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-

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

 What does this verse from Romans 8:1 actually mean? Is it saying anyone who says they know Jesus, believes Jesus existed, confesses out load He was real, a good man, or perhaps even a great prophet and healer.. are therefore acquitted by God from condemnation because of their belief? Not exactly. The Bible tells us even demons know WHO Jesus is and yet they are still condemned (James 2:19) but why, if demons know the truth? And trust me, they not only know Him, they confess who he is! AND STILL, their condemnation is set. See how this is true:

Matthew 8:28-29 "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, Son of God?"  Matthew 8:28-29

Mark 1:23-26 "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?"

Luke 4:33 "I know who You are-the Holy One of God."

Simply "knowing" Jesus, knowing about Jesus, saying you do, or even acknowledging Him as the demons did isn't enough. There is a huge difference in saying you believe in Jesus as opposed to actually following Jesus. Anyone can say they believe in Jesus and never know Him.

Demons know exactly who Jesus is but they don't follow His teachings. There are many who embrace the same belief - they know Jesus, even calling Him Lord but everything stops there. There is no relationship. No intimacy. No obedience. No changes seen in their behavior. In reality, they really don't believe IN Him. If they did, they would believe in His Words and do it. They call Him their Lord, but they don't actually follow Him. Jesus even poses this question, "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, when you won't do the things that I ask?" (Luke 6:46) Words are cheap and the old cliche, "actions speak louder than words" goes without saying. People who do not obey are not His. Sound harsh? 1 John 2:4 "Whoever says 'I know Him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

The defining message of the New Testament is that Jesus took the punishment for humanities sins on the cross. Therefore, believing followers are rescued from THE CONDEMNATION OF SIN, free from sin and death (Romans 8:2) WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT.

In simple terms, condemnation means being found guilty and sentenced for your sin. Paul is saying from the verse above that for those who truly belong to Christ, God is no longer holding their sins against them as a judge pronouncing a final sentence. Jesus has already paid the penalty for sin through His death and resurrection. This does not mean Christians never sin, make mistakes, or need correction. The Bible teaches that God still disciplines and corrects His children. The difference is that correction comes from a loving Father, while condemnation comes from a judge passing sentence. A believer may feel conviction when they sin—the Holy Spirit showing them what needs to change—but they do not live under the fear of eternal judgment. The word "therefore" is important. In the previous chapters of Romans, Paul describes humanity's struggle with sin and even his own frustration: "The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." After describing that battle, he points to Jesus as the solution. Then he declares: "Therefore"—because of what Christ has done—there is now no condemnation for those in Him.

One way to think about it is this: Condemnation says: "You are guilty, hopeless, and rejected. "Conviction says: "You did wrong, but come back to God and be restored." For someone who is in Christ, following His path, God sees them through the righteousness of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5: 21). Their standing before God is based on what Christ accomplished, not on their own perfection. A beautiful companion verse is John: "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." The heart of Romans 8:1 is this: If you belong to Jesus, your failures do not have the final word. God's grace does. You may stumble, but you are not condemned. You may be corrected, but you are not rejected. Now, let's look at those who confess Jesus is Jesus with their mouth, perhaps they have answered an altar call confessing to others they were saved (as opposed to actually following Jesus) and recklessly and in ignorance continue any lifestyle they wish rom then on out?

Believing vs Following:

Can someone knowingly continue in sin because they think salvation guarantees immunity from consequences? Paul addressed that very idea in Romans: "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." Paul's answer is emphatic. Grace is not permission to sin! Rather, grace is the power and motivation to leave sin behind. A useful distinction is this: a true believer may struggle with sin and a true believer will not be comfortable in sin. Ever! King David fell into serious sin, but he was miserable until he repented. Peter denied Christ, but he wept bitterly and returned. In both cases, there was conviction and repentance. The New Testament repeatedly warns against those who turn God's grace into a license for sinful living. Jude speaks of people who "turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness" (using grace as an excuse for sin). Believing requires following. "Take up your cross and follow me" Jesus said (Matthew 6:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). Jesus actually states that anyone who does not take up their cross is not worthy of Him. Most Christians would agree on this point: No biblical doctrine of salvation gives a person permission to live in deliberate, ongoing, unrepentant sin. If someone says, "I can sin all I want because I'm saved," they are thinking in a way that the apostles repeatedly condemned. This is often the mindset "once saved always saved." This is a grave error.   These two things are truths held by the followers of Jesus: salvation is God's gift and cannot be earned by our works. And most importantly I am stressing that genuine faith produces a changed life, repentance, and perseverance. Christ did not die to give us freedom to sin; He died to give us freedom from sin. In other words, genuine faith of true FOLLOWER'S is expected to produce repentance, obedience, and spiritual fruit—not perfection, but evidence that Christ is truly Lord of a person's life.

A person can believe, or say they do, but without following Jesus is the same thing the Bible describes as "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). There's more to explain this, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead." A person can say they believe to their hearts content but if there are no works (works here does not mean labor or anything you yourself contribute like being good, when you tithe, going to church, giving to charities). WORKS are the fruits that manifest themselves proving you follow Jesus. Simply, works will follow the true believer proving real change. True saving faith is dynamic and naturally produces fruit and love for others. Even good deeds mentioned above do not earn salvation. The evidence of a genuine faith shows up as CHANGE. Here are some examples of that change:

1. Sin is no longer pleasurable. In fact it will seem disgusting to you now.

2. You will have a true desire to obey and follow Christ's teaching.

3. You develop a prayer life to stay in contact with God.

4. You reject the way you used to conduct and live your sinful life and you turn from it.

5. You begin to understand true forgiveness and wish no harm to those who have injured you in the past.

6. You'll be drawn by a desire to read and understand God's Word and love it.

Eventually these things manifest as "fruit." You will produce fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and the big one-self-control. In other words, you become like Jesus' character.

God's grace is freely given, and genuine faith responds by producing fruit. A verse that comes to mind is from Psalm 119:105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." It doesn't illuminate the entire journey at once, but it gives enough light for the next step.  Genuine faith is expected to produce repentance, obedience, and spiritual fruit—not perfection, but evidence that Christ is truly Lord of a person's life. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

A Deep Deep Dive. Not For The Faint Of Heart

 I've often pondered how the fallen angels could have procreated with human women (Genesis 6:1-4), creating the Nephilim giants.

If the angels of God in heaven are spiritual beings, holy, pure, with different assignments than man and certainly different than mankind altogether, then  how, without "appendages" like the human male anatomy were they able to procreate? Has that ever crossed your mind? I'm going to dive deep. So either sign out now or bear with me.

The only way the fallen angels had the ability to literally "mate" with human women was that they shape-shifted into "male" for the sole purpose and ability TO CREATE --which they were never given that gift as angels of God. They acted out the carnal KNOWLEDGE OF CREATION after they rebelled, sinned, and fell from their spiritual state requiring an act of sex. It was "the forbidden knowledge" that was never meant to be known (from the tree of knowledge of good and evil). They wanted to experience "carnal" pleasure after losing their spiritual standing with God. Hear me. They wanted to be "like god" .. with the ability to "create"  because again, they were not given that gift. Only humans were granted the ability to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28).. but even this was a holy assignment when man was first created. NOT A PHYSICAL ONE. How so?

The Bible says we were "created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27) does it not? God created the heavens, the earth, the universe, thing in it, above it, and under it  and the sea therein. All the stars, moon, sun, including every creature that creeps on the earth --->and all created by what?? HIS SPOKEN WORD: "Let there be". 

We, as humans, in the beginning, were supposed to keep that same holy assignment .. in His image, in His Name, as He is! Like our Father, we had the gift to speak His Word to create whatever we wanted .. even children to fill and multiply the earth through SPOKEN WORD! We were holy, blameless, one with the Father, and blessed. "GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD" His perfect creation was complete. This should not shock you. Why? There was no intercourse in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve did not physically "procreate" UNTIL AFTER THEIR FALL and banishment from paradise. ONLY FALLEN FLESH CREATES PHYSICALLY, NOT THE SPIRITUAL MAN MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD at the beginning. Even so, same thing, the fallen angels could not "procreate" either until after they sinned and fell. Keep this in mind because the grave sin which drove Adam and Eve from the garden is the same "sin" Satan and the angels committed. But, It goes beyond "carnal knowledge." Stay with me.

The Bible says that angels can appear (change) into the form of ordinary men. So much so,  that people have entertained angels in this life without even knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). The fallen angels still had the power to appear (change) as men (it's called shape-shifting), but especially so after their fall from grace took on carnality/ human nature, and as a result, forfeited their spiritual standing. In texts like 1 Enoch, the “Watchers” (fallen angels) descend to earth and took on human form to interact physically with humans. They were essentially experimenting with a realm they were never meant to touch—the human, the carnal, the material.

This is a form of rebellion, not just disobedience: they waned to experience life on their own terms, outside the divine boundaries to which they were created. This was the grave sin of rebellion acted out through sex. So let's consider the  “Forbidden Knowledge” Angle. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil—this is profound. 

Just as Adam and Eve sought knowledge through the tree they were not to know beyond what was granted, the angels also sought experience beyond their spiritual nature! They acted out a desire for autonomy, power, and creation—attempting to be equal with God, even if corrupted and limited. Can you see the grave sin? They wanted to literally create, to emulate God, be God. It was creation through rebellion. By mating with humans, they attempted to bring forth new life—something only God truly has the authority to do. Thus, the birth of the Nephilim (giants) were a literal manifestation of forbidden action: a hybrid that carries the stain of rebellion in its very being. There are people, even though they have never read a Bible, will laugh and say the idea of giants is fiction. So, allow me to provide some examples for you: 1. Genesis 6:4 (the Nephilim/mighty men) -- 2. Numbers 13:33 (humans looked like grasshoppers compared  to these descendants of Anak --3. Deuteronomy 3:11 (describes a iron bed 9 cubits long). That's 13 1/2 feet! And what about the account of David and Goliath? Goliath was a giant.

Angels are naturally spiritual, so the act of taking on a body is itself a fall, not just morally but ontologically (had to find the right word)—in other words, they crossed the boundary of their own existence! Their desire wasn’t just lust—it was a longing to experience and control what was meant to remain sacred: creation, life, and human intimacy.  Fallen angels, having lost their spiritual place, took physical forms to indulge in knowledge and acts, attempting to assert a pseudo-divine creativity.

So, the first sin in Scripture isn't merely about breaking a rule—it was a  about crossing boundaries established by God!

There was pattern with Adam and Eve, us, and demons. Something like this-

1. The serpent says humans can become "like God."

2. Humans reach for knowledge that wasn't theirs to take.

3. The "sons of God" (in the angelic interpretation) reach for human experience that wasn't theirs to possess.

4. Humanity later builds the Tower of Babel to "make a name" for itself and reach heaven.

In each case, the underlying temptation is similar: not necessarily evil for evil's sake, but a desire to obtain power, status, knowledge, or authority apart from God's design. Can you see it? Under that framework, the Watchers of ancient Jewish tradition aren't simply lustful beings. They become symbols of creatures dissatisfied with their assigned place in creation. According to the Book of Enoch's account, they didn't just take wives—they also taught forbidden arts and knowledge: warfare, sorcery, divination, and other secrets. The problem isn't knowledge itself; it's knowledge obtained and used in rebellion! And it led to the other interesting aspect I mentioned.  Have you noticed that imitation of God is a recurring theme in rebellion? In Scripture, evil often doesn't invent; it imitates. It takes something good and twists it:

Authority becomes domination.

Knowledge becomes pride.

Desire becomes lust.

Creation becomes corruption.

Worship becomes idolatry.

So, if anyone sees the angelic interpretation of Genesis 6, the act isn't merely biological. It was a  successful attempt to trespass into a domain that wasn't theirs (both angels and Adam & Eve)—to blur heaven and earth on their own terms rather than God's. 

 Until He Comes,

-Pat-

How Do You Know It's God Speaking And Not Just You?

 

How do you know it's God speaking and not just you? Or, are you wondering if it's just your feelings  because  you've heard others including your pastor tell you, "God only speaks through the Bible. Anything else is a deception."

Can I ask? ... if God only communicates through the Bible, through scripture, then why does the Bible repeatedly show God communicating through things other than scripture? 

I read God spoke to Moses through a burning bush. I read God spoke to Joseph through dreams. I read God spoke to Elijah through a "still small voice." I read God spoke to Paul by the Holy Spirt saying, "DON'T GO THERE."  And in Numbers 22:28 God spoke through the mouth of a donkey!

Jesus said in John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice." Wait now. Do not hear what I'M NOT SAYING. I'm not saying that every feeling you have is God. I'm not saying that every thought is God. And I'm definitely not saying ignore scripture! In fact, scripture IS THE FILTER. How? If what you think you heard contradicts God's Word, throw it away. Immediately. But the Bible never says GOD is unable to guide, prompt, convict, warn. lead, or impress something on your heart through His Spirit. 

The question isn't did I feel something? The question is, did what I feel agree with God's character? God's WORD. Did it produce good fruit? Here's something that might help you. The fact you are worried about being deceived is actually evidence that you're trying to follow God. A deceived person usually doesn't want to know if they're being deceived. So don't throw away every thought and every feeling. Test them. TEST THEM! Bring them to scripture. Bring them to prayer. Bring them to wise council. Then, follow the peace of God. One step at a time. Because Jesus didn't say 'My sheep read my book' .. He said, "My sheep hear MY VOICE." And the way you know what His voice sounds like, is through the scriptures! Think about that. 

Until He Comes,

-Pat-

Let Us Love One Another

 

1 John 4:7 "let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God."

This verse (1 John 4:7) is not talking about love as a feeling, attraction, kindness, generosity, or material giving. It’s talking about a nature.

When John says “love is of God,” he means love doesn’t originate in humans at all. It flows from God’s own being. God doesn’t merely have love—He is love (1John 4:8). So to love “correctly” isn’t to perform loving acts better; it’s to participate in God’s life. That’s why John connects love to being “born of God.” Love is the evidence that God’s life is operating within you, the way breathing proves someone is alive.

Biblical love (agápē) is not about preference, affection, or reward. It is a willful posture of self-giving for another’s good, even when nothing is returned. God loved us before we were lovable. He moved toward us in truth, not denial; in sacrifice, not sentiment. So loving others doesn’t mean approving of everything, rescuing everyone, or losing yourself. It means you choose truth, mercy, patience, forgiveness, and restraint because God has done so with you. Love often looks quiet, costly, misunderstood—and strong.

So how do you love correctly? You don’t manufacture it. You abide in God—remain close, receptive, honest—and His love expresses itself through you. When you forgive what’s undeserved, speak truth without cruelty, refuse revenge, act for someone’s good even when it costs you—that’s love. And when you do that, John says something staggering: you’re not just loving well… you’re revealing that you know God.

This verse isn’t a command to try harder. It’s an invitation to live differently—from the inside out. And the more you let God love you, the more naturally His love flows through you to others.

Until He Splits The Sky,

-Pat-