"Again, and Again!"

  "In the same way, these people - who claim authority from their dreams - live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses' body.) But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion." (Jude 8-11 NLT)

  "O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; for my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave." (Psalms 88:1-3 KJV)

 Well, here I go again! Yet, this time I feel as though I was led into this mistake! As crazy as that might sound, it was because the prior two posts involved the stupid things we believers do, some things, without even knowing that we have done wrong. And yes, very definitely, we are new in Christ, when we received Him into our hearts! Nobody who has been born again can simply walk away: the old you, has died; the new you, has already a place already waiting in heaven, protected and secure! 

 I was thinking about a certain man, some of you might not remember his name, but it was Uzzah. As it goes, Uzzah was helping David to bring the Holy Chest back to Jerusalem; and when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, the cart the Holy Chest was on, began to move. Without even thinking, Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark to steady it, and God killed him! 

 There is no doubt in my mind that we will not see Uzzah in heaven; and as far as that goes, I also truly believe that we will see two other characters also; Ananias and Sapphira! Go ahead and laugh, if you think that is not going to happen; buy lying about how much you tithe, might get you into trouble, but it will never take away the salvation that Christ has given you; but you might lose something here on earth; including your life, without dying!  

 This situation happened for a very specific reason: To let the church know that things are serious and it wasn't a game! With that, it is absolutely critical that we think hard about the life we are living, and ask ourselves if you are doing things that help to build and fortify the church; or are you simply just making ourselves present, so people will recognize that we came to church...

"Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of your hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee." (Psalms 128:1-2 KJV) 

"Either He is Lord or He's Not" - Up to You

 "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (Jude 8 KJV)

  "Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left the churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don't know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn't have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father Also." (1 John 2:18-23 NLT)

 Again, let me start off with a few of the sins of mine that are very closely related to these three things that Jude mentions in the verse we are looking at today. First of all; each and every time I might stumble by the flesh having its way, I will almost always, right away ask the Lord to forgive me for sinning against Him. However, there are times when I might be offended, or feel as though certain dignitaries are evil, I will not even feel as though I need to ask for forgiveness; yet sooner or later the Lord changes my heart. 

 Starting off with is "these filthy dreamers defile the flesh." If I am being honest, there have been times when I have allowed my mind to dream or Invision filthy things, satisfying my fleshly desires. To anyone paying attention, just because you might use your left hand, that doesn't make it right! Also, by the way, those commercials about the "bent carrots", that condition is usually caused by too much defilement. 

 Secondly, there is the sin to "despise dominion."  There are serval things we can associate with what dominion means: it basically means "one who possesses dominion." That could be your boss, or the government; or even the Lord; whom ever has power over certain things in your life. Guilty, guilty am I! As far as a boss goes, I am my own boss; but I have given everything to the Lord, so it is His, which means that I actually work for Him. But certain others, such as the Governor of the State I live in, I care very little of; that too I should realize is a sin. 

 As for the third, "speaking evil of dignities," is most likely one of my most frequent sins. But, as it goes, sometimes: I know what I and supposed to do, but I don't do it; and that which I should not do, I do it anyways! It is mostly a passionate reaction, and most of the time I will apologize and ask for forgiveness. When I was caring for my wife and Pat, (who is with the Lord,) said on the news that its okey to divorce your spouse, if they had a brain disorder; I pretty much did everything but curse; and even then, I needed to ask the Lord to forgive me! 

 Dignities can mean more that people, it can also apply a thing belong to God, a thing belonging to Christ, or even angels; which we shall soon see. The primary character involved in this is much the same as dignity; meaning whether it be good or bad, that which involves opinion, judgement or view, no matter what it might be, all things have meaning and purpose; even the flies I chase down and kill in my house, they to require a little bit of dignity.

 Yes, we might sometimes do things that we know are wrong and feel sometimes that we cannot control it; but that is primarily because will allow our sin nature to come to life! If I had to say it another way, it would be that our sin nature is meant to be buried and the new creature has been raised with Christ! But somehow, we, (in our minds,) might dig up the old sinful creature and tie him or her to our backs! We don't smell so good with a stinky dead corpse strapped to our back... 

"So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us." (1 John 2:24-25 NLT)  

"Ethier He's Lord or He's Not"

 "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (Jude 8 KJV)

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

 Don't be alarmed, by my modification. There are certain things in some translations that I seriously will disagree with, and why the NLT translation made King and Son in lower case characters, I have no idea; but they did have a footnote that said, "Or Son". 

 There are certain things we think about taking control of or getting rid of; things that we might actually feel in our hearts that the Lord wants us to do. When we sense that the Lord wants us to do something, then our responsibility as a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to do it! 

 Let me even go a step further, (if you will.) If you really are a servant of the Lord, then you will not just wait for His command or requirement; as any good and faithful servant, would do, you will look earnestly for ways to please your Master! That is why we have a Bible! It is our guidebook and roadmap to show us the way and teach us how to obey...

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT)  

"Here Comes the Judge!"

   "In the same way, there people - who claim authority from their dreams - live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, "The LORD rebuke you!" (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses' body.) But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion." (Jude 8-11 NLT)

 "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah" (Psalms 52:1-3 KJV)

 Before I go any further, I just wanted to and a little something to the last couple of posts. I truly believe that everyone, not matter what they have done, can be saved! This I believe with all my heart! Jesus would have forgiven Judas, if he had only asked for forgiveness; yet he went and hung himself! But even still, if by chance he called out for forgiveness, even in the last two seconds, we would have received the Lord's forgiveness. Actually, I am would not be surprised if Jesus forgave him anyway; He surely forgave those who nailed Him to the cross! 

 There are so many things we mere mortals do not understand, even those who study long and hard; the 'swirling eddies' will always take us down the rabbit hole, chasing for deeper answers; but the deeper we go, the more lost and confused we become. Our minds cannot comprehend the complexity of God's, all so, misterious and amazing plan...

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14 KJV)  

"The Example" - TOO

 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 7 KJV)

 "In fact, it says, "The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart." And that message is the very message that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:8-9 NLT)

 Well, first off, my misspelling of Gomorrah was the same way it was spelt in the Blue Letter Bible that I use every morning. I had a hunch that it was wrong, but yesterday morning was quite a mess, for my mind was clouded and I really couldn't do much about it. 

 Basically, this is the message, (in case you might have different thoughts, I would keep them to yourself, because), all of the souls could have been spared if they would have repented and turned towards God! Lot was godly; which he became by walking with Abraham for all those years. He sat at the city gates most of the time; and I am pretty sure he wasn't selling tickets to get in. 

 Abraham bartered with the Lord, starting with fifty being righteous, all the way down to ten; and even with only ten, the Lord said, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten." Before you cast any sort of judgment, thinking these people had it coming to them, know something that is very sure: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

 What I am trying to say, is that even those that are incredibly wicked, as long as they still have breath and the ability to speak, (even just a whisper and possibly just a thought,) and ask for God's forgiveness, they will be saved! If there was any reason that Jude made these comment about Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed, I am almost 100% sure, that is because of those who are self-righteous and might say that they all deserved to die, and that the deserved it!

 Worse than that, there are still some, even those who minister, that might not think those kinds of people could ever be saved; that their sin was too wicked, and bad enough not to allow them even to enter their church. We must never tear down that Jesus has built! This much I know is totally true...

"It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seeds grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building. Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have - Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials - gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, the builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames." (1 Corinthians 3: 

"The Example"

 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 7 KJV)

 ""And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you."" (Matthew 11:23-24 NLT)

 Most everyone knows about the destruction that took place in these cities. There was something not everyone knows about what went on before they were destroyed. The Lord and two angels were visiting Abraham, and when He told Abraham what was going to happen, Abraham tried to ask the Lord, 'If there be any righteous, will you still destroy them?' 

 Maybe there is a better example, but the main thing I was wanting to share about was Jesus! Yes, He was there speaking with Abraham, everywhere the Lord shows up, it is Him, the Son of God...

 "Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" Jesus answered, "If I want glory for myself, it doesn't count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, 'He is our God,' but you don't even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward my coming. He saw it and was glad." The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!"" (John 8:53-58 NLT)

"The Origin" - Too

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6 KJV) 

  "O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I am far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!" (PSALM 139:1-6 NLT)

 I really wasn't expecting to have many agree with what I was saying yesterday, because everyone has God planning for a perfect world when He created the garden and placed man in it. Oddly enough, the cross of Christ and His salvation for the entire world was established and planned out, even before the world began. So there must have been a reason, as it is, God knows the beginning and the end! 

 It has been said the Lucifer rebelled against God because of God's plan when He decided to make man in His own image; more than that, it was God's plan to have man judge the angels; which really made the devil jealous of man. He had also tried hard to prevent Christ Jesus from being born and providing salvation for the entire earth by being crucified on the cross! 

 As I have said several times before, the cross of Christ is imaged in so many things, both small and big! There is an image of the cross in the black hole, which is way out in space. There is an image of the cross next to every cell that within us; which is a cell call Laminin and is a cell adhesion molecule that holds us together! When it says in the Bible that Jesus holds all things together, it is no joke! 

 There are several more illustrations to be made, but this is primarily all about love! God did not create us as puppets or robots, that we would follow His every command. He knew firsthand that He had to make a way that we would love Him, by first doing the most amazing thing, ever! That was the act of being born as one of us, living among us, and hanging on a cross to free us from sin; that we would love Him, because He first loved us, and proved it on the cross...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:9-10 NLT)     

"The Origin"

 "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6 KJV)

  "The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" "Of course we may eat fruit the trees in the garden," the woman replied. "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die." "You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5 NLT)

 As most of us know, this was the beginning of the fall of man. There are several points to this meeting, between the serpent and the woman; some of which are not clearly noticed; but each and every one of them, God was not surprised by! I am certain that He was watching, just as He watches us when we do things that get us into trouble; even though we might not think He is watching us! 

 Whatever you think of Eve in this conversation with the devil, Adam was the one that allowed this to happen; as it was, he was the one God told to tend and care for all that was in the garden. That would have also involved caring for the wife that God made for him! Somehow or another, Eve had added something to God's command, "Do not eat of the tree in the middle of the garden," as she added, "or even touch it". 

 Having shared on this before, it really isn't that hard to figure out that either Adam had told her not to even touch it, or that she had witnessed Adam touching it, looking as though he wanted to eat it. Either way, she opened the door for the serpent to lie to her, because she said something that God did not say. If God didn't say it, then we should not add to it or make something different from what He said. 

 Obviously, the tree was somehow important in the garden; much like the Tree of Life, which was also in the garden. Adam was told by God to tend and care for all that was in the garden, which included tending for all the trees; which would also include the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. What makes me wonder, is why that tree was in the middle of the garden; as if it was there to tempt Adam's curiosity and wonder? 

 If you have been following me for a while, you might have known that I wrote about this before; and if you did, hopefully you didn't think I was crazy or stupid. But when God had Adam name all of the animals, there was certain that accrued to happen in Adam that is what I believe also allowed him to let Even eat of the forbidden fruit. That certain thing that he experienced was, "Want!" 

 Don't think of me as a nut, because I truly believe that Adam had nothing to want or need, until he started naming the all the animals, seeing they were all male and female mates; and he began to think, "Where is the mate for me?" Which was the beginning of his experience to want. 

 If you think about it, it is the one thing that takes us down, over and over, as we want things; even sometimes the things that are not good for us; including the things that we actually know God doesn't want us to have or do...

 "The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and she ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves." (Genesis 3:6-7 NLT) 

"Repeat and Refresh" - 2

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." (James 2:17 NLT)

 Let me tell you something, all of those things Jesus spoke about regarding those bad seeds, as I was typing out the words, I was remembering times when I had bits and pieces of those experiences. Not that I stayed in those conditions, but that there were days when I didn't believe that I was saved; days when I had fallen away, feeling as if I didn't belong; days when work and pleasures were more important than serving the Lord.

 Having been through the fire, if you will, I am somewhat more confident and secure about my belief in the salvation I have been given. There still are times when I feel discouraged and unworthy; but it is in those times that pick myself up and stand up like a man. And then there are times when I fall down to my knees and beg for forgiveness! If you don't know what all that means, then you probably haven't studied the Book of Job.

 Here is the thing that believing actually means when it comes to following Christ: Just as Jesus said to His disciples, ""The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."" (Mark 12:29-31 NLT)

 Basically, if you love God as you should, then you will do what He tells you to do, and you believe what He says, and you put forth the effort to listen and obey, even if you don't really want to! It sounds really simple, but it sometimes is really hard! When those times come when we are not willing or have excuses for ways out, remember that Jesus wept and begged the Father, saying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."" (Matthew 26:39 NLT)

 When I think of it that way, my choices get less important...

""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David."" (Isaiah 55:1-3 NLT)  

"Repeat and Refresh"

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says, "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn't it the people Moses led out of Egypt? And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn't it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest." (Hebrews 3:14-19 NLT)

 Hopefully there will be something that really matters in this, so called mistake; but either way, I am sure that everything happens for a reason; even the stupid things we might do, God can use them, somehow for good! With that, I will try to make a better effort to define what it means to believe; mostly because the majority of those who fail and do not enter into His rest, do so because their belief is only imaginary and not based upon the whole truth.

 To explain what it means to believe, as if we don't already know, is to understand that we have been set free from sin; which, believe it or not, is the power of forgiveness, that we should: "Go, and sin no more!" Having said that, it is highly unlikely that anyone reading this has the ability to "sin no more," as if that was even possible! We are made perfect because we are in Christ and He lives in us; otherwise, we have no standing at all! 

 There is a very significant difference to the ones who believe the truth and those who do not; and even then, those who know the truth, will somehow still make mistakes! We really don't have to debate that isn't so, because the Bible is full of examples that what I said is true. The main point that we need to keep in our hearts and minds, is that God really does love us, even when we make mistakes! 

 Think of it this way, if you will. Believing in God's promises is something that makes you know that whatever He says He will do, is absolutely true. Which is basically the whole reason those who died in that wilderness didn't enter into His rest: They did not believe that He would take care of them, even after seeing with their own eyes the power and glory of their God!

 When we were first saved, we experience something that was supernatural and real; something that made us feel as though we had no worries, as if all the burdens that had us bound up and afraid were simply taken away, and a heavy load was taken off of our shoulders. This was not something that we made happen; and it surely wasn't something that we should ever forget...

""This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is God's word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest."" (Luke 8:11-15 NLT)   

"Clearing the Air"

   "So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Isreal from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment." (Jude 5-7 NLT)

 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 KJV)

 Much to my chagrin, I realized this morning that I messed up placing the '5' where it didn't belong; as it was, the plan was to do 5, 6, and 7 together, leaving only 3 & 4 on their own. If that doesn't make any sense, don't bother trying to figure it out. I am over the being worried about the mistake and have made the decision that it might have actually been for a reason. 

 This portion of Scripture from 2 Corinthians is something I seriously focused on back in February 1989 to April 1990; and continued to use it, off and on, since then. The main reason was based on a simple book that was called "CounterAttack." Basically, what the book was meant for, was, "Taking Back Ground Lost to Sin." The book was written by Jay Carty, who used a character in the book as an illustration of warning, which was called, "Polar Bear Alert". 

 It might sound silly, but it does actually work! Unfortunately, like most all of us do, when we practice something that really works, we sometimes put it down because it takes away from our, so called, freedom to sin! Sad to say, but the freedom to sin is a myth! If you don't know what a myth actually means, much as it may, the Polar Bear Alert is also as co called myth; but it is used to counter the thought of thinking to sin. 

 The thing is, as simple as it might sound, we only sin because we allow the seed to be planted that will give us the speculation to sin. I you don't know what that looks like, it is putting something away, as if it might not harm you, which is actually something that you might think is good for you at a later date. 

 Paul makes at very powerful illustration of this, if you are thinking that you have freedom to sin; as if God's grace gives you that right! When we do sin, we sometimes think it is afforded to us, much like having your cake and eating it too...

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should also walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:1-7 KJV)  

"The Grace of Believing" - 2

"I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "God's promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news - that God has prepared this rest - has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn't share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, "In my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest,'" even though this rest has been ready since he made the world." (Hebrews 4:1-3 NLT)

 This might be a little strange, but the no matter what it is that we are going through, if we are His pride and joy, nothing on this earth will destroy us! It isn't that hard to believe what I just said, because Jesus has shown us the way; as it was, He was brutally punished and hung on the cross: yet He lives! As we also will follow in His footsteps; no matter the devastating effect this world might try to do to us, we will come out better than we ever were, even if it involves death!  

 That is what I believe, and because it is etched in my heart, it keeps me moving forward, even though I might sometimes stumble or fall, it makes no difference to my believing that He saved me, and He will never abandon me or cast me away! That is what believing means to me! We have no standing believing in ourselves, whatsoever; but we must put all our faith in Christ and what He has done, and He will give us rest!

 About this 'rest' that we see here in Hebrews, that pretty much is the same as peace; which is what faith in Jesus Christ provides for us, in any situation or circumstance: Peace that comes from knowing that nothing in this life can take away the salvation we have in Christ; absolutely nothing! Even though we might have, shall I say, a serious breakdown, because of our circumstance; when we give whatever it is to God, His peace will absolutely absorb all of the pain and emotions we feel. Believe me, I know! 

 I have shared this before, but when I got home from the hospital, after the nurses told me to go home, I fell to the floor and wept bitterly, crying out, "Why!" Begging God to do something! I could actually feel a hand upon my shoulder, as I kept weeping and shaking, overwhelmed by the condition that my wife was in. 

 After an hour or so went by, I somehow felt a certain peace; peace enough to actually crawl into bed and get one- or two-hours of sleep. When I woke up at 4:00 I rushed back to the hospital to set beside my wife and pray for her and read Scriptures to her. Even though I was still devastated by her condition, I still had peace in the situation! Peace enough to be calm and focus upon the fact that she will be okay; even if she didn't make through, I still believed that she would be okay!

 If you are dealing with something that seems overwhelming and it's too hard to understand why God would allow it to happen, there is really only one thing you should do: Surrender to God believing that He loves you and cares for you, no matter what it is you are going through! There is always a reason that He allows certain things to happen to us; because they are always for our good...  

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God know his people in advance and chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who (or what) can ever be against us?" (Romans 8:28-31 NLT) 

"The Grace of Believing"

 "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5 KJV)

  "The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the LORD." (PSALM 106:24-25 NLT)

 Here is the thing that makes a little more sense, however, it will also make us wonder. God's grace is all sufficient and is given to those who believe in His promise! This grace, as most people should know, is actually something that we do not deserve; it is a gift from GOD! 

 On the other hand, mercy, which is Him not giving us what we do deserve, is something that is altogether different; something that is, shall we say, the goal of our award into heaven! How else can we explain it! This life affords us no mercy; good people are suffering and dying every day; saints that have believed and done all that they could to be godly, are dealing with cancer and waiting to die. 

 What I am really trying to say, is that what is important for those of us that believe in His promise, is that we also must be willing to except any threat or hardship that is placed upon us, here on this earth. Not that God can't or won't get us through certain issues; because I absolutely know that He can and he does! 

 God's main goal for each and every one of His children, is that we will all be with Him, regardless of the stupid mistakes we might make, He knows your heart and is never going to let go of you! That is His promise, and that is what we must keep believing: No Ifs, Ands, or Buts...

"The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Massiah, tell us plainly?" Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Once again the people picked up stones to kill him." (John 10:24-31 NLT) 

 

"The Warnings of History to the Ungodly"

   "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grave of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 4 KJV)

  "Dear friends, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God." (3 John 11 NLT)

 Without a doubt, I am certain that there are certain people that did not agree with what I shared in yesterday's post; and I am totally fine with that, because it doesn't cause me to be offended or upset, not in the least. I believe that the Father called me to His Son that day, and it was more than any of the other times when He had called me before. And yes, there were several times before that when Jesus knocked on the door of my heart, but I refused to open my heart to him. 

 When I received that call, on the day of my new birth, it was totally different; it was as if I needed to go; even if my mind said no, my heart said it was the time for me to go! Maybe that doesn't make sense to some, but we all have our own, somewhat different, awakenings. And without a doubt, I also believe in the fact that we sometimes fall asleep, as is it; and guess what: He wakes us up again! 

 That is not meant to mean we are born again, again; because as it says, that only happens once! But we can have seasons in our lives when we fall asleep; meaning that we blend back into this world; as some will call it, "Back-Sliding." Believe it or not, we can only slide so far, and He will catch us, either by correcting us or taking us home! 

 There is where the lines are drawn, between what is in our hearts and that which is not! And yes, there is nothing we can do to take away our salvation, as if it can be taken; not if it was real! If your salvation is for sure, then you will know it, because He will always discipline those who truly are His children, whenever they fall away... 

"Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light."" (Ephesians 5:10-14 NLT)  

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!" - Infinitely!

 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto all the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT)

 What is this faith all about? And why the struggle? To try and make a point for what I truly believe, I will bring the humanistic view of birth into conversation; which basically tells us that we are only born once in this world, and then we are dead! If that doesn't compute or meet with your understanding of this life, then you don't know what the Bible says about the basic human life: "For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return." (Genisis 3:19b NLT) 

 With that, I will try very hard to make this very simple and easy to understand. When we have been born again, that new birth is not temporary, as the human life; the new life we were given is eternal and is once and for all time; infinitely! This is the foundation of the faith we have in accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts; that is because Christ Jesus in alive forever and ever, and when we were given new life in Christ, we too are alive forever and ever! 

 Whatever you might think of that, the main thing is whether or not your faith is genuine and you are sure about the new life that you have been given. I hate to say it, but that is where we have the struggles and the doubts! It really doesn't need to be that way; but from time to time, even the strongest saint will have some doubts, it is only because they are still human. 

 I am bringing this point up, only because Jude has made it apparent, saying, "which was once delivered to the saints." Looking up that word, "once," it basically means, "one time," and "once for all." In other words, the new life that we have been given in Christ has no end! This makes no sense to some; I am pretty sure of that! Be that as it may, those who might possibly lose the salvation they might have been given, if it is true salvation, it was secured by His grace and not human effort; therefore, human effort is not able lose what Christ has already done! 

 With out a doubt, I know for a fact that this that I just said will not be accepted by many; which is not really all that surprising. I have seen the hate in some who have witnessed the fall of someone that was once a great minister; it is hard to imagine what that might feel like, from whatever side you are on. But I truly believe that God's word is not void, just as He has said...

""Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations."" (Isaiah 55:3-4 NLT)

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!" - Too

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only be believing in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:21-22 NLT)

 Maybe there was a simpler way to describe what it means to struggle; because believe it or not, in this world we are living in, everyone struggles in one way or another. How else can I explain this, except by stepping back to the term, "common salvation," which is more than likely the major portion of many churches. Basically, Jude has used the word, "common," as if it were to mean it was, unclean, defiled, or unholy. 

 In other words, it has a since of being ordinary! Please forgive me if I step out of line, but I certainly do not believe that my relationship with my Lord and Savior is ordinary! I hate to admit it, but there are times when I might treat my walk with the Lord, shall we say, as if it is ordinary and He isn't there; but those are the times when I feel free to sin, as if I am alone and can get away with it. 

 Do you know what I mean? Because we only sin when we think He isn't looking! But this relationship is something absolutely different than any other, because Jesus is living in my heart! He is there all along, wanting me to learn of Him and surrender my life to Him; which is struggle enough, without making any effort to share this extra-ordinary life to others.

 But that is the whole point of being here, in this world; whether you like it or not, we are meant to be a vessel that can be used to share about the relationship we have, in one way or another; even if we have, so called, mistakes! Call it Living Water, if you will, because that is what Jesus called it; the more we share, the more the Water flows, and the more we don't feel ordinary...    

"For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." (Romans 8:7-11 NLT) 

"Earnestly Contend for the Faith!"

 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3 KJV)

  "Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me - a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jeaus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you." (2 Timothy 1:13-14 NLT)

 Please forgive me if I haven't been putting a "1" in front of the verses, as there are no more chapters in this book, than that of chapter "1"; therefore, I simply have listed the verses. Back in the day, maybe it was 25 years ago, I started a non-profit entitled, "Jude 2 Enterprises". It was meant to be a ministry that would provide venues for events; as it was, we had a Coffee Shop that had bands come out to play. It was really taking off, at least for a bit; until I got bitten! 

 As much as I could, I did everything I could to keep it together; but my personal life was totally wrecked, and I was doing all that I could just to keep it all together. Long story short, I flushed the non-profit and just focused on getting my life back on track. I needed to keep my business afloat, having to let everyone go, except my mother-in-law and Dave, my general pest guy.  

 Not that it really matters, but we live to survive in this world; and if you have someone to take care of, then you really make every effort to keep a place for them to live! Only my wife knew this about me; but I had a little red rag in my desk drawer, that every once in a while, I would stuff it into my back pocket and carry it around. Basically, what it meant was that I was wishing I could be pumping gas at a Gas Station, not struggling to keep a business afloat! 

 Anywho, "Earnestly Contend" is something that, believe it or not, means, "to struggle for". This is not just something we are easily able to do, as there are certain things that make us feel as though we are, shall we say, judgmental. The best thing we have, is the ability to judge ourselves first and foremost; making every effort to be sure of ourselves; knowing that our faith is in Christ, and that salvation is only available through Him, and Him alone! Only by the blood of Jesus are we saved...

"This is the message we have heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all our sin." (1 John 1:5-7 NLT)

"Danger!"

   "Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we share. But now I find I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 3-4 NLT)

"But there were false teachers also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." (2 Peter 2:1 KJV) 

 I am not saying that this will be easy, because I know for a fact that there are some that cannot believe or even want to hear sound doctrine. And don't get me wrong, I truly know that everyone can get off base from time to time, as some seem to do, (me included,) but when it comes to the foundation of our faith, there is nothing that can be changed or altered! 

 That said, I believe that there are some very stern and harsh things that will be brought up; some might be too hard to believe; while others, will hopefully enlighten us to watch out and know what to look for, as there really are wolves that enter into the sheepfold...

""Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."" (Matthew 7:15 KJV) 

"The Salutation" - To

 "Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." (Jude 2 KJV)

  "O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." (PSALM 5:1-3 NLT)

 I know it seems odd, but I do believe that there is something that opens up the point to Jude's reason for even writing this; never mind the reason that it has been placed, right where it belongs. First and foremost, there needs to be something that we never forget: that God is Holy! Without even questioning why things are what they are, we must believe that He holds everything together, and knows all things!

 I know that there are some who will doubt some of what I am saying, because it is easy for even myself to doubt, from time to time. But when I catch myself not believing what I already know is true, I have to simply ask for His forgiveness and remember He loves me! He love me more than I could ever imagine!

 That said, I truly believe that when God created the heavens and the earth, He knew before it was even made, that man would need salvation, that Satan would fall, and that this world would be destroyed. As much as it sounds, shall we say, hard to believe, there was something very special about His whole plan; which, believe it or not, was all about love!  

 Maybe there is a simple way to explain it, but the way things are is caused by our mistakes, not God's! And when I say mistakes, I am being nice; only because that is what we make them! To clarify what that means, the definition for mistake is: "an action or judgement that is misguided or wrong." Simply put, it is also what sin looks like, because we are misguided and we do wrong!

 But God already knows, and He has known it all along, that we are bound to make mistakes, (so we call them), but His plan all along was to cause us to love Him, unconditionally and thankfully, because He first loved us...

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:7-10 NLT)       

"The Salutation"

 "Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied." (Jude 2 KJV)

   "So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Isreal and restore our kingdom?" He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."" (Acts 1:6-8 NLT)

 Just a little bit of information, for anyone that might be thinking about learning what the different cults believe and practice: DON'T GO THERE! You really don't want to dive into their bubble, because there is really no need to know what they believe; focus on the truth that you know and make that your weapon to counter what they might try to tell you.   

 Once upon a time I worked hard to learn those things. I even still have the "Cults Reference Bible," which was written by Dr, Walter Martain. Even Dr. Chuck Missler thought that Dr. Martain had been captured in his studies; as it was, he stopped believing in a pre-tribulation rapture, which was Dr. Chuck's concern that his friend had been lost in his studies. 

 The main point I am trying to make, is that we don't need to study what is wrong and false, because we fill our heads with bad information! You should know the term, G.I.G.O., which basically means, Garbage In, Garbage Out. Focus on the truth and defend what you know; using that as your weapon to witness and teach, by sharing the Truth...

"We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT) 

"Jude, the Servant"

"Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:" (Jude 1 KJV)

  "After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, and Jesus' brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can't become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!" For even his brothers didn't believe in him." (John 7:1-5 NLT)

 History has it, that Jesus had four brothers who were, half-brothers; all four of them were born after Him, by Mary and Joseph. All though, depending on the Religion, there are some the say Joseph had these other sons before he married Mary; while others have other weird and strange ideas. It is the Roman Catholic Church that is set upon Mary having been kept a virgin, so it is said; as she is referred as, the mother of God, and prayed to, as if she too is a Deity.

 As much as there are different versions, of what is what, this little Book of Jude is one that shines the light on the reason; much like John shines the light on the spirit of the antichrist; which is very real and present in this very day. Believe it or not, there are several religions that I know for a fact are founded and continue to be growing based upon and controlled by that spirit; some of which will show their true colors if you get too serious about who Jesus really is; this much I know is certain! 

 Besides that, the Book of Revelation is used quite a bit by those false religions; mostly because of the, so called mystery of what is being said; most of which can be twisted and changed from what it is really meant to mean; even though it is clearly not what is said! 

 I know that is so, but that is something for another time and date. Having said all of this, there are some Christians that have very strange beliefs: some think that UFOs are going to be what takes us away in the rapture; there are some that think the earth is flat; and believe it or not, but there are some that truly believe that the earth is billions of years old...

"So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true - it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ." (1 John 2:24-27 NLT)       

"The Letter from Jude"

  "This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love." (Jude 1-2 NLT)

  "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given onto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:16-20 KJV)

 As many of us should now, this Jude that has written this letter is a brother of Jesus; who identifies himself as the brother of James: James is the author of the Book of James. Both James and Jude identify themselves as, "Servants of Christ." There are a few scholars that identify this Jude as the Apostle Judas (not Iscariot) in Matthew 10:2-3, also called Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus (Lk. 6:16 & Acts 1:13). 

 I really don't believe that this Jude was one of Jesus' disciples; but that is coming up in a different message. What I do believe is that both James and Jude were brothers, that had the same mother, who was Mary; the virgin mother of Jesus Christ. As that is the case, I also believe that the term, "Slave, or Servant" used by both brothers is given to mean, "His Bondman"; which, if you don't mind me saying, that it means, it was their way of saying that they were very sorry for the way they treated him, before He was crucified and rose from the dead! 

 Which is precisely the reason I doubt that this Jude was one of Jesus' Apostles. However, for the sake of knowing nothing, let me make it perfectly clear: both James and Jude were brothers of Jesus! Which, for the sake making my point, before I even try to go into the Book of Revelation, I felt as though I needed to do this Book first.

 I believe that there is good reason for this Book to come before Revelation; why that is, I have yet to figure it out; but I am truly convinced that there is a good reason...

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby, know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confeesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world." (John 4:1-3 KJV)  

"That Which Affords Joy!"

 "Grace be with you all. Amen." (Hebrews 13:25 KJV)

  "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT)

 There are some things in this life that can bring us joy, regardless of whatever it is that we might be going through; just a special word from a friend, or the celebration of new life when a baby is born. These things are well and good, but that kind of joy will only last for a moment.

 The joy we are talking about here is something totally different, as it is based upon something we have for ever and ever! No matter what situation we might face on this earth, the grace that we have been given is something that overshadows even the worst thing that we might be going through; even the thought of death! 

 I know it might sound simple, just saying it; but what else can you do? There are some circumstances that you just can't change or get out of; but there is something you can always look forward to, and it can and it will change your perspective; I guarantee it!  

 Having a little difficulty choosing what is next. I am really considering Revelation; but I know that it will require more time and quite a lot of research. Whatever it is, it will be that which affords joy! Yes, that is what grace is meant to be, as it brings pleasure, happiness, peace, and everything else that is a delight! The whole meaning of grace is that of getting something you could never afford, not even in a thousand lifetimes...

"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." (Ephesians 2:1-8 NLT) 

"All the Saints!" - Too

 "Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you." (Hebrews 13:24 KJV)

  "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." (1 Peter 1:18-22 NLT)

 Before I go, I would really like to do something real meaningful, besides whatever this 'living journal' might accomplish; if anything, worth talking about. My desire is to travel around to RV Parks that have senior saints, to share the importance of never forgetting their Wedding Vows, no matter what state or condition their better half might be in!

 To be completely honest, I do have days when I might challenge the situation we are in, wondering if it is all too weird or if she is actually not meant to live in the condition she is in. Every time I go there, I have to fall on my knees, asking God for forgiveness! He alone is the one that decides who stays and who goes; we have no right to take a life; especially not the life that obviously wants to keep living!   

 We had a chance to pray over a friend, that has great concern for his grandson, who has yet to be born. The baby has already been named, and needs to have spinal surgery, while he is in his mother's womb. Just before we started to pray, I had to tell him about the fetus that I posted a picture about, shortly after I started this blog. The little unborn baby was having a spinal surgery, one just like his grandson might be getting; and during the surgery, the child's little hand reached up and grabbed the Sergen's pinky, from out of the womb! 

 If you didn't know, Matt Drudge was fired from Fox News for making a big deal about this photo; mainly because he was pressing the point about real living life in the womb! Something we all should know and believe, based upon what we have learned in the Bible; the Living Word of God!  

 Anywho; we are either a Saint or we aint, but God is the Judge! We are only given a chance to prove to ourselves that we believe in what we believe; making every effort, as best as we can, to share the gift that we have been given...

"But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law that I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law - I stopped trying to meet all its requirements - so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." (Galatians 2:17-21 NLT) 

"All the Saints!"

 "Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you." (Hebrews 13:24 KJV)

  "You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our power is from God, not from ourselves." (2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT)

 Well, I was going to share more about, "Set at Liberty," but I thought I had said enough about myself, even if it was part of the journey. But that doesn't stop me from sharing about the reason I used that title in the first place. As it was, Paul is talking about Timothy being released from jail, as being, "set at liberty," because he is no longer locked up. But my story was meant to be one that was about me being "set at liberty" even though I was still in jail! 

 Yes, I was incarcerated, but I felt absolutely FREE! That is what I meant about having real true faith; because, as Jesus said, "So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free." (John 8:36 NLT) To be perfectly honest, I really prefer the KJV of that verse, which I would use to share with anyone who is tied down, but has been saved: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."  

 Before I was saved, I felt as though I wanted to be set free; as it was, I was told I would be able to just serve on weekends, (which I never really believed would happen,) but instead it looked like I was going to stay for at least eight months. But, once I was saved, on that great and glorious day, I felt absolutely free! It was as if I had something important to do, right where I was; even though I still desired to be home with my wife and son, it pretty much just felt as if I needed to be where I was, as long as the Lord would have me there. 

 The reason I prefer that verse about being set free in the old KJV, is because it uses the word, "make," which is also in the NKJV and several others; but for some reason the NLT version uses "sets," which doesn't really make the point of how we got saved in the first place! 

 Without a doubt, I believe that it was God that made me move; it get up, off of my bunk, and to go down to the cafeteria room, in order to hear that message! I surely wasn't about to do it on my own; but it was the work of God that made me want to hear what was going to be said. Maybe that is not a thing you could believe; but when God calls you, it is not until you allow Him to change you, that you are really chosen...

"Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ's death was made as clear to you as it you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian life in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ." (Galatians 3:1-5 NLT)  

"Set at Liberty" - Too

 "Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you." (Hebrews 13:23 KJV)

  "But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus." (Galatians 1:15-17 NLT)

 As it went, after a small stay in the County Jail, I was sent to an Honor Ranch, up by Majic Mountain. It just so happened that this Honor Ranch had a Church; not just a building, but an actual Church that was very similar to one you would see in any small town in America; with a bell and steps that went up to the door. 

 I did everything I could to avoid going into that Church; even though the chow-line was pretty much right in front of it, it was hard to not be close to the front door. I did however have a little New Testament that I read every day, usually at least a Book a day; and on the weekends I would read almost the whole Book. 

 One evening, after dark, I was sitting out in the field about 50 yards from that Church, and I starting to pray for the inmates that were in there. I could see them through the windows; raising their hands and singing songs. I started to weep and thought that I was crying for them; as crazy as it might sound in reality, I believe it was myself that I had pity on! 

 Anywho, long story short, I had a 'store', which basically means that I sold things to certain inmates that couldn't get anything do to their work duties. Mostly just cigarettes, candy bars, and instant coffee. I did pretty good; and would usually make at least $50 a week, sometimes more. Actually, the instant coffee was one of my biggest deals; as the only coffee available at night was in the Officer's dining room.   

 One Sunday, I was having a visitation with my wife. The visitation room was rather large, and there was probably 20 guys at a time that were visiting with someone. I handed my wife a fist full of money, without realizing that someone could see me. After the visitation was over, I went back down to the barracks and was jump for my money. Unfortunately for them, I only had $10 left; but regardless, the guy that had his hand on my windpipe wanted my Bible; and I wasn't about to let go of it. 

 When the ordeal was over, I was called up to the Office over the loudspeaker. When I arrived at the Office, the officer told me that he had heard I was jumped, that he knew who they were, but that he also thought they would think that I finked. So he told me that I was being moved to another facility. 

 The place I went to did not have a church, of any sort. I felt safe, because I really had no respect for organized religion or churches. You might say that my guard was down; because it wasn't long after I got there, that one Sunday morning the loudspeaker came on, and a Chaplain was making a seemingly serious call for men to come down to hear something. 

 Seriously, I really didn't know what it was he meant, but I had a certain need to go check it out. I started out walking down to the cafeteria, where the event was; but before I knew it, I started to run. When I got there, they had already started worship, so I stepped inside and took a seat towards the back.

 After worship, a black man came up to the podium and took off his watch. He held it up and made sure that everyone saw it, and he said, "Do you see this watch? This watch tells me that somewhere out there, is a Watch Maker. And you, me, and all that we see, tells me that there is a Creator! And I have come here today to tell you, that Creator is Jesus Christ!" 

 When I heard him say that I was overwhelmed; I actually closed my eyes and started to cry, as I saw a vision in my mind of Jesus on the cross. It was like something I could have never known on my own, even though I had been reading that little New Testament, every single day! As I envisioned Jesus on the cross, I thought to myself, "The Creator of heaven and earth died for me on that cross!" 

 As the Pastor made the call for those who wanted to be saved to raise their hands, I raised both hands, and that was the day I will never forget! That is when I discover what real true faith looks like...

"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. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:3-5 NLT) 

"Set at Liberty" - To

 "Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty: and whom, if he come shortly, I will see him." (Hebrews 13:23 KJV) 

  "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT)

 If you didn't know, or haven't heard, I was totally against any and all religions; having no desire to even think about going into a church. I was pretty much settled with reading the Bible on my own, praying to God, in my own way, and having my own private fellowship, with a God I really didn't know! If that sounds strange to you, that is totally fine; because it really was strange; and it was wrong! 

 After I was arrested, back in the day, I focused quite a bit on getting things in order; as it was, I felt that I was going to prison, as the judge who sentenced, me back in the late 70's for dealing drugs, came out of retirement to put me away. However, there was about 5 or 6 of us that were getting tried, and everyone had a lawyer, except me; I thought I would defend myself, because I felt that I wasn't doing anything wrong, selling drugs to my friends. 

 When we rented a place to stay, the guy who owned it had a termite company, and I started out working on his rentals; but he saw that I was a hard worker, so he trained me to do termite work. I had another job, which was driving a truck for Napa auto parts; but on January 1st, 1981, I was totally working for him, at least 12 hours a day, six days a week. 

 Early in the spring he sat me down and asked if I wanted to be licensed to do inspections, and he began to get me ready for the test I would be taking. The day we were filling out the application, we were sitting on his Livingroom floor, and he was filling out the questions, as I answered them. When it came to the spot where it asked, "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" I told him that I had not yet, but I was going to court for a felony charge. 

 When I told him what the charge was, and that we had been going to court for at least eight months already, he asked me if I had a Lawyer. I told him I did not, and that I was defending myself. So he asked me what my defense was going to be; and I told him, "I believe in the Bible, and in the Bible, it says that God created the Herbs, and He said it was good; and I was just about giving good Herbs to my friends." 

 Well, that didn't go so well; as he instantly jumped up off the floor, and said, "I am getting you a Lawyer!" He put a $5,000 retainer down for some hotshot Lawyer, and in May of 1981 I was sentenced to one year in the County jail. The new judge we had, (because the first one gave up trying to convict me, as the trial just kept dragging on and on), gave me a lesser sentence, because I was gainfully employed; he even gave me a month to get my affairs in order; and on June 15th, 1981, I got a ride to the L.A. County Jail...

"Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.'" The man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young." When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."" (Luke 18:18-22 NLT) 

"Set at Liberty"

 "Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you." (Hebrews 13:23 KJV)

  "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, and a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, alone with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:10-12 NLT)

 Well, I must say that I am not sorry for missing a chance to share this yesterday; we had to get ready for the final meal, and breakfast was going to be at 6:30, so I felt that I needed to be there between 4:00 and 4:30. Men at the Cross will be this coming Saturday; which is when I wake up at 2:30; but since I am at home, I feel more comfortable to pray quicker and have had at least 45 minutes to do this blog. 

 Having shared this before, it might seem as though it's old news; but the more I share it, the more I feel as though I keep holding tightly to the eternal life I have been given! We need to make every effort to keep the faith; and when I say, "the faith," I am talking about that moment when we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts; which is the moment that you were actually saved!

 Faith is not just what you believe, but what you know! I know, 100%, that my life was changed on that special day; there is no doubt, whatsoever! Don't ever forget, because that is the real true faith that Paul is talking about...

"Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion - how I violently persecuted God's church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors." (Galatians 1:11-14 NLT) 

"Word of Encouragement" - Three

 "And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words." (Hebrews 13:22 KJV)

  "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 6:9-10 NLT)

 Just to inform you, if you didn't know, the four Books, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, or easier to find in order if you can remember: Gentiles Eat Pork Chops. Just in case you didn't know that I thought you should know...

"For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:19-22 NLT) 

"Word of Encouragement" - Two

 "And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words." (Hebrews 13:22 KJV)

  "Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But - "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth, and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."" (Titus 3:3-7 NLT)

 If you take just a moment to search out some of the words that are being said, some of what is meant will look totally different than what you might think. Take the word, "suffer," as a good example of what I am talking about. Just taking that word in the context it is shown, it would seem to be something of a burden or anguish; when it actually is talking about endurance and to forbear. 

 Much of what is being said, if it is taken in context with what was previously said, is all about positive things, whether or not they are good or bad, whatever there is that we go through, God will make a way for the bad to be good and for the ugly to be beautiful; everything, no matter what it is that might seem as though we are suffering, will not hurt us: we are special, indestructible, and no matter what, we will be ending up totally fine! 

 When Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, as he was gathering up some firewood, and he was bitten by a poisonous snake. He should have been killed by the bite; but he actually just shook it off and went on gathering wood. If you don't know the story, it is Acts 28. But the point I am trying to make is about why Paul was not concerned about dying from the snakebite; it was because the Lord told him that he would be going to Rome, and to minister to the Gentiles. (Acts 23:11) 

 Maybe that isn't enough to convince you; but I know for a fact that Jesus saved me! That is something I will never forget; and yes, I have had some ups and downs; but no matter what, I am fully confident that I will be making it to the other side, because Jesus told me so...

""I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd."" (John 10:14-16 NLT) 

"Word of Encouragement"

 "And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words." (Hebrews 13:22 KJV)

  "And all of this is a gift from God who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NLT)

 More than anything else, I want to finish well! Yet, the more I persevere to be holy, the more I feel that I am not; as weird as that might sound, it just is what it is! To be totally honest, I think that is how it is meant to be: We are what we are, and whatever we try to do to correct ourselves, we seldom can make it happen. It's like when you tell yourself, 'Don't think of pink elephants,' and you struggle to get the pink elephant out of your head! 

 So, this is what I believe, whether it works or not, it is something we must strive for and make every effort to make it our goal...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 NLT) 

"Wellpleasing in His Sight" - To

 "Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:21 KJV)

  "So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transformed us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." (Colossians 1:9-14 NLT)

 I am sorry if I offended anyone with my closing statement. It is something I felt strongly about when I left the church I was a pastor at, back in 2018 or 2019; actually, I don't remember when; except that my niece was going to start going to Country Christian School, and I used that as a way out; bring her family to LCC and making it my opportunity to go there also. If you don't understand what I mean, it is really not that hard to understand: You shouldn't leave a church simply because you might have been offended; but you could leave a church if you have a good reason, that is justifiable. 

 Maybe you still didn't get the point; but it is really more about structure than anything else. We are not really meant to rebel against anything we might have issue with; especially anything that might cause others to also be concerned or upset about. I have seen that happen too many times in certain churches, and it is ugly and causes many to actually fall away from church, all together. 

 My leaving was done in a celebratory manor; where everyone prayed over me and my family, as we were departing to be a part of another fellowship. Believe it or not, it was all about tithes and offerings; as crazy as that might seem. I believed that it should be out in the open and structured; where there is actually a passing of the plate or bag. As it turns out, that isn't what we do at the current church either...

"Let the message about Christ in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:16-17 NLT)  

"Wellpleasing in His Sight"

"Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:21 KJV)

  "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowances for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." (Colossians 3:12-15 NLT)

 I have a feeling to not spend any time doing this blog during Man Camp this weekend. I have always committed myself to do this as much as I could; these last few visits in the hospital have given me the opportunity to slip away from this, a few days at a time; even not feeling guilty! That said, this has been something that causes me to dive into the Bible, each and every day; something that I failed doing prior to starting this journey, back on January 1st, 2010. 

 Before my first hospital visit, I had never missed a day; even though I might have had to be late, I still made every effort to stay committed to not missing a single day. As I have said before, there are times when I feel as though I am too committed, as if this has been too much of a journey. But since my first stay in the hospital, I feel that two or three days off is really actually refreshing. 

 Anywho, this passage reminds me of a message I heard back in the late 90's, which was a time I felt as though I needed to go to a Calvary Chapel Conference, in San Jose. It was a very critical time in my life, as the business was having financial issues and the IRS was pressing me to get caught up on my taxes. I almost had another side that didn't want to go; but my heart felt that it needed to happen. 

 The first speaker was Pastor Damian, who I had never heard before. As he opened up the message, he asked us to open our Bible's up to a certain Scripture, which I can't recall. But as soon as he read the very first word, by heart was broken, and I began to weep. As much as I have been to many different gatherings, this was the very first time that this had ever happened. 

 As Pastor Damian continued, my mind was focused on everything he had to say. He began speaking about this passage that I typed out this morning, from Colossians 3. As he was illustrating certain actions, involving laying out clothes, he was actually motioning out what it might look like to lay out clothes on a bed. There were a couple other Pastor's nearby, who were laughing to each other, as if what he was demonstrating was a joke. 

 My heart felt a little broken, for a moment; but I soon realized it was actually not that unusual for some Pastor's to mock each other's teachings...

"And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him - speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction." (2 Peter 3:14-16 NLT)    

"Our Great Security!" - Too

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd on the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant," (Hebrews 13:20 KJV)

  "Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls." (1 Peter 2:25 NLT)

 Maybe I didn't make my point strong enough, seemingly the way I explained myself wasn't fit for some, shall we say, that might not believe that our eternal Salvation is something that can never be taken away, even if we might fall away! If that might be something you can't except, that is totally up to you; but I feel sorry for you, if you think that falling away is a deal-killer, and that is enough to cancel your Salvation. 

 Over the last 45 years, I might have fallen away at least half-dozen times; each and every time, there has been something that has caused me to come back; each and every time I have learned that I am always welcomed back: His arms are always wide open, ready to hug me and welcome me home! 

 This fallen away I am talking about is not really about turning my back on the Lord, if you think that is what I mean. The falling away that I mean is that of doing things that I should not, things that cause my fellowship with the Lord to draw distant, for a season. I am just being honest, because I know it isn't just me; there are several people I know that slipped down that slippery slope from time to time. 

 One thing is sure; I have never really forsaken fellowship! I might have missed a few services from time to time; but I truly believe that we must not quit trying! Even if we fall, we must aways get up and stay loyal to Christ and our fellow believers! Whatever it is that has caused up to slip away, however you think that looks like, we are always still part of the family of God, always! 

 I remember a Men's Meeting we had back in the 90's, out in Palo Cedro. Pastor Bill was sharing about the fact that we were all members of the Body of Christ. There was a brother who stood up, who didn't think he was good enough to be a member of the Body of Christ, saying, "If I am a member of the Body of Christ, then I must be a Hemorrhoid!" 

 Hopefully that doesn't offend anyone, because we all got a kick out of the way he said it. None of us are perfect! We all mess up from time to time; but we also have one great thing in common: We are saved! As long as we have been saved, we have been given eternal life in Christ! This eternal life can never be taken away, because it is secure, waiting for us in heaven...

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