The 7th Trumpet

I have been asked numerous times throughout the years what my views are regarding the Rapture of the Church. Most people want to know when will it take place, PRE-tribulation. MID-tribulation, or a POST-tribulation? In other words, will believers be raptured before the return of Jesus, at the mid-point of the tribulation or 3 1/2 years in, or after the Great Tribulation meaning all Christians will go through the entire 7 years? This blog has taken weeks to pull together. It is long. I hope you will stay with me.

There are only three possible choices: 1. The Church will never suffer as Jesus will call us up before tribulation begins. 2) We'll suffer some, a total of 3 1/2 years as a time to strengthen and prepare our hearts through testing, suffering, and persecution. 3) We go through the entire 7 years, the later 3 1/2 years of which God displays His wrath on people but not His wrath on believers because 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." ***Note: Whether AWAKE when He comes or ASLEEP in the grave when He comes. He's coming for all believers who are physically dead at the time or still alive. Remember this for later! Which scenario do you believe? I must admit, the subject is always up for debate. In all honesty, at some point over the years I have believed all three choices because I, as many of you, simply listened to varying opinions and didn't know which to believe. In this blog, I'm not going to give my opinion of how we can know when the rapture is to take place, but I will point out in this blog through scripture that we have been clearly told at what point!

Before I get too deep, you have to understand the "tribulation" is a progression of events highlighted by seven seals (Revelation 6:1–17; 8:1–5), seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6–9:21; 11:15–19), and seven bowls/vials (Revelation 16:1–21) and are three series of end-times judgments from God. The judgments get increasingly worse and more devastating as the end times progress. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls are connected to one another. The seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets (Revelation 8:1–5) and the seventh trumpet introduces the seven bowls (Revelation 11:15–19; 15:1–8). Today I am interested in the trumpets because that is what affects the Church concerning the rapture.

For anyone who may have stumbled upon this blog who is not a Christian or follower of Jesus Christ, the rapture is that event in the future where believers who are dead will be resurrected out of their graves and receive their glorified bodies and those who are alive at Christs' coming will also receive the same.  Today we'll know when the rapture takes place!

A lot of people say that the Scriptures don’t teach a “rapture” of the Church.  They point out that the word “rapture” is not in the Bible.  It is true that the word “rapture” does not appear in our English Bibles.  But the concept clearly does. Rapture is a word that actually comes from the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." If you study this, the Latin translation of the New Testament used the word 'rapio' for the Greek word that is translated “caught up” in verse 17.  Rapio means to ‘snatch away’ or ‘carry off.’  So, this is where the "term" rapture comes from. It refers to a time in the future when Christ will come and raise His people from the dead and will also instantaneously glorify those who are alive at that time with new bodies. And frankly, I'm beginning to believe this is closer than ever watching the direction the world is going! 

This event is further verified in 1 Corinthians 15:50-52. "Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, (**Remember my notation above) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

Everyone wants to know when.  When will this happen?  There are three witnesses that testify this event will take place.  Daniel, Jesus Himself throughout the gospels, and the Book of Revelation. After studying Revelation closely,  I have to believe the rapture will take place post-tribulation! Oh, I'd rather be raptured pre-tribulation! And why not! But I cannot share that as truth. You see, you already read the truth in this blog! The answer was already revealed. You probably missed it as so many do when reading the book of Revelation. I'll show you again. Watch closely! ... "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." Did you see it? When will we be raptured? When will we rise? When will we be changed? In a moment? Yes. In the twinkling of an eye? Yes. But when?? AT THE LAST TRUMP! Revelation tells us there are 7 trumpets that sound throughout the Tribulation. The first 3 1/2 year of trumpet blasts signify the time of trouble and are blown as a basic WAKE UP CALL for the world. The final 3 1/2 years are for those who are not listening and designated as wrath. If you wish to look them up, I have identified where in Revelation they can be found and a brief description of what follows each trumpet blast:

TRUMPET 1- Revelation 8:7 Hail and fire strike the earth

TRUMPET 2- Revelation 8:8-9 Something like a great mountain is thrown into the sea- 1/3 sea turns to blood, 1/3 of everything in the sea dies, ships are destroyed, and a volcano erupts. 25% of the people of the world gone, a third of the trees, all the grass, and a third of the sea life is devastated. Imagine the smell.

TRUMPET 3- Revelation 8:10-11 A star, burning like a torch (could very well be a meteor) falls into 1/3 of the rivers and poisons the water. Men die because the water is made bitter. The Bible calls this "star" Wormwood.

TRUMPET 4- Revelation 8:12-13 One third of the sun, the moon, and the stars are darkened. Angel cries WOE WOE WOE because of what's coming after all this! (We are midway through the tribulation. Now comes THE GREAT TRIBULATION)

TRUMPET 5- Revelation 9:3-11 Demon locusts with human faces, long hair, lion’s teeth, and the power of a scorpion sting plague and sting nonbelievers for five months. Those who are stung will wish for death.

TRUMPET 6- Revelation 9:12-18 Four fallen angels are released and wipe out people from sulfur and fire pouring out of their mouths. They manage to wipe out one-third of mankind.

TRUMPET 7- Revelation 11:15  WE ARE RAPTURED WHEN THIS ONE BEGINS TO SOUND! Then after we are gone come the seven bowls of judgment, 24 elders in heaven declare it’s time to destroy those who destroy the earth. It can get confusing but I'm trying to keep it simple. It is after we are gone that the seventh trumpet calls forth seven angels who carry the seven bowls of God’s wrath which believers are not appointed unto (Revelation 11:15–19; 15:1–8). The bowl judgments include painful sores afflicting humanity (Revelation 16:2), the death of every living thing in the sea (Revelation 16:3), the turning of rivers to blood (Revelation 16:4–7), an intensifying of the sun’s heat (Revelation 16:8–9), great darkness and an intensification of the sores from the first bowl (Revelation 16:10–11), the advance the Antichrist’s armies at Armageddon (Revelation 16:12–14), and a devastating earthquake followed by giant hailstones (Revelation 16:15–21).

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 about the resurrection and glorification of Christ's followers at His return. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 shows that this will occur when Christ descends from heaven with a mighty shout and the great sound of a trumpet. This is no secret event. That's the last trumpet- the 7th trumpet ... "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye AT the last trump." AT the moment when trumpet #7 begins to sound, we are raptured! In 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Paul plainly tells us that God will resurrect deceased believers to spirit (incorruptible) at “the last trumpet.” Well, there are only 7 trumpets! This is the same “trumpet of God” mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Paul also states in 1 Corinthians 15:51 that God will also change believers who are still living at the time into incorruptible. So the appearance of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints occur in the same time period. One plus one equals two! There is a crescendo as the drama builds through each event announced by a trumpet blast until the seventh and final angel sounds in Revelation 11. His announcement is the finale, the last and greatest event ... The return of Jesus Christ to rapture His saints. Now watch the wording ...Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15, ESV). It is clear that Jesus descends AT the blowing of this seventh trumpet—and that this is when the saints are caught up to Him. We will not experience what follows the 7th trumpet because we are caught up AT the moment it begins to sound.

Are you wondering as many who ask, "How can the Church be here through the Great Tribulation, all the way to the 7th trumpet, when scriptures say, "God has not appointed us unto wrath" (1 Thessalonians 5:9)? God gives us that answer. WE WILL NOT FEEL HIS WRATH! Did Noah? Did Lot? God's divine love will protect us. Read Psalm 91 and take it to heart! Though we may not be taken off the earth during the Great Tribulation, it is promised in His Word God will protect believers during this time of severe distress. How can we know? The most specific reference to the protection that God promises for His people at the end of the age is in Revelation 12. For those who study and are paying attention, Revelation 12:14 says, “But the woman (symbolic here of spiritual Israel, the Church of God, US) was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” The times here denote years—one (time) plus two (times) plus one half (half a time), equaling 3 1⁄2 years, the period of the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord. And note that the protection is not in heaven but in the wilderness, or the desert as it’s often translated. It’s on the earth, not in heaven. The Bible records many ways by which God protected His people in the past, I mentioned two obvious ones above though the Bible does not reveal specifically how, where, or when this time. "Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12).  However, we can have confidence that He will reveal what we need to know at the essential time. In the meantime, our focus must be on the spiritual preparation for Christ’s return and the establishment of our Father’s Kingdom (Matthew 24:38-51). In short summary, the last trumpet is the transition between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God. It sets in motion the wrath of God, the Return of Christ, and the rescue of His people. AT the MOMENT OF THE LAST TRUMP, WHEN IT SHOULD BEGIN TO SOUND, we are rescued but know also, as awful as the coming judgments are if you are a believer and faithful follower of Jesus Christ, these things will not touch you. I urge every believer to read and memorize Psalm 91!

Until He comes,

-Pat-

It Makes Logical Sense

I believe that everyone who reads this blog is capable of clear, sound reasoning. It's called logic. Today I'm going to lay out an analogy regarding a biblical principal and after giving examples, I trust you'll be able to see clearly without question, a sensible conclusion. And in fact, though I will be introducing a popular concept believed by so many Christians (once saved always saved), it does not require spiritual knowledge or spiritual insight to understand THAT STATEMENT IS NOT TRUE. It only takes logic to understand. I have been scorned, mocked, laughed at, rebuked, and ridiculed, for the message I'm going to give you today. Not by the world mind you, but by believers. However, the Lord has once again pressed upon my heart to deliver this message one more time as He is coming soon and He wants His Church to wake up!

So,  do I believe "once saved always saved?" Yes, I do,  AS LONG AS you live in obedience to the scriptures. You must take and obey all the scriptures. You cannot cherry-pick them to create your own doctrine just to fit your lifestyle. I've been praying a lot lately, concerned why people cannot understand that they can live however they want and expect entrance into the heavenly kingdom. I simply do not understand that thinking. To me, it's not logical! Why can't people grasp that simple concept? We cannot live as we wish and be saved. We just can't. God's Word is clear. In Revelation 3 God addresses seven Christian churches and tells every one of them to "Repent" and then lists why they have fallen short and why He is unhappy with their behaviors. He warns, "you know not at what hour I will come." He instructs some to "strengthen those things which remain which are about to die for I have not found your works complete in My sight. He instructs another, "I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. He admonishes another in verse 16, "So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot (indifferent-not listening-refusing to repent and turn from your sin)  I will vomit you out of My mouth." That's rejection, folks! Once IN HIM, once A PART OF HIM, He vomits out the rebellious, the indifferent, those continuing in sin, HE SPITS THEM OUT AND AWAY FROM HIM like vomit never to be a part again. He also injects, "For those who overcome ("as I have overcome the world, I will not blot out his name from the book of Life" (verse 5). Only Believer's names are entered into the book of Life. BELIEVERS!! Even Psalm 69:28 testifies that your name can be blotted out of the book of Life. Your name can be removed and vomited out! Yes, once saved always saved as long as you are living in obedience and repentance.  You just cannot live like you please after being "saved."

In my prayer to the Lord, I asked Him how could I make this so plain that a child could understand. That's when my spirit stirred within me. I heard Him say, "Use simple logic." I asked, "How?" Then in my mind, I envisioned a plant. Someone gives you a vibrant, healthy plant. It's a free gift. So you take the plant, you "receive it" (like the free gift of salvation), but you don't water the plant, give it sunlight to grow, or nurture it in any way. What happens? It will first become sluggish, then it dries out, growth is stunted, then it dies. So in the same sense, yes you are saved, but are you neglecting your spirit because you're too busy remaining in your old lifestyle? Are you living as you once did or the way YOU want through indifference, rebellion, and sin? If you are, you've been taught false doctrine and God is going to vomit you out of His mouth on judgment day. It doesn't matter if you toss this blog aside and ridicule me, I know there are some that will listen and truly take it and receive what the Holy Spirit is saying. We cannot live in disobedience and rebellion to His Word. The Bible clearly states in Romans 8:13, "For if ye live according to the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live." Let's break that down into 3 words: mortify, deeds, and flesh. From Websters Dictionary ... 

Mortify: Subdue (the body or its needs and desires) by self-denial or discipline.

Deeds: An action that is performed intentionally or consciously.

Flesh: The body

Simply, STOP INTENTIONALLY SINNING!

Are you entangled in an extra-marital affair that you refuse to abandon, yet believe you are saved because you went to an altar and confessed Jesus as your Lord? Are you caught up in a sexual relationship outside of God's law of marriage? Yet believe you are saved because you went to an altar and confessed Jesus as your Lord? Are you involved in or fooled by the deception that homosexuality is just another diverse lifestyle and should be accepted? Yet believe you are saved because you went to an altar and confessed Jesus as your Lord? These are examples of what Christians are intentionally and purposely committing despite the fact the very Word they say they believe says these are sins. They say they follow Jesus, yet Revelation says, Jesus WAS THE WORD, made flesh (as a human), and lived among us. If you reject what The Word says, you are rejecting Him because He was and is The Word ! Unless you confess, repent, and turn from your sins, you'll die in them. "For if ye live according to the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live." Notice it says "but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds." IT CAN BE DONE!! YOU CAN STOP PURPOSELY CHOOSING TO SIN because the Spirit gives us His power to overcome! 2 Timothy 3;5 says, They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. Have nothing to do with such people."  "To him that overcomes will I not blot out of the book of Life."

The "once saved always saved" doctrine of error can also be logically understood by this analogy. You tell your child, "Listen, no matter how you misbehave and how you continue in rebellion: kick the dog, refuse to clean your room, bully the kid at school, or hurl curse words at me, I'm still going to take you out and reward you with a banana split from Dairy Queen." Really? Does that make sense to you as a parent? Well, some of you doing exactly that to God! You're demanding 'once saved always saved' no matter what. No wonder Jesus told us, "Many are called but few are chosen. Do you honestly think God is going to allow entrance into heaven by any member of His Church who remains defiant and is willfully and purposely disobedient when they know better? The same who love the pleasure of sin more than Him, when He, by the Spirit, gives you the power to OVERCOME ANY SIN OR TEMPTATION? There is no excuse for any believer to say he just cannot stop sinning so he remains in his sin. Wake up! Once saved always saved is true as long as you are walking in true repentance and obedience. We will sin sometimes, we will slip up, our flesh can be weak, but to purposely choose to remain in sin or a vice living the way you want will get you locked out of heaven. 1 John 2:28, "Little children, abide in Him that when He shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know He is righteous you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of Him." We need to live a life of righteousness, not conscious sinning. What is RIGHTEOUS? The quality of being morally justifiable (through the Spirit!). Matthew 7:21, "Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name' and then I will declare, I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness." AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! He says "depart" (He vomits you out) you who "practice" (purposely continues committing sins of choice). The entire Bible preaches repentance, obedience- obedience repentance. Who was it that entered the ark in Noah's day and were SAVED? Who in Sodom and Gomorrah were spared by God's wrath and saved? In both cases, only those who were obedient and even then there were few! And why were the others lost? Because they ignored God's rule of law. They were unbridled, unruly, unrestrained, without regard for God at all. Are you living unrestrained, choosing to please your flesh instead of bridling your body with God's help?

Jesus is coming soon! Look at the signs all around you. They are plainly displayed on the nightly news virtually every day! 2 Peter 3:14 "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent (care and conscientiousness in your spiritual work or duties) that you may be found IN HIM (not as excreted vomit) in peace without spot or blemish (without sin). "We cannot take God's Word and believe some of it and not other areas that specifically tell us things are wrong. Like: abortion, drunkenness, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and so much more. Members of Christs' Church, you must mortify those deeds in your flesh or be cut off! REPENT and turn from YOUR ways. Verse 17, "Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position." 

You see, we are SECURED/SAVED unless we fall away back and remain in our sin. 1 Corinthians 10:12 "So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall." Revelation 2:5 "Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." We were warned. You cannot live however you want and be saved just because you believe or say you are. You cannot be a part of the world and the Kingdom of heaven. You must accept and believe the totality of scripture as pure doctrine, THE Word of God, or nothing at all. Stop creating your own interpretation of what sin is or isn't that fits you and will work with your lifestyle so you can keep doing whatever it is you're doing. Do you not read the Bible? Have you not studied what it says?

I say this with love. I'm not judging you. I used to do it too many years ago until I wised up by the Holy Spirit. The Lord opened my eyes and gave me His power to overcome the sin in my life that I had pleasure committing. I thought as long as I was "saved," I could just keep on living as I was and I would be included in the rapture of the Church. NOT SO!  I'm shouting to you as the Bible has, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, strengthen those things that remain but are about to die! It's not too late. Confess any unrepentant sin and turn from it. "He that overcomes I will not blot out his name from the book of Life" (Revelation 3:5). You can lose your salvation and be blotted out. If you promised your child a trip to the ice cream shop if he did what you asked but all week long he ignored you and disobeyed you, doing everything against your will, would you still get his ice cream at the end of the week? I bet not! That's not logical. However, if that same child came to you and apologized, saying he was sorry and WOULD do his best to do what you asked, I bet you would forgive him, and the next week he'd get his ice cream.

If this blog offends you, remember, these are not my words, these are quotes taken directly from the Bible. Perhaps there is something you need to go to the Lord about. Search your heart, pray, ask the Lord why this topic is bothering you so. Why are you so against this? The Lord is coming for His obedient His Bride without spot or blemish. He is not coming for those who are half in and half out. WAKE UP. Stop believing, saying, or teaching "once saved always saved" UNLESS, if you're going to preach it, say AS LONG AS you live in obedience and repentance. That is the only body of people that will be going to heaven. Pray that you never hear, "Depart from Me. I never knew you."

Until next time.

-Pat-

Satan's Bait-Your Fate

I have a love for fishing because as a little girl, I grew up fishing with my dad and my brother. One of the first things you learn about fishing is to present the bait but hide the hook. That always presented a challenge for my small fingers when attempting to wrap greasy, slick bacon on a tiny bluegill hook. The truth is when fishing you're actually tricking the fish. It's a deception bottom line. The concept is the same as dealing with Satan. If you consider the tempter,  he also presents the bait and hides the hook. He presents sin as fun, satisfying, profitable, and pleasurable while concealing the miseries and pain that always accompany sin. Surely this is part of what Scripture calls the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). Satan tempts us to believe that our happiness and fulfillment require us to indulge some sin whether a sexual affair outside of the marital bond, the murder of an unwanted baby in the womb, or engaging in some sexual perversion, on and on. The “passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25) seem irresistible in part because of temptations alleged benefits.  Far from providing benefits, however, sin is the very thing that cripples us. When we commit sin, wrath, misery, shame, and loss are always close behind. 

Sin is bad for many obvious reasons; one of them is that it wreaks havoc in a man's soul. It promises satisfaction but delivers emptiness for a moment of pleasure. Sin always leads to more and bigger sins. It either makes us feel guilty and ashamed (which is bad enough), or creates moral numbness in us so we no longer feel guilt and shame for committing more sins (which is worse). What is moral numbness? One example is the "bait" we take of fornication or adulterous "love." Why? Because it presents itself as pleasurable and satisfying but we can become so entangled by the thrill, the want, the desire, or even the need to be "loved" it masks shame and guilt to the extent we are no longer convicted by our choice. Satan doesn't let you know he has hidden these hooks because he presents only the bait. Satan used this ploy successfully in the Garden of Eden. He told Eve that the forbidden fruit would open her eyes, thus causing her to be like God (Genesis 3:4-5). The serpent presented the bait and said nothing about the hook. It took one attractive, juicy, healthy apple that took away Paradise in an instant. We need to consider not what Satan offers, but what we will lose." Our flesh is weak if we are not rooted and grounded in Christ. Salena Gomez has a song title that says it all, "THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS".

The bait Satan dangles always looks attractive. We are duped into believing that sin leads to happiness. Even when our conscience screams we are wrong in what we are about to do, the bait is too attractive to turn away. Satan knows WHERE our weak points are and he strikes at those areas. Obedience to God's Word is the only sure route to satisfaction though the flesh will try and convince you otherwise. God's laws are guidelines given by a loving Creator who desires for those He created to flourish. Holiness— not sin— leads to real, lasting, happiness. Holiness in this sense does not mean perfection, it means separated unto God ... to be under His will, His purpose, His desire for our lives outlined by His instructions. The sin nature in us rebels against this truth, which is why we often struggle with obedience to God. Satan exploits traces of sin in us and fans our doubts about whether God's way is truly the best way. 

When we are tempted, the assumed benefits of sin appear large-just like a worm appears large on a fisherman's hook. The worm tastes good to the fish when he swallows it but along with the worm comes a hook! Expect Satan to entice you with bait that has a special appeal to you. Satan, like a fisherman who baits his hook according to the appetite of the fish, will bait you accordingly! What whets your appetite? You need to guard those areas. The truth is, sin's hook is painful. It injures, damages, enslaves, and sometimes disables. Sin leaves long-term (and occasionally life long) scars. The Word of God is the only powerful weapon that can defeat the temptations of Satan. God’s words are bountiful and complete, and they reveal in total clarity all the various corruptions and weaknesses of man, as well as all the cunning schemes and temptations of Satan. As long as we accept all the truths expressed by God, put more effort into His words, see things according to the truth and take His words as the standards for our actions, then we will be able to see through all of Satan’s cunning schemes and defeat all its temptations. 

The Scripture is filled with instruction on the subject of temptation. Jesus said “temptations to sin are sure to come” (Luke 17:1). But Jesus also said that when we pray we should ask God to “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13).  Always remember that God is aware of the temptations you face. Not only that, but He is also compassionate about your struggle with sin. Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Anyone who has tried to be good, pure, or righteous in his or her own strength knows that it can’t be done. But, through the Holy Spirit, God is making those that believe like Jesus, and what God begins He always completes. The Bible says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). And Paul made a statement of fact about us that provides comfort: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

It’s also vitally important that Christians remember that Satan, our enemy, is a defeated foe (Colossians 2:15 and Revelation 20:10). We are playing in a ball game whose outcome has been determined, a contest that’s already been decided! The victory has already been won. Satan will come out on the short end of the stick. You can count on it because on the cross of Christ Satan’s end was secured! You and I have access to One who understands and who can do battle with the enemy and win. So avail yourself of that access. When temptation comes, the Christian’s prayer should always be: “Father, I don’t understand the power that is against me for evil, but You do, and You have promised help. I now claim the victory that You have already won for me on the cross.” Therefore, when you encounter temptation, get on your knees, and pray.

Until He comes,

-Pat-

Ignoring Warnings

"The British are coming! The British are coming!" We are all familiar with the famous shout attributed to Paul Revere. There have been many warning cries throughout our history that people purposely ignored and the results were catastrophic. Noah warned of a flood coming but no one listened. There were signs indicating a stock market crash in 1929 but no one listened. People were warned of the inadequate design and construction of the levees in New Orleans years before the destruction left behind by Hurricane Katrina. Did you know there were over 50 failures of the levees and floodwalls that were supposed to protect New Orleans? No one listened. And then the 2011 tsunami that disabled the power plant causing a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. Today, nine years later, radioactive water is continuing to flow into the Pacific Ocean at a rate of around 2 billion becquerels a day! *** One becquerel is defined as the activity of a quantity of radioactive material in which one nucleus decays per second. WARNINGS WARNINGS EVERYWHERE, why do we sometimes ignore looming disasters? It seems only after a disaster we want to know what happened? Did anyone see this coming? Could anything have been done to avoid it? Well today with the same passion as Paul Revere, I am shouting, "Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming!!" Christians around the world are sounding the alarm ... Jesus IS coming. So why aren't our cries of warning leading to action? I think we can look to the story of Noah for the answer.

We know from scripture that it took around 100 years for Noah to build the massive ark as God had instructed him. Seeing Noah was a righteous man and blameless according to the biblical record, Noah lived a godly lifestyle before others of his day. Also, 2 Peter 2 tells us he was a preacher of righteousness but everyone else is described as a "world of the ungodly." Knowing Noah was a preacher, we can make a reasonable assumption he preached not only proclaiming God's truths, but preached about the approaching flood evident by his building a massive boat, and preached the need to repent. This would be in line with God's will since God typically gives the opportunity for people to repent prior to His judgments. If Noah was building the ark for 100 years, it is not hard to assume he was warning people through that same span of time. If Noah did warn the world, the world obviously chose to ignore his warnings, because the Bible teaches that the world was taken by surprise when the flood came. The fact that the world was caught off guard by the flood does not prove that Noah never preached concerning the coming judgment. It only tells us that the world paid no attention to the warnings. Men have heard warnings from many prophets over the ages, yet they usually ignore the warnings and are caught off guard by the judgment that follows. The entire history of the nation of Israel testifies to this truth.

Matthew 24 records Jesus Himself warning our world of another coming judgment, His Second Coming. Nevertheless, Jesus says the world will be caught off guard when He returns because it will be just like the days of old. 

Matt. 24:37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.

Matt. 24:38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,  marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

Matt. 24:39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Notice verse 39 says, "they did not understand until the flood came"?? They didn't understand because they ignored Noah's warning. They thought Noah was an idiot and his message even more so. Had they given any credence to Noah's warning, they would not have perished. Jesus WARNED that before His coming this time people it will be exactly as they were in the day of Noah. How so? Carrying on with their lives as if no danger of judgment existed! AND THEY ARE! "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark" (Matthew 24:38). The world will be surprised by the Second Coming despite the Bible's many warnings often repeated by preachers throughout the centuries as well as everyday believers that are now receiving dreams and visions. Visit YOUTUBE sometime and put in the search line, 'videos of Endtime dreams.' The unbelieving will scoff at people who share end-time dreams or speak prophecies of soon-coming judgment, and worse, will ignore God's very words recorded in Acts 2:17, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams." NOTICE GOD SPECIFIED "IN THE LAST DAYS?" Yet people will laugh and say it is not the last days. They will continue to go on about their business, living their lives, men marrying and women given in marriage just as Noah witnessed. Dreams and prophecies are not the only signs Jesus is about to return. Figure in those things Jesus told His disciples would take place: false Christs arrive, wars and rumors of wars, kingdom will be divided against kingdom, mother's against daughters, dad's against sons, famines, earthquakes, arrest, and persecutions of Christians, hatred of Christians and their message, rampant sin, and lawlessness, so on and so forth. Scoffers along with unbelievers, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and doubters will attempt to present their argument that famine has always been, wars have been plenty, earthquakes exist, so therefore if Jesus was really coming He would have done so long before now. Yes, the world has had turmoils and natural disasters spread out throughout the existence of man. However, Jesus said, "Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door." The key is when you see ALL THESE THINGS! Never in history have ALL THESE THINGS taken place at the same time! All these things are happening now in 2020.

Consider this warning ..."That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last day's scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). JESUS IS AT THE DOOR! My cry is my warning ... open your eyes! A flood of judgment is about to fall upon the world. Dreams, warnings, and prophecies are going out from not only people but children as young as four who are sharing vivid end-time dreams with their parents. I'm no Paul Revere but I know when to shout a warning, and I'm shouting! Don't ignore the signs all around you. Come to Jesus today before He returns by saying in your heart, 'I am sorry for all my sins, and I repent of them all. I give you my life today, and I confess my faith in your Son Jesus Christ that he is Lord. I believe that Jesus died and resurrected to give me eternal life; I confess my faith in Him, and I accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Guide me to know your truth and fill me with your Holy Spirit.' Amen.

Until He comes,

-Pat-

You Have Died. Where Is Your Spirit?

When a person physically dies the spirit separates itself from the body. The body is dead and therefore nothing but an empty shell to be placed into a grave. But where does the spirit go? To answer that question I'm going to use an analogy. Think of your soul like a CPU (central processing unit) of a computer. If you were to remove the CPU from a computer what happens? The computer immediately stops working.  It "dies," and that because the CPU is the "life" of the computer. Similarly, the spirit is the life of the body. James 2:25 confirms that "The body without the spirit is dead." If you are a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ you will never taste death. How can that be when we know we will all physically die someday. And in fact, some of us may already have gravestones with our names on it. Though death may consume your body, your spirit remains alive and immediately returns to the Lord. Think of that CPU being removed from a computer. Let's say you're the one who has removed the CPU and that you place that CPU up on a shelf for safekeeping until you put it back into the computer.  Removing a CPU from a computer does not render it unusable! It was only removed, not destroyed, and IT IS NOT DEAD. When reunited back into the computer, the computer comes alive again. Comparably, our spirits after our physical bodies die returns to the Lord for safekeeping UNTIL IT IS REUNITED WITH YOUR BODY AT THE RAPTURE! Is it more clear now?

God's Word offers many insights on the future of our earthly, physical bodies, which will be resurrected from the grave at the Rapture. Paul wrote that we "wait eagerly for . . . the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23). NOTICE IT SAID OUR BODIES. Redemption in this sense means retrieval, recovery, reclamation, repossession. The analogy of the CPU becomes clear. At the rapture here is what happens with the bodies of all Christians who have died and lie in graves. At the moment Jesus comes to gather His Church, "For the Lord, Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  Jesus is not coming down. We are going up! 1 Corinthians 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Notice, this verse addresses the dead from graves, AND WE -in addition to- shall be changed. Both the dead IN CHRIST (those lying in the grave) and those still alive IN CHRIST on earth will be going up to meet the Lord in the air. The bodies of living believers will, at the same time as those who already passed, be instantaneously changed 1Cor 15:50-53 Phil 3:20,21. This "change" of the living, and resurrection of the dead in Christ, is called the "redemption of the body" of which I spoke of at the beginning of this paragraph (Romans 8:23 Ephesians 1:13,14.) John wrote, "It has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2). Metaphorically, CPUs will be put back into the body we possessed on earth and we will be CHANGED, made new, a better, incorruptible version in the twinkling of an eye! The exact details of that will remain a mystery; however, we know that we will be physically resurrected at the Rapture (John 5:29; Acts 24:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). We also know that our resurrected bodies will be different in some ways than our current bodies (1 Corinthians 15:45–49) and suited for eternity.

BELIEVERS NEVER DIE. At the moment of physical death, our spirits go to the Lord UNTIL THE APPOINTED TIME to first call up the physical BODY of all believers from their graves, then following are His believers who are still alive on earth. Remember, though Lazarus BODY was dead (and had a stench) it had been buried four days prior to Jesus commanding, "Lazarus, come forth," so too will Jesus call BODIES from the grave at the time of the rapture. Lazarus did not come out as a rotting corpse. He walked out of his grave whole and alive (story in John chapter 11). In the same manner, believer's "bodies" will rise from their graves at the rapture and be united with their spirits who have been in the care of heaven. Then all will and be changed in the twinkling of an eye to be just like Jesus. I believe we will be just like the risen Christ. We can get a glimpse of what that might be because Jesus appeared to His disciples for 40 days after his resurrection (Acts 1:3) and as to as many as 500 more people. Luke tells us in the KJV that Jesus showed himself alive by “infallible proofs.” It means that the proof of the resurrection is certain and sure, unquestioned, and beyond any doubt. It is testimony that could stand up in any court of law – Jesus Christ actually rose from the dead. Jesus spoke, walked, ate, preached, and even cooked breakfast for the disciples by the Sea of Galilee!

What does this teach us? It teaches us the continuance of God's love. Romans 8:38-39 assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. In the list of specific things, Paul mentions “neither death nor life,” which means that when we cross over we need have no fear for the same love of Jesus that saved us will see us safely to the other side. It teaches us how impotent death is to separate us from Jesus. Though we die, we will live with Him forever. Death itself cannot break the bond between Jesus and His people.  We shall be then, after the rapture, what we are now—only vastly improved by the grace of God. You will be you and I will be me—but freed forever from sin, selfishness, pettiness, bitterness, ungodly ambition, unholy thoughts, and every other ugly thing that makes us hard to live with now. The “real you” will survive the grave. Death is not the end.  Paul proclaimed in 2 Corinthians 5:8, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." There is no waiting. Our spirits return to the One who gave us life. Does that mean our spirits (like a CPU) are in a sleep-like state and "placed on a shelf" in heaven for safekeeping until they are reunited with our bodies at the Rapture? The Bible doesn't reveal that, but it does say to be absent from the body is to be with the Lord. Our spirits, whether conscious or sleeping will be in heaven waiting for the redemption of our bodies! New Living Translation Romans 8:23, "And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us." 

Until He comes,

-Pat-

 

Is Anybody Listening?

There are early warning signs of the end. IS ANYBODY LISTENING?

Jesus' first warning is of a time of great deception: “Watch out that you are not deceived”  He said. We are now living in that time of deceit. Our enemy, Satan, has individuals in place who have gained control of all types of positions of influence in politics, media, and education, and they are promoting values and deception that brings society to a new level of degradation. Just look around.  The enemy is out to corrupt and control minds. This bent toward evil has been with us since the Fall of Man, and we are in a spiritual battle until the time that Christ returns. Believers in Christ should be those who hold to the truth of Scripture and give no credence to the manipulation devices of the enemy, the media, television, and the Internet. It is not that all we see on TV is harmful, but we should regard with a healthy dose of skepticism anything on the airwaves. We should measure everything against the truth of God's word especially testing what we hear from the media! "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1). If deception is one of the early signs of the coming of Jesus, what things have you seen today that lead people away from a knowledge of God and His Word? Do you feel that the idea of truth is attacked today? How?  THINK. 

Jesus then went on to warn us about those who will come proclaiming they are the Christ (Matthew 24:5)). This warning is undoubtedly a characteristic of the age in which we live. Many have already come proclaiming themselves as savior and thinking they alone have the answers to the world’s problems. I am convinced that more is ahead. There will be one who will claim that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) and will look to be worshiped as God. Along with him, there will be a figure, a man doing signs and proclaiming himself a lamb, but inwardly he has the nature of a dragon. He will demand that the world leader, the Antichrist, should be worshiped. I think I know who each of these is. Revelation 13: 11 "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given the power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 13:11-14). Even though this man, commonly called the False Prophet in scripture, will perform great and miraculous signs, also causing a fire to come down from heaven to earth, we must ignore such signs and hold to what is taught in the Word of God. We must not be deceived! Even though there will be those seeking to trick us into following them, Jesus tells us that this is still an early sign. These things must happen first, but the end is not far away.

 

Deception, false leaders, wars, and revolutions are all early warning signs. Jesus warned us that nation would rise against nation (literally on earth) and kingdom against kingdom (or the kingdom of darkness against the kingdom of light) Matthew 24:7. AS IN HEAVEN SO IN EARTH. There is a type of revolution in our streets right now. Revolution: A fixed or settled condition, the establishing or settling of something. Commotion, tumult, unruliness, disruption, disorder. It is used of political or social revolution, insurrection, sedition; riot, uprising, and disturbance. Look at Antifa. We are now facing times of revolution against the accepted political order of all nations. The world is and will be in turmoil, and is all part and parcel of our enemy's plan to bring chaos, fear, civil disturbance, and political revolution. In such a climate, control over the population of the earth will be easier for one man to rule over a one-world government over the whole earth. Luke tell us that Jesus spoke about earthquakes, famines, and pestilences happening to the human race along with fearful events and great signs from heaven: There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11).

 

 

Revelation 6:5-8 says that among other signs of Christ’s soon-coming there will be many who die due to famines and plagues. Is Covid-19 an end time pestilence? There are many thousands dead due to COVID 19 and now they are warning of a second wave. Luke writes of famines and pestilences that cause fear, as well as fearful events and great signs from heaven. We don’t know if the COVID 19 is the pestilence mentioned by Luke, but it could be a sign from God to wake us up to the reality that this world is not all there is, and that we are to prepare ourselves for the coming of our King. Can anybody hear me? IS ANYBODY LISTENING?? The word pestilence comes from the Greek word “loymos” which means plague, a fatal epidemic disease. Could it be that COVID 19 is allowed by God to shake us and to get our attention? Matthew adds a few words more about the signs that should wake us out of spiritual slumber. He speaks about the signs mentioned being the beginning of birth contractions: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:7-8). So ... What do you think Jesus is referring to by using the analogy of a woman in birth pains? When a pregnant woman begins the birthing process, the pain is not severe, and the birth contractions are several minutes apart. The closer she gets to the birth of the child, however, the more frequent the contractions are, with the level of pain much more significant. In using this analogy, Jesus is saying that the closer the world gets to the end of the age, the more frequent will be the wars, revolutions, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, strife, division, etc. I see it building now! Just as the contractions of a woman get more painful, so will the amount of pain, anguish, sickness, and death of many on planet Earth. The wars and revolutions will be very severe, with much loss of life. Matthew tells us that:

 

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:22). It will be cut short by the appearance of our Lord Jesus. He will come for those who are His (rapture). What does all this mean for you and me? It is time to make sure that we belong to Christ so that, when He comes, we will not be ashamed at His coming. IS ANYBODY LISTENING? Those who belong to Christ have a personal relationship with the Lord. This relationship is vitally important in being saved. Simply wearing a crucifix around your neck, attending Sunday services, or being benevolent doesn't make you a Christian. Standing in a garage does NOT make you an automobile! Likewise, simply going to a church doesn’t make you a Christian, I don't care if you have a perfect attendance record! Many people "say" they love God, or say they believe in Jesus. Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15) -- a little stronger: "By this, we know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;" (1 John 2: 3-4) IS ANYBODY LISTENING?  There is no use going to meetings of Christians, going to church, getting baptized, giving money, etc. if you have not repented and forsaken your old life of sin! If you say you are a believer, you had better obey the One who bought you with His blood. "You are not your own...you are bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20). I personally know people who claim to be Christians but are "in bed" outside the marital bond. There are people calling themselves believers who are "marrying" others of the same sex. CHRISTIANS! This is a warning! Jesus is coming soon. All the signs are ramping up. Get your lives in order! MORTIFY THE DEEDS OF YOUR FLESH- Romans 8:13 is clear, " For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." IS ANYBODY LISTENING? You must cease from purposely, defiantly sinning! Leave your bed of fornication.  Stop being a proponent of abortion, same-sex marriage, adulterous affairs, perversion, and drunkenness. Why do you call Him your Lord and not do the things He has asked?" IS ANYBODY LISTENING? Hello?  He is giving us signs. He's coming soon.

Prayer: Father, as we see the unfolding events of this world, help us not to be troubled but, instead, live each day to the fullest. Help us to take each day as it comes and do our best to follow You. We want to focus on essential things, i.e., those things that have eternal value. We say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” Amen.

Until there is no more time,

-Pat-

Satan's Bait

I have a love for fishing because as a little girl, I grew up fishing with my dad and my brother. One of the first things you learn about fishing is to present the bait but hide the hook. That always presented a challenge for my small fingers when attempting to wrap greasy, slick bacon on a tiny bluegill hook. The truth is when fishing you're actually tricking the fish. It's a deception bottom line. The concept is the same with Satan. If you consider the tempter, even he presents the bait and hides the hook. He presents sin as fun, satisfying, profitable, and pleasurable while concealing the miseries and pain that always accompany sin. Surely this is part of what Scripture calls the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). Satan tempts us to believe that our happiness and fulfillment require us to indulge some sin whether a sexual affair outside of the marital bond, the murder of an unwanted baby in the womb, or engaging in some sexual perversion, etc. The “passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25) seem irresistible, in part because temptations alleged benefits.  Far from providing benefits, however, sin is the very thing that cripples us. When we commit sin, wrath, misery, shame, and loss are always close behind. 

Sin is bad for many obvious reasons; one of them is that it wreaks havoc in a man's soul. It promises satisfaction but delivers emptiness for a moment of pleasure. Sin always leads to more and bigger sins. It either makes us feel guilty and ashamed (which is bad enough), or creates moral numbness in us so we no longer feel guilt and shame for it or for committing more sins (which is worse). What is moral numbness? One example is the "bait" of fornication or adulterous "love." Why? Because it presents itself as pleasurable and satisfying but we can become so entangled by the thrill, the want, the desire, or even the need to be "loved" that it masks shame and guilt to the extent we are no longer convicted. Satan doesn't let you know he has hidden these hooks because he presents only the bait. Satan used this ploy successfully in the Garden of Eden. He told Eve that the forbidden fruit would open her eyes, thus causing her to be like God (Genesis 3:4-5). The serpent presented the bait and said nothing about the hook. It took one attractive, juicy, healthy apple pleasing to the eyes that took away Paradise in an instant. We need to consider not what Satan offers, but what we will lose." Our flesh is weak if we are not rooted and grounded in Christ. Salena Gomez has a song title that says it all, "THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS".

The bait Satan dangles always looks attractive. We are duped into believing that sin leads to happiness. Even when our conscience screams we are wrong in what we are about to do, the bait is too attractive to turn away. Satan knows WHERE our weak points are and he strikes at those areas. Obedience to God's Word is the only sure route to satisfaction though the flesh will try and convince you otherwise. God's laws are guidelines given by a loving Creator who desires for those He created to flourish. Holiness— not sin— leads to real, lasting, happiness. Holiness in this sense does not mean perfection, it means separated unto God ... to be under His will, His purpose, His desire for our lives outlined by His instructions. The sin nature in us rebels against this truth, which is why we often struggle with obedience to God. Satan exploits these traces of sin in us and fans our doubts about whether God's way is truly the best way. 

When we are tempted, the assumed benefits of sin appear large-just like a worm appears large on a fisherman's hook. The worm tastes good to the fish when he swallows it but along with the worm comes a hook! Expect Satan to entice you with bait that has a special appeal to you. Satan, like a fisher, baits his hook according to the appetite of the fish. What whets your appetite? You need to guard those areas. The truth is, sin's hook is painful. It injures, damages, enslaves and sometimes disables. Sin leaves long-term (and occasionally life long) scars. The Word of God is the only powerful weapon that can defeat the temptations of Satan. God’s words are bountiful and complete, and they reveal in total clarity all the various corruptions and weaknesses of man, as well as all the cunning schemes and temptations of Satan. As long as we accept all the truths expressed by God, put more effort into His words, see things according to the truth and take His words as the standards for our actions, then we will be able to see through all of Satan’s cunning schemes and defeat all its temptations. 

The Scripture is filled with instruction on the subject of temptation. Jesus said “temptations to sin are sure to come” (Luke 17:1). But Jesus said that when we pray we should ask God to “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13).  Always remember that God is aware of the temptations you face. Not only that, but He is also compassionate about your struggle with sin. Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Anyone who has tried to be good, pure, righteous, and loving in his or her own strength knows that it can’t be done. But, through the Holy Spirit, God is making you like Jesus, and what God begins He always completes. The Bible says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). And Paul made a statement of fact about us that provides comfort: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

It’s also vitally important that Christians remember that Satan, our enemy, is a defeated foe (Colossians 2:15 and Revelation 20:10). We are playing in a ball game whose outcome has been determined, a contest that’s already been decided! The victory has already been won. Satan will come out on the short end of the stick. You can count on it because, on the cross of Christ, Satan’s end was secured. You and I have access to One who understands and who can do battle with the enemy and win. So avail yourself of that access. When temptation comes, the Christian’s prayer should always be: “Father, I don’t understand the power that is against me for evil, but You do, and You have promised help. I now claim the victory that You have already won for me on the cross.” Therefore, when you encounter temptation, get on your knees, and pray.

Until next time,

-Pat-

There Is No Gray Area

When you consider SIN, it is important to realize that there is no “gray area” in God's eyes. You are either free from sin, through God's grace in Christ, or you die in sin –  The outcome depends on what course you choose to take. You can choose either to die to sin and live in Christ, obeying His will, or you can turn a dead ear to the Lord's commands, remain disobedient, and die in your sins (John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Mark 16:16). So many choose to ignore Life and it makes my heart heavy. I, too, was once indifferent, closing my ears to such teaching or preaching. It's why I'm so concerned for the lost because I remember how closed off I was. I know what that feels like. I know how the mind thinks. It is not easy to break through a wall of apathy. It certainly wasn't in my case. Today I hope something said here will sink deep into your heart to open your ears if you are a person ignoring the Spirits call to seek liberty in Christ Jesus.

In the reality of human existence, there are indeed only two spiritual choices for each of us – liberty or death. It doesn't get any more clear than that! We stand condemned before God because of our sins. Period. No one is exempt. The apostle Paul pronounced, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 – NKJV). The sins we have committed convict us of a frightening penalty, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The only relief from this 'spiritual' death sentence is to be freed from that which condemns us to it – our sin. Ironically, that freedom requires a death of its own. Paul illustrates this death when he states in Romans 6:3-7, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin."

Christ, who knew no sin, died to liberate us from our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ Gives Us “Liberty” From Sin. To gain that liberty, we must die with Him. HOW? By crucifying our former sin-condemned self THROUGH REPENTANCE, then burying the “old man” THROUGH BAPTISM into the death of Jesus. Because our sinful self has died and been buried with Christ, we who have undergone this process stand freed – at liberty – from sin! Liberty from sin, however, does not imply liberty to do whatever we please (Galatians 5:1,13; 1 Peter 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8:9)... "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire." In other words, we haven't been given liberty to misuse it by returning to our sinful old ways. In fact, the totally opposite is true; “God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). You see, by freeing us from our enslavement to sin, Christ has liberated us for the privilege of becoming enslaved to Him and to His commands. Some would complain that that's not much of a trade – one slavery for another. But when the alternative is spiritual death (eternal separation from God – Isaiah 59:2), that's actually an excellent exchange. And might I also add, being 'enslaved' to Christ is not uncomfortable. If anything it is comforting! When we are saved we are no longer enslaved to sin, but enslaved under the love and mercy of Christ. According to Scripture, prior to being saved “we were enslaved to sin;” -- sin was our master — being enslaved to sin and its dominating influence meant “we were in bondage to it” -- we were “enchained” to it. Our “innate sin nature” defines who we really are — “sinners” (Romans 3:9-10, 23; Gal 3:22; Lk 18:19). By definition, sin (in the Greek hamartia) means to “miss the mark;” thus as sinners, we fail to meet God’s standard of righteousness. If we think of sin as only being that which is “overtly evil” (lying, stealing, immorality, malice, anger) it is deeper. Sin is the governing principle or power that completely dominates the unbeliever’s life.  Essentially the reality is this — when we have a self-orientation in life, rather than a God-orientation, we are being ruled by sin instead of righteousness.

Paul stated about the believer, “You are no longer a slave, but a son” (Gal 4:7) “You have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons… you are children of God” (Rom 8:15-16). Romans 6:17 illustrates that our liberty is not acquired by being passive. Becoming free requires action on our part – obedience from the heart of that to which we have been delivered by the instruction of God's Word. That obedient action entails what Paul described earlier that I mentioned – being baptized into Christ Jesus, into His death (Romans 6:3). Even our Lord emphasized the importance of baptism being relative to our salvation when He said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). You cannot mince His words. You can choose either to die to sin and live in Christ, obeying His will, or you can turn a dead ear to the Lord's commands, remain disobedient, and die in your sins (John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Mark 16:16). Which do you choose? (Deuteronomy 30:15-19). These words of Moses from Deuteronomy 30:15-19 (NIV) could be the very words I speak in 2020. "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees, and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" because there is no “gray area” in God's eyes.

Until next time,

-Pat-