TO ALL THE ABUSED: A Mother’s Day Message

Posted on 05/11/2014 by remso

This is my heart as well. God has a plan for you, It’s gonna be wild, and it’s gonna be great.

This is a message to all who have been abused and have cried out to God to help them. I have also suffered abuses and felt trapped in the turmoil that surrounded my life. I cried out daily for God to help me and my 3 children. Then on Mother’s Day, 7 years ago today, I received a message. As I look back, I wonder how many times we are given instruction but do not do it because it is not what we prayed for or just too hard to do. Think about it…

As I was worshiping in church…
praising God’s Holy Name.
A memory flashed before me…
where my life would never be the same.
For 7 years ago…
in another church on this day in time.
A Mother’s Day message was given…
that I knew was all mine.
The message was to “Leave…
take 2 children and…

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Posted in Thoughts on scripture | 1 Comment

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached. Matt 24, part 5

Posted on 05/07/2014 by remso

Warnings about deceit, wars, famines, and earthquakes that will shake the world, all with the addendum, see to it that you be not troubled. There would only be one thing that would keep me mentally secure under such difficult circumstances, and that would be hope.

The problem most of us have understanding scripture is that we ignore the context and the audience. The audience was his disciples, men who were decidedly Jewish. Consider about how strongly they seem to feel about outsiders coming into the faith in the early days. If you are paying attention to scripture then you will see that not only does God attempt to straighten Peter out, but has to send Paul to withstand the leadership for pushing circumcision as a symbol of their salvation.

The context has everything to do with the period immediately preceding his return to the earth; that time lasts seven years, and is filled with an onslaught of horrendous events.

Matthew 24:14KJV And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

I cannot remember how the conversation with my friend started, but it ended poorly. He is a theology student, and was arguing the point that Jesus cannot come back because there are over 6500 unreached people groups in the world.

An unreached people group is an ethno-linguistic group that shares a self-identity among themselves as a distinct culture, language, social class along with their own collection of customs, and shared history that sets them apart from other people groups.

The thing that distinguishes them as unreached is the fact that there is no evangelical gospel witness established among them. To reiterate the importance of that statement: Unreached means much more than merely being unevangelized. Unreached means there is no access to the gospel among that people group. There is no witness for Jesus among them!

Nearly 2 billion people (27.9 % of the world’s population) live in these unreached segments of society (people groups). These peoples are cut off from any access to the gospel and are largely ignored or unknown by the Christian world. Borrowed from: http://www.toeverytribe.com/unreachedpeoples

Things that stand out in my mind.

Genesis 2:16,17 tell us that man only had one command restricting him, and that was not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. My assumption is that man, created in God’s image, knew only good, and not the evil. Selfish desire brought about the death, which was most dramatically noted in their instant communication break with the father. My point here is that this knowledge of good is still in every man, and the evil that is so noticeable, has everything to do with man’s bent for selfishness.
Romans 11:29 NASB “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” I think it is fair to say that this also applies to His love for us. We can see this demonstrated in Lamentations 3:22 NASB “The LORD’S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.” In referring back to point number #1, I am trying to convey that, just like his gifts or love, the good was never removed from us either.
Paul dealt a sobering blow to those that wish to restrict God’s timing and way in which he deals with the nations.

Romans 1:20-21 CEV God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That’s why those people don’t have any excuse. They know about God, but they don’t honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark.

While we can whine about them not being reached with the printed Word, Paul gives the impression that it does not matter.

Christ died, once for all. Again, this demonstrates our weakness in trying to interpret scripture, because far too many try to play the role of God and judge those we believe untouched by God’s word. In other words, if they are not reached then we presume that they are destined for destruction. What makes you so sure? No denying, there is the passage that tells us that Jesus is the only way. Now what do you do with the Muslims, who will violently reject your preaching and way of living; for under the dictates of Islam they have a mandate to kill you according to Sharia law. Yet, upon seeing Jesus in their dreams, a man they have never seen they acknowledge with an instant recognition of who He is. In many ways these people are also the unreachable, does any of that stop or slow down God, hardly.

Matthew 24 speaks primarily toward the last seven years of broken man controlling the earth, and a time of wrath against the nations and Israel for its multitude rejections of God. What does that say about the preaching of the good news as a testimony to all the nations?

This tends to convey that during one of earth’s most adverse periods, the good news about a relationship with Jesus, and the hope of an eternity with the Father, are still being preached.

This verse has nothing to do with restrictions or limitations on God’s love.

Who says they will not be reached? John tells us that all will hear the good news.

When I mentioned to my friend, in trying to defuse his argument, that there is an angel, who flies across the globe, preaching the gospel, he responded with, I have never seen that in scripture! Well, here it is.

Revelation 14:6 CEV I saw another angel. This one was flying across the sky and had the eternal good news to announce to the people of every race, tribe, language, and nation on earth.

The next passage has no angels directly referenced, but who is to say. Are we not told that they are messengers?

Hebrews 1:13-14 KJV But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Colossians 1:23 NASB if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

This passage just told you that the good news was preached, to all creation under heaven, so it begs a question. Did God leave anybody out? That has to cover people groups. Keep in mind, that every people group, when found, worships at least one entity.

Revelation 11:3 NASB “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” If you have, an understanding of all that they do it is difficult at best to distinguish where the “good news” could come into play here. However, isn’t this testifying that we are supposed to do, give witness to Jesus Christ and by extension the Father?

“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth” Okay, that is dramatic, but wait, it gets better.
“And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.

(Rev 11:6) These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.”

Sounds a lot like what Moses did. No one in scripture had fire flowing out of their mouth, but everything else was done by the prophets. Elisha called fire down on several companies of troops.

Is the world going to see this? In this age of televised everything, you bet they will. This is not the positive spin that you think of when you think about spreading the gospel is it. I think we have to remember that the age of grace is over at this point. Sure, Jesus Christ’s’ name continues to carry all the power that God bestowed upon it, and the Holy Spirit will still be active on the earth. We know this because there is a steady, and continuous draw of people to Christ and to the Father.

The two witnesses take on a dramatic twist, for as you can see, they stop the rain. They are doing this for several reasons, but one is that spectators are supposed to see the power of a God that has had enough. However, Islam has its dramatic side also. The Jesus that Islam looks for will be able to do dramatic signs too. One of which is the restoration of rain where there has been none. Considering that everything points to two dramatic events at the three and one half-year mark into the time of wrath.

1) God will allow the two witnesses to be killed. Enemies of God have tried everything they could think of to shut their mouths for 42 months, with no success, so when they are killed, there is a global party.

2) Almost simultaneously, the false prophet shows up. How do I know he shows up here and not at the beginning of the seven years?

This guy is not just going to pop out of the earth. I believe he is alive and already here. I also believe, because of the terminology used in Revelation 13, that he is empowered by demonic spirits (that’s a fancy way of saying, one or more
of Satan’s fallen angel clan.)

He follows (in terms of chronology) the beast with a human description; Islam will call this first man the Mahdi – they have waited for him, much like we have waited for Jesus Christ, to return. Strangely, the beast of Revelation 13:11, is what Islam refers to as: `Îsâ Ibn Maryam, is considered a Messenger of god (Allah) and al-Masih (the Messiah) in Islam. “al-Masih” is the Mahdi. He will be the highest representative of Allah on the earth. The Jesus they wait for is not our Jesus, the Son of God. They call Jesus Christ (the Christian Jesus,) the dijal (a false prophet).

Revelation 13:11-17 NASB “ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.”

In one of my recent posts I went into detail about the characteristics of this lamb we see in Revelation 13:11. I will not do that here. The point of all this is come to some conclusion about whether God is capable of getting his message spread across the globe; whether He is true to his character, demonstrating love and mercy (the answer to that is yes, by the way,) and whether or not God can come back for his church immediately.

Many are smarter than I. One of those would have been the former Pastor Chuck Smith, of Calvary Chapel, and he would repeatedly say that there are no prophecies left to fulfill before Jesus return for the church, his body. He is not the only one saying that.

We should have been able to see that what some see as a restraint has nothing to do with the church, but deals specifically with the time of wrath, the seven-year period we call the great tribulation.

No doubt, things are nightmarish bad in some parts of the earth, but what is coming will make the destruction we are watching seem easy in comparison. It is going to get worse.

Where is the hope in any of this? The hope lies only in accepting Jesus Christ into your life. Salvation has so many meanings, and one of them is salvation from the wrath to come. That is one of the main purposes of Him coming back for his bride.

If you should find yourself stuck in this seven-year period, find a bible; you know, that thing your elders at the temple told you to stay away from because it is filled with deceit, and improperly translated. The Word of God is alive, and it will remain alive even in the midst of chaos.

The prophets of old stopped the wind, called fire down from heaven, parted waters, and stilled the enemy and the avenger by calling upon God. His name is still Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of the living God, and he, through the Holy Spirit of God, will respond to you. Grow a backbone and stand like a rock.

The Apostle Peter (he did not know this yet) stood on the day of Pentecost, having done what Jesus had told them to do, receiving the Holy Spirit, and allowing Him to fill them with power, will do the same for you. Peter spoke out to the people, people who had heard them and mocked them, saying, this day this prophecy has been fulfilled in your ears. He spoke of Joel chapter 2, a chapter that speaks exclusively of the last seven years, the day of the Lord. Should you be in it, you will know what I mean.

Joel 2:28-29 NASB “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. (29) “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

I implore you not to wait. Turn your life over to Jesus Christ and allow him to change you. Ask him into your life. Admit that you have screwed it up and mismanaged it, and that you need him. He will come to you no matter what you have done or where you are. He will come into you. If you are in dire straights simply ask him to help you. He can change everything.

Now if you find yourself in the last days, and you think you need an example of what a bold, man of God looks like, turn your eyes toward the two witnesses. They will be standing in the streets of Jerusalem, most likely protecting the temple mount, as the new temple is being built. Do what they do.

Posted in End times, Hope, In Christ, Prophetic, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged antichrist, Belief, Bible, Book of Revelation, Christ, Christianity, end times, Faith, future, God, God's word, Gospel of Matthew, hope, Islam, Israel, Jesus Christ, Jews, last days, prophecy, rapture, Revelation, Satan, Scripture, thoughts | Leave a comment

Could it get worse? Matthew 24, Part 4

Posted on 05/05/2014 by remso

If you just stumbled upon this, I have been progressing through Matthew 24. This is where the disciples asked him specifically about when the temple would be destroyed, what would be signs of his return to the earth in the role of Messiah, and when would that happen. The response from Jesus takes up the entire chapter.

Part 4

Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Sometimes you do not have to look very far to get clarity. The Contemporary English version translates the verse like this:

Matthew 24:12 AMP And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity,

Matthew 24:12 CEV Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others.

Dig into the sentence and you will find that the word iniquity is the Greek word anomia, and it means illegality, a violation of law, lawlessness, but whose law? Could lawlessness get worse, certainly, but the casual observer can see and sense the change.

Several translations state that the love of many shall wax cold. The Greek word for “shall wax cold” is psucho, and means to breathe (voluntarily, but gently, thus differing from a forcible respiration.) What does this tell you; that love will be diminished, but not completely put out. I do not know about you, but in every church I have been in, the majority of people in the congregation are barely breathing.

A commentary by Thomas Ice states, “’Lawlessness shall prevail;’ that is, complete anarchy will hold sway.” I want to think I would be bold and brave in the face of a dangerous enemy. Life was kind and I was not born in gang laden streets, but I have had knives pulled on me twice, and was twice told I would be shot by unsavory people. I felt more anger at the men that said they would shoot me than fear, and I cannot remember caring what the outcome would be. However, if they held a knife to the throat of my daughters I do not honestly know how that would affect me.

This verse is letting them know that it will get this bad. Living here in the United States, all fat and sassy, we have little idea of what a constant level of brutality feels like, or how it affects people. As I write this I am thinking about Nigeria, where their daughters are being kidnapped; this of course, is after having the church you were sitting in, as you worshipped, fire bombed. The violence against those outside of Boko Haran (Islam), is constant and deadly. Syrian Christians have also suffered horrible atrocities and wanton slaughter at the hands of the religion of peace.

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

If my context is an increase in wickedness, then Jesus is conveying the endurance of violence against the people of this coming period. The religious imagery that the word endure brings to my thinking is, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand being tortured for Christ; or perhaps Paul chained between two guards. Yet, the Greek word hupomeno also means – to remain, i.e. abide, not recede or flee.

You cannot exclude the possibility that He is asking us to stay true to Him until we exit this earth, or he comes to get us.

Matthew 24:13 ERV But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved.

If this speaks to me of anything, it speaks of people who will make it through the Great Tribulation alive, still not worshiping the beast. It also tells me that God will treat these as though they were martyred.

The word end means: to set out for a definite point or goal; properly – the conclusion. What end is he talking about? Since the context of the conversation had to do with His return, then he is talking about the time when He shall return to the earth and reign, as Israel expected. Considering what a horrible time these last seven years will be, endurance makes tremendous sense.

The period is that time almost immediately after the removal of the church from the earth, and physical violence is not the only thing that people need to be concerned about; we can see some of this in Revelation chapter 6. Some of the things the people of this time will experience will be:

A great earthquake.

Hard to imagine, but some of us are almost used to them. That all changes as everything around you crashes to the ground and your economy comes to a quick halt. The only people with food and water will be heavily armed thugs.

You might treat this lightly in your mind, but this will be like nothing you have experienced before. There is only one example for this in scripture outside of Revelation. Of Noah’s descendants, there was one named Peleg. 1 Chronicles 1:19 NASB Two sons were born to Eber, the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. The term divided does not sound that bad; people are divided upon opinions all the time, but when you study out the word, you find that it literally means to split. I can remember the global maps they used to show us in school, and one how easily all the landmasses could have been connected. I contend that they were, for how do we explain the consistency in fossil records throughout the earth. That could have only happened with connected landmasses. This tells me that during the life of this young man there was an earthquake of such violence that the landmasses moved away from each other. Sadly, this will happen again, and those who are here may experience a rejoining of the landmasses.

The sun becomes black like sackcloth.

Sackcloth has the properties of a burlap bag and light will penetrate it, but only marginally. Will you be able to see? To some degree.

The whole moon became like blood.

That is not so hard to imagine, merely watch the moon rise through a dusty, smog laden sky. The smog is so bad in many parts of China that the government broadcasts a video of a clear sunrise on massive led monitors just so people can see it.

“the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.”

I do not know what to tell you about this. The word stars, means just that, but you consider how far away the nearest star is it seems so impossible. There may be other implications, and when you consider what the hot topic is, meteors; this might be what John saw.

The sky will split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up

This would make no sense to me at all, if it had not been for the H.A.A.R.P. system being used, and seeing the bizarre effects, it has on the weather and clouds. Try doing a search for this on the Internet and you will see what I am talking about.

“and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”

I started this by telling you that there would be a great earthquake. We cannot discount the possibilities that this action will be associated with either that earthquake or from the impacts of meteoric strikes upon the earth.

All this will have a tragic impact on the impoverished, but the rich will not be excluded. –

Revelation 6:15-17 NASB Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; (16) and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; (17) for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Jesus answered the disciples’ questions, Jewish oriented questions about something they had an understanding of, the last days of earth as man understands it. What did I mean by that? Man’s understanding has everything to do with capitalism and hoarding; this will all come crashing down. Why is that important to most of us? Because as followers of Christ we have a hope; this hope is what motivated father Abraham to believe what God told him; it is what motivated the disciples to continue on, changing the world and giving themselves up to horrid deaths. And it is the thing that motivated the last remaining disciple to write: This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.

Why sell hope? Because they heard Jesus’ words declaring that he would rise again, and He did it. There is the immediate realization that everything else He said to them must also be true; crazy things, like “I and the Father, are one.”

This is our hope as well. Proven and anchored in the one who upheld his own word and proved himself trustworthy. It is this Jesus Christ, the risen one, who will come back for his church, just as he said he would. One only needs to accept Jesus into their life, and allow him to affect His changes in you. You will be received as you are into the kingdom when He returns for those that are his.

Posted in End times, In Christ, Prophetic, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged antichrist, Belief, Bible, Christ, end times, Faith, future, God, God's word, Gospel of Matthew, Holy spirit, hope, Islam, Israel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jews, last days, prophecy, Revelation, Scripture, thoughts | Leave a comment

Many have claimed the title of Jesus Christ. Matthew 24, part 3.

Posted on 04/30/2014 by remso

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

As I mentioned in a recent post, there have been over 30, throughout the years, that have claimed the title of Jesus Christ. They have followed by thousands in some cases, but this is something more.

Revelation 13:11-14 NASB (11) Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. (12) He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (13) He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. (14) And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

Do not let this get past you, for in it you see a lamb, with two horns. This should ring some bells.

Who is The Lamb, we believers recognize? (Rev 5:6) Jesus Christ of course, but when seen He is the lamb “as it had been slain.” John never describes horns on our Jesus, so He is never seen as an offensive personality. That will all change when you see him in Revelation 19, where He comes, riding a white horse, and has a sword coming out of his mouth.

What can you perceive from this lamb with two horns? That he is a representation, a false Jesus that will initially seem just like our Jesus Christ. The horns always represent war or violence, therefore, this false Jesus is coming with the intent of deception and violence. As I have stated before, Islam believes this man to be the enforcer of Sharia. Assuming you have your eyes open, then you should be aware of the level of deadly violence that infests Sharia law, and it is directed primarily at infidels (those outside of Islam), and women.

Revelation 20:1-3 KJV And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Revelation 12:17 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.

Revelation 12:17 and 20:1-3, are both clearly referring to Satan, but is that the only references to a dragon that we have in scripture? Not at all.

Revelation 13:2-4 KJV And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (3) And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (4) And they worshiped the dragon, which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Clarifying takes a little time, and a mind that is willing to look past tradition.

Revelation 13:2 tells us of a multi-headed beast, “and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”

What is this beast?

The four heads represent four heads of authority. Three have come and gone, but one is left. Because there is one body it demonstrates some form of unity, with one central goal, but did you notice that each head is different, indicating that they will be a destructive force and never attain cohesiveness (This is what we see in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream where the toes are made of clay and iron).

There is only one thing on this earth that fully takes on these characteristics, and it is Islam.

The lack of cohesiveness is demonstrated by their hatred of each other as Sunni and Shia Muslims consistently try to blow each other up. Islam does give them a common, vile hatred, as prescribed in the Qur’an, and that is to kill infidels, defined as anyone not aligning with Islam.

Revelation 13:3 CEV One of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but now it was well. Everyone on earth marveled at this beast,

I cannot begin to number the theories I have heard on what this is supposed to be. Many thought it was President Kennedy, or a Catholic Pope that was to be assassinated. That is not it at all. Islam became united under one central religious authority called the Rashidun caliphate in 632 AD. This eventually became the Ottoman Empire that ruled over the Middle East, northern African continent, and much of Eastern Europe, until its defeat and dissolution in 1922. This is the head that was wounded, and the world thought it was dead.

Islam regained some life with the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in 1928, “the Muslim Brotherhood started as a religious social organization; preaching Islam, teaching the illiterate, setting up hospitals and even launching commercial enterprises. As its influence grew, it began to oppose British rule in Egypt, starting in 1936. Many Egyptian nationalists accuse the Muslim Brotherhood of violent killings during this period. After the Arab defeat in the First Arab-Israeli war, the Egyptian government dissolved the organization and arrested its members. The Muslim Brotherhood supported the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, but after being implicated in an attempted assassination of Egypt’s president it was once again banned and repressed.” (From Wikipedia)

Islam existed, in the mind of the modernized world, as only a sleeping religion, until the Islamic revolution, or Iranian Revolution of 1979. This was when the US Embassy in Iran, was taken hostage. Islam, the head that was dead, has been alive ever since.

Verse 4 of Revelation 13 states, “And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast:” If the “they” here are the followers of Islam, then who do they, in unity, worship? Allah. Is it possible that Allah is little more than a powerful and destructive fallen angel, certainly. Where would this “dragon” obtain such global authority? This kind of logic tends to make Islam the beast. Therefore, what we have is a demonic spirit giving power to a religious ideology.

Note the wording of Revelation 13:11-14, “he spoke as a dragon.”

This is now a singular entity, the false prophet, a pseudo Christ if you will (a lamb with two horns). Islam calls him – `Îsâ Ibn Maryam ( Arabic: عيسى, translit.: ʿĪsā ), known as Jesus in the New Testament, is considered to be a Messenger of God and al-Masih (the Messiah) in Islam^[1][2]:30 who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā’īl) with a new scripture, al-Injīl (the Gospel).(From Wikipedia) This man did not die on the cross, and he is not the son of God. He is however, a Jew, of the lineage of Aaron and therefore entitled to be a priest, giving access to the temple. He is a Muslim, and a follower of Allah. He will defer to the Mahdi, and be able to do signs and wonders as Elijah did.

Things are moving so fast. If you are a believer, a follower of Christ, are you aware that Muslims are coming to Christ in rapid numbers. He appears to them in their dreams, and they describe knowing precisely who He is. They are generally led to followers of Christ, much like Paul was led to Ananias after the road to Damascus incident.

If you do not know this Jesus Christ personally, ask him to make himself real to you. Ask him into your life, and He will come and change you from the inside out. What is to come may seem exciting to some, but it is not. It will be a time of wrath upon those that remain upon the earth. There only one hope and his name is Jesus.

Posted in Deception, End times, In Christ, Prophetic, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged Belief, Bible, Book of Revelation, Christ, Christianity, Cults, deception, dragon, end times, future, God, God's word, Holy spirit, hope, Isa, Islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jews, last days, prophecy, rapture, Revelation, Satan, Scripture, the lamb | Leave a comment

Wars, We are surrounded by them. Matthew 24 Part 2.

Posted on 04/29/2014 by remso

Part 2

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Syria is still an active war zone, but all those be-headings have become commonplace and boring, beside that, there are powerful people who want all this destruction, or it would not be happening. Syrian President Bashar recently threatened Israel with a missile attack, to which Israel replied, that they would wipe Damascus off the map. The oddity here is that prophecy tells us that Damascus will be utterly destroyed and uninhabitable; that can only happen if a nuclear weapon is used. The other news we are painfully aware of is the Ukraine. (The land of Gog)

Isaiah 17:1 LITV The burden of Damascus: Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruined heap.

Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:”We have been talking about this.

Pestilence – Think bugs, flies, frogs, and in general, pests; plagues fall under this category as well. As of last year, the world is seeing a rise in the Bubonic plague and it is coming from multiple fronts such as Asia, Mexico, and Madagascar. In March of 2013, Egypt was swarmed with over 30 million locusts. Moreover, Guinea is now suffering from a deadly outbreak of Ebola. To make matters worse, A major French biomedical research body, the Pasteur Institute, have launched an investigation into the disappearance of some 2,300 test tubes containing samples of the deadly SARS virus.

How about famine?

UN calls for $2 billion to help combat hunger in Sahel.
North Korea: fears of food shortages outside Pyongyang as distribution fails;
Pakistan’s Impending Famine

This list could go on forever.

Let’s look at earthquakes for a moment. The USGS reports: 7 Days, Magnitude 4.5+ Worldwide 92 earthquakes –Updated: 2014-04-27 19:58:45 UTC-07:00Showing event times using Local System Time (UTC-07:00)

Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The Complete Jewish Bible calls it birth pains. If a woman goes into labor she will be experiencing birth pains. To the woman that only means one thing, the baby is on the way, but to the church and Israel, it means that Jesus Christ is on his way.

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

He was not talking in parables here, Jesus said these things to his, Jewish, disciples, and his words were stated in a manner that they understood. What would have given them the understanding; early childhood teachings from the Torah, Jewish tradition, and the context of Jesus response.

Only moments before Jesus indicated that there would be nations involved with wars; so the context is those outside of Judaism. Sadly, this takes on meanings other than family turning against family. Islam has two specific goals; to eliminate the great Satan, America, and the little Satan, Israel.

Israel will have armies encompassed about it. Enemies will attack the city, women will be raped, and the men will be slain.

Ezekiel 7:24 NASB ‘Therefore, I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong ones cease, and their holy places will be profaned.
Ezekiel 38:8-12 NASB “After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. (9) “You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.” (10) ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, (11) and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, (12) to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.

Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Mark 13:12,13 and Luke 21:16 convey the reality of brother betraying brother, and children rising up again their parents to put them to death. Why would that happen? I am not sure this answers the question, but I am going to give to you anyway. “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved”. If Islam is the primary aggressor, then you should understand that they focus their hate primarily toward Christians and Jews, but also against any outside of Islam, so Jews, and those who take on the name of Jesus Christ as their own will be targeted.

The word, that this version translated “offended,” is the Greek word skandalizō. It is the basis for our English word, to scandalize. It means to entrap, trip, or stumble. Lastly it can mean make to offend. The word “betray” is the Greek word paradidōmi and means to surrender, yield up, bring forth or betray.

If we do a rewrite of the sentence using the alternate wording, it looks like this:

“And then shall many be stumbled, and shall surrender one another, and shall hate one another.”

Do you realize that this sounds like the events that happened in Europe when the Nazis came into power. People began to hand their Jewish neighbors over to the Nazis, apparently not caring what would become of them. This is not Nazi Germany we are talking about, but it seems logical to think that we could be talking about Jews handing over other Jews to invading nations in the last days. I cannot imagine what Jews would hope to gain by doing that. Israel is a multicultural nation, and a large part are Muslims. Therefore, it is only fair to consider the possibility that this is referring to Muslims pointing out the Jews they know to invading forces. Look at the Sura’s I have copied below. (The last days really encompasses the last seven years on earth before Jesus comes back.)

If Israel is being attacked by Muslims, and I believe they will be, even the Jewish traitors will only be given one option, convert or die. To convert, during this time period, is to turn your back on God forever, choosing to follow Satan to his demise. But this may help us to understand.

Sura 2:65, 7:116 O Muslims, Jews are a treacherous & deceitful people over whom lies the curse & anger of Allah. They permitted what Allah forbade, with lame excuses; therefore, He cursed & turned them into apes & pigs. Sura 9:30 Jews & Christians are perverse. Allah himself fights against them. Fight against Jews & kill them even Trees & Rocks will cry out that there are Jews hiding behind them, so Muslims must come & kill them. Sura 4:160 For wicked Jews, Allah has prepared a painful doom.

All this that I have described applies to the time after the rapture of the church. The wrath that is an integrated aspect of the seven years following the rapture, has little to do with the church, but applies to the nations and Israel.

I suggest you give your life to Christ, not so much because it could be thought of as an insurance policy, but a relationship with the creator, and a rest knowing that you will spend your eternity in his comfort and care. Accept Jesus Christ into your life, ask him to make himself real to you, and he will.

Posted in End times, Prophetic, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged Belief, Bible, Christianity, Cults, deception, end times, Faith, future, God's word, hope, Islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Jews, last days, prophecy, rapture, Scripture, thoughts | 1 Comment

These questions come up far to often. Matthew 24 dissected. Part 1

Posted on 04/26/2014 by remso

Matthew 24 is not the end of all argument, but it is the one place where, when asked, Jesus responded directly to the questions that His disciples asked, and they asked about the destruction of the temple, and when He would physically return to the earth and set up His kingdom. This was not a bizarre or freakish concept in their minds, every learned Jew understood that the Messiah would eventually set up His eternal kingdom and make thing right. Neither did Jesus argue with them that their theology was wrong, He merely answered their question.
Why is any of this important to us? Because everything He spoke of is happening already. We are in the last of days.

As I sat in our men’s ministry meeting this A.M., our men’s pastor, speaking highly about “The Story” that we are going to be doing, said, the body of Christ is seriously lacking in their knowledge of God’s word. You can see it in the questions that we ask. We are good at doing stuff, like parking lot detail, or passing out offering baskets, but can we adequately lead bible study and keep our tradition and opinion out of it?

I am going to be upfront with you on this, it pains me to sit in some of these meetings, because, for some reason we do not want to understand the bible, and it is rare to find a “teacher” that does.

Matthew 24:1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

The disciples, proud of their heritage and the temple, pointed them out to Jesus. I am sure he was aware of them. They represented something completely to him. He also knew what was soon to happen to the temple.

Jesus responded to them.

Mat 24:2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

This response is directly related to them pointing out the temple to Jesus, but it eludes to something more. This was literally fulfilled in 70A.D. Jerusalem was under the rule of Titus and most attribute the destruction of the temple directly to Rome, but that was not the case. While it is true that there were troops, operating under Roman banners, it is documented by both Josephus and Tacitus, that the majority of troops were conscripts from the Assyrian nations, and had an open and vile hatred of the Jews. This will come into play later on as we define other aspects of end times prophecy.

1 Kings 9:7-9 NIV then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. (8) This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ (9) People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them–that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.'”

Daniel 9:26 NIV After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

Mat 24:3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

“Tell us, when shall these things be?” Anyone who had spent time looking at the lives of the disciples knows that they had a very Jewish mindset, so it is necessary for your understanding to consider this when trying to understand Jesus response to them.

Jesus seemed to have a direct connection to the Father (and so do we as believers) so what He is saying is clear and concise.

“and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

The question may well be two separate questions. In general, the Christian community seems to confuse Christ’s return for His bride, with His last return to the earth. On the day of His return He will touch down on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and on that day, He will come prepared for war. When He comes for His bride He will meet them in the air and does not touch down.

Mat 24:4,5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Why would he say that? Just a partial list off Wikipedia gives the names of 32. Some of these I recognize. But think about the ridiculousness of something like this. An example: would be David Koresh. His teachings included him propagating children with the wives of other men who were involved in the cult. That would not happen!

This becomes hugely important if you realize that Islam has their own version of Jesus. He has some similar properties. The following is from Wikipedia, about the Islamic Jesus.

The belief that Jesus is a prophet is required in Islam
He is the son of Mary, not God (Allah)
According to the Quran, Jesus, although appearing to have been crucified, was not killed by crucifixion or by any other means; instead, “Allah raised him unto Himself”
To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles (such as healing the blind, bringing dead people back to life, call fire down from the heavens, and cause it to rain where there has been none), all by the permission of Allah rather than of his own power.
Jesus is considered a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of Allah), as he preached that his followers should adopt the “straight path” as commanded by Allah. (In other words, all must become Islamic and follow Sharia.)
Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the Day of Judgment to restore justice and to defeat al-Masih ad-Dajjal (“the false messiah”, also known as the Antichrist). (Odd how they too have an understanding of the end times pattern. This “false messiah” Islam looks for, is the opposition to Jesus Christ. They believe that the Antichrist is our Jesus. If you use the perspective that they serve the father of lies, then you might be able to comprehend why they are in opposition.)
The Jesus of Islam will be a Jew
A priest of the lineage of Abraham.
He will defer to the Mahdi. (The Mahdi is there awaited savior. He is the 12^th or hidden imam, and several have already declared that he is speaking through them. It is said that he will return on a white horse. This is the same white horse that we see in Revelation 19, and it is the only scripture in our bible that they believe is true.)
He will be the enforcer of Sharia.

If all this is true, and there is someone who will take this role, then this makes all the sense in the world, and the ones that will be the primary targets of this deception will be the knowledgeable Jews. We happen to think of these as the religious of Israel.

Ask Jesus to make himself real to you and watch what happens. Should you decide that you need him after you meet him, ask him into your life and he will come.

Posted in End times, In Christ, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged Christ's return, Christianity, Cults, destruction of the temple, end times, future, God, Holy spirit, Islam, Islamic Jesus, Israel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jews, last days, Matthew 24, prophecy, Scripture | Leave a comment

“The Story” chapter 1 – From creation to Noah. Genesis 1-3. Prep for bible study.

Posted on 04/24/2014 by remso

Many years ago, I shared the teaching responsibility of a men’s Bible study. The entire church was interrupted by the Pastor, who felt we needed to walk everyone through Rick Warren’s The Story, a pathetic overview of the Bible. You would be right if you got the sense that I was disgusted. Since we each had a copy of this book, I made some notes that might assist me in teaching and put them on my website. This was posted in 2014 when I did not use the Grammarly program to check my grammar. After a recent check of my statistics, I saw that someone had pulled up this excessive rant, prompting me to fix it. If you invested the time to read all 18 pages, I am chopping this up and extending it by one chapter.

Because “The Story” covers many subjects quickly, it is difficult to do a focused bible study when dealing with many topics over 11 chapters. That being said, I will attempt to focus on one aspect at a time.

Genesis 1

God creates heaven and earth

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” (Genesis 1:1 LSV)

(The Literal Standard version italicized the word “the” as it was added for continuity. Removal of such a simple word tends to show that the creation was a process, and we are still involved in that process until the end of the 1000-year reign.)

Why is it important to know how things began?

Perhaps because it shows original intent, or, once everything goes bad, it demonstrates that the creator has a plan.

God creates man in his own image, blesses him

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.”
(Genesis 1:26 TLV)

Several things dominate this passage.

“Then God said,”

Ah, but to whom?

If we work off the assumption that God, like Allah, is a standalone entity, then this makes no sense. The writer has to be referring to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Knowing that I am writing these notes to followers of Christ, then it seems safe to believe that you understand that God is a triune entity and that Jesus Christ – the Word of God – has made himself known to us in the body of a man.

“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness”

In unity, from the beginning of time, there have been three.

How does that affect how I understand creation?

It does not unless, as I consider what the image of God was, I began to understand that this has little to do with a physical body and is focused more on the character and attributes of the creator.

The Apostle John makes it very clear that Jesus was right there in the beginning.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

Jesus indicates that the Holy Spirit was there.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2 KJV

And,

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
(John 15:26 KJV)

As for making “man in our image, and likeness.”

Paul wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, about man when he said,

“…You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.” (Ephesians 4:24 CEV)

The Hebrew word for image tselem – conveys multiple possibilities. Tseh’-lem – From an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, that is, (figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence a representative figure, especially an idol:

If man was only a shadow, then he is not an exacting duplicate of God but a mere representation, something that vaguely resembles the creator. Seeing as man is made in all three aspects (shade, resemblance, and representative figure), how could you pin down one specific thing to define what the man looked like without a body.

The point to this, the overarching theme I see here, is that God created someone that was so much like him that it would be ridiculous to think that this man did not walk in constant communication with the Father.

I am stunned by God as he opens my eyes, and I begin to see things I have never seen before. Examples of this would be: Jesus, the last Adam, created in the image of God, and untainted by the sin prevalent in the world, walked this earth, in full view of the disciples, in perfect communion with the Father. The other is Enoch. Enoch learned how to walk in perfect harmony with the Father and walked off the earth. This freedom of communication is the atmosphere that Adam was placed in.

Genesis 2

The book, The Story asks the question:

Why did God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden?

One of the things that run through my mind as I look at the events of man’s creation is: if the human is so closely and intimately made in God’s image and apparently placed here so that God would have someone to talk with, what separates us, and makes us something other than mere slaves?

The answer to that question has freedom written all over it.

We are free to choose whom we will love and how we will respond when love is shown to us. The other side of this coin is how God will continue to respond to us, even when we break off communication.

Man had complete knowledge of good, for that is part of the character of God, as is love, but he had no knowledge of bad; there was nothing inhibiting or tainting man’s relationship with the creator.

So man was free to exhibit love toward God or ignore Him. Certainly, the fruit of that tree was a test, but what you don’t see or know is how many years were they able to ignore it?

Man is placed in the garden, and the fruit of the tree of knowledge is the only forbidden thing.

“Then Adonai Elohim took the man and gave him rest in the Garden of Eden in order to cultivate and watch over it. (16) Then Adonai Elohim commanded the man saying, “From all the trees of the garden, you are most welcome to eat. (17) But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you must not eat. For when you eat from it, you most assuredly will die!” Genesis 2:15-17 TLV

Man only has one demand placed upon him; do not eat the fruit of that tree!

Does it get any better than this?

Well, yes. Having an intimate union with God is, even in God’s mind, not enough, and so God made a woman for him.

Genesis 3

The serpent deceives Eve

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Is it true that God has said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’ ” Genesis 3:1 AFV

My pastor recently said, “we don’t know where Adam was during this time.” Oh really!

Adam was standing right there, watching the entire process, hearing everything the dragon said, and never said a word in defiance.

“Now the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a thing of lust for the eyes, and that the tree was desirable for imparting wisdom. So she took of its fruit and she ate. She also gave to her husband who was with her and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made for themselves loin-coverings.” (Genesis 3:6-7 TLV)

Adam was very clear about what God had told him, and there were NO issues with his memory, and he is alone with the animals. Adam, in time, of course, after she was cloned from his rib, told Eve about the only rule they had, and there is no doubt in my mind she understood what he said and where that information came from. But keep in mind that deception is a twisting of the truth, and those who are not established in their relationship with the Father seem to be the quickest to fall.

How does that explain Adam being sucked into this?

It does not, but what it does demonstrate is that God has to be consistent with His actions. (We will see God demonstrating His intent and character throughout the Old Testament. He says to both Noah and then Abram. God typically said “as for me,” indicating that no matter what happens, I will uphold my end of this contract.)

I have heard pathetic explanations about the fall of man in the garden, told in so many perverted ways, and none of them make any sense to me.

Adam has, at this point, demonstrated selfishness and defiance for the first time, and he did what he wanted. In contrast, Jesus told us that He only did what the Father told him. Think about the alternatives. Adam heard those words from God and knows full well that Eve will die, and he watched her bite wholeheartedly into that fruit without wincing.

Could God make another Eve, as He had made the first one?

Well, certainly, but there is a huge issue with the man trusting what the Father had said, and he had just demonstrated that he didn’t trust God anymore.

Here is a tainted human piece of logic. God, on the other hand, can use any or all methods of death to fulfill His promise; and lacking specific information, we do not know if Adam fully understood what those words concerning death meant.

Also, think about how it appears that nothing had ever been killed before God did it, and it might be an entirely new concept to them. For all Adam knows, she could merely drop dead in the next few seconds. Oh, they died, as both, immediately in their spirits, as the lights of this open communication with the Father went out, and they began to deteriorate immediately in ways they slowly began to perceive.

“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21 NASB)

Some, you would think, prefer an angry, vengeful God, and this would have been a good time for it, if that was his character, but he does not pour out His hot anger on them. What we do see is that God is entirely consistent with His nature and character, and this is something that we need to perceive as we read about the events of creation and the beginnings of man.

At this point (I may have seen this in “The Story,” but I indicated that it was a caption from the NIV. I have four versions of the NIV, and none of them say this.), the next segment shows God arraigning them as though they had been convicted in a criminal court.

Watch what happens, and I will show you differently.

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
(Genesis 3:8-10 TNIV)

God is not arraigning anyone. In fact, He is acting completely within his unchangeable character; He is acting in love toward that, which is a replica of him, and showing them respect; but there is one huge change, and the only ones demonstrating the effects of the change that sin brought, is His creation as suddenly the man, who had been naked and not ashamed, is now hiding, not only from God but from each other as well.

“And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3:11 TNIV)

I fully expect Adam to understand what is being said because God spoke directly to the man. But it is a peculiar statement, at best, if God did not expect Eve to know the rules. You see, the problem is that He did expect her to know, not like an angry father, who expected you to somehow absorb his thought processes. God told Adam, who had dominion over the earth and was, therefore, God’s representative here on earth, and Adam conveyed this information to Eve. As far as God was concerned, she had been told, and there could be no excuses. Well, that sounds harsh, and if it was like that, then a full and brutal punishment would be in order; but that IS NOT what God did. He showed mercy, grace, and punishment by upholding His word.

I suppose many generations of misunderstanding and tradition have taught us that God is always ready to strike us down, but what if what we see here is God merely asking questions and reasonable questions at that. (Try to maintain one clear thing here, you are not getting anything past God, and He already knows the answer before He asks, so lying is not an appropriate response.)

Did Eve just stand there dumbfounded as she listened to God’s word to them?

We do not know, but the hesitation allowed for the newly found damage to manifest in Adam when He said:

“The man answered, “That woman, the one you gave me, gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12 GW)

Well, that was pathetic. Now we see something close to what I deem anger.

One of the things you cannot deny is that God can and does get angry, but at whom?

The serpent is cursed

“So the LORD God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the wild or domestic animals. You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live.” (Genesis 3:14 GW)

There is good news and bad news.

The promised seed

^“^{And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.”}^{[Gal. 4:4.]}(Genesis 3:15 AMP)

^Enmity?^{Webster’s dictionary tells us that it is “}^{The quality of being}^{an enemy;}^{the opposite of friendship; ill will;}^hatred^{; unfriendly dispositions;}^malevolence^.”

In short, Satan hates us.

“But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law.”
(Galatians 4:4 MSG)

None of this caught God by surprise.

How would you have played a game of chess, over a period of years, with such vast dimensions, all the way out to the last winning move, without putting tremendous thought into it?

(It is possible that God had this all mapped out in his head in seconds.)

Giving His “representative figure” the freedom to make choices almost makes you think that there had to have been an alternate plan, or was this the plan from the very beginning. Apparently, God did not intend to let such a destructive force run havoc, not against Him and His creation for all eternity; that would have been contrary to the original design and out of character.

While there may be a good chewing out going on here, there is also the God I have come to understand, giving Eve the hope that her seed will be the one that brings the enemy his defeat.

The new way of life Adam and Eve brought upon themselves will soon be filled with pain, murder, jealousy, and the promise of hope, much like the covenant God made with Abraham.

Expelled from paradise, the repercussions of man’s selfishness permeated everything, and the death clock immediately began counting down; under the limitations of that clock and now recorded time, two sons are born.

There are many horrid aspects to consider.

The outcome of their sin that God continues to discuss: such as pain in childbirth and Adam now having to toil to get the land to produce. But I refuse to believe that they did not have an understanding of what God was talking about when he speaks of crushing and bruising or as He kills the animals necessary to make the clothing they needed. God made clothing for them. He did it in such a manner that they, too, would know-how and understand the implications behind what He did. This is not made explicit in scripture, but enough clues are given that allow us to ascertain what God did, for in a short time, we will see both Cain and Abel making sacrifices. One son does it right and is accepted, and the other turns his jealousy inward, with a devastating result.

Posted in Prophetic, Things I have never noticed before, Thoughts, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged Abram, Adam, Ark, Bible, Cain and Abel, covenant with Noah, creation, Faith, future, Genesis, hope, Jesus, love, Mercy, Noah, prophecy, relationship with God, the flood | 1 Comment

I never got to answer the question.

Posted on 04/13/2014 by remso

I wrote to friend,

After I went on my rant about the Love of God, you asked a question, and I responded with, “there is an answer for that”, but I never got to answer the question. I would even say that you developed the question a little more specifically as the shouting went on.

First, let me say that I do not function well in an atmosphere of shouting. Secondly, I have had similar questions myself, and I have spent years looking at scripture, asking questions of what it said, and what I found is a God, more merciful than I had ever thought possible.

Because I had my bible open, 1John chapter 3 caught my attention. Verse 10 had already jumped off the page at me before you even asked your question, and I thought this answers the question of what becomes of the “non-Christian” dead.

Before we can answer the question, I think we have to adjust our thinking about whom God considers the non-believer, because we use parameters that are entrenched with faulty traditions and judgmental attitudes. God looks at the heart, while we judge things externally. Therefore, the person that makes a big scene at the front of the church, make be doing just that, making a big scene. While the person that says simply, God remember me, has more intentionality to their heart, even though they may not meet some criteria that religion establishes.

I took this out of the NIV because it states it clearly. I will tell you that I was looking at the NKJV this AM, and it said it plainly also.

1John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

Many versions emphasize loving the Christian Brother, but doesn’t that kind of go against the grain of God, seeing as we are to love our neighbor (and in my case, at least one of them is a Jehovah Witness.)

1 John 3:10 ESV By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

As you read something like this, apply it to the world, many of which have died and of course, have no other options.

Here in 1John 3:10, we have a clear definition. Many will refuse to see it that way, but that is the beauty of revelation. You can be reading something and suddenly God’s spirit reveals to you how it can, and most likely does apply to the world in general. This makes a lot of sense when you consider the statement, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” He had, and still has, a love for the world. There will be a day that his wrath is poured out on the earth, but that is not yet. Further more, God’s wrath has been against His own, Israel, and the nations that rise against His people. We, who are followers of Christ, are in Him, and we have been spared from wrath.

This passage in Romans is one example where it talks about us being spared God’s wrath.

Romans 5:9 ESV Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is another example. In this one, the context is the wrath coming upon the earth during the seven years called the tribulation. Because we have salvation through Christ, we have are to be spared from the generalized wrath.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV (9) For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are:”

If I give you a solid definition of what God deems someone who He considers a child of God, do I really need to define what the devil’s children do? To simply understand that anything outside of the definition are operating under a different principle, and will follow their leader to his destruction.

“Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child,”

The NKJV used the phrase “anyone who does not do righteousness”

Whether it is right or righteousness is irrelevant and implies the same thing.

Now, you must ask yourself what determines right and who sets the standard. The standard is God, but the standard existed long before the law came. God makes that clear when talks about the righteousness of Abraham.

Romans 4:3 ESV For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

What did he believe?

That eventually God, this person who showed up in his dream, would do what he said by making him a father, and the father of many nations.

Having been married for a while, and not producing children, you begin to think you will have none, ever, and that is exactly the mindset that we find with Abram. That is also one of the reasons that God’s promise of making Abram the father of many nations is such a big deal. I do not know why we make such huge assumptions and give our founders of faith ridiculous super human characteristics, which none of them had.

Was Abram that much different from the man next door, not really. Every follower of Christ eventually comes to understand that Adam and Eve, by eating the forbidden fruit, gained, not only, the knowledge of good, something they already had, but of evil also. As a young couple, full of energy, everything they did and explored, not only in the world around them, but with each other, was all good; having the knowledge of evil put a different spin on things, which is why they suddenly, were not only trying to hide from God, but each other as well.

If understanding “good”, gives me the comprehension that there is a God and he wants a voluntary relationship with me, then what would my judgment of what is evil be based upon? How others or I acted toward the creator and whether I acted anything like my understanding of the creator.

Warfare seems to give us one of the prime examples of this love, a love that most do not understand, for we have countless versions of guys that dive on hand grenades, or take a bullet to save a friend. Moreover, it is possible that never once did they say, I love the unknown God I serve. Without training, they may not have had any idea.

However, this takes us back to Abram again, for without the guidance and direction of the law, he lived a decent life, motivated by a belief in a God that he had not previously known.

God is a God of mercy.

“Nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

I suspect that many will read this and say, it is an additional mandate, I do not agree. I believe that our brother could easily be our neighbor, but there is an implication of someone with which you have relationship. As we talked a little bit more, a situation was described where a person, hiking the same trail, slips over the side of a mountain trail. The right thing to do is to offer assistance. Does that have to have anything to do with their relationship to Christ? No, it is just the right thing to do, and nothing less than you would want.

Why did I say any of this? Because, there is that possibility that God sees a pattern of behavior that demonstrates His character, and that is all that He really demanded of those who died “without” Christ.

I heard a theology come out of one mouth today that demonstrated an angry God that is looking for people to punish in a final judgment. All it takes is an honest, open-minded read of scripture to see that this is not the case. (I say be open minded because the closed mind will refuse to consider any options outside of their traditional mindset.) I think that it is good to be firm about some aspects of our belief. Since Jesus said, “I am the way, truth, and the light, and no one comes to the Father but through me.” I am sticking with that concept. The other is the love of God toward me, and I am not moving off that.

The judgment seat that was spoken of is no secret affair; we can find it in Matthew 25.

One of the first things you need to notice is who is doing the judging. Now ask the question, if Christ was willing to lay down his life for us, those that accept Him, why would there be even the remote possibility of any of those standing before this throne?

Matthew 25:31-46 ESV “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. (32) Before him will be gathered all the nations,

In scripture, there are only three kinds of people groups: The Jews, the nations, and the church. He is not talking to the church. Although most of us came out of the nations, when we came to Him, He came into us and therefore we are one with Him, and considered the bride of Christ.

and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (33) And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. (34) Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (35) For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, (36) I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

It is their response to his kindness that catches my attention.

(37) Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? (38) And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? (39) And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ (40) And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (41) “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (42) For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, (43) I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ (44) Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ (45) Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ (46) And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Even here, God’s mercy keeps showing up.

I have had this argument/discussion on several occasions and I am not backing down from it, because it has the character of God written all over it, and I am not the one who wrote this, Holy men of God wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. We have come to validate these scriptures as real, and from God himself.

Therefore, if you were to ask me, what happens to all those who died without Christ, I would have to say that God judges them based upon their good works and shows many of them mercy.

We all know or knew people like that, and this does not excuse my laziness, but shows me that God is more merciful than I, contrary to traditional thinking.

Posted in End times, Hope, Things I have never noticed before, Thoughts | Tagged Abraham, Belief, Bible, Christ, Faith, God, Israel, Jesus Christ, rapture, Scripture | Leave a comment

I am writing these things to you so that

Posted on 04/12/2014 by remso

There is a song by Chris Sligh, off the Running Back to You album, titled, In a Moment. Lying here on the bed my mind began to wrap around those words, “In a moment” and it made me think of that day, which I do not think is that far away, where we will finally be returned to the arms of the Father who fought so hard to regain us, His family, back to himself.

I just finished my first 12 step group last Thursday 4/10/2014. It has been 10 months of the most amazing changes. Changes I did not think were possible. You see when you are deeply entrenched in your pain, you cannot imagine what it will feel like to be free, let alone breathe again. Thank God, I am free. On the 29^th of this month, we will be standing before the audience, presented as graduates.

As I lay there this afternoon, trying to take a nap for I did not sleep well last night and I had to be up early this morning, I saw a vision of myself standing before the audience, all Celebrate Recovery attendees, most of them believers, and I heard this:

We all came here, wracked with pain, struggling to find answers, and our place in this world, but soon, we will be called home to stand before our Father, the Father that has loved us, longed for and fought for this moment with a desire that exceeds any desire that we could imagine. On that day, we will stand there clean, healed, and free of the exhaustion and habits that have beset us. Because on that day we will be changed in a moment, faster than your eye can blink, into someone whole, and free. Welcomed into the arms of love, never to struggle and hurt again.

Sadly, as I saw myself saying these things to the audience, I knew that some would sit there in unbelief. Riddled with hurts and anguish, as I have been, they cannot take it in, while others wept with joy, as I am doing now.

How do I know any of this, because I see it in the word of God. This is one of the many messages that the Apostle John tried to convey to us in 1John.

1 John 2:1-2 NASB My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; (2) and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Verse 1

“My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin.”

What is it about the things he wrote that would, or should keep you from sin, or even better, create an atmosphere in you where you do not want to sin?

To answer that we need to understand what John had previously said.

We heard
We have seen
We looked upon
And our hands have handled of the Word of God.

The Life was manifested (made known) and we bear witness that our fellowship (communion, relationship, companionship) is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

This knowing, understanding, evidence is meant to produce not only a hope but also a confidence that what God said and promised is true.

Why does hope or confidence make you not want to sin? (Keep in mind that loosely translated sin means nothing more than missing the bull’s eye of a larger target.) Maybe because hope is built upon other things (spiritual things) and has everything to do with what motivates your goals, dreams and daily manner of living?

Let us assume that you are not that established and you do sin, rather consistently, then what?

“And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”

Because of His actions, on our behalf, our relationship, from God’s point of view, is kept free of disgrace and is always open for communication.

Let us probe Genesis; for there I can give you some examples to prove my point, that God has never turned his back on us. Starting at chapter 3 verse 7 they have already acted selfishly and their eyes are now opened. They now understood what evil felt like. How did they respond to that? They both dive behind some bushes and try to form some coverings to hide their bodies, I suppose from each other, but particularly from God.

They heard the sound of God walking in the garden and they hid. How did the all-knowing God respond to that? With something that feels like respect when I read it, he asked where they were. You know He knew where they were, and he can certainly see through bushes. When God speaks with them, He spells out the ramifications of their sin, “makes” clothing for them (there is more to this scene than scripture lays out), and lays out his plan for salvation to them. Part of the clue to understanding this come from his comment to Eve found in Genesis 3:15.

If you fast-forward, the only two sons (since the fall) are old enough to be farmers and we find Able making a sacrifice with a lamb. Where did he come to this understanding? Cain, his brother, kills him out of jealousy and who shows up, God. God never turned his back on any of them. You might assume that they sort of lost contact with and God is just forgotten, but then you have a problem because with that kind of logic you cannot explain Noah.

There is one of character I want to point out, and that is Enoch. Scripture tells us that Enoch walked with God. What does that mean, and how did he learn to do that? It would seem that Adam had another son, Seth. Seth’s lineage produced Enoch and to the best of my understanding, Adam was 600 years old when Enoch came along. There is no better way to comprehend this than to assume that Enoch used to ask grandpa what it was like to walk with God. Enoch paid attention and did just that.

God was everywhere; we just do not look for it.

Verse (2)

“and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins”

Propitiation – that word is big enough to choke you. I asked the bible study what that meant (I knew the answer, I had it written down, but I wanted them to answer the question.) The new guy chimed in, after a quick reference check in his bible, with, the atoning sacrifice.

The atoning sacrifice was one that perfectly paid, in full, the debt, but Israel had the priests make these sacrifices all the time, only to blow it five minutes later. This is exactly why the writer of Hebrews had this discussion:

Hebrews 7:26-27 MKJV For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens, (27) who does not need, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice daily, first for his own sins and then for the people’s sins. He did this once for all, when He offered up Himself.

You find this theme in Hebrews 9: 1-26, where it is clearly spelled out that Christ is that sacrifice, offered once, for all.

It is so hard not to say this – We have got it made. While this is true from God’s point of view, your pushing of boundaries always comes with a payment while you are here on earth.

Have you ever thought about how many there are, sitting in prisons, that lacking knowledge, gave in to their flesh or peer pressure, committed crimes and are in some cases permanent residents of the prison system; all while not realizing that they, if they are in Christ, have a good heart and an unbroken relationship with the Father.

“He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

Putting himself on the cross brought a result that was all-encompassing. No human will ever be judged, as a prerequisite to an eternal relationship with the Father, based upon sin. We will be judged according to what we did with Jesus Christ, but is that really the end of it?

Look, those that are in Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the air someday very soon. You and I are not the judges of what that entails because there is that scenario in Matthew 25, that details ten virgins, all with intentions to go to the same wedding; and why not, they all have invitations. The end of the story implies that 50% are not ready to go.

I am going to throw this last bit in for free.

After the rapture, we assume that the only persons on earth left are those without Christ, what becomes of them?

Considering that the snatching away of the bride marks the beginning of the seven years of tribulation, the time after the rapture is often called the great tribulation. I happen to believe that the “great” part is specifically referring to the last three-and-one-half years.

(Tribulation is a relative term, for many are experiencing horrendous tribulation even now. Just today 4/10/2104, someone posted a photo of a girl who had her mouth and eye sewed shut because she was a Christian in the nation of Syria.)

Many of those left after the rapture will accept Jesus Christ as Lord. Even that can be loosely defined and here is why. While some will recognize their error and turn to Him, others will attempt to resist the control of the beast. This concept of the beast maybe easier to visualize if I say, the Beast is Islam, and you will be forced to worship Allah, taking some indicator of your submission, or die by the sword. It would seem that choosing against Islam and dying marks you as a martyr for God. Scripture deems you a Saint, and after Jesus Christ returns physically to earth, you will reign over the earth, for a thousand years with Him.

Here is the problem we followers of Christ seem to have. We believe that there must be a clearly stated acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord. Islam will not be that technical. Have you not noticed how Islamic rebels sweep into a Syrian, Christian community and arbitrarily kill everyone. They do not tend to ask questions, and their acts of torture have more to do with sadistic pleasure than a conversion.

John tells us in Revelation that the number of martyred Saints before the throne cannot be counted.

Since this started with my asking a generalized question, what exactly do I have left here on earth? People who come to Christ, and those who wish to see them killed. Scripture defines the haters (killers) as the nations.

In what other scenarios do we see the nations? Read Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39, for they speak both of Israel coming out of the nations, and the nations rising up against Israel with God coming to Israel’s defense.

The nations brought Israel down with Idolatrous ways, and Israel went into captivity among the nations.

Ezekiel 39:7 “My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

Posted in In Christ, Thoughts, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged Belief, Bible, Chris Sligh, Christ, Christianity, Enoch, God, Holy spirit, hope, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Propitiation, Scripture, thoughts | Leave a comment

Is there a way to stay in the light? Still wading through 1John 1:7

Posted on 04/05/2014 by remso

1 John 1:7 MKJV But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Is there a way to stay in the light?

James 1:27 NASB Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

“And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.”

It sounds as though we are free and clear. Every sin means past, present, and future.

So, are you telling me there are no repercussions for the life I have lived?

No, even Israel, roaming in the desert, before the law, had to deal with people based upon the severity of the act. Rebellious children could be brought before the city and stoned to death, and the entire city had to take part in the punishment. Considering the vulgar brutality of stoning, how often do you think that happened, not many?

The point is that there are penalties to pay for crimes committed. As we roam through life, my suggestion is that you stay out of the crime arena; it is just less hazardous. While we may have to pay for the fulfillment of our fleshly desires with prison time or worse, God has released us from the debt of death (eternal separation from God) that was placed upon us all through Adam’s treason. (I suspect that even Adam was extended mercy through the blood of Christ.)

Even though the statement (“And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.”) gives the appearance of a complete restoration of rights, this does not guarantee us a home with the Father. That only comes by your acceptance of the fact that Jesus blood was paid on your behalf and you admitting that you need him.

My analogy goes like this. This earth is a large adoption agency and we are all in it. God comes down to pick out those He wants in his family. In doing so, he realizes He cannot leave any behind and so he pays the price necessary for all of them to come home with him. The only stipulation is that you have to agree to come. Some begin to whine, demanding to know what there is to eat. God responds with, why is that important, I own everything and my table is never empty so come, but many choose to reject his offer because that is not a clear enough answer for them. Others, thinking that he will make them cut their hair refuse to go. Some ask Him to wait while they get cleaned up, even as he assures them they are welcome as they are. Still others waste time in indecision and miss the bus. Many, even those with bad attitudes, put their name on the roster by accepting the fact that he paid the price in full, get in the bus and it leaves. Those with bad attitudes charge right in with their old behaviors saying, I do not take out trash, and where is the video game controller. The Father deals gently with all that, showing His amazing love toward those He paid such a huge price for; why? Because God regained a family that was willing to come, live, and have fellowship with Him.

There is truth to this concept if we look at Adam as our Father. When he chose to listen to his wife and not God and partake of a forbidden fruit, that moment he died. No, he did not just drop over dead, although that process began in him instantaneously. What did happen, fellowship with the Father was broken that very moment. Think about it. Adam’s demise took us with him.

Romans 5:12 GNB Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned.

Did God, in disgust, run from them shamed and embarrassed? No, it was just the opposite. We find them attempting to hide from Him, as He sought them out.

Did God cease to try to talk with them? No, not only do you see Him speaking to them in the garden but also tells them they are banished from the area where the tree of life existed, and later tells them about other aspects of the death they have thrown themselves into. God reaffirms that Adam and Eve will continue to play a role in the redemption of man. You can come to the understanding that God did not break off relationship, they did. Ask yourself, how long does it take God to make skins for them to wear? And during that time turned his back on them, grumbling the entire about lousy, rebellious children? No!

I am going to throw this in for free.

Although it is not spelled out in black and white, God gave them the specific instructions necessary for making a sacrifice and why. How do I know this, because Abel did what was proper, and God challenged Cain, stating, that if he did what was right would not he be accepted; so God continues his desire to “fellowship” by speaking to Cain about the murder he committed? Doesn’t that tell us that the laws, only written in the memory of man gave man no excuse to run havoc outside the law that would require a sacrifice being made?

If you are going to be honest then you have to admit that the fall of man brought with it the knowledge of good and evil, NOT JUST EVIL, and we all inherited what Adam brought upon us. Therefore, it is embedded in the DNA and cannot be removed. Since the soul of man was created in the image of God all that had to be done was to wash it clean. We, who have accepted him, have accepted that the blood of Jesus, the payment for sin, was enough, and it was. Therefore we have been made new creatures, almost as though we do not have that old heart anymore.

Did God sarcastically say, you morons, do you think I cannot see you and your nakedness in those bushes? No, he demonstrated respect, mercy, and grace by asking them where they were. God knew exactly where they were.

The point here is that God did not change His desire or stance toward the man he created.

I am sure some of you have recently seen Russell Crowe as Noah. If you have a biblical perspective on the Noah story, then you know that God was eventually sickened by the thoughts and violence of virtually every man on earth when the flood took place.

Did it ever occur to you that even though God eventually brought the condemning flood upon the earth, that He provided the people with Noah, a prophet, and a one hundred year span in which to turn from their evil and get on the boat? Reality tells me that there was no way in which all the people on earth would have been able to fit on that boat along with all those animals. Obviously, God knew that they would not come, but the opportunity to restore fellowship was still extended.

Allow me to back this last statement up with some logic from God’s word.

Hebrews 11:7 KJV By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

1 Peter 3:20 MSG because they wouldn’t listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact–saved from the water by the water.

Have you ever thought to yourself, why did it take 100 years to build a boat? Maybe there were no printed plans? That might slow someone like me down. Maybe, unlike in the recent Noah movie they were not in the middle of a forest with an unlimited supply of trees. No, God gave Noah the plans, so I do not think that was the issue. Perhaps a lack of manpower, considering that we have no record of boats or a need for them yet, that may have been a problem in securing help. There are so many variables when I apply my human thinking. Maybe I am right, and God was giving man the opportunity to repent.

Posted in Hope, In Christ, Thoughts, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged Adam, Adam and Eve, Belief, Bible, Cain, Christianity, Faith, future, God, hope, Jesus, Noah, Russell Crowe, Scripture, study | Leave a comment

A Voice in the Wilderness

TO ALL THE ABUSED: A Mother’s Day Message

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached. Matt 24, part 5

Could it get worse? Matthew 24, Part 4

Many have claimed the title of Jesus Christ. Matthew 24, part 3.

Wars, We are surrounded by them. Matthew 24 Part 2.

How about famine?

UN calls for $2 billion to help combat hunger in Sahel.

North Korea: fears of food shortages outside Pyongyang as distribution fails;

Pakistan’s Impending Famine

These questions come up far to often. Matthew 24 dissected. Part 1

“The Story” chapter 1 – From creation to Noah. Genesis 1-3. Prep for bible study.

Genesis 1

God creates heaven and earth

God creates man in his own image, blesses him

Genesis 2

Man is placed in the garden, and the fruit of the tree of knowledge is the only forbidden thing.

Genesis 3

The serpent is cursed

Expelled from paradise, the repercussions of man’s selfishness permeated everything, and the death clock immediately began counting down; under the limitations of that clock and now recorded time, two sons are born.

I never got to answer the question.

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are:”

“Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child,”

“Nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

I am writing these things to you so that

Is there a way to stay in the light? Still wading through 1John 1:7

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But exclude the courtyard outside the temple _ a layman’s commentary. John 2:18-25

While being announced by the Father is great, no one understood by Jesus. John 2: 13-22.

It started out as the Lord’s passover. A layman’s commentary on John chapter two, verses 11-13.

No doubt, He is coming to judge and make war, but this is NOT the final judgment. Revelation 20:4.

A rebuttal to a post I made several years ago. Revelation 13:7

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How about famine?

UN calls for $2 billion to help combat hunger in Sahel.

North Korea: fears of food shortages outside Pyongyang as distribution fails;

Pakistan’s Impending Famine

Share this:

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Genesis 1

God creates heaven and earth

God creates man in his own image, blesses him

Genesis 2

Man is placed in the garden, and the fruit of the tree of knowledge is the only forbidden thing.

Genesis 3

The serpent is cursed

Expelled from paradise, the repercussions of man’s selfishness permeated everything, and the death clock immediately began counting down; under the limitations of that clock and now recorded time, two sons are born.

Share this:

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are:”

“Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child,”

“Nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

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