"Our Altar is Real" - Too

 "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." (Hebrews 13:10 KJV)

  "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God." (Galatians 6:14-16 NLT)

 Nothing is more important than what Jesus came and did for us on that cross! We He said, "It is finished," even though it was the first phase of what He was about to do, the salvation He came to fulfill, for the entire world, happen upon that cross, once and for all! There could have never been a greater sacrifice, nothing was greater than the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who made it all, came and paid the price for all, every single man, woman, and child, from the very beginning of time! 

 As I started to share about something earlier but didn't because I truly lack complete understanding; those who hold onto the doctrine of Calvinism, which suggest that those who are saved, are already meant to be saved, and those that don't, don't have a chance. They are missing something out on something that goes far beyond the pale of human understanding. Only God knows who will be saved! We, mere mortals, don't know or have a clue, whatsoever; except that Jesus clearly said, "For God loved the 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." 

 That is the NLT version; the version I like that most, says, "Whomsoever!" That basically means the same, just a little bit more random; because it really doesn't matter what you might have done, or how terrible of a person you were; everyone can come to the cross and surrender, asking for forgiveness, for we all are sinners, not one of us don't need to be saved! 

 I heard a message once from Pastor Jack, the Pastor of Eagle Nest Christian Fellowship. He made a comparison to what this "Whosoever" really stands for, as we have no clue who is going to be saved or not; but God clearly does. He illustrated it as if those who are redeemed enter into those Pearly Gates, and as the enter in, there is a sign above the gates that says, "The Called." Yet, once they enter in, and look back towards those gates, the backside of that sign says, "The Chosen." 

 Maybe you don't get that meaning, but God's mercy and grace is more powerful than we truly know! Yes, there is this thing we call 'Free Will,' which is basically meant to say that God does not force us to accept His offering of salvation; but truth be told, He also doesn't give up on making us want to be saved...

"Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them - both men and women - back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on his mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, lord?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."" (Acts 9:1-6 NLT)     

"Our Altar is Real"

 "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." (Hebrews 13:10 KJV)

  "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT)

 Okay, let me first start be explaining this altar that we have, as if you don't already know: the altar that we serve is the cross of Christ! That is not something we take lightly, but something we make a part of our duty to remember, especially when we are tempted to sin! It isn't that we have to lay down a sacrifice or perform any kind of a ritual, as they did in the Temple; because our body is now the Temple of God, as the Holy Spirit dwells within us! 

 Hopefully that is sound doctrine to those who understand the true meaning of the cross of Christ; as He was the sacrifice that ended all those burnt offerings, having been the Lamb of God, who took away all the sins of this wicked world! Yet, when we are tempted, with whatever sin we like; remember that Jesus was crucified on the cross, so that whatever you like, will become something you will detest and washaway, so that even thinking about it makes you sick. 

 Truth be told, we only feel comfortable doing the sins that we like...

"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what is says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:21-25 NLT) 

"Sound Doctrine" - To

 "Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." (Hebrews 13:9 KJV)

  "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself, you are not that important." (Galatians 6:1-3 NLT)

 This is pretty much the answer to the "heart be established with grace," which if you know anything about grace, it is getting that which you do not deserve; yet in this case, it is our responsibility to give grace to those who might not deserve it, just as Christ has given to us, amazing grace! This is pretty much the follow-through to having mercy, which is usually giving forgiveness to someone; making forgiveness a reason that you establish grace, showing that you really mean that you forgive. 

 In this Scripture from Galation's, Paul is mentioning, "the law of Christ," which we all should know is that of love towards one another! Love is not something you just say, but it is an action; something that in done, regardless of how you might feel, but because you should know it is the right thing to do! 

 Maybe I might have not made it clear enough for some, who might not agree with our role in actually showing what grace looks like; because it is actually an action, meaning if it doesn't perform, then it doesn't count! The same is with mercy, as in giving mercy is almost the opposite, meaning that you do not give something that is deserved; like a punch in the nose! 

 Sorry for that punch in the nose thing, I was just reminding myself of my actions growing up; if was not happy with someone's attitude or denial of my request, then I would just punch them in the nose, making my point that I didn't give grace to anyone, only mercy; and even then, only if they deserved it. You must know, growing up, I had a no desire to respect anyone, but myself; and even then, I didn't really respect my body; if you know what I mean.

 Anywho, enough with the strange, "doctrine"; which actually means, "That which is taught," because we are what we eat; meaning, "garbage in, garbage out"; as the story goes...

"Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. Don't be misled - you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith." (Galatians 6:4-10 NLT) 

"Sound Doctrine"

 "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." (Hebrews 13:9 KJV)

  "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 Christ 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 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)

 Maybe you haven't dealt with false teaching before; but if you have, then you should know that this spirit of the Antichrist is real and is living throughout this current world. This has been what causes many cults to be hard to share the truth with, because the spirit has them fixed on a certain doctrine, that not only does not believe Jesus is who He is but also has them trapped in what they have been told; because challenging that doctrine, could cause disfellowship; which to some, it is banishment from having eternal life. 

 When you look at the word, "divers," it basically means, of various sorts. What is truth must always remain the truth, that is beyond questioning or adjustment. The point it is making requires no wiggle room for change or compromise. What that intel's would be those things that cannot be disputed or changed, as they are very clear and present; which means that they cannot not changed or altered! 

 Another issue that is brought forth, is "strange doctrine," which might not be something that has anything to do with the Bible, but is something that has a source or illusions to things totally alien, of other sorts. If you don't know what that means, there are currently people in the world, who fellowship in several of our church's, who believe the earth is flat, that aliens are what will take us to heaven, and that God is really both man and woman. 

 I am sorry if that might offend anyone; yet I pray that there is a way you will not drink the cool aide and just stick to God's Word! Other than that, focus on who Jesus is, was, and always will be....

"But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world's viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception." (1 John 4:4-6 NLT)    

"Our Positioning"

  "So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength come from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come." (Hebrews 13:9-14 NLT)

  "Now thanks unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV)

 If you think that you know everything, you will usually make yourself a fool, as I seem to do, more times than I care to think about. To be perfectly honest, I wish I could just stick to the basics and not try to make more out of something that has already been exposed or written about. As I have said before, as per the words of Dr. Chuck Missler: "And that God's revelation can be found in the details often overlooked, including the spaces between the letters, words, and even lines." This is considered to be, "The Gap Theory." 

 Whatever you might think of that; which is something more personal and sometimes hard to explain; God's word is Living and Alive! His word is meant for every time, according to every situation, and opens up to things meant for revelation and deeper understanding! Or you can just stick to the basic's and be satisfied with just memorizing verses; making plain and simple teaching your thing...

 "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

 "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory; which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. For God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:1-10 KJV)  

 

"Jesus, The One and Only" - Too

 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

  "Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God." (PSALM 90:1-2 NLT) 

 This Scripture is from Moses, the man of God. It is written that Moses is the one who wrote the Book of Genesis, using some ancient sources under God's direction; which were events that predated him: as it was, he spent many days and night in God's presence. He Most likely, it was Jesus in whatever form He took, it would have been Jesus, the manifestation of the Living God!

 When we read through the Bible, there are many different manifestations of God; each and every one of those would have been none other than Jesus, the Son of God! It could have been Him in the Garden, who fellowshipped with Adam, giving Adam the instructions to name the animals, to tend the Garden, and to not eat of the Forbidden Fruit. 

 It was Jesus that made man, using the dirt to mold him, and then breathing into his nostrils, bringing him to life! Not just life of living, but with the life of the Spirit living within him! When the Lord God said, "If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die," it was two deaths that were spoken of: one being that of separation from God, meaning the Spirit of God that was within him; and the other being death of old age! Yet, Adam, as well as Eve, still live, awaiting that day when Jesus comes to take us all up to Heaven! 

 I know some might not believe this, as crazy as that might seem; because it is absolutely unbelievable to some, even though they confess to be a Believer! You would be surprised to know how many that claim that they are Christian's, yet they believe only portions of the Bible, discarding many of the most important parts; especially the parts that deal with Creation and things too unbelievable to be true! 

 Don't doubt what is written! If it seems as though it couldn't be true, you need rethink your belief in God's power and might; because He can stop the earth from spinning, He can raise the ocean into walls that stand 100 feet high, and He can raise the dead from their graves, even if they are dry bones! 

 Any thought you might have that something isn't true, needs to be received as something that is a God thing, not something He cannot do; because He can do whatever He wants to do: Because He Is GOD! Most everything that is an appearance of God, is either Jesus or the Holy Spirit; yet Jesus will manifest in many different forms, but the Holy Spirit will manifest as the wind, fire, or a dove; because He is Spirit! 

 Besides all of that, doubtful information, Jesus was manifested as the Burning Sword at the entrance of the Garden when Adam and Eve were kicked out of that Garden; He was also with Abraham, several times! He wrestled with Jacob and dislocated his hip; He was in the fire, with the three Jewish boys! He is The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Emmanuel, The Bright and Morning Star, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, THE LAMB of GOD, KING of KINGS, LORD of LORD'S, and many more titles that call out His character. 

 To get right down to it, He grew up as a Carpenter because He made stuff, which was what He does; and He will do it again! Just you wait and see! John the Baptist was born before Jesus, yet he said...

 "John testified about him, when he shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.' "" (John 1:15 NLT) 

"Jesus, The One and Only"

 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

  "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look - I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave."" (Revelation 1:17-18 NLT) 

 There is more to this than we could ever imagine; yet even then, I doubt we would know just how amazing Jesus really is, was, and forever will be! When they were going to arrest Jesus in the garden, all He had to say, is, "I Am!" and instantly they all fell to the ground; as if He could have breathed and knock them off their feet. 

 When He came out to the disciples, walking on the water, it totally scared them, as they thought He was a ghost or a spirit. Yet, He can control everything, big or small, with just a word, even just a thought, as if even His imagination is enough to create something from nothing! 

 There was this one instance when He told His disciples to get in the boat, as He said, "We must go to the other side." As they went, Jesus slept, having a pillow beneath His head. It has been said, that the pillow He was resting His head upon, was actually cloths that were folded up, waiting to be put on someone who was on the other side of the lake. 

 As they entered into the center of the lake, a horrific storm overtook the ship, and the disciples were sure that they were going to die; but Jesus keep on sleeping, as if everything was going to be fine! Personally, I believe the powers of darkness were trying to stop Him, as the man He was about to help had legions of demons living inside of him. 

 This might not seem like such a spectacular thing to some; but Jesus knows everything! He controls the elements, down to the smallest practical, every atom that makes density into matter! Even though He came to this earth in the form of a man, He still was God, with abilities beyond all others; even the demons trembled at His commands...

"So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of Gerasenes. When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles - as he often was - he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. When Jesus was still some distance away, the man ran to him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don't torture me!""  

"The Mighty God!"

   "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 NLT)

  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

 Not that this is anything new or a secret, hidden in the Scriptures; because it has been put up on posters and shirts and all sorts of other ways to show, just who Jesus Christ is, was, and always will be: LORD! The funny thing is, that the religion I grew up in, their Bible translation has the word, "LORD," changed to "JEHOVAH." Thus, they proclaim this to be the main reason that their translation is true, and all others are false. 

 Back to my jail time and my new life in Christ; after I was saved, I felt led to make a crossword puzzle that had JESUS in the empty squares, going across and up and down, somewhat in the form of a cross. All the questions going across were from Old Testament verses; while those that went up and down were questions that came from New Testament verses. Not that I wanted to advertise it or anything; although I did make a few copies for a couple of my new brothers in Christ. Mainly, it was my way to study and confirm what I had just found out; and a way to try to remember all the verses that speak of the LORD of LORD,S and KING of KING'S; The Mighty Son of God! 

 Maybe you don't see the encounter that I had as something overwhelming; but to me, at that particular time, it was life-changing and the most important thing in my life! Believe it or not, but God kept putting men into my life that had some affiliation with the J.W.'s. Each and every one of them almost all said the same thing: "When I get out, I am going to go to my brother's church; but they call it the Kingdom Hall." You can only imagine my reaction to their statements. I instantly opened my Bible and showed them who Jesus really was and proved to them that He was, indeed, God! 

 One of the men I shared with got saved that Sunday morning at a church service. Surprisingly, we both had a visitation at the same time; me with my wife and grandfather; he with his brother and family. This area was not like the one at the other facility; there was glass walls between us and our families; while we pick up phones to talk to each other. I witnessed the new brother in Christ, as his family picked up their phone, he picked up his, and he instantly exclaimed, "I accepted Jesus into my heart today!" Immediately, they hung up their phone, turned their back to him, and walked out of the visiting center.

 When I got ready to consult him for what had happen, he had a very big smile on his face, saying, "I just had my first persecution for Jesus!" I was overwhelmed by his excitement and knew full well that I had a reason for being in jail! That night I called my wife and she asked me what was different about me; as her and my grandfather spoke to each other going back home, wondering what it was that made me so joyful. I explained to her the salvation I had received, asking her if she wanted it also; and then I led her in the sinner's prayer, and got saved over the phone. Not too long after, my grandfather also got saved, and I knew that jail was a blessing, not a curse! 

 When I had that encounter with the possessed man in that hallway; and after exclaiming, "Praise the Lord!" after my early release denial; when I got back to my cell, the man who was reading my Bible said almost the exact thing that other man said. whose family had shunned him. After I looked up the verse I wanted to read, in Acts 19:13-16; I spent several hours showing him all the verses that show that Jesus is truly God.

 You must know something about that religion, which is actually a cult. They do not allow anyone to read the Bible on its own; everything is read through their Study Books, which reference Scriptures in the Bible. As they read out loud the lessons in the Study Books, there will be a Scripture reference, which someone will be called on to read that Scripture, and then they all confirm that the Study Guide is true. You really can't make this up! As a matter of fact, there teaching is, that if you read the Study Guides with the Bible, you will be in the light; but if you read the Bible alone, you will be in darkness. Truely a cult! 

 If I have offended anyone with that, I am truly not sorry; but I am truly sorry for you: Jesus is JEHOVAH, just in case you wanted to know: "The God who is Salvation"...

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also you are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I declared unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (1 Corinthians 15:1-8 KJV) 

"The WORD of GOD" - Again

 "Remember them which have rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." (Hebrews 13:7 KJV)

  "Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8 NLT)

 Now, for those that don't know, my testimony has really nothing special to it; but it is something that I will never forget! All my life up to the day I was saved, I knew a little about Jesus, I believed in God, and I believed that the Bible was true; however, what I lacked was knowing who Jesus really was, is, and always will be! 

 Some of you know my testimony; so, pardon me if I must tell it again. I was raised primarily off and on studying which the J.W. faith. I say off and on, because my mom and stepdad would always get drunk and have monstruous fights; so much so, that the organization knew about it, and our whole family would be disfellowshipped. So, we would have to move to another location, over and over, getting into the Hall of another fellowship, acting as if we were faithful witnesses. That was the sixties and early seventies; I seriously doubt that would work in this present day, which has everyone's life on display. 

 After I was discharged from the Navy, for dealing drugs on my ship; I met my wife in March of 1979; we had a son in December of 1979. I did work from time to time, but I also dealt drugs; quit a lot, enough to have all the drugs we wanted or could handle. But towards the middle of 1980, we had a deal go bad, as I sold 5 pounds of weed too undercover police officers. As soon as they said, who gets the money, and I took the cash, at least six squad cars should up, and thing got a little crazy.

 Long story short, it took about a year to get through the Court proceedings, and in May of 1981 I was sentenced to one year in the County Jail. I was given one month to get my affairs in order, and in the middle of June I turned myself over to the Los Angelos County jail. 

 I was sent to a place by Majic Moutain, where I did what I always did: Make money! I sold cigarettes, candy bars, and instant coffee; the coffee was my greatest deal, little tablespoon size bags for $5 each. You would be surprised how any inmates want a cup of coffee before going to bed at night. 

 Anywho, there was a real Church building on the compound; with a steeple and a bell; and there were services almost every day. But I was totally against organized religion; so much so, I remember praying one night about 50 yards away from that church; watching the men inside raising their hands and having worship. I started to cry, thinking that I was praying for them; but I found out later, I was praying for myself.

 During a Sunday visiting, I was spotted handing a fist full of money to my wife. Most men were getting money from their wives; so me giving her money was giving some the wrong impression. Later that day I was jumped and all had left was ten dollars; which was actually in my little New Testament Bible that I held onto, until I couldn't any longer. After that encounter, I didn't do anything about it; however, someone told the main office about it, and I was called up, over the Load-Speaker, "Norrup, come to the office." 

 I ended up being sent to another facility, because they thought that the guys who jumped me might think I ratted on them; which I did not do. However, the place I was sent to did not have a church! My guard was down, and I didn't expect to be threatened by organized religion in that place, at all.

 Yet, one Sunday morning, around the beginning of September, another Load Speaker came on, and the 90-year-old Chaplain was making a plea: "We have a great group down here in the cafeteria, and they have something very special to tell you men!" Well, that was probably my last call! I truly felt that I need to go; so I started walking down towards that cafeteria, which turned into a run.

 When I entered the room, worship had already started, so I stayed in the back, and just tied to be present. When worship ended, this black man approached the podium, taking off his watch. He held up the watch for all of us to see, and began to speak: "You see this watch? This watch tells me that somewhere out there, is a watchmaker; and I am here today, to tell you, that you, me, and all that we see, has a Creator, and that our Creator is Jesus Christ!" 

 That was it! My world was turned upside down in a second! As soon as he said that I envisioned Jesus on the cross, and my heart was broken in half! I said to myself, "What! My Creator was hung on a cross, to die for my sins!" When he asked for those who might want to be saved to raise their hand, I lifted both hands up, as if I was doubly ready to be saved! From then on, my favorite verse in the Bible was John 1:1...

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1 KJV)

"The WORD of GOD" - Two

 "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." (Hebrews 13:7 KJV)

  "A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go." Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."" (John 21:17-19 NLT)

 Not that I haven't shared this before, because it has been shared several times over; but the power of God's Word is more powerful than we could ever imagine! If you know Peter's beginning, there is the same calling he received then, "Follow Me," as he received before Jesus left. There is a serious question, as far as I am concerned, which involves several Bibles that highlight Peter and Andrew as the first two disciples. I beg to differ, but it was Andrew and John that first followed Jesus; Andrew left where Jesus was staying, to go find his brother, Peter; while John stayed with Jesus, throughout the day. 

 I know, sometimes I can be a nut! But the whole matter of John's standing was never his desire to be first; but he definitely was the last one to go! John did not highlight who he was, throughout his Gospel message; not until the very end; throughout his message he referred to himself as, "the disciple Jesus loved." Some will stretch this into something it is not; because I fully believe that John had a real tuff life, before he became a disciple of John the Baptist. He and his brother were called, "The sons of thunder," which would make them out to be men with a history.

 Anywho, this is my understanding, and I am going to stick to it, regardless of what others might say. This is not only one of the most important Books in the Bible for a new believer to start with, but it is also the sharpest tool in the shed! John does not hesitate to show that Jesus is God; from the very beginning to the very end, he makes the case: Jesus is God...

"Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved - the one who had leaned over Jesus during supper and asked, "Lord, who will betray you?" Peter asked Jesus, "What about him, Lord?" Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me." So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" This disciple in the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written." (John 21:20-25 NLT) 

"The WORD of GOD"

 "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." (Hebrews 13:7 KJV)

  "But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "LORD, who has believed our message"? So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world."" (Romans 10:16-18 NLT)

 If you are wondering about yesterday's message, the reason it seemed a little dark is the dream I had while I was in the hospital. It was about the infection in my leg, as I dreamt that they had to cut my leg off, in order to stop the infection from spreading. When I woke up from the dream, I prayed to the Lord that His will be done; that no matter what needs to happen, I was ready to receive it as a blessing, not a curse. 

 As I shared that verse from Ephesians at the end of my post, there was a portion of the beginning of the verses which said, "The Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth." The reason I wanted to bring this up, was that the Bible also says that Jesus was the Creator of heaven and earth; and again, the Bible also references that the Spirit also had a role in creation: Genesis 1:1-2. 

 There is only One GOD! Which many truly do not understand! When God was going to create man, He said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us." (Genesis 1:26a NLT) There are several ways that this can be explained, the simplest one is that God is three in One: Father, Son, and Spirit! How hard is that to truly understand, because we too were created to be three in one: body, soul, and Spirit! Notice that I capitalized the word, Spirit; because when Adam sinned in the garden, that Spirit part of him was no longer in Adam; the death that God had warned him about did happen!

 When God said, "You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden - except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you are sure to die."" (Genisis 2:16 NLT) From that time when they ate of the forbidden fruit, mankind had been looking for the Redeemer that would come and restore the Spirit; making them whole again!

 In case you didn't know, that already happened! Jesus Christ is that Man...

"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. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 

"God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 

"He came into the very world he created, but the world did not recognize him. He came to his own people. and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 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 1:1-14 NLT) 

"No Fear!" - Here!

 "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Hebrews 13:6 KJV)

  "In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us." (2 Corinthians 1:9-10 NLT)

 To truly understand what they are meaning to say, the word, "boldly," is not something that looks like bragging, but is more about confidence and to exercise courage. We have this ability to do this, only by giving everything to the Lord, by surrendering all, even if all means our very lives! Honestly, it is really the very best way to deal with whatever it is that you are going through: think of the worst thing that can happen, and then, say to the Lord, "Whatever you will, Lord, I am ready!" 

 That might sound a little difficult for some, but once you determine in your heart to except whatever the Lord allows to happen, boldly isn't really something that needs to be said, but it becomes something that is demonstrated in the peace and joy that is expressed; making people know that you are not afraid of what might happen, no matter what. 

 This is a really good illustration in the way they said, "We expected to die," as shown in the letter to Corinth. Expect the worst but pray that it is for best! God is always Good...

"When I think of this, I fall to my knees and I pray to the Father, the creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT) 

"No Fear!"

 "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Hebrews 13:6 KJV)

  "Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."" (Damiel 3:16-18 NLT)

 This is my favorite illustration of what it is like to have no fear of what man can do to me; as it was, when I first heard this message, I was in jail and getting ready to have a hearing for my early release. After I got saved, everything changed, even though I was locked down, I still felt free. Everything was all about me knowing Christ more and sharing all that I could with anyone that the Holy Spirit led me to.

 I was set back to L.A. Jail to have an early release hearing and waited in the hall to be called in for my hearing. As I sat there, minding my own business, and alone, two big guards were bringing a man down the hallway, who was obviously either crazy or possessed; shacked hands and feet, with chains wrapped around his waist. 

 As they started to approach the area I was sitting, I just looked down at the ground to avoid eye contact; when suddenly, they stopped, all three of them, right in front of me. I couldn't help but look up; and as soon as I made eye contact, the possessed man said, "I know Jesus too!" and then they just started going down the hall. 

 I really didn't know what just happened, except that I didn't have a sign on me or a Bible in my hand; I left my Bible on the bunk in my holding cell. After being denied early release, I exclaimed, "Praise the Lord!"; which caused my wife and my boss to look at each other, as if something was wrong with me. 

 When I got back to my cell, there was another inmate in the cell who was reading my Bible, who asked, "Is this your Bible?" I told him it was, and that I needed to look something up, so he handed it to me. I told him what I encountered in the hallway, and that I knew that there was a Scripture that explained this crazy encounter...

"A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, "I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!" Seven sons of Sceva, a leading, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered." (Acts 19:13-16 NLT) 

"Being Content" - To

 "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)

  "Then he said, "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own."" (Luke 12:15 NLT)

 Sorry for the last couple days of nothing! I was in the hospital again and did bring my laptop with me; mostly because I just was focused on getting well enough to get back home, as soon as possible. Really don't want to go into all the details; but I did have a dream that my left leg was cut off below the knee! Glad that hasn't happened yet; but if this Cellulitis doesn't go away, it might actually happen. 

 However, I am really not all that worried about anything, not even that crazy dream. Everything is in God's hand, and whatever happens, I truly believe it is all going to be okay; no matter what, we are never forsaken, and He will never leave us! 

 I have this picture frame on the wall above my coffee bar, "Footprints in the Sand". If you know what this is talking about, it should remind you that even when you feel alone and don't feel as though the Lord is walking with you, it is because He is carrying you, and you don't even know it! 

 For some, that might sound foolish and hard to believe. But when we go through the fire, whatever that might be, He holds you in His hand and protects you; most of us don't even realize how or what gets us through! That is something many don't realize, because when they get through whatever, we sometimes forget to thank Him, praising Him for all that He has done!

 This thing about being content is really more about being satisfied with want you have or have not; even if what you have might be something that you do not want or is something that isn't exactly pleasant to deal with. It is really easy to see others that don't have the same displeasure, wishing that were you; but in this world, every one of us should remember that we will have trials and tribulations; but no matter what, we are 100% safe and secure...

"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 and 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"8-10 NLT) 

"Being Content"

 "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)

  "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can everything through Christ, who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13 NLT)

 Truth be told, I only get to hold and kiss my wife; which has been that way since August the 12th 2003. So, if you were wondering why I didn't add anything to that verse from yesterday, it is just not my favorite thing to think about. 

 Being content is something that is learned, as Paul puts it. It is something that doesn't just come upon us; is something that requires training and acceptance that it is what it is. At least that is my feeling on that...

"Yet true godliness and contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NLT)