Thanks and Rejoicing

1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

These statements are something to think deeply about.

Give thanks in all circumstances?

Rejoice in the Lord always?

Even when we are faced with a multitude of problems and fears, troubles of every kind etc?

Yep, give thanks and rejoice especially when faced with the trials and tribulations of this world. This kind of action and thinking flies directly in the face of worldly action and wisdom. How can a person give thanks and rejoice when surrounded with every kind of problem imaginable? By Faith.

When we pray, we lift our problems and concerns up to our Lord and we expect him by faith to answer us. When we get up off our knees from prayer, we can walk around thanking God and rejoicing because our faith tells us that our problems are already answered even when our sight tells us there is no change in our circumstances.

We live by faith, not by sight. We praise, thank and rejoice even when our eyes tell us we are in our darkest hour. We are not in-sane, we are in-Christ. We have promises. We will stand or fall today and in the days ahead based on our faith or lack of it. Even when my faith has been lacking, I have seen the Lord extend his grace time and again to lift me up and restore me to a position of faithfulness so my prayers could be answers in accordance with his promises.

Throughout my entire life I have seen prayer answered, I have seen miracles happen but I can't take credit for any of it. Where did I get the faith? Jesus. Who extended their grace to me? Jesus did. Who gave me the promises to stand on? Jesus did. Who encouraged me when I was sagging under the weight of the world? Jesus did. So what's the lesson? No man is anything, Jesus is everything so we should seek him with all our heart. He is our answer to every problem, he is our first love, he is our reward on earth and he is our treasure in heaven.

Every good thing the Father has stored up for us can be found "in Christ" both now and in the age to come. So where should our attention be? On Jesus. Give thanks always, rejoice always. Lift up your concerns and requests to our Lord then rejoice in the answer to your prayer before you finish praying. We are told to do this in Mark 11:24: Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Be very encouraged today that our Lord is still watching over his promises to fulfill every word spoken to us in his word. Our God answers prayer. He always has and he always will. Just realize that our God asks things of us. He commands us to do things and we have a part to play in this life. The way to find out what our God requires of us is to read the bible for yourself. You don't need to be beaten over the head by me or anyone else, just read your bibles with an open heart and mind. Ask the Lord to teach you and he will.

Be ready for the Lord's return. He could wait and come back years from now, or he could show up in the next few seconds. Our job is not to pinpoint the time of his arrival but to be ready whenever he does show up. Faith and patience is how we inherit the promises.

Hebrews 6:12 ... so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

grace and peace

Promise Filled vs. Problem Filled

The Lord has been on this topic now with me for about 4 months now. He expects us to expect him to fulfill his promises to us. The bible is a promise filled book. This world is a problem filled place. We are not like the world, we have promises. We can choose to focus in the problems we see all around us or we can focus on the promises given by our God. The approach each person uses will determine their life.

2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.

We live by faith.....not sight. Do I see all the problems around us? Sure, but so what? Am I too stay focused on what my eyes tell me or am I commanded to dwell on what faith tells me? Here is where we see how important it is to stay in the word of God. If we stay in the bible, our mind will be full of promises and faith. The bible is a promise and faith filled book. If we stay focused on this world with all its problems, we will be problem filled people.

In spite of the fears, troubles and problems this brother has faced in life, the Lord has delivered me from them all. That is what the Lord would have me tell you today. Our God is a God who still answers prayers today. He is faithful and true to his promises. Since the Lord has been on this topic now with me for about 4 months, it appears that he intends to stay on it.

In these last days, while darkness and wickedness and apostasy abound, we are called back to a simple childlike faith in Jesus. We are called back into the word of God to be rooted and built up in faith on a text that is error free. We do not need man's words, we need Gods words. Men can deceive you, the Lord will not deceive you. He tells you the truth every time.

We are living once again in the days of Noah and Lot. We don't know how much time is left and neither does anyone else. To even try to guess is a fool's errand. For that reason we are told to be watching and ready every day....A person who is not watching and ready today is likely to be caught unprepared on the day the Lord shows up.

Luke 21:34“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

We are told to be careful not to let our hearts be weighed down......with dissipation drunkeness and the anxieties of life....That's important stuff isn't it? Do you know what a focus on the problems in the world will do? It will weigh your heart down with the "anxieties of life."

What are we told about the "anxieties of life?"

Philippians 4:6
... Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We are called to be a promise filled people. I know of something that gets the world's attention: real answers to real problems. The Lord is telling me today that I am to believe him for spectacular answers to prayer. He is a big God, there is no other like him. At this point in my walk with him I expect spectacular...awesome..incredible to the world kinds of results from prayer. I am a nobody, he is everything, Jesus is everything, he is the focus. Focus on him, seek his face, stay in his word, trust him, that's another way of saying "have faith." This brother, the least of your brothers is telling you today that our God can be trusted.

Use every ounce of faith at your disposal today. Stay in the fight. Believe the Lord for everything and anything. No prayer or request is too small or too big if you have the faith for it. If you don't have the faith for it then ask Jesus for more...stay in his word.

The Spirit says to me today: encourage, encourage, encourage, testify, testify, testify. The Lord has performed miracles in my life, that is no exaggeration. I am to tell you today that if miracles through faithful prayer have been done for me, they can be done for you. Our Lord is no respecter of persons. Be patient, have faith..let patience have her perfect work:

James 1:4
... But let patience have her perfect work, that ye maybe perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

grace and peace

A God Who Answers Prayer

The God we serve is very very good.

He just answered another of our prayers in a spectacular way. In this case, it was a complicated timing issue where we needed to move out of one rental home and into another with the timing working out perfectly between the two. Not only did the Lord work out the timing perfectly but I became aware over the weekend that the Lord held a pristine rental property just for my family for 86 days during the peak of rental season where we live. 86 days the Lord had his hand on this place for us while we were praying in faith, believing the Lord would take care of us but not knowing how or when. We looked at many places to live and none of them came close to how perfect this place is for my family and nobody touched it. Why? The Lord held it for us.

Prayer after prayer after prayer was lifted up to the heavens over this issue and once again the Lord answered in a spectacular way. Our God is a God who answers prayer. Today is a day of great rejoicing, thanks and praise to our God who hears the cries of his servants and answers them. I share this latest answered prayer with you to encourage you to seek the Lord's face for your own needs. Lay your faith on the line, stay in the bible praying the Lord's promises back to him in faith and watch what he will do for you.

Our God is loving and kind, full of grace and mercy for those who serve him. We don't always walk an easy road but we never walk alone. We always have the Lord our God there with us to help us in all our troubles, to deliver us from all our fears. We just have to trust him. We have to keep the faith.

Something the Lord showed me this weekend is that tested faith is not the same as failed faith. Sometimes when we feel our faith being tested we may be tempted to think our faith is weak or is failing us because we sense the strain and push of the enemy/the world/our flesh against our faith. Having our faith tested will be something we will deal with until we are with Jesus in heaven. Each time our faith is tested it grows stronger but that doesn't mean we will not feel the strain of testing the next time we lay our faith out, believing the Lord will come through for us. We will feel the invisible war going on . When what we see with our eyes pushes against what we believe by faith, we must stand immovable and push back against our problems, fears and difficulties by faith. We were given a will that allows us to decide when and where we will fight or give up. As long as we remain in the fight and we don't give up, we can expect to see mighty things from our God.

Engage your God given willpower to remain in the fight, by faith till the very end. We do not wage war as the world does.

2 Corinthians 10:1By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! 2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

If the Lord answers prayers for a nobody screwup like myself, the least of the brothers who are in Christ, what can he do for you? Be very encouraged today. For those of us who are "in Christ" everything done to benefit one part of the body benefits every other part of the body in some way. Seek the Lord's face, keep the faith, stay in his word, pray without ceasing. We serve a very very GOOD and GREAT God!

may the Lord bless you and keep you today. May his face shine upon you and may he grant you peace

Seek His Face

Psalm 27 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
10Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11Teach me your way, O Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
13I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

The Lord has been speaking clearly to me about these things. "Seek his face" we are told. Wait for the Lord....be strong and take heart...We are to be strong and take heart. How can we do that? Stay in his Word. Seek his face. Be an unmovable rock that this world can break itself on because of your refusal to move off of our God's promises for us.

We are to stand and be strong in his promises. When we do this we bring glory to him and we draw to ourselves the substance of what was promised which we receive through faith and patience.

Hebrews 6:12
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Who knows how much longer it will be until we see the escape from all/rapture? It could be today. If it is today or tomorrow or the next day we will want to be in the very center of our God's will when he shows up. We can do this be shedding all the useless trash in our life and by laying hold of his promises and not letting go of them. We can find his promises in the bible, so we must get in that book and stay there. The Lord wondered if he would find faith on earth when he returned:

Luke 18:8 ... But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

We must be built up in our most holy faith every single day in anticipation for our Lord's return. We increase our faith how?

Romans 10:17
... So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Notice how we "hear" according to the bible..we "hear" by the Word of God...the word of God is key to increasing our faith so that when our Lord does show up he will find some faith on earth..in us..by us staying rooted in his words...

Rev 2-3 told to each of the revelation churches: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" and "hearing" is by the word of God.

I believe the Lord is speaking to me these days that if I want to be a vessel for his use, I must seek his face earnestly, stay in his word, and stay out of his way, meaning get rid of every thing in me that would hinder the flow of his Spirit. I am also to inceasingly humble myself before him and before you who read this in the hope that he will use me and in some way speak something of value to you for your edification.

I am laying every ounce of faith within me out on the line to follow the Lord's Spirit these days. As I share these things with you today there are alot more "I"s and "me"s than I would like in the writing because none of this here is really about me, its about you-for your benefit. If anything written here can benefit you than the Lord be glorified and I am thankful for it. May the Lord bless you and keep you today. Be strong in the Lord, seek his face, stay in his word...grace and peace

Delight Yourself in the Lord

Isaiah 58:14 ... Then shall you delight yourself in the LORD; and I will cause you to ride on thehigh places of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father

Job 22:26
... For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and allthese things will be given to you as well.

Revelation 2:4
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

Each day that passes convinces me more that these things ^^^ are what the Lord is leading us into. These things are what he is saying to us today. It is very important that we learn to delight ourselves in him. We are to put him first, to find our happiness and joy "in him" each and every day. If we do this, everything else needed for life will be added to us as an afterthought. If we learn to seek him out first, to build ourselves up in him each and every day, then we will be ready for whatever the future throws at us. We will be ready for the escape from all that is coming. We will be watching, but not watching "news" headlines, we will be watching the movement of the Spirit and peeking into the heavens to see the face of our God so we may know the days we are living in and how to live in them.

I believe that the Lord has grown quiet with me about the escape from all/rapture etc because we are closer to it than ever before. It may still be years away or it may be today, the day it happens matters less than our readiness for it on the day it shows up. We can know exactly the day the escape is going to happen but if we are not found worthy of it what will it matter that we knew the day? The Lord has been stressing with me the need to return to a simple childlike faith in him. We are to consume the Word like people who are starving. He has instructed me to narrow my focus, to spend less time watching what is going on in the world and more time seeking him through prayer and his word.

I encourage you to get back to the simple basics of what it means to be a christian. Pray on your knees. Read your bible. Believe like a little child. Seek the mind of God in every little thing you do. Pray without ceasing. Ask for what you need then believe your prayer has been answered and stand in faith till you see it answered. If we get back to the basics, the fundamentals of what it means to be a servant of Jesus then we won't have to concern ourselves with rapture debates and salvation debates and any other debate you can think of. You have to settle these matters in your own heart and mind then stand on your own understanding of the issues.

We will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and give an answer for the life we lived, the words we spoke etc. With deceit and wickedness everywhere in this world, it would be foolish to trust your eternal destiny to somebody else's opinion on what the bible does or does not say. We really really need to hear the Spirit of God teach us personally this day and every day. We need the pure unspoiled Word of God, not more commentary by men. My words cannot feed your spirit, neither can anyone else's words, only the Word of God can feed you, so get into it. The Spirit himself will confirm what the truth of any matter is to you. As your relationship deepens with Jesus you will peel back more and more layers of deception that you were taught by men, and replace it with the truth that can only be revealed by the Word of God through the Spirit of God.

Who knows how much time is left? Only our God knows, so seek his face today. You are in my prayers daily if you are "in Christ." grace and peace

A Servant of the Accuser of the Bretheren?

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Just when I thought I had seen it all....

We already have seen how the apostate church loves to quote: "judge not lest you be judged," now I've seen one even better:

According to the latest "don't look at our apostasy" technique in churchianities arsenal, anyone who takes a critical look at the backsliding, teaching of doctrines of demons etc within churchianity, is a partner with the Devil! Thats because the devil accuses the brothers day and night. Brilliant! According to this logic Jesus and all the apostles were all "accusers of the bretheren" when they said such things as:

Matthew 12 :33“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesus was calling the RELIGIOUS PEOPLE a brood of vipers, does that make him a partner with Satan?

How about this one:

Matt 3:1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert,‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

Who does John think he is! Telling people to "repent?" Isn't John "judging" the religious people by telling them to repent? Who does he think he is! He must be a partner with Satan in accusing the bretheren of acts needing repentance!

If you want an example of a REAL doozy, take this one from Paul the apostle:

1 Corinthians 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?

Who the heck does Paul think he is? He "judged" and "accused" the believers of Corinth all in one sentence! Is Paul a partner with Satan since he correctly "judged" and "accused" the believers of this sick act?

I just gave 3 examples of how ridiculous the latest attempt is by churchianity to deflect criticism from their wicked acts. If preaching a doctrine of demons (OSAS-calvinistic "doctrines of grace" etc) is not wicked then you tell me what is? If teaching a doctrine (OSAS-once saved always saved) that gives people a license to sin is not wickedness then what is? If judging wicked acts within the church makes a person a partner with Satan then Jesus and all the apostles were partners with Satan. The lengths the apostate church will go to..the creativity in deflecting attention from their wickedness knows no end. If they would put the same energy into seeking the Lord's face and filling themselves with God's word, they would not have to invent unscriptural and ridiculous ideas to cover up their false doctrines.

Amazing...grace and peace

Those Whom I love I Rebuke and Discipline

Rev 3:19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Hebrews 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? ... Is there a son whom his father does not discipline?

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

If time is as short as I think it is, then these days would be days when the Lord is disciplining those he loves to prepare them for the arrival of Jesus. He is returning for a spotless bride, yet many if not most in "christianity" today have zero tolerance for the discipline of the Lord. If they cannot hear words that resemble dancing sugar plums then they shut their ears to whatever is being said. That will be a costly mistake.

There is a remnant of true believers in the world today just like there has always been a remnant of believers from Israel all the way through to today. The remnant always consists of a few, not the many which is why we are told in Matt 7:13-14 that only a few will make it through the small gate that leads to life. This remnant of the few should be speaking a message to the world that is rejected by most people just as the truth has always been rejected in a wicked and sinful world. Our Lord was crucified for the truth, the prophets were tarred and feathered for the truth. Telling the truth to a sinful world is not the way to become popular, its the way to be hated and despised.

In the same way, nobody wants to hear about the Lord's discipline in a sinful and backslidden world. "who are you to judge!" is their cry. The brother writing this to you today is no man's judge, but if the Word of God you read as it is quoted here makes you feel "judged" then perhaps there is a reason for it:

Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The Word of God "judges" you as you read it. It convicts you where you need convicting. That's not always pleasant and where are the people in the world today who are okay with dispensing with the garbage that most of the world wants to hear so they can hear the Words of God? Where are the people today who call themselves believers who are willing to stand up like men before the Lord's discipline and perfect themselves instead of running away to false gospels that tickle their ears? The true believers are out there, but they are few. Many are called, few are chosen.

Instead of cursing the messenger perhaps people should pick up the Word of God and let it judge them. Perhaps people should begin to look closely at their life and doctrine instead of heaving that responsibility "over the fence" to their hired hand spiritual employees (pastors). What is going to happen on the day that we all stand before the Lord and you see with your own eyes that most people are not making it into the kingdom of God? Will you stand there with knees shaking as you see multitudes being sent into perdition while you wait your turn to be judged? Will you wish you would have taken the Word of God more seriously while you were on earth? Will you wish you would have dispensed with all the candy coated word magic thrown at you week after week in your "churches?" Tough words? Yes, but I would much rather have the Lord's belt on my rear end NOW than stand before him in the spirit later thinking "oh my, oh my, oh my, I wish I would have done this or that or whatever.."

MANY will say to the Lord on that day "we did all kinds of great things in your name Lord" and you know what he says back to them (Matt 7:21-28). Then is not the time to see things clearly, NOW is. When would you prefer to get your dose of "reality" then or now? My words are not "reality," Jesus's words are, the bible. The Lord disciplines those he loves, he rebukes them. Do you think the current state of "christianity" deserves a healthy dose of discipline and rebuke? If so, you show me the servants claiming to be "christians" who are delivering a message in accordance with its backslidden state....they are FEW.

Most teachers and preachers out there today are telling people not to worry about anything, don't worry about repentance or mourning for the sorry state of the church today. Just be happy that the 5 second "decision for Jesus" means they are guaranteed a ticket into heavens gates even though our bibles tell us only a FEW will make it in. Don't worry about working out your salvation with fear and trembling like Paul did, just do a little dance in the aisle while you are playing "church" on Sun-day and be happy that no matter how much sin you are laden with, how faithless your walk is, no matter how disobedient you are our Lord's Word, heaven is guaranteed!

The message for a backslidden church is to repent. The Lord rebukes and disciplines those he loves. grace and peace

What Does it Take to be Saved?

1. You must believe and receive the free gift:

Ephesians 2:8
... For by such grace you have been saved through faith.

2. You must abide/remain "in Christ:

John 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesa so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

There is nothing you can do to earn the first part: the free gift, you just believe and receive it. But what about part two, abiding? As it was written here yesterday, the doctrine of devils known as OSAS-once saved always saved makes non-sense out of the bible. The preach all over free gift/grace and completely forget about abiding/remaining "in Christ." Here's another example I'll give you today that proves OSAS to be a demonic doctrine and conversely proves that you must BOTH 1. believe/receive the free gift AND 2. abide "in Christ."

Philippians 2:12Therefore, 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, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

As with the scripture we looked at yesterday, OSAS makes this ^^ statement complete nonsense. How exactly can you "work out" a salvation that is given to you as a free gift if all thats required is a 5 second decision to believe in Jesus? Paul's statement makes no sense if you are taught a "grace only" salvation that OSAS preaches but when you consider the requirement to ABIDE "in Christ" AFTER you have received the free gift, then things make alot more sense.

Again, the scripture below is complete nonsense when you listen to the OSAS-grace alone gospel, but it makes perfect sense when we consider the requirement to ABIDE IN CHRIST to the very end in order to receive our salvation..

Hebrews 3:14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

How about this one, does it support the requirements to 1. receive the free gift AND 2. abide "in Christ?"

Hebrews 6:12
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

You are promised the salvation of your soul IF you 1. believe and receive the free gift, AND 2. abide "in Christ." What does it take to "abide in Christ?" Faith and patience. Does this jive with what we're told about holding firmly to the end the confidence we had at first Heb 3:14? Yep

Does this two component idea jive with anything else we've read in the bible? How about this:

Luke 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it (so they satisfy requirement 1-receive the free gift of salvation), but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away (they fail to meet requirement 2. to ABIDE "in Christ")

The "once saved always saved" teacher tells you that Luke 18 is nonsense too. Luke 18 clearly shows us that just like in John 15, someone can be "in Christ" they received with joy the free gift for awhile, but for one reason or another, later they fell away. In John 15, the Father cuts people out of the vine and throws them out to be burned. In Luke 8:13 people fall away of their own accord. Either way, the failed to meet the requirement to abide "in Christ."

Many people are going to find out at the wrong time that everything they've believed has been a lie. They are going to find out the hard way that what was written in John 15, and Luke 8:13 and Hebrews 6:12 and Phillipians 6:12 were meant just as they were written. The bible tells you clearly that you and I are to work out our salvation with FEAR AND TREMBLING. That one statement alone sends the doctrine of demons OSAS crowd into tailspins. Fear? Trembling? Work out my salvation? That's what the bible says.

I'll leave you today with this:

1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

The bible tells us that in the later times (like..NOW)

some will fall away from the faith (does that mean "saved" when you have "fallen away from the faith?")

paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,<--isn't this like everything else we observe here where all of you who "go to church" refuse to acknowledge that your pastor/preacher/teacher would ever teach doctrines of demons and the next guy says the same thing and the next guy etc until the whole world has made the bible out to be nonsense? The bible tells us that people WILL fall away from the faith due to these doctrines of demons yet nobody has it happening at their church right?

People take the Word of God WAY too lightly these days. When Paul says we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling he knew something about the God of the bible that most people today don't know. He had a revelation of the holy God who meant every word of what he said to us in the scriptures. This is so serious and yet people refuse to let go of their lies and illusions leading us back to an answer once again of WHY so few will be saved and why this was written: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’-Matt 7:21

I am not judging you. If you feel any condemnation from reading any of this it is the Spirit of God working through the Word of God convicting you for what you believe. Read the bible for yourself. Watch your life and doctrine CLOSELY, because if you do you will save yourself and those who hear you...1 Tim 4:16....grace and peace

The Bible: A Book Full of Non-Sense? OSAS?

The doctrine of devils known as OSAS:once saved always saved makes many of the statements in the bible nonsense. Take this statement for example:

1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

That statement ^^ is complete NONSENSE if you believe the OSAS teachers. Why? Paul is clearly linking WATCHING your LIFE and DOCTRINE with your SALVATION.

The OSAS teaching is that it does not matter one iota what your life and doctrine consist of after you have made your teary eyed 5 second "committment" to Jesus. Paul tells you that not only must you watch your life and doctrine closely, he also tells you to PERSIST/PERSEVERE in them. He also says this "if you do." Did you know that IF is a conditional word? "If "guarantees you nothing. "If" says you get something CONDITIONAL upon something you do, in this case its persevering in watching your life and doctrine closely.

Also notice who is told to "watch." YOU ARE. The bible does not instruct your hired hand "pastor" to watch your life and doctrine closely, he tells YOU to watch YOUR life and doctrine closely. Looks like the burden is off of your spiritual hired hand employees and back on you again doesn't it?

If the teachers of the OSAS doctrine of demons is correct, then the bible is full of all kinds of non-sense, and we know that CANNOT be the case right? How can the bible tell us that IF we persevere (also known as ABIDING) in watching our life and doctrine closely THEN you will save both yourself and your hearers?

Next point: save yourself? and your hearers? WHAT? Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. Is the Holy Spirit telling us that YOU have a part to play in YOUR salvation and it was not a "done deal" 10 years ago during your touching little teary eyed "alter call" experience? Read it for yourself. YOU play a part in YOUR salvation or else the bible is NON-SENSE. If your doctrine conflicts with the clear, plain meanings of the words written in the bible then YOU not the bible are WRONG.

We are saved by grace, through faith. Salvation is a gift not of ourselves so no man can boast, however the church of babylon stops in its evaluation of being "saved" right there. Over and over again, FAITH, PERSEVERANCE, ABIDING "IN CHRIST" are indicated as requisite MANDATORIES for being "saved." How can salvation be a free gift and also you have to "do" something like "believe" and "abide" and "persevere" to take delivery of it? There are obviously 2 parts to the salvation deal. Part 1 is entering "in Christ"-that's the free gift, by grace through faith. The other part is ABIDING/remaining "in Christ." So..you have to enter "in Christ" which is the small gate of Matt 7:13-28, then you have to REMAIN THERE. Proofs?

Part 1:
Ephesians 2:8
... For by such grace you have been saved through faith.

Part 2-the bible is LOADED with verses for this one but lets start with this:

John 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesa so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

Perseverance is not a one time deal. Abiding is not a one time deal. Remaining is not a one time deal. Faith is not a one time deal. All of these are EVERYDAY deals. It could not be said any clearer than right here:

Hebrews 3:14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

What does "if" mean? What does "hold firmly" mean? What does "till the end" mean? Isn't it a bit ridiculous to have to even ask these questions? But we do have to ask because the men who would turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust would have you believe that to share "in Christ" all you have to do is "make a 5 second decision" during some "alter call", then its game over, you're as good as in heaven today! The Word of God clearly demolishes such arguments with words such as IF and "hold firmly" and "till the end" having the confidence we had at first.

2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledgeof God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Jude 1:4
... For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Have you ever stopped to ask exactly WHO ARE these men who have "slipped in secretly" and changed the grace of our God into a license for immorality (carnal sin/lust)? What is this doctrine that CHANGES the GRACE of our God into a license for immorality? Are you reading that? Are you "getting it?" WHO ARE THESE MEN????, WHAT DO THEY TEACH?????

We know exactly who they are, they are the OSAS teachers and preachers. These men have to be somewhere but of course they are not in your church right? Oh no, never...anyone else's church but yours...and everyone else's "church" says the same thing as yours and the finger keeps pointing somewhere else, anywhere else but at you and your pastor, and your teachers. It's just like nobody admitting they enjoy pornography in America but its an 80 billion dollar a year business...because nobody looks at it....right....

I wasn't going to do another post today but the Holy Spirit was INSISTENT I put this one up. So here it is. grace and peace

Judge Not? The Narrow and Broad Roads

The members of the apostate church, and escpecially the advocates of the doctrine of devils known as "OSAS" or "once saved always saved" really really get agitated when they read the words on this blog. They ask "who are you to judge?" My question back to them is "is quoting the bible my judgement upon you or do the words of the bible themselves condemn you because you preach a doctrine of demons?" I just read an article by a preacher of OSAS who says we should not judge them for preaching a false gospel because the bible says do not judge, and he quotes this:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2)

Fair enough yes? Do not judge. How can I say that only a few will be saved? Am I judging people by saying that only a few will be saved? No, I'm quoting the bible. Matt 7:13-28 tells us that only a FEW will be saved, I didn't make that up, Jesus said it. And as for judgement, did the apostate preacher forget this little gem on judgement:

1 Corinthians 5:12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Did you read that? God will judge those outside, what business is it of ours to judge them? But those INSIDE the church appear to be a different story...are we not to judge them? EXPEL THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOU, and how pray tell can you expel a wicked man unless you have first "judged" him to be wicked? Case closed

Now that we have dispensed with the first diversion of our attention...after telling us that the wicked among us should not be judged (those preaching a false gospel-OSAS), he then tells us that the believer is on the narrow road that leads to life and the unbeliever is on the broad path that leads to destruction. No problem there. The problem lies in the fact that the apostate OSAS teacher would have you believe their false gospel that there's no way you could ever be moved off the narrow path. Does the bible assure us that we can never be moved off the narrow path? No, it does not say that anywhere. We are saved by grace (the gift) through faith.

We have studied the fact extensively here that it is through faith we are saved, by grace. Can you be saved if you re-write the bible to remove faith from the equation? If it were possible to be saved without faith, why did the Holy Spirit say it is by grace through FAITH you are saved?

Ephesians 2:8 ... For by such grace you have been saved through faith.

Another thing the OSAS writer says is that it is not the fear of God but his grace that leads us to him: (John 13:34-35). Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

There is no question that it is the Lord's kindness that leads us toward repentance however, WHY were we given so MANY warnings? The point that the OSAS teacher wants to make is:forget all the warnings, just preach a one sided, you can do no wrong, once saved always saved message and people will be won over...Really? Look around you today? I see a candy coated gospel being preached EVERYWHERE and what exactly is happening? This world is drowning in darkness, that's the result. Either you preach and teach the FULL counsel of God or none of it. The bible is full of gracious promises AND stern warnings all directed AT US.

What's the bottom line in Matt 7:13-28? Is the moral of the story that "the believer goes through the narrow gate and the unbeleiver goes through the wide gate?" Well, that's the only lesson learned by the candy coated snake oil doctrine of demons salesman because they don't want you to see and understand the fact that the moral of the story is only a FEW will make it through the small gate. That's the point, that's the message, that's the warning, that's the cold water splashed on your face and the stell toed boot in your rear-end...what part of FEW don't people like the OSAS pitchmen understand? Our Lord sees the end from the beginning. He is telling us in no uncertain terms that FEW..in the end...will make it through the small gate that is Jesus Christ. Is Matt 7:13-28 the only place we learn this? No

Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

FEW are chosen, get it? What does "few" mean? Why does the Lord even bother telling us that few will make it in? The preachers of apostate churchianity tells us not to worry about it? The preachers and teachers of this world's babylonian form of churchianity tell you not to worry about any of the warnings in the bible. Somehow, they say, the warnings are not for you. Even when the personal pronoun "YOU" and not "they" is used to warn YOU they still tell you "ahhh, don't worry about it, after you've made your 3 second teary eyed alter call confession you can never be lost!!!" Go re-read John 15 over and over and over and over again until you "get it."

Instead of obscuring the real issue with "do not judge" and "once you are no the narrow path you can never walk your way off it" lets focus on what IS written in the bible and ask ourselves WHY.

This blog was started for a reason. The Lord had a handfull of issues that I was to write about until he told me to stop. One of those issues, that still burns like fire within me is this:

WHY will only a few be saved? Go ask your OSAS teacher that question and don't let him dance his way around it. ANSWER THE QUESTION....WHY. Fact: a FEW will be saved...now you answer WHY?

That is the question. The wolves in sheeps clothing are great at slithering around and away from the tough questions that must be answered. They are great at ignoring the fact that every single word from the mouth of God is the bread we live on, not some words, EVERY SINGLE WORD:

Matthew 4:4
... Jesus answered, "Scripture says, 'A person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks.'"

Do not allow the preachers of false doctrines sing you a lullaby and put you back to sleep. Force the issue, face the word of God for yourself and ask yourself why our God put each word in the bible. There are NO idle words in the bible. Every word is filled with power and that power is our life which is why we are told we do not live on bread alone but on EVERY word that our God speaks. The time for partial candy coated doctrine of demons gospels is OVER. Only the true "good news" based on the FULL counsel of God can saved you. A partial Jesus cannot save you. Jesus is the word of God, so you can also say that a partial "word of God" cannot saved you either. Christ is not divided and so neither is his Word.

You must make sense of ALL OF IT, put together as a whole. You must read it for yourself and dispense with the teachers and preachers who have let the darkness creep almost unnoticed right up to your very doorstep. The reason the darkness and wickedness in this world is so great today is because those who call themselves salt and light are LIARS. Salt preserves, and light drives out darkness. This world is rotting and dark. You work out the logic there for yourselves.

I wish the Lord had NOT said that only a few would be saved. Is a man being "judgemental" for reminding people of God's own words? Will people be sorry on the day they stand before Jesus because they were warned or because they were not warned? The writing you see here on this site is largely rejected. There are FEW who read the words written here. Most people, to include the vast majority of so called "christians" today would dispense with me if they could. They have no need for voices crying out in the wilderness. They have no need to be warned. They "know" that their "pastor" isn't a wolf in sheeps clothing and that all the "christian scholars" could not be wrong so what do they have to be worried about?

Why will only a few be saved? Why will many call Jesus "Lord, Lord" on that day and he will tell them to get away from him because he never knew them? (Matt 7:13-28) Why are many called but FEW are chosen? WHY?

grace and peace

A God of Temporal Provision

The Lord has been stressing to me recently that he is a God of temporal as well as eternal provision. The Lord knows we have many needs on this earth and he has provided for all of them through the promises in his Word. This is one of the reasons I believe he has been stressing our relationship with him, staying in his Words, seeking his face daily, because we have many needs.

In the days ahead things are going to go from dark to darker, from black to pitch black but what does it matter for us who believe? Are we to lump our thinking in with the pagans and worry like they do about all the terrible things coming on this earth? No, no and more no.........Why not? We have promises, we have the Words of God almighty that stand firm in the heavens for us who believe. Consider this:

Psalm 37:18The days of the blameless are known to the Lord,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

Do you know what that is? It's a promise. What does it say? It says that for the BLAMELESS, in days of disaster they will not wither and in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. That's a promise but note that its not a promise for everybody. What kinds of days do we see ahead for the world? Days of disaster? Yep. Days of famine? Yep. Do you think its high time to lay hold of our God's promises and pray them back in faith to our Lord over our families, the brothers and ourselves? Yep.

The bible is full of words that address our current temporal needs. Have people forgotten that our God will meet their needs according to his Word or do they know what the bible says and just don't believe it? As things go from bad to worse in this world, I believe the Lord has spoken to me that we are to narrow our focus down to the few things necessary for this life and the next. We are to focus on our relationship with him, keeping our first love first, stay in his Word so our minds are so saturated with the promises that the world seems "unreal" compared to the reality of the Word of our God. We are to walk with him step by step in everything we do in this world, no detail is to small for him to participate in with us as we live on this earth. All of this requires living by faith, not by sight.

The bible tells us that as a man thinks, so is he- Proverbs 23:7. If you are constantly focused on the problems of this world, you will be a problem filled person. If you are constantly focused on the promises of our Lord, you will be a promise filled person. Which do you think will be more beneficial to you and your family in the days ahead? Our God watches over his promises to make sure that he maintains a 100% fulfillment of everything he has said. You can bet on this: nobody will ever be allowed to call our Lord a liar when they stand before him...ever. We inherit the promises through faith and patience. The patience is what shipwrecks most people so they never see the promise. They can believe for awhile but in times of testing they fall away from both the faith and the patience so they never see the promises.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Luke 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Notice here ^^^^ in Luke 8:13 it says the time...(patience) of testing (faith) they fall away.

I believe the Lord wants people to open their eyes to just how responsible they are not only for themselves but also for everyone else around them in their prayer life (or lack of it). If you are not believing and praying the promises over your life and the life of others, how many people besides you will suffer for it? Our Lord tells us that in times of famine we who are righteous will have plenty. If don't believe that and you don't pray that because you don't believe it, how many people will suffer needless hunger around you? We are to stay in his word night and day...we are to pray without ceasing with all kinds of prayers and requests...the more the better. Do you think you could ever wear our God out with too many requests? When you are praying your mind and thoughts are heavenward, exactly where they should be..always.

Our answers today and in the future will come from the unseen. So many people today live faithless lives and they as well as their families and communities suffer for it. Our God is not some pie in the sky deity who only promises us heaven after we die. He has given us promises for the days we walk here on earthly promises for earthly provision. He has given us promises to provide for us in the here and now. Yes, we will suffer while we are here but we get his peace and his provision while we suffer, something the pagan and unbeliever have no access to.

I was at the dentist recently and I started thinking of what a good God we serve comparing what he has done for us here on earth to my dental procedure. The dentist was grinding in my mouth with chips and sparks flying out that without a numbing agent would have had me screaming in agony. Yes there was a drill in my mouth but I was numbed to it......Yes we will have trials and tribulations here on earth but we will be numbed to them..Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Did you read that? The peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds "in Christ Jesus." There are those important words again "in Christ." We are promised this life numbing agent called the peace of God. How many people lie in their beds at night unable to sleep because of worry? What does the Word of God say? Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. When you do that you will receive the heavenly novocaine life numbing agent that will enable you to live through your troubles in peace....

We can live by faith or by sight, its up to us to decide. If you decide to live by your eyes only, living in the flesh and through the flesh only, subject to your animal senses then you and the people around you will suffer for it. If you live by faith and not by what you see with your eyes, then you will 1. glorify the Lord 2. ensure provision for you, your family and maybe even those outside your family in this world. If we do not stand and remain firm in our faith, we will not stand at all. I believe that the Lord has been clear with me that in these last days it will become more and more a witness and a testimony to this faithless world that faced with the exact same circumstances (joblessness, hunger, lack of every kind) his people will be like well watered trees flourishing in a dry and deserted land.

Psalm 1:2But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Isaiah 58:9Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

It is time to get back to the promises to solve your problems. Your eyes tell you of one "reality" and your faith tells you of a different "reality." Which will you give your attention to? What your eyes tell you or what your faith tells you? If your eyes tell you all there is in this world is hunger and death but your faith tells you that there is abundance and life, which will you believe? Yes, people will call you all kinds of names for living your life like this but some of the names should be "fed" and another should be "at peace." Through faith and patience we will lay hold of provision for this life and the next through the promises of our God.

The people of this world are looking to the world for answers. We would be absolute fools to act and think like they do. Get into your bibles today, read the promises, pray the promises, stand on the promises in faith and patience until you see them fulfilled in your own life. The Lord knows what you need and when you need it. He loves you and he wants you to take receipt of every last thing he promised. Its up to you and me to engage our faith and wait in patience for the provision of both our temporary and eternal needs.

These are things the Spirit has spoken to me today. Until later, grace and peace

Patience..Perseverance

James 1:2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

The Lord is very clear with us that it requires patience and perseverance to do what he requires us to do. This is at the very heart of the problem with OSAS "once saved always saved." As with anything else worthwhile in life, our faith will be tested over time..Time tests every worthwhile intention you have on this earth it doesn't matter what that is. We must run in a way that we do not grow weary. Our faith must stand the test of time. Standing the test of time is a really really tall order for a world and people who love instant gratification in all things.

It is not easy to stick with things for long periods of time unless you are truly committed. You have to really want what it is you have set your sights on or time will expose your lack of desire and will to get whatever it was you thought you wanted. In the end we will know who really wanted Jesus and the Father because time will have tested those people. They will have finished what they started and will receive the appropriate reward for their patient faithful endurance.

It is clear to me that this calling is more like a marathon than a sprint. In our own power there is no possible way we could make it through the narrow gate that leads to life. The narrow gate is Jesus and he warns us as an act of love. I know that as a father to my children I do not enjoy warning and chastising my children but I do it in love so they can spend more time enjoying the benefits of obedience in our house instead of time in punishment. Warnings are an act of love. The goal of what we are doing is to make it through the narrow gate that leads to life. We are give the promises of rich rewards and dire punishments to steer us directly into the narrow gate that only a few find (matt 7:13-28).

Today I want to encourage you to renew your committment to patient endurance and perseverance. Only the Lord knows how many days are left before he comes to get us so we need to be able to wait however long it takes for him to get here. The Lord made so many promises to us and they are all rock solid truth that we can stand on for everything we want or need in this life. The only way we take delivery on the promises though is through faith and patience. Our faith will be tested for everything we ask our Lord for in this life. The highest and most valuable thing we should be believing delivery on is the salvation of our souls. We can have complete assurance that we are saved but NOT through a a 5 second teary eyed "decision" made sometime in your past. That guarantees you nothing. The bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit testifies with our Spirit that we are the children of God. There is no need to invent false doctrines in order to be assured of our salvation. Here are two places we are assured of our salvation:

Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God

Notice there's nothing in the assurance above about a one time decision..."being led by the Spirit" is an ongoing endeavor not a one time event. We must be patient in faith, being led by the Spirit of God, seeking his counsel and wisdom in all things and in due time we will inherit the promises. Lay hold of the Lord's promises today and start praying them back to him in faith. This brings glory to him and life to you. We live in some tough days but we are not without hope..we have promises of both temporal help as well as eternal salvation. If we will committ ourselves to walking in daily communion with our Lord and doing what he says to do, then we can expect to be provided for in ways that the world cannot imagine. Consider promises like this:

Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

and

Psalms 37:25I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

Notice the word used in both instances NEVER....a spring whose waters NEVER fail and I have NEVER seen the righteous forsaken. Never means not even once. Only an all powerful all knowing God could deliver on promises like that. He is able to deliver on promises that he will NEVER forsake you, not even one time. There are great rewards in this life and the next for those who will patiently and faithfully lay hold of our God's promises and do things that please him.

done for today, going camping this weekend so no post tomorrow or sunday. Love, grace, and peace to all of you who are "in Christ."

7/16/2009

Psalm 119:57You are my portion, O Lord;
I have promised to obey your words.
58I have sought your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.

These words ^^^ are the essence of what the Lord is speaking, and has been speaking to me now for weeks. He is our portion....I have promised to obey the words of God.....I have sought your face with all my heart.....be gracious according to your promise. Seeking the face of God and reciting back to him the promises he has given to us is "ground zero" for the Holy Spirit as far as his communication with me these days.

The world is going to hell in a handbasket, satan is running crazy throughout the earth, signs of the end of all things are everywhere and what is the Lord speaking to me today? Seek my face...stay in my word....keep your attention on ME. And how exactly can I argue with that? You would have to be deaf dumb and blind not to see the unfolding of all the prophetic events around us these days, and for that very reason I believe he has called us back to the most important thing which is HIM. Focus on his will, his words, his heart, his mind, his Spirit.

Regardless of what happens in this world, he is to be the center of our attention. Remember Revelation 2:4....Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

How many people are guilty today of forsaking their "first love" with Jesus? These people are told to remember the height from which they have fallen. Those are interesting words...height from which they have fallen. Obviously whatever that means, its not good because the Lord talks about removing their lampstand from its place. I don't know about you but I don't want my lampstand going anywhere....Last but not least, these people are given a pat on the back for hating the practices of the nicolaitans which Jesus also hates.

Remember your first love. What is first love? Its him first, everyone and everything else after...If we put first things first, everything else will take care of itself in due time. We must get our priorities straight today, we must be ready for our Lord when he shows up. You can study the rapture and prophecy until you are blue in the face and still not be ready for the Lord when he shows up, that would be a big problem wouldn't it? You become an expert in all things "end times related" but were caught woefully short in the "first love" department and get left behind at the time of the escape from all (luke 21:36) because it has a worthiness factor attached to it that you fell short of...not good...not good at all. Which is why I suppose the Lord has shifted focus around here from the painfully obvious (end time events) to the not so obvious bite you in the rear end because you were not ready topics.

Let me say this is well. When I write here I'm writing to myself as well as to whoever else graces the site with their time and attention. I ask the Lord frequently to expose my own problems to me and remove from me everything and anything that upsets him. My own shortfalls are enough of a fulltime job that I have neither the time not inclination to "judge" any of you as individuals. I pray on my face as close to "daily" as I can to hear the words of the Lord that might somehow edify, warn, and encourage both you and me. I could care less about my own opinion on things. I know me, I'm a nothing, nobody with nothing of value to contribute aside from the one who has watched over me and counseled me from birth. You and I have no need for more words and reasoning of men, we need our God's words and counsel. We need to hear from his Spirit. My job is to seek his face, stay in his word and stay out of his way so he can somehow through me (an unworthy vessel) communicate something of value to you.

In the end, its all about our Lord. Not you, not me, him. If we keep him first, you and I will be wonderfully taken care of when the final acts play out on this earth. done for now, grace and peace

Thank, Praise and Rejoice Your Problems Down

1 Thessalonians 5 :16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Rejoice always? That's what it says. Even in the face of our problems and difficulties? Yea, especially in the face of our problems and difficulties.

How can the Lord tell us to rejoice always in a troubled world like the one we live in? Because he doesn't see problems the way we see them, he only sees opportunities to display his glorious deliverances to us and by extension the whole world. Is there any problem or difficulty too difficult for our God? No. The Lord can tell us to rejoice always because he has also told us this:

2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.

What does that mean? It means you can stare your problems in the face and say "by faith, you do not exist anymore, I have committed you to my God for resolution and dissolution, you are a problem to me no more." We are told to ask, seek, knock, to pray continually. We are told that what we see with our eyes is MEANINGLESS when it disagrees with our FAITH. If our faith is telling us one thing and our sight is telling us another, what should we do? Declare that our truth, what is "real" to us is what our faith says, not what our eyes are telling us.

So when you are staring at your problems with "sight" you can say to them with your faith "you are defeated, I have been delivered from you and every other trouble according to the promises of my God." You can praise the Lord NOW for the deliverances you have not seen yet with your sight because your FAITH tells you, in accordance with his PROMISES that you are delivered.

The Lord is speaking clearly to me today that he expects us to take his word at face value. He expects us to expect him to deliver on his promises. He expects us to pray his words back to him and know that we know that we KNOW they are "done deals." Our God cannot lie, that's a fact. You are watching, the world is watching, the angels and demons are watching, the devil himself is watching this great drama play out in you and through you and me and every other believer here on earth. When we pray our God's promises back to him and stand rejoicing in the face of a wall of troubles and difficulties.. THAT glorifies our God and THAT is what this is all about.

Our God is glorified in the fact that we defy sight and the other animal senses in our walk with him and we trust in his promises by faith. The world looks at us and says "you are insane, you have lost your mind!" until deliverance after deliverance after deliverance shows up time and time again, then they walk away mumbling trying to explain away the evidence in their face that our God is true to his word and he honors his promises.

There are many hurting people in this world and its time for them to stop looking to the world for answers. They do the same things over and over again never seeing any progress, getting the same poor results. Trying to extract happiness from this world and all kinds of other empty ways of living when the God of eternity is shouting at them WAKE UP....I AM YOUR ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING.

The Lord spoke very clearly to me today about these things. He is calling us back to him. Only he knows how long we have left here on earth but while we are here it is our job to align ourself in perfect union with him..doing those things that please him and getting rid of every hindrance. When our Lord shows up and we are living like this, walking in faith, ready and waiting for him, then hopefully we will here this:

Matthew 25:23 ...'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

If you have things going on in your life you know you should not have, then get rid of them today. Ask the Lord to help you. We were never told to walk with him in our own power. We were given the Spirit which is able to accomplish in us and through us far more than we could ask or imagine. Keep the faith, pray for the brothers, we are dearly loved..grace and peace

Is Jesus Sufficient to Save You?

Is what Jesus did on the cross all you need to enter the kingdom of heaven?

IFFFF you remain/abide "IN HIM" to get credit for it, then YES. This is where so many people miss "getting it." Entering into Christ and REMAINING there are two entirely different issues. There are TWO issues, not one to deal with when we speak of salvation. First, you must enter into Christ by grace.....that's the free gift part that you can do nothing to earn....but are you saved by grace alone? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The second part is where so many people will miss the mark and end up on the broad path that leads to destruction. We are told that it is THROUGH FAITH we are saved. No faith, no salvation, its that simple:

Ephesians 2:8 ... For by such grace you have been saved through faith.

The bible makes it very clear in a number of different places that belief with joy for a season is NOT ENOUGH...you must FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED. How hard is that to understand?

Luke 8:4While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
9His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
“‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.
11“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

How much more simply could the Lord put it? There are as a matter of FACT people who BELIEVE FOR AWHILE, then in the time of testing FALL AWAY. Is a person who has "fallen away" saved? Is it enough to "beleive for awhile?" You better figure out the right answers to those questions and fast because your eternal destiny depends on it.

More irrefutable proof is found here in John 15:

Read this very carefully. Notice the words "in me" used below. If you are "in Christ" then you are "saved" you are covered by the blood of Jesus and everything he did for you on the cross is credited to your account by the Father. But WHAT HAPPENS to the branches "in him" that bear no fruit? THEY ARE CUT OFF. So.. a person can be "in him" then "cutoff" from being "in him" if they bear no fruit....CASE CLOSED. If you are not "in him" you are not saved..period. Anticipating the apostate churchianity preachers who would tell you "yea, but cutoff just means you'll get less rewards in heaven" or some other rubbish, the Lord goes on to explain EXACTLY what being "cutoff" means: he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you think that someone who is 1. thrown away 2. withered 3. thrown into the fire and burned is "saved" then you are blind or ignorant or both:

John 15
1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesa so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

Some hired hand "pastors" in the church today tell us that woe be it to anyone who puts a "stumbling block" (like telling the truth) in the way of any new "converts. Woe unto anyone who preaches the full counsel of God because if you do it might cause someone to really be saved. What they are really saying is that people cannot handle the truth, they need to be spoonfed from the sweetest of our God's promises and be kept from any of the pages and pages of warnings and punishments decreed by our God to those who do not remain "in Christ."

So woe unto me...woe unto me for reminding people that only a FEW will be saved-Matt 7:13-14, or that many who call Jesus "Lord" today will be called evildoers by Jesus and told to "go away" (Matt 7:21+). Woe unto any teacher, preacher, blogger, believer whatever that trembles in the FEAR of the Lord and teaches others to do so because its commanded clearly in the bible to do so:

Jeremiah 5:22 Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence?

Isaiah 66:5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!' Yet they will be put to shame.

Our brothers who hate us and exlude us because of his name? Don't worry about them, they will be put to shame.....

1 Peter 3:15 and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And be ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

The people who preach the candy coated gospel that is no gospel at all but a lie, they are the ones who should tremble..woe unto them for their faithless preaching of a false gospel. Why is their preaching faithless? They do not beleive that the full counsel of God can be preached. These men believe that if the whole truth was preached to people they would reject it. These men are right to fear the whole truth because many have and will continue to reject the truth as it is laid out in its entirety in the bible.

So back to the question: Is Jesus sufficient to saved you? Sure he is IFFFFFFFFFF you REMAIN IN HIM. If there was no need to "abide" "in Christ" then we would not have been told "remain in me" "Abide in me" over and over and over again. If you think that "Jesus did it all" means you have no need for faith, belief, obedience then you are likely one of many on the broad path that leads to destruction: 13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Again and again we are brought back to this scripture which when combined with the rest of the bible frames a complete picture for us. If it was so easy to be saved, why will only a few make it through the small gate? How can you be "in Christ" then cutoff thrown out and burned up (john 15) and still think you are "saved?" How can you be "in Christ" believing with joy for awhile until temptations show up, then you fall away and still believe you are saved?(luke 8:4)

The bottom line in the issue of salvation is being "in Christ" or not being "in Christ." That's it. Attempting to frame the issue in any other way leads to deception and distortion of the issue. We are told clearly that we must abide "in him." That means we don't go anywhere, we stay put.

Hebrews 3:14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

Hebrews 3:6
... but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house-- whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end

Are you getting this ^^^? Let that sink in because that is it in a nutshell. IFFFFF we hold fast FIRM UNTIL THE END. What does "if" mean? What does "firm until the end mean?" Isn't it ridiculous to even be asking those questions? But people will tell you there is no need to hold fast till the end and you can still be "saved." I don't know which bible they are reading or if they are reading a bible at all, but you can read it straight from the bible in the verses above.

If you think you can start something with Jesus and not hold fast till the END and still be saved, then you have called God a liar... if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end...

Jesus is sufficient to save you, absolutely AND you must WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION unless you think you are somehow better than Paul the apostle: Philippians 2:12 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,

Ooops! There's that "stumbling block" called the truth again! Gosh, "work out my salvation?" With "fear and trembling?" Whoa, woe unto Paul huh? He might give someone a "spirit of fear" or something so we better ignore that place in the bible! Or..........someone might figure out the truth of the real gospel and actually find the narrow gate that leads to life with the FEW others mentioned in Matt 7:13-28.

done for today, grace and peace

Problems and Answers

This world is filled up to overflowing with problems, fears and troubles, there's no question about that. What the Lord is speaking to me today is that his people must stop staring at all the problems, fears and troubles and start staring at the promises, faith and answers that are found in the Word of God which is Jesus Christ the person.

He is our answer for everything. There is no problem, fear or trouble you face that cannot be overcome through faith and patience, believing his promises as they are written in the bible. Consider this:

Psalm 34:4I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

Not too long ago I described the blessed life I have lived. What I want you to understand about my testimony is that I have had problems, fears and troubles just like you but guess what? I have been delivered from THEM ALL. I can tell you for a fact, through years of personal experience that the Word of God in the case of Psalm 34:4 is rock solid absolute TRUTH. I have had many fears and I have been delivered from them all. Not some....ALL. Psalm 34 doesn't stop there, look 2 verses down at verse 6This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles. Did you read that? He saved me out of ALL my troubles. That's a verifiable fact based on my life.

None of this is about me though, its about YOU. The Lord has not blessed me just for the sake of me being blessed. I am the LEAST of the brothers who are "in Christ" and the message for you today is that if the Lord of eternity will do such great things for a worthless nobody like me, just imagine what he will do for you. My strength has been in faith and belief in the Word of God. The promises in that book are true. If he said he would do something he will do it, he has done it, he will continue to do it. He watches carefully over his word to make sure it is fulfilled just as it is written so that nobody will be able to stand before him and point the finger in his face to say "you lied!" because we know that our God cannot lie.

We need to focus on the answers in this life, not the problems. We should take just enough of a look at the problems to formulate an effective prayer against them then drop the problem like a bad habit into the hands of our God who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask, think or imagine...Ephesians 3:20 ... By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

The Lord indicated very clearly to me this morning that these things are what are on his heart to speak to you and me today. The future is full of incredibly bad things for most people on earth, but we are not "most people." We are a called out and chosen people dedicated to the glory and honor of our God who will be praised throughout eternity for the mighty and glorious things he has done for his people from the very beginning all the way through today and into tomorrow and the end of all things. We are a people created for his glory and it glorifies him for us to believe what he said, to pray his promises back to him in faith and wait in expectation for deliverance from every fear, problem and trouble. He is faithful, he will do what he said he would do, I am living proof of it.

The escape from all, also known as the rapture could be today, or tomorrow or this coming Feast of Trumpets in two months, who knows? What we do know is that if we are READY and WATCHING through PRAYER... being centered in our Lord's will..waiting daily at his doors with our eyes searching the heavens for his face, if we are consuming his word like starving people with the expectation that he will honor what he said, then we will be more than fine on the day of the escape and we will not have to be concerned in the least about the time of Jacob's trouble that appears to be on the verge of showing up. The Lord has grown silent with me on the topic of the escape and the time of Jacob's trouble and I have come to understand why. He has warned the people of this world for years now. With the advent of the internet his warnings are now posted for all to see both in the bibles of the world and on the electronic highway you are reading this on now. If time is short then its time to adjust ourselves to the perfection we are called to as children of God. We are to center ourselves in his will which means getting rid of everything that snares and hinders us in our walk with Him, and continuing in everything we know pleases him.

Jesus is our treasure and pleasure here on earth. Jesus is our treasure and pleasure in heaven. We are to find our delight, our joy and our happines IN HIM every day. Stop trying to leech momentary happiness from this world. This world and the things is offers have failed mankind from the very beginning by DESIGN. This world was designed to FRUSTRATE the desires of mankind when they look to it so they will instead turn to the living God for their enjoyment and peace: Romans 8:18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21thati the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

The message to you today from the Spirit of God as I am hearing him is this: trust his word. If he delivered me from every fear and trouble, he will deliver you. Do not give up, stay focused on the promises not the problems. The people who inherit the promises are those who do it through FAITH and PATIENCE. The patience, the waiting is what shows where your heart and belief are. Let patience have its perfect work so that in the end you can stand in victory with the great cloud of witnesses who testify that our God's word is true and he can be trusted..

James 1:4
... But let patience have her perfect work, that ye maybe perfect and entire, wanting nothing

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may his face shine upon you and may he grant you peace.

Done for today