe what it says . I read some alarming statistics recently , about a high percentage of "Christians" in this country that don't even believe in the Holy Spirit or the Devil , my response would be how can you be a Christian? Or Homosexual ministers the word of God is clear that Homosexuality is a sin(Lev 18:22) ,(1 Cor 6 : 9) , how can a homosexual be a minister???????? This generation is indeed the Laodicean church , not Hot (believer) or Cold (Unbeliever) , but Luke-Warm (I believe God loves me but don't believe in Judgment , Hell , Sin , The Devil , The Trinity , etc , etc, etc, you get the point?)(Rev 3: 15 -16) . The fact is to be a Christian you either believe all of it or you believe none of it.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3 : 16
Notice how it says ALL Scripture , not some , not part , but ALL.
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6 : 24
No one can serve two masters and that is not just money two masters could be God and yourself , God and the Devil , God and your Pastor . The Fact is you either serve God or you don't.
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. Mark 3 : 25
It is real important that Christians recognize the deception that is under way everything that God calls good society is trying to paint as evil and everything that God calls evil society is trying to paint as good , it is time to wake up and recognize this , do not be afraid to be called a bigot or a hypocrite or old fashioned, out of touch , or whatever else someone may call you , you can love the sinner but don't ever tell them that there sin is "alright". Don't make them think that you agree with their sinful behavior , remember a sinner can not come to repentance if they don't think they need a Savior. I will also say don't be surprised by what is happening in society this is suppose to happen remember what was written to Timothy :
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.
2 Timothy 3 : 1 - 9
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A few verses on Rapture
For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who
now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the
way.
2 Thessalonians 2:7
Perhaps no verse in the bible is more sufficient proof of a rapture than this one, it is clear that the power of the lawlessness is being held back until the one that holds it back is taken away , that one would have to be Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit filled church , this verse would be saying that as long as the Church in on Earth , the Holy Spirit is holding back the power of lawlessness , another verse that would strongly indicate rapture can be found in Revelation chapter 3 , when Christ is talking to the church in Philadelphia he has no complaints against them and even says they have kept his word and not denied him because of this he gives them a promise :
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
Revelation 3 : 10
How could Christ keep the faithful at Philadelphia from the hour of trial unless we are talking of a Rapture? These are just a couple of verses that indicate a Rapture of the church , one indicates because of faithfulness and other indicates because the Holy Spirit is holding the power of lawlessness back.
2 Thessalonians 2:7
Perhaps no verse in the bible is more sufficient proof of a rapture than this one, it is clear that the power of the lawlessness is being held back until the one that holds it back is taken away , that one would have to be Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit filled church , this verse would be saying that as long as the Church in on Earth , the Holy Spirit is holding back the power of lawlessness , another verse that would strongly indicate rapture can be found in Revelation chapter 3 , when Christ is talking to the church in Philadelphia he has no complaints against them and even says they have kept his word and not denied him because of this he gives them a promise :
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
Revelation 3 : 10
How could Christ keep the faithful at Philadelphia from the hour of trial unless we are talking of a Rapture? These are just a couple of verses that indicate a Rapture of the church , one indicates because of faithfulness and other indicates because the Holy Spirit is holding the power of lawlessness back.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The simplicity of the Gospel
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He
who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been
judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3 : 16 - 18
Sometimes we can lose the simplicity of the Gospel , the Gospel in it's most simple form is that Jesus was brought into the World to save it and that whoever will come to believe in him has eternal life and will not perish , faith in Jesus alone is the way to Salvation , no works , no religious conditions , fancy music , or "alternative" ways of presenting the Gospel , just faith in the Gospel of Jesus alone and the most effective way to share the Gospel is by the word of God .
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4 : 12
We need to be careful that the word of God is being presented to unbelievers , too many churches today are neglecting sin , hell , the need for Savior , judgement , repentence . There are churches that deny parts of the Bible , churches that mix false religions , churches that are more worried about your life being prosperous than they are about lost souls. The big danger is that if you think you are good enough for Heaven on your own than you don't need a Savior and if you don't need a Savior than you are in big trouble....
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9 : 22 (ESV)
The law is God's law and the reality is that everyone has violated it , so let's not neglect the Gospel message , but let's not make it too complicated either , the simple answer is that faith in Jesus alone is the way to Salvation , for if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved (Romans 10 : 9-10)
John 3 : 16 - 18
Sometimes we can lose the simplicity of the Gospel , the Gospel in it's most simple form is that Jesus was brought into the World to save it and that whoever will come to believe in him has eternal life and will not perish , faith in Jesus alone is the way to Salvation , no works , no religious conditions , fancy music , or "alternative" ways of presenting the Gospel , just faith in the Gospel of Jesus alone and the most effective way to share the Gospel is by the word of God .
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4 : 12
We need to be careful that the word of God is being presented to unbelievers , too many churches today are neglecting sin , hell , the need for Savior , judgement , repentence . There are churches that deny parts of the Bible , churches that mix false religions , churches that are more worried about your life being prosperous than they are about lost souls. The big danger is that if you think you are good enough for Heaven on your own than you don't need a Savior and if you don't need a Savior than you are in big trouble....
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9 : 22 (ESV)
The law is God's law and the reality is that everyone has violated it , so let's not neglect the Gospel message , but let's not make it too complicated either , the simple answer is that faith in Jesus alone is the way to Salvation , for if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved (Romans 10 : 9-10)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Trust the Lord
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3 : 5 - 8
It took me a long time to apply this passage to my life , and there are always areas of our lives where we still don't apply this . Sometimes when it is beyond understanding and there is no way out , it is important just to give it to the Lord and stop trying to fix the problem yourself , in certain situations the sooner we can let go , the sooner our circumstances can improve. I mean the promise here is clear in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. We should always remember that the Lord is trustworthy and that he is in control. God bless you.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.
Proverbs 3 : 5 - 8
It took me a long time to apply this passage to my life , and there are always areas of our lives where we still don't apply this . Sometimes when it is beyond understanding and there is no way out , it is important just to give it to the Lord and stop trying to fix the problem yourself , in certain situations the sooner we can let go , the sooner our circumstances can improve. I mean the promise here is clear in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. We should always remember that the Lord is trustworthy and that he is in control. God bless you.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Beware of Motives
3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. 5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness
1 Thessalonians 2 : 3 - 5
The motives of alot of "God's ministers" these days could be questionable . One way to get discernment is to read the word of God and in 1 Thessalonians we see that it was important for Paul to make it clear that he was not using "flattering speech" , nor was he looking for money. I would caution that we especially be careful of televangelist who have multi-million dollar homes , expensive rides , and clothes , and it seems that everything they preach is about you giving them money. Now I'm not trying to say all tv pastors are bad , but when they are worth hundreds of millions of dollars and they are begging you to "give God" your money to keep there ministry on the air , you do you have to question there motives. There speech certainly is flattering as well , most of them sound exciting and more interesting than your "boring" Pastor at church who preaches more out of the Bible than most of them do. Here's a few verses to read over , may God bless you .
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
1 Timothy 4 :1
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
Matthew 7 : 15 -16
1 Thessalonians 2 : 3 - 5
The motives of alot of "God's ministers" these days could be questionable . One way to get discernment is to read the word of God and in 1 Thessalonians we see that it was important for Paul to make it clear that he was not using "flattering speech" , nor was he looking for money. I would caution that we especially be careful of televangelist who have multi-million dollar homes , expensive rides , and clothes , and it seems that everything they preach is about you giving them money. Now I'm not trying to say all tv pastors are bad , but when they are worth hundreds of millions of dollars and they are begging you to "give God" your money to keep there ministry on the air , you do you have to question there motives. There speech certainly is flattering as well , most of them sound exciting and more interesting than your "boring" Pastor at church who preaches more out of the Bible than most of them do. Here's a few verses to read over , may God bless you .
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
1 Timothy 4 :1
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
Matthew 7 : 15 -16
Monday, March 5, 2012
Lack of Faith
1 Jesus went out from there and *came into His hometown; and His disciples *followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.
Mark 6 : 1 - 6
In reading this passage of scripture we come across something quite remarkable , Jesus the son of God , God in the flesh , was not able to do many miracles in his home town because of their unbelief!!! This story can tell us why it seems our prayers are not answered from time to time , to me this says that when we are living for God and we don't have unconfessed sin , that are unbelief that God will answer our prayers could be what prevents our prayers from being answered. If you are having a problem in your life that you have been praying over , I would encourage you to read on the miracles of Jesus today, you will see that they all involved faith and Jesus ultimately did not turn any away , even the one he appeared to, persisted and he told her that her Faith had healed her. God bless you.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
James 1 : 5 - 8
Mark 6 : 1 - 6
In reading this passage of scripture we come across something quite remarkable , Jesus the son of God , God in the flesh , was not able to do many miracles in his home town because of their unbelief!!! This story can tell us why it seems our prayers are not answered from time to time , to me this says that when we are living for God and we don't have unconfessed sin , that are unbelief that God will answer our prayers could be what prevents our prayers from being answered. If you are having a problem in your life that you have been praying over , I would encourage you to read on the miracles of Jesus today, you will see that they all involved faith and Jesus ultimately did not turn any away , even the one he appeared to, persisted and he told her that her Faith had healed her. God bless you.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
James 1 : 5 - 8
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Salvation ( A long explanation)
The God of the Universe has a Righteous Standard that humanity can not keep
THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
Romans 3 : 10 -18
The consequence of unrighteousness is Sin and the wages of Sin is death(Romans 6 :23) , the death talked about is not a physical death , it is a spiritual death as described in the book of Revelation :
7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation 21 : 7-8
Now I'm sure that between those 2 lists we all can acknowledge that we are all guilty , according to the Justice of our Creator all of us are doomed to burn forever and ever in the Lake of Fire which is not the party that alot of people make it out to be. In fact Mark describes Hell quite a few times with verses like : 48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. (Mark 9 : 48) , perhaps more scary is that Hell is not even the Lake of Fire , Revelation makes it clear that those in Hell get thrown into the Lake of Fire where clearly nothing dies and the fire never ends , imagine setting yourself on fire and not being able to stop it and not being able to die to escape it , that is the gist of what the Lake of Fire is going to be like , a Rock Party? , I don't think so.
The Remedy ? Jesus :
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3 : 16 - 18
God loves you and me so much that he sent Jesus to Earth to die in our place for our sins to satisfy his Righteous standard :
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5 : 21
So if God sent his son to die in our place taking our sins and then raised him from the dead three days later giving us the promise of eternal life , what do we need to do to be saved ?
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Romans 10 : 9 - 10
Ask Jesus to come into your heart today and save you , you don't have to pray a predetermined prayer just pray a heart felt prayer , I know for me it was , "Ok God you got me , I will stop running , yes I'm a sinner and I need a Savior , I believe Jesus died on the Cross for my sins and was raised from the dead 3 days later , I ask Jesus to come into my heart right now and Save me in Jesus name amen."
Now if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior , you need to get into a local church , this could be difficult to pick the right one , just try to make sure that they believe Salvation is by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ alone . Here's a link that may or may not help you : http://www.christianchurchtoday.com/locator/
It is also important to get a bible and read it everyday as well as praying to God , it may be hard when you start you can use some sample prayers such as the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6 : 9 - 13) , God Bless you and if all else fails search online there are quite a bit of materials as well
Setting and Following Dates
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Matthew 24 : 36
It amazes me how many Christians can be deceived into believing dates , if the Bible makes one thing clear about these dates is that no man knows them , whether we are talking about the Rapture , second coming , or the anti-christ , if we read our Bibles then we know that any date someone comes up with is false.
Another danger I could see with dates is that they could set people up for deception . Jesus warned about False Christ and False Prophets .....
At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.
Matthew 24 : 23 -24
People who believe dates put themselves in danger , when reading Revelation it can be seen that the Anti-Christ is going to go out of his way to appear as if he is Jesus , the Bible doesn't confirm it , but I wouldn't be surprised if he resembled the image of Jesus that the world has
1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Revelation6 : 1 -2
The symbolism here screams Jesus , except for the bow , so making dates can be dangerous , for example (and this is just a theory) , if someone who looks like Jesus comes riding on world wide television on December 21 , 2012 , how many people do you think would believe he was Jesus? We always need to be alert and search the scriptures for answers , we can not just allow ourselves to be led astray because this person has slick speech or that person sounds smart , we are encouraged to search the scriptures (Acts 17 : 11) and test the spirits(1 John 4 : 1-3)
Heavenly Father I pray that we would seek and search your word before jumping at the words of others , Lord I pray for discernment for all of your believers and I thank you for your word that you have given us to help guide us through these last days in Jesus name amen.
Matthew 24 : 36
It amazes me how many Christians can be deceived into believing dates , if the Bible makes one thing clear about these dates is that no man knows them , whether we are talking about the Rapture , second coming , or the anti-christ , if we read our Bibles then we know that any date someone comes up with is false.
Another danger I could see with dates is that they could set people up for deception . Jesus warned about False Christ and False Prophets .....
At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.
Matthew 24 : 23 -24
People who believe dates put themselves in danger , when reading Revelation it can be seen that the Anti-Christ is going to go out of his way to appear as if he is Jesus , the Bible doesn't confirm it , but I wouldn't be surprised if he resembled the image of Jesus that the world has
1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Revelation6 : 1 -2
The symbolism here screams Jesus , except for the bow , so making dates can be dangerous , for example (and this is just a theory) , if someone who looks like Jesus comes riding on world wide television on December 21 , 2012 , how many people do you think would believe he was Jesus? We always need to be alert and search the scriptures for answers , we can not just allow ourselves to be led astray because this person has slick speech or that person sounds smart , we are encouraged to search the scriptures (Acts 17 : 11) and test the spirits(1 John 4 : 1-3)
Heavenly Father I pray that we would seek and search your word before jumping at the words of others , Lord I pray for discernment for all of your believers and I thank you for your word that you have given us to help guide us through these last days in Jesus name amen.
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