"Be That as it May!"

 "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame, wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." (Jude 13 NLT)

 ""Not everyone who call out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.'"" (Matthew 7:21-23 NLT)

 Having been doing this as much as I do, it sometimes begins to get like I keep repeating myself, over and over; almost as if there nothing new or as if this just keeps getting to be a revolving door, around and round I go, trying to make something matter. Most things that we do and temporary and will only last for a while, and they don't hardly do anything, but leave us confused; wondering where did the time go? 

 Which reminds me of the parable of the Talents, which Jesus tried to explain to His disciples. Most people will make those talents out to be money, as Jesus shows each of the three servants receiving bags of silver; dividing them to each according to their abilities. But something more important than silver or gold, is the time we have here on this earth, and what we do with that time, in order to please the Lord! 

 There was a message I heard this last weekend about Jesus' time here on earth; how He always spoke about the time, either if it wasn't the time, or was the time, time really mattered. Then there was the first miracle He did, which was when He turned the water into wine. When his mother asked, without even asking, but simply said, "They are out of wine," Jesus replied, "It is not my time." 

 Being somewhat pessimistic at times, I sometimes think of the worst things that can happen, but then I hope for the best; it is basically the way I cope with troubles or circumstances, by accepting the worse, but at the same time, looking for hope! Not everything works out the way that we plan; mostly because the plans we might make are not all God's plans! 

 How many times have I done something without asking God first? I can't really count them all! God's plans are meant for doing things that are good and fulfilling; things that actually will make Him smile down upon us, saying, "Well done, faithful servant." Much as it was with this first miracle, which by the way, actually was some very good wine! 

 I have heard sermons by some, that say the wine Jesus made from the water was just grape juice and it wasn't really anything that contained alcohol. To that, I would say that they don't know what they are talking about, whatsoever! When they say that the wine was the best wine, it is not grape juice! More than that, it was fermented and aged; with exquisite taste and pleasing to the palate! 

 With that I will just suggest the time it takes to make a wine like that and remind everyone that time really doesn't matter to GOD! He really doesn't go by the same timeline as we do, here on this earth; His is more infinite and more about filling empty spaces; which by the way is what Jesus asked them to do, to just fill the large pots with water! That's all He did, was to ask them to fill the jugs with water...

"On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scripture declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"" (John 7:37-38 NLT)  

"It Only Gets Worse"

 "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." (Jude 13 KJV)

  "I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your teaching with good teaching. For the time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths." (2 Timothy 4:1-4 NLT)

 As most of you might have seen, there are things working to try and silence the church; which they have been trying over and over, for centuries to cause the Bible to become less important and have new laws that are based upon what the people want, not what God wants. This is really not new, but the time is drawing nearer and nearer to the day when the Lord will take His bride, which is the church, up into heaven. When that day comes, the gates of hell will open up, and things will really start to get real for anyone that might want to become a Christian! 

 I whole-heartedly believe that the day is approaching! And when it happens, I believe that there will be masses of half-hearted church goers who will realize that everything in the Bible was true, and there will be millions of them who will confess their faith, even to the point of death by execution! The Bible is not only about teaching, but it is showing and proving the things which will happen. 

 Regardless of what things might be, we are given more ability to share Christ now, more than ever before; not because the world will allow it, but because we must be able; even if it will cost us something, this is the greatest ability to be bold and courageous! If you don't really understand what I mean, by ability; the ability is much like giving a handicap that can't walk, the ability to run! 

 Please forgive me if it sounds as if I am speaking as if the end is near; because the main point I am making is that we need to start getting serious and save some souls; especially those we care about...

"Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don't try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the mind 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. 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 4:1-6 NLT)    

"Plucked Up By The Roots" - 2

 "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit witherith, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;" (Jude 12 KJV)

  "Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?" Jesus replied, "Every plant not planted by my Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch."" (Matthew 15:12-14 NLT)

 What I have learned over the years, is that we should not waste much time trying to convert those who are stuck in false religions; it is not that we don't care, because everyone should know the truth. What really happens most frequently, is that they dig deeper and deeper into what they believe and have been told; as if they need to rinse away the truth that we tell them. 

 Anywho, most of what these religions don't really care what happens to their members; just that they keep giving money and buying the magazines and books; which they hand out to earn their salvation. This might not make sense to some, but salvation is not earned! We cannot earn something that is freely given! Anything we might try to do in order to earn it, through effort or good works, is just filthy rags to God; rags that just get thrown in the fire! 

 The crazy thing that happened to be yesterday morning, I had very little sleep, thinking about the post I was going to do; the swirling eddies were keeping me awake, showing me so many things which had to do with, "plucked up by the roots." 

 One of the things that kept popping up, was the tree that Jesus cursed, because it did not have any fruit. We can see this in Mark 11:12-14, as Jesus was hungry for some figs, but when He came to the fig tree, it had no fruit; so then He said to the tree: "May no one ever eat your fruit again!" (Mark 11:14) Later, as they passed by the tree again, and the disciples noticed that it had withered from the roots up. (Mark 11:20) 

 There is really a very big deal about fruit, not that it earns rewards by having fruit, because that is what is meant to happen, naturally; we are made to produce fruit, which is the reason we share the gift we have been given! As much as it might appear to be good works, to some, it is something that keeps producing fruit! Not that is working to do good, but that is using the roots of righteousness that you have been given! 

 There is really something you need to remember about Jesus, He was always doing good works; not that He was doing anything to get rewarded for, because He himself was the Reward, to be displayed and placed on the cross, for all to see! This is the part of the story that those who can't receive it, won't! They won't even try to open their hearts to examine it for themselves; they have no roots, because of their stoney hearts!

 Anywho, again; just before I actually started to fall asleep, I had this word that popped up into my mind, it was the word, "discernment," which I thought was the message I would share about yesterday morning. But when I woke up at 2am to begin praying and doing the blog, that word would not appear again, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it to appear in my mind.  

 The Holy Spirit has been given to us to be a Helper, not just for the actions and abilities to do the things that are good, but to also discern the Truth! We are given the ability to discern because the Holy Spirit is there to show us, which is usually noted by a "check in our spirit," so to speak. 

 When I first discovered this, I was sharing the Lord with a certain inmate that didn't want me to share about Jesus; as a matter of fact, he even threatened to punch me if I even tried. I did what I could, and kept showing up in the 'Boneyard,' almost every day to tell him about Jesus. A fellow believer took me aside and told me to stop, using a Scripture about "casting pearls among swine." But I instantly had a check in my spirit, telling me that he was wrong, and I kept on doing what I felt God telling me to do. 

 We must not ever think that we are not able to reach someone that God shows us to reach; He makes the way, and we are meant to go and do what He says; even if it might not seem right or easy, it is an open door; one in which God opens, at just the right time; and in just the same way, He came to you...  

""Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father."" (John 15:4-8 NLT)  

"Plucked Up By The Roots"

 "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds: trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots:" (Jude 12 KJV)

  "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." (Galatians 6:7-8 NLT) 

 As many of us should know, it is the Holy Spirit that prompts us when we are given unsound doctrine, making us aware of what we already know. There are certain things that can be looked over, things that might not really matter much, like times and places; maybe a name that does not fit the story. But when it comes to the things that really matter, if it isn't right and if it doesn't alien with the Gospel Message, then it doesn't count, and needs to be challenged! 

 There have been several times in my walk with the Lord where I have heard someone say something that prompted the Holy Spirit, telling me that it was not so. Most of the times they were really not all that big of a deal, only just things that might have to do with human nature or reasons we might not have the right walk with God. As if those things really matter, because we all have our own issues that need to be sorted out.

 But when it comes to the message of the cross, and the power of God's salvation; especially the truth about Christ and all that He has done for us: there is no alternative to what He did and why He came! Because He lives, we are alive! No one can tell me any other story, than the one that has been written! Whether you can except it or not, that is on you; there is really no argument needed; just the truth, and nothing but the truth. 

 I have friends and relatives that are stuck in false religions, and I pray for them, that they might by saved; but no matter how hard I try, there is just no way that they will listen. They have entered onto the Ark, and don't want to be kicked off! It's as if they fear that believing anything else, except what they have been taught, they will be forever destroyed and abandoned. 

 This might not be the easy thing to say, because it hurts me to even bring it up: but there is a spirit that holds them captive, and it is not easily removed! More than anything, I would love to see them set free; but for some reason they just cannot receive the truth. But it is the Truth that sets us free! 

 Each and every one of us that claim to be Christians need to hold firmly to the Truth; and that Truth is the Word of God! This Bible that you have, (If that is you still have one!) is your guild and your map that shows you the Way, the Truth, and the Life; there is no other way, but by the Word of God...

"He came into the world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and they rejected him. But to all who believe him and accept him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion of 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 1:10-14 NLT)    

"Twice Dead" - For Real!

 "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;" (Jude 12 KJV)

  "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins." (Ephesians 2:1 NLT)

 As for those who might try to persuade you or lead God's children into a lie, they will end up dying twice, if they do not change their ways. All of us were born dead to God; which is what happened when Adam sinned in the Garden; his sin cause all to be born separated from God and our souls were dead, we were empty souls, waiting to die; lost and without fellowship with our Creator! 

 There is this certain thing that is said about being born again: "Born once, die twice vs. Born twice, die once!" We are promised eternal life, even if we die, our life will be transformed and death has no sting! We will not even experience the grave or cremation, only the wonderful comfort of being with the Lord, immediately after we take our final breath!   

 This is pretty much what Jesus came for, that we could be alive in Him, and when this body dies, we are still alive and will never die again! This body that we are in, is just a tent; which is only a shell that we will be released from us once this body has quit or been destroyed. Whatever you have been told about what happens when you die; make absolutely sure you know what is written in the Bible!

 There are so many different religions that twist what the Bible actually says; making people unaware of their standing with God, pretending that they know where your spirit goes when you die, and what it will take to get released or resurrected! The only resurrection we will encounter is when these dead bodies will rise up and become something that never rots or gets destroyed; when the soul that has been with the Lord, will be reunited with a new body; one that will last forever and ever...

"We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who are dead. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NLT)   

"Twice Dead"

 "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;" (Jude 12 KJV)

  "For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened - those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come - and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God's blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it." (Hebrews 6:4-8 NLT)

 If you have been following me in this journey over most of these years, then you should have maybe read my message regarding this Scripture from Hebrews, and the question of what it might look like for someone to lose their salvation; if that is even possible! Take a really good look at what is being said, because it is impossible! 

 This might not be something that everyone will agree on, because it is your own truth that matters, not the accusations of someone else, as to whether or not you are saved; even if you might fall away, there is no way whatsoever that you can lose something that is locked away! The problem with the those who might lose their salvation, is that they really never received it, even though they might have thought that they did. 

 Basically, it all comes down to true salvation; which is not about becoming a better person, or a way to be enlightened, or to have a better relationship with your spouse; all those things are well and good, but they do not remain: you will have trials and tribulations; there will be times when your life falls apart! Which is likely to happen to just about everyone, especially those who have true salvation! 

 As crazy as it might sound, those who don't deal with all those trials and tribulations are most likely not following Jesus, but they are following someone else; someone who promises one thing but actually means something else! We who know that our salvation is real, we know it real, because it is real to us; we have experienced the love of God and have believed the cross on which Christ was crucified on was for the forgiveness of our sins, once and for all! 

 There might be times when we drift away or fall into ditch! We could actually fall of the face of the earth, and still not lose our salvation; because that salvation which we have is in Christ! He own's us, and He is not letting go of us, even if we might stray away; He will leave the flock to go find us and bring us back into the fold...

""If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! In the same way, it is not my Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish."" (Matthew 18:12-14 NLT) 

"What is Fruit"

 "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds: trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;" (Jude 12 KJV)

  "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction." (PSALM 1 NLT)

 There is something else you should know about the Bible, just in case you might have forgotten: it yields power, has the ability to stir up the passions in your heart, and awaken your sleepy soul! The word of God is alive! Whatever is causing you to remain fruitless, it isn't God's word; because His word produces fruit; and the fruit it produces has seeds that multiply, bringing about more life!

 We simply have no clue about the results of what happens when we share God's word with someone; they may not even understand what it was that you said, but what you said planted a seed, and that seed is likely to grow, which may produce more fruit, which ends up planting more seeds; and on and on it goes! All the while, you don't even know how a simple conversation can do more than you know.

 Hopefully you might have watched to results of last night's election results? They didn't really surprise me, because I already prepared myself for the results. It was pretty much already in the air; you could almost smell the sulfur, as if the enemy had made his day. Regardless of the results, God is still on the throne! His plans are still the same, no matter what happens or doesn't happen, His will and purposes still remain! 

 Please believe me when I say this: our lives might change, but nothing that happens here, on this earth, will never, ever, take away from the promises we have been given by believing in Christ and making every effort to let Him be the Lord of our lives! He is faithful to complete every one of us, even if we fail to complete that which we started; He has not made us to be successful: He wants us to be faithful to Him; because, He has already won...

"I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. I have written to you who are God's children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God's word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one." (1 John 2:12-14 NLT) 

"Cloudiness!"

 "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (Jude 12 KJV) 

""O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?" says the LORD. "For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. I sent my prophets to cut you in pieces - to slaughter you with my words, and judgments as inescapable as light. I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust."" (Hosea 6:4-7 NLT)

 This might look a little different, but there is more that needs to be said, probably more than I have time to talk about. Whatever you might have thought about my closing statements yesterday, this is more than just me speaking my mind: it is the heart of the matter, which overcomes what the mind might think, making it what it is, that the Bible 110% true; regardless of the doubt that might cloud the mind! 

 To start, just the fact that God actually made the heavens and the earth in six days, actually six 24 hour days, is almost too much for the mind to comprehend; but because the Bible actually says, "the morning and the night were a day," then we must at least believe God can do anything, as quickly or as slowly as He wants! If God can make light, in the fraction of a second; then He can make everything else within a week; that much I am pretty sure of! 

 Did you know that God slowed down the earth from turning; even without causing it to break or even somehow skip a beat! Read it for yourself, Joshua 10:12-13 records what happened. The question about whether or not He stopped the sun, and if it was the earth; should make I us wonder; but I am surely convinced that it was the earth that stood still, because the one spinning around the sun! Just as the eclipse that took place when Jesus hung on the cross, which lasted three hours! Even in the brightest part of the day! 

 Without a doubt, God can do anything and all things; there is nothing too difficult for God; not even making a way for His children to actually love Him...

"LORD, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me. Then I can answer those who taunt me, for I trust in your word." (PSALM 119:41-42 NLT) 

"Uncertain Derivation"

"These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;" (Jude 12 KJV)

  "These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception." (2 Peter 2:17-18 NLT)

 There are certain things happening in this world, things which are almost too hard to explain, and things which don't agree with the things we read in the Bible, as to how we should live and treat one another. For what it's worth, these things are to be expected to happen; but what really blows my mind is how easily there are some in the churches who allow it to happen; some even agree with what is going on, as if it is okay, saying things like, "These are the times we live in, can't we all just get along?" 

 The title of this post is not something that is easy to explain; but it is well enough something to show is the way the enemy works; the enemy being the devil and his minions! It is basically the simple little thing like added words to that which is written, as there was in the Garden, when the Serpent added one simple word to what God had said, "not," to God's word, "thou shalt surely die." 

 There are sometimes instances when a Pastor will quote a Scripture from the Bible, saying something else, other than what is written; which is just a glitch, and most people won't even notice. But changing the meaning or making it mean the opposite of what God said, that is entirely wrong and should be corrected immediately, as soon as it was said! There are some people that will accept what was said, if it isn't correct; just because they don't really read the Bible that much; and when they do, they don't really understand everything that it says. 

 Jude isn't talking about those who make mistakes and even those who don't understand everything in the Bible: he is talking about those who don't believe, as they should; who are not willing to accept God's ways, as if there are alternative definitions to what is meant, even though God's word never changes; regardless of the changes in our world, His word is still the same, it still means the same, and it will always remain the same! 

 I know that I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I also know what I believe and why I believe what I know; it is the Bible that tells me so, and that is where it ends! The Word of God is alive and is always right, no matter who might want to change it, it can never be changed...

"If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness." (1 John 2:9-11 NLT)   

"Shameless and Unapologetic"

  "When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord's love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving and rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness." (Jude 12-13 NLT)

  "Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, and bit with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God." (Micah 3:5-7 KJV)

 Whatever it was that those three did, Cain, Balaam, and Korah, it was they who suffered the price, but it was God that used whatever it was for His purposes, no matter how He did it, He makes everything work for His plans and purposes; it will go exactly as He has planned, regardless of who or what tries to make it something else! Let me remind you again, just in case you didn't understand the meaning: On the second day of creation, "good" was not used in the process of that creation. For, as it was, God made Heaven, which was not meant for mankind, as of yet. It was holy and sacred; a place that divided that which happens here and that which takes place there, where GOD dwells in Holiness! 

 Maybe I just don't see "good" in that day of creation because I am blind and don't understand where it might be; but the thing about God's separation for man, was a pretty big deal; which is why Jesus was prepared, way before all creation, to come down here and sacrifice Himself on that cross...

"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 54:10-12 KJV)  

"Can I Get a Witness!" - Again

 "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah." (Jude 11 KJV)

  "Listen to what the LORD is saying: "Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints. And now, O mountains, listen to the LORD'S complaint! He has a case against his people. He will bring charges against Israel. "O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me! For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you. Don't you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the LORD, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness."" (Micah 6:1-5 NLT)

 There are certain things that can be shown regarding these three characters, Cain, Balaam, and Korah, that show the three things they represent. Cain is pretty simple to understand, as his sacrifice was based upon his works, as he was a farmer, sacrificing some of the crops he had harvested; as if God would be pleased by the labor and hard work that he did. He was jealous and very angry that God had accepted Abel's burnt offering but did not accept his.

 When God confronted him about his anger, He said: "You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." (Genesis 4:7 NLT) Yet he let sin control him, killing his brother, just because Abel's sacrifice was to please God, and his was to please himself! If you don't know what that means, it is very similar to Satan's rebellion against God; how he, being a glorious angel, thought and planned to be like God! But he was created, and God was his Creator! What is wrong with that picture? Pastor Bryan made a comment the other night that the mark that God put upon Cain's forehead was in the shape of a cross; which is very possible to be true!  

 As for Balaam, his deal was about getting paid by King Balak, as he was asked to curse the children of Israel, as they marched below in the wilderness; while the king had him try to curse them in several different directions. Each time, he looked down at them, he couldn't curse but blessed them instead. If it's okay with you, I would like to show you why he could not curse them: It was because the children of Israel were marching through the wilderness in the formation of a cross! Each time he would look down to curse them, he saw the cross, and he could do nothing but bless them. However, even though he couldn't curse them, he still found a way to get paid; by telling the king to seduce them with Moabite women and God would be angry at them.  

 Korah is the wiseguy who though he could get the entire community to rebel against Moses and Aaron. Yet, God had the earth open up below all of their tents, and the earth swallowed them up; all 250 of them, with their families! Thinking he was wise; he was shown to be a fool! That was why I shared the Psalm written by the descendants of Korah, a few days ago; as it says in Numbers 26:11 "However, the sons of Korah did not die that day."  

 God is always in control! He allows certain things to happen, and then He uses those things that might seem bad and destructive, for good and to perform something that works for His plans. Even the worst things that could ever happen, He will use it for the absolute best! The cross of Christ is His greatest witness, and the sons of Korah are authors of Psalms that proclaim the redemption offered through the cross of Christ...

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven's Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God." (PSALM 84:1-2 NLT)  

 

 

"Can I Get a Witness!"

 "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah." (Jude 11 KJV)

  "The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sins like the people of Sodom and don't even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves. Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve." (Isaiah 3:9-11 NLT)

 For whatever it is worth, the title has quite a history to it; and it has been used in all sorts of ways: in songs, movies, and churches; but in this context, let's just say that we absolutely cannot hide what we do; whether good or bad, everything is witnessed by God for sure; and even angels, including the devil, are likely to see what we do. Hopefully you are doing your best to be godly and wanting to please the Lord in all that you do; chances are, that only God knows the intensions of your heart; but the others will see your expressions on your faces! 

 There are three people here that Jude is illustrating here; which, make me think of the three things Eve felt saw in the tree the bore the fruit she was about to eat: "That the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise." (Genesis 3:6) Basically there were three things to cause her to sin: It was desirable to the body; it was pleasing to the eyes; and it would enlighten the mind, making one wise. 

 The three things these three men all did that was wrong, closely resemble these things; as it goes, there is good and evil that is at work in each and every one of them. Instead of building towards self, we should ourselves be built by God and enjoying the fruit that He offers; which is a heart for God, eyes that look to please Him, and a mind that wants to know Him, by listening, and obeying...

"Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy - full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on."" (Luke 11:39-44 NLT)

"Scoffers!" = Too

 "But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves." (Jude 10 KJV)

  "Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created." They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed." (2 Peter 3:3-7 NLT)

 When you stop and think about it, those who think everything has remained the same since the world has been created, really don't have a clue about everything that is going on in this world! Not only do we have overwhelming technology that is quickly becoming more and more, shall we say, self-sufficient and able to think on its own; but space exploration has taken a whole new direction; even to the point of making plans for living in outer space, as if they are planning to make colonies on other planets. 

  Regardless of what does or does not happen, we who are followers of Christ, must be diligent in our belief that He is coming soon! It's really not a matter of preference, because those who prefer to just wait and see, might not end up being ready when He does return. I'm not saying that you can't live on doing your work and building a family; because those are the things God expects us to do; but we do need to keep looking up, waiting, and praying for His soon return! 

 More importantly than that, we need to keep our families aware and alert to what we believe and why it is very important that we remain ready. There are too many distractions and activities that throw us off from being alert and remembering that the time is near. We make plans for certain things, as if everything will remain the same! Yes, even me! I just traded in my Motor Home for a new own, planning to start next year by working two months, and then gone one month, all throughout the year. 

 Even then, I will always be looking up, expecting Jesus to take us home! Every time I see something strange in the sky, I wish it to be that His coming is now; every time I hear of an earthquake or that a volcano has erupted, I think of His return. See the life of having fun, enjoying celebrations, eating and drinking, and living as if everything is just getting better; makes me aware of the fact that these are like the days before Noah entered the Ark...

""However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. "Two men will be working together in a field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. "So you too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."" (Matthew 24:36-44 NLT)  

"Scoffers!"

 "But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves." (Jude 10 KJV)

  "He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desires, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings. These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed." (2 Peter 2:10-12 NLT)

 Just to make a point, the devil does have dominion here on this earth; he has been doing things and ruling on this earth for quite some time; ever since God made man, he has been plotting and planning things to do that will allow mankind to spend eternity in Hell with him. And yes, he does know where he will be ending up, but he would like to take as many of us as he can, to suffer with him! 

 Anywho, too many Christian's scoff at the devil, as if he has no power to persuade them or attack them, as if they are completely safe and secure. We are only able to do so much; picking a fight with the devil is not something that you want to engage in; that is something we give to the LORD! To be absolutely certain, I know for a fact that those who do great things for the Kingdom of God, end up with a target on their back; with the devil just patiently waiting for the opportunity to fire one of his poisonous darts. 

 You can scoff at things you can't believe, but that doesn't protect you or keep you safe; it only makes you more vulnerable to the devils lies. Crazy as it might sound, but he isn't an angel of light, but he sure can masquerade as one. Before his fall, he was one of the brightest most beautiful angels; he was the one leading the worship in heaven. 

 There is something we must truly understand: we are surrounded all around by angels, some of which are fallen and subject to walk the earth, waiting and wanting to harm or destroy believer's and the church. Whether you can believe it or not, it is really happening; just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't true! Good news is, Christ is LORD of All...

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for though 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) 

"God Sees All!"

 "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." (Jude 9 KJV)

  "One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. "Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, "I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on." Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless - a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil." Satan replied to the LORD, "Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" "All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD'S presence." (Job 1:6-12 NLT)

 Knowing that God knows everything, which actually says, God's sight is everywhere; meaning that He is "omniscient" and has the ability to know every thought, action, and intention: is not only something we must be aware of, but it must be something that we cherish and wholeheartedly keep in the forefront of our mind, at all times! Yet, sadly to say, just about everyone will wonder away from knowing; as if He has stepped away and will not see what they are doing.

 When you read this portion of Scripture from Job, it would appear to the average reader that God does not know what Satan has been doing or where he has been. Proverbs 15:3 says, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." Which actually contradicts the theory of some, that God will not look upon evil: "Nothing is hidden from Him!" Hebrews 4:13 says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." 

 What Jude to putting forth in this dispute between Michael and Satan, is that Michael did not bring and accusation against him, that it is God's place to judge; he just simply said, "The Lord rebuke thee," as the Lord had instructed Michael what to do with Moses' body. This is just an illustration of what Jude had previously said about speaking evil of dignities; as, even though the devil was evil, he was still actually a dignity; after all, he is the god of this fallen world; at least for now...

""Am I a God who is only close at hand?" says the LORD. "No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?" says the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:23-24 NLT)