Author: Nathaniel

Jesus said we should be perfect. How can we, as fallible human beings, be perfect? This article looks at Jesus and perfection.

Are we Perfect?

Ps. 51:5 reads, “For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. NLT In this verse, David acknowledges the origin of his sin, which led to his sinful actions. He acknowledged the fact that because of the sin of Adam, sin fell upon all of mankind (Romans 5:12). Therefore, from the time we are conceived, we are born sinners.

 1 Tim. 1:15 reads, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” NKJV In the previous verses (1 Tim. 1:1-14), Paul acknowledges his sinful behavior. In verse 15, he declared himself the chief of all sinners.

Rom. 7:14 reads, “So the trouble is not with the Law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.” This Scripture is part of a passage (Rom. 7:7-25) where Paul describes his struggle with sin, which applies to all of us. While we agree with God’s Commands—the Law, we can’t obey them completely, being slaves to sin. The Law condemns and convicts; it does not give the power to obey them.

In the lives of Christians, there is a constant struggle against the sinful nature embedded in our flesh. It is a struggle between the Holy Spirit’s leading and the flesh (the sinful nature). Gal. 5:17 reads, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” NIV

Although Christians have a new life in Christ, they nonetheless have a mind and a body susceptible to defying the Spirit’s leading and being enticed by sinful desires. However, we must resist those desires. This consequence is the spiritual warfare Christians are engaged in.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” We are born with this sinful nature embedded in us that gives us the propensity to sin and struggle against righteousness. Yet, Jesus says we are to be perfect!

What Does it Mean to be Perfect According to the Bible?

To get a complete picture of what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5:48, it is helpful to look at the full context of the verse contained in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:43-48 reads:

43. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47. And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

48. Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. NKJV

The word translated as “perfect” is teleios. It can also be translated as “mature” or “full-grown” (as in Eph. 4:13; Hebrews 5:14-6:1). Christians can be perfect if their behavior is appropriate for their maturity. In that way, they are perfect, with much room for growth.

Considering all that Jesus had said in this passage, the perfection Jesus required of His followers did not include strict and flawless obedience to the Law. It required an understanding of how the Law pointed to the perfect heavenly Father. The Law is not the standard of perfection; however, God is.

Those who genuinely love God and desire to follow Him will keep his Law as he requires. We do this not in our own strength, or to put ourselves over others, or because we are already perfect. We do it because we are striving to be perfect.

As followers of Christ, we can be perfect in the following ways. 

In character — In this life, we can never be flawless—sin-free. However, we can seek to be as much like Christ as possible. Eph. 5:1 reads, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” NKJV

Children imitate their fathers. We must imitate God our Father and His Son.

In holiness — We are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. At the same time, we are to assign ourselves to God’s desires instead of our own and carry His love and mercy into the world.

In maturity — We cannot immediately attain Christlike character, holiness, and righteous living. Still, we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. As we expect distinctive behavior from an infant, a child, a teenager, and ultimately an adult, God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development. This maturity is a perpetual growth process (2 Pet. 1:2-10).

When studying the Hebrew and Greek words translated as perfect, they mean something such as: entire, growth—maturity, integrity, truth, without blemish, full, sincerely sound, without spot, undefiled, upright, and whole.

These terms indicate something either in the progress of growing excellent and complete or the exact and complete standard itself. While we cannot live in a state of sinlessness, we can live in a state of moral integrity by being consistently surrendered to Christ and obedient amongst the abundance of the iniquity in the world.

Philippians 3:15-16 reads:

15. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

16. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. NIV

 The King James translation uses “perfect” instead of “mature.”

 Attempting to live a perfect Christian life is problematic because it leaves one drained and discouraged. They may feel so far from perfect that they think they can never please God with their lives. Paul used perfection (3:12) to mean mature or complete instead of flawless in every detail. Mature individuals must press on in the Holy Spirit’s power, knowing Christ will reveal and complete any difference between what they are and what they should be. However, Christ’s provision is no excuse for lagging devotion, but it provides relief and assurance for those who feel driven.

Further, verse 16 informs us that Christian maturity involves acting on the guidance we have formerly received. While we can acknowledge that we still have so much to learn, the instruction is to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already learned. May we not be distracted by a relentless search for truth.

God sets the divine standard high. He must ask for perfection from us because He is perfect. High standards protect us from low-quality experiences. Individuals who are not reaching for perfection are not maturing. Therefore, we are to strive for perfection continually.

In love — We can pursue to love others as completely as God loves us.

In reality, the fact of the matter is—no one’s perfect. Furthermore, no one does the best they can do either (Rom. 3:9-20). Rom. 3:10 reads, “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.”

A common expression is that no one is perfect, and God understands. However, that is remissive thinking. If we give credibility to our feeble efforts at righteousness, we will never recognize our desperate need for a Savior.

We will never be sin-free. We will continue to sin on occasion. There is a considerable difference between perpetrating a sin and persisting in sin. The most faithful Christians occasionally commit sins but do not cherish a specific sin or persistently choose to practice it.

The key is not to live a life of sin, have iniquity in our hearts, or have a sinful lifestyle. Our lives should not be characterized as sinful. Sin in the life of a Christian should be a mishap, not an active, leading force.

For example, we can accidentally say something that offends another, sometimes without our knowledge. We can lose our temper and sin. We can also sin unknowingly. We may struggle with a particular sin, and while winning the battle most of the time, we capitulate at one time or another. The point is that it’s a struggle, but not something that is part of our lifestyle. Negative, evil thoughts are sins we struggle with. The point that one is struggling shows that that individual desires to live with Christ.

All who are living for Christ will have a struggle and sometimes lose that struggle. The Scriptures allow for this. 1 John 1:9 reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Understand that sin is highly unacceptable, so God sent His Son Jesus to save us (1 John 3:8).

Confessing or acknowledging our sins is agreeing with God that an act or thought was wrong. To concede this to God, seek forgiveness, and commit not to repeat it (Repent) keeps our relationship with God favorable. Prov 28:13 reads, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them [repent],  they will receive mercy. We can overcome the curse of sin through confession and repentance.

It is the constant, deliberate sin—iniquity, that separates us from God and will cause us to be judged harshly (Hebrews 10:26-27). Therefore, we must be guarded against taking God’s grace and mercy for granted. Paul made this clear in Rom. 6:1-2 where he wrote, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” The readiness of God’s mercy must not be used as an excuse for neglectful living and moral slackness.

There is great anxiety in the daily Christian experience. The struggle is that we agree with God’s commands but cannot do them flawlessly because of our sinful nature. Consequently, we are sorely aware of our sins. Nevertheless, we must resist those sinful desires.

When we feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, let us claim the freedom Christ gave us. His power can lift us to victory.

Our propensity to sin must under no circumstances dissuade us from endeavoring to be more like Christ. Submission and conformity are the keys to discipleship. Perfection should be the aspiration of every true, faithful Christian.

The message of the Sermon on the Mount is about Christ’s call for His disciples to excel, rise above mediocrity, mature in every area, and become more like Him. Those who attempt to meet Christ’s demands cannot meet them on their own strength. Only through the Holy Spirit will the individuals who strive to become like Christ ultimately experience sinless perfection, even as Christ is perfect (1 John 3:2-3). The Law condemns and convicts, it does not give the power to obey. Salvation cannot be found by obeying the law alone. Only Jesus Christ can set us free. We must strive for perfection and be like Jesus. 

Closing Summary

The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ. This process will not be complete until we see Christ face to face. However, that being our ultimate destiny should inspire us to purify ourselves. To remain pure means to keep straight morally, free from the corruption of sin. God does purify us, but we must take action to remain morally fit and strive for perfection (1 Tim. 5:22; James 4:8).

Amen

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

The Bible and sex are two words that aren’t usually used in the same sentence. However, the Bible addresses sex very profoundly from the beginning to the end. This article explores the Bible and sex.

The Biblical History of Sex

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 NKJV reads:

9. That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

10. Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us.

“and there is nothing new under the sun.”The first point to make in the area of sex is that what we are seeing today is not new. All of the sexual immorality that is going on today has happened before during Biblical times. It was actually worse in Biblical times than it is today. We are well on our way to reaching that point, but we aren’t there yet.

In this article, we will look at the history of sex—from the beginning.

Genesis 1:26-28 NKJV reads:

26. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply;

Here, we see God as the creator defining gender—male and female. This principle carries through the balance of Scripture.

Genesis 2:24-25 NKJV

24. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Here, we see a definition of sex and gender and a definition of marriage between a man and a woman. This definition is the Biblical perspective.

Let’s look at how the Bible acknowledges God as the creator found in The Three Angels Messages.

Rev 14:6-7 NKJV

6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people — 

7. saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

This first angel’s message is a call to fear God, to give glory to Him, and to worship Him. It also links God to the creation, as the creator of the earth, the seas, the fountains, and the waters. It also sheds light on the fact that God, as the creator, is the definer of reality—what is real and what is not, including sex, gender, and marriage. If we acknowledge God as the creator, we are not privileged to have Him conform to our reality, but to have Him relay His reality to us.

Today, God has been rejected and abandoned by a great many people. As a result, they have established their own reality. This reality goes against the sacred Scriptures.

However, this article explores God’s reality as He intended, which is reflected in the Scriptures, as shown in Genesis 1 and 2. As we continue, it will become clear how quickly this reality was broken down after the fall of man.

The Beginning of Polygamy

Genesis 4:19 NKJV

19. Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah.

Remember that in Genesis 2:24- 25, marriage was to be between one man and one woman. But here we see that Lamech, a descendant of Cain, took two wives. He was the first polygamist. He was the first one to redefine God’s reality.

Today, in the media, we see depictions of men having more than one wife. There is a term known as thruples. Which is a man married to two women, and each of those women is married to the man and each other. These relationships are becoming more prevalent in society today.

Understand that these things are not new. While they may be new to us, they are not new in the history of time, nor in the history of Biblical sex, sexuality, gender, and marriage. For us to stay on track concerning the will of God concerning sex and gender, our focus must be on Genesis chapters one and two.

Genesis 29:28-30 NKJV:

28. Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also.

29. And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.

30. Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.

Genesis 30:3-4, 9 NKJV

3. So she [Rachel] said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.”

4. Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.

9. When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife.

Now at this point, Jacob has four wives. What we see here is that God’s people were also subjected to false ideas and a false understanding of marriage, gender, and sexuality. Society had reached a point where false ideas about marriage and relationships were ubiquitous in the land. These false ideas had turned out to be so prevalent that it was not regarded as sin.

As accepted as it was, this lifestyle caused much distress in family units. This deprivation of society regarding the family is part of what caused God to judge the earth and bring on the flood. 

Prostitution in the Bible

In Genesis 38:15-16, Judah, one of Jacob’s sons, a leader of one of the tribes of Israel, propositioned his daughter-in-law for sex because he mistakenly thought she was a prostitute. Hence, prostitution was prevalent in the land.

Sex in Worship

Let’s look at Numbers 25:1-3 NIV:

1. While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,

2. who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods.

3. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

This apostasy occurred while Israel was on the verge of entering the Promised Land. What this passage brings out is that there was a connection between sexuality and worship during this time. Most sexual sins that were committed in the Promised Land were connected to the worship of the false gods.

This sinful worship is the same plot that Satan is laying for us today to keep us from the heavenly Promised Land. One of His mediums is sexual immorality to turn individuals away from God. God created sex to be enjoyed, but Satan has intervened and perverted as he does with everything that God has created. However, most are blinded to the fact that what is happening today is related to worship. It is worship that is the final conflict that we will be judged on.

Sexual Law Established

God gave the Israelites many profound warnings before they entered the Promised Land in Leviticus 18. In Leviticus 18:5-20 NKJV, it reads:

5. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

6. ‘None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord.

7. The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

8. The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness.

9. The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover.

10. The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness.

11. The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father — she is your sister — you shall not uncover her nakedness.

12. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father.

13. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother.

14. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.

15. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law — she is your son’s wife — you shall not uncover her nakedness.

16. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.

17. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness.

18. Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.

19. ‘Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness as long as she is in her customary impurity.

20. Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile yourself with her.

God warned and instructed against these behaviors because they existed in the Land (the Promised Land) they were about to occupy. In His wisdom, God understood that they would be subjected to this sinful culture. In verses 24 and 25 of Leviticus 18, God said, “Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.”

Israel would experience pressure from the surrounding nations. Just as societal pressure existed then, it exists presently. Today, we call it peer pressure, which has expanded to every facet of society—including the church. Young adults in the church have false perceptions concerning sexuality. Many young adults in the church do not see homosexuality or transgenderism as an issue. Delaying sex until marriage is considered old-fashioned by most. For decades, premarital sex has been virtually pervasive among Americans.

It is damning enough for worldly individuals to have these views. However, for Christians in the church, including some members of the Clergy, to have these views is absolutely preposterous! The Scriptures are unambiguous on the issues of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc. We have no excuse for embracing and accepting these abominations. We see that these things occurred in the past and were wrong then. They are occurring today, and they are still wrong.

Transgender in the Bible

Transgender is not new. This behavior also occurred during Biblical times, and the Israelites were warned about it. Deuteronomy 22:5 NKJV reads, “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an ABOMINATION to the Lord your God.”

This cross-dressing was passed down from Babylon and was part of ancient pagan worship to the goddess Ishtar of love, war, fertility, and sex. The apostate Israelites worshipped this goddess under Ashtoreth—The Queen of Heaven. In Deuteronomy 32:16-17, worshipping pagan deities is linked to worshipping demons.

Needless to say, this practice was not favorable worship with these pagan practices. God offered worship where people were respected and valued, and they had an idea of sexuality and gender that was in line with what is defined in Genesis chapters one and two.

Both the Old and New Testaments speak against these ungodly acts. Romans 1:18-32 addresses these behaviors and God’s wrath against them.

Conclusion

Again, remember what it says in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 NKJV, “That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. (10) Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us.”

What is being done today, has been done before. It was wrong then, and it is wrong today.

Amen

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

The Rapture – Is it fact or myth? Many Christians are taught and believe in the mysterious actions of the Rapture. What does the Bible teach about the Rapture? This article will answer that question as it covers the Bible and the Rapture.

What is the Rapture? 

Rapture is a word used by Christians to express the belief that before Christ returns and before the Great Tribulation, Christians worldwide will be raptured into the air and taken to heaven by some secret and mysterious event. Those who are not Christians will be left on earth and see individuals disappear without any explanation, leaving loved ones in despondency.

Those who are left behind will face the Great Tribulation. Three to seven years afterward, Jesus begins His reign on earth.

The Bible and the Rapture

This doctrine is based on the passage found in 1 Thess. 4:16-17 NKJV, which reads:

16. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

The word Rapture comes from the Latin Vulgate translation of the Scriptures that translates “shall be caught up” as rapiemur, which means “will be caught up” or “will be taken away.”

This passage is essential to those who believe in the Rapture. However, is Paul really talking about the Rapture or perhaps something else? There are three crucial questions to address.

When considering the doctrine of the Rapture:

1.      Will Christians disappear worldwide without explanation?

2.      Will Christians be caught up in the air years before Christ returns?

3.      Will Christians be in heaven during the tribulation?

To answer the first question, we again look at 1 Thessalonians 4, from verse 13. It reads:

13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Paul mentions that this is when those who died [sleep] in Christ will be resurrected. He additionally said, “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.” This does not appear to be a mysterious vanishing. It appears to be more of a triumph event announced to the world by Jesus Himself.

To address this issue accurately, it behooves one to look at other passages that address this event. Paul describes this same event in 1 Cor. 15:50-53 which reads:

50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Again, we see that this is not a secret event as a mighty “trumpet shall sound.” It also mentions the “last trump,” meaning that there will be a series of trumpets, and this event will occur at the “last trumpet.”

So, where are these trumpets? In the book of Revelation, we have a precise series of events leading up to the return of Jesus’ return and the beginning of God’s kingdom on earth. Chapter 6 of Revelation contains the seven prophetic seals John sees in his vision revealed by Jesus.

The first four seals represent the end-time events ahead. These first four seals represent the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, symbolizing global religious deception, warfare, famine, and disease. Verse 8 reads, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

The fifth seal continues by unfolding a martyrdom of Christians. Jesus describes this time in Matthew 24:21, where he said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” This time will be so dreadful that no time before or after will ever equate.

After two and a half years of this tribulation, the sixth seal is opened, and the heavenly signs take place. Rev 6:12-14 reads:

12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

These events indicate that God and Jesus Christ will soon intervene in world affairs. This time is described by Isiah the prophet as, “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” NKJV

This year-long day of the Lord begins when the seventh seal of Revelation is opened in Rev 8:1-2

1. When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. NKJV

Here, we see the sequence of trumpets involved in end-time events as Paul described.

After the rides of the four horsemen, the Great Tribulation, and the heavenly signs, we arrive at the time of the series of trumpets indicated by   Paul. The first six trumpets initiate devastation: one-third of the earth’s vegetation is burned up, one-third of the seas become blood, one-third of ships and marine life are destroyed, and one-third of the earth’s waters become bitter, and one-third of the Sun, Moon, and stars cease to shine.

To follow, the most destructive military exchange in history will take place, and one-third of mankind will be eliminated. This event is described in Joel 2:11 NKJV, “For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?” This description represents God’s wrath unleashed on unrepentant humanity. However, these are only the first six of the seven trumpets addressed in the Revelation passage. The seventh trumpet is addressed in verse 15, which reads, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” This describes a significant change in world politics!

Going back to Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians, he says that at this trumpet, the seventh, is when the resurrection will occur. This time is when the authentic Christians, past and present, will be gathered together, glorified with immortality to meet Christ in the air (1 Thess. 4:17) and be with Him forever.

These passages prove that this event is not a secret disappearance. Additionally, Jesus describes this moment to the disciples, illustrating this event’s public nature. Matthew 24:29-31 reads:

29. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

30. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. NKJV

These passages, describing the end-time events, are consistent and in perfect sequence concerning the Great Tribulation, the heavenly signs, the seven trumpets, and the appearing of Christ at the last trumpet, as well as the gathering and glorifying of the faithful Christians, and the commencing of God’s glorious “reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:10).

It is clear from Scripture that this event is not a vanquishing into thin air that will occur as the unsaved wonder where they went. All eyes will see, and all ears will hear. We also see that this event occurs after the tribulation. A day is coming when the faithful people of God will face persecution similar to that of the Dark Ages.

However, as God protected the faithful during that time, He will do the same during the Great Tribulation. He has promised to provide a way of escape for us from any temptation. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV reads, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” God is faithful and will protect His faithful servants (Matthew 24:21-22).

Another passage used for rapture advocates is Matt 24:36-41.

36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

While this passage focuses on the return of Jesus, it is not the Rapture but the return on earth when Christ will set up His kingdom on earth. The action of this passage focuses on judgment, illustrating the separation of the wicked from the righteous. The ones taken in this passage are taken for judgment.

This focus is more evident in a parallel passage in Luke 17:34-37. In verse 37, the disciples asked where the ones taken up would go. In verse 37 NIV, His answer is clear, “Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”  Jesus painted a dreadful picture of judgment that those taken up would meet death—vultures gather to devour the bodies of the dead.

The doctrine of the Rapture is a misinterpretation of Scripture. Still, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, truth will prevail. We must learn to lean on Him.

Amen!

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

Salvation is a fundamental tenet of Christianity. The ultimate goal for every Christian is salvation and eternal life. Man’s widespread need for salvation is one of the most explicit teachings of the Bible. So, what is salvation, and how is it achieved? The best answer is found in the Scriptures. This article looks at salvation and the Bible.

What is Salvation?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the first definition is deliverance from the power and effects of sin.

Sin is any lack of conformity to the holy character of God (Rom. 3:23).  The sinful nature is expressed in selfish thoughts and actions and rebellion against the will and plan of God (Jn. 3:19-20; Gal. 5:19-21).  The creature expressing its will over the will of the Creator is sin because the Creator has the right of authority over His creation for His will to be done (Isa. 14:12-15; Romans 1:18-32, 8:5-8; 9:19-21).

Sin separates man from God.

The need for salvation goes back to the removal of man from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). After that event, man’s life was marred by strife and difficulty. Progressively, corruption and violence dominated the world (Genesis 6:11-13). When God wiped out the sin of the world with the Flood, He also executed the first act of salvation by saving Noah and his family. These eight people became the basis of another chance for humanity. The salvation of Noah and his family was viewed by the apostle Peter as a pattern of that complete salvation which we receive in Christ (1 Peter 3:18-22). Salvation is needed because humanity is depraved.

Salvation is God’s great gift and work in which He forgives sin and gives eternal life to a converted sinner as a free gift of His grace (Eph. 2:8-9).  Forgiveness is needed because all people are born sinners, showing their sinful nature soon after birth (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 14:1-3; 51:5; Rom. 3:10-18).  New life is needed because all people are born spiritually dead, separated from God (Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3).  Having a sinful nature and being spiritually dead results in individuals being completely depraved, for they are unable to please God by the good deeds they may achieve (Isa. 64:6; Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:20-23; I Cor. 2:14; Gal. 5:19-21).  The sinner is under the just condemnation of God, who is perfect in holiness, purity, and righteousness (Ezra 9:15; Ps. 22:3; Ps. 48:10; Isa. 6:3; Jer. 9:24; Hab. 1:13) and must judge sin (Ezek. 18:4; Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 6:23).

Sin is any lack of compliance with God’s holy character and will.  Our sinful nature is expressed in selfish thoughts and actions and rebellion against the will and plan of God. It is transgression against the law of God. 1 John 3:4 reads, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

God loves all people and desires them to be with Him, but He cannot tolerate sin and sinners in His presence because of His holiness and righteousness.  He loves the sinner, but hates sin. Therefore, He must and will condemn and judge sin.  The penalty for sin is death, both physical and spiritual (Gen. 2:16-17; Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 6:23).  Physical death is separation from life in this world; spiritual death is separation from God. Sinners are unable to die for their sins and live and are unable to make themselves acceptable to God by any works of righteousness (Isa. 64:6; Rom. 8:7-8; Tit. 3:5). Consequently, God’s righteous justice must be satisfied another way.  Because of His love, mercy, and grace (1 Jn. 4:8), God conceived a plan to pay the price Himself to save and make people right before Him and welcome them in His presence.

To accomplish this plan, God sent His Son to be joined to humankind (Jn. 1:1-2, 14).  This plan commenced with the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20-23).  The plan included Jesus dying on the cross as a replacement for all sinners (Ps. 22:1, 11-18; Isa. 53:3-12; Rom. 5:6-8).  Jesus, who had no sin of His own, permitted all sins to be placed upon Himself (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:21-24).  He evidenced being separated from God in the words, spoken from the cross, “Why have you forsaken me” (Matt. 27:46).  His words, “It is finished,” declared the payment to be completed (Jn. 19:30).  His resurrection from the dead three days later proved that sin and death had been conquered, the price fully paid (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:3-5, 20-23).  His separation from God in death and the shedding of His blood paid the redemption price (Eph. 1:7), fully satisfying God’s righteous justice (1 Jn. 2:1-2) and providing the basis for sinners to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-19).  His death rendered propitiation for the sins of humanity.

This is what salvation is all about. God’s plan of salvation is open to all to be saved from eternal death to eternal life.

To be Saved or Lost, which is easier?

This, indeed, is an interesting question. As usual, one only needs to consult the Scriptures. As mentioned earlier, sin entered the world through the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. After that, all of humanity is stained with a sinful nature. Rom. 5:12 NKJV reads, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Therefore, from birth, we are lost. A child never has to be taught to do wrong. They do wrong automatically and must be trained and guided to do what is right. However, even with this guidance, children grow up with a propensity to sin because we have a spirit of disobedience (Eph. 2:2) until we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.

This is why Jesus said in John 3:3-7

3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Since we are born lost, it is easier to be lost because we are lost by default—automatically.

Understand that it is Satan’s objective to keep us lost. It is Satan’s influences that keep us in a lost state. Ephesians 2:2 refers to him as “the prince of the power of the air.” Jesus referred to him as the “prince of this world” (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). This perpetual influence makes it difficult for individuals to be saved.

Jesus makes this clear in the passage of Matt 7:13-14 NKJV:

13. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

14. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

At some point in our lives, we are faced with a choice of which path to continue. We are already on the broad road from birth. Therefore, it is easy to remain on that path, the broad road to destruction through the wide gate.

This gate leading to life is narrow, not because it is difficult to become a Christian but because accepting and trusting in Jesus is the only way to eternal life. Only one way exists, and only a few choose to walk that road.

It is also “difficult” to stay on the narrow road because “the prince of the power of the air” and “the prince of this world” are constantly warring against us so that we stray off the course. This circumstance is spiritual warfare that every human being is involved in. It is especially trying for Christians traveling the narrow road to life. It may be easy for an individual to become a Christian and follow Christ once they decide to do so. However, it can become increasingly difficult to remain one.

The road is hard to travel because genuine discipleship calls for surrender and servanthood. The fact is that following the crowd along life’s easy path results in destruction. Deciding to travel the narrow way of difficulty and sacrifice will finally lead to eternal life.

It is important to note that if we make no choice, we remain on the broad road to destruction. Jesus said in Matt 12:30 NKJV, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

It is impractical to be neutral about Christ. Any individual not vigorously following Him has automatically chosen to reject him. Any individual who attempts to remain neutral in the struggle of good against evil chooses to be separated from God, who alone is good. “No man can serve two masters” Matthew 6:24. To refuse to follow Christ is to choose to be on Satan’s team.

It’s easier to be lost, but much better to be saved!

Amen

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

Deception is all around us. Conspiracy theories have increasingly been on the rise. In this climate of deception, how do we know what to believe? The Bible addresses deception, and this article investigates Biblical Deception.

The Imminent Deception 

Deception is the mixing of truth with error, unlike a lie, which is absent of all truth—all error.

Matthew 24:3-5

3. Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, 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?”

4. And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

5. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. NKJV

In this passage we have a warning from Jesus, we have the nucleus of the dilemma. “Many” will fail to “take heed” (discern, examine, perceive) Biblical truths. As a result, they will stumble into deception. Truth protects, and error harms; therefore, the more of God’s Word we know, the more error we can discern.

Gen. 3:1-4

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2. And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

3. but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'”

4. Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. NKJV

The serpent deceived Eve. She admitted that she was deceived in verse 13, which reads:

“‘And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” NKJV

There was some truth (Gen. 3:7, 22). After Adam and Eve ate the fruit, their eyes were opened.

In the text, Satan predicted that something would happen and then tells a lie by stating, “you will surely not die.”

When their eyes were opened, they did not experience a wondrous enlightenment as Satan had implied. Instead, they experienced shame, fear, and guilt (vss. 7, 8, 10). Neither were they elevated to the same status as God.

The Seeds of Deception

Eve was deceived by the serpent. As a result, she and Adam rebelled against God’s Command by eating the forbidden fruit.

King Saul was deceived” by his fear and jealousy, which led him to rebel against God’s instructions and acted in disobedience.

Judas Iscariot was deceived by his greed and betrayal, ultimately leading him to rebel against Jesus and betray Him.

The Israelites in the wilderness were deceived by their doubts and fears despite God’s miracles and deliverance and rebelled against Him multiple times.

There is a trend throughout the Scriptures. Deception, whether through fear, jealousy, greed, or doubt, appears to be a common thread in these instances of rebellion. This highlights the fact that deception often ignites the flames of rebellion. Deception serves as the initial step that leads to rebellion. Deception leads to rebellion.

The Imminent Apostasy

Matthew 24:11-13

11. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

13. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. NKJV

Acts 20:29-31

29. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

30. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

31. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. NKJV

1 Tim. 4:1

4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, NKJV

2 Peter 2:1-3

1. But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. NKJV

Jude 3-4

3. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

4. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. NKJV

These passages collectively depict the imminent threat of apostasy. They are a series of warnings of the impending apostasy. Again, deception proceeds apostasy. The book of Jude serves as a solemn warning against the dangers of apostasy in the church. Just as it was prevalent in his time, it is prevalent in ours.

We must be vigilant in our faith and firmly rooted in the truth to avoid deception and apostasy. We must as the Scripture reads, “contend earnestly for the faith.”

We must be aware of the falsehoods among us (Matthew 7:15-19). Men are deceptive with their words. We must note what they teach: God’s Word or man’s doctrines. We must test the spirits. [1 John 4:1-3] Otherwise, we cannot earnestly contend for the faith if we do not bring our teachers into subjection.

Jude’s audience was unaware and not on guard of the deception that had crept into the church. Today, we are very unaware. We must confirm the Word for ourselves to discern truth from error. We must be on guard so that we will not be deceived. When we are deceived, we will rebel—knowingly and unknowingly. We are prone to deception and prone to rebellion.

Contending for the Faith

Why must we contend for the faith?

o   The false teachers are ungodly people. They pervert the divine ideal of holiness. I Thessalonians 5:23, 1 Peter 2:9, Lev. 20:26, 1^st Peter 1:14-16, Rev. 21:27

o   They teach that grace allows us to live ungodly—immoral lives. They pervert the doctrine of grace.

Titus 2:11-14—The grace of God teaches us that we are to live godly, sober, and righteous lives because Christ arrived to redeem us from every lawless deed and free us from the power of sin. He came to set the captives free.

o   They deny Jesus Christ—His authority and power.

§  Matthew 28:18, Eph. 1:21-23—Christ has all authority, all power; to deny this is to deny Christ. With all power and authority, Christ came to free us from the shackles of sin. Through His Word, He intended to reveal Himself while equipping us for salvation.

o   They deny the all-sufficiency of all Scripture

§  2 Timothy 3:16-17—To deny all the sufficiency of Scripture is to deny Christ. To say that the Old Testament doesn’t matter is to assume that the New Testament alone will qualify us for every good work. ALL Scripture has been given by God.

We cannot cherry-pick what Scripture should be or should not be applicable. All—all Scripture should be counted as applicable.

2 Peter 1:3—God has given us all things of life, all things pertaining to godliness. His Word is to be heeded from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation. Nothing is to be neglected.

John 1:1-4, 14, Rev. 19:12-13—To deny the all-sufficiency of Scripture is to deny Christ.

How do we contend for the faith?

We must use the weapons that are at our disposal. Eph. 6:10-18 reads:

10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15. and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16. above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God;

18. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — NKJV

This is what we ought to do. Our ability to stand is contingent upon our being willing to put on “the whole armor of God. “ Because we can’t stand against “the wiles of the devil” on our own.

We must be girded with truth, being honest and truthful in all aspects of life.

The breastplate of righteousness—Put on Christ’s righteousness in faith, live a moral and upright life, and do what is right and just according to God’s will.

The feet shod with the gospel of peace—Be ready to share the everlasting gospel proclamation with others.

The shield of faith—Trust in God, His protection, and His provision.

The helmet of salvation—Stand in the assurance of salvation found in Christ.

The Sword of the Spirit- The Word of God—Use the power of God’s Word to guide our thoughts and actions. 

The great deception, the mother of all deceptions, is coming. The beast of Revelation 13, when he performs deceitful miracles and wonders, is coming. This will lead to the conclusion of Spiritual Warfare and the Great Controversy.

Therefore, every weapon matters—the whole armor. With all prayer, be vigilant and seek God’s guidance and strength. We must use our weapons at our disposal. Put on Christ; stand for Christ!

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

We are familiar with the twelve disciples of Christ. His Great Commission to them was to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19 NKJV). The question becomes, what is a disciple of Christ? This article will supply a complete answer to that question.

What is a Disciple?

A disciple accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. In the case of Christianity, a disciple accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, assists in spreading the gospel and teachings of Jesus, and creates more disciples.

What is a Disciple of Christ?

What distinguishes a disciple of Christ from others? It boils down to who is teaching us, Christ or the world—our culture. What has the most influence on our lives? Many of us presume that we are disciples of Christ. But are we really?

We must be cognizant of the spirit of presumption. Rev 3:15-17 reads:

15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

This passage is regarding the Laodicean church. The church had become lukewarm and, therefore, distasteful and obnoxious. The professing followers didn’t stand for anything; indifference led to idleness. The church had become hardened and self-satisfied by neglecting to do anything for Christ, destroying itself. The church of today is suffering from this condition.

There is nothing more repulsive than a halfhearted, nominal Christian who is self-sufficient.

Many Christians presume that they are disciples, being self-sufficient in the process. Therefore, we must be on guard against presumptuousness.

We are a people who believe that we are clothed, but we are naked (Revelation 3:17).

Because of sin, we have been separated from our Creator. We have a sinful nature and thus a propensity to engage in actions contrary to God (Gal. 5:18?). As a result, we are born on death row. Until we receive Christ, we are on death row.

Because of our sinful nature, we are battling with a false security in ourselves. Therefore, we must examine ourselves and be in a constant state of self-examination and introspection to get to a point of spiritual awareness. Lamentations 3:40 reads, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” [cf. 2 Cor. 13:5]

A Radical Imitator of Christ

Matthew 10:34-39—Discipleship is the pursuit of accepting and embracing division. We are not inclined to practice self-denial. However, discipleship calls us to a life of self-denial. Two words for radical are central and extreme. We are to be central and extreme imitators of Christ.

Luke 6:40 reads, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” NKJV  We are to be similar or like Christ. Our sole purpose is to be like our teacher in a radical way. Not scarcely wear Him, but be like Him.

1 John 2:6 reads: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” NKJV—Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did—not wear him but live…be like Him. If we don’t plan to live as Christ, we should not call ourselves Christian. We should strive to live as Jesus lived. This walk, this way of life, is a daily walk.

True worship is not a destination but a lifestyle that hinges upon living like Christ in spirit and truth.

1 John 3:2 reads, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” NKJV—When Christ appears, we will be like Him.

Christ’s call to discipleship has always been radical. He called us to:

o   Repent of our sins [Matthew 4:17]

o   Deny ourselves [Matthew 16:24]

o   Take up our cross [Matthew 16:24]

o   Love our enemies [Matthew 5:44]

o   Pray for those who persecute us [Luke 16:27]

o   To be willing to forsake all family ties and earthly relationships, hating our fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers, even our own lives, eat His flesh and drink His blood. Jesus was a radical rabbi. [Luke 14:26, John 6:53]

The five fundamental and extreme calls to discipleship that upset the natural order within ourselves and the lives of others around us and turn the whole world upside down are:

o   A relentless commitment to learning—A radical way of learning.

o   A readiness to live in a way that is foreign from the norm—A radical way of living.

o   A stubborn devotion to love God and others—A radical way of loving and serving.

o   A persistent determination to follow instructions obediently even if it means going against one’s desires or interests—A radical way of submitting.

Is Informed by His Word

John 8:31 reads. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” NKJV—If we don’t abide by His Word, we are not considered disciples. We can supplement to the Word of God but never substitute it. It is through the Word that we become acquainted with Christ. If the Word is not a priority in our lives, then Jesus is not a priority. It requires commitment and devotion. We are to live our lives based on the Scriptures—not trusting only but obeying.

Matthew 22:29 quotes Jesus as saying, “…You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” NIV A disciple who isn’t informed by the Word of God isn’t a disciple at all.

Is Empowered by His Spirit

The Spirit first appears in Gen. 1:2: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.“ NKJV

o   When God creates, He fills. He creates Galaxies and fills them with planets and stars. He fills the earth with fish, vegetation, livestock, and humans—God is a filler.

–          After Genesis 3, the fall of humanity due to disobedience, a filling is still required. It merely looks different. We still need fillers. We are individuals who look to have something fill us up. As new creations in Jesus Christ, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

–          Luke 24:44-49 reads:

44. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

45. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

46. And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48. And ye are witnesses of these things.

49. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

To fulfill the work of Christ, we need to be filled with the Holy Spir

Acts 1:4-8 reads:

4. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

5. for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7. And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

8. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” NKJV—For the apostles to be empowered, they needed to be filled with the Spirit.

Matthew 28:18-20 contains the great commission. It reads:

18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in *heaven and on earth.

19. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. NKJV

Jesus was filled with the Spirit—When Jesus was born (Matthew 1:18-20), Mary became pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

§  Luke 4:1—After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him. It led Him into the desert, where He resisted the enemy’s temptations for 40 days.

§  It is evident from the Scriptures that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit.

§  Ephesians 5:15-18—Draws a contrast between being filled with wine and being filled with the Spirit. When influenced by alcohol, one’s behavior changes (walking, talking, and acting).

§  We need to be filled with the Spirit every day. 

Counterfeit Discipleship

–          A counterfeit is an imitation of something, but it is ultimately fake and can be very deceptive. It differs from a lie since it mixes truth with error, whereas a lie lacks all truth.

–          Counterfeiting extends beyond physical objects to the spiritual. It extends and manifests among those who appear to be followers of Christ but lack the true essence of what it means to be a disciple.

–          Counterfeit disciples are good for nothing. They possess no flavor or power and are useless and utterly worthless.

–          True religion is the devotion and worship of God that is first received in the heart through love and then expressed from love through obedience based on the triune nature of God as revealed in Scripture.

–          Religion is not a group. It is a way in which one enacts his faith. It strengthens and structures our relationship with God. It is how we serve, and His will is revealed in Scripture after we come to Christ and are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

–          False religion, on the other hand, is a form of system religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices expressed by one’s sinful nature and strong inclination. It is somehow packaged precisely the same but can be corrupted and descend into an empty form of religion. If it is not rooted in love and expressed based on God’s character, it is a false religion. False religion is deployed by the counterfeit disciple that deceives those around him and the individual themselves, believing and falling into the deception that they are authentic in their discipleship. [Matthew 7:21-23, 25:31-46] Judgment falls upon those presumptuous in thinking they are practicing true religion. They are self-proclaimed and self-assured disciples and are ultimately cast away from Christ.

        The Three characteristics of a counterfeit disciple are:

o   Profession—The issue with God is that these characteristics are not religion but the absence of Christ. Engaging in a religious practice without the person you are devoted to or faithful to is empty and worthless. This type of religion God hates because He is not included in it. Therefore, it is an empty and faithless religion. The epicenter of a counterfeit disciple is a false religion. True religion highlights its source and origin of it. Where they spring from is important because the source and origin of these things determine their worth in the sight of God.

Being recognized by Christ as His own is what truly matters. Rather than individuals designating themselves as His disciples, calling themselves Christians, Methodists, or otherwise, Christ’s recognition is supreme. It is not based on external factors such as religious affiliation but on the purity of one’s heart and acceptance to follow Him.

Merely using the title of Lord does not make one a true follower of Christ. [Luke 6:46] The obedience to His teachings grounded in love determines the authenticity of one’s discipleship (Matthew 7:21).

If we rely on our religious affiliation to form the basis and authenticity of our relationship with Christ and not His presence, in that case, we may find that we will be utterly cast out.

The mere sound of religion does not work because it is missing the critical factor of Christ. The sound of religion doesn’t work because it doesn’t sound like Jesus. What is the actual worth if we have a loud profession but no genuine connection and relationship followed by obedience to Jesus?

A counterfeit disciple is an individual who bears the most robust and most convincing profession. Still, at the heart of such a profession lies knowing about Christ but not knowing Him intimately. It’s academic knowledge, but not relational. It isn’t one built upon relational equity. Ultimately, it isn’t about what we say or how we package it that demands Christ’s acceptance. Rather, Him being received into the heart, which transforms our lives and therefore enables us to become faithful followers of Him. This transformation involves one whose profession springs from a genuine relationship that follows His teachings and His Commands.

o   Christian Service—Isaiah 1:11-15—In this passage, God condemns Israel for their empty religious practices because they are not sincere. God hates religious practices and Christian services when He is not a part of them. We often place religious rituals above God’s presence, and therefore, our religion is considered flawed and meaningless. This passage exposes the presumptuousness of hypocrisy of those who claim to follow God but do not have a sincere heart. 

A counterfeit disciple goes through the motions of religion, idolizing passion above presence. A true disciple strives for Christ’s presence, not going through the motions for the fun or the perception of it, but out of the desire to be in Christ’s presence because it is where Christ dwells.

A true disciple strives for Christ’s presence, never seeking to do it for the fun or the perception of it, but they do it out of a desire to be in Christ’s because this is where Christ dwells. Without Christ accompanying us in our service, our religion would be meaningless, and our discipleship would be phony.

Amos 5:21-24—Here again, God condemns Israel for their feast days, sacred assemblies, burnt offerings, peace offerings, and their songs. He considers them detestable and resents them because their hearts are disconnected from the religious rituals. Therefore, they were meaningless in light of the injustice that they practiced.

A counterfeit disciple may participate in religious activities and services as a facade to hide their true motives or gain the approval of others. In verse 24, God calls the Israelites to seek justice and righteousness rather than simply engaging in rituals.

In the same way, a true disciple will seek to live a pleasing life to God by following His Commandments and seeking justice and righteousness. But it isn’t significant if it is not birthed out of love but human esteem.

Over time, many have believed that prophesying and doing good works are enough to prove one’s discipleship. However, this perspective falls short when viewed from God’s viewpoint.

Romans 8:8—It is a fallacy to believe we can do Christian service without God because we have all been born in sin and shapen in iniquity. We are controlled either by the flesh or the Spirit; if our doing is not submitted to the Spirit, it is fleshly. That condition results in our service being carnal and intolerable in God’s eyes.

In service, it is essential to remember that the ultimate aim is to serve Christ. While serving others may seem noble and selfless, our sinful condition prevents us from serving others in a way that pleases God. If a relationship with God does not accompany our actions, the value of our service is worthless and intolerable to God. It is worth considering whether our service is driven by a genuine desire to help others or is simply a means to earn religious merit or social approval.

By prioritizing our relationship with Christ and the religious practices accompanying it, we can ensure that our service is grounded in a more profound sense of purpose and that our efforts are genuinely benefiting those around us. When our service is done with the accompanying presence of Christ, it is no longer a blessing for those we are helping but also a blessing for us.

A counterfeit disciple gets caught up in doing for God and often leaves God out. Discipleship isn’t about doing things for God but doing things with God. If we do Christian service without inviting God, we are merely boasting before the Lord. We boast that we can carry on without Him.

A true disciple exercises discipleship in the pursuit of the dependent. It involves seeking God’s will and guidance in all things. They recognize that they can no longer do anything apart from God and are pleasing to God. A true disciple does not consider themselves independent. A day without prayer is boasting—assuming one can go their own way without God. Humility is required with a willingness to submit to God’s authority in every aspect of life.

o   Outward Appearance—Matthew 23:23-28. In this passage, Jesus rebukes the religious elites of His day for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. They are accused of having an empty religion as they focus more on external things. [expound on dirty cup] True righteousness comes from the heart, not only external appearances (Luke 11:39). Externalism leads to legalism. Jesus urges all to seek Him and allow Him to change our inner selves, cultivating a spirit of service and compassion rather than seeking validation and praise from our appearances. This hypocrisy is idolatry in principle since this position worships at the altar of someone else’s approval of others. 

Jesus is more concerned about the heart because the heart is everything. If He has our hearts, He has everything.

Luke 11:42—the Pharisees were only doing half of their duties. They were performing the half without Him.

The prominent trait of the counterfeit disciple is an individual who claims to follow Christ and profess to follow Christ. However, their actions and behavior do not reflect the true essence of being a disciple. They may participate in Christian service, attend church regularly, and pay tithes, but their motives and intentions are not pure. Therefore, they do not have a genuine relationship with Christ.

They may seem righteous, but their hearts are far from God. They imitate a true disciple but do not hold the qualities that define a true disciple. It is a false religion.

Our prayers should be what it reads in Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a steadfast Spirit within me.”

We must move away from our presumptuousness and our self-righteousness. No matter what the outside appears to be, work on the inside. We must constantly monitor our hearts and ask the Lord to circumcise our hearts.

Satan is the chief counterfeiter and influences fake Christianity.

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. NKJV

What gives the Great Commission its potency is what lies at its epicenter: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The central focus of the Great Commission is not Christ only, but His imperative statement to make disciples.

The Great Commission is a cooperative. It is a joint mission, and we, as the church, exist to spread the proclamation of the gospel message and multiply disciples.

The prerequisite to being a disciple of Jesus Christ is to submit and engage in a transfer of authority. We are giving up our independence and giving it to Christ. Discipleship is the pursuit of the dependent.

We need to have a centralized focus on following Christ. A Christless Christian is a worthless Christian. In actuality, a Christless Christian isn’t a Christian at all. Christ is the chief cornerstone on which to build our lives. If the cornerstone is removed, all fail. The relationship is built on trust in His administration over our lives, which involves surrendering control. As a disciple of Jesus, you follow Jesus with a supreme fixation and emphasis on Him alone. Not an organization, not a denomination, not a philosophy.

Luke 14:25-33—There is a cost to be a disciple of Christ. If Christ is not the Lord of all, He’s not the Lord at all.

John 8:31 reads: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;”

Don’t settle for following God halfway. Continue in His Word and let Christ fire up your faith and get you into the action.

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

June 1^st commenced Gay Pride Month, which is often shortened to Pride Month for the LGBT community. However, is this really something to celebrate? What does the Bible say about pride? This article will explore pride and the Bible, and more specifically, Gay Pride.

Pride and the Bible

The title of this article alone spells trouble. It spells trouble because it contains a foul word—pride. Pride may not be a dirty four-letter word as we commonly know, but it is still a foul word, especially in the eyes of God.

So, for starters, what is pride? Very simply, exaggerated self-esteem and conceit; excessive appreciation of one’s worth or virtue.

Pride is idolatry. When our minds are filled with pride, we focus on ourselves, leaving no room for God. Anything that takes our focus off God is idolatry. A heart that has pride is at enmity with God.

In the King James translation, pride appears 49 times, all negative. There is nothing good about pride. Prov 13:10 NKJV says, “By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.” In Mark 7:21, Jesus said that pride is one of the evil things that come from the hearts of men and defile them.

Sometimes, God provides a loophole, allowing us to do what we want and remain in His will. For example, David desired to build God a house, but God said no because he had too much blood on his hands. But God said his son Solomon could build the house. So David was still able to build the house vicariously through his son (1 Chronicles 22:6-8).

One of the ways pride manifests itself is through boasting. The Scriptures speak against boasting. 1 Cor. 1:26-29 NIV reads:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

27. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

28. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are,

29. so that no one may boast before him. NIV

It is important to note that God called ordinary people to carry out His work in the Old Testament. Such individuals as Moses (Exod. 3), Deborah (Judg. 4-5), Gideon (Judg. 6-8), and many other people of humble origin confirm that success came through His power, not theirs. The foolish and weak can never say that God chose them because of their talent or intelligence. Instead, God chooses those counted as nothing by the world and turns them into great people for Him. People’s abilities, social standing, or knowledge have nothing to do with God’s choice. Skill and wisdom do not get a person into God’s kingdom — faith in Christ does — so no one can boast that their achievements helped them secure eternal life.

Nevertheless, God makes a way for us to boast. In Jer. 9:23-24 NIV, God speaks through His prophet, saying:

23. This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,

24. but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,”  declares the Lord. NIV

Many must realize that although God is loving and merciful. He is also holy and just.
In this passage, God pointed out to Jeremiah that there are three widely accepted human sources of boastfulness — intelligence, strength, and wealth. Each turns out to be unworthy of our ultimate trust. So, if we must boast, it is God, and God alone, that is worth boasting about and that we know and understand Him. All other boasting is futile.

Gay Pride

So, June is Gay Pride Month, and there will be a lot of celebration and boasting.

Prov 14:34 says: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” It is righteousness, godliness—that makes a nation great. But sin is a disgrace to any people. Nationwide sin denigrates a nation.

But our nation is exalting sin. Now, for sure, sin is sin, but Gay pride—exalts, promotes, and praises homosexuality—a particularly egregious sin. God’s Word in the Old and New Testaments shams homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 declares it as an abomination. It carries a particular stench in the nostrils of God.

Romans 1:22 addresses it as “vile affections,” and 1 Tim. 1:10 describes it as “those that defile themselves with mankind.”

Look at what the Scripture says in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 NKJV

9. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,

10. nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. NKJV

God does not sugarcoat immorality, paper over lies, or fail to punish unrepented sins.

There is no place in God’s kingdom for homosexuals—period—full stop!

And yet, our nation is dedicating a whole month to gay pride. This month, gay pride will be on display in living color, celebrating homosexuality. Gay…pride, that’s a double indictment—homosexuality and pride all wrapped up into one. That’s double jeopardy. Gay pride is a consequential dynamic.

Gay Pride is not new! As the wise and discerning King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 in part, “…and there is no new thing under the sun.”

The Consequences of Gay Pride

The account of Sodom and Gomorrah is well known, and look at what the Scripture confirms about that situation in Jude 7

7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

This verse will be addressed further a little later.

But for now, this “strange flesh” mentioned refers to homosexuality; that was only half of Sodom and Gomorrha’s problem. The other half is addressed in Ezekiel 16:49-50

49. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

50. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

This passage brings out the other half of the cause of Sodom’s demise—pride. Notice that pride—listed at the forefront—took Sodom down. This passage reads like the ingredients of a food label; the ingredients are listed in the order of their dominance of the product’s makeup. The first ingredient is the most prevalent.

Likewise, in this Scriptural list, pride is first and foremost. Pride and going after strange flesh became the two main forces that destroyed Sodom.

Here, in these two passages regarding the case of Sodom, we have gay pride, and we see the result. God, as the Scripture reads, “took them away.”

Pride alone is a consequential dynamic. We don’t have to be homosexual to be affected by pride, and it takes nations down. Notice that the Scripture mentions daughters. These were the cities dependent on Sodom and Samaria, respectively.

There is a dear price for a nation to pay that commits abominations before God.

This gay pride is a continuation of the saga of Satan’s assault on the family. He knows that the family is the foundational unit of society, and if he can tear that down, so goes the nation. This assault began with the women’s Liberation and sexual revolution movements and onto the gay rights movements. They are the offspring of the postmodern movement, which has injected a spirit of subjection into society. As a result, everything has been bought into subjection—including truth. It has brought every established tradition and metanarrative into subjection. It has cast doubt on everything believed as solid foundational truth and every institutional belief, including the church. All of these movements equal one word—rebellion.

This nation is shaking its fists in rebellion against God. Satan is undoubtedly strutting his stuff. Just as the Lord uses earthen vessels to spread the gospel, Satan is using earthen vessels to carry out his rebellion, and he is playing them like a fiddle—especially in Hollywood.

A famous Television celebrity said, “I believe that if Jesus were here, He would attend the gay pride parade.” Considering all things, that is probably accurate. Jesus could attend a gay parade, considering what He said when He was questioned about eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” [Luke 5:31-32] Therefore, while He may attend a gay parade if He were here, it wouldn’t be for the reason that that individual alluded to. He would not have celebrated homosexuality but condemned it with a statement beginning with “it is written,” as He often did so many times.

Another very famous celebrity said, “The god that I serve doesn’t care whether you’re tall, or short, whether you’re born black, or Asian, or gay.”

Amen to that. It must be a blessing for an individual to have their very own god to serve! 

Statements are made by individuals that say: God is a God of love, and they believe that as long as two people of the same sex truly loved each other, it was okay with God for them to get married.

These are lies from the very pit of hell—both of them. God loves the sinner, which is true, but he hates sin. God loves the homosexuals, but He hates homosexuality. Therefore, we should encourage removing it, the repentance of it instead of celebrating it.

It raises the question, what Bible are these individuals reading? Prov 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Homosexuality may seem right to some, but it is still a sin, regardless of how society perceives it, and in the end it will be death. Unrepented sin demands God’s wrath!

We are back to the days when “there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25). When morality is all but thrown to the ground and stomped.

Now, society is one ball of confusion. Households are turned upside down, women have challenged men’s roles, men want to be women, women want to be men—men have husbands, and women have wives. Boys want to be girls, and girls want to be boys, and some don’t know what they are or what they want to be.

The Federal Government has added fuel to the fire. Not to make this political, but I would be amiss not to mention this. Fifteen states are suing the government. In 1972, a civil rights law called Title IX was passed. Its original purpose was to protect females from discrimination based on sex in federally funded educational programs and provide them equal opportunities.

However, on April 19^th of this year, a change was published by the Department of Education, redefining the meaning of sex to include gender identity. This change gives males identifying as female the right to use female restrooms and locker rooms and join female-only organizations. Under the revised rule, “harassment” can include using biologically… accurate… pronouns.

Schools and colleges that fail to comply stand to lose federal dollars.

This ruling falls under the category of foolishness!

We are living out the Scripture in Rom. 1:22, which says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Nowhere is there a more sinister attempt to change thinking than in the matter of the way God created us—male and female.

This article is not politically correct. This political correctness, known as PC, is another tool of Satan and is an existential detriment to society. We must be greatly concerned about what we say, write, or think. We have to be concerned about using the wrong word, a word that may be considered offensive, insensitive, racist, sexist, or homophobic.

It is an insidious, sinister deception aimed to bring about social transformation through dialectical means. It’s an attack on free speech. There are increasing attacks against those who hold views that are not in line with the progressive liberal dogma of today. These views offend the progressives, and they want to stamp out any such speech or information. They seek to tear down and destroy it.

Ironically, freedoms of speech and religion are rapidly being suppressed by intolerance and intimidation by the very ones who protest the most about intolerance.

The PC movement is a tool that involves denigrating authority, destroying the family unit, and controlling speech, behavior, and, ultimately, thought. It is totalitarian in nature and is highly prevalent on college campuses, creating an overly sensitive generation that is offended by practically everything. Yet we wonder why depression and mental illness are so prevalent these days in our young adults. The colossal amount of negative energy is overwhelming the youthful minds of our population.   However, the overall intent is ultimately for the nation as a whole and all of Western civilization.

Political correctness is part of a larger agenda at work today. There is nothing innocuous about it. The forces behind political correctness seek a godless world whose goal is to remove the moral underpinnings of an orderly world based on the Scriptures.

 Satan wants to have his way. One of his most effective deceptions is to lead us to believe that human reasoning without the Holy Spirit and the Word of God is sufficient. He desires to turn upside down all biblical and traditional values and bring about an amoral, anything-goes world. A relentless attack on normality and morality.

I mentioned earlier that we will see gay pride in living color. The parades with the floats and costumes, the parties and speeches of how far the movement has reached. Indeed, there will be plenty of color! Perhaps too much color as the symbol for the LGBT+ community is the rainbow, which is the symbol of God’s covenant to the world after the flood. It was chosen by the LGBT+ community to display diversity and was considered ideal because it is found in nature.

What apostasy—what fragrant rebellion against God!

Now, how long is God going to allow this to go on? Certainly not forever.

It was mentioned earlier that there would be more on Jude 7. For fuller context, we start at verse 5.

5. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

6. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

In this passage, Jude states three examples of rebellion: (1^st) the nation of Israel—who, although they were delivered from Egypt by God, refused to trust Him and enter the Promised Land (Num. 14:26-39); (2^nd) the angels—although they were once pure, holy, and living in God’s presence, some gave in to pride and joined Satan to rebel against Him (2 Peter 2:4); (3rd) the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah—the people were so full of sin that God wiped them off the face of the earth (Gen. 19:1-29).

Now, the question. If God’s chosen people, the apostate angels, and prior sinful cities were punished, how much more will the rebellious nations of today be severely punished? Israel has been severely punished more so because it knew better; it witnessed God’s presence and power and was the force God used to wipe out ungodly nations. God desired Israel and Juda to be a righteous example to a pagan world. Yet, they turned away from Him and persisted in doing evil until they reached the point of no return. Therefore, God allowed them to be taken captive (Jer. 25:10-11).

 Read God’s condemnation adjudication upon Israel in Isa 3:9-10 NIV, “The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.”

We are no better…we are parading gay pride. Today’s our nation has all the examples in the Word of God, and we witness God’s creation and goodness daily. Yet, we are promoting pride and sin.

These are serious times. It behooves all of us to observe the signs of the last days because we are a nation primed for a fall.

Now, to be clear, this article is not against homosexuals but against homosexuality—the promotion and embracing of it. God is a God of love, and He loves us all, including homosexuals. As the Scripture says, “God so loved the world.”

But we must understand—He also hates sin. The Scriptures makes this clear. 1 John 3:8 reads, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Sinners are in line with Satan, and we know how God feels about him. He loves us and provided His Son as a sacrifice to save us from “the works of the devil”

Scripture also says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Therefore, I say this to all of us, including homosexuals. Whatever sin is in our lives, we’d better move away from it because He won’t allow sin to go unpunished forever.

The clock is ticking, and we must be mindful of the Scripture in 2 Peter 3:9,

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” NKJV

We have seen what has happened to nations that celebrated gay pride in the past.

When a nation allows this level of cultural rot to exist and celebrates it, how long can it stand?

Our nation needs to follow Jeremiah’s cry of despair where it is written in Lamentations 3:40,

“Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord;” NKJV

Gay pride is a serious offense, and if this nation doesn’t repent and change, it’s going down just as the other gay pride nations have gone. Prov 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” So we’d better be prepared because it could happen during our lifetime. It was approximately 359 years from the time Israel was led into idolatry to the time of their captivity. God is patient, but He is faithful to His Word. This nation is 247 years old and counting—the clock is ticking.

Let us not celebrate pride and sin of any kind but let us spread and live The Three Angels Messages.

Understand that God will not hold back the four winds of strife forever (Rev. 7:1).

We must remember the Words of our Lord and Savior in Luke 21:36:

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Amen

 Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!

As Christians, we are “strangers and pilgrims” in this world because our true home is with God. Heaven is where God resides, and so will we eventually. The world is not the Christian’s true home; our true home is with Christ. We are here briefly, awaiting the return of Christ when He will take us to our true home in heaven. This article will highlight our authentic citizenship, our citizenship: heaven.

The Problem 

We are living in a very chaotic world. There are wars with Ukraine and Russia, with Israel and Palestine, and Various terrorist groups attacking cargo ships in the Middle East. The whole Middle East is full of tension. Europe is concerned about war being at its threshold thanks to President Putin, gangs are overtaking Hatti, and Russia experienced a terror attack recently.

The moral Fiber of our nations is deteriorating at a rapid rate. The threat of civil war is everywhere. So, when are things going to turn around? When is it going to get better? Probably the most sensible question to ask is if it will get better. Chances are, it won’t. According to biblical prophecy, things will only get worse.

The Solution

 So what are we to do? Is this all we have to look forward to? Things will get worse, but they will also get better. Why? Because we have a promise that they will. But before we go into this promise, let’s look at our present state and obligations according to Scripture.

1 Peter 2:11 reads:

11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

We are passing through this world on the way to our home in heaven’s glory; therefore, we must remain as untouched as conceivable by this world’s ubiquitous sin. Peter explained that the best way to do that is to abstain from sinful desires.

Here’s the issue: because we will not escape our sinful surroundings until Christ returns, and because we still have a sinful nature that wants us to act on its desires, we will not be able to remain completely free of sin and its effects. But we can “abstain”; that is, we can put away our sinful desires by controlling them right from the start. The verb tense means to “continually keep away from.” It takes alertness and self-control to continually abstain from sinful desires.    1 Peter 5:8 reads, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” [More on the lion]

Why must we abstain? Why does it matter that we keep away from sinful desires? Because, as the Scripture expresses, those desires “war against our souls.” Once we become Christians, a battle has begun, for Satan is the enemy of Christ and His followers. The verb tense means “continually waging war.” Therefore, Christians must “continually abstain” because the evil desires are continually… waging war.

This battle will continue for the duration of our lives on this earth. The word “soul” represents an individual’s inner, spiritual quality. Our desires initiate deep within us (James 1:14); often, our sinful desires never actually become sinful actions.

Some Christians may take honor in their righteous lives yet have hearts filled with all kinds of evil thoughts and desires. Peter acknowledged that while Christians appreciate that Christ must change their lives and actions, they must also transform their inner lives.

While sinful desires may appear much less evil than sinful actions, Scripture clarifies that they can also hurt us as they war against our souls.

My friends, as you know, the Christian life is not easy. Living in this constant battle makes us weary. So what do we do? How do we survive? How do we maintain a positive attitude in light of the circumstances?

We must keep looking ahead.

We must recognize that we have more to look forward to than the world does—we have the promises of God.

The promise to focus on is God’s promise to King David. This promise is at the core of God’s plan for man.

Let’s look at this promise in 2 Samuel 7:1-17 

Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around,

2. that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”

3. Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

4. But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

5. “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in?

6. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle.

7. Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?'”‘

8. Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.

9. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.

10. Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously,

11. since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.

Pay close attention to the balance of the passage.

12. “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom FOR-EVER.

14. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

15. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

16. And your house and your kingdom shall be established FOR-EVER before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”‘”

17. According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

We see in verse 2 that David desired to build a house for the Lord. But it is written in 1st Chronicles 28:3 that God did not want His temple built by a warrior. However, this does not mean that God rejected David. But to the contrary, God was preparing to do something even grander in David’s life than granting him the status of building the Temple.

David was so blessed! This Passage contains an astounding promise from God to David known as the Davidic Covenant. Not only did he bless David by taking him from herding sheep to ruling His people and overcoming his enemies, but he also promised him a kingdom. A Kingdom that will last—forever.

Here, we see that when we make a request to the Lord, and He says no, fret not because He has something more extraordinary in store. Accepting God’s no requires just as much faith as carrying out his yes.

David’s earthly dynasty ended four centuries later. Yet, Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of David, ultimately fulfilled this promise. Matthew 1:1 reads: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Matthew was writing to the Jews, and he began by revealing that Jesus was a successor of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and a direct descendant of David, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s line.

Let’s look at one of these Old Testament prophecies found in the prophetic Psalms 89. This Psalm repeats God’s covenant promise to David: It reads in verses 1-4: 

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

2. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.

3. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

4. Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

What we are observing is God’s building program. God is building his Kingdom here on earth, starting with David’s throne. Those who join this Kingdom today in Spirit and truth will be on the ground floor of the most significant building platform ever imagined!

The throne was passed from David to his son, Solomon, to Jesus Christ. To repeat 2^nd Samuel 17 & verse 13, it says, “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

Many believed that when Israel was defeated and carried away by her enemies, that was the end of God’s promise. But the same Psalm 89:29-37 repeats God’s covenant to David; it says: 

29. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

30. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

31. If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

32. Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

33. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

34. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

35. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

36. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me.

37. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

God keeps His promises no matter what—He kept His promise right through to Jesus Christ—even when He was transgressed.

Let’s look at the announcement of Jesus Christ to Mary in Luke 1:30-33: 

30. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his Kingdom there shall be no end.

Our True Home

Remember the promise of 2 Samuel 7:16. This promise was fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus, a direct descendant of David. When it mentions “His father David,” it refers to David, his ancestor. Jesus was born in the line of David and thus to be a king to reign over the house of Jacob, which refers to God’s people. This house was initially understood to be the twelve tribes, but later, it was revealed to be much more. His Kingdom will be eternal, a kingdom with no end.

Now, this is our home; this is where our citizenship lies and this Kingdom is what we must strive for—our heavenly Kingdom.

We must keep looking ahead!

The road to heaven is always under construction, full of potholes and detours. But we must endure. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24:12-13 regarding the last days:

12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

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

Sin will be even more ubiquitous, raging everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.

False teaching and loose morals bring a specifically destructive spiritual ailment — the loss of true love for God and others. Love grows cold when sin directs our attention to ourselves and our desires.

This is why Peter says: “abstain from fleshly lusts.”

So let us remember that whatever we go through on this earth will be worth the reward we will receive in the end. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”

The troubles in this world are an extremely light load compared to the “eternal weight of glory.” No finite number of years can even compare to the length of infinite time.

In the meantime, here we are as “strangers and pilgrims. Time passes quickly, and we are running a race that the witnesses before us ran. The writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 12:1-2

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What really matters — what is eternal and permanent — cannot be seen, touched, or measured. Only with the eyes of faith can we look . . . at what cannot be seen. Only with eyes of faith can we begin to understand, with God’s help, the eternal significance of our actions.

A Christian’s hope is not in this world. A Christian’s hope is not in the power and wealth that can be accumulated on earth. Instead, a Christian’s hope is in Christ.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20

19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Christ will reign for eternity—now in his spiritual Kingdom and later on earth, in the new Jerusalem (Rev 21).

Let’s look at what it says in Rev. 11:15:

 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign FOR EVER AND EVER.

This verse reflects the sounding of the seventh trumpet announcing the arrival of Jesus, the King. At this point, there is no turning back. The impending judgments will be complete in their destruction. God will unleash His full wrath on the evil world that refuses to turn to Him (Revelation 9:20-21). Then His Kingdom will be established, and He will rule For Ever!

[Zechariah 14:8-9]

 Paul described the change that will occur with those who love the Lord. He said in 1 Cor. 15:51-52

51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

Let us not be sorrowful for the loss of our loved ones, especially those who loved the Lord. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

13. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. NKJV

So, my brothers and sisters, we must look ahead and keep our eyes on the prize. We must not allow the weight of the world and our fleshly desires and concerns to weigh us down to dysfunction. I pray that we do not allow our fleshly desires to cause us—to miss out—on our destination, our heavenly home. We must continue to run the race set before us—carrying on the will of God.

So we must remember what the Scripture says in Galatians 6:9

 And let us not be weary in WELL doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Keep…looking… Ahead!

Amen

You are welcome to leave questions, comments, and concerns below.

 Blessings!

According to the Bible, all Christians are to practice Biblical Stewardship. But what is stewardship? What does the Bible teach about it? This article will address that question.

What is Stewardship?

Stewardship is a practice performed by a steward. A steward is an individual who takes care of the property or possessions of another. This practice is called stewardship.

What is Biblical Stewardship?

When thinking about being a steward or stewardship, we often think of physical things such as property, money, and things of that nature. But there is another aspect of stewardship we don’t hear much about: we are to be stewards of one another.

After God created Adam, He said, “It is not good that the man should be alone… [Genesis 2:18]

So, God gave him a gift. He created the woman and blessed them both to be fruitful and multiply. Therefore, we are God’s creation—God’s property; life is a gift, and we are to care for ourselves and one another. Each individual we encounter is a gift, and we should treat them as such—that is, as much as possible.

Please observe what the Word of God says in Philippians 2:2-5: NKJV.

2. fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

To repeat verse 3, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

In other words, don’t be selfish, and don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than ourselves. This passage is about Biblical stewardship.

This is a command from the Scriptures—God’s Word. It covers a multitude of categories. But this article will only cover one.

One of the things that differentiates us from animals is the ability to communicate through speech. Speech is a beautiful gift. But like the other gifts God has bestowed upon us, the devil intervenes and turns it into something for ill—if we allow him to.

While this article is not about the tongue, it does address the topic of conversation. To a significant degree, our society and our culture have lost the art of conversation. Just as our culture has allowed our morality to go south, our fundamental upbringing and etiquette have gone with it.

To throw out a couple of questions for thought: when was the last time you were engaged in a conversation, and the person you were conversing with cut off your conversation and started talking before you finished your thought?

Here’s another one: when was the last time you were engaged in a conversation, and the person you were conversing with was speaking, and you cut them off before they finished their thought?

Now, all of us are guilty of this, which is wrong. Most were undoubtedly taught that when someone is speaking, you don’t interrupt but wait until the party has finished speaking. It was classified as rude. But it happens perpetually today amongst Christians as well as non-Christians.

There was a time when one interrupted another while speaking. The individual would say: excuse me, not to cut you off, or excuse me for cutting you off, or something to that effect. They acknowledged that they were doing something improper. But those days have gone with the Edsel, and we just butt in as a normal circumstance.

But it is time to understand when we engage in this behavior. When we cut off somebody’s speech, injecting our own, what we are demonstrating to that individual is what they are expressing doesn’t matter, that we don’t want to hear what that person is saying, and what we have to say is more important than what they are saying.

However, the Scripture says, “Do NOTHING out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Understand that when we think what we have to say is more important than someone else, that is conceit; it’s arrogant and full of self-importance.

The Scripture mentions “selfish ambition.” This is a modern translation (New King James) of the Greek word. In the King James translation, the word is translated as strife; in the NIV translation, in Galatians 5:20, it is translated as selfish ambition and as one of the manifestations of the sinful nature. When we are so ambitious to say what we have to say that we disregard what someone else is saying, we operate in the work of the flesh. It’s evil.

Instead, we must consider others “better” than ourselves. What someone else has to say can be better than what we have to say, and we might learn something in the meantime. Listening is how we learn; we aren’t learning while talking. Listening is just as much of a gift as talking. After all, it is one of the basic five senses.

Sometimes, these interjections will take the conversation in another direction. There are occasions when an individual has been interrupted during a conversation and never finished their point because they were interrupted and the conversation took a turn in another direction. These interruptions can turn one off from listening; instead of listening, they only wait for a chance to make their point. This is an unholy conversation.

Not to make excuses, however; some engage in this because, on many occasions, if they don’t interrupt, they will never get to speak.

However, there’s also the other side of the coin. Some ensure not to get interrupted by not giving anyone else a chance to speak. The bottom line is that we unequivocally talk too much. Everybody is so busy talking instead of listening. We undeniably go on and on and on.

If we aren’t careful, we’ll talk ourselves in the middle of the Lake of Fire.

Jesus said in Matt 12:36, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

Balance is the key to life, and we must listen as well as talk. We must be more willing to listen to what others have to say. Remember what verse 4 says, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Listen to what others have to say.

I mentioned Galatians 5 earlier, and I want to point out that verse 22 also lists the fruit or manifestations of the Spirit, including “patience” and “self-control.” If we exercised these in our conversations, everybody would have a chance to speak and listen.

We must remember what a conversation is: a verbal exchange between two or more individuals on a particular subject—two or more individuals. A conversation is not a monologue where one person does all the talking and the other or others do all the listening.

Listen to what the Scripture says in James 1:19, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” Here we have the wise counsel of James that advises us to reverse this process of talking too much and listening too little.

Rudeness in conversations can lead to wrath. One person cuts off another, then that person cuts off the first person, voices start to rise, and the next thing you know, an argument has ensued.

So, let us be mindful of our conversations and be considerate of the ones we are conversing with. We should put a mental stopwatch on our conversations and consider how much we talk and how much we listen.

When people talk with you, do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value? This goal can be accomplished only if they have been allowed to speak.

It is also important to examine at the end of a conversation: what did I gain from that conversation? Was it time well spent?

The Scripture says in 1 Cor 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” And this includes our conversations with one another.

Conclusion

God has given us each other. As good stewards, we must treat one another in all things, including our conversation, as the gift that God has given us, and as the Scripture says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Amen.

Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.

Blessings!