Category: prayer

Avoiding Deception and Manipulation

Valuable information is found in scripture and if we learn and apply this, it will keep us from being deceived or manipulated. The tool to know if a person is a deceiver or manipulator is found in Galatians 5, a letter Paul wrote to the Galatians around 50 AD (about 20 years after Jesus was crucified to put this in historical context).

Pay attention to the descriptive qualities of a person to know if they are truly guided by the Holy Spirit or as scripture states still under the bondage of the evil one who opposes God. There are some who may call themselves Christians but when we look at the description of a person’s character of one who is “in Christ,” a true “Believer”- these traits will be seen if the person is guided by the Holy Spirit. If none of these traits are seen in a person, that person is a liar about being a Christian (so stay away from them, do not trust them), if some of the traits are seen that person may be a new Christian in process a “baby Christian,” so still be cautious, but a mature Christian will show these traits consistently, more often than not, with occasional “mistakes,” this person is more trustworthy, but not still not perfect, because no one will be perfected until Jesus returns. The fruit of the Spirit is what can be seen in someone truly being guided by the Holy Spirit. Here are the verses:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

There are definitions of the 9 characteristics:

  1. Love: agapē (ἀγάπη– Greek word): Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…1 Corinthians 13:4-8
  2. Joy: chara (χαρά– Greek word): cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight
  3. Peace: eirēnē (εἰρήνη – Greek word): by implication, prosperity:—one, peace, quietness, rest,
  4. Patience: makrothymia (μακροθυμία – Greek word): forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude:—longsuffering, patience.
  5. Kindness: chrēstotēs (χρηστότης– Greek word): usefulness, i.e. morally, excellence (in character or demeanor):—gentleness, good(-ness), kindness.
  6. Goodness: agathōsynē (ἀγαθωσύνη – Greek word): i.e. virtue or beneficence
  7. Faithfulness: pistis (πίστις– Greek word): persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
  8. Gentleness: prautēs (πραΰτης– Greek word): gentleness, by implication, humility:—meekness.
  9. Self-Control: egkrateia (ἐγκράτεια – Greek word): (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites)

Not only is this a good checklist when encountering others and determining how trusting we should be with them, but this is equally as important as a checklist for us. Do we exhibit these qualities? Do we need more help from the Holy Spirit in certain areas? Jesus said to his disciples:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:12-14

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:15-17

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

John 3:5

And Paul warns us:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

We are told we live in a spiritual world, where the unseen is present and influencing events in our daily lives and we may even interact with angels unknowingly:

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:2

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:17

Knowing what to look for (the traits of a person guided by the Holy Spirit) helps us avoid deception and manipulation. Don’t be swayed by emotion, use scriptural knowledge and overcome.

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Growing Our Faith

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Romans 10:17

I found this statement to be true -personally. I knew of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit since I was a child, emphasizing the word knew “of” because I didn’t “personally know God”- just was taught about Him, but that all changed as I studied the Bible. No longer was God some mysterious being, Jesus some historical figure of the past or the Holy Spirit (a “mystery” to me) but I started to understand God’s character, thoughts (in more detail than “love your neighbor”), things He hates, what He loves, and what His will is for all of us: to be with Him in eternity. Thankfully, He went through extraordinary means for us (meaning Jesus on the cross) and for me personally that my “eyes finally opened” as a result of studing scripture, I finally know God personally. It didn’t happen from anyone “teaching” me anything, it happened when I started seeking to know Him to understand what’s in the Bible and studying scripture. There are several true statements about seeking too, some are:

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isaiah 55:6

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33 (Jesus said this)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7 (Jesus said this)

My way of thinking drastically changed (in a positive way) as I studied and I realized “truths” about many questions I had. My faith grew and I believed deeper. I have a solid faith now. Before I had some questions, but those were answered by studying scripture. Due to the impact scripture had on me, I began to share what I was learning on this website, on Instagram, and in a podcast.

Spotify Podcast Link

I’m currently working on a Bible Study Podcast covering the Book of John, reading and discussing a chapter per day (when I can). I chose this one because John was one of the first disciples and he expressed in his writings that he thought he was closest to Jesus (like a best friend), so I’m interested in his insight. He was also the one who wrote the book of Revelation, which I’ve learned so much from; he expands on what the prophets of Israel: Daniel, Zechariah and Ezekiel taught. If you want to grow your faith, try listening to this podcast and see if studying scripture affects you the way it did me?

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Video Recommendation

If you are a Christian, especially if you study scripture, you will be blown away by the information in this video, some of it I’ve noticed as I’ve studied scripture over the past 4 years, but there is so much more symbolic and metaphoric meaning in scripture that I didn’t even notice, but see it now after it’s pointed out. This is not a video that scares, it is beautiful and full of the hope that Christians have for our future. You will enjoy this!

Despite the title of the video “Messiah 2030“, the creator of the video is not saying this “theory” is absolute which I find being humble because none of us can say with certainty, but after you hear the scripture, notice the symbols, prophecies, patterns and traditions that point to this date, especially as I said if you are familiar with scripture, it is hard not to think this could be a strong possibility. We will ultimately know this only in hindsight.

The main reason for sharing this is for all of us to ask these questions: What if it’s true? Am I prepared to meet Jesus? Have I been “born again” (born of the water which is repentant and born of the spirit which is received the spirit from God)? Jesus said we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we are “born again.” Read John Chapter 3 for more understanding of this. If it is this soon, or sooner, in fact we don’t know if we will personally be living tonight/tomorrow if some freak situation happens – so the time to prepare is now, not later. Turn away from “sinful” things and turn to God, live a changed godly life with the help of the Holy Spirit (this is called Repentance) and Believe what Jesus taught. Jesus took care of the rest and made it possible for us to be saved. If you seek him you will find him; he will reveal himself to you.

Here’s the video:

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Christians: Experiencing Spiritual Warfare?

When I hear news of current events (political, within nations, globally, etc.) it often seems like we are living in a movie set during production with all the weird, unusual and horrific things that are happening. It seems like this can’t be real! But it apparently is real. Because of the level of evil that has transpired over the past 3 years, the only thing that makes sense out of this is spiritual warfare, in my opinion. Unfortunately, spiritual warfare is real. I didn’t think it was real until I started seeking God in my own life; and in hindsight, I believe I experienced quite a bit of spiritual warfare when I first asked God to guide my life, but at the time I didn’t realize what was happening to me. I just thought I was having “bad luck”- well I don’t believe in “good luck or bad luck” any longer, I believe “luck” is actually the spiritual influences on our lives.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

Because this is true, Christians need to know how to successfully respond in a spiritual war. How?

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Ephesians 6:13

I believe that every person will experience spiritual warfare to some degree when surrendering to God/accepting Jesus. Why?

The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10

Unfortunately, those who don’t believe do not have access to the “armor of God” which is available to those who are “in Christ,” born again: born of the water (repentance) and born of the spirit (receiving the Holy Spirit). Until we believe, we are “prisoners in bondage” to the evil spiritual realm. All of us start there, some will stay there and some will make the decision to become “born again,” also called “a new creation.” It’s not an easy choice to make because it involves a true willingness to repent/change, many people will feel a strong resistance to do this, but it’s available to all, and it’s worth everything when you consider the eternal consequences of this decision!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

I watched a video about breaking demonic strongholds, the information is biblically supported and informative on this subject, I’ll include the link to the video at the end. The video is over 2 hours long and most people find it hard to listen for that long. I did listen and took notes, so this next part of this article is a summation of the video (but to fully comprehend this information, it may be necessary to watch the entire video.) Here is the summary:

WHAT ARE THE 10 MOST COMMON EVIL SPIRITUAL STRONGHOLDS?

  1. Indoctrination (believing a false religion, one that believes we can earn salvation through what we do, one that denies Jesus)
  2. Accusation (believing we are not forgiven for a past sin when we have repented)
  3. Temptation (the evil spiritual realm is all about luring us into temptation that is a struggle for us)
  4. Intimidation (having fear, anxiety)
  5. Depression (experiencing sadness when we should be joyful, depression can be caused by life experiences too)
  6. Distraction (interrupting us as soon as we begin to pray, read scripture, or make plans to go to church)
  7. Confusion (when truth vs. lies is competing in our mind- it’s easier to confuse someone than for them to believe something contrary to their core beliefs, ego plays a factor also)
  8. Affliction (mental torment)
  9. Isolation
  10. Addiction

HOW DO EVIL SPIRITUAL STRONGHOLDS HAPPEN?

  1. a LIE -this is how it starts, a lie comes into our mind: if we don’t believe the lie, the stronghold doesn’t work, but if we believe the lie, then we are deceived.
  2. Deception doesn’t happen until we believe the lie. Deception then becomes:
  3. a Mindset through which other thoughts become processed. Our future thoughts are then “warped”, not reality. This becomes:
  4. a Filter for all of our thoughts, which affects:
  5. our Feelings, which influence:
  6. our Actions, which determine:
  7. our Habits, which creates:
  8. a Cycle (then we are “on repeat” and stuck in this stronghold)

HOW DO WE BREAK THE STRONGHOLD?

  1. TRUTH: To break from this cycle, we need to identify the lie and replace it with the truth found in scripture, God’s word. Jesus did this when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness after Jesus’ baptism. Jesus quoted truth from scripture against every “lie” Satan presented. (Read Matthew Chapter 4) Jesus also said “truth will set you free” (Read John 8: 31-36) If we are not reading scripture, thereby knowing the truth, we are easy prey for evil spiritual attacks. The evil spiritual realm is convincing, cunning, manipulative, deceptive and effective in their works. Demons often use: a) deception, b) sickness and c) violent people to accomplish their mission. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be guided to truth and given wisdom as we read scripture. This is what is happening when we “discover” something new reading the bible, even when its been decades of reading the bible (people still claim to continually learn something new, see something they saw before but didn’t comprehend until that moment).

Use the Armor of God. What is the Armor of God? (Read Ephesians 6:10-19) This is for the Believer: ALL can be defeated by this biblical strategy! A summary of the Armor of God:

  1. Prayer (First Step always)
  2. Know the Truth (through scripture, which is the word of God, the Holy Spirit and sound teachers- meditate on the word)
  3. Righteousness (Obedience to God’s way, obey the word, scripture, God’s teachings)
  4. Peace (that comes from knowing the Gospel Message)
  5. Faith (in God)
  6. Salvation- Living in God’s future kingdom, a new earth (the promise of God, received through Jesus’ death and resurrection)

These strategies will make a difference in your life! I personally experienced this in my own life and know because this worked for me.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

The video is worth watching in entirety when you have 2 hrs 25 min! Here is the video:

by Categories: bible study, Face Fear, FAITH, God, Healing, Improvement, prayer, RELATIONSHIPS, spiritual warfare, suicide, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

The “Day of the Lord” is approaching; What is your Role? (Part 1)

This topic (“the day of the Lord”- search those words in a digital bible for understanding) came to mind after I woke up remembering a vision from a dream. I was in the middle of the woods, trees had no leaves, like on a trail, but there were no trails. I saw gentle, loving cute puppies and dogs that were infested with fleas. The puppies and dogs acted completely normal, greeting with wagging their tails, one was injured, without an eye, and shied away a little, but the fleas didn’t seem to make a difference regarding how they responded. I saw a person off in the distance, she was right in the middle of all the flea covered dogs, still loving them as they were, petting them, letting them sit on her lap, as if nothing needed to be done about their condition. It was a strange scene, but most dreams are strange, after praying then reflecting on this dream, I see some biblical applications.

The dogs are symbolic of people, there are many gentle, loving, attractive people who don’t realize they are “infested.” They don’t know what is in the bible, they are unaware of their condition in God’s eyes and their future according to what scripture tells us. People are injured (the dog without an eye and all with fleas), struggling, damaged from life experiences, (still acting normal, doing what we do every day, the same, with no change) yet completely unaware that something can be done to change the condition. The fleas are symbolic of what separates us from God (our actions which are contrary to God’s commands- aka “sin.”) The person in the vision is a loving person who accepts all people as they are (which is a good thing) HOWEVER that person is not doing anything to help the dogs get rid of the fleas and improve their condition, so that person could be doing something more than comforting the dogs.

So the question for all of us is: what part of the scene are you? The dog covered in fleas? The dog without an eye (injured)? The person comforting infested dogs (people)? The person observing all of this? Whatever role we see as ourselves, this shows us there is an action ahead for each of us.

If you are the dog, are you covered in fleas? Do you know what separates you from God? Are you reading, studying the Bible (scripture), asking questions to find out?

If you are the person comforting others or if you are the person observing this, there is more for you to do. Help the dogs (people) get rid of the fleas (sin that separates us from God). Lead people to Jesus through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the bible, through becoming an active participant in a Bible Study, keep doing good things for others, but “step up your game,” there is more to be done. Get active in preparing people for God’s kingdom. That is the kindest, most loving, most comforting thing we can share with others.

Preparation for God’s kingdom is this:

First: knowing Jesus, not knowing of him (as in a “fact”), but knowing him personally (his character, the meaning of the stories he told, the wisdom of God’s kingdom that he shared). Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through him.

Second: knowing what separates us from God (as described by Jesus and every author of the books found in the Bible).

Third: Commit to changing whatever separates you (personally) from God. Surrender your life to Jesus, (when you decide you want to change and live life better, live life as God wants us to.) This is what is meant by “Repent.” As a symbol of this decision, get baptized. Luke 3:3- verse study link From the time Jesus began preaching he said to repent for the kingdom of God is near. (Matthew 4:17) Jesus showed us what surrender means. Jesus did this when he prayed “Not my will but yours be done.” This surrender to God’s will is also found in the one prayer that Jesus taught his followers:

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one. ’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6: 6-14

Fouth: Ask Jesus for the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) after you decide to repent, change because you want to be with God in eternity. The Holy Spirit will work with you, help you, begin to change you into a more godly person. We won’t be perfect, not until Jesus returns when we are given new immortal supernatural bodies, but we will begin to change into better people and will then be prepared for when Jesus returns. On our own this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Fifth: Stay connected to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit through daily prayer, reading scripture. John 15

Then help others do the same. This is the most loving thing we can do for others: sharing God’s kingdom, eternity with others so they can prepare themselves with the help of the Holy Spirt, then REST and ENJOY all that God has planned for us. Revelation 21 and Revelation 22.

This article is Part 1 of a multipart series focusing on “the Day of the Lord” and advance preparation. Follow this podcast or website to continue in the series.

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Obedience Struggles

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27

This is a follow up to my prior post yesterday, titled “Trust and Obey.” I think many of us struggle with obedience at different times in life, just think back to the days of being a toddler, a teenager and it continues into adulthood!

CHOOSING OBEDIENCE

The “obedience” subject I’m referring to is a situation of CHOOSING to be obedient, NOT being FORCED to be obedient. Forced obedience is NOT God’s way; God gives us freewill; obedience is our choice. But even if we choose to be obedient, there will be times when our selfish desires or selfish gain are “at war” with the choice of “obedience”: we know what the right thing to do is, but we are tempted when there is something beneficial for us in not choosing what we know is right. This is where scriptural wisdom is clear: we “can’t serve two Masters” as Jesus stated. He was referring to God or Money being the “Masters,” but Jesus also said a house divided will not stand – this is applicable, because we (as a symbolic house) will make a choice at some point, it’s impossible to choose “both,” we can’t be divided. If we are divided, we “will not stand” or in other words “fall.” So what does “fall” mean? In scripture, to “fall” is negative and often indicates a separation from God. Ultimately “the fall” involves having a Master over our lifes; someone or something other than God.

THE POWER OF EVIL AND SIN OVER US

There is something else to consider here, and this will not be well received to say it, but it is truth. Until we choose God, we are under the influence of the evil spiritual realm. Think about it, someone is our Master, people may say, “I’m my own Master”- well that’s a comforting thought to tell ourselves, but it’s not true unfortunately, Jesus states this to Saul/Paul. (Read Acts 26:15-18)

to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 26:18

Don’t be misled, as Deuteromy 29:19-20 indicates, people are not “safe” or “saved” when they persist in going their own way and not God’s way.

In choosing to become obedient to God, we will be under attack by our own internal desires and by evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realms.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

WHY DO THIS?

So why would I want to go through all this? If life was easier before I choose to become obedient to God, why would I want to bring on trouble or attacks of the spiritual realm?

Because God has greater plans for those who choose Him as our Master. Yes, we have to become humble, we are not our own Master, we have a Creator- God made us and we must choose Him as our Master, if we want what God offers us. As God often revealed in scripture, He is the Potter, we are the clay that was formed by His own hands. It’s insightful reading the references to “potter” in scripture, just search that key word in a digital bible.

GOD’S PLAN AND PROMISE

Getting back to what God has planned for us, in His physical presence ON EARTH: immortality, peace, joy, abundance, healing, no more tears, pure love and gentleness, a physical place to live forever, more beautiful than we can envision, music, celebration, comfort, strength, and more. We will “soar on wings” like eagles, we “will run and not grow weary”, “walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31) Read Revelation 21 and Revelation 22 for a glimpse of what God has planned for those who choose Him. Who doesn’t want to live in this future Kingdom of God? Is it worth going through the “trouble or attacks”? When we are in those times it is challenging, but if we keep our mind focused on the end result, we can endure and persevere because the end result in God’s future Kingdom on earth WILL BE WORTH IT!

OBTAINING THE REWARD OF GOD’S KINGDOM

To be in God’s Kingdom, we turn to God (repent) ask for forgiveness of the things we do wrong then commit to become obedient to God going forward, knowing we won’t be perfect, so we ASK Jesus for the Holy Spirit to HELP us follow through with obedience and to give us wisdom. When God sees our heart is set on doing this, He gives us this help, when we ask. The point is many people don’t know to ask for this but it is available to ALL who’s heart is turned towards God. Jesus said, No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are “born again”: born of the water (repentance/ie. baptism) and of the Spirit (receiving God’s Spirit- becoming a new creation as a result of receiving God’s spirit). (John 3) After this, we stay connected to God for strength, protection and wisdom through reading scripture and prayers. Obedience does matter because God gives the Spirit to those who are intent on being obedient and having the Spirit indwelling is necessary to be changed into the perfected immortal person who God originally intended for us to be when Jesus returns. Having the Spirit indwelling (being prepared) is what is talked about in parable of the 10 Virgins in Matthew 25.

STAY CONNECTED TO GOD EVEN WHEN WE MESS UP

Here is another “unpopular” truth: Revelation 3:5 says names can be blotted out from the book of Life by God, to be blotted out means the names were once written in the Book of Life! And God’s spirit can depart (1 Samuel 16:14) if we continually choose “sin” when given a choice to choose “obedience” or “sin” as Saul did when he kept choosing his own way/sin not God’s commands. (Search Spirit of the Lord in scripture) for more understanding of this. Why do you think it says “the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom?” Fear of the Lord is referenced 453 times in scripture! This isn’t to put us in constant fear, but it is there to tell us the importance of REMAINING focused on God, in a good relationship with God, (sin separates us from God) we can’t be casual about our ongoing relationship with God. Scripture tells us this is true. If we remain focused on God, we have NOTHING to fear! Remember that too!

GRACE ISN’T A “FREE LICENSE” TO CONTINUE IN SIN

Don’t let people give you false information about the concept of Grace we have been given for our salvation (read Jude Chapter 1):

For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Jude 1:4

ONLY THROUGH JESUS IS THIS POSSIBLE

Jesus also said: “No one can come to the Father, except through me.” Jesus is the only one who made it possible for us to have the opportunity to be in God’s Kingdom. There is no way we could be “good enough” or do enough “good things” through out life to get into God’s Kingdom (it is far more holy than that), even if we are obedient, if we don’t accept, acknowledge or understand what Jesus did on the cross to literally save us- it is meaningless. Jesus, who was sinless, was the only one who could be the acceptable sacrifice according to God’s Law that could be the substitute death for all mankind. Jesus essentially “purchased us” back from death by his action on the cross and resurrection thereafter. Think about this: a scroll was the form of a contract long ago. In Revelation 5, Jesus (the lamb) is the only one worthy to open the scroll (contract) and Jesus break the seals (Revelation 6) securing the contract- this is the “re-purchasing of us” from death. Yes there are some awful things that happen when the seals break but they are necessary according to God’s law as revealed in scripture. Those events have to happen and will happen in accordance with scripture, to refine some, to have some turn towards God, and to ultimately separate those who choose evil from those who choose God. When “the fall of mankind” happened in the Garden of Eden, when humanity (through Adam and Eve) chose to listen/and obey the serpent (Satan)- that’s where mankind came under the influence and power of evil. Jesus’ action broke this evil hold on mankind, but if we don’t understand this and accept what Jesus said, we remain in the dark. And if we deny Jesus, he will deny us before the Father and we will be subject to the Laws we have broken when it’s time for our judgement. Jesus’ action is a gift to those who accept the gift.

SUMMARY

So considering all these things, this is why I want/choose to become obedient to God. Speaking the truth is not easy because it makes us uncomfortable knowing these things, but the way I look at it, I would rather know the truth in advance, so that I can prepare and take this seriously, than be caught by surprise at an untimely point (my physical death) when there is no turning back possible. Remember, God gave us this warning because He LOVES us and does not want us to perish!

REMEMBER GOD’S LOVE!

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9
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