Isiah 28:16 ISV “Therefore this is what the LORD God says: “‘Look! I am laying a foundation stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation: Whoever believes firmly will not act hastily.'”

Acting hastily or panicking comes from worry. The person who believes in the precious stone Jesus Christ will not worry. They will wait on the Lord. They will cast their burdens and cares on him knowing he can handle them. When we act out of desperation we are not believing in Jesus Christ. And desperate decisions will always lead to trouble.

Believing in Jesus the Chief cornerstone means we obey his commands. Listen to what Jesus commands about worry:

Matthew 6:25-34 KJV “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? [26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? [31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

WOW!!! There’s the antidote for worry: ‘seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness.’ Jesus promises if we do this everything we need WILL BE GIVEN TO US. Do we believe Him? Will we seek what God wants above what we want or need?

PRAYER WARRIORS OR PRAYER WORRIERS?

I know of people who hide they’re worry by calling themselves, “Prayer Warriors.” They fast and pray publicly. They even pray in tongues for long periods of time publicly. Yet when they come out of these prayer sessions they are still filled with worry. Instead of being prayer warriors they are really PRAYER WORRIERS. And they are going against everything Jesus says.

PRAYING

Matthew 6:5-7 KJV “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are : for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. [7] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

FASTING

Matthew 6:16-18 NIV “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. [17] But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, [18] so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

SPEAKING IN TONGUES

1 Corinthians 14:27-28 KJV “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. [28] But IF THERE BE NO INTERPRETER, LET HIM KEEP SILENCE in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.”

1 Corinthians 14:6-9 NLT “Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful. [7] Even lifeless instruments like the flute or the harp must play the notes clearly, or no one will recognize the melody. [8] And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? [9] It’s the same for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.”

1 Corinthians 14:23 KJV “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”

Some think that because of how hard they pray, or that they’ve fasted, or prayed in tongues, etcetera, they can force God’s hand to do exactly what they want. For example, they may have a son, a daughter, or a spouse who they say has strayed from the faith or doesn’t attend church anymore. They believe that by praying and fasting all the time their loved ones will repent. Many aren’t aware that this is not spiritual prayer warfare but is spiritual prayer witchcraft! Yes. Witches do things like these. Witches and wizards believe that by doing certain rituals (even prayers) they can control future events and the fates of others. Those who think like this and call themselves, “prayer warriors,” should become students of God’s word. If they were they would not worry about things so much. They wouldn’t be so obsessed with the lives of others either. These people are really control freaks. God makes it very clear in His word that no amount of rituals, prayers, and fastings can force His hand when it comes to how He deals with us and others:

Ezekiel 18:20 KJV “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

Psalm 49:7 ISV “No man can redeem the life of another, nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him.”

If we accept what God says in the verses above we will know that no amount of prayer and fasting can force His hand to make someone else repent or do whatever we want them to do. God allows all of us to make our own choice.

Joshua 24:14-15 KJV “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. [15] And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Each one of us are rewarded according to our own iniquity or righteousness God says. People have been falsely taught that they’re intercessory prayers, they’re fasting, their faithful deeds, speaking in tongues, etcetera, are a COVERING for the people they earnestly pray for. They have been tricked into trying to do the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. He is our COVERING! His death and shed blood is the only thing that COVERS us and our sins. He is our high priest and intercessor who intercedes for us before God and for the sins of all mankind. Forgiveness of sins is granted only to those who believe in Jesus and what He did for them when he shed His righteous blood.

John 3:16 NIV “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.”

The one that BELIEVES in Jesus will not perish but has eternal life. The scriptures do not say the one who is, “COVERED,” by the prayers and fasting or speaking in tongues of his/her grandmother has eternal life. It didn’t say the one who is, “COVERED,” by the prayers and fasting of their mother or father or brother or sister will not perish. Only those who believe in Jesus the Messiah for themselves will not perish but be saved.

Make no mistake; we should all pray for one another always the Bible says. (Ephesians 6:18) These prayers are very powerful and very effective. (James 5:16-18) But don’t get it twisted either, God never said that intercessory prayers and fasting takes the place of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He never said that our righteousness, our prayers, are a, “COVERING,” or can REDEEM another. This is false teaching. In fact He says the very opposite, “No man can redeem the life of another!” (Psalm 49:7 ISV) What Jesus did on THE CROSS IS THE TRUE COVERING, the only sacrifice for our sins. To practice fasting and praying or speaking in tongues to do this is practicing witchcraft! It is heresy! And many need to repent from it.

Each individual must accept JESUS THE TRUE COVERING for his/her sins in order to be saved. Accepting this truth keeps us from excessively worrying about the salvation of others. Some of our true brethren have fallen down or backslidden. But they will get back up again. But some who have fallen away never belonged to us in the first place:

1 John 2:19 KJV “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

The truth conquers worry. The truth sets us free. Let’s always pray for one another. God commands this. (Ephesians 6:18) But lets not obsessively worry about each other, or anything. Worry is not God’s will. Worry says we are not trusting God. And lastly Jesus told us that worry can not change anything. (Matthew 6:27)

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Numbers 23:13-26 KJV “And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. [14] And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. [15] And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. [16] And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. [17] And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken? [18] And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: [19] God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? [20] Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. [21] He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. [22] God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. [23] SURELY THERE IS NO ENCHANTMENT AGAINST JACOB, NEITHER IS THERE ANY DIVINATION AGAINST ISRAEL: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! [24] Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. [25] And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. [26] But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?”

Luke 6:46 NIV “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

If I had a dollar for every person I meet who says they’re a Christian but do not study the Bible, I’d have a whole year’s wages.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

There’s a simple command from God: “Study.” This is one reason why people who claim to know Jesus don’t know Him at all, they do not study His words. All of Jesus words are found in the Bible from the first book of Genesis to the last book called Revelation. Jesus is indeed THE LIVING WORD OF GOD. (John 1:1-2,14)

John 1:14 KJV “And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

When we say that Jesus is our Lord; our king, and we don’t care to follow His commands, we are liars! It’s one thing to get off course, humbly recognize it, confess our sin, and repent. It’s entirely another thing to be off course (or you never were on course in the first place), and go around saying, “I love the Lord,” “I’m a Christian,” “I’m serious about my relationship with God,” “God’s on my side,” “God knows my heart,” “God is my Father,” etcetera, and you don’t even study God’s word the Bible. ANYONE who does this is DECEIVED!!! How do you know what your, “Father,” is saying to you if you’re not even listening to His words? Oh, I forgot, ‘God knows your heart.’ You’re right, he does know it. Listen to what he says about the human heart:

Jeremiah 17:9 KJV “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Yes, God knows your and my heart alright! He knows how deceitful and desperately wicked it is, ABOVE ALL THINGS! Do you and I know this? Do we know how much our hearts are deceiving us when we don’t study God’s word? People who have been fooled into thinking they have a good relationship with God but won’t study His words are trusting in themselves; their hearts, their feelings and emotions. No wonder the Bible says the person who trusts in himself (in his own heart) is a fool.

Proverbs 28:26 KJV “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”

HERE’S A SECRET

Let me share a secret with you, a secret that God shared with me: people who have chosen to live for sin can’t stand the Bible (Jesus the living word of God) because it condemns them and their wicked behavior. Who wants to keep reading a book that explains God’s fiery judgment upon them for rejecting Him? On the other hand, the person who has truly dedicated himself/herself to the Father, the person who has truly made Jesus their LORD, loves studying God’s word. Instead of the word condemning them it encourages them. The word gives them comfort. God’s word speaks peace and blessings to those who are dedicated to Him. Jesus Himself said it better this way:

John 3:19-21 KJV “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Jesus is the living word of God! He is the light of the world. Children of darkness hate the light. This is why people who are sold out to darkness and sin cannot study the Bible, properly understand it, or correctly explain it. The Bible and Jesus are one and the same; the true light of this world! God’s living word (Jesus) reproves and exposes all sin and evil in the hopes of getting people to repent and be saved. Those who love sin can’t stand being reproved.

ANOTHER SPECIAL GROUP

Then there’s another special group; people who read the Bible til they’re blue in the face but can’t understand it. (2 Timothy 3:7-8) Because they too love darkness they are misled by Satan into believing they do have proper understanding. They think they have cracked all the secret codes in the Bible. They attempt to explain all the deep secrets and prophesies, but don’t have a clue of what they are talking about. Their knowledge is for show. They love getting into debates about scripture and things of God. They also use God’s word to control people. They are false prophets, witches, and wizards, just like Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses. They are always learning but never coming to an accurate knowledge of the truth. And some of us listen to them regularly on TV, on radio podcasts, through other forms of social media, we read their books, etcetera. But of course we do. We have to! We’re too lazy to obey Jesus command to pick up the word of God and study it for ourselves. So we have to let someone else tell us what it means, and are cursed because of our disobedience. Yes, God let’s us come under a curse by getting hoodwinked through these false prophets and magicians. (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12) We and they are headed straight to hell (If we do not repent).

Matthew 15:14 NIV “Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

There’s another command from our, “LORD,” Jesus. He says to leave the false prophets; the blind guides, the fake religious leaders. And he guarantees us that when we follow a blind guide BOTH OF US WILL FALL INTO THE PIT!!! Not just the blind guide. Will we obey LORD Jesus? Is he really our Lord? Or will we stay in that false church and keep listening to those blind guides because that’s where our family and friends are? Or that’s where our business relationships are? Hmmmmm. Is Jesus really your Lord?

BE A BEREAN

Acts 17:11 KJV “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

These folks who lived in Berea were noble God said. Why? Because they readily received the message about Jesus preached by the apostle Paul? NO! Because THEY PICKED UP THEIR SCRIPTURES D A I L Y to see if what Paul said was true or not! They used the scriptures as their reference point (not pastor Paul’s words). The Bereans didn’t do what many do today; “MY PASTOR SAID such and such and such ….”

Just so happens what Paul preached matched the scriptures verbatim. But how would the Bereans know this if they never studied the scriptures for themselves? Do you and I use the Bible as our reference point for EVERYTHING people say about God? If we do we are wise and noble too. But if we eat up like spaghetti what people tell us about God and don’t check the Bible to see if it’s true we are being foolish. Some of us are being plain stupid because we know better. We’re just too lazy to study the scriptures for ourselves. And some of us are just plain phony if we say we are believers but don’t study God’s word. We hate God and we know it. But we want others around us to think we are Christians. If we are guilty of any of these we need to repent before it is too late!

I’ll share another secret with you God shared with me: many who claim to be Christians have never been born again in the first place. They will tell you the reason they don’t read the Bible is because they’ve backslidden. But that’s a lie. Many of them have never front-slidden. They’ve never received Jesus Christ in their life. It’s been all a show for them. They’ve never had a hunger for God’s word. They’ve never studied His words on a regular basis or tried to obey His commandments. And these wicked people call themselves Christians.

You cannot obey God’s greatest commandment to love–let alone love your enemies–and not be a student of God’s word. This is hard even for those who study the Bible everyday. You cannot forgive others. You will not be able to follow Jesus commands about lust, idolatry, greed, etcetera, and not be a student of Christ. You don’t have what it takes to do so; God’s word is not stored in your heart:

Psalm 119:11 KJV “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Until we make an honest commitment to God; to live for Him, we will not study His words. Hence we will never have the power it takes to obey Him. Guys if this is you please repent. Please commit your life to God and let Him renew your mind and give you a new spirit. Pray to Him like David did:

Psalm 51:9-10 KJV “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

God will respond:

Ezekiel 11:19 NIV “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Don’t be one of the folks in the next verse below. When Jesus returns they will be utterly shocked. Why? Because they thought they had a relationship with God only to find out they were living in lah lah land the whole time. They played with God so much throughout life that He cursed them, causing them to believe their lie:

Matthew 7:21-23 NIV “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ [23] Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

Luke 6:46 NIV “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

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Luke 16:19-23 KJV “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

Lazarus THE BEGGAR WENT TO HEAVEN! So what’s more important, how much money we have in this life or how much love for God we have? Lazarus didn’t die broke. He died rich! This man and other extremely poor folks like him lives in heaven with God in eternal glory; eternal riches, forever!

I’ve heard many preachers say if you’re struggling financially, or if you’re poor, God isn’t with you, he’s not blessing you. And you must be living in sin. So why did Lazarus the beggar (the poorest of the poor) go to heaven? Because these preachers are liars, and God’s gift of eternal life is not dependant on one’s social status. In fact the Bible says that most of God’s chosen ones are among the poor.

James 2:5 NET “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?”

Ahh, did you catch that? It’s the poor that God has chosen. They are the heirs of the kingdom. A kingdom He has, “PROMISED TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM!” That’s who goes to heaven: THOSE WHO LOVE GOD! Money or lack of it has nothing to do with it. Yeah, there were and are a few rich people throughout history who have been lovers of God. But the scriptures say it’s primarily the poor and downtrodden that God has chosen:

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 HCSB “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

God tells us to consider our calling: not many of us were wise, powerful, of noble birth, or rich when God called us. But God chose what is lowly and weak in the eyes of the world to put the lofty and strong things of the world to shame. God’s choosing has nothing to do with money. This is why even a beggar like Lazarus can go to heaven. If you are struggling with this truth pray to God for understanding. Don’t be infected by the world’s thinking that money is everything. There are people who think without money they and others are nothing. And some even feel that money can buy them heaven! This is crazy. LAZARUS THE BEGGAR going to heaven disproves these Satanic lies. Remember, the rich man went to hell.

CHOSEN BEFORE WE WERE BORN

Jeremiah 1:5 KJV “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Galatians 1:15-16 KJV “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, [16] To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

Ephesians 2:10 KJV “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Don’t you see from the scriptures before we were born, before the world was even made, God chose us? None of us owned a dime when God chose us. We weren’t even here yet. Our calling has nothing to do with money or lack of it. So stop listening to these false preachers that make you feel bad for not being a big shot in this world. And those who make you feel like you’re better than others because you have more money. LAZARUS THE POOR POOR BEGGAR WENT TO HEAVEN!!! He didn’t have no money! That’s right, “NO MONEY!” And God saved him. Why? Because Lazarus was rich with love for God. And you can go to heaven too regardless of your social status. Faith and love for God is all you need.

John 3:16 KJV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM [anyone] should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

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Romans 12:2 KJV “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 8:29 NIV “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

“All you gotta do is conform and your life will be easy.” These are the words the serpent whispers in our ears. He wants us to conform to this world. Are we listening to him? Truth be told no one’s life is easy. Everything about this wicked world is a show. Yeah, they look good in their fine clothes, material possessions, big houses, etcetera. But it’s only one big show!

God says the wicked are on slippery ground. Their footing is not stable as it seems. (Psalm 73:18-20) They fall into many pains and horrors the righteous are spared from. What good is it to have everything you desire but want to kill yourself? What good is it to be so popular but be controlled by drugs, alcohol, other people, and evil spirits? The richest people of the world are among the most miserable people in the world. On the outside their show looks good, but on the inside; behind the scenes, these actors know their true misery. Some have shared their horror stories. And others we hear about them after it’s too late (they’re deceased).

There’s a price to pay for rejecting God and worshipping success instead. You will literally go crazy. After achieving everything you thought would make you happy you find out it only brings more pain. You can’t make enough money to avoid pain, no one can. Satan’s world is filled with suffering. No matter how hard you try you can’t permanently turn off your emotions. No amount of money can do that. And despite what we poor folks wonna believe about those with money, some rich people have admitted the more money they make the more problems they have.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 “Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.”

If you want to be a big shot in this world you’re up against a lot of heartache and pain God says. Some say they’re willing to pay that price. And many who have already paid the price have gotten into traps they wish they could now get out of. The Bible says they have, “STABBED THEMSELVES WITH MANY PAINS.” Yes, self-mutilation is exactly what people who worship money do to themselves. “But look at how neat their clothes are,” some say. “Look at how nice she looks.” “Look at his big house.” But God says, “LOOK AT THEIR PAIN!!!” God Himself says they have a lot of pain and are plunged into ruin and destruction. They have been caught in traps! Don’t be fooled by their outward appearances.

The thing about a trap is you often don’t know you’re in one until the trap is sprung. All seems well in the beginning until BOOM; you find out you’ve gotten into something you can’t quite get out of. Now is the pain. All because of the love of money. All because you thought that reaching for money instead of reaching for God would make you happy, would make your life easier. You’ve fallen for Satan’s trap.

IS THERE A WAY OUT?

The truth is we can get out of any trap if we exercise faith in God through Jesus Christ. Satan really plays a mind game on his underlings. For example, he’ll give some of them fame and fortune but they must sell their souls to him usually in some sick ritual. In addition to this he uses fear tactics to frighten them from ever leaving his service. At the same time he teaches these people to hate Jesus Christ. Why such an aversion for Jesus Christ? Because Satan knows that Jesus is the one person who can deliver these people from his grip. So he’ll do everything in his power to paint Jesus as wack while intimidating and manipulating his victims. People who serve Satan have a whole lot of fear.

John 14:6 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 8:32 NLT “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus is the way to God, and the truth. He’s the one and only way to the one and only person who can protect people from Satan the Devil: that’s God! There is no other way. The truth God reveals through His son Jesus Christ sets people free. There is no other freedom. The Devil knows this. If Jesus Christ is just another ficticious person like Santa Claus or Humpty Dumpty why is there so much hatred generated towards Him? Think about it! Because He is not another fable. He is the Devil’s arch enemy that sets people free. And Satan does not want people to go free. He wants to keep them in spiritual prison. Hence the hateful propaganda against Jesus.

I invite you to do your own investigation of Jesus Christ. And here’s a suggestion that will make this easy for you: pick up the Bible and start reading the book of Matthew. If your interest is still peaked read the next book of Mark, then Luke, then John. These books are four records of Jesus’ life on earth, what he taught, what he stood for, etcetera. If you’re not impressed with him at least you can say you investigated Jesus for yourself. But what if after investigating Jesus you find out that He really is the Christ; the Messiah, the son of the living God? Can you afford not to research this person for yourself? What do you have to lose? Don’t listen to what anyone says, use your own mind, go ahead and make your own search.

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John 15:3 KJV “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

“NOW YOU ARE CLEAN THROUGH THE WORD,” is what Jesus told his disciples and tells us today. Disciples of Christ follow Him. It is trust in His words; unshakable faith in everything He says that makes us clean. Jesus’ words clean us just as His blood cleanses us.

Before coming to Christ we were slaves to all kinds of wicked passions. There are many evil things we stopped doing that displeased God and that’s a good thing. But some think that because they’ve stopped doing this or stopped doing that they’re now clean. But when we examine Jesus’ words at John 15:3 Jesus was talking to imperfect disciples just like us when he said, “NOW ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (KJV) One of these disciples for fear of what would happen to him for being associated with Jesus denied ever knowing Jesus 3 times. And that same night when Jesus was arrested all of the disciples deserted Him. These same disciples were also caught pridefully bickering about which of them was the greatest. They also had sectarian views. They saw someone healing in the name of Jesus and tried to force him to stop because he didn’t belong to their group. Jesus told them they were wrong for this. And on another occasion when a crowd didn’t want to listen to Jesus’ words two of His disciples asked Him, “Lord do you want us to call down fire from heaven and burn them up?” Jesus rebuked them for that as well. (Luke 9:46-56) Are you getting the point? These disciples were human beings just like us who thought they knew what they were doing and had much to learn. Yet Jesus said they were already clean because of THE WORD he had spoken to them? This proves that GOD’S WORD CLEANSES US! And it disproves that never messing up, never sinning, and never making mistakes is what makes us clean.

This should give us much encouragement. How often do we see ourselves in the true light of God’s word? How often do we see this perfect Holy God in the face of Jesus Christ? How often do we see we fall way short of His glory? THANK GOD salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by our own works!!!

Romans 3:23-24 NIV “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

WHAT A GIFT FROM GOD!!! You and I can’t do enough good to earn salvation. That doesn’t mean we should throw off all restraint and live for evil. It’s just a fact that God wants us to know so that we do not become deceived and puffed up with pride because of how good we think we are. We’re saved by God’s graciousness FIRST. It all starts with Him. Then through faith; when we believe Him, that’s how we participate. God even gives us the faith in order to believe in Him. So this is all about Him not us! And this is why no one can boast.

You are NOW CLEAN because God makes you clean through the washing of His word and the blood of Jesus Christ, plain and simple. If you and I put faith in His words we are cleansed by them. I’m so glad this process doesn’t start or end with us. Being clean then would be impossible. This is encouragement for us to keep on seeking God regardless of our faults and shortcomings. Though we live to please our heavenly Father we can rest assured that when we fall short He’s always there to forgive us. All we have to do is confess our sins to Him and repent. WE ARE CLEAN BY GOD’S WORD AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST!!! YAY!!! NOT BY OUR SO-CALLED PERFECT GOOD BEHAVIOR. Bathe in God’s words by studying them daily. And always seek to apply them.

Pleasing God is our goal
But our good works don’t save our soul

1 John 1:7-9 NLT “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. [9] But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

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Romans 9:21 KJV “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

One day some dishes were lying around; bowls, pots, pans, spoons, plates, etcetera. Nothing was special about these dishes they were for ordinary everyday use. Then someone set another dish in their midst, a piece of fine China. The other dishes became angry and afraid. Why? The piece of fine China didn’t bother them? He didn’t ridicule them saying things like, “You’re worthless and ordinary, but I’m used for special occasions. Look at me. I’m a piece of fine China.” The fine China didn’t do anything like this. Yet these dishes hated him, and in their rage made up stories (lies) about the fine China to degrade his value. The piece of fine China didn’t let any of this trouble him. He just kept on being himself: fine China.

Why do you think the other dishes hated the fine China so much? Because next to him it was obvious for all to see that they were ordinary. Also the fine China’s brilliance reflected like a mirror so that when the other dishes looked at him they could see themselves; who they really were, not who they pretended to be. All of their flaws from everyday use was apparent, and they knew others could see it too. They felt like the fine china was stealing their shine. But in reality they had no shine to them at all. It was not the fine China’s intention to remind them they were ordinary. But somehow this always occurred. So these set of dishes came up with a plot. They decided to do everything in their power to break the fine China, and shatter him to pieces!

ARE PEOPLE LIKE DISHES?

This is what happens when people are filled with pride: when someone comes around who noticeably stands out they become angry, and afraid. Why? Their shortcomings are shown up. And their insecurities come to light. These people often ACT like they’ve got it goin on! But if they really were special why would they become so angry at someone elses shine? In the same way whenever good is placed right next to evil this happens. Good makes it obvious for all to see just how ugly evil really is! This makes evil very uncomfortable; angry, and afraid, because evil hates being exposed. Evil loves to hide in the dark and pretend to be good, pretend that is has or possesses light.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 KJV “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 2CO11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2CO11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

Satan and his minions pretend to be light all the time. It is nothing wonderful. But when set right next to what is truly good (or fine China) or the real light, the shine refleting from the fine China exposes the evil dishes as worthless and ordinary. This makes morally corrupt people very angry.

JOHN 3:19‭-‬21 AMP “This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned. But whoever practices truth [and does what is right–morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are–accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].”

Those who do what is right prove that God is good and real! And this shows that our works are done through Him. Your godly conduct disproves and confounds the world’s lies about God, His son Jesus Christ, and you. Your opponents may never admit this to you. But your good deeds scream volumes to them! This is why they are always trying so hard to corrupt you. You, true brothers and sisters are the fine China. Keep letting your light shine regardless of how much the world hates you.

John 15:18 KJV “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”

Philippians 1:28 NLT “Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.”

Psalm 37:12-13 ISV “The wicked person plots against the righteous, and grinds his teeth at him. But the Lord laughs at him because he sees that his day is coming!”

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1 John 1:7‭-‬10 KJV “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

We may not think of confessing our sins as part of walking in the light but it is. I’ve learned over the years not to trust anyone who is never wrong; someone who claims to never sin.

I once had the privilege of studying the Bible with a young man. We’ll call his name Billy. Billy and I studied the Bible for years together. I was a new believer myself. We were very close. Billy started showing signs (or I had just started noticing them) that he was not who he said he was; a Christian. There were bizarre things going on with Billy. But I kept giving him the benefit of the doubt. One day the idea came to me to ask Billy a question. I know now this thought came from the Holy Spirit. While Billy and I were alone the question went like this: “Billy, in all your life, do you ever remember apologizing to anyone? Have you ever told someone, ‘I’m sorry?’ ” Billy looked perplexed for a while. He looked up in the air like he was trying to remember. This went on for about 5 minutes literally! Something inside me said, “Keep quiet, don’t say anything.” Then finally Billy said, “No.”

Can you imagine that? You’re in your late twenties, and not once in your lifetime have you told someone, “I’m sorry,” about anything? Wouldn’t that mean you never thought you were wrong? That was Billy’s problem. Billy was self-righteous. Billy was one of those folks who felt his way was the right way to do everything. He thought he had life figured out at such a young age. Confessing; admitting sins, was not Billy’s thing.

The question I asked him was designed to help Billy see his fault in the hopes of helping him repent. According to the scriptures unless we can confess our sins we are not walking in the light. To believe we have not sinned (and there are many who think this way) proves that God’s word is not really in us. I didn’t know this yet about my friend Billy but that truth would reveal itself later.

I loved Billy like a brother. To make a long story short the Holy Spirit started convicting me strongly about one of my own sins; smoking marijuana, and I decided to quit. I told Billy this. You see Billy and I had come out of the world together (so it seemed). At about the same time we became believers. First I became one then BIlly. We were friends in the world before we became believers. While we were in the world we were heavy weed smokers. After becoming believers we were still heavy weed smokers. You see I tricked myself into believing as long as we did it in moderation God was cool with it. But we never did it in moderation though. So I have to admit guys I smoked pot for years and called myself a Christian. I think I can relate to many Christians who do the same thing today.

I gave myself every excuse in the book to smoke weed. My favorite one was, “God created it. And all of God’s creation is good.” But the spirit one day whispered in my ear, “I also created what you call poison mushrooms, I don’t see you smoking any of those?” The Spirit started convicting me hard regarding this. Scriptures like where God says, ‘that all things are lawful but not all things are beneficial would jump out at me. Romans chapter 13 where it talks about obeying the authorities (government) whipped me. The other passage where it says we must be sober minded troubled me. And the scriptures in proverbs that talk about laziness chastised me because smoking weed started making me lazy and sleep more often. (1 Corinthians 6:12 1 Peter 4:7 5:8 Proverbs 6:6-11 10:4 19:15) Passages like these and many others made it hard for me to keep smoking. Yet I still didn’t stop immediately.

One day very tired of this struggle and scared that if I don’t quit this soon I’m gonna lose my faith and lose my soul I fell down crying like a baby, runny nose and all, sobbing before the Lord. I remember praying to God telling Him, “I’ve tried to quit and I can’t!” (Romans 7:14-25) I begged him to help me crying my eyes out. I now know that moment, that prayer, was a turning point in my life. After that prayer amazingly I got the power to stop! It didn’t all happen in one day though. But the desire for weed just wasn’t there anymore like it was before. I went from smoking everyday to falling short every few years or so. Yep, years would go by without me smoking marijuana. I felt so terrible afterwards and would repent. And years later I fell short again. This has happened a few times years apart. And I can honestly tell you it’s been more than a few years since I’ve last smoked weed, thank God! I hope to never do it again, especially after learning that smoking weed is associated with witchcraft, sorcery, etcetera! WOE! Yes! Don’t believe me? Do your own research. I can honestly say I didn’t know this in the past but I can’t use that excuse now. (Revelation 21:8 22:15) The good news is it’s really true that when we confess our sins and come to God with them he does forgive us, and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Back to my friend Billy. As I mentioned earlier when I knew I’d had enough smoking weed I told Billy I was quitting. Billy became angry with me about this. I mentioned to Billy AS MY BROTHER IN CHRIST, “Why would you be mad at me instead of supporting me as a brother?” Billy quickly said, “I never said I was your brother!” WOE! Stop the press! That statement blew me away. I couldn’t believe my ears. Me and this guy had studied the Bible for years together, prayed together, did everything together, talked about God all the time, and now because I decided to stop smoking weed, ‘I’m not your brother anymore, and never was?’

Have you figured it out guys? For once in his life Billy was telling the truth: that he was not my brother in Christ, and never was. Billy was planted by Satan all along to weaken me and cause me to lose my faith. The only thing Billy and I had in common was smoking weed, nothing else. It wasn’t until I got more serious about serving God that Billy’s charade was revealed. Needless to say Billy and I separated. But before our separation the Holy Spirit had also revealed to me that Billy had plans to harm others in our small church including a child. Billy was confronted with this knowledge and had to admit that, “Yes,” he did have plans to hurt the child. At that moment Billy really made me sick! And only the Lord Jesus Himself kept me from harming Billy. You see, the child that Billy had plans to harm was my son.

Billy reminds me of Balaam the male witch that tried to put spells/curses on the Israelites but could not. Yet he succeeded in enticing Israel to sin which caused God Himself to punish them. (2 Peter 2:15 Jude 1:11 Revelation 2:14) Is there a Billy in your life? Hmmmm.

Family of believers be wary of folks who say they are Christians but have never truly repented yet. These people are arrogant and are never wrong. They can not confess their sins. They are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. God’s word says to stay away from them. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) They are not walking in the light and God’s word is not in them 1 John 1:10 says.

1 John 1:10 NET “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.”

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Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”

Anger lives in the lap of fools, plain and simple. People who are always huffing and puffing are fools. Anger LIVES with them! Do we really hear what God is saying? Do we see why He says not to befriend an angry person? Because we’re befriending a fool. And we are associating with their anger too, which will ensnare us:

Proverbs 22:24-25 KJV “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: PRO22:25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.”

Proverbs 14:16 KJV “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.”

A wise Person runs from evil. On the contrary a fool is always raging, and is confident or secure in their anger. They wear anger like a garment and believe it protects them. They do not see how they’re temper causes them to fall.

WHERE DOES GOD’S WRATH LIVE?

John 3:36 KJV “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM.”

The wrath of God lives (abides) with those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.

REVELATION 6:14-17 “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. REV6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; REV6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: REV6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

Regardless of social status God’s wrath will be felt by the wicked. But there will be no place to hide. The underground cities, bunkers, and secret places in the caves will not be able to save them.

I once heard a young lady/preacher talk to a group of folks. She was putting in a plug for her new book she had written. She sounded much like these fluffy self-help prosperity preachers bragging on her own efforts etcetera. Then she told the audience of over 100 people, “God is not angry with you.” She kept repeating this phrase. I happen to know that the people she was talking to were not all repentant, born again, believers in Jesus Christ. These are the only ones who are saved from God’s wrath the Bible says. (Romans 1:18 5:9 1Thesselonians 1:10 5:9 John 3:17-21)

God’s word clearly says that, GOD’S WRATH ABIDES, or is always present, or stays with, or lives among those who do not believe in His only begotten son Jesus. This lady/preacher was only tickling the crowds ears and promoting herself and her book. They loved having their ears tickled of course. (2 Timothy 4:3 Isaiah 30:10-11) And as a side benefit the lady’s church group was going to feed the crowd a hot meal after the so-called church service was over. Hmmmm.

Let’s work hard and pray that more people will accept God’s love through Jesus Christ so that they can really be saved from God’s wrath. (Matthew 9:35-38)

WHERE DOES JOY LIVE?

Happiness is circumstances based. Joy is the peace of God that exceeds all circumstances and all understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7) Joy is a fruit of God’s Holy Spirit! (Galatians 5:22) Hence it is not hindered by low human circumstances, just as God is higher than all and not impeded by human issues. Joy lives in the heart of those who trust God.

Ever heard someone say, “This person is going through such and such, how can they be so happy?” The answer to that question is JOY, which is given to the heart and mind that is stayed or steadfast on the LORD. These people are set on doing God’s will, and God protects/guards their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. They don’t have time to throw pity parties because of their circumstances. They’re focus is on The Lord. Not on how bad things are.

Isaiah 26:3 KJV “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

So, which would you rather have? Who would you like to live with? Anger? God’s wrath? Or Joy?

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Revelation 14:11-13 KJV “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. [12] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. [13] And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

There’s some tough times ahead brothers and sisters. Yes, things on earth will get worse than they already are. And here is where the patient endurance of God’s saints comes in. God’s true servants will keep their faith in The Lord and keep God’s commandments til the end. But it will become harder and harder to do so. There are great woes coming, the likes that mankind has never seen. And many deceptions that could sway even the brightest saint if not for God’s protection through Jesus:

Matthew 24:24 KJV “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Jude 1:24-25 KJV “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, [25] To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Soon people will be scrambling to receive the mark of the beast, but we will say, “NO!” That’s what we will do. Those who say, “Yes,” to the beast, and worship his image, and take the mark of his name never belonged to Christ in the first place. Their names are not written in The Lambs Book Of Life:

Revelation 13:8 KJV “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

1 John 2:19 NET “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us.”

Matthew 24:10 NIV “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,”

This defection or apostasy is going on right now. But it will certainly be in effect when people can not buy (food and goods) or sell (conduct business); when they are economically screwed unless they worship the beast, and his image, and receive the mark of his name.

Revelation 13:16 “He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 13:17 Thus no one was allowed to buy or sell things unless he bore the mark of the beast – that is, his name or his number. 13:18 This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, and his number is 666.”

So you see the vast majority; “EVERYONE,” the scripture says, including many who claim to be Christians will openly turn their backs on God and worship the beast because they want to be able to buy and sell things. They want to live. But as Jesus says:

Luke 17:33 KJV “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

Revelation 14:11 KJV “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

Those who worship the beast and receive his mark will suffer ETERNAL TORMENT in the lake of fire. They have no rest day or night. They can’t even take a nap so as to forget their pain momentarily. Those who refuse to worship the beast and choose to worship God alone, even if it means the loss of everything including their lives, have ETERNAL LIFE!

Revelation 14:9-10 KJV “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, [10] The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb”

Matthew 19:29 KJV “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit EVERLASTING LIFE!”

The choices are clear. And every individual’s stance will be made even more clear as these last days wind down to this satanic mark of the beast. Repentance is impossible for those who take the mark. They are ETERNALLY DAMNED! This is so serious!!!! What will we do? Let us pray that we all will be able to survive all these things.

Luke 21:36 KJV “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

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