Several weeks ago

Posted on 09/01/2013 by remso

Several weeks ago, at the end of the concerts in the park season, I came across a table, at the back of the crowd, loaded with Christian books, and they were giving them away. Yes, curiosity got me and I stopped because no one gives stuff that nice without a hook. I wanted to find out who these people were. The man who approached me introduced himself as the Pastor of a home church. (I found out later that this group has met for several years) and he told me his name. That name was familiar to me but I could not place it. The Pastor invited me to their Friday morning bible study at a local restaurant. Several weeks have gone by and I finally made it.

I walked in at 0615 and found a man sitting in a back room, by himself, with a bible in front of him, and so I walked in. He was involved in a phone call, but looked up to acknowledge me, and immediately I am aware that I know this man too well.

Just to give him his privacy I stepped out but I wanted to run. Odd that I felt comfortable enough to share my sudden discomfort with the waitress. Here I am telling a stranger that I have come for a bible study only to find this guy; a man who used to “pastor” a bible study I attended at another restaurant. A man who I have had unpleasant confrontations with. A man who could not go five minutes without telling us about his mentor, this pastor, and that their primary motivation and therefore everyone elses’ should be to evangelize. So as he came to the table I remained silent. I met the men that joined us and after I read the passage in Ephesians 4:1-6, as he requested, I listened as my old acquaintance developed an exclusive theme on evangelism without going any further than the first half of verse one. He had us move through about four other passages in the New Testament through which he expounded on the theme of evangelism.

The man sitting directly across from me eventually interrupts and asks, “so what do I do with the other gifting that Paul spoke of, or are you trying to tell me that they have no importance and therefore Paul should not have written about them?”

It was a good question, especially in a “bible study.” Every man at the table had something to say in response but they never answered his questions.

Let’s explore the passages and context for a moment.

Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (2) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; (5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; (6) one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Can I restate verse one without losing the potential impact? Of course. Paul, a prisoner, because of the message I preach, urge you to live a life that exemplifies the calling you have received.

The most simple definition of this calling we have received is to be sons and heirs with Christ.

Paul goes to explain: Ephesians 4:4 NIV There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;

Called to live out our lives in a manner appropriate to the nobility and hope we have been adopted into. The hope is our anchor and promise that this life is worth it and real. A hope that Christ will do what he said and come again for us just prior to God’s wrath being poured out on Israel and the World.

If I looking for a context that goes further than this then I need to expand the range of my reading by looking at Ephesians 4:8.

Ephesians 4:8 NIV This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”

I have no reason to believe that the terminology is unimportant. Gifts were given, and here is a listing of some of the gifts.

Ephesians 4:11 NIV So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,

Is there sequence to it, or even a priority? Perhaps. Nothing is random!

  • Apostles – Church planters. Many would tell us that the disciples fulfilled that mission and I can live with that. To hear someone stand in front of me and declare that they are an apostle makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and I will probably not be back.

  • Prophets – We have played to many games with this wording. Most of us have done what the pharisees did, attributing the things of God to the devil. You need to know that Jesus excoriated them for that and told them that they had finally crossed the line and were guilty of blasphemy. For those of you that wonder if you have gone there I must ask, have you attributed God’s works to the devil? Do not go there!

  • Evangelists – We had evangelists come to our church when we were younger. They still do it today. They came with a strong message and brought life back into the church. The messages were powerful but so were the acts of God. One fellow brought the message for 13 weeks. Our church tripled in size for years. It was awesome and we had church 4 and 5 nights a week. While a missionary to Rwanda might fulfill that role he was not necessarily called to be an evangelist. These guys in many cases were preaching to the choir, because the choir had lost its first love.

  • Pastors – These guys do the work of an evangelist and yet have to stay and put bandages on the wounded within the church. In this age of superstar pastors we seem to have lost that and at my church those that treat the wounded are the life coaches or recovery groups.

  • Teachers – These are the guys that try to make you understand the word, and get you pumped up enough to read it for yourself. I imagine you can see where this would be the same role that a pastor might play and rightly so. This happens to be my calling but I can tell you that my other calling is a prophet.

Gifts for what?

Ephesians 4:12-15 NIV 1to equip his people for works of service, 2so that the body of Christ may be built up (13) 3 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and 4become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (14) Then we will 5no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. (15) 6Instead, speaking the truth in love, 7we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

 If that’s it, something relatively simple with no great pressure push to make you be something you were not “called to”, then what changed. What changed our calling since Paul was imprisoned?

If I answer this from my reasoning then Paul may be pleading for some to take his place in spreading the good news. But Paul knew enough to keep the pressure of his situation out of the sentence. Inspired by the Holy Spirit to write, the Holy Spirit is telling US to continue living in a way that demonstrates the calling placed upon us and within us by that same Holy Spirit.

Now you have to ask yourself what that calling is and how to use it.

An obvious factor is that some believe that calling looks a lot like a burdensome work load. I am not so sure that was God’s intent.

Paul also wrote about a “calling” in his letter to the Romans.

I will show you the KJ version:

Romans 8:28-30 KJV And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Many would read this and see themselves excluded, but that is not the case, for in John’s gospel chapter 3 verse 16 you find that God so loved the world, not just a select, well dressed, degree-d people, that are highly motivated and dysfunction free, to recapture the so-called lost world. He (Jesus Christ) poured out his life for the entire world, giving it as an example of how we could and should live.

Beside that, the word calling (klēsis) can also mean an invitation, as in “the marriage supper of the lamb”, to which we have been invited.

If Christ died for the sins of the world then the world’s sins have been covered, right? Jesus, in John’s gospel told those listening,

“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. (48) There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.” John 12:47-48 NIV

In theory, the world is saved, but from what? Not from themselves, and not from the enemy that wishes to destroy them, but potentially from the wrath due the world for sins. So in our zeal we send out evangelists to do what, change the heart from evil to good, or point out the good that Christ has done for us and give them a faith in Jesus Christ that recreates that original good heart God made man with, and establish in them the hope that Jesus Christ will come back soon for us, rescuing us from the wrath to come. The wrath meant for Israel because they rejected him, and the wrath meant for the nations (those considered outside of the family of God.)

Another version of Ephesians 4:1 states:

Ephesians 4:1 BBE I then, the prisoner in the Lord, make this request from my heart, that you will see that your behaviour is a credit to the position which God’s purpose has given you,

In this version it is clearly less of a demand for work as it is a lifestyle and purposeful life. Life is little more than living. If you are believer, then scripture does give you guidelines, but it also gives you grace. It is the grace that gives driven people fits for it allows you freedom to live with the understanding that God will never let you out his hands and you will never be judged for sins by him. (Try equating this grace to turning a child loose in a mud filled yard. There is no reason in the world not to expect that child to not come back from this day in the yard muddy) Most religious folk cannot handle that freedom and freak out. Many will create their own set of rules in an effort to maintain control. We see this in the Jews as Jesus blasted them for their rules made in excess of God’s laws.

Here is my point: God gave us the grace to follow him; his word says I will, and though I have gotten myself muddied up at times, as did you, I have always known the way back home and come back to him. Home is where I can get cleaned up. The religious will say, you do not have the right (according to them) to merely muddy yourself up as you please.

Do you really think God is falling off his throne or that his love and grace is insufficient?

As I have gotten older getting muddy is no longer something that I want to do. I can tell you that slipping and falling in the mud is generally associated with some form of pain and the landing can leave you with a nasty bruise, the kind that reminds you of your fall for some time.

A better idea is to anchor your thinking in the Love of God and his grace and live a life in that freedom. Always know that his everlasting love, the same love that motivated him to put his son on a brutal cross for you, is more than enough to hold on to you. I do not know what it takes for us to get that concept into our thick skulls. God made his pitch and if you accepted Jesus Christ as the payment for your sin (all of it – forever) then you have been made family and a joint heir with Christ. Heaven is your promise, a life with the Father, and peace in a peaceful kingdom.

Now as for your calling. As you have developed as a family member the Holy Spirit has already spoken to your heart and motivated you in particular directions. Move in them. Find opportunities. Consider Stephen; as he served tables and did his job he listened to the Holy Spirit and moved in that inspiration. What came out of him was notable and powerful, merely by living and doing. Every family has a distribution of chores, setting the table or taking out the trash may be part of that. While you are doing your chores as under to the Lord let him speak through you and use you. It’s really that simple. Be open and obedient and he will give you more.

God bless and have a great day.

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See to it that you be not troubled. (That was not my intent)

Posted on 08/11/2013 by remso

I posted this on FaceBook. I felt led to post it here too.

I share many disturbing things with you for the purpose of making you aware.

If you are awake then  perhaps you can withstand what the enemy is doing and if nothing else fight back in prayer.

Last evening I had these words rush through my head, “See to it that you be not troubled!”

Yes, no doubt it can be overwhelming if you focus on what is going on around you. (This becomes a real issue when you are a believer living in a nation where violence against followers of any opposing belief is met with extreme violence and death.)

Focus on who your salvation is and the difference He can make through you if you let him.

This is the time of release. God will release His power through those who will put their trust in Him and allow Him to move them.
(John 10:3-4b ESV)
The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them,
and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

I am telling you what I hear in my spirit. Do with it what you wish, but do not ignore the voice of the shepherd, He is working for your good.

the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
(Matthew 24:3-13 ESV)

If you read the passage above then ask yourself who is he talking to? Jews, yes, but also us.

So the passage has some dire warnings in it.

Is it getting this bad? Yes.

Can it get worse? Yes, and it will.
Walking around with your eyes closed does not make it go away.

Already you are surrounded by hurting people. Personal friends of mine have taken such hard hits in an extremely short period of time. A two year old child, an in-law, was diagnosed with cancer affecting the spinal chord in June, suffered through three surgeries, chemo, and radiation treatments. Yesterday, August 10th, he died. That is sudden in my book and devastating.

What are we supposed to do?
Wake up. Realize that this is the enemy fighting against anything that looks like God, and guess what, YOU were made in the image of God. Now mind you, you do not look all that similar when  you are lying face down in your own vomit because you did what you wanted to do, but NONE-THE-LESS you are still His image. This is particularly true of  the follower of Christ.

Eyes open moment here. God did not promise you a life of picking daisies and staring at rainbows. He did promise the believer that He would come back for you, and that he would empower you with tremendous strength to endure victoriously over any situation. I do not care if it does not feel like it to you. You need to ask yourself what does it feel like to the FATHER.

In John chapter 11 Jesus ordered the stone moved away from the cave where a man’s body was now in decomposition; he stank!
Somebody responded, and though it is possible that the stink clung to the grave wrappings on the man, the man was restored.
Do you not get it yet? Do something! Roll away the stone. Be strong. Listen to the voice of the Lord that is leading you out.

Act like Joel chapter is actually happening right now, and you are a part of it. (By the way, IT IS in some people. Why? Because they choose to believe.)
Peter blared this message to the Jewish crowd standing before him, mocking him and the others, on the day of Pentecost. Peter, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit stated, “this day is  this come to pass in your hearing!” How long ago  was that? 2000+ years. WE ARE IN IT, and, if you will read your bible, you will find that Joel was specifically talking about THE LAST DAYS.

Folks, it is upon us.
Turn to the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways follow him, and he will direct your path.

Father, in the name of your mighty and glorious Son, Jesus Christ, the risen one, I ask that you release hope and strength into your people. Fill their minds with dreams and visions of you as you approach. Give them words to say as they listen to your voice, even if they do not understand where those words are coming from.
Empower your people to stand in  the face of the enemy and say NOT ANOTHER STEP FORWARD. The enemy must and will respond to the name the Jesus Christ for there is power in that name and that name alone.
Move in and through your people and cause them to bring hope to those around them for the days are getting darker by the minute.
Cause them to know  that WE are that which is holding back the enemy because we are awakening. Cause them to know that their voice can convey the voice of the Spirit of God and bring  life to people.

Father, I ask you to open ears and prepare hearts to receive the King as we speak and stumble through those words. In that people will know that it was God speaking through us.
Be magnified through our lives as we step up and declare the love and power of the Holy God.
Amen

Walk in Love at all times for the enemy is trying to cause hatred and fear to erupt in people. If you are paying attention at all you can see it. This is the enemy and the battle is on big time.
Pray without ceasing for we are in it.

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Now for the obvious. John 10:2

Posted on 08/09/2013 by remso

In my last post I talked about the thief of John 10:1. Now I focus on the shepherd.

Something I heard on the Christian radio station caught my attention. The speaker said that a good writer catches your attention when he speaks on an emotional level. I try to do that, primarily because I am pulled into a story line, or scripture, because it speaks to me in that way. This emotional level to me has much to do with my being open and honest with you, telling you that some things hurt or confuse me. Maybe by doing this we can both get through what ever it is.

Every time I read scripture I create an emotional connection by trying to look into their imaginary faces and listen for the tone of the words being spoken (I call it putting flesh and blood on them). This emotional aspect becomes important because we can receive the same sarcastic joke differently depending upon the tone and the relationship we have with the person saying it (I speak from experience).

Consider Jesus Christ, the shepherd, as he interacted with Nathanael .

Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, “We’ve found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It’s Jesus, Joseph’s son, the one from Nazareth!” Nathanael said, “Nazareth? You’ve got to be kidding.” But Philip said, “Come, see for yourself.” When Jesus saw him coming he said, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.” Nathanael said, “Where did you get that idea? You don’t know me.” Jesus answered, “One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!” Jesus said, “You’ve become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven’t seen anything yet! Before this is over you’re going to see heaven open and God’s angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again.” (John 1:45-51 MSG)

This was dripping with sarcasm and humor, and yet this is our shepherd.

Now the alternate side of this shepherd could be like one a previous pastor tried to convey. He told us, with conviction, that the shepherd, which he was supposed to be one, would break the leg of a sheep that would continually stray off. Having done that he would then carry that sheep until it was healed and that sheep would then bond to that shepherd and no longer stray. That did not register as correct then, nor does it now, and if you had tried to win me to Christ with a message like this I would have had nothing to do with it.

Just trying to think through this leg breaking from an economic point of view makes no sense either. To damage a sheep blemishes it and no decent Jew would buy a blemished lamb for it could not be used in sacrifice. Sheep only served three purposes. They were either raised for wool, food or sacrifice.

I suspect you need to look at some of these concepts, especially if you feel that God is calling you to be a shepherd.

What kind of shepherd would you be?

I was a rambling sheep. It is possible that in some ways the shepherd broke me? I thought that was entirely my doing. As I talked with the men in one of my groups recently, one responded sternly, “the devil is not in everything, some things are just personal choice!” I believe he is wrong for there is only good and evil in the world. It is a choice, but the way to judge whether you chose to follow the devil in this “choice” you made is to look at the fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

What was product of your “choice”? Something other than this? Then no matter how that motivation got in your head it was of the devil and meant to destroy you. If I happened to proverbially get my legs broken while caught up in that non-sense, and the good shepherd should happen to pick me up, is it proper to then say that the shepherd is the one that did it? NO.

That being said, lets continue to look at John’s gospel and the shepherd

John 10:2-6 GW

(2) But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd.

(3) The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen.

(4) After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.

(5) They won’t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice.”

(6) Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn’t understand what he meant.

The concept of a shepherd was not new to the learned Jewish crowd.

The Psalmist spoke of the shepherd of Israel.

For the Director of Music: According to “The Lilies”. A testimony of Asaph. A psalm. Shepherd of Israel, listen! The one who leads Joseph like a flock, the one enthroned on the cherubim, display your glory. (Psalms 80:1 ISV)

The prophet Isaiah stated,

Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep.” (Isaiah 40:11 ISV)

Ezekiel referred to David as a shepherd of God’s people.

“‘Then I’ll install one shepherd for them—my servant David—and he will feed them, will be there for them, and will serve as their shepherd. (Ezekiel 34:23 ISV)

The prophet Zechariah said,

Those who buy them will kill them and go unpunished. Those who sell them will say, “Praise the LORD! I’ve become rich!” Even their own shepherds will have no pity on them. (Zechariah 11:5 GW)

They knew what he was talking about, they merely refused to listen.

Now for the obvious.

John 10:2 NIV The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

What is the problem with that? Nothing really. It seems like a very ordinary statement, except that Jesus is the gate and the shepherd at the same time, and that in itself seems impossible. Fortunately we serve a God that consistently deals in the impossible. Jesus cleared this up for those who were struggling with his statement.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. (John 10:7 ESV)

Oprah Winfrey seems to have re-birthed herself and once again espoused an aspect of her religion based upon Eckhart Tolle’s teachings that we are all on the same path. Jesus should have left no doubt in the mind of the hearers that day as he said, “I am the door”. If we are all on the same path are there a multitude of doors? I don’t think so. I do think that God is willing and capable of finding you no matter what path you are on and inviting you to enter through the door into life.

But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. Simple, straight forward, understandable, but don’t we have to enter through that same door? If that is the case what is God trying to say to us?

To me it sounds as though the calling on our lives is important and automatic. If you are a husband, then shepherd your wife; if a father, then shepherd your children; if a friend then shepherd that one person. But do not think for a moment that you get to break legs to control them. That is not a what a good shepherd does, is economically unsound, and illegal. You open the gate for them to see the true shepherd – clue: he is found in His Word. And then you be an example of what this shepherd is supposed to look like. (Don’t get confused here, just live a decent, peaceful life, filled with the fruit produced in one that is focused on God. You know: love, joy, peace, long-suffering … )

By the way, this is not the last time you will find a reference to the door or gate.

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
(Revelation 4:1-3 NIV)

Someone opened the door. Because of John’s gospel we already understand that Jesus himself is the one opening the door. Looking through the door into  heaven what does John see? The Son of God in all his glory.

In Revelation 3 we get a clear picture of Jesus being the one that opens the doors that no man can shut.

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: (Revelation 3:7 NASB)

Keep these words in mind for the next time someone tries to tell you you are through. God is not done until he finishes what he started, and that includes you.

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What an odd statement.

Posted on 07/28/2013 by remso

(7/21/13) Our usual men’s Sunday morning bible study.

The leader opened in prayer, asked if someone wanted to read the passages, which they did. He then turned to the group and said anyone have anything to say about what was read, giving me the impression that he had nothing.

I always have something to say. I operate on the principle of always be prepared to give witness to the faith that is in you. So, I waited several long, silent moments to see if anyone else would jump in, and then I started with verse one of John chapter 10.

The gospel of John is awesome, powerful, and consistently demonstrates that Jesus was God. Mere moments into the points I  started to make I was cut off.

One of the men in our group has seminary training and feels that his dominance and voice is mandatory for most discussions. This morning with only an hour of time for our  group meeting, he consumed 40 minutes of it, taking us on several circuitous routes, 180 degrees from where we needed to be.

To have someone skilled in theological terminology show me and the others in the group no grace by beating us up prevents everyone in the group from seeing and hearing anything but what he has to say.

In other words, I had no voice this morning, therefore I write.

 With that off my chest, let’s begin.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1 ESV)

What an odd statement!

“anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate,”

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1 NIV)

I have childhood memories of an area we used to pass through while traveling to visit relatives. Sheep farmers could always be found there. These shepherds apparently lived in small travel trailers and would integrate their trailers into the pen by making them part of the opening. Supposing you did not have a travel trailer and could only rely on large branches to build your pen, then the idea of the sheepherder lying in the entry, becoming the door, makes all the sense in the world.

I can just picture these guys sleeping lightly. You would not be able to step over them without waking them. That would force anyone attempting to gain access to sneak in some other way.

If you take in all the words and the context of the verses you begin to see that Jesus is not merely talking about sheep.

He had been going verbal rounds with the Pharisees and much of John 10 is directed at them. In his previous challenges from, and to the Pharisees he told them that he had been with the Father and that God was his Father. For him to say that, and for it to be true, would mean that Jesus was God, something they refused to entertain. These assertions were worthy of death as far as the Pharisees were concerned.

Although I do not wish to go into it right now, Jesus made the statement in verse 8 of John 10, as though they were not standing in front of him, in which he said that, “everyone before him had been thieves and robbers.”

Everyone? Really? What about the prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, and others. Obviously it is not everyone but more like a particular group, religious folk.

The statement alone tells me that there are others that are trying to gain access to the sheep, and attempting to pass themselves off as the shepherd. If that is not the case then it is coming and Jesus painted a clear picture of what it will look like.

Many of us can name some of those that have led sheep a stray.

James Warren “Jim” Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was the founder and the leader of the Peoples Temple, best known for the cult murder/suicide in 1978, 909 of its members in Jonestown, Guyana, and the murder of five individuals at a nearby airstrip. Over 200 children were murdered at Jonestown, almost all of them by cyanide poisoning. Jones died from a gunshot wound to the head.

David Koresh (born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was the American leader of the Branch Davidians religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh on May 15, 1990 (Koresh being the Persian name of Cyrus the Great (Kurosh). A 1993 raid by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the subsequent siege by the FBI ended with the burning of the Branch Davidian ranch outside of Waco, Texas, in McLennan County. Koresh, 54 other adults, and 28 children were found dead after the fire.

Harold Egbert Camping (born July 19, 1921) is an American Christian radio broadcaster, author and evangelist. Since 1958, he has served as president of Family Radio, a California-based radio station group that broadcasts to more than 150 markets in the United States. In October 2011, he retired from active broadcasting following a stroke, but still maintains a role at Family Radio. Camping is notable for issuing multiple failed predictions of dates for the End Times, which temporarily gained him a global following and millions of dollars of donations. Camping predicted that Jesus Christ would return to Earth on May 21, 2011, whereupon the righteous would fly up to heaven, and that there would follow five months of fire, brimstone and plagues on Earth, with millions of people dying each day, culminating on October 21, 2011, with the final destruction of the world. He had previously predicted that Judgment Day would occur on or about September 6, 1994.

(All the above references were found in Wikipedia.)

I did a quick look up and count of people who had claimed to be Jesus over the years and there were well over 30. Many of these had a tremendous following.

Not everyone will get sucked in.

How do I know that? Because there is a timing to this, and it has everything to do with the last days. Besides that He was talking to the Pharisees. Jesus, in attempting to explain what was to come, stated in Matthew 24, 25 that even the elect would be deceived. The elect is Israel’s learned religious scholars, a sub class of God’s chosen people, Israel. Then the elect of Israel would have to be the taught ones, the Pharisees. They are all still looking for the Messiah.

Who else is looking for a Jesus to come? Islam. They anticipate, and have vocalized through speeches given at the United Nations that they are anxiously awaiting the coming of Isa ben Mariam. He will come; we followers of Jesus Christ know him as the false prophet. You will find references to him in Revelation 16:13; Revelation 19:20, and Revelation 20:20.

What does this  false prophet do that deceives? He acts like he is  Jesus (to some degree) and does the things that people expect a great prophet to do, like Elijah did (calling fire down from the sky or bringing rain where there has been none.) But Islamic prophecies show him deferring to the god of Islam (Allah) and the Mahdi. He also produces items that convince the religious leadership that they have followed after the wrong god.

(It might be essential for you to have an understanding of Islam at this point.  I wrote this and published it in July of  2013, and since then Islam has pushed forward even harder and at alarming rates. My suggestion is that you get your hands on a book called the Islamic Antichrist by Joel Richardson. As followers of Christ you will find scriptural references backing Mr. Richardson’s statements.)

Even Islam will tell you that this Jesus that is coming will be a Jew, of Aaron’s lineage, entitling him to be a priest in the temple – they do not just hand you that job. And that he will be a Muslim. Islam hates the Jew so how does that equate? I  don’t know but it makes for a very deceptive mixture.

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24 NIV)

 What is the gate?

An obvious answer is Jesus Christ. Did he not say that he was the way? Now he is saying that he is the door. Again, the only way.

John 10:9 NIV I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Jesus re-emphasized this again in John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

But this creates another problem for the follower of Christ. Try to follow my thinking here: Ask yourself, what happens at the great white throne judgment? Answer: God raises the remaining dead for judgment.

Why is this a problem? You have to create a chronology in order to understand the answer. As the followers of Jesus Christ we are considered the bride, and He promised to return, in the sky, to collect his own. So we, the church, get caught up to meet him and spend the next seven years with him, only to return with him on “the day of the Lord”, as his invincible army. Never to be separated from Him. So that excludes the believers from the throne judgment.

What is next after the church gets snatched away?

Tribulation to the extreme. This produces and uncountable number of dead in the Lord, called saints. But we can exclude them for they are caught up to heaven and stand before the throne shouting Holy is the Lord and they stand on a magnificent sea of glass.

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes–who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'” (Revelation 7:13-17 NIV)

So who is left? 

All those that we comprehend to have died without the Lord. Ponder that for a moment. What happens next? God separates the dead into two groups, the goats, and the sheep. God does this. He separates them, and he classifies them as sheep.

Now consider. Jesus did not make a sheep pen to hold those that did not belong to him. This entire chapter is talking about sheep, the thing that defines us the best. Remember what Paul said, “all we, like sheep.”

So, though you do not understand it, and neither do I, God has seen these people in a different light, calls them sheep, deems them acceptable because they performed acts outside of pure selfishness, and tells them to enter into the kingdom.

You know what this tells me. We have been preaching the wrong thing to people. Instead of condemnation and guilt, we should have been preaching life to them. As I listened to one of Christian psychology radio programs they referred to something an old cattle rancher said about containing cows. You can build barbed wire fences in order to keep the cattle on the property, and they will push into it, feel the pain and retract back into the property. Or, you can build a well. The well works because cattle are drawn to water, and they will stay where the water is at. Without the barbed wire Jesus became the river of living water. And though many of these people did not meet our requirements for salvation they adequately met God’s standard.

only thieves and robbers climb over the fence

Jesus said: I tell you for certain that only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. (John 10:1 CEV)

The word in Greek used to convey a thief means exactly that. Someone who is there to steal.  Jesus told us that no one could steal those that were his out of his hands. So who is he talking about? Since his comments were directed at the Pharisees we have to go back to the idea that he talking about Israel and the religious leadership.

This robber is after the chosen.

  • The first possible explanation of who the thief is would be the pharisees.

    Do we still call them Pharisees today? No, so in general we are talking about the religious Jews that have rejected Jesus Christ, in spite of the living truth.

    This has recently become more real to me, as we now have a Jewish, female friend. She is filled with head knowledge but because the Jewish leadership says, we are still waiting for the Messiah, to this point she, like them, is refusing to accept Jesus Christ.

  • The alternate point of view would be to project this toward the last days, also a viable option.

    While the chosen people are still the primary victims of the deception of the false prophet they are not the only ones subject to deception. Again, putting flesh and blood on this I can relate this to an acquaintance of mine who is theologically trained. I asked him in openly, what it would take for him to be deceived. He evaded the question but the possibility is there.

How could this be? Really? How is anyone brainwashed? Their defenses are attacked and broken down. Our environment is doing this us even as we speak. Why do you get the most unreasonable and ill thought responses from people you used to deem responsible (governments).

How am I supposed to respond to this?

If you are a believer:

Stay in the Word. Make it a regular part of your life. Jesus Christ is the truth, nothing else. Nothing else matters.  We are not to merely walk off our jobs and live in bomb shelters, but we are instructed to be wise. That means, in my mind, to pay attention to what is going on around you. Jesus told us to watch for clues. One of the massive clues was Israel becoming a nation. For over 2000 years people have been awaiting His return and making predictions. Some will continue to nail God down to the minute or day. All I know is that we are in the final innings of the ball game.

Scripture is clear:

Matthew 24:32-34 KJV Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh: (33) So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

Preach the good news of Jesus Christ whenever possible. Be the well of water that people are drawn to. As followers of Jesus Christ we have a hope and the promise of his coming to remove us from the destruction that is coming upon the earth (John 14:18.) But you must understand that like Noah you are going to feel the rain coming as God removes his church.

Genesis 7:12-13 ESV And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. (13) On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark,

And we have a hope of a life with the Father/God.  Live like there is no tomorrow, preach the gospel as if this were your last day. A time of darkness is coming when sharing Jesus Christ will be illegal everywhere. Until that day comes spread the hope that is in Jesus Christ like a wildfire.

If you are not a believer:

Consider this somewhat of a warning. The removal of the followers of Christ from the earth will mark the beginning of the seven years of tribulation that we find in Revelation (many call it the Apocalypse.) This period can be divided into two three and one half year periods. None of it will be pretty and people will be dying in huge numbers on  a daily basis. You want to see what a prophet would do in  the midst of this? Watch for two prophets of God to show up in middle of Jerusalem (not Palestine) almost immediately after all the people disappear. Should you decide to follow Christ at this point I would strongly suggest that you pattern  your life after them. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to come into you with power and then stand as an unmovable bastion in the midst of chaos (Better yet, act like this now. You will  never feel more alive in all your life!) Three and one half years into this chaos those two prophets will be killed and resurrected, just as Jesus Christ was, quite possibly by the false prophet. There is a person coming that will attempt to pass himself off as Jesus. I suspect, if your television still works, that everyone will be made aware. He will perform miracles, call fire from heaven, and bring rain where there might have been none.

This Jesus of Islam will be the enforcer of Sharia. He will enforce the mark that must be visible indicating your allegiance or subservience. To take this mark and worship this  personage called the beast in scripture will cut you off from the mercies of God; it is the only thing that will completely cut you off from the mercies of God. Resist this. (A clue here. Religion has been worried over this for years. Although for years it was easy to say I am not clear on what it is or how it will be presented to us, but the prophet Daniel said, “in the last days knowledge would increase”. As I have come to understand what Islam believes and their threat and influence I can see how this beast may well be Islam or Allah. Just know this, without it you will not be able to buy or sell anything and that is the major clue.)

Jesus will return; it will be dramatic; nothing secretive about it, for scripture tells us that every eye shall see him. He will return as a warrior to fight against anyone that chooses to stand against him. And this time the Messiah will plant his feet upon the Mount of Olives.

Turn to him now, even if the church has gone. Call upon him. Receive His Holy Spirit and call upon that holy spirit to fill you and guide you.

Should you find yourself here after the snatching away of the Christians, find a bible and turn to Joel chapter two and read it. It is talking about you. Should you come to the Lord now the promises of Joel chapter 2 are yours this very moment.

There will be two witnesses, sent from God. (You will know it when they come) They will stand in the streets of Jerusalem and preach for three years. Use these men as an example of how you are to perform.

Revelation 11:2-12 ESV but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they (the they of this passage is most likely the Palestinian Muslims) will trample the holy city for forty-two months. (3) And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (4) These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (5) And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. (6) They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may 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 kind of plague, as often as they desire. (7) And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, (8) and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. (9) For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, (10) and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. (11) But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. (12) Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.

If you have been paying attention to the news then you are aware that at the date of this posting our American President has been pushing Israel hard to give up the temple mount and most of Jerusalem. That cannot happen. God will not tolerate it. But know this, something will happen soon that will change the dynamics in Jerusalem and the Temple will be built, on that mount. Do you really think that Hamas will give that up readily? Not a chance.

I am not the great evangelist, but should you decide that you need come to this Jesus Christ, no matter what the reason, then perhaps praying something like this prayer I included can turn your life around.

Father, I turn my life over to you fully and completely. I cannot do this on my own anymore and I ask your Son Jesus Christ, the one who died so that I could obtain forgiveness of sins and was raised from the dead so that I could have a life and a hope in you. Father receive me into your kingdom. I thank you for making me your child this day and giving me your life. I know that you will never leave or forsake me from this day forward, and that you will come again to take me to my home with you.

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(The beast is not a machine – there was a computer called the beast for a time

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All your life…

Posted on 07/22/2013 by remso

 

I want to share some things with you that might explain where I have been for the last couple of weeks.

 

First I placed myself into the recovery program at my church.

 

I am fairly sure I mentioned this before but it plays a significant role in how my time is spent, and how my life is changing for the better. It is called Celebrate Recovery. While many of the people there have issues with alcohol and drugs that is not my problem. My problem is: we have an enemy that takes pleasure in stealing, killing and destroying anything that looks like God, and since we accepted Christ into our lives and have been formed into his image we are even larger targets. I have battled with abuses, frustrations, depression, fear, self-esteem issues, and the desire to hide from it all, all my life. I imagine many of you have had comparable or worse issues and possibly handled them better than me. I reacted in rage. I believe the rage came as a result of what felt like helplessness and inadequacies.

 

It has been just a little over a month now, working through a 12 step program, and I am finding that there is a joy in me that has not left me, even through the stress, for days now.

 

I am choosing to walk each day in joy. I am not going to lie to you, I have had my rough moments, but at the end of the day the joy is still there. I am sure that a deep understanding that Jesus Christ is the higher power and making the decision to relinquish control of trying to fix my life (trying to fix myself has not succeeded for 48 of my 60 years on this earth) and turn my life over to Jesus Christ played huge and significant roles. What a relief!

 

CR has forced me to adapt my schedule and that creates some new challenges for me when it comes to writing for posts.

 

One of the aspects of CR, that I happen to find the most freeing, is that when we break into small groups there are guidelines that are enforced. These guidelines are meant to create a safe environment and allow everyone a chance to speak.

 

Imagine if all your life you have felt as though you did not have the freedom to express the anguish of your heart, or by the same token not able to convey the joy you have experienced. No one is allowed to interrupt unless you are stating that you have a clear intent of hurting yourself or others. Just being able to speak without interruption has made all the difference to me. When your self-esteem has been thoroughly trashed just the act of being given a voice is extremely healing.

 

God cares about every aspect of you. He cares that you have not been able to express yourself. Your voice was given by God as a gift, and He desires that you share the freedom inside in with others.

 

I pray you find that voice inside of you and the freedom to use it.

 

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To not walk in darkness.

Posted on 06/21/2013 by remso

I attend a men’s bible study and we have been going through the book of John. Currently we are in John chapter 8. It is all so rich and worthy of thought, we never do it justice. I suppose that is one of my motivations for placing these blogs up here. To give someone the chance to discover the depth of God’s word.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

(John 8:12 KJV)

What is the context?

The last we saw Jesus he was sitting among a crowd, in the temple, teaching, when the Pharisees pushed a woman in front of him as they ranted about how she had committed adultery. One of the aspects of that story (it is reality, not fiction) is that the pharisees came ready to kill someone; that someone was Jesus, not the woman. Yes, that is an assumption but look at the story. There were no witnesses presented; there was no second party to the crime against the law, and though they refused to recognize how correct they were in bringing her to him, he was not a person recognized to be the judge. And, they brought the stones with them to carry out their judgment. How do I know they had stones meant to kill? Because after he challenged them they dropped their stones and slowly skulked away.

When Jesus stood to his feet the second time there was no one left but the woman, still standing there. If only the Pharisees had stayed they would have heard the five most important words in all the world, “neither do I condemn you!”

The crowd – we are not told when or how they parted but they had seen the Pharisees in action and these religious zealots were probably feared. Considering their entrance, the stones, and the anger, I imagine the crowd got out just as fast as they could.

The woman – Picture yourself in her shoes. God himself just told you that he does not condemn you, but then she did not know this was God, or did she? Consider also that she looked into the eyes of God, and who would want to leave after having those eyes look into your soul, especially after telling you that he did not condemn you.

So that leaves us with a gap in time, one we cannot resolve, and therefore must make an assumption about it.

This is another meeting.

Many years ago I heard a preacher talking about admonishing someone who tried to tell him about their dreams of Jesus. The speaker was not interested about what the image in the dream looked like, but what he said for the words could be then be validated, or not, against the word of God.

If what Jesus said is of the utmost importance, and it is, then let’s look at that and compare a couple of translations because even under what seems like the worst of conditions there is life in those words.

John 8:12 ESV Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I am the light of the world. What does that mean? Clearly the impact is toward everyone, but does everyone enjoy that light? No; then why not? For one, there has to be an acceptance. Jesus was not selective, he poured out his blood so that the entire earth could have the opportunity to enjoy a life that sin had excluded us from. God spelled that out when he laid out the plans for the temple in desert. For no one with sin could enter his presence, therefore Jesus shed his blood on our behalf, giving us access to God. Now acceptance of all that is another thing all together and necessary to enjoy the hope that is in salvation.

Light eliminates darkness, but as you will see darkness implies shadow and obscurity as well. Just look casually around you, especially inside the church building and you will find that most are walking in at least the shadows of darkness. As we pass each other in the hall ways and say, “how are you doing,” not really caring about the answer so much as the formality, internally many are suffering from tremendous conflict inside.

Here is a little human understanding. Placing a candle randomly in a room produces some light there. There is no longer complete darkness, but there are things in a typical room that will obscure the light, and there are even places where the darkness can be fairly intense. Should you have a phobia you may not want to even go in that area without taking the light with you. But this is a human perspective for scripture tells us that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.

1 John 1:5 ESV This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

So for Jesus to say I am the light, is to say that he is: that which shines, illuminates, God himself, and the eliminator of darkness. We would love to say the destroyer of darkness and that day will come, but we know that darkness still exists. We would have had no need for a light is there were no darkness, no obscurity or shadows, but there is and we still stumble in it.

This stumbling in the shadows is what we call sin. I know most of you have heard the explanations of where the term sin comes from. It is an old English word used in archery for missing the mark. Having shot competitive archery for a time allow me to expound. The mark or bulls-eye is about four inches in diameter, and at 80 yards out it seems to be about an inch. The bale holding the target has many point value rings but the goal is to hit the center smallest one obtaining most point value. Merely missing outside the bulls-eye is to miss the mark, but in life I was shooting at the target and struck it. Was I trying to hit the mark? Certainly. But to miss the bale holding the target completely demonstrates a lack of skill or effort and anyone can do that. While working toward improving your skills at hitting the bulls-eye is appropriate be careful not to get wrapped up in works (your thinking that you have to do this on your own). Our life and light is based in faith and God’s actions toward us. This light is a free gift and no one gets more or less, they merely become more skillful at eliminating the darkness, and obscurity that the enemy of our souls is constantly trying to push into your life.

Archaic terms

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12 KJV)

The King James seems to be the most archaic in terms of colloquialisms, but is a great place to start if you are digging for life. If you use a modern version you can bypass some of the odd words like “followeth”. Let’s try that and see if it helps.

Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said,

I am the Light of the world.

He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark,

but will have the Light which is Life. (John 8:12 AMP)

But what are the implications when Jesus uses a word like follow and walking in the same sentence? (remember, I said there was life in the words, so that is what I am looking for)

The dictionary explains the word follow as:

1. To go after or behind; to walk, ride or move behind, but in the same direction.

2. To pursue; to chase; as an enemy, or as game.

3. To accompany; to attend in a journey.

Perhaps one of the most dramatic examples can be seen the Lord Of the Rings as Samwise followed Frodo to Mordach and middle earth.

Thayer’s definition states: to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple.

The implications are that Jesus is asking for more than just a casual relationship.

A constant irritation

One of my life’s irritants is the consistent preaching from the standpoint of guilt and shame. How about instead of focusing on things that tend to promote sinning, perhaps focusing on things like:

1 John 3:4-6 NIV Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. (5) But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. (6) No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Let’s be honest; guilt producing expositions (and it does not just come from pulpits) are meant to control and manipulate people. Sure, there may be the motivation to encourage a moral life but the truth is the one speaking is usually the one who is most torn by what they are saying and they do not trust God’s ability to do what he said, therefore they feel the need to control you.

Do you not understand that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you. That happened on the day you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, understanding that he died and rose again to give you a new life and hope.

1 John 2:20-21 NIV But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. (21) I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.

Don’t get all bogged down in that word anointing, just understand that the moment he saw your acknowledgment and acceptance God poured out his life on you. You might have felt different, (I have heard it described so many ways, such as, it felt like a huge weight came off me.) but I know that over the course of time, and for many that was just hours later, most of the world seemed the same to you. People were still just as lousy as they were before, and for most of us there was no dramatic change in our language; we still had the ability to cuss like a sailor.

None-the-less God placed his spirit inside of you and that same Holy Spirit leads you and guides you into all truth and holds until the day of his return, that moment in which we hope. For some his return comes earlier through their passing from this life.

But thanks be to God! He always leads us triumphantly by the Messiah and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowing him. (2 Corinthians 2:14 ISV)

In whom you, having been given the true word, the good news of your salvation, and through your faith in him, were given the sign of the Holy Spirit of hope, (Ephesians 1:13 BBE)

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30 KJV)

Far to many struggle over the trinity, so let me give you a heads up. We all seem to grasp that there is a God who created the universe, and yet John’s gospel tells us Jesus was that Word and that Jesus was God. We are not allowed to exclude the Holy Spirit and yet do. Give the creation some serious thought and you come to realize that the Holy Spirit was there also. Jesus told the guys (120+ of them) that he was going back to the Father but would not leave them. How? By sending the Holy Spirit, the comforter. The Holy Spirit is God, no less than Jesus was. So make it easy on yourself, all three are God, God’s representative, aspects of God, and each has its own character, and methods of interacting with us. The power and purpose are the same, to magnify the Father, God.

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. (John 14:26 AMP)

He who follows Me…

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

This verse is a strong testament to eternal salvation, but there is a warning, the word follow, which seems to mean, one that follows as a disciple. That in my mind demonstrates a commitment, and I can think of many that came to Jesus in tears and were baptized before many of us, and still live like the devil. The answer to that is, it is not for me to judge, but certainly could explain why they never seem to have any light.

As a disciple of Christ I do not make it my goal and purpose to walk in darkness. Now that might be debatable if I base my understanding upon what I feel like or see.

Darkness is the Greek word skotia. It is only used 15 times. 13 of those are interpreted as darkness. 2 are defined as dark. Strong’s concordance explains that the word means: dimness, obscurity (literally or figuratively): – dark (-ness). And tells us that skotia is a derivative from skotos which include shadiness.

We can see that Jesus did not mean that it had to be pitch black, but merely the shadows of life.

Did Jesus tell us that we are protected from even walking in shadows? Faith tells us to stick our necks out on the line and say yes, but I think we are confusing the two things: Jesus is the light and there are times that the light is purely internal. Secondly, you have to walk through this life which is filled with darkness. How do you walk through the darkness and not be in it? That can only be an internal, spiritual thing.

Why or what keeps us out of the shadows? Having the light of life. Jesus is the light of life and receiving him into our your life is the key. You do that by giving control to him, receiving his forgiveness, and accepting that Jesus death and resurrection give us hope. That hope is in spending eternity with the Father and the glory he has prepared for us.

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You may never look at movies the same again.

Posted on 06/07/2013 by remso

That is what John Eldredge tells you as you read through his book, Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive.

The Band of Brothers boot camp was filled with life stories told by men that had battled back, taken their place as the spiritual leader in their home, had their marriages mended, and their lives restored, because they acknowledged that there is an enemy who is relentlessly trying to kill or destroy you, and did something about it.

The majority of these men called themselves “Christians” even as they walked about in disastrous situations, but I think even the casual observer would have a hard time distinguishing between the casual “christian” and the world.

Many of us (I know of a few), much like those in AA, came to a point where we decided that what we were doing was not working, and that we had unsuccessfully tried to wrestle control away from God, deciding that we and the broken world around us knew better about how to handle the devastation around us. Most do not even realize that they are in a spiritual battle for their very lives because religion succumbed to outside pressure and sanitized what we have been taught, avoiding the idea that there is an enemy (his name is Satan), and that he is out to kill you. In a sense we had to take a realistic, moral inventory, give the control back to God, come to an understanding that we are in a 24/7 spiritual battle, and realize that our only hope is on our knees before God in prayer fighting for our minds, our families and those around us. Thus the concept of boot camp.

The band of brothers idea comes out scripture and warfare, for no man stands alone.

A common phrase among the military on the front lines is, “I’ve got your six!” meaning: someone is covering your backside as you press forward into the heat. No one should be able to sneak up from behind and take you out.

We did not come up with the idea of joining to together; it has been around for a long time.

From Shakespeare’s Henry V, 1598:

KING HENRY V:
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 CJB (9) Two are better than one, in that their cooperative efforts yield this advantage: (10) if one of them falls, the other will help his partner up — woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to help him up. (11) Again, if two people sleep together, they keep each other warm; but how can one person be warm by himself? (12) Moreover, an attacker may defeat someone who is alone, but two can resist him; and a three-stranded cord is not easily broken.

Moses told God:

Numbers 11:14 GW I can’t take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me!

So God had him distribute some of the governing aspects.

As we listened to talks and watched videos of John Eldredge speaking, movie clips were integrated into the talks. The clips helped to convey the theme.

Some of the clips were from:

  • The Last Of the Mohicans, with Daniel Day Lewis (One of my favorites)

  • Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson

  • Gladiator, Starring Russell Crowe

  • The Kid, starring Bruce Willis

  • Saving Private Ryan, with Tom Hanks

They all had a theme that related to the point being made.

This being said, I recently saw the animated movie EPIC.

Even in this animated movie there is the classic struggle between good and evil; the evil trying to destroy the life and beauty in everything for no clear reason other than pure selfishness, and isn’t that Satan’s goal also. Defeated, he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour; he is not a lion, he is a defeated foe but that does not stop him from bluffing. His most severe tactic is to feed you a lie and get you to buy into it. If he can get you to come into agreement with the lie then he has you and will destroy you with it.

An aspect of John Eldredge’s Wild At Heart, is that far to many of us are posers. In other words, we put on a front. We do that for self-protection (think about strong fear motivations here), to make ourselves look better to others, and to try to fit in. I knew a young man who was desperately trying to live a lavish lifestyle (it served several purposes for him), while financially he was floundering. There are other circumstances to consider as I think about this young man in particular. I was a attending a church that focused heavily on financial prosperity and he got sucked into that trap.

When you look at movies like “The Kid” you pick up on the poser aspect rather quickly. Braveheart and Gladiator demonstrate moral character and leadership. The Last Of the Mohicans conveys several themes, but rescuing the beauty is a strong one. In our own personal lives, the beauty is our relationship with wife and family.

I really am not sure I conveyed all that I wished to say in this, but I enjoyed the themes that I picked up while watching Epic. Were they intentional? Perhaps, but when you consider that the true nature of God created man was good, and it became corrupted, then you understand better why man has been involved in an epic struggle ever since.

Asking Jesus to come into your life does not end the struggles, in fact it will probably increase them; not because Jesus and a relationship with him is bad, but because there is an enemy that is trying to destroy anything that looks like God. Since you were created in God’s image you are a target anyway. At least with a relationship with Christ, one in which you follow him, you will have added support and tools. Use his name like you use your cell phone. Stay in constant contact, and grow in him.

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The challenge from a reader:

Posted on 06/01/2013 by remso

Your note:

“John, as you said, was a Jew and as a Jew he would never had said that Jesus was God, it is contrary to the Hebrew scriptures, the Torah and the Hebrew culture. Son of God does not have a divine connotation, in a Hebrew context, it means King of Israel, if you don’t believe me read Psalms 2 carefully. Jesus is the Son of God because He is the King of Israel, he was made King of Israel (Son of God) after his resurrection (Romans 1:4). Is Jesus the Son of God ? Absolutely! But not a divine being although he lives now forever (received immortality) to rule the House of David forever and ever as it was prophesied (Luke 1:32-33) On the other hand, I agree Islam is the Beast of the Book of Revelations. Just my opinion…”

 Response:

  1. I put your statement in quotes, but I feel the need to give my readers some clarity. The way you opened your diatribe makes it appear that I am of the persuasion that John would never have declared that Jesus was God. Obviously, as I read your note, you are trying to chastise for my thinking. Thank you for your concern, but one thing has become crystal clear in my mind, Jesus was and is God, and so is the Holy Spirit that lives in me. I am indwelt by God. That happened the day I accepted him into my life, and by the way, HE is never leaving me.

  2. Opinions are subject to challenge, always! In my writings I sometimes make it clear that I am stating an opinion. The reason I do that is because my traditional understanding may be wrong and I could not, at the time of writing, find solid evidence enabling me to state otherwise. Many people call bold, aggressive statements, delivered as fact conjecture (a statement delivered as truth but without factual basis). For me to state an opinion always subjects me to a backlash and I expect it, although it rarely happens. When the backlash or chastisement comes, it is always from religious zealots that prove their lack of discipline and understanding in reading scripture by the language and tone of their attack.

  3. The Disciple/Apostle John, the author of not only the Gospel of John, 1-3 rd John, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ, makes it very clear because of the message that he conveys that Jesus Christ was God. This is not some new doctrine I conjured up in my head. These are the words of the man that came to understand that Jesus was God. Do you not understand that John saw him in his glory, in heaven, and that is what he conveyed in writing the Revelation.

  4. It also occurs to me that you may be Jewish for you leaned rather heavily upon the Hebrew scriptures, the Torah, and Hebrew culture. While it is not my intent to insult my Jewish brothers, I am sure that much of what I say does. Jesus had the same problem, but not with all. Nicodemus, hiding from the others, came to Jesus by night, and stated “we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do except God be with him.” After Jesus reply about having to be born again, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Are you a master of Israel, and know not these things? John 3:10 KJV Why on earth would Jesus ask him this if it were not possible to comprehend who and what he was from “the Hebrew scriptures, the Torah, and the Hebrew culture? When Joseph and Mary came to the temple on the eighth day, to have the baby Jesus circumcised, two approached them at different times: Simeon, a just and devout man, and Anna, the prophetess. Both of these, based upon the Tenach, the Torah, and Hebrew culture, knew and recognized the mâshı̂yach or messiah as some of us call him.

You demanded that I look at Psalm chapter 2. I assume that in your mind it would prove your statements, “Son of God does not have a divine connotation, in a Hebrew context, it means King of Israel”

Here is Psalm 2. It is relatively short.

Psalms 2:1-12 NASB

(1) Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing?

  1. The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

    Response: Verse 2 is the first thing in this chapter that catches my attention. The word makes me think of what Samuel did to David when he anointed him to be king; perhaps that is where your mind is at. Anointed, the Hebrew word mâshı̂yach, and means 1) anointed, anointed one 1a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince. (BDB) This was the declaration made of Jesus the day he rode in to town on the donkey.

    Psalms 2:4 CJB (4) He who sits in heaven laughs; Adonai looks at them in derision. Are we required to refer to God by Adonai? I think not. I doubt many would even understand who that is. They tend to understand Lord if given the context.

(3) “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”

(4) He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.

(5) Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying,

  1. “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

    Response: Maintaining the context we come to verse 6. Yea, I have set My king on My holy mount on Zion. (Psalms 2:6 LITV) Certainly David is not making this statement about himself. He could be referring to God setting David (himself) upon the holy mountain. Zion refers to Jerusalem. God declares it holy and also speaks of a new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven.

    The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament tells us: “The term to anoint or install has been found as a Ugaritic root in a mythological text. The office of king was a divine appointment in ancient Israel and other areas of the Near East. Sargon of Akkad (c. 2300 B.C.) claims to have been installed by Ishtar, while the Sumerian King List (compiled sometime after 2000 B.C.) claims that towns received their monarchs by divine appointment. This ideology continued into the Israelite period.”

    I would not attempt to argue that what Samuel did was merely a mythological tradition. I firmly believe that Samuel heard Adonai’s voice and responded to it. It was a divine appointment function. But ask yourself, seeing as David was anointed king that day, why nothing seemed to change, nor was he placed upon the throne. There is an obvious answer, one not so dissimilar to why a man that is not divorced does not merely marry another, for a hostile king already sits on the throne and he is not giving up his position so easily.

  1. “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

    Response: It is recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 13:33-34 NASB that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ (34) “As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’

    John MacArthur’s bible commentary states: “This expresses the privileges of relationship, with its prophetic application to the Son-Messiah. This verse is quoted in the NT with reference to the birth of Jesus (Heb_1:5-6) and also to His resurrection (Act_13:33-34) as the earthly affirmations.”

(8) ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.

(9) ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”

(10) Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth.

  1. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling.

  2. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Sorry dude; reading the second Psalm did not change my thinking.

John recorded many of Jesus Christ’s encounters with Pharisees in his gospel, and they said the same thing (you are not God and we know where you live), even worse. Although the Jewish leadership chose to reject Jesus, they heard what he said and still denied that he could be the Son Of God. Merely being the Son meant that you carried the family traits and heritage. Jesus claims therefore were blasphemous to them and worthy of death.

John 6:38-42 NASB“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.(39)“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.(40)“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”(41) Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven.“(42) They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?”

(John 7:19 NASB) “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law?Why do you seek to kill Me?”

John opened his gospel with definitive statements about Jesus being, not only God, but the creative force in the universe.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

(John 1:1-5 NASB)

You said, “Jesus is the Son of God because He is the King of Israel”

How does that work? You only become the Son if you perform? He was God before the foundations of the world, so your argument does not hold water.

Psalms 2:6 NASB “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

We have a repeat of the declaration in Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:4-5 NASB having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. (5) For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”?

I read these passages and do not find any direct correlation to the “doctrines” you wish to convey. Without a scriptural backing you are merely espousing some tradition you have been taught and should not be interpreted by anyone as truth. Truth is only found in God and his word. That Word is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

You said, “Is Jesus the Son of God ? Absolutely! But not a divine being” Although you may agree with me on one point, the identity of the beast, this last statement alone leaves you suspect. Not divine? Really! To say that he is not divine, is to deny his very existence and reason for coming to this earth. True, he voluntarily chose to be a man and shed his divinity, but this is precisely what the writer of Hebrews is talking about in chapter one, all rights as the Son were restored after the resurrection. I suppose this becomes a problem if you are a devout, religious Jew.

Jesus was in a sense only starting his ministry when he was baptized by John the Baptist and had done very little, that we are aware of, to earn any position of recognition.

Matthew 3:16-17 NASB After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, (17) and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

If I am to look at this from a performance orientation he apparently did what he was told, but it seems that the book of Hebrews tells us that he inherited his throne through his death and resurrection, and yet there it is, the recognition of his Son-ship, indicating that he had entitlement.

Divine – DIVINE, a. [L., a god.] – Pertaining to the true God; as the divine nature; divine perfections. Partaking of the nature of God. Proceeding from God.

This is the same thing the pharisees did and they are to be judged for their response.

John 7:16-18 NASB So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.(17)“If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.(18)“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Over and over he told them, just as he tells you and anyone else that will listen to him. Jesus Christ is God. There is only one way to the Father and that is through the Son.

If you have not received this Jesus Christ into your life I suggest that you do it now. You do not know what tomorrow holds, and anyone of wisdom can look at the signs around us and understand that we are in the last days. He is coming again for his church, his bride, and we will meet him in the air. This is the hope that scripture speaks of.

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Finally I was able to get there.

Posted on 05/24/2013 by remso

My place of employment always hires extra help in the Spring; this year was no different, but for once we got some help in my department. I have a tendency to not want the new people to go through the same exclusionary practices that I experienced, so I say hi to them or at least treat them like they are part of the team (Yes, that means I torment them just as I would do anyone else.)

One day as I was passing through the lunch room I see one of the new guys reading his bible. I stopped momentarily to ask what he was reading. I understand the sarcastic response is “a bible” but without explaining my question, which I suppose I should have, the question was more specifically meant to be, “what are you studying and what are you getting out of it?” I remember that he was reading out of the gospel of Luke. I did not know at that time that he was coming to my department.

Why is any of this important?

For one, I have learned that there about six people who work there that claim to be “Christians”. That word has come to mean little or nothing because of its vagueness, and the oddity that many in this nation of mine seem to believe that merely living here makes you a Christian. That kind of belief tells me that you know nothing about having a relationship with Jesus Christ and that you are a follower of him. Look up the word follower and you will find it also means to pursue; one who pursues goes after or walks behind Christ with him as the leader. Now how many of those, so-called Christians, are followers? Of those six only one cares anything about talking about Jesus or their relationship with the Father. I find that to be very discouraging and do not waste my time talking with Pharisees.

This is why I was elated to have this new guy join us. On the first day he joined us we found reason to talk about our savior Jesus Christ. I even told him that I had prayed that God would send me someone who I could communicate with. I think we both agreed that God hand his hand in him being there.

He invited me to his church to join in their Wednesday evening bible study. When I finally was able to get there he was not, but that is okay.

Pastor Marcus, who my friend tells me is very skillful with the Greek and Hebrew, was starting brand new in the book of Daniel. While I am not an expert in Daniel, I am skillful and consider myself well versed in the end times. Daniel, along with several other old testament prophets, plays an integral role in defining the events of these last days.

I must tell you that while I enjoyed it, we flew through the book. Pastor tends to expect his audience to have done their preliminary reading; I had. When he got to the part where Daniel explains to Nebuchadnezzar about the iron legs pastor ran right along tradition and declared that this was the Roman empire.

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever read the book of Daniel? If so, and you were paying attention, then you know that the Roman empire was not mentioned or defined as being the iron legs, in any way. If you are going to emphasize how important it is to read and understand the context then the person leading the group should either be honest and say they do not know, or not give false information merely because it is tradition.

Later, I wrote this pastor a short letter. I introduced myself and how I came to the bible study. Then I told him how much I enjoyed it and that I would be back, and I have been. I also told him how I ran across Glen Beck, then on national television, explaining by comparison on a white board how Jesus of Nazareth and Mahdi of Islam paralleled each other. This information was new, poignant and alive to me, and the author of the book from which Glen Beck had obtained this information was sitting right there and spoke about it all with clarity. I obtained two of his books, and from that point on my understanding began to grow. I told the pastor that it was like the lifting of a fog bank from my mind and suddenly the Revelation and end times events all began to make sense. Joel Richardson, the author of the Mideast Beast, defined the iron legs as the Islamic Caliphate, and gave solid reasons to defend that position.

Pastor Marcus wrote me back, and this I was not excoriated for my “opinion or lack of understanding” but was thanked for informing him about this author, as he had never heard of him before. Pastor Marcus, in person, informed me that he did some research on Joel Richardson and became convinced that he needed to read these books of his.

I cannot begin to tell you how that made me feel. No one, for several years now, has given me much credence. Oh I notice how with every post I get a new follower, and yes that does say that the Father is giving me credence with some, but sadly I do not know any of you. And honestly, how many, who enthusiastically started following me still do?

The second week of my attending Pastor Marcus’ bible study.

I already had a heads up that this week we were covering Hosea, Joel and Amos in one night. That is like watching a bullet train go by and then having someone ask you to verbally paint a picture of the happenings that you saw in the twelfth window of the third car. Really, I did not notice any windows and it seemed as though it was one long car.

The short recap:

Hosea –

Hosea and his relationship with his wife (Gomer) is representative of Israel, not just in turning it’s back on God, but in running after everything that is not God, just to satisfy the flesh. Isn’t that what adultery, or cheating is? Hosea is ordered to take a wife from the prostitutes, those who help to satisfy the burning desires of the flesh to do what it wants. Hosea has children with her but has to go and buy her back on several occasions. His children have names that are hugely significant. The first is named Jezreel; the name of the valley where God will judge the nations in the last days. The last two have the prefix Lo added to their names and it means NOT! Not loved and No longer having compassion on Israel. The book speaks of the judgment against Israel for turning their backs on God, and yet ends by changing their names back and telling of how he will show mercy on them again.

That went by quickly

Joel –

I anxiously awaited Pastor’s comments on Joel. If you have read it then you know it is another one of the prophets speaking about judgment upon Israel. Joel chapter two opens with:

Joel 2:1-3 NASB Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, (2) A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. (3) A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.

To be honest, Joel took on a whole new meaning to me when I finally really saw what Peter did on the day of Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the promised comforter that would empower them, they (possibly 120 “disciples”) were doing something they had never done before, speaking in heavenly languages (tongues) and the people on the street heard this, and heard it in their own tongue. Does what I just said mean that the disciples were speaking in French and Swahili? Perhaps, or not. Does it matter? They were obedient and receptive, and the Holy Spirit fell over them as Jesus said it would.

Peter declared, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel,” and he went to quote a part the verse, out of context, to the religious crowd.

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.

Of all the things pastor could have talked about he focused on this. He told the guys sitting in the room that they were not to pull scripture out of context and use it to prophesy as Peter did. I suspect that the men there needed to hear some strong wisdom about jumping ahead of the cart. Pastor also talked about the judgment that is predominant in this book also.

Amos –

We barely made it Amos and he reiterated that we were to have done our reading and should have an understanding of what Amos speaks of; again, judgment.

When the meeting was over the pastor came over to talk with me. He thanked me for the recommendation on the author Joel Richardson and noted how I had tried to speak to him the previous week. I took the opportunity to say how much I love the prophesy of Joel 2:28-29, and told him that I put a little different spin on it when I talk about it. I told him that though it is a prophecy embedded in the end times, that Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, kicked the door open by saying, “this is that!” The Holy Spirit moved that prophesy into the present. Now the question is really, What are you doing with it and if not, why not?

As usual I am compelled to say, that what I am talking about will be relatively meaningless unless you have a faith and hope in Jesus Christ. That would mean that you are a follower of Jesus Christ and in active pursuit of him. Should you need to do that, ask Jesus Christ to come into your life and give you a life with the Father. Turn from your sins, as a believer you have a new clean heart, and the garbage of the world is no longer you, and it no longer owns you. To say repent of your old ways has a couple of connotations.

  1. You need to be honest, today is great day to start. Tell God that you have made a mess of your life and need him to come into your life and run it. Give it over to him, you were screwing it up anyway.

  2. 2. He will begin to heal the wounds that have brought you to where you are now, but again, being honest and turning those things over to him will move that along quicker. My own personal experience was one of trying to fix things myself (it is the nature of man to do things on his own, regardless of how inexperienced and ineffectual we are at fixing ourselves.) God had to use someone else to reopen an old wound from my youth in order for me to see it and allow God to heal it. I honestly had no idea how to gain relief from the pain that wound caused me, and I had no idea that I had made agreement with it.

  3. Break your agreements you have made with the enemy. As followers of Christ, one that studies the scripture, I know that I have an enemy and that he is trying to steal (everything from me) destroy me, and kill me in any way possible. I am hoping that this gives you some insight to understand that death and damage come in many ways and forms. I am not asking you to stay in relationships that are not safe, but to understand that the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are designed by Satan himself; he merely uses people as tools to meet his end (and that is to take you out or out-of-the-way.)

  4. If you have given Jesus Christ control of your life then you have a good heart. Jesus even describes you as a good tree and it is not the pattern of a good tree to produce bad fruit. I can give you a number of reasons to explain the biblical concept of a good heart, such as the Apostle Paul’s statement that you are now flesh of his flesh and he is perfect.

  5. As a follower of Christ you have a hope! A hope in what? That he will come and retrieve those that are his. He rose from the dead just to prove his point. He got collected back to the Father and he used that as an example of how adamant the Father is about upholding his word. He has spent the last two thousand plus years establishing that he is believable. He will come and gather us up; we call that the rapture.

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DOES BIBLE PROPHECY FORETELL THE DESTRUCTION OF DAMASCUS?

Posted on 05/22/2013 by remso

joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Earlier this year, a prominent Member of Congress asked to meet with me in Washington, D.C. I thought the topic was going to be the possible coming war between Israel and Iran. Instead, the official asked, “What are your thoughts on Isaiah 17?” For much of the next hour, therefore, we discussed the coming judgment of Damascus according to Bible prophecy, and how this scenario could possibly unfold in the coming years in relation to other Bible prophecies and current geopolitical trends in the Middle East. Here is a brief summary of what I said.

There are actually two key Biblical prophecies that explain that at unspecified time in the future, the city of Damascus will be completely destroyed — judged by God — and will not be inhabited again.

* Isaiah 17:1-3 — “The oracle concerning Damascus. ‘Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen…

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