I just watched a 2 hour show on the History channel called The 7 New Signs Of The Apocalypse. It was based on Revelation and showed how natural and man made disasters and events could bring about the final apocalypse of the earth and mankind as described in the Book of Revelation. In the last couple of minutes they talk of hope as the last chapter of Revelation describes a beautiful, healthy, and peaceful new earth. Then they make the statement that somehow mankind can change and reverse the direction of our destruction and create this new earth.

HOW VAIN!

First they go into great detail about how we have no control over natural disasters and how our past, present and foreseeable actions will continue to cause havoc to our environment.

Second they say that our religious, nationalistic and militaristic behaviors will continue to drive us to greater levels of atrocity against ourselves.

They completely leave GOD out of the equation, while quoting scripture they give no credence to GOD as the originator and controller of these events. Nor the fact that in Revelation 22 it is GOD who creates the new heaven and the new earth for redeemed man, not for all mankind.

Their main source of knowledge about the scriptures they quote is a female professor from Princeton who is very familiar with the scriptures but seems to have no personal knowledge of GOD therefore; no understanding of what the scriptures mean and what GOD is telling us.

This is the reason that every believer should be reading the Bible every day! We should be reading as many chapters as we can and not just route reading but praying and thinking about what they are saying to us and what that means to our life and family today!

We cannot expect that even the “experts” will have a personal relationship with GOD and that His Holy Spirit will be enlightening their understanding of His Word and how to apply it to our life. The scripture tells us that we each human being will stand before GOD on that last great day and if our name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life we will not be judged in the great judgment but we will be judged for how we lived our life. Our works will be judged and every word we have spoken will be judged. There will be no excuse we are responsible for living our life in obedience and faith according the Christ’s teachings.

God is a title, there are many that are called God, Odin, Buddha, Allah, Thor, Baal. Some people believe they are part of the universal god consciousness. But, there is only one true GOD, Jehovah! Unlike the non gods that humans worship in vane Jehovah is alive and completely in control and involved with His creation. Jehovah has many names because He is such a large and all encompassing GOD. His names describe Who He is and What He does.
Elohim - The Sovereign Mighty Creator
El Elyon - GOD Most High
El Shaddai - The All Sufficient One
Adonai - LORD & Master
Jehovah - The Unchangeable Intimate GOD
Jehovah Rophe - The LORD My Health
Jehovah Jireh - The LORD My Provider
Jehovah Rohi - The LORD My Shephard
Jehovah Shammah - GOD is There
Jehovah Makkeh - The LORD Who Molds Me
Jehovah Gmolah - The LORD Who Rewards
Jehovah Nissi - The LORD My Banner of Victory
Jehovah Shalom - The LORD My Peace and Wholeness
Jehovah M'Kaddesh - The LORD My Sanctifier
Jehovah Tsidkenu - The LORD My Righteousness
JESUS - He will Save His People from their sins
Immanuel - GOD With Us
Christ The LORD - Savior
Holy Spirit - Comforter, Councilor, Helper, Teacher

So if you want to know GOD, the only True and Living Triune GOD (Heavenly Father, Only Begotten Son, Holy Spirit), learn His names and call upon Him by Name.

The Patience of Christ

Patient, Patience, Patiently = (NT) forbearance, longsuffering, endurance, continuance,  to forbear, bear long,  holding up under evil, yielding, lenient, to remain under, suffer long’ forbearingly, with long suffering; (OT)long, to wait, expect (Also see continuance, endure, wait, waiting)¹

One of the first things I learned as a Christian was that if you asked GOD to give you or teach you patience He would, and that the process of learning patience is long and hard. Some things you do not need to ask for because the process will happen naturally. The natural process may be easier than the advanced (asked for) but they both come through testing, trial, and tribulation. If you have been a Christian for very long you are familiar with the teachings on patience from Romans 5:1-5; Colossians 1:9-12; Hebrew 10:35-36, 12:1-11; James 1:2-4 and 2 Peter 1:5-11. And there are other verses that teach us that we must endure temptation, rejection, and persecution just as Jesus did and that these experiences when completed in faith and hope will bring maturity and blessings.

But!

As I was reading through Revelation this year I ran across verses that referenced the patience of Jesus and Saints so I started noting them.  “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of GOD and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I know your works, your labor, your patience (perseverance), and that you cannot bear (endure) those that are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience (perseverance); and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Because you have kept My command to persevere (lit. the word of My patience), I also will keep you from the hour of tribulation which will come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience (perseverance) and the faith of the saints. Here is the patience (steadfastness, perseverance) of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of GOD and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 1:9; 2:2-3, 19; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12)

This is more than testing, trial, and tribulation, before being sent to the island of Patmos John was boiled in oil to kill him. In the letters to the churches Jesus commends, admonishes, and corrects them and each letter ends with the phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will…” This is not merely living a good Christian life free from sin and disobedience like in James 5:7-12, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the LORD. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the LORD is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the LORD, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the LORD—that the LORD is very compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your ’Yes’ be ’Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment.”

This is, “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of GOD and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O LORD, Holy and True, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. After these things I looked, and behold,  a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, people, and tongues, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,…And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb...’ Then I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our GOD, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our GOD day and night, has been cast down.’ And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” Revelation 6:9-11; 7:9-17; 12:10-11

How do we live this life? It must be as a Spirit empowered life by obeying Christ’s teaching!

This is where I stop writing and you start obeying the Spirit of GOD by reading, studying, meditating, and praying over what Jesus told us on how to live and what to do.

Just saying He is LORD, LORD is not enough, Do Not Sin Against Holy Spirit, My Family obeys the Will of My Father, we must take up our cross and deny ourself, do not cause offence, do it as unto the LORD not for reward, we must leave all to follow Him, strive to enter at the narrow gate, humble yourself and He will exalt you, the first shall be last and the last first, love one another as He loves us.

Mathew 7:21-23, 12:31-32 (Mark 3:28-30), :46-50, 16:24-27 (Mark 8:34-38, John 12:24-26) 18:6-9 (Matthew 5:27-30, Mark 9:42-50) 25:31-46; Luke 9:23-26 (Matthew 10:27-39), :57-62 (Matthew 8:18-23); 13:22-30, 14:7-14, :25-35; John 13:31-35; 15:9-17

Study Matthew chapters 5 thru 7, 10:16-39, 15:1-20, chapters 23 & 25; Mark 7:1-23, 12:38-40, 13:10-13; Luke 6:17-49, chapters 11 & 12; John chapters 10, 14 thru 17

Related scriptures:

James 1:3-4, 12; 5:7-8, 10-11

Luke 2:43; 8:15; 21:19

Matthew 18:26, 29; 24:13

Romans 2:7; 5:3-4; 8:24-25; 12:12; 15:4-5

2 Corinthians 6:4; 12:12

1 Timothy 3:3; 6:11

2 Timothy 2:24; 3:10

Hebrews 6:12, 15; 10:36; 12:1, 7

1 Peter 2:20

2 Peter 1:6

Acts 17:14; 26:3

1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:14

2 Thessalonians 1:4; 3:5

Colossians 1:11

Titus 2:2

Revelation 1:9; 2:2-3, 19; 3:10; 12:11; 13:10; 14:12

Psalms 40:1

Ecclesiastes 7:8

GOD is Longsuffering = (OT) long of face or anger; (NT) longsuffering

Exodus 34:6

Numbers 14:18

Psalms 86:15

Jeremiah 15:15

Romans 15:4-5

2 Peter 3:9

All quoted scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1980

¹ Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Twenty-Second American Edition, Wm.B. Eerdman’s Publishing Co., 1969

Hearing The Word of GOD

“Also He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’ Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’” Mark 4:21-25.

This is one continuous thought as Jesus was teaching the disciples after He explained the parable of the sower which is about sowing the Word of GOD’s Kingdom. The Word of GOD is a Lamp to our feet a Light to our pathway and it should not be hidden. Every word that we speak will be revealed so we should be very careful how we speak and to whom we speak. It is important to hear the voice of the LORD in His written Word and by Holy Spirit, in verse 23 Jesus speaks one of His most often spoken but least heeded words to believers, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” The admonition is to us who are filled with the True and Living Spirit of GOD to not just hear what He is saying but to meditate (study), to let Holy Spirit transform our life by the truth of the Word, and to be led by Him in expressing the truth of the Word to unbelievers and believers.

To unbelievers we should be telling them the Gospel which is the Power of GOD to salvation; that is that the Kingdom of GOD is present through Jesus Christ to save us from eternal damnation and punishment into His eternal and Glorious Kingdom both here on earth and in the new earth to come, because Jesus became sin for us and took our place when He obeyed The Father and went to the cross. In the power of His resurrection from death He defeated death and hell, taking the keys of their dominions and He ascended to be seated at the right hand of GOD waiting for The Church (His Body on earth) to disciple the nations of this world into His Kingdom and to make His enemies His footstool.

To believers we should be teaching that through the work of the cross and resurrection Jesus has made us the Righteousness of GOD calling us to live a life free from sin in the overcoming power of Holy Spirit whom He sent to indwell us, to teach us everything that Jesus taught, to guide us through the process of our life being transformed (called) and commissioned (sent) to the lost whom He wants to save. To comfort and strengthen us when we are tried and tested so that we grow in faith and obedience.

“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’” Verses 24 & 25 are almost always applied to prosperity but Jesus is talking about the Word not finances or possessions. What we hear and what we do with what we hear is the point of Jesus’ conversation with the Disciples. Jesus is telling the Disciples to steward His Word, to study it, to memorize it, to understand His Heart and the purpose He spoke into existence. By whatever means He speaks to us, His written Word; His audible Word; Holy Spirit discernment, wisdom, knowledge, understanding; by dreams; visions; or prophecy. The key is His first sentence, “Take heed what you hear.” If we listen to negative, vulgar, and cruel language we will take that into our being. If we listen to wholesome, positive, uplifting language we will take that into our being. If we listen to the Word of GOD that will change our being from evil or naturally good to being holy as He is Holy. So according to verse 25 the more time we spend not just reading but studying and memorizing His Word the more of our life will be filled by it, the greater our understanding of His Word is the greater our understanding of Who GOD is and what His purpose for our life is. As in prosperity the more of GOD we have the more of GOD we get. So then if we make light of GOD’s Word we will lose what we have. I can attest to that, during my 17 years of rebellion to GOD my heart grew colder and my understanding of His love and purpose for my life and marriage diminished to the point I just did not care. Only by His love and grace and my wife’s prayers did I come to a place where I recognized what I had lost and that I was on the edge of eternal destruction.

When Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) He was not talking about head knowledge He was talking about Himself, Heavenly Father, and Holy Spirit. When we know GOD (El Emet) who is truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth then we will have all understanding and His peace no matter what is happening.

Study Psalm 19:7-14, 31:5, 110:1-2, 119:105; Matthew 6:22-23, 7:6, 15:7-20, 22:43-44; Luke 12:1-3; Revelation 1:18, 3:7; Hebrews 1, 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 15:22-26; 1 Peter 1:13-16; Leviticus 19:2; John 16:12-15; 2 Peter 1:16-21

Notes I made after reading the chapter Humility and Sin in Andrew Murray's book Humility.
As I recognize that I am a sinner saved by Grace, I cannot judge others for their sin. The righteousness I have comes only from GOD, not from anything I do. Because of that Righteous I am no longer a sinner, but by the Power of The Holy Spirit I am transformed into the image of Christ.
Humility is a gift from GOD that I access as I understand that I live by GOD's grace not my strength. Yet I must always remember I was an unrepentant sinner unable to change or save myself. Only GOD through the Cross saves me and transforms me so that I no longer sin (study Galatians).
I must lay down my will as a gift to GOD so that Christ will dwell in my life.

True humility is not achieved, it is only from yielding myself to the Servant Heart of Christ, The Son of GOD who came as the Son of Man to live a sinless life (not free from temptation for He was tempted as we are), but He did not yield to sin or doubt or rebellion. He lived sinless and selfless. He obeyed the Father to the point of separation for the first and only time. It was not His death but my sin that caused this separation as He became sin for me, took my sin upon Himself and took my place in judgment and punishment. If I live for myself even as a 'christian' I am rejecting His sacrifice. I walk in humility as I lay down my life I can only lay down my life when I am crucified with Christ. I must be a servant of GOD as The Holy Spirit leads in the Power of the Resurrection, or I am just doing works that will be burned up when I stand before GOD.

About 2 years ago, a new acquaintance at church asked the question, “Why are there still sick in the church?” I have thought about this question off and on and asked GOD but never got any clear answer.          As we were praying and fasting recently for the Call Berkley, The LORD started to give me an answer.  It came as a result of what He showed me while I was praying this past September.

The LORD started with Prov. 29:2 and the understanding that we (the church) have neglected His given authority and power to make the nations of this world the nations of His Kingdom. That we (His Body) have let the world in and put aside His mantel of authority, letting the world control us in every area. This is no new revelation, but we still have not done anything to change that.

On a TV program talking about tsunamis they said that most people do not drown, but are crushed to death. Shortly after that our pastor was talking about GOD’s tsunami of love washing over the church and I felt that The LORD was prompting me to pray for His tsunami of love to crush the world out of the church, and to repent of the church’s sin of not making the nations of this world the nations of His Kingdom.

A couple of days later as I was praying I started thinking about patterns, the Bible is full of patterns, but the church has left the pattern (great commission)that Christ gave us before He ascended. We are not making disciples of the nations we are not even changing our communities.

One of the points of prayer during the lead up to the Call Berkley was that the hearts of the fathers would be turned to the children, and the hearts of the children would be turned to the fathers. To restore what was lost during the demonstrations 50 years ago. As well as revival to our communities, states, and nation, something the church has been praying for years.

I felt The LORD showing me to pray for His Kingdom to come to the church and His Will to be done in the church as it is in Heaven. Then He showed me that revival could not come to the land until it came to the church! He started to give me things that the church needs to repent of if there is to be revival in the church. We have raised up unsaved children, who have not been taught repentance, prayer, fasting, holiness! There is no unity in the church we can be different in name and expression, but we should be working together to reach the lost and convert our nation. We are The Body of Christ; He is the Head and as His body we need to function in unity being coordinated by The Holy Spirit, fitly joined together each joint supplying that which every member needs. There is still sexual immorality in the church leadership, therefore in the local assemblies; we have build up mega churches while not turning our communities upside down. We need leadership that wants to do the will of GOD. We need humble leadership. Study Matt. 28:16-20, Mk. 16:14-18, 1Jn. 4:7-5:5.

Tonight I felt The LORD say until the church repents and starts to fulfill His commission for Her (His authority) that there will continue to be very limited power for healing, deliverance, and raising of the dead (His Will). Revival cannot not come to the land until it comes to the church; praying and even fasting is not enough to bring revival to the church if we do not repent!

What Jesus Did!

What Jesus Did!

First Jesus lived a sinless life as a man, being temped in every way (pride, rebellion, disobedience) yet not giving in to sin, but giving us victory over The Law.

At the Last Supper He showed again that He came as a servant by washing the disciple’s feet.

In the garden He took upon Himself and defeated our rebellion by praying and exercising, “Not My will but Yours’.”

At Caiaphas’ house, at Herod’s palace, and at the Roman Praetorium Jesus took on and defeated pride, arrogance, and vengeance by not defending Himself, by not striking back, by not correcting, but He exercised humility before men and submission to GOD’s will delivering us from the power of pride.

Before Pilate He proclaimed His Kingship then allowed Himself to be traded in exchange for a sinner (Barabbas).

On the whipping post He took all of our infirmities, sicknesses, and diseases, providing us with healing and health.

On the road to Golgotha He allowed someone to serve Him, Simon of Cyrene helped carry His cross. Showing His humility and need for the Body (Church).

On the cross He showed mercy and gave forgiveness to the thief who asked for mercy as a sinner. He provided a care giver for His mother, John. He took upon Himself the sin of every person that had ever lived, that was alive at the time and that would ever be born. And, by this He was separated from His Father for the first and only time in all of eternity.

He died and went to hell where He took upon Himself the judgment and punishment of every persons’ sin. There He proclaimed His LORDSHIP over all of creation and defeating every work of the devil proclaimed Salvation to the dead. Leading the righteous in the resurrection He rose from the grave giving us the victory over sin and death by taking the keys of death and hell.

He revealed Himself as the Risen Savior and sent us the Holy Spirit to comfort, counsel, and instruct us. He then ascended to the right hand of the Throne of GOD seating us with Himself to rule and reign with Him for all eternity.

This is an exercise we did at home group recently.

3 Minute Testimony

I started smoking at the age of 10 by stealing my dad’s cigarettes. So I was already an accomplished liar, cheater and thief. I found my dad’s pornography at age 12, I was hooked

.

When I was 13 I had my first real experience with GOD, I was exploring an undeveloped area that had a 30 foot bluff. I walked around to the back side and out to a narrow point. I decide to go down but did not want to walk all the way back around so I started making my way down the cliff face. About half way I got stuck and could not see how to go back or keep going. I thought about lowering myself down from the ledge I was on but could not see how to get in position without falling. I called on GOD and told Him if He helped me get down I would quit smoking, cussing, lying etcetera. He did but I did not! Not long after that I got drunk for the first time.

When I was 16 I had sex with a woman. Later that year I went to my friend’s Pentecostal church to hear a Canadian evangelist. His testimony of GOD saving him and keeping him from going to prison was strong and I with everyone else went forward during the alter call. I confessed I was a sinner and asked Jesus to forgive my sins. But I was never taught what that meant and how to actually make the changes in my life. When I was 17 I was arrested with some friend for minors possession and public drunkenness, we spent the night in a small town jail.

When I was 18 I started doing drugs dropped out of school and joined the Navy. After I got out of the Navy and returned home I was running with the same people as before and got arrested for the second time in my life. After spending a night and day in jail I decided to move to Southern California where I had family.

Six months later on my 23^rd birthday I was living with an aunt and uncle. My aunt was a Christian and went to church most every Sunday. Since my birthday fell on a Sunday that year I thought I’d go to church. My aunt did not go that day but she dropped my 13 year old cousin and me off. My cousin went to her class so I sat in the church not knowing anybody or really what was going on. But! At the end of the service I felt like I belonged, like I was home so I just keep going.

By the end of a month I no longer smoked, drank, or did drugs. By the end of 3 months I understood I was a sinner saved by Grace through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. I was water and Spirit baptized. By the end of 5 months I was married and had a 10 year old son. At 9 months I stared Bible College.

After many trials and testings here I am serving GOD and married for 41years.

Are We Sinners Saved By Grace; Or?

Are We Sinners Saved By Grace; Or?

Over the years of my being a Christian I’ve heard believers in Christ refer to ourselves as sinners saved by grace, lowly worms, unworthy vessels, and recently as bad people who GOD saved. All of these are basically true but, if you are a born again Spirit filled Christian you are no longer a sinner, or an unworthy vessel, or a lowly worm, or a bad person who is saved by grace. You are a new creation, the Righteousness of GOD in Christ Jesus!  We aren’t saved and going to Heaven versions of what we were before we became saved by The Blood of The Lamb. We are who GOD made us to be originally, as a born again Spirit filled Christian we are the Children of GOD, joint heirs with Jesus of the Kingdom of GOD.

GOD who is Holy has called us to be Holy, He has made us Righteous and sanctified us for His Kingdom. So He did not save us to be saved versions of who we were but redeemed versions of who He created us to be. He redeemed us with the precious Blood of Jesus because we are precious to Him and He does not want us to continue to live the life that He saved us from. John tells us that if we truly love GOD we will stop sinning, but that if we do sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. Paul tells us that as a servant of GOD we must crucify and leave buried our old nature and take on the nature of Christ. It’s not that we are perfect, Paul admits that he struggled with not doing what he wanted (live for and serve GOD) and doing what he did not want (live for himself).

If we live our Christian life thinking of ourselves as lowly and unworthy we denigrate the value that GOD gave us when He created Adam and breathed His breath of life into him; the worth that He gave us at the Cross when Christ became sin for us and took our punishment; and the sonship granted to us by Christ’s resurrection and ascension. We must stop thinking of ourself as lowly or unworthy even though in and of ourself we are, we must think of ourself as GOD sees us, His children that He has prepared a special place for in His Kingdom both on this earth and the new earth to come. And, as His servants obedient in life and death to lift the name of Jesus above everything else and to bring Glory to His Eternal Kingdom.

Study St. John chapters 1 & 3; The book of Romans; 1 Corinthians chapters 1 thru 10; & the book of 1 John.