1 Corinthians 10:1‭-‬12 KJV “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

I was researching the word, “Ensamples,” and found that it’s meaning included everything from a teaching that instructs and warns, to a mark made by a stroke or a blow. And it also means an image made, an impression to be studied and learned from. That’s what God says the things that happened to the children of Israel are for us.

God used Moses to rescue Israel from a life of cruel slavery. They were slaves to the Egyptians for 400 years! But how sad that most of them later died in the wilderness and never made it to the promised land. Why? Imagine being a slave all of your life. Your parents were slaves, and their parents, and so on. And only by God’s miraculous power one day you’re set free! God split the Red Sea wide open for you, then you and your people walked across it on dry ground! Your enemies also tried to cross the sea in pursuit of you. Then God closed the sea in on them. You watched the bodies of your enemies wash up on the sea shore. Never again will you have to worry about those Egyptians making your life miserable. Would you be grateful for that?

Israel was not grateful. They constantly grumbled and complained against God. On more than one occasion they even talked about killing Moses, God’s appointed leader of His people.

Jude 1:5 NIV “Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.”

LUST

When we hear the word, “Lust,” we normally think about sex. But we can set our hearts on many evil things besides sexual pleasures God forbids. Evil lust for what is forbidden has overtaken us when we say to ourselves, “I want it no matter what the cost!” “I don’t care about the consequences, I want it!” Israel often got into trouble for this attitude. I recently was studying the Bible with a guy who has serious issues with lust. On his job he gained a reputation for touching women inappropriately. He started a second job and on his 2nd day the manager had to pull him aside and talk to him about focussing on his work instead of females. He then got a new smartphone and a new girlfriend. After that he was through. You couldn’t tell him anything. He lost interest in studying the Bible. Why? Because his true desires were now fulfilled. He could now watch all the entertainment he wanted on his new smartphone (including pornography), and he had a new girlfriend to fulfill his evil lusts through. At first he said he wanted God. But his actions proved otherwise. Which brings us to:

IDOLATRY

Idolatry is the worship of false gods. This caused many of the Israelites to fall and be destroyed. Anything can be an idol. The other day I saw a sign that read, “Anything You Love More Than God Is Your God.” That’s a good way to put it. Things we covet; set our hearts on, are really our gods. No wonder God says concerning some:

Philippians 3:19 KJV “Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”

What do we set our hearts on? What do we desire the most? Is it a new home? A new car? That cool new smartphone? A new job? Maybe it’s that new tablet? What about a mate? Is money our god? Maybe entertainment, having a good time is what we desire most. It doesn’t matter what it is, if we love it more than we love God we’ve been duped into idolatry. Our idol worship will come back to bite us. Speaking of things that bite us hard that brings us to:

FORNICATION

Fornication means to give oneself over to unlawful sexual practices. It also includes prostituting one’s body to the lust of another. Those who practice fornication are also engaging in idolatry, because they are coveting something evil:

Colossians 3:5 NIV “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, WHICH IS IDOLATRY.”

Our bodies are temples of God. They were not meant for fornication, which is idolatry:

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 NIV “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. [13] You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. [14] By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. [15] Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! [16] Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” [17] But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. [18] Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. [19] Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

The sin of fornication is serious. Every other sin is committed outside the body. But he/she that sins sexually sins against his/her own body. That means when we commit fornication something is going on inside the body.🤔Hmmmm. On one occasion God destroyed twenty three thousand Israelites for engaging in fornication and worshiping the false god Baal. The Israelites were invited to a party by a neighboring nation. Some of them went, ate, drank, and had sex with women, which was the practice in worshiping Baal. One moment of pleasure costed twenty three thousand people their lives! Beware of the parties you get invited to.

May we learn from the children of Israel not to be complainers, not to be lustful, nor idolaters, or fornicators. If we have sinned in these ways we should confess our sins to God and repent. He will forgive us and welcome us with open arms if we are sincere:

Proverbs 28:13 KJV “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

James 5:16 NIV “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Hebrews 10:22 NIV “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Hebrews 9:14 NIV “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

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Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 NIV “Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? [14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”

We are in some very interesting times. Perhaps the most interesting in human history. And according to the verse above God is still in full control. Most wonder what’s really going on in the world today. Every day we see something weird in the news. People are divided more ways than ever. We pay more attention to technology than to one another. As a guy said the other day, “When I got on the train I looked around at people. All heads were bowed down to the iPhone. Nobody was talking to each other, all heads were bowed down! And whenever someone stopped doing something on their phone they anxiously picked it up again like it was a drug and started fooling with it again. I watched this go on. All heads were bowed down!” Hmmmm. It’s a fact many of us LIVE in the virtual world. That’s the real world to some. We don’t interact with one another like we use to. Even families aren’t close anymore. What have we become as a society? And where is it all going?

Speaking of our time period Jesus said:

Matthew 24:12-13 “And because wrongdoing will be increased, the love of most people will become cold. [13] But he who goes through to the end will get salvation.”

Part of the sign Jesus gave signaling the end of human history is people becoming more cold and unloving. Is that happening today? You betchah! He also said only those who go through or endure to the end will be saved. Saved from what?

According to Jesus if our love grows cold; if we become mean, hateful, and unfeeling, we won’t receive salvation. Instead we’re doomed. What if Jesus is exactly who He says He is? And what if He knew about a future cataclysmic event that was coming to mankind? What if something as sweet and simple as Love is the true way to not get swept away and destroyed? If this is so can you see how much trouble we’re in? Are people becoming more and more loving or are they becoming more mean and hateful?

WHAT IS LOVE?

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud [5] or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. [6] It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. [7] Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

Who today really practices Love? Only a few. You and I have been taught that love is living certain lifestyles that God forbids. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) And that those who show true love; the love the Bible talks about, are weak. Can spending hours upon hours playing video games teach us how to love one another? Can spending many hours in front of a computer screen teach us love? Can hours on our smartphones, watching TV, etcetera teach us love? There’s one problem with all of these; the more we do them the less interaction we have with each other. Yes, we may have more contact with others in the virtual world, but is that world really benefiting us?

LET’S TALK REAL

Revelation 12:9 NIV “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

Everything you see today, all of our wonderful technological advancements have been sold to us as benefits. And it’s all a part of the Devil’s con game to destroy us. He hates human beings. Some are already figuring out that many of our so-called great inventions are killing us. They just aren’t aware of who’s really behind it. Some say it’s the illuminati, others the government, the pope, etcetera. All of these and others are puppets the Devil uses. After they do his bidding they will be disposed of too.

The Devil and his demons are real spirit beings. In fact the word demon means, “Knowledge.” Demon spirits are highly intelligent. They have way more knowledge than human beings. They too were influenced by Satan to defect from God. He also got Adam and Eve the first humans to do the same. Tricking people is something he’s very skilled at. As long as people pay more attention to themselves and their technology toys than to God they don’t stand a chance against Satan. There is one human being the Devil never had success tricking. His name is Jesus, the son of the living God. No wonder Satan has misled the world into hating Jesus so much.

The Devil is the ruler of this world (temporarily). He knows that whoever comes in contact with and accepts Jesus Christ becomes victorious over him also. Jesus’ full victory over the Devil is credited to them too.😁 So he will use every form of propaganda to discredit Jesus Christ and true Christians. But in spite of all of this Jesus true followers (those who live a life of love) will still receive eternal life. (John 3:16 1 John 4:8)

Did you know when Jesus was on earth He said in the future our world would become so bad if our days were not shortened no one would survive?

Matthew 24:22 KJV “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Yes, Jesus knew that in the future mankind would be in danger of extinction. Do the kingdoms of the world today have enough nuclear weapons to destroy all life on earth many times over? Yes. Did you know that legal prescription drug overdoses are the leading cause of death among Americans? Did you also know that cancer deaths are on the rise? And that our awesome smartphones, tablets, and computer technology emits high levels of cancerous radiation? It’s been proven. But you don’t hear too much about that in the media, do you? And what are they building right now as we speak? Even more radiation. Astronomical levels of it. The world is is going from 4G to 5G. What does this mean? Do your research. The amounts of radiation this new technology is said to emit is insane! Smart cities (as their called), smart homes, smart cars, the coming Internet Of Things, is all sold to us as human advancement and achievement. But is it?

If something that is supposed to help you slowly or quickly kills you, is that an achievement? It depends on your point of view. To the Devil it is. I haven’t scratched the surface. We haven’t even talked about the fluoride put in our drinking water, and the effects that has on us. We haven’t discussed chemtrails, genetically modified food, smart dust, human gene splicing, nano technology, etcetera. Please do your research on these things. Some of us see the hand of Satan in all of this and much more. He is the one who is misleading the entire world to their doom. The only way to escape is Jesus.

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James 5:16 KJV “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Does life seem to go easier when we shut everyone else out and just stay to ourselves? I know, we don’t seem to get hurt as much that way, right? I would like to share with you two passages that show why it’s so cool not to live like a hermit.

Proverbs 27:9 KJV “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: [10] If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. [11] Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? [12] Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

God says that just as ointment and perfume makes the heart rejoice so the hearty counsel of a friend has the same sweet effect. Yes, when someone is giving you good advice who truly cares for you (a friend) it’s like spraying yourself with fine perfume. It uplifts our soul. If the counsel is received the right way it can even make us feel good. But how can one experience this spiritual joy if he/she never shares their struggles with others?

Our enemy Satan hopes that you and I keep everything to ourselves. He knows the power of including others in your plans and getting good advice:

Proverbs 15:22 NLT “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”

God says that two can fight together better than one alone. Two can defend themselves. One may be overpowered. And pity the person who falls down and has no one to help them up. The evil one also knows this. That’s why he will whisper in your ear, “Don’t say anything. Don’t tell others how you really feel. They don’t care anyway.” “What do you need their advice for? You’re grown. You can make your own decisions.” “Don’t confess that sin to them. Who are they? They sin too. Just tell it to God, he understands.” But is it not God who says in James 5:16 to confess your sins to one another and to pray for one another so that you may be healed? Sounds to me like someone doesn’t want us to be healed.

We need every member of Christ’s body to fight and defeat the Devil. That includes other Christians we don’t even know. What do I mean by that? In describing the last part of our spiritual armor to fight against evil demonic forces God says:

Ephesians 6:18 NLT “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

Notice God tells us to pray (make supplication), “FOR ALL BELIEVERS EVERYWHERE, and that this is part of our spiritual armor?” Yes, we’re to pray for Christians we don’t even know, those we haven’t met yet. Would God tell us to pray for our brothers and sisters everywhere if these prayers were meaningless and ineffective? Remember, God says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person HAS GREAT POWER and PRODUCES WONDERFUL RESULTS.” (James 5:16 NLT) Nothing God tells us to do is fruitless.

Here is the reason why we should always be praying for one another?

1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [9] Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Yep, the Devil is lurking like a hungry lion, seeking which of us he can devour. Our brothers throughout the whole world are going through the exact same sufferings we are. This is why God tells us to pray for our brothers and sisters all over the world. Are we obeying God and praying for all the Saints?

THOSE WE KNOW

Now let’s talk about the brothers and sisters we know. What a privilege it is to know only one true brother or sister in this wicked world!😁 Jesus wasn’t lying when he prophesied concerning the time of the end:

Matthew 24:10-13 KJV “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. [11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. [12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

This is exactly how it is today. If you have true believers in the faith you can talk to and share with what a blessing that is! Even if they live many miles away today we can still communicate and edify one another through our technology. I have Bible studies with Christians via cell phone often, and in person. I’ve used skype too in the past to share the good news and be encouraged by others.

Hebrews 10:24-25 KJV “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

God tells us to assemble together. And not to forsake this gathering. He says to do this more and more as we see His day approaching. The purpose of assembling He says is to provoke one another to love and good works, to encourage one another. Why do you think He would tell us to do that? Because He is our Lord. And as Lord He knows what it takes to stay strong and win the fight. Coming together more and more as we see the day approaching is God’s instruction for His Saints. Are we obeying our Father?

Remember, Ecclesiastes says that one alone may be overpowered. But two can defend themselves. He didn’t say two hundred, or two thousand, He simply said 2. Jesus also says:

Matthew 18:19-20 KJV “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. [20] For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

There’s great power when just two believers meet together in Jesus name: “I AM IN THE MIDST OF THEM,” He says. It doesn’t get any more powerful than that! We fight well and defend ourselves better when we come together. There’s even more power in our fervent prayers when we come together too.

James 5:16 KJV “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Notice there are at least two believers here in James 5:16? And notice the powerful effect of following God’s instruction? Healing! Some of us know many Christians. How cool that is! How much more of a blessing that is for us. But for those of us who may not know that many remember, JESUS SAID it only takes at least two.

To be a part of God’s church on earth is a true blessing. Make good use of God’s blessings and gifts He has placed inside each one of us. We all have different spiritual gifts the Bible says. And God has given us different ways of serving each other. As I was writing this article I thought about what people call having super-powers. I also thought about the super heroes in the old school comic books and movies today. When we became Christians all of us were given super-powers from God. The passages below in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 will explain this. Like in the movies where the good guys with their super-powers unite to fight evil and defeat the bad guys with their super-powers, God has given us real spiritual powers to fight in His name. I wonder if Hollywood and the comic books stole that too from the Bible? Hmmmmm. 🤔

We are much more effective when we fight together. Don’t try to do it alone. We’re a team. God has put us on His winning team and He uses every one of us. Every one of us gets in the game. No one sits on the bench. Even our prayers for Christians we don’t know yet helps the team win. And because each of us has different special gifts (super-powers) from God for the up-building of the church, it only makes sense to come together more and more so that we can be used by Him and take advantage of each others gifts that God has given us for His glory.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. [5] There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. [6] God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. [7] A SPIRITUAL GIFT IS GIVEN TO EACH OF US SO WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER. [8] To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. [9] The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. [10] He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. [11] It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”

Romans 12:4-8 NLT “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, [5] so it is with Christ’s body. WE ARE MANY PARTS OF ONE BODY, and WE ALL BELONG TO EACH OTHER. [6] In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. [7] If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. [8] If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

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Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; [15] And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

Jesus’ death destroyed the Devil, and set us free from bondage. In various Bible translations Hebrews 2:14 reads that Jesus’ death destroyed the “power” of the devil, not the devil himself. Therein lies a serious misprint. To destroy someone’s power and to destroy the one that wields the power are two different things. If you take away a person’s weapon they can simply get another weapon. But if the evil person himself is destroyed that’s the end of him and his powerful weapon. That’s what happened to Satan when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus destroyed the person who had the power of death. He put an end to him and his weapon.

Revelation 12:12 KJV “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

Now that death and the one who held the power of death has been defeated the way is now open to receive eternal life from Almighty God.

John 3:16 KJV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Believing in Jesus is so powerful that his defeat of death and of Satan is transferred to the believer’s account. Yes, His victory is our victory. His righteousness is our righteousness. His eternal life is our eternal life. We have been set free from the slavery that the fear of death holds over mankind. And what a powerful weapon it is. I’ve heard many experiences of faithful Christians who were on their deathbeds that were rejoicing. They were more excited about being with Jesus than anything else. They looked forward to dying, knowing they would be with the Father in heaven forever. But it’s not that way for the wicked. Great fear grips the wicked when they are about to die. The blood of Jesus does not cover them. Because they do not believe. They have not had their hearts and consciences sprinkled with and cleansed by Jesus’ blood. There is no assurance of forgiveness of sins. When death comes knocking on the wicked’s door they know inwardly that something very bad is about to happen.

Hebrews 10:22 KJV “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Hebrews 9:13-14 KJV “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: [14] How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

As can be seen from the verses above Jesus’ blood (in contrast to the blood of animals used under the law) cleanses us inwardly; it purges our consciences. Our consciences do not condemn us because of Jesus’ blood. (Romans 8:1-2) Wrongful acts or sin leads to death. And produces a guilty conscience along with fear. But Jesus’ righteousness is transferred or credited to the believer’s account. His righteousness takes away all fear and guilt that sin produces completely, because Jesus never sinned. All who believe in Him enjoy the same right standing with God that He has: as if they had never sinned. WOW! This is how powerful the blood of Jesus is. There is no detergent or cleanser on earth that can do that. There is no blood in the universe that is more powerful. Now that the conscience of the believer is clear or cleansed; there is no guilt of sin. Because there is no sin. Now the believer can boldly enter The Most Holy Place in heaven, in the presence of Almighyty God Himself!

Romans 6:23 NIV “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sin earns death. This is why the wicked can’t help but think about all their sins when they are about to die. It is sin that has produced this state. Their consciences have not been sprinkled with the forgiving power of Jesus’ blood. So their guilt is screaming loud and clear. But the righteous who believe in Jesus Christ and His shed blood for them do not experience guilt in the face of death. They too have sinned just like the wicked. But their sins have been truly forgiven. Guilt and fear because of sins just is not present.

Psalm 32:5 NLT “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”

All true believers do what David did. They confess their sins to God and repent. Then God removes even the guilt associated with their sins. Guilt is a feeling of impending punishment for a wrong act or acts committed. Even the most wicked people who are said to have no conscience at all experience guilt when they are about to die. But for the righteous there is no such fear when it’s time to face judgment. Jesus’ shed blood through His death has taken away the punishment we deserve.

1 John 4:17-18 NLT “And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So WE WILL NOT BE AFRAID ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, but we can face him with CONFIDENCE because we live like Jesus here in this world. [18] Such love has NO FEAR, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

This bold confidence we will have on Judgment Day is accomplished through Jesus death and His blood. He destroyed sin and death, the fear of death, and the one who has been wielding the power of death over mankind; Satan the Devil. All who believe in Jesus have eternal life. All who believe in Him have victory over the evil one and all of his power, just as Jesus has. His righteousness is credited to our account. He is our righteousness. His victory through His death is our victory. He is indeed our LORD and SAVIOR. The Bible says that through Jesus we have ALREADY OVERCOME the wicked one:

1 John 2:13-14 KJV “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because YE HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. [14] I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and YE HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE.”

Revelation 12:11 NLT “And THEY HAVE DEFEATED HIM BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB and by their testimony. And THEY DID NOT LOVE THEIR LIVES SO MUCH THAT THEY WERE AFRAID TO DIE.”

Luke 10:17‭-‬20 NET “Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.”

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2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. [4] We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. [5] We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

If you’re in the habit of speaking God’s word (especially to those who profess to be believers) you’ve noticed a trend; some wholeheartedly agree with God’s word, and others put up resistance to what it says. Often the latter prove they are not Christians at all. How can a person be a born again believer when they so viciously oppose the word of God? Others are just weak in their faith and need help.

Jude 1:22‭-‬23 NET “And have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh.”

Galatians 6:1‭-‬2 NET “Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

As we let the word of God dwell in us richly it has no choice but to come out of our mouths. Jesus said out of the mouth the overflow of the heart speaks. (Luke 6:45) So it’s normal for us to freely talk about and read God’s word among each other. Sometimes though during these moments people go berserk. They become so offended at what God’s word says there’s no way they can be born again Christians. They even start quoting scriptures back to you, angrily twisting them to mean what they want them to say. Usually this is done to justify their right to do something evil, like commit sexual immorality, get revenge (including murder), hold a grudge against someone, etcetera. I recently had a guy who professed to be a believer tell me, “You know how the Bible says some have entertained strangers and were entertaining angels without knowing it? The way I see it, if demons are shape-shifting and giving people in the music industry millions of dollars to sell their souls, an angel of God can come to me and give me millions of dollars not to sell my soul. God told me through a prophet I would be a billionaire. I’m waiting on my angel. I’m believing it!” Wow! Listen to what the guy said he would do once he obtains the money: “This is how I will use the money: I will make sure that when the mark of the beast goes out Christians will have enough food and water and guns so they can fight back. My God is not a punk! I will go and get my daughter back by force. It’s not kidnapping. That judge took her from me. They kidnapped her from me! They had no right to take away my legal rights to see my daughter while I was in prison. Also I’ll make sure my daughter has enough money so she’s set for life, then I’m gonna go and kill that judge who who took my daughter from me. And if anybody gets in my way they’ll die too. This is what God told me to do.” At this point I’m thinking, “Hmmm, this is a real nut case. Is he serious or just talking? Either way I don’t need to be around him.” Then he said he would use the rest of his wealth to make sure there are no more homeless people. So let’s get this straight: after he alters Bible prophecy by making sure no Christians suffers for not taking the mark of the beast, and starts his own holy war with guns, he will then kidnap his daughter, then murder the judge that gave the child’s mother sole parental rights while he was in prison. Hmmmm, I wonder why the judge did that? Then after he gets his revenge on the judge He’s going to feed and care for the homeless. Wow, is all I can say. And while this man was telling me all this he was quoting and twisting Bible verses to support everything he said.

I tried to reason with the fella from the scriptures regarding his plans. But every time I tried to show him what God says about murder, vengeance, forgiveness, and following our emotions verses following what the Bible says, he angrily resisted. So I did what Jesus said and kept my pearls to myself.

Matthew 7:6 NET “Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.”

This man’s evil plans displayed in his rant just came out of nowhere while we were discussing the scriptures. And yes, he did profess to be a Christian. A sword fight was taking place.

Ephesians 6:17 NET “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Hebrews 4:12 NLT “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. IT EXPOSES OUR INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND DESIRES.”

No other words in all creation have the same effect that God’s word the Bible has on people. If the Bible is just the words of men why does it elicit such a phenomenal response from those who hear it? Because it is not the words of mere men. It is the inspired words of Almighty God! It exposes or judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing encourages people more, or upsets folks more than the Bible. That’s power!

2 Timothy 3:16‭-‬17 NET “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”

Of course we wish that everyone would accept God’s word, but that won’t happen. God Himself says it won’t. Let’s thank God that we accept it. Thank Him for opening our eyes to His truth. And pray for those who do not yet see.

2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

It takes an act of God; a miracle, for someone to accept and believe the good news about Christ. And as we’ve already shown there are many who claim to believe it but do not. So don’t be surprised when you’re discussing the scriptures even with those who profess to be Christians and suddenly they go berserk. The word of God has that effect on people. It judges; reveals, exposes, the true thoughts and intentions of the heart. No other book in all creation does this. Which proves the Bible is not the creation of mere men. It is the word of Almighty God.

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Hebrews 11:6 KJV “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

When anyone does what you just read, heaven opens wide to that person. When we personally come to God we must believe He exist and causes everything to have it’s being. If we do not believe God we are lost puppies. We do not know where we are, or how to get where we need to go.

Only God can cut through any circumstance and answer the prayers of them that earnestly seek Him. Without this trust in His ability, this belief that God can do whatever we ask, our prayers are weak, they have no power, they are, “impossible.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him.” Just think about this: someone asks you to do something for them, then they tell you, “By the way, I don’t really believe you, or that you exist.” How would you respond?

The phrase, “diligently seek,” God in Hebrews 11:6 means to investigate Him, to search Him out, to seek out for one’s self, to even beg, and crave God. When someone does this they’re serious. They really want to know our Father. This reminds me of another verse:

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Heaven Opens Wide when a person does this! God promises to let Himself be found only by those who SEEK HIM WITH ALL THEIR HEART. A haphazard seeker will never find God. They do not value the treasure He is.

Psalm 73:25 NIV “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”

Matthew 13:44‭-‬46 NET “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.”

A SERIOUS DISEASE

The person who obeys Hebrews 11:6 seeks God His way and thus finds Him. This also proves that he/she is not infected with the, “I’m My Own God,” disease. People who think they’re gods aren’t looking to almighty God to reward them. Only someone who humbles themselves; who has taken true stock of themselves, can come to God in the way that pleases Him. Believing Satan’s lie that you’re a god or can become one puts us at odds with the one true God. Because worship of self and desiring worship from others is idolatry.

Revelation 21:8 NIV “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

To those who seek God the way He desires Heaven Opens Wide. A direct connection is made with the Father. And one day soon we will be right there in his presence, and we will never leave.

Revelation 3:12 NET “The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well.”

This article would not be complete without mentioning the chief person; the chief connection, or portal that opens up heaven to all of us. That person is none other than Jesus Christ. Listen to what He says:

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.”

Heaven Opens Wide when we come to God through the right way: His son Jesus Christ.

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1 John 5:11-13 KJV “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. [13] These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

When Jesus reveals himself to someone they know He is real. Those who follow Him have eternal life. They’re not waiting for eternal life they already have it. To have Jesus is to have life. To not have Him is to not have life.

God wants us; His children, to know for certain that we have eternal life. He is so kind and generous to give us this gift. He didn’t have to do this. He is the creator of all things. He can do whatever He wants. And He chose to give us eternal life at a very high cost to Himself: the life, the pain, and suffering of His only begotten son. Jesus’ death on the cross established eternal life for us. People will either accept His sacrifice or not. We can’t make them receive it. We can only be hopeful and willing to share God’s message of salvation with those who want to hear it.

John 3:16-18 KJV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

John 14:6 NLT “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Some say Jesus is not the only way to be saved. Some also teach that man can become his own god. Others preach if you’re basically a good person that’s all that’s needed to get to heaven. It’s all rubbish and contradicts God’s word.

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Another Bible put it this way:

“God has saved you only because he himself is so very kind. He has saved you because you believe him. You could not save yourselves, but it is God’s gift to you. 9 He has not saved you as a result of any good thing that you yourselves have done. So, nobody has any reason to say how good they themselves are!” (EEB)

People who choose not to believe God cannot be saved. Because faith is a requirement for salvation. But firstly we are saved by God’s grace; because He is so kind! Then comes the faith or belief in His saving work done by Jesus on the cross. Being a so-called, “Good Person,” doesn’t cut it. “God knows my heart,” doesn’t cut it either. The truth is no matter how good we think we are we all have sinned. And SIN DISQUALIFIES US FROM ETERNAL LIFE. Sin only earns death:

Romans 6:23 KJV “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

ETERNAL LIFE FROM GOD IS A GIFT, because no one can earn it.  All have sinned. To earn eternal life one would have to be sinless. Jesus Christ is the only person who did that (lived a sinless life). Which is why eternal life for the human race can only come through Him.

Romans 3:23-24 KJV “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

There it is again; we’re all guilty of sin. But believers in Jesus the Messiah are set free, acquitted, justified freely from their sins, by God’s gracious kindness, “through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.” Believers have been given Jesus’ righteousness. They are born again into Jesus’ eternal life. This is a spiritual rebirth. Only the Spirit can give life. Everything from the flesh produces death. What a wonderful free gift we have been given! We have a righteous standing in the presence of God through Jesus Christ. Indeed we are saved by God’s gracious kindness through faith, and this is not something from ourselves or something we’ve earned, so that no one can boast about how good they are.

ETERNAL LIFE IS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD. AND IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE SON YOU HAVE IT!

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Romans 8:37-39 NIV “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

All that matters is that we remain in God’s love. And isn’t it good to know that NOTHING can separate us from it? Nothing overpowers God’s love for us, nothing! That’s what Romans 8:37-39 is saying. It doesn’t matter what is going on. It doesn’t matter how tough times get. God is still there. And His love guides us, comforts us, and protects us. The world wants us to believe other things are more important. Pressures will continue to mount. One thing after the next. Let’s be careful to stay in God’s love above all else.

FELL AMONG THORNS

Luke 8:14 KJV “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

I know there are things we must do in this life to take care of our physical needs, and the needs of our families. But if we’re not anchored in our relationship with God we will become what’s described in Luke 8:14. By not growing to spiritual maturity we remain babes in the faith or worse. The worries of this life, riches, and pleasure seeking will choke the word of God from us. We will even find ourselves justifying chasing things of this world. How many folks spend eons of time running after such things and never take time to study their Bibles? Many.

REMAIN

Listen to what Jesus says it takes for Him to remain in us and for us to remain in Him:

John 15:4-7 NLT “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. [5] “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. [6] Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. [7] But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!”

Jesus’ words must be IN and remain IN us for Him to be IN and remain IN us. How can this happen if we do not study His words in the Bible? How can we apply his teachings in our lives if we don’t study what the Bible says?

WANT BOLDNESS ON JUDGMENT DAY?

1 John 4:17-18 NLT “And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. [18] Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

Wow! You read it right: those who remain in God’s love to the end will confidently stand before their heavenly Father on Judgment Day with absolutely no fear! Living a life in imitation of Jesus Christ is perfect love, and there is no fear in it, no dread of punishment. Only bold confidence before Almighty God awaits those who deny themselves, take up their crosses daily, and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23) God grants His servants this awesome boldness. What a gift! All that matters is that we grow in and remain in God’s love. 😁

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Galatians 6:1-2 NLT “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. [2] Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

Jude 1:22-23 NLT “And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. [23] Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”

Helping others in the faith is work. A good work. Some folks seem like naturals at it. For others it seems like a harder task. Let me say this: it’s hard for the one who seems natural at it too because we all are affected by our fallen flesh. There is nothing natural about giving timely spiritual encouragement. Prophesying is a gift of the Holy Spirit:

1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.”

Romans 12:6 NIV “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.”

Strengthening, encouraging, and comforting people is a work of God. Like anything that comes from God it is opposite of our sinful nature. Hence there will be struggles to operate only in the Spirit verses speaking from human emotions when exercising the gift of prophecy. This is why I said even those who seem to be naturals at upbuilding others have it tough too. If not careful they may start relying on themselves and their perceived natural abilities, forgetting where the gift of prophecy comes from. This is a divine work and spiritual gift that comes from Almighty God.

CONSIDER THYSELF

Galatians 6:1 KJV “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

I love the way the King James Bible says to, ‘Consider thyself,’ when reproving someone else. It means to take a look at one’s own faults and weaknesses when counseling others. This will keep us from being too harsh. And it also reminds us that we can fall into the same sins and temptations if we’re not careful. Hence our message should have a gentle, meek tone to it when encouraging a brother or sister who has taken a false step. This makes counsel much easier to digest.

BE QUICK TO COMMEND

Just as we are used by God to tell someone they’re going down a wrong path be used by Him to tell them when they’re doing what is commendable:

1 Peter 2:19-21 NIV “For it is COMMENDABLE if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. [20] But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is COMMENDABLE before God. [21] To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

By sincerely commending one another we encourage each other. Think about it, would you like being around someone who only points out your faults? Don’t we all like sincere compliments now and then? Then, ‘Do to others as you want them to do to you,’ Jesus says. Get in the habit of giving sincere commendation. Let your brothers and sisters know the good you see in them. It is proper to express praise and approval for one another:

Proverbs 27:2 NLT “Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth-a stranger, not your own lips.”

Proverbs 31:30-31 NLT “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. [31] Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”

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