"Sound Doctrine"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Our Positioning"

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

"Jesus, The One and Only" - Too

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Jesus, The One and Only"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The Mighty God!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The WORD of GOD" - Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The WORD of GOD" - Two

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The WORD of GOD"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 

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

"He came into the very world he created, but the world did not recognize him. He came to his own people. and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son." (John 1:1-14 NLT) 

"No Fear!" - Here!

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

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

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

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

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

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

"No Fear!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Being Content" - To

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I and glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12"8-10 NLT) 

"Being Content"

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

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

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

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

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

"The Undefiled Bed"

 "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4 KJV)

  "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21 NLT) 

 Sorry for being so late, but I had a little food poisoning yesterday; and it was pretty rough. Cold sweats, and shaking profusely; it was something that I hardly ever encounter. Not sure if it is over; but one thing I know, I feel like going back to bed! That said, I will most likely never again buy Black & Blue hamburger patties!  

 When my wife and I were doing our 6 months of marriage counseling, I must confess, there really was a whole lot of stuff going on with that lesson. We learned things like, our bodies will no longer be our own, but they belong to one another. If you don't know what that means, it pretty much means if you say you have a headache, that doesn't count. 

 There were other things about pleasing one another in other ways, if that is what it takes; if your body is not your own, then you must give yourself to one another. There were several books we had to read about these things; some of which I was not so sure about; but we had to do it anyway. 

 There are several Pastor's that will tell you that the Song of Solomon is basically a book that tells us that the bed is undefiled, that what a husband and wife do in their bed is up to them, that they can do whatever they want, because it is their bed...

"If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom." (James 3:13 NLT)

"To Bind Together"

 "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." (Hebrews 13:3 KJV)

  "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3 NLT)

 It might seem like a really big shift, but in light of what we started with, those four words: "Let brotherly love continue," this is made to be a way to understand what it means to be one body! With all honesty, I must confess, I sometimes forget how important it is to not neglect feeling the pain of others that might be wrongly persecuted or suffering for believing in our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

 I can recall a conversation I heard on the radio, one about current day martyrs in the country of Iran. The brother that was sharing about what was going on, said that the Christian churches are large in his country, because they are persecuted daily. The way that he put it, was that they were much more serious about their faith in Christ, then many other Christians that don't have persecution; because they have no worries about being arrested or killed for their faith, they take going to church for granted!

 There are many more countries that do not allow Christians to bound together in churches; many have secret places where they hide and fellowship undercover. The wedding and funerals are performed, as to have fellowship together. Some people pretend to die or get married several times over; at least that is what I have heard. Imagine if that is what might happen to us, here in the United States! 

 That doesn't mean it can't happen here, because it surely can! And, by the way things are looking, there is the possibility that our freedoms will soon be over. Once they take away our rights to worship and have churches that teach about Christ and right living, I pray that this new generation will be serious also; even to the point of being arrested or killed.

 Better yet, I pray that the Lord will come and take us all out of here, soon and very soon...

"But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control." (Philippians 3:20-21 NLT)  

"Angels Unawares" - 2

 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrews 13:2 KJV)

  "The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked us and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcome them, bowing low to the ground." (Genesis 18:1-2 NLT)

 As crazy as those things I said yesterday seem, they are absolutely true; I shared them only to let it be known that there really are angels all around us; most of which we are totally unaware of, even though they are there. However, I have had encounters with some, that were just like you and I, who just show up and for whatever reason spark up a conversation; leaving without me even knowing which way they went. Whether or not they were angels, I can't really say. But what I do know, is that they really do exist and they do, some way or another, work in and through portions of our lives.

 In this, regarding Abraham's fellowship with these three strangers; one of which was none other than Jesus Himself; there were two of which that were angels. If you know the Scriptures well enough, then you would remember that part of their visitation concerned Sarah; while after their meal, the LORD asked, "Should I hide my plan from Abraham?"" (Genesis 18:17)

 We should all know what that was about, because the two angels that were with Him turned and headed toward Sodom; while Abraham started bartering with the LORD about sparing the righteous. Whatever it was that Abraham trying to do, it was for the sake of his nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. You should all know the rest of that story, because angels do rescue people; this much I am absolutely aware of... 

"So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was actually happening. They passed by the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter finally came to his senses. "It is really true!" he said. "The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!"" (Acts 12:9-11 NLT) 

"Angels Unawares"

 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." (Hebrew 13:2 KJV)

 "The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck on the side to awaken him and said, "Quick! Get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." And he did. "Now put on your coat and follow me," the angel ordered." (Acts 12:6-8 NLT)

 Nobody can tell me that angels aren't real; having had some experience, some which were hard to figure out, and some which were hard to believe, even though they were happening. Once, when I was about 15 years old, I was crossing the street to meet my girlfriend; darting across the street, I didn't notice a car was coming at me, as I sprinted over an island that separated the street. She yelled out to me, saying, "Watch out!" and immediately I was able to somehow stop in mid-air, just for a brief second, as the car slightly brushed by me. She was astounded, saying, "How did you do that?" I told her I didn't know how, but it must have been my guardian angel that stopped me.   

 There have been several other encounters, over the years. One that I remember was the most long-lasting encounter, which I believe was actually spiritual warfare, taking place in my own house. It was during Covid, when I was praying with my wife, because her mother and stepdad were dealing with it, and we were praying for them to be healed. 

 As I it was, I was also dealing with a verse that was going to be part of my blog post the following morning, it was the one where the man Jesus healed at the pool of Bethesda, and his answer to the Jewish leaders, as he carried his sleeping mat in the Temple, on the Sabbath. There was something I felt was important in the way he answered their demand, "You can't work on the Sabbath! The law doesn't allow you to carry that sleeping mat!" 

 For at least 5 to 10 minutes, I keep reading his answer over and over to me wife, saying his answer again and again, "The man who healed me told me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" After about the 8th or 10th time I read it, my wife looked at me, as if I was nuts, and I immediately figured it out. Jesus said to the man, "Stand, pick up your mat, and walk!" I know it sounds a little over-the-top, but for the rest of the night, until about 2:30 am, things were going crazy in my house! 

 I have shared on this before, but there is a Rabbit Air machine in the room, which is programed to respect the darkness; which means, if the lights are off, the machine does not light up. This thing was not only lighting up, but it was going full on, and the sensor light was bright red! Over and over, it kept happening, especially when I would call out for Jesus to help. My dog was in the next room, in his kennel, and I could hear him whimpering, as if he was scared. 

 At 2:30 I decided to say enough is enough and decided I needed to get some sleep. I pretty much didn't care anymore and spoke out, saying, "You guy's fight it out, I'm going to sleep!" At 4:00 I woke up and went into the living room to pray and start my blog. In that room there are three of the Rabbit Air machines, and each of them were breathing, one at a time; one would breathe, then the next would breathe, and then the next; all three taking their turn, for at least 10 minutes or so.

 I was wondering if I should even complete what I was going to do; because it was concerning the answer of that healed man, and the answer Eve gave to the devil about the fruit which was forbidden...

""Of course we may eat fruit from 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."" (Genesis 3:2-3 NLT) 

"Brotherly Love" - Too

 "Let brotherly love continue." (Hebrews 13:1 KJV)

  "As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can't come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."" (John 13:31-35 NLT)

 Wow, that was hard to type! I couldn't help but think of the post from yesterday, the 'give' and 'receive' that Jesus mentions over and over, in so many ways; it just made everything so clear and incredibly easy to understand. Our obedience brings blessings; the more we love, the more we are loved...

"I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the very beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning." (2 John 1:5-6 NLT)  

"Brotherly Love"

 "Let brotherly love continue." (Hebrews 13:1 KJV)

  "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another." (Galatians 5:25-26 NLT)

 There are so many illustrations in the Bible that we can find to make mirror this verse, "Let brotherly love continue," I can think of at least twenty right off the top of my head. I picked these two verses from Paul's thoughts in Galatians, because it is the Holy Spirit that is the power within us to love one another, as we should. 

 There are four words in this short verse; two of which are completely the same: "Let," and "continue." I think this makes perfect sense, because there is forward movement to do what the Spirit says, and the follow-through to make it happen! In other words, there are two sides working together as one: the power of God and the action we carry out...

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are just fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey it, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."  (James 1:22-25 NLT) 

"Live Right"

  "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without knowing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

 "Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

 "Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" 

 "Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith." (Hebrews 13:1-7 NLT)

  "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill my joy, that ye may be likeminded, having the same love, being in one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man in his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Philippians 2:1-4 KJV)

 If you thought I was trying to make a point, with those last three posts, it was pretty obvious that I was; as the statement that I made in the first post about Mark, should have given you the hint. Maybe that really didn't matter, as most of the time I stop short of finishing things, mostly because I want people to think some things out on their own. 

 Mark, in his Gospel, primarily focuses on the superhuman power of Jesus; many scholars believe that he was the young man he described in his letter, shown in Mark 14:51-52. His mother was Mary of Jerusalem, who had the home which had the upper room, where Jesus had the Last Supper. 

 As many of you know, I am overwhelmed by the thought of Mark being the "Young Rich Ruler," who is described in three of the Gospels; the one that walked away from Jesus sad, because Jesus told him to sell all he had and give it to the poor. 

 It is Mark's Gospel where we can see a more vivid description of that encounter. But there is a very small statement that Jesus makes, towards the end of that scene, one that makes me believe that there was a change in that Young Rich Ruler's heart; a change, because God changed his heart! Crazy as it might sound, but Mark's uncle was the first to sell the land he owned and give the money to the church; which I believe he did base upon what Mark had previously done.

 When you discover what Mark had done, and all of the churches he established, it only makes sense if you understand how it works: for those that once had much, that they know how to make much...

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up your cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astounded out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them said, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." (Mark 21-27 KJV)  

 

"Something More!" - Once More

 "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29 KJV)

  "This is what the LORD says - the Holy One of Israel and you Creator: "Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people - without seeking a reward! I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!"" (Isaiah 45:11-13 NLT)

 Just so you know, we might have a choice, something they call, "Free Will," but even then, if we are His children, (even though we don't know it,) He will guide us to Himself, one way or another! The whole point about the fact that Jesus can make things happen with just a command, is really everywhere all throughout the Bible. As Pastor Bryan says, "Read the Bible slowly!" If we take the time to read with the ability to stop and think what we are reading, then things come alive to us; so many things which can be easy to pass over. 

 If you have understood the situation with Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, then you should know that Jesus knew already that Lazarus was going to die, before it even happened. There is this thing that the people of Isreal believed, that you are really not dead until after three days; so, Jesus timed His arrival to Lazarus' tomb for the fourth day. We know this because Martha said to Jesus when He asked them to roll the stone away, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible?" (John 11:39) 

 That is not all, but it has also been said, that when Jesus shouted out, "Lazarus, come out!" that He had to say the name, "Lazarus," or everyone else in their graves would have woken up and came out of their graves! Without a doubt, I am certain the God can do whatever He wants to do, even though we don't know that He is doing it; even if we don't know that it is Him who is doing it! 

 Much like the blind man that was born blind; which by the way, Jesus used His hands to heal him of his blindness; much like He made the very first man, from the dirt of the ground, in the garden...

"As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. "Rabbi," his disciples asked him, "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parent's sins?" "It was not because of his sins or his parent's sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen to him. We must quickly carry out tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world." Then he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. He told him, "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "sent"). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!" (John 9:1-7 NLT)  

"Something More!" - Too

 "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29 KJV)

  ""Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!"" (Isaiah 65:17-18a NLT) 

 There was something more that I wanted to share, something that I have shared before, which was the first thing that Jesus did to demonstrate His power, without even really lifting a finger, but just by speaking out. It was when He changed the water into wine, not because He wanted to do it, but because His mother asked Him to do something, because they had run out of wine. 

 We might think was something simple, something like when Moses dipped his rod into the river, turning the water into blood; but this real wine that Jesus made, it was not just grape juice; this was fermented wine, that was not only alcoholic, but aged and the best wine that was made! It was real good wine; so much so, the master of ceremonies, who tasted the wine said, "A host always serves the best wine first. Then when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!"

 I am saying this because Jesus created the heavens and the earth, in much the same way; without using His hands, but simple with His commands! And, without a doubt, I believe that everything He made was not a thing that needed to mature into something, but it was made fully grown and already aged. Which is something that many can't understand; trying to base, what looks like things that needed billions of years to form; when they were actually already created in that condition! 

 They say that the sun is getting smaller, as it consumes itself more and more. If that is true, which I do believe it is, then if the earth is billions of years old, then it would have been consumed by the sun before it started. Sometimes I think they don't want to believe, only because they don't want to know or believe about God; otherwise, they might actually have make the connection.

 There was a thing that happened when Jesus had returned to Capernaum, and is asked to do something from a Roman officer, that goes well with this, something more...

""Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain." Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." But the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I need only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this,' they do it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world - from east, and west - and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites - those for whom the Kingdom was prepared - will be thrown in utter darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go back home. Because you believe, it has happened." And the young servant was healed that same hour." (Matthew 8:6-13 NLT) 

"Something More!"

 "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29 KJV)

  "The LORD is King! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad. Dark clouds surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes. His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth." (PSALM 97:1-5 NLT)

 Okay, this might not be good and beautiful to some, but there really is more to this than a consuming fire that burns everything up. Although Peter does say, "On that day, he will set the heavens om fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames." (2 Peter 3:12b NLT)

 Yesterday I was listening to Pastor Jack, as he was illustrating the position of Christ Jesus in the Trinity of God. As he was describing the role of Christ, I couldn't help but remember the day that I was saved, and how I remembered that Preacher saying, "Our Creator is Jesus Christ!" As Jack put it, "Jesus was the Contractor that put everything together; and He did it for Himself!" 

 It took me a moment to think about that, the thing about, "for Himself." But I did remember a verse in the Bible that confirmed that very same thing. As I pondering what I had heard, I remembered another message I heard Sunday on my way to church, which was given by a Jewish Rabi, about the verse in Genesis that say, "Let us make man our image," as he was showing the plurality of God.

 With that, I must retreat from this message, as today I have very little time to go any further. But there is something more I want to say, that might make me look like a fool: I believe that this little trinket was something that Mark added into the conversation...

"Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry." (2 Timothy 4:11 NLT)  

"Wherefore!" -To

 "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:" (Hebrews 12:28 KJV)

  "For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:21 NLT

 Whether you like it or not, will all have our own cross to bear; we will all have trials and times when we are tested, not because we are doing wrong, but because He wants us to trust Him more! If you doubt what I am saying, then you need to read Genesis 22:1-18, as God tested Abraham. Talk about doing something that you don't really want to do, yet preparing to do it anyway, just because you trust God and know that He knows what He is doing; even if it doesn't make any sense! 

 By the way, we see this on a completely bigger picture, in the death of Christ Jesus; not that the Father was testing Him, because it wasn't about a test, it was what He came for, to fulfill the work was that meant to be done; that which was planned from the very beginning, even before the earth was created! How it compares is the way other people see it, having it all make sense, not because He was killed, but because of His resurrection! 

 That sign He told the Jewish Leaders, He would show them, a sign of Jonah in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights; which was shown to them when He rose from the grave, after three and three nights, just as He said that He would! That was the main topic of Pastor Bryan's message on 1 Corinthians 15, last night: "Without the resurrection, this would all be meaningless!"

 Hopefully you get the message, because there is always a good side, because God is always good! By the way, most likely Abraham also believed in the resurrection of the dead...

"Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded for our benefit too, assuring us that God will count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God." (Romans 4:20-25 NLT) 

"Wherefore!"

  "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:" (Hebrews 12:28 KJV)

  "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son." (Ephesians 1:3-6 NLT) 

 When I think about some of those who I hope to see in Heaven, it gives me peace in my heart for the day that is quickly approaching; whether it is by His soon return, or by soon passing, I am looking forward to the fellowship that is going to take place in Heaven! If we truly believe that Heaven is our home, then we need to be looking forward to being there, because that is our greatest hope!

 There is a word in this verse that has me wanting to know what it actually means: "acceptably." This word is shown to only be in this verse, which is an adverb meaning, "quite agreeably." That might not seem as though it is all that and more; but it probably the most important thing we need to do: Agree with God, no matter what! 

 There are certain things that we might go through, thinking that whatever is going on, that God's not doing what we want or asking for Him to do; which really causes many to feel discouragement or think that God doesn't care. Whatever it is that has us feeling that way, we need to change the direction that we are looking for, accepting what God wants to do or not do.

 Either HE is GOD, or He is not; that is something we need to make real in our own hearts...

"The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand." (PSALM 37:23-24 NLT)  

"Things Which Cannot be Shaken" - 2

  "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 12:27 KJV)

  "All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life." (1 John 5:10-12 NLT)

 It might seem too simple to some, but this is about the easiest way to try and understand, regardless of any other thing that might be wrong in our lives: If we believe in Christ Jesus, and if we know that He died on that cross for our sins, and that He rose from the dead, and has given us eternal life in Him; we are saved! That is pretty simple, but we sometimes forget what we have been saved for and from!

 Most of those who are listed in the Hall of Faith, if not all, had some kind of issue that caused them to sin. As the Bible clearly says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"; but that is way Jesus came, was to pay the penalty for our sins, and to give us eternal life in Him. If there was one thing that cannot be removed, it is the gift of Salvation that we have been given! 

 Yes, we are still broken and have times when we make mistakes; some of those mistakes we make are actually planned out, which makes them sins that are harder to forget; but regardless, we have grace that gives us something that we do not deserve, which cannot be shaken... 

"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." (1 Corinthians 15:54-58 NLT) 

"Things Which Cannot be Shaken"

 "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 12:27 KJV)

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

 More than once or twice I have shared a few things that I believe with my whole heart; only to be told that I don't know what I'm talking about. That really doesn't bother me, in the least; because these things are etched into my heart, and I believe God has shown them to me them for a reason. I have had various times when there has been confirmation to what I believe; but I keep it to myself and just thank God for showing me, and to keep it buried in my heart. 

 This is not about those few things, because they are things which are temporary and only matter in the presence. The things that really matter will be the things that remain, and are in the eternal, with God, forever and ever...

"Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fulness 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." (Colossians 1:18-20 NLT) 

"Shaking Things Up"

 "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." (Hebrews 12:26 KJV)

  "Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say."" (John 12:44-50 NLT)

 If you are wondering what I meant about having an excuse to trust God, it is really not that difficult to understand what it means. We easily have an excuse to not trust, because might fear what will happen; but we have an excuse to obey, because we know what He tells us to do leads to eternal life! 

 I shared this little joke, once or twice before, but I think it explains what I am saying: 'There was a man who was walking along the side of a cliff, who happened to fall off the edge. On his way down he was able to grab hold of a root that was hanging out of the side of the cliff; saving himself from falling to his death. However, he had no other way to get up the cliff, so he began crying out for someone to help. He cried out, "Is anybody up their?" and a voice said, "I am here." So, he answered back, "Can you help me?" and the voice said, "Yes I can." So, he answered back again, "Will you help me?" and voice said, "Yes I will." And the man cried out, "What do you want me to do?" and the voice said, "Let go of the root!" 

 I know that might seem a little bit off topic, but it makes more sense if think of it as challenges we are given, comparing them to the power of an Almighty God; who actually loves us and wants the very best for us; as He has proved it...

 ""For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."" (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT) 

"Making Excuses" - Two

  "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:" (Hebrews 12:15 KJV)

  "I lie in the dust; revive me by your word. I told you my plans, and you answered. Now teach me your decrees. Help me to understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word. Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. I cling to your laws. LORD, don't let me be put to shame! I will pursue your commands, for you expanded my understanding." (PSALM 119:25-32 NLT)

 I know that there are things in my life that I do, that I might hide behind some kind of excuse, as if it isn't really wrong, or that because I don't feel convicted, it really doesn't matter to God. When it comes to the point of listening to God, sometimes we just pay attention to the things are willing to do; ignoring the ones that we don't want to do, as if they don't matter. 

 Yesterday I was listening to a message which caused me to think about the way we sometimes can neglect to listen, not because we don't want to do what we are told to do, but because we might not know what will happen, or how it might turn out. There is this thing called, Trust, which is something that makes our minds spin in several directions, as we think of the plan, we don't even understand.  

 If there was some kind of way to make sense of it all, the simple way is to stay in His Word, asking Him to show us His instructions, and then follow them! It might not seem easy, because, truth be told, it is not! But as crazy as it might sound, His instructions are simple; they are not complex or too hard to understand, because He knows everything about us and what we are capable of doing! 

 If you really think about the things that could be possible, then you might have an excuse to trust Him more...

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT) 

"Making Excuses"

 "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:" (Hebrews 12:25 KJV) 

  "When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called out to the man, "Where are you?" He replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked." "Who told you that you were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?" The man replied, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it." Then the LORD God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."" (Genesis 3:8-13 NLT)

 If there was any other way, making excuses are what we are born to do; it's almost as if they are a part of our DNA! Adam and Eve did it, and it was passed down to us! It is what we do; sometimes without even realizing that we do, we just feel like we deserve to do whatever, without even counting the cost. 

 This is just something that I referenced in the meaning of the word, "Refuse," which is shown in the verse we are looking at today. It really makes better sense if we have an excuse, so we think; because there is one very important item we forget about: God knows your heart! 

 When we sometimes feel as though God is telling us something that might need to be changed in our lives, we sometimes will avoid it being about us and think it is someone else. If that isn't an excuse, then I don't know else you can call it; because an excuse is taking the blame off you and putting it on someone else!

 Maybe it is just me; but sometimes when I hear a message in church that might cause me to feel guilty, it really doesn't hurt when I make it about someone else...

"So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." "David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity."" (2 Samuel 121-6 NLT) 

"The Unshaken Kingdom"

  "Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

  "Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire." (Hebrews 12:25-29 NLT)

 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not on the Father, but of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17 KJV)

 Now that I have gone through several things that I truly don't fully understand, it comes to the things that are too mighty to even think about. When we open the Bible to the first verse, Genesis 1:1, we given the opportunity to begin believing something that is amazingly hard to comprehend: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." 

 As I have told you several times, this rocked my world the day that I was told that Jesus was the One that created the heaven and the earth! Not only was it told to me, but there were several Scriptures that were presented that verified it was so! You really must understand, I was raised not knowing who Jesus really was; so you can only imagine my shock and awe, when this was told to me; and to make things shake me even more: in my mind, I actually saw Jesus on the cross, while I was thinking about my Creator giving up His life for me...

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And all things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3 KJV)   

"Better Things!" - Two

 "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Hebrews 12:24 KJV)

  "All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's path to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands." (Isaiah 53:6-10 NLT)

 There are several things that don't make sense in this illustration of that which was to come; as it is, on the day that all of this happened, most everyone there who witnessed His crucifixion, had no clue what it was all about or what was about to take place. The Jewish Leaders mocked Him; only John was at the foot of the cross, all of His other disciples were far away; and when the time had come for Him to die, the Roman soldiers that were there, acknowledged who He really was: "The Son of God!" 

 Having been following the Lord for all these years, I have witnessed several things that didn't make any sense; yet God's way of doing things are never our ways! The real purpose in just about every single person's complex situation, is for God to make all things new; which is what He does! Even if it might not seem to be happening, there is always way, if that is, we have the ability to surrender...

"Jesus replied, "Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me."" (John 12:23-26 NLT) 

"Better Things!"

 "And to Jesus the mediator on the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Able." (Hebrews 12:24 KJV)

  "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 4:6-7 NLT)

 There are some things that might not make any sense, even though we might have to do them anyways, it is just the way God works; mostly because, if we can do it ourselves, then He won't! Hopefully you can understand what I am talking about, because when we feal as though God wants us to do something, that might not make any sense, we will be sure to have a lot of people that will say, 'Don't!' 

 Paul is a good example of that, as he was told that he needed to go to Jerusalem, even though there were several people that wanted to kill him; he felt that God's way was the best, no matter what. As things where, it was God's plan to have him go to Rome, which was the hub of wheel, if you will; as the saying goes, "All roads lead to Rome." 

 Another thing that makes perfect sense, is that God's way is the only way; even if it looks like it does not work, it still works! If there was something that might make someone say, "That doesn't make sense," that might be the thing that makes people wonder, "How can that be?" 

 Looking at some of things Jesus did, the greatest was His death on the cross; as those who watched His death seemed overwhelmed, all of His followers were scared and totally heart broken. You can only imagine what they were going through and how they felt that it didn't make any sense! 

 Tonight I will be reading Isaiah 53 to my wife, which is the chapter that Isaiah describes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 52 was last night, which actually opens up to some of the details of what would happen in the last three verses...

"See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about." (Isaiah 52:13-15 NLT)      

"Written in Heaven!" - Too

 "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect," (Hebrews 12:23 KJV)

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

 On another note, hope is always something that we must keep alive in our hearts; it is not just a thing that we think about, as if it might happen, hopping it will be true: it is the truth, therefore it is not a matter of if, but it is the matter of when! When will this happen and give me the strength to endure!

 As most of you should know, I started this blog sharing about God's will, verses His perfect will; as if there was something that was a maybe involved in the things that might happen. Having said that, we really must understand something that is really hard to wrap our heads around: things might be maybes for us, as we don't really have a clue what God will or will not do; but God has no maybes in His plans and purposes! 

 With that, I will rest my case, saying that we must have faith and believe that we have been chosen, that He has chosen us to be with Him, and this is real, every bit of it, both the good and the bad; which will all one day be no more! We really must remember that this is not our true home anymore, that we are just pilgrim's waiting to go home...

"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 all his glory." (Colossians 3:1-4 NLT)  

"Written in Heaven!"

 "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect," (Hebrews 12:23 KJV)

  "The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam - that is Christ - is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man." (1 Corinthians 15:45-49 NLT)

 If you had a chance to read my post yesterday morning, early enough, then you might have witnessed a very strange paragraph that somehow has weird words with symbols and characters that made no sense, whatsoever. There was something going on that I can't explain, but I deleted that paragraph and upgraded the post. Every once in a while, I have strange things that happen while I am typing; which could just be my fault, so I won't make much more talk about it.

 The title of this post today involves something that I truly believe, with all my heart. It is something that I have understood almost less than a month after I was saved, back in 1981. I might have shared this before, but it is something that I believe is truth, so I will share it again. 

 On that day that I was born again, two very important things took place in my life: the first of which, was that I became a new creature! What that means, is that I was no longer the same, I had been changed in a moment; almost as if I felt like a massive weight had been taken off of me. Even though I was living in a Correctional Facility, I felt totally free! 

 I began to fellowship with other believers; having Bible Studies and praying with one another; going to church services whenever they might have taken place; I tried hard not to miss a single one. This was something I never quit, because I was filled with joy and had a peace I just couldn't explain. 

 Not more than couple weeks after my salvation, I had the duty of cleaning up the dorm; which was just a draw, not something I did all the time. As I was cleaning, I found this magazine behind one of the bunks, and I started looking at the pictures. That's all I will say about that; but I felt as though I had lost something and suddenly felt totally ashamed. 

 Then I found something out, that I have never forgotten! We all are vulnerable to sin, even though we have been changed, we still have to fight the beast and depend upon the Holy Spirit to help us! But when we do mess up, if we confess our sins, He is always faithful to forgive us! 

 Secondly, and most importantly! Our names are already written in Heaven! This is by far the most important thing we need to remember, no matter how hard things get, or how far you fall, your address in Heaven never changes! I heard this message from a dear saint, who has passed, that the Prodigal Son that Jesus spoke about in a parable, never lost his address; even though he lost his way, he was always able to go home...

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

"Deep Respect!" - To

"But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels," (Hebrews 12:22 KJV)

  "Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?"" (Matthew 16:15 NLT) 

 Most of us know this question that Jesus asked His disciples, and what brought it on, as He asked the question regarding Himself, using the name that He made for Himself: "The Son of Man". When we read the Book of Ezekiel, this is what the LORD kept calling Ezekiel, many times He would ask or tell him things, showing him the heart of His people, and His great power to know everything! 

 When Jesus had crossed the lake, after having answered the demand from the Pharisees, "Show us a sign!", He gave them a sign that they needed to figure out on their own, saying, "Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah."" 

 Having been raised as a child in the religion that didn't believe that Jesus was God, most of the times there were comments from people that said He was God, really didn't make much difference, as the Bible that I had said He "was a god". Which pretty much meant, a lesser god; meaning He lacked all authority! 

 Anywho, when they had crossed the lake, the disciples discovered that they had forgotten to bring bread; and Jesus said, "Watch out!" Jesus warned them. "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then the disciples argued with each other because they didn't bring bread; but He knew what they were thinking. 

 This is not really about bread; and it isn't really about a miraculous sign; this is about GOD! When we really begin to understand that God is, Father, Son, and Spirit, then we can truly understand why Jesus came and hung on the cross to pay the price for our sins! Only a perfect sacrifice could do that; and only God is perfect! 

 Besides that, God is eternal, meaning that He cannot die! To those that cannot figure it out, the only way that God could die, (if that is what was needed, and it was,) was for God to be born on the earth as a man. Thus, Jesus called Himself, the Son of Man; not because He had an earthly father, because He did not; but the woman was made from man...

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

"Deep Respect!"

 "But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels," (Hebrews 12:22 KJV)

  "Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God's mercy. For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!" (Romans 11:28-33 NLT)

 Now, about that thing about fear of God; it is not that we are afraid of Him, because we know how much He loves us; and because He loves us, we know that He is for us; meaning that He wants us to make it through this journey, so that we will be united with Him, once all of this is over! There are some things that are hard to understand, mostly because His ways are sometimes too complex, they just cannot be figured out; and if we try, we will only be more confused, by the time we think we know the answer! 

 This thing about fear, is not something dreadful or a bad thing, but something that gives us reverence, awe, and respect, for the One who Created us...

"For who can know the LORD'S thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever. Amen." (Romans 11:34-36 NLT)