The Sacrifice

All over the Old Testament, you find people worshipping other gods in the high places.  Baal, Molech, Ashtoreth, Zeus, and others have alters placed on hills and mountains where they would make sacrifices to these false gods.  They would even sacrifice their own children to satisfy these abominations.

There is always a cost in serving them and there is a cost today as well for serving our gods. The gods of money, pleasure, beauty, power, comfort, success, a person, a job, entertainment, and even yourself all have a cost to serve them.  Anything you put first in your life is your god and it will demand a sacrifice of some sort.

You might have to sacrifice your health for your god, or perhaps your marriage.  People sacrifice their integrity, time, family, peace of mind, self-worth, and even their lives to their gods.  The cost is always something good and wholesome for something ungodly and self-centered.

God also has an alter but the difference is that on the Alter of God, God was sacrificed.  Instead of a man sacrificing to God, God gave Himself up as a sacrifice for man.   When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he became the universal sacrifice for all men.  With that sacrifice, He bought salvation and righteousness for us.  The only sacrifice we can now make is of ourselves to Him.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sister, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

Photo credit: Belize- Altun Ha -Sacrificial Alter by SnugglePilot

Your Life is a Tapistry

"For I know the plans I have for you." declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

The word for "plans" in the Hebrew is makhashabah, but it means much more than just planning.  It is a careful, intricate, and imaginative weaving of a fabric.  That fabric is your life.  The greatest craftsman of the universe is expertly working with different colors and textures of events in your life to produce a work of art.

Every victory and every defeat, every joy, sorrow, gain or loss is woven into your life to produce a masterpiece of beauty.  The red threads of your wounds and the shining gold thread of God's work are all found interwoven with the thick black threads of hate and destruction, while thin silver threads of God's answers bind up the darkness of evil.

All the good and all the bad are expertly woven into a unique tapestry of God's love for you.  Your life is a display of the immeasurable goodness and love of God for you.  Sometimes we can not see the beauty of a work of art because we are too close to it.  When we stand back and see the work from afar, we see the whole picture and just how beautiful it truly is.

God is crafting you into a masterpiece.  Trust the Master Artist to create in you a beautiful tapestry of love.

Photo Credit:  many years at the loom make for skilled hands by Lyn

God's Guidance

There have been many times in my life that I have stood at a crossroad and tried to find the best road to take with my life.  Life is not an easy course for anyone to figure out.  There are so many twists and turns which we never expected.

When Moses led the Hebrew Children, he didn't know the best paths to take them down.  He certainly wouldn't have chosen to live in a wilderness where they could never find enough food to eat or where there was not enough water, but that is where God took them.

God didn't just send a cloud by day and a fiery pillar by night to guide them.  He could have done that easily or just tell Moses where to go.  Instead, God, Himself lead the tribes of Israel in the pillar.  Exodus 13:21 His presence was always there before them.

Do you think that when you ask for guidance as to the path to take in your life, God is going to just send you a map?  When you're at a crossroads do you seek a signpost saying "THIS WAY---->"  You are asking for too little.

God, Himself is standing there with you.  In fact, He is always there with you, to guide and direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6  Never fear a decision that needs to be made.  God is there to give you the wisdom and the strength to follow the path God shows you. He won't just point the way to go, but He will lead you.  You will not be able to walk down the pathways of life without Him being intimately involved and always there with you.  He will share the good and the bad until the final day you get to meet Christ face to face.

God does not just send you guidance,  He goes with you to guide.

Photo by jens johnsson on Unsplash 

What is a Life Worth?

I have seen clothing saying "No Fear".  I have seen videos of people doing crazy and dangerous stunts on YouTube, and they seem to personify that slogan.  A real man shows no fear when facing death as he leaps from a cliff and using a special suit, he glides a couple of feet from the ground going around rocks and trees until he finally ends pulling his parachute.

NO WAY!  You wouldn't catch me within 10 feet of that cliff.  These people die when one little mistake happens.  The thrill of defying death in so many ways is addicting to these people.  Even kids do stunts with bikes and skateboards that could easily break an arm, leg or neck.

My question is, why do we glorify people who risk their bodies, health, and lives?  Why is life seen as something to be abused for the sake of entertainment?  Go to YouTube and you will find countless videos that people find funny where people are seriously hurt or killed.  Someone has a terrible fall which could have killed or permanently injured someone and everyone in the video is laughing at the guy before they even know if he is still alive.

We have no value of life.   Our entertainment consists of sports shows such as Ultimate Fighting where people go at each other like gladiators.  They are bloodied, broken and sometimes even killed in those battles.  Boxing doesn't have enough violence and blood for us now.

Life is precious.  God is the giver of life.  It is a gift to us all which we should prize and cherish.  Everyone's life is precious to God and should be to us as well.

Too often life is seen as something to use to gain money by prostitution, sex trafficking, drugs, and even slavery in parts of the world.  People are seen as objects to fulfill our own pleasures and to entertain us.  People are only worth what we can get out of them.

We don't even value our own lives.  We not only risk our lives and health but we allow others to use us because we don't see the value in our own lives.

Are you created in the image of God?  Yes. Genesis 1:27

Did God design you to be the person you are? Yes. Psalm 139:13:16

Does He know you in detail?  Yes. Luke12:6-7

What is your value to God?  The life of Jesus. Galatians 3:13-15

God values you and every human life, that has ever lived and will ever live, so much that Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was involved in all of creation, willing was sacrificed so that you would live forever.  God can create another universe in just 6 days if He wanted to, but there is only one you and He was willing to die because He values and loves you so much.

Photo by Solal Ohayon on Unsplash

How Can God Use a Nobody Like Me?

So very often we look around at the world and think, "I am a nobody.  I am not important.  I have nothing to give in a ministry to God."

We look at what we are and think that we are just a housewife, a truck driver, a salesperson, a roofer or any of a hundred different things and not good enough to really make an impact.  We look at what we are and think God does not have the ability to make us into something greater.

There was a Hebrew man who was a craftsman.  He worked with wood and metal and was good at his job.  He was not good enough though to do what God called him to do, build the tabernacle of God and all the furnishing including the Ark of the Covenant.

I imagine he was well known for his work, but he could never have been good enough for people thousands of years later to know about him.  What made him great enough to be the head craftsman of the holiest artifacts in human history?

"Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills-"  Exodus 35:30-31

God filled him with the Spirit of God.  God gave him the wisdom, knowledge, and skills to accomplish the task.  He might have been good, but without the Spirit of God, he could never have created the works he did.

The key to God using you is not what your job is, not how important you are to the world, not how much money you have, and not how much scripture you have memorized.  The true key to serving God is to trust in God.  As a Christian, you have been filled with the Spirit of God.  He is within you.  Trust Him and not yourself.  Turn yourself over to His will and do not let your will get in the way.

Bezalel never thought he would be so important that God would take note of him and tell the world throughout time about him and his work.  Bezalel was not a Moses, but he was willing to be who God made him.  He was willing to follow the leading of God, wherever it took him.

We are to be like Bezalel and just be ourselves.  God did not call you to preach?  Then do not try to be a preacher.  God has called you to something.  Trust God and go where He leads you.

The greatest you can be is to be yourself with God.

Just Sharing My Heart

I just want to take this post to share with you my heart about where I see Christians standing today.

I wasn't sure we would get to 2018 without the rapture occurring and now I feel more certain that we won't get to 2019.  Rapture could occur before I get this post written or before you finish reading it, and it might occur years after this.  The world today is falling apart just as scripture says and the only hope we have is the return of Jesus Christ to come and rule.

But it saddens me to look around and see how unprepared we are for the last days.  Most of what we call Christian churches are led by false prophets who do not teach scripture.  Most of the truly Christian churches do not reach out to the unsaved.  They leave that to the preacher.  Most Christians do not know their Bible, do not know how to lead a person to Christ and have no idea what a true disciple of Christ is.  Many Christians warm a pew and think they have done their Christian duty.

Churches do not teach about the end times and the rapture.  The congregations know nothing about what is to happen in the end times or what to look for.  The scriptures told when Jesus would come the first time, but when Jesus came the people rejected him because they were not taught about the signs of his coming or the signs of who he would be.  We are making the same mistake.

Christians are following after the world.  True Bible Believing, Born Again Christians are falling into the ways of the world.  Sex before marriage, homosexuality, gluttony, trusting in the Lottery more than God, swearing, addiction (caffeine, alcohol, nicotine), materialism and many other sins Christians are accepting as not that bad.

We are fulfilling, at this very hour, 2 Thessalonians 2:3  which says that before the son of perdition (The Anti-Christ) comes there will be a great falling away.  There are many who call themselves Christians who Biblically are not, and many true Christians who are falling into the deception of the world.

I am not perfect.  I have done wicked things in the past as well as today.  I know I am weak but I am trying to follow what the God says in the Bible.  My desire is to please Him and not to be deceived.  It saddens me when I find something in my life that is not as God desires and with the help of Jesus, I turn from that sin.

I hate this world because of what it is doing to everyone.  The worse part is seeing Christian brothers and sister who fall into the traps of sin this world has forged.  I have a brother in Christ, from the group of believers I worship with, who has fallen into sin and it appears he will be divorcing his wife. I still love him but seeing where he is headed gives me great sorrow.  The world has its hooks in him and he does not want to turn back to God.

Please exam your life.  Read your bible.  Spend time with God.  Tell others about Christ. Put aside your agenda and follow God's agenda.  Don't just read and believe the Bible, live it.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

Photo Credit: The Passion by A.Currell

They are Out to Get Me!

It's a conspiracy to kill me.  No! I am not crazy or paranoid!  They are plotting to steal from me, kill and destroy me.  If they can't kill me, they try to silence me.  They have been after me for as long as I remember.  It is no use hiding.  They know where I am.  They know where I go.  Perhaps the worse part is that they are after you also!

Yes! They are out to kill you as well.  It is a conspiracy that is worldwide, led by our arch enemy Satan. He is enlisting more and more people to do his bidding.  The world is full of people following Satan and fighting against those who follow Christ, as well as those God has deemed to be His Chosen people.

Jesus tells us that Satan is the ruler of this world (John14:30) and (1 John 5:19).  Those who are not God's belong to Satan.  What is Satan's plan?  John 10:10 tells us exactly what he is conspiring to do.  He wants to kill you, steal your blessings and destroy you, your reputation and all that is good in your life.

Satan has been plotting against the people of God since the times of Adam and Eve.  Don't think he won't work to kill you as well.  He hates you!  Do you think you're safe here in the United States?  Hatred is growing.  Laws are written against God and those who follow Him.  The Children of Satan are conspiring to get rid of God and, if you follow God, you as well.

The only hope we have is found in Christ who watches over us and keeps us safe.  As we get closer to the Second Coming of Jesus, things will only get worse.

"And do this, understanding the present time:  The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." Romans 13:11

Photo Credit: 061-Evil Eye by Phil Balchin

Judge NOT!!

Have you ever talked to someone about how what they are doing is wrong and they come back to you like a fiery old testament prophet proclaiming, "God says, 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.'"?

Whoa!  Look down on the ground and not into their eyes. Slowly back away and run before they go for your jugular.  What do you do?  They are quoting Matthew 7:1.  It does say not to judge, so what more can you do than to just quietly slip away, rebuked by scripture for what you were saying to them?

What you can do is stand up for what Matthew 7:1 is really saying.  This is not concerning telling someone that they are doing something against God.  We are to help others to recognize and repent from sin.  This verse is saying that we are all held to the same standard, so remove the sin in your life first before you point a finger at someone else.

When we do call someone out for a sin, we are never to judge (condemn) that person, for that is God's job, but we are called upon to inspect the fruit of others.  Matthew 7:16a "You shall know them by their fruits...."  If the fruit is bad we should reach out in love to help them to turn from their wicked ways.

To condense this down, we are to inspect the fruit of everyone, (especially ourselves) and help when someone is going against God.  That means speaking up and showing them what GOD says.  You do not judge them, the sinner, for that is God's job.  You do not point a finger at someone's sin when you yourself are in that same sin.  That is the pot calling the kettle black and it just will not work.  You are to point out what God says about their sin and not what you, the church, the government or what anyone else says.  God's word is the only standard we are to measure our actions by. 

"Joe, I have noticed that you keep doing A.  God says in the Bible that doing A is a sin.  If I can help you to stop doing A, I would be happy to help."

"JUDGE NOT THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED!"

"Joe, I didn't say it, God said it. I am only pointing out to you what God is saying about your actions."

"You have done A also."

"Yes, I did in the past but God showed me I was wrong to do that.  I no longer do A.  I can help you to stop as well."

Remember scripture is your standard and God is the judge as to what is right and what is wrong.  You are God's agent to love the person enough to tell them what God says about their sin.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."  2 Timothy 3:16

Photo Credit: gavel by janinsanfran

Biblical PUNishment

Ok, let's have some fun today.  After all, Christianity is not all gloom and doom.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine..." Proverbs 17:22a

What are a dentist's favorite hymns?

Crown Him with Many Crowns
Holy, Holy, Holy

How does Moses make his coffee?

Hebrews it.

Who was the smartest man in the Bible?

Abraham.  He knew a Lot.

What kind of man was Boaz before he married?

Ruthless

Why did the eagle sit on the church's steeple?

It was a bird of pray.

Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?

Samson.  He brought the house down.

What car make did the Apostles drive?

Honda.  The apostles were all in one Accord.

What is a missionary's favorite kind of car?

A convertible.

Which Old Testament prophet took forever to make a point?

"I say...uhhh.." (say it out loud)

At what time of day was Adam created?

A little before Eve

Why did Noah punish the chickens on the Ark?

They used fowl language.

Need an ark?

I noah guy.

What is the difference between Jesus and pizza?

Jesus can't be topped.

Quotes from the Book of Lacerations

There are many "Biblical" quotes from such books as Lacerations and Hezikiah.  Quotes which sound Biblical but actually are not.  Let's take a look at a few.

"Money is the root of all evil."
Close enough to sound good but wrong enough to be blasphemous.  There are no objects that are truly evil.  The evil comes from the heart of men in how they are used.  The true quote is found in
1 Timothy 6:10a "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,..."

"Love the sinner, hate the sin."
This is a Biblical truth but there is no Bible verse that says this.  Don't think you can quote this as if it is scripture.  One problem you will face with this truth is that today people identify themselves with their sin so that if you hate their sin, they see it as you hating them as well.

"God helps those who help themselves"
This quote is actually from Aesop's fable "Hercules and the Waggoner." Not only is it not from the Bible it is totally anti-Biblical.  In truth, when you try something on your own, God will let you.  You can trust your own strength and wisdom and you can fail all on your own.  The Bible calls upon us to trust Him to help us and not to lean on our own efforts.
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Some others that I will let you look up and see that they are not in the Bible, but which many people think are Bible quotes are:

"This too shall pass."
"Just follow your heart and believe, and you can do anything."
"The lion shall lay down with the lamb."
"Cleanliness is next to godliness."
"Yea, verily, God wants you to be happy."
"God won't give you more than you can handle."
"If you work hard, you'll be successful."
"God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!"

Some of those follow the truths of the Bible but are not Biblical Quotes, while others are totally unbiblical.  You need to know the difference.

Never assume something that sounds good is Biblical.  Even from people you respect as a Christian leader.  We must know the Word of God or we will be deceived.  Do not become part of 1 Timothy 4:1  "Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,"

Photo Credit: the Bible, is this too overexposed? by Ashely Rose, 

The Second Eve

God created everything and the finale of His creation was man.  God created Adam and looked for a suitable helpmate but found none.  God put Adam into a deep sleep and took from his side a rib, which He formed into a woman.  This is how God created Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, who later fell from grace and brought the curse of sin to the world. Genesis 2:18-24

There is a second Adam, Jesus the Christ.  He came to this world to remove that curse and pay for the sins of the world.  His life was given freely so that we, who are under the curse which the first Adam brought, can be rid of that curse forever.

But if Jesus is the second Adam, is there a second Eve?  Just as Adam had been put into a deep sleep, Jesus went into the deep sleep of death.  Just as Eve came from the opened side of Adam, at the crucifixion Jesus' side was opened and blood and water spilled forth from him.  That blood is the cleansing agent for all of our sins, and from that cleansing is birthed new life in Christ.

God brought new life into the world by way of Christ's blood.   A life that is pure and righteous from all sin.  That new life is the Bride of Christ.  The Bride of the Second Adam.  We the Church are the Second Eve.

The name Eve means "life".  From the first Eve, all human life was birthed.  From the second Eve is birthed eternal spiritual life, found only in Jesus.  We are to bring the good news to others.  The good news of life.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Ephesians 1:7

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

I want to run and win a marathon.  I am 66 years old.  I have sciatica so standing or walking can be painful.  I know that marathons are run by healthy young people, but if I claim Philippians 4:13 I can win that marathon.  Yeah!  Right!

I could practice my heart out and have complete faith in that verse, but I would still not win any marathons.  Why is that?  Why is it we can not claim this verse and do great things in our lives?  A Christian could claim this verse to become President.  A person could claim this verse to win a game.  Someone could have complete faith in this verse and become the greatest person ever in his or her own field.  So why doesn't it work?  Doesn't God keep His promises?

"I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:12-13

Paul is not saying we can do all things.  He is talking about accomplishing his mission in all circumstances.  As an Apostle, Paul was spreading the gospel whether he was hungry or not; whether he had much or in need.  No matter the circumstances he was content because he knew that He could do anything when Christ was in it and fulfilled his needs.

This is not a genie verse.  Say Philippians 4:13 three times and POOF you can do anything.  But it is a promise that when God gives you a mission, no matter how difficult it is or how inept you might feel yourself to be, He will provide all your needs to accomplish that task. 

God will never call you to a ministry and then leave you alone to accomplish it.  He will strengthen you with all you need to follow His will.

Photo by Mārtiņš Zemlickis on Unsplash

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

I just read a post from a friend of mine on Facebook.  She lost $20 which she had put in her pocket and then it was simply gone.  She was irritated at her foolishness for losing the money and things were financially tight at the moment. She retraced her steps.  She hunted high and low. She searched hard for that lost money but she found nothing.

Later a still small voice spoke to her, "Remember.  Remember the times you were in need and the right thing came along at the perfect time?"  She saw that God had always provided for her in the past and He was not going to stop now.  He had blessed her time and time again, but this one time something was lost instead of given.  Did that mean God had now stopped blessing her?  Of course not.

That money was not hers but God to use as He saw fit.  Perhaps there was someone out there whose need was far greater than hers.  That $20 was someone else's gain.  Perhaps it was found on that day. Perhaps a month from now it will be found in the melting snow, but it will be found at just the right time, by just the right person, to fulfill their need and show them that God has a plan for their life, and He will prosper them.  He gives to them more than $20 but also hope and a future.

"...The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;  Blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21b

Rapture is This Sunday!!

An Angel of the LORD comes down to you (yes a real angel and not a demon disguised as an angel) and tells you, "Do not be afraid.  I have come to tell you that this Sunday Jesus Christ the bridegroom and lover of your soul will come to rapture you and all believers to Heaven.  Prepare for your Rapture."

What do you do?  Stop a moment and think about what kind of preparations you would take if you knew that you only had a few precious days to be ready for the return of Christ.  Before going on with reading, think a minute about what actions in your life you would take.

Is there someone, perhaps a friend or relative, you need to reconcile with?  Do you have someone in your life whom you really enjoy their friendship but you are afraid to tell them about their need for salvation found only in Jesus Christ?  Do you have a hidden sin you need to repent of?

The time is short.  God commands us to be ready.  We are commanded to tell others about Jesus.  We are told to reconcile our relationships.  God demands that our lives be holy, righteous and pure.

"It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,"  Titus 2:12-13

Is Rapture this Sunday?  Maybe.  Do you want to take the chance that it isn't?

Photo Credit: Second Coming Jesus 02 by Waiting For The Word

God Promises Joy!

God is a wonderful God!  He delights in blessing His Children. One of the great promises of God is that you will find delight and joy in Him.

"Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:  "The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!" Psalm 118:15

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior?  Then victory is yours!  You can rejoice with great joy because not only have you gained salvation and eternal life, but victory throughout your life because God is now in the battle with you. You and God will rejoice together in victory.

Are times tough? Are you going through some trials in your life?  Habakkuk talks about how even though he has nothing and everything looks bleak, he will rejoice.

"yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights."  
Habakkuk 3:18-19

Life can be a hard road to travel, but God is with us and we can rejoice because He gives us strength when we are weak.  And God gives us the stable and firm footing of His Word whether that road is an easy grassy one or a rocky dangerous trail.  We can rejoice in troubled times because that is when we will see God working in our lives.

The key to obtaining the Joy of the LORD is found in trusting Him.

"The righteous will rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him;  All the upright in heart will glory in Him!"  Psalm 64:10

The righteous, those who have trusted in God for their salvation, take refuge in Him!  We are to depend upon Jesus Christ to provide all that we need; from salvation to blessings of clothes, a job, food, a home, and every little or big need we find.  Take joy for we are under His care

Joy is found by resting in the arms of Jesus.

Photo by Austin Schmid on Unsplash

Islam is a Lie and Allah is a False God.

There is only one God and Allah is not Him.  Mohammad was a false prophet led by Satan to create an abomination of a religion that has deceived 2 Billion people in the world.  The Muslim people are not to blame.  They are deceived by the lies perpetrated by Satan, using Mohammad to war against God.

We must love and reach out to the Muslims.  They are not the enemy.  This is a spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of people.  Never hate them.  Never get angry with them.  Pray that God will open their eyes to the truth of God and to the lies of Islam.  They need us to stand up and speak the truth, otherwise, they will never see the deception they have fallen into.

The real villain is Satan.  He created a religion where lying, cheating, stealing, raping, enslaving, and killing are not only accepted but encouraged against all who do not accept Islam.  Hatred and anger against Jews and Christians are seen as natural and appropriate.  Islam is a creation of the father of lies.

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."  John 8:44

There is only one God and one LORD.  YHWH!  He is truth and love.  He desires for all to come to Him and live.  He is all-powerful, but tender to those who suffer.  He is all-knowing, but will never remind the repentant how evil they have been.  He is omnipresent but still allows you free will to do as you will. Proverbs 6: 16-19 says He hates a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet swift to run to mischief, a false witness and people who create discord.  All that Islam teaches, God hates.

We must stand up as a true witness for God.  We must or else the lives and souls of the Muslims will be lost.  Are you afraid of what others might say if you should speak against Islam?  Do you fear personal harm from the Muslims? 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love and of a sound mind."

The last words of Jesus while in this world was the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28: 16-20.
He commanded us to go and make disciples of all the nations.  All nations means even to those who hate you.  It means to tell the truth to those nations who are deceived by Satan.  It means to stand up for Christ even when others persecute and kill you.

To do otherwise is to bow to the desires of Satan.

Photo by Izuddin Helmi Adnan on Unsplash

I Belong to Jesus.

I am His.  I do not belong to myself anymore.  In the Song of Solomon, the bride says of the bridegroom, "Ani Lo." or "I am His."  We are the bride of Christ and our relationship with Him should be summed up with, "I am His."

We, who belong to Jesus, are living in the most wonderful relationship possible.  He bought us with his blood.  We no longer have the right to our lives because our lives are now totally in the hands of God.  Sin and temptation have no right to us. We do not even have the right to give ourselves over to sin.

God also has taken the responsibility for our lives.  We no longer should worry because our lives no longer belong to us but to God.  He commands us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all our worries and anxieties on Him.  Our Burdens now belong to Jesus and not to us.  Everyone who will simply trust in Jesus Christ is now free.

Do you get offended?  Do people ever persecute you?  Are you made fun of?  God created you and knows you intimately.  When you belong to Jesus, those who come against you are now coming against God instead.  Do not be offended by people, because you belong to Jesus Christ, your bridegroom.  He will stand with you in all the trials the enemy throws at you.  In the end, God says "Revenge is mine"  Can you think of a greater punishment for those poor people who harass you than the wrath of God?"

I am His because I love Him.  I gave myself to Jesus because I wanted too. I wanted to give the love of my soul everything.  I do not want to hold anything back from him.  It is a joy to give of myself to my Lord Jesus.  What I receive in return is worth more than a thousand lifetimes.

"For in Him we live and move and exist,..." Acts 17:28a

Photo Credit: "The LORD is to be Praised!" by Art4The GlryOfGod by Sharon

The Flesh vs The Spirit

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

We live in a world of the flesh.  It is understandable why we see material victories as good.  Anytime we can defeat disease, pain, suffering, hunger, homelessness, poverty, and hundreds of other trials people are going through, it is seen as a victory.

This is normal but is it a victory spiritually?  I have seen many times when a person goes through a trial in their life, that they seek God because they have nowhere else to go.  The trial might be a result of their own foolishness, the selfish work of others or a natural disaster, but in all these trials God uses it for a spiritual victory in the person's life.

Our struggle in the world for comfort, safety, and survival, is good.  God created us that way, but there is also a spiritual side to our struggles.  Satan wants to destroy you and so does the world.  In the world, it is the strong who survive.  God, however, wants you to have an eternal victory which will help you to know and grow in your relationship with God.

Always pray for people who are going through a trial, but remember that God might be allowing that trial to occur so that they might learn a spiritual lesson and come to depend on Him.  It is in the trials that the spirit of man grows.  Perhaps God wants you to pray for them to learn from the trial so that it will end quickly.

A weightlifter works with heavy weights to build up his body.  It is the resistance of those weights which strain his muscles and cause them to grow stronger.  In our lives, it is the trials which cause our spiritual muscles to strain and grow stronger.  It is not always easy but spiritual growth comes through spiritual sweat.

Photo Credit: 50 Years old! by Andrew Blight

Is the True Site of Solomon's Temple to the South of the Temple Mount?

In 135 AD the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem and plowed over the city to completely wipe it out.  The Romans plowed the city!  Micah 3:12a prophesied "Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field..."

The picture above is an aerial shot of the City of Jerusalem in 1910.  Where I placed a red circle is where archeologist have found that Zion, the city of David, was located.  I made the picture large so you can better see that the area inside the circle is plowed fields. Even until the early 20th century, the Jerusalem of David's time was plowed over like a field.

If the Temple was down in the circled area it is easy to see why Josephus mentions Fort Antonia as being a guard of the temple and on a higher hill so as to hinder the temple's view to the North.  The traditional, small Tower of Antonia to the North West of the Temple Mount would have been almost no hindrance at all.

In the Scriptures when talking about the Fortress of Antonia it talks about coming down from the fortress.  Acts 21:32  talks about the commander of the garrison hearing an uproar of the Jews at the Temple where Paul was being beaten and it says, "He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them...."

Archeology is finding new evidence about the City of David everyday.  They have found David's Palace and another area where sacrifices were done around the time of the first temple.  It has blood channels, holes in rock for rings to be placed to hold animals, and within 10 yards of this area is the Gihon Spring.  

The priest needed living water, flowing water, to cleanse themselves.  Water from a cistern was never used.  The Gihon Spring was an inexhaustible source for the Temple to use.  Also when the kings were crowned they would go to the Gihon Springs and oil would be poured over their heads.  There is an olive press in this worship area just for such purposes.  See 1 Kings 1:38-39 for the crowning of King Solomon.

Was this worship and sacrifice area, in the city of David, from the time of Solomon's Temple?  It is located in the right area and the evidence is there to point to it being the correct spot.  The problem with people declaring this to be the site of the Temple is that so many are following the traditional belief of the Temple Mount, instead of the scriptural, historical and archaeological evidence.  

If this is the location of the Temple than the 3rd temple can be built right now.  The biggest thing stopping this from happening is tradition.

"Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men."  Mark 7:8 

Even in our own lives. we have traditions we hold onto.  Traditionally Christmas is December 25th and many people believe that to be the actual date of the birth of Christ.  Traditionally there were three wise men, but the Bible never said that.  Follow only what God says and do not follow the traditions of man.  The Catholic Church has deceived the world with traditions they have created.  Even protestants agree with many of those traditions.

Where the Temple is located is important, but what is of greater importance is that we be willing to put aside our own traditions for what is the truth of God. 

To read Part 1 of this series CLICK HERE
To read Part 2 of this series CLICK HERE

The Temple Mount is not the Temple Site.

We will show first that the temple mount cannot be where Solomon's and Herod's Temple were built.  Tomorrow we will give evidence for the City of David as the site for the Temple.

If the Temple Mount is not where the Temple was, what was on that site?  Rome housed the 10th legion in Jerusalem at the Tower of Antonia.  The traditional Tower of Antonia is a small 490 ft by 260ft area or 3 acres of land on the north-west corner of the Temple Mount.  A legion is about 6000 soldiers and 4000 supply personnel and followers.  If they all lived in the fortress of Antonia that would be about 1 square foot per person.

Josephus, the first-century historian wrote, "Now as to the tower of Antonia, it might seem to be composed of several cities.  For if we go up to the tower of Antonia, we gain the city, since we shall then be upon the top of the hill."

Do you think the Romans would take a small 3 acres plot of land for their 10,000 man legion and not commandeer a larger area that is on high ground over the city?  The Romans took what they wanted.

The Commander of Masada, Eleazer Ben Jair said after the fall of Jerusalem to Titus, "It (Jerusalem) is now demolished to the very foundations and hath nothing left but the monument of it preserved, I mean the camp of those (Romans) that hath destroyed it, which still dwells upon its ruins."

So if the only thing that is left of Jerusalem is the Roman camp, and everything else is demolished to the very foundations,  what does that say about the Temple?  It fulfills what Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24: 1-2 "Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

I always thought that this prophecy referred to the building housing the Holy of Holies and the Holy place, but if you read what the verses say the disciples were showing Jesus the buildings of the temple.  Plural. How can this be?  The Temple where the people worshipped included the Court of the Priest, Court of Israel (for the men), Court of women and the Court of Gentiles.  The whole area was holy including where the Gentiles were permitted to worship.  This whole area would have had to of been demolished and not one stone left on another.  If the Western Wall is part of the walls of the Temple site, it also would have had to of been destroyed.  If it is part of the Temple, Jesus lied.  If it is part of the area that the Roman legion held, then Jesus was correct.  The Western Wall was part of the Fortress of Antonia where the Roman soldiers were housed.

Why is the Temple Mount the traditional site of the Temple?  In 1099 AD the Crusaders came into Jerusalem and took it from the Muslims.  Included in that conquest, they took the Dome of the Rock and they placed a cross on top of it and renamed it the "Temple of God."

70 years later a Spanish Jew named Benjamin of Tudela visited Jerusalem and wrote that the Temple Mount was the location of Solomon's Temple.  That statement caught fire in the hearts of the people and from then on that tradition has held.

In 135 AD the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem and plowed over the city to completely wipe it out.   Rome declared that no Jew was to enter that area under penalty of death.  Over time they forgot where the temple was.  The land was all fields.

Tomorrow, in Part 3 of this series,  we will talk about the evidence for where the Temple of Solomon and Herod's Temple was.  To read Part 3 CLICK HERE

To read Part 1 of this series CLICK HERE

Photo Credit: So this is the Temple Mount by Yuno F Gasai

Can the Temple of Jerusalem be Built Now??

There are plans for a third temple to be built and it is possible for Israel to start building today.  What is stopping this from happening?  The problem is that we do not know where the location of Solomon's Temple was.

There are three possible locations that we will talk about here.  All three have their advocates and all three locations have evidence to back them up.

The Dome of the Rock.  Many believe that the rock, which the Dome of the Rock Mosque covers was the location where the Ark of the Covenant sat within the Holy of Holies.  The mosque sits on the Temple Mount, dominating all of Jerusalem.  When you see a picture of Jerusalem the golden dome of the mosque stands out.  This is the third most holy place to the Muslims and they are very aggressive in protecting it. If the Jews were to destroy this mosque all of the surrounding Arab countries would go to war.  One answer to this problem is for God himself to sweep His hand across the Temple Mount and destroy the Dome of the Rock.  If God wants the temple to be built in this location, He will somehow have to destroy it by natural means, by an Arab missile or bomb, or some means not connected to the Jews.  However, if God wants the temple built here, no one will stand in His way.

The Dome of the Spirits. 330 feet north of the Dome of the Rock is a small dome called the Dome of the Spirits, or the Dome of the Tablets.  This northern site on the Temple Mount is in the hands of the Arabs who aggressively guard the Temple Mount, but it might be possible for the Muslims to keep the Dome of the Rock while the Jews built a temple next to it.  How likely is this?  It would take an act of God to accomplish this, but with God all things are possible.

The Southern Location.  The Southern location would put the Temple south of the Temple Mount in the old city of David.  There are problems with the first two sites that if the temple was located there, those problems would be answered.  For example: The Temple needed living water, which is running water and could not be water from a cistern.  Solomon's Aqueducts would have been 20 meters too low to service the Temple Mount.  So where did the water come from?

Let's look at this location tomorrow and see what Biblical reasons and historical documents say about the actual location of Solomon's Temple.  If this is the actual location, there is nothing at all stopping Israel from building the temple at this very hour.

CLICK HERE for part 2 on the location of the Temple.
To read Part 3 in this series, CLICK HERE.

Photo Credits: The Temple Mount by J. Griffin Steward and Dome of the Spirits (facing north_1889 by James Emery

The Netanyahu Prophecy

Robert Mawire and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Arabs are coming to Christ because of dreams they are having.  God is bringing them to the knowledge of Christ, so is it that hard to believe that God might speak to the Jewish Prime Minister?  I believe it is not only possible but very likely that God would speak to the man who leads His Chosen People.

Benjamin Netanyahu became the youngest person to achieve the post of Prime Minister in June of 1996.  During his first term, he visited the United States.  While in Dallas a Christian African minister named Robert Mawire met a man who introduced him to Netanyahu.  The Prime Minister agreed to give Robert a minute for the prophetic word that Robert said he had for him.  Netanyahu joked to Robert, "Have you not read in the Bible that we stone our prophets?"

Robert was undeterred and told the Prime Minister, "I have placed you in this position, says the LORD.  Do not give up my land.  If you do give up my land, I will remove you from this position."

Netanyahu laughed and didn't take it seriously.  Later President Bill Clinton pressured Netanyahu to give up some land to PLO leader, Yasser Arafat.  It was soon after that when Benjamin Netanyahu's government collapsed and he lost his seat as Prime Minister.

Years later ex-Prime Minister Netanyahu was at a Florida gathering of supporters for Israel.  The same African minister tried to meet him saying, "I have another word.  I have to speak to him again."  Netanyahu meets with Robert and remembers him.  This time Netanyahu takes Robert seriously.

"You will once again become Prime Minister of Israel.  If you honor His covenant that He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding Israel, he will honor you and exalt you.  But if you disregard His covenant and give away His land, he will dishonor you.  Be strong and of good courage, for unto this people you shall divide an inheritance, the land that I swore to their fathers that I would give them.  Do not ever negotiate land for peace...God is not done with you.  You will be Prime Minister again in a critical time of history."

It was at about this time that Barak Obama became president of the United States and Benjamin Netanyahu became Prime Minister.  Obama pressured Netanyahu to give up land, but he refused.  Netanyahu would not give up any land because God had told him not to.   Obama despised Netanyahu and even tried to get him removed from power.  It looked like Benjamin Netanyahu was going to lose the re-election but miraculously he won and retained office.

When Robert had given the prophecy at the second meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he said, "This is what it is all about." and pulled out a picture of the temple of Jerusalem and held it up.

"You will be the Prime Minister for the restoration of the tabernacle of David."

Is this story true?  From my research (I am a skeptic at heart) I have found it to be very true.  Is this a word from God?  I believe so.  He also gave a similar prophecy to Ariel Sharon telling him he would become Prime Minister in 6 months.   Ariel Sharon was also told that if he gave land away God would strike him. At the time it looked like Sharon would be on trial for war crimes and his political career was over.  Six months later he was Prime Minister but he gave away land for peace. A few short months after removing Jews from settlements in the Gaza, Ariel Sharon had a minor stroke.  He was scheduled for an operation but the day before it he had a major stroke and went into a coma.  Eight years later he died, never having come out of his coma.

So what does this all mean?  If Benjamin Netanyahu is to be Prime Minister of Israel for the restoration of the tabernacle of David, it must not be far in the future.  The Tabernacle of David was where the Ark of the Covenant was kept in Jerusalem while the Temple was built.  Could it be long before the sacrifices start up?  Can the Temple be built soon?  What about the Temple Mount and the mosque on it?  Let's talk about that tomorrow.

What is ahead for 2018

Happy New Years everyone.  I hope your past year has been a good one and that God blesses you with an even more wonderful 2018.  God promises to be with those who follow Him. There are many, many verses about how God is with us.  In Isaiah, Jesus is named Immanuel which means "God with us."

2017 has been called "A year of disasters" for good reason.  The Red Cross said it was a record year for disaster response. We had hurricane after hurricane almost right on top of each other this year.  We have the largest forest fire in California history.  Worldwide the story is the same. Natural disaster after natural disaster.

Wars and rumors of wars are increasing.  Today Russia, Iran, Turkey and others are within a few miles of Israel's borders and their armies are growing larger.  President Trump declared that the United States is moving the embassy from Tele Viv to Jerusalem and the Arab countries are having a fit.  The UN is up in arms about it, but President Trump is standing firm.  This could be the spark to set off the Ezekial 38 war. (click here for more on that)

Will 2018 be better?  That depends on you.  According to the Bible, all these events are like birth pains.  The closer to the birth (In this case the return of Jesus Christ) the greater and more frequent come the pains.  These signs will keep increasing in number, strength, and frequency.  Just like when a woman gives birth, it will not end until the end.

If you are a Christian, you need only trust God with your life and well being.  He will care for you and be with you.  Also, I believe the rapture will occur before the seven-year time which begins when the Anti-Christ comes forth with an agreement with Israel and ends when Jesus returns.  This will be a time of God's wrath upon the earth.

Personally, when I look at where the world sits prophetically, I don't think Christians will see 2019 while still on this earth.  I firmly believe the rapture will occur any day now.  This is not from God but from me, but looking at the signs of the times, your next breath might be of Heavenly air.

This means that the time is short.  Satan knows this and his demons are working overtime.  We also should be working to tell others that the time is short and they must come to Christ.  This is not the time to relax, sell everything and sit on a mountain to pray.

"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look to the fields, that they are white for harvest." John 4:35

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash