Will There Be A Pre-tribulation Rapture?

     Many churches today are teaching a pre-tribulation rapture. Corrie Ten Boom was a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and she wrote a letter to warn Christians about about this false teaching that has no scriptural basis for it. The Lord promised to keep His children from the wrath (judgement) of God, but He tells us in this world there will be tribulation which is entirely different from wrath. God never promises we will be protected from persecution. Jesus said in John 15:20  If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well. The Rapture must come before the wrath of God is poured out, but not before then. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 24:21For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. 22And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Jesus says there will not be another tribulation after the great tribulation.

I feel the need to share Corrie Ten Boom’s letter while there is still time to help warn people. The pre-tribulation rapture is a dangerous teaching that could lead believers astray and cause them to abandon their faith when great persecution falls upon them.  It is important that we study the scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to show us the truth.

 

 

(This is from a letter Corrie Ten Boom wrote in 1974)

 

“The world is deathly ill. It is dying. The Great Physician has already signed the death certificate. Yet there is still a great work for Christians to do. They are to be streams of living water, channels of mercy to those who are still in the world. It is possible for them to do this because they are overcomers.

 

Christians are ambassadors for Christ. They are representatives from Heaven to this dying world. And because of our presence here, things will change.

 

My sister, Betsy, and I were in the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbruck because we committed the crime of loving Jews. Seven hundred of us from Holland, France, Russia, Poland and Belgium were herded into a room built for two hundred. As far as I knew, Betsy and I were the only two representatives of Heaven in that room.

 

We may have been the Lord’s only representatives in that place of hatred, yet because of our presence there, things changed. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John16:33 We too, are to be overcomers – bringing the light of Jesus into a world filled with darkness and hate.

 

Sometimes I get frightened as I read the Bible, and as I look in this world and see all of the tribulation and persecution promised by the Bible coming true. Now I can tell you, though, if you too are afraid, that I have just read the last pages. I can now come to shouting “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” for I have found where it is written that Jesus said,

 

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things:

and I will be His God,

and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:7

 

This is the future and hope of this world. Not that the world will survive – but that we shall be overcomers in the midst of a dying world.

 

Betsy and I, in the concentration camp, prayed that God would heal Betsy who was so weak and sick.

“Yes, the Lord will heal me,”, Betsy said with confidence.

She died the next day and I could not understand it. They laid her thin body on the concrete floor along with all the other corpses of the women who died that day.

 

It was hard for me to understand, to believe that God had a purpose for all that. Yet because of Betsy’s death, today I am traveling all over the world telling people about Jesus.

 

There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days. Most of them have little knowledge of what is already going on across the world. I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution.

 

In China, the Christians were told, “Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated – raptured.” Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly,

 

“We have failed.

We should have made the people strong for persecution,

rather than telling them Jesus would come first.

Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution,

how to stand when the tribulation comes,

– to stand and not faint.”

 

I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it.

We are next.

 

Since I have already gone through prison for Jesus’ sake, and since I met the Bishop in China, now every time I read a good Bible text I think, “Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation.” Then I write it down and learn it by heart.

 

When I was in the concentration camp, a camp where only twenty percent of the women came out alive, we tried to cheer each other up by saying, “Nothing could be any worse than today.” But we would find the next day was even worse. During this time a Bible verse that I had committed to memory gave me great hope and joy.

 

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glory God in this name.”

I Peter 3:14-15

 

I found myself saying, “Hallelujah!

Because I am suffering (for the name of Christ), Jesus is glorified!”

 

In America, the churches sing, “Let the congregation escape tribulation”, but in China and Africa the tribulation has already arrived. This last year alone more than two hundred thousand Christians were martyred in Africa. Now things like that never get into the newspapers because they cause bad political relations. But I know. I have been there. We need to think about that when we sit down in our nice houses with our nice clothes to eat our steak dinners. Many, many members of the Body of Christ are being tortured to death at this very moment, yet we continue right on as though we are all going to escape the tribulation.

 

Several years ago I was in Africa in a nation where a new government had come into power. The first night I was there some of the Christians were commanded to come to the police station to register. When they arrived they were arrested and that same night they were executed. The next day the same thing happened with other Christians. The third day it was the same. All the Christians in the district were being systematically murdered.

 

The fourth day I was to speak in a little church. The people came, but they were filled with fear and tension. All during the service they were looking at each other, their eyes asking, “Will this one I am sitting beside be the next one killed? Will I be the next one?”

 

The room was hot and stuffy with insects that came through the screenless windows and swirled around the naked bulbs over the bare wooden benches. I told them a story out of my childhood.

 

“When I was a little girl, ” I said, “I went to my father and said,

“Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ.”

“Tell me,” said Father,

“When you take a train trip to Amsterdam,

when do I give you the money for the ticket?

Three weeks before?”

 

“No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train.”

 

“That is right,” my father said, “and so it is with God’s strength.

Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ.

He will supply all you need – just in time…”

 

My African friends were nodding and smiling.

Suddenly a spirit of joy descended upon that church and the people began singing,

 

” In the sweet, by and by,

we shall meet on that beautiful shore.”

 

Later that week, half the congregation of that church was executed.

I heard later that the other half was killed some months ago.

 

But I must tell you something. I was so happy that the Lord used me to encourage these people, for unlike many of their leaders, I had the word of God. I had been to the Bible and discovered that Jesus said He had not only overcome the world, but to all those who remained faithful to the end, He would give a crown of life.

 

How can we get ready for the persecution?

 

First we need to feed on the Word of God, digest it, make it a part of our being. This will mean disciplined Bible study each day as we not only memorize long passages of scripture, but put the principles to work in our lives.

 

Next we need to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just the Jesus of yesterday, the Jesus of History,

but the life-changing Jesus of today who is still alive

and sitting at the right hand of God.

 

We must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is no optional command of the Bible, it is absolutely necessary. Those earthly disciples could never have stood up under the persecution of the Jews and Romans had they not waited for Pentecost. Each of us needs our own personal Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We will never be able to stand in the tribulation without it.

 

In the coming persecution we must be ready to help each other and encourage each other.

But we must not wait until the tribulation comes before starting.

The fruit of the Spirit should be the dominant force of every Christian’s life.

 

Many are fearful of the coming tribulation, they want to run. I, too, am a little bit afraid when I think that after all my eighty years, including the horrible Nazi concentration camp, that I might have to go through the tribulation also.

But then I read the Bible and I am glad.

 

When I am weak, then I shall be strong, the Bible says. Betsy and I were prisoners for the Lord, we were so weak, but we got power because the Holy Spirit was on us. That mighty inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit helped us through. No, you will not be strong in yourself when the tribulation comes. Rather, you will be strong in the power of Him who will not forsake you. For seventy-six years I have known the Lord Jesus and not once has He ever left me, or let me down.

 

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”, (Job 13:15)

 

for I know that to all who overcome,

He shall give the crown of life.

Hallelujah!”

 

– Corrie Ten Boom – 1974

 

Jesus said in Matthew 10:22And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. Matthew 10:32“Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 38And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.

Matthew 16:25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 24:13But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. 14This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 10:22

• 

Jesus~Yeshua said: “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Matthew 10:22 #LordJesusSaves

God Answers Our Prayers~Does It Matter What Name We Give our Child?

~God Answers Our Prayers ~

Does It Matter What Name We Give Our Child?

On April 1, 2009, I called an old friend of mine to wish her a Happy Birthday. Our conversation turned to my daughter. She wanted to know the name my daughter was going to give her baby girl. I told her Mali. Now my friend is an English major and she felt the need to warn me about that name. In the English language, “Mal” always means bad or evil. It is never good…The root word “Mal” as in malice, malicious, malpractice, malady, malaria, and malcontent are all bad. She felt it was important to let my daughter know this before giving her baby that name. After getting off the phone I went and told her we have a problem. Mali’s name is bad!!!! I was upset over it and she goes MOM no. I said names are important, the Lord gave names and they had meanings. It is important we give her a name pleasing to the Lord. Then my daughter said let’s look and see what “Mal” means in Hebrew or Greek. Well, in Hebrew we found the name Malachi and he was a prophet of God so “Mal” was not bad in Hebrew. Then we checked the Greek and Mal in the Greek means Beloved. Well at this point we are feeling much better about the name Mali. I then realized Satan was trying to deceive me. Well, today April 3, 2009, I took my daughter so she could get some nursing bras for when Mali gets here. We went to Kohl’s Department Store for them. We asked the sales lady if they had nursing bras and she said she was sorry but that was one of the items that they do not carry. But she said since we made the trip to the store she wanted to give us something!!!! She handed my daughter and I these little vials of Cologne. To our surprise, they were called Beloved only sold at Kohles. We both looked at one another and knew this was the Lord letting us know Mali was the name he wanted her to name her baby!!!! Mal or Mali means “Beloved” in GREEK!!!! The Lord is so amazing in the way he answers our prayers. We both knew it was the Lord verifying his will for her to give her that name.

Here is a link that shows the GREEK:

Mal Or Mali in the GREEK Means BELOVED

https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names-mal-64585.htm?

 

The sales lady handed my daughter the green one and me the pink one. The funny thing is before all this happened we went to eat at a Tai restaurant with my husband and we were telling him about what my friend told me about the name Mali. And we told him how we learned it meant Beloved in the GREEK because My daughter wanted to use the language the Bible had been written in!!! In Thai, the name Mali means Flower and the “Beloved” cologne is the scent of fresh flowers!!!

The moral of this story is when we turn to the Lord for answers he will not fail us. He will show us the truth!!!!

The Lord gave us a wonderful story to share with Mali someday and write about it in her Baby Book. She will know the Lord had a big part in helping her MOM choose her name!!!!

God Bless All of You!

 

Greek
Meaning: Beloved

Mal – (Hebrew) Messenger of God ~ angel

מלי

Breaking Strongholds

“Caterpillars to Butterflies” by Evelyn Diment

I learned “Caterpillars to Butterflies” by Evelyn Diment was a book to help those who suffer from past hurts, bondages, and addictions. I knew the Holy Spirit lead me to find this little book and helped me to understand how we are fighting a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
When one is set free from bondage, filled with the word of God and the Holy Spirit, it is easy to overcome temptations.
I pray sharing this will help others to overcome Satan’s strongholds.

Step 1: Pray this…

“Holy Spirit, please take over as counselor at this time and within these prayers. I am fully submitted to you.”

Step 2: Cleanse yourself before Jesus and repent. Meditate on 1st John 1:9.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Ask the Holy Spirit for understanding. Repeat this verse over and over until you have a clear understanding.

Step 3: Bind  Satan.

Matthew 16:18 and 19
(18) And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
(19) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 18:18
“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Pray this…

“In the name of Jesus, who has given me authority to use His name, I bind Satan and the principalities and powers of darkness. I bind and cast down spiritual wickedness in heavenly places and render them harmless and ineffective against me and anyone I minister to today. I break the power of all assignments against us, making them null and void. I take authority over all evil spirits and render them deaf, dumb, blind, and unable to manifest in any form or manipulate the person they are in. I paralyze them forbidding them to speak or tear the person; neither will they transfer onto me or anyone else. I command them to go directly to dark dry places and stay there in the name of Jesus. I command them to come out quietly in the form of yawns or breathing out.”

“I now ask you, Holy Spirit, to whom I am submitted, to take over as counselor, healer, and deliverer, laying aside my flesh and any preconceived ideas, in Jesus Name.”

Always do steps 1, 2, and 3 before praying any prayers on this blog, especially if praying for others.

 Step 4: Forgiveness.

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:25-26

 Pray the Lord’s Prayer forgiving those who trespass against you, so you may walk in the right standings with God.

“Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

‘Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

‘Give us this day our daily bread.

‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13

Read this prayer out loud:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ Name, asking you to forgive me for holding grudges. I am sorry for the way I have acted and I rededicate my life to you today, Lord Jesus.

I ask you to come into my heart afresh today. Please forgive me for not living for you as I should have. I receive you afresh as my Savior, Healer, and Deliverer. I crown you king and Lord over every part of my life. I will live for You to the best of my ability from now on. Thank You for Your love and mercy. I renounce Satan and his demons; they no longer have a hold on me. I am under the blood of Jesus— MY LORD AND SAVIOR.

Today I choose to release the people on this list, not because I “feel” forgiveness or because they are right, but because I choose to be obedient to you, Father. I realize your ways are higher than my ways, and today I release them from my hurt, my disappointment, my resentment, my anger, my hate, my unforgiveness, and my bitterness, especially my parents and family, or anyone that I have made bitter-root judgments against. I release them from my judgment and plow up the ground where the bad seeds were sown, turn under those bitter roots, and plant new seeds of love, acceptance, and forgiveness

I thank You that I can bind Satan and break the hold he had on me in regard to this matter and break his power over my life. I make null and void all things I’ve reaped from the past. I bind him according to Matthew 18:18, I know what I bind on earth is bound in heaven, and I command him to leave, in the Mighty Name of Jesus! Do not return. and now I loose the spirit of agape love and the compassion of Jesus as Spirit of Truth in my life to set me FREE!!!

Thank you, Lord. I will no longer reap from those bitter roots that I sowed. Please have those I have hurt release me also, Lord. I however, if you have anyone you specifically want me to contact, I will do it. Just bring them to my remembrance when I leave here today and I will either call, write, or go see them. Tear up the paper and put it in the wastebasket. Cup your hands in front of you and say to the Lord:

Lord Jesus, here are the people I have hurt and the ones who have hurt me. I release them to you. I pray for those who have despitefully used me. I pray for my enemies as you have commanded and ask You to bless them and save them in Your precious Name. You say to cast my cares upon You because You care for me. Thank You, Lord. These people are no longer my problem; they are Yours! (Throw up hands to God and let them go!) Thank You Lord, for setting me free. Please heal me of my hurts in regard to these people. Please change my heart about them as only you can do!

Father God, I now release You of the things I have held against You. I’ve been wrong and I’m sorry. I know you are a loving, caring Father, and I am grateful for Your forgiveness. Because You have forgiven and released me. I can and do forgive myself! Hallelujah!”

Step 5: Rebuking evil and Healing prayers.

Prayer for Spiritual Housecleaning:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ name, recognizing you as my Lord, Savior, Healer, and Deliverer. You know all my problems—all the things that bind, torment, defile and harass me. Today I refuse to accept anything more from Satan, and I loose myself from every dark spirit, from every evil influence, from every satanic bondage, and from every spirit in me that is not the Spirit of God. I bind all these spirits up according to Matthew 18:18 where it says that whatever I bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever I loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

I ask you, Father, to forgive me for allowing these spirits to manifest in my life and to use my body for their home. I purpose in my heart to serve you from now on.

Satan, I rebuke you and all your evil spirits. I renounce any occult activities I’ve been involved in and renounce these strongmen and curse their fruit in me as Jesus did the fig tree. Right now I bind up and command these strongmen and their fruit to go directly to dark, dry places and stay there in Jesus’ Name. Jesus has given me authority to use His name, which is above all names.

• I now command the spirit of divination
• Familiar spirits
• Spirit of jealousy, anger, and unforgiveness
• Lying spirit, guilt, self-condemnation
• Perverse and unclean spirits – pornography and lust, homosexuality, fornication, and adultery
• Spirit of homosexuality, gay, and lesbian lifestyle
• Spirit of haughtiness (pride)
• Spirit of heaviness, depression, and oppression
• Spirit of whoredoms – gluttony
• Spirit of infirmity, sickness, and disease
• Dumb and deaf spirit
• Spirit of bondage (especially addiction to drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes)
• Spirit of witchcraft and rebellion
• Spirit of lethargy
• Controlling spirits, judgmental critical spirits
• Spirit of fear, anxiety, tormenting driving spirits
• Seducing spirits
• Spirit of antichrist
• Spirit of error
• Spirit of confusion
• Spirit of death (self-destruction) and all their fruit to GO.”

Take a deep breath and say, GO…GO…GO!

 Prayer for Healing:

 “In Jesus’ name, I now call these spirits to come in and fill me to overflowing with God and His love. I loose upon myself the Holy Spirit and all His gifts:

• The Love of God
• The spirit of Truth to set me free
• Power, love, and a sound mind
• A good and excellent spirit
• The spirit of purity
• A humble and contrite spirit
• The spirit of holiness
• the joy of the Lord
• the garment of praise
• The oil of gladness
• The comforter
• The gifts of healing and miracles, for by His stripes i am healed
• The spirit of adoption
• God’s wisdom, knowledge, and understanding
• The Spirit of life, for no weapon formed against me will prosper

What I have loosed on earth is loosed in heaven, and I call my body into chemical balance. Thank You, Lord. *(There will be no withdrawals or D.T’s; it will be as if I never drank or used.) I speak to my thyroid and command it to function properly. I speak wholeness to my metabolism and my hormone balance. I command my immune system to function properly and my white cells to rise up and defeat sickness in my body and mind today.

In the Name of Jesus, I command the pituitary gland to restructure the signals to my body, and for all the organs and glands and tissues to respond and to be restored to the perfect order of God. I thank You, Father, for Your special touch now upon me (or this Brother or Sister, if you are ministering to someone else) at this very moment. In Jesus’ name.”

Now repeat the rest of the prayer out loud:

“Thank you, Father, for setting me free. I confess that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; I am redeemed, cleansed, sanctified, justified, healed, and delivered by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, Satan, from this day forward you have no place in my and no power over me, through the blood of Jesus.”

Step 6: Armor Up! Prayer for protection:

“Lord Jesus, I am strong in You. I am strong in the power of your might. I put on the full armor of God and stand firm against the schemes of the devil. My struggle is not against flesh and blood. In the name of Jesus, I bind Satan and the rulers, and the powers, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. I render them harmless and ineffective against me and my loved ones. I resist you, devil, in the name of Jesus, and I stand firm.

I stand firm, having girded my loins with truth- the truth of God that sets me free. I have on the breastplate of righteousness that covers my body, my heart, and vital organs and shows that I am in right standing with my God! My feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, and I take those feet and tread on serpents and scorpions, for I have all power over you, devil! I take the shield of faith and extinguish every fiery arrow of you, devil!
I take the helmet of salvation and cover my head securely, for I have the mind of Christ. The only Spirit I hear is the Spirit of the living God that lives inside me and speaks to me from within. I take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and pierce through your wicked plans, for it is written all I have to do is submit myself to God, and tell you to flee, and you have to go! So Go! In the name of Almighty Jesus.”

Step 7: Praying Blessings over your life:

“I put the blood of Jesus over me, my family, my home, my ministry, my place of employment, my bank account, my debts, my car, and possessions– all of which belong to God– and I serve notice that your power is broken, devil, over me and mine, in Jesus name. Thank you, Father. Now I can go teach, preach, or minister to whomever you send my way… Praise Jesus… Glory!”

http://www.truthortradition.com/articles/binding-and-loosing
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/sws_spiritual_warfare_strongholds.php

 

How To Do A Prayer With Or Without The Court’s Approval.

I love this story~

My Daily Musing

This one of those true stories that will put a smile on your face.

Reblogged From Inspire 21, Written By Unknown

“God Bless You” Speech

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-three students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.

Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would not pray during the commencements; not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling.

They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine; until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student…

View original post 68 more words

Prayer For Those in Sutherland Springs,TX

Texas experienced the worst mass shooting on Nov 5, 2017 in a small Christian church located in the small town of Sutherland Springs. There were twenty-six victims and many were children.

Prayer
Lord, we pray for all those who have lost friends and loved ones in the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church. May You wipe away their tears and bring comfort to their broken hearts. Lord, we ask for healing of all those injured in body and spirit. May Your name be glorified by the salt and light these beautiful children of God exemplify.
In Jesus All Mighty name, Amen

Sutherland Springs, Texas

This is the video shared on you-tube the week before the shooting. It is heartbreaking, but it shows the Love in the little church. They started off singing “Happiness is the Lord”.

One Week Later
The little church was turned into a beautiful memorial to honor the victims. It was repainted and restored, chairs with roses were placed where each victim was found.

Lord Jesus Saves

Save

Save

A beautiful service was held one week after the fatal shooting. Hundreds of people came, it was the largest they ever had. Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church Pastor Frank Pomeroy led the sermon and said, “Rather than choose darkness … we choose life.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fY821RFCUc&feature=share

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Helpful Christian Sites

Bible Study Tools

Remember to pray and ask the Lord for His Spiritual Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge. Ask for a heart that is pleasing to Him~

 

NASB Audio Bible
Online Parallel Bible
Bible.org
Precept Austin Study Site
Bible Study Tools
Blue Letter Bible
Studylight
Advanced Bible Search
Virtual Library
Sermons By Topic
The Bible Answer Man
Meeting With Christ
Does God Exist?
Talk Jesus Forum
Faith Facts~ Search For The Truth
Porn-free.org
Those Who Have Lost a Loved One to Suicide
FREE BIBLE TRIVIA QUIZZES
Got Questions.org

Apologist Nabeel Qureshi Found Jesus

Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017)

Nabeel Qureshi born in America was a devout Pakistani Muslim who shared his testimony in his first book published in 2014 called “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus”. It became a New York Times best-seller and was awarded the Christian Book Award for both “Best New Author” and “Best Non-Fiction Book” of 2015. In March 2016 his second book was published, “Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward” then five months later his third book came out “No God But One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity.”

I would watch and listen to his videos and I was so inspired by his teachings that I even added a few to a blog called
Is Allah and The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the Same God?

Why Nabeel Qureshi Questioned His Muslim Faith 
http://cbn.com/tv/embedplayer.aspx?bcid=3945528870001

In 2014 Nabeel Qureshi‏ tweeted~ “I left Islam because I studied Muhammad’s life. I accepted the Gospel because I studied Jesus’ life.” #SeekingAllahFindingJesus

Sadly Nabeel passed away on September 16, 2017 after a year-long battle with stomach cancer at the age of 34. He left behind his lovely wife and precious little daughter. His goal was not to condemn but to see Muslims come to faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

This was Nabeel’s final video and he urged Christians not to use the truths he taught about Christianity and Islam as weapons. Nabeel said, “When we talk to people about our beliefs, we should do it through a lens of love,”. I know he is in the loving hands of Jesus and my prayers are with his little daughter, wife, family, and friends. May the Lord continue to use him to touch hearts and share the Lord’s truth.

Love Jesus Saves

What About The Unborn Baby’s Rights?

Updated 2019~ Forty-six years ago January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States. The lives of millions of children have been murdered in the name of pro-choice and women’s rights. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-212) is a United States law that recognizes a fetus in utero as a legal victim if they are injured or killed during the commission of any of over 60 listed federal crimes of violence. Yet it is legal to take the life of an unborn child and call it an abortion. Jane Roe won the case for abortion rights but later she turned to the Lord, and she became an advocate for pro-life. Her real name was Norma McCorvey and she founded her own organization, Roe No More Ministry. Norma passed away on Feb. 18, 2017 at the age of 69. The 6th commandment says thy shall not kill. Proverbs 6 tells us that God hates the hands that shed innocent blood. Isaiah 1:15 “When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood”
God punished Israel for killing innocent Blood. Psalm 106:37-38 “They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood”
In America, we are doing this very thing. Jesus said in John 3:5 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. We know abortion robs the physical birth (born of water), Jesus said one MOST be born of WATER and SPIRIT to enter the Kingdom of God.
So I ask what about the rights of the unborn child who has no voice?

Dear Heavenly Father, we ask You to bless and protect the children who today are in their mothers’ wombs. Save them from the danger of abortion. Give their mothers the grace to sacrifice themselves, in body and soul, for their children. Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image and precious in Your sight. In Jesus Almighty name, Amen.

Psalm 139
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

Abortion Alternative Resource List

If you or someone you know is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, here are some agencies who can help.

Abortion Alternative Alliance
http://www.911babies.com/

Birthright International
http://www.birthright.com/
1-800-550-4900

Lifecall
http://www.lifecall.org/
1-(201) 825-7277

Birthchoice San Marco
http://www.birthchoice.net/

Birthmothers’ Resources
http://www.birthmother.com/

OptionLine
http://www.pregnancycenters.org/
1-800-395-HELP

The Nurturing Network
http://nurturingnetwork.org/

Most of these organizations operate nationwide, and/or can provide you with resources in your area. If you have had an abortion and are suffering from the grief caused by this decision, you are not alone. There is help out there for you. Here are some groups that may be able to provide you with the support you need.

Silent No More
http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/
After Abortion Support
http://afterabortion.com/
Hope After Abortion
http://www.hopeafterabortion.com/
Abortion Hope
http://www.abortionaftermath.org/index.html
Exhale
http://www.4exhale.org/
Post Abortion
http://www.postabortion.org/
Elliot Institute
http://afterabortion.org/

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Pray for Our President and Leaders~

Today is a new day January 20, 2017~ We have our 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump! It is important that we continue to keep him and our leaders in our prayers.

“The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, and debate our disagreements honestly but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.”
President Donald J. Trump
January 20th, 2017

Dear Heavenly Father,
As American citizens, we confess our sinful condition as a nation and pray for forgiveness and mercy. We pray President Donald Trump will turn to You for Your spiritual guidance as he leads our nation in the days to come. Send him advisers that will be a reflection of You and fill him with Your spiritual wisdom and discernment to solve our nation’s problems, our social and economic issues, and our foreign affairs. Hold Trump steadfast as he deals with the hostility of other nations that oppose the freedom this country stands for and our Christian liberty. Lord, capture Trump’s heart so that he will fear You more than man, and lead him to make policies that will bring glory to You. Place a hedge of protection over him and his family with Your full armor Ephesians 6~ the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Lord Jesus, all authority has been established by You, so we pray for our chosen President Donald Trump, and our leaders to implement godly solutions to the difficult problems our nation faces. We pray You will find favor and bless this land. In Jesus Almighty Name, Amen!!!

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:1-6 ( KJV)

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

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Pray For Our Nation~

With the election only a few days away, fasting and prayer are critical for our nation. Pray for our leaders, those running for office, and the people. Without our Lord, there is no hope. On January 30, 1984 Ronald Reagan said “God’s most blessed gift to His family is the gift of life. He sent us the Prince of Peace as a babe in a manger. I’ve said that we must be cautious in claiming God is on our side. I think the real question we must answer is, are we on His side?” In 1983 Reagan wrote ” Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation”, he said we need to join in prayer to bring protection to the unborn. Prayer and action are needed to uphold the sanctity of human life. Reagan alluded to a book written by John Powell called “Abortion: The Silent Holocaust”.

http://www.humanlifereview.com/abortion-and-the-conscience…/

Ronald Reagan speaks about the importance of God in America.

Voting On The Political Platform That Best Represents The Biblical Moral Principles

As a child of God, this election year I will not be voting for a candidate, my vote will be based on the political platform that best represents the moral principles of the bible. Consider the issues on the Supreme Court, abortion, religious liberty, sexual orientation regulations, and weigh in on them. When you look at it from that perspective the choice becomes clear. But remember our relationship with the Lord should be number one, putting Him first at all times. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:8

 Jesus told us the world will hate us!!!

John 15:18-23

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ’A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 “He who hates Me hates My Father also.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. 32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35“For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

“For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

The name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:6

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The Rise and Fall of Nations

This is an awesome message for today with the election around the corner.

The Rise and Fall of Nations

Source: TruthCasting

Pray For America

Dear Heavenly Father,

We pray You will give us a president and leaders who will honor and respect You as the One and Only True God. We ask that You give us government leaders who will pray for Your will, and guidance. Lord, we ask that You pour out Your spirit on this nation to help each of us discern good from evil, not in the eyes of man but through Your spiritual eyes. Lord, we ask that You humble our hearts so we will be a nation filled with gratitude and thankfulness.

In Jesus Almighty Name, Amen

1 Corinthians 2:10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

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I AM

“I AM”
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”

In John 8:58 Jesus tells the Jews “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” After Jesus says he is “I AM” the Jews become angry and try to stone Him.

Then we read in John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” “The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” They clearly understood that Jesus claimed to be God.

The Bible says that Jesus is God in flesh, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . and the word became flesh and dwelt among us,” (John 1:1, 14); and, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,” (Col. 2:9). Jesus, therefore, has two natures. He is both God and man.

Jesus is completely human, but He also has a divine nature.

GOD

He is worshiped (Matt. 2:2, 11; 14:33; 28:9)
He is prayed to (Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 1:2)
He was called God (John 20:28; Heb. 1:8)
He was called Son of God (Mark 1:1)
He is sinless (1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15)
He knew all things (John 21:17)
He gives eternal life (John 10:28; 17:2)
The fullness of deity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9)

Man

He worshiped the Father (John 17)
He prayed to the Father (John 17:1)
He was called man (Mark 15:39; John 19:5).
He was called Son of Man (John 9:35-37)
He was tempted (Matt. 4:1)
He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52)
He died (Rom. 5:8)
He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)

As a man, Jesus needed to pray. When He was praying, he was not praying to Himself but to God the Father.

❤ Lord Jesus Saves❤
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❤ PRAYING BLESSINGS☛ For All OF YOU❤

Kiss The Son

Kiss The Son~
On November 13, 2015 the “Eagles of Death Metal Band” was performing at Paris’ Le Bataclan and during their song “Kiss the Devil” three terrorists opened fire into the crowd of about 1,500. Eighty-nine people were killed in the attack at the venue. It really saddened me to learn the words spoken in that song and then I thought of the words spoken in Psalm 2 where it says we are to “Kiss The Son” and put our trust in HIM. God is Love, but we must remember wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 2

1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

³ Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

⁴ He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

⁵ Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

⁶ Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

⁷ I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

⁸ Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

⁹ Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

¹⁰ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Jay Boyce

Psalm 2:12 says, “Kiss the son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all that put their trust in Him.”

The kiss in scripture is a symbol of various attitudes. In Luke 7:38 it is a sign of true worship. The poor woman who came into the house of Simon and stood behind Jesus did five things: She wept, she washed His feet with her tears, she wiped them with the hairs of her head, she anointed them with the ointment, and… she kissed His feet… The tears and kiss were a sign of true and holy worship. The kiss is also a token of forgiveness. In Luke 15:11-24 the prodigal came back home to his father, and after his confession, received a kiss of forgiveness. The Father kissed the son…

Two contrasting stories… in one, the…

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Bible Verses Deleted

Bible Verses Deleted From The NIV…

The sole purpose of this blog is to bring about awareness

of differences among translations.

7-16-2015  UPDATE!!! Since I first posted this blog!
What I have recently learned concerning these differences, many modern textual scholars believe these verses were not part of the original text of the New Testament. “These scribal additions are often found in late medieval manuscripts of the New Testament, but not in the manuscripts of the earlier centuries. “And because the King James Bible is based on later manuscripts, such verses became part of the Bible tradition in English-speaking lands.
1-21-2018 ANOTHER UPDATE!!! I found this online! The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world. Handwritten well over 1600 years ago, the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek, including the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. After reviewing the text I found many of the verses listed were indeed not part of the original text.  But with that said I found many of the verses are in other areas of the bible.
You can check it out for yourself HERE~
http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscript.aspx

May the Holy Spirit guide each of us to truth!

2 Tim 4:2-5 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Since I first posted this blog I found I was mistaken, many of the verses shared were not included in the earlier writings. I have looked in the Codex Sinaiticus from the 4th century to update this blog.

Matthew 17:21 —  (Update!!! was not part of the original text)

“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting”. (What I found closest to this verse in the Codex Sinaiticus is  Mark 9:29 And he said to them: This kind can come out by nothing but by prayer. Jesus didn’t mention FASTING was needed to cast out evil spirits.).

Matthew 18:11 —  (Update!!! was not part of the original text)

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” (What I found closest to this verse in the Codex Sinaiticus is Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Matthew 23:14 —  (Update!!! it is verse 13 in the original text of the Codex Sinaiticus)

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”

Mark 7:16–(Update!!! was not part of the original text but similar verses were found in Matthew 11:15 He that has ears, let him hear. Also in Lk 14:35 Lk 8:8 Mt 13:9 Mt 13:43 Mk 4:9 Mk 4:23)

“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mark 9:44 — Update!!! was not part of the original text. It was taken from Isaiah 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (I don’t have a way of checking it.)

“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Mark 9:46 — (Update!!! was not part of the original text.)

“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Mark 11:26 — (Update!!! was not part of the original text but a similar verse is found in Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.)

“But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Mark 15:28 —  (Update!!! was not part of the original text but a similar verse is found in Luke 22:37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.”)

“And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.”

Mark 16:9-20 Update!!! was not part of the original text (all 12 verses) — There is a line separating the last 12 verses of Mark from the main text. Right under the line it says: [The two most reliable early manuscripts do not have Mark 16:9-20] (NIV, 1978 ed.)

Luke 17:36 — (Update!!! was not part of the original text) Similar verses in Mt 24:40 Mt 24:41 Lk 17:34 Lk 17:35

“Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”

Luke 23:17 — (Update!!! was not part of the original text)

“(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)”

John 5:4 — Update!!! was not part of the original text  “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”

Acts 8:37 — Update!!! was not part of the original text “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Acts 15:34 —  (Update!!! was not part of the original text) “Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.”

Acts 24:7 — (Update!!! was not part of the original text)

“But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,”

Acts 28:29 —  (Update!!! was not part of the original text)

“And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.”

Romans 16:24 —  Update!!! was not part of the original text but found many more similar verses Rom 16:20 1 Cor 16:23 Gal 6:18 Phil 4:23 1 Thess 5:28 2 Thess 3:18 Philem 1:25 Rev 22:21

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

I John 5:7 — Removed and placed in a footnote. The NIV says, “For there are three that testify:”  “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”(What the Codex Sinaiticus from the 4th century says in 1 John 5:7 For they that testify are three, 8 the Spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are one.)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/5749555/Worlds-oldest-Bible-published-in-full-online.html
 

Jesus Is Love

☞ Jesus said, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. ☜ John 8:12

♥♥♥ Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31 ☝
Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you to thank you for your love and gift of eternal life. We are sinners and we ask for your mercy and grace. Today is 11-11, a reminder to trust You at all times. We ask the Holy Spirit for guidance so we can exalt your almighty name Jesus and give glory to You. We pray we are used to serve your purpose while offering hope and planting seeds to those in need. Lord, you are the hidden treasure of the field, more precious than all the wealth in this world. We pray spiritual eyes will be opened and lives saved.

In Jesus precious name, Amen.

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Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The LORD be magnified!” Psalm 40:16

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 1 John 4:8

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The Cup of Sacrifice

Sacrifice

I had a dream of Jesus sitting at the table and a Cup sat in front of Him. I too was sitting at the same table catty-cornered across from Him. The only thing on the table was the Cup. In the dream, I keep looking at the cup. The Lord showed me the Cup in my dream is the Cup of Sacrifice. As children of God, we too are to drink of this Cup. Sacrifice is giving up our own fleshly desires and being a bondservant for HIM.

It is giving of ourselves for others, laying down our life for Him, and not withholding anything. It means to yield ourselves to His will, plan, and purpose for our lives.

  Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.         (Matthew 6:33)

Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. (Luke 9:23) Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, (Romans 12:1) Do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive. (Romans 6:13)

Jesus is our Lord and He is our Saviour. 

1 Corinthians 15:58 My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Whatєvєr you do, do aℓℓ to the gℓory oƒ God. 1 Cor. 10:31

Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” 24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

http://www.hissheep.org/special/hebrew/the_law_of_the_bondservant.html

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What Happened to Elijah and Enoch?

What happened to Elijah and Enoch? Many believe Elijah and Enoch went straight to Heaven but what did Jesus say?

JESUS said “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. John 3:13

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Compare to what Jesus said in John 8:51“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” Does that mean we will not have physical death? No, we understand the Lord is speaking of spiritual death.

In Hebrews 11:13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
It says all died in faith that includes Enoch.

This is a great article I encourage you to read it ~
“WHERE are ENOCH and ELIJAH?”
http://www.cgom.org/Publications/Booklets/Enoch_Elijah.htm

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Christ in Us

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Jesus living in us. His fruit manifest and His light shines forth as the attributes of the spirit flow out “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

Colossians 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

Colossians 4:2-6 “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving, praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned, that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”

Colossians 1:27 “To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Ephesians 3:14-21 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend through all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 14:6

Those in Christ are sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13-14

 

❤ Lord Jesus Saves ❤
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❤ PRAYING BLESSINGS☛ For All OF YOU ❤

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What is the Perfect in 1 Corinthians 13:10?

1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

In Hebrews 11:1 “ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Romans 8:24-25 “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

Hope and Faith leave when seen, but Love is Eternal!

 

Some teach the perfect in 1 Cor. 13:10 is the “Canon of the scriptures”.
But is that correct?

Look at the Greek meaning for the word perfect, it is an adjective.

Perfect in 1 Cor. 13:10 is the Greek word teleios

1) brought to its end, finished

2) wanting nothing necessary to completeness

3) perfect

4) that which is perfect

a) consummate human integrity and virtue

b) of men

1) full grown, adult, of full age, mature

 

Not to sound dogmatic but I believe the perfect in this verse refers to the children of God coming face to face with the Lord and being transformed into our glorified bodies, where hope and faith are no longer needed because we will see fully and LOVE is perfected in total UNITY.
When will this happen? Lets look at verses:

1 Cor. 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

THE PERFECT summed up~

When we see Jesus face to face we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. He will give us a perfect glorified body that will never perish! There will be perfect Unity, perfect Love, our Bridegroom (Jesus) and the Elect chosen ones (the Bride) living in the New Heaven and New Earth. The Eternal Kingdom of God will be the glorious Eternal Sabbath Rest from all sin and all unrighteousness.  

1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 

Take note* since LOVE endures forever, it is superior to all other gifts. Though as a Child of God I would never put limits on the power of the Holy Spirit working in supernatural ways.

 

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

 

Walking in the Spirit is the reflection of our Lord. The fruit of the Spirit should be as a light in each of us.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,

Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control

God Bless Each and Every One of You!

Lord Jesus Saves †

 

Acts 2:17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says,
‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
And they shall prophesy.

 

God’s Spiritual Wisdom

  Wisdom~Understanding~Knowledge

God’s Spiritual Wisdom And A Heart Pleasing To Him

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 8:11 “For wisdom is better than jewels;
And all desirable things cannot compare with her.                  

12“ I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And I find knowledge and discretion.

13“ The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way

And the perverted mouth, I hate.

Lets look at Solomon~ After Solomon’s father (King David) died Solomon had a dream. In the dream God asked Solomon  “What can I give You?” Look how Solomon responded 1 King 3:6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 “Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 “Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

 We can see Solomon’s humility. He asked God for an understanding heart and wisdom for discernment. We find his request was pleasing to God and given to Solomon.  The Lord was so pleased with Solomon’s request that he said; “See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.” (Verse 12)

Ephesians 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. 15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

 As children of God we are told to ask, seek and knock~

James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Wisdom That Comes From Above

James 3:13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Dinosaurs: One of the Most Powerful Arguments Against Evolution

P2ALM

Stories of dragons abound from cultures around the world all through the ages to today.

Dragons have always existed. It’s just that, recently, their name has been changed to “dinosaur” and we have been taught that their existence is far removed from man.

Darek Isaacs challenges everything we think we know about dinosaurs and, in doing so, proves yet again that God’s Word is the authority on the history of our world and mankind.

Dragons or Dinosaurs?

Part 1

Part 2

…

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Philippians 4:6 Be Anxious for Nothing

What a beautiful view from the plane, Thank You LORD!

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING

A dear friend offered me her flyer miles to go visit her. I hadn’t seen her in 23 years, but I had overwhelming anxiety about leaving home for numerous reasons. I kept questioning should I take the trip or not. I knew I would not have any comfort until I had a clear answer from the Lord regarding His will. I started praying, asking the Lord for an answer. The answer came in a dream. In the dream I went to the doctor for my anxiety. The doctor said “take P l a y n”. He said the letters. I wondered what is P l a y n ? I had heard of Prozac for anxiety but never had I heard of P l a y n? When I woke up I continued to think about the dream and questioned, what is PLAYN? As I sounded it out, I realized it sounded out “take Plane”. Wow, the Lord had given me the answer and I felt great comfort. My daughter came over later that day and I told her about my dream. She said the night before a preacher was talking about praying over all your medications. She said she believed P.L.A.Y.N. had another meaning as an acronym, so we held hands and began to pray.

As soon as we finished praying the acronym was revealed to me

“Pray Lord All Your Needs”                                   

So I googled, “Pray Lord All Your Needs” and amazingly the Lord showed me this verse~

Philippians 4:6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

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Philippians 4:6 Commentary – Precept Austin

http://www.preceptaustin.org/philippians_46-71.htm‎

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING: meden merimnate (2PPAM): (Da 3:16; Mt 6:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33-see notes; Mt 10:19; 13:22; Lk 10:41; 12:29; 1Co 7:21 …
What a great study site this linked to, A true Treasure ~The Holy Spirit works in amazing ways.
http://www.preceptaustin.org/a_testimony_to_god%27s_grace.htm

The Lord is so amazing! I had so much anxiety and worry and sure enough praying was all I needed to find comfort for my anxiety and His clear answer! 

Prayer should be our first response rather than our last resort.

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• Rejoicing as an Antidote to Anxiety? (reflectingontheordinary.com)

 

Chasing The Wind

I love this song, it is so beautiful. It sounds heavenly! I started hearing it on the weather station in 2011. I would watch the weather just to hear the song and then I learned the name of it~ “Chasing the Wind” By Matthew C. Shuman

John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Amy McCutcheon’s Testimony~

This is one of Amy McCutcheon’s graphics of Jesus called “Beloved”. Sadly Amy passed away Sept. 4, 2010 at the age of 53. She inspired so many of us with her beautiful heart and her art.

On Dec. 31, 2008 Amy shared her testimony in a Myspace group.  Amy’s testimony of her faith in Jesus Christ touched my heart deeply when I first heard it. The love and comfort that she found in Him was so evident. I pray that her testimony will reach those who need to hear it and that they will find the same hope and peace that she did. 

Amy’s testimony “Jesus Is My Mother”

“When I was a little baby I lost my mom most likely due to suicide. Having three children under the age of five and a son who only lived twenty-four hours, she had postpartum depression and was found floating dead in the creek outside my grandmother’s house at the age of twenty-seven. I was told when I was a child that it was most likely suicide and not an accidental slip that caused her death. Over the years my aunts have argued as to whether or not her death was a suicide but in any case I didn’t have a mom growing up. My dad was an absentee father. He worked on the tugs in NYC and when he was home he would drink a lot. I share this so you will understand how I came to discover a very important aspect about Christ. When I decided that I wanted to know the Lord in a more personal way one of the things I began to experience is the “mothering” of Christ. I had always denied the importance of having a mother. I concluded I didn’t miss what I never had. I didn’t understand the importance of bonding, touch and affection that a mother gives to her child. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has both masculine and feminine attributes since God is spirit. God made male and female in His own image. That’s right in the book of Genesis.”

“Therefore Jesus is all these things to the soul who loves Him. He is a Brother, Friend, Savior, Teacher, Bridegroom, Father and Mother. There is no greater example of Jesus being a Mother to the soul than Him nourishing us with His own body and blood in addition to Christ birthing the Church through blood and water from His side. Therefore those of us who feel that Christ cannot feel our sorrows, pains, loneliness, fears could realize we CAN approach Him with all confidence knowing that being close to him causes us to grow into spiritual maturity desiring the food that Jesus offers instead of the food that causes us harm. Jesus died for us, nourishes his children with his own body and blood. He feeds us spiritually with His own body and blood much like a mother feeds her children breast milk. “How often I have long to gather you like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” the Gospel of Luke. Here Jesus shows us His wounded bosom from which flows every good nutrient for our souls….. I have known Jesus as both a Father and a Mother. Jesus ministered to me throughout my life.”

“The Lord said to His own disciples “who is my mother, father, sister, brother but ALL those who do my Father’s will.” If Jesus doesn’t have a problem calling us these things, why would He have a problem, calling Him our Mother?” Jesus is my Brother, Friend, Savior, King, Lord, Father and I have also known Him as My Mother. He was there for me when no one else was.”

Matthew 12: 46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47 Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” 48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 50 “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Lavender And The Rose by Amy McCutcheon

~She is now face to face with Jesus (her Father, Mother, Brother, Friend, Savior, King, Lord, & Bridegroom) forever. In the fullness of His Presence! Amen

JESUS, as Your Spirit spoke through Paul and said:
“To live IS CHRIST and TO DIE IS GAIN” Philippians 1:21

 ~Sharing Some More of Amy’s Art~

“The King of Love”~ By Amy McCutcheon

Thou hast ravished my heart with one glance from thine eye~ Song of Songs 4:9~ By Amy McCutcheon

“His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me…” Song of Solomon 2:6~ By Amy McCutcheon

“His banner over me is love”~ Song of Solomon 2:4~ By Amy McCutcheon

“Longing To Be Loved” ~ By Amy McCutcheon

“Jesus Lover of My Soul” ~ By Amy McCutcheon

“I thirst”~ John 19:28 By Amy McCutcheon

CHRIST our HOPE` By Amy McCutcheon

By Amy McCutcheon 2002

By Amy McCutcheon 2002

By Amy McCutcheon

Amy McCutcheon 2004By Amy McCutcheon

“The Marriage Cup of Yeshua”~ by Amy McCutcheon

The Jewish male seeks his Bride. offering her a cup of wine just as Yeshua did during the Last Supper. The prayer shawl (Talith) is sometimes used in a Jewish weddings as a covering over the bride and groom or worn on the head of the bridegroom. So in the painting the prayer shawl draped over the cup is very significant as it speaks of our covering, the Bridegroom Yeshua. He paid the price for His Bride a cup filled with His own precious blood. A Cup filled with HIS LOVE!

“Christ The Shade Tree”~ by Amy McCutcheon

“The Rose” by Amy McCutcheon

“Gazing through the Lattice” By Amy McCutcheon

“Prisoner of Love” by Amy McCutcheon

“The Stations Of the Cross”~ by Amy McCutcheon

❤ IN GOD WE TRUST ❤
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❤ PRAYING BLESSINGS ☛ For All OF YOU ❤

Children of God Coming Together In Unity!

Paul said in Galatians 5:1” It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” The purpose of the Fruit of the Spirit is set us free from sin by showing us how to avoid sinning. We grow and mature as Children of God by bearing the Fruit of the Spirit.

Man can read the written word with man’s wisdom or with God’s spiritual wisdom. The outcome can be quiet different! The interpretations and how we see things is like night and day. I pray, please don’t get trapped in legalism! Man’s doctrine puts laws and commandments upon the Lord’s Children which should not be there. Legalism robs the freedom that Christ has given us.

LEGALISM KILLS!!!

Pray and ask for the Lord’s spiritual wisdom to help see the truth. Please don’t listen to man’ s wisdom but listen to what the Holy Spirit puts upon your heart. Jesus Made Love Mandatory so when reading the written word it comes alive in the hearts of those filled with love. Jesus told us to walk in the Spirit of righteousness and that means having total trust and faith in him. Let the fruit of the spirit pour out and be the light for the Lord. If one is trapped in legalism it is very difficult to see the light in them. They are as D.U.C.K.S. under the Bed. They may be “Devoted Unconditional the Christ’s Kingdom and Service” and know the written word like the back of their hand but something is missing and that is the Light!!! Legalism leads to unrighteous judgment, it causes a lack of compassion, humility, and mercy.

When we walk in the spirit, the “FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT” shines forth to other people, like a lighthouse shines forth it’s light.

Luke 8:16-17 “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or PUTS IT UNDER A BED; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

~Calling All D.U.C.K.S. To Come Out From Under The Bed~

The acronym D.U.C.K.S. stands for “Devoted Unconditionally to Christ’s Kingdom and Service”.

www.d-u-c-k-s.com/fruits_of_the_spirit.htm

Put On the New Self

Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

      12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.

Lord Jesus Saves †

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You Are The Salt of the Earth ~ Matthew 5:13

YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH (1)

Matthew 5:13, is a passage that describes the Christians as being the salt of the earth. Let us read Matthew 5:13.

Matthew 5:13. You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

Christian saltiness

Even though this passage is not part of the Beatitudes, it has a lot to do with the Beatitudes. The people who are said to be blessed because they are poor in spirit, because they mourn, because they are meek, these are precisely the people who, by their Christlikeness, are the salt of the earth. ‘The blessed man of the Beatitudes,’ the Lord Jesus says, ‘is to function as the salt of the earth.’

Notice that the last Beatitude changes from ‘Blessed are those who’ to ‘Blessed are you.’ The first eight statements were impersonal. Anyone who is like this is blessed. But now in v. 11, the last Beatitude makes it very specific that Jesus is talking about His disciples. Blessed are you (My disciples) when people revile you. And this ‘you’ continues into v. 13, You are the salt of the earth, connecting this verse directly to the Beatitudes.

Symbol of God’s purifying power

The Christians are the salt of the earth. How should we understand this matter of salt? What is the meaning of this metaphor? This metaphor is meant to picture how the disciple of Christ is to function in the world, how he is to influence the world in which he lives. Salt has several properties. We all know from experience that salt has to do with purifying. It has to do with preservation. It has to do with giving taste to food. All these characteristics are used in the Bible in connection with salt. Let us look at an example of the purifying effect of salt in the OT. We will turn to 2Kings 2:19-22, a section in which we find the prophet Elisha using salt for a specific purpose.

2Kings 2:19. Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.”

20 And he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

21 And he went out to the spring of water, and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.'”

22 So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

Here we see Elisha putting salt into the Jericho spring water. And he declared at the same time, ‘I have purified these waters.’ By adding salt to water, Elisha was able to purify the Jericho water. Now, we should not imagine that salt has any miraculous healing property. In fact, adding salt to water normally makes water worse, not better. We would miss the point of this passage if we think strictly in terms of chemistry.

We are told that the water from a spring had turned bad. This physical situation reflected the spiritual barrenness of Israel caused by idolatry. Elisha’s solution was designed to teach the people a spiritual lesson: the power of holiness to purify. The whole point of Elisha’s action lies in the symbolism of the salt. Salt was known by the Israelites to preserve and purify. The miracle that happened did not lie in the salt itself but in the power of God. Notice the words of Elisha: ‘Thus says the Lord.’ It was so according to the words which Elisha spoke. The authority, the power to heal came from the Lord working through Elisha. Salt is used here as a symbol that signifies purity or holiness. It represents the power of holiness to purify.

This kind of symbolism is used in various forms in the Bible. Take for example James 5.14 where we read that you anoint the sick person with oil and pray over him. What is the significance of anointing a sick person with oil? Does oil have any curative property? No. Oil is not considered are a therapeutic agent in medicine. Nor does it have any magical properties. The healing does not lie in the action of applying the oil. Olive oil, in the Bible, symbolizes the person and the power of the Holy Spirit. And in this passage of James, the oil is meant to remind us that it is God who heals. The oil doesn’t heal you. The healing power comes from the Spirit of God, who is symbolized by the oil.

So in the case of Elisha’s purifying action, salt was not the cause of the miracle that took place. It should be viewed as a spiritual symbol that represents God’s purifying power. When Jesus says that the Christians are the salt of the earth, it doesn’t mean that we have anything special in ourselves that makes us to be like salt. It is Christ in us that makes us to be what we are. And if we are the salt of the earth, it is only because God’s power is at work in us to make us to be salt. Without God in us, we wouldn’t be anything. It is all of God’s grace that we are what we are.

Salt must accompany every sacrifice

Let us take another example that highlights the purifying virtue of salt. Salt preserves. It keeps things from going bad, from decaying. At the spiritual level, it symbolizes the power to cleanse from filth, to cleanse from corruption. And hence, it becomes an emblem of incorruption and purity. That is why no sacrifice in the OT could be presented before God without the addition of salt. Salt had to be offered with all the sacrifices. We see that in Leviticus 2.13 for example.

Leviticus 2:13. And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Salt had to accompany every sacrifice. You can see the meaning of this requirement. Holiness and purity had to come with the sacrifice.

This is of course what happens to us as Christians by the power of the gospel. As salt is used to preserve meat from spoiling, so does the gospel prevent man from being corrupted by sin. And as salt was indispensable to make sacrifices acceptable to God, so must we become salt by the Holy Spirit in offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. When salt comes into our lives, we are being purified by it. Remember that there is a stage in which we first receive the light. And then we become light. ‘You will receive light from Christ,’ Paul says to the Ephesians. Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Ephesians 5:14). Christ will give you light. It is after we receive the light of Christ that we become light. Likewise, it is after we receive the purifying work of the God by the Holy Spirit, pictured here as salt, that we become salt.

Season your speech with salt

So in the OT, all the sacrifices had to be seasoned with salt. In the NT, there is something else that has to be seasoned with salt. Paul says that our speech has to be seasoned with salt. Let us read this interesting passage. It will give us a more specific understanding of this picture of salt. Colossians 4:5-6.

Colossians 4:5. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Our speech, as Christians, must be seasoned with salt. Now, what does that mean? How do we ‘season’ our talk with salt? Here we need to understand the spiritual meaning of salt. What does salt represent in that verse?

An important clue is given to us in our main passage, Matthew 5:13. It will not be obvious to you if you depend solely on an English Bible. What do we read? You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste. This is not exactly what we find in the Greek text. A literal translation would be, ‘If the salt has become foolish.’ Unfortunately this idea of foolishness is not apparent in the way it is translated in our English Bibles. So salt loses its taste in the sense that it becomes foolish, or that it acts foolishly. This gives us an important clue to the meaning of salt. It tells us that salt is meant to express spiritual wisdom since the opposite of foolishness is wisdom. And if you become foolish, it means that you have lost the spiritual wisdom. You are a fool when you are lacking spiritual wisdom.

There is a word in Hebrew that has, at the same time, the meaning of ‘being tasteless’ and ‘being foolish.’ This word is found in Job 6.6. Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the white of an egg? How can we give taste to something that is tasteless? How will I find taste in the white of an egg unless I put salt on it? The same Hebrew word for tasteless appears in Lamentations 2:14 to mean ‘foolish.’ Your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions. So the same Hebrew word can either mean ‘lacking in taste,’ or ‘being foolish.’

Christian wisdom

This is important to understand because wisdom, in the biblical sense, has a strong moral emphasis and it often stands in contrast to folly. In Proverb 29:11, we see how one is unrestrained in his speech and the other is able to control himself. A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back. Wisdom is shown not in the knowledge of a person but in his conduct. It has more to do with what we are and what we do than what we know.

In the NT, the contrast is between earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. The earthly wisdom is carnal, unspiritual, and selfish. But the wisdom from above has Christlike qualities. We have a list of these qualities in James 3.17.

James 3:17. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

As we read this verse, I wonder if you took the trouble to count the number of qualities that are mentioned here. How many do you see? (1) pure; (2) peaceable; (3) gentle; (4) reasonable; (5) full of mercy; (6) good fruits; (7) unwavering; (8) without hypocrisy. James describes spiritual wisdom by these 8 qualities. And yet, there is one more. James 3:13.

James 3:13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

The meekness of wisdom. Eight plus one makes nine. Meekness reminds us of what? The Beatitudes! Blessed are the meek. How many Beatitudes do we have? Nine Beatitudes. Interesting. Is this a coincidence? We saw the ninefold fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. We saw how the nine Beatitudes can be linked to the Lord’s Prayer. And here, James speaks of wisdom as having these ninefold characteristics.

Why do we say this? Well, because there is a close connection with the topic of salt. The connection is that salt represents this kind of spiritual wisdom. Being the salt of the earth means that you reflect in your conduct these nine characteristics of the wisdom from above.

The richness of the Word of God is so remarkable. We have now a deeper understanding of what should be the qualities of a disciple of Christ. We can think of a disciple in terms of the Beatitudes. We can think of a disciple in terms of the fruit of the Spirit. Now, we can think of a disciple in terms of the wisdom which is from above. And we can make this our prayer in terms of the Lord’s Prayer.

Dying, burning and dissolving

We said that salt was used in the ancient world as an agent in the preservation of food, especially meat. It prevents food from decay. Now, how does salt do that? How does salt keep things from going bad? Think of the last time you used salt. You put some salt in your food. If you look at it, what do you see happening? The salt disappears. It dissolves into the food. Here is the clue to an important aspect of the nature of the disciple and what he is called to do in this world.

Salt functions by dissolving, by losing itself, by dying. John 12:24 uses the picture of a seed that falls into the ground and dies. And by dying, it brings forth much fruit. Salt functions in the same way. It falls into the food and it dies. It dissolves. And there, it brings forth its effectiveness. That is how it can preserve. That is how it can give flavor. If salt doesn’t dissolve, it cannot do any of these things. Salt works by dissolving, by losing itself.

Think of light. How does light function? Well, light functions in exactly the same way, by giving itself away. Look at a candle. It gets shorter and shorter. If the candle is to give light to the room, it cannot remain at the same length. It has to burn itself out in order to give light. It literally burns itself to death, until it disappears completely.

This is the kind of picture that the Lord Jesus chooses to describe the life of a disciple. The oil is burning away in order to give light. The salt dissolves and loses itself in order to fulfill its function to preserve. The seed falls into the ground and dies. And only so, it becomes fruitful. ‘Otherwise,’ Jesus says, ‘the grain of wheat will abide by itself alone.’ Salt will remain by itself just as a lump of salt if it doesn’t dissolve. And it would be good for nothing.

The self-giving attitude of spiritual wisdom

Now, this is exactly how divine wisdom functions. Take 1Corinthians 1:23-24. Here Paul tells us what is the nature of divine wisdom.

1Corinthians 1:23. But we preach Christ crucified (Christ who died on the cross. The Son of God who perished. The Son of God who gave Himself on the cross for the remission of our sins), to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness (this message about somebody who dies on the cross to save the world is plain stupidity. It was a stumbling block to the Jews because they could not accept that the Messiah could die as a criminal. It was foolishness to the Greeks because they could not make sense of a story in which a god gets himself crucified by his enemies),

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God(Christ crucified, that is the wisdom of God).

You think that it is just a stupid fable? As offensive as it may be to your mind, that is precisely the wisdom of God, a wisdom that gives itself. ‘That when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, when we were still His enemies,’ Paul says in Colossians, ‘Christ died for us.’ You see, that is the divine wisdom. That is how divine wisdom looks like. It is Christ crucified, Christ who gave Himself on the cross.

Back to Colossians 4:6. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt. Now we know what it means. Seasoned with spiritual wisdom. Let all that you say be seasoned with spiritual wisdom. Let all your words be expressed with a self-giving attitude. Our talk must be applied to the profit and the edification of the hearers. You can see that salt has in itself this divine wisdom. It has as its quality a self-giving nature.

No wonder that salt was offered with all the sacrifices in the OT. Do you see the meaning? There is no use offering a sacrifice externally to God without the spiritual meaning of salt being present, namely that you give yourself as you offer the sacrifice. Otherwise the rich man would have an advantage over the poor man. A rich person can easily give a hundred sheep whereas the poor man can hardly give a pigeon. Then the rich would have all the advantage. That is not how it works with God. It is not so much what you give. It is how you give and that in giving, you give of yourself. And this gift must come from a pure heart. Otherwise you have given nothing at all. Jesus said, ‘If you have offended a brother, don’t even bother give any sacrifice to God. It will not be accepted.’ First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering (Matthew 5:24).

You are the salt of the earth. You are not like the world. By your Christian character, you are to act like salt in your community. But in order to be effective, you must retain your Christian character. Salt must retain its saltiness. In our next lesson, we will see how Christians can lose their influence in the society.

YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH (2)

In our previous lesson, we studied the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:13. This is what He said.

Matthew 5:13. You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

The Christian’s retraining influence

By this statement, Jesus is implicitly saying that the world is turning more and more rotten. The world cannot stop itself from going bad. That is why it needs salt. The Lord Jesus is telling His disciples, ‘The world needs you. You are the salt of the earth and you must stop it from going bad.’ God wants the Christians to be the salt that will hinder the process of social decay.

Of course, God has given man other retraining influences to keep the society in order. In His common grace, i.e., in His favor shown to all mankind (saved and unsaved), God has established certain institutions in order to prevent the society from falling into anarchy. There is for example the institution of the government. The state has the authority and the power to punish evil. There is also the institution of marriage. Home and family life help to promote good morals. So these divine institutions have a restraining influence, as far as sin is concerned, in the society as a whole.

However, God wants His own people, the regenerate and righteous people, to be the most powerful retraining influence in a sinful society. The Christians are called to become like a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low. It is in that sense that you and I are meant to be the salt of the earth, an influence for good in the world.

Losing your saltiness

So the affirmation is that we, as Christians, are the salt of the earth. But there is a condition attached to that affirmation. What is that condition? The condition is that you retain your Christian saltiness. Jesus goes on to say, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

Here we want to spend some time to look carefully at this question of losing your saltiness. If you take the time to consult commentaries on this matter, you will notice that most of them emphasize the fact that salt itself, i.e., the chemical compound, cannot lose its saltiness. They explain this ‘loss of saltiness’ in v. 13 by the mixture of salt with impurities. We are dealing with Dead Sea salt which contains a lot of impurity. And this salt, under certain conditions (for example, if it comes in contact with the ground or if it is exposed to rain and sun), can become tasteless. It still looks like salt, but it has lost its saltiness.

Well, there is probably some truth in all this explanation, at least from a chemical viewpoint. But I am not so sure that Jesus was concerned about chemistry. It seems to me that all this explanation is necessary because we are very hesitant to conclude that a disciple can lose his Christian qualities, that he can lose his distinctive character, described here in the metaphoric language of salt. Some have suggested that this is impossible, that what Jesus is saying is simply a supposition that can never happen.

I find this kind of reasoning quite unsatisfactory. What we have here is clearly a warning. If it is impossible for Christians to cease to be salt, then there is no point for the Lord Jesus to give us the second part of the sentence. He could have just said, ‘You are the salt of the earth,’ period. But He mentions also a condition and we must take it into consideration. It would be unwise to turn a blind eye to this warning.

A form of Christianity that denies its power

Let us look at the parallel passage in Luke 14 so that we can feel the full force of this warning. Luke brings out the importance of Jesus’ words in Luke 14:34-35.

Luke 14:34. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; men throw it away.(And then, He concludes with these solemn words). He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

‘Let him take careful note,’ the Lord Jesus says, ‘of what I am saying to you.’ Be careful that you do not lose this salt quality, that you do not ‘run out of gas,’ if we want to use a modern expression. Because when salt loses its taste, it cannot be restored again. This wording reminds us very much of Hebrews 6 where we read that those who once tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and then fall away, it is impossible to restore them again to repentance. When salt loses its saltiness, with what shall you restore it? It cannot be restored, and therefore it is good for nothing. What do you do with it? You throw it out on the street where it is trampled under foot by men.

Here then is a serious warning. And it is important for us to consider this question. How does salt come about to lose its saltiness at the spiritual level? In what way does a Christian cease to function as a Christian?

When I reflect on this question, I think about the warning that Paul gives us in 2Timothy 3:5. Paul says that in the last days, there will be a form of godliness which denies the power of it. And I wonder if it is this picture of salt that he has in mind. You see, when the salt has lost its saltiness, it still looks like salt, whether it is mixed with impurities or not. It is still white. It is still granular. It is still powdery. But if you taste it, you notice that it doesn’t have any salty taste anymore. It still has the form of salt, but it denies its power, i.e., it denies its effectiveness.

Paul says that this is what is going to happen in the last days. For men will be … holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power (2Timothy 3:5). There will come a kind of Christianity that has all the outward appearance of Christianity. It goes through all the motions of Christianity. It uses the language of Christianity. It still speaks the liturgy of Christianity. But although it still looks like Christianity on the outside, it has no more the internal effectiveness. It has no more the power of Christianity. The salt has deteriorated to the point that it is left with nothing but the name. The substance is gone.

So we are confronted with this question. How does the salt lose its saltiness? What are the things that might cause it? Regarding this question, I would like to give you three reasons that cause a Christian to cease to function as a Christian, and therefore to become useless to God. In order to do this, we will consider the three passages in the Lord’s teaching that speak about this idea of salt losing its saltiness. We have already mentioned two of these passages: Luke 14:34 and Matthew 5:13. The third verse is found in Mark 9:50.

The loss of saltiness due to lack of commitment

First, let us return to Luke 14:34. We will read it one more time, using this time the New American Standard version.

Luke 14:34. Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

Notice the conjunction ‘therefore.’ ‘Therefore, salt is good.’ This word is found in the original text but unfortunately, it does not appear in many English translations. It is an important word because it connects the picture of salt to the verses that come before v. 34. In other words, what we find before v. 34 explains how salt can lose its taste. So in order to determine why salt becomes tasteless, we have to look at the context of Jesus’ teaching. And the best place to start is to go back to v. 25 where Jesus begins to teach what discipleship may entail for a believer in the face of rejection. This is what Jesus says.

Luke 14:25. Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,

26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Identifying with Jesus automatically involves some suffering and some rejection in the world. And Jesus is saying, ‘If you love your family or even yourself more than Me, then you will never decide to come to Me because you will find that the cost of following Me is too high for you.’ Remember that all this is connected with our passage on salt. The salt refuses to dissolve, to carry his cross, to die. Let us look at the next section.

Luke 14:28. “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?

29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,

30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

People mocked this man. He begins building and he can’t finish the work. In other words, he is a fool. The salt has become foolish. Remember what we said in our previous lesson. When Jesus talks about the salt losing its taste, it is in the sense that it acts foolishly. And here, the salt has lost its saltiness precisely because it acted foolishly. He did not count the cost of his project. Now he has to face the shame of not finishing what he has started. Then v. 31.

Luke 14:31. “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace.

33 “So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who doesnot give up all his own possessions.

Equally foolish is a king who wants to go to war without assessing whether he can win with the resources that he has. So he goes to war, but he soon realizes that he is not strong enough to win the battle. And therefore, he has to surrender. He is a fool because now he becomes a captive. He has lost his freedom. You want to fight for righteousness? Don’t be a fool. Count the cost of a commitment to Jesus before you decide that you are going to fight for righteousness.

Now we begin to see the connection. We see why salt loses its taste. It happens when someone goes back on his original commitment. You begin to follow Jesus but you stop because you are pulled away by other commitments. You start building, but then you decide that it is too costly to finish. You go back on your original commitment. As Peter says, it is like the dog that returns to its vomit (2 Peter 2:22). You begin well and you end badly. Your last state is worse than your first. It would have been much better for you not to have started at all than to start, and then to turn away from your initial commitment. Either you start and you stick to the end, or you don’t start at all. You count your cost first. So the disciple who retains his saltiness is the disciple who understands his commitment to God and he sticks it through to the end.

The loss of saltiness due to sin

That is the first point. The second reason that explains how salt can lose its savor is given to us by the context of the other passage. This is what Jesus says in Mark 9:50.

Mark 9:50. “Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Here again, we need to get the whole context. What is the context of this verse? Let us go back to v. 42.

Mark 9:42 “And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.

43 “And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

44 {where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.}

45 “And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than having your two feet, to be cast into hell,

46 {where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.}

47 “And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell,

48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

And then, Jesus goes on to talk about salt losing its saltiness.

Mark 9:49 “For everyone will be salted with fire.

50 “Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

What causes salt to lose its saltiness in this case? Notice the emphasis of this passage. Causing a little one to stumble. This is the sin of leading others to commit sin. Your hand causing you to stumble. This is the sin of the hand. Your foot causing you to stumble. This is the sin of the foot. Your eye causing you to stumble. This is the sin of the eye. By these examples, the Lord Jesus tells us how terrible sin is, and He gives a warning to the sinner. Every man is personally responsible for his sin. If a person weakens under temptation to the point that he enters into sin, that is when he is going to lose his saltiness.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew. The salt that has lost its saltiness will be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. ‘To be thrown out’ is an expression often used to indicate one’s exclusion from the kingdom of God (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; John 6:37; 15:6). Here in Mark, Jesus says the same thing, but using slightly different words. Three times in this passage, He talks about the fire of hell, about being cast into the unquenchable fire of hell. Never fool around with sin. You cannot afford the luxury of falling into sin. And that is why in the Lord’s Prayer, we say, ‘Lead us not into temptation.’ We are asking for God’s help to prevent us from falling into temptation. And God will provide a way to escape temptation.

The loss of saltiness due to persecution

Let us come to the third reason that explains why salt becomes tasteless. We will return to our passage in Matthew 5. What is the immediate context of Matthew 5:13? We saw in our previous lesson that v. 13 is directly connected to the Beatitudes, and more specifically to the last Beatitude, by the word ‘you’ in v. 11. ‘Blessed are you when men revile and persecute you.’ It is clear that Jesus is talking about His disciples. And immediately after that, He goes on to say, You are the salt of the earth. The people who are being persecuted are to be the salt of the earth.

This ‘you’ gives us the clue to understand why salt loses its saltiness. When hard times come and you break under the pressure, that is when you can lose your saltiness. It is like the seed that was sown in the Parable of the Sower. It fell on a rocky place. And when the sun rose, what happened? It withered away and died because it had no root. The salt has lost its saltiness. And Jesus tells us that the sun symbolizes the persecution that arises because of the word and that causes a man to fall away (Matthew 13:20-21).

The disciple’s responsibility

When Jesus calls us ‘salt of the earth’, He is also giving us a responsibility. ‘You are the salt of the earth; therefore retain your saltiness. Otherwise you become a useless disciple.’ Jesus expects that we will retain our saltiness, that we will not lose our Christlike character.

And we saw in this lesson that there are three things that can cause a Christian to lose this salt quality, and therefore to cease to function as a disciple. You can lose your saltiness if you go back on your initial commitment to God. You give up because you discover that the cost of following Jesus exceeds your commitment. You can lose your saltiness if you allow sin to tempt you. How can you be the salt of the earth when you live in sin? And finally, you can lose your saltiness when you break under persecution. You fail to remain faithful to the end.

In all this, we must ask God to sustain us and to give us what it takes to remain distinct from the world so that we can have this restraining influence that prevents the society from lapsing into its own decadence.
Yves I-Bing Cheng, M.D., M.A.
http://www.meetingwithchrist.com
Meeting With Christ

Be Subject to Government~

Psalm 22:28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S And He rules over the nations.

We are not always going to agree with our government but the Lord is concerned with the character of His children and how we act. A great example is the behavior of David. King Saul rejected God’s will and made up excuses for his motives, blaming others and never repenting. King Saul became very jealous of David and wanted him killed. David knew King Saul’s actions did not deserve respect, yet David honored Saul as his king and refused to kill him. David said, “The LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’S anointed” 1 Samuel 26:11.

Romans 13

Be Subject to Government

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

1 Peter 2:13-17

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. 18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

With all that said we are still to keep the Lord first and not let anything (including the government) or everyone stop us from sharing the Good News!

Acts 5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

The greatest thing we can do is PRAY for our leaders.

A Call to Prayer

1 Timothy 2

1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

God Bless Each and Everyone of You!

Lord Jesus Saves †

5-15-2011

Save

Save

♥ Mary Had A Little Lamb ♥

♥ Mary Had A Little Lamb ♥

John 1:29 – The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:36 – And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

Dear Heavenly Father,

We pray You plant Your seed deeply within our children’s hearts and as they spend their days in school, they become a light for others, shining forth like the son/sun. Father, we pray that Your Word will be the basis of their wisdom and we ask that our prayers will blanket each school, placing them under Your wing.

We pray for the teachers, having faith in You Lord, strengthen them with Your mighty hand by giving them direction to steer our children’s growth in character and integrity.  Lord we pray many will come know You as their Lord and Savior.

We ask all this in Jesus Almighty name! Amen

Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance ~ January 14,1969

https://lordjesussaves.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/red-skeltons-pledge-of-allegiance/

❤ Lord Jesus Saves ❤
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PRAYING BLESSINGS ☛ For All OF YOU

❤❤❤

~Emergency Preparedness~

~Emergency Preparedness~

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord you never promised we would be without trials and tribulations

but you did say you would always be with us. Help give those strength

and Hope to continue on, knowing your word is true. We pray for all

those lost to come to know you, putting total faith In YOU, while

finding Hope that offers comfort. Lord we pray you will bring a quick

response to needs of those suffering and help restore their lives.

Lord speak to their hearts showing them they have nothing to fear.

You are God Almighty and in complete control, supplying their needs.
In Jesus Almighty Name we pray,

 Amen.

In The Storms of Life

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you,

for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives

do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not

on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He shall direct your paths.”

Psalm 12:5

“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the

groaning of the needy,

Now I will arise,” says the LORD;

“I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”

Philippians 4:19

And my God will supply all your needs according to

His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Lord Jesus Saves †

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those

who love God,to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

The Third Temple – Physical or Spiritual?

“But the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool. What house will you build Me, says the Lord, or what is the place of My rest? Has not My hand made all these things?’” (Acts 7:48-50 MKJV)

Has God ordained that there should be a third Temple on the Temple Mount, where Solomon’s Temple once stood and where the Muslim Dome of the Rock (Mosque of Omar) and Al-Aqsa Mosque now dominate the Jerusalem landscape? Should there be a physical third Jewish Temple anywhere for that matter? How does a restored Temple square with the belief that God did away with the earthly Temple in 70 A.D. to be no more, seeing Christ fulfilled all things?

At His crucifixion, the veil to the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to bottom. According to the New Testament, Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled the ceremonial sacrifices and solemn feasts of Israel performed by the Levitical priesthood over the previous fifteen centuries. These sacrifices and feasts pointed to the offering up of the Lamb of God for the sins of Israel and the world. What further need is there of a restored Temple, with priesthood and sacrifices? Would this not be an effrontery to God?

Forty years after Christ’s time on earth, God’s wrath was poured out in full on Israel for having turned away from Him to other gods. Rome came and destroyed everything – the Temple, the city, and the nation. This was prophesied by Jesus and Israel’s prophets centuries, even millennia, before Him.

But in this century, the nation and the city have been restored to the Jews. The establishment for the Jews of a portion of the original nation of Israel was declared by a majority vote in the UN on November 29, 1947, and on May 14, 1948, Israel was reborn. After 1900 years of being scattered to the ends of the earth, the Israelites have returned to their land.

The throne of Israel at Jerusalem has been referred to, in Scripture, as King David’s. The Scriptures declare that Jesus Christ would return, not as a lamb for sacrifice to take away sin, but as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, to sit on the throne of David. The name of the first Prime Minister of modern Israel was David Ben Gurion. Ben Gurion means “son of a lion.”

I’m not saying Ben Gurion was the Messiah Yeshua (he wasn’t), but I suggest that God isn’t above putting His mark on historical events, in order to let mankind learn He’s in control of all matters, great and small.

I‘ve been reading Messiah’s Coming Temple: Ezekiel’s Prophetic Vision of the Future Temple by Schmitt and Laney. This book declares the Temple will soon be rebuilt. It is reported that all materials for the construction are ready and persons in place to perform the ceremonies. More specifically, the authors believe it’ll be the Temple described in Ezekiel’s vision, one that has strikingly different features from the former first and second Temples, and one that has never existed to this day.

What gives? Aren’t born-again believers in Christ the new and permanent Living Temple of God, made without hands? Aren’t they His Body, His Church, His Assembly, replacing the old that was done away to make room for the fulfillment of the real and permanent, as determined from above? John records an event between Jesus and the Jews:

“And His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘The zeal of Your House has eaten Me up.’ Then the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do you show us, since you do these things?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘This Temple was forty-six years building, and will you rear it up in three days?’ But He spoke of the temple of His body” (John 2:17-21 MKJV).

They killed Jesus and, in three days, He raised Himself from the dead, as He, by the Spirit of the Father, prophesied He would. But there is a spiritual Body of Christ now, comprised of those who believe in Him, which the New Testament teaches is the Temple of God.

“And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the Temple of the living God, as God has said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (2 Corinthians 6:16 MKJV).

Ephesians 2:19-22 MKJV
(19) Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,
(20) and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
(21) in Whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord;
(22) in Whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit.

“For having been drawn to Him, a living Stone, indeed rejected by men, but elect, precious with God; you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5 MKJV).

Can we reconcile Ezekiel’s vision of the Temple with the Spiritual Reality that saints experience today? Though Schmitt, Laney, and many others expect Ezekiel’s Temple to be built on its former site where the Mosque of Omar sits, they also express what they see as the fulfilled spiritual reality of Ezekiel’s Temple vision. So which will it be – the physical Temple, the spiritual reality, or both?

Ezekiel’s description of the Temple contains several significantly new features\omissions compared to the Temple Solomon built. These characteristics didn’t exist in the second Temple, which replaced Solomon’s when Israel returned from Babylonian captivity. And they didn’t exist when King Herod refurbished and altered the second Temple centuries later, just before Christ came into His ministry.

Schmitt and Laney present the significances of the major changes, and we lay out those below with which we agree, with further thoughts, revelation, and Scriptures. Consider as you read this: Is the Lord speaking of a physical third Temple on earth, or is He giving a representation of the Temple of God, which all those born-again are, corporately and individually?

If each of us is created in the image of Jesus Christ, then each is the Temple of God as He is, with all the features of Ezekiel’s Temple spiritually within. At the same time, we corporately make up the Body of Christ, the Assembly, the spiritual Temple of God.

Here are some of the interesting features of Ezekiel’s Temple, which represent the finished work of the cross. Curiously missing are several items from Solomon’s Temple:

The Wall of Partition

“For He is our peace, He making us both one, and He has broken down the middle wall of partition between us….” (Ephesians 2:14 MKJV).

Where once was a wall of partition between the outer and inner courts of the Temple, there is none recorded by Ezekiel. Gentiles and Jews are no longer separated. We know God intended that the Gentiles be brought into His Kingdom.

Isaiah 56:6-8 HNV
(6) Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the Name of the LORD, to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast My covenant;
(7) even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
(8) The Lord GOD, Who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, Yet will I gather others to Him, besides His own who are gathered.

Romans 15:8-12 ESV
(8) For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
(9) and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your Name.”
(10) And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
(11) And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol Him.”
(12) And again Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will come, even He Who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope.”

Within us, thanks to the willing sacrificial shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ and His gift of faith, there is no more a division, within the believer, between soul (Gentile) and spirit (Jew). The partition has been removed within many, and the two are reconciled. In due time, this reconciliation will be manifest in the world.

Court of the Women

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:27-29 ESV).

In Solomon’s Temple, there was a court for the men in view of the altar of sacrifice, and a court on the other side of a wall for women. In Ezekiel’s vision, there is no longer a wall separating men and women.

In Christ, there is neither male nor female.

“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And in those days I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves and My slave women, and they shall prophesy’” (Acts 2:16-18 MKJV).

“And I also beg you, true yoke-fellow, help those women who labored in the gospel with me and with Clement, and others of my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the Book of Life” (Philippians 4:3 MKJV).

And again, within the believer, woman represents the soul and man, the spirit. The two come into harmony by the blood of Christ.

The Laver

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV).

In Ezekiel’s Temple, the bronze laver (wash basin) in the inner court isn’t mentioned, signifying there’s no need for it anymore. Those who are Christ’s are washed clean by His blood and by His Word.

Ezekiel 36:24-27 MKJV
(24) For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all lands, and will gather you into your own land.
(25) And I will sprinkle clean waters on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols.
(26) And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
(27) And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and do them.

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7 ESV).

Hebrews 10:19-22 MKJV
(19) Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus,
(20) by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;
(21) and having a High Priest over the house of God,
(22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies having been washed with pure water.

Jesus said to His disciples, “Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3 MKJV).

When cleansed within, what further need is there of symbolic washing? This goes for both the individual and the Body of Christ.

The Golden Lampstand

“Then Jesus spoke again to them, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12 MKJV).

Despite the many details included in his vision of the Temple, Ezekiel makes no mention of another very important furnishing in the Holy Place of the former Temple – the golden lampstand, representing the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.

Jesus has come to make our eye sound or single, attentive to Him: “The light of the body is the eye. Therefore if your eye is sound, your whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23 MKJV)

Jesus is the antidote to darkness: “All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:3-4 MKJV).

“And they will see His face, and His Name will be in their foreheads. And there will be no night there. And they need no lamp, or light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light. And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:4-5 MKJV).

In Christ, as His brethren, born of God, we become children of Light, so we need no other candlestick in the Holy Place, for He is our Golden Candlestick.

These are wonderful revelations Schmitt and Laney are sharing with us of Ezekiel’s Temple, aren’t they?

The Table of Showbread

Jesus said, “‘For the Bread of God is He Who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, evermore give us this bread.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst’” (John 6:33-35 MKJV).

In the former Temple, on every Sabbath, the priests prepared 12 loaves of bread and placed them on a golden table in the Holy Place. This signified that God was the Sustenance of Israel, the Bread from Heaven. The vision of Ezekiel’s Temple makes no mention of the table of showbread.

Schmitt says, “There will be no need of a table of showbread in Messiah’s future Temple because Jesus Himself will be there to shepherd and feed His people.”

I say he is right and wrong – right in that there is no further need of the symbolism or shadow, but wrong because the Temple is not future; it is the present spiritual reality, and Jesus is here and now both shepherding and feeding His people, the members of His Body, the Temple.

Back in 1982, Marilyn and I were telling the Ratzloffs, a Missionary Alliance couple, that we hadn’t been attending church for years (since 1975). Mrs. Ratzloff was rather taken aback by that, asking, “Well, where or how do you get fed, then?”

My immediate reply was, “The Shepherd feeds us!”

How does He feed us? He is that Bread of Life, and we are His Temple. We have the table of showbread within; He is the Bread within. We aren’t hungry, but full.

After all, He promised, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6 MKJV).

And we have no need of a “church building” or temple.

John 6:54-58 MKJV
(54) Whoever partakes of My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
(55) For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
(56) He who partakes of My flesh and drinks My blood dwells in Me, and I in him.
(57) As the living Father has sent Me, and I live through the Father, so he who partakes of Me, even he shall live by Me.
(58) This is the Bread which came down from Heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna, and died; he who partakes of this Bread shall live forever.

The Golden Altar of Incense

“Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25 MKJV).

Like the golden lampstand, the altar of incense is also missing from the Holy Place in Ezekiel’s Temple. Why?

We understand that incense offered up daily, morning and evening, represented prayer:

“And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having harps and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8 MKJV).

“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer. And many incenses were given to him, so that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God from the angel’s hand” (Revelation 8:3-4 MKJV).

More specifically, the incense represented intercessory prayer, for the priests were mediators for the children of Israel. Their job was to offer sacrifices and pray for Israel. But they only represented temporarily Him Who was to come, the Perfect Priest and Sole Mediator between God and man. Jesus Christ our High Priest ever lives to make intercession for us, having offered Himself to the Father on our behalf once for all.

In Him, the saints function as priests, as God’s emissaries to the world:

“And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6 MKJV).

“To Him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:6 MKJV).

Schmitt and Laney conclude, “During the messianic kingdom there will be no need for the altar of incense in the Temple because the Messiah Himself will be present in Jerusalem and available to hear the petitions of His people. In Ezekiel’s future Temple, Jesus Himself takes the place of the altar of incense.”

Indeed, Jesus Christ is here and has established Himself in the hearts of the saints by the new birth and maturity in Him. We are in Jerusalem now, the New Jerusalem, the City of God, Mount Zion (Hebrews 12:22), we being the Temple of God, and within us go forth His prayers:

“Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He searching the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27 MKJV).

Ezekiel prophesies, “And the name of the city from that day shall be the LORD IS THERE” (Ezekiel 48:35 MKJV).

This prophecy has come to pass in Christ. “THERE” is a spiritual place, the Heavenly Jerusalem coming within, made possible by His sacrificial death and resurrection from the dead.

“Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem…. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him” (John 4:21,23 MKJV).

The Veil

“Since then we have a great High Priest Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16 MKJV).

Ezekiel doesn’t mention the veil covering the entrance to the Holy of Holies in his vision of the Temple. One may wonder why he speaks of so many other lesser details than these. This being a vision of God, we can only conclude that the exclusion of these significant items holds an important message for us. These things are no longer needed, because they have been fulfilled.

How can that be, except the Temple described is the spiritual one – His Heavenly Body made without hands – not the one built of earthly elements constructed by man? Man’s hand can’t perform the crowning touch of God’s finished work.

We know the veil was torn from top to bottom at the crucifixion, signifying the end of the purpose it served. Jesus represented and fulfilled the Perfect Sacrifice within the veil, for our sakes:

“Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20 MKJV).

As is also said:

Hebrews 9:6-12 MKJV
(6) Now when these things were ordained in this way, the priests always went into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
(7) But once in the year into the second the high priest goes alone, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people
(8) the Holy Spirit signifying by this that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.
(9) For it was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him who did the service perfect as regards the conscience,
(10) which stood only in meats and drinks, and different kinds of washings and fleshly ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
(11) But when Christ had become a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building
(12) nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered once for all into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Hebrews 9:24-26 MKJV
(24) For Christ has not entered into the Holy of Holies made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
(25) Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, even as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies every year with the blood of others,
(26) for then He must have suffered often since the foundation of the world, but now once in the end of the world He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

“And letting out a loud voice, Jesus expired. And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:37-38 MKJV).

With veil torn, the Holy of Holies was now open to all those chosen of God to enter. By Jesus Christ and His blood, all men in their appointed time have access to the throne of grace in the Holy of Holies in Heaven.

Is it Scriptural to suggest the throne of the Lord is equivalent to the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant? Here’s what Jeremiah prophesied:

“And it will be when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the LORD, they shall say no more, The Ark of the Covenant of the LORD! Nor shall it come to mind; nor shall they remember it; nor shall they visit it; nor shall it be made any more. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all nations shall be gathered to it, to the Name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. Nor shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart” (Jeremiah 3:16-17 MKJV).

Jerusalem was the capital of God’s country, Israel, the Temple was the center of worship in Jerusalem, and God met with Moses in the Holy of Holies:

“And you shall put the mercy-seat above, upon the Ark. And in the Ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. And I will meet with you there, and I will talk with you from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubs on the Ark of the Testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the sons of Israel” (Exodus 25:21-22 MKJV).’

The Ark of the Covenant

Hebrews 9:3-8 MKJV
(3) And after the second veil was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,
(4) having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid all around with gold, in which was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
(5) And over it were the cherubs of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat (about which we cannot now speak piece by piece).
(6) Now when these things were ordained in this way, the priests always went into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
(7) But once in the year into the second the high priest goes alone, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people,
(8) the Holy Spirit signifying by this that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

Ezekiel makes no mention of the ark of the covenant, the mercy seat, and the cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat, which were in the Holy of Holies.

The ark of the covenant represented the very Presence of God. Within it were the two stone tablets Moses had received, upon which were written the Ten Commandments (God’s Law); the budded, fruitful living olive wood rod Aaron once possessed, and the bowl of manna, all of which represented God’s nature, life, power, and authority. Once a year the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat, which covered the ark of the covenant, to atone for his sins and those of the children of Israel.

Jesus Christ fulfilled these articles of furnishings and their functions for us. That’s why they’re missing in Ezekiel’s vision of the Temple.

One may ask why there would even be a Temple with all the details Ezekiel mentions. Wasn’t the Temple also fulfilled? If the Assembly of God, the Body of Christ, is the New Temple, why do we need any description of the building anymore, though we no longer need the important features and furnishings omitted from it?

Doesn’t the question point to its own answer? While there is the present Temple made in Heaven, composed of Living Stones, which we are, the furnishings within the former earthly Temple represented temporary shadows and needs that exist no longer, because they’re fulfilled in the end product God desired. Ezekiel’s vision speaks of that which is – the Heavenly Temple, not of that which was and which only served to form what is.

Consider how the physical Temple came to be. God didn’t initiate it, as with the tabernacle He commanded Moses to build in the wilderness. The Temple was first brought up by King David, who said he wanted to build a house for God. Here’s what God replied, through the prophet Nathan:

2 Samuel 7:5-11 MKJV
(5) Go and tell My servant David, So says the LORD, Shall you build Me a house for My dwelling?
(6) For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt until this day, but have walked in a tent, even in a tabernacle.
(7) In all places in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, those I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, Why do you not build Me a house of cedars?
(8) And now so shall you say to My servant David, So says the LORD of Hosts: I took you from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.
(9) And I was with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies out of your sight, and have made you a great name like the name of the great ones in the earth.
(10) And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more. Neither shall the sons of wickedness afflict them anymore, as before.
(11) And even from the time that I commanded judges to be over My people of Israel, so will I cause you to rest from all your enemies. Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house.

God didn’t need a house built by men. Men need a house built by God, which the Lord promised to David and his people, Israel, a place of permanent peace and safety. This obviously doesn’t describe any of the physical incarnations of the Temple, all ending in violence for Israel, but speaks of the spiritual one in Ezekiel’s vision and the Book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 3:1-6 MKJV
(1) Therefore, holy brothers, called to be partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus,
(2) Who was faithful to Him Who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.
(3) For He was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who has built the house has more honor than the house.
(4) For every house is built by someone, but He Who built all things is God.
(5) And Moses truly was faithful in all His house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken afterward.
(6) But Christ was faithful as a Son over His own house; Whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

God went on to say to David: “And when your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your Seed after you, Who shall come out of your bowels. And I will make His Kingdom sure. He shall build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of His Kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13 MKJV).

There was a physical fulfillment of this prophecy in Solomon, but the complete fulfillment comes only through Jesus Christ, also known as the Son of David.

“He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33 MKJV).

The Temple of God is within, the result of God’s work of salvation through Christ, a new man who walks in the fear of God:

“Thus says the LORD, Heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house will you build to Me? And what place shall be My rest? For all these things has My hand made, and so all these things came to be, says the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word” (Isaiah 66:1-2 HNV).

With all these things being so, could there then be, as Schmitt and Laney assume, a physical Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem patterned after the New Living One? Our answer would be, “What for?” There’d be no more need of sacrifices or priesthood; those comprising the New Temple are free to come and go by the Spirit, which fulfills the words the Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman:

John 4:21-24 MKJV
(21) Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem.
(22) You worship what you do not know, we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
(23) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.
(24) God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.

Wouldn’t the purpose of a temple in Jerusalem be worship? Schmitt and Laney concede that. But the Lord says true worshipers worship in spirit and in truth, not in a temple in Jerusalem.

Schmitt and Laney also believe Jesus Christ will physically dwell in Jerusalem with the physical Temple being His operational headquarters. But if there is to be no worshiping in Jerusalem, according to the One alone worthy of worship, why would He be there in human form, and what need would there be of such a place of worship?

Which leads us to conclude that we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth, wherever we are:

“For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:20 MKJV).

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8 ESV).

Schmitt, Laney, and many millions of nominal Christians are locked into a carnal expectation of the physical return of the Messiah, even as the Jews expected and were disillusioned when their imagined political/military hero didn’t show. These all, both “Christians” and “Jews,” expect to be worshipping the Messiah in the flesh, but what does Paul say?

“So as we now know no one according to flesh, but even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we no longer know Him so. So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17 MKJV).

Schmitt writes, “The reason that the ark of the covenant is missing from the future Temple is because the throne of the Lord is present. The Lord Jesus, the Righteous One, shall sit upon His throne as King Messiah in Ezekiel’s Temple.”

In Revelation 22, John writes that Christ is the Temple of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem from above. This Jerusalem is the home of the saints of God, those born again. The Lord dwells within – “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That’s the Jerusalem Jeremiah prophesied of (Jeremiah 3:16-17). The Lord is present and on His throne within Ezekiel’s Temple, which, thankfully, we are.

The Altar of Sacrifice

“And if you will make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stone. For if you lift up your tool upon it, you have defiled it. And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness be not uncovered on it” (Exodus 20:25-26 MKJV).

Messiah’s Coming Temple points out that the altar of sacrifice situated in the inner court of the former Temple was approached from the south by a ramp, whereas Ezekiel’s vision shows the altar approached by steps from the east (Ezekiel 43:17).

So now there are steps, whereas previously they were forbidden because of nakedness. Which means the Lord has removed our nakedness, or perhaps better put, we’re in a state of nakedness now as were Adam and Eve before they sinned, wherein is no shame. We no longer fearfully conceal ourselves from the Lord, being justified by His sacrifice. We walk in newness of life, understanding and accepting that all things are naked before Him. We are restored to godly fidelity and inherent honesty, in purity of mind, soul, and spirit.

Notice it’s His work and not ours – He shapes the stones. Any work on our part in the building of the altar, by our wisdom and labor, is not only unacceptable to the Lord, but He calls it defilement. Cut stones are the stuff of Cain’s altars.

Schmitt and Laney point out something interesting. Whereas in every other instance in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “altar” is “mizbach” (meaning “altar”), the Hebrew word translated “altar” in this case is “ariel,” meaning “lion of God.” The authors point out that Jesus Christ came as the Lamb of sacrifice for our sakes in the days of old, but in these last days, He finalizes His work as the Lion of the tribe of Judah:

“And one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals of it” (Revelation 5:5 MKJV).

The authors say Ezekiel speaks of an earthly Temple to come, but we say he speaks of the Temple that now is. The altar of Ezekiel 43:15-16 is the altar of the New Spiritual Temple of God.

Laney and Schmitt also point out that in the earthly Temple, the priests approached the altar from the south when sacrificing at the altar of sacrifice. The Lord in the Holy of Holies would be at their left hand. Ezekiel’s altar is set up so the steps face east, and the priests face west towards the Holy of Holies, or directly towards the Lord. This is the True Sacrifice, in Him, by His Spirit, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. This is that overcoming:

“Him who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he will go out no more. And I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the Name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My New Name” (Revelation 3:12 MKJV).

We now see Him face to face:

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall fully know even as I also am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12 MKJV).

It shouldn’t be difficult to understand the vanity of a physical temple. Do people really believe the Lord will be literally sitting on a throne in the Holy of Holies out of the sight of worshipers offering sacrifices on an altar outside? Isn’t that simply ridiculous?

Imagine for a bit the utterly preposterous notion of Jesus being literally, physically in human form in Jerusalem at a temple, ruling the whole earth from His “headquarters.” Consider that if He is there, it will be a sheer miracle, or at least some sort of spectacle many will wish to confirm. Many people will flock there for healings. Let’s say there are six billion people on earth. Those who expect this physical, human-body return of Jesus will number in the hundreds of millions, if not billions.

Think of the logistics. Divide the number of minutes in a year by say, just one billion souls, and see how much personal time one gets to spend at the temple with Jesus. Go ahead – use your computer calculator.

And how many jumbo airliners will it take to get the people there? And where will they (yes, both people and jumbo liners) stay? And what airport could possibly handle the traffic? How many have thought of these things?

And do they really think blood sacrifices ought to be offered Him when He has fulfilled the Great Sacrifice for them? Isn’t He now looking for the true worship in spirit and truth, fellowshipping with Him everywhere, 24/7?

“By Him, then, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, confessing His Name” (Hebrews 13:15 MKJV).

Do you expect to see Him bodily? Really? Here’s what Paul said of that very thing:

“So as we now know no one according to flesh, but even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we no longer know Him so” (2 Corinthians 5:16 MKJV).

“And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and the living creatures and the elders. And the number of them was myriads and myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:11-12 MKJV).

Of what worth would physical sacrifices be, when all things are fulfilled? Hasn’t Christ done away with that?

Hebrews 10:4-12 MKJV
(4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
(5) Therefore when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me.
(6) In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have had no pleasure.
(7) Then I said, Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.”
(8) Above, when He said, “Sacrifice and offering, and burnt offerings and offering for sin You did not desire, neither did You have pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law),
(9) then He said, “Lo, I come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first so that He may establish the second.
(10) By this will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(11) And indeed every priest stands daily ministering and offering often the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
(12) But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God.

Many make the case that these sacrifices would serve as reminders of what the Lord has done for us. But aren’t new godly natures His accomplishment? Does a living tree need a shadow as a reminder of what it now is? Will it forget itself? And if so, will its shadow indeed enlighten it?

This is the testimony, without need of reminders:

2 Corinthians 5:16-20 MKJV
(16) So as we now know no one according to flesh, but even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we no longer know Him so.
(17) So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away [shadows included]; behold, all things have become new.
(18) And all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
(19) whereas God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and putting the word of reconciliation in us.
(20) Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as God exhorting through us, we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

The old is done away when the permanent has arrived, never to be reinstated:

Hebrews 8:4-13 MKJV
(4) For if indeed [Christ] were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the Law,
(5) who serve the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was warned of God when he was about to make the tabernacle. For, He says “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you in the mountain.”
(6) But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much He is also the Mediator of a better covenant, which was built upon better promises.
(7) For if that first covenant had been without fault, then no place would have been sought for the second.
(8) For finding fault with them, He said to them, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, and I will make an end on the house of Israel and on the house of Judah; a new covenant shall be,
(9) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not regard them,” says the Lord.
(10) “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put My Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
(11) And they shall not each man teach his neighbor, and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.
(12) For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more.”
(13) In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first one old. Now that which decays and becomes old is ready to vanish away.

We no longer deal in shadows. We are no longer shadows. Saints no longer need shadows of His coming, He being within by a new birth. Our work is now in the Reality, as originally purposed. We are His reminders in our living, fully appreciative minds focused on Him, minding Him in spirit and in truth by nature. This is what He promised us.

Those who look for a physical Jesus have never known Him. They’ve never been born again.

The River of Life from the Throne of God

“And he led me again to the door of the house. And behold, water came out from under the threshold of the house eastward. For the front of the house is east, and the water came down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar…. And he measured a thousand; and there was a torrent which I was not able to pass; for the water had risen, water to swim in, a torrent that could not be passed…. And all trees for food shall go up by the torrent, on its bank on this side, and on that side. Its leaf shall not fade, nor its fruit fail. It will bear by its months, because its waters come out from the sanctuary. And its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for healing” (Ezekiel 47:1,5,12 MKJV).

Revelation 22:1-3 MKJV
(1) And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
(2) In the midst of its street, and of the river, from here and from there, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each yielding its fruit according to one month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
(3) And every curse will no longer be; but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him.

The New Temple of God is within, here and now for those in Christ’s Body. From where flows that pure river of Water of Life? Jesus told us:

“And in the last day of the great Feast [signifying the New Day and the fulfillment of Christ in us], Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”’ (But He spoke this about the Spirit, which they who believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified)” (John 7:37-39 MKJV).

The healing Water of Life is the Word of Truth coming forth from the new heart of man by the Spirit of God.

“And they will see His face, and His Name will be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4 MKJV).

“And there will be no night there. And they need no lamp, or light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light. And they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, These sayings are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show to His servants the things which must shortly be done” (Revelation 22:5-6 MKJV).

Would there be need of light on earth with an earthly Temple? I should think so. Isn’t John speaking of the Light within, the Light of all men?

Revelation 21:22-26 MKJV
(22) And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty is its Temple, even the Lamb.
(23) And the City [Heavenly Jerusalem] had no need of the sun, nor of the moon, that they might shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
(24) And the nations of those who are saved will walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth [the Heavenly Temple is on earth] bring their glory and honor into it.
(25) And its gates may not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.
(26) And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.

Zechariah 14:6-9 MKJV
(6) And it will be in that day, there shall not be light; the glorious ones shall shrink.
(7) And it will be one day which shall be known to the LORD, neither day nor night; but it will happen that at evening time it shall be light.
(8) And it shall be in that day, living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them shall go toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. In summer and in winter it shall be.
(9) And the LORD shall be King over all the earth; in that day there shall be one LORD, and His Name shall be One [not two or three].

The City of God

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24 MKJV).

Hebrews 11:8-10 MKJV
(8) By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he was afterward going to receive for an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he went.
(9) By faith he lived in the land of promise as a stranger, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise with him.
(10) For he looked for a City which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Where shall we find the ark of the covenant but in the Holy of Holies? Where shall we find the Holy of Holies, but in the Temple? Where shall we find the Temple, if not in Jerusalem, the City of God? Where is this City that every son and daughter of faith, son and daughter of Abraham, have sought for since the beginning of time?

Hebrews 11:13-16 MKJV
(13) These all died by way of faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off. And they were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
(14) For they who say such things declare plainly that they seek a fatherland.
(15) And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
(16) But now they stretch forth to a better fatherland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a City for them.

Zechariah (chapter 14, particularly) speaks of the coming of the Lord. If we speak in physical terms, surely time must be in the equation. In Revelation 22:6, it is said these were “things which must shortly be done.” Is 2,000 years “shortly”? Was it soon enough for John and those to whom he was sent with the Revelation message? But these things were shortly done. They were and are done within:

“And being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, He answered and said, ‘The Kingdom of God does not come with observation. Nor shall they say, “Lo here!” or, “Behold, there!” For behold, the Kingdom of God is in your midst [within]’” (Luke 17:20-21 MKJV).

He said He would come quickly:

“Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the Words of the prophecy of this Book” (Revelation 22:7 MKJV).

“Behold, I come quickly. Hold fast to that which you have, so that no one may take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he will go out no more. And I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the name of the City of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My New Name” (Revelation 3:11-12 MKJV).

He declared He would come quickly to those who were unrepentant, and promised to come quickly to those who needed encouragement to continue. Are these not the things of God within, which come in a timely fashion for each person, in His time?

Did He keep His promise, or are all men still waiting? We testify that He kept His promise and came quickly to those in John’s day and to us in ours. We have and are His promise – “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). He has come and does come and will come:

“I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8 MKJV).

“And each one of the four living creatures had six wings about him, and within being full of eyes. And they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, Who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8 MKJV).

Those who have overcome in Christ have entered the City of God. In the Heavenly Jerusalem is the Temple of God, which is comprised of every born-again son and daughter of Abraham, our father in the faith and the friend of God.

The Hebrews writer says his listeners have come to the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem – the City for which every spiritual sojourner has sought. But then he says:

“Therefore let us go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:13-14 MKJV).

So by faith, saints have arrived; by faith, they seek to arrive; and by faith, they will arrive. Are the saints looking for a physical temple in physical Jerusalem where Jesus said we would no longer be worshiping – here on earth where there is “no continuing city,” or do we seek the City that comes down from Heaven?

Has He come? Yes, He has! Is He coming? Yes, He is! Will He come? Yes, He will! “I Am That I Am,” and, “I Will Be That I Will Be,” the Beginning and the End of all things, Jesus Christ, Almighty God, All in all. Amen!

Source: By Victor Hafichuk and Paul Cohen

“The Third Temple – Physical or Spiritual?”
http://www.thepathoftruth.com/teachings/third-temple-physical-spiritual.htm

Important Note:

I want to add a physical Third Temple may very well be built,

but that temple will NOT stand for all eternity.

Only the Third Temple built without hands,

built with our Lord as the very corner stone and

built with living stones will be everlasting.

Lord Jesus Saves

Related articles

• Does God Want the Temple Rebuilt? (dawnmarie4.wordpress.com)

Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance

Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance

January 14,1969

I have to say the first time watching this made me cry.
Pay close attention to his last line because what he said years ago is now happening and it is very sad.

Red Skelton July 18, 1913 – September 17, 1997

As a kid I grow up watching the Red Skelton Show back in the fifties and sixties. For those who don’t know he was the funniest clown of all time.

Each show concluded with his trademark line: “Good night, and God bless.”

As a schoolboy in Vincennes, Indiana, one of Red Skelton’s teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class. Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture. It is followed by an observation of his own.

I – – Me; an individual; a committee of one. Pledge – – Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.

Allegiance – – My love and my devotion.

To the Flag – – Our standard; Old Glory ; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, Freedom is everybody’s job.

United – – That means that we have all come together.

States – – Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.

And to the Republic – – Republic–a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

For which it stands

One Nation – – One Nation–meaning, so blessed by God.

Indivisible – – Incapable of being divided.

With Liberty – – Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one’s own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

And Justice – – The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.

For All – – For All–which means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.

And now, boys and girls, let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God.

Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer, and that would be eliminated from schools, too?

Red Skelton

Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance

January 14,1969

May Grace Be With Each of You!

Lord Jesus Saves †

State Requirements on Pledge of Allegiance in Schools

http://undergod.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000074

One Nation, Under God

© HOLY SPIRIT

© Holy Spirit

These images are for anyone who would like to use them to Glorify our Lord. You can click on the image and right-click the mouse to “copy image” or “save image as”.
May God Bless each and everyone of you!

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 4:14

Prayer powered by the Holy Spirit!

Matthew 6:8
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Matthew 18:19
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
John 14:13
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:14
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
James 4:2
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: “
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

“Joy is not the absence of afflictions, but having the Lord’s comfort to deal with them.”

“Happiness is not found in our material belongings, but found in our personal relationship with the Lord.”

“Thankfulness is not having what you want, but being content with what you have”

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all are God in different forms. An analogy I like to use (steam a gas, water vapor, cloud), (ice a solid) and (water a liquid), yet they are all H2O.

“Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

There is power in the name of Jesus! His name is above all names!

Philippians 2:9-11 God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Has Risen!

Jesus

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

In The Storms of Life

Isaiah 41:10 – Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Psalm 12:5 “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written:”Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man. The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Jesus loves you and me.” “Jesus died on the cross our sins!

And then rose again.”

Everyday’s Forecast: ☼

The Son shines

and God reigns

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

††† Share the Good News!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

A Heart Filled With Love Has No Room For Hate!

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for

He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

~The Third Temple Is Spiritual~
1 Peter 2:4-7 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,

AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
This precious value, then, is for you who believe;
but for those who disbelieve,
“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone.”

Do not lose heart, though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” ~ John 14:27

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

♥ Mary Had A Little Lamb ♥

John 1:29 – The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:36 – And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” John 11:25

Matthew 15:18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

Philippians 2:9-11 God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Psalm 22:28
For the kingdom is the LORD’S And He rules over the nations.

There is power in the name of Jesus! His name is above all names!

THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3-10

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and Healing to the bones”
Proverbs 16:24

It is not organized religion or a certain denomination that saves us, it is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins. As children of God we need to come together in Unity. We make up the body of Christ. We are the church. Pure unity is only found through our Love for Jesus and others.”In essentials UNITY; in opinion LIBERTY; in all things LOVE” God of all nations, We humbly ask you to guide us in all that we do. Strengthen us to love one another, to help each other along in our faith journey. Forgive us of our harsh thoughts, words, and actions against people of other denominations in Christ. Help us to forgive one another, and join together, so that we may do YOUR work and glorify YOU LORD in the best way possible. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

A Heart Filled With Love Has No Room For Hate!!!

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Matthew 1: 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” John 12:46

Hebrews 10:1-4 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

Mark 10:6 “From the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. 7 “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, 8 AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

John 20:29 Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 2:24 ~HE HAS RISEN~

Philippians 2:9-11 God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 4:6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 2:10-11 The name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

 They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;

You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.
Psalm 65:8

1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

Psalm 231 The LORD is my shepherd,
          I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
          He leads me beside quiet waters.3 He restores my soul;
          He guides me in the paths of righteousness
          For His name’s sake.4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
          I fear no evil, for You are with me;
          Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
          You have anointed my head with oil;
          My cup overflows.6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, 
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Psalm 139:13–16
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:6

Dear Heavenly Father,
I am strong in You and in the strength of Your might. I put on the full armor of You, so that I will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For my struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the Heavenly places. Therefore, I take up the full armor of You, so that I will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. I stand firm therefore, Having Girded My Loins With Truth, and Having Put On The Breastplate Of Righteousness, and Having Shed My Feet With The Preparation Of The Gospel Of Peace, in addition to all, I take up The Shield Of Faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And I take The Helmet Of Salvation, and The Sword Of The Spirit, which is Your word. With all prayer and petition, I will pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, I will be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the Saints. Holy Spirit, pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
In Jesus Almighty name. Amen

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (KJV)

The Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. Luke 17:6

Jesus said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” Matthew 17:20

 Jesus said

John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”~

When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24

Matthew 6:19-24

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Lord Jesus Saves †

Joy, Happiness, and Thankfulness

 

“Joy is not the absence of afflictions,

but having the Lord’s comfort to deal with them.”

“Happiness is not found in our material belongings,

but found in our personal relationship with the Lord.”

“Thankfulness is not having what you want,

but being content with what you have.”

 Philippians 4:12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share [with me] in my affliction. 

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness [actually] is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are
comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our
sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

2 Corinthians 7:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Matthew 6:25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what
you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you
will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not
sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not worth much more than they?

27 “Andwho of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

28 “And why are you worried about clothing?
Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all
his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if
God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow
is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You
of little faith! 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’
or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’

32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these
things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 “But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle [spirit] be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Lord Jesus Saves †

 

Is Allah and The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the Same God?

Is Allah and The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the Same God?

I first want to say I am sharing this out of Love.

It is NOT intention to condemn anyone, but to merely show that trying to put Islam and Christianity together

goes against both the Bible and the Quran.

There are some major differences that are addressed here. I pray this message will be received in the spirit in which it is given- with love and goodwill.

May the Lord bless each and every one of you!

Let’s examine the Quran and Bible and see what they Say!

Qur’an

Surah

4:171 O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not “Three” – Cease! (it is) better for you! – Allah is only One Allah. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.

 

19:88-92 They say: “(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!” Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter
ruin, That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that He should beget a son.

 

 17:111 Say: “Praise be to Allah, who begets no son, and has no partner in (His) dominion: Nor (needs) He any to protect Him from humiliation: yea, magnify Him for His greatness and glory!” (His) dominion: Nor (needs) He any to protect Him from humiliation: yea, magnify Him for His greatness and glory!” Say: “Those who invent a lie against Allah will never prosper.” A little enjoyment in this world!- and then, to Us will be their return, then shall We make them taste the severest penalty for their blasphemies.

 

Bible

John 5: 22-23 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who
sent Him.

 

Matthew 11:27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal.

 

John 17:5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

 

1 John 2:22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

 

We clearly see in the Qur’an, Allah has No son. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob clearly has a son according to the Bible.

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

 

Putting Islam and Christianity is like having a glass of salt water and a glass of fresh water. When you mix the two together you no longer have fresh water.

Another major difference is Islam denies Jesus was ever crucified.

 

Surah 4:157-159 That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;-And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them;-

 

The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was crucified on the cross.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

 

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who
are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

After Jesus was crucified, Thomas His Apostle wanted proof He had risen~

John 20: 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Jesus never denied being God when Thomas called Him “my Lord and my God”

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Is His Eternal Gift
God knew we could not live the sinless life necessary for heaven. So, in order to offer Himself in our place, he became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. His own Son. Jesus lived a sinless life on
earth. God said the punishment for sin is death. Since we all have sinned (Romans 3:23, 6:23), we needed someone sinless to die in our place. Jesus, being sinless, died in our place and became the saving grace of the world. He died for all of us! Romans 5:10 says, “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. ” (Acts 16:31)

Say No To Chrislam, (New World Religion).
Christianity teaches that God became man, lived among us, and then died on the cross for our sins and rose again. Islam, however, denies that Jesus is God or even God’s son, and totally condemns the idea that he died and rose again on the cross. The very essence of the Christian message is totally gone. I pray God’s children will not be deceived.

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that He himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:15-20

Lord Jesus Saves †

Was Jesus God in the Flesh?

Why did God use the plurals US and OUR in Genesis 1:26?

Why is God a Jealous God?

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray You open each of our eyes to Your spiritual wisdom,
understanding, and knowledge as You guide us!
Lord, I ask you to give each one of us a heart that is pleasing in Your eyes.

Lord, I pray that Your Spirit of Truth will come upon each and everyone

one of us to open our eyes to see things more clearly, and

cast out any deceptive spirits. You are the one and only

Almighty God, the creator of all things, visible and invisible,

we sincerely need Your spiritual guidance and will for

direction in each of our lives. I pray each of us here is truly

sincere in our hearts to seek Your truth and find Your

gift of Eternal Life. Thank you Lord, In Jesus’ mighty name I pray,

Amen!

Salvation is found only in Jesus Christ!
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” Acts 4:12
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Main Problem of a Muslim solved by Ex Muslim (Nabeel Qureshi)

Reaching Muslims Through Jesus – Q&A

Why Muslim Dr. Nabeel Qureshi Converted to Christianity

Kamal Saleem: A Muslim Cries Out to Jesus – CBN.com

Related articles

• Do we pray to same God? – Ynetnews (ynetnews.com)
• Is “Allah” of Islam the God of the Bible? (familyties8.wordpress.com)

• Jesus Claimed to Be God (http://andywrasman.com)
• Is “Allah” of Islam the God of the Bible? (familyties8.wordpress.com)

• Do Christians and Muslims Both Worship God? Is Yeshua and Allah the Same Being?(http://p2alm.com/)
• Is “Allah” of Islam the God of the Bible? (familyties8.wordpress.com)

Was Jesus God in the Flesh?

Was Jesus God in the Flesh?

Did Jesus ever say “I am God” in those exact words? The answer lays in what He did say and how the Jews responded to His words. In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” “The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” John 10:33. They clearly understood that Jesus claimed to be God.

Jesus knew he was God. In John 8:58 Jesus tells the Jews “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” After Jesus says he is “I AM” the Jews become angry and try to stone Him. Again the Jews understood Jesus proclaimed to be God.

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

We are in His Son Jesus Christ the true God and eternal life.

We are in Him who is true.

We are in His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal Life.

JOHN 3:16
– For God so loved the world, that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him (JESUS) shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Eternal Life comes by believing In (JESUS the true God).

After Jesus was crucified,Thomas His Apostle wanted proof He had risen~

John 20: 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them,
“Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Jesus never denied being God when Thomas called Him “my Lord and my God”

Lets examine John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Then go to John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. So we have the Word which is God, then the Word becomes flesh. The flesh is Jesus, the flesh is God, Jesus Is God in the flesh.

The Word teaches us that Jesus was born of a virgin and conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was both God and man!

Conception and Birth of Jesus

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Concerning the Trinity!
Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God. There is the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are each equally and eternally the ONE true God.

Here is an Analogy I like to use~
It is like H2O in three different forms: water is the liquid form of H2O, ice is the solid form of H2O, steam is the gas of H2O. They are All H2O.

I pray this helps for a greater understanding.

May Grace Be with Each of You!

Lord Jesus Saves †

Related Articles

“The Divinity and Humanity of Jesus” by Chris Huffman http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=86628
Is Jesus God?   https://answersingenesis.org/jesus-christ/jesus-is-god/is-jesus-god/

• Jesus Claimed to Be God (http://andywrasman.com)

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Liebster Award

I am writing this post to thank, and to acknowledge Paulette. If you have not visited her blog yet, it would be well worth your time to do so. She truly has a heart after God, and a deep concern for God’s people: http://pbus1.wordpress.com/ Also, I wanted to express my appreciation to her, for nominating my blog for this award. I give ALL glory and honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Liebster is an award given to blogs that have less than 200 followers. It is a way to show love, encouragement, and appreciation to fellow bloggers, as well as to introduce other blogs to new readers. ALL GLORY TO GOD! After all, it is about Him, and not about us!

Below are the guidelines for accepting the award. 

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
3. Copy & Paste the award to your blog.
4. Nominate 5 blogs to receive the award.
5. Inform them of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog.
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I am nominating the following blogs for the Liebster Award. The subject matter of these blogs is Christ centered, encouraging, uplifting, and presented very creatively. You will definitely be blessed after having visited these blogs! Please take a few moments to check them out.

1. worryisuseless//Pursue your Dream http://worryisuseless.wordpress.com/
2. Sunshinelittleone’s Blog http://sunshinelittleone.wordpress.com/
3. The Test of the Cross http://thetestofthecross.wordpress.com/
4. Middle Age Ramblings http://middleageramblings.wordpress.com/
5. The Beginning To A New Outlook And Thought Pattern http://dailyaspects.wordpress.com/

Faith

“Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

With full understanding in our heart, nothing in our life will ever be the same. We have to have the kind of faith where we know God has a plan for our life. Even though we may not know what His plan is, we must still trust in Him, by being obedient to what He is telling us to do. This could be anything. He may be telling you to apologize to your mother- in-law about something that may have happened a year ago. He might be telling you to go to India to share the gospel. No matter what it is He wants us to have complete Faith, by being obedient. This, of course, is easier said than done. But when we do step out of our shell and answer “yes” to what He is asking of us, we will experience supernatural results.

“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3