Proverbs 14:29 ESV — Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

If you saw someone laying a trap for you, would it be wise to walk right into it? That would be stupid. So why do people get sucked into (or suckered into) foolish arguments and fights so easily? Could it be they don’t see the trap?

PRIDE

Pride blinds us to many things. It makes us feel invincible. It is the chief reason why people get into quarrels and fights. When you have an inflated view of yourself you are very touchy and sensitive. The least thing can set you off. This person is out of control. No wonder God hates pride.

Proverbs 16:18 KJV “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

People easily fall into all kinds of traps due to arrogance (haughtiness), including the fussing, cussing, and fighting trap. In order to not get sucked in we must learn the opposite of pride.

HUMILITY

Proverbs 17:28 KJV “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”

Zephaniah 2:3 NIV “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Proverbs 22:4 KJV “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.”

Proverbs 18:12 KJV “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”

Humility is no joke. It brings the very opposite of pride; riches, honor, and life. The funny thing about humility though is when seeking it you sometimes feel like you’re always getting the short end of the stick. Sometimes it feels like the proud of this world are always prospering. These feelings are normal. You’re definitely not alone if you feel or ever felt this way. Asaph once did. Asaph is a servant of God who became envious of the wicked for a brief moment. But he regained his footing. He thought that the care free way of the wicked landed them on easy street. It seemed like they were living it up. But he soon learned that their way wasn’t free from pain as he thought. Read the words of Asaph below and see if you can relate.

Psalms 73:1‭-‬28 ESV “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

Does what Asaph said sound familiar? Asaph almost got sucked into the trap of believing that the wicked have it better than the righteous. But as he meditated on the matter he saw how wrong he was. This type of thinking can produce depression, quarrels, and fights. It’s called envy. Envy is a burning desire for something we believe will be beneficial to us. Usually it’s desiring things others have that we feel we deserve too. If not careful we can become trapped by envy.

James 4:1 ISV “Where do those fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your selfish desires that are at war in your bodies, don’t they?”

We must believe God when he says:

1 Timothy 6:7-8 NIV “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. [8] But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

Brothers and sisters let’s keep fighting not to get sucked in.

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How often do we hear preachers tell crowds of people, “All of you have God’s spirit living in you?” And yes, they are talking about The Holy Spirit? This is the furthest thing from the truth. The below passages prove it:

Romans 8:9 KJV “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

John 14:17 KJV “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

God makes it plain how one receives The Holy Spirit:

Ephesians 1:13 KJV “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”

Ephesians 1:13 says after a person hears the word of truth, and believes the gospel of salvation–truly entrusting themselves and their spiritual well being to the Lord–they become sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit. Everyone has not done this. Just look around you. Most do not believe the gospel that can save them. Most show by their conduct they are on the broad road that leads to destruction:

Matthew 7:13-14 NLT “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. [14] But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

Jesus says only a few ever find the narrow road that leads to life. That’s scary. It is wrong to tell people that we all have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. Some even say you can activate the God (Spirit) within you through meditation, doing good deeds, learning certain prayers, etcetera. This is all witchcraft. And it reminds me of another lie: telling people that we’re all God’s children:

John 8:44 KJV “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

1 John 3:10 KJV “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

God makes it very plain who belongs to Him and who is a child of the Devil.

2 Timothy 2:19 NIV “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

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James 4:4 KJV “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

There are lines being drawn in the sands
It’s clearer where everyone stands

Are you on God’s side or the Devil’s?
Are you loyal to Christ or to rebels?

The line’s being drawn in the sand
Whom do you fear, God or man?

Proverbs 29:25 KJV “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”

I remember a sister whom I’ve known for years telling me a dream she received from the Lord. In her dream the Lord was utterly destroying this world. Raging fires were devouring people. It was merciless and horrific. The sister asked the Lord in her dream why was He doing this. He responded with one word; “Adultery.”

That word (adultery) describes the wicked apostate churches of the world today, especially in America. The church leaders fear men more than they fear God. They’re more concerned about keeping their tax exempt status with the government than caring for the Lord’s flock. These church leaders are whores! All in the pew aren’t innocent either. They love being lied to and even pay the pastors to keep on lying to them. They have committed adultery against the Lord of hosts. And there will be a penalty to pay; no exemptions, no exceptions:

Jeremiah 23:1 KJV “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.”

Jeremiah 5:31 ISV “The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”

These lukewarm Pastors, Elders, Bishops, etcetera, are unwilling to speak the whole truth found in God’s word the Bible and are destroying the sheep. Have you ever wondered why there hasn’t been severe persecution happening to Christian churches in America like you hear about in other countries? Because Satan’s already got these churches through their apostate Preachers. They’re no threat to him. But all of that is about to change. The Bible says that judgment begins first with the household of God.

1 Peter 4:17-18 KJV “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? [18] And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

The great slaughter of the apostate church will be God’s doing. God is about to cleanse His temple. So many will betray and hate each other just as Jesus said.

Matthew 10:17-23 KJV “But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; [18] And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. [19] But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. [20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. [21] And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. [22] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. [23] But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.”

Lines will be drawn in the sand just as they are now. Anyone who’s faith is not refined by fire like gold will be consumed.

The greedy, fearful, apostate church leaders are in for a big surprise. They’re gonna get the same treatment Israel got whenever she whored and ran after the nations for her security instead of trusting in God. God handed Israel over to her lovers, who turned on her and destroyed her.

Jeremiah 17:5 NLT “This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.”

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John 13:34-35 KJV “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another Jesus says. That’s what a true Christian or disciple of Christ looks like: LOVE.

1 John 4:8 NIV “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

It is impossible to know God without living in love.

1 John 4:20-21 KJV “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? [21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

This love goes deeper than just loving one’s brothers and sisters. It extends even to our enemies. Jesus says:

Matthew 5:43-48 NLT “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. [44] But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! [45] In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. [46] If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. [47] If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. [48] But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Being perfect; loving even our enemies, is what a true Christian looks like. A true Christian is a true follower of Jesus Christ. Remember what Jesus said about his enemies after being tortured all night long, then hung on a cross?

Luke 23:34 NLT “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

WOW!!! What love!

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. [3] If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

Yes, even if people can speak in tongues, have all special knowledge, be able to explain all mysteries, have a faith that can move mountains, sacrifice their bodies and give all they have to the poor, but have not love they are nothing God says. Jesus was once asked:

Matthew 22:36-40 NLT “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” [37] Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Jesus says LOVE for God first, then for our neighbors is the most important commandment. May we treat it as such. May we find this commandment to LOVE popping up more and more in our conversations with one another. May it be #1 on our hearts and minds. May we learn to not just look like true Christians but BE true Christians:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 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. [8] Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”

1 John 4:7-13 NIV “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. [10] This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11] Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. [13] This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.”

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John 9:4 KJV “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Jesus says there is a time of darkness coming so strong that NO MAN can work. This will be permitted by God.

Revelation 11:7-10 KJV “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. [8] And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. [9] And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. [10] And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.”

There are so many things going on. The average person is not aware of them. They’re too distracted. The world is designed that way. It’s all being done to destroy mainly one group: Christians. Satan, the ruler of this world built his system for that one purpose:

Revelation 12:17-13:1 KJV “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”

Daniel 7:23-25 NIV “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. [24] The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. [25] He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.”

Revelation 17:12-14 NIV “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. [13] They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. [14] They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 NIV “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. [9] The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, [10] and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

There’s so much information in those passages. I encourage you to meditate on them and ask God for understanding. I will also add that things are not as bleak for God’s people as they look. Yet there are ruling entities whose sole purpose is to destroy the saints. They are uniting together under the guise of world peace and prosperity. This plot is a lot older than people think and has been hidden well. But not well enough. Jesus says:

Matthew 10:26 NIV “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.”

Jesus makes the truth known to all of His followers. Even the most deep secret things cannot be hidden from Him:

Hebrews 4:13 NIV “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

John 16:13 KJV “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

Whatever God wants us to know we will know. The sinister plots of the wicked cannot thwart His eternal plans for us. There is so much deception going on right now and more to come. It’s all designed to get you and me to throw away our faith. Let’s not give in. And let us not underestimate the deceptive times we are living in:

Matthew 24:24-27 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. [25] Behold, I have told you before. [26] Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. [27] For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Jesus is saying in the passage above that there is a deception coming so strong that even His, “very elect,” could be deceived, “if it were possible.” Someone or something is gonna come along (or has already come) claiming to do only what he can do. They will also claim to be who He is; the Christ, or annointed savior of the human race. Again, this delusion will be so strong Jesus warned us to be careful and not to follow him/her/it. False Christs and false prophets aren’t just the false religious leaders and institutions that come to mind. Any person or organization including governments can be false Christs and false prophets. All they have to do is prophesy things that are false. Or claim to be the only hope for the world; the annointed Christ. And these too can perform great signs and wonders. Jesus said they will:

Revelation 13:11-13 KJV “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. [12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. [13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.”

Meditate on these things and beware as Jesus told us to.

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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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