FEEL GOOD DEVOTIONALS: 4.3.21

The Comforter - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com The Holy Spirit has been at work from the very beginning of time. We know of the Holy Trinity, but we talk more about God the Father and God the Son. It seems we know littleabout God the Holy Spirit. The first mention of God is in the first verse of Scripture. �In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God movedupon the face of the waters.� Genesis 1:1-2. The word �God� comes from the Hebrew word Elohim, which is a plural masculine noun. In Hebrew, a plural is at least three. In this verse, the structure is such that it is a plural used as singular, indicating Godin three persons�the Trinity. After all things were in place for mankind, God created Adam and took Eve from him to be a helper and companion. After they were evicted, Adam and Eve had many children and the population of Earth grew. Satan and his fallen angelswere busy trying to destroy humanity by corrupting the human genome, but the Holy Spirit was leading a few, such as Enoch, away from the corruption. Eventually the corruption and evil became so bad that God had to put an end to it. �And the LORD said, My spiritshall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.� Genesis 6:3. God called Noah, who was genetically pure, to build the Ark. God had set 120 years until His judgment would come. Only those who hadnot been corrupted by evil would be saved: eight humans and the animals which God selected. The Holy Spirit would no longer strive with man. Before the judgment, Enoch was Raptured, and when the Ark was ready the flood came. All of creation was destroyed becauseof the corruption and evil, but the few who weren�t corrupted by the evil were saved. After the flood waters subsided, the Ark came to rest and life began anew. After the flood, Satan still worked his evil by corrupting the minds of many people, but the Holy Spirit was still active. The Hebrew word for spirit is �ruah� and whenspeaking of the Holy Spirit, it�s defined as �the Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son�. He came upon the prophets and they spoke God�s words of warning and sometimes spiritual giftswere given for specific reasons. In the book of Judges, the Spirit of the LORD came upon Othniel, and he led the Israelites to victory against Chushanrishathaim and the oppression he inflicted (Judges 3:9-10), yhe Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon (Judges6:34), and so on. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the Israelites had many victories, but the Spirit wouldn�t indwell people for many years, but would accomplish the task then leave that man. When Samuel anointed Saul as king over Israel, he said that Saulwould meet a band of prophets, �And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.� 1 Samuel 10:6. The Holy Spirit changes a person, but Saul eventually turned against God and the Holy Spiritdeparted from him (1 Samuel 16:14). When Samuel anointed David to be king after Saul, ��the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward�� 1 Samuel 16:13b. In spite of that anointing, David sinned greatly. He impregnated another man�s wife thenmade sure her husband, a soldier, was killed in battle. David was in danger of the Spirit departing from him. �Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.� Psalm 51:11. David�s repentance and remorse were heartfelt, and God forgavehim. There are many references to the Holy Spirit working during the Old Testament days, but the Spirit wouldn�t stay with a person, whether prophet or king, continually. WhenJesus entered His creation, the working of the Holy Spirit changed. The men who followed Jesus were Jewish and understood the things of God through their knowledge of the Law of Moses. Their understanding would be changed. When it was time for Jesus to shedHis blood for the salvation of mankind, the disciples didn�t know what was coming. Jesus knew and it was necessary for His disciples to be given some final instructions. They ate supper, and Satan entered into the heart of Judas Iscariot. Then, Jesus humblywashed the disciples� feet, giving an example of humility every follower of Christ should show. He even washed the feet of Judas. �Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also oughtto wash one another�s feet.� John 13:13-14. Jesus always led by example, and if you call Him Lord and Master, humble yourself before Him and before other people. Pride will always stumble a Christian. After Judas departed, Jesus spoke to His true disciples. �Therefore when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.� John 13:31. Jesus knew the men who followed him were a rowdy bunch, but they would have to change their ways. John and James were nicknamed The Sonsof Thunder (Mark 3:17)! They all needed to learn Christian love, and so do we. �A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye havelove one to another.� John 13:34-35. It isn�t always easy to love each other, but remember, Jesus even washed the feet of the one who would betray Him. Jesus is our example. Jesus� words brought concern to the hearts of His disciples. He was going away and they couldn�t follow, but they were to love one another. Then Jesus told of mansions Hewould prepare, and He assured them (and us) that He would go, but He would also return. �And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.� John 14:3. The disciples tried to understand,but Thomas spoke up and said that they didn�t know where He was going, so how could they know the way? Jesus answered with words that we need to take to heart. �Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, butby me.� John 14:6. There is no other way to salvation than through Jesus Christ. Buddha, Mohammad, and good deeds cannot save you from eternity in Hell. Only faith in Jesus will bring eternal life with Him. The disciples had become very disturbed by His words. He was going away, they couldn�t follow, He would prepare a place for them, then return to get them. Jesus had moreto promise them, and us. �And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;� John 14:16. This is the promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There are important words to understand in this verse.One is the word �another�. In Greek there are two words translated �another. One is heteros, which means a similar thing but different. For example, if I was using a red pencil but asked you for a heteros pencil, I wouldn�t want a red pencil, but a blue orgreen one. The other word for �another� is allos, which is another of the same sort. If I�m using a red pencil and want an allos pencil, I�m asking for another red pencil. In this verse, Jesus promised to give allos Comforter which is another like Him�God.Think back to the Old Testament when the ��Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.� Genesis 1:2b, and prior to the Flood ��My spirit shall not always strive with man�� Genesis 6:3, and the Spirit which would come upon prophets and kings. That HolySpirit of God would soon abide with believers. The other word to understand is �Comforter�, which comes from the Greek word �parakletos�. In Scripture it�s the Holy Spirit which would lead the disciples to a deep knowledge and understanding of the Gospel.This same Comforter which led the disciples also lives in us and leads us. All people who have truly accepted Christ also have this blessing of the Comforter. He leads us into a deeper knowledge of Scripture and guides us in our way of life. Friendswho haven�t accepted Christ haven�t received the Holy Spirit and will have no understanding about the Gospel, salvation, and why they need to come to Jesus. �Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knowethhim: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.� John 14:17. The Holy Spirit indwells Christians (1 Corinthians 6:19, Ephesians 1:12-14, Ephesians 4:29-30). He lives in us and is our guide. If we learn to lean on Him, He will open ourunderstanding of Scripture and help us to apply it to our lives. These things were hard for the disciples to understand. Jesus was telling them a truth that hadn�t been revealed before so they had questions. How would Jesus manifest Himselfonly to His followers and not to the world? �Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and theword which ye hear is not mine, but the Father�s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.� John 14:23-25. Anyone can say they are Christian, but it takes more than words to be a Christian. If you have truly and honestlyaccepted Christ, then you will obey His commandment; if you love Jesus you will obey Him. You�ll be humble, remembering that Jesus even washed Judas� feet. You will love people, because that�s a commandment from the lips of Jesus. If you are swelled with pride,then you need to ask yourself if you�ve truly surrendered your life to the One who died for you. �But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoeverI have said unto you.� John 14:26. You cannot be led by the Holy Spirit if you�re living in disobedience to Christ�s words. Jesus had much more to teach the Disciples that night. It was important that they understood they needed to continue to follow the example of Christ. The next few hourswould be a test of their faith, but their life after the Resurrection would also be filled with persecution and most would be martyred. If they feared what the world threatened them with, they would fail in their commission to share the Gospel with the lostsouls in this world. They had to follow Christ�s example. Jesus� words are also for Christians today, �If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father�s commandments, and abide in his love.� John 15:10. �Abide� means continue,or remain, in God�s love. It�s not a suggestion that we love our fellow Christians. Jesus gives this commandment more than once in this teaching. �This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, thata man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.� John 15:12-14. Need I remind you that Jesus spoke these words just after Judas had left to betray Him? Jesus would soon be arrested, tried illegally, and crucified.Yet, He would do this willingly. He laid down His life for you and for me. As Jesus continued teaching and spoke of the fact that the world hated Him, and so it will hate His followers. People would kill Christians and think they were serving God.Remember, Satan hasn�t stopped trying to draw people away from God and he still lies to people today just as he lied to Eve in the Garden. It was Satan who entered into Judas, a man who had followed Jesus, and turned his thoughts to betrayal. Judas wasn�tindwelt by the Holy Spirit. It was Satanic evil that caused Judas to betray the Messiah, but it fulfilled prophecy regarding the crucifixion. Only God�s pure blood would take sin away. �Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away:for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, becauseI go to my Father, and ye see me not more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.� John 16:7-11. Jesus knew He had to die on the cross. He knew that the only way for eternal life to be open to mankind was if the pure blood of God was shedas the once for all sacrifice for sin. He knew that the only way for the Holy Spirit to indwell humans was by His death on the cross. Christ was crucified. Christ was buried. Christ arose on the third day. He conquered death and gives eternal life to anyone who truly accepts His death, burial, and resurrectionfor salvation. What�s more, His death allows the Comforter to indwell those of us who have given our life to Him. This truth should change your life. Don�t quench the working of the Comforter living in you. Live for Christ who died for you. God bless you all, Nathele Graham ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hallelujah! What A Savior! -By Dennis Huebshman - https://www.raptureready.com/2021/04/01/hallelujah-what-a-savior-by-dennis-huebshman/ Isaiah 53:2-12 puts the reason for our Savior�s coming to this earth in perspective. Normally, you would think a Lord of Lords and King of Kings would arrive with all pompand circumstance that would be fit for such a title. (any emphasis mine) (Verses ESV) (2) �For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty thatwe should desire Him. (3) He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.� Would you not agree that so far, this isn�t what we would expect of the Savior of the World? It gets worse as the verses continue. Also, this was written between 600 � 700years before Jesus arrived here. (4) �Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken; smitten by God, and afflicted.� His own Father allowed wrath to be placed on His Son because of all of our sins. Think this thought with me � �Because of My Sins!� (5) �But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.� Can you see now the relevance and significance of Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23? Every last one of us has sinned, and without the sacrifice Jesus gave willingly for us (John10:18), we would be hopelessly lost. (7) �He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so Heopened not His mouth [Luke 23:9]. (8) By oppression and judgment, He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgressions of My People?� The religious leaders of His day did not accept Him as Messiah, even though He was the only person ever to fulfill all the prophecies written about Him. They expected thatthe arrival of the Christ would happen with all splendor and glory, and they would be �rewarded� for their so-called �faithful service.� Instead, this Man continuously accused and berated them for all the wrong they were doing. (9) �And they made His grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death; although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth.� In spite of their efforts, Jesus loved them all for their eternal souls, even though He didn�t �like� them for all the wrong they were doing. As for Joseph of Arimathea�stomb, He only needed it for a weekend. (10) �Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong Hisdays; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. (11) Out of the anguish of His soul, He shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the Righteous One, My servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities.� Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:46; �My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?� It is believed that at this point, every sin of this world, past, present and future, was laidon Jesus. At that instant, the Father would have had to look away briefly and be separated from His Son for the first time ever. After this, our Savior said, �It Is Finished,� which signified He had completed, in full, the task of being the perfect sacrificefor us all. His death reached back to the righteous from the creation to the Cross, and from the Cross forward to the end of His Millennial Reign (John 19:30). (12) �Therefore, I will divide Him a portion with the many, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He poured out His soul to death, and was numbered withthe transgressors; yet, He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.� Phillip P. Bliss wrote a song that was released around 1895 called �Hallelujah! What A Savior!� (1) �Man of Sorrows!� what a name, for the Son of God who came; ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah! What a Savior! (2) Bearing shame and scoffing rude; in my place condemned He stood; sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah! What a Savior! (3) Guilty, vile and helpless we; spotless Lamb of God was He; �Full Atonement,� can it be? Hallelujah! What a Savior! (4) Lifted up was He to die; �It Is Finished� was His cry; now in Heaven exalted high. Hallelujah! What a Savior! (5) When He comes, our Glorious King; all His ransomed, Home to bring; then anew His song we�ll sing! Hallelujah! What a Savior! Jesus� blood was shed by the only �human� that lived a sinless life. Yet, for a moment, He bore all the sins of this world. Can you possibly imagine having every evil deedof this world go through your mind in full detail all at once? You may say that is impossible, but remember He is God, and His abilities are far superior to any human that ever lived. That would have to be the part that Jesus dreaded the most, not the crucifixionitself. Once completed, His human side died, and His God side again took full control. Imagine the cheering from all the Heavenly Host when the Father raised His Son from a mortal�s grave to take His rightful place on His throne at the Right Hand of God. Thiswas the absolute proof that sin and death had been conquered once and for all. John 14:6 became a solid covenant; �I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.� No other sacrifice could ever do. All has been done by Jesus, and to even think we could do something to earn or buy our Salvation insults the whole Trinity. God will accept all who will receive and accept His Son. After what Jesus had to endure, God really has no other righteous choice. At the same time, is it any wonder thatanyone who does not receive Jesus before they die will have committed an unforgivable sin? After the antichrist, false prophet and Satan receive their sentences in hell, all the �unforgiven� of all ages will go through the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation20:11-15. There will be no forgiveness there; no pardons; and grace and mercy will be absent. For all who have not received and accepted Jesus as their Savior yet, this does not have to be your fate. Today, right now, before it�s too late, call on Jesus to forgiveyour sins and to come into your heart and be your Savior forever. He will send the Holy Spirit to dwell in you until you are removed from earth, either by death or by the Rapture. Just have faith and believe His death was for your sins, and there is no otherway you can be saved. It�s totally your choice as God will force no one, and no one can make it for you. It will be the most important decision you will ever make in your lifetime. Come, Lord Jesus! huebshman46@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TheFirstborn of Every Creature �Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.� (Colossians1:15) A widespread cult heresy based on this verse claims that Jesus Christ was not eternal but merely the first being created�perhaps an angel�before becoming a man. Note, however, that the verse does not say He was the �first created of every creature� but the �first born of every creature,� and there is a big difference. In fact, the very next verse says that �by him were all things created� (v. 16). He was never created, for He Himself is the Creator. �All things were made by him; and without him was not any thingmade that was made� (John1:3). He is �born� of God, not �made,� the �only begotten Son� of God (John3:16). �No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him� (John1:18). The eternal Father is omnipresent, and therefore invisible, inaudible, inaccessible to the physical senses. The eternally existing Son is the �image� of the invisible Father, the One who declares, reveals, embodies His essence. Although He is always �in the bosom of the Father,� yet He is eternally also �the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person� (Hebrews1:3). He is the eternal, living Word, which was �in the beginning with God� (John1:2), and which �was God� (John1:1). Thus, the phrase �firstborn of every creature� in our text can be translated literally as �begotten before all creation.� The eternal inter-relationship of the Persons of the Godhead is beyond human comprehension in its fullness, and the terms �Son� and �begotten� are the best human language can do to describe it. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the only begotten, eternally generated Son of the Father, forever shining forth as the image of the otherwise invisible God. HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WithChrist “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid withChrist in God.” (Colossians3:2-3) The apostle Paul, looking forward to the time when we shall “ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17), wrote: “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians1:23-24). The fact is, however, that we can be “with Christ” even while still abiding in the flesh, as Paul himself emphasized. This is the great principle called positional truth. “Positionally,” we are already “with Christ,” for that is where God sees us and how Herelates to us. He has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians2:6). Before we could be raised up with Christ, however, we first had to die with Him. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians2:20). God even saw us as buried with Christ when He was buried, and this is the great truth symbolized in our baptism. “We are buried with him by baptism into death” (Romans6:4). “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more” (Romans6:8-9). He died for us, so our deserved death became His substitutionary death, and His victorious resurrection becomes our own unmerited deliverance from death in eternal resurrection life. This is our position now, and our assured everlasting possessionthen, for we are with Christ, who “dieth no more.” This truth is not only a wonderful doctrine, but as we see in our text, a focus for our thoughts, and real incentive for godly living. HMM ------------------------------------- BornAgain Children of God � Pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2021/02/born-again-children-of-god.html �Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him ashe is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.�(1st John 3:1-3) Romans 8: 4 �For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.� (Romans 8:4, 15-16) Of all the passages that Paul wrote, Romans chapter 8 remains one of my favorites. And the Apostle John confirms what Paul spoke of in this glorious chapter. The chapteris full of promises to the children of God. When I look at these particular passages, I become almost awe struck at its implications that speak of the plans that God has for each of His children. But let this passages sink in for a moment as you meditate onits deep meaning. �Heirs and joint-heirs with Christ� and we will be �like Christ� is what Paul and John under the Holy Spirit's direction wrote. What does this mean to the believer.? I wrote about this very fact in times past about Church Age saints being adopted into the �family of God�. It's a most glorious promise to those who have accepted the paymentfor their sins, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Besides being our Lord and Savior, our King and our God, Jesus could also be given the title in relationship to other children of God, as our �Big Brother� as He is our �Kinsman Redeemer�. I've heard that expression plenty of times, and I find it very hard to use the term �big Brother� , as I would never speak it to Him as such, since Jesus is God in the flesh,but in the family sense of what God our �Abba� Father has planned along with His Son from the very beginning of time, it is a family relationship that has been planned since before time even began. Jesus became what Adam could not accomplish. He became the perfect man in His life upon this earth and the perfect sacrifice to cover the sins that each of us could notshed to join God the Father in a family unit. In His resurrection, the old body that Jesus dwelt upon this earth became a glorious body, a body of flesh and bone. Jesus was the second Adam from the portals of heaven, as our common ancestor Adam was the firstborn from the earth. When describing the risen Lord, note that there is no mention of blood. Jesus was not alive as we are, in that the blood is the source of life providing oxygen to the cellsof our body. But His life source was the Spirit of God, as ours will be. Note that in scripture, Jesus was able to perform actions that we are not able to perform, such as walk through walls, disappear while men looked upon Him, and rise into the clouds outof the apostles sight and many other actions that John said if they were all recorded, the books of the world could not hold them. Jesus became our redeemer in every sense of the word. He became what we will become, a new creature that will follow the trail He blazed into glory. We will become the sonsof God. We will be heirs of God's promises made to His Son, and by extension, to those of us who believe in the �One whom God hath sent.� (John 6:29b) WHAT DOES HE MEAN HEIRS AND JOINT HEIRS? Just think of what Paul is saying when he says we will be heirs and joint-heirs with our King, our God, and our Savior. What is an heir? In Jewish thinking, being an heirspeaks to adoption into a family. An adoption would make the adopted one legally eligible for an equal share in the father's estate. Now Jesus was intended to be the firstborn among many brethren as Paul wrote further in this chapter v. 29-32: 29 �For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (many brothers and sisters)my emphasis. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?� (Romans 8:29-32) This is beyond my comprehension, but within a finite mind that only grasp in part what Paul is saying that God will give us all things in an equal share all that belongsto our King Jesus. All the rights of a family member will be given in equal parts to each of those who have been called the �children of God�. When we speak of sons or children of God, that is not to say that we will be Gods ourselves, as some so erroneouslybelieve of what Paul is speaking of here. No, we will be Kings and Priest to our God for all eternity. We will be given duties and responsibilities that any family that is headed by a family Patriarch, will work for the family in following the commands andthe will of the Head of the Family. The Head of the family is God our Father, whom we call our Father �Abba�, and God Almighty. But I liken it to the phrase, we will be of the �God Kind�. We cannot begin to know in complete knowledge or begin to comprehendall that God has got planned for us. 9 �But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.�(1st Corinthians2:9-12) God, who is a loving God, a Father to all of His children will and has given good gifts to us this side of eternity in this life. But can you even imagine what God who isinfinite, without limit, and the Creator of all things will bestow on those that love Him in the next life? First in this life, we have been pardoned, our sin washed away by the blood of Jesus and given eternal life and future immortality. �There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.(Romans 8:1-4) We have been separated, called out of this world to the glorious light of our Savior, who saved us and who loved us, before we even loved Him. 6 �For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.�(Romans 5:6-9) Second we have been given an earnest deposit of God's Holy Spirit that seals us as His possession. I liken it to a layaway plan at your local department store. The downpayment has been made and the contract signed for purchase. Along the way, more payments are made for the final purchase price until the day of taking possession of the prize. Paul speaks of this in Ephesians: 13 �In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spiritof promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.� (Ephesians 1:13-14) There is a future reception of more of the fullness of God's Holy Spirit and a future redemption! The Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). The apostle is teaching usthat redemption, like salvation, is a process that has begun but has not yet reached its conclusion. Salvation is irrevocable and God will finish what He has begun. Both of these processes began when we believed and accepted Jesus Christ, but they will notend until we receive God's Spirit in full measure and are glorified in His Kingdom. That will come when we are called either in the removal of God's Church before the Tribulation, or the tribulation saints resurrection and glorification at the end of the Tribulation.This is all part of the 1st resurrection, which Jesus was the beginning of. WE AWAIT OUR REDEMPTION But in the meantime, we must be about our Father's business. As Paul writes that we are not of the flesh, but of the Spirit, as we walk after the things of the Spirit anddo mortify the deeds of the flesh: 7 �Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit thatdwelleth in you.�(Romans 8:7-11) This almost sounds like an impossible task, as we are still mortal. I don't know about you, but I sin everyday, because of my flesh even if it's just a thought. Paul hadthe same problem when he lamented in Romans 7: 14 �For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.� (Romans 7:14-19) But fear not brothers and sisters, Paul gives us the remedy for the sin that dwells in our flesh. �O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.� (Romans 7:24-25) Each of us, who are the called of God battle the forces of evil. Sometimes, because of our mortal flesh, sin has it's way with us in our weakness. But if God's Holy Spiritrest in your spirit, then you, just as I am, are convicted of that sin, sometimes almost immediately. How do you get victory over sin? You put on the whole armor of God. Brethren, we do not war against flesh and blood, but against powers of spiritual darknessand the evil of this world. 10 �Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickednessin high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;� (Ephesians 6:10-18) Even with the armor upon us, and we fight the good fight as we use the weapons God has given us, we still fail, we stumble and fall...it's inevitable, my brethren, becausewe still have the curse upon us, called the flesh and this side of glory we will continue the need to repent. John the apostle wrote what we must do when we sin: �If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.� (1st John 1:6-9) My brothers and sisters in Christ, and all who read this message, it is God's Holy Spirit that cleanses us daily. When we fail, we confess. We are not suddenly lost fromGod's grace, but sin causes loss of fellowship with God our Father. But with remorse and prayerful repentance that relationship is restored, as if the sin never happened. Oh, but some say, �How can God forgive me for I have sinned a great sin?�. I imaginethat is what King David thought when his sin was revealed through Nathan the prophet and David repented of fornication with Bathsheba and indirectly murdering Uriah, her husband by placing him at the front of the battle. What did David do? David repented inanguish for His sin, and that was before God's Holy Spirit was given in it's fullness at Pentecost. David cried out : �Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.� (Psalms 51:1-13) Even David, a man God called �a man after God's own heart� was subject to temptation and sin. King David humbled himself, and did not try to hide his sin from God, but confessedit and asked for forgiveness in tears and anguish. God honors a broken and contrite heart, when it is done in genuine guilt and repentance. And God said that our sin would be as far as the east is from the west, and would remember it no more. Only Jesus and God's Holy Spirit can deliver us from the law of sin found in our flesh. Paul explains this even further in the chapter that I love, Romans 8: 33 �Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.� (Romans 8:33-37) WE NEED JESUS MORE THAN EVER, ESPECIALLY NOW We have evil all around us, and in this day and age, it seems evil is growing exponentially. When I was a little kid, I remember that there were bad people in the worldaround me, and I was warned to not accept candy from strangers, but most people were basically honorable and moral people in the majority. I would have not fathomed at such an early age, to see what I am seeing after almost 70 years of life. But OH, how the world has changed, and not for the better. How can the average person on this planet survive the evil that is becoming common place in this country and evenmore so in other countries around the world? No wonder the suicide rate is growing with people who have lost all hope. Or people who resort to crutches of alcohol, or dangerous drugs (either street drugs, or prescriptions) that rob them of the last shred ofhope and security as they try and escape reality. Unfortunately, I see it all the time in the area of my ministry. People are dying all around us and it seems we can't stop the destruction of people who are determined to bring on their own demise. But every now and then, one is savedfrom the fire. One person is reached that was thought beyond help. And what is the one thing, the one Person who brings them up out of despair? The answer is Jesus Christ. When a person finally sees that they are beyond hope, beyond fighting for themselves,and beyond anything on this earth used as a remedy. Not drugs, not alcohol, not bath salts, not promiscuity, and not main stream religion, because each fails the individual if its root is not anchored in Jesus Christ. When they hit rock bottom, the burdenon their shoulder is weighing them down with their head hanging and the only place to look is up, we pray they see Jesus and someone is there to bring them to a saving knowledge of His mercy and grace. That person must cry out and seek safety from the onlySource of that safety. �I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.� (Psalms 40:1-3) HAVE YOU FOUND MY ROCK, MY SAVIOR? To my unsaved friend out there, I say this. Jesus is the only way in finding safety in this life, leading to the next life. You can search from around the world from LosAngeles to New York City, from the USA to the far reaches of the third world and back, but you will be as you were, EMPTY and unfilled. We each have a void in our spiritual lives that must be filled. As mentioned, some search for it in pleasures of this world,in illicit drugs and alcohol, but in the end, many will attempt suicide because they just cannot cope with what is going on in this world. We all search for a way back to God or their definition of God. They search for peace and a place called Heaven. They put their trust in �religions� and spiritual enlightenmentor many put their trust in themselves and don't think they need God. Oh, how wrong each of them are. That void in your heart, that void in your mind, and that void that is searching for what makes life worth living, is found in only one place, AT THE CROSS.(I call this our God Hole, that must be filled with Jesus Christ). That is where our Savior died, my Savior, your Savior if you would only choose Him and repent of your sins and turn to Him in all humility and repentance. 37 �All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.�(John6:37-40) Jesus further told us the truth, when He said in John chapter 14: 6 �Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.� And there is no one that can separate you from the love of Christ our Lord, when you profess faith and belief in His saving grace, in His blood and resurrection that beganon Calvary's hill and fulfilled at His resurrection from the dead. We are told by Paul the Apostle in closing the chapter that started this message, that no one can separate us from Jesus Christ after we are saved by grace. 38 �For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.�(Romans 8:38-39) I invite you to call upon the Lord Jesus right now. Humble yourself and realize that you can't do it alone anymore. You and I are the same, we are sinners. Only differencethat may be between us, is that I have asked forgiveness of Jesus of my sins and as a faithful and loving God, He has done just that. He can do the same for you if you humble yourself and believe these verses that sum up the whole of the Bible. �For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.�(John3:16-18) 8' But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.� (Romans 10:8-11) Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Believe these words of John 3 and Romans 10 in the void found in your heart and mind, and God will make you alongwith many others who have gone on before you...Sons of God and joint heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ...Praise God. This is Pastor Mike Taylor, proclaiming my Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. My God who came in the flesh and is coming again soon. If I can introduce you tomy Savior and provide you with support from God's Word, then give me an email at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, or visit me for more biblical instruction in Christian living or the way back to God. If you need prayer, counseling, or just a friendly ear, drop me a line...God bless you all, TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET --------------------------------------------------- GuardAgainst Deception - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com Deception is one of the most toxic problems to a Christian�s faith and their walk with the Lord. "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thouunderstand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:1-6. It�s easy to be deceived if you haven�t kept up with Bible study. Seeking the wisdom of God isthe only way to know God�s truth and not be deceived by the lies of Satan. There are many lies out there and it�s easy to be confused if you don�t have a solid foundation built upon the word of God. There are many people who profess to be Christians but aredeceived in their teaching. Many cults call themselves Christian, but don�t teach Biblical truth. The only way to guard against deception is to study Scripture and earnestly pray for discernment. Every Christian must first and foremost, honor God with their lives. That means turning away from the world. When it comes to a choice between the ways of the world andthe way of the Lord, choose wisely. Only Scripture, studied in its entirety, will keep you from being deceived. �NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.� Psalm 119:105. We live in a time when it�s easy to turn on the TV or look on theinternet and find many people who speak words that sound good but are in direct opposition to God�s word. God has never changed, and He never will change. Satan wants you to turn from God and he will befuddle you with half-truths and outright lies in his effortto draw you away from God. Satan is darkness, but Jesus is the Light of the World. �Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.� John 8:12. In orderto understand the Light of God, study His word. Pray for wisdom and the Holy Spirit living in you will open God�s truth to your understanding. Whenever you listen to a Bible teacher, a preacher, or a commentator, look to Scripture in order to test their words. When a person first comes to a saving knowledge of Christ, they cannot possibly have the wisdom that comes from God. A babe in Christ must be fed on the truth of Scripture.Then that person must change their life to fit God�s ways rather than changing God�s words to fit their lifestyles. All Christians must desire to please God. �The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments:his praise endureth for ever.� Psalm 111:10. God�s truth is found in Scripture, from the first verse in Genesis to the last verse in Revelation. Don�t skip reading the Old Testament because you think that only the New Testament matters to a Christian. In Hisfirst incarnation, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law and many, many prophecies; He will fulfill all other prophecies very soon when He returns. All Scripture is God-breathed and we need to understand what�s written there and learn God�s truth. God�s standardsare shown to us by the Law, which required works in order to please God. Jesus did fulfill the Law, and His blood was shed for the once for all sacrifice for our sin. All who believe in Him will find salvation. �For by grace are ye saved through faith; andthat not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:� Ephesians 2:8. Because of that grace our sins are forgiven, but that doesn�t mean we shouldn�t desire to please God. Our way of living needs to conform to God�s truth rather than the ways of the world. Don�tbe deceived by false prophets who speak satanic lies. God doesn�t want anyone to be deceived. "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly." Proverbs 2:7. Wisdom is found in God�s word, while deceit is found inthe ways of the world. Wisdom comes from God. The question is, how do you get wisdom? First desire it and then ask God. �If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.� James 1:5. God doesn�t want anyone to be deceived by false teachers, but He won�t force His wisdom upon anyone. If you love Him, you should desire to know His ways. He will give you a foundation of knowledgeof His word and you need to build your life on the ways of God. You can�t please God by living a double life�professing your love for Him while living a sinful life. �A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.� James 1:8. Don�t deceive yourself intothinking that there are special circumstances in your life that make your sin OK with God. We must move away from sin and not try to justify our life-choices by using a double standard. Many people will try to deceive you, but you can�t please God by livingcontrary to His word. We are living in the last days. That�s a fact, but it�s another area that you can easily be deceived about if you haven�t studied prophecy. The urgency of spreading God�struth to the unsaved has never been stronger. Everyone must hear the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ before death, but as the last days of earth�s history are rapidly approaching, there�s a double urgency to spread the Gospel. The deception offalse teachers is evidence that time is short. Jesus said deception will get stronger as time comes to an end. �And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not thereforeafter them.� Luke 21:8. It�s up to you to be sure that you don�t fall for deception. There are many lies that are passed off as Christianity, such as Mormonism, but their teachings are in direct opposition to Scripture. One of the worst lies that Satan spewsis that all paths lead to heaven. Search the Scriptures to see for yourself that faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross is the only way to salvation. Don�t be deceived and be sure you have answers to defend your faith. The Apostle Paul had some wise words for a young pastor named Timothy. He urged Timothy to stand firm on the truth he had been taught and not be deceived by the evil peoplewho tried to deceive believers even in those days. �But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.� 2 Timothy 3:13-15. Timothy had been taught Scripture since childhood and Paul urged him not to waiver from thetruth of God�s word. If you�re tempted to follow a teacher who supports a �name it and claim it� theology, or �all roads lead to heaven� or �Jesus and Satan are brothers�, get away quick before you are deceived by their lies. Study Scripture and let God�sword be the lamp that lights your ways. Don�t be deceived about the times in which we live. The end is coming quickly. Many people say that every generation thought they were the last, but these people haven�tstudied prophecy and speak in ignorance. There are some end time lies that are very deceptive. Some would have you believe that Christians have replaced Israel. That�s a lie. God�s covenant with Abraham was forever, and an honest study of Daniel�s end timesprophecy will teach you that those last days are about Israel returning to God and recognizing Jesus as their Messiah. Some would have you believe that God will have Christians go through the Tribulation or at least part of it. That�s a lie. You can studyRevelation to see that Christians are not on earth during Daniel�s 70th week. We are called to Heaven at the beginning of Revelation chapter 4 and are in Heaven in chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 6 and the following chapters describe the seven years of the GreatTribulation, at the end of which the nation of Israel will call on Jesus as their Messiah. Some deceived teachers see the Tribulation Saints (those who come to faith in Jesus during those final 7 years) as a part of the Ekklesia. Those brave believers willhave come to faith after the Rapture and will face death unless they deny Christ. Deception has always been strong, but there will come a time when God will have had enough of our rebellious nature and will send a strong delusion. �And for this cause God shallsend them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.� 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12. We can see that people are ripe for deception today. I�ve often wondered howpeople will so easily be deceived, but as I�ve watched the deception during the last few years in American history, and the fiasco and deception in the last Presidential election, I can see that gullible people who have no firm foundation in Christ are easilyswayed to believe anything that the satanically fueled proponents of liberal politics, media censorship, and the one world order say. Some of the deceived even call themselves Christians. Be sure that you�re not one of those who believe lies and are deceived. Turn off the TV, put down the video games, get off the phone, and pick up your Bible. Study Scripture.The only way to guard against deception is to study, believe, and live God�s word. God bless you all, Nathele Graham ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your Most Important Decision - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org The Lord isn�t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyoneto repent. �2 Peter 3:9 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/your-most-important-decision/- Listen The most important decision that you�ll ever make is far more important than what career path you choose or whom you marry, as important as those decisions are. No, the most important decision that you�ll ever make is what you will do with Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sin. He paid for every wrong you�ve ever committed,and He rose from the dead. Now He stands at the door of your life and knocks. He says that if you�ll hear His voice and open the door, He will come in. The question is, will you open the door? Or, will you pretend that you don�t see Him? To refuse to open the door when He�s clearly there knocking is a rejection. So youcan either open the door and ask Christ to come in, or you can leave the door closed and effectively say to Him, �I don�t want You in my life.� Is that what you want to do? Jesus said, �He who is not with Me is against Me� (Matthew 12:30 NKJV). Your choice today is saying �yes� or �no� to Jesus. And here�s the resultof your choice: Heaven or Hell. Hell is real, and the last thing God wants is for anyone made in His image to spend eternity in this horrible place created for the devil and his angels. You will have topractically climb over Jesus to get there. But if you are determined, then God will allow you to pursue the course you want. And you�ll have no one to blame but yourself on that final day. Instead, what God wants is for you to be forgiven. God wants you to go to Heaven. He wants a relationship with you, a friendship with you. And He wants it to start now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resurrection: Our New Body 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 What a scene will occur at the sounding of the Lord�s trumpet! The �dead in Christ� will emerge from their resting places all over the earth and soar into the sky; these saints� resurrected bodies will reunite with their spirits, which will have beenresiding in heaven with Jesus. Close behind them will follow believers who haven�t yet departed this life�at that moment, they�ll miraculously be changed as they are �caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air� (1 Thess. 4:16-17). The description sounds extraordinary, but in fact, the plan is practical. We�re going to need a body with which to enjoy the new heaven and new earth that Jesus is preparing for His followers. However, earthly flesh and bones will not do. They age, break,and succumb to sin. So God promised to transform our humble structures into glorious bodies like the one Christ had after His resurrection. Common temptations and limitations will be gone. In addition, our physical substance will be altered so that we arenot restricted by time and space. Remember, Jesus didn�t bother with doors (John 20:19)! Our new bodies will be suited for the environment where we are to dwell forever�an ageless eternity in which all of our needs are perfectlymet. Each believer will still be him- or herself. Friends and family long separated will recognize one another; our personalities will be unchanged, except that we�ll be absolutely sinless. At last, you and I will be the persons that God intends for us to be.And we�ll be housed in a body fashioned like that of Christ�perfect, sinless, and complete. ------------------------------------------------------------------ NotThis Man �Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.� (John18:40) Unfortunately, this is the attitude of every generation toward its Creator and Redeemer. Jesus Christ �was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not� (John1:10-11). �Not this man!� they cried, and still cry today. �We will not have this man to reign over us� (Luke19:14). Even in a nation founded as a Christian nation, the name of Jesus Christ is banished from the schools, ignored in the halls of government, and blasphemed on the streets. And whom did they choose instead of �this man�? They preferred Barabbas, who was not only a robber, but also a revolutionary and murderer (Luke23:19). Today, they idolize the atheist Darwin, or the robber Lenin, or the revolutionary Mao, or the murderer Hitler, or any one of a thousand antichrists; but they will not have Christ. What, then, will they do with Christ? �Away with him, away with him, crucify him� (John19:15) was the cry even of the religious leaders during His life here on Earth, and it is little different today. �Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you,� proclaimed Peter (Acts3:14). �The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ� (Acts4:26). The rejection of Christ today is often more subtle, but it is just as real. Rulers, industrialists, scientists, educators, and commentators all say in deed, if not in word, that �[they] will not have this man to reign over [them]� (Luke19:14). �But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name� (John1:12). HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Entrance Exam The popular belief is "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts16:31). While this is true enough in its own right, it leaves out a great deal of biblical instruction about what God wants us to do with our lives between baptism and our glorious entrance into His Kingdom. Other just-as-true scriptures tell us that we have to meet His expectations, His standards, which are high and rigorous. And rightfully so, as the rewards are stunning! Jesus tells us in Matthew 13:43, "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (see Romans 8:17). Only a relative few can meet His standards because they are complex, extensive, and demanding. This fact is one reason "many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew22:14). For God's called, they are easy to understand but difficult in terms of execution, even with the help of His Spirit in us. For instance, note the instruction of the apostle Peter: But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. . . . Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. (IIPeter 1:5-7, 10; see Galatians 5:22-23) That is a significant challenge! So, it is good to review these things on occasion, to examine ourselves, to determine whether we are still standing tall, albeit humbly, before God, continuing to grow in His righteousness. We will do this by noting the passages in which Godtells us what kind of person He will�or will not�allow to enter His Kingdom. They will make up a kind of entrance exam against which we can evaluate ourselves. To Nicodemus, Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John3:5). Belief, repentance, baptism, and receipt of the Holy Spirit are requirements for salvation. With God's special calling and the gift of His Spirit, He sets us apart to come to know His way and plan, and eventually, to undergo complete regeneration at His coming(see Titus 3:5; Matthew 19:28). All along the way, we must put on the New Man, the character of our Lord (see Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:10-17). Further, Jesus teaches in Luke 6:20: "Blessed are you poor: for yours is the kingdom of God." If His statement refers to those who are financially needy, it would mean that all the poor of the world would receive a free pass into God's Kingdom! However, this is not the case. He is speaking directly to His disciples, then and now. Matthew5:3 contains a parallel saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." When used this way, "poor" means that, in comparison to God, we reckon that we are spiritually impoverished, without resources. We are weak, powerless, and spiritually bankrupt. Being poor in spirit is the attitudinal launching pointfor all the characteristics of love and godliness that please the Father. When we are poor in spirit, we recognize our spiritual need, which causes us to draw close to Him. Jesus also tells His disciples in Mark 10:15: "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Little children are teachable and eager to learn, mild, humble, and free from obstinance and preconceived notions. Christ islooking for the ability to accept freely and eagerly what God teaches. Acts 17:11 judges the Bereans to be noble because they searched the Scriptures daily, not to prove Paul's teachings were wrong, but to determine the truth of what they had heard and if they themselves were aligned with them. Christ lays out another point of examination in Luke 9:62: "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." He is not dispensing farming advice. However, farming is hard work, too difficult for some, and so they find an easier, more enjoyable way of earninga living. Similarly, some whom God has called find the difficulties of the Christian life�one of self-sacrifice�too challenging, and they turn back and lose their reward. The prime illustration of this turning back is Lot's wife. She looked back, probably longingly, at a way of life in Sodom that God was about to destroy, rebelling against the explicit instruction in Genesis 19:17 not to look back. This has a firm application for us today, those living at the end of the age. As He said about Sodom, God has promised to destroy the corrupt world we live in. We must keep our eyes on our magnificent goal, move toward it,and endure. However, our path often brings us into tribulation, that is, circumstances that seem to want to squeeze, crush, and break us. Standing up to one such experience is not easy, yet the Bible says that we can expect many tribulations! Luke writes in Acts 14:22 that Paul and Barnabas told new converts, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." This warning was among the last things Jesus also told His disciples before His arrest: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John16:33). These difficult circumstances "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle" us (IPeter 5:10). The same apostle writes that God called us to this sometimes harsh life "because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that [we] should follow in His steps" (IPeter 2:21). He, too, was made "perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews2:10). If we wish to be like Him, we have to overcome as He did. Patienceor endurance goes hand in glove with tribulation and is just as necessary for entrance to the Kingdom. Paul writes in II Thessalonians 1:4-5: [W]e ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdomof God, for which you also suffer . . .. The writer of Hebrews concurs: "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Hebrews10:36). Our everyday battle is against corruption of all sorts. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:5: "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" (many other disqualifying sinful practices are listed in I Corinthians 6:9-10; 15:50; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:7-8; 22:14-15). He exhorts us in I Timothy 6:11, "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness." The apostle James puts our purpose in a nutshell: "Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" (James2:5). We are selected and approved by God specifically to develop our faith in Him and love for Him, and we do this by striving to meet the high standards God sets throughout His Word for those who will enter His Kingdom. Trying to meet all of God's standards�in essence, to be like Christ�is neither simple nor easy. It can result in an arduous, painful life, as His did. Thank God for His grace and help in time of need (Hebrews4:16)! Yet, if we make a sincere effort to overcome and grow, we have this sure promise: ". . . if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior JesusChrist" (IIPeter 1:11). - Mike Fuhrer --------------------------------------------------------------------- WhenMessiah Came �Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalemunto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.� (Daniel9:25) This remarkable prophecy, given through the angel Gabriel to Daniel the prophet, actually predicted the date of the coming of Christ nearly 500 years in advance. From the announcement to the coming of �Messiah the Prince,� there would be 69 �weeks� (literally �sevens,� meaning in this context �seven-year periods�). That is, Messiah would come as the Prince 483 years after the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem. There is some uncertainty about the exact date of the decree, as well as the exact length ofthese prophetic years, but in each calculation the termination date is at least near or, in some cases, exactly the time when Christ entered Jerusalem to be acknowledged as its promised King. However, Gabriel�s prophecy went on to say: �And after [the] threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off� (Daniel9:26). That is, although He would come as promised, instead of being gladly crowned as King, He would be slain. Since the 483-year period terminated long ago, it is clear that Messiah must already have come and then been put to death at that time. The terms of this remarkable prophecy have been precisely fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone, and no one coming later could have done so. It is no wonder that He wept over Jerusalem, pronouncing her coming judgment, �because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation� (Luke19:44). We, like He, should weep and pray for Israel. Yet, in God�s omniscient planning, �through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles� (Romans11:11), and in this we can rejoice. HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TheFather of Spirits �Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we notmuch rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?� (Hebrews12:9) Human parents transmit physical characteristics to their offspring, but our spiritual attributes come from God, for He is �the Father of spirits.� Paul recognized that all men are �the offspring of God� (Acts17:29) and that each man is still �the image and glory of God� (1Corinthians 11:7). Thus, our spirit/soul nature, as distinct from our body of physical/mental flesh, has come from God, who created it and united it with our body, evidently at the moment of physical conception in the womb. It is obvious that the �image of God,� man�s spirit/soulnature, could not be transmitted genetically via the �genetic code� and the DNA molecules, for these are simply complex chemicals programmed to transmit only the physical and mental attributes of the ancestors to the children. Nevertheless, the spirit/soulattributes of each person also seem to be associated inseparably with the body from conception onward, continuing so until separated again at death, when the spirit goes �to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord� (2Corinthians 5:8), leaving the body behind. In the meantime, however, the �image of God� in man is marred by its incorporation in man�s �sinful flesh,� for �the body is dead because of sin� (Romans8:3, 10). By this union of flesh and spirit, man inherits Adam�s fallen nature as well as his mortal body, and both are in need of salvation. Christ �gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity� (Titus2:14). Therefore, we, like Paul, can pray that our �whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ� (1Thessalonians 5:23). HMM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rapture Reassurance - By Todd James - https://www.raptureready.com/2021/03/30/rapture-reassurance-by-todd-james/ During this troubling movement into ever-increasing evil, those among Bible teachers, writers, broadcasters, et al., who proclaim there is to be no pre-Tribulation Raptureare having a field day. They feed the business of prepping for a dystopian world. They stoke the fears of those who agree that life as it�s been known here in America will collapse into a Mad Max-type struggle for existence any day now. And, in a way, they can�t be blamed. Everything points to a profound loss of sense of reality. End-times insanity certainly seems unstoppable while mankind moves fartherand farther from God and toward that time John described in the book of Revelation. Hearing podcasts today that talk of the horrors to come is disturbing. Not hearing anything about what is coming from the pulpits of most churches is even more disturbing.What disturbs most is that nothing is being told of the truth that Jesus Himself promises: the glorious calling of the Church into His presence at a time of enveloping darkness, like what�s taking place now. I recently began listening to a particular podcast because I wanted to hear the host�s take on the stealing of the 2020 presidential election. After I heard that, I continuedto listen as much out of daily habit as for any other reason. The blog�s host paints�correctly, for the most part�a bleak future just ahead for the nation and the world. He points out the globalist minions who want to bring the restof us under their domination. He includes that he believes the vaccines are all part of the control they intend to establish. They are, he offers, designed to do physical harm to recipients in order to bring the world�s population down dramatically over theensuing months and years�i.e., he insists the vaccines will interact with immune systems in deleterious ways to cause people to die from the vaccines� effects. He believes the world�and the US, in particular�is in for some of the darkest times in human history. Only a few will survive. And this is where he loses my attention. He says only those who prepare properly will survive�that is, those who are true patriots with a godly or morality-based beliefsystem. The globalists elite and others of the would-be rulers will submerge into their extravagant underground bunkers and even fully-equipped-for-survival cities. Folks without these resources will still be able to survive if they follow the prepper rules for survival, including buying survival products such as those offered in hisstore. When the blog host began talking in terms of his belief in God�even in Jesus Christ�and his acceptance that the book of Revelation speaks of exactly the time of coming unprecedentedtrouble he is talking about, my interest was piqued. He is apparently friends with a couple of well-known writers who delve into the subject of the hard times ahead for the nation and world. These are known to come againstany notion of the Rapture of the Church. They�ve even on occasion scoffed at the idea of a pre-Trib movement of God�s people out of harm�s way. Christians will go through the Tribulation, but if properly prepared, will be kept more or less safe by God, theyinsist. Therefore, they must stock up and brace for the great hardships to come in order to survive. I perceive that the blog host is, if he is a true believer�and I believe he is�he is a very immature one. That is, he has no understanding of Truth found in God�s Word inregard to prophecy yet future. I gather this opinion based upon several months now of listening. When he began talking about the judgment and wrath in Revelation, earnestly imploring people to prepare to go through those times, I could do no other than find his emailthrough a close friend who knows one of the men I mentioned earlier�one who is not a pre-Tribber. I emailed the blog host an offer to send him several of my books dealing with exactly the time of terrible trouble to come he�d been talking about. I also toldhim that his friends who teach against the Rapture are wrong, and, since he says he wants to consider all sides of matters, I wanted to present him with the truth about Christians not going through that coming time of horror. I haven�t heard back from him. To even consider an alternate possibility to the position his anti-Rapture associates teach would go against his�and their�business models,as well as against their belief system regarding Bible prophecy. I sensed, however, that I should make the effort to provide truth on that most glorious promise of our Lord that we will be delivered from the time of evil the likes ofwhich mankind has never before seen. Things going on in every facet of life at this moment, to the observant Bible prophecy student, point to very dark times ahead. The blog host I mention sees a moment comingwhen things will suddenly and catastrophically change. He thinks it will be brought about by the sudden fall of the US dollar as prime currency for the world, or because of some other financial disaster. Everything will collapse around the people of the nationand the world, and only those who are prepared�by having essentials of life stored, etc.�will survive. Billions will eventually die, he proclaims. He is right about the coming calamity, except for being able to store enough gold, silver, and food to survive, and the cause of the catastrophic crash and movement intothat world that will make the fictional era of Mad Max seem tame and rational by comparison. That great, catastrophic time of unprecedented trouble will take place when millions of believers are called to be with their Lord in the heavenly clouds above this wrath-boundplanet. That moment is drawing near. We can be sure of this because the Lord Jesus Himself said that when believers see the things that are now beginning to take place, we�re to �look up� because He (our Redeemer) is drawing near (Luke 21:28). My friend Pete Garcia and I are just completing a book on all of this, to be released in a few months, titled THE DISAPPEARING: Future Shocks That Will Rock the World. The Apostle Paul says the following to what looks to be this generation: But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus diedand rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfortone another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13�18) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where the Wrath and Love of God Meet Romans 3:23-26 In our culture, sin is no longer considered an issue. Although some people might admit to making mistakes or being wrong, few will actually say, "I have sinned." The Lord, however, takes sin very seriously. Until we learn to see transgression as He does,we will never understand what happened at Christ's crucifixion. The cross was God's perfect answer to a terrible dilemma. Because the Lord is holy and just, He hates sin and must respond to it with punishment and wrath. Yet He also loves sinners and wants to be reconciled with them. The cross of Christ was the placewhere God's wrath and love collided. The only way to rescue fallen mankind from eternal punishment was to devise a plan whereby the Lord could forgive sins without compromising His holiness. There was no way to overlook transgressions; His wrath had to be poured out--either on us or a substitute.But there was only one possible substitute: the perfect Son of God. So Jesus came to earth as a man and suffered the Lord's wrath for us as He hung on the cross. Sin was punished, divine justice was satisfied, and now God could forgive mankind without compromising His character. His wrath was poured out on His Son so thatHis love and forgiveness could be lavished upon us. Because of human limitations, we'll never grasp all that happened while Jesus hung on the cross. We can begin to comprehend only the physical suffering He endured, but in the spiritual realm, Christ bore so much more--the very wrath of God. This costly redemption plan proves God's great love. ------------------------------------------------------------------------