DEPRESSION. Make it stop!

I had a request to pray for someone who has a friend that is terribly depressed. She asked if I would please petition God to lift the gloom that has been torturing her friend for years. As I thought about her request for prayer, it dawned on me that over time I have received many queries to pray about depression. Depression is a horrible shackle. When you are sunk into the depths of depression, you feel constantly brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. I experienced deep depression as a young adult years ago so I can easily relate to the hold it has on people. Few things zap your strength like depression or feeling anxious. Everything seems overwhelming and impossible. Even the most mundane acts require a massive amount of effort. Are there Bible verses for depression? It depends on what you mean. The Bible is primarily the story of God's plan to redeem a people for Himself. However, the Word does speak directly to those engulfed in darkness and depression. There are verses which shine light into dark places, give hope to the hopeless, and allow the depressed person to have God's perspective rather than their own dismal view. I am honest when I say some people have a weird idea that the moment you read verses pertaining to depression, its gloom will suddenly and immediately lift. This couldn't be further from the truth, especially when it comes to mental illness. I've listed 12 Biblical verses below. Those who are depressed probably won't immediately FEEL any different after reading them. But here's the good news: all these promises are TRUE! They don't depend on you or your feelings. They are all about God and His mighty works on your behalf. As you read them, thank God that they are true REGARDLESS of what you feel. It took quite some time to list them all, so please, repeat these promises every day until your depression begins to lift, being replaced by hope and assurance.

1. Deuteronomy 31:8. Know that God will never leave you! "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Just as he swore to never desert the people of Israel, he will NEVER leave you or forsake you because you are in Christ. You are his child, and like a dad clearing a path through the woods for his small child, so God is going ahead of you, clearing the way.

2. Isaiah 41:10. God will strengthen and uphold you. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." In your depression, you feel like you can’t hang on to God. Like your weak and helpless, unable to do anything. Sometimes you can’t even get out of bed. The last thing you feel is "spiritual." Good news! You don’t have to hold on to God because he is holding to you. When you fall, he will uphold you with his righteous right hand. When you are weak, he will strengthen you. Even if you don’t have an assurance of your salvation, you can be assured that God has a firm hold on you. The reality is, you ARE weak, you’re just feeling it more acutely now. Take heart, because God loves to sustain the weak. God’s grace is sufficient for you, even in these deep, dark times. The reality is, you ARE weak, you’re just feeling it more acutely now. Take heart, because God loves to sustain the weak. God’s grace is sufficient for you, even in these deep, dark times.

3. Psalm 40: 1-3. God hears your cry. "He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God." God hears your cries and sees your tears! He is not ignoring you and his heart breaks over your suffering. He takes no delight in the suffering of his people. You can be sure that God will respond to your pleas for mercy. Maybe not when you want or in the way you want, but he is your loving, merciful Father, and He can’t ignore the cries of his children. He will put a new song in your mouth and set your feet upon the rock.

4. Psalm 3:3. The Lord is your shield. "But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."
God is your shield when you are weak, helpless, and hopeless. He is standing over you, guarding you, protecting you, keeping watch over you. Even though you are broken by depression, the almighty God is your shield. He will lift your head out of the dirt and set you on your feet again. He will move you to sweet places and green pastures. You can trust HIS sustaining, protecting power even though you have no strength in yourself.

5. Psalm 34:18-19. God is near to the brokenhearted. " The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." God has a special place in His heart for the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. When you find yourself under a crushing burden, God draws near to you. He sees you in the midst of your affliction and moves toward you with deliverance. Even though you can’t feel his presence, God is nearer to you now than ever, and he is working on your behalf.

6. Isaiah 40:31. The Lord will renew your strength. " …but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." The good news is that God is in the business of giving strength to those who have none. He loves to sustain those who are fainting and give life to those who feel completely depleted. Wait for the Lord and he will give you life. He has promised to renew your strength even though you don’t feel it now. He has good things in store for you.

7. Isaiah 42:3. God will not break you. " A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice." What does that mean?? A bruised reed is one that that is on the verge of breaking, and a faintly burning wick is a flame that is almost entirely extinguished. That’s a very apt description of depression. You feel as though you’re about to be completely broken or totally extinguished. And though others may judge you because they don’t understand what you’re experiencing, God most certainly does not. But doesn’t break bruised reeds or blow out flames that are sputtering and smoking. Rather, he nurtures them and heals them and brings them back to life. God doesn’t despise you in your bruised, broken, smoldering state. Rather, he is near to you, nurturing you and sustaining you.

8. Matthew 11: 28-30. Come, all who are depressed. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Jesus gives rest to those who are crushed by the weight of the world. He is gentle and lowly in heart, and he doesn’t rebuke those who find themselves laboring under the overwhelming yoke of depression. Come to Jesus in your depression and find rest for your soul. Let him carry the heavy end of your burden. Confess your utter weakness and frailty and let him be the burden bearer.

9. Romans 8: 38-39. NOTHING can separate you from God. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." When you’re haunted by the chains of depression, you feel very cut off from the love of God. Everything seems dark and bleak, as if there will never be another good thing in your life. You feel as though God has left you to wallow in the mire. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are not outside of God's sovereign will and gracious love. Because you are in Christ, nothing can separate you from God’s love! The only way God will stop loving you is if he stops loving Jesus. Though you may feel alone and unloved, there is absolutely NOTHING, including depression, that can stop God from loving you. Your body may be a broken down temple, but that doesn’t diminish God’s love for you one bit!!

10. Psalm 34: 17. God hears your prayer, your cry, your petition. " When you are sunk into the valley of depression, it feels like you are totally and completely alone. Like no one cares like no one is listening. You feel isolated, cut off, and like God has abandoned you. But He has not, and could never abandon you. When you cry to Him for help, He hears and delivers. Maybe the deliverance won’t come tomorrow, but make no mistake, it will come. God does not leave his people to wallow and blunder their way through depression and hopelessness. He hears every cry you utter, sees every tear that rolls down your cheek. You are not alone. You have a good Father who is with you and for you.

11. Psalm 42:11. Hope is in God and God alone. "Why are you cast down, O my soul and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." Depression and hopelessness cause turmoil deep within your soul. You feel crushed, broken, downhearted, overwhelmed, and like there is no hope for tomorrow. But even though it feels like you have no hope for tomorrow, you DO have hope. Why do you have hope? Because God is your salvation. If your hope depended on you and your ability to pull yourself up, you would have no hope. But your hope depends on God. You shall again praise Him, even though it feels like that day will never come. Hope in God and trust Him to lead you out of the dark valley you find yourself in.

12. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4. Comforted by God. "Blessed be the God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the same comfort wherewith, we ourselves are comforted of God." When you’re in the midst of a bout of depression or hopelessness or anxiety, it feels like you’re all alone. Like no one understands and like no one cares about you. But there is at least one person who deeply loves you and desires to comfort you, and that is God. God is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Run to him in the midst of your brokenness. Flee to him for comfort and grace and strength. He desires to meet you and to comfort you and refresh you. Don’t try to make it through the darkness of depression on your own. Run to the God of all comfort. Take shelter in the Father of mercies. He is for you and on your side.

Don't fear the storms! In the midst of your depression, all you see are clouds that are black with horror. Remember, it is God himself who controls the storms and Jesus is with you in your boat. You may not feel His nearness and it may seem that He is asleep in the stern, but He is with you nonetheless. When the moment is right, He will deliver you. Until then, hold fast to these verses. Until next time, -Pat-

The Devil Made Me Do It

Take a moment and watch the video above. It is a short clip starring the comedian, Flip Wilson, who had his own show in the 70's. I always looked forward to watching his show but especially his skits "The Devil Made Me Do It (sin)." The video is appropriate for this blog, plus it gives us a moment to pause and laugh. After you view this 2 minute 44 second video please read the blog below.

How often after committing a sin have you used the excuse "the devil made me do it." Today I am asking, Does the devil make us sin? Let's look at some scriptures. When Eve succumbed to Satan’s ploy (Genesis 3:1-6), he played a role in her choices, but she had some faulty thinking about temptation and sin. The devil tempts us, but he doesn’t make us sin. We so often blame Satan for our bad choices but in reality, the Bible shows us he actually has no power over us! His power was crushed at the cross. Satan has been defeated! Colossians 2:14–15 describes what God did for those who trust his Son, when He died on the cross: “The record of debt that stood against us He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” AMEN! When Christ died for our sins, Satan was disarmed and defeated. The one eternally destructive weapon that he had was stripped from his hand, namely, his accusation before God that we are guilty and should perish with him. When Christ died that accusation was nullified. All those who entrust themselves to Christ will never perish. Satan cannot separate them from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:37–39). Though Flip Wilson said, "The Devil Made Me Do It," in reality, the choices we make are totally on us.

James tells us that God isn’t to blame either: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). Satan is a roaring lion, prowling and seeking to devour. Peter says, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8–9). In other words, “suffering” is the way Satan is trying to devour God's believers. But Peter says in 1 Peter 3:17, “It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” If God should will it so. This suffering, these jaws of the prowling lion, are opened and closed only according to God’s will. So who is to blame when we sin? Satan is the great tempter. He wants us to sin. Luke tells us that Satan was behind Peter’s three denials. He tempted him to deny Jesus. But could he do that without God’s permission? Listen to what Jesus says to Simon Peter in Luke 22:31–32: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Satan could not do what he wished with Peter without God’s permission. And when he had it, just like with Job, God had set him a boundary: “You will not destroy Peter. You will only make him stumble tonight.” This is why Jesus says, “When you have turned again (not if you turn) strengthen your brothers.” Jesus, not Satan, has the upper hand here. And Satan is allowed to go so far and no farther. The Bible makes it clear that we are NEVER tempted beyond what we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Temptations are trials, and though we may not like them, they are intended to make us stronger! Temptation is a lure to sin (and from Satan). God doesn’t do that, but He does test. Remember, sin is anti-God. Therefore, God will never lead someone to sin; doing so goes against His very nature.
However, He will test believers by putting them through difficult training that will both strengthen them and reveal their current conditions (like a refiner’s fire).

James tells us, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14). Just as a fisherman uses bait to lure his prey, our unchecked desires lead us to giving in to temptation and sin. When we disobey God by sinning (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:23), let's not shift the blame or try to justify our actions with any faulty “the devil made me do it” theology. Instead, let us take full responsibility for our actions (2 Samuel 24:10), confess our sins to a gracious and forgiving Father (1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5), and then pursue godly living again (1 Timothy 4:8; 1 Timothy 6:1-6).
Eight things to do with evil:
1. Expect evil. “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

2. Endure evil. “Love bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7; see also Mark 13:13).

3. Give thanks for the refining effect of evil that comes against you. “Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Romans 5:3–5).

4. Hate evil. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

5. Pray for escape from evil. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).

6. Expose evil. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).

7. Overcome evil with good. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Finally, Resist evil. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Are you being tempted? Remember that God is not tempting you and He always provides a way out! Are you in a trial? Remember that God is allowing this for your good. You will come through this and you will be all the stronger for having resisted! Never doubt that God is totally for you in Christ. If you trust Him with your life, you are IN Christ. Never doubt that all the evil that befalls you — even if it takes your life — is God’s loving, purifying, saving, fatherly discipline. It is not an expression of His punishment in wrath. That fell on Jesus Christ our substitute! “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6).
Until next time,
-Pat-

Judge Not Lest You Be Judged

This blog is based on Matthew 7: 1-3. In my opinion, it’s one of the most misused, misquoted, misunderstood verses in the Bible: "Judge not lest ye be judged." Why do I say that? When someone wants to justify their life choices to you, they pull out their trump card, “Judge not, lest ye be judged!” I hear it all the time. When this verse is misused, people expect you to immediately embrace and accept their affair, to accept they are a man trapped in a woman's body and therefore have rightful access to a ladies bathroom, to accept abortion in the 9th month of pregnancy, to accept that pedophilia is perfectly normal…whatever. Of course, if you’ve spent any time studying the passage, you know that when Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged,” He certainly wasn’t saying that we can’t evaluate whether someone’s choices are wrong. The world would have you believe this.

Notice the reason Jesus warns against judgment. The danger in passing judgment on someone is that we’ll have our own standard come back to haunt us. Jesus immediately goes on to say: "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure, you use it will be measured to you" (Matthew 7:1-2). When we condemn someone’s behavior, whether it’s blatantly sinful or just different than our own, we almost NEVER use the proper standard of judgment. We pass judgment according to our own strengths and opinions. For example, take the issue of gluttony. Because of my DNA, gluttony has never been a huge issue for me although a small stature has. Plus, I don’t gravitate toward things like stress eating (I cope in other explosive ways as I am not perfect either). When I see someone who struggles with overeating, I project myself onto them. It's printed on the human psyche. I have been guilty of assuming that they lack self-control and that all they need is a bit more discipline. This is complete sinful nonsense because I'm judging physical appearance. When God evaluates that person, He takes into account everything about that person – their biology, sinful tendencies, weaknesses, family history, current struggles, and a thousand other factors. God’s judgment is perfectly just, my judgment is terribly skewed. Without omniscience, all my judgments are going to be off kilter. For all I know, the person who struggles with gluttony may not actually be sinning in gluttony. They may not overeat at all, but because of their unique body makeup, just can’t lose weight (genetics). Or, they may have been neglected as a child and use food as a coping mechanism (psychological). Or, it could even be a challenge related to a diseased thyroid (medical). To be clear, I’m not saying that sin is relative. Sin is sin, no matter what the circumstances. But when God judges a person, His judgment flows out of His omniscience. That’s why it’s perfect. If I pass judgment on a person, I’m doing so based on really, really, really limited knowledge.


"Judge not lest you be judged" and held accountably! It’s a terrifying thing to think of God judging us based on the way we judge others. So often, our judgments lack mercy. They lack compassion. And they lack knowledge. Do I want to be judged by God and others with the same standard? No! That would be crushing. This is why Jesus warns about the dangers of judging others "appearance"... whether you think they are a glutton, a drunk, a cheat, etc. If we’re not careful, we’re going to end up being judged by own crushing standards. We can and should call out sin. Judging by "appearance," "opinions," or "assumptions" IS WRONG. However, there’s a massive difference between judging arrogantly (by our standards) and judging with humility (God's standard). John 7:24 tells us to not judge the appearance of others, but to "Judge righteous judgment." Did you know as God's child we are called to judge WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT? Oh yes. We can judge SIN when we see it, when we judge it by God's standard, by what He said, by what he taught, and by what He warned. THAT is righteous judgment. This may shock many of you, due to the fact that many Christians don't study their Bible aggressively and have become weak apologetic's in the defense of "the faith." Way too many times we hear people wrongly quote the Bible, saying the scripture, "says not to judge"! I hear this from believers but non-believers especially, like it's the only verse they know to exempt them from scriptural do's and dont's. The world will say it is not our job to say anything regarding sin in someone's life. Well, that's dead wrong because we are commissioned to speak up, 1 Corinthians 6:2 "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is going to be judged by you, are you, therefore, unworthy to judge the smallest matters?"


What is so unfortunate about many claiming to be Christians is that they ARE "living in sin" and when you come to them with biblical correctness (righteous judgment) they get irritated or defensive. Instead, they should receive the rebuke in repentance. Scripture teaches, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" Proverbs 21:7. If you look up the original Hebrew meaning of the word instruction, which in English is 'musar-moo-sawr,' it means discipline, chastening, correction. Those who claim to be Christians and don't receive 'musar-moo-sawr' (correction) are regarded as "fools," not by me, by the Bible. The word fool in Hebrew means one who despises wisdom, of one who mocks when guilty, of one who is quarrelsome, of one who is licentious. Ever notice when you approach a fellow brother or sister in the faith regarding a sin they know is wrong, how defensive they get? Many of you reading this, this may be you, while for others it's not, because they are humble and receive Divine correction. I’m not writing this blog to offend you but to enlighten you, because I care about your eternal security. We need to stop running away from the Spirit of God and receive his love and correction. So basically, if you reject God’s judgment upon you for your sin and you refuse to repent you are a bastard, a fatherless child. God is not your Abba like you claim if you don’t open heartedly receive his guidance and counsel. For one to pass judgment he or she must be practicing what they preach, otherwise, they have no authority from God because they are being a hypocrite. We cannot pass judgment upon others when we are living in sin ourselves, that’s a false type of judgment against someone. We are only being hypocrites. That’s the judgment Jesus was referring to in the Matthew 7:3, "And why behold the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? There are different types of "judgments" if you will. See if you can see the difference …


Arrogant judgment says, “What a despicable, vile, weak person.” Humble judgement says, “Apart from the redemption of Christ, I’d be joining them, and apart from God, I would lose my salvation.” Arrogant judgment says, “I would never do something like that.” Humble judgment says, “Though I may not struggle like they do, I sin in 10,000 other ways.” Arrogant judgment says, “I’m better than them.” Humble judgment says, “We both need Christ.” Jesus said, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” as a gracious warning. If I start playing judge, jury, and executioner to people, I’m going to find myself on the business end of my own standard. That’s a frightening prospect. HOW SHOULD WE JUDGE THEN? When I see someone sinning, I can acknowledge that it’s sin in need of repentance, but I can also say, “Tell me more.” I can work to understand all that’s going into their behavior. How much of it flows out past experiences? What did they see modeled in their parents? What have they been taught by others? Compassionate judgment seeks to stay faithful to Scripture while also truly loving the person who struggles. It strives to identify the speck in someone else’s eye while simultaneously trying to rip the log out of their own. Jesus didn’t say, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” in order to make us meek and mild people who celebrate anything and everything. He said it so that we would be slow to judge and so that our judgment would be tempered by mercy. We are good at finding specks, but there is a saying that for every one finger we point at someone we need to point four back at ourselves. The more critical our attitude of others is, the more we will be blind to our own faults. May we seek the Lord and ask Him to do spiritual surgery on us first, so we may confess, repent and mourn over our own sin.
Until Next time,
-Pat-

Is Drinking Alcohol A Sin?

I was asked to address the question, "Is Drinking Alcohol A Sin?" The only possible way I can honestly answer, putting my own feelings aside, is to use scriptures that point to the misuse of alcohol. Before I get too deep into the subject, however, keep in mind that anything in excess no matter what it is cannot be good for you. As an example, food is absolutely necessary to sustain life but obesity and severe health problems can occur if it is misused. Water is necessary for the body, doctors recommend sometimes up to a half a gallon per day. However, there have been instances where people have died from water intoxication by consuming too much of it. Aspirin is good for arresting bodily aches and pains but if you ingest too many aspirins leading to an overdose, you will be in grave danger and possibly even die. Does that make aspirin a bad thing? Or food or water? The reason I received the question, "Is drinking alcohol a sin," is because someone was confused that if the answer was yes, then why did Jesus turn water into wine. Unfortunately, most confusion or doubt regarding scripture comes about due to a lack of knowledge, and that because people listen to someone else' opinion, or the one having questions has failed to study God's Word. You can read God's Word but without studying it, you may become doubtful, confused, and mistrusting, etc.

Let's break down what was going on when Jesus turned water into wine at the marriage feast at Cana. You can find the story in John 2:1-11. I suggest you read those 11 verses as they are much too long to include here. One point I want to highlight is, the text reveals the wedding guests were drinking freely. Do you think Jesus would give an alcoholic beverage to those who were already drinking freely to induce a state of drunkenness if the 'water into wine' were alcoholic? I don't think so. That doesn't make any sense seeing how God's Word speaks against the overindulgence of alcohol: Proverbs 20:1, "The one who drinks alcohol is not wise." Paul warns repeatedly against it in 1 Timothy 3:8, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Timothy 5:23. And look at this scripture from Habakkuk 2:15, "Woe to him that gives his neighbor drink, that puts his bottle to him and makes him drunk also..." I could list more scriptures, but I think you can see a pattern here. The condemnation is against DRUNKENNESS, an overindulgence of alcohol. The Bible addresses the Christian regarding drunkenness in Ephesians 5:18, "And don't be drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit." The message is, be filled with the more important things which concern the life of your soul, not the pleasures of the flesh. 1 Peter 4:3 reminds Christians how we once walked in past times before being saved and one of the things mentioned was excess of wine (or drunkenness). We are reminded throughout the Bible not to return to our former ways.

So, in reality, did Jesus turn water into alcohol? Years ago as an unlearned Christian, I did some research being curious myself. I had to refresh that knowledge for this blog and would like to share it today. There was a poet Horace, born in 65 B.C. who wrote, "There is no wine sweeter to drink than that of Lesbos; it was like nectar ... and would not produce intoxication." Too, the "Mishna," a collection of oral Jewish traditions, states that the Jews were in the habit of drinking boiled wine (Kitto's Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, vol. 2, p. 447). Naturally, this wine would be entirely free of alcohol as a result of the boiling, if not also from the manner of preservation." Wine with alcohol content is made from grapes, but not just any grapes, FERMENTED grapes. So, therefore, in reality, we can produce 2 types of "wine" from grapes; fermented (alcohol) and nonfermented (grape juice). Since the guests at the wedding party were drinking freely, Jesus would not have given them a fermented wine from grapes, but rather grape juice since drunkenness is considered a sin, Proverbs 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." We also know, no drunkard will enter the Kingdom of God (Revelation 22:15, 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, Galatians 5: 19-21). Jesus would not have contradicted His own Word! Of note, I would also like to point out what Albert Barnes wrote in his commentary on the Gospel of John: "The wine of Judea was the pure juice of the grapes, without any mixture of alcohol. It was the common drink of the people and did not produce intoxication." AND Adam Clarke, commenting on Genesis 40:11, wrote, "From this, we find that wine anciently was the merely expressed juice of the grape without fermentation. The saky, or cupbearer, took the bunch (of grapes), pressed the juice into the cup, and instantly delivered it into the hands of his master.

Anyone with just a little amount of intelligence can determine that drunkenness is not good. You lose control, you stagger, you can become aggressive and mean, you can black out, and sensibilities are definitely altered. Excessive drinking can set in motion a myriad of illness and disease, such as cirrhosis of the liver, but it actually negatively affects brain cells too. It damages the ends of neurons, called dendrites, which makes it difficult for neurons to relay messages to one another. Without going into a lengthy medical rant I think you follow what I'm saying. We really don't require a Bible to get us to understand that drunkenness is bad. The Bible tells us that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to nurture it, not destroy it! We are made in God's image and we do not own our bodies: 1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." WHY don't we own ourselves? We were bought with a price and therefore we are to GLORIFY GOD in our bodies and in our spirits WHICH ARE GOD'S (verse 20). As believers, we are instructed to constantly bring our minds into subjection to what the Word has taught us. It's called obedience. How can we do this if we are willfully under the influence of alcohol? And how can we bring every thought (1 Corinthians 10:5) into captivity when we are purposefully losing our inhibitions through excessive consumption of alcohol?

Not only can alcohol alter behavior, destroy the body and brain, but it also sets a poor example and has a destructive influence on both children and as a witness for Christ in a fallen world. The environment in which a child grows up can have a serious effect on their risk for alcohol issues in adulthood. Romans 14:21 tells us not to do anything that causes our fellow brother in Christ to be made weak, stumble or be offended and it specifically refers to, once again, drinking. If you are a Christian but have fallen away and are under the influence of alcohol, you need to bring yourself back into a right relationship with God. It's never too late to repent and turn around. A cold beer on a warm summer day is welcomed. If there is no excess, there is no sin.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Do Not Injure Or Kill Any Eagle Under Penalty of Law

The bald eagle is the chosen emblem to represent my country; the United States of America. Selected because it is free to soar the skies, this majestic bird represents freedom just as we fought for our freedom from England. Recently I have been watching live-stream videos of the nesting eagles in Decorah, Iowa. In the state where I live there are civil penalties for violating the Endangered Species Act which protects fish, mammals, birds - as well as plants - listed as threatened or endangered. The maximum fine is $5,000 or one-year imprisonment with $10,000 OR not more than two years imprisonment for a second conviction. Tell me, why is it a crime to harm or kill a bald eagle but not to kill a baby in the womb? How crazy is that? If you were reading closely, you caught that the Endangered Species Act also protects plants! In our backward society, plants are protected and babies are not! Does that make any sense to you? There are written rules to be followed and carried out regarding the protection of eagles. I want to briefly go over those as compared to the protection of human babies.
1. Report injured, killed, or dead bald eagles to your local conservation agent. We have no rights that allow us to report a baby about to be aborted/murdered.
2. Do not disturb active nests. We have no right to disturb or attempt to stop the actions taking place in an abortion clinic which will result in murder.
3. Support organizations that rehabilitate injured bald eagles. Nobody steps forward to help an injured baby that has survived an abortion. They are left on a table to die!
4. Learn more about eagles. No one seems interested enough to really know what takes place during an abortion. A human's life is being injured, tortured, and killed!
What a self-centered, backward society we have become. It is a shame that we cannot see the most basic principles of human life for what they really are. This is beyond the argument of abortion, this is murder without laws, without regret, without remorse!

One argument the pro-abortionist use is that what a woman is carrying in her womb is nothing but a lump of cells. I urge every reader to go see the movie "UNPLANNED." It will answer every question you ever had about abortion and "is it a baby?" In the meantime, I don't need a movie to know how God feels about aborting the conceived. It's in the Bible. Let's read it. It's located in Psalm 139: 13-15, "You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret ..." IT WAS GOD who made the process of life happen. God forms us, every part of us. From the moment of conception. Fertilization is a sequence of events. It's no different than the process of a seed becoming a plant. Within a seed is life, the ability to become a beanstalk, a beet, carrot, cucumber, pea, pumpkin, radish, etc. Here is the comparison: Once a seed (sperm) is planted into the ground (womb), the sequence of events begins (fertilization). A carrot seed becomes a carrot, a radish seed will produce a radish. From the moment of conception, a baby is being formed, "You formed my inward parts." It is a work of God. A miracle to be protected, not annihilated. It is God's way to make the process of life happen! There is a soul at the moment of every conception, and a purpose for every baby intended to be brought into this world. When we thwart that process, we mess with God's plan. We will not escape the punishment of these atrocities, either now or in life hereafter UNLESS WE REPENT!

We are to care for and respect animals for they were created by God as well, but human life is different because unlike the animals we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). When we pass laws that demand respect and protection OF PLANTS and not our own babies, we are truly deprived of senses. God is the giver of life (Acts 17:24-28). Have you ever flipped channels on your television where one station is telecasting a demonstration to protest the destruction of turtle eggs, only to flip to another channel and see people pushing for the right to murder their own babies inside them? This just recently happened as people cheered in New York to pass laws that allow babies to be killed by lethal injection, placing a needle in the back of the babies neck even as it is in the process of birth and 3/4 outside the mother!! Where is the logic in this madness?

When does life start? Ask yourself, then answer logically as taught in scripture. When does someone become human? To avoid obvious accusations of murder, those who advocate for abortion have long claimed that "it" is just a mass of tissue, with no purpose, no life, no rights, just a clump, lump minus the baby bump. Let me ask this, is an eagle's egg an eagle or something else? When a woman is expecting, we say she is "with child" and not "with a mass of tissue." And here is something you really need to mull over. If a pregnant woman is killed, the murderer is charged with double homicide because TWO HUMANS DIED, both mother and her "child" -- please read Exodus 21:22-24 if you read nothing else today. The baby inside the womb has value, and harming that baby brings consequences. When you read the Bible, you must read it carefully and with intent. Too often we read over answers and keys to important knowledge in our disinterest or haste to finish. Look at the following verse and tell me what knowledge you reap: "And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age..." The key here is that Elizabeth conceived a son (not yet born). How was the sex of the child known before Elizabeth gave birth? Because all human beings at the moment of conception have a soul. God chose the sex He wanted to place into this world, and He has a purpose for every baby intended to be brought onto this planet... whether male or female.

OH! Did you think it was you that determined the baby's sex? Really? Who allowed your body to produce sperm? Who made you fertile? Who designed your body to function in a reproductive way? It was God! The high ranking angel Gabriel KNEW when Elizabeth conceived she would bear a son according to God's plan. God has intentions for every human life conceived. What's interesting as well is that according to my Lexicon, neither the Hebrew or Greek terms make a distinction between a child conceived and a child born. What we are now witnessing across this globe is A TERRIBLE EVIL where human life is claimed to have less value than animals or plants; in fact, no value at all. The book of Romans lists what kinds of people would be living in what I believe is our society today because of the description of everything on the list from Romans 1:20-32. Verse 31 specifically mentions people "without natural affection." There is nothing MORE NATURAL THAN LOVING AN INNOCENT BABY and yet there are millions of people that do not regard life in the womb because they have no natural affection. It seems the only way to save an innocent baby today is to somehow get them placed on an endangered species list next to the bald eagles and turtles!
Until next time,
-Pat-

Who Do You Fear?

We are a society full of fear. We fear loneliness. We fear death. We fear intimacy. We fear rejection. We fear disease. We fear failure. We fear old age. We fear germs. We fear insects. We fear we'll become obese. We fear we'll lose our job, our spouse, our kids. On and on and on. I could probably fill this entire page with a list of fears and phobias if I had enough time. Fear of fear probably causes more problems in our lives than fear itself! We cannot flourish as a society with an undertone of fear. Well, at least not as God intended us to live. What do you fear? How big is your list?

Matthew 10:28 NIV says, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." We can look at this scripture and realize it applies to more than literal killing, as in murder. So many things can "kill" us just through worrying and therefore occupy our minds, our time, and our lives. As Christians, we sometimes worry far too much about what others think of us. Our faith alone makes us a target for ridicule, hatred, rejection, persecution, etc. Family members often ostracize us for confessing our beliefs. They can call us crazy or out of touch with the real world. This disconnect can cost us comfort, peace, loss of a spouse or even a financial inheritance. A man's foes will be of his own household says Matthew 10:34-37. Even so, as Christs' followers, we must be willing to place Him first in our lives and the most important people in our lives in second place. I speak from experience on this one. Back in the early 1970s when I made my commitment to Christ, my over exuberance in my new found faith persuaded my parents to question my mental stability and in fact, they tried very hard to convince me that I needed intervention to "stop the nonsense." I stood my ground. Despite being ostracized, there was no fear of losing their love and support. I and have never looked back in over 40 years.

Besides our families rejection of us, governments also persecute us. State and federal laws have been passing and could continue to pass laws making it illegal to preach Christs' message or even share it on social media sites. Unfortunately, we have now come to a place where man-made laws over-ride God's written law. Freedom of religion is slowly being demonized. Religious statues are being removed, the 10 commandments ripped away from stone foundations, crosses taken down from soldiers memorials for being "offensive," and prayer has long been removed from schools, etc. The apostle Peter wrote of a similar experience between him and the Sadducees. The Sadducees were one of the three main political and religious movements of the day. Peter wrote in Acts 5:28-29, "Did we not straitly command you that you should not teach in this name? (referring to the name Jesus). And, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Then Peter and the other apostles spoke up as we should do also today, saying, "We ought to obey God rather than men." It cost them though! They were beaten (verse 40). Still, they preached and taught Jesus Christ daily in the temple and in every house. They literally rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for their faith and belief in Jesus Christ (verses 41-42). They did not waver in their faith nor did they fear what the Sadducees would physically do to them. Rather, they knew to "be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Besides the government persecuting us, our employers threaten believers as well. If an employer requires you to "go along to get along" or lose your job, leave! What are some examples? Maybe your boss has asked you to do something unethical: lie to a client, sell a product you know to be inferior, or if you are told to mislead a customer, etc. Leaving a company seems like a tough proposition, but the Bible instructs us, "But seek first The Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). We are promised, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). GOD WILL PROVIDE WHEN YOU STAND TRUE TO BIBLICAL PRINCIPALS! I believe we need to have a determination to speak the truth and not go along to get along, and yet to do so in such a way that is different from the way non-believers engage those with whom they disagree. Should you fear what your employer will do? The truth is, no! If you stand up for Jesus Christ and His righteous teachings, you're going to be mocked, persecuted, made fun off, called choice names, etc. The Bible foretold us, "All who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (Timothy 3:12) Notice the two words ALL and SHALL? You don't have to be persecuted though. There is a way out. Don't live godly. Just hobnob with the world and fail to take a stand for what's right and you won't suffer persecution. Just remember, persecution is the thermometer that registers your love and courage for the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist David wrote something interesting that he witnessed from his youth to his old age, "I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread."

WHO now are we to fear? The Bible says He who has the power to destroy both your body and soul in hell; GOD. If you live for Christ, if you read His Word, seek to understand, and obey what you understand you have nothing to fear. NOTHING! We are to cast all our concerns on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We are of infinite value to Him (Matthew 10:29-31). He knows every need you have even before you arrive there (Matthew 6:31-33). God absolutely hears you when you cry out, pray, or just talk to Him (1John 5: 14-15). That's not to say God will immediately grant every and any request we make. That would be silly because we could all ask God for a million dollars and immediately go and find it in our bank accounts. We know that prayer and providence don't work like that. However, when it comes to genuine NEEDS, we can sometimes be blown away by a "coincidence" whereby a need is met in an unexpected and surprising way. I've had dozens of these in my lifetime; literally! I do not fear rejection by family or friends for speaking and standing for truth. I do not fear social media silencing me. I do not fear my government putting an end to freedom of religion or personal worship. I do not fear a radical, misguided religion who wants to kill me for believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father in heaven. I do not fear if I'll run short on groceries or clothes to wear. I do not fear loneliness, sickness, or disease because I know "God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus"- Philippians 4:19.

One last point I wish to make regarding 'fearing God.' Think of a child who has tremendous respect and love for mommy and daddy and who dearly wants to please them. He has a certain 'fear' of offending those he loves, not because he's afraid of torture or even punishment, but rather because he's afraid of displeasing the ones who, in that child's world, are his source of security and love. It is the same when we have a healthy adoration for God. I fear more that I might be displeasing to God than I am He will send lightning down to strike me dead. See what I mean? My desire is to always be pleasing to God, to walk in the way He has taught me, to be a light and witness to the world, knowing that regardless of any negative situation, God has my back and ultimately it is HE whom I live for and not the world.
Until next time,
-Pat-
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RELATED SCRIPTURES:

1. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
2. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
3. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
4.“Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7
5. “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4
6. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
7. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22
8.“'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:13-14
9. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
10. “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” Psalm 118: 6-7
11.“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38-39

Jesus is King, Why Not Confucius?

Confucius, Buddha, Vishnu, Osiris, Baal, Moloch, Thor, Pan, Zeus, Odin, Krishna, Brahma, Shiva, Allah, Isis, Athena, Apollo, Horus, Aphrodite, Prometheus, Satan and so many more. All of these are worshipped as gods by people on every continent of this globe. But, only one is "King of Kings and Lord of lords ..." says Revelation 19:16. WHO? Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is "the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5). Jesus said, "All authority IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH has been given to Me" (Matthew 28:18). Nowhere in the Bible does it mention any of the names I listed above. Satan is the only name that plays a role in dealing with mankind. Did you know Satan has to ask permission to tempt you? He has no authority! We give Satan way too much credit. Look at this verse from Luke 22:31, Jesus speaking: " Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat" (NAS Bible). And consider the book of Job 1:6-22. Satan could not test Job's unwavering faith without God allowing Satan to do so. Although the 21 names above may be "considered" deities by themselves or by others, and maybe some in the 20th century have claimed to be Jesus Christ in the flesh, all have died, or will die, and none will raise from the dead! Satan is a spiritual being, a fallen angel (not a man) and his end is yet to come once everything is fulfilled (Revelation 20:10).

Jesus is my King because 1) He is GOD. 2) He is the Savior. 3) He is the all in all. How can I know this? The Word of God told us, "For in Him (Jesus) lives all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9). Jesus was and is God. Today I'm going to give you scriptural truths why He is all of these to me. Before I begin, keep in mind that none of the names I mentioned when I began this blog ever raised from the dead. They had no power to do so being mortal men but Jesus Christ DID RISE FROM THE DEAD, proving He could only be one thing ... GOD! 1 Corinthians lists six appearances of Jesus after He rose, including 500 people at one time. While the apostles didn't always list how many saw the resurrected Jesus, they sure did mention that He was seen after He rose!

A. Jesus is my King because HE IS MY GOD. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, AND THE WORD WAS GOD." (1 John 1-3) "And we know that the Son of God has come (Jesus), and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John 5:20). Did you see that, or did you read over it? Jesus Christ is the true God and only He alone is Life eternal! Jesus wasn't just a good man or spiritual teacher during His time on earth, He was both the SON (John 3:16) and God Himself - God in human flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). Yes, He was fully man, but He was also fully God (Colossians 2:9). Claiming to be something, as Jesus claimed to be God, doesn't make it true. Where's the evidence that He is God? Jesus' identity isn't based solely on what He said, but on what He did. And He left a lot of evidence that He is God. That evidence includes fulfilled prophecy and many recorded miracles in which Jesus reversed the laws of nature! He also lived His life without ever committing one sin-He was sinless (Hebrews 4:15), something no one else can do or ever has done. Then there's the fact He was crucified on a cross, His flesh experiencing death, yet He raised from death because His Spirit, being God, had power over the grave. Isaiah prophesied before Jesus ever came into the world, "For a child is born to us, A Son is given to us; and the government is upon His shoulder, And His Name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Did you see that one? Hopefully, you did not read over that either ... Jesus will be called "God;" and "Father." Thomas declared it when he touched the nail prints in Jesus' hands (note! this is after Jesus was crucified, proving the resurrection) " MY LORD AND MY GOD." Then we have Acts 2:32 which says God raised Jesus up and in John 10:17 it says JESUS HAD THE POWER to raise Himself. How? Because He was God! The One True God. Now watch this ... Galatians 1:1 testifies THE FATHER raised Him, Romans 8:11 testifies THE HOLY SPIRIT raised Him. Contradiction? OH NO! The only conclusion is that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are ONE ... GOD! See my previous blog titled "The Holy Spirit."

B. Jesus is my King because HE IS MY SAVIOR. I need a Savior because my sins merit eternal death (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23) and I cannot save myself based on my own merits, goodness, or kindness to others (Ephesians 2:8) ...it's God's gift to me and isn't earned by my own works or efforts. Matthew 1:21 tells us Jesus was coming into the world to save us from our sins. It was announced in Luke 2:11 "There is born to you a Savior WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST THE LORD" (emphasis mine). Jesus would be the Savior of us all (1 Timothy 4:10.) Jesus abolished death for all that believe and follow Him, and He brings life through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8-10). The gospel, His WORD, renews our minds! Jesus can bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18), He is our propitiation ... to regain favor for us back to the Father (1 John 2:2). He was sent to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14), and Jesus proved to all of us that He is the Savior of mankind through His sinless life, death, and resurrection. He lives and reigns from the throne in heaven sitting on the right of His Father.

C. Jesus is my King because HE IS MY ALL IN ALL. It's because He is my God and Savior of my soul that makes Him my all in all. Romans 14:9 testifies Christ died, rose, and revived to be my KING and LORD of lords. I want to be His subject. I want to spiritually be crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20) so that I might raise in glorious victory over sin and death as He did (2 Corinthians 5:15). I want to serve Him and be under His rule because He has all authority (Matthew 28:18). In whose arms of the men mentioned earlier would you rather be resting? Jesus rules today (Hebrews 9:15). I want to be a part of His Kingdom because He is God (Matthew 16:18-19; Revelation 1:5-6). Jesus gave all for me and so I want to give all for Him! To Him be all the honor, power, and glory. Everything I blogged today is evident through study and acceptance of God's Word. One day it will be made plainly evident to all. However, one day it will be too late to have Jesus as your King if you have not accepted Him while on earth. Is Jesus your King?

If you are not a Christian, I invite you to enter The Kingdom today.
Hear the Word, Romans 10:17 "Faith comes in hearing by the Word of God."
Believe with all your heart, Hebrews 11:6 "For without faith it is impossible to please God."
Repent and turn from your sin, Acts 17:30 "God commands all men everywhere to repent."
Confess that Jesus IS THE SON OF GOD, Matthew 16:16 "Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God."
Be baptized for the remission of your sins, 1 Peter 3:21 "This water symbolizes baptism, not the removal of dirt, but of a clear conscience toward God."
In closing, I urge you to open a Bible read 5 sentences from Revelation 19: 11-16.
Until next time,
-Pat-

THE HOLY SPIRIT

Who/What is the Holy Spirit? Do you know? Could you define Him if someone asked you to? Sometimes referred to as the Holy "Ghost", the Holy Spirit is mentioned over 90 times in the New Testament. In this blog, I want to educate each reader on what the Bible teaches regarding the Holy Spirit. I won't be able to cover everything mind you, but hopefully, I will succeed in helping you understand the third person of the Godhead. The word "Godhead" refers to Deity - three persons in One: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To help clarify this fact I will share what the Lord spoke to me in my spirit in simple terms. Afterward, I will continue in a more complex explanation. Here is what God gave me:
GOD: "Think of your husband. Could he build anything with his hands?"
Me: "Yes. He even built a shed from scratch once. He was amazing."
God: "Then he was a carpenter! Could he fix a car if it wasn't running, or put on a set of brakes, fix a radiator, change a flat tire?"
Me: "Yes. He not only fixed my car before but other cars when people needed help."
God: "Then he was a mechanic! Was he also handy around the house?"
Me: The best! There wasn't a problem he couldn't tackle. He could repair anything from a lawnmower, dishwasher, garbage disposal, an electrical short to a computer!"
God: Then he was a handyman!"
Then God said, "Your husband was all three of these things, yet he was one man. It is the same with Me. I am the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Yet ONE."

God functions in different capacities through these three who share the same purpose. As I said, the term HOLY GHOST is interchangeable with the HOLY SPIRIT. To be clear, the Holy Spirit is not some mystical force, mist, fog, or wind moving hither and thither in some mysterious manner. The Holy Spirit is not an "It." Though invisible to our human eyes, He manifests attributes of an individual personality. How so? Well, HE SPEAKS! (2 Samuel 23:2; Ezekiel 11:5; Matthew 10:20; Acts 8:29; Acts 10:19; Acts 13:2). HE ACTS! (Acts 8:39) ... He took Philip so that Eunuch saw him no more. HE LEADS! (Matthew 4:1)... He led Jesus to the wilderness. HE CALLS. (Acts 13:2)... He called Paul & Barnabus unto a specific work. HE GUIDES! (John 16:13; Acts 11:12) ... He guided the apostles into all truth and guided Peter to the house of Cornelius. HE FORBIDS! (Acts 16:7)... He forbade Paul and company to go into Asia. HE CAN TAKE A UNIQUE FORM! (Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22)... specifically a body shape. HE MAKES INTERCESSION! (Romans 8:27) He intercedes for us as believers. HE MAKES DECISIONS! (Acts 15:28). You should take the time to open your Bible and read these examples. Although He is a part of the Godhead, it is obvious He stands in distinction to the Father and Son. You can also find the distinction between the three in Ephesians 4:4-6; Matthew 28:19; John 14:26; Mark 1:10-11.

The Holy Spirit deals with mankind through inspiration. Of all the Godhead, He alone is responsible for inspiration! It was HE who inspired the Old Testament prophets "For the prophecy came not in the old time by the will of man, but holy men spoke as they were "moved" (inspired) by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21 KJV). He also inspired the New Testament writers "All scripture is given by inspiration of God..." (1 Timothy 3:16) The Holy Spirit had a unique work in the physical creation of this earth! #1 HE SHAPED IT (Genesis 1:2; Psalms 104:30) #2 HE IS RESPONSIBLE IN CREATING MAN "The Spirit of God has made me" (Job 33:4). He's responsible for Jesus' physical form (Luke 1:35). Remember what I said about God showing me the different attributes of my husband yet my husband is just one man? In a similar way, we see the Godhead in 3 distinct roles. The role of the Father in creation is similar to an architect. He came with the blueprints! The second person of the Godhead, the SON Jesus Christ, is similar to a foreman. He tells what needs to be done! Then the third person, the Holy Spirit is similar to the craftsman. He takes the materials in hand and shapes them to the proper form! The Holy Spirit is very much alive; very active. It was the Holy Spirit who had a unique work in the creation of the Bible! Oh yes, again, read 2 Peter 1:21... "holy men of God spoke as they were "moved" (inspired) by the Holy Ghost." Again, you should clearly be able to distinguish the Holy Spirits role from the Father & Son. When it comes to His inspired Word (our Bibles), the Father is responsible for the creation of the message - the ideas. The Son is responsible for the formation of the message -the speechwriter. Finally, the Holy Spirit is responsible for the delivery if the message- the speech deliverer.

We aren't finished yet. The Holy Spirit has a unique work in SPIRITUAL CREATION- Refer to Isaiah 59:21. He uses those words to invite the sinner to be saved- Refer to Revelation 22:17. He is responsible for delivering the Word of God and the message of salvation in the BOOK we call the Bible- Refer to Ephesians 3:3-4. He helps us by giving us the power to obey through The Word through the Spirit -by the message of the Spirit- Refer to 1 Peter 1:22. When we do so, we are "born" of the Spirit (John 3:5). Then when we participate in the new birth, we receive the justification of the Spirit- Refer to 1 Corinthians 6:11. As a result? GOD'S HOUSE IS BUILT! Ephesians 4:12 says that work of the Spirit is for "the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ" which is His Church. Again, can you see the distinction of the Holy Spirit from the Father's and the Son's? Let me show you once again:
The Father was responsible for the plan ... the "eternal purpose" (see Ephesians 3: 9-11) FATHER: ARCHITECT OF THE CHURCH. The Son was responsible for the execution of the plan ... "I will build My church" (see Matthew 16:18). THE SON: FOREMAN OF THE CHURCH. The Holy Spirit is responsible for the application of that plan to man as CRAFTSMAN OF THE CHURCH.

In conclusion, WHO is the Holy Spirit? He is God; Divine. He is a unique person of the Godhead. He has a unique role. He has a mind, emotions, and will. He thinks and knows (1 Corinthians 2:10). He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). He intercedes for us (Romans 8: 26-27). He makes decisions according to His will (1 Corinthians 12: 7-11). He functions as the Comforter and Counselor that Jesus promised He would be and would send to us (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). The Holy Spirit is Omnipresent ... always there for the believer to comfort, guide, encourage, and strengthen. As I end this blog, I will repeat the words from Psalm 139:7-8, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there."
I hope you have a more clear understanding of the third person of the Trinity.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Why Should I Trust You?

Have you ever been asked, "Why should I trust you?" I have been asked that question when sharing my faith in Jesus. I want everyone reading this blog to realize, it's not me you need to trust, it is JESUS. I'm only sharing what He has opened my eyes to. Hopefully, my blogs will lead you to search, to open the Bible, and see it for yourself. Why should you trust Jesus? I'm going to give you scriptural reasons what it means to trust Him and why. In Paul's book of Ephesians chapter 1, verses 11-12 he lists the spiritual blessings that are in Christ, or in other words, to those that believe, follow and trust in Him. Namely redemption, adoption, grace, an eternal inheritance, and acceptance. In verse 12, Paul explains why we have these blessings....it is because WE FIRST TRUSTED in Jesus. Keep that in mind! Trust.

So what does it mean to trust? Have you ever really thought about it, analyzed it? When you say, "I trust you" what are you really trying to convey? In short, trust is the act of depending upon someone else to do what is needed. We must let go of self and trust someone else. When it relates to trusting Jesus, God tells us "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Let me say the same thing in 2019 language: YOU MUST trust God with everything you've got and don't try to understand what you see with your eyes or hear with your ears because they can begin to make you doubt. Believe and acknowledge that God has got this, that He knows what He is doing, that it IS HIM doing it and you'll have nothing to fear because God is at the helm and is leading you in the direction that is best. So I will say to you what God said to Abraham in Genesis 18:25, "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" Regarding Jesus, it is depending upon Him to do what is needed and right. We must trust the LORD with all our heart. All of it. Jesus did what was needed for our salvation (Romans 5:8) "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." And, Jesus will continue to do what is right "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20)

Trust is taking someone at their word is it not? Jesus spoke. Do you trust it? Consider Luke 5:1-11. I won't type it all out but in short, Simon had fished all night without catching anything. Jesus saw Simon and called out for Simon to put down his net in the deep water. Simon's reply was that they had fished all night and didn't catch a thing. Wouldn't that have been your response? It has literally been my experience regarding fishing one spot for a long time. If nothing was biting, nothing caught, I would move on and no one could have changed my mind even if I had I been told to cast out one more time. And though Simon did acknowledge they had fished all night and nothing was caught, Simon did something right! He trusted Jesus! He answers Jesus in this way, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything, (watch this) BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I will let down the nets." Simon trusted the words of Jesus and acted in faith before seeing any results. The outcome? There were so many fish in the nets that they began to break! Lesson? Trusting Jesus results in blessings you wouldn't think were possible.

Trust means believing someone's promise. Consider Hebrews 6: 13-18. Abraham was promised by God that he would be the father of many nations... that he would be blessed and given many descendants. However, his wife Sarah was old and past childbearing age. How could this be? How many senior men reading this blog could ever believe their wives in their senior years could ever bear them children? Needless to say, I wager none would believe it. But Abraham waited patiently, holding onto what God promised him. After 25 years, Abraham received! How many of us ask God for something and grow weary and impatient just after a week or two? Our impatience reveals our lack of trust. God is faithful when we wait upon Him and when we trust wholly in His Word. God is a God that calls into being things that were not! I encourage you to open your Bible today and read Romans 4: 17-22. It will take you all but 30 seconds!

When we completely and totally trust someone, we have no worries. When going on vacation before, I have left my house key with a trusted and faithful neighbor to come into my home and feed my cats, let my dogs out to potty, and to turn on the inside lights and porch light to make it appear I was home. I could be away from home for an entire week and believe and trust, without any worries that things wouldn't be handled properly. We should trust Jesus just like that, never harboring one fear or doubt. Jesus tells us not to worry in Matthew 6:25-34. This is a good read too and easy to understand. We aren't to worry about everyday things that seem to take much of our time worrying about! We are not to worry about our life: what we eat, what we drink, what we have to wear. In other words, necessities! God feeds the birds of the air, doesn't He? They don't even store anything in barns in case of a disaster in the future, yet God sees they are fed every day. Don't you think you have more value than a bird since you were made in God's image?? And what do we gain by worrying anyway? Ulcers? Digestive problems? The inability to function properly? The lack of sleep? Philippians 4:6 tells us, IN NOTHING be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God." (emphasis mine). And just so you know? Your answer may be instant or it may take longer than 1-2 weeks! I'm just sayin'. It took 25 years with Abraham.

And get this, we don't have to do it by ourselves. Have you ever doubted your own ability? I have. Well, guess what? Philippians 4:13 tells us, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." There's a promise from God's Word! Do you believe it? Do you trust it? The truth is, there are things we just can't do ourselves. We definitely cannot control the Universe. BUT JESUS CAN! Ephesians 1:21-22 tells us (you can read it) that Jesus is far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come. Who do you call out to when you are afraid? When you're in trouble? When you're scared? When you're confused? When you need direction? When you need healing? When you feel abandoned or alone? When you are needing to make a decision? Do you call your psychiatrist? Your pastor? Buy a book on how to solve something? Do you reach for the bottle? Do you call on Satan's power? God promises us, Jesus is far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come. CALL ON JESUS!

And finally, WHY do we trust Jesus? I'll tell you why. Jesus offered His life for our salvation. Who else in history has ever died to save your soul? John 3:16 and John 15:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:15 speaks of His sacrifice FOR YOU! We trust Jesus because GOD declared Him to be HIS SON by the resurrection (Romans 1:4) because He is in control of ALL THINGS (Hebrews 1: 1-3) because He has all authority (Matthew 28:18) because without Him, DO YOU HEAR ME?? ... without Him, there is no hope (Ephesians 2:12) we trust because Jesus keeps His promises (2 Peter 3:9). You can go to any of the verses I've listed and see with your own eyes. Don't trust what I say, read the promises of God for yourself.
Until next time,
-Pat-

How To Get To Hell

"Don't you mean, how to get to heaven??" came the puzzled question this past week after I made suggestions of how to get to hell. Perhaps you are scratching your head after seeing the title of this blog and wondering what 'HOW TO GET TO HELL' implies. So often we talk about what one must do to get to heaven but we neglect the steps that can take us to hell. There is an interesting story in the book of Zephaniah the prophet. He actually taught people how to get to hell. Well, sort of. Let's look at it. Zephaniah lived during the reign of Josiah the king. Josiah was one of the few kings that truly turned to the Lord. And in so doing, he instituted sweeping, nation-wide religious reform. He cast down idols and destroyed the high places where people worshipped false gods. And although his "reforms" were well-intentioned and fervent, they did not bring about lasting change, nor did they affect the morality of the people. As it goes, Zephaniah was sent by God to the nation of Judah to encourage the people to repent. The direction to heaven or hell can be found in Zephaniah's words: "Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God." His message is not only simple, but it's also clear. Zephaniah 1:8- 2:15, "Notice what is about to happen to Nineveh and the other great nations. Watch God's judgment in action and take note as to why it is happening." Clear words that we can apply today to our nation.

In chapter 3:2, Zephaniah lists four things that would lead to Jerusalem and Judah's downfall. Today even you, like the people of Jerusalem, if completing the four following steps can have your place reserved - for all eternity in "the lake of fire which burns with fire and brimstone ..." (Revelation 21:8). Curious? Here they are straight from the mouth of the prophet. And I quote:
1. "Obey not the voice." Ignore the commandments of God. Don't read or study His Word. Skip worshipping Him in any fashion. No thankfulness. Be lazy.
2. "Receive Not Correction." Develop a prideful attitude. Don't let others tell you that you are wrong. Get mad when they try to correct you with God's reminders. Tell them: "That's just your interpretation." Or, stick your fingers in your ears and yell "Nah, Nah, Nah, No No No. No way!"
3. "Trust Not In The Lord." Develop a lack of faith and trust in God. Doubt His Word. Rely on other things outside of Him for answers.
4. "Draw Not Near To God." Place no value in an intimate relationship with the Lord. Nurture your resistance to fellowship with Him. In fact, run as far from Him as you can. Be an atheist. Be an agnostic. Become apathetic.

Interestingly, Zephaniah's four steps work both directions. We can take the HOW TO GET TO HELL and apply them in reverse! This will determine the four steps that will have your name written for all eternity in the Book of Life "He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).
1. "Obey the Voice." Obey God and His Son Jesus Christ. Hebrews 5: 8-9 "Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him ..." We learn to obey God as we learn His Word. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
2. "Receive Correction." As we read, study and understand God's Word we come to know what obedience to God's Word requires. The Word teaches us what we are to obey. 2 Timothy 3: 16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Solomon had this to say with regards to receiving correction, Proverbs 3: 11-12 "despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction: For whom the LORD loves, He corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."
3. "Trust in God." We cannot trust in ourselves or we will fall. The prophet said in Jeremiah 10:23, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps." Solomon said in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seems right to man, but the end thereof is the way of death." When we hear AND HEED God's Word, and we receive and apply His correction, we demonstrate our trust in Him!
4. "Draw Near To God." When we place our complete trust in God and submit ourselves to His Will, we draw ourselves near to Him and He to us. James 4: 7-8, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded ..."

Unfortunately, Judah succumbed to the same fate as those other nations. Our nation is following the same pattern and even more surprising, people who claim to be Christians. God's warning through the prophet is clear, "This is a nation that obeys not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receives correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth" (Jeremiah 7:28). God has been patient through the centuries for men to come unto Him, "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people: and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you" (Jeremiah 7:23). Our nation is falling away from the foundational Christian faith upon which it was founded. The fruit of our disobedience has ripened before God's eyes. As I have said before, there two ways before you, broad and narrow (Matthew 7:13-14)... The narrow way symbolizes a life of righteousness through Christ, holiness- (being set-apart) in devotion to God, love for God and man, and the desire to please God. The "broad" way symbolizes a life of sin, recklessness, rebellion against God, love of self, a desire to please self, and rejection of God. Will you do as God commanded Israel ... to obey His voice, receive His correction, trust in and draw near to Him? Or will you follow your own way, the broad way ... the steps that lead to everlasting hell? You have two choices before you. You've always had two choices before you. God does not send anyone to hell! In fact, according to 2 Peter 3:9 God is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. WE make that choice! WE DO. Because God has shown us How To Get To Heaven, how is it His fault when WE choose, of our own free will, How WE Get To Hell?
Until next time,
-Pat-

Easter Message

For Christian believers, Easter is the highest most glorious point of our faith. It is not Easter baskets and chocolate bunnies, new outfits or patent leather shoes. Easter is not only that Jesus left the splendor of heaven to come to earth, not merely that He died taking our place to save us from spiritual death, but that He rose from the dead. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD! The implications are huge! What man among us could die then raise from the grave? Could you or anyone you know? Did Buddha? Mohammed? Zoroaster? St. Francis of Assisi? Martin Luther? Confucius? Krishna? Joseph Smith? Any Roman Catholic Pope? Need you even answer? None of these had power over death and the grave BECAUSE OF ONE THING... all were mortal men. Only One has ever risen from the grave and overcame sin and death ... Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Hallelujah! How? Because He was God the Omnipotent. Only God has all power both in heaven and on earth, Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in the earth." Jesus is above all others and one-day every knee WILL BOW and every tongue WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11 KJV).

Jesus is LORD! There is no other.
1. His Divinity- He was sinless, therefore, death had no victory over Him. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Jesus "died" because He was made sin for us, He paid the price and discharged our debt! So it was impossible to be held by the grave or death.
2. His Divine Power- Death could not hold Him because He was the RESURRECTION and the Life (John 11:25).
3. His Divine Promise- Death could not hold Him because He said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." (speaking of His body)
4. His Divine Purpose- God intended we be with Him in heaven. To do that, Christ had to come out of the grave.
If you think about it, if Jesus had only come to earth, He would merely have been a visitor --God on vacation. If Jesus had only died, He would merely have been a religious teacher. BUT ... He didn't just come to earth, and He didn't just die on a cross. And He didn't remain encased in a tomb. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD! I hope we never tire of hearing the words - He Is Risen! I hope we never cease to be amazed at the incredible fact that death couldn't hold the Lord of Life! And, most of all, I hope we never miss this simple truth - Jesus is alive today. What does it mean to you that Jesus is alive? Let me suggest 3 things I see in the resurrection:

1. There is Love in the Resurrection. "In that was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9). I see love in a painful way on the cross. I see the extent of God's love for us as we reflect on Jesus' death. But it doesn't end there! The love of God didn't only send Jesus to the cross, it also raised Him back to life! Love hates death. Love struggles against death and in favor of life. And in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, love overcomes death! That is what the resurrection calls us - to receive God's love and love Him back. If you've been searching, striving, dying to be loved - come to the empty tomb. Go first to the cross, of course, and see the love and forgiveness on the face of Jesus. But don't stay there. Come and meet the resurrected Jesus, the God who is risen and is alive today. You will discover love beyond what you could imagine.

2. There is Life in the Resurrection. "...like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). We are united with Jesus in His Resurrection Life. In fact, that is exactly what happens at the moment we respond in faith to God. That is what God freely offers to us - new life. He offers the chance for us to participate with Jesus in the life that comes through resurrection. Jesus is alive today. And He brings with Him the gift of Life, His hand outstretched at this very moment offering it to you. He won't force it on you, stuff it down your throat - but He will freely offer it. Life eternal.

3. There is hope in the Resurrection. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). We have hope because Jesus rose from the dead. There is a hymn that goes, 'Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, I can face uncertain days because He lives.' The resurrection gives us hope for today, hope for tomorrow, and hope for eternity. Hope that things can change. Hope that even if they don't change, and the worst happens and death comes, that is not the end of all things! There is more life after that, a better life for the saved after that - life without sickness, pain, or tears.

Today, Easter Sunday 2020, my prayer is that you would know the risen Lord Jesus. That you would know the love, the life, and the hope of the Resurrection. That is the simple message of the Christian faith - JESUS IS ALIVE!
Until next time,
-Pat

What About False Prophets?

False prophets. What about false prophets? The book of Matthew lays out warnings for us because there are dangers in listening to false prophets. Namely: Diversion, Division, and Damnation. This blog is written to make you keenly aware that God expects us to believe and obey His Truth and that to be led astray by false teachers is serious business. You would be wise to read Matthew 7: 15-20 regarding this subject so that you will know the things I write here are warnings from Jesus Himself. In the book of Matthew, we read Jesus words, "Beware of false prophets." It's interesting to note that this warning comes in the midst of Jesus discussion regarding the narrow road (way) versus the broad road (way) to heaven. Just as many will enter in at the wide, broad way, so also there will be false prophets (ministers, pastors, teachers) who will try to deceive us out of going the narrow way. False prophets are disguised as "sheep" but the Bible warns us, they are really devouring wolves leading us astray.

Jesus also tells us that they can be identified if you are paying attention. Just as a tree is known by what fruit it bears (if apples hang from the limbs, it is an apple tree. If pears, a pear tree. If cherries, a cherry tree). Likewise spiritually, a false prophet is known by his fruit. False prophets generate bad fruit. Identifying FALSE doctrine, FALSE teaching, FALSE words, takes discernment. The only way you can spot a lie from truth is to know the Word, to know what to look for. That comes by reading and educating yourself in the scriptures. So what is a false prophet? His teaching do not line up with, is in opposition to, or has changed what God wrote in His Holy Word. You can refer to Deuteronomy 18:20 or Deuteronomy 13:3. But there's more. False prophets will also divert you from the truth to steer you away from the true narrow course Jesus spoke of, "Enter in through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it." There are two choices we can take. Narrow or broad. Narrow is ONE WAY=JESUS. Broad is many ways, religions, opinions, and ideas. Jesus said the wider, broad way leads to destruction. 1 Timothy 1:19-20 describes being diverted from the faith as a shipwreck. When is it that a ship ends up wrecking? When it has lost its course; when it has been diverted. This is what Timothy was explaining. He further states that those who went off course were delivered to Satan. I sure don't want to sail that ship!! This is what Satan wants from us, to be diverted. DIVERSION: To cause someone or something to change course or turn from one direction to another. Satan uses many types of tactics and schemes to divert us ... fear, doubt, deceit, confusion, opinions, lies, etc. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to "Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."

This is a very serious matter! 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 warns, "For such are false prophets, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers (false prophets) also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their fruits." 1 Timothy 6:20 -21, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith." Individuals who are diverted from the faith cause division. Paul wrote of this in Romans 16:17-18. You can read the Biblical account but I'll state it in the 21-century account: ... I'm telling you, note those teachers, pastors, preachers or Christians who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which Jesus taught and is written in His Word, and avoid them at all costs. They are wolves in sheep's clothing and don't really serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but serve themselves by their own wants and desires and with good words, fair speeches, and tickling of your ears, give you what you want to hear even if it veers from the truth and by so doing, deceive the simple of heart. The simple truth is, those who teach contrary to the doctrine recorded and written 2000 years ago bring division among the Church as well as to the unread, unskilled. Satan wants nothing more than to confuse and misdirect you. He wants contentions among us, divisions and fighting, accusations, and arguments. If we are divided how can we stand? Paul gave warning to be alert even after his death, knowing that, "after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). This is so obvious even now in 2019. How perverse is it for women to claim they have the right to kill a baby at full term if they decide at the last moment of crowning they no longer want the baby? God said he hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6: 16-19). Isn't a newborn baby THE MOST INNOCENT among us?? Yet, there are preachers and "Christians" who stand firm on the deception that abortion is not murder! This is perverse. It shows a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable for a civilized nation and it's unacceptable. Despite the spiritual consequences or implications, they act in their own self-interest and have erred from the faith. Satan wants to draw people away and divide the Church and conquer it through division.

Lastly, let's talk about damnation. It's pointed out in scripture that those who teach a different gospel other than that which written and delivered by the disciples is accursed. Even our 21st century defines the word accursed as damned, doomed, condemned. Here are four places in God's Word to back that up. I cannot write them all out they are too long, but I will give you the basic understanding. Look them up to back up what I say and to know I am not using my own words.
1) Galatians 1:6-9. Speaks of people who have drifted from Jesus and the truth to go unto another "gospel." It's still the gospel of Christ if you will, but His words have been perverted and changed. Diversion and deception entered. Example: Preachers that won't preach there is a hell because it would be harmful to your self-esteem! The Book of Revelation, chapter 22 verse 18 warns anyone who would add to or subtract from the words of the prophecy of Jesus testimony, all the plagues that are written in the book will be added to that person! Scary.
2) 2 Peter 2:1-3 Speaks of false prophets among the people that will bring in damnable heresies, insomuch they will deny Jesus even saved them. These will bring swift destruction upon themselves but not only that, many will follow their pernicious ways (damaging, destructive, lethal, wicked, evil, fatal ways) and through their feigned ways (insincere, pretentious ways) make merchandise of you!! They sell you their lies, their books, and use you for their gain. These will be damned.
3) 1 Timothy 6:3-5 Speaks of those destitute of the truth, who will not consent to the words Jesus spoke but are constantly causing strife by asking questions that make you doubt the wholesome doctrine of Jesus which is according to godliness. These sow seeds of envy, strife, obstruction, theory, and speculation, debates and discussions of men whose minds have been corrupted. Timothy says from such turn away and withdraw yourself.. retreat, pull-back, leave! Why? They are dangerous and can corrupt your mind with all the tactics above. These will be sent a strong delusion by God that they will believe and be damned for not believing the truth once delivered to them, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

My thoughts: God will surely judge all counterfeiter's as scripture reveals and they will not be spared. Remember the Biblical account when the angels fell? God judged the angels. When the world became polluted in Noah's day, God judged them with a flood. When Sodom and Gomorrah became sexually perverted. God judged them with fire and brimstone. GOD WILL JUDGE FALSE PROPHETS, PASTORS, AND TEACHERS. Please don't get caught up with false, counterfeit Christianity. The world is full of counterfeits! Examine their fruits! Is beheading a human being a peaceful theology? Is worshipping a cow truly how you honor God? Is obtaining Nirvana how you become enlightened to Jesus' wisdom & knowledge? Is marrying someone of your same gender Biblical teaching? Is seeking riches and blessings of temporal things that will pass away your priority, or is learning about and serving the Lord and enriching your soul what's really important? There are two ways before you. Each revealing their fruit. From which will you eat and live?
Until next time,
-Pat-

Do Not Be Unequally Yoked Together With Unbelievers

Recently I was asked, "Is it a sin for me being a Christian to have friends that aren't Christians?" That's a loaded question, but one that deserves a thorough examination. I'll answer that question from two perspectives. The Bible speaks of specific principals for the believer. One, that Christians ARE NOT be unequally yoked (linked, joined, united) with unbelievers. And two, Christians are called to be separate from the world, to be "set apart" (which means to be holy. To be "holy" refers to a state of being set apart from defilement). Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you'll better understand what those two points actually mean. If believers are not supposed to be linked or joined with unbelievers, is God saying we are to have nothing to do with anyone who doesn't think like us, is of a different creed, race, or conviction? Well, the answer is no. We can be in the world, with other people, but not OF the world. Jesus even said when praying to His Father, "I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of this world" (John 17:15-16). Jesus calls us to be in the world, but not of the world, meaning, don't distance yourself from the secular crowd, but influence it! Don't yoke yourself to them and thus be influenced by them. When you understand your purpose in Christ, you can change the atmosphere and the culture. How? We are called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). Both salt and light change their surroundings do they not? Of course, they do! One brings flavor and the other brings clarity. Christians aren't just set apart from sin, we are set apart for a purpose, which is to influence the world for Christ.

We are to be set apart from the world. An easy explanation is, being set apart is personal separation involving an individuals commitment to a godly standard of behavior. Daniel practiced this separatism when he "resolved not to defile himself with royal food and wine" (Daniel 1:8). A modern example of personal separation could be the decision to decline invitations to parties where alcohol is served and the reputation of such events leads to unbridled sexual activities. Such a decision might be made in order to avoid temptation (Romans 13:14). to avoid "every kind of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22), or perhaps to simply be consistent with a personal conviction (Romans 14:5). Believers are called to fight and steer clear of sin when they see or perceive it. Our desire to be "set apart" is not to be haughty or to stand on higher ground, puffing out our chests so that we can look down on people, but glorify God in our actions. This does not mean our relationships with secular friends must end. No, we can still go shopping, camping, boating, fishing, playing golf, taking a ride in the country with them, etc. We are to avoid all appearances of evil which will require discernment, wisdom, and commitment to our faith. 2 Corinthians 6:17 admonishes, "Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." What does THAT mean? Touch no unclean thing? I use to wonder that myself.

"Touch no unclean thing" is basically to keep at the utmost distance every person or thing whereby you may be drawn into evil ..."Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 6:14). A day of swimming, boating, and fishing is an entirely different arena than going out to bars, drinking with friends that are drunkards, or partying where unabashed activities take place. We cannot sever all those who are outside of Christ. Otherwise, how will the lost hear? Who are the lost? All those destitute of true faith. We should not join in friendships or acquaintances with wicked or immoral unbelievers that practice sin and challenge us to join in. We chance of becoming entangled and ensnared. The Bible asks this question in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17, "For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and the devil? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.' Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord." (also see 1 Peter 1:14-16). Come out and away from sin or the appearance thereof. Don't participate in the sins of the world any longer. Don't partake in your "friends" worldly activities. Rather, when you are together, always mirror Christ and let them become curious as to what has made us different than everyone else.

I have heard Christian pray and ask God for people to look at them and see something different about them. That's all well and good, but the point isn't for people to notice something about us, but it's for them to know the One who made us different. The real goal isn't for people to view us and say, "Wow, look how much different they are from the way they use to be" but to say, "Look how much they look like Jesus!" Our ambition shouldn't be for others to see how much we DON'T LOOK like the world, but instead to see how much WE DO LOOK LIKE JESUS. I recall a situation nearly 45 years ago. I was hospitalized for malnutrition. A nurse entered my room to sweep and change bed sheets and we happened to engage in conversation. At the time I had been a Christian for less than 1 year and I was still in my highly excitable, tell everyone about Jesus stage. I began testifying about loving Jesus and Him saving me. I presume the nurse was not saved because of her reaction. Her eyes widened as she approached the side of my bed. She leaned over and said, "Girl!! What is that in you?" I was taken back not knowing exactly what she was asking but nonetheless, I exclaimed, "It's Jesus!" She mumbled something under her breath. I didn't hear it all, only the last part, "I'm going to have to look into that!" To this day I'm still not sure if she literally SAW something in me or that she was fascinated by my exuberant testimony. For the next two days, she returned to my room every afternoon and I would ask if I could pray for her. She always let me. After that, I never saw her again. In closing, my point is, God's goal in setting us apart is not about taking us out of the world, but about Him taking the world out of us! By pursuing Christ, the things of the world lose their grip on us and we begin to shine in His glory. He wants us to conform to His image, not distance us from the world where the lost are.
Until next time,
-Pat-