"Ministering Spirits" - Too

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14 KJV)

  "What can we bring to the LORD? What kind of offerings should we give him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearly calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:6-8 NLT)

 Before you try and think how this might apply, try thinking about Paul and the thorn in his side, as it was, the devil was involved in that, as God allowed it; and it was to keep Paul humble. I really don't think the devil does certain things for our good, but what he has made for a way to harm us, God will turn it and make it something meant for good! 

 We can see this happening in so many ways, much as they did for Jesus, as they for Paul, and as He does for your and I. God allows certain things, which seriously seem devastating, in the moment; but as we do what is right, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God, He will poor out His grace and glorify us as His special children! 

 Believe in that, because it will always happen...

"What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the word. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." (James 4:5-10 NLT) 

   

"Ministering Spirits"

 "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14 KJV)

  "If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."" (PSALM 91:9-16 NLT)

 To those who are aware of angels, meaning that you believe they are all around us, and they have been given the role and ability to watch over our lives, this Scripture is making it clear that they are real, that they do minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation! To be specific, it means that you are kept safe and secure, protected for that day when you will inherit salvation! 

 I know, it seems weird to think that way; but I know for a fact that there were a least four times I should have been killed growing up; maybe even several more that I don't even know about, as I wasn't allowed to go down a certain road, or board a certain plane, or a whole host of other reasons God was protecting me and guiding me through life, keeping me safe and secure.

 Did that mean that I was never harmed? Absolutely not! There were several times when I had broken bones, major cuts, and crazy things which should have taken me out of this world. "But for the grace of God, there go I," is the story I will always believe...

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are his children. And since we are his children, we are heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering." (Romans 8:15-17 NLT) 

"The One and Only" - 2

 "But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" (Hebrews 1:13 KJV)

  "Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in his great strength? "It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who has the power to save!"" (Isaiah 63:1 NLT)

  Don't think that I have been unfaithful or have walked away from the Lord, because that wasn't the meaning of what I shared yesterday. The point I was trying to make is that my sinful nature causes me to feel unworthy; but in reality, the blood of Jesus has made me worthy; I alone don't have a chance to be righteous, without the blood of Jesus making me whole! 

 And yes, there are days when I feel as though it doesn't work; something about discouragement or doubt, which are tools of the devil. That is when we must focus upon the cross of Christ, knowing that it was the work of the cross that makes me holy, not by anything I might do or not do. Anything I do, is based on my love for Him; anything I don't do, is based upon my love for others.   

 Basically, it is all about love! "For God so loved the world," is how has shown us His great love by the sacrifice of His one and only Son! We love Him back by the desire to obey and follow His commands, which are really quite simple, but hard to be consistent, in this life! That is why we struggle and have days that don't seem easy: We are His children, who live in a fallen world! 

 But there will be a day when this fight will be no more; a day when every tear is whipped away and there will be no more struggle and no more pain: Thank You Jesus...

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a load shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."" (Revelation 21:1-4 NLT) 

"The One and Only"

"But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" (Hebrews 1:13 KJV)

  "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." (John 1:14 NLT)

 I really can't imagine what it was like for Jesus growing up, except that at the age of twelve, He came to know that He was called and chosen to be in His Father's house. He was humble and remained patient, learning a trade and waiting until the age of thirty to actually begin His ministry, showing the world the Love of God! 

 Obviously, the world wasn't ready to know or understand what had happened; they missed the message and only a small percentage of the world accepted the Good News. Much like the world today, those who follow Jesus are few, compared to the multitude of people that inhabit this earth. 

 I heard a small part of another message from Pastor Jack on Friday afternoon as he was sharing about when Jesus told a parable of the Net. In this parable, Jesus shows that all sorts of fish are caught, but not all fish are good; and those that aren't are discarded and thrown away.

 There are certain days when I feel as though my faith is not real, even though I truly believe in what I believe, my lack of righteousness and the ability to slip away, from time to time, makes me wonder if I was one of those fish that didn't belong. I guess there will be a day when I find out; but until that day is here, I am going to keep on trying, one day at a time...

"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I can gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:7-11 NLT)    

"Everything Else Will Change"

 "And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." (Hebrews 1:12 KJV)

  "The people said, "Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, 'Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!' Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,' but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I know him and obey him. Your Father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad." The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!" At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple." (John 8:52-59 NLT) 

 Having believed who Jesus is, was, and evermore will be, I have understood that He had the ability to be able to appear and disappear, whenever He needed to do so. The same Jesus appeared in that upper room, after He rose from the dead, just as He did several times before He was put to death. The only difference was that He rose from the dead, as to be the First Resurrection, but He was still the same Jesus. 

 I hear some people say that Jesus rose as a spirit or a phantom; but from what I have come to know, He really didn't transform and shed His mortal body until He was lifted up into Heaven; if that is actually what took place, nobody knows! During the Thousand Year Rein, He will be ruling the earth; so, what will He be like then, if He is living here on this earth? 

 Anywho, it really isn't about what He might be or not be; it is about what He does and can do! Personally, I believe that Jesus made everything, therefore He can control everything, if He so pleases. The entire world, and everything in it is said the be atoms; so why shouldn't Jesus be able to control the atoms? If He wanted to walk through a door or a wall, then He could just go through any substance He wanted to, even a crowd of people.

 There are several times that Jesus appeared to Abraham; not each time was He manifested the same way. He appeared as Melchizedek, then He appeared as a Smoking Pot and a Flaming Torch, as He passed through the carcasses, and He signed the covenant for both He and Abraham; He also appeared to Abraham before He destroyed Sodom, as He was accompanied by two angels. 

 From what I have learned, He was the Flaming Sword at the gates to the Garden, when Adam and Eve were kicked out. He was also the fourth man in the Fiery Furnace, while He protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In other words. He is always what He needs to be, but He never changes who He IS...

""I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies." (Malachi 3:6-7a NLT)  

"He Remains!" - 2

 "They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;" (Hebrews 1:11 KJV)

  "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:6-7 NLT)

 Forgive me if I speak too directly about something that has caused some to fall away; but as I have said several times, over and over: 'If the blood of Jesus has washed you of your sins, you have been made clean, and you are now His, forever!' That is pretty much a promise, because God does not throw His children away; especially the ones who have been adopted! 

 Not sure everyone understands what that means, because when we are adopted, that means that God has chosen you to be His child, which actually gives you certain rights, that are more lenient than those of the child born into the family. Still not sure if everyone understands what that means, because being taken into a family means that you are made part of the family, with purpose and a special inheritance, more secure and untouchable than you know.  

 We are never going to be perfect here on the earth, so we should get our story straight and stop pretending that we have everything under control. Hopefully, you know by now, thinking you have it all under control is like jumping off a cliff and thinking you will not get hurt! As soon as you say that you have no more desire to sin, you set yourself up for a very serious fall! 

 Please don't get me wrong, we must be faithful and do our very best; but we also need to be perfectly honest with God, because He knows us better than we know ourselves. He loves us so much, more than we know! He is not letting you go...

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change or decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see." (1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT) 

  

"He Remains!"

 "They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;" (Hebrews 1:11 KJV)

  "This is what the LORD says - Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD of Heaven's Armies: "I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purpose for you long ago? You are my witnesses - is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock - not one!"" (Isaiah 44:6-8 NLT)

 If you realize this verse from Isaiah, it is the part where God shows us the foolishness of idols; as they carve an idol from the same wood that they use to heat their food. Interesting thing about that, is it is real! Idols are the things we depend on, yet they are also consumed and used for foolishness; nothing we can have or make upon this world will really protect us and give us eternal life; nothing comes close to the Wonder-Working-Power of Christ! 

 If you haven't made that determination yet, you need to get right, or you might get left! Which reminds me of something I thought about yesterday as I listen to Jack's message, which happened to be about the Great Pearl. Pearls were really not all that in Jewish culture; yet they are in the New Jerusalem, as they are part of the gates. 

 Anywho, the pearl is something that is created by discomfort, which is pretty much the point of many parts of the Gospel, from all sorts of different views. Maybe that is why they are on every gate, all twelve of them, at every angle. Jesus said: "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives." (John 12:23-24 NLT)

 As much as I think of this struggle with sin, sin is the same as that grain of sand that caused the discomfort and produces the pearl. Yes, we must make every effort to avoid the sin, but the discomfort we have in dealing with whatever is causing us to sin, is the same thing which makes the pearl...

"If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it, because I don't want anyone to give me credit beyond what they see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NLT) 

"Just Believe!" - Too

 "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:" (Hebrews 1:10 KJV) 

  "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him." (John 1:1-3 NLT)

 As some of you might know, this particular beginning of John's Gospel message is very important to me, as it has been one of the Scriptures I check out before I begin to read any Bible translation. If it doesn't specifically say, "The Word was with God, and the Word was God," then I don't waste any time reading that translation. 

 This is important because the New World Translation says, "and the Word was god," as if to say that Jesus was not Thee God; which is implied that He is, as we see in Hebrews, over and over again! How it is that they don't understand that, is pretty much a spiritual issue, as I have said before. Paul has shown this in his letter to Corinth: "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT) 

 Because I was blessed to listen, (which is based upon the help of God, who made that possible,) I was able to see and understand that Jesus Christ was the Creator; something I was not allowed to see, ever before! Even though I was reading the New Testament Bible, over and over, for almost 4 months, I was unable to see the truth within the Scriptures.

 It was the Father that called me to open my eyes, the Holy Spirit that softened my heart, and Jesus that knocked at just the right time, so I could open my heart and let Him in. This much I truly know; that my way, which wasn't getting anywhere, was not going to work. God put me into just the right place, with the right frame of mind, and a heart that was ready to listen. 

 By the way, for the last several days, (and hopefully again today, at 4:30,) I heard Pastor Jack sharing about the Parable of the Hidden Treasure. As Jack put it, the man who found the Treasure was Jesus, who buried the treasure, in order to purchase it later. That is what we all are, buried Treasure; protected and kept safe, until He is able to save up from our sins.

 All my life I have been watched over; there are so many times I could have been killed but did not. Even though I had several chances to hear the Gospel Message, but did not respond, He never gave up on me, and I truly believe that day I accepted Him into my heart was my appointed time. At just the right time, He makes every Treasure He has buried, it's time to be purchased! Thank You Jesus! 

 We have no idea what will happen, and neither does anyone else; but God knows full well who will listen and who will not; but He doesn't uncover us, but keeps us hidden, till just the right time! Then He brings just the right message, from just the right messenger, in just the right condition, and wow! He purchases, right on the spot! 

 Why are we the Hidden Treasure? Because He loves us that much... 

""For God loved to world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."" (John 3:16-17 NLT) 

"Just Believe!"

 "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:" (Hebrews 1:10 KJV)

  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And the evening passed and the morning came, marking the first day." (Genesis 1:1-5 NLT)

 As said, many times over: If you have any doubt that this opening word of the Bible is true, then you must settle that doubt and just believe it, knowing that God does not lie! If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it! No longer is there any need to doubt, because I believe that God can do anything! 

 And, as spoken yesterday, the doubt is with me, not God! I have no doubt whatsoever that God made the heavens and the earth; this much I have known for all of my life! In third grade, the very first day of school, I walked into the classroom to a giant poster on the wall, which showed the evolution of man: Man being transformed from a monkey! I laughed at it, saying it was ridiculous; and then walked over to the teacher's desk and flipped his globe up-side-down. 

 The whole theory of evolution is nothing but a lie from the pit of hell; something made up and has no proof, whatsoever. And yet, the more that gets discovered, the more complex and unique every species becomes, the older and older the earth becomes! Based upon the logic of these new timetables, the earth would not have even existed, because it would have been too close to the sun! 

 Anywho, these things don't really matter, because I know the Bible tells me so, period! Actually, faith is something that requires hope, which is the substance of things hoped for, as in, that everything God says is absolutely true. If you cannot believe in what you hope for, then your faith is very weak and easily lost to the deceptions of this world. 

 Again, the easiest thing to prove, is that Jesus Christ did rise from the grave. If it were put on trial, in a court of law, the proof would come out and the jury would agree that it was true. Can there be any doubt about tomorrow, if we know that it is all true? 

 That is where faith comes into the equation: Just believe...       

"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT)   

"The Mediator!" - Too

 "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." (Hebrews 1:9 KJV)

  "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)

 Just about every message I heard yesterday, including the one at our church service, had to do with us believing that Christ Jesus did rise from the dead. All of them pretty much preached the same message, and almost all referenced 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, mentioning how important is that we know and believe that Jesus absolutely rose from the dead. 

 One of the last messages that I heard, was a little more demanding, as if to say, there is enough proof to actually make it hold up in Court, if someone wanted to make a case against it! If it is that easy to make a case, it should be something that we can do, as His follower's, without doubt or having the least bit of hesitation in making the case that He is alive! 

 That is the whole point of why Jesus hung around after being raised from the grave; to show us that He lives, by showing Himself to all those that would believe and share the truth: There is life after death! Not only that, but Jesus told them He would be coming back; something we are still waiting on to happen! 

 Do we still ever have doubt? Well, when we do, I truly believe that it is because we force ourselves to doubt, just to be able to feel free to sin. I know that might sound crazy, because why would anyone ever want to feel free to sin? Why would we freely sin, if we know God is watching? 

 More than anything, I hate sinning, but I find myself still dealing with sin; and even though I believe I sin less and less, the little bit of sin is enough to make me feel totally sinful and unworthy! Thank goodness that I have a Mediator who knows me better than I know myself!

 We are trapped in this world until God takes us out or until Jesus comes back; but in the meantime, we focus on the finished work of Christ, telling others of all He has done, and believing that it worked! Do you believe that He has washed you by His blood? I think it is easier to believe that He has risen, than it is to believe that all of our sins have been removed. What say you...

"Therefore, since we have been right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." (Romans 5:1-2 NLT) 

"The Mediator!"

 "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." (Hebrews 1:9 KJV)

  "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity - the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT)

 Whether or not you know all of the points to the things that accrued on the day Christ was crucified, the most important fact of all, is that only He was worthy enough to make it happen: To take away the sins of the entire world! Yes, He paid the price for everyone, every sin ever committed, from the very beginning to the very end; His death on the cross was enough to cover every sin! 

 Therefore, it is not God's fault if you do not accept the free gift of His salvation, because He has made a way for everyone to be saved, if you will just believe in the Son and what He has done! It is really not that hard to understand. As Paul has said, "This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time." 

 This is for the seeker of the truth. If you really want to find the proof, then God has established the way for you to find it and prove to yourself that it is real. The prophecies alone are enough to prove it, just a hand full of them, can be enough to outweigh the odds. Together with the fact that Rome was ruling the land, and that the cross was being used for putting people to death; everything that happened that day was told about; even the bitter wine and the nail in His hands. 

 Besides all of that which happened on that day, it was the third day that is the easiest to investigate and believe that it happened. Yes, it really doesn't take much discovery to understand that every one of the disciples were persecuted for their testimony that Jesus lives! All were killed, but John, who was tortured, and they tried to kill him, but finally put him on an island.

 Would you give up your life for a lie? They believed it because they were with Him after He rose; they could not deny what they knew was the proof: Eternal Life is Real...

"But tell me this - since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and our faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God - for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died." (1 Corinthians 15:12-20 NLT) 

"A Sceptre of Righteousness" - To

 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8 KJV)

  "But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT)

 I know this sounds like I am repeating myself, but the simple fact is that we all need to be saved! As far as the "Kingdom," spoken of, it is used as the reference of authority, not as an actual kingdom; basically, it means: "of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah." It was what He accomplished on that cross which established for all of us to be made free from sin; and we are those who make up His glorious Kingdom! 

 As much as I would like to minister to those who are trapped in that world of deception, I know it isn't easy to do, 'The Kingdom Hall,' as it were, is much like the Ark that Noah built, if you aren't on it, you are doomed for destruction, so they are told. When we were disfellowshipped, for whatever reason, we would always have to move and find another place to be accepted. I am pretty sure that wouldn't work in this day and age, now that everything is tracked by computers; you don't get to move into a new fellowship without being known.

 This is what Isaiah was shown, "he will have many descendants," is you and me; we are His because He paid for us with His blood! He exposed Himself to death, in order to give us eternal life; and He could only do that by becoming human, to be able to suffer death! Why someone cannot get that, it causes me to wonder what is stopping them from seeing the facts! 

 What was Jesus doing on that second day, the day after He was crucified, before He rose from that tomb? He was in that place called Paradise, preaching and sharing to all those who were waiting to be saved; some of them were waiting a very long time, like from the very beginning...

"Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison - those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now save you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority." (1 Peter 3:18-22 NLT)

 

"A Sceptre of Righteousness"

 "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8 KJV) 

  "They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." (Romans 9:4-5 NLT)

 Surely, I don't need to point out the elephant in the room; because both of these verses clearly say that Jesus is God! Even the Father, who is being quoted, said, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." It really doesn't take much digging to come up with the truth of who Jesus was, is, and for ever will be! 

 Yesterday I had a brief moment to watch a Passover Service taking place, as the teacher was sharing about the blood that was marked on the doorposts of the children of Israel's doors in Egypt, on that very first Passover. As he taught, he mentioned the significance of everything that Jesus went through the day that He was crucified and hung on that cross. 

 I hope not to be lacking in my memory of what he said, because there were more things than I could keep track of; but the first of which was the three strips of blood on the doorposts. Yes, I heard right, he said three strips, indicating the property of Three! Three, three, three; a list of all things three; three nails, three crosses, third hour of the day; three days in the tomb; Father, Son, and Spirit! 

 After that, he started breaking down some of the things to take note of, like the cross, which sometimes is referred to as the tree; as in the tree that Adam was not to eat from, specified the tree that Jesus was nailed to, as to overcome the sin that had been committed in that garden. The nails in His hands, were meant to represent them holding that fruit, as they were beginning to eat of it. The spear in His side represented the women, as she was taken from the side of the man, when God made her. 

 The crown of thorns was to represent the curse handed to Adam, and that Jesus took on everything, even that curse! The only thing I didn't remember him saying was about the bitter wine that they put up to His mouth, when He said, "I thirst!" However, previously to this part of the teaching, he shared some bread and bitter roots, as it was to be part of the story...

""It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD'S name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."" (Isaiah 55:11-13 NLT)  

"God's Servants"

 "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." (Hebrews 1:7 KJV)

  "O LORD my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; and lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind. The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants." (PSALM 104:1-4 NLT)

 Without getting too far out there, like I have a tendency to do, I will try to keep it simple. Simply put, the angels are God's ministers, or servants, which He created to do His pleasure; (as per Matthew Henry.) We might not be able to detect their presence, but I can assure you, they are not too far off, from where you are; especially when you are dealing with something that requires their assistance. 

 I know they are real; and I know that they don't mess around! I shared this once or twice before, but it still seems like to was yesterday. When I was dealing with a particular verse in the Book of John, I was feeling as though there was something that wanted me to not share what I wanted to say. All through the night I felt as though there was something in the house that wanted to harm, either me or my wife. 

 The Rabbit Air machine in the room kept going off, which it is not meant to do when the lights are off. And when I say it was going off, I mean it was really going full speed, and the light went from blue to bright red instantly. I looked through the blinds from the bed, and I could see flashes of light, which were not usually something I saw in the patio outside the door.

 My dog was in his kennel outside my bedroom door, and I could hear him whimpering, as if there was something that was in the house he was scared over. This went on until at least 2am and I finally said I was going to sleep, because I planned on getting up at 4am to pray, and then start my blog. 

 When 4am came, there are nothing going on anymore; everything was perfectly still. As I sat in my chair and began to pray, the three Rabbit Air machines in my living room began to breath; and when I say breathed, I'm talking about, one at a time in a pattern, breathing in and out, as if they were taking deep breaths; each machine in a perfect pattern around the room. 

 Anywho, I didn't have any fear but simply believed that I was safe; almost as if I was being protected, and the breathing was letting me know that everything was okay. I know it sounds strange, but I can assure you, it really did happen...

"Peter finally came to his senses, "It's really true!" he said. "The Lord sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!"" (Acts 12:11 NLT) 

"The Son of Man" -2

 "And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." (Hebrews 1:6 KJV)

  "The LORD is King! Let the farthest coastlands be glad. Dark clouds surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up his foes. His lightening flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; every nation sees his glory. Those who worship idols are disgraced - all who brag about their worthless gods - for every god must bow to him." (PSALM 97:1-7 NLT)

 When you think about how Jesus came into this world, you must remember that He came in the form of a precious little baby, which means that He was vulnerable and dependent to be taken care of, and to be protected, as any other newborn child would require. I know that there are angels that watch over all of God's children; but can you imagine the multitude of angels that were watching over Him!

 Those who want to believe that Jesus was not God, really don't understand why He needed to come as He did, in the form of a man; not just any man, but a man, not born from the seed of man, but from the Holy Spirit! When man was first formed from the ground, the Bible says, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7 KJV)

 Only God is Holy! No other man could become a sacrifice for the sins of this world, except the Son of Man, who was God, born of a virgin! Think of what I just said and imagine why this is so important. Why would God need to come and sacrifice Himself on a cross for our sins? Because He alone is Worthy! He alone is Righteous! 

 Don't think for a moment that Adam didn't lust after that tree before he actually ate of it...

""You have heard the commandment that says, "You must not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."" (Matthew 5:27-28 NLT) 

"The Son of Man"

 "And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." (Hebrews 1:6 KJV)

  "For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his gory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" (Romans 8:29-31 NLT)

 First off, it was this work of God that caused the revolt in Heaven, when one-third of the angels followed Satan in his rebellion against God; all because of his jealousy of mankind and the perfect plan God had to make them as Him, in His image! Not quite sure most people get the just of this, but God's plans always work, way in advance! 

 Yesterday I heard a message, from a Jewish Scholar. He stated off by talking about Paul's thorn in his side, and how Paul prayed that God would deliver him from it. As he explained it, this was a product of Satan, which God allowed; mostly to keep Paul humble, because of the amazing things which God was showing him; things which far outweigh the knowledge of mankind's understanding. 

 After explaining that, he started comparing that with the fall of man in the Garden; how that God needed for man to fall, in order to establish redemption. Finally, someone that agrees with me and sees what it was that makes the cross of Christ something planned before the beginning of the foundations of the world! 

 That said, I have tried over and over again to try and explain why mankind needed to have freewill to make the choice to love and honor God. Why couldn't God just make us like robots, that follow His every command, without hesitation? The point of God's choosing was the heart! As big as God's mind might be, I believe that His heart is even bigger! 

 I have learned something over these last few decades, that the mind can be damaged and lack its ability to properly function, but the heart is the true source of life...

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." (Proverbs 4:23 NLT)  

"The Foundation"

 "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?" (Hebrews 1:5 KJV)

  "My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him, and by my authority he will grow in power. I will extend his rule over the sea, and his dominion over the rivers. And he will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.' I will make him my firstborn son, the mightiest king on earth." (PSALM 89:24-27 NLT)

 If you have been wondering how the Son and the Father could be One, you are not alone; most people don't really get how it all works; some don't even try and give it too much thought, they just accept it as truth, waiting for the day when everything will be revealed. I have practiced several different ways to explain it, but the closest thing I can relate it to, is how we are created, body, soul, and spirit; and yet we are one person. 

 If there was one thing which God might start with, in all of His creation, it would be the Foundation. Everything starts with a foundation; nothing is going to last or hold up all of creation, without there being a Foundation! There are 72 Bible verses about "Before Foundation Of The World"; there are 10 times we find the expression, "The Foundation of the World," in the New Testament. 

 Paul expresses that there is no other Foundation that can be laid, other than the one already laid, which is Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11) Basically, there had to be the beginning, and that beginning was Christ Jesus! Don't be too shocked by that, because there is really not any other way to describe how Jesus, who is the Word, created everything else! 

 As to the comment about the angels, when the time was, whenever that was, it was before the angels were created, that much is certain. Which really takes the whole idea about Michael becoming Jesus off the table; if anything, Jesus created Michael...

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we cannot see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together." (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT)   

"JEHOVAH" - TOO

 "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." (Hebrews 1:4 KJV)

  "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe in him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else - not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself." (Ephesians 1:19-23 NLT)

 Not quite sure if most people really understand the importance of why Jesus is who He claimed to be; and if they did understand, how do they express the importance in a way that actually will cause someone to understand? To be honest, it is only by the grace of God that people can see what needs to be seen; and it is meant to be in that moment that they agree with what they need to do next! 

 This is really serious stuff we are talking about, because there must be the evidence of who Jesus was on that cross, in order for us to know the extent of God's love, whether you look to the Father's sacrifice of His Son, or the Son's willingness to give His life; they are both One of the same GOD! Try explaining that to any J.W. that comes to your door! 

 Back in the late 80's I was busy transferring the center references from my "Jimmy Swaggert Study Bible," onto the top pages of my "'Zodhiates' original and complete system of Bible study", when there came a knock on the door. I opened the door, to see two people standing there with their Bibles, a young lady and an older man, who was carrying the briefcase. 

 I instantly knew who they were and usually would have told them who I was and what I believed, which usually would make them move on. However, not this time! I knew that the young lady was new and this was probably her first time witnessing door to door. I opened the door enough for the man to see my desk, which was just about ten feet away. On my desk, I had a bumper sticker that simply said, "Jesus is Jehovah." 

 After the man saw the sticker, he hesitated with any remarks, but simply asked if I wanted the Awake, he had started taking out of his briefcase. I asked him if he was familiar with Isaiah 9:6; to which he started to open his Bible. I quickly grabbed my Bible, which was actually already opened to Isaiah, and began reading it, boldly! 

 As he intently listened, the young lady watched me and then looked at him. He became very white and began to turn away, leaving her standing there as he walked away. I sat my Bible down and looked as he went out to the tree in front of my house; and holding himself up against the tree, he tried to catch his breath. The young lady really didn't know what to do, except to say goodbye and try to help him gain his composure. 

 There is something we need to know: Just because Jesus was born on this earth, does not mean He had to start over being the Son of God; He has always been the Son, because the Father and Him are One...

"Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."" (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)  

 

"JEHOVAH"

 "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." (Hebrews 1:4 KJV)

  "Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle, the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. "Let's us break their chains," they cry, "and free ourselves from slavery of God." But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain." The king proclaims the LORD'S decree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'" Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of your activities - for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!" (PSALM 2 NLT)

 Without getting too carried away, I started working on making a crossword puzzle, within days after I accepted Jesus into my heart. It basically was my way of gathering all on the pieces I could, and making them easier to find and reference all the places in the Bible where Jesus is brought forth, in one way or another. 

 Within this puzzle the name Jesus was displayed with the squares, going down the middle, and across the middle; all the Old Testament questions and clues went across; while all the New Testament questions and clues where up and down. It seriously took about two weeks to make it all work out. 

 Now, about this PSALM that I have typed in above: We can talk about these kings of the earth being the rulers of nations; or we can put them in a different order, which would be a different realm, one of the unseen world; one that is ruled by principalities and powers. Regardless, these principalities and powers are also manipulating and plotting within the world that is seen, causing the world to be against, the ONE TRUE KING!  

 As to the name JEHOVAH, the J.W.'s use this name as if this has made them special because the Bible translation that they use takes all the LORD references and changes them to JEHOVAH. If you really want to get specific: JESUS CHRIST is JEHOVAH, the eternal One! But, without getting too far ahead of myself, there are several different descriptions for JEHOVAH, depending on the need and action performed. 

 Having said that, the simple description is: God is Salvation, to which is his name...

"As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."" (Matthew 1:20-26 NLT)  

 

"The Son is Greater Than the Angels"

  "For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father." God also said, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son." And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, "Let all of God's angels worship him." Regarding the angels, he says, "He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire." But to the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else." He also says to the Son, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will live forever." And God never said to any of the angels, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." Therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation." (Hebrews 1:4-14 NLT) 

  "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." (Malachi 3:6 KJV) 

 And then we have this little situation: I was told, ever since I was six or seven, that Jesus was once Michael the Arch Angel. Yes, this is what they believe, have been told, and pass down to their children. Having been told that, it was never my thought, before I got saved, that Jesus was who I know He is today! 

 When I arrived in that cafeteria, the service had already started, and everyone was singing worship songs. I took a place in the back, but made sure I could see the speaker, once the message had begun. The man who was sharing was a black man, who was from a Foursquare Church. As he began to share the message, he took off his watch, and holding it up, he said, "You see this watch? This watch tells me that somewhere out there, there is a watch maker." 

 I thought to myself, "Well that seems pretty obvious!" Obviously, I was being shown something that was really easy to understand. But, then he said, "And, you and me, and all that we see, has a Creator; and I am here today to tell you; That Creator is Jesus Christ!" 

 "What in the world!" I thought. But right then and there I closed my eyes and envisioned Jesus hanging on the cross, and my ignorant life ended! I thought to myself, "How could this be? The Creator of this earth hung on a cross? What did this mean?" 

 After that, he spent the next 20 minutes or so, showing us all the Scriptures which specifically said that Jesus Christ was the Creator of heaven and earth. And I was totally undone! Everything I was told as a child was a lie; I totally could not believe we were not allowed to read these Scriptures; it was as if they avoided each and every one of them.

 This is why they don't want people to read the Bible without those Scripture Studies, because you will see for yourself that Jesus is truly God! We must be humble, but we should not be vulnerable! That is what I learned that day...

"And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth." (Luke 22:66-71 KJV)  

"God's Final Word in His Son" - 2

 "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" (Hebrews 1:3 KJV)

  "You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:5-6 NLT)

 Hopefully there is still some way to turn some of these who are trapped in a snare around, because I see that we are not that far off from the Lord's coming to take us home. I don't hesitate to mention that, because we must always be prepared and looking up. The biggest problem to getting them to listen, is that they are afraid to listen; just like those Jewish Leaders that covered their ears, to not hear what Stephen was saying, they too, cover their ears, as if our words will cause them to stumble. 

 I truly do care for them, because they are sincere in there witnessing and in what they believe; but from what I have seen, they are afraid to be taken away from the Ark, if you get my drift. Which reminds me of something I heard yesterday, which made me think about when I first believed. We are born again when we accept Jesus into our hearts; in that moment, we are beginning the eternal life we have been given, it doesn't begin when our bodies have passed away. 

 When I was saved, there was a freedom that I could not express; it was as if all of my fear and worry had been taken away. There was no more thought of being locked down, even though I was still in jail. It was as if there was something new in me that needed to be shared. And the more I shared what I felt, the more I felt the freedom I had been given. 

 That said, there are times in our lives when we do become like the Prodigal Son. Some to greater degrees that others, but for the most part, 'we all like sheep have gone astray,' at one time or another. When we become a child of God, we are a child of God, and there is no turning back! I know that we might think there is some way to turn away from Christ, as if we quit following Him; but if you have really become a child of God, you have been marked for life! 

 When we realize the sacrifice that Jesus took for our sins, we can see that He was serious and knew that it would work! We might have doubts and think that it didn't, especially when we have been walking in sin; but when He washed you from your sins and gave you New Life, it was for eternity! You cannot run away from the Lord...

"Jesus told them this story: "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!"" (Luke 15:3-7 NLT)  

"God's Final Word in His Son"

 "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" (Hebrews 1:3 KJV)

  "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together." (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT)

 Now, about that issue of whether or not Jesus is God; I really don't know how it is that anyone who might study the Scriptures can actually overlook what the Bible says; except for the fact that they are not given the opportunity to actually read the Bible, without their Study Books! 

 Yes, you heard it correctly: they are told that they must read the Study Books primarily, and the Bible is used to as a supplement to what they learn from their Study Books. As a matter of fact, they are told that they can do the Study Books for two years and then they will be in the light; but if the set the Scripture Studies aside, and just read the Bible alone, in six months they will be in darkness. 

 Talk about being deceived! It has been said, if you were stranded on a deserted island, all alone, and all that you had to read was the Bible, you would know the truth of what the Bible says, all on your own. We need to be saved, first and foremost! Once we have been born again, we can actually see and understand what we are reading, having the Holy Spirit to show us what is being said! 

 Yesterday I heard something said, that caused me to say out loud, "That's not the Truth!" I don't want to say names, but the topic was dealing with Saul and Samson, as to whether or not they were in heaven or hell. I really don't know how we can honestly say that someone messed up, and by what they did here on this earth is enough to condemn them to hell, because everyone has the opportunity to ask for forgiveness!  

 When Saul went to the woman to conjure up Samuel, Samuel told Saul that he would soon be with him. I am pretty sure that Samuel wasn't in hell, and I do believe that Saul had the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness, even if he did fall on his own sword! And last I knew, Samson is listed in the Hall of Faith; even though he messed up, he still called out to God in the end, asking for strength to take down that colosseum. It says that he killed more Philistines at his death, than he did while alive.

 By the way, when the story is told about, "The Rich Young Ruler," for some reason there is such hate or anger brought out towards him, as if there was no hope, because he walked away from Jesus. We can only be thankful that God has not cut us off, instantly, after we had rejected His offer of salvation. How many times I have seen those who I truly believed were ready to accept the Lord, only to watch them walk away, saying, "Not today!" 

 Have you ever been there? Have you ever heard someone say, "Don't walk away, you don't know if you will ever have a chance again; you could be killed tonight, and you would be going to hell!" I'm sorry if that makes things seem wrong, but we really do have a loving Father, who doesn't give up easily...

"Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."" (Mark 10:23-27 NLT) 

"The Word is The Son!"

 "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" (Hebrews 1:2 KJV)

  "But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are." (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

 Again, this takes me back to the moment I accepted Christ into my heart. This really was something that I could not have accepted, if it was not the work of God; and when I say 'God', I mean the work of all Three: Father, Son, and Spirit! I truly believe that the Father called me to His Son; if it was even possible, it was the voice of a very old Chaplin, who seemed to me as a man who was calling out to me, with his dying breath: 'Come hear a message that will change your life!' 

 When I heard it, I simply could not say no; and without any hesitation, I began walking down the hill to the cafeteria; which soon became a run, as I felt I needed to hurry before I might have changed my mind. I could recall several different times when I was offered the chance to saved; but each time I would reject the invitation and harden my heart.

 As to the Antichrist which John talked about being here already; I truly believe that was something that might have been holding me back, for all of those years. Having had fellowship with the J.W.'s in my youth, I know for a fact that they do not believe Jesus Christ is God. Not only that, if you accept Jesus into your heart, they will disfellowship you and any family members associated with the organization will turn their backs on you. 

 This I truly believe is controlled by the spirit of the Antichrist, which is working in every organization that denies who Jesus really is; and when I say every, I mean all groups of people that gather together! Having seen what happens when Jesus Christ is magnified, there are certain changes in the expressions of their faces, as if you have just offended them by using the name of Jesus! 

 Which just so happens to have been to message we heard Sunday, as the president of ICR shared about the importance of speaking the name of Jesus, verses, just saying God. He used many different ways and uses, as he opened up the Book of Acts, showing how the name of Jesus offended, as well as healed and made many things happen, again and again. 

 This might not seem like such a big deal to some, but the deadly little secret is that many churches do not put Christ Jesus front and center...

"But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!" Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died." (Acts 7:55-60 NLT) 

"The Word Lives!"

 "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," (Hebrews 1:1 KJV)

  ""The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."" (Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT)

 One of the first things I learned about in my New Life with Christ, was how to express the fact that Jesus has always been, from the very beginning! We discover this clearly in the Revelation 22:12, as Jesus testifies to the eternity of His existence, saying, "Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." 

 Whether you can accept it or not, it is written without there being a question of who; if there be any question, the only one would be how? There are people that question the existence of Jesus before He was born in Bethlehem, that glorious morning as if His birth was His beginning; but we know from the Holy Scriptures that He is the eternal God, who's beginning was always the Word! When God spoke, the Word existed; therefore, we have no need to wonder how, but only to believe that it is so. 

 Secondly, there are some that believe Jesus did not actually come in the flesh, as if He was some sort of fathom or just a spirit that did not actually have a birth, but manifested. This might seem hard to believe, but Mary was a virgin, and Jesus was formed in her womb, just as any normal baby; except His life was produced by the Holy Spirit. 

 Imagine why this was very important! Man needed to be redeemed by a Man, but not just any Man, but one that was born of the Spirit...

 "Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here." (1 John 4:1-3 NLT) 

"Jesus Christ is God's Son"

   "Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to his Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names." (Hebrews 1:1-4 NLT)

 As I tried to explain yesterday, there are certain parts of the book which I have come to believe that they have the character and manner of all three men, Paul, Luke, and Mark. The interesting thing is, that there is also stipulation written that leans towards all three having been the author; yet not in the manner I see, but as one or the other. 

 You that have been with me for any amount of time, should know that I believe Mark was someone that had a role in a couple of places within the Gospel that he wrote. When he went with Paul and Barnabas, when he was younger, he left them, (maybe because he was scared,) Paul was very disappointed and refused to have him go with them again. The opposition between Paul and Barnabas was so strong regarding Mark, that the two of them parted ways.

 The thing that shows up in this, although it doesn't actually say, is that Barnabas knew something about Mark that made him stand up for him, even though there was great opposition from Paul. It is believed that both Mark and Barnabas were Levites; and Mark was the son of Mary, who's house was where there were many meetings, both while Jesus was here, and during the beginning of the church. 

 Barnabas was the first of those who sold his land and gave the money to the church. Something I believe he was prompted to do, because of his nephew, John Mark. We can make a case for why Mark would be in the garden while Jesus was arrested, as he writes about himself in Mark 14:51-52; but why Paul would change his mind about Mark, asking Timothy to send him to Rome, I believe it was for a reason.

 I really don't want to make a big deal of this, but I do want to illustrate the point of the unity of brothers and what takes place when they share and talk about the wonders of God...

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20 KJV) 

"HEBREWS"

 "After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!" (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NLT)

 After praying about this, (what would I do next,) it was put upon my heart to share from this wonderful letter written to the church in Jerusalem; so named, "Hebrews." There is many different opinions on who wrote this Book; the strongest opinion goes towards the Apostle Paul, who would have had it written in Hebrew. There is also some indication the Luke and/or someone else translated it into Greek.

 Personally, I believe that the three of them, (Paul, Mark, and Luke,) wrote it together, as they all put the entire complex picture together, as they sat together, making all these things come to life, with the power of the Holy Spirit speaking through their conversations. Why I believe this, is only because I experienced myself. Only weeks after I was saved, two brothers and I were sitting out under stars, sharing about the things God had been placing upon our hearts. 

 It isn't really hard to picture the three of them sharing together for hours, as they fellowshipped together where Paul was being held, whether it was a cell or under house-arrest, we know that at one point all three of them were together during Paul's detention. I imagined being a fly on the wall, as they started going through all of the things God performed and made happen; as well as those things still to come.

 Anywho, it really doesn't matter, (but, then again, I think it does,) who wrote this Book; what really matter is to whom it was written and why! I have said it before, and I say it again: The whole history of Israel, all of their issues and all of their falling away, it is all a reflection of the church. 

 We really don't have any advantage over Israel, as some might try to say; we are the ones that get to be grafted into the people of Israel, not the other way around...

"For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy - just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham's tree - some of the people of Israel - have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root." (Romans 11:15-18 NLT)   

"The Light Will Shine!"

 "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:14 KJV)

  "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first." (1 John 4:16-19 NLT)

 Having saved this for last, Solomon is closing this book with boldness, whether we are those who are truly committed to God, those who are totally rejecting God, or those that are sitting on the fence; there is going to be a day when everything will be revealed, both the good and the evil. It might seem as though it will not involve us, those that have been cleansed from sin; but as I have said before, all the books will be opened; everything will be brought out into the open.

 The only thing which will really matter, will be that we have our names written in The Lamb's Book of Life! We will be totally and completely spotless in the eyes of the Father, because we have been washed in the blood of His Son. Yet, there will be a testimony that is shown to all those who rejected the free gift of God's salvation, which will be their judgment. 

 Not sure that everyone truly understands how that works, because there really is only one way that any one of us gets saved! I have dealt with things that have made me feel unworthy, no matter how hard I try to forgive myself, it just doesn't seem to work; but if I am putting my trust in what Jesus did on that cross, I have given everything to Him: and I have no fear about judgment.

 Does that mean that I still don't feel sorry for some things I have done? No, I have grown accustomed to the pain that memories bring; but when they come to life, it reminds me of God's wonderful grace! He loves us so much; it is almost impossible to love as we should! But we will, that much I truly believe! It is those memories that show us who actually crucified Jesus on the cross: It was us...

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:23-26 NLT) 

"Let It Shine!"

 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV)

  "One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."" (Mark 12:28-31 NLT)

 When it comes to following and keeping God's commandments, we seriously fall short of keeping just about every one of them. Even the ones that seem simple, like, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," which seems easy enough to avoid, unless you count the thoughts and wicked dreams that take place in our minds. Another that might seem easy, for some, "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy," is not just a day that is not meant for work! Oh, how I messed that day up! You would be surprised by the stupid things we might do, when we are bored and think we are all alone. 

 We have a very special gift that we have been given, if that is, we would just practice making it real and making a difference. The whole meaning of abundant life does not speak to having lots of stuff and many children, it is about being filled with love for God and others! The more you love, the more abundant your life seems to be. But the less you love, the least abundant life you seem to have, no matter how much you have or how many children. 

 If you don't feel as though you have what it takes, then pray for what it takes to happen! But when you do, be prepared for God to give you someone to hate! Sometimes we need to be broken before we can be fixed and shine as we should...

 "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT) 

"This Little Heart of Mine"

"And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh." (Ecclesiastes 12:12 KJV)

  "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." (1 Peter 1:18-23 NLT)

 When I first looked at this verse, I placed it in a negative setting, as if there was something here that was talking about the body being broken down from writing many books; or in my case, from continually doing this blog, day after day, without missing a single day. (What was I thinking!) We must not make light of what we do not know or understand, because this is really about those ripples that get washed up on the shores. 

 Let me try to put it into something easy to understand: Continuing on from the previous verse, this is like a "therefore," where we most pause for a brief moment, thinking, 'What is it there for?' In this case, as in the example of the ripples caused by waves, these "goads," as Solomon calls them, do not go away; they are continually used again and again, because they are administered to and through everyone that speaks of them, through one Shepherd. 

 "And further, by these, my son, be admonished," is like passing the torch or shinning your light, the Light that is discovered in sharing and putting forth the word of God! That is what this word, "admonished," is talking about: to warn, teach, shine, send out light, be light, be shining; and to be taught! Every time I sit down each morning to share, I am also being taught. Whenever I deliver a massage in a church, the one who gains the most from my message is usually me. 

 "Of making many books there is no end," is the byproduct of what happens when things get written, they are written without end, as if there always a chance that they might get looked upon, one way or another. If you really want to look at it a little different way, you can imagine God's perspective, which is that of eternity and beyond: When He reads it, it will surely never end! 

 "And much study is a weariness of the flesh," can be looked at in several ways, primarily that of breaking down or fatigue, as you would do to your body if you worked too much and slept too little. Which I can really relate to, as it real and happens over and over again. However, this specific word occurs only one time in the Scripture, and we are looking at it right now. 

 Basically, it also means labour, which is feminine noun, which is the way it works towards the flesh, which is that thing we must always be trying to crucify and not try to satisfy with the things of this world...    

"Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him." (Romans 6:5-8 NLT) 

"Take It to Heart" - Too

 "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assembles, which are given from one shepherd." (Ecclesiastes 12:11 KJV)

  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8 NLT)

 Instead of judging what might be wrong, look to see that which is worthy of praise and of a good report. Remember, we are meant to do onto others, as we would have them do unto us, which is easier to think of doing when we judge ourselves, first. 

 As to Solomon's life, he was blessed and was known to be the richest man, not because he wanted to be, but because God made it so. He asked for wisdom to rule God's people; God blessed him with great wisdom, and then blessed him with great fame and riches, more than he could handle, wisely. 

 It seems a little like he spun out of control; but he still belonged to God! The rest of these last few verses are easier to deal with than this one between the words or truth and final conclusion. Besides that, there is really nothing we can do that God doesn't already know about, no matter how hard you might fall, if you are His child, He will catch you!

 I really hope we can take that to heart, because He is always ready to forgive us, no matter what...

"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:8-10 NLT)