Beware Of Misinformation And Conspiracies. Sabbath afternoon 10/26/2024

2nd Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2nd Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

In the study for today, we will not only bring to light the source of all misinformation, and conspiracies, but we will also be guided by the word of God with sound instruction, so as to avoid being sucked into a trend that has more or less become mainstream.

Bible studies should never be done with the sole purpose of pointing out errors, or giving out a lot of information. They should also include the Scriptural instructions, solutions and remedies which will then make the world a better place, if adopted.

Lying has become crystalized and endemic in the U.S to the point where it is almost now a prerequisite, on one’s resume, if persons are desirous of holding any public office. Like the deadly Covid pandemic of recent years many variants and strains of lying have now sprung into life.

Many podcasters, television shows, radio talk shows and many influencers are now totally devoted to the spreading of much misinformation, and conspiracy theories, to the point where it has become difficult to sort out fact from fiction, truth from falsehood. In fact, much energy and time is now being wasted in debunking rumors and lies.

And it has now infected so many millions of people that some individuals have been brought to the point where they will pick and choose, whatsoever they may want to believe, regardless of whether it is truth, or falsehood, instead of seeking out the facts and truth objectively without bias.

This trend is not good at all, for once it has been set in motion, it will not be turned around in a moment, for whenever deliberate choice is employed in doing that which is wrong, that practice becomes deeply embedded in the character, the more it is indulged, and it can take a herculean effort to normalize.

What is particularly disturbing about the current phenomena is that it has not only infected secular folk, but it has invaded Christian circles to a large extent, in so much that erroneous views are being peddled from many pulpits across the land.

In other words, the epidemic of misinformation is not only relegated to the secular or political arenas, it has taken on a life of its own in the doctrines, and teachings coming from much of the clergy, for most congregants are fed weekly on a spiritual diet which includes, mangled truth, and outright errors.

Let none be deceived into thinking that the current order of things could just be uprooted in a moment, for once the deadly seeds have been sown, they will inevitably spring up and bear fruit, for the mind that has become inebriated with lies and falsehoods can become entrenched in permanent darkness, to the point of no return.

This is exactly the plan of the devil, to inundate the masses of people with errors and falsehoods to the point where the condition will become mainstream, and thus, persons, having become weary and utterly desensitized to falsehoods, they would not even bat an eye when lies are being told, since they would’ve become so accustomed to it.

Thus, in order to understand where we are going, we must first understand where we came from, and how we got here, to this point, where there is now an almost irreversible epidemic of lying, for which the only known vaccine is the truth, as is found in God’s word.

Misinformation had its roots up in heaven, where lucifer began to spread false narratives about the Son of God, because he coveted the place of The Most-High.

What is especially troubling about the origins of misinformation is that lucifer was well acquainted with the truth, for he had verifiable facts before him, and in his own person.

Yet, a deliberate choice was made by him to spread unfounded rumors, misinformation, and a plethora of lies about God, thus mangling and distorting the truth, both to himself and his would-be followers. It was a conscious choice to spread misinformation in heaven, which resulted in him becoming the father of lies.

It is stated that if a lie is repeated long, and often enough, the time will come when even intelligent beings could end up believing it, thus, by so doing, one third of the intelligences in heaven, who fell for satan’s errors, eventually did irreversible damage to their own minds as they became deeply entrenched in a vortex of lies, and misinformation.

The root of all sins is covetousness, which, once it is harbored, indulged and cultivated, will spawn every other known sin, including all habitual lying.

Thus, it was, that lucifer coveted the position of The Son of God in heaven, and this morphed into every other evil trait, which then drove him to say things that he knew were unfounded.

As we study the history of all misinformation, as it began in heaven, we will observe that lucifer craved praise, which belongs to God alone.

And whenever any created being, whether angel or men, are known to deal in misinformation, lies and conspiracy theories, you’ll also observe a profound craving for praise, side by side with misinformation.

The two elements are actually two peas in a pod, for wherever coveting of praise abounds in any person, conspiracy theories and misinformation would also abound, for one element feeds off of the other, and vice versa, to produce a never-ending cycle.

Thus, according to the Scriptural renditions on the matters of misinformation, all roads lead right back to satan, who first started the ball a rolling, and who is the invisible leader behind all of the conspiracies, and misinformation we are now witnessing.

Let it be known beyond the shadow of all doubt that misinformation and conspiracy theories could never originate with God, for He deals only in the currency of truth and uprightness. Therefore, the source can only be the prince of darkness who peddles in these destructive elements daily. Let’s read:

Deuteronomy 32: 3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Basically, in a nutshell, we’re now witnessing in real time the work and the presence of evil angels, that’s spreading across the land like a wildfire. It’s not the best of news, but it’s the truth. Let’s read:

John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

This is what took place in heaven with lucifer, and it is what we are now grappling with in our day, where truth and fact have become endangered species and where deliberate misinformation does not bother a person’s conscience anymore, in many cases.

As lucifer saw Christ being included in those private counsels of the Father, he wondered why he himself was being left out, and as he dwelt upon what then seemed to him as an injustice, the deadly seeds of covetousness were sown in his heart.

This went on secretly for some time in his mind, but like everything else that is cultivated, it will sooner, or later bubble up to the surface, which it did. Thus, an atmosphere of alienation gradually began to take root in heaven, among the angels.

Prior to this, heaven was a place of love, peace, and tranquility, but now the dark shadows of discontent, alienation, and polarization started to spread like a cloud over its inhabitants. Some way somehow, they just could not agree, or work together, anymore, as they had done previously.

The alienation that we are now witnessing across America, where many fellow citizens are at swords points against each other, is just a microcosm of a greater conflict that has, and is engulfing the entire planet, both on the humanistic level and also on the invisible, spiritual level.

Thus, after covetousness had become entrenched in the mind of lucifer, the inevitable fruits now began to manifest themselves in what he spoke, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

He began to complain about the government of God by trying to demonstrate that Christ was restricting their freedom, and happiness.

Then he started to spread the unfounded rumors of how bad things will get for the angels if he were not installed as the dear leader in heaven.

Every good thing which God did, was misinterpreted into character assassination of The Most-High, and finally his conspiracies were directed at the judiciary when he erroneously declared that the laws of God were too restrictive.

The following therefore are scriptural references to the origins of all misinformation, and all conspiracy theories, and as we study closely, we will see clearly why we are in our own current predicament. And as we study, let us be honest with ourselves, and ask: is this happening in the here and now. Let’s read:

Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; you seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

The two highlighted phrases in the previous passage must not be overlooked at all, for they reveal a very bizarre truth pertaining to the use of intelligence in persons or beings who may deliberately choose to distort truth. Here are the two phrases juxtaposed to each other:

Full of wisdom/ corrupted thy wisdom.

Look at the two phrases very closely, for they raise the very grim prospect that a mortal man who may follow satan’s lead can become both intelligent and unwise at the same time.

Question: Is it true that there can be persons, living in our day, who have manifested great intelligence, and yet, have said, and done things that fall short of their intelligence quotient, IQ?

In other words, is it possible for you to retain your intelligence, and yet be can found doing and saying stupid things? Remember, that most of what we are now seeing and hearing, as pertains to misinformation is coming from persons who are highly intelligent, and who, for all intents and purposes are well respected.

Can it be that the two phrases are being juxtaposed in persons, and they have not a clue what is taking place in their minds? The scripture seems to suggest that a person with extraordinary intelligence might not necessarily always say, and do things that are wise.

The desire for the highest place is what had driven the covetousness thus indulged, and in every being that is motivated by a desire for praise, there will be seen a disposition to use others as a stepping stone to climb to a higher round, regardless of the cost. Let’s read:

Isaiah 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High.

In trying to usurp the position of the Most High God many of his followers would lose their royal estate, and thus be banished into eternal night. But, be that as it may, in lucifer’s mind, the reward will be worth the risk, and if in the process fellow angels become doomed to destruction, then so be it.

The following are a few excerpts, coming from the pen of inspiration which build upon the passages we just read. They contain several examples which are eerily similar to what we are currently experiencing. Let’s read:

                                           [1]

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] Rejecting with disdain the arguments and entreaties of the loyal angels, he denounced them as deluded slaves.

[In other words, he severely criticizes all who refuse to join his bandwagon, and he condemns them as being duped, confused, and misguided]

                                          [2]

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] The preference shown to Christ he declared an act of injustice both to himself and to all the heavenly host, and announced that he would no longer submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs. He would never again acknowledge the supremacy of Christ.

[In other words, He determines never again to submit to any duly, God-ordained authority.]  

                                          [3]

Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] He had determined to claim the honor which should have been given him, and take command of all who would become his followers.

[In other words, he aspired to become a sort of dear leader to all who subscribed to his cause; a sort of cult following.]

                                           [4]

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] He promised those who would enter his ranks a new and better government under which all would enjoy freedom. Great numbers of the angels signified their purpose to accept him as their leader.

[His advances were successful to a great extent, for the Bible tells us that he took 1/3 of the angels with him.] Let’s read:

Revelation 12: 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

                                            [5]

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 40] He artfully presented his side of the question, employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force, the rights which had not been willingly accorded them.

[In other words, if he were not granted the highest office which he was seeking, then he would try to  overthrow God’s government by force.] Let’s read:

Revelation 12: 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Now my dear brethren, if the story had ended with the last verses we just read, we could say it was just a mere historical event, and if so, we could chalk it up to just a one-time aberration in the history of the universe.

But there is one more verse in the Scriptures, which is deeply concerning, since lucifer’s modus operandi was apparently transferred from in heaven to earth, and that’s the reason why we are witnessing current events in the here and now. Let’s read:

Revelation 12: 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.

Question: Is it true that we are witnessing in our day replicas of what took place in heaven, and if so, how is the Christian in our day to avoid being sucked into the tentacles of rebellion, which had their origins in heaven?

The Bible gives us several answers so that we might chart straight paths for our feet. For starters, we are to renounce the tendency to pick and choose only those facts and truths which we prefer to believe.

This particular tendency, which has now gone viral, when indulged in the secular and in political realms, will eventually seep into the way we study the Bible, for there will be truths in God’s word that persons may not want to hear.

Thus, when the habit of selecting preferrable facts or truths is established in the character, the word of God on some points would be readily rejected if the truth does not jive with our biases, and preferences.

In fact, the disposition to pick, and choose only the truths and facts we prefer is symptomatic of the last days of earth’s history, when, as the Bible declares a worldwide epidemic of itching ears, is scheduled to envelop the earth in gross darkness. Let’s read:

2nd Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Isaiah 30: 9 This is a rebellious people lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord.

10 Which say to the seers, see not; and to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.

Again, we saw in the history of misinformation, that lucifer decided to take by force, the office which he was not duly accorded, and for this reason he tried to overthrow the government of God.

There’s a great and pertinent lesson for all who will be guided by the principles, instructions, and laws in the Bible. The Christian, living in our day, might not necessarily like the government God allows to take the reins of control.

There may be serious disagreements with what God might permit, yet, because we acknowledge the fact that The Most-High rules in the affairs of men, folks should be willing to follow where God leads the way for God has not primarily called folks to agree with Him in all things, but rather to obey Him.

This counsel, given clearly in the Scriptures is to be of great and real value, as we observe the kingdoms of men becoming more antichrist in nature. These things must come to pass, as the Bible predicts, but the Christian is not to become riled up or unhinged, to the point where he or she is not willing to let God lead. Let’s read:

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

To put it plainly, if God sees it fit to put back Donald Trump in the seat of power, then so be it. And if He sees fit to pass the baton to Kamala Harris, then so be it. Christians are never to rush ahead of God, and take matters into their own hands, just because they might not agree with what God is permitting. Let’s read:

Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most-High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whosoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.

Psalms 75: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7 But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another.

Last but not least, is the tendency to prefer science above the Bible, for whenever this is done, persons will ultimately choose the sayings, and philosophies of men, over the Sacred writ.

In an age, where misinformation, and conspiracies abound, we will discover that the only safe reliable sources in many instances will be the unadulterated word of God, and the spirit of prophecy.

For instance, when most news anchors speak about floods of Biblical proportions, or when they speak of apocalyptic scenes of destruction, they never, ever explain what they mean by that.

The clear word of God in prophecy is bypassed, and no link is ever made between what is transpiring on the earth, with what the prophets of the Bible have predicted, as pertaining to the final days of earth’s history.

Here are a few examples from the horse’s mouth, of what we are referring to:

CNN “We have had biblical proportions of rain over the night and into the day,” Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said Saturday. Sun July 23, 2023.

ABC News: Rain of 'biblical proportions': Fort Lauderdale residents stranded in homes, cars. April 14, 2023, 11:59 AM

CBS News: Here's how Hurricane Helene brought "biblical devastation" to western North Carolina in a near "worst-case scenario" October 1, 2024.

Newsweek: Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer described the devastation as a "post-apocalyptic scene" during an interview on CNN. Sep 30, 2024.

You will observe that no direct link is being made to the prophecies of the Bible, for the references are in a vague format, leaving listeners to draw their own conclusions.

Just to be clear, the word of God links these things to the 2nd coming of Christ, as they are predicted to increase in frequency and severity, and it also tells us that we are to expect increasing devastation from natural disasters, the closer we get to the coming of The Lord.

The disasters are not happening in a vacuum, they are a serious wake up call, being permitted to call earth’s inhabitants to the urgency of the moment.

If it’s not the blood-letting in the middle east, or the never-ending wars and rumors of war, or hurricanes which are beginning to show up in areas where they do not normally belong, all roads lead back to the Biblical prophecies, portending Christ’s soon return. Let the reliable source speak for itself. Let’s read:

Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3 Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

1st Thessalonians 5: 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape.

 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Travail upon a woman with child is a reference to the labor pains that come upon a woman who has begun the process of childbirth. Those pains begin mildly, and at longer intervals, but, as the expected time of delivery draws near, the pains become more frequent and severe.

These sacred utterances are not fake news, they are the real deal, telling us that the end of all things is at hand and they are encouraging one and all to live in readiness.

Thus, if folks desire to steer clear of misinformation and conspiracy theories, the unadulterated word of God must be consulted, for it ties the here and now to the prophecies, which predicted these things in the first place.

Let us then refuse to be caught up in a web of lies, let us seek the clear word of God, which is able to make us wise unto salvation, and most importantly, let us seek to be found in Christ, the Only One who can solve this world’s problems and shield us from the delusions that will be coming upon the earth in short order.

In harmony with this sentiment, we’ll end the study with a passage of Scripture that will enable us to be insulated from misinformation, conspiracy theories, and every type of delusion or deception that is now engulfing the world. Let’s read:

Revelation 3: 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

                                    God Bless!

The Biblical Way To Deal With Depression. Sabbath afternoon 09/28/2024

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

Before we delve into the study, we must remember that there is a battle for the mind being waged each and every day, and living victoriously will depend to a large extent on how we fight our battles. The mind is where decisions and choices are made and thus, it behooves us to keep it in the best possible shape.

Many people focus on physical health without their attention being placed on the mind where decisions and choices are made which then affect every other part of the body. Very many of the struggles persons face in life can be traced right back to the mind, and how it is managed, because there is a valid reason why God placed it on top of the body.

Thus, the enemy of souls goes to work to destroy, to weaken, and to interfere with the mind, so that the processes of decision can be thrown off kilter, for he knows that whenever this becomes the case, it will just be a matter of time before things will trend to the darker side.

In one way or the next, whether it be via harmful drugs, by watching too much bad news, with lying politicians, or by listening to wrong types of music which suggest bad actions through lyrics, or by diets and foods, there is only one target on the enemy’s radar, the human mind, the seat of intelligence.

Depression is first, and foremost a condition of the mind, which is usually marked by severe feelings of despondency and dejection. It can occur only once in your lifetime, it can happen on multiple occasions or it could last for very long and extended periods of time to the point where it could become chronic.

Symptoms of depression are often manifested by a feeling of sadness and hopelessness. It can also be demonstrated via irritability, frustration over minor matters, angry outbursts, sleep disturbances, and a lack of enthusiasm, or interest in normal activities. Depression, if left unchecked can affect one’s sleep, and can cause a person to feel tired, with a lack of energy, or motivation to do any and everything.

It is also known to affect a person’s ability to think rationally and could reduce, or increase a person’s appetite for food. The tendency to binge-eat can be a symptom of a deeper problem of depression. When there are unexplained physical problems such as pain, headaches, or sudden onset of disease, and sickness, a person can become depressed. Again, in very many instances, carrying a heavy load of debt can trigger bouts of depression.

This one is huge, because it affects very many who have become overwhelmed with student loans, and since debt has become endemic, both at the federal level, and in most families, it is estimated that most American households cannot handle an unexpected bill of $1,000.00 or more.

In other instances, some individuals, for one reason or another, have become entangled in one of satan’s favorite snares, by cultivating that habit of living off of credit, not because they were originally forced to do so, but because of choice or impulse.

All of the foregoing situations ultimately will affect the mind in one way or the next, and if the problem is not dealt with prudently, persons could fall into a state of depression which can then affect the ability to relate to others at home, at church, and in other social settings.

Again, there may be other triggering mechanisms in the lead up to depression, such as a persistently low self-esteem, cultivating an attitude of pessimism, or the death of a loved one. Physical, and sexual abuse can also lead to depression, also a family history of bipolar disorder or mental illness.

Another cause of severe depression is the political landscape, which has become fraught with anxiety, violence, perpetual lies, and a feeling of uncertainty which has caused many people to go into full blown panic mode.

Citizens, in high and low places are looking forward with great consternation as to what may eventuate come November. Just thinking about the prospect of who may win is enough to give some individuals the creeps, and many more are losing sleep at night just worrying about whether democracy will be a thing of the past.

One, or all of these factors can increase the risk of developing or triggering depression. It is worthy of note that most people will experience depression at some point in their lives, some more, some less, for it has been documented to be a part of the human experience.

And since it is steadily on the increase, the time has come for us to address it from a Biblical perspective, since the Scriptures contain countless instances of persons who became depressed, for various reasons and who, by the grace of God were able to shake off the blues.

The Christian who believes in Jesus is not immune from depression, for, as was stated before, it’s a part of the human experience, whether one believes, or not. In fact, Brother Jesus also had His own bout of depression for a while, but He refused to dwell too long in that state.

This is of critical importance as we move forward in the study of this issue, because the faster one could recover from depression, is the less damage would accrue. Remember, the battle is for our minds, and if for some reason, we are prone to linger in a state of depression, the more effort will be required so as to escape from its clutches.

There are certain facts of life, and certain inevitable truths that we would have to be reconciled to as we study the issue of depression, and how to deal with it from the Scriptural perspective. There are certain things in life, that are just plain unavoidable.

For starters, the Bible does not teach us that we will not have any problems. You will have some sort of a problem, whether you are rich, poor, or in between. Once you are living on planet earth, you are bound to encounter some type of problem, thus, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

Let’s repeat again, so that you will hear correctly, if you are a Christian, you will have problems, and if a person does not believe in Jesus, they will also have problems for no one is immune. Jesus Himself had a whole lot of problems, and, believe it or not, satan has his own share of problems, just read Revelation 20.

Some people erroneously believe that satan only causes problems. Now, while this is true, he also is plagued with a host of problems, with very serious, and grave problems heading his way in the not-too-distant future. Let’s read:

Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

[Early Writings pp 152] I was shown Satan as he once was, a happy, exalted angel. Then I was shown him as he now is. He still bears a kingly form. His features are still noble, for he is an angel fallen. But the expression of his countenance is full of anxiety, care, unhappiness, malice, hate, mischief, deceit, and every evil.

Let none be deceived concerning this sacred truth: Living without Jesus will bring you more problems than if you are a Christian. The unbeliever may seem for the time being, to be riding high, but sooner, or later there will be major problems coming down the road, just ask Diddy Combs. Let’s read:

Psalms 73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well-nigh slipped.

3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful  for me;

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.

19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

Thus, the Scriptures do not propose to insulate any person from any problems or depression. Instead, it teaches us how to deal with problems prudently, so as to minimize the risks, and losses which could pile up really quickly. Let’s read:

John 16: 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Job suffered some of the more serious triggering mechanisms for the onset of major depression. Job, who was an upright man, was going his merry way, when out of the blue, without any prior warning, his world started to unravel really quickly.

In just a few days Job lost most of his workers, and most of his livestock which represented much of the wealth he’s documented to have been blessed with. Then, without warning, a tornado comes in from the desert and obliterates the house where his children were gathered.

Again, as if that were not enough, Job comes down with a dreadful disease, with boils, and sores that smelled offensive, so that his friends were loathed to come near.  

To make matters worse, his frenemies kept blaming him for doing wrong things, which they attributed as the cause of all of his troubles, which only served to exacerbate the problem. Thus, with this very toxic combination roiling Job’s mind night and day, it may seem to the casual observer, that there was no way out.

Some folks wonder why God has allowed situations such as these to be recorded in the Scriptures. One of the reasons why God caused them to be written is so that folks who come after, might gain courage from those who have gone before, as we observe how they navigated deep depression, and yet came out victorious.

As we dig a bit deeper into Job’s harrowing bout of depression, we observe that he encountered some of the same triggering factors which adversely affect much of the human family today. Those factors are listed below so that we will see that there is nothing new under the sun.

[1] The sudden loss of a person’s family members through tragic circumstances.

[2] The loss of one’s home to a devastating, natural disaster.

[3] The tragic loss of your business, and employees.

[4] The loss of your health through some loathsome unexplainable disease, for which there is no known cure.

[5] The loss of finances, where in a very short period of time, Job went from hero to near Zero financially.

With all of these triggering factors for depression in his face, very many people in our day, might choose to call it quits, since everything on earth that seems worthwhile living for has now evaporated into thin air, and Job is left, apparently all alone, with the rug pulled out from beneath his feet.

There must be something else worth living for. Think about it carefully; after all the things that give folks happiness and fulfillment in life are gone there must be something more to life that would keep Job, and his wife pressing on.

It is called the blessed hope. The gospel of salvation produces a culture of life, by which life is still worth the living, even in the face of unexplainable, tragic losses, on multiple fronts. And because of this fact, the Christian who looks beyond that which is seen, to that which is eternal, will always have something better to live for even if at times problems and difficulties may overwhelm.

Even though we are advised to be faithful stewards, the Christian should understand that the temporal things of life are to be held in a subordinate role to the higher, eternal interests. And therefore, if the great recession, and the great depression were to rear their heads again, and if we experience world war 3 in our personal lives, either literally or figuratively, we must understand that we are headed for a better world.

So how does Job deal with depression in the Biblical way? His mind and thoughts rise above the ashes to behold by faith the final redemption of man and our planet, and this sacred truth is what buoys up Job’s hope in the midst of darkness and despair. Several passages in the Scripture point unmistakably to a day when the here and now will give way to the great hereafter and this blessed hope in Christ is the key that keeps Job chugging along. Let’s read:

Job 19: 25 For I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

1st Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Hebrews 11: 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The Christian in our day who may be going through a rough patch, who is facing mounting difficulties, or dealing with illness, debt, loss of family members, or depression in one form or another must seek for the Biblical solutions first and foremost, so that results would be in harmony with the blessed hope.

Much help is available, but the help that is sought must always to include the God factor. The tendency to resort to drugs and human counselling alone will in most cases leave out God, since science generally does not recognize, or acknowledge God.

There are cases written in the Scriptures where folks were able to pull out of depression with God alone, persons such as Jesus, Job, Moses, Joseph and the prophet Elijah, all of whom had their bouts of deep depression.

This is not to say that folks should dispense entirely with human agencies, for many professionals have been gifted by God with talents, and knowledge to help a great deal with this issue. All we are saying is that the God factor must be included, so as to help in avoiding unfortunate outcomes.

Through the grace and power of God the Christian is enabled to take a licking and keep on ticking just like the bunny rabbit in the Energizer commercial. Let all who are downtrodden and weary, let persons who are currently consumed in dark thoughts and moods pray to God for help in time of need and He will help in ways that we know nothing of.

When David was greatly distressed, and problems of life seemed about to swallow him up, His mind then turned to The One who is always ready to hear, and answer, and thus, in the midst of the storm, David found courage and strength to carry on. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

Persons, including Christians must be very careful of the influences in our world which often attempt to belittle the God factor. The tendency to leave Jesus out of the picture has the effect of causing problems and real difficulties to loom larger than life.

Let none be deceived by the wisdom of this world, for there is a God in the heavens who sits high and looks low, whose ear is always open to the cry of the faint and weary, and who delights in mercy. In times of distress and danger, when there seems as if there is no way out, there is always a way out in Christ.

God not only helps the Christian, His ears are also open to persons in distress, for there is something in the human soul that tends to turn to God when the going gets rough. And the Scriptures do confirm in clear lines that the work of Christ is to lift up and heal. Let’s read:

Luke 4: 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

There are many times when individuals who were in deep depression, or in serious distress, have turned to The God of heaven for help, and He responded in the affirmative, even though they might not have been Christians. God’s grace and His mercy is not for Christians only, it’s ministered to all who ask in faith.

So let the word of God speak for itself, because it seems as if many persons may have misunderstood the goodness of God to the human family. Let’s read:

Psalms 107:1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

8 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

13 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands in sunder.

23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

24 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

25 For He commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves thereof.

26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.

28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Therefore, be encouraged, no matter what you may be going through. Do not be afraid to ask God for a helping hand, and do not be hesitant to pray, for He will help all those who seek Him in sincerity. Many of those whom Christ healed in His day were just  ordinary people, many of whom did not have a deep relationship with God.

Therefore, help is readily available, and if you are trying to deal with depression, remember there is a Biblical way. Let God lead, include the God-factor in all that you do, and you will soon discover, like Job, and many others did, that help is often just a prayer away. In harmony with this truth, we will end our study on a high note, for God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Let’s read:

Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keeps thee will not slumber.

5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

                                  God Bless!

If We Confess Our Sins. Sabbath afternoon 09/21/2024

 1st John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The confession spoken of in the passage above isn’t a mere acknowledgement that one has sinned. It is not merely feeling bad about our sins, nor is it the calling of sin by its right name. All of these are good, but they must be coupled together with a deliberate choice to do God’s revealed will.

In the Bible several examples of confession are given with nuances and twists that must be sorted out to be able to differentiate between the genuine, and the insincere. It is God’s will that all should come to repentance, meaning that after whatever is said and done through confession it should be translated into living in harmony with God.

Anything short of this will render confession a mere ritual that comes from a heart that is not yet willing to surrender to God, and wherever this is the case, a person will relapse into doing that which was done before, or even worse than previously.

Multiple attempts at erroneous confession renders the heart harder to reach the next time around, and it could reach a point where it could be very difficult to experience the end product, of living in harmony with God’s revealed will.

Again, there may still be hope for a person who may be caught red handed in sinning, and who, because of the particular circumstance, may be forced into a confession that may seem to be insincere. But such a situation does not necessarily render a person as being outside the reach of God’s grace.

The grace and mercy of God could still reach such a person, if at the end of the day, he, or she is willing to choose God’s will. It all comes down to the choice which, once deployed in favor of obeying God, will produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

In confessing our sins, the words might not always come out right, and in some rare instances, persons may not immediately feel sorrow for sin, for some may not yet know what sorrow for sin looks like, yet God can take any person from where they are, to where they ought to be.

Confession is not so much about us saying the right words, as it is the heart that is willing to choose the changes God is asking for. One might utter incorrect words, and may leave out what might seem to us as critically important, such as “I’m sorry” and yet that person’s confession could be genuine.

When you read the Bible closely, in most instances where confession was after the godly sort, persons didn’t say I’m sorry, because confession really goes beyond political correctness, since God looks at the heart, and not merely correct words that are spoken in perfect English.

In other words, at the end of the day, confession of the godly sort, which results in a change of course for the right, may not initially seem to fit in with the human version of what confession is supposed to be but God who reads the hearts and motives of all will have the last word.

Therefore, in order to understand what confession is we must study line upon line, precept upon precept, so as to avoid the many erroneous views about the issue of confession, which abound in our day. We will now take a few passages of scripture which deal with confession, and we will clear up some of the misconceptions, using the Bible as our guide. Let’s read:

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

This passage should never ever be interpreted to mean that we are to lay our personal weaknesses, faults, and sins before the brethren, if wrongs were not committed in the public square, or against any person in particular.  The writer is speaking in the context of prayers for healing, in situations where sin in the individual has contributed to the illness. That is the context, but it has now morphed into very many strands which are neither recognized, or endorsed by God.

Shortcomings in persons do not necessarily have to be shared with friends, and family, especially if they are not directly affected. There is a huge difference between out breaking sin, where our sinful thoughts have matured into actions, and internal struggles of the mind, which God alone can see.

For instance, if a man is struggling with adulterous thoughts, as is quite often the case, it would be very imprudent for him to spell out his sin in great detail during family worship, in front of his wife, especially if he has been struggling with the sin over a number of years, as was the case with king David.

If you were to put yourself in the wife’s shoes, you could become weary of hearing that confession over and over again, and in some instances, it could lead the wife to question the husband’s Christianity, and his sincerity.

The question in the wife’s mind would obviously be “How long are you going to confess that sin or when are you going to gain the victory?” Some Christians believe that after a number of years have elapsed, a person who is in Christ should not be struggling with certain sins.

Now, while it is true that we all are to strive for the mastery by God’s grace the fact of the matter is that there are some sins that are more easily uprooted in some persons, than in others. In some cases, it can require a Herculean effort in striving against certain sins, and gaining the victory permanently.

The poor husband might be trying by God’s grace to tow the line, and like many Christians who might be struggling with this or that issue, he may have some good days and some bad days, but in his innermost soul, he may really be trying to do right.

We would not know, but one thing is certain; rather than have the wife all upset, and fretting while the prayer is being made it may be best for the husband to take his struggles to God, in the private audience chamber of the Most- High. In that way, he will be greatly helped by Jesus, who understands the severe struggle we face with latent tendencies, which strive for the mastery, and at the same time he could preserve both his, and his wife’s sanity.

Furthermore, it might not be expedient to expose your faults to other persons, who may not help you with overcoming. Especially is this the case with the confessional, where unwitting persons are known to spill the beans to some members of the clergy, who themselves may have their own skeletons hiding in some closet.

As a general rule of thumb, if the sin in question is private, meaning that it was a transgression in the mind alone, the confession should in most cases, be to God alone. We are not commanded anywhere in the Scriptures to confess sins of the mind to other erring mortals.

Another passage in the Scriptures pertaining to the issue of confession, is that of acknowledging our sin, or calling it by its right name. As was stated before, there are times when, if one is in the public square, it might be best to be vague in confessing your sins, if the sins in question were not committed against another, or a number of people.

The tenor of the Bible is to keep the sins of saints as quiet as possible, hidden from public view wherever possible. Every sin you read of in the Bible, where a child of God has been exposed, it’s because the sins were either done in public, or they were done to the public, some more, some less, without exception.

This is the reason why Christians are cautioned in the Bible not to take wrongs between themselves to the public courts, where the name of Christ will be dragged in the mud. Wherever possible, let privacy be your watchword, so as not to give satan, and his minions occasion to blaspheme the name of Christ. In fact, the Christian must be prepared to suffer loss, if doing so will keep the errors of the saints from public view. Let’s read:

James 5: 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

20 Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Matthew 18: 15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

However, when damage has been done to others in the public square, confession in front of all who are concerned will be required. This is because the God of heaven must be vindicated as being just and fair, without bias or favoritism. For instance, when Achan caused thirty-six men to be slain, because of the items he stole from Jericho, he would need to confess the specifics, in the midst of the congregation, since other persons adversely suffered as a result.

Again, Jesus asked for a public confession in front of the other disciples from Peter, because his swearing in the court, in front of everybody, had done serious damage to the cause of Christ as well as to the body of believers. In that instance he greatly embarrassed Jesus in the public square, hence the reason why Christ did not pull him aside privately, by himself, to confess.

In fact, Peter’s public denial of Christ had occurred three times, and therefore, Jesus asked for Peter to confess no less than three times, one confession for each incident that had brought dishonor to God. If a Christian has dishonored Jesus in a public square where the name of Christ was greatly disgraced on numerous occasions, the confession of sins must be made multiple times, before the church. Let’s read:

Matthew 26: 69 Now Peter sat outside in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, you also were with Jesus of Galilee.

70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, this fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.

73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by and said to Peter, surely you also are one of them for thy speech betrays you.

74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

John 21: 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

A critically important point to note in this episode is that Peter’s confession was never solicited in front of the general public, before whom the denials took place. Christians should be very careful not to wash their dirty laundry in public, for this just adds salt to the wounds already made.

If no hurt, damage, or injustice was done to persons in the public domain, confessions are best left to be handled amongst our brethren, for God desires that the least amount of publicity be given to the errors, and sins of His people, wherever warranted.

This is the reason why you’ll never read in the Bible of any specific sins that Daniel did, although he too had sins to confess. His record in the public square was beyond reproach, and therefore his specific sins remain sealed between himself, and God, for they are not anyone else’s business. Let’s read:

Daniel 9: 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God….

Again, when folks acknowledge sins, that is just one step in the right direction, which ultimately should lead us to choose to do God’s will. Acknowledgment in and of itself doesn’t necessarily constitute a godly confession. It’s a first step, but not the end product. Let’s read:

Jeremiah 3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.

This brings us to our case study in which pharaoh is documented as having confessed his sins, which he did. As we study the references we will discover that pharaoh said all the right words, including the direct acknowledgement of his sins, and yet, for all of this, the end product doing God’s will was absent.

In his confessions, he admits that God is righteous, and that pharaoh is wicked, and he goes so far as to call sin by its right name. But some way, somehow, he simply refuses to do God’s revealed will by letting the people go.

This is a critically important point, for God is not so interested in correct words, as He is in a heart that is willing to obey Him. If confessing one’s sin doesn’t result in doing God’s will with a willing heart, then it is false, regardless of if the confession contained all the correct words. Let’s read:

Exodus 9: 27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Not only did pharaoh confess his sin, he also asked for forgiveness, and in this some may say that he did better than Judas, for at least, he saw his dire need of pardon. But yet, it did not pan out because it came from an insincere heart. In fact, when you dig a little deeper, you will discover the real reason for his confessions. It was sorrow for the result of his sin, not sorrow for rebelling against God. Let’s read:

Exodus 10:16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

After the plague was removed, pharaoh went right back to his former rebellion, and he dug in his heels even further by threatening Moses with death if he dared to see his face again.

Thus, the words might have been correct, but the heart was not right with God, and therefore the end product of willing obedience became elusive. It has to be pointed out, that with every confession of the king, and his corresponding relapse, it became more and more difficult for him to repent.

This continued for a while, until God was speaking but he wasn’t listening for he had hardened his own heart by a firm decision, never to do God’s will, by letting the people go. It is never a good thing for a person to confess sin, without any intention to do God’s will, for this negates our first passage. Let’s read:

1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In fact, God’s main purpose in giving the Holy Ghost is not merely to speak in tongues or to heal us from diseases; it is primarily to empower us to obey God from a willing mind. Speaking in tongues is just one of the by products that came as a result of the gift of The Spirit, but it’s never the main one. Let’s read:

Acts 5: 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Romans 8: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The main issue pertaining to God’s revealed will, in contemporary Christianity today, has to do with the keeping of the holy Sabbath and the efforts to annul of His law. This is the issue brought into focus as it is in Revelation chapters 13 and 14.

It's not merely believing in Jesus, for most persons in Christendom have already believed, and it’s not the lack of good works, for this too has abounded within Christian circles, and beyond. Like as it was with pharaoh, the will of God is made both simple and specific.

He is calling all those who have taken on the mantle of Christ to put believing into practice and obey Him by keeping all of God’s commandments. Remember, that with pharaoh God’s will was made simple, and very streamlined: “Let My People Go”. In our day God’s will is just as plain and simple: “If You Love Me Keep My Commandments”

Thus, confession in our day will of necessity include a willingness to do God’s will, for after all the praises and good works, and after all of the confessions via speaking correct words, the end product should be obedience from a willing heart. Let’s read:

Revelation 14: 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

[The Great controversy pp 604- 607] Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that all, “both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” [Revelation 13:16.] shall conform to the customs of the church by the observance of the false sabbath.

The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty; for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve him not.

The keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God's law is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receives the mark of the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.

Therefore, let all who are sincere-hearted follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who Himself kept all of God’s commandments, and let those who kept Sunday in ignorance, be enlightened by the revelation of God’s will.

These are times for decisions, and commensurate action on the part of all who hear these words, for it is God’s will, that as many as would be saved, be in the know, so that they can worship God in spirit and in truth. In harmony with this statement, we’ll end our study with two passages of scripture that will encourage all of us to be faithful to God, to truth, and to duty. Let’s read:

John 15: 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

                                      God Bless!

Why Christ’s 2nd Coming Will Be “Sudden” Sabbath afternoon 09/14/2024

Mark 13:34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore, for you know not when the master of the house will come, at evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning.

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

The second coming of Jesus is the consummation of the Christian’s hope. It is all we have ever looked for with eager anticipation, and it is the blessed hope in our hearts, which buoys up our spirits, when we are feeling down and out, and when, because of earthly turmoil, some are tempted to sing the blues.

But, although it has been prophesied about so many times in the Old and New Testaments, it’s scheduled to occur suddenly, at a time when most people, will not be expecting it. And there are valid reasons why it will occur that way. We will deal with some of the reasons why, later on.

One of the main problems many persons have with God is that some find He takes too long to fulfill His promises, even though this is not the case, for God deals in the fullness of time, whereas human agents usually tend to prefer specific times and dates.

For instance, when God makes us a promise that He will do such and such, the next question we usually ask is when. But if God were to reply by saying: “In the fulness of time” the human agent generally will begin to wonder when exactly the fulness of time will be.

In most instances recorded in the Scripture, this has been case and thus, it’s no different with the second coming of Christ. If you were to ask any Christian in our day when they believe Christ is coming, most of them will answer, soon.

And if you were to go back almost 200 years, in the history of the advent movement, and ask any of the believers the same question they too will most likely answer soon. But what you would hardly hear for an answer is, in the fulness of time.

Now, while it’s good for us to have the blessed hope always bubbling up in our minds, we must always remember that God deals in the fulness of time. In fact, focusing too much on specific time, dates, and hours could set persons up for disappointment, and with expectation crushed folks could run the risk of backsliding.

From God’s perspective, there isn’t anything called sudden about Christ’s second coming, for God has a specific day in which the expected event will occur. In fact, the word “sudden” only pertains to the finite mind, for there is no such word in eternity, where God dwells.

So, the next time you see or hear the word sudden, used in conjunction with Christ’s second coming, we could know for sure that finite minds, which dwell in time, are the reasons why the word is used.

Thus, in the overwhelming majority of cases, when it seems as if Jesus is coming suddenly, it is not so much that His coming was sudden, but rather that the waiting ones grew weary of their watch, or that the time of expectation came and went, without the event taking place in one’s lifetime.  

Back in the days when it came time for God to send His Son into the world, all of the prophecies which pointed to His incarnation were readily available to the seeker for truth, but as time passed with every generation coming and going, their hopes became dim, and the promise began to fade into the back of their minds.

Thus, although the prophecy of Daniel, pointing to the Messiah was very specific, yet the Bible says of Christ’s first coming, that it would be sudden. Note well in the following two passages from Malachi and Daniel, how the two are juxtaposed together so that the idea of suddenness could be understood. Let’s read:

Daniel 9: 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

The 69 prophetic weeks spoken of by Daniel would give you 483 literal years, beginning in 457 B.C., at which time the Jews were granted full autonomy by Artaxerxes. This would bring us to Christ’s baptism, in A.D. 27. At this time Jesus was already 30 years of age, which means that He was born between 3 and 4 B.C. Let’s read:

Luke 3: 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape

like a dove upon him and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.

The prophecy is quite specific, so that anyone who is searching will find out when Jesus is scheduled to arrive. They might not know the exact day and hour, because of that word “About”, but they could come pretty close. But lo and behold, Malachi says of the very same first coming of Christ, that it’ll be sudden. Let’s read:

Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

Thus, as we study the historical record of Jesus’ first coming, we discover that the Jews at that time were caught off guard even as they had all the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, Moses, David, and Hosea at their disposal. That suddenness was not so much on the part of God, but rather, is on the part of the human agent.

Similarly, Jesus has given us a specific sign which has to occur before His second coming, and until it does, the final conflict on planet earth will not wrap up. It is the sign pointing specifically to the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Let’s read:

Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.

The abomination of desolation is a direct reference to the time when the symbols of pagan Rome were set up within the precincts of the Temple as the city of Jerusalem was being laid waste to destruction by Titus.

The Roman symbols were planted just outside the city one year earlier by Cestius who, just prior to the invasion got up and left for no apparent reason. This was the providence of God giving the Christians the heads up to leave in a hurry, which they did, and not one perished in the conflagration.

Thus, since the prophecies in Matthew chapter 24 were given in the dual context, of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the final conflict to precede Christ’s second coming, the abomination of desolation will again be fulfilled when the symbols of papal Rome are once again planted within the precincts of the holy place.

The main symbol of Rome in our day is undoubtedly Sunday worship, for it is this institution whereby she claims authority over Christians who subscribe to a day of worship which is not ordained by God in the Bible.

Thus, the phrase “Standing in the holy place” will in our day mean when Sunday worship would become the law of the land, replacing the seventh day as the official day of rest. It is when this sign takes place in the future, that true believers will have their queue that Christ’s 2nd coming is just around the corner.

So, like the Magi back then, believers might not yet have the specific day nor the hour but they could be pretty close, if there were to “Watch” as Jesus bids us.

Every one of the prophets had pointed to Christ’s incarnation, some more, some less, and it was these prophecies, which the Magi had been studying, why on that eventful night, they came asking the people, and those in authority, where is Christ which is born King of the Jews.

Note well in the following passages how the people back then begin to scramble for answers, as they come to terms with the fact that the Messiah has already been born, and they knew it not. It was for the sole reason that they had grown weary of their “Watch”. Let’s read:

Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet.

Another aspect of Christ’s first coming, why so many persons found it to be sudden, is that in most cases, when He has to make a profound intrusion into the human experience, Jesus often comes at night. This fact is drawn from several passages of Scripture when they are studied line upon line, precept upon precept.

In our first passage you will find this statement: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. Most of us sleep at night, and midnight is the time when you should experience very deep sleep, in most cases. That is because most of us follow the pattern of day and night cycles set up in the beginning in Genesis.

When the Bible says: “In the beginning, God created the earth” we will observe that God started out with darkness, as the first portion of our cycle of day and night. This is the reason why the sacred record says that the evening and the morning were the first day.

Thus, from the get go in Genesis chapter one, Jesus came at night. And throughout the Scripture you’ll read of many of His visitations occurring either at night, or in darkness. That Christmas song that goes like this: While shepherds watched their flocks by night, also is a testament to His coming at night.

When the children of Israel were about to be freed from Egyptian bondage, we see Him coming at night for the big one, that would trigger an urgent plea on the part of pharaoh, and his underlings, for them to let the Hebrews leave in a hurry.

Again, when God came down upon mount Sinai to give us His law, He was again enshrouded in thick darkness. And we can go on and on and on, but the bottom line is that for numerous important events, Jesus has been known to come at night, or in thick darkness.

Let us take a few passages of Scripture to confirm, before we move on. Let’s read:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Exodus 11:4 And Moses said, thus saith the Lord, about midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 4: 11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

Psalms 18: 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

Isaiah 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Luke 2: 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Matthew 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

[The Great Controversy pp 636] It is at midnight that God manifests his power for the deliverance of his people. The mountains shake like a reed in the wind and ragged rocks are scattered on every side.

This brings us to the parable of the ten virgins who were expecting the bridegroom to arrive within a specific time frame, which he didn’t. The ten virgins, like so many others, they had grown weary of their watch.

Having dressed up in their very best, they had never intended to fall asleep, but as the expected time came and went, and they waited and watched, and waited and watched, their eyes became heavy, and before you know it, all ten of them fell into a deep slumber.

Then, as we noted earlier, in the pattern we studied about Jesus coming at night for important events, it is observed again that He comes in the dead of night so that the ten virgins become startled by what then seemed to them as His “Sudden” appearance. Let’s read:

Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.

We’re not going to elaborate on the parable, nor are we going to deal with issues or shortcomings of the ten virgins. All we are going to do is to focus on the darkness, the aspect of the parable which hardly gets any attention.

The Darkness.

Exodus 16: 4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, behold I will rain bread from heaven for you and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they did not know what it was. And Moses said unto them, this is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

Thus, the manna obviously fell in the darkness, and in the morning, there it was on the ground. What The Lord did at night to create the manna, no one knows for sure, but the following morning, all we know is that there was bread, ready for the people.

In the Genesis account God began His creative work in darkness, and thus the dark part of the day is very important to God, and should be to us as well. Let’s read:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And ever since that time, the “dark” part of the day cycle has played an important role, not only in God’s creative work, but also in the laws pertaining to the keeping of the Sabbath. Let’s read:

Genesis 2:1 Thus, the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Exodus 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you, throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.

Sanctification includes God’s creative work in our hearts, for it is the same power that was exercised in Genesis, which now works in the heart of the believer. Thus, God specified when the Sabbath was to be kept, as the memorial of His creative power. Let’s read:

Leviticus 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from evening unto evening, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Nehemiah 13: 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

Luke 24: 50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just.

52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen,

and laid it in a sepulcher that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

54 And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. (The Darkness part of the day)

56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Which commandment?

Exodus 20: 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Sunday worship, which represents the symbol that Papal Rome cites as the badge of her authority, isn’t only the incorrect day of worship, it also does not include any darkness, because it does not begin on Saturday night, and thus, it leaves out the dark part of the day.

This has the potential to interfere with the process of sanctification, which, as was stated before, also includes God’s creative work, and His regenerative power exercised in behalf of the believer, because Sunday worship cuts off half of the day which is to be found in darkness.

In other words, even though Sunday is embraced by the overwhelming majority of Christians, as being the contemporary Christian Sabbath, no one ever keeps Saturday night holy, and rightly so, for indeed, it is not.

Whereas the keeping of the Bible Sabbath includes the darkness as an integral and inseparable part, the substitute sabbath only involves daylight hours, and thus, even in its usurped or substitute role it falls far short of the ideal day cycle, given in Genesis, and in God’s law.

The Christian in our day who would not to fall a prey to the suddenness of Christ’s second coming, must do two things: [1] They must not focus on a specific date or time. [2] They must live in readiness at all times.

Waiting to get ready is one of the problems that are associated with focusing on specific time, because persons would, in most cases, put off readiness until they see the day approaching. Hence the reason why the Bible doesn’t teach, or promise tomorrow, but only today. Let’s read:

Hebrews 3: 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, today, if you will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Yes, it is true that our planet is in a steady state of decline, morally, spiritually, and physically on every level, and yes, there will always be wars and rumors of war, and perplexity of nations.

Yet, the Christian should concentrate his/ her focus on character building and soul winning for these are what will enable us to be prepared to meet Christ, whenever He chooses to appear.

Day by day, as we endeavor to climb Jacob’s ladder one rung at a time, we would be living in readiness, and living in obedience to God, because the state of readiness does not produce, or savor of stagnation and idleness, but rather, will constantly motivate us to be on the move forward, with truth and duty.

In harmony with this counsel, we will end our study with passages which should encourage us to be on the move while at the same time living in readiness. Let’s read:

1st Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

                                 God Bless!

Beware Of Doom And Gloom. Sabbath afternoon 09/07/2024

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Even though we are told in several passages of the Bible that there would be a time of trouble such as never was, it is not God’s will that we be consumed with the prophetic utterances, to the point where we become frozen with fear, and thereby fail to do that which God has ordained that we should do.

Yes, it is true that Christ is coming soon, and yes, the nations of earth are scheduled to become more and more embroiled in wars and rumors of wars, and it is true that Covid and other pestilences aren’t done with us yet. However, in the meantime your electric bill, and your water bill, and your rent, or mortgage has to be paid.

The Christian in our day, who sincerely believes in the 2nd coming of Christ, can go ahead and take out a mortgage, if you can afford it, especially with the Feds set to begin cutting interest rates soon. There is nothing written anywhere in the Bible that says you should not.

When the mark of the beast comes upon the face of the earth, you will have to leave it all behind, even if you are renting, because the issue of enforcement of false worship, together with the restrictions and removal of your economic privileges would affect home owners, and renters alike.

In other words, you will not get a pass just because you are a renter. In fact, us having houses and lands, does not affect the spirituality of the true believer. It is when folks become obsessed, and consumed with the temporal concerns of life, that they can become a problem.

But if one is a believer in Christ, you can be enabled to manage a portfolio of both spiritual and temporal interests with the balance that is found in the Bible. It all has to do with where your heart is. Let’s read:

Matthew 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart  be also.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

A shining example of managing a balanced portfolio of both spiritual and temporal concerns, is found in the life of Abraham, the father of the faithful, who was exceedingly rich, and yet his heart and treasure were found in heaven.

In other words, Abraham would not allow material things to stop him from preaching, and if ever there was a conflict between the two, preaching would take the priority, hence the reason why God could add these things unto him, for they would not pose an existential threat to his eternal destiny. Let’s read:

Genesis 13: 14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.

15 For all the land which you see, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.

17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

In other words, God is going to load him up with a bunch of material, and temporal things and thus, we must observe how Abraham would now manage his portfolio in ways that would be pleasing to God. We are just wondering what is the very first thing he’ll do. Let’s read:

Genesis 13: 18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.

Note well, Abraham didn’t build a house for himself first, instead he built an altar, a place of worship, for there is where his heart and his treasure was.

Here he goes again, with the same order of priority, even as his flocks, and herds, his Bitcoin, and Crypto are scheduled to multiply exceedingly. He just does not lose his focus. Let’s read:

Genesis 26: 24 And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

25 And he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants dug a well.

Genesis 12:7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, unto thy seed will I give this land: and there he built an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

Building an altar unto The Lord translates into two main things: [1] Abraham first acknowledges God as the giver of all that he has received. But he does not stop there, for if one only acknowledges God as The Giver, then the ministry of the gospel, by which one is to get actively involved in can suffer on a personal level.

Many Christians in our day stop at this first point, for they do acknowledge God as the Giver, by their return of tithes and offerings, but after that, the rest of the mission often sinks into oblivion, as many do not actively engage in the great commission given to us by Christ.

This leads us to the second meaning of “Building an altar: [2] After he acknowledges God as The Giver, Abraham goes on to get involved in active ministry, preaching wherever he went, and having as his main goal in life, to win as many souls to God’s kingdom as he possibly can, by God’s grace.

All the while he is preaching, he has men servants shearing sheep, taking care of his flocks, paying his mortgage, getting his Masters, and Doctorate, and advancing the cause of God’s kingdom wherever he can.

This is how Abraham was able to manage his dual portfolio, keeping the mission of God in first place, and managing the temporal aspects of life. By the way, all of the patriarchs, and prophets, including Abraham and Job, all had the blessed hope in their minds, bubbling up with joy and expectation.

Every one of them, without exception, were looking for the coming of Christ, not only in His incarnation, but also at His second coming, just like the you and me in the here and now, for there is no difference between them, and ourselves, as far as the blessed hope is concerned. This fact is certified in the Bible. Let’s read:

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11: 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

Job 19: 25 For I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Many of them also knew that there would be a time of trouble preceding Christ’s return, yet they were careful not to dwell on doom and gloom, but like a faithful steward, they made the very best of those opportunities to good, and advance God’s kingdom wherever they could.

For instance, here is Job getting a heads up of some of the dire prophecies pertaining to the last days of earth’s history. Yet, he does not go into a full-blown panic mode, nor does he restrict the activities that have so far characterized his life.

Job 38: 22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

Instead, of limiting his activities, Job goes to work, preaching, praying, and multiplying sheep and oxen by the thousands as The Lord blesses him. The grim prophecy to him was not interpreted as a doom and gloom mandate. Instead, it was the best incentive to do all he could, whilst he could. Let’s read:

Job 42: 12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.

The prophecies given in the Bible pertaining to the last days were never intended to bring to a halt, or to slow and restrict, good, uplifting activities. They were meant to encourage the Christian to ramp up the preaching of the gospel, together with all of the other advancements in life that God’s blessings may afford. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 141] Abraham's household comprised more than a thousand souls. Those who were led by his teachings to worship the one God, found a home in his encampment; and here, as in a school, they received such instruction as would prepare them to be representatives of the true faith.

Thus, a great responsibility rested upon him. He was training heads of families, and his methods of government would be carried out in the households over which they should preside.

In fact, if the Christian can hold the interests of life in their proper order of priority, then the sky is the limit. Most of the patriarchs and prophets we read of in the Bible maintained a balanced portfolio, and according to sacred history, they never lost sight of the blessed hope in the process.

They kept Christ and heaven always in view, and as such, they were able by the grace of God to enlarge their borders, and in this God was well pleased. It is His will that His people should be constantly on the move, advancing, overcoming new challenges, and hurdles, and shooting for the stars in everything we put our minds to do.

This is just as much a part of the Christian’s duty, as are the other aspects of life in Christ, for we are told to occupy till Jesus comes. And even though it is the work of soul-saving that is to take priority, we must not be so heavenly minded, and no earthly good, so as to render ourselves irrelevant, and not useful in the here and now.

Until such time as God sees fit to shut down all the temporal concerns of life His people are to be found busy and not idle. Higher education should never be put on hold just because Jesus is coming soon, and husbands, and wives are not to refrain from having kids, just because they see the signs being fulfilled.

The signs which pertain to the last days of earth’s history have been fulfilling for almost two centuries now and if our parents and grandparents decided to not have children, because of the prophecies, none of us here today would have been born. Thus, the end time prophecies given in the Bible were never meant to scare God’s people.

Instead, they are given so that persons may position themselves intelligently, as God leads and directs. In every instance, where Christ had called His disciples to the ministry, they were working men. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, and even Judas, were all working men.

The same is true of our day, for God does not want His people to wait in idleness, but like Paul, we are to adopt the two-pronged approach, wherever it is possible, so that we may preach and work, work and preach, just like the faithful did in former years.

The history of the children of Israel leaving Egypt is meant to furnish in-depth instruction for those who are preparing to enter the heavenly Canaan, and if we were to study sacred history closely, we would see that many children and little kids were present as the plagues unfolded across the land. Let’s read:

1st Corinthians 10: 11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

In fact, according to the sacred record they actually were producing more kids, right up until the time of their appointed departure, and as a result, families with numerous little ones, made their escape.

When the scriptural numbers are tallied correctly, we will discover that there were many more women and children than men. There is nothing written in the Bible cautioning folks not to have children, until the time, and the sign specified by Jesus. Let’s read:

Matthew 24: 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

[Patriarchs and Prophets pp 291] The varied experience of the Hebrews was a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan. God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan.

Thus, even though the signs are multiplying upon the earth at a rate, we are not to cultivate a doom and gloom perspective, especially as it pertains to having kids. God actually opened up the wombs of the Israelite women, just prior to them making their exit from Egyptian bondage. Let’s read:

Exodus 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered before the midwives come in unto them.

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

Exodus 10:8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go?

9 And Moses said, we will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.

37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

Throughout sacred and secular history, there has always been more women and children than men, especially since men have long been an endangered species. Therefore, when we read of the six hundred thousand men, we are actually looking at more than two million people in total. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 333] When the time came for Israel's deliverance, Satan set himself to resist the purposes of God. It was his determination that that great people numbering more than two million souls should be held in ignorance and superstition.

The tendency to focus on doom, and gloom causes some believers to greatly restrict their potential and God is not pleased, nor is He honored by this course of action. On the contrary, the very fact that Jesus is coming soon, should motivate the Christian to do all he or she can, whilst the opportunities still linger.

While focusing on preaching the Gospel to everyone we come in contact with, you could still buy a house and make investments as the Lord leads. This does not necessarily detract from the Gospel mission, if it is held in a balanced format with the mission taking priority at all times.

The doom and gloom mentality is what had gripped the mind of the unfaithful steward who, because of his outlook, hunkered down in his basement, with the talent God gave him, and there he sat, cowering in fear, as if expecting some tornado.

As the parable goes, the other two stewards were each given five and two talents respectively, and in their cases, the knowledge that their Lord was going to return, goaded them to do all they could with the talents entrusted to them. Let’s read:

Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18 But he that had received one went and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

It is worthy of note that there are similarities, and differences between the three stewards. All three of them knew the master was going to return and they were all given talents, according to their abilities, to be multiplied.

The difference between them was the perspectives they harbored. The two faithful stewards, harbored a positive outlook, even as they harbored the same blessed hope like the faithful in ages past.

But the unfaithful steward harbored a perspective of doom and gloom, which caused him to be fearful of just about everything. We do not know exactly what caused him to be fearful.

Maybe he was reading the daily news, or maybe he was listening to some politician who was painting a bleak picture of the country where he lived with the only solution being to elect this, or that one.

We do not know, but the bottom line is that the 3rd steward cherished an outlook of doom and gloom, which ultimately caused him put the brakes on any and everything that would have doubled the talent entrusted to him. Let’s read:

Matthew 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoned with them.

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed.

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

It’s worthy of note that in the next passages, of all those who will be lost for eternity, the fearful top the list. Not adulterers, not liars, of whom we have a million and one now in the public square, not even murderers. It’s the fearful who are mentioned first. Let’s read:

Revelation 21: 7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

One of the reasons why some Christians, especially among the remnant may be hesitant to have kids at this time is because of the state of our world and a fear that the kids would be put to sleep before Jesus comes.

Guess what? Whether you are a child, or an adult, just before the mark of the beast reaches its peak, many folks will be laid to rest. This fact is certified not only by the servant of The Lord, it is also written in the Scriptures, so that the saints of God will know what to expect when crunch time comes around.

To put it plainly, God, in mercy, will lay many of His people to rest, if He knows they will not be able to survive Revelation chapters 13 and 14. In order to ensure that they are saved, He is scheduled to take this preemptive measure, just before prime time begins. Let’s read:

Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them.

This should not be a cause for doom and gloom, it should be a cause for great hope, since this would guarantee the salvation of all who truly believe at that time, because, in all that God does, He always keeps the best interest of His people in mind.

Therefore, let us look for a brighter tomorrow, let us make the most of present opportunities to do good and to preach, and let all who are willing, ready and able, get busy doing The Lord’s work, for the night is far spent, and the day is at hand.  

In harmony with this truth, we will end our study with a passage which should lay to rest all fears, as we look for the blessed hope to be realized, sooner rather than later, and as we work towards that end. Let’s read:

Romans 14: 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

                                  God Bless!

Biblical Teaching On Supernatural Phenomena. Sabbath afternoon 08/31/2024

Revelation 13:14 And he deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Modern science, as is taught in our public schools and universities does not make allowance for God, or for the supernatural. The origin of species, as far as secular philosophy teaches, does not include God and is devoid of anything called miraculous.

Therefore, everything that pertains to our planet or to the starry heavens is of necessity reasoned from a strictly scientific perspective, being subjected to proof in a laboratory, with theories and speculations and suppositions of men.

For instance, in the Big Bang theory, which, to this day remains a mere theory, and in the current origin of species philosophy, all intelligent purposes, and planning are deliberately left out, to try and squish the God-factor out of the question.

Thus, the mind of the student is trained to restrict reasoning and conclusions to strictly, logical lines. In other words, when the Psalmist David says that God spoke, and it was done, without the need for any preexisting matter, secular science dismisses that as folly, and not worth the consideration.

Thus, at the onset, the possibility of a supernatural intervention, by any being on any level, is deemed to be anathema to humanistic modes of thought. In fact, persons in our day who dare to believe, are for all intents and purposes, considered by science as being on the fringe.

Whenever, and wherever this is done, as is the case in most public institutions of learning, the minds of the students could become dwarfed, and they could be rendered almost incapable of exercising any faith because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The book of Genesis introduces God as a given, and it begins with the 1st week of supernatural activities which resulted in the creation of our world. Science stumbles on the how and when, but faith focuses on the bottom line which is that God indeed created all these things.

Again, if science cannot explain the “how” it recoils from accepting the bottom-line facts of creation. It’s worthy of note that this was the same mindset that pervaded the clergy in Christ’s day, as they seemed to be always pressing for answers as to how this, or that miracle was done.

In the case of the blind man who was healed, they pressed him over and over again on the “How” even as they bypassed the bottom line that the man was indeed healed by Christ. But without a detailed, and exhaustive, scientific explanation, they refused to believe. Let’s read:

John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

10 Therefore said they unto him, how were thine eyes opened?

11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

15 Then again, the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.

19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?

20 His parents answered them and said, we know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

26 Then said they to him again, what did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?

27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?

That is exactly where science and the supernatural collide in the secular realm, for without any logical answer as to the “How” philosophers will generally refuse to believe.

And that’s the same problem science encounters with the Genesis account. Like the blind man who was healed, The Bible provides the bottom line facts of creation, but the scientific “How” is missing.

How He did it is plainly stated in the creation record, for it says repeatedly That “God Said”. But science in our day has no way of proving that mere words can be translated into solid matter, especially if there is no preexisting matter to begin with. Thus, from the get go, the creation account is a non-starter, as far as science is concerned. Let’s read:

Psalms 33: 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

9 For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Hebrews 11: 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

True science must always be inclusive of the God-factor for if it does not, it will run into unexplainable phenomena, especially in these last days of earth’s history, when as is clearly stated in our first passage, miracle working power of devils is scheduled to be ramped up significantly.

 Thus, when the Genesis account of the supernatural activities of God are rejected in favor of the theory of evolution, the mind is prepared, and groomed to resist evidences of the miraculous, which might defy any scientific explanation.

Another erroneous perspective that is held, even by many Christians, is that all good miracles have to be attributed to God, especially if they’re productive of benefits on some level, especially healing.

In other words, many Christians believe that if any person is miraculously healed from known terminal illnesses without using any of the conventional ways and means science provides, then it has to be God who did it, or, if someone is miraculously protected from death, it has to be God who intervened.

This particular perspective was on display recently across the land, when, as has been widely reported, former president Trump narrowly cheated death, by a simple twist of his face. It was then trumpeted by many professed Christians that it was God who had intervened in his behalf.

While we will not say yea, yea, or nay, nay, on the matter, the tendency to chalk up all good results to God alone, and all bad results to devils, is one of the ways in which miraculous, supernatural phenomena will play a pivotal role, in convincing the masses of people to go with the flow, specifically, to take the mark of the beast.

The habit of attributing good miracles to God alone is what took place when the early Christians in the city of Samaria came face to face with the magician in their town, who had become renowned for doing much good among the people in their city.

At that time two supernatural forces were at work, with Philip working under the auspices of The Holy Ghost, and the renowned magician doing his thing. And since both of them seemed to be doing good, it had become very difficult for the casual observer to tell the difference between the true and the false.

The magician, by the name Simon Magus, had been obviously working miracles for many years in that city, and the fact that he had gained the respect of the masses of people, testifies to the veracity of the things he was doing.

In the following passages, when we read the words:  from the least to the greatest, we must understand that almost everyone, from senators, Governors and mayors to your everyday John Doe on the street had come to a settled conclusion that God was working amongst them through Simon.

A person never gains renown, confidence or respect if what he is purporting to do is fake news, because the intelligent minds in the city would certainly have exposed his work as a scam years before.

And yet, for all their claims that it was the power of God at work it was actually the devil who was in the background, apparently helping out the citizens of the city, all the while.

Witch doctors do not only cast spells and curses on people, they also do some medicinal work and quite often employ the supernatural power of the devil to heal diseases. In fact, the word translated “Sorcery” in our next passages is taken from the Greek word Pharmakeia, from which we get our modern word “Pharmacy”.

Thus, Simon Magus, the magician was doing some level of good work amongst the people of that city, intermingled with the evil, therefore, it is a grim fact that we will have to be reconciled to, that devils can and often do, some level of good. Let’s read:

Acts 8: 9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which, before-time in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, this man is the great power of God.

11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

For the record, satan can work good miracles, which can indeed benefit the human family. In fact, as the pestilences and diseases, predicted in the Bible gain momentum in frequency and intensity on the planet there will arise a dire need, for some supernatural interventions.

Again, as Covid, Monkey pox, Zika, and Oropouche viruses do their dirty work together with their many relatives, and variants that are waiting in the wings, the medical systems can become overwhelmed, as was the case during Covid.

And therefore, if some unknown personage were to arise across our planet, possessing healing powers, most people will succumb to him, because of sheer necessity. And according to the scriptures, devils will be ready and waiting to supply the demand.

Thus, if someone has come to believe that all good miracles could only come from God, the next logical line of reasoning would be to conclude that those miracles spoken of in Revelation 13, have to be the supernatural power of God on display.

Hence the reason why it is necessary for us to study the Biblical teaching on supernatural phenomena so that we can have a good, balanced understanding of what is really at stake. Again, when science reaches a crossroads where it has run out of all explanations for the obviously supernatural, it will cause persons to naturally chalk up miracles to God alone.

So let us begin by being crystal clear on the matter; apart from raising the dead, and giving life to man, or beast, which is God’s domain and His prerogative alone, satan can work good miracles such as healing the sick, and removing maladies, and diseases from persons in many cases.

This he has done on numerous occasions in our day, and persons went away praising God not having any clue as to what transpired. Again, in the episode of the plagues in Egypt, the devils were able to mimic, in large part the miracles wrought by Moses.

Even though in many of those cases, the miracles were not genuine, the counterfeits however were designed to appeal to the five senses of the human agent, to the point where it was virtually impossible to tell the difference, except when Moses’ serpent became hungry and was commanded by God to do lunch. Let’s read:

Exodus 7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

Exodus 7: 21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.

Satan cannot impart life to either man or beast, but he certainly has the ability to make it seem so, for the sole reason that human beings are not able to discern the difference, without the power of God. In other words, he did not create any real fish, frogs or serpents, but, for all intents and purposes they did appear to be real, and genuine to the human eye. Let’s read:

Exodus 8: 6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

In addition to this, very many of the capabilities that holy angels have, devils also have. This may be quite disconcerting to hear but it’s the truth. For instance, holy angels could specifically single out one or more persons in a congregation, and could visibly appear to them while persons around do not see, nor hear anything. Let’s read:

Daniel 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz.

6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

Numbers 22: 21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

Therefore, as it pertains to the title of our study, we must now hunker down into the book of second Thessalonians to discover what we are to expect on our planet, as the time for Christ’s second coming draws near, as it pertains to what the Scriptures say about supernatural phenomena.

Chapter two specifically speaks of a strong delusion that will take the world by storm, and we must now find out what it is, because, it seems to be linked to the diseases, and pestilences that are scheduled to overwhelm our health care systems in the not-too distant future to the point where some supernatural power will become a necessity. Let’s read:

2nd Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

9 Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.

Nothing can touch someone so personally as when he or she is miraculously healed of some disease or virus. For instance, during the onslaught of Covid, persons became desperate for the drugs that were made available, and in some instances were in short supply.

And there was the added pressure to quickly ramp up production, as hospitals and the medical facilities overflowed with patients. We all remember those scenes too well. Thus, even though there will be other supernatural interventions, as spoken of in Revelation 13, such as lightening falling from heaven, the one that will hit home the most is when persons are miraculously healed of some disease or virus.

There won’t be any denying this one, for it will be a very personal experience. Therefore, we must look back at sacred history to better understand what is being said. When Jesus walked on this earth, there were two things that endeared Him to the people.

[1] His love, manifested in healing their diseases.

[2] His love, manifested through His teachings.

But by far, the issue of healing takes the cake, since it was of the most personal nature, and in fact, was the catalyst in very many instances, in causing them to believe on Him. Let’s read:

Matthew 4: 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sicknesses, and all manner of diseases among the people.

24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Matthew 12: 14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all.

Luke 4: 37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases, brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

We could only imagine, if during the onslaught of Covid, someone who had this ability was to show up, billions of suffering persons around the world would certainly believe on him, and no doubt, that person would have become quite famous.

Sadly, many of the famous faith healers of our day were no where to be found. At that time, above all others America could have really used their services but for some unknown reason, they just seemed to vanish into thin air.

But the link must now be made from the Scriptures between the healing of the body, and the decision to believe, because there is a very close symbiosis between the two.

Think about it for a moment brethren! A woman is in a medical institution, suffering with a malignant tumor, of which her doctors have declared it to be terminal, because it has metastasized throughout the entire body, and every organ has been affected.

And then, out of the blue, someone shows up, and, without using any radiation, or any chemotherapy, he stretches forth his hand and he touches her, and immediately the cancer disappears without a trace.

It would be very difficult for a person to deny what took place, for the intervention was very personal. In other words, people will generally tend to believe when they have experienced supernatural healing in their own bodies, because at that point it becomes quite personal. Let’s read:

John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

John 2: 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

John 11: 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

John 12: 9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;

11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

Question: Could it be that the strong delusion that we read of earlier in 2nd Thessalonians will be linked to an international upsurge in supernatural healing done by devils?

Question: And if so, could it be that we can expect belief and worship by millions of people, to follow close on its heels, just as it was with Jesus Christ in the days of yore? Let’s read:

Matthew 20: 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them take heed that no man deceives you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Luke 21: 11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most- High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

3 Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that waste at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

It then becomes unmistakenly obvious, that closely associated with the mark of the beast, during the last days of earth’s history, there will be a significant uptick in diseases and viruses, which will then pave the way for some personage to walk this earth as a mighty healer. Let’s read:

Revelation 16: 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

[The Great Controversy pp 624] As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come! Christ has come!”

 He heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.  

This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying, this is “the great power of God.”

Individuals who have the opportunity to know, and practice the truth, in preparation for what is coming in the future, should be prepared spiritually, as well as physically as much as possible. Spiritually, in the sense that the prophecies given in Revelation are to be studied and thoroughly understood.

Physically, in the sense that the light of truth shining upon our pathway, pertaining to truth, including the laws of health, are to be implemented as much as is possible, so as to avoid being compromised into the unfortunate position where the supernatural power of devils, mentioned in the prophecies would have curb appeal.

It is true that all who will stand untainted by error in that day will need the presence, and power of God to be victorious, but The Lord bids us do all we can, whilst we can, to live in harmony with His revealed will.

Living by faith involves living by every word of God, even when our 5 senses might be bombarded with sights and sounds of a supernatural character.

What is spoken of in Revelation chapter 13, will not only be restricted to healings, and false worship. It will also include manifestations and appearances of supposedly departed relatives and friends which we would not be able to distinguish, via our five senses alone, but also by the word of God and by His Spirit.

Therefore, as we seek clearer understanding of the issue pertaining to the supernatural and miraculous let us bear in mind, that for every good thing God has given us there is a counterfeit, and as such the onus is on us to study carefully that which is written so that we may be able to stand unshaken.

We’ll end our discourse with a passage of Scripture that will encourage us to cooperate with The Lord in the sealing work, which is a settling into the truth, both intellectually and in practice, so that we won’t be moved. Let’s read:

Ephesians 6: 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness.

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

                                     God Bless!

Phillip Didn't Take An Uber. Sabbath afternoon 08/24/2024

Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

5 And if any man will hurt them fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rains not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11 And after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

For clarity, those two witnesses being spoken of are the old, and new Testaments of the Bible. When it says that they prophesied for 1260 days clothed in

sackcloth, that is a reference to the period of the dark ages during which time concerted efforts were made to keep the word of God from the people.

The beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit, and killed them is a reference to atheism which took deep root in France just after the 1260 day period of papal darkness ended in 1798.

The nation mandated that Bibles be burned publicly in the streets. Hence the reason why the Bible says their dead bodies shall lie in the streets and would not be put into graves. It was a time when untold violence was done to the sacred Scriptures.

After three and a half days means after three and a half years, using the day for a year interpretation, for the first Republic of France outlawed religion in the year 1793, and then reinstated the privilege three and a half years later in June of 1797.

After that time printing presses went a buzzing and lo and behold, the Bible was being printed to the tune of many millions. In other words, all efforts to restrict access to Bible truths ultimately backfire and instead of restricting it, the flood gates are opened so that many more billions of people can access it.

The gospel commission has been given by God, and He has ordained that the truths of His word shall be preached in all the world, before Jesus comes again the second time. That is what He says, and there is no one to stop Him. Let’s read:

Matthew 24: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

That mandate, coming from the Most-High God, is intended to supersede, and to override any earthly law to the contrary, so that howsoever man may try to brand it there isn’t anything, or anyone that can stop it.

As was stated before some tried to burn Bible truth in the public square, some folks tried chaining it to monasteries, others forbade their congregations to read, or interpret it, and some were burned at the stake for preaching it.

Yet, for all of that, the word of God is doing just fine, for instead of losing steam, it has gained worldwide fame, and circulation in so much that the result is that there are now more than two billion professed Christians in the world, thus making Christianity the dominant religion across the globe.

Therefore, all efforts to stymie, restrict, becloud and intimidate those two witnesses, have always ended in abject failure, and because history always repeats itself, any future efforts to stop the preaching of the truth, will also meet with signal failure.

This is what the spiritual leaders, and the politicians of old found out the hard way, for efforts to stop the spread of the true gospel, meant essentially to pick a fight with God Himself. And this is something you never want to do.

Nations may choose to pick a fight with Russia, Iran, or China, but when it comes to picking a fight with God, you will lose even before the fight begins. As a matter of fact, if you can’t win them, you are better off joining them as the saying goes. This is what had taken place just after the day of Pentecost.

Concerted efforts were made by those in authority to stop the spread of the gospel, as the apostles in Jerusalem were hunted down by Saul. The Lord’s   servants were jailed, beaten, threatened, punished, ostracized, marginalized, fined and killed, and yet the gospel continued to spread like wild fire. Let’s read:

Acts 8:1 And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere, preaching the word.

Acts 5: 38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel, or this work be of men, it will come to nought.

39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

After the day of Pentecost, when The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the people, efforts were made by those in authority, to stop the preaching of truth. It backfired signally, for God took it personally, and He sent angels from heaven to make direct intervention into the human experience.

The apostles were then incarcerated for preaching Christ, but God sent an angel to open up the prison doors, and let the captives free, so that they could continue their God-given work.

The nature of the intervention must now be closely studied, for the human agent recoils from admitting the raw facts in the matter. Let’s then pay very close attention to what transpires in the following verses, for history will certainly be repeated in the not-too- distant future. Let’s read:

Acts 5:17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of Sadducees and were filled with indignation,

18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,

20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people  all the words of this life.

21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

The angel who came to set them free did so in ways that the enemies of the gospel would hardly admit to. According to the sacred records, security guards were stationed in front of the prison doors, guarding the inmates, but the angel opened the doors and he brought them out, while those security guards were still on their watch.

There was no noise, no commotion, no earthquake, no fire from heaven, nothing, zero, zilch. The Bible does not even say if the security guards were at that time immobilized. All it says is that the angel went in and brought them out and none of the guards had a clue of the intrusion that took place.

Therefore, the following morning, when they were scheduled to be arraigned, the authorities sent for them and the officers who went to get them found everything in their cell intact, and the prison guards standing at their station, but somehow, the apostles were strangely missing, and nowhere to be found. Let’s read:

Acts 5:22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told,

23 Saying, the prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

This discovery presents a conundrum that persons in our day who are prone to explain everything via science would have a very difficult time explaining. How could the armed security guards not see, nor hear anything? According to mere finite knowledge there must be some other logical explanation as to what really transpired.

Thus, in order to better understand the grave nature of the apostles’ escape, we must take a look at two of the life experiences of El Chapo Guzman. After he was arrested and placed in a high security jail it was discovered that he went missing from his cell, even though there were several prison guards on duty to make certain that he couldn’t escape.

So, after the grim discovery, the very first question to be asked and answered was, “How did he make such a daring escape? Until that singular question was answered logically, all other questions would be irrelevant, and thus, the Mexican authorities went about diligently searching for answers.

They soon discovered that a tunnel was built under the ground, which led right up to the toilet in his cell and tracks were laid inside so that he could make an escape on a motorbike, which was also supplied in the tunnel.

Thus, even though it was a huge embarrassment to the Mexican authorities, at the very least they were able to settle that all important first question. Years later El Chapo was again caught, but this time he was extradited to the United Sates, where he was immediately placed in maximum security detention.

And no doubt, several heavily armed prison guards were again stationed all around. Therefore, when it came time for his arraignment in court if they didn’t find him in his cell, those who had the charge of him would have to come up with valid explanations as to how, and why he went missing.

And their explanation will also have to make sense to the intelligence community, because the justice department would never settle for any fairytale sort of explanation.

Therefore, if when asked, their explanation was that El Chapo simply vanished into thin air, the judiciary would make certain that the responsible individuals would pay a very high price; [1] For not guarding the felon in their custody and [2] For giving a very stupid reason as to how he went missing.

In the case of the apostles being freed from prison, the authorities would be forced to acknowledge the fact that some supernatural intervention had taken place, but to do so, would put them in a bind, for if such an admission was made, then, they would be acknowledging that they were fighting against God.

So, rather than do this and be humiliated in the eyes of the people, they pretend not to know what took place. Similarly, when the loud cry approaches its crescendo, there will be supernatural interventions by God on our planet, that will have the authorities scrambling to find valid explanations. Let’s read:

Acts 5:24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, (The very first logical question should be “how did you escape from prison?” But, to ask that question would risk exposing an inconvenient truth)

28 Saying, did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men.

This leads us to our case study for today: Phillip Did Not Take An Uber.

Phillip was one of the early Christians who was used by God in a mighty way, to bring salvation to people who were being made ready by the Holy Ghost. So, in harmony with the gospel commission, The Spirit of God directed him to go down by the road, from Jerusalem to Gaza, and he went.

At this point, Phillip used the conventional means of transportation available at the time, which was to walk on foot, or if one could afford, to ride on some animal. Phillip went on foot and there he met a man reading the Scriptures, returning from worship.

By the direction of The Holy Spirit, Phillip joined the Ethiopian Eunuch in his chariot to explain to him the word of God more clearly. The Eunuch then asks for baptism, and the rest is history. Let’s read:

Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

What happens next is where our study takes off, for after baptizing the Ethiopian, Phillip vanishes into thin air, and was found at Azotus, which is currently called Ashdod in Israel today, a distance of over 30 miles from where the recent baptism took place.

This time Phillip doesn’t use any conventional mode of travel known to man. He did not walk, or run, he did use a horse or mule, and Phillip didn’t even take an Uber just to put the scenario in a modern setting. Let’s read:

Acts 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

This singular occurrence or intervention by The Holy Ghost significantly raises prospect that finite man does not have a clue as to what will transpire under the loud cry, when the latter rain will be poured out upon planet earth. Remember, it was under the out pouring of the former rain that this unfolded.

Question: Is it true that there are methods of travel which are entirely foreign to conventional wisdom?  In other words, to put it plainly, is it possible on our planet for a person under the auspices of The Holy Ghost, to move from point A to B, without using any conventional mode of transportation we know of?

And if so, does it raise the prospect that God is not really dependent on man-made technologies, ways and means in order to get His work done? As it stands, God employs the ways and means that are familiar to mortals, but that fact does not mean that He is restricted to using those ways and means.

In His dealings with the human family God employs the principle of “Gathering up the fragments so that nothing be lost”, meaning that He will often exhaust available ways and means before using supernatural power. But if and whenever these man-made means become unavailable, He can, and will use plan B as He sees fit.

In addition to this, much of the technology persons boast of today are really many centuries late, as far as God is concerned, since He has been employing them in ages past. For instance, in the preaching of the gospel in foreign lands missionaries can now use the various language apps, such as Babbel.

But God is the one who first introduced Babbel on our planet, almost four thousand years ago, when He confounded and then codified the languages of earth. Later on, on the day of Pentecost, He again used “Babbel” as the apostles were empowered to speak and understand all foreign languages of the then known world.

Again, long before the Wright brothers came upon the scene to invent the airplane, Jesus was flying back and forth from earth to heaven, not once not twice, not three times, but on several occasions. So, this is nothing new to God.

God also performed the very first surgery on earth, and He invented sea travel, and a host of other firsts on our planet. Therefore, for the time being, whilst the opportunity still lingers, He bids His servants to employ all available ways, and means, in spreading the gospel.

These include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, now X, TikTok, and those facilities provided by Elon Musk’s star link satellites. That is all well and good, but we should know for certain that if and when these ways and means become unavailable to the remnant, The God of heaven has a million, and one other ways of getting His work done.

In fact, as the world becomes more averse to Christ and His righteousness very severe restrictions to the preaching of the straight truth will be imposed. And as such, in the fullness of time, when the latter rain is approaching its climax, and the mark of the beast is being implemented, the facilities we have become accustomed to, may no longer be available.

These developments will pave the way for God to do some very strange things upon the earth such as the opening up of prison doors so that His people could continue to preach. And it is quite possible that God will again employ, and deploy other unconventional methods of travel, for believe it or not, Phillip didn’t take an Uber. Let’s read:

Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the top of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war, and they shall march every one on his ways and they shall not break their ranks.

8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk everyone in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executes his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

Revelation 14: 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worships the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand.

[Early Writings pp 270_271] Said the angel, “Look ye!” My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order like a company of soldiers. I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect. Many had been bound; some wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents.

The honest who had been prevented from hearing the truth now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted to them. They had been hungering and thirsting for truth; it was dearer and more precious than life. I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, “It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”

Acts 3: 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.

Therefore, be not discouraged, nor intimidated by what man can do. Be not afraid of the tendency to brand truth as hate speech. Be not surprised by the restrictions that will be placed on those who preach present truth, like the restrictions currently placed in Canada.

Fear not you remnant people of God, as the world is becoming more averse and hostile to God, the Bible, and righteousness. It has all been predicted before in the Bible, God has already made ample provisions to meet every impending emergency, for, believe it or not, Phillip Didn’t Take An Uber.

In harmony with this solemn truth, we will end our discourse with two passages of Scripture that would be of encouragement to the remnant and to all who will decide, against all odds, to follow the One and only true God in obedience and true worship. Let’s read:

Joel 3: 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

God Bless!

Babylon's Legislative Agenda. Sabbath afternoon 08/17/2024

Isaiah 5: 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

For purposes of this Bible study, the name Babylon represents the antichrist system of governance and worship, that was introduced since the beginning of time, but has now morphed into a conglomerate by which the laws of God are steadily being eroded and overturned, in favor of man’s institutions and laws.

The title also includes ancient Babylon, and every nation under heaven that has sought to implement the dictates of the dragon, for back of all opposition to God, in any way shape or form, and throughout any age or era, is that single mastermind who began the war in heaven.

When Cain sowed the seeds of alternative worship, and rebellion against God, he introduced that trend which would be developed over the centuries, into what it is today. Cain went on to build a city, and its governing principles were basically the same which we see in modern day Babylon.

Throughout history, there have always been forces antagonistic to God, and righteousness, which are led on by man’s invisible foe.

Therefore, when the book of Revelation is closely studied, it is clearly revealed that there are really only two types of worship and governance, one, in harmony with God, the other in opposition to God. Everything else in between falls, more or less into one of those two categories.

The conscience of any nation is its legislature, and whatsoever the judicial branch of that government approves into law, becomes what the nation stands for. Thus, if the spiritual temperature of the nation is to be taken, its laws must be investigated, especially as it pertains to their correlation, or their opposition to the laws of God.

The Lord would have us to understand that over the centuries, Babylon has developed its judicial branch, by which laws that are antagonistic to God are made and enforced. The basic concept in a nutshell is this:

Forces which are opposed to God do make the right thing be wrong, and make the wrong thing be right, and thus, open the door for the prosecution of any persons who may beg to differ.

Back of all this are the dark forces of evil spirits who are determined to outlaw all righteousness, working through the world’s legislatures and thus paving the way for true Christians who conscientiously choose to obey God, to face the ire of the law.

It is a movie which we have all seen before and it is taken from an old playbook, in which the strategies have taken shape in embryo form, and have almost been perfected over the years.

But now, we have to take a closer second look, since we’re on the cusp of the final conflict between good and evil by which wrong will be legalized, instead of right, and persons who, in obedience to God, refuse to acquiesce, will be subjected to prosecution.

Isaiah warns individuals and nations against this evil in our first passages, for when he declares “Woe to them” he is warning of adverse consequences which will certainly accrue, wherever there is the practice of inverting the laws of God in favor of any opposing man-made statutes that render right wrong and vice versa.

In fact, the prophet speaks of this tendency as one of the signs of the last days, that will go on to trigger catastrophic natural disasters across the globe, since spiritual laws retain jurisdiction over all physical and natural law, and thus, he confirms that the problem we face is not so much global warming, but is global sinning.

For clarity, when we speak of spiritual law retaining jurisdiction over physical law, we mean that when a person or nation violates the former deliberately, it could affect the latter adversely. For instance, when the storm threatened the lives of Jonah and fellow passengers, it wasn’t global warming.

Someone on that ship had decided to walk contrary to God’s revealed will, and hence the efforts to calm the storm must include going to the very root of the problem, which was disobedience. After identifying the real cause, they threw Jonah overboard and the sea immediately ceased from its raging.

Therefore, when Isaiah makes the same connection in his prophecies, we are to understand that laws do play a critical role in the well-being or otherwise the downfall of any people, depending on whether they are in harmony with God’s law, or directly opposed to His revealed will. Let’s read:

Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace.

14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

15 Yea, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

Isaiah 24:3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

4 The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

Thus, the perversion, and inversion of God’s law are the keys that ultimately unlock the doors of disaster for the most part. On a national level it is something which can only be accomplished in legal framework by the judicial branch of government. And according to prophecy, and the characteristics of history, we’re just about there.

On an individual level persons can pervert their own judgement, by banishing the right in favor of wrong, but they cannot make their perversions the law of the land. Only the legislature can do this, hence the reason why it has become necessary for us to study closely what the legislative branch of Babylon does.

We’ll give several examples of what is being spoken of, and then we will transition to the here and now, so that everyone could see plainly why there’s cause for concern. We begin in the land of Babylon, where Daniel has just been promoted as chief over princes and presidents.

His promotion sparked feelings of envy and jealousy in the hearts of those under his jurisdiction, and as is so often the case, their feelings of bitterness give rise to commensurate thoughts and actions, as they huddle together to brainstorm a diabolic strategy to bring Daniel down.

It is worthy of note that in this episode, they do not complain to the King about Daniel’s prayer life. They instead seek to employ the legislative framework of government in an effort to make praying to The God of heaven wrong, and thus, the way would be paved for the prosecution of Daniel to the fullest extent of the law.  

Back in those days, the highest judicial authority in any nation was the king, and therefore, we will need to remember as we read, that their sole purpose is to get rid of Daniel, and thus, rather than get into a back and forth with him they will turn to the judicial branch of Babylon’s government to accomplish their ends. Let’s read:

Daniel 6:3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom but they could find no occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

5 Then said these men we will not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

In the next verses we must pay very close attention to how the proposed law in question would then be structured, for it would be made to surgically target, the laws and instructions given by God to all those who choose to obey Him.

In other words, they are going to make it illegal to pray to God, and if anyone dares to do so, they will be rendered into a criminal designation, and thus, the legislative branch of Babylon will now be making it a crime to do that which is right thereby laying the legal framework for prosecution of dissenters. Let’s read:

Daniel 6:6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever.

7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which changes not.

9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

And now, armed with the power of the law behind them, they go looking for Daniel, for, because of his consistency in praying, they are certain to find him violating what has now become the law of the land and because of this the next legal step will obviously be prosecution. Let’s read:

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and he prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, the thing is true, according tothe law of the Medes and Persians, which alters not.

13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regards not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but made his petition three times a day.

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute which the king established might be changed.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom you serve continually, he will deliver thee.

Here is the same thing happening again, when king Nebuchadnezzar determines that he would force his brand of worship on the people under his rule. He is not going to merely ask them to agree with him, but rather he reaches for the force of the judicial branch of which the highest authority is himself.

Thus, he puts bitter for sweet and evil instead of the good, as he makes it a crime to refuse to bow down, and therefore, anyone who may beg to differ would consequently be in violation, and thereby, will open themselves up to prosecution, under the laws of the land. Let’s read:

Daniel 3: 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then a herald cried aloud, to you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

6 And whoso falls not down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Thus, by default, the three Hebrew worthies were found to be in violation of the laws of the land and therefore, they could be prosecuted as criminals. As we have stated earlier, it is a movie which we have seen before beginning in its embryonic stages a long time ago, but now, the last sequel is just upon us, no doubt.

Down through the ages, the demonic forces of evil have diligently sought access to judicial branches of government to make the wrong seem right and vice-versa, so as to have the legal framework by which all dissenters could be prosecuted.

It is the same strategy that was used in the days of Christ, as they sought to condemn Him. They resort to the law of the land, so as to have a legal basis for condemning Christ as a criminal, and they searched and they searched and they searched, twisting the law to its limits, and finally, they seem to find what they were looking for.

Note well that they first turn to the legislative arm of their government, so as to establish their legal framework for Christ’s condemnation as a criminal. And as they prepare to take the matter to trial in the court of Pilate, they must come with the law behind them, or else, Christ’s conviction could be thrown out as invalid. Let’s read:

Matthew 26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

63 But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

64 Jesus saith unto him you have said: nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

[The Desire of Ages pp 703] When the council had assembled in the judgment hall, Caiaphas took his seat as presiding officer. On either side were the judges, and those specially interested in the trial.

John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man!

6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid.

Here is the same strategy being employed again, as the judicial branch is sought out to prosecute and to stop the apostles from preaching.

The everlasting gospel has been mandated by God to be carried to the ends of the earth, but now, the legislative branch makes it a crime to preach truth, and thus, all who do so, could be legally branded as law breakers, and could be fined or imprisoned, and in some cases, even stoned. Let’s read:

Acts 4:1 And as they spoke unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, by what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council they conferred among themselves

16 Saying, what shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

Here it is again as Paul is arrested for doing the right thing by preaching Christ. The law is again invoked against him, for, according to the legislative branch, he is found to be in violation. Thus, doing right has been designated a crime, and offenders would be liable to prosecution. Let’s read:

Acts 24: 5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

6 Who also hath gone about to profane the temple:  whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

Acts 5:17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,

18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,

20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, saying, the prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,

28 Saying, did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men.

34 Then stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel, or this work be of men, it will come to nought.

39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and had beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

We would have been very delighted if the previous verses constituted the final episode, in the sequel, but lo and behold, in our day currently, we see the same strategy is being employed.  

Remember that Isaiah warns of the tendency to put bitter for sweet, darkness for light, error for truth, and evil for good. Isaiah specifically refers to earth’s legislatures that trend in this direction.  

So, let’s do a deep dive to see if what Isaiah is saying applies to us in the here and now, and if so, where it will lead us to. When legislative branches across the world legalize same-sex marriage, the law of God is inverted and perverted.  

And just like in days of old, persons who differ could potentially face prosecution, where there is conflict of conviction and practice. This is what took place with the Kentucky clerk who chose not to issue any marriage licenses to gay couples.  

Like Paul, she spent time in jail for doing so. Again, one’s conscientious objection to the inverted law of God is what took place with the baker in Colorado, who refused to bake the wedding cake for the gay couple. The Colorado state court found that the baker was in violation of the couple’s rights, and he could have been prosecuted, were it not for the intervention of the Supreme court.  

In that instance they did well, but there’s a prospect before us, that with the interference of God’s law on marriage, more inversions of God’s law will follow in the not-too-distant future.

We are not here to pass judgement on any state, or legislative bodies. All we are doing is making factual observations that we are headed in the direction of ancient Babylon, by interfering with God’s law. Here it is again, that same habit of putting darkness for light, by legalizing wrong.  

On July 15 the governor of California signed into law a statute that makes it illegal for schools to inform parents if their kids requested to be addressed by names or pronouns which are different to their birth gender. The law also makes null, and void existing parental notification policies, and in some instances enforces secrecy in some schools, requiring the school staff to withhold certain information from parents about their minor children.  

This is what the prophet Isaiah predicts specifically as he paints a picture of the legislature gone wild, in our first passages, as legislative bodies lay the legal framework for evil to be installed as good, and vice versa. And this is what the prophet John predicts as a false system of worship will be established as the law of the land, and thus, dissenters will consequently be prosecuted. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.

12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

14 And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The Christian in our day who decides to follow that which is written in the Bible will begin to experience headwinds of no ordinary character. And let no one be deceived into thinking that it will stop at mere economic boycotts. It won’t, for it is predicted in the Scriptures to deteriorate into a full-blown life, and death matter.

Therefore, the you and me in the here and now will have to be prepared to face fines and prosecution as the heat of the furnace is turned up several notches. If God says it in His word, that should settle it in our minds permanently, and we must let the chips fall where they may. This will call for unswerving faithfulness, integrity, and most of all, a knowledge of the truth so that we would not be carried away by every philosophy and doctrine that is structured to stymie God’s revealed will.

God will grant us grace, and strength to meet every emerging threat to our God-given freedoms, but we must ask for the presence, and power of God’s Holy Spirit, for it’s not by human might and power, but by The Sprit of God alone, that present truths for this generation will be lived and preached. Therefore, we will end with a quote from the pen of inspiration that we’ll do well to ponder, because the time is now and the place is here. Let’s read:  

[Signs of the times May 4 1882] The greatest want of this age is the want of men, men who will not be bought or sold; men who are true and honest in their inmost souls. Men who will not fear to call sin by its right name, and to condemn it, in themselves or in others; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right, though the heavens fall.

                                   God Bless!

Deciphering Truth From Error. Sabbath afternoon 08/10/2024

2nd Corinthians 11: 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if he that comes, preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.

2nd Corinthians 11 significantly raises the prospect of duplicates for everything pertaining to the gospel and Christianity as a whole, and now in our day, the prediction has become a virtual reality. Persons who are living currently in the last days of earth’s history are to be cognizant of the fact that for everything in the Bible that’s good, there’s an existing counterfeit.

Paul also references “another gospel” that has now been in circulation for many years, and is scheduled to culminate in the final conflict, featuring the grand delusion, which is predicted to take the entire world by storm except for those who would be shielded by Christ in that day.

The gospel in our day, and the truths of God’s word have been tainted in the minds of many people to a greater or lesser extent, by some of those corrosive forces put in action by man’s nemesis. These forces include watering down the truth, to a point where it loses its binding force upon the mind.

It also includes the proliferation of many versions of the Bible, to the tune of over 450 versions in English alone, some with subtle twists, and turns that shave off portions of truth, or otherwise may distort them, so that their true meaning could become shrouded in darkness.

Relativism also removes absolute truth, and causes right, and wrong to be subjective, meaning that the individual, not the word of God, determines what is right or wrong. Thus, morals change within time and space, from person to person, wherever you go.

What is wrong in France, may be right in the United States and what is acceptable in Great Britain might be anathema in some Middle eastern countries, and the problem doesn’t stop there. Thus, you now have a maze of dueling morals, and standards across the globe, which inevitably cause right and wrong to be fluid.

It also pervades all of the churches across the land, because when you look at what Southern Baptists stand for, in comparison with the United Methodist church, you will discover many great variations and interpretations of the very same Bible.

Even within the remnant church, grave, and serious deviations from the straight truth are beginning to pop up, and as a result, fractures in understanding doctrines are now beginning to appear. Some of our churches in California, are widely different in their interpretation and practice than are others in more conservative states.

Thus, it has been the purpose of man’s nemesis to gradually whittle down the truth, and also to flood the world with many different interpretations, so that the plain unadulterated word of God would be hidden beneath a maze of conflicting theories and suppositions which can frustrate the daylights out of the earnest seeker for truth.

Conspiracy theories are also taking a bite out of the truth, in so much that individuals have begun to put their own spin on the most incontrovertible facts, a practice that has multiplied a thousandfold over the last eight years, led on by men who live in a make-believe world.

Be very careful when you hear this phrase before an utterance that has not been vetted and verified by a plain “Thus saith the Lord” [I believe with all of my heart]

Personal conviction is not necessarily evidence that a statement is true. There are individuals who have had strong convictions and were dead wrong. Thus, on a personal level, it might be alright for persons to be deeply convicted, but if it is not substantiated by the word of God, great care has to be exercised in swallowing it down whole.

As a direct result of the constant chiseling away at the word you now have phrases such as “My Truth” being embraced by the masses of people, as folks pick and choose what they want to believe, while others modify the Bible to suit their own fancy.

And there are some prominent televangelists that keep on fueling the flames of error, by feeding the masses of people with smooth things which put the conscience to rest. With many Christians the truth has become tainted with error, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference. Superstitious beliefs are blended with the truth, so that with some, a hybrid form of truth and error has been permanently settled into the conscience, as being acceptable and final.

Again, there are certain practices that are currently considered reverent, and in some instances required which have no Scriptural basis or roots. It’s true that some of these practices are not necessarily wrong, but some of them do not have any Scriptural basis.

There are things which are done in Christian circles for which persons may not be able to give a Biblical reason for, and, even though some of these things may not be salvific, the fact that they have come to be standard practice, or even required in some rare instances, speaks to the fact that the clear word of God may still not be settled in the mind.

For instance, the practice of closing your eyes during prayer, is believed by many people to be a necessity, in trying to block out external distractions, so that a person can focus on God, or on what is being said.

That’s all well and good if it works for you, but there is no Scriptural evidence that closing your eyes is an act of reverence, nor does the Bible require it of any person. In fact, quite to the contrary, prayer in times past was offered with one’s eyes wide open, never closed. Let’s read:

Luke 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

John 11: 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that You hast heard me.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

John 17:1 These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

However, we are not suggesting or asking anyone to change their posture in prayer. Whatsoever works best for you, do, but just remember that there is no Scriptural evidence that it is required.

The chapter in 2nd Corinthians 11 also mentions the fact that there are false apostles, and counterfeit ministers of the gospel, so that there’ll be additional investigative work to be done by the seeker for truth when searching for answers to questions that need resolution.

Deciphering truth from error in our day has become a hundred times more challenging, because most of the preachers and televangelists today are known to speak with deep conviction, and yet, what is being presented might not pass the litmus test, when the word of God is applied.

In fact, deep conviction isn’t necessarily to be taken as being truth. A preacher or televangelist could get a good strong conviction, and they could also get a strong, bad one. Let’s read:

2nd Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Now, some might be wondering why it is important to correctly decipher truth from error. The reason is that it could turn out to be a life and death matter in the not-too-distant future as the world is now being prepared and groomed for the final conflicts of the ages, when anything, and everything that could be shaken, will be shaken.

Whenever you’re in doubt about some philosophy, some sentiment, statement, doctrine, some saying, or some sermon, do not stop until you’ve read for yourself what the word of God says on the matter.

It does not matter who you may have heard it from. It may have been from a professor, a teacher, pastor an elder, a televangelist, or you might have heard it from one of the prominent bishops of the day such as T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, or even on Omega-truth.

You should still go ahead, and verify it for yourself from the word of God, because trusted sources are finite and can genuinely make inadvertent mistakes. In this way you would have done due diligence, by not assuming that even trusted sources are infallible and you would have personal conviction of the truth in the matter. Man is mortal and finite, and we can, and do make mistakes inadvertently at times.

Therefore, it is not a good idea to place implicit trust even in a trusted source, without doing the personal investigation of the Scriptures, because, as was said previously, man is finite and makes mistakes, even in sincerity.

That’s what the Bereans did as they listened to Paul. They readily received the word of God with gladness from a trusted source, but they also were diligent in their research and verification processes, for one’s conviction must always be based on what the Bible says directly to your heart.

Thus, that at the end of the day, even though other believers might not have always followed their lead, they are recorded, and remembered as being more noble than their brethren, simply because of their verification processes which they were quite diligent to implement. Let’s read:

Acts 17: 10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Similarly, as the storm of errors and spirits of devils approaches, the Christian must know what he/ she believes, so that folks would not be carried away by smooth talking individuals who might, or might not intentionally spew smooth things to soothe itching ears.

Deliberate deception always has a purpose, and that is to lead the unwary blindfold to destruction. Devils do not set these corrosive forces in action merely to play games. Their set purpose is always to destroy, and because of this we must be made aware of the reasons why so much effort is made to muddy the waters of truth.

Our actions are always driven by what we believe, for choices, decisions, and actions are just the end- products of what we believed first. For instance, the reason why as Christians we’re baptized is because we believe what the word of God says of baptism.

But if a person doesn’t first believe the word of God, the rite of baptism will not follow. Again, the reason why persons are afraid of duppy, and his relatives, is because they believe that ghosts of departed ones, flit around all over the place. This delusion is heavily driven by what is seen and heard on television.

And, as such, some folks are scared to pass through the cemetery at night, for fear that some unknown apparition might suddenly appear out of nowhere, even though the graveyard may be one of the safest places to be at midnight.

It always starts with what a person believes, and the devils know this, that is why they always go to work at the source of the springs of our actions. And that is why the words belief and believed are to be found no less than 391 times in the king James version of the Bible. It all boils down to what persons believe. Let’s read:

Mark 9: 23 Jesus said unto him, if thou can believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Matthew 17: 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your

unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

John 5: 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Mark 6: 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folks, and healed them.

6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Hebrews 3: 18 And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Therefore, because belief plays such a critical role in what folks will ultimately choose to do, it becomes even more important for us to be able to decipher truth from error, for it forms an integral part of the sealing work of God, in the forehead. Let’s read:

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

[Last Day Events pp 219] The people of God are sealed in their foreheads. It is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually, and spiritually, so they cannot be moved.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

The following two passages in Revelation chapter 2 must therefore be investigated in the context of the title of our study today, and it should be done in the most thorough manner. Let’s read:

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

Question: What is the doctrine of Balaam? The doctrine of Balaam is the blending of paganism with the true worship of God. Constantine and most of his successors, continued that blend, in so much that much of contemporary Christianity has settled down with the hybrid. Let’s read:

Numbers 23: 16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

23 Surely there is no enchantment against

Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, what hath God wrought!

Numbers 24:10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sent unto me, saying,

13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?

Thus, as the story goes, Balaam left feeling defeated as he was forced to bless instead of curse, and that night as he lay on his bed, rolling over in his mind all the words he was coerced to speak, he stumbled upon a sentence, that would turn out to be the key in reversing the blessings. Bingo! Here it is:

Numbers 23: 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

Thus, Balaam goes to work studiously, if haply he may trigger a change of fortunes in the children of Israel. Could he, by blending paganism with the true worship of God cause them to become destabilized? And could he thus, kill two birds with one stone by granting to Balak what he previously asked for, while he himself could return home with rich rewards? He decides to give it a shot, and the rest is history. Let’s read:

Numbers 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Exodus 32: 3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, these be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.

6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

This hybrid of paganism, blended with Christianity has now morphed into a phenomenon which could cause folks to become spiritually discombobulated, if they are not very careful. The insignias of pagan worship, ideologies and concepts have pervaded the Christin arena to the point where it can be difficult to tell the difference.

However, this is not the only issue raised by Jesus in Revelation chapter two, for He also references the doctrine of the “Nicolaitanes” as something that He hates. It is worthy of note that when the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes are in sync, they can produce catastrophic damage to all who subscribe.

Thus, we must of necessity go looking for Nicolas, from whom the doctrine was derived, according to sacred history. Apparently, he was one in good and regular standing in the early Christian church, to the point where the believers and apostles saw fit to lay hands on himself, and others, to receive The Holy Ghost. Let’s read:

Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.

6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Question: What then is the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which The Lord hates?

The most prominent doctrine of the Nicolaitanes is Gnosticism: The deeds of the flesh do not affect the purity of the soul, and therefore, have no bearing on your salvation.

It is a well-documented fact that devils recycle old errors, and often bring them back in a new, different format. But underneath the veneer of modernism is the same old, same old. As we study, keep in mind what the doctrine is:

The deeds of the flesh do not affect the purity of the soul, and therefore, they do not have any bearing on your salvation.

Among the many modern-day spinoffs of that same doctrine are as follows:

[1] The law of ten commandments was nailed to the cross at Calvary.

[2] Once saved always saved.

[3] Conscientious obedience to God being labeled as legalism.

[4] Only believe.

[5] Relativism.

It therefore becomes obvious that Gnosticism has made serious inroads into the Christian arena, and its concepts, and philosophies are currently deeply entrenched in the minds of many believers, to the point where it might require a herculean effort to divorce oneself from its grip.

Hence the reason why the call is made in Revelation to the honest in heart who may still be sitting in the churches which constitute Babylon, to immediately leave her doctrines, her teachings, her concepts and her practices, for even though God has many people still in Babylon, God cannot accept error in place of truth, even if it is done in sincerity. Let’s read:

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Remember when mom used to “Make” you drink your medicine? It was not optional for it was forced down your throat, even if you may not have liked it.

The same is true today, as various philosophies that are antichrist in nature, are now being forced down the throats of kids in our public schools and mature audiences are also being fed Gnostic concepts, for the most part.

This is the reason why an urgent appeal is made to those who may not have previously known, to make your escape from the icy clutches of Balaamism and Gnosticism, the two peas in a pod which are causing so many people to lose their way. Let’s read:

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

When the Bible says that in the times of ignorance God winks, it means that He will accept the sincerity of worshipers who may have inadvertently accepted error instead of truth, but God’s winking should not be viewed as a nod of approval for one to remain in error, especially when truth is readily available.

Instead, God makes an urgent call in the last book of the Bible, for all who have imbibed various strands of Gnosticism, to leave its errors and embrace truth. God’s law of ten commandments were never nailed to the Cross, and no, conscious obedience to God is not legalism, for it is what The Spirit of God leads us to do.

In other words, God’s grace is given to the human family with the sole purpose of leading persons into a loving relationship that is measured by obedience, not merely by praise. Therefore, in harmony with this truth we will end our discourse with a passage that constitutes God’s wakeup call to persons who have been ill-affected by these errors. Let’s read:

Revelation 22: 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

                                     God Bless!

The Issue Of Accountability. Sabbath afternoon 08/03/2024

2nd Corinthians 5: 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

In the above passage, when the apostle says that all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, he means all. It includes all Christians, all Muslims, all Buddhists, all secular folk, all Hindus, all the rich and poor, and everyone who is in high authority on this planet. All means all.

The issue of accountability, as stated in the passage has to do with Christ meting out the just and correct recompence, for deeds done while persons lived on this earth. His judgment supersedes and transcends all earthly tribunals which are prone to tip the scales of justice in favor of persons who have influence, or who can afford to pay to play.

Thus, as mortals we must keep in mind that the God of heaven keeps an accurate account of things that are done in the darkness, or in the light of day, for it is stated unequivocally in the Bible, that nothing we do escapes His gaze.

Persons may endeavor to cover up wrongs and sins from parents, family, friends and citizenry. But there is no cover up with God, who sees all, and knows it all, and it is for this reason that we should harbor a consciousness of His presence in everything we do, think, and say.

Not only does God witness our deeds and words, He also sees thoughts, intentions and purposes, even in things folks decided to do, but somehow, never got the opportunity to.

And it is for this reason that we should not make the mistake of doing soul searching on the external level of deeds and words, but rather on the level of inner intentions and purposes. Let’s read:

Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

This issue of accountability is not always put off until the judgement, for even in this life, God has made it plain that He does, and will bring persons to justice, even before the official investigative, and executive judgements are over.

This, God has done on several occasions, both with secular or pagan nations and also with some specific individuals. It is not usually the case that God would make a blatant intrusion, in the administration of justice, but on certain occasions He has done so.

We must seek to understand what the devil is up to, in his efforts to remove the law of God from society, for wherever God’s law is made void in the land, the issue of accountability is a non-starter at least in the minds of the people, and where no accountability is to be found, lawlessness and presumption will stalk the nation in broad daylight.

In fact, wherever this is the case, as it is for the most part now, persons are emboldened in sins, for with the threat of prosecution removed from one’s mind, it is a no-brainer that persons, and nations will take unwarranted liberties only to find out later that they would be prosecuted to the full extent of God’s law in the executive judgment.

The law of God, when it is acknowledged by nations and individuals, serves to put a restraining order on all kinds of wrongs, but when it is removed from the view of the multitudes, persons, and nations would inevitably feel free to do as they please.

And thus, it will soon be the case that law and order will break down in entirety, if we were to continue on our current course, and societies and nations will be taken down in the process too.

As of late we are witnessing an alarming increase of bold-facedness, in the committal of crimes, both in high and low places, and it seems as though justice systems are now paralyzed by the constant chipping away of non-accountability.

When judges are afraid to mete out justice, for fear of retribution or because of political retaliation, we may know that God is just about to take things into His own hands, for He will not allow things to go on like this forever, especially since the final days of our probation are drawing to a swift, permanent close. Let’s read:

Psalms 50: 3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

4 He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.

There is a delusion that has taken deep root in many minds, as it pertains to the issue of accountability, in that some persons have erroneously concluded that the issue of judgment has to do with Christians who have entered into a covenant relationship with God.

Nothing could be further from the truth, because in several instances in sacred history it’s demonstrated that God has, at various times, intruded directly into the human experience, to bring perpetrators of evils to justice.

And the records of God’s doings in these instances must be as beacons of warning to persons who are currently trampling upon His law. God is not afraid to make another such intrusion, if and when it may become necessary, as He sees fit, for He is the same God, yesterday, today and forever.

In the case of Herod, God bore long with his cruelty, even after he had imprisoned and executed John for no other reason than to please his profligate wife. Mercy still lingered, for God takes no pleasure in the destruction or punishment of anyone.

But Herod continued to harass, and to persecute the early Christians, imprisoning some and killing others until one day, God said enough is enough, and The Lord sent a holy angel from heaven, to make a direct intrusion into the human experience.

Therefore, as Herod was giving a political speech in the public square, receiving the praise, and worship of men which belongs to God alone, the angel came suddenly upon him and smote him on stage, in view of all who were praising and adoring him.

God does not usually use force, but if folks push the envelope, He absolutely can and will, if He deems it necessary. Let’s read:

Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Again, we must reiterate that it’s not like God to use force when dealing with us as earthlings, because as the Bible says, He delights in mercy, and usually will allow our freedom of choice to work out its natural result on its own, whether it be good or evil.

But every so often, God will give us a terrible reality check, so that those who might be thinking of doing wrong may think twice. The intrusions made are to warn others of making the same fatal mistake, and thus, He spares the many, by prosecuting the few.

Here it is again, as king Nebuchadnezzar continues to flaunt his power and authority, taking credit for things which he should have been praising God for, and boasting about the status of his empire, even as he was warned against this course of action by the prophet Daniel.

Again, God gave him time to correct course, but as is so often the case, God’s mercy and kindness is often interpreted as weakness in the minds of many, and before you know it, the human agent begins to take unwarranted liberties.

Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar became ripe for one of those unique intrusions, and judgment came to him in a form that would greatly humble him in the sight of his subjects. Again, God does not usually employ the use of force, but if He sees fit, He will, because He reserves that prerogative always. Let’s read:

Daniel 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.

3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace.

5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,

10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.

12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit

thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven;

14 He cried aloud, and said thus, hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches.

15 Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.

16 Let his heart be changed from a man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, my lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

22 It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reaches unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king.

25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will.

27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility.

28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

30 The king spoke and said is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and the honor of my majesty?

31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

Persons should be very concerned, that the same God who visited Nebuchadnezzar and Herod in the public square, might now find it necessary again to make another of those direct intrusions, into the human experience, for it seems as if the lessons of the past are falling on deaf ears.

Let’s repeat again so the persons will hear correctly: Persons should be very concerned, that the same God who visited Nebuchadnezzar and Herod in the public square, might now find it necessary again to make another of those direct intrusions, into the human experience, for it seems as if the lessons of the past are falling on deaf ears.

In fact, Romans chapter nine raises the prospect that God reserves the right, and the prerogative to use force, whenever necessary, if He so chooses, for as we’ve studied previously, even though God never hardened pharaoh’s heart the apostle Paul raises the prospect that God reserves the right to do so.

That’s one of the reasons why Romans chapter nine is so difficult for theologians to swallow, because it is hard for persons to believe that A loving God, can, and will use force when needed. In fact, if you were to look at how Christ cast out devils you will observe that He never kindly asks them to leave.

If Jesus were to ask devils to leave a person they will never leave and therefore, in every instance without any exception, Jesus used force to cast them out. In other words, His commands did not come with any options. They were forced to leave. Let’s read:

Matthew 8: 28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, what have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Torment meaning: cause to experience severe mental or physical suffering. Here it is again so that folks may come to correct conclusions. Let’s read:

Mark 9: 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

Mark 1: 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

24 Saying, leave us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, hold thy peace, and come out of him.

26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, what thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commands he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

In fact, Isaiah makes a grim prediction of the times coming soon when The God of heaven will use force and after studying the prophecy closely, we are not sure how many saints would want to be alive at that time. Daniel also refers to it as a time when Michael will stand up, or better known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. Let’s read:

Isaiah 28:21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth, as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

[ST January 25, 1910] The forbearance that God has exercised toward the wicked has emboldened men in transgression; but their punishment will be none the less certain and terrible for being long delayed.

To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. Yet He will “by no means clear the guilty.” By terrible things in righteousness, He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law.

The very fact of His reluctance to execute justice, testifies to the enormity of the sins that call forth His judgments, and to the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor. All of the inhabitants of earth are soon to meet the great Lawgiver over His broken law.

Thus, there are two passages of Scripture which are to be reconciled in our minds, once and for all, so as to give folks a good, balanced understanding of the issue of accountability. On the one hand, one of the passages highlight God’s mercy and forbearance to us.

But on the other hand, it might seem to the cursory reader that He’s promising to do the direct opposite and thus, the correct interpretation of the two must be somewhere down the middle. Let’s observe what is being said and then we will reconcile the passages from the Scriptures. Let’s read:

Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the 4th generation.

8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

Exodus 23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

When we take a closer look at the first passage, we see that it contains two statements that may seem puzzling. Here they are: [1] “Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin”

[2] “And that will by no means clear the guilty.”

In reality, those who would have their transgression and iniquities and sins forgiven, will first have to be guilty, for wherever one is not guilty pardon is never needed. Therefore, the second statement that says The Lord will not clear the guilty, must be referring to a different kind of guilt.

Question [1] What kind of guilt is it that The Lord will not pardon?

Question: [2] What does it mean in the 2nd passage that “He will not pardon your transgressions?

Question [3] Why then are those two statements juxtaposed to each other?

Answers: The type of guilt that God will not pardon is the guilt incurred by deliberate, persistent sin, by which a person’s choice to do wrong is firmly fixed in the mind, while at the same time, they knowingly refuse all efforts by The Holy Spirit to acknowledge and forsake sin.

The reason why God says He will never pardon that type of transgression and guilt, is because it cannot be pardoned. Pardoning sin must be productive of good at the end of the day, by removing guilt, but if the individual is not interested in change, then it is a waste of time and grace to grant forgiveness.

The reason for this is that the guilt of such persons will be a recurring theme, where they are forgiven now, and immediately after are again found guilty, by their own choices.

A convicted felon was jailed in a certain state, for a number of crimes committed, and repeated over an extended period of time, but was later released and pardoned.

On his way home from incarceration, he committed the very same crimes he was convicted of, and thus, the grace and mercy shown by the judge in question to the inmate turned out to be a waste of time, for his guilt was immediately, and deliberately incurred.

When Peter asked the question: “How often should I forgive my brother?” and Jesus says seventy times seven, it does not mean that forgiveness has to be always open-ended for there can come a time when it will be foolish to forgive.

Kindness is never foolish, and thus, if a person or a nation chooses to continue in sin, after numerous offers of pardon, and mercy have been given, and rejected, then there is nothing either God, or man could do in such cases, for through their deliberate choices, the decision to do wrong becomes sealed in the mind permanently. Let’s read:

Luke 17: 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

Hebrews 10: 26 For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins.

Why then are those two statements of pardon, and non-pardon juxtaposed to each other? They are put together in the same passage so that persons would harbor a balanced and realistic perspective of God’s grace.

In fact, God finds it necessary to be careful in how He offers grace, lest the human agent becomes too presumptuous, and may begin to take unwarranted liberties. Let’s read:

Ecclesiastes 8: 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

A Christian parent understands that grace, mercy, and much pardons would have to be exercised as the children are growing, but the same parent has to be very careful in telling the children that they will be pardoned.

Think about it in reality! The parent knows that he will pardon the son or daughter numerous times, so how does the parent convey those offers of mercy to the child, without the kid getting the wrong idea?

Should the parent only say to the child, I will forgive you numerous times for repeated offenses, over and over again, even to seventy times seven, or should the parent add in a caveat to bring about a balance to the equation?

If parents only offer mercy with no caveat, it is most likely that children will abuse the grace, and mercies offered, especially if they were told by the parents that they have 490 offers of pardon.

Thus, the parents must of necessity bring balance to their offers of pardons, lest the kids go overboard in their indulgence of sin. And this is exactly what God did. Here are the two statements again. Let’s read:

“Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.

 “Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions.”

By removing the law of God from the consciences of the people and by claiming it was nailed to his cross, great damage is done to that very delicate balance between grace, and the caveat that was inserted by The Lord, to mitigate the continual, and deliberate transgression in persons. 

The erroneous teaching that God’s law was nailed to the cross also ingeniously removes any prospect of accountability for where there’s no transgression no pardon is needed.

Relativism is one of the false gods stalking the land, perpetrating the deadly error that truth and right are not absolute. In a nut shell, it is verily a doctrine of devils.

As a direct result, you have staggering crimes taking place across the globe, and it seems as if the justice systems of earth, whereby persons are to be held accountable are either grossly malfunctioning or are paralyzed in great measure.

Thus, the issue of accountability should be clearly understood by all because things will not be allowed to continue the way they are for much longer. We’re fast approaching that invisible threshold where God will say enough is enough.

Once the gates of grace remain open, God will forgive, wherever, and whenever the persons or nations in question genuinely repent, with the sole intention of turning away from the sins in question. But if we continue to knowingly transgress His laws we would be held accountable.

There is too much killing all around the globe, too much fraud, violence, lies, and conspiracy theories, and with the recent perversion of justice by those in high places, we have reached an inflection point in our history, for when man has reached his max, it is time for God to work. In other words, the extremity of man paves the way for God’s opportunity.

Therefore, there must be a balanced understanding of God’s grace, and justice, because when the two are held in the right perspective it paves the way for us to love God with all our heart and soul, yet being mindful not to take His grace for granted.

In harmony with this view, we will end our discourse with a passage of Scripture that reiterates a correct understanding of our first verses, and it is God’s will that our relationship with Him will be informed by what is written in His word. Let’s read:

Isaiah 1:19 If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

                                    God Bless!

How To Overcome Lust. Sabbath afternoon 07/27/2024

Matthew 5: 27 You have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery.

28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

The word that is used for lust in our first passage is Epithumeo, and the meaning of it refers to having a longing, or an intense desire for something. When applied in the context, it means having an eager, or burning sexual desire for someone. It includes the act of covetousness, from which springs all sins.

Lust is one of the very real problems which many folks are struggling with, and because it is so deeply entrenched in human nature and difficult to uproot, it must be addressed. Overcoming is not something that is to be lopsided, where we are strong in some areas, but vulnerable in others.

When The Bible says in Revelation chapter 3 that he who overcomes will be granted abundant entrance into God’s kingdom, it is speaking of those persons who’ve overcome on every level, not only in some areas. The work of the Holy Spirit in the heart is to produce a mature, balanced Christian.

And even though the believer is secure in Christ at every stage of their development, we should all be shooting for gold, not for silver or bronze. In other words, we are to seek to become perfect in Christ.

Therefore, those who will pass through the time of Jacob’s trouble would have overcome in every area of their lives. They’ve overcome in diets, and foods, anger management, covetousness, lust, and they are also victorious in the temporal and financial, for the parable of the stewards commends multipliers, not subtractors, or dividers.

 The Christian in our day will have to shoot for entire victory in all areas, and at every level, by the grace of God, if we are to be ready for prime time to stand unshaken, when every thing that can be shaken will be shaken. Therefore, the issue of lust would have to be confronted, for it is endemic in many people.

The problem of lust is quite pervasive in society, and it affects individuals in high and low places alike, for after studying both sacred and secular history, it is discovered that lust is no respecter of persons, for it affects the ordinary man on the street as well as the rich and famous.

Education, position, status, wealth, and even the ability to write out the Scriptures, is no guarantee that one would not be affected. Kings have been shown to be weak on this point, and Bible prophets have succumbed to it, presidents are not immune, and preachers, priests, and laity have capitulated on this issue.

Some persons believe that merely getting married will solve the problem, but history has shown that marriage, in and of itself might not be sufficient to cure the problem, for many of the characters in the Bible who fell on the point of lust, were married.

Again, persons, who might otherwise have seemed to be the untouchables, have also been shown to be vulnerable on this point. Thus, it requires an intense struggle, and a well-directed effort to overcome lust permanently, to the point where it does not faze us anymore.

In the process of overcoming, some folk will come face to face with unprovoked temptations, while others would have to fast and pray long, and hard, and some may even have to grit their teeth to resist this internal, and external foe, of which the internal one is the most dangerous.

The internet and artificial intelligence aren’t helping either, for in our day, there is pornography in every place, which aggravates the problem, and there is no shortage of sites on the web, where persons can freely indulge.

So, not only do persons have internal foes to battle, there are also a multitude of external inducements, that must also be navigated. And, men in particular should never be deceived into thinking that because we believe in Jesus it will be a breeze to overcome lust. In fact, it is not a breeze by any stretch of the imagination.

Whenever anyone is struggling with lust, they must understand that it would not be easy to overcome, for it is a deep-seated problem in our human nature which can involve mortal battle to gain the victory.

In fact, Romans chapter seven refers to the internal struggles as a military campaign being waged by the cravings and latent tendencies of the flesh, against our souls, and thus, anyone who believes that lust will just get up and leave you alone, without a fierce struggle just because you are a Christian, is like Alice living in wonderland. Let’s read:

Romans 7: 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would.

No one could read the previous passages and then reasonably conclude that, to overcome lust is a breeze. It is not, and it would require a very humble admission on our part, that overcoming lust is not a walk in the park, in order for us to realize our need of Christ, to gain the victory.

Divine strength from the Holy Ghost, together with deliberate choices on our part would be required in order to be victorious. But first, persons must have a clear understanding of what the problem is and how deeply seated in human nature it is, and also the many vulnerabilities men, especially face.

Lust is never confined only to sex, it also applies to food, and every perverted craving we deal with and thus, the correct Biblical definition of lust is that it is a strong desire, or something that our fallen human nature earnestly craves, usually contrary to what is written in the word of God.

Christ in the wilderness did mortal battle against the craving of hunger, and He was victorious. Hunger is a good, natural craving, as is sexual desire, when it is within the framework of God’s revealed will but one might argue that Christ was not tempted on sexual desire in the wilderness.

Pound for pound, hunger cravings can be 100 times worse and intense than sexual desire, so, here is a question for you: Which would you prefer, 40 days without food, or forty without days sex?

Even though, in reality the craving for food is much stronger than our sexual cravings, we will, for the purposes of this study, be dealing exclusively with sexual lust.

When Adam and Eve fell in the garden of Eden, Eve fell for what she’d heard, but Adam fell for what he saw, for it was Eve’s external beauty, and the need for a companion, that drove him over the edge. And ever since that day, most of the sons of Adam have come from the womb with that inherited weakness. Let’s read:

1st Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

[Spirit of prophecy Bk1 pp 39] Eve was before him, just as lovely and beautiful, and apparently as innocent, as before this act of disobedience. She had told him of the happy influence of the fruit, of her ardent love for him, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate it and like Eve, felt not immediately its ill effects.

Thus, following in the footsteps of Adam, most men go on to cultivate lust, until it could become second nature, and, the more it is indulged, the more those automatic, reflex actions in the one in question will be multiplied.

It is true that some women also struggle with lust, but, for the most part, it is a man problem, as the word of God says, and as sacred and secular history have demonstrated time and time again. That’s just the raw facts in the matter. Let’s read:

Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so, the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Judges 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

 Judges 16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her.

1st Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

Genesis 30: 4 And she gave him Bilhah her hand-maid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

You never read in the Bible where one woman had seven hundred husbands, thus, for all intents, and purposes, we are looking at a man problem for the most part. An acknowledgement of this will lead us to better understand how to overcome lust.

We all know the story of David’s sin and repentance so we do not have to rehearse the gory details. Yet, there are important things to consider from his fall, that would pave the way for Christians, who believe in Jesus to avoid being overcome by the sin of lust.

We will point out specific things men should avoid doing, keeping in mind that avoiding temptation, in and of itself does not constitute the victory, but is rather an earnest effort to cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work upon our hearts. Let’s read:

2nd Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

David had obviously come home to take a needed break from the war, since the victory seemed to be certain, so, here he was, relaxing, with not much to do. When men who are struggling with lust have nothing to do, they must be extra vigilant, for devils are known to find work for idle hands to do.

When David was in fighting mode, with the war, his mind was then preoccupied with fighting, and with danger on every side, he most likely would not be distracted with lust. But when he was at home with nothing to do, the latent tendencies could readily be fanned into life, if the right circumstances occurred.

Satan specializes in structuring sudden temptations to strategically coincide with our idle hours, when, like David, we have nothing to do. Therefore, even though David did not initially premeditate this act, it was designed to suddenly take advantage of David’s down time. Let’s read:

 2nd Samuel 11:2 And it came to pass in an evening-tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Christian men who are struggling with lust should find something productive or constructive to do, if they know that they will have extended periods of idle hours on their hands. It does not mean that you cannot go on vacation, or take a break. Just be wary of excessive idle time with nothing to do.

This does not constitute victory, as we stated earlier, but is just a matter of intelligently positioning one’s self, since we are not supposed to be ignorant of the devil’s devices. In other words, while The Holy Ghost is doing His work on the inside of the heart, you will want to close all doors as far as possible, so that you will not be easily compromised. Let’s read:

Ezekiel 16: 49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and an abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me, therefore I took them away as I saw good.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 156] Idleness is the greatest curse that can fall upon man, for vice and crime follow in its train. Satan lies in ambush, ready to destroy those who are unguarded; Whose leisure gives him opportunity to insinuate himself under some attractive disguise. He is never more successful than when he comes to men in their idle hours.

Therefore, if you are struggling with lust, and you know that you’ll have an extended period of down time on your hands, there are a lot of productive things you can become preoccupied with. Mow the lawn, do the laundry, help out the wife with those odds and ends she has been asking you to do for so long.

You can help the kids with their homework, give out religious material, do the dishes, fold the clothes, or even do Bible studies with someone. But, whatever you do, try to find something to do so that the mind will not be left to wander upon every suggestion the devil will throw at it.

God is more practical, and down to earth in all the instructions He gives to us therefore, we are to be humble and willing enough to learn from Him.

It is worthy of note, that someway, somehow, when you study the life of Christ, He always seemed to be very busy, except for those times when He would be taking time out for prayer, for sleep, or to be alone with His inner circle of disciples.

If He wasn’t healing, He was preaching, if He wasn’t preaching, He was working with His hands at trade, and even on the Sabbath, when you might expect Him to take a break, there He was again, going from place to place, doing ministry. He always seemed to be very busy. Let’s read:

Mark 2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

Luke 4: 38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with different diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.

43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Thus, it was, that Christ would be busy all day and at times late into the night. But we are just wondering what would take place with Him, if for some reason, He were to have extra time on His hands. After He had spent time fasting and praying in the wilderness someone was sure to show up, for his temptations are structured strategically.

This leads us to another critically important pointer, taken from the fall of David even as he too struggled with the sin of lust. If and when sudden temptations come our way, it’s important not to follow up on the temptation through deliberate choice.

After David was initially blindsided by Bathsheba’s beauty, he did have time to regroup, but instead of doing this, he chose to pursue those cravings of the flesh.

He could have stopped there and then, and he may have had to grit his teeth in denying self, but if he had, the bottom line is that David’s after history was going to be quite different.

Sometimes, in overcoming lust, the struggle can be quite severe, to the point where it might resemble works instead of faith. But we need to understand that overcoming lust can get pretty ugly. Some men like Joseph might have to literally run for their lives.

Others may have to avoid certain places where the forces of satan are firmly entrenched. Again, these things do not constitute the real victory, in and of themselves, but they do facilitate the working of God in the heart, and if they become necessary, and are done, your after history will be different.

But when David deliberately chose to facilitate the cravings of lust, instead of facilitating the work of God in the heart, he opened up his vulnerabilities, and the rest is history.

When once a man uses his freedom of choice in the facilitating of lust, it becomes a slippery slope from which it can be difficult to escape, because, at that juncture, he is cooperating with devils, instead of God. And once choice is placed in satan’s favor, he makes certain that it would be pressed to its logical end.

Thus, when we read of David sending to inquire of the woman, he already committed sin, by yielding to lust. Similarly, if a Christian man in our day is going about his daily duties, minding his own business and out of the blue a Bathsheba appears, and lust wells up in his heart, if he proceeds to enquire after her, he would have sinned already, in his heart.

Again, if a man is surfing the internet for legitimate reasons, like buying tools on Amazon, and out of the blue a Bathsheba appears in the side bar, if he clicks on to further inquire after her, adultery has already taken place, because deliberate choice was used to pursue the inner craving of lust. Sounds like we’re in big trouble. Let’s read:

2nd Samuel 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

Men cannot prevent any Bathsheba from appearing out of the blue, and there are times when the one who is struggling to overcome lust might be stung with stunning external beauty, but he must not even linger, or drool after her, because doing so would be the equivalent of David “Sending” to enquire after her”.

This will call for stern self-denial, through the grace and power of the indwelling Christ, for if we were to give loose rein to lustful cravings, the problem could become so endemic, that involuntary actions would follow. And wherever this is the case, uprooting lust becomes all the more difficult. Let’s read:

Matthew 5: 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery,

28 But I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

This is not to say that next week we should see any one-eyed saints walking around, it just means that very stern self-denial has to be incorporated into one’s daily experience, so as to facilitate God’s work in the heart. This will lead us to two very important questions as men seek to overcome lust:

[1] Question: When a Christian man, who might be struggling with lust and porn, prays to God for help, does God remove the cravings, or does He give us the strength to resist the cravings?

[2] Question: When Jesus was in the wilderness, He did fast and pray, as all of us must, so, did God remove Christ’s craving for food, or was He strengthened to resist the craving. In other words, after Jesus had fasted and prayed for strength to overcome hunger, did He still remain hungry? Let’s read:

Matthew 4: 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

[The Desire of Ages pp 118] For forty days He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from hunger, worn and haggard with mental agony, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” Now was Satan's opportunity. The Savior was faint from hunger, He was craving for food, when Satan came suddenly upon Him.

[Redemption Bk 2 pp 54] After Satan had ended his temptations, he departed from Jesus for a little season. The foe was conquered, but the conflict had been long and exceedingly trying, and Christ was exhausted and fainting. He fell upon the ground as though dying.

Heavenly angels who had been with intense, and painful interest watching their loved commander, now came and ministered unto him. They prepared him food and strengthened him, for he lay as one dead.

We are asking the question again, so that it would resonate in our consciences, even as we ponder the severe conflicts involved in overcoming lust. Here it is:

When a Christian man, who may be struggling with lust or porn prays to God for help, does God remove the cravings or does God just give him the strength to resist the cravings?

When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane, in mortal combat with the powers of darkness, He did hint at the possibility of shrinking from the conflict.

But He surrendered His will to God, as all struggling overcomers must do. So, after He had prayed, was overcoming a breeze? Or was He just strengthened to resist? Let’s read:

Matthew 26: 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

[The Desire of Ages pp 693] The angel came not to take the cup from Christ's hand, but to strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father's love. The storm had in nowise abated, but He who was its object was strengthened to meet its fury.

In the effort to overcome lust, the one who may be struggling will have to earnestly seek God daily for grace to help in time of need. Trying to overcome by avoiding Bathsheba, or by gritting your teeth in self- denial will not give us the victory.

In other words, to put it plainly, Christian men will fail miserably on this point, if the effort to overcome is engaged through sheer will power alone. It’s not a problem of will merely, it’s an issue of men dealing with who they are at their core.

Therefore, deliberate choices in resistance will need to be made, efforts in avoiding sights, and sounds of lust will also have to be made, and most of all, your prayer life must not be haphazard.

Prayer, coupled together with the consistent study of the Bible will allow the Holy Spirit to habituate the mind to dwell on uplifting themes. If we were to stay the course with Christ, the problem eventually would be eliminated, for it is not the will of God for men to be continually bogged down with nagging problems. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 717] If one comes to lose sight of his entire dependence on God, and to trust to his own strength, he is sure to fall. Man is contending with foes who are stronger than he. It is impossible for us in our own strength to maintain the conflict; the tenor of the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in divine power.

In harmony with this statement, we will end with a passage of Scripture which encourages us to keep trying by God’s grace, for the passage tells us that we can and will overcome, if we will stay the course with Christ. Let’s read:

Revelation 3: 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

                                 God Bless!

The Rise Of False Worship Globally. Sabbath afternoon 07/20/2024

 Esther 3:1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, why do you transgress the king's commandment?

Esther chapter three is one of those chapters that we have been asking you to study very closely, for It contains valuable information for persons living in the last days of earth’s history. From the beginning of time the main problem with humanity has always been worship.

In every era that has come and gone, various types of false worship have dominated, and infiltrated the human experience, with the commensurate results which follow like clockwork. In the Antediluvian era it was false worship that lay at the foundation of the rejection of God.

In Egypt, it was false worship that led the nation to worship four-footed creatures, and creeping things, and as we have stated previously, even pharaoh was referred to, and addressed as “the good god”. Later on, it was false worship that led the chosen people of God to reject Christ.

During the dark ages, it was false worship that led the papacy to do the unthinkable, and a very great darkness enveloped its subscribers, and very much of the results still remain today. And in our day, the issue that has led to false theories in our education system, and the veneration of man is false worship.

In fact, false theories such as evolution, and the big bang theory also constitute false worship for when a wrong concept of God is perpetrated, and wherever there’s a mangled version of the origin of species, all who knowingly choose to subscribe, in a deliberate opposition to the knowledge found in the Bible, are counted as worshipers.

Thus, the time has come when the dangers about false worship must be exposed, because, as of yet, there are many people who do not know what is at stake, and many others are not aware of the serious nature of rendering worship to any other person, or thing, other than to God.

The following therefore are the first laws contained in the Decalogue which address the issue of worship and they are strategically written first, because all of humanity’s other problems, come about as a result of the violations of these four. It always boils down to worship. Always! Let’s read:

Exodus 20: 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God

in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

[The Great Controversy pp 583] In rejecting the truth, men reject its Author. It is as easy to make an idol of false doctrines and theories as to fashion an idol of wood or stone.

With many, a philosophical idol is enthroned in the place of Jehovah; while the living God, as he is revealed in his Word, in Christ, and in the works of creation, is worshiped by but few.

The god of many professedly wise men, of philosophers, poets, politicians, journalists, the god of polished fashionable circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theological institutions, is little better than Baal, the sun-god of Phoenicia.

In every corner of the globe, and in every nation on earth, the stamp of false worship can be observed. It isn’t only a problem with non-Christian countries, it is also firmly entrenched in places where many of the citizens embrace Christianity, for the claim to be Christian is not conclusive evidence that persons are free from false worship.

In the days of Christ, many persons claimed to be in harmony with the true worship of God, and yet, it was revealed by Christ that most were estranged in their perspectives, concepts, and practice. Outward forms of religion prevailed, and many folks became sticklers for pomp and ceremony, but the kernels of truth were exchanged for the outward husks. Let’s read:

Matthew 15: 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Thus, this is not an indictment of any one person, or any one people, or any one denomination, it is just the plain truth, that there has been a steady rise of false worship globally, including the worship of man for centuries.

In the instance of Haman, in our first passages, we can see that there was a command from the highest judicial authority who had commanded all persons to reverence Haman, and this was in violation of the first commandment given in the law of God, for it is a form of false worship.

And because of this, the true worship of God would dictate that all true worshipers should not bow, nor should they appear to almost bow. Mordecai must stand tall and yet humble, keeping the true worship of God intact, and refusing inroads to the contrary, whenever, and wherever they exist. Let’s read:

Exodus 20: 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.….

Mordecai refused, and though he was harassed and persuaded daily, he continued to demur, because if he did, he would not merely be worshiping Haman, he would be worshiping the devil, for Haman would just become the vessel to take Mordecai’s worship to the prince of darkness.

Mortal man does not handle worship well, for it was designed for God alone, who is worthy to receive it. Therefore, when persons bow in reverential worship before any man, that veneration goes directly to the one who authored all counterfeit forms of worship, and he then gives the nod of approval, and receipt of such worship.

Thus, as we seek to unravel the deeper meaning of our first passages, we must bear in mind that there are certain inevitable results to man-worship, hence the reason why God warns folks against falling into that snare.

Haman became quite irritated when he heard that Mordecai refused to offer him reverential worship, and wherever this is the case, the persecution of all true worshipers will follow, sooner or later.

Whenever you see any persons craving praise, and worship, whenever you see such persons becoming upset if others fail to admire, or flatter them, there the stage will be set for false worship to be enforced by the one who seeks to be worshipped, if they may have the authority and power to do so. Let’s read:

Esther 3:2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, why do you transgress the king's commandment?

4 Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore, it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

Then, onward to our day currently, the same issues persist, for we are engulfed in false worship, for the Bible again points us to the fact that false worship of man will take centerstage, and will bring probation on our planet to a permanent and irreversible close.

And again, it is satan who would be on the receiving end, of the man-worship that will be instituted. This point in particular needs to be clearly understood by all, because it is quite possible, that millions today are inadvertently worshiping devils and they know it not. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

There are some fanciful interpretations pertaining to who, or what is referred to as the “dragon” in the previous passage. There’s no need to waste precious time trying to figure it out, for at the back of all false worship stands one person and one person only, the devil.

In other words, every false concept, and every false practice pertaining to worship always comes from a single source, invariably. Thus, the word “dragon” in verse 4 of Revelation 13, tells us that all roads lead directly back to the devil, because all the concepts, and practices of false worship originated with him. Let’s read:

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Isaiah 14: 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High.

 When individuals in bygone years claimed to have worshiped gods of wood and stone, the Scriptures clarified who they were actually worshipping. It was not merely the productions of their hands, nor the vain imaginations of their minds.

It was actually satan who was being worshipped, for all of the false concepts, practices, and productions pertaining to false worship are centered in him, and originate from him.

Thus, according to the Bible, any person who bowed down to idols, or who venerated man, even though in most cases they might have been ignorant of the fact, were actually worshipping devils. Let’s read:

Psalms 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto devils,

38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

The Psalmist in the above passage makes a specific mention of the instance, which took place at Baal-Peor. He is referring to the event where Balaam had invited the children of Israel to join the Moabites in worshiping their false gods. The Hebrews accepted the invite, and the rest is history.

At the venue in question, there were no visible, live devils, who would certainly have scared the people. It was just your regular graven image that they were bowing down to but the Scriptures certify that there were invisible agencies present, who received their worship.

Question: So, if the people bowed down to gods of wood and stone, how can David say, by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, that they were worshiping devils, and the next logical questions is this: Are all forms of false worship, in fact devil worship, to a greater or lesser extent?

The answer to this question must be given in clear lines, for earth’s inhabitants must be made aware of what is at stake, as the world is hurtling towards the mark of the beast, the epitome, and the zenith of all false worship since the beginning of time. Let’s read:

Numbers 23:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

When persons leave the true worship of God, and attend services that are not endorsed by the Bible, they too will most likely never see any live devils in the congregation, for the modus operandi of devils is to basically remain hidden from view.

In fact, this format of remaining hidden from view is also adopted by holy angels too. When you hear a pastor, elder, or lay person say that the presence of God and holy angels is here, they say so by faith, but in reality, the immediate presence of all holy beings is beyond our gaze, for the most part.

Yet, God receives the true worship that is given to Him and holy angels are present to do God’s bidding as He directs. The same format of being present, yet hidden is also true of devils, who often pervade the atmosphere where false worship takes place.

And satan, and his hosts are there to receive all the worship that is rendered at the venue in question. Thus, whenever, and wherever you have erroneous doctrines, and concepts, philosophies, and errors being presented by those who may know better, the worship of devils is taking place.

This format will be in for a drastic change in the not-too-distant future but for now, out of sight is out of mind. Again, in our day currently, wherever false worship is taking place, persons will most likely only see well-dressed congregants, with their Bibles in hand.

And they might witness, or take part in speaking in tongues, and there might be a lot of congregants strewn all across the floor, apparently slain in the spirit, while the name of Jesus is repeated ever so often.

But back of all of that, there would be an invisible presence in the midst to accept the worship. It is not the very best of news, but it is the truth. Again, without doing hurt to anyone’s perspectives, there are only two types of worship on the menu; the true, or the false. Any blending of the true with the false renders it false.

It is the plan of devils to mix just enough truth with error so as to give the presentation plausibility, but this practice will render the productions even more dangerous, as the bulk of error is most likely to be swallowed down whole, together with the tidbits of truth.

This sad fact is unequivocally stated in the prophetic writings. In fact, there are really four main brands of presentations which occur at most worship services, and we must be cognizant of the differences, and be able to decipher the sheep from the goats as it were as it pertains to recognizing the four types. Here are they:

[1] The plain unadulterated truths of God’s word.

[2] Erroneous doctrines, theories, philosophies and concepts.

[3] A majority of error blended with a little truth.

[4] A majority of truth blended with a little error.

Now even though devils can use the last three types mentioned, their preference is the last two brands, especially number 4, because a subtle twist of truth often bypasses the conscious mind, and can become embedded in the conscience, without persons even being aware.

The presence of many Bibles in a congregation is no guarantee that true worship is taking place, for the devil almost never approves a church service in our day, without the Bible. In fact, in most instances, he actually insists that the Scriptures be made readily available for everyone to read. Let’s read:

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

[Early Writings pp 274] An innumerable host of evil angels are spreading over the whole land and crowding the churches.

In fact, the very bottom line of 666 is actually devil worship at its core. You can put lipstick on a pig, and you could call it cute names such as Mrs. Piggy, and Porky, but at the end of the day, underneath that outward veneer of cuteness, you will find just an old pig.

In studying the topic for today, we will discover that throughout the ages, there has always been a close relation between food and worship, which is again, brought to view in Revelation 13. The ability to buy or sell is tied directly to one’s worship choice, and it will inevitably include your daily bread.

In other words, all who will in the future, subscribe to the false worship that would be mandated by the lamb-like beast, will be eating their daily bread from the devil, plain and simple. He may allow merchants and peddlers to handle it and ship it, but all roads will ultimately lead back to the dragon. Let’s read:

Revelation 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buys their merchandise any more.

12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

13 And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

This isn’t something new. All you have to do is study the latter history of king Saul, for after bowing down in the cave to the devil, with the witch of Endor, his food was brought out. And he did eat, and Saul was revived. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 28:13 And the king said unto her, be not afraid: for what did you see? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

14 And he said unto her, what form is he of? And she said, an old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spoke unto me.

22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof.

25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

Note well that Saul first bowed in worship, before the devil, and then his lunch was brought out. This has happened over and over again in the Scriptural accounts, hence the reason why we concluded that Revelation 13 is not something new. There is a close symbiosis between worship and food. Here it is again. Let’s read:

Exodus 32: 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.

6 And they rose up early on the morrow and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Psalms 106:28 They joined themselves also unto Baal-Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

Thus, it is now fitting and necessary to define, and identify true worship, so that persons and families will not inadvertently bow down to devils anymore. The true worship of God has important identifying marks, of which we should be cognizant.

[1] True worship will always include, and encourage the keeping of all God’s commandments, including the 4th, which the world is so prone to forget.

Worship has much more to do with obedience than praise, and therefore, all who desire to worship God in spirit and in truth will also be willing to obey Him. Let’s read:

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

1st John 2: 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

[2] True worship will always include and encourage the faith of Jesus.

This identifying mark is critically important because it demonstrates to us a total dependence on God for everything that pertains to life, and well-being. For instance, when Jesus was faced with crunch time in the garden of Gethsemane He said “Not my will, but Thy will be done.”

This means that even though Jesus might have had His personal preferences, as He contended with the forces of darkness, He gave deference to God’s will, and therefore, every true worshiper will follow that same lead of Christ, by deferring to God in any given circumstance.

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

[The Great Controversy pp 621] The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay and hunger, a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.

[3] True worship will always be characterized by the manifestation of Love that is born of God, for it is a natural byproduct of the Holy Spirit living within.

1st John 4: 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knows God. 8 He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love.

The keeping of God’s commandments isn’t that rigid stern practice which characterized many of the Jews in Christ’s day. Obeying God, even though difficult at times, becomes a joy, not a burden, and when this is the case, both vertical and horizontal manifestations of that Love will be seen.

In closing, let us endeavor by God’s grace to grasp the things that were presented today, for they will pertain directly to the turbulent, sifting times that are on the horizon. In harmony with this fact, we’ll end our discourse with a passage of Scripture which should help us to adopt the true worship of God. Let’s read:

John 4: 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

                                    God Bless!

Make Us A King. Sabbath afternoon 07/13/2024

1st Samuel 8: 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, no; but we will have a king over us.

This chapter marks a very sad day in the history of Israel, in which they deliberately rejected God as their king, and instead requested a man to rule over them, and indeed from this day onward, the nation, over an extended period of time, began to gradually sink lower and lower in stature, until it reached the point of no return, where the nation rejected Christ altogether.

This is the inevitable result of trusting in man for the arm of flesh will fail you sooner or later. Indeed, the history of the kings which came after they insisted on their request, proved that in the overwhelming majority of cases, the kings did more evil than good and even those kings who followed The Lord for the most part, also engaged in some level of evil in most instances.

Human nature is naturally depraved, and if a person isn’t continually led by The Holy Spirit, that person is certain to make very grave mistakes sooner or later. It does not matter if their intentions might be good, if God is not leading you always, those times when there is a lapse in leadership, through waywardness will most likely result in bad actions and choices.

Hence the reason why leaders of nations especially, are encouraged and counseled to pray for wisdom to govern in harmony with God’s will, for this is the only way that calamity and embarrassment could be averted. Let’s read:

1st Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, ask what I shall give thee.

6 And Solomon said, You have shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

The reason for this is that in ancient times, the king was not generally held to account as your average John Doe, in so much that crimes tolerated in the king, were not generally punished, and this practice often caused them to behave in ways that were downright outrageous and appalling.

Whenever there is no threat of accountability, the human agent who isn’t guided by God will inevitably take unwarranted liberties to themselves, and those liberties will invariably include sin. And it is for this reason that satan is hell-bent on removing the law of God, with its restraints, so that the planet can be plunged into irretrievable anarchy.

The Bible states unequivocally that as far as mortals go there is one law for folks in high and low places so that the ordinary citizen, and the king would not be immune from prosecution, if, and when they did wrong for wherever you have any two-tiered system system, where persons in high places are treated differently, the collapse of that nation is guaranteed.

Hence the reason why God codified into law specific instructions on how to address this situation, and if it is followed by the nations of the earth, great evils and miscarriage of justice would be avoided. Then the rich, and powerful will subject to the very same standards and the conscience of the nation could be preserved. Let’s read:

Deuteronomy 16: 18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Leviticus 19: 15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

Deuteronomy 1: 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

And the instructions on the justice system do not stop here, for God also addressed the tendency and the practice of judges taking bribes, for wherever it is to be found, the ruling of such judges will almost certainly be perverted. It’s actually a no-brainer, for if a judge’s hand is greased with gifts, the judgment coming from him will also be greased.

In other words, if in his capacity as a judge, a person takes gifts of cars, money, trips, vacations, houses or any other favors from a person, if and whenever the same person has a case pending before the judge in question, they will naturally expect a ruling in their favor. It’s called pay to play in our day. Let’s read:

Deuteronomy 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.

2nd Chronicles 19: 4 And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.

5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,

6 And said to the judges, take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.

7 Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

For instance, under a two-tiered system of justice, a Hebrew who dared to commit adultery could pay a very high price even with his life, but the king would not be subjected to the same system of justice, and thus, the prospect of impunity and immunity would most likely serve to lessen the sinfulness of evils in the king’s mind.

This is the fatal philosophy with which king David had been brainwashed, for he came to believe that he was above the law, and therefore could commit adultery and slay persons as he saw fit, because, in his mind, there will be no accountability, since the buck stopped with him, as the head of the justice system.

Another critical spin off that would certainly accrue is that the king’s underlings could also be rendered immune from prosecution, if they did wrongs at the request of the king, for if justice stops with the king, David would then be able to blanket pardon persons who were instructed to do wrong by himself.

Note well how the downward spiral of justice takes shape as David, in his capacity as king does grievous wrong, and then Joab, who was employed in David’s administration, gets immunity from prosecution, as he carries out David’s mandate. This is the natural result of that request that was made earlier by the elders: “Make us a king”. Let’s read:

2nd Samuel 11: 14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

25 Then David said unto the messenger, thus shalt thou say unto Joab, let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

But there was a rude awakening coming David’s way as he would soon learn that God is no respecter of persons, whether they be kings, or whether they be stars, whether they be wealthy or whether they may have influence or high position in the nation. If the king does wrong there will be a price to pay, period. Let’s read:

2nd Samuel 12: 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul.

9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house (In the Bible God is often represented as actually doing that which He does not prevent), and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 723] Heretofore God's providence had preserved David against all the plotting of his enemies, and had been directly exercised to restrain Saul. But David's transgression had changed his relation to God. The Lord could not in any wise sanction iniquity. He could not exercise His power to protect David from the results of his sin as He had protected him from the enmity of Saul.

In other words, because of David’s transgression the protection that he once enjoyed from God was now partially removed and wherever God’s protection is removed, the Pitbulls that are already waiting in the wings are let loose by the devil. There are currently millions of Pitbulls waiting to be let loose across the land if and when impunity in kings is countenanced. Let’s read:

Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3 Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Therefore, as we turn to the topic for today we must consider carefully, the reasons given, why the Jews in Samuel’s day asked him to “Make us a king”. The reasons are three-fold, beginning with a desire for a change in the justice system. In other words, God’s system of justice did not jive with their concepts of justice, and thus, they craved a change. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 8:5 And they said unto him, Behold, thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

The request is very specific, for the leaders of Israel did not merely ask for a king, but they also asked for one who will judge them just like the other nations. So, how did the kings of the other nations judge the people under their jurisdiction? It is a no-brainer, for they routinely employed a two-tiered justice system which was the order of the day.

Whereas previously God was the ultimate Judge and His laws, statutes, and instructions were to form the basis of all judicial actions, Israel now requested the system used by the surrounding nations, which was a two-tiered system of justice, one in which the king would enjoy immunity from prosecution, and where he would be beyond the reach of law. Let’s read:

Daniel 5: 18 O thou king, the most-high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor.

19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.

An example of the immunity, and impunity we are speaking about is found in the way Nebuchadnezzar replied to the three Jews who refused to bow down to his graven image. Nebuchadnezzar’s blunt answer savors heavily of immunity from prosecution, from accountability, and impunity, because, as far as he was concerned, he was above all law. Let’s read:

Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 717] According to the customs prevailing among Eastern rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were un-condemned in the king; the monarch was not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint as the subject.

Thus, as was stated earlier, the request by the elders was three-pronged, in that they desired a king that will judge them, one who would go before them and one who would fight their battles. It’s a very sad day when the citizens of any nation begin to look to man as their deliverer. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 8: 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, no; but we will have a king over us.

20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

When the focus of persons is removed from God, it is inevitable that they will ascribe success or victory to the human agent, and this in turn often goes to the dear leader’s head. For example, under the new earthly monarchial system, the Jews now praise the human agent, and leave God out of the picture. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 18: 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.

7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten-thousands.

8 And Saul was very upset and the saying displeased him; and he said, they have ascribed unto David ten-thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

Last week we studied a singular and very important question: “Lord, why don’t you stop me if you see me doing something stupid? Here it is again, as The Lord first gives the nation a heads up of the dangers that would accrue, if they persist in their request of a king. They stubbornly persist, and the rest is history. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 8: 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, No; but we will have a king over us;

22 And the Lord said unto Samuel hearken unto their voice and make them a king ….

In the prophecy of Daniel it is predicted that a king of fierce countenance will arise in the latter times, a reference to both pagan and papal Rome after the division of the kingdom of Alexander the great, and that kingdom would employ the two-tiered system of justice. Let’s read:

Daniel 8: 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

There is something that is very disturbing, written in the 13th chapter of Revelation, where the lamb-like beast is scheduled to exercise authority like a king. It may not be readily apparent, but if you were to read your Bible very slowly with the understanding, it will become as clear as crystal. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.

12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

The first beast, whose deadly wound was healed is without a doubt, papal Rome, whose emperor was taken captive by the French general Berthier in 1798 just about the same time during which the lamb-like beast was coming upon the stage of action.

During the dark ages, papal Rome ruled like a king, with no accountability, no impunity, and immunity from prosecution. This fact was further cemented by the claim of infallibility, and thus, Christians who lived during that dreadful era who refused to “bow” were burned at the stake, and subjected to the very cruelest of tortures.

There was no one to bring those leaders to justice, for they were immune from prosecution, and where there is no threat of penalty for wrong-doing, kings who are in charge can basically do whatsoever they please, for they are rendered as being above law.

Therefore, what John is telling us, in no uncertain terms is that the lamb-like beast is also scheduled to duplicate the mode of governance employed by the papal see, in that a two-tiered system of justice will become the law of the land, in which dear leaders will be rendered immune from prosecution.

And with that legal framework at his back, whoever the dear leader turns out to be will, like papal Rome be able to do whatsoever he chooses, including the enforcement of religious dogmas upon the citizenry.

This format of governance, coupled together with the law of immunity will be in direct opposition to God, who, as we have formerly studied has given to all persons the freedom of choice to either do good or evil with commensurate consequences.

Thus, when Revelation 13 is studied very closely, we will see a picture emerging, where one with kingly authority will take the stage, and from there on out it will be a steady, inevitable downward spiral just as it was in days of old when the elders and the people made that solemn request: “Make us a King”

The prophet Isaiah, in referring to the last days of earth’s history, says unequivocally that there would be a two-tiered system of justice employed, prior to the coming of The Son of Man and beyond all doubt we are already knee deep into that era. Let’s read:

Isaiah 59: 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goes therein shall not know peace.

9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

14 And judgment is turned away backward, and

 justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

15 Yea, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

All of the highlighted words in the above verses are currently being fulfilled, even as we speak, and, by this we may know for sure that the end of all things cannot be in the distant future, but is rather at our doorsteps.

Thus, the remnant people of God should be wide awake, and be cognizant of the rapid developments taking place across the land. As persons and nations crave a king, the Christian should be focused on our own King, even The Man Christ Jesus, for He is the Only King who will remain standing, after the dust has settled. Let’s read:

Revelation 17: 12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Thus, with all of the uncertainty swirling around the country, with all of the apprehension about what is coming next, let the Christian make certain, that in our own lives, there is only one king, for those who obey Him will be guided through the political and spiritual morass which is scheduled to envelop the earth in gross darkness.

We therefore end with a passage of Scripture which enjoins upon us, the need to fully surrender to the King of Kings, because the systems of earth will fail, but persons who are anchored to The Rock will be shielded from the coming deluge. Let’s read:

John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30 I and my Father are one.

                                     God Bless!

Your Incredible Freedom of Choice. Sabbath afternoon 07/06/2024

Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

The power of freedom of choice which was given us by God is not nearly understood for what it is. Some folks fall into the snare of ascribing responsibility to other persons, locations, conditions, politicians, the church, or family members, and even God, for their situation, when in reality, the choices and decisions we make are really the culprits in most instances.

The above passage tells us that we can use freedom of choice to do either good or evil, and therefore, by implication, we are to understand that there will be consequences to our actions. Consequences can either be good or bad, depending on the decision made, but at the end of the day, the choice is ours.

It’s not as if the freedom of choice is all bad, in fact it is one of the best gifts God has given to man. We should not view it only as the freedom pertaining to choosing between good and evil, for you can choose between two or more good things.

For instance, at your favorite restaurant you could choose between salad and fruit, both of which are good things. And in the earth made new there will be all kinds of fruit, and nuts, and grains to choose from. They are all good, and the freedom of choice will be there, so that persons can decide to try this or that item.

God is not too much in the business of preventing a person from doing what they decide to do, but He works within the framework of our free choice, to bring about His desired end.

This is a critically important point for folks to always remember, for many persons hope, pray, and expect God to stop them from doing that which they have already firmly decided to do, if it were to turn out bad.

It really doesn’t work that way, because we are free moral agents, blessed with intelligence, and for this reason, wherever one has their full mental capacity, we are to think things through, taking God’s will into consideration, before making a decision that could turn sour at the end.  

We may not always make good assessments on our own, but if we are warned, and counseled by God, against a certain course of action, persons should be willing and humble enough to use their freedom of choice, to fall into line with what God has said.

And we are to always remember that God is not to be looked upon as The Preventer in Chief, for if God were to go about preventing this or preventing that, we will not need intelligence anymore. Thus, choice is a personal responsibility, that should never be laid upon the shoulders of others.

When the issue of our incredible freedom of choice is carefully understood, it could cause chills to run down your spine, when you consider some of the things God did not prevent. He didn’t prevent satan from picking a fight with Christ in heaven.

The other loyal angels were then placed into a funny position, in that they now had to fight against their former colleagues and God did not intervene to stop it from taking place. He permits intelligence, choice, and decision to guide His creatures in ways that may or may not be in harmony with His will.

He didn’t prevent Adam and Eve from eating from the tree of knowledge, of good and evil. He did not prevent Peter from cursing out the maid in the court room. He didn’t prevent Samson from marrying the Philistine, and again, the people who were fighting in Saul’s army were not prevented from eating the blood, after they had become hungry.

David wasn’t prevented from sleeping with the wife of Uriah, and even Jacob wasn’t prevented from his bout of lying, even when he had lied on God. In that episode God did not interfere anyone’s freedom of choice.

He made His will known, but He left each player to choose what part they wanted to play. The Lord let Rebekah and Jacob do their thing. He let Isaac do his thing, and He let the godless Esau do his own thing as he went hunting. Yet, at the end of the day, after it all shakes out, someway, somehow, God’s will gets done.

None of these persons were prevented, and that’s because The Lord respects the incredible freedom of choice He has given us, which, when it’s coupled together with intelligence, makes us the arbiters of our own destiny.

Again, come November, God will, as in times past, permit persons to choose whomsoever they choose. He will not interfere with any person’s choices, nor is He going to force anyone to do this or that.

Each individual will be left free to do and choose as they like if they decide to pick and choose but again, at the end of the day, someway somehow, God’s will is going to get done.

Thus, the Christian shouldn’t be consumed with the back and forth, and the uncertainty that is plaguing the nation, even as persons in high, and low places go into full-blown panic mode, because of earthly courts. Instead, we should be laser focused on what is taking place in the heavenly court, because there is where God’s will is revealed.

It should also be remembered that your incredible freedom of choice also pertains to salvation for God does not force anyone to be converted. God sends forth His Spirit to instruct, encourage, enlighten and strengthen, but never to coerce the unwilling mind into doing that which they would not freely choose to do. Let’s read:

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

This does not mean that a baseball bat must also be employed, whenever witnessing to any prospective candidates for heaven. The seed of the Gospel must be sown besides all waters, and through a person’s choice and desire, it may or may not germinate and come to fruition. It all has to do with your incredible freedom of choice.

When the Gospel is presented to people, persuasion and conviction by The Holy Ghost can be employed, but when it comes down to the decision, they must be left free and clear to make deliberate, intelligent choices. The human mind is left untrammeled by God, so that persons can make uncoerced decisions.

And it is in this context that we must interpret what might seem on the surface like God forcing pharaoh to do something against his own will. Basically, in a nutshell, it never happened and never will. Pharaoh, like all other intelligent, free moral agents, was left to choose to be in harmony, or out of harmony with God’s revealed will.

But, after repeatedly deciding to do otherwise, like as it was with Isaac God worked through the natural stubbornness of the king, to get His will done. But if pharaoh had chosen to obey, he would immediately be in God’s good graces, just like Nebuchadnezzar.

Many issues which are currently labeled as genetic and hereditary, beyond a person’s control, do not take into consideration the fact that folks do make choices with commensurate results. God does not propose to prevent any intelligent man, or woman from exercising their freedom to choose.

In the Scriptures, God is often represented as doing that which He does not prevent and because of this, many persons, including Christians have gone away with a great misunderstanding of God.

Thus, we are to study the following references very closely, lest persons fall for some of satan’s favorite snares, which he often palms off as valid reasons why folks had no choice but to do such and such, as if persons have no choice in the matter, for in most instances, you always have a choice. Let’s read:

Jude 1: 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

God does not keep a person from falling, against his or her will. If a person has no inner desire to be kept The Lord does not force His way into the heart, and prevent one from falling. He stands at the door, and knocks, but the person will have to open the door of the heart, by their own free will. Let’s read:

Revelation 3: 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

In stark contrast is the devil, who does not ask, nor wait to be invited in. He kicks down the door of the heart, and bullies his way in, and takes possession, as persons repeatedly succumb to his temptations.

Even if you do not like him, he will take up residence if Christ is not in the heart, for demon possession is at its very core, the use of force. There is currently now a very strong presence of demonic spirits that is actively engaged across the land. And this is as a direct result of the choices being made. Let’s read:

Matthew 12: 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Luke 9: 41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

When persons deliberately choose to go to those meetings where persons are strewn all across the ground, around some preacher who is charismatic, and claims to have slain them in the spirit, we may know for certain that it is not The Spirit of God, but the spirit of satan, for devils throw persons down, but Jesus lifts them up.

But, if persons decide to go, against the revealed will of God, then the result would be a person’s own responsibility. The devil cannot make you do it, and he cannot force you to go if you do not first give him leeway through your incredible freedom of choice.

Hence the reason why the genius of the Gospel is to first and foremost, restore one’s ability to choose in a free and clear manner. “If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed” and that includes the freedom to choose. Let’s read:

[The Desire of Ages pp 324] It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart and he will make it his abiding place.

One day I saw a very interesting clip, which asked a  question that’s pertinent to this study. Here it is: “Lord, why don’t you stop me if you see me doing something stupid?”

It sounds like a sincere plea for help, in preventing a person from making any grave mistake, and it’s true, that at times, The Lord could prevent us from doing something stupid, if we are willing to be stopped. In the instance with Balaam, God tried to stop him, but he insisted on doing something stupid.

Therefore, whenever push comes to shove, and the human agent insists on having their own way, God respects their freedom of choice, and very often will permit persons to make very grave mistakes.

Note well, that God at first tried to stop Balaam, but afterward He granted him the freedom to go if he so chose, in spite of God’s revealed will. It all has to do with your incredible freedom of choice. Let’s read:

Numbers 22: 12 And God said unto Balaam, You shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them…

In fact, The Lord may warn and give counsel to the contrary, but if a person deliberately decides to do something stupid, there is nothing that God will do, in most cases.

God has given in His word clear instructions on what clean meats can be eaten. But if anyone is hell bent on doing it “MY Way” God allows them to eat their fill of forbidden foods.

Thus, persons can go to their favorite restaurant and eat as many crabs and lobsters as they like, whether it is all you can eat, or all you should eat, it matters not. The choice is yours.

Folks will not find any angel of God, with a flaming sword at the entrance, preventing any person from having their fill. It all has to do with your incredible freedom of choice which was given to us by God, to hopefully use in ways that will be in harmony with His good will.

The same was true of pharaoh, of whom the Bible says God hardened his heart. The Lord does not and He has never hardened anyone’s heart, against their own will. Like as it is with any created intelligence, the Egyptian monarch was free to choose, and thus, if he chooses to do good or evil, God could, and will work within the paradigm he chooses. Let’s read:

Romans 9: 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, why does he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

God can justifiably find fault, because in every single instance, without exception, God has permitted the human agent to exercise intelligence, and freedom of choice. That is why he did not prevent Isaac from choosing to go contrary to His revealed will.

Instead, He worked through Isaac’s folly to get His will done. And that is why He did not prevent Jacob and Rebekah from doing the unthinkable, because we are free moral agents, and the intelligent mind is always to be left untrammeled, to make deliberate decisions, either for good, or for evil.

The fact is that God never hardened pharaoh’s heart by preventing him from doing the right thing. At the first interaction with pharaoh, God, through Moses told him to let His people go, and if at that time, the king was disposed to obey, there would have been an entirely different after history of that ill-fated monarch. Let’s read:

Exodus 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, thus, saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

2 And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Pharaoh was a naturally stubborn man, and this can be observed in his response to his own magicians, who pleaded for some common sense, and rational thought by the king.

But the same stubborn choices made against God were now leveled at his very own magicians, and, it was because of his naturally stubborn nature, why God worked through his folly to get His will done.

Thus, even though the Bible says that God hardened pharaoh’s heart, He in fact never did, because as we stated before, God is often represented in the Bible as doing that which He does not prevent. Let’s read:

Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, this is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

Exodus 9: And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

Exodus 10:7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, how long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

Thus, we must become familiar with what is God’s will for such a time as this, so that if we so choose, we may fall into line with what has revealed.

In the Scriptures we have been repeatedly told that there would come a time, when the winds of strife will begin to blow across the earth, especially in the land of the free, which would then usher in the time of the latter rain, that is promised just prior to the return of Christ.

The tensions, uncertainty, and political infighting we are currently seeing across the land, tell us with the clearest certainty that the winds have already begun to blow, and because of this, the remnant people of God will need to exercise their freedom of choice in ways that should be in harmony with God’s will.

The panic mode that is now gripping the nations, is a signal to us that now more than ever, we must be ready, willing and humble enough to be led by The Spirit of God in our decision-making processes.

It all hearkens back to that question that was posed to us earlier: “Lord, why don’t you stop me if you see me doing something stupid?” If we desire to be led in our choices, and decisions, we must be humble enough to let God lead, not in some things, but in all things.

The tendency to allow Him to lead in some matters, whilst excluding Him from other areas of our lives, will lead to a lopsided form of guidance, where we would become vulnerable to making serious errors in judgement, at a time when we cannot afford to. Let’s read:

Proverbs 3:4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Several key decisions may need to be made in the not-too-distant future, by those who know what’s coming. We have recently taken another significant step towards the mark of the beast, and the truth in the matter will soon dawn in many minds, as to the real ramifications of recent rulings.

Should some folks be considering relocating to the country, as per the counsel given to us for so many years?

If it turns out that situations were to turn sour in November, would we be positioned intelligently, to make decisions in harmony with God’s will.

Are we still tethered to the debt bandit, in ways that will make it difficult for us to extricate ourselves, if we suddenly needed to?

Are we so rooted and grounded in Christ and the truths of God’s word, so that we cannot be shaken, as the winds of strife begin to blow?

Do we still trust God with reservations, time frames and deadlines, or are we learning to trust Him with no holds barred.

Many persons are searching for leaders, others are searching for answers, and some are at their wits end, as persons only see bad choices on the menu. Therefore, it is at such a time as this, that the real leader, even Jesus Christ is to be lifted up as the One and only One who could be trusted to lead us in our decisions.

Let us therefore try by God’s grace to cultivate that humble and teachable spirit which is necessary for Christ to lead those who are willing. Let us not, like Isaac, try to force our way through, if we know that something is not God’s will, for who knows, He may choose not to prevent us, for, as we have studied, God honors our incredible freedom of choice.

In harmony with this truth, we’ll end our discourse with a passage that contains an important promise, and which would be fulfilled in real time, if we are humble enough to be led by God. Let’s read:

Psalms 32: 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle….

                                   God Bless!

Between A Rock And A Hard Place. Sabbath afternoon 06/29/2024

Psalms 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

The above Psalm was actually written when David was being hunted down as the most wanted person in Israel, by Saul. David had to be constantly looking over his shoulder, and he reached a point where he could have no fixed place of abode.

David had not asked to be anointed as king, and the signal defeat of Goliath was all of God’s own doing, but after a day of bright beginnings, David now finds himself at the mercy of Saul, who was bent on not only flushing out David from cave and wilderness, but he intended to strangle him to death with his own hands.

Yet, in spite all of this, David optimistically advises folks, who like him, might find themselves between a rock and a hard place, to wait on The Lord, and to be of a good courage. The immediate question that often arises when we hear the phrase “Wait on the Lord” is: How long should we have to wait, before seeking for alternatives?

This singular question we must now address in this study, for the days that are coming upon the land will call for a faith that will not shrink or falter even when it is severely tried.

To be more specific, the phrase: “Wait on The Lord” can in some instances turn out to be open-ended, meaning that it might not conform to our schedules, timing or deadlines.

The word “Reasonable” is fluid, meaning that it can shift in relevance and application from one person to another, and from one situation to another. But, with God faith is that form of trusting that surpasses reasonableness, since it lets the word be subject to God’s will and way.

Indeed, our human interpretations of the word, in a particular situation, is at times quite different than God’s version of the same word, for in the context of time, His version of “reasonable” is “The fullness of time”. Therefore, it is one of the most critically important, and difficult lessons that folks will ever have to learn as Christians.

For instance, how long would it be “reasonable” for David to wait for the fulfillment of God’s will for him to be king? Every morning, he gets up, and prays for deliverance, and with each passing day the threats against his soul only increase, to the point where he gives voice to the grim premonitions that haunt his mind at times. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 20: 3 And David swore moreover, and said, your father certainly knows that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord lives, and as thy soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

A single mother who believes in God has to pay her rent by month’s end, but she doesn’t have the funds to pay it. So, she prays to God well in advance asking that He would supply her need, someway somehow. And she waits, and she waits and she waits, but she doesn’t receive any answer.

The end of the month approaches, and still there is no answer, so she reaches out to friends and family asking for help if peradventure God may answer her prayer through some human agent as He often does but nothing seems to pan out. And so, the month- end comes, and still there is no answer.

After a few days, the landlord knocks on her door, as the deadline passes, and he says he would have to serve her an eviction notice. She continues to pray, and still there is no answer.

Thus, in desperation she begins to look for another way out, for she believes that she has run out of all possible options, as far as trusting God to provide is concerned.

The local sheriff comes and posts the eviction notice one her door, with the order to vacate in three days. She is now stuck between “a rock and a hard place,” so what is she supposed to do? Should she still trust God, or should she take matters into her own hands, by considering alternatives that may violate her own conscience?

Believe it or not, this conundrum has taken place in the lives of many Christians, over and over again, to the point where some people have given up on God entirely. And it is because we must confront reality, why the study for today becomes a must.

Some believe, that as far as answering our prayers are concerned, there is a point of no return, when you get stuck between a rock and a hard place and, since to human reasoning you have no other choice, alternative courses of action that violate conscience now become warranted and even justified.

There are several instances of this problem given in the Bible, so that we may study very closely, all the pitfalls and snares we are to expect, as the heat of the furnace is to be ratcheted up several notches in our day. That type of faith which only trusts in God within a designated time frame, is not going to cut it when the mark of the beast rears its ugly head.

Several questions must be addressed and settled in our minds, once and for all, if individuals are to be prepared for the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation. Remember, the text in the book of Revelation only mentions the following 3 distinct characteristics of God’s people during that time. Let’s read:

Revelation 14: 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

[1] At what point if ever, or should a person give up on trusting in God?

[2] Does plan B, which may involve the violation of one’s conscience become a viable, justifiable option, when there seems to be no action on God’s part?

[3] If the issue is a life and death situation, does the Bible ever endorse alternatives that would violate the conscience?

For answers, let us take a few examples, and study them really closely so that we may understand what we are reading. God made a promise to the parents of Jacob and Esau, that the younger would rule over the elder son. And like you and me, Rebekah waits and waits, and waits.

Both Jacob and Rebekah wait for the fulfillment for many years, and yet, there seems to be no positive action on God’s part to bring it to pass. And now the old man is on his last leg of existence, and he knows he will die shortly, and yet, there seems to be not a single movement on God’s part. So, what is Rebekah supposed to do?

Isaac is dead set on handing the birthright to Esau, and things are reaching a tipping point, where there would be a point of no return, as far as the human agent can see, for once Isaac blesses whomever, it is a done deal. So, in desperation and frustration there seems to be only one viable option left on the table. Let’s read:

Genesis 27:1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, my son: and he said unto him, here I am.

2 And he said, behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

4 And make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

6 And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

7 Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.

8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

13 And his mother said unto him, upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savory meat, such as his father loved.

15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

17 And she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18 And he came unto his father, and said, my father: and he said, here am I; who art thou, my son?

19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as you asked me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20 And Isaac said unto his son, how is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.

21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, the voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. (Your gut feeling)

23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands, so he blessed him.

24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

25 And he said, bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.

26 And his father Isaac said unto him, come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curses thee, and blessed be he that blesses thee.

30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

Now let us take a look at the flipside of the coin, in a situation where Rebekah and Jacob decide to wait it out no matter what. In other words, instead of them employing clandestine strategy, they bite the bullet, and decide that come what may, they are going to let God handle the matter, in His own time and way.

If they decide to go the route of open-ended waiting it is quite possible that God might allow Isaac to give Esau the birthright, much to their dismay. Here is where many Christians become frustrated with God, in that he may actually permit time to expire, before doing as He promised.

But if Isaac insisted on blessing Esau, and he actually went through with his plan, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Jacob would not receive it. It just means that he would receive it in another way, at another time.

In fact, when you look at the bigger picture, you will see that by employing stratagem to procure it, Jacob received it prematurely, at a time when he was not ready to receive it. Thus, by taking matters into their own hands, Rebekah and Jacob got something good, before the right time to get it.

God however, gives good gifts at the right time, for if He were to bless prematurely some folks wouldn’t be able to handle or manage the blessing prudently, and in some instances, something good can end up doing more harm than good.

For instance, to give your son or daughter a brand- new car might be a good thing, but if they are not mature enough to handle it, the parents can wind up with more problems than they had catered for, especially if it’s a BMW or a Mercedes. Thus, as we observe what was done by Rebekah and Jacob, with the consequences and results that were to follow, there are at least four critically important points to extract from the narrative:

[1] They actually succeeded in their ploy.

[2] It backfired to some degree, as it most often will.

[3] In most cases, there will be unforeseen negative and adverse effects, with some level of collateral damage, some more, some less.

[4] God’s will ultimately gets done, whether it is the right way, or the wrong way.

Just for the record, Jacob had to run for his life, he was conned on numerous occasions by Laban, and Rebekah never ever saw the face of her favorite son again. In fact, she died without ever seeing Jacob, and he himself could not even attend her funeral to pay his last respects, but they did get the birthright.

The next example is taken from the experiences of king Saul and this one is different, in that he actually gets a specific timeline from God. This time it is not a vague period of waiting, like it was with Rebekah and Jacob, instead, he is told to wait for seven days, and Saul waits, and he waits and waits, even as the situation on the ground rapidly deteriorates before his eyes.

Persons cannot say a word in this instance, because the time-frame came from God, and Saul waits and waits and waits, until Saul finds himself between a rock and a hard place, meaning that the philistines are arrayed in battle, his soldiers are defecting from him at a rate, and Samuel, who promised to come within seven days is nowhere to be found.

So, what do you do when you are given a specific time-frame from God, and it does not pan out? Is it justifiable in instances like these, for persons to reach for an alternative that is contrary to God’s law and His will.

It’s not like you didn’t wait; you did but the specified time comes and goes, and nothing is happening, so, what are you supposed to do in such situations? Do you decide to hunker down and wait indefinitely, as the enemy bears down upon you, or is it high time for you to take matters into your own hands? Let’s read:

1st Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

11 And Samuel said, what hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore and offered a burnt offering.

13 And Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly: you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded thee: for now, would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever.

14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

The next example of being caught between a rock and a hard place is taken from the experience of David, who was anointed by Samuel to be king over Israel. But lo and behold, after the signal defeat of Goliath, the relationship between himself and Saul goes sour, and he finds himself having to constantly look over his shoulders, for fear of being found and executed by Saul.

So, David tries his best to hang in there, hoping for some signal intervention from God that would turn the odds in his favor. But the more David hopes and waits, is the more Saul is on his heels, until David is between a rock and a hard place.

In this hour of desperation, he, like Rebekah decides that it is time to use stratagem, to extricate himself from what he sees as an untenable situation. In this time of extremity, he resorts to lying his way out of his dilemma, for to him, it seems as if God is missing in action. He then goes to the high priest and utters a blatant lie, in order to protect himself. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why are you alone, and no man with thee?

2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, let no man know anything of the business whereof I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

Like Rebekah and Jacob, David did get through with plan B, for he got shewbread and he got Goliath’s large sword, that was taken previously in battle, but, just like it was with Rebekah, Jacob, and Saul, there were unforeseen adverse consequences, as there is in most instances, when our faith in God stumbles, and we decide to take alternative routes. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 22:7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that shews me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or shews unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

10 And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

16 And the king said you shalt surely die Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord: because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.

18 And the king said to Doeg, turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 655] David knew not whither to flee for refuge, except to the servant of God. The young man was in constant fear of discovery, and in his extremity, he resorted to deception. Here he manifested a want of faith in God, and his sin resulted in causing the death of the high priest. God requires that truthfulness shall mark His people even in the greatest peril.

In dealing with this conundrum of being between a rock and a hard place, there are certain things we will have to scratch off as alternatives to doing right, things that will cause us to violate the conscience. We will have to begin, not with what we will do, but with what we must never do.

For the right course of action to pursue we will have to turn to the experience of Jesus in the wilderness, as He too, found Himself between a rock and a hard place, meaning that He was hungry unto death, and He trusts in God The Father to provide whatever He needs, but no food seems to be coming, and satan is there to offer what seems to be a viable alternative.

Should He hunker down, and wait it out indefinitely, even as He is being reduced to bare skin and bones, or is there a point where Jesus would be justified in saying enough is enough. As The Savior confronted crunch time in the wilderness, He too must scratch off things that He will never do, no matter what the cost.

He is not going to eat any bread that is provided in a manner that is contrary to The Father’s will, even if it is whole wheat bread. He would let the chips fall where they may, and in the process, He is prepared to go all the way, even if death is included.

But under no circumstances is Christ going to eat, or provide bread outside of His Father’s will. And He is not going to almost eat bread either. His response is a firm, and non-negotiable no, Period!

When we too, find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, and satan comes peddling alternatives that are contrary to God’s revealed will, like Jesus, we are to say a firm non-negotiable no, and let the chips fall where they may. Let’s read:

[Confrontation pp 55] After Satan had ended his temptations, he departed from Jesus for a little season. The foe was conquered, but the conflict had been long and exceedingly trying, and Christ was exhausted and fainting. He fell upon the ground as though dying.

 Heavenly angels who had bowed before Him in the royal courts, now came and ministered unto Him. They prepared Him food and strengthened Him, for He lay as one dead.

The mark of the beast is scheduled to put the saints between a rock and a hard place, and like Jesus, we too will have the promises of God at our backs, but the waiting period for fulfillment might be open- ended in some instances. Let’s read:

Isaiah 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

The faith of Jesus and the patience of the saints that we read about in Revelation 14, is not your ordinary, or generic type of faith. It is the most radical form of trusting in God with no holds barred, no deadlines, and no ultimatums.

It is that form of faith that when tried, begins with things we must never ever do, even under the most trying and difficult circumstances. In other words, the offer of economic privileges in exchange for beast worship must begin and end with a firm, non-negotiable no.

And like Jesus, we must not almost bow, but should be resolute and unflinching in refusing all incentives to buy or sell under the beast’s system. This will not only call for faith in God, it will also call for practice, because trusting totally in God without reservation does not come overnight, like those packages from Amazon. Let’s read:

[The Great Controversy pp 621] The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger,—a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.

When in the above statement, the servant of The Lord says: “The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time”, she is referring to practice of faith in the various circumstances God permits to come our way from time to time.

There are times when workers may be tempted by their employers, to violate the sacred hours of the Sabbath, and in some cases, where the employee might say a firm no, one’s job might end up on the chopping block.

In such cases, God might deliver, as He often does, but, just in case persons get stuck between a rock and a hard place, know for certain that faith must be tested for tensile strength, before it can survive the rigors of the last days.

Therefore, the Christian must be prepared to suffer loss, if God sees fit, and faith will guide us to trust in His providences, as being the best and the only way forward. Trusting in God should never be viewed as one option amongst many. Instead, it should be the one and only way out.

In harmony with this fact, we will end our discourse with a passage of Scripture that encourages one and all to trust implicitly in God, even as the Bible might not paint a rose picture, or a preferred outcome in all instances. Let’s read:

1st Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory, and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified.

16 Yet if any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

                                     God Bless!

How The Christian Handles Inflation. Sabbath afternoon 06/22/2024

Nehemiah 5:1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

2 For there were some that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore, we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.

3 Some also there were that said we’ve mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

Inflation is one of the negatives the Christian would have to confront from time to time, and now, in the current environment we live in the United States it’s important to find out what guidance and instruction The Lord has given us in His word, to guide our feet with wisdom and discretion, as we try to navigate the increasing difficulties that are coming upon the earth.

There is a type of study that is mainly information based, where persons are pregnant with info, but bereft of practical ways and means to apply truth in real-life circumstances. Thus, the knowledge, and the understanding to be found in the word of God should be made applicable, and practical to all.

Things are not scheduled to get any better with the passage of time, the national debt isn’t going away any time soon, and the cost of goods, and services will remain elevated for the foreseeable future, and because of this, dealing with inflationary pressures can reveal whether or not a person has been a good steward all along.

The principles and instructions given in the Bible are designed to enable the believer in God to weather any storm that may come. The information is not for the good times only, it’s also for the bad times when there’s a change of fortune and when the going gets rough.

In the parable of the 3 stewards, the good stewards were first found faithful in their management of the material and perishable things of earth, before they were entrusted with eternal riches. Thus, how the Christian deals with inflation could set the tone for a calm assurance, or a nervous fretting, and worrying about what might come next.

Inflation affects everything downstream, from the price of groceries and gas, to the returning of tithes and offerings, for wherever, and whenever money gets tight because of inflation, persons and families will inevitably begin to skimp, searching for various ways and means to cut costs.

Whatever the financial pressure may be our pledges to God should remain intact, because faithfulness when things are tight prepares the way for God to bless, in response to the giver’s free will offerings.

The counsel to move out into the country is not only because of the predicted mark of the beast, it is also because of the extremely high cost of living which is to be found in the bigger cities, making it difficult in many instances, for your average John Doe to make ends meet. But as it is with all aspects of living, the Bible has counsel that we will do well to observe.

The cost of housing, including rent has been on the rise, especially in Miami, New York, and California, and the astronomical cost of the property taxes and home insurance has caused very many families and individuals to be priced entirely out of the market.

It could aptly be described as a form of financial gentrification, where, because of those monetary constraints, people have no choice but to move out into more rural areas, where prices are not so high.

And there are adverse ripple effects, in that many skilled workers have been forced out of those areas, thereby placing a heavy load, on those who dare to remain. Financial gentrification has become a reality in the big cities of the world and therefore, we must search the word of God for answers and solutions to the many problems, which are incidental to living at such a time as this.

In our first passage we observed that the Jews in the days of Nehemiah were brought very low, so that many of them were forced into insolvency and some were forced to live off of the equity in their homes, until it reached a tipping point, where they couldn’t borrow anymore funds, and many lost their homes to foreclosure as a result. Let’s read:

Nehemiah 5:3 Some also there were that said we’ve mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

4 There were also that said we’ve borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

[Prophets & Kings pp 646] In order to obtain food for their families, the poor were obliged to buy on credit and at exorbitant prices. They were also compelled to raise money by borrowing on interest to pay the heavy taxes imposed upon them by the kings of Persia. To add to the distress of the poor, the more-wealthy among the Jews had taken advantage of their necessities, thus enriching themselves.

Using one’s home as a piggy bank, to live, is a recipe for disaster, and is to be avoided wherever possible, for in the situation which obtained in Nehemiah’s day, the Jews got caught in the deadly cycle of being forced to continually borrow against their assets, without a way to replenish.

And wherever that cycle is to be found, it is just a matter of time before folks will implode financially if radical change is not made. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

In fact, sooner, or later we the people would have to face the music of the skyrocketing national debt and let none be deceived into thinking that we would be able to print our way out of the problem. Satan uses the principle of gradualism to cook the unwary to a slow death, and by the time things hit rock bottom, it may be too late.

It is quite possible for there to be a repeat of those same dire situations in our day, as when Nehemiah lived, as persons and families scramble to deal with inflationary pressures, which may not be letting up any time soon. And lest the remnant people of fall into arrears, and decay, we should be humble, and willing enough to follow the counsel, and instructions God gives.

To put it plainly, things will become very different as we approach the second coming of Christ, which is a fact that many of us are yet to be fully reconciled to, for great changes to our everyday lives are already on the way, and for this reason, both individuals and families would have to become accustomed to the new abnormal.  

According to Elon Musk, and the World Economic Forum, Artificial Intelligence is scheduled to wipe out forty percent or more of all the world’s current jobs, and who knows, Musk’s own job might also be on the chopping block, for these are just the initial stirrings of the tempest that is prophesied to come our way. Let’s read:

Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

As the days of wine and roses come to an end, and a dose of cold reality grips the nation we may have to do a lot of things differently, including scaling down to a more frugal format. This is something persons may be reluctant to do, after having lived at a higher standard, but the Christian ought to be prepared to endure hardness as a good soldier of the cross.

God is more practical and down to earth in the way He instructs us, and therefore, as folks face crunch time, we will need to adapt in many instances. God does not propose to deliver in every circumstance if persons are not willing and humble enough to obey His word.

One of the observations made in our first passage is that the folks back then were forced into living off of credit, a very sorry situation for anyone, or family to be in. And in our day, it is observed that more, and more Americans are living off of credit, or are being forced to dip into their 401ks just to get by. Let’s read:

(From NPR News) Millions Of Americans Skip Payments As Tidal Wave Of Defaults And Evictions Looms. Jonathan Baird and his wife, Nichole, say they have had to decide between making their car payment and buying food since she lost her job in the pandemic. His mortgage and auto lenders told him he didn’t qualify for help.

Therefore, if one sees a trainwreck coming, you and me are to take preemptive steps to avert, or at least stave off the catastrophe if we can, lest persons be found in the same unfortunate situation as many of the Jews back then. Therefore, the following are just a few snippets of what is now transpiring across the U.S., and causing many folks to go into insolvency.

[1] Inflation continues to devastate the livelihoods of Americans, for nearly 1 in 6 U.S. adults could not pay all their monthly bills as demonstrated in recent Federal Reserve data.

[2] Lower-income adults, reported higher instances of not having enough to eat, not being able to cover bills in full, and skipping medical care.

[3] Many Americans would love to buy a home, but they do not have the tens of thousands of dollars to cover a down payment.

[4] As a result, a familiar snare is being set for the feet of the unwary in the form of zero percent down mortgages, the ghost or nemesis of the 2008 crash.  Some financial experts are having Déjà vu moments as they recall the nightmares of that financial crisis, that brought the world to the edge of the precipice.

[5] Be very wary of sub-prime mortgages, for in the 2008 crash, it was discovered that some lenders did not expect, or desire persons to pay on time, and in some instances, bets were made against their own portfolios, that families would default.

However, God wants us to know that the Christian can, and should be able to navigate to a large extent the perils of inflation, by adopting the following three things:

[1] Scale down where needed.

[2] Being open to adaptation.

[3] Carefully read your Bible.

Let’s start with the first instruction: [1] Scaling down where needed. Scaling down has to do with getting rid of all unnecessary baggage that you can live without. Over the years, when things were rosier, persons came to believe that certain things were necessities, when in fact they were not.

Therefore, without prying into anyone’s personal finances, individuals and families would have to go through their budgets, and make cuts wherever it is necessary, and warranted. If we are humble enough to ask God, most of us will be surprised to discover, the many things we can actually live without. Let’s read:

Proverbs 3: 4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Genesis 12: 10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 128>129] Abraham continued to journey southward, and again his faith was tested. The heavens withheld their rain, the brooks ceased to flow in the valleys, and the grass withered on the plains. The flocks and herds found no pasture, starvation threatened the whole encampment. With earnest prayer he considered how to preserve the life of his people and his flocks, but he would not allow circumstances to shake his faith in God's word.

[2] Being open to adaptation. Being open to adaptation has to do with our willingness to adapt to emerging circumstances, where we might have to do things that we would rather prefer not to do. Humility in the real world calls for adaptation as God may lead in this or that direction.

After the children of Israel left Egypt, they struggled to adapt to their new circumstances, in which the previous foods, amenities, and conveniences they had gotten accustomed to in Egypt, were no longer available, and this in turn triggered murmuring and complaints until they took up stones to stone Moses and Aaron.

In the context of adjusting to inflationary pressures, the you and me in the here and now may have to do jobs that we would prefer not to do, under normal, or under different circumstances. The apostle Paul had found it necessary to use his trade in order for him to support himself, and even though he greatly preferred to be preaching, yet, if and when it became necessary, Paul was humble enough to work with his hands. Let’s read:

Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

This leads us to our third and final instruction which is to: [3] Read your Bible very carefully.

Now, some persons may be wondering what reading your Bible carefully has to do with how the Christian handles inflation.

For answers, let’s turn to the Scriptures and observe something that you might have missed. In many of the prophecies, pertaining to the last days, you will see these words occurring very often: Perplexities, Perilous, Grievous, Troublous, Pestilences, Fearful, and terrible. Let’s take a few examples:

Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

11 And great earthquakes shall be in different places and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?)

Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?)

Revelation 13:16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?)

To the surface reader the end time prophecies can be pretty scary, for they speak of wars, and rumors of wars, perplexity of nations, tsunamis, flood, fire, and a host of weather-related events that can really put persons on the edge of their seats, as they begin to count the cost and the collateral damage that will ensue. So, here’s a question for you:

Does God intend to scare persons when giving out those prophecies? The Scriptures seem to suggest otherwise. Let’s read:

Luke 21: 9 But when you shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

2nd Timothy 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

So, if Jesus is telling us not to be terrified, then what is the purpose of God, in revealing to us these dire things that will take place?

Answer: God is revealing these things so that every-one who believes in Him could position themselves intelligently, based upon the information revealed in the prophecies. The problem is that we may not be reading our Bibles very “carefully”. Let’s take some examples:

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceives you.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in different places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso reads, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Sounds pretty scary, but after a close examination of the facts it is discovered that the warning of coming adversities was given so that all who believed would position themselves intelligently. And so said so done because not a single Christian perished in the destruction that overran Jerusalem, no not one. Let’s read:

[Spirit of Prophecy bk 4 pp 32] Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Christ had given his disciples warning, and all who believed his words watched for the promised sign. After the Romans had surrounded the city, they unexpectedly withdrew their forces, at a time when everything seemed favorable for an immediate attack.

In the providence of God, the promised signal was thus given to the waiting Christians, and without a moment's delay they fled to a place of safety, the refuge city Pella in the land of Perea beyond Jordan.

Here it is again, as the same thing is occurring when God gives to pharaoh a very disturbing dream, and Joseph gives the grim interpretation with instruction on how to avert the coming crisis. God did not give the dream to scare anyone, but that those who will believe could position themselves intelligently.

When God through Joseph, informed pharaoh that a devastating famine was coming upon the land it was not meant to scare either Joseph, or pharaoh, but it was designed to make them consider very carefully, how they would navigate the situation.

Therefore, Joseph took the necessary steps in order to avoid a national crisis, and it became evident that the wisdom given him by God was sufficient to keep Egypt from going off the rails, as the grim prophecy began to unfold across the land. Let’s read:

Genesis 41:28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he shows unto Pharaoh.

29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.

30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

32 And because the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

The prophecies given in the Bible pertaining to the last days of earth’s history were not meant to scare the remnant people of God, but rather are intended for us to position ourselves intelligently to meet the difficulties that are coming upon the land, in short order.

The prophecies which pertain to the last day events of earth’s history, contain very valuable information, so that the remnant people of God could navigate the difficulties, until such time when we are bidden to let go and let God, since we are all instructed to occupy until Jesus comes.

In other words, there are spiritual components to the end time prophecies, as well as temporal ones, which, if we were to dig below the surface, we will unearth very valuable information that is written in dark sentences, as it were, to the casual reader.

And Just for your clarification, a dark sentence in the Bible is one in which the deeper meaning isn’t readily apparent, which means you will have to read your Bible very slowly, taking time to digest, and to understand what God is really saying to us.

For instance, in the end time prophecies of Isaiah, in which he accurately predicts a significant increase of heat, and global warming, he is not only giving us a sign; he is also telling us which industries and trades would do well during that era for after close analysis of the predicted famine in Egypt it is discovered that Joseph did pretty well.

Thus, the people of God in the last days, should be able to position themselves intelligently to navigate the crisis, and like faithful Joseph, they too can, and should do pretty well. Let’s read:

Isaiah 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

Isaiah 4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

Those two prophecies about the last days tell us in no uncertain terms that the temperature of earth is scheduled to increase significantly and therefore, by default, the Christian who might be looking for work and those who are wondering how to deal with the inflation, would find employment in industries and trades which deal with counteracting the disasters contained in the prophecies.

Thus, industries, and trades in air conditioning, and cooling systems will do well. Firefighters would also do well during that time, because of the excessive heat. As the earth warms, and breaks heat records, many fires will be ignited, and thus the service of all firefighters would be greatly needed, and they will not be out of work, anytime soon.

Electricians will also do very well, for whenever any tornado, hurricane, or wild fire passes through, as is predicted by Isaiah, and Christ, the resulting power outages will render electricians as an indispensable, and very valuable asset to restoring electricity that was lost.

Also, any industries associated with climate change mitigations, as well as industries dealing with the supply of water, would also do well. Because of the predicted increase in the frequency and severity of storms, and tornadoes, roofers would also do well.

It’s all there in the prophecies pertaining to the last days, but they are there in dark sentences, so that the cursory reader will most likely miss the point.

Again, let us reiterate: God did not give the dream in Joseph’s day, to scare anyone, because, as the Bible says: “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” Thus, the dream was given so that folks who would listen and believe could navigate the crisis. Let’s read:

Matthew 24: 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Psalms 91:3 Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Pestilences means that doctors and nurses, and all those saints who may be involved in the care of the sick and dying, won’t be out of work any time soon. And to those who may be currently wondering what field of expertise they should go into, the Scriptures tell us with certainty where you will find work.

During Covid, a very severe shortage of nurses, and doctors became evident, and during that pestilence, the wise were able to do pretty well financially, as travelling nurses and doctors went to and fro, caring for the sick, and the dying. The job openings are all there in the prophecies pertaining to the last days.

We are told to occupy until He comes, meaning that the Paul model, by which he preached, and worked to sustain himself, should and could be followed.

Persons who work in the gathering of information, and all associated industries would do well. In the book of Revelation, the mark of the beast can only be implemented after a significant amount of your personal information is gathered.

It is only by knowing all about individuals, and their whereabouts, that the beast would be able to cause almost all to take the mark, even though there will be exceptions in those who choose to rely entirely on God.

Therefore, industries that deal with gathering your personal info, industries that deal with tracking our data, and navigation industries will also do well. In the not-too distant future, artificial intelligence will wipe out many of those job openings, and thus, the wise in heart will do wisely, while the opportunity still lingers. Let’s read:

Revelation 13: 16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Now, no one is saying that you should not go ahead and get your education. You should, whilst you can, but due consideration must also be given to “Paul’s model”, by which he employed the three-pronged approach, and that approach is as follows:

[1] Paul was educated.

[2] Paul could preach.

[3] Paul had a trade.

With this approach you can never go wrong, for on the one hand, you can present the gospel to kings, highly educated folk, and to persons in the higher or lower echelons of society, and yet, if things were to take a turn for the worse in the economy, you could always fall back on your trade.

In this way Paul was able to fulfill the commission Jesus gave us, to preach the gospel to every nation, tongue, and people, and at the same time he could support himself financially, so that he could be thus independent of those constraints which are at times incidental to preachers who are on payroll.

In other words, because he could work with his own hands and provide for himself, Paul did not have to worry about being politically correct, or whether he would violate establishment rules. He didn’t need to preach smooth things, for fear of backlash, or any economic boycott.

Therefore, God is calling on those to whom it may pertain, to get your hands dirty. With the hurricane season already on the way, wildfires, already raging, and heat waves scheduled to bake millions, there is great need of roofers, firefighters, and air condition technicians and a host of other valuable jobs, trades and skills that are in short supply.

Trade is honorable, and education is also honorable, but the time is now and the place is here when you would have to adapt to an increasingly changing world, and some may have to do things differently.

Never forget that Joseph did very well financially, during the fulfillment of a very grim prophecy, and you can too, for God never gave the prophecies to scare His people, but rather, that His people would position themselves intelligently. In harmony with this fact, we’ll end with a passage of Scripture which asks of us, a pertinent question. Let’s read:

Matthew 20: 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, why stand ye here all the day idle?

                                    God Bless!

When You Disagree With God. Sabbath afternoon 06/15/2024

Isaiah 55: 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven and returns not thither, but waters the earth and makes it bring forth, and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.

11 So shall my word be which goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

The above passage makes us to understand that The Lord does not think like we mortals do. Our thought patterns and processes are very limited in scope, for we are finite beings, relegated to natural constraints and boundaries, as we endeavor to make decisions, and reach correct conclusions, and only using about ten percent of our mental capacity.

God is not like us, for He has unique capabilities at His disposal, such as the singular ability to read the future accurately, with all of the fine details, and for this reason, He is able to plan and execute His plans with a surgical accuracy that baffles mortal minds.

That’s why when the decision was made in heaven, for Jesus to come to this earth to die for our sins, He saw in advance that Christ would be victorious, for He would use His freedom of choice to follow the plan of salvation even though at times the going got rough.

Hence the reason why all of the prophecies that are written in the Bible concerning Christ, always paint a picture of victory, and never of failure. From Genesis to Revelation, from bruising of the serpent’s head to the last verse in Revelation, every one, without any exception, portray Christ as a winner, and never as a loser.

This is not because God The Father prevented Christ from doing otherwise; He just saw the end result of Christ’s future decision-making, and made a perfect prediction, based upon what He foresaw. This is one of the reasons why we will have to trust God, even if things might not seem to us, to be going in the right direction.

For example, God knew in advance, that Joseph’s own brothers would sell him as a slave into Egypt. It is not something that took God by surprise, and God also saw that Mrs. Potiphar would try to seduce the young man, and try to force him into a rendezvous.

But God also foresaw that Joseph resist temptation and be victorious. Thus, with all of that foreknowledge before Him, He goes to work, planning with a surgical accuracy, the overthrow of the kingdom of darkness as it meddled in Joseph’s life experience, and thus, turning every negative in Joseph’s experience, into a positive.

Then, according to God’s perfect plan and timing, when He was ready, someway, somehow Joseph got placed in the second highest seat of authority in the land of Egypt, much to the chagrin of Mr. and Mrs. Potiphar. Let’s read:

Psalms 105:17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant.

18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron.

19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.

20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance.

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

Now, let us back up a bit and take the same purpose and end result to Joseph’s parents. The end result is that Joseph must end up being the second highest in the land of Egypt and he must do so without ever tarnishing his character. Joseph must also become familiar with politicians and the justice system that governed Egypt.

What therefore do you think will be a right, sensible way of achieving that goal, as per the finite, human perspective? Remember, our very first passage tells us that God does not think like we do!

His parents would most likely send Joseph to Havard or one of those Ivy league schools of the day. They would make certain he was well dressed, with that coat of many bright colors, and they would make sure that he was sufficiently financed, as he could call upon them at any time to pay for study material, meals, and anything that he would need along the way.

Now, let’s look at God’s providences, in causing him to reach the same goal. God permits Joseph to leave his parents’ home with only one shirt on his back. In his pockets there is not a single dime, nor any credit card, that he could use as backup.

He permits slavery, jail time, orange jump suits, and attempted rape, and dreadlocks, for the Scripture says Joseph’s hair grew so long in jail, that he had to shave, before going into pharaoh for his interview. It is most likely that Joseph’s parents would not agree with God’s plan for their beloved son. Let’s read:

Genesis 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

[P&P pp 220] Joseph was immediately sent for; he put off his prison attire, and shaved himself, for his hair had grown long during the period of his disgrace and confinement. He was then conducted to the presence of the king.

Sometimes, God, in His wisdom has to cut some of us down to size, before promoting us, lest we too become exalted above measure, and end up taking to ourselves, the glory, and the credit that is due to God alone.

Our achievements often go to our heads, and before you know it, God is often left out of the picture, and we often give glory to institutions of higher learning,  rather than to God. Let’s read:

Psalms 75: 5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7 But God is the judge: He puts down one, and sets up another.

2nd Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Again, The Lord shows us that His thoughts are not like ours, for in making the promise of a great nation to Abraham, He permits situations and providences that may not sit well in the minds of mortals. A lot of what God does, or permits, occurs as a result of Him taking into account our freedom of choice.

Thus, God incorporates that human element and He plans around it, all the while not forcing anyone into doing that which they would not otherwise have done. Thus, His providences must be understood in this context, because, if it were not for the obstacles incidental to our freedom of choice, God would, in many instances, have taken a different route.

For instance, it wasn’t His ideal will for the Hebrews to take forty years to enter Canaan, a journey that would normally have taken a few days at the most. But the obstacles presented by the human agents, thus caused Him to work with them on their level, so that His secondary will was accomplished.

The same is true of the nation that would come of Abraham. It was because of their tendency to like idolatry, why they were permitted to go down into Egypt, The Lord by this providence showing them what the worship of idols does to people, so that if they chose to, they might relinquish it.

But to the surface reader, it may appear as if God is taking a circuitous route to achieve what He intends to. Thus, as He makes His prediction to Abraham we are to understand that He incorporated the freedom of choice, to fulfill His purposes. Let’s read:

Genesis 15: 7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

Again, God’s methods and ways, together with His thought processes, may seem to make no sense at times, and the human agent often wonders if God really knows what He is doing. In the next instance, we’ll observe that Peter, James and John, who were experienced fishermen, had packed up for the night, after having not caught a single fish.

Like we so often do, they had chalked up their own failures to an absence of fish that night, but as the narrative would disclose, the problem was not with the fish, the problem was one of inverted priorities, for there were actually millions of fishes that night, waiting, hoping, and begging to be caught.

These same disciples had previously left their nets to follow Jesus, after He had personally called them to His ministry, but it seems as if their priorities in life were not as yet rearranged in the right order of priority.

So, they fished all night, putting their best energies and most ardent efforts into working for their daily bread, to make a living to provide for themselves, and their families.

This is good and worthy of every true believer, and it is even commanded in the Scriptures, that he who will not work, will not eat. The problem here is that providing for ourselves and our families is never to be our highest motivation in life because all of these “necessary” things, pale in comparison to the great commission God has called each of us to.

So, here comes Jesus, asking Peter to move his boat a little offshore, so that the multitudes could be fed with the written and Living word of God. It is worthy of note that the very same boat Peter used to make his living is the one that Jesus now uses in bringing souls to God.

This shows in unmistakable terms that the priorities of these disciples were, at the very least, partially inverted at that time, with work and family coming first, and the interests of Christ’s kingdom coming second.

This inversion of priorities is currently to be found in most Christians today, as some become consumed with paying the bills, supporting their families, and fighting off inflation.

Therefore, as Jesus arrives on the scene, He gently seeks to correct their inverted priorities, and He begins to preach to the multitudes, who were then pressing upon Him to hear the word of God.

There were more important matters at hand, other than working for their daily bread, and thus, Jesus rose to the occasion and deals with that which must be of the utmost importance to the you and me, in the here and now.

One of the reasons why some Christians may fish all night and catch nothing, is because of the inverted priorities in their lives, where the interests of God’s kingdom are an afterthought, and working for your daily bread, absorbs your best energies.

So, again, to the casual reader, it may seem as if The Son of God is oblivious to His disciple’s failures, and instead of first dealing with their temporal concerns, He addresses that which is most important in life, the salvation of souls. Remember, our first passage says My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways, my ways. Let’s read:

Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and asked him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had finished speaking, he said unto Simon, launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: never-the-less at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

This leads us to the main subject matter which we’ll try to unpack today. God was just about to deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery, and God was looking for a particular king, with a particular mindset that would fit the bill, without God forcing him to do that which he would not otherwise have done.

In other words, He needs a stupid, stubborn king on the throne, at such a time as this, and lo and behold He finds a knuckle head, who is in the habit of not listening to anybody. This particular pharaoh would not listen to God, he will not listen to Moses, and he does not even listen to his own magicians.

But, believe it or not, this is actually the kind of person God is looking for, to fit the bill, and, even though God would give him, equal opportunity just like anyone else, this pharaoh will use his freedom of choice to resist, and resist, and resist. Egypt will be brought to ruins, the land will be devastated, and yet, he will continue to resist.

In the process, he will bury his own firstborn and he will still resist; his magicians would plead with him, and he will still resist, the entire land will be plunged into mourning and he will still resist, in so much that we had to coin him a name: “Brother Resistance”

Most folks, especially the Hebrews, would be hard pressed to agree with God in His choice of this King, for there would be collateral damage and suffering to God’s people, they will be thrown into a season of great distress, yet, because God’s thoughts aren’t like ours, He chooses this particular pharaoh so as to accomplish His good purposes towards Israel. Let’s read:

Exodus 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.

10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falls out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.

14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor.

15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

16 And he said, when ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Exodus 9: 16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.

34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

Some may be wondering what’s the purpose of this study. The fact is that sacred history teaches us that there are times and there will be times when we too may not agree with God and thus, we are instructed to walk by faith alone, trusting in Him, knowing that he knows what He is doing.

In order for earth’s probation to finally come to a close, and in order for the mark of the beast to be instituted in America, God would be looking for a particular person with a particular mindset who, like pharaoh, would bring great distress to God’s people, and because of this many of us might not agree with what God might permit in the near future.

The issue of worship stands front, and center of the prophecies in Revelation 13 and 14, and therefore, a dear leader who is obsessed with human praise may be the very one God is looking for to fit the bill.

No one knows what will eventuate, but just in case your expectations and hopes are dashed to pieces; just in case your comfort zone gets disrupted, know for a certainty that God’s ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts, and who knows, He may just permit some things that we may not agree with.

God has not called us primarily to agree with Him, but rather to obey Him, and obedience, at such a time as this, when things seem to be going off the rails on several fronts, is the time when we need to understand that God is still on His throne.

Whenever it might seem to us that God is going off- script, that is the very time when we’ll need to trust Him most. The Christian walk is a walk by faith, for if we were to understand everything God does, and if we were to agree with every move He makes, then we would not need any faith.

But faith trusts God where we cannot trace Him and obedience to His every word and instruction at such a time when we might not see the future clearly, as He does is a must, for it’s only the mind of faith that will be prepared for what might be coming upon the earth in short order.

We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that will encourage us to walk by faith in God alone, as we trust His every move, for his thoughts and ways are higher than ours, as much as the heavens are higher than the earth. Let’s read:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

                                  God Bless!

How To Interact With Gay Relatives. Sabbath afternoon 06/08/2024

            How To Interact with Gay Family

                            Sabbath afternoon

                                  06/08/2024

1st Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

It’s all around us now, we cannot avoid it any longer, and legislators in high and low places are putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. Whether we like it or not, we will find ourselves having to interact with gay, or LGBTQ family members and friends, some more, some less, in many cases, sooner or later.

And, what we do, what we say, and our approach to such a sensitive issue within the church, and within the family circle, could go a long way in paving the way for redemption in such instances, for the tenor of the Bible, is to try to save to the uttermost. Thus, we will need the Scriptural approach in handling the issue in a Christlike manner.

Not only have gay marriages been legalized by the highest courts of the land, but the clergy in high and low places are coming on board with what could be described as the new normal. The prominent church leaders of the day have all but endorsed it, and now, as the pressure mounts in public, and private places, it becomes even more important that we address it.

It is a very sensitive issue that some pastors, elders, and clergy prefer not to touch, not even with a ten- foot pole, and because of this, the devil has been running around scotch free, putting his own spin on the issue, while very many Christians prefer to stay numb, because of the potential for retribution, as is so often the case.

Thus, many in the Christian arena are at a loss as to how to interact with gay family members or friends, since in many cases there is only one version of the narrative on the table. But now, the time has fully come for God’s will on the issue to be stated clearly, so that persons may have some direction as to how to navigate the matter.

Recently, in a 692-51 vote, the leaders of one of the largest protestant churches in America threw their support behind gay marriage, thus allowing bishops and clergy to marry into same sex marriage thereby following closely in the footsteps of many churches and denominations that have now embraced it.

The United Methodist church had spent many years fussing and fighting over the issue of gay marriages, but as the pressure of gradualism mounted, persons buckled, and the church’s legislative body signaled it was willing to succumb to the sheer force of popular majority opinions.

At first there was much resistance to gay marriage, but with the passage of time, as more and more of their members clamored for acceptance, the waves of change overwhelmed the church leaders, so that when it came to a head, almost all voted in favor of it, as we stated before, a vote of 692-51.

And, it is now in our own backyard, for even though persons many have different persuasions, the fact is that the phenomenon has entered our churches and is forcing individuals and families to confront what is an emerging reality, that close relatives, and friends might be gay, or LGBTQ, and as such, we should be willing to follow Biblical instructions on the matter.

Mothers, and fathers of gay, or LGBTQ children will especially need to pay attention to the Bible study today, because it is a very delicate matter that must be handled with great care and wisdom that is born of God.

The following are just a few of the questions, issues, and situations persons in our day will have to reckon with, as more and more family members and friends will declare their sexual orientation to be out of the ordinary, and not in harmony with the gold standard written in the Bible.

[1] How to interact in a Christlike manner with one who embraces a philosophy on marriage you might not necessarily agree with.

[2] How to respect that person’s freedom of choice, when it differs greatly to yours.

[3] Should parents and family members attend a gay wedding, of a son or daughter?

[4] How to deal with the situation when it is under your own roof.

[5] How should the remnant people of God address the issue as it comes to our doorsteps.

[6] Should gay persons and relatives be accepted as they are into the remnant church?

[7] Should they be expected to remain gay, since, as is stated by some experts some folks were born with alternative tendencies, due to no fault of their own, and if so, should change be urged upon them?

[8] Is being gay or LGBTQ solely the result of learned behaviors, or can it be a scientifically proven reality, that some persons are born with those tendencies.

 [9] Finally, what does The Lord have to say on the matter in question, especially since many segments of our society are currently teeming with gay, and LGBTQ individuals?

These are just a few of the haunting questions, and concerns the remnant people would have to grapple with even as we seek to win souls to God’s kingdom, for there is no doubt that we have reached a sort of crossroads, as it pertains to managing the mission of the church in an increasingly changing world. Let’s read:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The mission of the church is clearly stated by Jesus, even though in our day it’s becoming more of a fine, delicate, balancing act, between our love for souls, while at the same time not watering down the truth in order to be socially, and politically correct.

To begin with, one of the major issues some people and Christians do struggle with, is determining, and understanding whether being gay is the result of a deliberate choice, a learned behavior, or a genetic issue that may be beyond one’s control. These are very sensitive topics, and they must be dealt with prudently.

Thus, as we study the word of God on these issues, with the purpose of the mission in mind, and as we seek the salvation of family, friends, and associates, who may be gay or involved in alternative lifestyles, it becomes clear that we will have to learn from the Scriptures, “How to Interact with Gay Relatives”

In doing so, a few fundamental parameters must be set in order for courtesy, dialogue, counsel and most of all, salvation from God to be possible.

[1] Mutual respect, in the context of courtesy.

Mutual respect is a must, for any conversation, and dialogue to take place. The tendency to look down on gay persons as second-class citizens, or to treat them with contempt and scorn, will effectively close the door to any cordial interaction.

People are not stupid, and if the Christian harbors a cold un-Christlike spirit towards them, persons will sense it, and will most likely respond in like manner. When Christ walked this earth, He manifested a love towards those who were not in harmony with God’s will, and that includes all of us. Jesus’ love could be seen and felt by all who He came in contact with.

Jesus did not sanction wrong in any way, shape, or form, but He always took a genuine interest in their spiritual, and physical wellbeing, and for this reason, harlots, and sinners like Zacchaeus and Mary, were never turned off by His presence, but were rather attracted to Him.

The ways in which gay people are treated will go a long way in opening doors to conversations on the matter, and it may be, that some are having a truly hard and difficult time trying to come to grips with themselves. Thus, the Christian should be ready and willing to treat with mutual respect, everyone who comes into our sphere of influence. Let’s read:

1st Corinthians 13: 4 Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 Bears all things, believeth all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

[The D.A. pp. 353] Christ Himself did not suppress one word of truth, but He spoke it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact, and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness.

On the flip side of the coin, gay family members and friends should display mutual respect, if other folks may differ in their persuasions. The word “Mutual” means to have a common understanding, or action between two or more persons, and especially in the context of courtesy.

Therefore, we should respect the views, opinions, and perspectives of those whose actions might not necessarily be in harmony with what the word of God says.

[2] Respecting one’s freedom of choice.

Next, the Christian must always be willing to respect a person’s God- given freedom of choice. The genius of Christianity is that it allows persons of different persuasions to live on the same street.

We are free moral agents, and it is true that persons use that freedom to choose good or evil. Thus, we must be very careful not to encroach upon another person’s choices, if we may choose to do differently.

Both straight and gay, adult family members should respect the God-given freedom of choice, and even though efforts should be made for the salvation of one and all, yet, there’s a red line drawn in the sand over which we must never cross.

God could have forced Eve not to eat of the fruit, or He could have prevented Adam from making that fatal mistake, but He doesn’t deal in the currency of force. That belongs to satan’s kingdom, and thus, if a person is not persuaded, they could be prayed for, at the same time leaving their choice untrammeled. Let’s read:

Joshua 24: 15 And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

[D.A. pp 435] The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of force; every individual regards every other as an obstacle in the way of his own advancement, or a steppingstone on which he himself may climb to a higher place.

[3] Attending weddings of family members who are gay.

This particular issue is very delicate, because it has the potential to divide families for life, and thus, it is to be approached with the understanding. If a son or daughter who is gay, invites parents, and family members to their wedding, the families reserve the right to choose to go, or to refrain from doing so.

It goes back to the former issues we discussed, as it pertains to respecting your God-given freedom of choice. However, the question of whether or not God will be pleased with such a course of action, is another matter altogether.

The fact of the matter is that, as a Christian, there are certain things you would not be able to do and participate in and there are certain places, functions or celebrations that you cannot be involved with in a clear conscience. That’s just a fact of Christianity, without any bad feelings.

When Balaam invited the Hebrews to the worship of the Moabites they went, and by their presence they showed their support for what was transpiring, even if they did not actually bow down to idols, for one’s presence can stand as a silent witness, in favor of an action, which, in their innermost souls, they might not necessarily agree with. Let’s read:

Numbers 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

When God gave to the human family, the institution of marriage, He did not stipulate that those who get married will have to be believers. The stipulation is that marriage must be conducted between one man and one woman. That includes the Muslim man, the Hindu man, the Buddhist man the Christian man, or an atheist man. Let’s read:

Genesis 2: 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

God originally ordained marriage between one man and his female wife and thus, even if one were to be unequally yoked in that original format, the parents, and family members can still attend. They might not agree with the union, but because it falls within the Scriptural stipulation of one man to his female wife, your attendance can pass the smell test.

In the instance with Samson, who insisted on being unequally yoked, the parents did attend his wedding after remonstrating against his course of action. And by so doing, they voiced their concerns, yet honored the institution of God-ordained marriage, because it took place within the framework of one man and his wife. Let’s read:

Judges 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, get her for me; for she pleases me well.

5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath….

10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

However, attending a gay marriage is different, for by one’s presence, a silent statement of approval is made as it pertains to same-sex unions and God will be displeased with such a course of action, on the part of the attendees, because by so doing, the very foundation of original marriage, and family life will be greatly undermined.

The invitation to the gay marriage is given to secure your support, not your disfavor and therefore, if you were to accept and attend, it can, and will be taken for granted at face value, that you are in favor of the union that is to take place.

Recently, in the trial of the former president Trump, several senators and the speaker of the house, Mike Johnson, showed up in court to show their support. Even though they did not say a word in court, their presence spoke for itself, and thus, the mere fact that they were present, suggested to the observer that they were backing him.

Similarly, if parents and family members showed up for a same-sex wedding, they would, by their very presence be sending a message of support, and this will put them at odds with the God of heaven, since it goes against the original institution of marriage.

Especially will this issue be thorny for parents of the gay persons, who will now be facing the prospect of having to walk down the aisle, to give their son, or a daughter to a person of the same sex. Parents, and family members who honor God will have to humbly bow out, while explaining kindly that conscience will be violated in the process. Let’s read:

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you.

25 And the land is defiled: therefore, I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants.

26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourns among you.

Now, we must be very careful with the word that is used in the above verses where it says abomination, for this does not mean that there is no hope for any such individual. There are other sins that are labeled as abominations too, and therefore, the salvation of God could, and would take care of all abominations wherever the criteria and prerequisites are met. Let’s read:

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him.

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 A heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

Therefore, family ties do not necessarily have to be severed just because of a same sex marriage; it just means that there are limits to which the Christian parents, and family members can safely go, without incurring the displeasure of God or without violating one’s conscience.

And we will often discover in our sojourn down here on this earth, that there will be times when we will have to choose between our love for God, and love for family members. This is just the plain truth in its unadulterated form.

There are times, and there would be times when definitive choices in favor of God will have to be made, even if doing so might put us at odds with family and friends. Let’s read:

Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me.

The word of God must never be tampered with, for doing so carries the stiffest penalties to those who dare. Persons may be torn by feelings, or conflicting emotions, and Christian parents might shed bitter tears and pray earnest prayers, but the word of God must never be interfered with, for any reason.

The days of that smooth, easy-going Christianity, in which persons went along for the joy ride, without having to make any serious decisions in favor of the truth, that would put them at odds with others, are over.

Everything that the Christian does, and all of our interactions with persons, and family members of different persuasions, and sexual orientations, must be done in love.

But when the sentiments, philosophies, or practices of the popular majorities, put us at cross purposes with the word of God, we will have to defer to the Bible, while at the same time, we hope and we pray earnestly for members of our own family. This leads us to the crux of our study for today.    

In the scriptures we have examples of how we must interact with persons who are dealing with issues of alternative sexual orientations. Because we are all sinners, saved by God’s grace, the same tender love and mercy Christ has manifested towards us, should also characterize our relations.

There was a time when the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were invaded by kings, and the people of the cities were taken captive, together with Lot, and his family, who were at that time residents. Then, as Abraham got wind of it, he chased after the invaders after praying about it, and God granted him a major victory.

It was not merely Lot and his family alone that were then rescued; all the men, women and children who resided in the twin cities were delivered, and since God is the one who granted the victory, He thereby shows us that we are to treat with compassion, and dignity, each member of the human family, whether they be friends or relatives, in alternative lifestyles.

The kings of Sodom were truly grateful and by God’s direct intervention in their behalf, He opened up the door for reconciliation, if they were thus inclined. A Christianity which only treats others well when they agree with us, is not the brand found in the Bible. If God were to deal thus with us, none of us would be saved. Let’s read:

Psalms 103: 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Mark 2: 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, how is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?

17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, they that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Thus, Abraham would follow in God’s footsteps, of a uniform and mutual courtesy, manifesting that same Christlike spirit, in all his interactions with the men of Sodom. He didn’t rescue Lot and leave the others to perish, but instead, worked for their benefit, and wellbeing, without bias. Let the unadulterated word of God speak for itself. Let’s read:

Genesis 14:1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most-high God.

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most-high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20 And blessed be the most-high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most-high God,  the possessor of heaven and earth,

23 That I will not take from a thread, even to a shoe latchet and that I will not take anything that’s yours.

Again, when the angels came to destroy Sodom, and Gomorrah, it was the Christian, even Abraham who interceded for the twin cities. He did not just leave them to perish without an effort on his part for their salvation. And therefore, we too are instructed by his example, to pray for our relatives, and friends who are dealing with the same issues. Let’s read:

Genesis 18: 20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes.

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

Again, after it was made manifest that the probation of Sodom was closed, Lot also addressed the men of the city courteously, who were bent on “interfering” with the two angels. Lot didn’t call them names, nor did he call down a curse upon them. He also did not water down the word of God, but at the same time, he also dealt in a courteous manner. Let’s read:

Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

5 And they called unto Lot and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not do wickedly.

This leads us to our final instruction on how we are to interact with gay relatives or friends. If gay family members, or persons should request baptism, we’re instructed in God’s word to grant equal opportunity, wherever the Scriptural criteria are met, just as we do with straight folk.

Salvation was never made for straight persons only, but also for every member of the human family with all of our various issues. Cultural biases, prejudices, and preferences, are to be laid aside, and we are to see in all persons, the potential for them to become the sons and daughters of God.

As we stated before the word of God must never be watered down nor should it be manipulated to cater to the clamors of the flesh. Yet, the invitation should always be extended to everyone. Let the Scripture speak for itself. Let’s read:

Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

1st John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In our day currently, with the legalization of same sex marriage, we are confronted with the issue of designation, meaning that alternative lifestyles are not being acknowledged as being contrary to God’s word, and thus, if it is not considered as wrong, the need for any repentance goes out of the window.

Yet, this conundrum should not cause the Christian to close the gates of salvation against all who may be thus inclined, for as long as Christ is seated in the sanctuary in heaven, there is hope for humanity.

We are also to bear in mind the issue of the genetic factors, and thus, let us be careful not to turn away any soul who may be earnestly seeking for Christ’s salvation and deliverance.

The grace of Christ is capable, and also structured to handle any given situation, including genetic factors as well as learned behaviors. David’s problem with women could have been both genetic and a learned behavior, yet, at the end of the day he finally got the victory through Christ.

Zaccheaus was suffering with learned behaviors, but salvation came to his house, and he will most likely be saved in God’s kingdom. In fact, most of us who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, come with some type of baggage of learned behaviors, and we too have either cultivated or inherited tendencies to evil.

Therefore, if there are gay families and friends who  have learned behaviors that aren’t condoned in the Bible, that is not something new, it is just a different kind of behavior that needs the grace of God, just as the other behaviors, and genetic factors do.

Therefore, in dealing with the sensitive issue of how to interact with gay relatives and friends, let mercy and grace go before us, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save, that which was lost. We therefore end with a passage of Scripture which reminds us that God is still in the business of doing salvation, and we as His servants should harbor the same perspective as He does. Let’s read:

Ephesians 4: 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.                                  

                                  God Bless!

Trapped In 666. Sabbath afternoon 06/01/2024

Revelation 13:16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

If after doing this Bible study, persons still decide to follow Jesus, you most likely would not fall when the shaking peaks in intensity. That is because we must come to grips with the ramifications of that which is written in our first passage, and if after doing so, we decide to stay the course with Christ, then we most likely will be saved in God’s kingdom.

Whatever might be our positions in life, we should always keep in mind that we are pilgrims, passing through this world, and headed for the new earth in which dwells righteousness. And as such, the pilgrim mindset should pervade everything we do, with all of our choices, and decisions being guided by that perspective, that we’re just passing through.

As we all know, the mark of the beast, 666, the issue of buying and selling that is mentioned in our first passage, is directly tied to the institution of the false system of worship that is scheduled to be enforced through increasingly severer economic sanctions on those who will refuse to bow down.

And because no one knows what will unfold during the next election, it is of critical importance that we examine very closely, the nuts and bolts of what is being prophesied in Revelation 13, just in case the final movements become be rapid ones in our day.

This ain’t no joke, for according to the Scriptures, it will draw a distinct dividing line between those who serve and worship God, and those who don’t. As of yet the line of demarcation is blurred, but as trouble develops upon the face of the earth, and we may be faced with an ultimatum very strange developments will take place.

Later on, as the heat of the furnace would be turned up several notches, it will move from enforcements of economic sanctions, to an all-out assault on folks who will refuse to succumb to the beast’s system of worship and governance, and then, it will culminate finally in a death decree, for anyone, and everyone who refuses to comply or subscribe.

This will plunge the people of God into that time of Jacob’s trouble, mentioned in the Bible, and which is also described by the prophet Daniel, as being the time of trouble, such as never was, since there was a nation. Everyone living on the planet will be in for some type of trouble, but we’ll focus on the people of God, who should refuse to bow.

The disciples in Christ’s day had questions for Jesus concerning the signs pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the world, because the two issues needed some clarification in their minds.

Thus, as Jesus responded to the disciples’ questions pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem anciently, and the end of the world, Jesus addressed the two events at the same time, elaborating on that which will take place just prior to His second coming, and that which was to befall the city of Jerusalem, when Cestius and Titus would invade it. Let’s read:

Matthew 24:3 And as Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them take heed that no man deceives you.

The reason why Christ began His response with the warning against deception, is because, not only will secular persons be deceived, but the very remnant of God’s people would also be in serious danger of misunderstanding the grave nature of events which are scheduled to take place just before the close of human probation, and thereafter. Let’s read:

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

A failure to fully come to grips with the magnitude of the ordeal that is prophesied could cause folks to be lulled into a false sense of security and therefore, when the gravity of the situation unfolds many of us may not expect things to go downhill so quickly, and others would be forced into serious reckoning as we grapple with the only two options on the table.

These two options are made clear in Revelation 13:

[1] Serve God at the cost of being cut off from every earthly support, with the possibility of forfeiting life and all material possessions.

[2] Subscribe to the beast’s system of worship, and have your economic privileges preserved or in some cases, reinstated, as the case will sadly turn out to be.

Even though Jesus has given us great, and precious promises to live by during that awful time, yet it will be a period of severe anguish and turmoil, for those who choose stay the course with Christ. And there’s serious preparation, as far as us cultivating the right perspectives, as well as character building, to take place.

Hence the reason why persons are encouraged, and warned not to become entangled and overwhelmed with the things of this world so that the time spoken of would come upon us unawares. Let’s read:

Luke 21: 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

The warning given in the previous passage raises the prospect that some persons could, and will become trapped in 666, the beast’s system of worship, since in many instances, folks would have failed to count the cost.

The fundamentals of the beast system spoken of are already in place and it is just a matter of time before God would permit the prophecies to come to pass. In fact, when the sealing of God’s servants in their foreheads will have finished, God’s restraining order, which has so far allowed the inhabitants of earth to have some semblance of sanity, will be permanently removed. Let’s read:

Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

3 Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

As Jesus was going through some of the gory details of that time with His disciples, He suddenly made an interjection that seemed to come out of the blue, by inserting these words: “Remember Lot’s wife”.

And since they were given in the context of the last great struggle to take place upon the earth, we owe it to ourselves to investigate what Christ meant why He uttered those words. As we peruse the following passages, pay attention to the sudden placement of the statement in question. Let’s read:

Luke 17: 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

32 Remember Lot's wife.

Some persons hurriedly write off Lot’s wife as being too materialistic without giving her a fair shake as to why she had reacted the way she did, albeit a wrong reaction. But to dismiss her summarily, would be to make a grave mistake, not considering the reasons why Jesus says to “Remember Lot’s wife”

Think about it for a moment folks, of all the faithful people mentioned in the Bible, Jesus bypasses them all, and reaches back into sacred history and focuses on one person only. There are faithful persons who went through great tribulation, such as Job, Daniel, and the three Hebrew boys.

Yet none of these are not mentioned in the context of the last great conflict upon planet earth. It’s Lot’s wife alone who is singled out by Christ, and because of this, we owe it to ourselves to understand why, in the context of being trapped in 666.

If we were to put ourselves in her shoes, many of us might come up short too, because, if Christ saw it fit to make the insertion in the middle of the prophecy, it means then that the prospect is before us of Lot’s wife’s experience being repeated or even duplicated if 666 becomes goes from prophecy to reality in our day.

Lot, and his wife were basically good people, who were practicing the benevolence that is encouraged and endorsed in the Bible. When Lot brought those two strangers to his home, it is stated in the Bible that he prepared a hearty meal for them.

And no doubt, his wife most likely also participated in the kindness thus shown, just like when Abraham asked Sarah to help in the preparing of food for the three strangers, whom he also invited in. Thus, it is a reasonable conclusion to make that both Lot and his wife were good people, actively practicing Christian virtues on a continuum. Let’s read:

Genesis 19: 2 And he said, behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, No; but we will abide in the street all night.

3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

This shows good character on the part of both Lot, and his wife, and they are to be commended for it, but the fact is that habitual kindness is not sufficient to deal with what is being spoken of in Revelation 13. You will need more than just good character, for there are serious, deliberate decisions to be made, prior to that time.

As the narrative goes, Lot only realized afterwards, that the two guests whom he had entertained were angels, and then, in mercy to his family, the angels of God gave them all a golden opportunity to make their escape, whilst they could.

Thus, Lot went out to his family who lived in Sodom, to bring them the breaking news, that they should leave immediately, as per the dire warning given by the angels.

The record tells us that he was met with failure, and scorn, and so, Lot was left no choice, but to turn his back on his daughters together with their husbands, and possibly his sons and grandchildren, for the very last time. It was a very sad day indeed. Let’s read:

Genesis 19: 12 And the men said unto Lot, have you here any besides? sons in law and your sons and thy daughters and whatsoever you have in the city bring them out of this place.

14 And Lot went out, and spoke unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

As Lot returns home on that lonely road, he ponders their fate, he sheds many bitter tears, but finally, he is able to regroup and catch himself as he takes little comfort in the fact that at least he had tried his best to warn them so that although their situation would be greatly regrettable, he did say something.

And now, he approaches his own front door, and as he enters, he relates to the angels the sad story of his abject failure, as his kids were not convinced of his last sermon. The angels also manifest sadness too, but then they utter what was to be a startling command, coming from God, that now it was Lot’s turn to do as he preached.

A bland look of dismay, and shock now envelops the countenances of both Lot and his wife, as they listen in utter disbelief, and try to digest the implication of that command. They now go into a full-blown panic mode, as they try to make sense of what the angels are saying.

They most likely suggested first to the angels that, at the very least they should be allowed to take their basic essentials and personal important documents with them, such as passports, birth certificates and credit cards, and their GPS so that they could then navigate where they were going. But the request is refuted in a passage of Scripture, that we too would do well to ponder. Let’s read:

Mark 13: 14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him who reads understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter therein, to take anything out of his house.

Next, they probably asked that they should take at least one change of clothes since the warm weather in that climate will cause them to sweat profusely. But again, that request is refuted by a passage of Scripture, that we too would do well to ponder. Let’s read:

Mark 13: 16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again to take up his garment.

Thus far, the first two very probable requests, being refuted by the scripture, had caused them to scratch their heads in disbelief and had caused Lot to stroke his beard nervously, but after a while, it seems as if both of them reluctantly acquiesce.

But now, Lot, and his wife bring forth the title deed to their home which they had worked so hard to pay for all of their lives and they make what they believe is the final and most reasonable request that should not be denied.

They suggest that they should at least be able to sell their luxurious home first, even if it has to be sold at a deeply discounted price, so that they would have the wherewithal to survive, wherever they might be headed.

The fact that there was very great hesitation on the part of both Lot and his wife, leads us to the logical conclusion, because after husbands and wives have worked hard all their lives to pay off their mortgage, it obviously would be a great struggle to walk away from a home that is owned free and clear.

Furthermore, to remove to a place where there’s no home, not even for rent, will present a conundrum that few persons are prepared to confront and thus, according to Christ’s warning about Lot’s wife, many persons could, and would become trapped in 666.

Think about their conundrum for a moment, for if you have to leave in a hurry, at the bare minimum, you would like to sell your home, even if it is sold at a loss, but again the two angels refuse their request, referring them to a passage of Scripture that we will do well to ponder. That passage is actually the first opening verses to our study for today. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:17 And that no man might buy, or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

And now, a deep frown develops on the faces of Lot and his wife, for they feel that they should not have to leave their beautiful paid off mansion, to some stranger in Sodom, for they had worked hard all of their lives to pay for it and now it’s theirs.

A feeling of resentment begins to pervade the living room, where there are comfy couches, and chairs, with expensive furniture all around, the fruits of a lifetime’s worth of labor.

And Lot’s wife, in particular is fuming mad, because she believes that the angels are being unreasonable, and giving them a raw deal. In her innermost soul, she complains, and murmurs of them being given the short end of the stick.

And they hate the thought, that they cannot even put up their belongings on Offer-up or on Craigslist. Thus, they hesitate and hesitate, and they dilly dally, and dilly dally, until in desperation, the angels grab them by their arms and start to run, and the rest is history. Let’s read:

Genesis 19: 16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain escape to the mountain lest you be consumed.

18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord.

Many individuals who might face a similar scenario would most likely put up a serious fight, for in their minds, no man, or government is going to trample their rights and take their home sweet home, which was paid for with blood, sweat and tears. And, for this reason, some will be in grave danger of being trapped in 666.

It is one thing not to be able to buy, but not to be able to sell, raises the stakes significantly. And thus, when it comes crunch time, when persons will have to face the cold hard facts in the matter, they would be facing the grim prospect of having to walk away from their homes, after having struggled to pay off their mortgage. It is a very grim prospect indeed. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Many persons who have read these two verses over and over again, probably don’t have a clue as to the terrible ordeal that may be just before us, for many who read these passages often focus on the buying part of the law that would be enforced.

But the selling part, which Lot and his wife had a big problem with, many individuals may not have even considered, and for this reason, some persons are in danger of being trapped in 666, having not counted, or considered the cost. Let’s read:

[Testimonies Vol. 5 pp 712] There is a prospect before us of a continued struggle, at the risk of imprisonment, loss of property, and even of life itself, to defend the law of God, which is made void by the laws of men.

In this situation worldly policy will urge an outward compliance with the laws of the land, for the sake of peace and harmony. And there are some who will even urge such a course from the Scripture: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.... The powers that be are ordained of God.”

There are at least three stark similarities between Lot and his wife, and the remnant people of God, living in Laodicea today. Here they are:

[1] Like Lot and his wife had worked hard to pay off their home, just so many Christians in our day have also worked hard, and some have indeed struggled to pay off their mortgage. And like Lot, many folks now own their homes, free and clear. Let’s read:

Luke 17: 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built.

[Patriarchs & Prophets 160] It was hard to forsake his luxurious home and all the wealth acquired by the labors of his whole life, to go forth a destitute wanderer. Stupefied with sorrow, he lingered, loath to depart.

[2] Lot either did not believe or understand what he was preaching. And in some cases, we ourselves, as the remnant people of God, may not really believe, or understand what we are preaching. Let’s read:

Matthew 24:15 When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whosoever reads, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

[3] It was the crisis, of having to suddenly separate from material things, that laid bare where the heart of Lot and his wife was, and it is in the crisis that is, portrayed in Revelation 13 that the truth about our own selves would be made manifest.

There is nowhere written in the Scriptures where it says that the institution of 666 would be something that is gradual in nature. In all of the passages which pertain to this matter there’s an issue of suddenness just as lot and his wife were suddenly faced with the prospect of separating themselves from loved ones and possessions immediately.

And recent history in the likes of Covid has shown us how quickly things can deteriorate across the earth. In that episode, which it is quite possible, was a dry run, normal everyday living was upended on short notice, and we went to zero in a matter of days. So, the sudden aspect of the institution of 666 cannot be overlooked. Let’s read:

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Mark 13: 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight or at the cockcrowing or in the morning

 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

1st Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

As it stands currently, it costs us virtually nothing to follow Jesus, for after singing His praises, we return to our comfy homes, just like Lot and his wife. But if, and when the tables were to turn, and persons are suddenly facing the prospect of leaving it all behind, some may be singing a very different tune.

The issues before us are so great that Peter had to  ask Christ about the commitment to put God first in our affections, and the temporal, material things of earth after. As we read Christ’s response to Peter’s direct question, we’ll observe that Christ pinpoints houses, before He mentions people.

Lot surrendered his family first, albeit he was very sad, but when it came to his home sweet home, he and his wife had a major problem with letting it go. It is worthy of note that the tenth commandment, which deals with covetousness, also has houses at the head of the list of the things that should not be coveted, and it then moves on to people. Let’s read:

Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox nor his ass nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

Matthew 19: 27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

What God is teaching us through the experiences of Lot and his wife is that while time still lingers we can go ahead and enjoy, and share with others, the gifts God bestows upon us, in the material things of this life.

But, be very, very careful of becoming too attached to them, so that we cannot separate ourselves from them, whenever the time comes, and the time may be coming, sooner rather than later.

The Lord is also teaching us to be totally dependent on Him, for the final conflict, which will usher in the beast’s system of 666, will entirely sever from us the material things of this life, and the support systems that we have all become so accustomed to, over the years.

Trusting in God for everything that pertains to life is not something that comes to us overnight like those packages from Amazon. It takes time, and real living experiences to learn how to let go, and let God. this is an integral part of the Elijah experience, and the message we preach.

At the brook Cherith, Elijah trusted in God for all of his needs, and God supplied whatever he needed to survive. It was not only food and water that Elijah had to depend on God for. He also trusted God for his security, his well-being, any medical emergency that may have arisen, and the clothes on his back. All without exception were provided by God.

Thus, the instances in our experiences when we are led to trust in God alone, without any human aid, or material props, should be greatly treasured, and not looked upon as a negative, because we would need a living, breathing experience with The Lord to avoid being trapped in 666.

God understands that the home is in most cases our largest investment, and material asset, and He also understands in most cases, that the effort to pay for it could truly be a great struggle, even though doing so should not be our highest aim in life.

Yet when the time comes for us to leave it all behind He would have us understand that we would be in a transitioning phase, from this world to the next, and as such, the material possessions of this life will no longer be needed.

More than this, our love for God should at all times take priority over our love for the gifts He bestows, and thus, when we cultivate this perspective, it will become much easier to surrender all, in the most literal sense, rather than becoming being trapped in 666.

In harmony with this truth, we’ll end with a passage of scripture that should help us to hold all material possessions, including our homes, in a subordinate manner, keeping the fact that we are just pilgrims, always in view, while we are learning to trust in God for everything. Let’s read:

1st John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides forever.

                                    God Bless!

The Final Conflict Between Good And Evil. Sabbath afternoon 04/27/2024

Revelation 12: 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath because he knows that he hath but a short time.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

As a general rule, we try to avoid doing cute Bible studies, where smooth things are spoken to soothe itching ears. Those watered down truths which are tailormade to suit the masses of people, and those cute doctrines that do not stir the conscience, nor awaken persons to the urgency of the moment, are to be strictly avoided, by persons who are called to preach the everlasting Gospel to our generation.

Our first passage tells us that as the final conflict of the ages looms into view, devils will rage as roaring lions, and because they know their time is short, it is inevitable that the heat of the furnace will soon be turned up several notches, with the remnant people of God being the special targets of attack.

So, if you find that your troubles are increasing quite significantly of late, if you have recently observed a spike in the number of attacks against your person, and if there is an unusual amount of difficulties, and trials heading your way, know for sure that the devil will be targeting the remnant people of God, as his universal rule is challenged.

Especially will this be the case with persons who are preaching the straight unadulterated truths for this generation, which expose and identify error, and in turn point earth’s teeming multitudes to the truths of God’s word.

So, basically in a nutshell, if you are a true remnant currently, you must understand that the devil would be coming after you with a baseball bat, to put it in layman’s terms. This statement is not a figment of our imagination, it’s just the plain old truth, verified via sacred history, through the annals of time.

Our first passage specifies who are the main objects of the dragon’s ire. It’s not the popular majority who are already doing his bidding, it is the few remnants who are keeping alive the knowledge of God on the earth. The presence of God-fearing persons upon the earth presents a persistent nagging problem for the dragon, and this enrages him exceedingly.

Thus, all who make a conscious decision to live in harmony with the law of God, become the objects of his wrath. Basically, that’s what our first passage is saying in a nutshell. The serpent went after Abel for the sole reason that he obeyed God.

He went after Joseph for the same reason, for when it was made manifest that he could not overthrow him with his snares and devices, he employed the use of force as his last resort. He went after Job for the same reason, for the Bible tells us that Job was a just and upright man, who obviously obeyed God by keeping His commandments.

He went after the three Hebrew boys, and Daniel for the very same reason, because he couldn’t get them to bow, or eat forbidden foods. He went after John the Baptist, he went after all of the disciples and last but not least the serpent vented his rage against the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Therefore, our first passage in Revelation does not reveal something new, it’s just a culmination of the historical pattern of angst against all who choose the ways of God. That’s just the raw facts in the matter.

The enemy of souls isn’t too worried about those in his camp already, he is focusing his attention on the few who are resisting his rule, and according to that last verse in Revelation 12, the individuals who keep the commandments of God are to expect a military campaign against them as the final conflict between good and evil intensifies.

This is not meant to scare anyone, because Christ is our hope of eternal salvation, and He has made us a very solemn promise to be with us till the end of the world. And since God is faithful, we can certainly be assured that He who has brought us thus far will not leave us to the mercy of devils.

But He has also put us on notice that we are not to  expect days of wine and roses ahead, because we’re now approaching the final leg of that long running marathon of salvation, and as satan sees he is losing individuals to Christ’s kingdom, he will up the ante, and employ tit for tat strategies against the remnant as per the last verse in Revelation 12. Let’s read:

Revelation 12: 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The text is very specific, and it singles out the few, and the minority, who will be found faithful in the final conflict of the ages. The same sentiments, and truths are echoed by other prophets in the Bible, so that we need not be deceived into thinking that the trials will be a breeze. If you are thinking thus, you will be in for a very rude awakening. Let’s read:

Jeremiah 30:5 For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

Joel 3: 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

The following are just a few snippets of truth which expand upon what we have already read. God will grant grace and power to meet the emerging threat but the saints will have to pray earnestly, like never before, because we are dealing with a determined, and well experienced foe. Let’s read:

[Last Day Events pp 147] Satan has a thousand masked batteries which will be opened upon the loyal, commandment-keeping people of God to compel them to violate conscience.

Let those who desire to be refreshed in mind and instructed in the truth study the history of the early church during and immediately following the Day of Pentecost.

Study carefully in the book of Acts the experiences of Paul and the other apostles, for God's people in our day must pass through similar experiences.

[Last Day Events pp 148] In the last great conflict in the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers they will be forbidden to buy or sell.

Satan says ... “For fear of wanting food and clothing they will join with the world in transgressing God's law. The earth will be wholly under my dominion.”

[Last Day Events pp 173] We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.

Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. When the law of God is made void, the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.

Now that we have observed the great intensity of the conflict, let’s turn to the nature of the conflict so as to better understand what is at stake. Ever since there was war in heaven, there have been only two opposing forces operating in the universe, one is to be found under God, the other is under satan.

And the battle for the minds of individuals and men has raged back and forth ever since. But much has been done to blur the lines, so that persons would not be aware of the real issues in the conflict.

According to Revelation 12 to 14, the law of God will be front and center to the final conflict, and persons would have their allegiance registered under one of two banners, with Jesus Christ at the head of God’s kingdom of light and righteousness, and satan at the head of the kingdom of darkness and error.

There is no middle ground, no sitting on the fence, and no sitting on the sidelines. Your decisions, and choices are inevitably being baked into a character that will put persons squarely into one camp or the next.

This is the inconvenient truth that has been hidden under a bushel for too long and must now be put on the front burner of the mind. Persons can say what they want and we could claim to believe in whoever we like, but at the end of the day, choices, decisions and actions are all burnished into the character, and these determine who we are, and whose we are.

The warfare that began in heaven has never ceased, it has just shifted to this one planet, which is now at the center of final conflict. In heaven it was the law of God that was at stake, in Eden, it was God’s law that was the focus of the serpent’s foray into Adam, and Eve’s decision-making process.

And in our day, the same issue now rages back and forth on the left on the right and in the center; it all boils down to the law of God, plain and simple. Let’s start with the cause of the war in heaven. No doubt, it was covetousness that drove Lucifer and all of the angels who fell with him, to pick a fight with God.

The 10th commandment, is described as being the basis for all other sins, and it was this one that did Lucifer in, when indulged in his mind, and brought to fruition in commensurate decisions and actions. Let’s read:

Exodus 20: 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

[Patriarchs And Prophets pp 309] The tenth commandment strikes at the very root of all sins, prohibiting the selfish desire, from which springs the sinful act. He who in obedience to God's law refrains from indulging even a sinful desire for that which belongs to another will not be guilty of an act of wrong toward his fellow creatures.

Isaiah 14: 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High.

That’s covetousness in real time, and since it forms the foundation for any other sin you could possibly think of, satan uses it as the template, whenever he strikes the human family. Everything that’s currently wrong in our world today could be traced right back to its roots, which is covetousness.

Then, after being cast out of heaven with the angels who fell with him, the very same foundational sin could be traced in the strike against our first parents as he enticed them to partake of that which was not what their own.

It was not merely about some fruit, it was the law of God, and the allegiance that would be given to God through obedience, or the allegiance that would be given to the devil through disobedience. God told Adam and Eve not to touch this one tree, which He reserved for Himself, as the owner.

They could eat of the hundreds and thousands of other trees, but this one teeny weeny tree God had reserved for Himself, thus giving them the majority, and keeping only this one.

Thus, by touching and eating of it, our first parents stole the fruit, and since stealing is the byproduct of covetousness, they broke two commandments, and killed two birds with one stone, as it were.

The laws of God are always broken in pairs with the sin of covetousness being the foundation, and then satellite sins such as adultery, killing, or stealing, but one thing is certain, all roads lead to covetousness.

Later on they lied about it when approached by God and therefore, the eating of the fruit, and their lying about doing so were satellite strands of the basic sin of covetousness, which manifested itself in the word and deed. And ever since that unfortunate day, the human race has been torn between our allegiance to God, or to the serpent. Let’s read:

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

After the fall, the same basic issue again resurfaced between Cain and Abel. God had instructed them to bring a lamb, and again, obedience would put them squarely in God’s camp. But disobedience would put Cain in the camp of the serpent, and again the same issue of covetousness resurfaces.

Cain coveted the favor of God that was shown Abel because of His obedience, and therefore, when he was reprimanded for not doing so, covetousness led him to shed innocent blood upon the earth for the very first time. Again, murder was the end resulting sin, but the foundation of Cain’s act was rooted in covetousness. Let’s read:

Genesis 4: 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an  offering unto the Lord.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If you do well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if you do not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Then as time went by, the Antediluvians faced the very same scenario, of whether to obey God or the devil. God’s law says you must not commit adultery, and thou shall not kill, but again, the human family found itself, for the most part on satan’s side of the issue.

Indiscriminate violence and the wanton shedding of blood characterized their era, as were the violations of the 7th commandment. When Lamech introduced polygamy to our planet it was covetousness that led him to do so. And the senseless murders which took place in Noah’s day were the result of covetousness.

And just as it was with Adam and Eve, the world was divided into two distinct camps with Noah, and the likes of Methuselah representing allegiance to God, and His law by obedience to it, and, on the flipside, those who cast aspersions on the commandments through their violations, thus giving their allegiance to satan. Let’s read:

Genesis 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

And as we travel through the annals of time, down to our day, you have the same issues now deciding the destiny of millions, and the very same common thread of covetousness, the foundation of all sins is now to be found in all varieties, strains, and flavors.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is the result of covetousness, the drug war is the result of the same basic sin, when any man leaves his wife, and sleeps with a prostitute, it is covetousness that drives him to do so, even if he may pay for it. When one pays to indulge in coveting, it is still recorded as such.

Just because a person could afford to be covetous does not make it any less of a sin. Covetousness is an illegal desire that, when cherished, will cause a man or woman to do some very strange things.

Sam Bankman Fried employed covetousness to steal billions from cryptomaniacs, all Ponzi schemes have the same working principle at their roots, politicians    rail against each other as they covet the votes of the masses of people, and some of them will say and do whatever it takes to win.

Bernie Madoff, made off with fifty billion, from his unsuspecting victims. Unbridled credit card debt is the result of covetousness, in most instances, and the illegal harvesting of human organs from inmates is the result of covetousness.

Fraudulent advertising is the result of covetousness, fad diets abound, because persons covet the bodies of slim souls, and as persons endeavor to be like this one or that one some end up starving themselves in the process, and many throw their metabolism out of whack permanently, in some cases.

And the serpent isn’t finished with us as yet, for he is determined to sow the seeds of covetousness into the fabric of society in high and low places wherever allegiance to God is attempted.

Thus, it becomes obvious that the world has a huge problem on its hands, in the form of those continual violations of God’s law, through the foundational sin of covetousness. This brings us to our study today in which “The final conflict between good and evil” is to be decided in the valley of covetousness, versus obedience to God’s law.

When God gave humanity the Sabbath, He followed the same format as He did as when He gave Adam and Eve every other tree, but reserved this one for Himself. They could eat freely of all, except of this teeny tiny one that God had reserved for Himself.

In other words, in harmony with God’s selfless Spirit He gave them the overwhelming majority of trees to eat from while He reserved only this one as His own as stated in the Bible. Let’s read:

Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof thou shalt surely die.

The same format rings true of the Sabbath, for God has given us every other day for ourselves, but He reserves this one alone for Himself. God does not change, because His very character is to give more than He retains for Himself, so here again He gives us the overwhelming majority of days, but reserves just one for Himself.  Let’s read:

Exodus 20: 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work. 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord

thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

But just as it was up in heaven, in Eden, in Noah’s day, and in the here and now, humanity covets the time God has reserved for Himself, and in doing so the law of God is broken again and again.

This is the reason why the final conflict between good and evil will of necessity be centered around God’s law, for this is where our allegiance, is, and has always been decided.

The conflict over the Sabbath is centered directly in 4th and 10th commandments because covetousness will lead us to take to ourselves the sacred time that belongs to God alone, and appropriate it for uses that are contrary to the plain instructions of God.

Someway, somehow, the serpent has succeeded in causing the seventh day sabbath to be the busiest of the week, and it has almost become a no brainer for persons to run errands, go shopping, do laundry and catch up on all of the other unfulfilled secular duties over the sacred hours of the Sabbath.

Another point of contention is the perspective put forward that the ten Commandments were for the Jews only, and therefore are not binding upon those who follow Jesus. Some even point to the scriptures saying that God’s law was given at Mt Sinai and thus were for the Hebrews in particular.

There are serious problems with that perspective as we will discover, when reading the Bible, line upon line and precept upon precept. First of all, the 7th day Sabbath was given to the human family in Eden, when there wasn’t a single Jew around.

Adam wasn’t a Jew, neither was Noah, yet they both kept all of God’s commandments including the 7th day Sabbath. Even though the law was hand written by God at Mt. Sinai, that does not necessarily mean that it was nonexistent up until that time.

Just because something isn’t written does not mean to say it does not exist, and therefore, if God’s laws were not binding in Eden, Adam and Cain could not be guilty of any sin for sin is the transgression of the law.

It becomes obvious, from a study of the Bible that the ten commandments were handed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Let’s read:

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Genesis 4: 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, why are you wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If you do well, shalt you not be accepted? and if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Romans 5:13 For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

1st John 3: 4 Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Genesis 39: 7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master knows not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Genesis 26: 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

All of these took place long before Sinai, and thus, it becomes clear from the Scriptures that not only was the law given to all of humanity, but there were and are still valid.

Therefore, the final conflict between good and evil will be settled in the valley of decision as everyone on planet earth will have to make a choice, between allegiance to God, or allegiance to the serpent.

Persons are to understand current world events in this larger context, for it is the serpent’s plan to try to wipe the knowledge of God from the face of the earth so as to make his rule universal. Our Sunday- keeping brethren and friends are to understand the issues in clear distinct lines, so that their decisions in favor of the truth can be made.

Therefore, when we hear those statements such as Christianity is being attacked, when we see the rise of Christian nationalism, and when we hear clamors for America to return back to God, we may know for certain that there will be a very severe final conflict between the Biblical form of worship which includes the 7th day Sabbath, and the alternative form which includes Sunday worship.

In fact, when we read in the Bible of the man of sin sitting in the seat of God showing himself to be God, it is the tendency and habit of the antichrist system to coerce and persuade through economic sanctions a form of worship and obedience that pits all those who subscribe to it, against the God of heaven, and the true worship that is due to Him.

Therefore, the choice is clear, and the question is singular: Will the you and me in the here and now worship God in harmony with the scriptures, thus showing our allegiance to The God of heaven, or will we go with the flow of the popular majorities, and give our allegiance to the serpent?

The answer to this question lies within our freedom of choice, and will ultimately determine our eternal   destiny. We therefore end with two passages from the Scriptures, showing us the gravity of the choices before us. Let’s read:

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Joel 3: 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

                                   God Bless!