Romans 11:33

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of GOD! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33 KJV

“Our consolation is knowing that Our Father is working according to His own wisdom.” Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest

Oswald’s thoughts on Romans 11:33 affirm that the Church needs to understand how great and awesome our GOD is! He is bigger than our desire for comfort and peace. Peace and comfort are found in the rest of GOD and that rest does not mean that everything in our life is easy and comfortable; Jesus said, “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentile (meek) and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

To enter into His rest we first must be laboring in His Kingdom, the works that Jesus did as the Son of GOD; the works that the Apostles did. The Apostles called themselves bondservants of Christ, they experienced persecution, suffering and death for their faith. They tell us to not only expect trials, tests and persecutions but to rejoice in them. Jesus said we would be persecuted, imprisoned and killed for our faith, He said we would have to flee for our lives at times.

The bigness of our GOD is not in how comfortable and peaceful our life is it is in how in the persecution, tests and trials of life while we do the works of His Kingdom we have His rest!

Study Matthew 5:11-12, 5:43-46, 7:21-23, 10:16-42; Luke 6:22-26; Hebrews12:1-11; James 1:2-27; 1 Peter 3:13-4:19; 1 John 4:20-5:5; Revelation 7:13-17; Romans 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1

GOD is Everything!

This past Sunday, August 12^th, I heard Apostle Clark Ortiz speaking at Faith Pleases GOD Church in Harlingen, Texas and he made a statement that rang true for me; while this was not the focus of his message it is a message that Charlene and I have believed since the early 90’s; I have not heard anyone else make this statement or teach on this. I think one of the reasons that the Church lacks faith and obedience is that the Church as a whole has a low esteem of who GOD is. This is not the statement that Ortiz made but it is the result of those who do not understand his statement. Most Christians and all who do not know Him believe that GOD is out there somewhere in space or eternity (Heaven) or some other dimension (the spiritual {supernatural} realm) looking in on us and having some influence on us as individuals and as His creation. This is a small view of who GOD is!

The statement that Charlene and I have believed since the early 90’s and that Apostle Ortiz made is, “All things exist within GOD.” All things means everything nothing excluded, GOD is not out there we are within Him! All creation; the heavens, the earth and seas, the galaxies, the universes; everything that exists that is not GOD exists within GOD.

How do we wrap our minds around that? The more we think about it, try to picture it in our mind the more impossible it becomes; it is only possible when we just believe that GOD is and that He is everything that He reveals Himself to be. There is no singular scripture that teaches this; it is not a doctrine or theological teaching. It is a revelation of, an experiential understanding of who GOD is!*

It is the result of understanding that GOD is bigger (greater) than we generally think of Him. There is nothing outside of GOD, nothing that we can imagine, nothing that is revealed to us. There is GOD and everything that we see and know is made by Him for His good pleasure and exists within Him. Whatever might be outside of GOD He has not revealed so we do not need to know; remember that is original sin, Eve wanted to know what GOD was keeping from them.

We need to think and speak bigger about GOD, there are many things that the Church says that mimic what the world says that are demeaning to GOD. When we believe who GOD is in His fullness not in our limited human thinking this will change how we understand everything; like the tri-unity of GOD (the GOD Head), light and darkness, the heavens and hell, predestination, eternal salvation, the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth, the new Jerusalem, eternal life, physical and spiritual death, etc. We limit GOD by our words which are a reflection of our faith.

*”In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.” “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with GOD and the Word was GOD.” “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of GOD, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which were visible.” Genesis 1:1, John 1:1, Hebrews 11:3 NKJV Also study Psalm 33:6-9

So in the beginning there was only GOD and His Word! He created light and He is light; Genesis 1:3, John 1:4-5, 8:12, 9:5 Also study Psalm 27:1, 139:7-12, Isaiah 60:1-3, Matthew 5:14-16, John 3:14-21, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 John 1:5, Revelation 21:23, 22:5

GOD created life and He is life; Genesis 1 & 2, John 1:4, 5:21, 8:12, 11:25-26, 14:6 Also study Psalm 119:50, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 3:10-11, Colossians 2:11-3:17

The whole Bible (the Word of GOD) is given to humanity so that we may know Him and when we have faith in Him (not just believe that He is {James 2:19-20}) He (Holy Spirit) comes and lives in us and teaches us everything we need to know to fear Him, love Him and serve Him. John 16:5-15, 1 Corinthians 6:14-20 Also study Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 12:4-7, 2 Corinthians 6:11-18, Ephesians 2:19-22

The point is to know GOD you must more than believe that He is you must seek Him and His Righteousness (Matthew 5-7) many seek Him for their gain rather than to know Him. Many in hell believed there was a God before their judgment but they did not seek to know Him and to serve Him in this life; the very things Jesus came to teach and demonstrate to us.

Propagating The Gospel

How Is The Gospel Propagated?

While reading 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Since Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension every attempt of the Church and Christians to evangelize using forced conversion and cultural change has failed! Why?

Christians are not called to forcibly convert the world; after the nation of Israel was freed from bondage in Egypt and led by GOD to land He had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob they were required to destroy the peoples and cultures that then lived in the Promised Land; as we know by history they did a poor job; they then had to defend their land and often take it back. That is the only time in the history of the world that GOD in any way, shape or form has asked or commanded His people to kill and destroy, to conquer and subvert any land or culture by force!

Christ’s command to the Church is to love our neighbor as ourself, to love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us, to take up the cross and lay down our life for the Gospel. To turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, to give what is demanded and more, to do the works of His Kingdom; heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, disciple nations and make His enemies His footstool. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood, it is against His enemies; principalities, powers and rulers of darkness; the gates of hell cannot stand against the Church when in love and obedience we are fulfilling the Great Commission.

But! He never tells us to conquer peoples or lands for the Gospel. Making a disciple is not done through violence and control it is done through love, teaching and lifestyle.

“And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” Revelation 12:11 NKJV

A culture is not changed because it is squashed by violence and controlled by laws so that outwardly people live a desired lifestyle. A culture is changed because people hear about Jesus and see His Kingdom being lived by it proclaimers daily.

Peace Presence Power

Peace – Presence – Power

The Peace that passes all understanding!

The Presence of GOD that lives in us!

The Power of the resurrection of Christ!

The Bible teaches us that there is a peace that passes all understanding from GOD and no other source. The Bible teaches that no matter what happens in our life that GOD loves us and no one and nothing can take us away from Him. There is no power on earth or in heave that can separate us from GOD; except ourself! We are the only one that can separate us from GOD! Unbelievers have done it by rejecting GOD’s gift of salvation. Christians do it by sinning in spite of GOD’s call to be holy as He is holy. This is also a gift from GOD because we are righteous in Christ Jesus, we are to stand fast in the liberty which Christ has given us; we are to resist the devil and he will flee; we are to crucify our flesh and serve His Spirit; we are to fulfill the commission Christ gave all believers; we are to do the works of His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven; we are to love one another and be one as Jesus and the Father are one!

The Bible teaches that GOD lives in every born again believer, that His Spirit (Holy Spirit) takes up resident in our body the moment we confess our sin and ask forgiveness by the Blood of Jesus. We are living temples of GOD in the earth; we are to take care of our body; we are to bring our body into submission to our spirit under the direction of Holy Spirit; we are to be conformed to Christ’s image, in the fellowship of His suffering; we are to have the mind of Christ; we are to do GOD’s will even to death!

The Bible teaches that we are to live our life for GOD in the power of Christ’s resurrection. In Christ we are born again; we live a new life our old life being dead and buried with Christ; we no longer live by or for the flesh; we are a new creation in Christ!

The Cross

The Cross

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of GOD.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Why are atheists so opposed to the cross? They hate to see it anywhere, why? Bear with me as I explain why they hate the cross.

Atheists claim that they do not believe in GOD, for whatever their reason is they do not believe in GOD, Jesus Christ, eternal life, heaven, etc. Some are hard non-believers that do not believe in any super natural power or omnipotent being who is responsible for everything that is. There are some that just do not believe in the Judeo-Christian GOD. Why does not matter but the fact that they hate the cross and what they believe it represents or what they have been told that it represents does not make sense if they do not believe in GOD.

For everyone except atheists things that we do not believe in do not bother us, why should we care if to us it is not real? Why should I be bothered or offended that others believe in something that I do not believe in? I do not believe that there is life on other planets, I don’t care that others do, that governments spend millions of dollars to try to prove and fine them. That people pay money to reserve a seat on flights to Mars. While I think it is a waste of money or even stupid I don’t take offense that they believe it and try to prove it.

So what is the difference? People who call themselves an atheist but are offended at others for believing in GOD are not truly atheists, they are deniers. They deny GOD and seeing a cross or hearing someone talking about Jesus reminds them that they are denying the truth; for whatever their reason is; but they know in their heart that there truly is a GOD and that He is in control of their eternity and that they have rejected His gift of eternal salvation; for whatever reason.

Otherwise why would they say things like ‘god damn it’ or ‘jesus f****** christ’; these are curses and vulgar to most people. If GOD and Jesus do not exist than their names would mean nothing, they would not be vulgar they would have no effect when spoken as a curse. ‘god damn it’ is an actual curse but for it to be effective the speaker must believe in GOD. If those who claim to be atheists do not truly believe in GOD they would not use these or other vulgar curses that use GOD or Jesus Christ. I don’t believe in Odin the Norse god because I know that he is not a god, that he was not even a real person. I don’t go around speaking that name as a curse or as a vulgar term towards someone or something I am mad at. I don’t even think about the name Odin except when it is used in some mythological story. But, there are people today who believe in him and worship and serve him.

So the fact is that most people who claim to be atheists are not, they are deniers and their hatred of GOD and Jesus Christ are signs of that fact.

One more point about the cross specifically that is lost on atheists, non-believers and many Christians. Before Christ was crucified the cross was a curse to the whole world. The Romans perfected the cross as a form of corporal punishment that could take days for the victim to die. The cruelty of the cross was the point of it as Jesus Christ’s form of death as the Lamb of GOD who became sin for sinners and took upon Himself the punishment due every human being since Adam. The Bible teaches that Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world was laid in creation. GOD knew before He formed man in His own image and breathed into him His breath of life that man would sin and need to be saved from himself. Even before He was crucified Christ challenged those who believed in GOD to take up their cross and follow Him.

Since Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross it has become a symbol of hope and salvation and only those who reject GOD reject the cross and despise what it represents. They are deniers and rejecters not atheists!

“For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’” 1Corinthians 1:19 quoting Isaiah 29:14

Also study: Hebrews 12:1-2; Luke 24:13-27; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Peter 2:20-25; Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23; Revelation 13:8-9; Mathew 10:37-39

Weather Wise

All the “natural” disasters and weather “phenomena” are GOD saying, “If you (humanity) continue to reject Me, to deny Me, to take credit for what I have done and what I am doing, things will only get worse!”

GOD did not create the earth to have holes in the Ozone, or Ozone depletion from global warming from environmental pollution by humanity. But humanities rejection of the Creator of all things and taking responsibility for their care has led to this.

GOD gave us (humanity) dominion over His natural creation to care for it and use it for our benefit through stewardship. This is recognizing that everything belongs to GOD and He calls us to care for it under His direction while using it for our benefit.

Study the creation, the gospels, the prophets and the Revelation in His Word to humanity, the Bible!

I got this word while I was praying this morning.

July 4, 2018

July 4, 2018 Happy Independence Day!

Thank you to all the descendants of those who fought and served to gain the freedom we have today! Thank you to all who have served and all who are serving and their families for protecting the freedom we have today!

Today we celebrate the liberty this nation was founded on: The freedom to worship GOD without government interference, the freedom to live free of government oppression and unreasonable taxation, the freedom to speak one’s mind without fear of imprisonment, the freedom to assemble without government permission, the right of self-defense without fear of punishment. These are the things our fore-fathers fought against the British government for. The things we struggle for today at home and abroad.

No matter our political or religious persuasion we are one nation under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and just for all. That is the foundation of our nation based on our Declaration and Constitution.