Hell Has An Algorithm

 

What if I told you that hell has an algorithm. What is an algorithm? Basically a logical procedure designed to process input and produce an expected output. I'm actually going somewhere with a logical end so hear me out.

Hell's algorithm can't predict the future so it watches your patterns to now how to set you up more easily. And the more you feed it, the stronger it gets. The devil doesn't have tomorrow's information, he has yesterday's data! Read that again. And if yesterday's temptation still works today, why would he need a new strategy?

This is a spiritual algorithm that we're dealing with. God literally just revealed something that got my attention and I haven't let go of it yet. It came to me that your Face Book and your Instagram feed is like a SPIRITUAL RESUME! Think through what I just said. It's full of what you entertain on a regular basis.

 Have you ever noticed that animals in the wild usually run from people but the ones that are constantly fed will walk right up to you with no fear? Why? Because they no longer see you as a threat, they see you as a source. Some of us have done the same exact thing with the enemy. We feed him on a daily basis through means that seem innocent.

Hear me. The very thing that should flee from you now feels comfortable around you because you kept feeding it. What do I mean? You feed lust so it stays. You feed unforgiveness so it stays. And eventually what should have been running from you starts living with you! The enemy was never created to be your roommate. He was designed to end up under your feet (Psalm 91:13). So if he came in and kicked his feet up in your life, ask yourself one question.. what have I been feeding it? 

The enemy doesn't know everything. He's not God but he watches patterns and builds his algorithms about you. He studies appetites. He remembers what made people fall before and he'll use that same exact bait to keep you stuck in a perpetual cycle of sin you can't seem to get rid of. The Bible says in 1 Peter to, "be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." 

A lion doesn't attack everything. It watches. It waits. It learns your patterns and habits. It looks for weakness. Even my house cats did that and that's exactly how temptation works. James 1: 14 says each people are tempted and led away BY THEIR OWN LUST and enticed. We lust and Satan lures us into fulfilling that desire.

Focus on "tempted and led away".. or lured. That's hunting language and every good hunter knows that you study patterns before you set traps.

The enemy may know your history, but he doesn't know your future. All he knows is that schemes worked before and he works hard on stopping you before you get there.  Luke 10:19 assures every believer, "Behold, I have given you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing by any means shall hurt you." Satan does not have the power to destroy you so his plan is to keep you stuck in the exact same cycle until you destroy yourself. But you have power through the Word of God to rebuke to back Satan off.

How in the world can we fix this? Stay close to God. The more often and deeper you dabble in worldly things through temptation, those things we know are our weaknesses, the easier it is for the enemy to detect how unprotected we can be in his world. You can bet he'll be swift to test you, seduce you, and ensnare you. Remember, he has your algorithm patterns. CHANGE WHAT YOU KEEP FEEDING and you'll change what you keep fighting.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

I Was Born Like This. I Can't Change

Roman Bathhouse

Recently I was asked by a friend if I could speak to a lady whose son was a part of the LGBTQ community. According to the mother,  despite efforts on her part to show him God created him male in a male body, her son was convinced (quoting Him now to her)  "God made me queer. I am comfortable who I am. I cannot change just like you can't change being my mom." After a brief exchange I asked if she would ask his mother if I could speak with her son, Ryan, and left my cell # in case he might want to reach out. In the meantime, anticipating a possible call, I prepared some notes with biblical verses and locations so that I would not stumble trying to remember the exact location of scriptures careful not to misquote verses. Within the next 72 hours I did get a call from Ryan! I want to share this condensed conversation for any LGBTQ man or woman that has asked the same thing Ryan asked me. Not to judge, not to point a finger, but to share God's perspective as it is written That's it.

Here's the condensed version.

Ryan: How can I change something when God made me like this? I was born like this and I've known since age 8. How can that be a sin like my mom keeps telling me?

Me: First, let me see if I can make some things clear. You do know what you are feeling isn't abnormal, Ryan.? Are you surprised I said that? You were probably expecting something else. Condemnation maybe?

(silence)

Me: Okay, let see .. Scriptures tells us we're all sinful at birth from the time our mothers conceived us as the scripture confirms in Psalm 51:5, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." And Romans chapter 3:10-12 and verse 23 states, "There is no one righteous, not even one, and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We are born with a natural propensity to sin. It's just a fact.

Ryan: "So what you're essentially saying is, I'm going to hell?

Me: Being born with an inclination doesn't itself make the inclination's expression right. Scripture says that EVERY ONE is born with desires that pull against God's design in various ways. Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you don't do the things that you wish."

RYAN: My point exactly. I can't help being this way.

ME: Incorrect.  The good news is, there  is a way out if you're willing to accept this good news.

(silence).

Ryan: Tell me why then, there's been an increase to 23 million in those who have joined the LGBTQ community if it's not natural? We can't all be wrong. Or where does it explicitly state that my lifestyle is wrong? There is nothing to back what you're saying. No one on earth can seem to show me. (giggling)

Me: Well, Ryan, these are signs of the last days. NOT THE END, the last days. Signs to show man we're nearing the end and judgement is coming soon after. The Word of God states that sin will become increasingly sinful as the day approaches just as LGBTQ increases. You do know the lifestyle your living wasn't uncommon in biblical times and that's why the Bible addresses this multiple times? You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last. Relying on a multitude of numbers doesn't make a claim correct, it often reveals the opposite.

(a long silence)

Ryan: What? What do you mean? 

Me: Okay, Leviticus 18:22 states, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman. It's an abomination" -- meaning detestable, Ryan. Morally unacceptable, not unforgivable. And then again, in the book of Romans 1:26-27 Paul describes both female/female and male/male same sex relations as unnatural and shameful. And one more .. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 states, "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the Kingdom of God?" I'm not judging you, Ryan, I'm sharing what God said to address some of your questions. Paul goes on and specifies, "Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, adulterers, or men who have sex with men, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God."

Ryan: Right, but context is everything. So what's the context behind this? Give me concrete proof. 

Me: I thought you might go there if you called so I got some history and made notes.

Me: It's a good question. Okay. Corinth was a wealthy Roman port city rebuilt by Julius Caesar. It was notorios even by Roman standards for sexual excess, and the Greeks had a verb for this .. korinthiazomai which means Corthianize, meaning to live immorally.1 Corinthians is essentially a corrective letter TO A CHURCH, a church, Ryan, one in chaos and claiming to be Christians in which Paul lists behaviors- the sexually immoral and those who commit same-gender sex acts, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers.. and notice, same-sex acts and sexual immorality sit between adultery and theft. So Paul wasn't really singling anything out. All these sins were being committed.

Ryan: So you're basically saying I'm not going to heaven and God hates me. This is the same stuff I get from other Christians as I speak to the Christian church in general who never helps, just judges.

Me: Let me see if I can clarify better for you, Ryan. GOD ABSOLUTELY LOVES YOU but He does hate sin as it is enmity with Him, a holy, undefiled God. But as I said earlier, there is a way out. If you actually hear one more verse you'll see how Paul finishes.. "And that is what some of you were, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Isn't that amazing? You can have the same.

Ryan: (sounding disappointed) I don't get it.

Me: Ryan! If it can happen to them, it can happen to you! Paul's point to the Corinthians wasn't 'these people are excluded' -- it's that "they've been changed." Some Corinthian believers had come out of every behavior on that list, including same-sex practices. Roman bathhouses were known for that. Ryan,  God can transform you through grace and by accepting Him to be Lord over your life. You can throw away your old self and lifestyle if you choose to through free-will, vow to turn/change, repent of sins, and be “born again.” But GRACE doesn’t mean you continue as you were. Grace isn’t permission but rather, transformation. Start off by taking the first step in this journey! Come as you are, like we all were, a broken sinner needing help to change, start over, confess and be freed and forgiven of all sin. Then begin walking in newness of life asking Gods help each day that you journey on. Begin reading His Word, learning and growing.

I don't know what decision Ryan made. I hope these questions and answers has helped someone else. Any additional question can be asked in the comment section where I would be happy to address them as I did or Ryan.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

How Do We Get To Heaven?

 

Someone asked me, "How do I get to heaven?" 

Could you answer that question?" What if someone told you they were a  good person, believed in God, prayed consistently, went to church on a fairly regular basis, held high moral standards, and always committed to ethical behavior, would you agree these are all good things? They are. Would you say a person like that deserves heaven? Actually, the answer is no. NONE of those things can "earn" God's unearned favor--not even a belief in God Himself! That's right. Satan knows and believes there is a one true God, but is he in heaven?? 

The pathway to enter heaven doesn't work on a point system, though many people think that and are gambling on it!

Here's a question. Are any of those things I listed above actually what Jesus said we need to do to attain heaven after our physical death? That is .. Be good? Go to church? Strive to do your best? 

I'll let Him answer Himself.

In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I AM the way, the truth, and the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father except THROUGH ME" (emphasis mine). Notice what Jesus DID NOT say? 

He didn't say..

•  I'm one of many ways to reach heaven.
• Keep being a good person. Your efforts will earn a place here..
•  If your good works outweigh your bad ones I'll let you in..
• Saying you believe in me wins every time.

Those statements are far from what Jesus really said: I AM THE WAY! Period. Simple. There's nothing else attached. No effort, no climbing, no ascending, no reincarnation or coming back. Jesus-one way-complete. He is the door. John 10:1 Jesus tells us plainly, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber." To iterate and reinforce further John 10:9 reads Jesus speaking again, "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved."

Think about His words. If we depend on our own efforts to save us-- being good, sincere, dedicated, honest-- every single one of us will fall short. EVERYONE. EVERYTIME. We can't work to gain, ascend to it, depend on philosophical guides as an example who teach reincarnation (actually believing that karma may send your consciousness back into a cow and there you'll live the life of a cow ). Continuing,  no god or goddess made of stone, wood, clay, brass, silver or gold, no man-made religion centered around self-awareness or one that requires your blood, and certainly not our own ethical conduct will earn a place in heaven. That's exactly why Jesus came to earth! Because we do fall short and cannot be in the presence of a holy God as we are no matter how WE try. Even with our best efforts some ignorantly think it can be traded for righteousness, but any effort is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Paul wrote in Ephesians 2: 8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not you're own doing. It is a gift from God, not a result of your own works so that none may boast."  "No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). BY GRACE you are saved. It is a gift.

We are saved because JESUS DID WHAT "NEVER" COULD. 

He lived a perfect, sinless life in our stead knowing we could never earn it or ascend to it through behavior. He willingly went to the cross, THOUGH INNOCENT, allowing His crucifixion to pay the consequences for our sins. He rose again in power and overcame death for all of us wiping our slate clean if ..

1. We will believe it

2. Are remorseful for our sins as we should be

3. Repent then begin turning from our sin and vice

4. Trusting in Him alone through blind faith to carry us and help us remain faithful, knowing HIS SACRIFICE was sufficient for us. That's the gospel. 

Mind you, those that commit their hearts to Jesus as THE WAY aren't perfect. We stumble. We sometimes mess up. But true commitment does make you regret you slipped up. Faltering becomes bothersome when you're a Christian. When you are of the world no sin bothers, you embrace it. BUT IF a  Christian slips by committing a sin (and they do occasionally) they will feel horrible, they will almost immediately say they're  sorry and keep going relying on God's grace of forgiveness as He promised. Here is another mark of true Christianity: Christians do not make a habit, keep a habit, or continue to commit sin over and over using God's forgiving grace as a ticket to continue in and use it as an excuse for bad behavior. Listen to what Paul was telling fellow Christians way back during his ministry A.D. 33 to A.D. 64 .." What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2) 

Any stumbling or weakness becomes less of a challenge when you follow Christ because temptations become less, obedience (His command to love)  becomes a breeze as we grow stronger day by day and stay the course.

How do you go to heaven? Don't start with what with what you've done. Start with what Jesus HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED. It isn't about what you've achieved by being good, through any works you've done. It isn't by self-effort, ascension toward Nirvana, through meditation, or the practicing philosophies, etc. Salvation has never been nor will it ever be earned. We are too flawed. Salvation is received through grace in Jesus Christ.

 Until He Comes,

-Pat-

Talking To A Brick Wall

All parents of teenagers know what it's like to attempt to guide a teenager from the error of his way. Their words of wisdom are often met with disrespect or anger and immediately disregarded: "I know what I'm doing. Back off with your BS."

What about friends who see other friends choices leading them to a cliff? Have you ever tried to pull them back as they rush toward the edge only to be met with distain for sounding an alarm? "I'm fine. Stop worrying. I've got this."

As a  Christian, have you experienced an abrupt rejection by a non-believer who quickly disregarded anything you were ABOUT TO SAY (never actually got the words out) with a quick and brash backlash, "I'm not interested. I'm not interested!!! 

Whether children, friends, or non-believers, as followers of the Bible and principals of Jesus, we value all our relationships and want  to share our faith out of love and concern.  Even if it's uncomfortable to hear sometimes, we know how it can help them as it did us. Unfortunately, our desire to help can be met with resistance more often than not.

The Bible often speaks of scorners, scoffers, and mockers. Today I want to look at the word scoffer. The Bible goes into great detail about them and so I was curious why the word scoffer is used so frequently. A scoffer is defined as one who mocks the things of God. Scorners are unteachable because they refuse to listen (Proverbs 9:8, 13:1) The Bible actually says it can be a waste of time and effort to show a scorner the error of their way acknowledging they cannot find the wisdom they need to find solutions or peace of mind because they are already convinced of their own opinion. The Bible is specific, even telling us through scriptures scoffers can be a source of strife and contention on us because they resent correction, they cause trouble for those who try to show them truth (Proverbs 9:7, 15:12). Examples:

Mockers avoid the wise (Provers 15:12) SO TRUE

He who hates reproof is unwise (Proverbs 12:1)

The one who hates correction will die (spiritually) Proverbs 15:10)

Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy (Proverbs 29:1)

A fool spurns a parent's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence (Proverbs 15:5)

Correction or guidance should not be viewed negatively. The Bible actually frames friendly admonishment as a path to growth. 

There is such an increase of scoffers in our world today. Scorn has never had a wider audience!  Biblical wisdom is now being rejected in favor of emotion and human opinion. We are all vulnerable to becoming scorners if we do not stay in the Word of God. Scripture teaches we have the weapons we need to keep from "sitting in the seat of the scornful" when we  voluntarily subject every idea and opinion to the scrutiny of the Word of God  and the Holy Spirit. By this, we can protect ourselves from the often seductive words of the scorner.

As Christians, we are called to share the love and message of Jesus Christ with others. This sacred commission encompasses spreading His teachings of love, grace, and forgiveness and conveying the truth about what the Bible says regarding non-believers. So what happens to non-believers according to the bible exactly? According to Scripture, this involves discussing topics like salvation, eternal life, and the consequences of rejecting faith in Christ. While it is often a difficult and sensitive topic to address, it remains vital in our comprehension of salvation and God’s overarching plan for humanity.

Other religions which are found throughout the world, attempt in different ways to overcome the restlessness of people’s hearts by outlining a program of life covering doctrine, moral precepts, and sacred rites. The world will openly accept without question, every other religion, philosophy, ideology, doctrine, dogma, worldview, or credo OUTSIDE CHRISTIANTY. Why? It's curious when no other faith but belief in Jesus is looked upon with distain, derision, contempt, scorn and beneath consideration by the masses especially when He is the only one that died for every soul born so we wouldn't have to die eternally. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).  Jesus dd that.

All other belief systems teach that you pull the strings of your own destiny by either ascending, earning, securing or procuring reward through result of your own personal effort, merit, or labor. These system require you to do something to earn and attain "nirvana," "enlightenment," "awakening," "salvation," etc. AND NOTICE, NO MATTER HOW HARD THOSE WHO SUPPORT THESE BELIEFS TRY, NOTHING IS EVER ACHIEVED.  If it were, they wouldn't need another life to come back and do it again  as a plant or cow or a demi-god, whatever. There is no assurance in those belief systems, just a "hope" that what you believe is true.  You will NEVER reach perfection through your own efforts! It's impossible. 

There is assurance in Jesus shown in:  John 8:31-32, John 14:6, Luke 9:23.. THE way, THE truth, THE life. ONE. Not a religion, a relationship!

Jesus requires no effort, no perfection on our part to obtain salvation. He achieved that right for every person on this globe through His death on the cross- covering our sins- and taking the punishment for everything we deserve- if we'll only believe. Choosing Him is free, the price has already been paid. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

What is a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1)?

 

Before I ever became a Christian I understood what the definition of the word bondage meant. The same with the words free and liberty. But "yoke of bondage" in the context of the Bible required a deeper study on my part.  So for new readers, any babes in Christ, or anyone needing spiritual growth to better understand Paul's statement from Galatians 5:1, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage"  let's dig a little deeper. In Galatians 5:1–15, the apostle Paul discusses the nature of Christian freedom, beginning with an admonition to “stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1, NKJV). Paul contends that Jesus Christ came to set believers free from a burdensome, legalistic existence as slaves to the law. So, I asked myself as a novice decades ago, 'does this mean since I'm a Christian that I can do what I want without repercussions? That all the "thou shalt not's" can no longer apply to me?'

Not exactly.

Let's begin with understanding what YOKE means and how it was metaphorically used by Paul to get a physical picture in our mind of how a yoke connects to bondage. A yoke is a curved bar made from wood or metal that harnesses together two or more draft animals so they can more effectively work as a team. Yokes were also placed around the necks of people like shackles to secure prisoners in place. Thus, wearing a yoke often speaks of slavery and hardship in the Bible (Deuteronomy 28:48; 1 Kings 12:4; Jeremiah 27:8; 1 Timothy 6:1), and removing or breaking a yoke represents freedom (Leviticus 26:13; Isaiah 58:6). The references to being “entangled again” (NKJV) or “burdened again” (NIV) suggest being weighed down again under a heavy load. So when Paul said, “Do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (NKJV) or “Do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (NIV), he was rebuking Christians for their tendency to turn back to legalism, which is the opposite of Christian freedom! Paul was explaining freedom from the dreadful struggle to keep the law, with a view to winning the favor of God. It is the freedom of acceptance with God and of access to God through Christ. . . . In other words, we are to enjoy the glorious freedom of conscience which Christ has brought us by His forgiveness. We must not lapse into the idea that we have to win our acceptance with God by our own obedience. PERIOD. 

Paul depicts our former way of life before salvation as slavery to the law. Why use this depiction? Wearing a yoke of bondage is a great  metaphor for this slavery because an animal (or person) bound by a yoke must obey its master. Under the Old Testament covenant, the Jews and non Jews alike labored under the law in an attempt to be justified or made right before God (Romans 2:13). But under the New Covenant, God’s grace confirmed by the blood of Jesus now gives Christians freedom from slavery to the law and release from sin and death (Galatians 4:24–31).  As an example, Jewish false teachers had infiltrated the Galatian churches, demanding that Gentiles be circumcised (Galatians 2:3–5). The same thing had happened in Antioch of Syria, where both Jews and non-Jews taught, “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1, NLT). These legalistic Jews were trying to make Christians return to a yoke of bondage by requiring them to observe the Old Testament rules, laws, traditions of men, and ceremonies, especially circumcision. Paul stood unyielding against these false teachers because the truth of the gospel of grace was at stake. Here's what he said, “Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus alone, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love” (Galatians 5:2–6, NLT).

Paul was saying  that under the New Covenant both Jews and Gentiles were accepted into God’s family by faith alone in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21–22; Ephesians 2:8). Before salvation, Christians (or anyone)  lives/lived under a yoke of bondage to the law (Galatians 4:3), burdened by a guilty conscience (Titus 1:15), imprisoned by demands we could not keep (Acts 15:10), and held captive by the fear of punishment because of our disobedience (1 John 4:18). None of us can keep every law written. All have sinned in one way or the other. But note: Paul said in Galatians 3:24, “The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith” (NLT). When Christ came, He set us free from the yoke of bondage by meeting the demands of the law for us: “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace” (Romans 6:14, NLT). There is no longer condemnation for those of us who belong to Jesus (Romans 8:1–2) because He took the guilty sentence in our place: “God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us” (Romans 8:3–4, NLT).

The Christian life is characterized by a joyous freedom to follow Christ out of love and not a dreadful life of slavery to following rules. Jesus Christ has lifted the yoke of bondage from our shoulders and placed on them His own yoke, one that describes obedience and discipleship: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29–30). 

None of us can keep the law perfectly, but Christ can and did for you and me! There is therefore NOW, Romans 8:1 "No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." If you want to enjoy that same freedom from the yoke of guilt and struggle, that stressful burden to keep the law when you know your flesh is too weak, then I invite you to follow Christ. Make Him Lord of your life because "religion" cannot save you, full obedience without Christ is impossible, and good behavior cannot earn salvation. Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. There is no other. He said, "No one comes to the Father except through me" JOHN 14:6.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

DENYING IS DYING

 The truth is, you either die now and live later, or live now and die later (Romans 8:13). What does "die now" mean? Dying to self for every born-again Christian refers to an active, ongoing process of putting sinful habits and desires to death THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT living in them. It does not mean harming or "un-aliving" yourself. That's really what dying to self is but the world has it backwards. They tell you the opposite: " live now, do whatever you want, say yes to everything that feels good and worry about the consequences later." 

This culture teaches indulgence like its freedom: Sleep with whoever, drink with whoever, do what feels good and carouse with whoever, etc. They call it living your best life. But no one seems  interested in what it costs in the long run. Pleasure blinds the mind. Jesus said, "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25).Meaning, when you live only for yourself, you are slowly destroying yourself. And when you deny yourself that's when real life actually starts. People hear 'die to your flesh' and think it means missing out. No. It means opting out of regret. It means choosing your strength before the strength is forced on you. Because consequences don't ask for permission. They don't wait until you're ready. They don't care how much fun you had and that's why judgment scares people. Not because God is unfair but because deep down they know you can't say you do not know. You cannot say you were not warned. You cannot say truth was unavailable. Grace is real. Mercy is real. But grace is not permission to live reckless forever.

The Bible says,  "Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWS THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP" (Galatians 6:7) meaning you don't get to live wild and expect peace later. You don't get to sow chaos and pray for order. Here's the part nobody likes to hear. Grace does not cancel consequences. Not because God stops being loving but because life eventually collects. Every choice teaches something. Every habit builds something. Every season plants seed. One day you'll stand on what you built and that's why discipline now is mercy later. That's why obedience now is protection later. That's why dying to your flesh now is freedom later. The world calls that boring. God calls it wise. So no, the Bible is not anti-fun. It's anti-destruction. It's not trying to take life from you. It's trying to give it back to you before you lose it.

In conclusion: The life the world calls freedom can actually become bondage. Indulgence is not always freedom. Sometimes it is the beginning of regret. Sometimes it is sowing seeds that later become consequences.  So, let’s be honest: what are we sowing? Are we sowing peace or chaos? Obedience or rebellion? Spirit or flesh?

Jesus is still calling us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him — not because He wants to take life from us, but because He came to give us true life.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

Three Reasons For The Biggest Rejection Of All Time

Jesus said there will be people before Him on judgement day who call Him Lord.  But sadly, they will hear Him say, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."  (Matthew 7:21-23). If you call yourself a Christian does that verse terrify you? Let me explain 3 reasons why Jesus would say that. But before I begin, this blog isn't to scare you. It's to make you sure you understand why these words of rejection were spoken by Jesus despite the fact these folks believed they were "Christians" (and could apply to anyone today for that matter).

According to the verses from Matthew 7:21-23, what made the people addressed by Jesus believe they were safe and their salvation secure? After all, they reminded Jesus of all the good things they had done: they prophesied IN HIS NAME. They cast out demons IN HIS NAME. They performed many miracles IN HIS NAME. How then could Jesus possibly say He never knew them when they did all that in His Name? They may have done good things in His mighty Name but they continued to purposely and habitually sin after becoming a Christian. How do we know this? The words from Matthew 7:21-23 tells us why, "you who practice lawlessness." What is practicing  lawlessness (sin)? It is a willful, persistent, choice to keep on sinning (originally from the Greek word "Anomia") meaning: living in a way that disregards God's moral standards and characterized as a continuous, deliberate pattern of sinning rather than occasional mistakes. Notice Jesus used the words "you who PRACTICE lawlessness.

Practice= to repeat. 

Lawlessness= sin.

Now refer to these two supportive scriptures. Luke 6:46 Jesus speaking again, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do what I say?" This is also a perfect example not only of disobedience, but of paying lip service while continuing to willfully commit sin. It's serving GOD with words and not heart! That's what those people in Matthew 7:21-23 had done all through their Christian walk. And others are doing the same thing today! Remember the woman caught in the act of adultery in John 8:11? What did Jesus say to her?  He said, "Go, and from now on sin no more" (English Standard Version) OR Jesus' words can be understood this way ..You are forgiven of the sin of adultery, NOW FROM HERE ON DON'T KEEP DOING IT.  A person who calls Jesus their Lord cannot expect to be accepted into the Kingdom of God through empty lip service. It requires a close relationship to Him and obedience to His Word once you are forgiven. Your journey begins there.

Being saved and following Christ is a call to transformation, not instant sinless perfection. It's a journey of change and a distaste of and turning from a deliberate  pattern of sin. Those to whom Jesus will say, "I never knew you" were and will be strangers to Him.  They are people remaining outside the family of God despite announcing and believing they are Christian because no genuine commitment on their part was ever made to change. No desire to turn and give up deliberate sin, to walk in a new way though they claimed Him as Lord of their lives. While the Christian consensus acknowledges humans will still face temptation and occasionally fall, Jesus's ultimate expectation is that we desire to sin less and thereby grow in holiness. Holiness? Who can be holy?

The bible verse from Old and New Testaments, 1 Peter 1:15-16, "be ye holy in all you do" AND Leviticus 11:44, "For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy"  is not some impossible task when you understand what He is asking. We are to forsake our sinful habits, vices, deeds. Not remain in them, but changing from our old life into the new. God isn't asking for flawless perfection on our own. Instead, "be ye holy" means being "set apart" from the sinful patterns of the world to reflect His loving character and relying on His Spirit to transform your everyday life. We simply cannot achieve holiness by trying harder not to sin. It requires a true faith, relationship, and commitment to want it -- then achieve it by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to change the desires of your heart from the inside out!

So here are three Reasons For The Biggest Rejection Of All Time as taught in Matthew 7:21-23..

1) They KNEW ABOUT Jesus, but never actually KNEW HIM. Pay attention. When Jesus said on that day many will say, 'Lord, Lord' and He responds, "I never knew you." It's not that they didn't know enough about Him education-wise. In the Bible to "know" signifies a relationship not information! You could have every verse and chapter memorized from the Bible, attend church every Sunday, go to every Sunday school class ever offered and still be a stranger to Him. The question has never been how much you know about God, it's whether He actually knows you!

2) They called him Lord but never let Him be in charge. The word Lord means MASTER. A lot of people want Jesus as Savior to rescue them but not as Lord to run anything. Many  say 'Lord, Lord' when they want something or even on Sundays then live Monday through Saturday like an unsaved person. A Jesus who saves you but never gets to lead you isn't Lord at all. He's just a label. Either He runs it or He was never really King of it.

3) Their faith never once changed how they lived. This is what almost nobody catches. It's not that any kind of works save you, they don't. It's that, real faith always produces fruit. The same way a  fruit tree can't help but grow fruit. Jesus said, "You'll know them (His actual children/followers/true believers) by their fruit." Simply said: by what is manifested as change not by what is said. A faith that changes your playlist but never your choices, your talk, your intentions, your heart, that's not weak faith, it's an empty profession. The proof was never a prayer you said once, it's a life surrendered that slowly and quietly started looking different.

Again, this isn't about being scared. It's about being sure. And there's a world of difference between 'knowing about' God and 'being known' by Him. If that fear ever drove you to your knees, that's the heart of someone running home. Do you know Him? Has there been a real change away from your old way of life? Has there been a distaste for where you once were replaced by a longing desire to follow and obey the Him? Congratulations, you're on the right path. Keep growing and let the Holy Spirit slowly and faithfully make changes in you as you surrender to His will.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

A Closer Look At God's Principals

God doesn't decide who succeeds, HIS LAWS do. Think about this: Gravity doesn't care if you're a Christian or not, right? Gravity doesn't care if you prayed this morning. It doesn't care how much faith you have. If you jump off a building! Gravity will respond the exact same way every single time. Why? Because God governs His creation through laws. And in fact, your life is the sum of the laws you obey. The same is true in His Kingdom. Most Christians are waiting for God to randomly bless them. But God is not randomly choosing winners and losers. He established laws that produce predictable results. Paul said, "whatever a man sows, that shall he ALSO reap." Notice he didn't say whatever God feels like giving him. He said, whatever a man sows. The harvest is built into the seed. That's when stewardship produces increase. Generosity produces multiplication. Diligence produces promotion. Laziness produces lack. These are not God's moods and feelings. These are God's laws.

The world has created a version of Christianity where people think prayer can replace principles. It absolutely cannot. Prayer is powerful, but prayer was never designed to override the systems that God already established. Imagine praying everyday for muscles while refusing to exercise. God is not withholding strength, you're just violating the law that produces it. Imagine praying for a harvest and refusing to plant. God is not the problem. You're just ignoring the law of sowing and reaping! This is why Jesus spent so much time teaching people principles instead of just handing them shortcuts because principles make success repeatable. 

Miracles can change your situation once, but principles can change your life forever. That's why when I pray, I ask God "what laws have I missed? What laws, if any, am I missing? What principles do I need to obey?" When you align yourself with God's laws, you stop depending on random breakthroughs. You start living in predictable Kingdom results. God doesn't randomly decide who succeeds. He already decided. It's literally simple. The people who live by His principles experience His promises. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

 

Aliens in 2026? Are they real?

 

Have you heard the reports that multiple Christian leaders here in the United States were briefed by individuals identified as 'government officials' and military officers, who told the pastors of certain mega churches to begin urgently preparing their congregations for an imminent alien disclosure? Yes, alien! Why would our government be concerned with religious matters? I will discuss that in this blog.

According to evangelist and podcaster Tony Merkel church leaders were urged to (and I quote) "prepare the body of Christ for what is coming because many are going to lose their faith."  Have you heard this? Also, the pastors were instructed to "put your phones on airplane mode. No recordings. No signals. No digital trail."  Somewhere in the woods of Tennessee, these government officials allegedly opened a presentation that nobody outside that clearing was supposed to see — classified images of creatures that do not come from this world. 

That seems concerning!

People are expressing their opinions about this. Some take the report seriously, others believe it's a hoax or a distraction for whatever reason. 

Whether real or rumor I'm going to compare what's been reported, referencing scripture alongside it, to actually expose WHAT officials said they've seen. You'll be able to easily understand what they've disclosed because it matches end-time prophecy written in scripture thousands of years ago.  Officials are using the word "aliens" to describe these images but they are not "aliens" as one might think when hearing the word aliens. We are dealing with the demonic! I want every faith-believing Christian to know you have nothing to fear by this or anything added to their report!  In fact, you should be rejoicing because what I will expose will be signs our Lord draws nigh!

The times we are living in are wild. Things are shifting and changing before our very eyes. However, none of what I say should be surprising to those who have read and understood their Bibles. 

What will be so sad is when many believers will question, doubt, and then abandoned their faith in Christianity wondering if Christianity is even true anymore! But, this isn't surprising as this was also predicted thousands of years ago as "the falling away" which happens first before Jesus returns. The apostasy. 1 Thessalonians 2:3. Paul warned believers that The Day Of The Lord would not happen "unless the falling away comes first." I believe we are nearing that very soon with more revelations about so-called aliens.

This is extremely ironic to me for a few reasons. First, let me encourage those of faith to recall the following facts and to remain steadfast in the face of the coming deception described as a "strong delusion" 2 Thessalonians 2:11. LET'S BE CLEAR .. a delusion is an internal state of mind. According to WEBSTERS DICTIONARY it represents a profound, GOD-SENT judicial consequence where, because someone continually rejected the truth, they become so hardened that they will fully embrace THE LIE as absolute truth. Deception is the outward LIE, while a strong delusion is the inward resulting inability to see that it is a lie. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 is the absolute, unshakable conviction that a lie is the truth.  The lie is going to be related to the so-called "alien" race.

The Bible cannot be more clear: we are living in the end times- not THE END, but the end-times (plural). Certain things (times/events) will take place before the actual end of the world. We are entering the times preceding that. Don't believe it? The Bible has gotten 1800 predictions correct with a 100% accuracy rate so far. An unbeatable statistic.

The Biblical end-times we're in right now will produce:

a) a "NEW WORLD ORDER" (openly discussed today and assembling now)

b) the Euphrates River is going to dry up (it's already started) some parts of the riverbed have completely dried up. You can look it up online.

c) a false-prophet will breathe life into an "image" so that "the image" can speak! (AI capability robots?)

d) Gaza will be forsaken (it's heavily devastated at this point) and people are turning their backs on global sympathy for the Palestinians.

e) increasing wars and rumors of wars will happen (happening now and reported everyday in the media).

f) war will break out in Persia (modern-day Iran) and it began just this February 28, 2026 initiated by the US and Israel.

g) increase in environmental disturbances, erratic weather: tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, drough, fires, anything describing catastrophic events affecting the earth, oceans, and atmosphere.

h) a global financial digital system will be built uniting the world under 1 system (slowly being digitally implemented now) - eventually no dollar will exist, no yen, no ruble, no euro, no pound, no yuan, no aud, no cad, no rupee, etc. all with intentions to unite all humanity into a single, centralized , totalitarian global governance --1 religion, 1 government, 1 economic system.

There are another 20- to 50 signs that could be listed here including Israel being formed as a nation within the same generation. The Bible also tells us there will be a great falling away (2Thessalonians 2:3)..which happens before the return of Christ. What is THE GREAT falling away? It's many CHRISTIANS who will lose and abandon their  faith because of the deceptive LIE regarding so-called aliens and the story they bring connected to them. This story is revealed in Genesis 6:1-4 and understandable "if"  you have eyes to see it. 

We are told in the scriptures that these "aliens" (identified and labeled as such by man) are not from Mars nor are they Interplanetary beings coming from outside our planet unless of course you classify demons with the secondary label "alien" since alien only means something foreign and outside our native environment. Christians should already know the so-called "aliens" are actually demons -THE FALLEN ANGELS (those cast to earth recorded in Revelation 12: 4-9) and they have come to announce the biggest, most deceptive story in human history. All in an attempt to make humanity believe THEY created us, not God, and that there is no Jesus of the Bible! THIS WAS THE REASON OUR GOVERNMENT CALLED PASTORS TOGETHER TO PREPARE THEM SO THEY CAN ALERT THEIR CONGREGATIONS (a lie) THAT WE AREN'T WHO WE THINK WE ARE AND OUR HISTORY, OUR GOD, AND THE BEGINNINGS AND  ORIGINS OF MAN ARE NOT THE TRUTH AS STATED IN THE BIBLE.

I can only urge you NOT TO BELIEVE THIS LIE! It's the great deception and is mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Christians, DON'T FALL AWAY from the grounding truth you were given by inspired apostles and disciples of Christ .. Galatians 1:8-9 " But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." Notice it included the word angel in that verse?? .. (AS IN FALLEN ANGELS/DEMONS?). Well, they are coming with another gospel. You've been warned.

Demons are very real. Even Daniel chapter 4 tells that there are WATCHERS that watch over humanity. Genesis chapter 6 tell us the rebellious fallen angels were cast down and then pro-created with human women defiling God's DNA He specifically designed for mankind. Their offspring were hybrids called Nephilim- they were GIANTS "there were Giants in those days" (recorded in Genesis 6:4). This is one means by which they will trick humanity into believing the LIE/DECEPTION/DELUSION. When they bred with human woman, they left THEIR DNA integrated into ours. They will use that to convince many that they created us, that they are our GOD, and not the God of the Bible.

Jesus cast out demons on 12 separate instances according to the biblical record. I would argue that any Christian who doesn't believe that there are supernatural forces acting on us.. angels, demons, entities, spirits, specters, whatever you want to call them, may not actually be a true Christian because the Bible cannot be more clear that demons (IE: fallen angels) are real and absolutely exist and intervene in human affairs.

I would highly suggest people get into the Word of God because in truth, we are  living in the "end-times" not THE END, and it comes with specific warnings for specific reasons . Gird up your loans. A GREAT deception is coming that, "if it were possible could deceive the very elect" (refer to MATTHEW 24:24) because with this deception and LIE(s) will come an illusion and tricks attempting to convince you about who you are and who created you coming with  signs and wonders!

Until My Jesus Comes,

-Pat-

FORGIVNESS -The Breakdown

 

The pain was deep and the hurt profound. The anger, fear, and low self-esteem overwhelmed me for decades. That was me. Keeping "the secret" as a child because my abuser convinced me he would both be in trouble and go to jail, constantly promoting the idea it would be my fault if I exposed him.

I am a survivor  of long-term sexual abuse.

In my adult years I confided in two of my closest friends who concluded, "You are right to feel so angry. What happened to you was awful." My friends were always emotionally supportive, but no one, not even myself had a cure or solution to a myriad of psychological baggage that kept me chained in physical and mental prison. It took a long time to discover abusers and offenders aren't affected by what you feel. They walk on. It's you, innocent you, that's left damaged.

As difficult as it may seem to hear and even harder to understand if you will release them, you will be set free! This is what I want to explore today. Let me explain. Forgiveness is truly a Christian virtue. It is not a corny concept. It works! Consider these words from the lips of our Lord: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said it very plainly: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). There is another way to say it, and it comes from the “Love Chapter" - First book of Corinthians, chapter 13:5. While describing the greatest virtue, Paul declared that “love keeps no record of wrongs." That little phrase deserves a closer examination because of the seeming difficulty in forgiving some of the most horrific things done to people.

“Love … doesn’t keep score of the sins of others.” Love doesn’t keep score because love has a bad memory. It finds a way to forget the sins of others. Our example: When Jesus hung on the cross, condemned to death by evil men who plotted to murder Him, who produced lying witnesses to convict Him, as He surveyed the howling mob assembled to cheer His suffering, Jesus the Son of God, the One who knew no sin, the only truly innocent man who ever walked this sin-cursed planet, in His dying moments uttered words that still ring across the centuries: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Those 11 tortured words sweep away all our shabby excuses. They reveal the barrenness of our heart; they rip the cover off our unrighteous anger and show it for what it is. Many of us say, “If only the people who hurt me would show some remorse, some sorrow, then maybe I would forgive them.” But since that rarely happens, we use that as an excuse to continue in our bitterness, our anger, and our desire to get even. IT IS THIS BITTERNESS AND ANGER WITHIN US WE MUST CONFRONT!

Consider Jesus on the cross. No one seemed very sorry. Even as He said those words, the crowd laughed, mocked, cheered, jeered. Those who passed by hurled insults at Him. They taunted Him. “If you are the King of Israel, come down from the cross and save yourself.” Let me be clear on this point. When Jesus died, the people who put Him to death were quite pleased with themselves. Pilate washed his hands of the whole sordid affair. The Jewish leaders hated Him with a fierce, irrational hatred. They were happy to see Him suffer and die. Evil was in the air that day. The forces of darkness had done their work and the Son of God would soon be in the tomb. No one said, “I was wrong. This is a mistake. We were such fools.” And yet He said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Why???

 

Here's why:

Forgiveness is difficult in part because we do not understand it properly. It does not mean approving of what someone else did. It does not mean pretending that evil never took place. It does not mean making excuses for other people’s bad behavior. It does not mean justifying evil so that sin somehow becomes less sinful. It does not mean overlooking abuse. It does not mean denying that others tried to hurt you repeatedly. It does not mean letting others walk all over you. It does not mean refusing to press charges when a crime has been committed. It does not mean forgetting the wrong that was done. It does not mean pretending that you were never hurt. It does not mean that you must restore the relationship to what it was before. It does not mean that you must become best friends again. It does not mean there must be a total reconciliation as if nothing ever happened. It does not mean that you must tell the person that you have forgiven them. It does not mean that all negative consequences of sin are canceled. NO.

Forgiveness in its essence is a decision made on the inside to refuse to live in the past. And for good reason!  It’s a conscious choice to release others from their sins against you so that you can be set free. Did you get that? SO YOU can be set free! It doesn’t deny the pain or change the past, but it does break the cycle of bitterness that binds you to the wounds of yesterday.

 Forgiveness allows you to let go and move on. You can forgive without a restoration of the relationship. You can forgive when the other person has done nothing to earn forgiveness because forgiveness is like salvation—it is a gift that is freely given, it cannot be earned. You can forgive and the other person may never even know about it. You can forgive without saying, “I forgive you” because forgiveness is a matter of the heart. The whole heart of this matter lies in the simple words Jesus spoke in Matthew 6:14-15, which is forgive or you will not be forgiven.

   No wonder we are so tormented. No wonder we are so angry and bitter. No wonder we have problems. No wonder our friendships don’t last. No wonder we can’t get along. No wonder we have difficulty with relationships and trusting/loving people our partners. We have never learned the secret of unlimited forgiveness. The key regarding forgiveness is not releasing your abuser/tormentor/offender so they feel okay about what they've done, it's releasing you! Freeing you! Because unforgiveness keeps you chained and imprisoned to hatred, revenge, resentment, anger, confusion, bitterness, hurt, negative-thought patterns, and pain. Understand, the person who hurt you goes on with their life. They feel nothing. They walk away. By not forgiving them for what they did hurts yourself with all consuming desires for retaliation and justice! Refusing to forgive traps your own heart and mind from any ability to move on, which can literally last a lifetime impacting your physical and mental well-being! Who wants to be shackled to that? Are you still hurting from an offender? You're chained to the past reminding yourself over and over, year after year of what was done to you.

Bottom line, forgiveness aligns us spiritually. It's actually  a gift. YES! It is a power that we wield to free ourselves. It liberates us from deep grief, of bearing grudges, a self-protection mechanism if you will, even releasing playing the victim game over and over destroying self-esteem. I've had years of employment in both the medical and mental health field and can tell you unforgiveness triggers a chronic stress response and that prolonged state alone takes a severe physical toll linked to several well-documented health and mental conditions. So the big question is HOW DO YOU FORGIVE? Where do you start?

Always keep at the forefront of your mind FORGIVENESS is an inside job. It's mainly about YOU not them. Personally, I began with something outside myself. God. The Creator of the Universe told me in His wise council to forgive my abuser. So I simply started with acknowledging I would forgive, I would do it for my own health asking God's help during the process and to assist in helping me not look back. I then made a promise to be good to myself and heal, by choice, my resentment, anger, and hurt. I also decided to remember that scripture tells us ALL have fallen short. ALL have sinned (including me) including my abuser, so I decided to pray for my abuser, that the Lord would forgive them as I vowed to do myself. I cried, I was scared, but I surrendered myself to obey God's wise council. This was the best thing I had ever done!  By the next day I felt a heavy weight had lifted off me. The best way to describe it is I felt unburdened.. as if a big boulder was removed from my path and I could finally walk forward. Following by faith the example of Jesus and His instructional words, has been the best therapeutic council I had ever gotten and it was all free of charge!

In conclusion: Forgiveness is not only an act of spiritual obedience to God—it is also one of His greatest gifts for our own healing. When we refuse to forgive, we often continue carrying the weight of the offense long after the event itself has passed. Bitterness, resentment, and anger can quietly consume our peace, distort our perspective, and keep old wounds alive. Forgiveness does not excuse wrongdoing, deny justice, or erase consequences; rather, it releases our right to carry the burden of vengeance and entrusts it to God. In doing so, we free our hearts from a prison that was harming us more than the offender. Spiritually, forgiveness reflects the mercy we ourselves have received from Christ. Emotionally, it opens the door to peace, healing, and freedom. In God's wisdom, the command to forgive is not merely for His glory—it is also for our restoration. When we forgive, we obey God, honor Christ, and begin healing from the inside out.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

God Has Been Talking To You But You Aren't Listening

 For years I prayed, "God speak to me. Give me a sign." And I got nothing. Turns out He really was speaking but I had 5 things blocking the signal nobody told me about nor did I ever hear a pastor teach this.

So, here are 5 things I quit that finally let me hear God's voice.

1. I quit checking my cellphone the second I woke up. The first 10 minutes of my day used to be going through my emails, my notifications, the news, messages, txt's. By the time I even thought about God my brain was already on fire with everyone else's voice. And here is what I realized. Whoever gets the first 10 minutes of your day gets your ear for the next 23 hours. PSALM 5:3 "In the morning will I direct my prayer to you." The day I started giving God the first words I heard, was the day His Word was clear to me. I started hearing Him for the remainder of the day.

2. I quit assuming His voice would sound dramatic.. a thunderclap, a burning bush, a "thus saith the Lord" moment. So when nothing dramatic happened I assumed He wasn't speaking. But, in 1KINGS 19 it says God wasn't in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He was in "the still small voice" (a whisper). The reason you can't hear Him isn't because He isn't talking, it's because you're listening for fireworks when He speaks in whispers. So lower your expectation of how He will speak and watch how much He's been saying.

3. I stopped consulting everyone before consulting God. Big decision-group chat, career question-Linkedin, relationship advice-my friends/coworkers/Google. All before God. And by the time I finally got around to praying, I'd been influenced by 17 different opinions! JAMES 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally and upbraids not, and it shall be given him." ASK OF GOD FIRST NOT LAST. The reason you can't hear His voice on the big things is because you drown it out with everyone else's before He gets a turn to speak.

4. Stop dismissing te "quiet nudges".. that random thought to text someone you haven't talked to in months. That uncomfortable hesitance right before signing something. That sudden urge to pray for a specific person. I used to think that was just me but here is what I finally realized. Most the time God speaks?.. He sounds like a gentle thought, a "gut feeling," an internal alarm, NOT a thunderclap- a soft whisper. And the day I stopped writing those signals off as just my own mind and started saying, "Lord is that You?" Was the day I understood He had been talking to me my entire life. I just giving Him my own name.

5. Quit being intimidated or afraid of silence. The moment things got quiet I reached for my phone ,to watch a podcast, put in my air-pods, turn on the TV, MAKE SOME NOISE. But silence is the room God meets you in. And the reason you can't hear Him in 5 minutes of stillness is because you haven't given Him 5 minutes of stillness. STARTWITH 60 SECONDS! Sit in your car, when you're jogging alone, mowing the lawn with time to think and pray secretly, etc. Don't pick up your phone the moment you wake up. Just practice silence in your own way and space and watch the volume of His voice come up.

These 5 changes didn't happen overnight but the moment I removed the noise it was obvious God WAS speaking to me for a long time. God never went silent I was just never quiet enough to hear Him.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

AI and the Bible. A Deep Dive. Ready?

 You can open any Bible and read that an angel told Daniel (Daniel 12:4) regarding "the time of the end"  that "knowledge shall be increased." And this would be one of the signs to look for.

What could the verse "knowledge shall be increased" mean and why would God have made sure it was written down to inform whoever was alive at the "time of the end"  could see it?? Let me throw something out at you that I believe corresponds exactly to the very timeline we're living in right now in 2026 that corresponds to the time of the end or that a specific moment has arrived (NOT THE END OF THE WORLD AS IN TOTAL DESTRUCTION) . I want to wake people up.

You can read in scripture, knowing you're at the "time of the end" because there is a technology knowledge explosion CALLED AI. People think this observation is incorrect. In fact, some call me crazy, a conspiracy theorist, that the idea is misleading people, scaring people, or that this is misinterpreting scripture. But what I'm about to write here is in the Bible. IT IS. Keep reading.

It is written in the Book of Revelation that it will be a robot infused with AI that gives the command for everyone to receive the mark of the beast. I know, your eyebrows just raised in doubt or skepticism, right? Go read it. It's there. Really. You must open your spiritual eyes to understand. Read this slowly. John, the revelator, said he saw in a vision (his vision included seeing into the future). Refer to Revelation 1:19. John was given instructions to write 3 things: "Write , therefore, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later (future). Also, what Daniel saw directly connects to and even unlocks the visions found in the book of Revelation that John wrote. Both the old and New Testament testify of the same things. In Daniel's final chapter in the Old Testament, an angel gives him a panoramic vision of the end times also. Not only that, but Daniel was to also seal the words he was given UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END and warned that during that time of the end many would go "to and fro" to increase in knowledge. Hmm.

I believe the Hebrew phrase "run to and fro" means people would have an unprecedented ability research books, libraries, history, etc. to finally understand previously locked mysteries. I believe that's happening now. People are waking up to information and knowledge as never before through human technology, innovation, creation of the Universe, creation of the Internet, rapid travel ("go here and there") perhaps all the knowledge of rockets and space technology to what I'm leading to today, Artificial Intelligence. AI!

So John wrote what he saw. 

You must realize and take into consideration this fact.. that language and knowledge back when John was given a vision was totally different, even primitive compared to today. Revelation continues: that in the vision John was given, "they" (whoever he was referring to) created a "statue" -- His words. The word robot could not have been used thousands of years ago, it did not exist, neither did electricity. But the word statue did! So John doesn't know what he is seeing, what he's looking at. He just knows in his knowledge at the time it was a statue. THEN, John announces they had the ability to give the statue, life. Or understood in modern language, life was given to an inanimate object. A consciousness like intelligence is given to machines (AI robots). That's called electricity! Plug in a robot today, lights blink, it moves, it's alive (so to speak) and it can talk, think. interact. 

John in his limited knowledge kept explaining, the thing came alive because there was power given it to breathe,  it started speaking (Revelation 13:15) it gave a command that every person that does not receive a mark in their right hand or forehead must die. And today? Today AI robots have "life" and they "speak."

It all fits, does it not? Our technology now in 2026 and the infrastructure of such, along with the AI robots can be/will be used to execute global control, deception, and enforced worship of the beast as described in the book of Revelation. Couldn't then, Revelation 13:15  prove the False Prophet is referring to the same.. giving "breath" to a man-made image, allowing it to speak? Because a statue coming to life and speaking to the entire world was impossible at the time of John's vision. But not so today. AI is doing that now-- speaking, doing, performing, solving, giving answers, whether an actual robot will be used to fulfill Revelation or a centralized AI-driven supercomputer system where all these new data centers are being constructed will connect and allow a mouthpiece for a global dictator. The point is, knowledge has increased to a level of end-time prophecy.

Jesus warned us too-- we could know we are at the time of the end because things will be like they were in Noah's day (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:26). In what way? Scripture testifies the whole world was wicked in Noah's day saying mans thoughts were evil continually. Sounds like today in this regard: especially with the rise in sexual perversion, homosexuality, transsexuality, sex-trafficking, on and on. Human thought patterns have become hyper-sexualized, crossing natural, moral and divine boundaries established in creation. We have been consumed by unchecked lust, indulgence, promiscuity, and depravity with apathy and indifference toward God. Just as in Noah's day the people were described as eating, drinking, marrying and given in marriage. And though none of these things appear condemnable, they were going about day to day as usual, ignoring Noah's warning of a coming flood. They shrugged off all his warnings until the floodwaters arrived and "took them all away" (Matthew 24:39) Jesus compares the suddenness of His second coming to the days of Noah. THIS IS WHAT I MEANT -it all corresponds exactly to the very timeline we're living in right now in 2026. Specifically. to the time of the end or that a specific moment has arrived. Specific moment is Christ's return. All the signs point to it.

Today the modern world largely scoffs at biblical warnings (maybe some of you reading are doing that now) so you choose not to hear or heed the warning, to wake up, to see the storm coming, or how AI is pointing to how close we are to Christ's return, who will gather up His believing followers before destruction comes. Genesis tells us that the earth was also "filled with violence" in those days before the flood. Sounds like today, what is good is said to be evil and what is evil is said to be good. The primary parallel is not just that the world is bad, but that the world doesn't care that it is drifting away from God!

It should be crystal clear, even without any biblical knowledge whatsoever, that we are more corrupt, are drifting farther and farther from morality, that knowledge has and is increasing exponentially, that AI is here .. and it's thinking, speaking, and making decisions. What did John see in the vision God gave him? What was sealed up until the time of the end? What could John have understood as a "talking statue" or a statue that was given life (made to come alive)? The Bible interprets the Bible. You just have to have eyes to see.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

A Question To Be Answered

 

The question was posed, "If Satan fell from heaven and 1/3 of the angels with him, why didn't God just lock him up right then? Why is He waiting? Why does Satan get dominion over this world??"

Another question could easily be asked, "Why doesn't God lock us all up, right now?" In fact, think about this .. answer this: IF GOD WERE TO STOP EVIL AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, WOULD YOU STILL BE ALIVE AT 12:01? Hum? No. I wouldn't be. None of us would be.

God 'allows' evil knowing He can redeem it.

If God didn't allow us free will which gives us the ability to do evil but also the ability to love, if God doesn't allow FREE WILL then we don't have a moral universe. And God cannot redeem anything that's gone wrong. He didn't want to create robots. That's a completely different kind of being than a free will creature who can choose to love or disobey. So God gives us the ability to love but also to disobey and He knows He can redeem it! He knows He can buy it back! He knows He can rescue the situation for people that want to be rescued. For those that don't want to be rescued, they don't have to be rescued. 

God  will separate Himself from those who reject His offer to be saved and that's what hell is .. it's separation from God. So God gives us te ability to do what we want to do, and He also comes into this Universe which He did 2000 years ago to provide the sacrifice so we can be reconciled to Him. If He's infinitely just AND HE IS, He has to punish sin and He doesn't want to punish us, so what did He do? He punished HIMSELF in our place.

Think about it this way .. everyone believes in justice. The only thing you're going to get in the afterlife is either justice or grace. What do you want? I DON'T WANT JUSTICE, do you want justice? No, you want  grace. I want grace. It's why He came in this world. So, why doesn't He stop Satan? Why doesn't He stop all of us?? He could! But, He's given us an opportunity to make a choice. Those who trust Jesus, it goes on Jesus. Those who don't, it goes on them. Either you're going to pay or Jesus is going to pay. WHO do you want to pay?

Until He Comes,

-Pat- 

 

Let's talk about hell

 I don't know of a more controversial topic that keeps people skeptical, uncomfortable, or downright dismissive regarding the subject of hell.

Most people hear the word hell and they're not even thinking about what the Bible actually says. They are thinking about what the movies have said or what the TV shows have said or portrayed hell as. So, before you raise a skeptics eyebrow, hear me out.

Maybe we should first understand what it  actually is! One of the biggest misconceptions about hell is that God sends otherwise "good people" there for simply making a few mistakes. But the Bible teaches ALL HAVE SINNED. All. Not one of us is guiltless because each and everyone from every race, color, creed, religion, country, continent has rebelled against God. Me included. We all stand GUILTY before a HOLY God. And this is where people get frustrated because they think, 'Well I'm not that bad.' But they never ask the question: Compared to who? Compared to a serial killer? Compared to an everyday criminal? Compared to your neighbor? Because the standard isn't other people. The standard is God's holiness and every single one of us fall short (Romans 3:23).

Most people do not consider God is not sending people away that desperately want Him. The reality is that many people spend their entire lives saying, 'I don't want GOD. I don't want His authority. I don't want His commandments. I don't want His rule over my life' and then, somehow they expect eternity with Him.

Hell is this: Ultimately separation from God. It is the natural destination of a life that continually rejects Him. This is why the Gospel is such good news. Christianity IS NOT BE GOOD ENOUGH (because no one can ever be that good). The message of Christianity is Christ took the punishment that we deserve. He lived a life we couldn't live. And yet He willingly died, although innocent, the death that each of us deserve. And He rose again, listen .. so that ANYONE who places their faith in Him (no matter the depth or ugliness of your sin) can be reconciled to God! 

The existence of hell should not make Christians feel superior. It should make us feel grateful because every single last one of us deserves punishment. The difference isn't that Christians are better, the difference is, Christians have received mercy. So, before becoming angry about hell, make sure that you're angry at the real thing and not the version created by Hollywood, or created by Internet memes, or by people who have never even opened a Bible to challenge what they've been told by family, by friends, at church, etc. The same JESUS who spoke about love spoke about hell. And He did so because He wanted people to understand what was at stake.

This is why biblical clarity matters, because people can't make informed decisions about Christianity if they're rejecting a version of it that doesn't even exist!

Open a Bible. Ask God to open up His Word to you so you are able to understand. Heaven is real. Hell is real.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-