Message To The Land I Love .. AMERICA

In the past I have “flown over” books of the Old Testament, I admit, I never found as interesting as the New Testament so I didn't spend a lot of time there. What a mistake I made in disregarding these books classified as "Minor Prophets." MINOR not because they are less important, but simply because they are shorter books. Any reader of the Bible will immediately recognize all their names .. Hosea, Joel,  Amos,  Obadiah, Jonah, Micah (my step-son carries his name) Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and finally Malachi. A total of 12 as in the New Testament 12, symbolizing a complete and organized people of God. These uniting the Old Testament tribes of Israel with the New Testament apostles, representing the fulness of the Church and God's perfect order. I believe these "24" are the elders seated around the Throne of God mentioned in Revelation 4:4. I'm mentioning these 12 Minor Prophets for a reason.  All 12 warned and prophesied God's judgment upon people who repeatedly broke their covenant agreement with God. The prophets delivered warnings so the people would turn back from their sins.

It is their repeated warnings of judgment that reminds me of all the warnings being shouted out, called out, preached out, and written out to another nation today. America. But as then, our calls are being ignored. America is in trouble. Sin was just as effective and deadly then as it is now. God still judges sin and calls for man to repent of that sin before it is too late. America's grievous sins are mounting up to God's nostrils.  God still offers forgiveness through His mercy and grace. I want us to look at the "Book of Hosea" and see its message to the northern Kingdom of Israel regarding the terrible State of Affairs. As I read, it was as if I was looking into the sad state of affairs in America, "Home of the Brave, land of the Free. The LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. When God looked down to examine the hearts of men what did he find? Well, Hosea tells us what He did not find – the things GOD was looking for. Truth! Mercy! Knowledge of God! My eyes read those words and I heard echoes from Genesis 6:5: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Today, the Church spread across the world- His people/ His Church – are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and have turned unto sin. God sees us in the same position as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah:

 Void of righteousness!

 Void of Truth!

 Void of Light!

  DELIGHTING IN SIN

I read this in, Hosea 4:2 "By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood." In the first 11 words they are guilty of breaking 4 of the Ten Commandments! They broke free from all restraints as a dog breaks free from its leash. The blood of their victims pools together, crying out for justice just as the the martyrs in Revelation 6:9-10 were crying out from underneath the altar asking justice for their blood being shed! Readers, can you not see our present world in those words? Read the front pages of any newspaper in America! Glance at any news web site! Good is called evil and evil is called good! The prophet Isaiah nailed it when he said in 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!'

How can that be? Hosea tells us in 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."

WARNINGS KEEP GOING OUT -- Our society is void of truth! America had God’s truth. America rejected God’s truth. America will be judged according to God’s truth.That rejection of God is manifested in Idolatry. Look at verses 12 & 13, "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.  They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery." Just as Ancient Israel rejected God for worthless idols, so has America. Oh, there doesn't need not be statues or figures for anything placed above God in our hearts can be an idol. Money, fame, power, greed, lust, selfishness…

That rejection of God is through all society as it was during Hosea's warning:

Hos 5:1  "Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.' 

Hos 5:2  "And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all."

Hos 5:3  "I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled."

I see three groups of people in these verses. First, the general populace – the house of Israel. Second, the religious leaders – the priests. Third, the aristocracy – Ephraim. Why is Ephraim the aristocracy, the ruling elite? Does the word ELITE sound familiar?? Ephraim was the most powerful tribe. SAME WITH A CERTAIN SET OF THE RULING CLASS TODAY! Let me say that I despise those that seek to divide our nation through inciting class/racial warfare. I am not here to say the problem is not the poor or the rich or the rulers or the young or the old. I’m here to say that as a whole and then no matter how you slice it, our society is becoming more and more corrupt.

Rejection of God leads to seek answers outside of God. Hos 5:13  "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound." The wages of sin came due with interest. Where did they turn?  Not to God! They turned to the pagan Assyrians, who would soon conquer them! AMERICA IS ON THE VERGE OF BEING CONQUERED!

They call today the Information Age. We can find answers to almost any question in a matter of seconds through the Internet and now even faster through AI!Yet in all that searching we fail to look to Truth itself. We fail to go to God! We turn to celebrities and their “expert opinions”. We turn to scientists and their knowledge. We turn to political leaders and their influence. And we fail to turn to God! It is His Truth that we have rejected! It is His Judgment that surely must fall if He be Just at all! It is He who can grant mercy and forgiveness! And we will go anywhere to anyone but to Him. 

WHAT CAN WE DO??? Well, I’m glad that God is merciful to us sinners! He has provided the remedy then and thank HIM for now. How? What is the trigger to stop God’s anger? Hos 6:1  "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." Just because God may judge our sin does not mean He casts us off. He bids us to COME. What a wonderful word! Hear the words of Christ in these verses:  Mat 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Mat 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Mat 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

What is the message for the world today?  Come!

Rev 22:17, " And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Oh, what America needs to do is to come to Jesus! What sliding Christians need to do is to come back to Jesus! What does it mean to COME?  It means to come from where we are. That is repentance in a nutshell.  We change our mind and our direction. We turn from sin to the Savior! We turn from sin’s wages to the Great Shepherd’s care! We turn from a curse and death to blessing and life! It means a change in heart and not just action. God does not want us to make the appearance of turning to Him, He wants our hearts to be truly changed.  If we do not turn, they we will be like the Israelites we read about here. Hos 6:7, " But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me."

What happened to them? History tells us the judgment came. The Assyrians conquered them and carried them away captive. WE ARE BEING CONQUERED TOO, slowly! The hope for our nation is that those of us with God’s Truth will heed that truth and repent. When we change our ways, we may affect the wicked to change theirs. Though not written to us, we may learn from the words God spoke to Solomon 2 Ch 7:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. I PRAY AMERICA WAKES UP AS WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.

Util He Comes,

-Pat- 

To You It Is Given

Matthew 13:11

"Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

Did you know there exists a book called the "Book of Enoch" mainstream Jewish and Christian "authorities" never included in the official scriptural cannon? There is one bible that did retain it as a part of their official scripture. That bible is The Ethiopian Orthodox Bible (which can be purchased today.) The book of "Enoch" is attributed to Enoch who was the great-grandfather to Noah.  THAT ALONE SHOULD SPARK AN INTEREST AS TO WHY THAT BOOK WAS REMOVED FROM THEN EXCLUDED FROM SCRIPTURE WE HAVE TODAY. Was there some important information in Enoch's testimony someone didn't want us to know about? 

ARE YOU CURIOUS?

Christians are well aware of who Noah was. He wasn't just some guy on an Ark with hundreds of animal species to save from a worldwide flood. Noah was the only man with a wife and 3 sons. He was righteous and obediently following the Lord out of every single human being on the face of this planet at the time of the flood. There were approximately 195 million people on the earth (assuming historical geneologies are accurate and that man lived to be 850-900 years old) up to year 2438 --time of Noah when the flood took place. That was 1656 years after Adam! My point? Noah was 1 man out of millions who was righteous and blameless (not corrupted) and walked faithfully with God (Genesis 6:9). Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). He was also refered to as a preacher of righteousness  (2 Peter 2:25). The point is, it's why he was saved from the destruction of the world by flood.

Why was the world destroyed by a flood? Let's explore the real reason. First, the book of Enoch was removed not because it spoke of giants on the earth as it also does in our own translations over 2,000 years later mentioned in Genesis 6:4, not because it tells you where the giants came from (the Nephilim-offpring of the fallen angels), not because it names the fallen angels as THE WATCHERS (Daniel 4: 13,17,23), and it wasn't because it was too dangerous. The Book of Enoch was excluded for a reason darker than that. First though, a little about Enoch because he too walked with God just like Noah did. HE PLEASED GOD like Noah did, so GOD never allowed Enoch to experience the grave or death. God "took" Enoch up (Genesis 5:24)-- no dying-- raptured (if you will) seen in Hebrews 11:5.  Do you see a pattern? 

Watch ..

1. Noah walked with God (a relationship) He was righteous in God's eyes (obedient). He was therefore saved from destruction that was coming upon the world through a flood.

2. Enoch. Likewise, a righteous man who pleased God-obedient-had a relationship. He was saved from hell, grave, and death. Enoch was swooped up alive. Taken up  OR .."raptured."

3. Christians, we are called the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)--those who maintain a relationship with God, please Him by staying faithful to the end even through enduring the corrupt, morally wicked, cruel, decaying world who hates us because of our belief WILL ALSO BE DELIVERED FROM GOD'S WRATH WHEN JUDGEMENT COMES. Those Christians, still alive when Jesus comes again will be TAKEN UP as Enoch (raptured) and saved as Noah from the destruction predicted to come as found found in these references (2 Peter: 3, Revelation 16, Malachi 4:1, Revelation 3:10, Luke21:36).

The Book of Enoch doesn't only tell you where the giants came from, it tells you why they might still be walking among us today! The "hybrids" born from this unnatural union were no ordinary children (Genesis 6:4).  They were The Nephilim, giant bullies, tyrants, who filled the earth with violence (Genesis 6:​13). The Bible describes them as “the mighty ones of old", the "men of renown” (Genesis 6:4). They left behind a legacy of violence and fear (Genesis 6: 4-13). They were huge (Numbers 13:33). If you can get a copy of the book of Enoch (they are everywhere) open to Chapter 6 verse 20. It tells us that 200 angels .."the WATCHERS" CAME DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS, led by their Chief Samjaza (you can even look it up on Google). These did not descend to admire creation. They came down with an appetite!! Literally. They lusted after mortal, human women (Genesis 6:1-4) and TOOK unto themselves wives, and from that "union" came the offspring called Nephilim, sometimes referred to as Anakim or sons of Anak -THE GIANTS! Enormous creatures!! Scripture tells us they devoured everything.. the crops, the cattle, and when that wasn't enough, they turned their hunger on mankind itself: Numbers 13: 32-33 "So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” Also mentioned in  1 Enoch 7:3-4- and is part of knowledge that was left out of bibles. God looked down on all this and was so grieved that scripture says He was sorry He actually made man! Because it wasn't just the Giants. The WATCHERS were teaching humanity things heaven had not permitted: (sorcery) witchcraft. the forging of weapons (war-mettallurgy) fostering hatred and murder, the painting of faces- womens make-up we call (cosmetics) promoting vanity, (astrology) -using sun moon and stars to evaluate  behavior or charater traits, (divination)- fortune telling. Other things like magic -supernatural powers, enchanting - (forbidden secrets), Aligning with self and not God called (mantras) ...predicting present and future hidden things outside normal human senses (clairvoyance),  on and on. All these things plus the human spirit and DNA now tainted being mixed the celestrial with terrestrial!  (Genesis 6:12) So God said, "enough!" Thus instructing Noah to prepare provisions for the Ark to sustain and keep him safe through God's judgment.

Are you aware God bound those "WATCHERS" in chains of darkness under the river Euphrates, who ARE HELD NOW to be held until there until the end times to be released?? The bible says, when the river is dried up is when they will be released according to Revelation 9:14. THE RIVER EUPHRATES HAS BEEN SLOWLY DRYING UP PEOPLE (you can look that up too). We have already entered into the last days (plural). You need to realize the wording in the bible, "There were giants in those days and also after that" (Genesis 6:4) See the wording?? AND ALSO AFTER THAT! Before the flood and after it!!! Somebody survived the flood. WHO? HOW? Because as I've pointed out before, souls never die. The Nephilim bodies may have drowned in the flood but their spirits didn't. Their spirits were disembodied. Evil spirits look for human bodies to inhabit! THINK ABOUT THAT. Look at our world today and tell me evil spirits do not inhabit people and it grows more evil and corrupt year after year after year ! "Satan roams through the earth seeking whom he may devour" 1 Peter 5:8.

We are living in the end times, right now. Things can be understood as ramping up if you're paying attention. Sand in the hour glass has nearly run every grain through. Jesus is coming soon and will take His Bride off this planet (rapture) to a place of safety so she will escape the tribulation coming. When that happens, the Great  Tribulation begins. It must take place because the world once again has become so corrupt. Seek to know God through Jesus Christ before time runs out. If you need guidance how to do that, write to me at the email address found in my Bio.

 Until He Comes, 

-Pat-

 

 

As It Was In The Days Of Noah -get ready-

Jesus said, My hand will be on the door knob-- "even at the door" (Mathew 24:33). When is Jesus coming? The Bible says to watch when you see everything that you read happened in Noah's day and Lot's day. 

THESE THREE THINGS WILL BE YOUR SIGNS IN UNDERSTANDING THE END: Noah, Lot, and Jesus.

Whether you believe in pre-tribulation, mid tribulation, or post tribulation, the Bible says, Jesus said, "therefore  be ye also ready." I'm not concerned WHEN Jesus is coming back, but believe me when I say I'm going to be ready, period. When He does appear I'm prepared. However, the Bible does promise that we (believers) are going to be snatched (raptured) out (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Jesus warned the coming of the Son of Man will be like it was in Noah's day AND Lot's day. Have you read it? Understood it?

Let's look at what was going on in Noah's day. In Noah's day the Bible says"the whole world was wicked" (Genesis 6:5 and 6: 11-13). But before God judged the wicked, He made sure Noah was in a safe place .. the ARK! And metaphorically, the Ark is  representative of the rapture (safely away from all the evil which had engulfed the earth) and once he was in that "safe place" THEN God brought judgment and destruction. So that's Noah.

The second sign is next. Look at Lot as an example. He warned those around him. He told us that two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, were totally and morally wicked and corrupt. God went on to reveal that before He judged those cities, HE MADE SURE Lot, a righteous man of God, and his family were in a safe place as they were escorted out by two angels. Once Lot and family were in that "safe place" THEN God brought judgment and destruction upon the wicked.

So God has revealed to us, warned us IN HIS WORD (the Bible) that how it WAS in Noah's day and how it WAS in Lot's day is how it's going to be in OUR day before He comes! So, the rapture of believers is actually God saying, I need to bring all of you into a SAFE PLACE before I judge the wicked.'

In Noah's day, to be safe required him to be in a boat. In Lot's day it required him to be in another city. In our day, it requires us to be off the planet!! This time God is going to judge the whole world after the rapture and THEN God will move to bring judgment and destruction.

There's one more thing that's going to hurt I must say. BRACE YOURSELF. Remember when Jesus said the world will resemble the way it was in Noah's day? Lot's day? And Just like that NOW when He returns? Sadly In Noah's day only 8 peole got saved. EIGHT!! Few in other words.  In Lot's day there were only a few that got saved. And Jesus said when it came to HIS Kingdom, many would go to hell. He said few there will be that will be saved. And this is the big clincher, it also says about Lot's day- only one sin was called out and confronted. Only one is mentioned. The sin of sexual perversion. What has filled our world today? A plethora of pornograhy, X-rated movies, sex trafficking, sexual abuse and rape of children/women, voyerism, exhibitionism, frotteurism, teachers raping students, a Baphomet statue has been erected in the Capitol building, halfclothed transsexuals are invited into grade schools for activities with 5 year olds?? Sexual mutilization of little girls! LGBTQ (strictly forbidden in both the old and new testament), cultic worship, adultery, fornication, lasciviousness, incest, beastiality, sadism, masochism on and on. This moral decay and widespread perversion.. describing the "future era" or "the last days." NOW.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

For The Skeptic Who Questions 'The Whole Jesus Thing'

Jesus died for the sins of the world. READ THAT AGAIN. Do you understand the impact of those words? Before you scoff, mock, laugh at, or criticize, I challenge you to read this blog if nothing more than to solidify the point of view you hold that you believe is true. But to be balanced and honestly challenged, you'll have to open a Bible to see if the things I say in this blog are really there. If you've never opened to read a Bible, how will you know I'm telling you the truth?

Jesus died for the entire world! THE WORLD! ..not just Christians, but including every athiest, agnostic, pedophile, molestor, call girl, male escort, homosexual, abortoinist, adulterer, liar, thief, the morally corrupt, the skeptic, the mocker, the Buddist, the Hindu, the Islamist, the Catholic, every faith, creed, and belief, the rich, the poor, black, white, yellow, brown, red, extortioist, murderer, rapist, etc. it doesn't matter where you stood or where you are right now.. Jesus died FOR YOU no matter  WHAT you've done in the past or are still doing!.  (1 John 2:2, John 3:16, 1 Corithians 15:3-4.) 

Let it sink in!

Have you ever once in your life thought about the phrase people so often scoff at, "JESUS DIED FOR YOU." ??

What are the words? Their meaning? The impact? The sigificance? Jesus freely gave His life (though innocent of any crime) then died on a cross to banish the consequences of every sin, misdeed, immoral act, or transgression you've ever commited.

He exonerated you, but you didn't believe it! He paid the price for your sins- all of them, but you didn't deserve it, all so you can never be held accoutable. Did you hear that?

You "can" go free, you "can" be washed, you "can" be cleansed of all of it, for good, forever! That was the purpose for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross! He took your just due punishment for your sin and filth upon Himself. It is the innocent for the guilty. The atoning sacrifice (1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:10, Romans 3:25). 

No matter who you are, where you're from, or what you've done (and most still doing) He set you free BUT you don't believe it. That's a problem. JESUS NEVER FORCES ANYONE TO BELIEVE and the proof of that is, He gave you free-will. Belief activates forgiveness through repentence. But by disbelieving, individuals will be accountable for their own sins, they will forfeit eternal life in heaven and face spiritual separation from God once the body expires. However, the soul-your soul- will live on because SOULS NEVER DIE. Spirits live forever either eternally with God or without Him in eternal damnation.  Jesus gave HIMSELF as a ransom to make reconcilliation and eternal reunion with God possible. We don't deserve heaven because of our fallen-sinful state (Romans 3:23).  We could never come up out of eternal death/separation or judgment of  God because of our sins. You simply could not, cannot, be in the presence of a Holy God in such a sinful state. We are flawed. So what does all this mean? Jesus died for you to set you free. "Me? Set free?" You may still be asking or thinking, "So what! That tells me nothing. That does nothing." 

In simple terms, here it is ..

Imagine standing before a judge. You've been convicted because of avoiding multiple speeding violations so that the tickets, the accumulated debt in the thousands, is more than you could ever pay. With a big clack, clank, and a loud thud, a guard slams the barred door behind you. You've done it this time. You're  locked up. You have no bail money. Your friends cannot pay your debt. You're stuck, convicted, incarcerated. You haven't the means to free yourself. It feels hopeless. You have no answer.  You knew better than to disobey the speeding laws but it was so much fun at the time. Not so much now. The next morning you are awoken by the stumbling, clattering of keys. A jailer has open your cell gate and a raspy voice announces, "Come on, let's go. Someone paid all your fines. Get out." And even though you are 100% guilty, your freedom rested upon the fines being paid. You can now be released of your debt. That's what Jesus has done for you in a spiritual sense. Not only did He pay to set you free with His own blood, He wipes out every consequence of sin to never be remembered, judged for, or punished. (Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 3:34, Hebrews 8:12) 

When the Bible says God forgets our sin, it means He chooses to never hold them against us or bring them up again. Because God is all-knowing, His "forgetting" is an active, living choice of grace rather than a lack of knowledge. Let me reinterate. When you are saved:

*God "BLOTS OUT all your transgressions" and remembers sin no more (Isaiah 4:35)

*God REMOVES your sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)

*God removes all future judgment-He will never use your past, forgiven wrong, to punish or condemn you (Romans 8:1)

*God views you as the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Corunthians 5:21)

*God replaces your record of guilt with a clean slate (Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 43:25, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 5:9)

Again, all these scriptures are in the Bible to prove Jesus died for all, will forgive all, UPON BELIEF OF WHAT HE SAID. You cannot just say, "okay, I get it. He died for me. I accept the story." No, saying and believing are two different things. Verbal worship and real belief are miles apart because what people say and what they truly believe are very different.

Let's go one step further...

Go back to the jailed scenario above. What if the jailer came as before, announcing you're free to go but you don't believe it? You scoff, "Yeah, right." He reassures you, your debt has been paid in full and you can walk. Again, you stay in your cell believing it's too good to be true or that the jailer is lying and off his rocker. Then voices echo from other cells .."Oh man, Go, you've been freed." and "Dude, I wish I knew the man that set you free." But still, you refuse to believe anyone paid your debt, or to listen to others around you encouraging you to believe. This is the current scenario. Jesus has freed people imprisoned for commiting sin, but many scoff He even exits. They don't want to hear it. Even when others are screaming 'go, believe it, Jesus will set you free'. Or even when others wish they had believed and are telling you while you still have a chance.

Today my words are those of the Savior:

*Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

*John 6:37 "All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." This is the appeal Jesus makes regarding spiritual relief.

*Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

*John 12:47 "For I have not come to judge the world but to save the world."

*2 Corinthians 6:2 "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation."

Tomorrow is not promised. I know this all too well. I lost a brother with no warning at all. He was fine one day and gone the next. Life is like a vapor or a mist (James 4:14). NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE THEY WILL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TOMORROW making immediate action essential. Not only that, but scriptures tell us the longer you delay or postpone a spiritual decision, leads to a hardened heart.. as in not wanting to hear anything about Jesus, the Bible, or salvation. Are you there now?? (Hebrews 3:15)-- it's like a fading conviction! Over time, the desire to change or respond to God's forgiving grace can diminish, making it harder to take that step later. Are you there now??

Choosing salvation through Jesus brings peace, purpose, and a relationship with God starting in this present life not just the afterlife.

What can you do? 

1. Admit in prayer to God that you have sinned/are sinning and cannot save yourself acknowleging your choices have fallen short of God's perfect standard. (Romans 3:23) Then repent in sincerity and ask for forgiveness.

2. BELIEVE! What? That Jesus Christ is GOD in the flesh (John 1:1 and 14, 1 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 2:9 TELLS US THAT), that He did die on a cross for your sins (1 Corinthians 15:3, 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5 TELLS US THAT ) that He rose from the dead on the 3rd day (1 Corinthians 15:4 TELLS US THAT) to overcome death for all who will believe. (Acts 16:31 TELLS US THAT).

3. Confess your faith to surrender and trust Him and what He said. TURN from your old ways and sinful habits and vices and confess Jesus as LORD over you now (Romans 10:9)

That's it. Turn to Him in a childlike faith and trust and He'll do the rest. Come with a sincere heart and desire to be changed and saved from an eternity in darkness without Him. He will then give you the power to turn from your ways as you walk and believe everyday. Even if you fall and mess up, He is there to forgive because you belong to Him. You are a "babe" in Christ at this beginning point (spiritual infancy) as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, Hebews 5:12-14, 1 Peter 2:2. Being a babe in Christ is a metaphor.. describes a new or immature believer who needs basic spiritual instruction. Parents don't punish newborns since they have learning and growing to do. Just come in faith as a spiritual baby, you'll grow slowly with no punishment or condemnation as you learn. As long as you don't make a practice of sinning simply because you believe you can now get by with sinning because you've been saved. Mistakes and slip up's will not condemn you as you grow and learn. Learning to be what God desires is a slow, learning process as you mature in HIM. He is loving, He is patient, He is patient and kind toward His followers.

I hope this blog has helped to clear doubt, skepticism, and unbelef. For those willing to be freed, the barred gate is open. It has been open since the moment Jesus stepped on this earth to heal and give the gift of salvation. Final thought: A Christmas gift sitting on a table having a tag with your name on it is of no benefit unless it is opened. A gift with your name on it has been waiting to be opened for approximately 2,031 years, offered to you from a Savior born in a crib. Will you open it?

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

Three Biblical WARNINGS before 'Jesus Returns

Before Jesus returns, He gave 3 urgent warnings about being ready. Are you interested in knowing what they are? Many people believe they are ready for the big day when Jesus returns to rapture His true followers up to Himself. But Jesus said some who expect to enter His Kingdom will discover too late that they cannot. WHY?? Here are 3 warnings from scripture every believer needs to hear and cannot afford to ignore. Why? Because ---

1) Hearts that still LOOK BACK. When Jesus spoke about His return, He gave one surprising command: "Remember Lot's wife." She escaped Sodom with her family, yes, yet she looked back! Why? Because although her physical body left that city of perversion, her heart never did. Jesus explained the principal, "Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also" (Mattew 6:21). Many people follow Jesus outwardly, but their hearts still belong to this world .. their comfiort, their plans, teir possessions, their OLD life. When Jesus comes back, your heart will run toward what you treasure most. Do not wait until then! Surrender everything, everything that competes with Christ today.

2) Lamps without oil. Jesus told the story of 10 virgins (Christians) waiting for the bridegroom (Jesus). All of them looked ready. All carried lamps. ALL expected to enter but only 5 had oil burning bright (The HolySpirit). They had the "appearance" of faith but without a real relationship with God. They had the appearance --> many people attend church, pray, call themselves Christians, but they rarely seek God, obey His Word, or walk closely to Him. And here's the frightening truth: oil cannot be borrowed. In other words, nobody else's faith can save you .. not your parents, not your pastor, not your spouse. Your relationship with Jesus MUST BE YOUR OWN. The scriptures says, "And the door was shut."  It Closed. Not a chance after that :(

3) Repentance that came too late. Hebrews 2:17 says, "Esau sought the blessings with tears, but he found no opportunity to reverse what he had chosen." Esau traded something eternal, his birthright, for temporary satisfaction, thinking he could make it right later. Many Christians (as well as unbelievers) do the same. They feel conviction but keep saying, "I'll think about it later," or, "I'll take God seriously someday." But "someday" is never promised. "Seek the Lord while He still may be found, call upon  Him while He is still near" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

When Jesus returns, there will be no second opportunity. Regret cannot reopen a closed door. If you are reading this message, please do not ignore it. His return is evident now by everything happening all around us. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

SIMPLE FACTS

 

God is not a Democrat.

God is not a Republican.

-His values are not hard to find.-

He is pro life (Genesis1:27)

He is pro border (Nehemiah 2)

He is pro law and order (Romans 13:4)

He is pro male and female (Genesis 1:27)

He is pro Israel (Genesis 12:3)

Now tell me, which party line up cloest with that list?

I'll Always Back These Same Principles.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

When They Won't Listen ..

One of the hardest things about following Jesus is realizing some of the people you love the very most do not believe in Him nor do they want to. They plug their ears rejecting anything they "think" you might be getting ready to say even when you havent spoken a word yet. That creates a kind of tension many Christians struggle with deeply because you love them, you care about them, but you don't want to lose that relationship by sharing your faith. But at the same time you know that truth matters.

Alot of Christians stay silent because they're afraid. They're afraid  of the awkwardness. They're afraid of the rejection. A lot of times they're just afraid of losing the relationship. I understand that fear. I'VE BEEN THERE. I've had the hard conversations as well. I've lost friendships along the way too, I have even felt the harsh rejection of family members. But here's the question we have to wrestle with. If we truly believe that Jesus is the only way to Life, then HOW can we stay silent forever?

 It's like this, if my best friend was about to walk out into traffic without paying attention right in front of a semi, I would not whisper, "When you get a chance you might think about moving because a truck is coming." NO.  I would yell out with everything in me, "MOVE!! You're about to die!" You see, love warns. Love doesn't quietly watch destruction that's about to happen because it's afraid of making things uncomfortable, and yet people think warning someone spiritually is unloving. I disagree. I think the MOST UNLOVING thing that you could do would be to say nothing. But know .. I'm not talking about screamng at people, or acting self righteous. Nor do I mean treating unbelievers harshly or forcing coversations constantly. That isn't Christ-like. Jesus was full of both truth and grace. Not truth without love and not love without truth. He was both.

Sometimes truth will divide. Jesus already said following Him would even divide famlies! Not because Christians are supposed to become hateful but because truth confronts sin! People don't usually mind Jesus UNTIL repentence enters the conversation. UNTIL obedience enters the conversation. UNTIL their lifestyle gets challenged. Then suddenly things get uncomfortable. We need to remember this  .. WE cannot save people. GOD IS THE ONE THAT CHANGES HEARTS. Our responsibility is to love genuinely, speak truth faithfully, and never ever be ashamed of Christ- EVEN WHEN IT COSTS YOU SOMETHING.

One of the biggst lies today is the idea that love means never confronting sin. That is false. Real love warns. Real love tells the truth. Real love points people to Christ even when it feels uncomfortable. If Jesus is truly who He said  He was-the Way, theTruth, and the Life, hiding Him from peope is THE MOST UNLOVING thing  we can do.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

Does Something Feel Off?

Have you ever felt that inner check? That quiet nudge? That moment when something just doesn't sit right inside of you? That's not random! I call it my "check spirit light.' Proverbs tells us that the sprit of a man is a lamp of the Lord (Proverbs 20:27). It searches all the inner-depth of his heart. That means that God doesn't just deal with what's on the outside, He's going deeper on what's on the inside. If the Spirit is like a lamp, then He uses that to search what's really going on inside of you. Not just your actions, your thoughts, your intentions, or the things that nobody else sees. HE SEES THOSE CLEARLY. 

We don't always recognize everything that's in our own heart. We can justify things. We can overlook things,not purposely, and then we can convince ourselves that we're right. But The Lord sees straight through it all. But He's not searching so that He can condemn us. Hes searching so He can reveal. You can't change what you refuse to see! That inner-conviction that you feel sometimes, that "check spirit light"? That's not something to ignore. That's the Lamp! And it's turning on.

What do you do when that Light come on? Do you listen to that? Do you push it down? Do you respond to it? Or do you just explain it away? Because the more you ignore that Light the easier it gets to live in the dark. But the more you respond to it the clearer your life will become. God's Light doesn't just expose, it leads, it brings clarity, direction, and  alignment. So don't run from it, welcome it. Say, "Here I am. Search me Oh GOD. Show me what I don't see" (Psalm 139). The person who let's God's Light search their heart, is the one who starts walking in truth. So don't dim that Light. Let that Light lead you. I PROMISE YOU, IT WILL LEAD YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Until He Cones,

-Pat-

Prayer Is Not Performance, It's Relationship!

LET'S TALK ABOUT PRAYER

You can sit and watch a 3 hour movie with no distractions. You can scroll social media for hours, watch an NFL football game, work on hobbies, focus on everything, but the moment you decide to pray, suddenly your mind floods with anything and everything: bills, stress, text messages, what somebody said, the birthday you forgot, the letter you were supposed to mail!! Random thoughts that were nowhere in your mnd 5 minutes ago suddenly flood your brain squeezing out the prayer you intended on bringing to the Lord. WHY?

Prayer matters. Prayer is not just talking into the air. Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is alignment. It's where we get our strength. It's where peace comes from. Prayer is where your mind gets reset. And Satan, our enemy? He doesn't like that. The enemy has no problem with distracted believers, in fact he's the one that encourages it. He has no problem with people who are busy and disconnected from God. But when a person truly begins to pray, when a person begins to seek the Father with sincerity, that becomes dangerous to the knigdom of darkness.

Listen clearly, you're not a bad Christian believer because you get distracted. You're human. Even mature followers of Jesus have momens where we have to refocus. I deal with it a lot. Yes, me. I am not exempt. Many people deal with it. The difference is not whether distractions come, it whether you quit praying because of it. A lot of people  self-condemn the moment their minds begin to wander.. 'Why can't I focus?'  'What's wrong with me?' 'Why am I thinking about every thing else?' STOP! Don't stay there. The moment you recognize the distraction, just come back. Bring your mind back. Bring your heart back. Come back to the Father again, and again, and again, and again, and again if you have to. Because prayer is not performance, it's relationship! That's why scripture tells us to guard our hearts, and guard our minds (Phillippians 4:7, Proverbs 4:23). If we don't guard them, the world will constantly pull our attention in every direction.

Everytime you refocus during prayer, you're training your heart. You're trainig it to return to God instead of staying scattered. Some of the most powerful prayers are not the polished prayers, they are the prayers where you fought through distractions. You fought through just to stay in His presence. SO .. IF YOU GOT DISTRACTED TODAY, pray again. IF YOUR MIND WANDERED, come back again. IF LIFE GOT LOUD, seek Him again. The goal is not perfection. The goal is a heart that keeps returning to Him. The enemy is not afraid of a perfect prayer voice, he's afraid of a believer who keeps coming back to God no matter how many times he or she is distracted. No matter how many times they've pulled away. 

Distractions are nornal, so do not get upset with yourself; just return your attention to God. And "HE WILL KEEP IN PERFECT PEACE-THE MIND WHO IS STAYED ON HIM" (Isaiah 26:3)

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

The Once Saved Always Saved Controversy- a deep dive

 

I pray the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of those being misled by Satan's most deceptive lie .. ONCE SAVED  ALWAYS SAVED.

Among Christians, the discussions are tough. The disagreements confusing. I can only encourage you to read your Bible carefully so you can discern the spirit of truth from the spirit of error. Satan once confused Eve begining with these four words: "Yeah, hath God said" and twisted the true words God actually spoke mixed with something God never said.

The same thing is happening today regarding our security of salvation as believers in Christ Jesus. Satan was able to trick Eve about her relationship with God by injecting a lie mixed with God's truth. Today, the deception is the same.

Let's look at the argument being used "once saved always saved" and see where Satan mixes his lies with God's truth:

LIE: Salvation is secure forever TRUTH: "there's no condemnation anymore for those belonging to Christ." Romans 8:1

LIE: No adoption can ever be annuled TRUTH: "We have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

LIE: The devil cannot have us anymore. TRUTH: "No one can snatch us out of the Father's hands" John 10:28

See how confusing these are? The lies sound as true as God's actual words. So which is correct?

I tend to believe Hebews 6:4-6 "For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame. (NLT)

 And I can back that up. Let's look at Judas as our example, a disciple of Christ, and take it step by step.

*He walked with Jesus. 

*He was as those once "enlightened" as Hebrews 6:4-6 states.

*He was named as a disciple. 

*He was a part of the team. 

*He performed miracles and experienced the good things of heaven because he shared in the Holy Spirit like the other 11.

*He was entrusted to carry the money bag so he was a trusted follower. Maybe morso than others since he was assigned as the treasurer.

Things to highlight regarding Judas and his position as a believer:

*Jesus summoned 12 including Judas

*Jesus gave them authority this included Judas

therefore..

*Judas is specifically mentioned as one of the 12, and thus one of them that received authority

*These 12 went - includes Judas

*These 12 freely received and were to freely give - again this includes Judas

So what happened that Judas faith failed?  How could he have been the betrayer? Wasn't Judas "saved" and thus always saved or was Judas never saved to begin with as so many Christians believe?

Let's take a closer look. Many argue that Jesus knew Judas was a devil from the beginning and was NEVER SAVED in the first place. I disagree.

The scripture they use to support this belief is John 6:70 --Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil” (NLT)  

This is proof, they say, that Judas was never saved. But I would argue this, knowing Judas would betray Jesus was FOREKNOWLEDGE! It's not that Judas wasn't chosen, baptized, and saved as the other 11 in the begnning . Jesus clearly stated He CHOSE 12. Though chosen and saved, he would still turn away later and betray Jesus. That's FOREKNOWLEDGE on Jesus' part! Tell me, do you think Jesus knows who will betray Him in the future or that He isn't aware of those betraying Him now and walking away from the faith they once claimed? Sure He does, He has foreknowledge. And these that walk away are "those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God" (Hebrews 6:4-6).

People also argue Judas was never saved using these points:

1. He was a thief  (John 12:6)  Well, that's TRUE

2. He was a child of Satan and doomed to perdition (John 17:12) Yes, TRUE

3. He was possessed by Satan (Luke 22:3) Absolutely TRUE

BUT..

Yes, these are all truths as recorded in God's Word. I am not disputing that. I question the timing! Was Judas always a devil? That would mean Jesus chose Judas knowing he was evil but made him a disciple anyway? Or did Jesus have the foreknowledge that a particular disciple would betray him in the future and lose his salvation? I believe it's the latter. We have the answer to these 3 questions. They were answered at the feast of unleavened bread!

Was Judas ever saved? Was Judas possessed from the beginning? Did Jesus purposely choose a devil to be a disciple? 

Clear answers are in Luke 22: 1-5. Look particularly at verse 4 from that passage, "then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the twelve." 

Read that line carefully! Do you see it? THEN Satan entered Judas. THEN!  Not when he was chosen by Jesus. Not when he followed as the other 11. Not when he heard Jesus preach, believed, trusted, agreed,or witnessed. Jesus did not purposely chose a demon to follow Him. He chose Judas as the other 11 but had the FOREKNOWLEDGE who it would be to betray Him. Judas WAS ONCE saved. Judas DID follow. Judas DID sanction Jesus as LORD. But once, during the Passover and feast of Unleavened Bread, it was at that time Satan THEN ENTERED Judas, and he made a fateful decision to THEN betray Jesus for money. Judas fell from grace through choice. Yes, he was possessed by Satan. I agree. Yes, he is rightfully called the son of perdition. I agree. Yes, he was a thief. I agree. And yes, I agree the scripture is true, "No one can snatch us out of the Father's hands" John 10:28. But WAIT! NO ONE SNATCHED JUDAS out of the Father's hand! Judas walk away by choice. We can choose walk away. Judas chose to betray Jesus. We can choose to betray Jesus. Judas tasted the heavenly gift of the Holy Spirit. As believers and followers of Christ we too have tasted the same Holy Spirit. Can you now see how truth has been mixed with lies once again to confuse, trick, and deceive people into thinking once saved always saved is true? It simply isn't true!! That's Satan's verbage! He wants us to think that. Remember, "It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame." 

Understand, I'm not saying being weak, or sometimes commiting a sin, struggling but failing, is even remotely equal to betrayal, walking away from your belief, and leaving the faith you once practiced. What Judas did, as a man chosen, shown the way, given the Holy Spirit, practiced his faith openly, walked with the Lord day to day, and CHOSE by utilizing his free-will, to betray the one who called him. I do not believe Satan's verbage .. once saved always saved.

GOD DID NOT SAY THAT. Judas actions prove it. Satan has twisted the scriptures once again. If you betray your faith by walking away on your own, "it is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame." (NLT).

No one can snatch you away but YOU CAN WALK AWAY and reject the truth you were given. Remember that!

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

What Happens When You've Changed

The moment you decide to take your life to the next level, for those of you with a higher purpose, you are going to receive a lot of pushback. A lot of resistance. Paul certainly experienced it--"Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?"  (Galatians 4:16)

Jesus even said:

 "If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first" 

 "I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." 

"If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world." 

So remember when you're ignored (and you will be), rejected, laughed at, called names, made fun of, mocked, even physically attacked, they're not rejecting YOU. They are rejecting the evidence that Yahuah Hamashiach- JESUS, the Most High, can transform a person. 

People from your past, parents, friends, co-workers, people that used to know you all know your name. They know your past failures. They know your mistakes. So the moment Jesus (Yahuah Hamashiach) begins to change and transform you, instead of celebrating it, they question it. In the book of Luke (4:24) Jesus is speaking, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown." Sadly, familiarity blinds people. Let me explain. People from your past, your parents, your exes, people that knew you "THEN"  (before you came to Christ for renewal), they became so attached to who you WERE that they cannot recognize who you ARE BECOMING or have already become.

The greatest miracle isn't always healing. Sometimes the greatest miracle is a transformed mind. The Bible guides to, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) .. meaning you stop copying he bad ways of this world and let God change the way you think. AND JUST HOW DO YOU DO THAT? By the written Word of truth-the Bible. It says, "by the washing of the water by the Word" (Ephesians 5:26). This is why most people can't understand (because they won't read a Bible) so then reject this truth. They'll read romance novels, science fiction, fantasies, historical records, mysteries, horror, various authors, self-improvement books, etc but not one page of the best book ever writen; God's WORD. It's not because I write the words Jesus spoke and therefore the message is rejected or wrong. What I write arent my words, I only repeat what Jesus already spoke thousands of years ago. People reject scripture as truth, yet they believe other ancient accounts written long ago without question or proof of the author or origin.

We live in a world that operates on the unseen and the visible, physical and spiritual. But most people are operating within the flesh (the world and things of the world). Only a few learn to walk by the Spirit, a Christians daily way of living (Galatians 5:16, and 5:26, Romans 8:4). It's very simple, right? When the Spirit begins renewing you, your conversations begin to change. Your desires change. Peace changes. Discernment changes. Your thinking changes. Your priorities change. The people from your past (parents, friends, exes) they were comfortable with the OLD VERSION of you. That's why most of them are uncomfortable with the NEW VERSION of you now. It's not because you're perfect. You simple show them that change is possible! When Christ is formed in you, you stop living for acceptance and you start living with a purpose! The people who only see you for your past cannot see your present. Jesus is not asking you to convince everyone. He's simply asking you to remain faithful to what He has given you. He's watching. True transformation happens not by copying the ways of the world, but by letting God reshape how you think, see, love, and act day by day. And WE KNOW, as followers of Yahuah Hamashiach that this transformation is not an instant fix for every mistake but a patient, lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus. For those of you with a higher purpose we know instead of relying on our own weak strength, God blesses us with His Holy Spirit to help us heal, forget, grow, and live in true freedom because, "THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH" (Romans 8:2).

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

Why Do Bad Things Always Seem To Happen To Good People?

 

Have you ever said or thought to yourself, 'why do bad people always seem to "get away with it? And good people never seem to catch a break'?

As a believer in Jesus, the scariest thing that God can ever do is stop correcting you. Every time you want to run back to the world and return to an old sin or vice, God pulls out His "spiritual belt" to pull you right back.  Don't call it punishment, call it proof. Proof that you are still His child. See, a father doesn't chase every child in the neighborhood with that same assertive discipline. He only does that for His own. 

The greatest evidence that you're God's child isn't that life is easy. Oh no no no. It's that every time you start running away or acting up, your Father comes after you. There's a reason why God let some people get away with things. And it's probably not what you think. There was a time I thought God was punishing me. I soon learned it wasn't punishment, He was parenting me! Everybody can do wrong but not everybody can get away with it. Stepping outside of Christ and slipping back into the abyss of sin can result in godly chastisement and usually ends in LESSON LEARNED.

Think about it this way. Your child's friend comes over to your house and they start jumping around on the couch with dirty, muddy, shoes. Who is going to get in trouble worse? Your child. Why? Because they know better. As far as the neighbors child, He might get a warning, whatever the case might be, but your child is going to get disciplined. I love the Bible because it captures how we really feel. In the book of Psalms 73:3 it says, "I envied the arrogant because I saw the prosperity of the wicked." So I questioned, " God, Christians can slip and do the same things as sinners but why does it seem the non-Christian gets it easier than we do when they clearly admit they don't even believe in you? Why aren't they chastised? His response really hit me. I heard, "I don't touch what doesn't belong to me." THAT'S NOT REJECTION. THAT'S RELATIONSHIP.

Unanswered sin is not approved sin!

God doesn't correct everybody, He corrects HIS children. And the closer you are to God, the higher the standards become . This is absolutely true. "To whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48). Society calls that bad luck but God calls it discipline. In the book of Hebrews it says, "Do not make light of the Lords discipline and do not lose heart when (NOT IF) when He rebukes you." Because the Lord disciplines the ones He loves and He chastises everyone He accepts as His Son"  (12:5-6)

I'll go deeper. A few verses down it says God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? Let's go a little further down still. It says, "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" (Hebrews 12:11).

So maybe God isn't harder on you because He hates you. Maybe He's harder on you because He claimed you.  When God puts His hand on you He doesn't just let you run like everybody else. Some people are getting away with it but you're being rescued and saved from yourself. He watches over us, guides us, directs our paths. And if we get off track, He lovingly brings us back through some lesson. Some people are being left alone but you're being loved too much to be left alone! Let that sink in. Don't envy people God hasn't interrupted. Delayed judgment is not favor. Remember that.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

False Teachers In The Last Days

 READ THE FOLLOWING four scripture locations. 

In this blog I will expose the tongue of a false teacher (mentioning no names) to reveal  how crafty and deceptive their words can be so you can recognize a counterfeit Jesus when pastors like this are teaching such.

NOTE: ALL OF THESE ARE REGARDING THE END TIMES:

ONE. 2 Peter 2:1-3 there will be false teachers among us, secretly introducing destructive heresies and exploit followers with deceptive words, removing the authority of Jesus,  even denying Him.

TWO. 2 Timothy 3:1-9--teachers have a form of godliness but deny its power. Lovers of self arrogant, greedy

THREE.  1 Timothy 4: 1-3 Casing some to turn away from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits and teaching of demons

FOUR.  Matthew 24:11 Jesus warned about end times, stating "many false prophets will arise and deceive many."  

A certain pastor is teaching Jesus wasn't a Christian and that He never asked to become one. He's teaching Jesus never asked anyone to accept Him as personal Lord and Savior, that He simply wanted followers on His way of love- adding, "Anyone can do that regardless of what we call ourselves."

OKAY .. first of all, Jesus was not a Christian, of course He wasn't!! HE'S CHRIST. Christians are followers of Christ. This is not an argument. This is word play. Acts 11:26 says the disciples were FIRST called Christians. So no, Jesus wasn't a Christian in the sense that He followed Himself. He is the Lord Christians follow. The pastor said, 'Jesus never asked anyone to become one.' Hmm, that's weird because I'm pretty sure Jesus said, "follow me." He also said, "repent and believe the gospel." And .. He said, "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through Me." "If you love me, keep my commandments." We can't act like Jesus invited people into some vague lifestyle of kindness with no repentance, no faith, no obedience, no surrender. Maybe Jesus didn't use the exact words the pastor did, the exact modern phrase, but He absolutely called people to believe in Him, receive Him, to confess Him, to follow Him to obey Him, and to come to the Father through Him.

The issue is not the phrase. The issue is whether Jesus is Lord. AND HE IS. The pastor went on, 'Anyone can do that regardless of what we call ourselves.' People, THAT'S A BIG NO! Biblical love is not whatever the world defines it to be. After all, pedophiles say their actions are nothing but love of children. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You can't reject Jesus and then claim that you are faithfully following the way of Christ! THAT IS THE LIE. THAT DECEPTION. THAT IS THE FALSEHOOD. THAT IS THE TRICKERY. THAT IS UNTRUTH.

False teachers love to keep the language of Jesus while removing the authority of Jesus. They want Jesus's love but they don't want Jesus's lordship. They want His compassion but they don't want His commands. They want His name without the cross. Jesus didn't come to give the world some sort of religious aesthetic. He came to save sinners, and that's why we can't just roll our eyes and move on. People are being led astray in these last days by leaders who make false teaching sound gentle.

FINALLY, GROW IN DISCERNMENT. Don't follow someone who uses Jesus' name while rejecting Jesus' words. And learn how to recognize a "counterfeit Jesus" when certain pastors are teaching one.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

The Eye Of A Needle

 

The question arose, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF : "It is easier to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven."  ??  Can not a  monetarily rich person go to heaven ? What do "riches" entail?

The statement comes from Jesus in Matthew 19:23–26, Mark 10:23–27, and Luke 18:24–27. Jesus spoke these words immediately after the rich young ruler walked away because he loved his wealth more than he loved God.

First: Is Jesus saying no wealthy person can go to heaven? No. The Bible contains many wealthy people who loved and served God:

*Abraham possessed great wealth.

*Job was extremely wealthy before and after his trials.

*King David ruled over enormous riches.

*Joseph of Arimathea was a rich disciple who buried Jesus.

*Lydia was a successful businesswoman and one of the first Christians in Europe.

So, money itself is not the problem. Paul later wrote: "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil..." (1 Timothy 6:10) Notice: he did not say money is evil. Then why did Jesus make such a shocking statement? Jesus said: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." His disciples were stunned because, in Jewish culture, wealth was often viewed as a sign of God's blessing. Their response was:  "Who then can be saved?" Jesus answered: "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."  That answer is the key.

Jesus wasn't teaching that wealth automatically damns someone. He was teaching that riches create powerful spiritual obstacles. Why are riches dangerous? I can think of a few  reasons. Riches have a way of making people feel independent, secure, self-sufficient, comfortable, less aware of their need for God. When life is easy, it is easy to think: "I have everything I need." But the Kingdom begins when someone realizes: "I desperately need Christ." Money can quietly become a substitute for trusting God.

What are "riches"? Riches are anything you possess that becomes more valuable to you than obedience to God. Money is only one example. Riches can include: investments, property, career, success, education, reputation, beauty, power, influence, social status, comfort, possessions, hobbies, relationships, even ministry, if it becomes an idol. Anything that owns your heart more than God becomes your treasure. Jesus said: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Notice what happened with the rich young ruler Jesus did not tell everyone to sell everything. He told that man because Jesus knew exactly what sat on the throne of his heart. When Jesus said, "Sell what you have...and follow Me," the man became sad. Why? Because his wealth possessed him and He didn't merely own riches, His riches owned him!

You might be asking, what does God require then? God doesn't require every Christian to become poor. He requires every Christian to surrender everything. There is a huge difference. A wealthy Christian can honestly say: "Lord, everything I own belongs to You." If God asked him to give it away tomorrow, he would. That is freedom. Riches can also be internal. Many people who are financially poor are spiritually rich in pride. Someone may have no money at all but still treasure: bitterness, self-righteousness, popularity, political power, intellect, or personal ambitions. These can become just as great a barrier as money. 

The eye of the needle. Most biblical scholars believe Jesus meant exactly what He said: A camel going through the eye of a sewing needle is humanly impossible. He was using deliberate exaggeration to make a profound point. Human effort cannot save anyone. The rich man cannot buy heaven. The moral man cannot earn heaven. The religious man cannot deserve heaven. Salvation is impossible by human ability.

The final lesson. Jesus wasn't condemning wealth. He was exposing misplaced trust. The question is not: "How much money do I have?" The question is: "What am I trusting?" If your security is in money, possessions, status, or anything else, those things become barriers to God's kingdom. If your trust is completely in Christ—even if God has blessed you with great wealth—then wealth becomes a tool rather than a master. That is why Jesus concluded with these comforting words: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." The gospel changes the human heart. God can free a poor person from the love of poverty just as surely as He can free a wealthy person from the love of riches. The issue has never been the size of a person's bank account—it has always been the allegiance of the heart.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

5 SIGNS THAT HAPPEN BEFORE THE RETURN OF CHRIST (are you ready?)

 

The Bible spells out 5 signs that will appear before Jesus returns (The Second Coming) and every single one of them is happening now. Not someday, but right now. I'm not referring to a rapture, no no, these 5 signs would be post-rapture right before He returns with hundreds of thousands of His saints -the believers. Here are the 5 listed in God's Word and #5 is the one He warned us the most about. So, how close is the Church to being raptured? Even at the door!

SIGN ONE: Israel is a nation again as of 1948. Jesus  said in Luke 21:24 "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the GENTILES BE FULFILLED."  For nearly 2,000 years Israel did not exist as a nation. It was scattered, it was destroyed, and it was impossible. Then on May 14, 1948 Israel declared independence. The entire world said that cannot happen and it did. You can't read the Bible and say this is not a sign.

SIGN TWO: Earthquakes, and they are happening every where. Google claims there are 10,000 to 12,000 worldwide every month and hundreds of thousands every year!! Jesus said, "Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diver places"

(Matthew 24:7).And most recent, remember the massive quake on June 24th that struck Venezuela with a 7.2 then a 7.5 just 39 seconds later? A country that barely shakes and the death toll climbing above 4,734. Did you know Paul said all creation (the earth) is suffering under the weight of sin and decay and is eagerly waiting to be set free (Romans 8:22-23). 

SIGN THREE:  People have become lovers of themselves. Second Timothy 3:1-2 "In the  last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves. Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy." You do not need a Bible to see this. Your eyes can see it. If not, logic alone should. Open any social media site. That verse isn't a prophecy anymore. It's a headline.

SIGN 4: The gospel has reached every corner on earth. Matthew 24:14 "This gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come." For 2,000 years this was literally impossible. There are tribes with no contact, languages with no scripture, nations sealed shut. This condition has never been met in human history until now. Today there are missionary organizations and translators that reach deep-jungle tribes by using bush planes, helicopters, and riverboats to access isolated areas. Missionaries spend years learning the local, unwritten language to translate the Bible into the tribes native tongue. The civilized nations use computers, satellites, Star-Link, television and radio preachers.

SIGN 5: This is the one nobody talks about. BIRTHPAIN.  As a baby nears it's birth, a pregnant woman's contractions grow stronger and closer together. Jesus used that  metaphor to describe how things will grow worse, faster, stronger as His return nears.  Matthew 24:8 "These are the beginning of sorrows" (plural more than one). The reference to the word sorrow in both Hebrew and Greek, mean: travail, labor, birth pains. Birth pains do not come evenly spaced. They begin far apart and draw closer and closer together, then it happens.

Look briefly at the last 30 years

2004  Tsunami

2008 Financial collapse

Covid

Wars & rumor of more wars-Ukraine, RUSSIA, MIDDLE  EAST

The love of many are waxing cold

famine

The moral collapse of many nations

ALL THESE and so many more in a single generation. These are not random events, they are contractions getting closer together. Here's what nobody tells you. The same JESUS who warned about these signs also said, "When you see ALL THESE THINGS COME TO PASS know that it is near (His return), even at the door. Then Luke  21:23 says." When these things begin to come to pass, then look up- and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws nigh." Pay attention! KEY WORDS: "ALL these things." When you see ALL these (same period of time). Not the 9.5 Biobio, Chili earthquake in 1960 then silence until Alaska's 9.2 in 1964. NO, every sign He listed is happening present-day. Jesus did not say hide, He said LOOK UP THE END IS COMING, but so is He!  

Until He Comes,

-Pat-