Tag: scripture

Fear of God: The Beginning of Wisdom

Does it seem like not many people have the “fear of God” in our world to you? People are living with the belief of “my truth” – which is a deception, a lie. “Truth” is being distorted like never before, in the past, we referred to this as “delusional or insane.” People need help and Truth. But what is Truth? Truth is the Word of God. What is the Word of God? (Read these passages to comprehend what the Bible states). The Word of God is Jesus. (John 1:1) The Word of God is found in scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16) If you seek Him, you will find Him. (Deuteronomy 4:29) Jesus is “the Truth.” (John 14:6)

WHY SHOULD I TRUST THE BIBLE?

It contains documented historical accounts from multiple eye witnesses (40 authors) over a significant span of time, all with a consistent story and message. It contains prophecies told by 17 different prophets, which came true later in history, yet some remain to be fulfilled to this day! (Read it and you will discover this for yourself!) The oldest book, Job, reflects the cultural and historical settings found in Genesis Chapters 12-50 (written ~1446 – 1406 BC); therefore it is believed to have been written in the second millenium BC (~2000 BC) around the time of Abraham (~2166 – 1991 BC). The last book of the Bible (Revelation) was written by the apostle/disciple, John (~90-96 AD). So in total, the scripture spans approximately 2,100 years with virtually no change as proven when the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient manuscripts that were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves near Khirbet Qumran, on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea. They are approximately two thousand years old, dating from the third century BCE to the first century CE.

The Israel Museum

Lack of the “fear of God” isn’t something new though, it has been present throughout the history of the Bible. However, the lack of “fear of God” had deadly consequences as given by example from the authors of the books of the Bible. We can learn from other’s experiences and if we take action, we won’t suffer the same consequences they did. This is how Paul described people who don’t fear God (Romans 3:11-18):

  • As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
  • there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
  • All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
  • “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
  • “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
  • “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
  • ruin and misery mark their ways,
  • and the way of peace they do not know.”
  • “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

When I first read the Bible in 2019, there were verses that put the “Fear of God” in me. I believed, after reading the Bible, and knew I needed to change my way of living life because of the future consequences that would affect me, if I did not change. These are the verses that still come to mind, when I think of “Why fear God?” four years later:

WHY FEAR GOD?

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 3:23

Some people make up their own version of God and lie to themselves claiming they are good, but Jesus said (and this is affirmed by other authors throughout scripture):

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Mark 10:18

WHO WILL NOT BE IN GOD’S KINGDOM?

There are repetitive verses describing those who WILL NOT be in the kingdom of God, as follows:

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (Paul)

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

Ephesians 5: 5-7 (Paul)

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 (Paul)

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8 (Jesus)

Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Revelation 22:5 (Jesus)

SOME WHO CALL THEMSELVES “CHRISTIANS” WILL BE SUPRISED:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23 (Jesus)

IT’S IMPORTANT TO COMPREHEND WHAT “BELIEVE” MEANS (We know demons will not be in God’s kingdom yet they “believe”):

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

James 2:18-20

AT A CERTAIN POINT OF CONTINUAL REJECTION, GOD ALLOWS PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR WAY:

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

Romans 1:28 (Paul)

DOES GOD BLOT OUT NAMES FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE?

It appears so, check out this link, searching “blot” in scripture: (Blot)

The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Revelation 3:5 (Jesus)

So who is the “victorius”? From that chapter, it appears to be “Christians” who have NOT “backslid,” “transgressed” or gone back into a sinful lifestyle. When a white robe is given, symbolically this is the covering of Jesus, but if a person “soils” their white robe, they are NOT part of the “victorious.” Jesus says: “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” he says: “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” and he also says: “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” He gives a warning if they don’t repent, they are about to die! This scripture is why I personally don’t believe the doctrine of “once saved, always saved”- we need to remain “in Christ”- Jesus warns so many times about “falling asleep,” being “unprepared.” “What you have received” seems to reference “the Holy Spirit” and “heard” seems to reference the gospel message. In the Parable of the Ten Virgins Jesus emphasizes “being prepared”, oil is symbolic of annointing, of having the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus said unless we are “born again” (a new creation, born of the Spirit) we will not see God’s kingdom. This is important to know for those who claim to be “Christians,” but truly aren’t- there’s curently time to “wake up” and get right with God.

THE RETURN OF JESUS

The return of Jesus is referred to as “the day of the Lord”; there are many references to it throughout muliple authors of the Bible, click here to read the verses/references. It will be filled with God’s just wrath against all who choose evil and have rejected God.

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION ?

Repent (Reject Sin/Ask for forgiveness), show your Belief by your actions/how you live, receive the Holy Spirit from God through Jesus (the Holy Spirit transforms/changes us to become obedient to God). Repentance is required for the forgiveness of sins, Jesus did the rest. Repentance is what we do to prepare, and Jesus will give us the Holy Spirit when we are sincere, because we need to be “born of the spirit” to enter the kingdom of God. (John 3)

and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:47 (Jesus)

EVIDENCE OF BEING SAVED- “A NEW CREATION”

Many people “identify as Christians” but may not be saved, or true Christians. Unfortunately these people turn others away from Christianity by how they live, because they are not a living example, their life has not changed and they may not understand what it truly means to be a Christian. If a person is truly saved/in Christ, these are characteristics that others will see:

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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5: 22-24 (Paul)

If a person is NOT SAVED, these are characteristics that others will see:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 (Paul)

THE BENEFITS OF REPENTANCE/RECONCILIATION WITH GOD:

WE HAVE GOD’S PROTECTION:

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

1 John 5:18 (John)

WE (WHO ARE NOT JEWISH) WILL HAVE A SHARED INHERITANCE WITH THE REMNANT OF THE JEWS

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (Paul)

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:12 (Paul)

since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:24 (Paul)

Next you might ask “as a reward for what?” the answer is in the verses prior to this quote: living in a Christian household (wives, husbands, children)

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 9:15

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5

WE BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:9

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

John 1:12

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Romans 8:14 (Paul)

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

Romans 8:19 (Paul)

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,

Galatians 3:26 (Paul)

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Phillippians 2: 12-16

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[fn] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

1 John 3:1-10

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:1-5

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

1 John 5:18-19

GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS AND ANSWERS THEM IF THEY ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS WILL

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Daniel 10:12

So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

Genesis 19:29

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 5:14

WE WILL RECEIVE BLESSINGS : ( CLICK HERE: BLESSED IS) and (CLICK HERE: BLESSED ARE)

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

Revelation 22:7 (Jesus)

If you find this helpful, please share this with someone else. I know these verses are hard to handle, but they are truth so if someone is not right with God or prepared but decides to change that, that’s one more person living in God’s kingdom, one more eternal friend or brother/sister. It’s not too late if someone is reading or hearing this today; do it today- don’t delay. This is meant to be received in love, for the good of those who read this and take action.

by Categories: bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, Marriage, Parents, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, Sex, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

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:

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, God, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

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.

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Is the End of Time near?

Began Questioning. In 2020 this question came to my thoughts for the first time ever. I don’t remember thinking about this before or having any reason to think about this, but 2020 events stood out to me. In 2019 I read the bible for the first time (front to back) so I was familiar with the bible and knew this question was covered in several Old Testament Books (covering the time period of approximately 1900 BC until Jesus was born) and New Testament Books (the story of Jesus and his followers covering the time period up to approximately 95 AD). The entire Bible covers events for approximately 2,000 years in total time.

Researching. I read the relevant scripture in the Bible, found Bible studies on this and listened to several people who have dedicated their “ministry” to learning and understanding the prophecies from a biblical perspective, a few having done this for 40 plus years, not from someone of today’s “dreams or visions,” but what does the Bible say about it? Yes, some people, many people in fact, add their opinions, it’s hard not to do that in order to explain one’s understanding of what they read. So I’ve seen and heard various versions of opinions about the “signs” and whether the end is near and at the beginning 2020, some Christians were skeptical while other Christians were saying there is very little doubt that we are living in the end times.

Various Viewpoints. In 2013, the Washington Times published an article, survey stating that approximately 41% of people they surveyed thought we were living in the end times: 54% Protestants, 77% Evangelicals and 27% Catholics (but the percentage of Catholics grew for the “practicing” Catholics, it went up to 45%) who believed we were living in the end times. What I found interesting is that I did not find a more recent article (from a neutral source- non-religious) than 2013 about this topic. I’m surprised! The exact opposite is true for people of faith who are close to scripture (and I am referring to many faiths, not just Christians): The Jewish are preparing for the coming Messiah, the Muslims are preparing for the Mahdi and coming Messiah and the Christians are preparing for the return of Jesus.

Going to my Source for truth: the Bible. So what does the Bible tell us about the signs? I view the Bible as truth, so unless it’s written in the Bible, it’s an opinion to me. Based on the Bible, the “end times” have been approaching, at a slow rate though, since the days following Jesus’ death and resurrection, so that means we’ve been in this process for a long period. However, the signs appear to be increasing rapidly. When I first wondered in 2020 if the end was truly approaching, I was skeptical too, but equally concerned, enough to motivate me to look into it and I’ve seen nothing but affirmation since then. I tell people if nothing happens by 2023 and things go back to “normal” maybe I’ll change my mind that this is further away than I anticipate, but unless or until there is a significant change from the real events that are happening, I can’t prove otherwise and I believe we are rapidly getting closer to Jesus’ return. Unless there are significant changes in events, I believe this could happen in my lifetime, which is something I never thought I would say. I’ll list the signs and provide the links to scripture:

  • The Second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD (about 40 years after Jesus’ death on the cross)
  • Many will claim to be the Messiah following Jesus (as well as False Prophets): a good way to know if it is the Messiah is if the return is witnessed out of the clouds, not any other way. So anyone who claims to be the Messiah, even if they perform miracles, they are fake unless they arrive out of the clouds and are witnessed by everyone. (That’s a pretty challenging feat, so it should be very easy to know if someone claims to be the Messiah, but Jesus warned that even believers may be deceived, because there will be one who arrives who will be charming and deceptive and convince many.) I’m sure if we searched, we’d find people who had mental issues that made this claim. Besides people claiming to be “the Messiah” there are also “false prophets” which is another reason people need to know what is written in the Bible, look at how many people were destroyed because they believed a person who distorted the truth from the bible in a convincing way such as in Waco Texas 1993, and Charles Manson was another one. These evil cult leaders distorted biblical truths and convinced others.
  • Wars and Rumors of Wars. (This will continue until Jesus returns, the bible tells us we will not have global peace until Jesus rules, after his return. So all of this working hard to reach global peace is futile, we understand this if we look in the bible for truth.)’
  • Famines. (This has also been continuous throughout history and documented in the Bible, so this alone doesn’t necessarily mean the end is near.)
  • Earthquakes. Again they have been occurring throughout history, but something interesting that I discovered is that they have been increasing in numbers of earthquakes over the years. I read an article that stated they were not reporting on this because too many people were getting concerned about this trend.
  • The Gospel will be preached to the whole world. With the ability of the Internet, the Gospel has the ability to circulate to most of the world. Many Christians feel this is their obligation: to share the Gospel (the story of Jesus and the ability for those who want to be “saved” to be saved). Jesus did tell his followers to go and share the “good news” which they did and it continues today through Christians. There is also a verse in Revelation 14:6 that tells us that in the very end, there will be an angel proclaimed to every nation, tribe, language and people, just before judgement. But if you read Revelation, the circumstances at this time are not ones most of us would want to experience. Becoming saved at the end is possible, but not likely due to the impact of evil that will surge. But God does give EVERYONE one last chance.
  • The AntiChrist is revealed. This was first told in the book of Daniel foretold by God’s messenger, the angel Gabriel and Jesus affirms this will happen in the book of Matthew. The Anti-Christ is revealed when he tells the world he is God from the temple (as written in the book of Daniel and by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The third temple is not built yet, but the Jewish community has plans ready, interior furnishings ready and are waiting for the permission to build it.
  • The Great Tribulation. There will be tough times, greater than have ever been on earth before, but God cuts the time short for this so that all people do not perish (I think the bible means perish eternally, not in a physical sense) The longer this horrible time continues, the more than likely the more people will turn away from God when they are being tested. This repeatedly occurs in the bible: when people are tested they either seek God more or turn away from him. There are many stories in the bible of this. Jesus warned us, when this happens, if we are present, we need to persevere with the knowledge he gave us about this, don’t loose faith.
  • More False Prophets will deceive people during this time. Jesus foretold this.
  • The sun, moon will be darkened and the stars will fall from the sky: Immediately after these signs listed above happen, there will be noticeable “events” in the sky.
  • Jesus returns “arriving on the clouds”
  • The elect will be gathered: this is what people call “the Rapture”- here is a link to more about the Rapture.
  • These are the signs, as told by Jesus that we can look for to know if the End is near. As you can see there are several events that must occur before the end happens. The book of Revelation, as well as other prophets share several events that support this too and I may write about them in a future post, but trust me, or better yet, discover for yourself: none of this should come as a surprise; we were warned in scripture, in advance:

The Lesson of the Fig Tree
(Mark 13:28–31; Luke 21:29–33)

32Now learn this lessone from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near,f right at the door. 34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

  • Jesus also told his companions, the disciples, that the end would happen as a surprise to many (those who are not familiar with scripture), there will be some still living the carefree life (but this doesn’t mean they won’t be affected; it will be devastating for them; they will perish). Matthew 24: 36- 51
  • Jesus also warned his companions that people need to prepare, this shouldn’t be dismissed, we have a window of opportunity to get ourselves prepared (acknowledge our ways that need to be changed to live a life God “approves”, make a commitment to change, ask Jesus for help changing and let God know that you’ve made that decision, stick with that decision- don’t fall away), but if we don’t, we face destruction. That window of opportunity is which ever comes first: our physical death or when Jesus returns. Matthew 25: 1-13
  • Jesus wants his followers, the believers to share the Way with other people, not to hoard what they know or keep it a secret, it needs to be shared so others benefit from this amazing gift, treasure: eternity that Jesus told people about. Matthew 25:14-28
  • Judgement will happen following Jesus’ return. Matthew 25:31-46.

All of this above is the signs leading up to and the events that were told by Jesus. We are in the End Times, and we should remain watchful for the future signs, but most importantly we should be prepared and help others to prepare.

by Categories: Face Fear, FAITH, God, Improvement, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPSTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

God Revealing or Strange Coincidence?

“Interesting” things seem to keep happening to me and it makes me wonder, is this God revealing, communicating through scripture, or strange coincidences? I’ve been telling people close to me about these occurrences when they happen, but I may start writing about them since they seem so frequent lately and if it’s only a strange coincidence, then it’s entertaining/intriguing (at least to me, maybe to someone else?).

Earlier this week, I opened up to a random page in the Bible after praying that God “speaks to or shows” me something from the Bible when I read it. If I don’t make an immediate connection, sometimes I think it’s meant for someone else possibly? This is how I often decide what I post on my “Faith” Instagram account when I don’t have a topic on my mind as soon as I wake up in the morning. As I was reading, my dog hops onto the couch, right next to me and puts his paw on the Bible. I just thought he looked cute, so I took a picture and laughed at him, then sent the picture to a few people I’m close to, who know this dog’s funny personality and might laugh. Here’s the picture:

This was one text response I received (posted with permission):

(Message about the picture I texted)

So that was on Monday, I thought nothing of it, didn’t make a connection with anything, but read it wondering what significance it might have, if any? Tuesday was busy, I ended work at 8 pm and then caught up on “news,” which was informative, but discouraging at the same time. I found a few Instagram accounts posting current events and pointing out biblical connections when appropriate, so I followed those accounts because I’ve been noticing some of that on my own (when I was reading “prophecies” in the Bible and started seeing current world events relating to them) so this would be interesting to me to see what they find. After that, I decided I had enough for the day and went to bed; I was exhausted.

Wednesday morning after I opened to a random page and posted the scripture from it like usual, I looked through the feed on my faith account. (I only follow the accounts of people or entities that I learn something from, or who have contributed to my growth in learning more about Christianity on my faith account.) The accounts I follow are “resources” that I’ve found in alignment with what I found in the Bible, not any particular denomination, more of a variety, with the exception of the “news” sources I just recently followed. Anyway, in the Instagram feed I saw a recent discovery by Israeli archaeologists with the inscription: ‘Jerubbaal’ believed to be from about 3,100 years ago and reading further the post states “after he broke down the altar of Baal”. This triggered my memory: I just read about that: it was in the picture with my dog! So of course I had to let the person I was texting with know about this update after we had been joking/laughing about me “being shown” something while reading the Bible! (Even though this does happen; I didn’t think this was one of those times.) But this gets even more personal later…

First, here is what I saw in the feed:

So this is the scripture my dog was covering:

So that connection was worth exploring more now: the photo with my dog was in the book of Kings, not Judges, but part of the account was about the Baal Temple destruction. Then I noticed “Joash” in the title of the next chapter, Chapter 11. I wondered, how many Joash are in the Bible? Is Joash, the son of Gideon mentioned by the archaeologist the same as this Joash? So I looked that up too: here’s what I found. There certainly appears to be a connection, even though it’s not the same book from the Bible. So the person I was texting with said, I just searched Baal and this popped up: The Largest Baal Worship Service on the Planet is in America. Of course I had to read that article because when we read the Bible about stuff like this (worship of idols/false gods) we always think, that was back then, people don’t do this now! Well this article hits even more personally to me as I read it further. In reading this, I am acknowledging: this is someone’s opinion, but at the same time, this is eerie too! Here is a factual account of this event (link).

Next is how it becomes personal to me: if you’ve been following my blog, or if not, you can even go back and look at prior posts, in 2017, I decided to “Surrender to God” (which for me meant praying every day, but I didn’t really change my lifestyle too much at first). I noticed shortly after I “surrendered” all sorts of “bad” things started happening to me, then “good” things, then “bad”, then “good” again. It was like wave after wave and it was tough. Anyway, in 2017, I was in this “baby stage” as a Christian, probably our most vulnerable time, in hindsight. And I also think this was the start of God testing my faith but also revealing things too and disciplining me. If you read my posts from 5 years ago you will see this. In 2017, I was always going somewhere and one of the events I happened to go to was an art festival with music (one of my favorite hobbies): “Burbs Music and Art Festival”…here are links to the photos from my personal Instagram account taken in August 2017, the same month and year of that linked article above (scary):

UFO by Gateway Burners, local chapter of Burning Man

Gateway Burners

Burbs Music and Art Festival

Burbs Music and Art Festival 2

Burbs Music and Art Festival 3

Burbs Music and Art Festival 4

When I realized the connection to Burning Man and Baal Worship after reading the article, I initially thought: I’m going to delete those posts! But then I reconsidered: we can’t change the past, I went completely ignorant to what was talked about in that author’s opinion, I was intrigued by the art and music festival. If the festival happened again, I wouldn’t go because of that article I read, which makes me question all of it. But it also made me think about all the “subliminal” things we are exposed to unknowingly. It also made me wonder how many other people are “innocent” to this in participating and what influence, if any this has on our lives? From the bible we are told we are the subjects of “spiritual warfare” It really makes me think, maybe we shouldn’t be so naïve to this? Maybe we shouldn’t brush this off as “meaningless, unimportant, not impactful?” Do we really know? Jesus told his followers they couldn’t understand earthly things he was trying to tell them about, so how could he tell them about the spiritual world, despite the fact that his followers actually witnessed demonic possessions in their travels along with miracles and healing. Because of all of this, I tend to think there very well could be subtle spiritual deception in our lives working for a greater purpose later on. Again, I think it’s good to be aware of this, don’t be “blind” to this. There are blatant things happening in our world right now that are completely against God. How we live is a personal choice we make, and this is between God and each of us; no one should judge anyone else because we honestly don’t know everything. But we should have a clear conscience with God about how we are living our lives, if we don’t, it may be the reason for a personal change, if we choose God’s Kingdom.

Also this morning, while getting ready, I listened to Tim Keller’s Gospel in Life: The Robber’s House (another good one!) when he said: as Christians we are either “all in” or “all out” it made me think about that statement in relation to how I live my life. He’s right. Jesus had that warning to one of the churches in Revelation, about people being “lukewarm” and if they didn’t change he was about to figuratively “spit them out” or “extinguish their lampstand.” It gave me much to think about today.

So what do you think about all these events? Is God communicating or is this a strange coincidence?

by Categories: American, Entertainment, Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, MUSIC, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, Sex, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments