Does God Really Love Me?

If we’re are honest with ourselves, most of us are not that lovable. That’s why relationships are difficult. I tell young people that the first couple times you go on a date with someone is the best you will see of him or her. It’s all down hill from there.

I am being a bit facetious. It can get better, but it takes work. Some are not willing to put in the effort. I’ve been married for 46 years and it’s wasn’t always easy. [Just ask my wife; I’m no bargain]

The American Definition of Love

In America we love all kinds of things. We love apple pie and ice cream. We love going on vacations. Some love the beach. Others love going to the mountains. In the 70’s Crosby, Stills, and Nash sang ‘Love the One Your With’. It was the rallying cry for generations; “And if you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with.” Now love has become a euphemism for causal sex.

Because love is defined so broadly in our culture, often it is misunderstood when it comes to God’s love for us. Human love is based strongly on emotions and fleshly desires. God’s love is based upon action.

What does it mean that “God Loves You”

You often hear people say, “God loves you” and he does. But the receptors in most of our minds interpret that to mean that he accepts me and has a warm fuzzy feeling for me. He puts His stamp of approval on whatever I want to do. We define the word according to our twisted human understanding.

But God’s love is infinitely different. He demonstrated His love immediately with Adam by warning him not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When they disobeyed, He loved them by looking for them and by providing the necessary sacrifice; an animal skin [God’s provision for their sin] that restored their relationship with Him, replacing their fig leaf covering [the works of their hands]. In His love He announced that they would not live in a fallen creation forever. They would physically die and be promoted to a better place where there is no curse and life is very good again.

Adam and Eve are our example to us that God loves us too. He would demonstrate His love for us and for them in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8) His death made the full payment for the sins of the world [All sins – past, present, and future]. (John 3:16) The animal coverings provided by God for Adam and Eve was a picture of the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where are you looking for love?

If you are looking for love, don’t look for it in all the wrong places. Nothing wrong with emotions. But God’s love for you is different than our emotional love. It’s an action verb. His love has your best interest at heart. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”(John 15:13) Jesus laid down His life for you. He made the payment for the penalty of sin for you and for me. But it must be received by faith. Real love for others begins with understanding God’s love for you.

Know for sure where you will spend eternity – https://assuranceofheaven.com/assurance/

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Gal. 2:20

An abundant life in God begins when you know you are a child of God; completely forgiven and restored. The moment you trust in Him, you are saved from the penalty of sin. You can be assured of your place in Heaven. Truly understanding the Gospel is necessary for assurance and living a life pleasing to God. Read on and take the first step toward discovering the assurance of Heaven and finding confidence in your belief in the Lord.

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How Can You Have Two Birthdays in the Same Year?

Jesus said unless you are born again one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. (John 3:3) This confused Nicodemus, who was a religious leader. The concept of being “born again” perplexed him. Nicodemus said to Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

The same is true today. Religious leaders as well as many others are confused. How can a person be born twice?

It’s not a difficult concept to understand. All are born physically. No one is born spiritually until he/she believes on the Lord Jesus Christ; no need to show emotions, speak in tongues, or water baptism. You become a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:26)You have passed from death (spiritual) to spiritual life, receiving everlasting life as a free gift. God regenerates you immediately when you believe the gospel. It’s an action by God that you believe by faith. It’s your second birth.

A Young Man born Twice

Last year I had an privilege to witness to a group of three young men in their early teens. One of them immediately said to me that it was his spiritual birthday. The prior year he had stopped by our tent at the fair and received Jesus Christ as his Savior. The evangelist wrote his name down on a card, dated it, and marked it as his spiritual birthday. He brought a couple buddies back to have them hear the gospel hoping they would be “born again”.

That incident had an impact on me because most Christians do not understand that concept. We judge people on their behavior as to whether they are really saved, not on what they have believed. Much of Christianity is works driven rather than faith driven.

A Spiritual Birthday Card

The young man got it. He understood he was born a second time when he believed the gospel. I like the concept of a spiritual birthday card. It’s a reminder of Who saved me and when I was saved from the penalty of sin. I think it might look something like this:

Profession of Faith on one side

Other Side

Jesus compared salvation from the penalty of sin to the Israelites being saved physically from the serpent’s bite when they were in the wilderness. They had to look once to the pole made by Moses and they would live. Whoever looks to Jesus, believing who He is and what He did, is saved immediately and forever from the penalty of sin [eternal death in the Lake of Fire]. It’s what the Bible defines as justification by faith. It’s the beginning of our faith journey. Have you been justified by faith? Have you been born a second time?

For more on how to be born again and saved from the penalty of sin check out the assurance page.

” And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  ” John 3:14-18

Assurance of Heaven

An abundant life in God begins when you that know you are a child of God; completely forgiven and restored. The moment you trust in Him, you are saved from the penalty of sin. You can be assured of your place in Heaven. Truly understanding the Gospel is necessary for assurance and living a life pleasing to God. Read on and take the first step toward discovering the assurance of Heaven and finding confidence in your belief in the Lord.

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Signs and Wonders of the Antichrist

The antichrist is the future world ruler prophesied in the Bible. He will have great power to deceive. He and his false prophet will perform amazing things to deceive people during the tribulation period. For example, the false prophet “performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.” (Rev. 13:13) I have often wondered why this particular sign is mentioned.

In the Bible ‘fire’ and ‘fire coming from heaven’ are often associated with the Lord and/or His judgment.

  • From out of the heavens, the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen. 19:24)
  • The Lord sent thunder, hail, and fire on the Land of Egypt. (Ex. 9:23)
  • The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. (Ex. 13:21)
  • The Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai in fire. (Ex. 19:18)
  • The fire of the Lord fell and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice. (I Kgs. 18:38)
  • Elijah called fire down from heaven… and the fire of God consumed the captain and his men. (II Kgs. 1:12)
  • When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering. (II Chr. 7:1)

The false prophet will be able to mimic to some degree the power of God (Rev. 13:15) He will be able to summon great power like Moses or Elijah, but it will come from Satan, not from God. Through the supernatural signs, the false prophet will cause people to worship the antichrist, who will eventually make the false claim that he is God. (II Thess. 2:4)

Antichrist’s Powers

But this is not the only powers the antichrist will have. His coming to global leadership will be “according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception…” (II Thess. 2:9, 10) The three descriptive words in this verse – power, signs, and wonders – were the same words describing the things done by Jesus – “Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by miracles, wonders, and signs…” (Acts 2:22) [The word for ‘miracles’ and the word for ‘power’ are the same word in the Greek, dunamis.]

Will antichrist be able to heal some diseases? Will he be able to control storms? Will he be able to change water into wine? Will he have power over death? Jesus did all these things. It seems antichrist will have the ability to do similar miracles. (Matt. 8:3, 26; John 2:7-9; Matt. 9:24, 25)

Antichrist’s Resurrection

The antichrist will not only have god-like powers to perform miracles, he will also appear to have come back to life from a deadly wound (Rev. 13:3-5). To the masses, it will appear as though he was resurrected! [Some believe he dies and comes back from the dead, while others believe he fakes it to make it look real. Either way it accomplishes his purpose, to deceive.]

Antichrist will come back from the dead like Jesus did. His prophet will cause fire to come down from heaven like God’s prophets. He will perform supernatural miracles like Jesus. These things are all unrighteous deception, but they will appear real. Beware!

Believing is not Seeing!

The real Messiah lived two thousand years ago. The Bible that records His life and work is ridiculed more and more. Man always wants to see with the physical eye to believe. Most find something two thousand years ago hard to believe. But Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, demonstrated his unbelief in the resurrection only days afterwards; “Unless I see… I will not believe”. (John 21:25) Because it happened a long time ago, doesn’t make it difficult to believe. It’s difficult to believe because the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. (Jer. 17:9) Our heart [the seat of the will, mind, and emotion] tries to convince us that we are good and have no need for a Savior.

Sudden Destruction!

But, when the antichrist comes on the scene with all unrighteous deception, backed by the power of Satan, many who have rejected the truth of Christ will accept the lie. Because they did not receive the love of the truth, they will see supernatural powers to cause them to falsely believe that the antichrist is the true Messiah. Mankind’s desire for utopia, a world ruled apart from God, will have thought to have arrived. But the opposite will occur. The worst time of planet earth will have just begun – “For when they say, ‘peace [tranquility] and safety [security]!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.“ (I Thess. 5:3)

Time is running out. Anyone can avoid this time of great deception. More importantly, if anyone who dies and have rejected Christ as Savior, he/she will end up separated from the Lord for all eternity in the Lake of Fire. Jesus Christ, the God/Man, came into the world to save sinners. Because God loves us, He sent His Son to pay our sin penalty on the cross. He offers the free gift of salvation to whosoever will believe it. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! (Acts 16:31)

Know for sure you will escape this time (Assurance Page). Share this message with friends and family who need to know. Evangelism is as easy as clicking the ‘share’ button.

Vanished When Millions Go Missing will help you to understand how world events are preparing the world for the end times. Our final salvation may be coming sooner than we expect! Check out an excerpt on Amazon.

Can a Real Believer Depart from the Faith?

Falling away generally is referred to as backsliding. It is defined as one who once believed but now has departed from the faith. The are some who believe that a ‘real’ Christian could never depart from the faith. ‘Genuine’ believers could never fall away. However, does the Bible actually teach that?

Justification is the act whereby God declares a condemned sinner not guilty. It happens at the moment a person understands and believes the gospel. (John 1:12, 5:24; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:30-38; Gal. 2:16; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 1:13; Phil 3:9) The new believer immediately receives everlasting life and the perfect righteousness of Christ is credited to the new convert. He/she is born again never to be “unborn”. It is a one-time act of hearing (understanding the gospel) and believing it, which causes an irreversible change in your final destiny.

Examples in the Bible of Believers who Departed from the Faith

Justification does not guarantee a believer will remain faithful to the end of his or her life. There are many examples in the Bible that indicate believers who were justified by faith, did depart for a period of time or had the potential to depart from the faith. And since the Scriptures show that a believer cannot lose salvation, it is possible for someone to depart and still end up in heaven. For example:

  • Peter said he would never deny the Lord, but denied the Lord three times. (Matt. 26:35; John 19:27)
  • Hymenaeus and Philetus strayed from the truth and overthrew the faith of some. (II Tim. 2:18) It is possible to have your faith overthrown and remain saved.
  • Paul wrote to Timothy, “If we [Timothy or Paul] are faithless, He [God] remains faithful. (II Tim. 2:13)
  • Some widows in the church had already turned aside after Satan. [In the context it implies they had married unbelievers]. (I Tim 5:15)
  • Demas, a disciple, forsook Paul, “having loved this present world”. (Col. 4:16; II Tim. 4:10) [He became unfruitful, not unsaved. Luke 8:14]
  • The Hebrew believers were cautioned about drifting away and departing from the living God, failing to enter His rest. (Heb. 2:1-3, 3:12)
  • The Israelites passed through the Red Sea by faith, but failed to enter into the Promised Land because of unbelief. (Heb. 3:19, 11:29)
  • When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods. (I Kgs. 11:4)
  • King Saul sought the advice of a medium and died for his unfaithfulness. (I Chr. 10:13-14)

We need not be too self-righteous to think that it can’t happen to you or me. Only believers can depart from the faith. Unbelievers cannot depart from the faith, because they were never of the faith. You cannot depart from a place that you have never been.

Avoiding Difficulties

Our default position is to give up when things get difficult. Sometimes living on a mountain seems appealing to me. Living faithfully is not the easiest road to take. “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”. (II Tim, 3:12) Even many of the rulers that believed in Christ did not confess Him openly for fear of being put out of the synagogue. (John 12:42) That’s why God’s word encourages us to endure, to press on, to be faithful.

Consequences for Falling Away

Departing from the faith is not a good thing to do. It brings no glory to God and results in a wasted life. God may discipline you. (Heb. 12:5-11) His discipline can be severe, if necessary, even giving you an early entrance to heaven. (I Cor. 11:30; James 5:19, 20) But it doesn’t cause a person justified by faith to lose their eternal destination. That’s how amazing God’s grace is. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:14, 15) Just as it took one look of faith to be delivered from the serpents bite [they didn’t have to keep on looking], it only takes one look of faith to the Savior and you are saved forever. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (II Cor. 9:15)

Are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? If not check out the assurance page and know for sure!

Vanished When Millions Go Missing will help you to understand how world events are preparing the world for the end times. Our final salvation may be coming sooner than we expect! Check out an excerpt on Amazon.

Part II – Can You Lose Your Salvation?

In part one we conclude that the Hebrews were believers and that their salvation was not in jeopardy. Some of them were being tempted to return to Judaism as a way of escaping persecution from their fellow countrymen.

Hebrews 6:2-4 is not an easily understood passage. So I think we have to take some care in attempting to be dogmatic. However, I believe the five phrases in this passage describe a saved person.

What is the description of those who might fall away?

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6  if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” (Heb. 6:2-4)

I have emboldened the five descriptive phrases of these people, who if they fall away can never be renewed to repentance. It seems out of the character of God that such a one could never be saved after falling away! For example, check out the life of King Manasseh in the book of second Chronicles. (II Chr. 33:1-16)

What does it mean to be enlightened?

First, they were once enlightened. ‘Enlightened‘ is the same Greek word translated ‘ illuminated‘ in chapter 10:32. In the past, after they were ‘illuminated‘, they faced a significant trial by faith knowing that they already had “an enduring possession” in heaven. (Heb. 10:34) In that passage, ‘enlightened’ suggests they were saved. If they were saved then why wouldn’t it mean the same thing in 6:4?

What does it mean to taste?

Secondly, they tasted the heavenly gift, the the word of God, and the powers of the age to come. “Jesus tasted death for everyone”. (Heb. 2:9) ‘Taste’ is used metaphorically, to experience. Jesus experienced death. They experienced the heavenly gift, the word of God, and the miraculous powers of the apostles (Heb. 2:4; Mark 16:20). How could they experience the heavenly gift (everlasting life – Rom. 6:23), the word of God, and the miraculuos powers of God, and not be genuine Christians?

What does it mean to be a partaker?

Thirdly, they were partakers of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Brethren were also “partakers of the heavenly calling.” (Heb. 3:1) The same word ‘partaker‘ is used in both verses. It means to share in, to be a partner. How could they be partakers (a partner) of the Holy Spirt without being saved?

Falling Away

The word for falling away is the word ‘parapíptō‘. It’s the only time it is used in the New Testament. As believers, they had already been warned about drifting away and departing from the living God. (Heb. 2:1; 3:12) In this passage the Hebrews were changing course to avoid a difficult road. Like the Israelites who left Egypt under the blood of the lamb, passed through the Red Sea by faith (Heb. 11:27), they would fail to enter in the land of spiritual rest because of unbelief (Heb. 3:19-4:1). They would not grow spiritually and suffer the consequences.

Conclusion

These were Jewish believers about to go back inside the ‘camp’ [Judaism] (Heb. 13:11-13). They can’t be renewed to something they already possess as believers – everlasting life (A restored relationship with God)! For example, if a person buys a lifetime membership to the country club and after a few years falls away and never goes back, they still belong to the country club. They simply do not benefit from the membership because of a lack of involvement. It’s impossible to renew their membership, since they would already be a member. They simply have become useless and unfruitful as a member. (II Peter 1:5-8)

Christ died once for all. (Heb. 9:12) Any return to Judaism would give the impression that His death was not once for all. Their action of going back into the camp would have suggested that Christ needed to be crucified again; and that would put Him to open shame. If they turn back to the law, they risk a loss of reward, loss of fellowship with the Lord, and other consequences for their action, but they can never lose the gift of everlasting life once they were enlightened, knowing they had “an enduring possession” in heaven.

Are you 100% sure you will go to heaven? If not check out the assurance page and know for sure!

Vanished When Millions Go Missing will help you to understand how world events are preparing the world for the end times. Our final salvation may be coming sooner than we expect! Check out an excerpt on Amazon.

Can You Lose Your Salvation?

There are those who think you can lose your salvation by sinning too much. Some think you can lose it by committing certain sins. Others think you can become saved and then at some time in the future, you can just walk away from the faith, losing your relationship with God. Still others will say that if you walk away, you were never saved to begin with. The sixth chapter of the book of Hebrews is one of those passages theologians use to make these claims. Are their interpretations accurate?

One of the Main Problem Passages

Hebrews 6:2-4 is not an easy passage to understand. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

It’s not wise to make a doctrine from a difficult passage. The best way to go about it is to try to understand the Biblical context.

Context – Context – Context!

One of the most important things in Bible interpretation is context. How does it fit into the entire Scriptures? Secondly, how dose it fit into the book [Hebrews]? And thirdly, how does it fit into the surrounding verses?

Do other verses teach that you can lose your salvation?

There are only a few that can be taken that way. But there are many that confirm that once a person believes the gospel, he or she is secure forever! For example:

  • You become a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:26)
  • You are born again once. Just like physical birth you can’t be unborn and then reborn. (John 3:3, 4) There is nothing in the Bible about being born again over and over.
  • At the moment of faith you receive everlasting life. How long is everlasting life? Forever! If it could be taken away it wouldn’t be everlasting. (John 1:12; 3:15, 16, 36; 5:24; 6:27, 40, 47; 9:38; 11:25, 26)
  • Everlasting life is a gift. A gift is given with no strings attached. If there is something you must do to keep it, then it’s not a gift. (Rom. 6:23)
  • At the moment of faith in Christ, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. (Eph. 1:13, 4:30)
  • No one can snatch out of God’s hand. No one would even include you! (John 10:28)
  • At the moment of faith Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed [credited] to your account. (II Cor. 5:21)
  • At the moment of faith you are positionally sanctified and glorified. (I Cor. 6:11; Rom. 8:30)
  • Even the most carnal believers are referred to as saints. (I Cor. 1:2)
Context #1 The Bible

As shown above, the Bible overwhelmingly teaches that when a person understands the gospel and places their faith in Christ, he or she has everlasting life that can never be lost. You are justified by faith. It is a one-time act of hearing (understanding the gospel) and believing it, which causes an irreversible change in your final destiny. If salvation is permanent, then Hebrews 6:2-4 can’t mean that you can lose salvation. The Bible does not contradict itself.

Context #2 The Book of Hebrews

To support they were of the faith, the writer refers to them as brethren or holy brethren at least four different times. (Heb. 3:1, 12; 10:19, 13:22) Chapter ten gives a little more insight into their situation. It implies they were experiencing another significant trial, a tribulation. They were to remember how they successfully endured past struggles and apply that same faith to this new one.(Heb. 10:32-35)

Then in chapter 13 there is a little nugget that suggests the trouble they were experiencing. They were exhorted to “go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing his reproach”. (Heb. 13:13) Being in the camp is a reference to Judaism. If they return to Judaism, they eliminate a lot of grief [persecution] from the religious Jews. If they go outside the camp [of Judaism] they face trouble from their fellow countrymen. They were believers being influenced to return to Judaism as a way to avoid persecution. Going back would result in “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” (Heb. 3:12) Minimally, it would result in a loss of reward at the judgment seat of Christ (Heb. 10:35, 11:6; II Cor. 5:7-10).

Context #3 The Surrounding Verses

The narrow context of Hebrews 6:2-4 begins in chapter 5. They had become dull of hearing, which helped to influence them to go back to Judaism. In other words, they had retrogressed in their faith and needed to be taught again the basic truths of the faith. Spiritually, they needed milk (Baby stage of the faith) not solid food (Maturing stage of the faith). It left them unskilled and kept them from growing in the faith. (Heb. 5:11-14) Their lack of maturity hindered their endurance to persevere difficulty.

Conclusion of Context 1, 2, and 3

Since they could not lose their salvation, these Hebrews were believers. They had retrogressed in their faith. Due to their lack of spiritual maturity, they were tempted to return to Judaism when pressured by the religious Jews. They weren’t about to lose their salvation. They were endangering their intimacy with God by leaving the faith which ultimately would affect their reward and testimony for the Lord.

More on Hebrews 6 in the next blog.

Assurance of Heaven; be sure that heaven is your final destination.

MAKES A GREAT GIFT! Help you friends and family members understand the signs of the times. In 68 pages, Vanished When Millions Go Missing shows how the world is being conditioned for the rapture and the second coming of Christ.

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Without Holiness No One Will See the Lord!

This verse in the book of Hebrews (12:14) makes it sound as though if you are not living up to some high standard of holiness, you will not see heaven. One modern day commentary states the following about this verse, “If a person is not growing more holy, he is not saved”. I often wonder how people can make statements like this.

What about the Corinthians who died due to God’s discipline? (I Cor. 11:30) They weren’t very holy. Where they saved? What about those who had retrogressed in faith in Hebrews? (Heb. 5:12) What about those in the Corinthian church who had failed to turn from certain sins? (II Cor. 12:21) How does one judge how much holiness is required? In my humble opinion, this is an incorrect understanding of this verse.

What is holiness?

The word ‘holiness’ means separated unto God. Often it is translated as sanctification. When used of people, it has the idea of being set apart unto God.

How does one achieve positional holiness?

When a person receives Christ as Savior, that individual immediately has a holy standing before God. It is called positional holiness. The carnal Christians in Corinth “were sanctified” [holy]. (I Cor. 6:11) The moment a person trusts in Christ, he or she has perfect holiness to enter into God’s presence.

Why Holiness is not Automatic

However, this doesn’t mean that holy living is automatic or natural. For the child of God it is a daily battle. “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh… so you do not do the things that you wish”. (Gal. 5:17) Some do better than others. Believers can quench the Spirit and grieve the Spirit by unrighteous living. (I Thess. 5:13; Eph. 4:30) If holiness was natural, then why did the apostle Paul admonish the churches and warn them about acting like the world? (Examples: Eph. 5:1-4, 8, 11; Col. 3:5, 8-10; I Thess. 4:3; I Tim. 6:9-10; Titus 3:8-14; Heb. 3:12)

A Connection between Holiness and Discipline

The writer of Hebrews exhorted them to “pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord”. (Heb. 12:14) The Lord disciplines us for our profit. Pursuing peace and holiness means that as BELIEVERS, we will accept God’s discipline that we may be partakers of His holiness (Heb. 12:10) This holiness is progressive as one walks with Him. The writer is not holding the threat of hell over their head.

Holiness is a Product of Christ

Holiness is never a product of my flesh. I have no holiness. It also has nothing to do with being ‘religious’. It only happens as I am living out of the resources of the new nature, which is created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:24) In other words, I am learning how to surrender to the Spirit of God through the word of God by faith. It is not my holiness, but the very perfect righteousness of Christ living in me and through me. (Gal. 2:20)

What does the verse mean?

Since this verse cannot be speaking about getting into heaven, I believe there are two potential meanings. First, a believer who is not being trained by God’s discipline, which will produce peace and holiness, will not see the Lord operating in his life. Secondly, it could mean that others will not see the Lord, if as believers, we are not living at peace and exhibiting a holy life. When a believer rejects Godly discipline and fails to pursue peace and holiness, it not only affects his life but bleeds into the life of others. But if we are trained by it, it leads to the peaceable fruits of righteousness. (Heb. 12:11)

Assurance of Heaven; be sure that heaven is your final destination.

In 68 pages, Vanished When Millions Go Missing will help you understand the times in which we are living. It will show you how the world is being conditioned for the rapture and the second coming of Christ. It shows from the Bible how not to be left behind.

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Is a One World Government Coming?

Yes! It’s Biblical. The prophet Daniel saw a vision of four beasts. The last beast appeared dreadful, terrible, and was exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth and devoured and trampled the residue with its feet. (Dan. 7:7)

The angel explained to Daniel that the fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on earth that will exist immediately before Christ returns and sets up His kingdom. It will exercise tyrannical authority over the whole earth. Once this government has gained control over the whole world, God will judge it and destroy it forever. (Dan. 7:19-27)

The War of Two Worlds

Many conservatives, Christians, and even a few liberals recognize this evil desire of the global ‘elites’ and are working fervently to keep this from happening. That’s not a bad thing. We all want to continue to live in a free society. On the other hand, the global ‘elites’ are working fervently to make it happen. It’s the war of two worlds and has been since our very first parents chose to disobey God. (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:6)

The Great Reset and Build Back Better

About thirty years ago I ran across a small booklet that my dad received when he went into the Navy in 1942. To my surprise it mentioned the new world order! Around the time that I discovered it, I heard President Bush Sr. announce the invasion of Iraq, telling the nation; “We have before us the opportunity to forge for ourselves and for future generations a new world order“.

Ever since, my antenna has been up. More and more people speak of this new world order. The corona virus pandemic accelerated this cry of the globalist. They call it the ‘Great Reset’. President Biden calls it ‘Build Back Better”. It’s all the same call for a one world government. It’s out in the open now.

Good versus Evil

A one world government, the new world order, is the spiritual goal of the enemy. The internet and modern technology are playing a significant role in bringing the world together. Its a modern day Tower of Babel. “Digital” togetherness makes it easier to corrupt the whole world. Eventually, God will allow them to have their way for a short time.

Both God and Satan have a purpose for history. The kingdom of Satan has continued to attack the kingdom of God in an attempt to destroy it. If he could, he would become the sovereign ruler of the universe. To accomplish his goal, Satan has tried to physically kill the members of God’s kingdom [persecution]. Secondly, he has tried to destroy it from the inside through false teaching, taking members captive to do his will so that its members will spread a false gospel. (Gal. 1:6; II Tim. 2:26)

Who will win?

Ultimately, Satan as a created creature, will fail. God is God and His purpose for world history will prevail. He will destroy Satan and his kingdom. Then He will establish His kingdom and will rule His one world government on earth in righteousness! (Jer. 23:5) Until then, expect the drive for a one world government. It will come to fruition, because God in His word said it would. Just make sure that you are on the winning side.

Assurance of Heaven; be sure that heaven is your final destination.

For more about the final days of earth, Vanished When Millions Go Missing explains in easy to understand language how world events are setting the stage for end-time Biblical Prophecy.

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Ancient Reports and Today’s News

I had the blessing and the privilege to be interviewed about my new book, Vanished When Millions Go Missing, by Michelle Mendoza on her program, Mymichellelive.com. Michelle has appeared on CNN, CBS radio, and television news stations. Her relatable, quick-witted and engaging personality is why Michelle is critically acclaimed and stands out in the broadcast industry. 

After decades on the radio, My Michelle Live is now a top 100 podcast. She looks for the God story and finds where the truth can set you free. Recently, she has also interviewed Dr. Ben Carson on his new book, Created Equal.

Michelle is a terrific interviewer and we had a great time together, discussing how world events are setting the stage for end-time Biblical prophecies. Our INTERVIEW can be heard on Mymichellelive.com under the title, Ancient Reports and Today’s News.

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Assurance of Heaven – be sure that heaven is your final destination!

Are People Generally Good and Deserving of Heaven?

I remember those times when our kids would fall asleep in the car and we would have to carry them into the house. They looked so at peace and and so angelic. But then when they would wake up, how things would change. How could these innocent looking children act like a holy terror sometimes when they were awake?

I also remember speaking to a young mother one time. She shared with me how she noticed that her young child, not quite a year old, was starting to express her own mild rebellious will. They figure out the wrong things all by themselves! That’s why you have to teach kids to do the right thing.

Today we are seeing more and more teens committing heinous crimes. Some wonder how can an ‘innocent ‘ child grow up to be such a monster? To some degree the answer can be complex. But from a Biblical perspective, it is not that hard to understand.

What does Jesus say about the human condition?

We are born separated from God because of the disobedience of our very first parents. In David’s confession, he declared, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me“. (Ps. 51:5)Through Adam, sin and death entered the world. (Rom. 5:12) We are born with a sin nature and therefore we sin; “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. (Rom. 3:23)

From God’s perspective, Jeremiah the prophet proclaimed that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”. (Jer. 17:9) Jesus explained, “…out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness”. (Mark 7:21, 22)

What happens when 1+1=3?

Our heart [mind, will, emotion] deceives us into thinking that we aren’t that bad. Because we compare ourselves to others, most of us think that we are good. But if you are honest and compare yourself to God who is holy, you will be convicted of your lack of holiness. If you get this basic truth wrong, it’s like adding one plus one and coming up with three as the answer. You can never understand the problem if you get the basics wrong.

Where does true salvation begin?

It must start with the understanding that in comparison to God, I am not good. “There is none righteous, no, not one”. (Rom 3:10) God is holy. He told Moses, “No man can see Me and live”. (Ex. 33:20) The Lord dwells “in unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see”. (I Tim. 6:16) The initial step toward God in salvation is when one in humility realizes that God is holy and I am not.

Do not be Deceived!

Most people acknowledge that they do wrong things. They say things like, “no one is perfect” or “we all make mistakes”. Yet most believe they are good enough and deserve heaven. People reason, “I go to church; I help my neighbors; I tried to live a good life; I never killed anyone!” But even our righteousness is like filthy rags to our Holy God. (Is. 64:6)This belief that we are good will condemn many on the day of judgment when many hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness!” (Matt. 7:23) DON’T BE ONE OF THEM! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”. (Acts 16:31)

Assurance of Heaven; be sure that heaven is your final destination.

MAKES A GREAT GIFT! Help you friends and family members understand the signs of the times. In 68 pages, Vanished When Millions Go Missing shows how the world is being conditioned for the rapture and the second coming of Christ.

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