19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Joseph was thinking about hiding Mary so that she didn't get stoned to death. Imagine the humiliation of it all. God certainly was not considering the Jewish law in this case because by getting Mary pregnant, it just raised a heck of a lot of questions. I mean, what would her parents say? Anyone who knew her must have been ashamed of her.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Do you have dreams that you can remember when you wake up? Sometimes God will speak to us through our dreams. It seems God has a better opportunity to talk to us while we are asleep. So, I suggest you keep track of your dreams that you feel are significant. I do. I write them in a little book. Sometimes, I don't get the interpretation until much later and that little book has been a source of guidance and inspiration to me.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(It is also written in the Koran or Qua ran that Jesus is the Messiah and a Messiah is the One who saves us from sin.)
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Not only is Jesus the Messiah, but He is God. (says so right there)
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
There's one man who knew he was marrying the right girl because God TOLD him to marry her.
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Matthew 1
Since this is a blog for "new" believers or those who want to grow spiritually and are starting at square one, I want to encourage you to continue reading the New Testament. I'll try to walk you through it as much as possible to keep you focused on what you're reading. Reading the Word is what some might call an acquired or developed 'taste'. Maybe you need to try it a few times before you can appreciate it fully enough to make it a habit.
Maybe it's a little like eating durion. Now, the first time I ever tasted durion, I just flipped! But, I think it's because there was a seasoned durion lover introducing me to the odd, smelly fruit. Yes, it was smelly! And it was pokey! It looked like one of those spike balls used in ancient warfare. So, the first appearance and the first impression could have been a turn-off if I hadn't been encouraged by someone with experience.
Durion! They say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. To me, the smell is just not that bad. It's overpowering, yes. But, when I smell durion, I know there's a delicious fruit nearby, waiting for me to sink my greedy teeth into its luscious, soft and sumptuous meat. Well, anyway, back to the Word.
You may be one of those people who believes in Jesus, believes in salvation and the idea of Jesus being God's Son sent to earth to die for our sins, but you have a difficult time picking up the Bible and actually reading it. If so, I want to encourage you that, because the Bible is not just a regular type of book, you may need to approach it a little differently. Give yourself time. Develop a taste for it. But, especially, ask God to show you something personal for you alone that applies to your life at this time in particular.
Once that happens to you, you'll be hooked! You'll want to go back again and find something else that God wants to show you. It's like having your own private fortune-teller. (Now, I know the devil has given fortune-telling a bad name.) God is not a wanna-be psychic gypsy telling your future. Not at all! He is the King of Kings Who has a detailed interest in you and your future and would like to tell you all about it!
He knows where you came from, why you came here, where you're going and the best way to get there!
So, let's approach Matthew with an open mind and heart and an attitude of faith, hungrily seeking to know God and thereby learn deep truths about ourselves at the same time!
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Note: Now, since Jesus did not have an earthly father, one can only assume that Mary was also of the seed of Abraham and David and that she married a man who was a cousin or other distant relative.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Note: Here we see that there are other nationalities entering into the Jewish blood. Uriah was a Hittite, so it stands to reason that his wife, Bathsheba, was a Hittite. Now, it seems the Hittites were Black. Also, you can see Ruth joined the Jewish family although she was a Moabitess. It was her faith in her mother-in-law's God and because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi that Ruth joined the Jewish faith. She became a predecessor of Christ totally through faith.
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Ok, now you might say, "THAT was BORING!" And I ask myself, "Why did Matthew put the entire genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew?
And it occurs to me that it really shows any disbeliever that Jesus Christ had that lineage, he existed in the annals of history and he was indeed, a real person! He was born! He lived! And he died! And it's pretty difficult to deny the existence of the man, Jesus Christ. He has been recorded in Jewish history and therefore, in the history of the world. (By the way, the Jews kept very accurate records of history.)
Of course, the line of Jesus ends with his death because he didn't have any children. (That's contrary to the crazy fictional story called "The Da Vinci Code".)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Seven is a number God seems to love to use and twice seven is obviously fourteen. Looks like Jesus came right at the appointed time. And, He will come again right at the appointed time, as well!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
That's the essence of the story of Christmas. That's the reason for Christmas. That's the meaning of Christmas. In fact, if I may be so bold, I think one should not celebrate Christmas unless they believe in the virgin birth of Christ and that three wise men were led to the Holy Baby by a star. If you don't believe that, why celebrate Christmas at all? Why make a mockery of the celebration of the birth of the Christian God Man?
That, of course, is not to say that many, many millions do celebrate this day without believing in the truth of it's origin. Ok, I know and most of us know that the true Birthday of Christ is unknown and that this day was chosen for questionable reasons. BUT, the fact of the matter is that the name of the holiday is "Christmas" and it was intended to be a recognition of the day of the birth of Christ as proclaimed in many wonderful carols and songs sung throughout Christendom over the centuries.
Nowadays, it's all about Santa Claus and buying gifts. Yes, we have succeeded in making a travesty out of Christmas. People are seeking "comfort and joy" without seeking the Giver of comfort and joy. They are seeking the gifts but not the Giver.
When you find the Giver and fall in love with Him, you'll forget about seeking the gifts. He alone can satisfy the deepest yearning of every heart for true love and peace.
"Peace on earth toward men of good will..."
Maybe it's a little like eating durion. Now, the first time I ever tasted durion, I just flipped! But, I think it's because there was a seasoned durion lover introducing me to the odd, smelly fruit. Yes, it was smelly! And it was pokey! It looked like one of those spike balls used in ancient warfare. So, the first appearance and the first impression could have been a turn-off if I hadn't been encouraged by someone with experience.
Durion! They say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. To me, the smell is just not that bad. It's overpowering, yes. But, when I smell durion, I know there's a delicious fruit nearby, waiting for me to sink my greedy teeth into its luscious, soft and sumptuous meat. Well, anyway, back to the Word.
You may be one of those people who believes in Jesus, believes in salvation and the idea of Jesus being God's Son sent to earth to die for our sins, but you have a difficult time picking up the Bible and actually reading it. If so, I want to encourage you that, because the Bible is not just a regular type of book, you may need to approach it a little differently. Give yourself time. Develop a taste for it. But, especially, ask God to show you something personal for you alone that applies to your life at this time in particular.
Once that happens to you, you'll be hooked! You'll want to go back again and find something else that God wants to show you. It's like having your own private fortune-teller. (Now, I know the devil has given fortune-telling a bad name.) God is not a wanna-be psychic gypsy telling your future. Not at all! He is the King of Kings Who has a detailed interest in you and your future and would like to tell you all about it!
He knows where you came from, why you came here, where you're going and the best way to get there!
So, let's approach Matthew with an open mind and heart and an attitude of faith, hungrily seeking to know God and thereby learn deep truths about ourselves at the same time!
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Note: Now, since Jesus did not have an earthly father, one can only assume that Mary was also of the seed of Abraham and David and that she married a man who was a cousin or other distant relative.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Note: Here we see that there are other nationalities entering into the Jewish blood. Uriah was a Hittite, so it stands to reason that his wife, Bathsheba, was a Hittite. Now, it seems the Hittites were Black. Also, you can see Ruth joined the Jewish family although she was a Moabitess. It was her faith in her mother-in-law's God and because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi that Ruth joined the Jewish faith. She became a predecessor of Christ totally through faith.
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Ok, now you might say, "THAT was BORING!" And I ask myself, "Why did Matthew put the entire genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew?
And it occurs to me that it really shows any disbeliever that Jesus Christ had that lineage, he existed in the annals of history and he was indeed, a real person! He was born! He lived! And he died! And it's pretty difficult to deny the existence of the man, Jesus Christ. He has been recorded in Jewish history and therefore, in the history of the world. (By the way, the Jews kept very accurate records of history.)
Of course, the line of Jesus ends with his death because he didn't have any children. (That's contrary to the crazy fictional story called "The Da Vinci Code".)
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Seven is a number God seems to love to use and twice seven is obviously fourteen. Looks like Jesus came right at the appointed time. And, He will come again right at the appointed time, as well!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
That's the essence of the story of Christmas. That's the reason for Christmas. That's the meaning of Christmas. In fact, if I may be so bold, I think one should not celebrate Christmas unless they believe in the virgin birth of Christ and that three wise men were led to the Holy Baby by a star. If you don't believe that, why celebrate Christmas at all? Why make a mockery of the celebration of the birth of the Christian God Man?
That, of course, is not to say that many, many millions do celebrate this day without believing in the truth of it's origin. Ok, I know and most of us know that the true Birthday of Christ is unknown and that this day was chosen for questionable reasons. BUT, the fact of the matter is that the name of the holiday is "Christmas" and it was intended to be a recognition of the day of the birth of Christ as proclaimed in many wonderful carols and songs sung throughout Christendom over the centuries.
Nowadays, it's all about Santa Claus and buying gifts. Yes, we have succeeded in making a travesty out of Christmas. People are seeking "comfort and joy" without seeking the Giver of comfort and joy. They are seeking the gifts but not the Giver.
When you find the Giver and fall in love with Him, you'll forget about seeking the gifts. He alone can satisfy the deepest yearning of every heart for true love and peace.
"Peace on earth toward men of good will..."
Friday, November 8, 2013
How Often Should I Read the Word?
How often should I read the Word? As often as possible. David said, "Thy word has been my meat both day and night..."
Live on the Word. Live in the Word. Live by the Word. It's the only thing that will last. It's the only knowledge that really counts.
Education is important. I believe that, too. There are lots of things that are good to know! And when we use the stuff we know along with LOVE, we call the combination of knowledge and love wisdom. So, in my estimation, the more knowledge one has garnered, the more love they need to acquire to be able to use that knowledge.
Why?
Because, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys: Knowledge without love is a bad thing. Most often it leads straight to pride (and I mean the bad, rotten, devilish kind of pride), arrogance, self-righteousness, power-tripping, oppression, and all the sins humans fall into.
Another thing the Bible says is: "With all thy getting, get understanding." And understanding, is like wisdom. It has to be knowledge with love because in order to "understand", you have to be willing to get under and humble yourself to listen.
And why is it so difficult for proud people to listen?
I think, when I don't want to listen, it's when I feel superior to the one who is trying to give me information. My pride gets in the way and I don't concentrate and pay attention to the details of what that person is saying. I "assume" that I already know what they're going to say or that I already know everything they already know and more. That's pride. Pure pride.
Identifying the problem often helps us to overcome it, doesn't it?
Pride is one of the biggest problems of Christians.
We're too proud to ask. We're too proud to listen. We're too proud to admit a mistake. And, we're WAY to proud to apologize. That would be admitting a mistake that caused harm or hurt to someone else and that's very difficult to admit.
I have found that the best way to overcome these kinds of pride is to look them straight in the eye and just DO it. Admit I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I may have hurt your feelings, I screwed up and I AM SORRY.
It may seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, but it does get easier with practice. It can be very liberating. Just don't buy into all the condemnation the devil would like to pile on your plate after you realize you have made a mistake.
Get used to it! You're gonna make lots more mistakes before this game is over.
So, keep reading the Word. Learn what it says. Try to have "understanding" and "wisdom" when you're reading it and applying it to your life. And LOVE it.
You can fall in love with the Bible. You sure can. It's a Lover that will never leave you. The Words of God will never fail you, forsake you or disappoint! Fall in love with Jesus! Fall in love with the Word. They are One and the Same.
What a wonderful God we have! If you don't know that, you haven't read his Word!
Read it! Live it! Love it! Quote it! Memorize it! Put it to the test!
That's what this life is all about. That's what this all boils down to.
Live on the Word. Live in the Word. Live by the Word. It's the only thing that will last. It's the only knowledge that really counts.
Education is important. I believe that, too. There are lots of things that are good to know! And when we use the stuff we know along with LOVE, we call the combination of knowledge and love wisdom. So, in my estimation, the more knowledge one has garnered, the more love they need to acquire to be able to use that knowledge.
Why?
Because, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys: Knowledge without love is a bad thing. Most often it leads straight to pride (and I mean the bad, rotten, devilish kind of pride), arrogance, self-righteousness, power-tripping, oppression, and all the sins humans fall into.
Another thing the Bible says is: "With all thy getting, get understanding." And understanding, is like wisdom. It has to be knowledge with love because in order to "understand", you have to be willing to get under and humble yourself to listen.
And why is it so difficult for proud people to listen?
I think, when I don't want to listen, it's when I feel superior to the one who is trying to give me information. My pride gets in the way and I don't concentrate and pay attention to the details of what that person is saying. I "assume" that I already know what they're going to say or that I already know everything they already know and more. That's pride. Pure pride.
Identifying the problem often helps us to overcome it, doesn't it?
Pride is one of the biggest problems of Christians.
We're too proud to ask. We're too proud to listen. We're too proud to admit a mistake. And, we're WAY to proud to apologize. That would be admitting a mistake that caused harm or hurt to someone else and that's very difficult to admit.
I have found that the best way to overcome these kinds of pride is to look them straight in the eye and just DO it. Admit I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I may have hurt your feelings, I screwed up and I AM SORRY.
It may seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, but it does get easier with practice. It can be very liberating. Just don't buy into all the condemnation the devil would like to pile on your plate after you realize you have made a mistake.
Get used to it! You're gonna make lots more mistakes before this game is over.
So, keep reading the Word. Learn what it says. Try to have "understanding" and "wisdom" when you're reading it and applying it to your life. And LOVE it.
You can fall in love with the Bible. You sure can. It's a Lover that will never leave you. The Words of God will never fail you, forsake you or disappoint! Fall in love with Jesus! Fall in love with the Word. They are One and the Same.
What a wonderful God we have! If you don't know that, you haven't read his Word!
Read it! Live it! Love it! Quote it! Memorize it! Put it to the test!
That's what this life is all about. That's what this all boils down to.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
The Word is Here to Stay!
In the words of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Think about it!
I believe you would have to say that what Jesus is saying here is that the WORD is going to outlast everything. And, in my own puny understanding, doesn't that also mean that the WORD is more important than this planet we live on?
(In fact, the planet that we live on is a direct result of the WORD.)
Now, if there is any doubt that Jesus actually said this or that He used these exact words, it has been written and recorded not just in the book of Matthew, but also in Mark and Luke in exactly the same words. If you don't believe me, you can read it yourself.
Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Word for word, these three verses are the same. The only difference is that one has a comma rather than a colon.
And that's all I want to say about that!
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Think about it!
I believe you would have to say that what Jesus is saying here is that the WORD is going to outlast everything. And, in my own puny understanding, doesn't that also mean that the WORD is more important than this planet we live on?
(In fact, the planet that we live on is a direct result of the WORD.)
Now, if there is any doubt that Jesus actually said this or that He used these exact words, it has been written and recorded not just in the book of Matthew, but also in Mark and Luke in exactly the same words. If you don't believe me, you can read it yourself.
Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Word for word, these three verses are the same. The only difference is that one has a comma rather than a colon.
And that's all I want to say about that!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Most Powerful Book!
Yes, the Bible is not only the most important book you will ever read, but it is the most powerful. As I may have said before, it's not just a book for Sunday School children.
Jesus said, "The words I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life!"
That means that the very words in this book are alive. They are living.
Sound strange? I guess it may sound a little spooky or weird or insane. Words that are alive. Here's how I see that. When you mix those words with your faith, they do come alive. I have seen it! When you mix the Word of God with prayer and faith, it's like Super Magic. I shouldn't use the word magic, but I just don't know another word that people can relate to that describes how powerful the words are in the Bible.
They are LIFE. They are alive.
In fact, they are GOD. How powerful is that? So... if you put your trust in the WORD, you are putting your trust in GOD. So... you should put your whole trust in the Word.
If it's written in the Word, BELIEVE IT. If it's in the Word, it's the Truth! "The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me, God."
Trust in the Word. It says exactly what it means and means what it says. Especially the words of Jesus. My Bible has all the words of Jesus printed in red to see quickly the words that came right from His mouth.
In particular, I was asking the Lord about the difference between the God of the Christians and the God of, say, for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Jews or Muslims. (Hot topic.) Now, the Jews believe in Jehovah and Jehovah was the Father of Jesus, so isn't it the same God?
Good question, right? Tough question! Ok, so, we go to the WORD to see exactly what Jesus said about it. And, the verse I got was where Jesus told a pharisee, "Ye are of your father... the DEVIL!"
You mean that's in the BIBLE? Did Jesus really say that? (If you were reading your Bible, you'd already know that Jesus said that. In fact, he said a lot of stuff to the Pharisees.)
John 8:41-44 "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44. Ye are of your father the DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it."
Matthew 15:8 "This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
Matthew 23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
Now, is Jesus saying here to these wise, educated, so-called holy men that they were NOT in tune with God? They worshipped God! Didn't they? I mean, they taught the people how to worship God. Didn't they? Didn't they teach the Word? Didn't they teach people how to pray? Didn't they teach the people how to tithe and make sacrifices? And follow all the rules laid out BY God?
How could Jesus be so crude as to tell them that they were of the devil?
Doesn't it show us that it is not enough to believe in God? God wants us to love Him. And, the rules of the "game" have changed, people. It's NOT enough to follow the ten commandments and all the law and to take the day off on Sunday and go to church and pay your tithe and bla,bla,bla. It's not enough. Sorry.
The Pharisees did all that stuff and they went straight to HELL. (Not me saying this.)
So, WHO we pray to and HOW we pray are important. Very, very important. We are supposed to love God not just a little bit. You know who I think of when it comes to how we're supposed to love Jesus?
--Mary Magdelene!
She bought an alabaster box of perfume and anointed Jesus's feet with it and kissed his feet and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.
Picture that. If you want to know how Jesus would like us to treat Him, that's the example to follow. What a love she had for her Master! Right in public, in front of a group of critical men who were judging her and even verbally criticizing her, she got down on her hands and knees in front of her King and poured out her love the best way she knew how, holding nothing back.
So, don't pray to Jehovah (unless it's in Jesus's name). Don't pray to Buddha. Don't pray to idols. Don't pray to Allah. Don't pray to Zeus. Don't pray to Krishna. Don't pray to Vishnu. Don't pray to Shiva, Lakshmi, Durga, Saraswati, Venkateswara, Aiyappa. And, for heaven's sake, don't pray to the Devil! (Well, you are praying to the devil if you pray to any of these gods. They are NOT your friends. They won't help you. They will do their best to send you straight to hell.)
Incidentally, "Allah" is the Arabic name for god. The Arabic god, is the Muslim god. Now, if you are Muslim, go to the mosque or masjid. That's where you will find worshippers of Allah. I strongly warn against praying to Allah because when you do, you are praying to a god or higher power that is not Christian.
I used to live several years in Muslim countries and, when speaking to the locals about my God, I would use the word "Allah", thinking that we would understand each other and, at that time, I thought that the Muslims quite possibly worshiped the same "God of Abraham" as I worshiped. I don't know why I ever thought that.
Now, when Hagar was dying of thirst in the desert and she cried out to God to save her son, God answered her cries. God saved her. That was the God of Abraham. In fact, Ishmael was a son of Abraham, which is why I used to think we all had the same God.
At what point in history the Arabs decided to call their god Allah, I don't know, but one thing I know is that it is not the same god as the God who saved Hagar!
You know how I know? Lots of ways, but one way is that they do not obey what Mohammed told them in that Jesus is the Messiah and that they should have a relationship with Jesus as their Messiah. (It's in the Koran. Amazing what you can find out when you do some reading of these books people say they believe in. But, if they believed the Koran, wouldn't it lead them right to Jesus? Just as the Torah would lead the Jews to Jesus!)
In fact, a venerable and prominent Jewish leader admitted to his people that, according to the Torah, Jesus Christ was the Messiah. That's right! You don't have to wait any longer! You don't have to rebuild that temple and start sacrificing red cows at the Dome of the Rock, you guys.
Jesus already came!
I was saying that the rules of the game have changed. In fact, the new rule is: LOVE. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and you will fulfill all the law and the prophets!
Jesus said, "The words I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life!"
That means that the very words in this book are alive. They are living.
Sound strange? I guess it may sound a little spooky or weird or insane. Words that are alive. Here's how I see that. When you mix those words with your faith, they do come alive. I have seen it! When you mix the Word of God with prayer and faith, it's like Super Magic. I shouldn't use the word magic, but I just don't know another word that people can relate to that describes how powerful the words are in the Bible.
They are LIFE. They are alive.
In fact, they are GOD. How powerful is that? So... if you put your trust in the WORD, you are putting your trust in GOD. So... you should put your whole trust in the Word.
If it's written in the Word, BELIEVE IT. If it's in the Word, it's the Truth! "The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me, God."
Trust in the Word. It says exactly what it means and means what it says. Especially the words of Jesus. My Bible has all the words of Jesus printed in red to see quickly the words that came right from His mouth.
In particular, I was asking the Lord about the difference between the God of the Christians and the God of, say, for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Jews or Muslims. (Hot topic.) Now, the Jews believe in Jehovah and Jehovah was the Father of Jesus, so isn't it the same God?
Good question, right? Tough question! Ok, so, we go to the WORD to see exactly what Jesus said about it. And, the verse I got was where Jesus told a pharisee, "Ye are of your father... the DEVIL!"
You mean that's in the BIBLE? Did Jesus really say that? (If you were reading your Bible, you'd already know that Jesus said that. In fact, he said a lot of stuff to the Pharisees.)
John 8:41-44 "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44. Ye are of your father the DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it."
Matthew 15:8 "This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
Matthew 23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
Now, is Jesus saying here to these wise, educated, so-called holy men that they were NOT in tune with God? They worshipped God! Didn't they? I mean, they taught the people how to worship God. Didn't they? Didn't they teach the Word? Didn't they teach people how to pray? Didn't they teach the people how to tithe and make sacrifices? And follow all the rules laid out BY God?
How could Jesus be so crude as to tell them that they were of the devil?
Doesn't it show us that it is not enough to believe in God? God wants us to love Him. And, the rules of the "game" have changed, people. It's NOT enough to follow the ten commandments and all the law and to take the day off on Sunday and go to church and pay your tithe and bla,bla,bla. It's not enough. Sorry.
The Pharisees did all that stuff and they went straight to HELL. (Not me saying this.)
So, WHO we pray to and HOW we pray are important. Very, very important. We are supposed to love God not just a little bit. You know who I think of when it comes to how we're supposed to love Jesus?
--Mary Magdelene!
She bought an alabaster box of perfume and anointed Jesus's feet with it and kissed his feet and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.
Picture that. If you want to know how Jesus would like us to treat Him, that's the example to follow. What a love she had for her Master! Right in public, in front of a group of critical men who were judging her and even verbally criticizing her, she got down on her hands and knees in front of her King and poured out her love the best way she knew how, holding nothing back.
So, don't pray to Jehovah (unless it's in Jesus's name). Don't pray to Buddha. Don't pray to idols. Don't pray to Allah. Don't pray to Zeus. Don't pray to Krishna. Don't pray to Vishnu. Don't pray to Shiva, Lakshmi, Durga, Saraswati, Venkateswara, Aiyappa. And, for heaven's sake, don't pray to the Devil! (Well, you are praying to the devil if you pray to any of these gods. They are NOT your friends. They won't help you. They will do their best to send you straight to hell.)
Incidentally, "Allah" is the Arabic name for god. The Arabic god, is the Muslim god. Now, if you are Muslim, go to the mosque or masjid. That's where you will find worshippers of Allah. I strongly warn against praying to Allah because when you do, you are praying to a god or higher power that is not Christian.
I used to live several years in Muslim countries and, when speaking to the locals about my God, I would use the word "Allah", thinking that we would understand each other and, at that time, I thought that the Muslims quite possibly worshiped the same "God of Abraham" as I worshiped. I don't know why I ever thought that.
Now, when Hagar was dying of thirst in the desert and she cried out to God to save her son, God answered her cries. God saved her. That was the God of Abraham. In fact, Ishmael was a son of Abraham, which is why I used to think we all had the same God.
At what point in history the Arabs decided to call their god Allah, I don't know, but one thing I know is that it is not the same god as the God who saved Hagar!
You know how I know? Lots of ways, but one way is that they do not obey what Mohammed told them in that Jesus is the Messiah and that they should have a relationship with Jesus as their Messiah. (It's in the Koran. Amazing what you can find out when you do some reading of these books people say they believe in. But, if they believed the Koran, wouldn't it lead them right to Jesus? Just as the Torah would lead the Jews to Jesus!)
In fact, a venerable and prominent Jewish leader admitted to his people that, according to the Torah, Jesus Christ was the Messiah. That's right! You don't have to wait any longer! You don't have to rebuild that temple and start sacrificing red cows at the Dome of the Rock, you guys.
Jesus already came!
I was saying that the rules of the game have changed. In fact, the new rule is: LOVE. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and you will fulfill all the law and the prophets!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Do You Know What You Believe?
You say you are a Christian. After all, you go to church. You pray. You listen to the pastor's preaching. You even pay your tithe. AND, you were baptized. So, that clinches it, right?
Christian. What IS a Christian? My dictionary says it is a believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Where do you find the teachings of Jesus Christ? Right! You know it's in the Bible. That's WHERE you find the teachings of Jesus Christ.
So, how do you know what the teachings are unless you read the Bible? How do you know WHAT you believe? I mean, maybe if you read the Bible, you'll discover that there are lots of things in there that you don't believe and do not want to accept!
You know, what if, for instance, Jesus tells you that you should love your ENEMIES? --Or cut off your hand? --Or, even pluck out your eye? Are you going to embrace those beliefs?
Seriously. The Bible says a lot of things that we need to know. We need to deeply, deeply know and absorb the Bible in order to be a "Christian". And, for my opinion, I'd have to say, if someone doesn't KNOW the Bible, they really shouldn't call themselves a Christian.
We are not supposed to be following other Christians. Not even our pastor. Sure, he's a great guy and maybe he loves the Lord, but what has that got to do with you and your connection with God?
Jesus said, "If you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed." John 8:31
Find out what you believe. You may find out you're not a Christian after all. You just have a lot of friends who are Christians. Or, who say they are.
When it comes right down to the crunch, are you going to be willing to die for what you believe in?
That sounds really harsh, I know. But, unless you actually feel that deeply and strongly about your faith, you need to ask yourself if you really believe in the teachings of Christ. Jesus said, "You cannot serve God and mammon (money)."
He said it. I didn't say it. It's not my idea. In fact, none of this is. I get all this stuff out of the Bible.
Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
I think we should ask ourselves: "Am I putting God first?" What is number One in my life? God or Money? Did you know that there is a god of money? Did you further know that MOST of the world worships that god?
"How can we live without money? It's impossible." Well, money itself isn't the evil. It's our ATTITUDE towards money that is evil.
Does having a nice, fat bank account make you feel as though you're invincible? On the other hand, do you feel useless and worthless when you're broke? See how deceptive money can be? It's all in our attitude, isn't it? The money doesn't really have this power over us. It's bluffing.
But, when you put God first and let Him take care of your life, money becomes secondary. It relaxes its grip and control over your life. Don't worry about feeling worthless. Allow yourself to feel that way before God. That's just a good check and balance. We ARE worthless without Jesus. I think it was David who said he was a "worm". Talk about humility. But, with God, we are everything!
So, dear ones, my prayer for Christians is that they will READ the Word! You'll be glad you did.
Christian. What IS a Christian? My dictionary says it is a believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Where do you find the teachings of Jesus Christ? Right! You know it's in the Bible. That's WHERE you find the teachings of Jesus Christ.
So, how do you know what the teachings are unless you read the Bible? How do you know WHAT you believe? I mean, maybe if you read the Bible, you'll discover that there are lots of things in there that you don't believe and do not want to accept!
You know, what if, for instance, Jesus tells you that you should love your ENEMIES? --Or cut off your hand? --Or, even pluck out your eye? Are you going to embrace those beliefs?
Seriously. The Bible says a lot of things that we need to know. We need to deeply, deeply know and absorb the Bible in order to be a "Christian". And, for my opinion, I'd have to say, if someone doesn't KNOW the Bible, they really shouldn't call themselves a Christian.
We are not supposed to be following other Christians. Not even our pastor. Sure, he's a great guy and maybe he loves the Lord, but what has that got to do with you and your connection with God?
Jesus said, "If you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed." John 8:31
Find out what you believe. You may find out you're not a Christian after all. You just have a lot of friends who are Christians. Or, who say they are.
When it comes right down to the crunch, are you going to be willing to die for what you believe in?
That sounds really harsh, I know. But, unless you actually feel that deeply and strongly about your faith, you need to ask yourself if you really believe in the teachings of Christ. Jesus said, "You cannot serve God and mammon (money)."
He said it. I didn't say it. It's not my idea. In fact, none of this is. I get all this stuff out of the Bible.
Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
I think we should ask ourselves: "Am I putting God first?" What is number One in my life? God or Money? Did you know that there is a god of money? Did you further know that MOST of the world worships that god?
"How can we live without money? It's impossible." Well, money itself isn't the evil. It's our ATTITUDE towards money that is evil.
Does having a nice, fat bank account make you feel as though you're invincible? On the other hand, do you feel useless and worthless when you're broke? See how deceptive money can be? It's all in our attitude, isn't it? The money doesn't really have this power over us. It's bluffing.
But, when you put God first and let Him take care of your life, money becomes secondary. It relaxes its grip and control over your life. Don't worry about feeling worthless. Allow yourself to feel that way before God. That's just a good check and balance. We ARE worthless without Jesus. I think it was David who said he was a "worm". Talk about humility. But, with God, we are everything!
So, dear ones, my prayer for Christians is that they will READ the Word! You'll be glad you did.
Monday, October 14, 2013
The Names of God
Did you ever try to call someone and you accidentally got one number wrong and the wrong person answered the phone? It's not as likely to happen these days with cell phones where you don't even need to dial anymore. But, when it happens, it makes you realize that each number is important and it's important to get it right. Otherwise you may accidentally end up talking to an axe murderer on the phone and not even know it.
Well, I think the same thing can be applied to calling "Upstairs". We have to get the right extension. And, as you know, that Extension is Jesus Christ. You can call Him Yesus. Or Esau.Or Christo. Or variations and He'll still understand. He knows who He is. So, not much confusion, as long as you call out to Jesus, the Son of God.
Sometimes, when I'm really going through battles with the enemy, I make a direct call to the King of Kings through His Son and make sure it's Jesus Christ, the son of the virgin Mary who was crucified and rose from the dead!
You may laugh. It may seem funny to go through all that bother. But, what is the effect?
Well, for one thing, it makes me feel better; it encourages my faith and gives me the knowledge (in my human brain) that my soul is making doubly sure to whom I am connecting. I don't want the operator to connect me to someone or something else. It's like writing "AIR MAIL" on an envelope that has already got red and blue stripes on it. You just feel a NEED sometimes to make sure the mail is going to get there fast.
Ok, so why am I making a big deal out of this? Here's why:
The devil, satan, lucifer, the beast, and the opposite of our God is also a god! Yes, folks, the devil is the GOD OF THIS WORLD. He doesn't care what god you want to call him by as long as you don't call him by the name of Jesus! He can go by the name of "God" if you don't specify WHICH GOD!
See?
You might get on the phone to talk to "God" and you end up having a conversation with the Imposter of God! Why? Because, there ARE rules to this game! YOU HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT! You have to get the Holy Spirit, not the unholy spirit. One little name makes all the difference to get the right connection.
God gave us the right phone number. We just have to dial it accurately. He said, "Call onto ME and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things..." And the Mediator between man/woman and God is Jesus. He's the all-important Connector, Mediator, Shuttle Buffer, Advocate and Plea Bargainer between man/woman and God.
When I was a kid, I went to church every Sunday and listened to sermons that were all about "God". And, it was nice. It was uplifting. It carried me through the rest of the day with a little inspiration. But, there was something missing. I didn't receive the power to change or the power to overcome obstacles put in my path.
I DID NOT GET SAVED. Do you see? All that talk about "God", "Lord, Father God", "Almighty God", "Heavenly Father", "God", "God", "God" didn't carry the weight of salvation. It didn't mean anything to a searching soul like me because the word "God" just meant "somebody-way-up-there-out-of-reach-who-I-don't-know-personally".
Was God Buddha? Was he, Hari Krishna? Was he Allah? Was he Zeus? Who knew? As a teen-ager, I really wondered which god was the true god. I tried out a few of them, too! I bought books on Hari Krishna and later I delved into the Baha'i faith and read up about Baha'ullah.
In fact, I was shocked and mystified to discover, in the end, that the true God was Jesus Christ! All along, I thought he was sort of a Sunday School character who went around in a dress eating fish.
Then, I discovered the power in the name of Jesus and it blew my mind! You get INSTANT response. It's like an instant response system! You cut through all the red tape, confusion, wrong connections, tiring wastes of time and cut right to the main source of power.
This is not a joke. This is the way God has set up the spiritual world, my friends. You are held responsible to DIAL THE CORRECT NUMBER. God's not going to come down and do it for you. I mean, he could. He might, under dire circumstances. But, most of the time, he wants YOU to figure things out for yourself! Yep.
So, if you're having difficulty making that connection fast and strong, USE the name of JESUS. That's what it's FOR! The name has been paid for with a very high price. It's not just a nice little namby pamby name for Sunday School.
Well, I think the same thing can be applied to calling "Upstairs". We have to get the right extension. And, as you know, that Extension is Jesus Christ. You can call Him Yesus. Or Esau.Or Christo. Or variations and He'll still understand. He knows who He is. So, not much confusion, as long as you call out to Jesus, the Son of God.
Sometimes, when I'm really going through battles with the enemy, I make a direct call to the King of Kings through His Son and make sure it's Jesus Christ, the son of the virgin Mary who was crucified and rose from the dead!
You may laugh. It may seem funny to go through all that bother. But, what is the effect?
Well, for one thing, it makes me feel better; it encourages my faith and gives me the knowledge (in my human brain) that my soul is making doubly sure to whom I am connecting. I don't want the operator to connect me to someone or something else. It's like writing "AIR MAIL" on an envelope that has already got red and blue stripes on it. You just feel a NEED sometimes to make sure the mail is going to get there fast.
Ok, so why am I making a big deal out of this? Here's why:
The devil, satan, lucifer, the beast, and the opposite of our God is also a god! Yes, folks, the devil is the GOD OF THIS WORLD. He doesn't care what god you want to call him by as long as you don't call him by the name of Jesus! He can go by the name of "God" if you don't specify WHICH GOD!
See?
You might get on the phone to talk to "God" and you end up having a conversation with the Imposter of God! Why? Because, there ARE rules to this game! YOU HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT! You have to get the Holy Spirit, not the unholy spirit. One little name makes all the difference to get the right connection.
God gave us the right phone number. We just have to dial it accurately. He said, "Call onto ME and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things..." And the Mediator between man/woman and God is Jesus. He's the all-important Connector, Mediator, Shuttle Buffer, Advocate and Plea Bargainer between man/woman and God.
When I was a kid, I went to church every Sunday and listened to sermons that were all about "God". And, it was nice. It was uplifting. It carried me through the rest of the day with a little inspiration. But, there was something missing. I didn't receive the power to change or the power to overcome obstacles put in my path.
I DID NOT GET SAVED. Do you see? All that talk about "God", "Lord, Father God", "Almighty God", "Heavenly Father", "God", "God", "God" didn't carry the weight of salvation. It didn't mean anything to a searching soul like me because the word "God" just meant "somebody-way-up-there-out-of-reach-who-I-don't-know-personally".
Was God Buddha? Was he, Hari Krishna? Was he Allah? Was he Zeus? Who knew? As a teen-ager, I really wondered which god was the true god. I tried out a few of them, too! I bought books on Hari Krishna and later I delved into the Baha'i faith and read up about Baha'ullah.
In fact, I was shocked and mystified to discover, in the end, that the true God was Jesus Christ! All along, I thought he was sort of a Sunday School character who went around in a dress eating fish.
Then, I discovered the power in the name of Jesus and it blew my mind! You get INSTANT response. It's like an instant response system! You cut through all the red tape, confusion, wrong connections, tiring wastes of time and cut right to the main source of power.
This is not a joke. This is the way God has set up the spiritual world, my friends. You are held responsible to DIAL THE CORRECT NUMBER. God's not going to come down and do it for you. I mean, he could. He might, under dire circumstances. But, most of the time, he wants YOU to figure things out for yourself! Yep.
So, if you're having difficulty making that connection fast and strong, USE the name of JESUS. That's what it's FOR! The name has been paid for with a very high price. It's not just a nice little namby pamby name for Sunday School.
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