As I was reading Habakkuk during my morning quiet time, I was given some insight I have not considered before. The phrase, ”The more things change, the more they stay the same,'' came to my mind. Jeremiah and Habakkuk were contemporaries living in Judaea just before and during the time when Babylon took them away. While Jeremiah taught that wickedness in God's own people has doomed them, Habakkuk preached about the corruption that had infested the government of their day. His opening verse gives us all we need to know about how evil the government of the Southern tribe of Judah had become.
Ken Graves, the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Bangor ME, offers up his opinion of the, "Man Scale". Ken's scale has men like Mr Rogers on one end, and men like to Mr T on the other end. His advice to all men is to get on the man scale and be a man. So, are you some place between Mr Rogers and Mr T? If not, then you better look to God through Christ to find out where you are lacking, because God wants all men to be men.
Gospel of Matthew Notes & Outlines
Matthew was one of Jesus' 12 disciples, who's heart was forever changed by a man from Galilee would. This despised tax collector would one day write this Gospel which proves to his fellow Jews, that Jesus is the King of the Jews they were awaiting called the Messiah.
Ruth Notes & Outlines
Please join me in my new study in the book of Ruth.
Ruth is a poignant story of faithless disobedience, that leads to death, sorrow, bitterness, and then loyalty and finally redemption. It's my prayer that you will realize that if an inconspicuous Moabite peasant woman could achieve royalty for her descendants in Israel, then anyone can gain Salvation.
Have you ever wondered how people get from point A to point B? I don't mean in a physical mileage way, but rather an emotional, phycological, and spiritual way. We all take in our surroundings and make decisions based upon the way we see things happening, and the way we feel. Then we get to a certain point in our life when we take an inventory of how we are doing. Sometimes we're relatively satisfied, other times we're disappointed, but do we ever really reflect upon the decisions we made that ultimately got us to point B?
My grandson from birth, loves to hold on to "tags" on a blanket, or his shirts, that we even bought him a blanket of tags. It is his security to know that when he is holding that, he is comfortable and also his security. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is filled with so many messages of humility and basic messages of what the true meaning of Christmas is and should be. One of the most unnoticed things is that of Linus dropping his blanket after he goes to the center of the stage to recite Luke Two, Eight thru Fourteen. Right at the point of verse Ten where it says, "FEAR NOT," he drops the blanket. Now if you know anything about Charlie Brown and have watched any of his specials or cartoons, you know that Linus is known for carrying that blanket around everywhere he goes and in everything he does. Regardless that everyone else makes fun of him, or tries to take it away from him, or convince him, he doesn't need it, he never let's it go. Because it is his security, his comfort, his way of being able to do anything, because his blanket is protection. In the same way my grandson holds his "taggies", so does Linus hold that blanket.
Jesus when He calls His first disciples, ,Peter, Andrew, John and James, who would become His inner circle, and most referenced disciples of all others, says in Mark One,
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." Luke 2:8-15
Had there been newspapers in the Roman Empire 2,000 years ago, some of the headlines might have been:
"GRAIN SHIPS DOCK" "PIRATE SHIPS SUNK BY SIXTH FLEET" "STUDENTS CLASH WITH POLICE, ROMAN RIOTS END"
"Growing up in a Mexican home, Christmas time was always a happy memory for me. My dad liked to have people over but especially during Christmas time, as it was more of a reason to celebrate his birthday which fell on December Twenty Fourth (Although sometimes he'd say it was the Twenty Fifth.) (Now on another note, Jesus was not born on December Twenty Fifth and if you didn't know that, sorry for the spoiler alert) The thing that most non "Latino" families, (Hispanic, is deemed a derogatory term to many of whom that term was created for by the Census bureau) associate with this time of the year is TAMALES! Now if you know my family, its truly the most wonderful time of the year because of this rite of passage. My mom has a restaurant size mixer, as tamales are rolled out by the dozens when my sisters and brothers come to the house to make the often made, but never replicated, or better than those that come from my family's house.
I am currently in partnership with Billo Das of Jessore Bangladesh in a foreign ministry. I met Billo earlier this year when he contacted me after reading my commentaries I post to my fb group, and we started chatting. What struck me about Billo, was he never asked for money for food or clothing for the children, he asked if I could help teach him good Biblical doctrine, snd help him become a good teacher.
So I began sending him commentaries I wrote and outlines for Bible studies. He would use the outlines to study and then teach children with them. As time went on he told me of his need for Bibles, but at the time I was still hesitant. Then one day I took a leap of faith and sent him money so he could purchase a printer, ink , and some paper. With the printer, he began printing up the outlines which I started translating into Bangali for him share with his students as he taught.
Some Facts About Mary & Joseph's Journey to Bethlehem
We do not know every detail of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. We do know some of the facts as recorded in the New Testament. We know that Mary and Joseph were human beings with thoughts and feelings. We can also glean from ancient Jewish Mishnah's, and secular historical sources some information to help us understand some pertinent information not included in Scriptures about the time. Here are some of the particulars involved that may have been a factor in the events leading up to the birth of our Savior.
I got angry, and I stepped out in the flesh in my response to something that I perceived as a wrong. However, it is not my place to correct the World, for the World is lost, and so who am I to fix that which I cannot. All I can do is share the truth, while remembering to do so in love, or else I will be a poor ambassador for Christ Jesus.
I understand it's OK to get angry at those who act as the Pharisees did, because Jesus got angry with them. For they walked around in a way to be seen for their good deeds, while in truth their hearts only cared for the worldly profit they could gain. Those men who claim to teach the Word of GOD, but are just wolves deceiving others with their words of silk and songs of love, truly deserve our wrath but those lost in the World do not.
Lord my God, my Savior, my King, forgive me for stepping in the flesh by chastising the lost. Yes, I allowed myself to walk in the flesh by ridiculing one lost in the Lord, by doing so, I put a stumbling bock that could keep them from coming to You my LORD. We are called to give an invitation to those lost in the World. An invitation to come to You my LORD so they can be healed, not to chase them away as the Pharisees did.
This Psalm I Sing To Jesus Christ, Our King
Forgive me O'LORD, and wash away my guilt so I can again enter into YOUR presence with a pure and forgiven heart.
We are but the dirt YOU formed from Adam's seed, yet when YOU came down to us through Eve's seed, we found forgiveness through Your Blood on the Cross for our evil deeds.
We have been reborn as new creatures, and now we walk down the path towards Your Celestial City, and when we arrive O'Lord we shall receive a crown of righteousness, which we will gladly toss at YOUR feet, and live eternally in YOUR presence.
My Lord, my God, upon Your Name I stake my claim, for upon the Cross You took my blame, now all I have is Yours O'Lord, because all You had you gave to save my wretched soul.
O'LORD, my GOD, my Savior, my King, to YOU this Psalm I sing.
Radical Islamimic agenda has always been an issue since the 20th century, mind you, all this was started by the war lord himself whom the Holy Roman Catholic Church feared during his bloodsheding days, historically the lack of unity amongst European leaders and the church made it easy for Saladine The Great to conquer more lands in The Eastern Continent, it is sad to see how this men are trying so hard to revive a weak and barbaric 7th century mindset and the Ottoman empire kind of rule which is only a backwardness..
Establishing a Caliphates would always be a great treat to western civilization and religious freedom.
But i fear this could also be Nigeria and Africa in few years if we continue to sleep at the strategy of Boko-Haram, Al-Nusrah Front, Afgan Taliban, Al-Shabaab,Al-Qa'ida, true Islamic radicalism will never give up until it establish a caliphate and its sharia principle all over the world which was the false prophet desire in his imaginary book...
“During the week like everyone else I’m sure, I have an alarm set to wake me up to get ready for work. Three of the five days I hit the snooze button, it starts with ten minutes then nine, eight until finally I have to get up or I will be late. There have been a few times where I have accidentally hit stop instead of snooze and all of a sudden I jump up out of bed starling my wife and dog as I overslept. I run around looking for my clothes and rush to get ready, brushing my teeth and hair haphazardly, and even at times I’ve put my shirt on backwards as I run out of the house. Then of course because I’m already late, I hit ever light, there is an accident and or I need gas or forgot something that I have to turn around and go back to get.
Jesus is telling His disciples about His return and uses different parables to convey the message. One He tells about is the ten virgins and their lamps, found in Matthew Twenty Five,
The painting above is a powerful image when you consider who the boy is. The famous painter Jacques Tissot made this masterpiece. It invokes the purpose of the boy's existence in this World. It reminds me of the cross on the back of the donkey his mother rode to Bethlehem, and the one He rode into Jerusalem. His destination was the same from the beginning, and I am sure there are many moments He was reminded that He was to be about His Fathers business.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has
put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can
find out the work that God does from beginning to end.Ecclesiastes 3:11
by Chuck Ness
Don Richardson spent many years in Papua New Guinea. In his research, he investigated many cultures and their religious ceremonies. This book is a result of that investigative work. The first time I read this book was back in 2004, and I still find myself picking it up from time to time. The information inside is well worth the few dollars you may spend.
Besides being an avid reader of Christian literature, I am also a history buff, so I love learning about different cultures and how they came about. Yet, regardless of how cultures around the World and throughout history are different, I am always amazed at how similar the people truly are. My faith in God has always allowed me to see those similarities, and this book helps reiterate my belief that God created us all to be one people under The One true GOD.
One year, when I was working for the City of Long Beach at Houghton Park, we got the opportunity to go to Disneyland and take the kids from the daycare to enjoy the day. It was Mickey Mouse’s Sixteenth Birthday celebration and many cities were invited to celebrate and be part of a parade in a big pomp and circumstance celebration. We got to go around and enjoy the day on all the rides, but the best part came when they kicked the general public out and only those who were invited, got to stay and enjoy the park, rides, food and drinks for free, because we were “set apart” from everyone else.
Jesus in John Seventeen, which is His real prayer and not what many call the Lord’s Prayer, in Matthew Six, in verse Seventeen says,
““Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.” (NET)
This is just a continuation of leftists trying their best the remove the evidence of what their policies lead to. Along with educating children of the future to believe that Communism is the best solution to all of makind's problems. Something the elitist mindset has been trying to accomplish for hundreds of years. They dream of the time when mankind will again need them to rule so they can be the leaders of a new type of feudalism. Ever since the black death freed people from being owned by the land, elitists have been doing all they can to regain control of us, and for them Communism is the perfect tool.
Make no mistake, the fall of feudalism led to 700 years of freedom for billions of people the World over. This led to the growth of the great middle class, which in reality gives us control. Yet, they have been trying to wrest back control from us since the 15th century. Communism is the best tool they have found to keep us under control. Now they are on the verge of destroying the middle class, and thus our power, with a fake pandemic. Just as the left wants to squash the truth about history by deleting their p[age on the horrors of Communism, the left also wants to squash the truth about China and creating the virus.
In my ministries, I never emphasize food nor clothing. While it is true that these are essential for a physical existence, they are not as essential as the Word.
Dear brothers and sisters, the primary purpose of the Church isn’t to take care of the symptoms of a fallen World, such as starvation and crime, but rather to bring the Gospel to men so that they will be brought into a position of hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
A strong desire for anything is often represented in the Scriptures by hunger and thirst for the blessings of a pardon and peace because of our sin.
Those who are lost thirst for the Living water Christ offers (John 4:14) (John 7:37) (Isaiah 55:1-2) To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to hunger and thirst after Christ
"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8
God still speaks through the Holy Spirit. The question is, are we listening? Do we desire to hear His voice over our own voice? Most of us are moving 100 miles per hour throughout the day, but are we willing to stop everything to get alone with Him to listen to Him?
Allow God to speak life into your soul and always remember that His voice will never contradict His Word. God speaks in multiple ways. He can speak in prayer. He can speak through others. Also, let’s remember to stay in the Word because He has spoken.
Remember that we must listen to what He has said in the Bible. He has revealed everything to us that we need to live a life of godliness. There is nothing in the world that compares to GOD's Word, because the Bible is completely sufficient for all our needs.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Mark 8:36
by Chuck Ness
I brought my tomato plants inside the house about a Month ago to allow the tomatoes that were still on the plants to mature instead of letting the plants die in the cold. A Month later one plant has mostly died, but there is still one the last tomato that is almost ready to harvest. As you can see, the other plant is still hanging in there and even has some new tomatoes growing.
Now while the plants themselves are wilting away with every day that passes by, you will notice how the plants send all there energy to the tomatoes so their seeds could survive, even though that ensures the plant itself would die sooner.
Sadly, humans are not so wise. Unlike plants and animals, we humans destroy our seeds so that we, not our children, will survive. Instead of ensuring the propagation of our kind, humans will often times sacrifice our future generations so that we can have more for ourselves.
After all it costs money and time to raise a child, and in doing so we must sacrifice things we would otherwise enjoy. This is why we humans will often times sacrifice our children to the god of self, so that we can enjoy the benefits a care free life might offer us. Benefits we would otherwise not enjoy if we are encumbered with the responsibility of a child.
When you think of the first story of Christmas, it's usually about Mary and Joseph looking down at their new born son in a manger, surrounded by barn animals and maybe a shepherd or two looking on. Angels singing praises of joy to the Lord Most High, and maybe even the star that is guiding the wise men from Babylon to the destination of the Jews Messiah.
We live at a time when children are born in sanitized hospital rooms with the best of care, before and after the mother gives birth. When we hear of stories of women giving birth at home, or alongside the road where the car had to pull over because the child would not wait, we are captivated and amazed of such a thing happening in today's world.
Yet, for the vast majority of man's history, women have given birth in conditions we would not expect our pet animals give birth in. So when you consider what Mary had to endure in her last week leading up the birth of her first child, I want you to consider the following. Then maybe, just maybe, you will look at the story of Christmas a bit differently than you have in the past.
When you consider that Luke was a Doctor, it kind of makes sense that his version of the Gospel is the only one that tells the story of the birth of Christ. It makes even more sense when you consider that Luke was not just a good friend and traveling companion, but he was also the Apostle Paul's Doctor. Another point of consideration is that, in Paul's letter to the Galatians he wrote that he did not receive the Gospel from man, but from Christ Himself. So who better to know the events leading up to the birth of Jesus, than the man He shared it with.
“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." Galatians 1:11-12
As I was reading Proverbs this morning, I was reminded of what I wrote in my journal many years ago.
"A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment." Proverb 18:1
I had a dream last night about an old friend I haven't see in years. His name is Larry, and he was a preacher of his own church in Columbus Georgia. The last time I saw him was a time in my life when all I wanted was to be away from people. If anyone got too close I would disappear.
It was after my 2nd marriage fell apart. Our son had recently died, and it led to problems unforeseen. My wife was never the same, and things just deteriorated in our marriage. We separated, and I ended wondering around the country. I would stay in a place long enough to work a few Months and then leave town without notifying anyone. Sometimes I would leave without even collecting my last paycheck. I figured if I wasn't going to give a notice why collect the check.
For a few years I kept getting an urge in my heart to just go. It was about ten years or so before I truly accepted Christ in my heart. OH I knew Him, but didn't have a relationship with him. Today I know my uncomfortable feeling came from trying to run from Him. I would begin feeling uneasy and just pack up my backpack, chose a destination, and start hitchhiking from place to place. Working for awhile and then start hitchhiking again.
The only thing I ever had that I cared about in those days, was the backpack that had some cassette tapes of music for my Walkman, an old poncho for rain or to make a lean-to with. A mess kit, a compact fishing pole with some hooks, a bar of soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a few changes of socks and underwear, some jeans, a few shirts, and one set of nice pants and a dress shirt I would wear when I needed to apply for job when my money ran low. I hate begging. (Yes the backpack pictured, is the one I carried around America with me)
If I needed money I would just get a job as an auto mechanic, a carpenter, a cook or even a dishwasher. Jobs were easy for me to get in those days. I was young, in great shape, and not picky.
I offer this because of the advice my friend gave me when he was trying to reach my heart. I was lost, and he wanted to save me. Larry was a Preacher of his own small church whom I met in the mid "70"s while I was still in the service, stationed at Ft Benning Ga. So here it was almost 10 years after I first met Larry, and I was hitchhiking from Texas to Columbus Ga. When I arrived, he was the first person I looked up, and called.
To this day I am convinced that God led me to Columbus, because HE was still trying to reach me. When I look back, I can recall many instances in my past when the timing of certain things happened that were of such importance, I now know God was intervening so I would wake up to His calling. Yet time and time again I would momentarily respond, just to fall back into my old ways. This was one of those times. Larry, and his wife Mary, invited me to stay with them. He knew I was broken and needed a good friend. Being a good man of God, Larry was truly interested in bringing me to Christ.
I stayed with them for a few Months, and I even publicly gave my life to Christ. I truly thought I had been saved, because I began to change. Yet later I realized I hadn't, because I never had a true relationship with Him. No one walks away from Christ, you are either His or just a pretender who goes through the motions. Many new followers believe they are saved, yet our Lord Jesus reads the hearts, and even His anointed can see the truth. Larry was a true anointed Saint, and he knew that I was still holding out.
Well one day we were at a restaurant, I had recently gotten a job at, and he again attempted to reach me. Larry told me that I reminded him of the character in the Eagles song, "Desperado". He told me that the original definition of a desperado was not what Americans believed it is. Instead, the true definition was derived from the Latin word, "disperare". Which means to despair or to lose hope.
The character in the Eagles song is a loner. He was living day to day like I was. Surviving day to day with no love in his heart. Like the character in the song, I too had hardened my heart. I refused to come in from the cold, regardless of how uncomfortable I was from living the way I was. He said that without love I would one day die from lack of feelings if I didn't wake up.
He went on to explain that it's not good for a man to have no one. To walk away from everyone, regardless of how some people may have treated me, was not the way to heal from the hurt I was feeling. All I was doing was making my heart harder by the day. He told me, that the world is full of men who had hardened their hearts just to become lonely bandits or renegades. The final destination of such a person, he said was not good. Just an eternity separated from the ONE who truly loves us. GOD.
We had a good long talk that day, and I really felt like he hit a raw nerve. He also told me to read Proverbs 18:1, and heed the advice in it. Later I read the Proverb, and I can see why he told me to read it, because I was isolating myself from people. Something that I still seem to do from time to time. When I do, I know I need to go to Christ.
"A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment." Proverb 18:1
Well, after that long talk, I started reading the Bible more, and truly thought I was headed for greener pastures in my walk with Jesus. Yet, one day something happened, and I again grew angry. OH, the reason matters not, since all anger truly comes from our own insecurities and our inability to give everything to Christ. That conversion was just whitewash on the outside of my decaying soul. So I eventually packed up my backpack and headed to the nearest freeway entrance to leave for another destination. I remember reasoning to myself that I wasn't the type who Jesus wanted, so I just accepted reality, and did what I always did, I ran away again.
Truth is I never allowed Jesus into that certain room in my heart where I kept things locked away. Thus I refused to let the love of Christ sink into my heart as much as I thought I had. Or maybe he just got too close to the truth and I was afraid of the unknown. It was so much easier to be alone, than to let others become part of me. For many years in my life that was the true, I refused to let anyone in to that part of me that was angry over so many things.
I always believed in God, and that Jesus is the only way to gain salvation. However, it took more trials, more disappointments, and more tragedies in my life before I finally gave Him the key to that one room in my heart that held all the anger I had inside. My friends advice did eventually sink in, and once I truly understood how my own inability to love others, or to allow others to love me was stopping me from allowing Christ into my heart. That's when I finally began to have a soul changing relationship with the lover of my soul.
Isn’t it amazing how we can listen to the lyrics of songs and paste them on those we know. It’s as if the person who wrote the song knows us and what makes us tick. Personally I think we can listen to most songs and, depending upon how we look at them or what part of the song rings more special in our ears, we will see our friends and relatives in them. I guess that is why Brother Larry saw me in that song. To him, I was the true definition of the Latin word that desperado came from.
Below are the Lyrics to the song, and a video of the Eagles performing it.
"Desperado"
The Eagles
""""Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? You been out ridin' fences for so long now Oh, you're a hard one I know that you got your reasons These things that are pleasin' you Can hurt you somehow
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy She'll beat you if she's able You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things Have been laid upon your table But you only want the ones that you can't get
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin' Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time? The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine It's hard to tell the night time from the day You're losin' all your highs and lows Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? Come down from your fences, open the gate It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you You better let somebody love you (let somebody love you) You better let somebody love you before it's too late""""
Tertullian said that The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Yet today I see the church in America dying a slow death due to the fact that the Saints in America like their blood too much to offer it as a sacrifice for Christ and His church today.
That's because too many Christians in America are so connected to the world that they refuse to face the danger Christ told us we must face for Him. Jesus said to the disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25) At the time the disciples did not understand that Jesus was going to die on the cross.
Imagine if Paul was more worried about his flesh than his soul? Paul, and the rest of the Apostles picked up their cross and followed Christ to their death. Like Paul, they faced many dangers and I am convinced they all came close to death many times before they paid the ultimate price of following Christ.
Remember, if your doing the Lords work, He does not promise that you will succeed at your task unmarked or even alive. What he promises, is eternal existence in a place He has prepared for you in one of the Fathers mansions. If you die in the process of carrying that cross, then the Lord is saying your work in the world is complete and it's time to take up residence in your new home in Heaven.
I do know one thing. Christ is watching Christians in America who are so comfortable in their life that they will never even consider risking it all for Him. Is that you?
I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 (NASB 1515). The prologue of the Gospel of John, starting with verse 1 and ending with verse 18 of chapter 1, are some of the strongest verses supporting not only the Deity of Jesus, but also of Jesus being the Unique God the Father. At first glance we notice right away that John uses some unique choices of words in describing Jesus. The “Word” is translated from the dominate singular Greek word “Logos”, which can also be translated as: measure, computation, reason, account, expression or even wisdom. A good basic definition of logos is “the expression of thought – not the mere name of an object.” (Vine’s 1252) Why would John have used this word to describe Jesus? What meaning would it have to the Jewish readers of his time? What would it bring to mind of 1st century Gentiles? Most importantly, what does it mean to you and me today?
Peter Stoner wrote in his book, "Science Speaks", that mere coincidence cannot explain the prophecies Jesus fulfilled. He applied the science of probability to show the chance of only eight prophecies being fulfilled in one man. That probability was calculated to be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000! That's 1 in quintillion. When Stoner's calculations were submitted to the American Scientific Affiliation for verification, both a committee of review and the Executive Council found them "dependable and accurate in regards to the scientific material presented" (see foreword by H. Harold Hartzler in Science Speaks).
It doesn't take a mathematical genius to understand that a 1 in a quintillion shot of winning something is astronomically impossible. Believe me when I tell you, if casino owners used those odds in a promotion to lure customers to Vegas, they would never attract a single gambler. Those kinds of odds are proof that any prophecies being fulfilled are a result of shear chance. So what can we campare a number with 17 zeros with? Is there any comparison we can make to help understand that huge number?
I love the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption. It is based on a short story from one of my favorite writers when I was growing up, Stephen King. Andy Dufresne is imprisoned for killing his wife, even though he didn’t do it. After having spent two weeks in solitaire confinement for playing opera music over the prison loudspeakers, Andy is telling his fellow inmates how it was the two easiest weeks because of the music he had in his heart and mind. Him and Red, his best friend in prison, go back and forth saying,
“Andy Dufresne : That's the beauty of music. They can't get that from you... Haven't you ever felt that way about music?
Red : I played a mean harmonica as a younger man. Lost interest in it though. Didn't make much sense in here.
Andy Dufresne : Here's where it makes the most sense. You need it so you don't forget.
Red : Forget?
Andy Dufresne : Forget that... there are places in this world that aren't made out of stone. That there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours.
To fully appreciate “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”, one must read it in conjunction with passages from other books of the Bible. Specifically, but not exclusively, Scriptures found in Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and various verses found in the New Testament. I also believe having an understanding of world history, economics, and politics is a must to get a proper perspective of the end times. However, even with all these tools at ones disposal we find no shortage of opinions as to what these visions of John represents.
A quick search on Google shows that there are almost 100 million sites claiming to have insight that can help the reader understand this book, and that is just the English web sites. What and who to believe can be greatly influenced by each individual’s understanding of a select number of Scriptures and ones understanding of when this letter was written. Even among those who agree on the major points find that they disagree on many minor issues. To make it a bit simpler, there are four four distinct interpretations when it comes to eschatology, Preterist, Historicist, Spiritualist, and Futurist.
“SILVER COINS”? WHY NOT GOLD? These TEN coins correlate to PEOPLE WHO ARE SINNERS, therefore THEY ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE IN THE EYES OF GOD. But isn't** GOLD** more valuable than SILVER? This all depends upon your PHYSICAL and SPIRITUAL perspectives. As the late Dr. Chuck Missler pointed out time and again, “Silver is Levitically symbolic of BLOOD. We will find that the Tabernacle rested on silver, with every detail being symbolic of Christ... wood once alive depicted (Christ's Humanity), the gold His Diety, The planks rested on SILVER SOCKETS; silver is the Levitical symbol for BLOOD...” Even Judas, as he threw the 30 pieces of SILVER on the temple floor, exclaimed, “Behold I have betrayed innocent BLOOD!” Matthew 27:4. SILVER CONNOTATES SACRIFICE, THE LETTING OF BLOOD. Everything OUTSIDE the Tabernacle was SILVER, but INSIDE WAS GOLD.
"The law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood. Sins cannot be forgiven without a blood sacrifice" Hebrews 9:22.
He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. 2 Samuel 23:16
What has been like “water from the well of Bethlehem” to you recently— love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing (2 Samuel 23:16)? Have you taken whatever it may be, even at the risk of damaging your own soul, simply to satisfy yourself? If you have, then you cannot pour it out “to the Lord.” You can never set apart for God something that you desire for yourself to achieve your own satisfaction. If you try to satisfy yourself with a blessing from God, it will corrupt you. You must sacrifice it, pouring it out to God— something that your common sense says is an absurd waste.
Sometimes the beauty of our faith is not seen in our preaching, anointing, noise making, programs, nor in our zealousness but rather in our simple act of kindness. Just as David's heart was revealed in the kindness he showed Johnathan's grandson, Mephibosheth. (2Samuel Ch 9)
For many, ministry is just tool they use to acquire earthly treasures, yet for the Apostle it was the other way round. Their labor was more intense and harder than other men so as to be a blessing to the weak and the poor saints. They did not mind doing anything for the glory of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ.
”To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (Amplified Bible)
One thing is for sure, whether we are believers in Yahshua or not, the busyness of this life can attribute to us forgetting the essentials of life. Folks that are far away from God get caught up in the trappings of this world and the business of it eventually brings them to a place where they say “where has my life gone.”
I love this time of the year, Nov 01 - 12/31, is my favorite because, thankfulness is on my thoughts. From God’s daily blessings to the birth of the savior of the world, my heart is glad.
To understand the division of Bible into chapters and verses
by Chuck Ness
Throughout His ministry, Jesus never once broke the fourth commandment which required that all Jews observe the Sabbath. He was after all Jew. However, He did give us a clue that a change to the Sabbath was coming. To make my point, you must first understand that the original manuscripts of the Scriptures were not divided into verses and chapters.
The Old Testament manuscripts were written by scribes for the religious leaders to study. The New Testament manuscripts were letters originally written to be dispersed amongst the believers to read. They were like the letters you receive today. Just a document written in sentences and paragraphs with no verse or chapter numbers.
The Ancient Church of Antioch is in Damascus Syria. It was on the
road to Antioch where Saul of Tarsus met Christ and was converted.
It's also where the followers of Christ were first called Christians.
”Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought
him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught
great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."
Acts 11:25-26
Have you ever thought what the world would be like without Christianity impacting it? Ask a secular person who has heard propaganda and misinformation about Christianity and they will tell you everything they have heard minus the the truth of scripture. Many of us get upset the way Christianity has been attacked by the/a lie, forgetting that many of us were there at one time.
I’m A Soldier In Training; In God’s Army Enlisted;
I Will March For My Master; And My Father’s Insisted.
He Has Called Me To Share; As I Go On This Mission;
I Will Minister Hope To The Hurting; As They’re Placed In Condition.
I originally shared this back in March of 2010, but have since learned more about the situation. So I decided to update the information and repost it. This is a home video of an incident that took place in December of 2009 in Astrakhan, which is in Southern Russia. It starts with a 38-year-old Chechen man who decided to pull a trick at a wedding where he was a guest. He claimed he had an unloaded gun and was going to act like he was playing Russian Roulette. So he puts a gun to his head, when another man with a microphone attempts to stop him.
We are not sure what he told the man with the mike, but whatever he told him alleviated the guys worry and allowed the man to do what he wanted to do. Maybe he told him the gun was unloaded, or just a blank. Either way the man with the microphone allowed him to proceed. Meanwhile, amongst the the group of men standing around is a younger man taking the whole scene in without realizing what is about to happen. So the Chechen puts the gun to his head and pulls the trigger………. Click………. it does not fire. He then cocks the gun to give someone else a chance at the game.
Now this is the moment where someone has a free will choice to be wise, or foolish. See, like Adam, every human has been given the right to freely choose between right and wrong, wise or unwise. So we can freely decide what want to do, where we want to go, and who we wish to hang out with. Now, while Adam did sin, he was not created with a will to sin. Yet, because he chose with his own free will to eat the forbidden fruit, all men have been handed down to them, from Adam, the will and desire to sin. Today, humans have a 50% chance they will choose unwisely. OH, God could have made us perfect without the ability to sin, but then we would be nothing more than Chatty Cathy dolls repeating and doing whatever was programmed into us. Is that the kind of life you would wish to live?
Well in this incident, there is a young man would have been better if he did not have a free will choice. See, In this video we have many people who are drinking intoxicating beverages of their own free will. Remember, there are consequences for our chioces in life. Yet we can freely chose what we desire to do. So now we have one man who unwisely chose to play a bad joke at a wedding reception. While another man unwisely falls for it. The young man has a 50/50 chance of coming away unharmed. Ultimately it will be his free will choice.
So after the jokster plays his trick, the younger man steps up to prove his manliness by taking the gun from the jokster's hand. Believing this is all a joke and, that the gun is unloaded. He then places the muzzle of the gun against his head and pulls the trigger. The gun goes off, and the guy drops like a sack of potatoes........................
There is no blood splatter, so it does not look like there was a live round in the chamber, but there could have been a blank cartridge in it like starting postols do. However, most people who never use guns are clueless as to the fact that you can kill yourself with a blank starter pistol that has only dummy rounds. Especially if you put it against your head. The percussion of the gunpowder is powerful enough to blast a hole into your head and kill you, or at least do major damage.
I stated earlier that we all have a 50% chance of choosing what is right and what is wrong in this fallen world. However, that’s only if you put your faith in the World. If your faith is in the One who died for your salvation and you always go to HIM when you make important, and even some non important decisions, then you can be assured that your choices can be 100% correct all the time.
The two men in this video both trusted in their own understanding instead of the Lords. It is unwise to drink so much your faculties are not clear. It is unwise to play pranks with a gun. It is unwise to put even an unloaded gun to you head and pull the trigger. Sadly, the young man chose unwisely. When we put our faith in God, and follow His precepts correctly, then we will never allow ourselves to be in a position to chose unwisely as the young man in this video did.
As an aside, I have had my YouTube channel since early 2010, but in the last two years Google has removed 90% of the videos I had posted. I am shocked they have not removed this one, But they still could. I still have some of them on my hard drive, but there are some I am really upset that are lost forever. Gotta love the cancel culture huh? NOT!
This video has been posted to my (OneVike YouTube) account since March of 2010. Below is a comment from about 4 years ago by, a Mike Baxter, which may help shed some light on the situation. His take is as good as any I have read, so I'll let you decide what you want to believe about the incident. Yet know this, the news media reports that is was not a joke, the man lived, but he is brain damaged for life.
It's not fake ... what happened was, the firearm is a "less than lethal" pistol that shoots 'rubber bullets' and does not need to be registered (many pistol shootings and road rage you see on Russian videos is with this type firearms) .. BUT at closer range it could kill.
The first guy does rack the slide chambering a round (it's easy to see in slow motion) BUT he does not pull the trigger if you look closely its easy to see in fact, the trigger moves FORWARD slightly and he is not touching the trigger ... what he did was use the de-cocking lever to decock the pistol, and it makes a loud click.
Then he racks it again ejecting a live round, (in better resolution videos you can see the round falling to the ground in contrast to someone's black jacket) and then he passes the pistol to the second guy who assumes its empty and shoots himself, he did not die but survived with some brain damage after surgery.
The first guy was changed with mischief and reportedly said he thought the gun was empty, but if so, why did he try to stop the guy at the last second?? ... very weird (suspicious) and unsafe to say the least, reports indicate everyone involved was drunk.
Sometimes it makes you wonder what exactly gets into a dogs head. In this case a boxer mix is attacking his own shadow on the floor. I guess this is how a dog shadow boxes. Well, I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.
I found this in a file on my hard drive. I did not create the whole article, but through the years I have opened it and added some thoughts here and there. To be honest, it has been in my file so long I cannot remember what I added, or what was originally in it when I found it. The original file date says 2004, and the last time I edited it was 2018, so it's been on my hard drive for almost 18 years. My how time can go by. I tried to find out who put the original article together, but all the links are dead. So I'm clueless as to who the original author is. I offer it as food for thought. The more we know, the more we know we don't know. However, with help from God, we can continue to grow in HIS knowledge.
Today, Christians around the world celebrate December 25 as the birth date of Christ.
But this is incorrect. The date was chosen to attract the people of the pagan religion, who celebrated the birth date of the sun on that day.
The story of the birth of Christ and John, pinpoints the exact date of his birth.
According to Luke, the Angel Gabriel visited Zacharias while he was performing his priestly duties.
He announced the birth of his child, John.
“Why didn’t God just create us so that we would never have to experience pain, suffering, or sadness?”
The best way to answer this question, is to start at the beginning where original sin began. Now the best description I have ever read that describes sin is, anything that falls short of the perfection of a perfect GOD. When we refer to sin we also use the word evil, which is the opposite of what God embodies. Now we know that God has the power to make the world free of evil, yet to truly stop evil from ever happening is to deny one the free will to do as one desires. However, God wanted a creature that was as close to being like HIMSELF, without being HIM. Thus when HE made man, HE made man in HIS image with free will.
With this free will came the possibility that Adam and Eve might disobey God of their own volition, and partake of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Thanks to some coaxing from Satan, Eve was deceived into consuming the fruit and offered some to Adam. Adam, choosing Eve over GOD, also ate of the fruit. Thus, the first two humans exercised their God given right of free will, and they chose unwisely.
This is a topical message I shared with the Ladies of Windchime back in 2006. I only have a handful of messages recored, because I lost 99% of them when I had a hard drive fail on my some years back. This is one of the messages I was able to save.
Paul tells us that Christ is the Wisdom of GOD, so if you do not have Christ in your heart, it is impossible to make wise decisions. Without the Wisdom of GOD, we will continue to make decisions based upon man's wisdom. Yet we know that God uses foolish things to bring man's wisdom to shame.
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.1Corinthians 1:26-31
"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6
The Prophet Isaiah summed up the reprobate state into which God's chosen people had sunk. Though they had the blessing of the Law given to them by Moses, when he conversed with God on Mount Sinai, they had turned from their Lawgiver and become more wretched than the people who did not have the Law. God's chosen people were worshiping false gods. Isaiah 42:17 They were reveling in idolatry so much so that the prophet called Jerusalem a harlot that was as evil as the Sodomites. Isaiah 1:21 & 3:9.
Yet, the people had an illusion of righteousness. Many, especially the religious leaders who helped lead them into sin, professed to be "holier than thou," all the while burning incense on strange altars. Isaiah 65:3-2 However, God did not look upon their self righteousness as anything but pollution. He even told them He hated the Sabbaths and feasts that He had Himself ordained. Isaiah 1:13-14 The house of Jacob had rendered even its best acts of religious activity to nothing but apostasy in God's eyes. They were all unclean and dead like the leaves of fall, and their iniquities were like the wind that would cause them to be carried away. Isaiah 64:6.
I put this video together from many pictures my brother in Christ, Billo Das sent me. I added some images from before he got Bibles, along with images of him handing out Bibles and then the students using them. In the video you will see Billo baptizing 50 new converts. Most are former Hindus, and a few may be Muslim, but all have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Could I get an amen.
Many cannot appreciate the gift of Bibles. Yet in a country as poor as Bengladesh most do not own anything but the cloths on their back. So to own a Bible is a huge thing, especiually for the younger students. In America many kids have a phone by the time they are ten years old, but in Bangladesh most adults do not even own a phone. I suggest you look around your home and consider all you own that you take for granted.
An acquaintance whom I worked with on a few jobs around the valley died from COVID complications this past week. He had respiratory problems already, and he was in his late 60s. My heart is broken, because I was a bad watchman. He knew I am a Christian, but I never pushed the issue of his faith to know where he was.
True, only God knows our hearts, and until we get to heaven none of us truly know where another persons heart is. Yet, I never heard him speak of Jesus, and he never joined in a conversation whenever I would bring up my faith or beliefs.
On his fb page he has never mentioned the name of a Jesus, nor even eluded to his faith in any way. I do know he spent much free time fishing and traveling places to fish, and he enjoyed drinking socially but was not one to over indulge.
I'ts not islamophobia when they really want to kill us!
I offer over 50 images from 9/11. Not much needs to be said when you see images like there. God help us, because 9/11/2001 was the beginning of the end of this once great nation. We have a President who just spit in the face of every man and woman who fought and or died fighting terrorism in the last 20 years. Next Friday on September 17, I will turn 65, and I fear I will see much more hate and destruction in this country before the Lord takes me home. Come quickly dear Jesus.
I created a new chart that lists 23 women from the Scriptures. There are more than 23 women I could cover, but I took the 23 I felt were more recognizable to most Christians. Now, we all know who these women are, and their stories. From Eve to Mary, these women have had as great an impact on mankind as the men. Three, or maybe 4, are not known for their love of the One true GOD, while the others are remembered for their strength and courage in the face of adversity.
Book Review
As someone who has benefited from Mark Atterson's Biblical knowledge, I felt it an honor to write a review on my friends book. Mark spent some years as a teen in the Jehovah Witness church, but found Christ and left the cult many years ago. Mark's understanding of the way cults begin and how they misinterpret Scripture to Satan's benefit, proves he has the credentials needed to recognize how the perspective of fallen man throughout history have twisted the truth of God's Word
Walking In Wisdom
Read daily commentaries on the Book of Proverbs.
I highly recommend this business for you ladies looking for some good deals. The owner is a beautiful Christian woman who does my wife's hair. Plus she has some awesome women's apparel at decent prices you can order from her website Please check her out.
When you open the Bible to read the books of the Prophets, you will notice they are not listed in chronological order. I have stated time and time again that while I believe every Word in the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, I do not believe the divisions of chapters nor verses are inspired. Like the division of chapters and verses, I also do not believe the placement of where all the books themselves are located was inspired.
There are many sordid story's with many shocking facts shared in the Scriptures about God's people. One such story is the twisted account of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar? (Genesis 38:7-26) The story of Judah and Tamar is certainly not the most pleasant story in the Bible. In fact, most commentaries on the book of Genesis don’t spend much time on this chapter. After all, the story of Joseph (Genesis chapters 37-38), has a lot more preaching material and great spiritual lessons!
I joined FreeRepublic in February of 1998, shortly after it was created. Twenty four years later I am one of the few original members still contributing to the forum.
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