There’s New Life through God’s Word

 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  -Romans 12:2.

We Christians would do well to heed the Bible’s instruction NOT to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, but to instead come out from among them, and be separate, not touching ANY unclean thing; our enemy knows that his most effective weapon against us isn’t persecution, but a spiritual pollution that infects the body of Christ.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?… for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them…and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you…” -from 2 Corinthians 6:14-17.

Today there’s kind of an “anything goes” attitude in the world around us, and this spirit has also invaded the professing Christian church; where many members are now choosing to follow only certain aspects of  Christian faith, yet ignoring numerous others that they don’t like. And THIS influence often originates from confusing (1 Corinthians 14:33) mixed messages found in Bible revisions.

One troubling example of this in 1 Corinthians 7:24, where Paul wrote; “Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” This is a rather straightforward application of God’s Word, for we know the body of Christ has different members with a variety of functions (1 Corinthians 12:4-14), and here Paul is urging believers to remain in the calling God’s given them.

Yet it’s the Bible revisions of this verse which cause the trouble, with the new version of the English Standard Bible saying;

“So, brothers, in whatever CONDITION each was called, there let him remain with God.” -1 Corinthians 7:24, ESV.

This creates a tremendous problem for Christians, because the broad testimony of scripture is clear in showing that every person’s condition when called was sinful, and separated from God!

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” -Isaiah 64:6.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” -Romans 3:10,11.

And it’s very much to the contrary, that the Bible says,

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” -2 Corinthians 5:17.

The book of Romans also affirms a believer’s change by saying,

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” -Romans 6:1,2.

Ephesians 2:8 & 9 are very popular as a reminder that good works can’t save us, yet the whole passage with verse 10 also affirms the change toward good works that naturally follow the born-again Christian life;

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” -Ephesians 2:8-10.

In 1 Peter 5:8, God’s Word warns His children to;

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”,

and through this blog we’ve seen how our enemy also often lurks within the covers of polluted new Bible versions, which work to subtly poison our souls. God kept His words of life for us in the King James Bible, and we should hold up all teachings to the light it gives (John 3:21).

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” -2 Corinthians 11:13-15.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” -2 Timothy 4:2-4.

I also have a short YouTube video on this teaching. It can be found at https://youtube.com/shorts/P06i8Mi0dNk?feature=share

The Prophecy Found in Genesis 22:8

 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” -2 Peter 1:20,21.

Most Christians are well familiar with God’s calling of Abraham, and how the Lord provided his son Isaac as the link for our spiritual inheritance, when Abraham was very old; and then we know of how God tested him, by saying that he should sacrifice Isaac by slaying him for a burnt offering, even though God had promised that Abraham’s heritage should come through him (See Genesis 12:1-3, chapters 17,18, & 22 for info on Abraham’s calling).

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”    -Genesis 22:1,2.

Yet contained within this account is an early prophecy of God’s promise for our ultimate salvation; and as Abraham & Isaac were travelling to the place of sacrifice, we read the following interaction between them, which says;

“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” -Genesis 22:7,8.

The bold type in the previous verses was added to emphasize what is an early prophecy of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins; God declared that He would provide himself as the atoning sacrificial lamb for our sins, done through His Son Jesus; a promise made that’s made through God’s Word in the King James Bible, one which the Bible revisions try to dismiss.

Our adversary the devil (Ephesians 6:11,12) wants people to think all Bibles are relatively the same, but the Bible revisions (All versions but the KJB) typically CHANGE Genesis 22:8, to make it read, “God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering;” and thus, this takes away the prophecy of Jesus’ future sacrifice by adding the word FOR; which also adds another LIE to their version, because later in verse 13, it shows that God gave them a RAM for their substitute, not a lamb!

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” -Proverbs 30:5,6.

“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” -2 Corinthians 2:17.

It’s well known that when translating from one language into another, words may need to be added to bring understanding; but when the KJB translators added such words, they were honest enough to italicize them; and there aren’t any italicized words in Genesis 22:8! The way it was written made perfect sense to those translating, for scripture references Jesus as the Lamb of God 32X, with 26 being in Revelation. The KJB translators were more than 4 dozen great linguistic scholars, who by the method they used had to agree on every word at least 14X!

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” -John 1:29.

By contrast, the Bible revision committee had just 20 members, but only 2 were doing the translating; with all the other members simply voting on which man’s version they liked best!

Brethren, there IS a vast difference between the King James Bible, and other Bible versions; which ultimately all come from the same revision translation. Please check into these matters for yourself, for the true Word of God is the very foundation of our FAITH, and we need to be careful how we build.

For more information on the Bible version issue, you can check out the following video link to get a deeper look, or find numerous resources at www.chick.com; including their tract called, “The Attack,” which you can read on their site, and I highly recommend.

“But he (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” -Matthew 4:4.

“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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” -2 Timothy 4:3,4.

I also have a short YouTube video on this subject. It can be found at https://youtube.com/shorts/PgRKL_licqw?feature=share.

Becoming Perfect Through God’s Word

 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” -Matthew 5:48.

Early in the New Testament, Jesus declared the above verse in the sermon on the mount, and as a young Christian it weighed upon me heavily; for even though my need to grow in Christ-likeness was obvious, the call for PERFECTION seemed far out of reach, and I didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully, for we earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7), God has promised to provide ALL the instruction we need to pursue this goal in His Word, assuring us that;

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” -2 Timothy 3:16,17. Bold type is added.

Yes! That precious Holy scripture in our hands isn’t only the very basis of Christian faith, but it does also contain in it everything we need for living out the Christian lives God expects; NOT that we can ever be perfect while still in the flesh (Romans 7:18), but God doesn’t want us to look further than scripture for direction toward that goal.

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” -Jesus, in John 17:17.

God’s Word forwards this great promise to us in the King James Bible, yet the Bible revisions seem to HATE the word, “perfect,” and diminish the full scope of how Jesus said we should please our Father; and they do this by altering the rendering of the word “perfect,” to adequate in the New American Standard Bible; changing it to the word “complete” in the English Standard Bible, and drop it altogether in Today’s New International Bible, the New King James Bible, and the New International Bible.  

All Bible versions but the King James are taken from the Revised Translation of 1884; a revision work which claimed it was only done in order to “update the language” of the King James Bible to make it more understandable. Yet all it takes are simple comparisons between the King James and new Bible versions to easily show this isn’t what happened. You may follow the link here to a video with more information on this important topic, and also check out the Bible version resources at www.chick.com.

The Bible forecasts that in these Last Days iniquity shall abound (Matthew 24:12), and the transgressors will come to the full (Daniel 8:23); so it’s more imperative than ever that our spiritual houses be founded upon the true Word of God for weathering these great storms. Today, while there’s still time, let us seek to lay aside any remaining corruption (Hebrews 12:1), and receive with meekness God’s engrafted Word (James 1:21), which is able to save our souls.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” -Matthew 7:24,25.

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” -Psalm 12:6,7.

I also have a short YouTube video on this subject that can be found at https://youtube.com/shorts/K4U_5CLCLDE?feature=share.

The Separation of Sin

 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” -1 Timothy 1:15.

It isn’t bad to tell someone that God, or Jesus loves them, but people do repeat this a lot, which has a way of diminishing its value. We often repeat this phrase in the lightest possible way, yet scripture shows that the real proof of it comes through Jesus’ atoning death on the cross for our sins; this is the critical, often overlooked aspect of salvation we’ve largely become insensitive to.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” -1 John 4:10.

But our SIN is what actually separates us from God, and why we need Him to save us; men find it far easier just to receive love from God, and NOT accept His condemnation for their sins! Even Jesus said the world HATED Him for saying its works are evil (John 7:7).

Scripture warns that in the Last Days men will abandon sound doctrine and become proud, and boastful, lovers of their own selves, with a form of godliness which actually denies Him (2 Timothy 3:1-5); even though all the while the letter to the Galatians affirms that God accepts no man’s person (Galatians 2:6), and concludes everyone to be guilty under sin (Galatians 3:22)!

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” -Romans 3:23.

Consider also that Jesus said only God is truly good (Mark 10:17,18), and that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; if we don’t recognize our true sinful state in God’s eyes, how can we repent from sins, and be forgiven by God?

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” -1 John 1:8-10.

But instead of the right way Jesus shows us through His Word, mankind usually  turns away from teachings that confront our sins, because they make us feel guilty;  and in the end we wind up fulfilling prophecy by embracing teachers (2 Peter 2:17-21) who support the desires of our flesh, turning us away from the right path. The danger here is that many will likely receive a false conversion (Matthew 7:21-23) not based upon the scripture, but one which tries to only receive God’s love, without FULLY surrendering their old lives and practices. (See also Acts 5:1-11, 8:18-24).

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” -2 Timothy 4:2-4.

            Paul once testified to the Corinthians that he had determined not to know any thing among them, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2), which is the real focal point in this blog; a focus that reminds us that in our flesh we are naturally sinners (Romans 7:18) who deserve God’s wrath, but have instead received His mercy (Romans 9:15,16) through the precious blood atonement He provided through Jesus, His Son.

Let us pray for grace to always tell the truth about God’s real love for mankind, never being ashamed for the cross of our Lord, nor any ridicule it may bring.

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” -2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

I also have a short YouTube video on this subject that can be found at https://youtube.com/shorts/oJ6irry5U1I?feature=share.

The Context of 2 Thessalonians 3:10

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” -Psalm 37:25.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus told us that when we seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; that He will provide everything we truly need.

This verse was often quoted in the church of my teen years, yet many times someone would quickly add, “Yeah, but you still need a job”; to which all of us would readily agree! It was a faithless addition to scripture, yet I fear the misapplying of verses like 2 Thessalonians 3:10 may lend to this conclusion, for taken by itself it says; “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

We need to keep in mind that chapters & verses were added to the Bible well after it was written, and 2 Thessalonians 3:10 is a part of ONE complete letter, and the letter is a part of God’s complete Word, which has 66 books. Paul explains one direct reason for the instructions of v.10 in v.11, where it says,

“For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.”

 Too much idleness lends toward gossip, and other mischief that working can help people avoid, and this is the direction being pointed out.

Every Christian is an individual member of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:14,15), and our functions differ greatly in appearance; which becomes a point of stumbling when we expect other Christians to look too much alike in their service to God. We also take a lot for granted if we’re thinking that every job will have paychecks, or a time clock, or other visible things we can point to, when we know that FAITH is the evidence of things UNSEEN (Hebrews 11:1).

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” -John 7:24.

Godly work doesn’t always receive tangible rewards, like when the Apostles refused to wait on tables, and gave themselves to the Word of God and prayer, instead (Acts 6:1-4); or when Jesus commended Mary for listening to His teaching, instead of helping Martha serve (Luke 10:38-42); or when scripture shows that elders labouring in the word and doctrine are worthy of double honor (1 Timothy 5:17,18). Even Paul points out that he & his group could “forbear working,” yet they labored to set an example for others (1 Corinthians 9:6-14). Related scriptures are in the description. If we would take time to realize the importance of the Golden Rule in dealing with others, we’d know that it’s a work duty each of us has, that may not get much notice.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” -Matthew 7:12, a.k.a. the Golden Rule.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”       -Luke 17:10.

When we read the passages about God’s provision for those who seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:25-33, Luke 12:22-34), Jesus never even hints that we should labor to supply our own needs, but actually seems to discourage it; thus allowing the emphasis to rest upon His will for our lives, whether or not that means work men can see!

Often our real struggle isn’t about knowing or carrying out God’s will, but with the loud opinions of protest we’re subjected to for being different. Pray diligently to be sure of His daily will for your life, then be strong in remembering the Bible’s admonition that;

“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” -1 Corinthians 7:23,24. 

I also have a short YouTube teaching on this subject, that can be found at https://youtube.com/shorts/vL8ekDIT2zI?feature=share.

Choosing Christ over Karma

“All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.” -Ecclesiastes 7:15.

The idea of Karma has been greatly promoted on the internet, and various media sources, and it’s usually applied to someone being repaid for an evil deed they’ve done, getting what they deserve; and thus the catch phrase, “It’s Karma” has become synonymous with a type of naturally occurring vengeance; yet it can also refer to a repayment for good things.

But the concept of KARMA itself traditionally stems from the notion of reincarnation in Eastern religions; where Good Karma or Bad Karma works will lead individuals to either a favorable or an unfavorable outcome both here on earth, as well as in their next reincarnated life. Yet the Word of God tells us there’s only one appointed time to die (Hebrews 9:27), and salvation comes by God’s grace, and not our good works.

“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” -Romans 9:15,16.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” -Ephesians 2:8,9.

And while we’re told in Galatians that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7,8), God only guarantees this at the final judgement, with Jesus saying,

“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” -Revelation 22:12.

Jesus gives an example of this last judgement through the separating of sheep & goats in Matthew 25:31-46, and it’s clear these people weren’t aware of any Karma being applied their final standing. Jesus gave us guidelines for behavior which simply state that,

“...all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”; 

any rewards we receive for doing so will only come later in Heaven, and for now the Lord says that,

“...when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: We have done that which was our duty to do.” -Luke 17:10.  

God’s Word actually contradicts the laws of Karma many times, like in these verses from Matthew 5:11&12 where Jesus says,

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

In this passage, Karma would call this persecution a punishment; yet Jesus says it will mean there’s a heavenly reward; Karma sees an immediate temporal judgement for sins, while the Christian believer’s eyes look to eternal forgiveness. Karma’s doctrine greatly contradicts our own, and we must avoid being yoked together with this form of unbelief (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.” -Proverbs 24:17,18.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” -2 Corinthians 4:17,18.

I also have a short YouTube video on this topic at https://youtube.com/shorts/MUqMUhGg_pI?feature=share.

Popular with Men, Unpopular with God

 “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” -Galatians 1:10.

People really just don’t get it; we could never be tricked if the devil actually appeared to be evil, but would avoid him; and he therefore transforms into an angel of light to bait the hook for us poor fish;

“For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” -Ecclesiastes 9:12.

Put a handsome man in a suit behind a pulpit, and everyone sees a successful businessman, whose “fruit” must be from God, right (Genesis 3:3-6)? Have we forgotten warnings from scripture not to judge only by appearance (John 7:24), or that God doesn’t see like men do?

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7.

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 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.” -2 Corinthians 11:14,15.

Jesus warned about the deception in these Last Days, saying,

“ 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. Behold, I have told you before.” -Matthew 24:24,25.

To distinguish between true and false teachers can be challenging, but one simple principle we may apply is found through Jesus’ words in Luke 6:26;

“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” 

This verse shows that when ANYONE is regarded favorably by nearly everyone, it should alert Christians that something is spiritually amiss, and needs further scrutiny. Ultimately, we need to compare the scriptures with what the person teaches, and also compare them directly to Jesus’ life. False teachers often flatter with messages of self-esteem, while leaving out sin and the need for repentance.

“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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” -2 Timothy 4:3,4.

“Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” -John 7:6,7.

And while the multitudes loved Jesus for the miracles He helped them with, our blessed Lord really wasn’t spoken well of by all, as we see in John 7:12;

“And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.”

Jesus was accused of having a devil in Matthew 10:24,25, and John 8:48; the congregation of His home town synagogue once tried to push Him off a cliff in Luke 4:28,29; He & His disciples risked their lives upon going to raise Lazarus from the dead John 11:7-16; and Jesus told His disciples they’d be hated like He was (John 15:18,19). Related scriptures are listed below.

So how can some Christian teachers today achieve what the perfect Son of God could not? Why are they loved by nearly all, but Jesus’ very life was often in jeopardy? A closer look at this spiritual fruit may show it to be a negative indicator of the person’s real relationship with Christ.

“15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” -Matthew 7:15-20.

It’s strange to think that popular, well thought of individuals are actually exhibiting evil spiritual fruit, but such is typically the case. We’re still remembering that our enemy doesn’t present himself for who he really is, but as an angel of light; so we’ll need to patiently look beyond mere appearances, and taking time to test the spirits like we were told in 1 John 4:1, examining them in the light of God’s Word (John 3:21).

We do well when we consider false teachers with compassion (2 Timothy 2:23-26), yet still being ready to point out those who cause divisions and offences that are contrary to the doctrines we have learned; and avoid them (Romans 16:17).

The Bible gives us serious warnings about Satan’s deceptions, and we need to take them that way.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” -2 Peter 2:1.

“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 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.” -Acts 17:10,11.      

Bold type added for emphasis.

I also did a short YouTube teaching on this subject. It can be found at https://youtube.com/shorts/hn7G8exY2gI?feature=share.

The Problem with Predestination

 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” -1 Timothy 2:3,4.

        Many people question if God predestinates mankind for salvation, or if He allows us to choose for ourselves; and while Jesus said that few would be saved (Matthew 7:13,14), scriptures like the one above indicate it’s by our CHOICE. We need every Word of God to live eternally, so let’s examine the Bible more closely to determine it’s true message.

        But while we find that the Bible does mention predestination, it’s referring to the WAY of salvation, NOT the individuals who are saved; JESUS was the one prophesied of, and predestined to be our Messiah (Isaiah 53)! Just take a look at this description from Ephesians 1:3-5; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us…in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself…” Bold type added for emphasis.

        God wants us to serve Him of our own free will, yet He planned in advance the way of redemption in advance, even BEFORE creation, should we fall by choosing to sin. These verses show that the predestination before the foundation of the world provided that it would be through Jesus we’d be adopted as children of God.

        Another related factor involves the creation account in Genesis 1, which at the end of it in v.31 reads;

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…”

In fact, things were so good, that there was only one thing God withheld from mankind (Genesis 2:17)! And the scriptures even show that neither the devil nor Hell were yet in existence…

        First, the creation account in Genesis 1 only covers the universe we see all around us; but scripture says there’s a third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2), a spiritual realm where the eternal God dwells; it only makes sense that He had also created the angels to live there, long before the Genesis 1 account. We find this briefly affirmed later on in the book of Job;

        “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said…Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” -Job 38:1,3-7. Bold type added to emphasize.

        We also know the angels’ rebellion (Revelation 12:7-9) came only after man was created. That’s because our enemy’s name was initially Lucifer, and called “the anointed cherub that covers“ in Ezekiel 28:14; with v.13 of the same chapter also showing his presence in the Garden of Eden prior to his fall. See Ezekiel 28:12-17.

        And finally, when Jesus refers to Hell in Matthew 25:41, it shows that Hell wasn’t initially made for mankind at all, but for the fallen angels after they rebelled, and evil (d-evils) became a part of their names.

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” -Matthew 25:41.

Note: Hell would only have been prepared (not created) after the angels rebelled, because until they did, there were NO devils.

        There can also be some confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) about God’s relationship to evil, like in Isaiah 45:7 where it says,

        “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” Underlining added.

        Remember that when God finished creating in Genesis 1:31, EVERY THING WAS VERY GOOD, and nothing came into being without Him. The Lord created all things as good, but through our own choices they were corrupted, and became evil. God is indeed still Sovereign over all, but He doesn’t bring evil directly, and provides examples of how these things work in both Job chapters 1 & 2, and 1 Kings 22.

        People will often get hung up on particular words or phrases, but the Lord taught me long ago that we need the entire Bible to receive the best understanding of what He’s telling us. And when we take the time do that, we’ll know God doesn’t eternally predestine anyone to Heaven or Hell, but holds us personally accountable for the choices we make (Romans 14:12).

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” -2 Peter 3:9.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” -Hebrews 2:3.

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” -Matthew 4:4.

I also have a short YouTube video on this subject at https://youtube.com/shorts/omI48TSNgSA?feature=share

Evidence of an Unseen Foe

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” –Matthew 7:20.

There are some who won’t accept that evil spirits exist, but Christians believe every Word of God is true; and scripture says these entities are the real cause of conflicts, and ALWAYS disguise themselves in order to hide their involvement in our trials, and may even appear as angels of light.

            It was a Friday morning when I put new batteries in our weather station; a simple device which displays the indoor & outdoor temperatures on a base unit, and utilizes an  outdoor sensor.

            But strange things began to happen early Sunday night, just 2 days afterward; while looking at the outdoor temperature display, it began rising right before my eyes; it rose from 14 degrees right up through the 20s, and at 36 degrees I went outside to inspect, and retrieve the censor.

            We had placed the censor in a well sheltered area, and I didn’t notice anything visibly that could have affected it; which wasn’t a surprise! The rising temperature I’d witnessed made the circumstance all the more puzzling, and it was at that time when I’d started to pray. 

After I brought the censor inside, the temperature reading became consistent with the indoors, but some 20 minutes later the censor display went blank; which would indicate it needed new batteries, which we knew wasn’t the case. It remained in this condition until I went to bed, and though still trusting the Lord, it was a real possibility that the unit might need replacing.

But we thank the Lord for His mercy that He didn’t allow our enemy’s attack to succeed; for the next morning we found the censor reading normally, and it’s been functioning well ever since then.

The devil certainly vexes God’s children in many ways, but the Lord showed me a further reason for this particular strike; for on the day before it happened, I’d testified to someone of an earlier time God had unexpectedly provided the money we needed for a new weather station; nearly exact at 15 cents above the cost! Our adversary hates when we share, & glorify God, so he’d struck our current weather station for payback; yet his rage exposed that he was behind it, and by God’s grace we prayed & resisted.

What goes on in the spiritual realm is seldom obvious to our eyes, but sometimes God’s Opponent will show up, and reveal himself through events which are  impossible to explain, or at least very unlikely; except for those who believe by FAITH that every Word of God is true.

 Let us remember that Jesus gave His disciples authority over all the power of the enemy, so that when such instances do present themselves, take the time to bind these evil spirits in Jesus’ name, and command them to leave. God’s Word for us is His OATH, and it tells us to, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.    

         “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ” -2 Corinthians 2:14A.

I also have a short YouTube video on this subject that can be found at https://youtube.com/shorts/VFaFGWFt-xI?feature=share.