In the book of 1st Timothy 1:12, the Apostle Paul wrote: Neglect not the gift that is in thee....
This morning, what I want to share with you is the fact that God places talents in every person upon the earth. The talent to play baseball, the talent to become a mechanical engineer, doctors, lawyers, business managers, players of musical instruments, writers of books and poetry, nurses, ministers, college professors, truck drivers, brick masons, chefs, and on and on and on.
God has placed in you the talent to do something that is natural for you to do. This talent, or gift from God, is written in your DNA. And God wants you to know your talent and for you to do something with it that is good.
What is this talent that you have? You will know it and you probably know it now. You have been thinking about doing something for a long time, perhaps from the time when you were a child. Such thought is not an accident. And this talent you have is something you do not have to work at, for it comes natural for you to do.
What your talent needs, however, is proper education and training in order for you to take your talent to levels of achievement that will astound you. Paul said do not neclect it. Do not let it go to waste. Do not keep it a prisoner in your own mind. Therefore, recognize your talent, go to work with it, and doors of opportunity will open for you to display your talent in ways you never expected. Unlock this talent that is in you and set it free!
Let me share with you, too, is that the first step you take is to pray to God for help. Just as I began my journey in golf as well as writing this blog in prayer, God has enabled me to make achievements that I never expected. For God knows you and me better than we know ourselves.
As it is written, Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:4,5).
This is a promise from God, which He will fulfill in you.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the most famous death in the history of the universe, and His death has been discussed and debated by more people than any person who has ever died.
People can be told that Jesus died and they will believe it, even though they were not there as witnesses, nor do they have documented photographs from reliable sources.
More poetry, books, songs, and sermons have been dedicated to Jesus Christ than to any other person in the history of the universe. Would people do that for a dead man?
More buildings have been erected for Jesus Christ than for any person in the history of the universe. Would people do that for a dead man?
For all the millions of people that have been murdered for having their faith in Jesus, not one of them was armed with a sword. Would that many people give their lives without a fight for a dead man?
Men have been beheaded for translating the Bible to the English language.
Why do the murderers murder people over a dead man, and why is a dead man so bothersome to people in positions of power? Why do they want to stop people from talking about a dead man? And isn't murder unlawful in nations around the world?
Would Jesus come to earth just to suffer and die the most brutal form of capital punishment known to man only to remain dead?
The fact that Jesus died is not a question to people. Why do you believe that Jesus died when you were not there to see Him living? How would you know that Jesus lived and died unless God revealed Him to your mind?
The reason Jesus is bothersome is because God has revealed Him to people and they know that He is alive. They know they must face Him with their sins and out of pride comes resistance. Because of pride, we do not like the thought that God is right and we are wrong. This is why people get agitated and angry about the subject of Jesus. We want to hold own and be the boss. And even when we clothe ourselves in religion, we like to think that we are safe and sinless. This is why powerful people kill Christians: to stop us from talking about the Lord Jesus Christ because we remind them of Jesus. They hate us because they hate Him.
Jesus Christ is in your mind because the Holy Spirit has revealed Him to you, just as He revealed Jesus to me. Now you are faced with a decision, and this is your invitation to know Christ as your Savior. Trust Him. Pray and He will receive you. And your life will be transformed.
I was not there to see Jesus living, I was not there to see Him crucified, and I was not there to see Him resurrected from the grave. But I believe it. If I did not believe this, would I spend so much time writing about a dead man?
People can be told that Jesus died and they will believe it, even though they were not there as witnesses, nor do they have documented photographs from reliable sources.
More poetry, books, songs, and sermons have been dedicated to Jesus Christ than to any other person in the history of the universe. Would people do that for a dead man?
More buildings have been erected for Jesus Christ than for any person in the history of the universe. Would people do that for a dead man?
For all the millions of people that have been murdered for having their faith in Jesus, not one of them was armed with a sword. Would that many people give their lives without a fight for a dead man?
Men have been beheaded for translating the Bible to the English language.
Why do the murderers murder people over a dead man, and why is a dead man so bothersome to people in positions of power? Why do they want to stop people from talking about a dead man? And isn't murder unlawful in nations around the world?
Would Jesus come to earth just to suffer and die the most brutal form of capital punishment known to man only to remain dead?
The fact that Jesus died is not a question to people. Why do you believe that Jesus died when you were not there to see Him living? How would you know that Jesus lived and died unless God revealed Him to your mind?
The reason Jesus is bothersome is because God has revealed Him to people and they know that He is alive. They know they must face Him with their sins and out of pride comes resistance. Because of pride, we do not like the thought that God is right and we are wrong. This is why people get agitated and angry about the subject of Jesus. We want to hold own and be the boss. And even when we clothe ourselves in religion, we like to think that we are safe and sinless. This is why powerful people kill Christians: to stop us from talking about the Lord Jesus Christ because we remind them of Jesus. They hate us because they hate Him.
Jesus Christ is in your mind because the Holy Spirit has revealed Him to you, just as He revealed Jesus to me. Now you are faced with a decision, and this is your invitation to know Christ as your Savior. Trust Him. Pray and He will receive you. And your life will be transformed.
I was not there to see Jesus living, I was not there to see Him crucified, and I was not there to see Him resurrected from the grave. But I believe it. If I did not believe this, would I spend so much time writing about a dead man?
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
WHERE IS GOD?
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. (Book of Hosea 4:6)
The United States of America is a perfect example of a nation that has forgotten God.
There was a time when children in our schools could pray to God and read the Bible. Not any more. The United States Supreme Court ruled that teaching creationism as a scientific fact is unconstitutional, while, at the same time, the Court ruled that teaching atheistic evolution as a scientific fact is legal. Then we ask: what has happened to our children? What has happened to our nation?
Look at us now. We have more churches than any nation on earth, we have more Bibles than any nation has ever had, and yet we have the largest prison population in the world, and we have more children in trouble than at any time in our nation's history. Why do we even bother to print IN GOD WE TRUST on our money.
Millions and millions of innocent children are being abducted around the world every year and the news media turns its cameras to entertainment, politicians and superstars. This is terrorism against kids, and where does our government stand on this issue? Our government is in gridlock in endless committee meetings behind closed doors, playing poker with our nation's future in secret sessions, afraid to come out of the dark and tell the truth.
Churches and religions in the United States have billions and billions of dollars stashed in banks, in real estate, and stock investments while millions of people around the world go homeless and hungry every day.
Many of our church and religious leaders live lavish lifestyles of financial gain while people in their own neighborhoods are homeless, hungry, and with no hope for employment or a brighter future.
Churches and religions have turned the worship of God into a mockery with false teachings from false teachers, ministers, and priests, and we have the blind leading the blind: replacing the Word of God with the foolish writings of men, and where prayer is virtually non-existant, or, at the most, it is no more than lip service.
Our own situation here at home in the United States is a mess and yet we are transporting this noble idea of Democracy to other nations with the belief that Democracy is just what they need.
The "golden age" of the United States is behind us. We have had our greatest years.
The economic crisis in America will not get better; it will get worse. Instead of creating more companies and more jobs, less companies and less jobs will be in our future. The housing market will not get better; it will get worse. The financial disaster on Wall Street will not get better; it will get worse.
Politicians and lawmakers at state and federal levels do not find solutions; they create problems. They give us eye service, but their hearts are not in their duty to the people. They vote themselves pay increases, thus rewarding themselves for their failure to achieve while people across America suffer for jobs, wages, and even meals. And they are quite proud of the work they do---giving themselves retirement pensions and lifetime health insurance coverage and laying the bill at the feet of the people.
Perhaps we should pray that other countries will send missionaires that we may come to know God. Even now, this could be too late. Worst of all, we have done this by ourselves, for ourselves, and to ourselves. Therefore we cannot blame God because we never asked God to do anything but stay out of the way.
Unless we act quickly and pray to God for help, we will soon have a people by the government instead of a government by the people.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
The United States of America is a perfect example of a nation that has forgotten God.
There was a time when children in our schools could pray to God and read the Bible. Not any more. The United States Supreme Court ruled that teaching creationism as a scientific fact is unconstitutional, while, at the same time, the Court ruled that teaching atheistic evolution as a scientific fact is legal. Then we ask: what has happened to our children? What has happened to our nation?
Look at us now. We have more churches than any nation on earth, we have more Bibles than any nation has ever had, and yet we have the largest prison population in the world, and we have more children in trouble than at any time in our nation's history. Why do we even bother to print IN GOD WE TRUST on our money.
Millions and millions of innocent children are being abducted around the world every year and the news media turns its cameras to entertainment, politicians and superstars. This is terrorism against kids, and where does our government stand on this issue? Our government is in gridlock in endless committee meetings behind closed doors, playing poker with our nation's future in secret sessions, afraid to come out of the dark and tell the truth.
Churches and religions in the United States have billions and billions of dollars stashed in banks, in real estate, and stock investments while millions of people around the world go homeless and hungry every day.
Many of our church and religious leaders live lavish lifestyles of financial gain while people in their own neighborhoods are homeless, hungry, and with no hope for employment or a brighter future.
Churches and religions have turned the worship of God into a mockery with false teachings from false teachers, ministers, and priests, and we have the blind leading the blind: replacing the Word of God with the foolish writings of men, and where prayer is virtually non-existant, or, at the most, it is no more than lip service.
Our own situation here at home in the United States is a mess and yet we are transporting this noble idea of Democracy to other nations with the belief that Democracy is just what they need.
The "golden age" of the United States is behind us. We have had our greatest years.
The economic crisis in America will not get better; it will get worse. Instead of creating more companies and more jobs, less companies and less jobs will be in our future. The housing market will not get better; it will get worse. The financial disaster on Wall Street will not get better; it will get worse.
Politicians and lawmakers at state and federal levels do not find solutions; they create problems. They give us eye service, but their hearts are not in their duty to the people. They vote themselves pay increases, thus rewarding themselves for their failure to achieve while people across America suffer for jobs, wages, and even meals. And they are quite proud of the work they do---giving themselves retirement pensions and lifetime health insurance coverage and laying the bill at the feet of the people.
Perhaps we should pray that other countries will send missionaires that we may come to know God. Even now, this could be too late. Worst of all, we have done this by ourselves, for ourselves, and to ourselves. Therefore we cannot blame God because we never asked God to do anything but stay out of the way.
Unless we act quickly and pray to God for help, we will soon have a people by the government instead of a government by the people.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
A PERSONAL NOTE
When I began to play golf in 2009, I discovered a sport that I thought I would enjoy and also a sport I believed I could learn to play well. Golf, however, is a difficult sport, and it is bigger than me. Thus I prayed and asked God to help me to become a good golfer; and in return, I told the Lord that I would get out on the golf course, work and practice, work and practice. For I believed that the Lord would help me, but I also knew He would not do my work and practice for me.
In the process of time, God sent other golfers into my life to help me to know and understand the fundamentals of the game, and by me being willing to accept their instruction, added to work and practice, I did become a better golfer by working and practicing the lessons I was given. These teachings not only helped me to become a better player, but golf became so much more enjoyable.
This blog you are reading also had its birth in prayer.
Toward the end of summer this year, I knew I wanted to write about God, but I did not know what, or how, or when. Because God is bigger than me, the only thing I knew to do was ask God about it in prayer, and thus I did. I prayed, and I waited. I prayed, and I waited. In the process of time, He opened unto me the idea of a blog. He also gave me the title, 7th Highway, and I also knew that this blog would be about Him and not about me.
As I began to write on November 28th, something remarkable happened inside of me because the stories began to flow through me---not from my head, but from my heart. As I have continued to pray and write, the Lord gives me the stories: I do not work for them, nor hunt and search for topics. For this blog is not a work out of my own creative imagination, but rather from God. I pray, I wait, and He delivers.
I am sharing this personal note with you today because God wants to be part of our daily lives. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He wants to help us achieve our dreams and goals, not only in golf or in writing a blog, but also in our personal lives, too. He wants to help us in our relationships with others, in achieving a degree in law, in our careers, or in areas of anger, bitterness, and strife. He wants to be first in our lives, not last. And if you will pray to God for help, and believe by faith that He will deliver, you will see some remarkable things begin to happen that will astound you.
Prayer, then, is an action of humility, for in our pride we will not seek Him because we will think that we can do things all by ourselves. Prayer is an action of humility, but also an action of faith. Therefore, believe in God by prayer and good things will begin to happen.
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. (Book of Hebrews 11:6).
In the process of time, God sent other golfers into my life to help me to know and understand the fundamentals of the game, and by me being willing to accept their instruction, added to work and practice, I did become a better golfer by working and practicing the lessons I was given. These teachings not only helped me to become a better player, but golf became so much more enjoyable.
This blog you are reading also had its birth in prayer.
Toward the end of summer this year, I knew I wanted to write about God, but I did not know what, or how, or when. Because God is bigger than me, the only thing I knew to do was ask God about it in prayer, and thus I did. I prayed, and I waited. I prayed, and I waited. In the process of time, He opened unto me the idea of a blog. He also gave me the title, 7th Highway, and I also knew that this blog would be about Him and not about me.
As I began to write on November 28th, something remarkable happened inside of me because the stories began to flow through me---not from my head, but from my heart. As I have continued to pray and write, the Lord gives me the stories: I do not work for them, nor hunt and search for topics. For this blog is not a work out of my own creative imagination, but rather from God. I pray, I wait, and He delivers.
I am sharing this personal note with you today because God wants to be part of our daily lives. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He wants to help us achieve our dreams and goals, not only in golf or in writing a blog, but also in our personal lives, too. He wants to help us in our relationships with others, in achieving a degree in law, in our careers, or in areas of anger, bitterness, and strife. He wants to be first in our lives, not last. And if you will pray to God for help, and believe by faith that He will deliver, you will see some remarkable things begin to happen that will astound you.
Prayer, then, is an action of humility, for in our pride we will not seek Him because we will think that we can do things all by ourselves. Prayer is an action of humility, but also an action of faith. Therefore, believe in God by prayer and good things will begin to happen.
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. (Book of Hebrews 11:6).
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
PSYCHOLOGICAL RELIGION
Information from religion and from many churches in the world today is 100% lies which people are believing as 100% truth. This is a work of deception, created in the minds of false teachers with their false religious systems and impressive buildings that are designed to be an illusion in the minds of people; therefore, people have been duped to believe that they are on their way to heaven when, in reality, they are going the wrong way.
False teachers are wolves in sheeps' clothing, thereby deceiving people to believe in the religions man has created and also to believe that religions' ministers and priests are also holy---without sin in their own lives, but also endowed with the power to forgive the sins of people against God, which enables people to go to heaven when they die without acknowledging Christ. Therefore religion is a detour around the cross on which Christ was the sin offering, which means our sin debt was paid by Him and there is nothing we can add or take away from His sacrifice for us.
Back in the Garden of Eden, the serpent (Satan) persuaded Adam and Eve to eat fruit from the forbidden tree by convincing them that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise (Genesis 3:6). If you study the history of religion, you will see that same system is in every religion man has created: good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise.
Satan, therefore, is the mastermind of man's desires to disobey God, and Satan is also the unholy inspiration of men to build Christain religions and churches that take on the appearance of holy people and holy places by his agents of darkness to persuade the minds of people to believe in the systems of religion and bypass Christ.
Buildings are impressive to human eyes and human minds. Interiors of buildings are impressive. The lighting of candles and diming of chandiliers are impressive. Knowing when to stand, when to sit, when to kneel, and when to say "Amen" are impressive. Ministers and priests in garments are impressive. Their voices are impressive. The rites, rituals, and traditions are impressive. Music, communion, and water baptism are impressive. Therefore our minds have been impressed to the point that we have psychological religion: written in our minds to believe the teachings of man's precepts because everything looks good and sounds good---when, in fact, we have been brainwashed to accept Satan's system: good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise.
Consider the evidence: Satan's ministers and priests never suffer persecution or execution for talking about religion because the devil wants them to live and keep dispensing their poison to human minds.
Christ suffered for our sin. For the past 2,000 years, the messengers of Christ have suffered persecution and death for their belief in the Lord. Whereas the ministers and priests of religion never suffer---and neither do the members of religion.
Knowing Christ, therefore, is believing in Him and Him alone: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Book of Acts 1:12).
Psychological religion operates in the minds of people, but not in their hearts. It is 100% lies which people are believing as 100% truth. But their hearts are empty: for only Christ can mend their hearts and therefore receive salvation for their souls.
False teachers are wolves in sheeps' clothing, thereby deceiving people to believe in the religions man has created and also to believe that religions' ministers and priests are also holy---without sin in their own lives, but also endowed with the power to forgive the sins of people against God, which enables people to go to heaven when they die without acknowledging Christ. Therefore religion is a detour around the cross on which Christ was the sin offering, which means our sin debt was paid by Him and there is nothing we can add or take away from His sacrifice for us.
Back in the Garden of Eden, the serpent (Satan) persuaded Adam and Eve to eat fruit from the forbidden tree by convincing them that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise (Genesis 3:6). If you study the history of religion, you will see that same system is in every religion man has created: good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise.
Satan, therefore, is the mastermind of man's desires to disobey God, and Satan is also the unholy inspiration of men to build Christain religions and churches that take on the appearance of holy people and holy places by his agents of darkness to persuade the minds of people to believe in the systems of religion and bypass Christ.
Buildings are impressive to human eyes and human minds. Interiors of buildings are impressive. The lighting of candles and diming of chandiliers are impressive. Knowing when to stand, when to sit, when to kneel, and when to say "Amen" are impressive. Ministers and priests in garments are impressive. Their voices are impressive. The rites, rituals, and traditions are impressive. Music, communion, and water baptism are impressive. Therefore our minds have been impressed to the point that we have psychological religion: written in our minds to believe the teachings of man's precepts because everything looks good and sounds good---when, in fact, we have been brainwashed to accept Satan's system: good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise.
Consider the evidence: Satan's ministers and priests never suffer persecution or execution for talking about religion because the devil wants them to live and keep dispensing their poison to human minds.
Christ suffered for our sin. For the past 2,000 years, the messengers of Christ have suffered persecution and death for their belief in the Lord. Whereas the ministers and priests of religion never suffer---and neither do the members of religion.
Knowing Christ, therefore, is believing in Him and Him alone: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Book of Acts 1:12).
Psychological religion operates in the minds of people, but not in their hearts. It is 100% lies which people are believing as 100% truth. But their hearts are empty: for only Christ can mend their hearts and therefore receive salvation for their souls.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
A LOVE LETTER
The Bible is the Word of God, written words from the mind of God, which He has made available to us with translations in our own languages.
The Bible opens in the book of Genesis with the story of God's wonderful, colorful world of creation.
In the Word of God, however, you will also read many topics, including science, history, botony, astronomy, geneology, mathematics, financial planning, wars and peace, and the greatest part of all, the story of His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
With respect to geneology, and with technology that is available today through DNA testing, did you know you can trace your family name back to Adam, the first person God created?
In it all and through it all there is a crimson thread that flows through every chapter of every book, which is God's love letter to all people: for it is God's will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
The Holy Spirit delivers this love letter to our hearts and reveals to us the message of Christ, and then He gives us time to make a decision; for God will not impose His will on us, nor force us to accept His free gift of salvation with mercy and grace.
God loves us and He wants us to know of His eternal love, which He has made available to us in Christ.
This blog today is about the love letter of God, sent to you across the internet, and all He wants you to do is open the envelope.
The Bible opens in the book of Genesis with the story of God's wonderful, colorful world of creation.
In the Word of God, however, you will also read many topics, including science, history, botony, astronomy, geneology, mathematics, financial planning, wars and peace, and the greatest part of all, the story of His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
With respect to geneology, and with technology that is available today through DNA testing, did you know you can trace your family name back to Adam, the first person God created?
In it all and through it all there is a crimson thread that flows through every chapter of every book, which is God's love letter to all people: for it is God's will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
The Holy Spirit delivers this love letter to our hearts and reveals to us the message of Christ, and then He gives us time to make a decision; for God will not impose His will on us, nor force us to accept His free gift of salvation with mercy and grace.
God loves us and He wants us to know of His eternal love, which He has made available to us in Christ.
This blog today is about the love letter of God, sent to you across the internet, and all He wants you to do is open the envelope.
Friday, December 23, 2011
A HOUSE OF PRAYER
Jesus said, Is it not written, My house shall be called by all nations the house of prayer? but you have made it a den of thieves. (Mark 11:17)
To be honest with you, I believe with all of my heart and soul that God has led me to write this 7th Highway blog. Furthermore, I believe He has led me to write about Christ, to separate Christ from religion, and to expose the truth of God's Word, even here on the internet.
I will tell you also that this blog is the result of prayer. And in this time of writing I have experienced more from God than at any other time in my life. I pray for God to give me the stories. I pray as I gather information as well as pray when I am writing. I pray for final readings and editing before posting on the internet. At this time, I know of only two people who pray for me in this endeavor, and I do appreciate their prayers.
In it all and through it all, I believe in God by faith that positive results will happen in the lives of others who read this blog. I don't know how, I don't know where, and I don't know when. In fact, it is not for me to know. For I believe that I am doing what God wants me to do at this time of my life and for a time, and I know it is up to God to add the increase.
What I have learned most from this experience is that people need to pray. The United States and nations around the world are in a big mess---and only God can fix it. And if we do not pray, God will not fix it. If we do not want God's help, God will not intervene. If God is not wanted, He will remain away from our situations and allow us to continually manage our affairs by ourselves, which we are unable to fix. Our problems are bigger than we are. God will not push Himself upon us. The choice to pray or not to pray is up to us.
Wherever you are at this moment in time, you can turn yourself into a house of prayer. When you do, some good things will begin to happen, for it pleases the Lord that you want Him to help!
God said, I will restore the years that the locust hath eaten... (Book of Joel 2:25).
To be honest with you, I believe with all of my heart and soul that God has led me to write this 7th Highway blog. Furthermore, I believe He has led me to write about Christ, to separate Christ from religion, and to expose the truth of God's Word, even here on the internet.
I will tell you also that this blog is the result of prayer. And in this time of writing I have experienced more from God than at any other time in my life. I pray for God to give me the stories. I pray as I gather information as well as pray when I am writing. I pray for final readings and editing before posting on the internet. At this time, I know of only two people who pray for me in this endeavor, and I do appreciate their prayers.
In it all and through it all, I believe in God by faith that positive results will happen in the lives of others who read this blog. I don't know how, I don't know where, and I don't know when. In fact, it is not for me to know. For I believe that I am doing what God wants me to do at this time of my life and for a time, and I know it is up to God to add the increase.
What I have learned most from this experience is that people need to pray. The United States and nations around the world are in a big mess---and only God can fix it. And if we do not pray, God will not fix it. If we do not want God's help, God will not intervene. If God is not wanted, He will remain away from our situations and allow us to continually manage our affairs by ourselves, which we are unable to fix. Our problems are bigger than we are. God will not push Himself upon us. The choice to pray or not to pray is up to us.
Wherever you are at this moment in time, you can turn yourself into a house of prayer. When you do, some good things will begin to happen, for it pleases the Lord that you want Him to help!
God said, I will restore the years that the locust hath eaten... (Book of Joel 2:25).
AND GOD SAID
Did you know that God created words?
Did you also know that God created languages?
And did you know that God spoke the universe into existence?
All that we see in the universe today had its origin in the mind of God, and all He did was speak His mind and the universe became a physical reality in the world in which we live and see with our own eyes.
If you think about it, spoken words are invisible. Yet we can speak the invisible words of our minds and others will hear from us in a language they can understand. How, then, would we communicate with others if we did not know words and languages?
In the first chapter of the book of Genesis, God provided the facts of His creation from the invisible words of His mind to written words in a language that we can understand. Is there any question why the Bible has been translated to more languages than any book in all of human history? God wanted this to happen that people all over the world may know Him by the power of His words. So that as we read the words of God on paper, we are reading the mind of God! In the same way, when you read a letter from a friend, you are reading words that were created out of the mind of your friend!
The words of God's creation are these, written for us in Genesis:
God said, Let there be light. And there was light.
God said, Let there be a firmament... And there was a firmament.
God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together in one place. And it was so.
God said, Let the earth bring forth grass... And grass appeared.
God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven... And the sun, moon, planets, and stars appeared.
God said, Let us make man in our own image. And Adam became a living, breathing creation, formed by God out of dirt.
These were the six days of creation, spoken from the mind of God.
Did you know that NASA's Ames Research Center confirmed that every element in man can be found in the soil?
Jesus said, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
God loves us, and He wants us to be in heaven with Him when we die. If not, He would have never told us.
So then, are you going to believe in the words of God, or are you going to believe in the words of men?
God said, believe it, and that settles it. What are you waiting for?
Did you also know that God created languages?
And did you know that God spoke the universe into existence?
All that we see in the universe today had its origin in the mind of God, and all He did was speak His mind and the universe became a physical reality in the world in which we live and see with our own eyes.
If you think about it, spoken words are invisible. Yet we can speak the invisible words of our minds and others will hear from us in a language they can understand. How, then, would we communicate with others if we did not know words and languages?
In the first chapter of the book of Genesis, God provided the facts of His creation from the invisible words of His mind to written words in a language that we can understand. Is there any question why the Bible has been translated to more languages than any book in all of human history? God wanted this to happen that people all over the world may know Him by the power of His words. So that as we read the words of God on paper, we are reading the mind of God! In the same way, when you read a letter from a friend, you are reading words that were created out of the mind of your friend!
The words of God's creation are these, written for us in Genesis:
God said, Let there be light. And there was light.
God said, Let there be a firmament... And there was a firmament.
God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together in one place. And it was so.
God said, Let the earth bring forth grass... And grass appeared.
God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven... And the sun, moon, planets, and stars appeared.
God said, Let us make man in our own image. And Adam became a living, breathing creation, formed by God out of dirt.
These were the six days of creation, spoken from the mind of God.
Did you know that NASA's Ames Research Center confirmed that every element in man can be found in the soil?
Jesus said, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
God loves us, and He wants us to be in heaven with Him when we die. If not, He would have never told us.
So then, are you going to believe in the words of God, or are you going to believe in the words of men?
God said, believe it, and that settles it. What are you waiting for?
WHAT CHILD IS THIS?
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, the only people who knew of the Messiah's birth were Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds. The King of the Jews had arrived and all of Israel did not know it, they were not expecting His arrival, not even the religious crowd. They had God's Word on it, from the writings of the prophets, which can only mean they had not been doing their "daily Bible reading".
For the next two years, Messiah lived with Joseph and Mary in total obscurity to all of Israel as well as to the religious crowd. Suddenly and unexpectedly, however, an entourage of wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, stopping first at King Herod's place, and made an announcement:
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.
The wise men were not Jews and they had traveled hundreds of miles to find Him, to worship Him, and to lay their gifts at His feet. How, then, did they know that Messiah was in Jerusalem?
After the wise men departed for their own country, Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt, where they remained until the death of Herod; then they returned to Israel and dwelt in Nazareth. And up until the age of thirty, no one knew Messiah dwelt among them, not even the religious sect, who had access to the words of the prophets.
For the past two thousand years, we have had access to the same book that the religious people of Israel had when Messiah was born in Bethlehem---the Old Testament prophecies and the eye-witness accounts of His life, written and printed on paper, in the New Testament.
On December 25th, millions of believers around the world will celebrate the birthday of Messiah, at which time wise men ask: what child is this that was born King of kings and Lord of Lords?
Like the song says: and He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the next two years, Messiah lived with Joseph and Mary in total obscurity to all of Israel as well as to the religious crowd. Suddenly and unexpectedly, however, an entourage of wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, stopping first at King Herod's place, and made an announcement:
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.
The wise men were not Jews and they had traveled hundreds of miles to find Him, to worship Him, and to lay their gifts at His feet. How, then, did they know that Messiah was in Jerusalem?
After the wise men departed for their own country, Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt, where they remained until the death of Herod; then they returned to Israel and dwelt in Nazareth. And up until the age of thirty, no one knew Messiah dwelt among them, not even the religious sect, who had access to the words of the prophets.
For the past two thousand years, we have had access to the same book that the religious people of Israel had when Messiah was born in Bethlehem---the Old Testament prophecies and the eye-witness accounts of His life, written and printed on paper, in the New Testament.
On December 25th, millions of believers around the world will celebrate the birthday of Messiah, at which time wise men ask: what child is this that was born King of kings and Lord of Lords?
Like the song says: and He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
HEAR THE BELLS?
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) was a Russian physiologist. In his work of digestive research, he learned that he could ring bells and dogs would respond and eat food. In time, the dogs would salivate in their anticipation of food; later, the dogs would also salivate to either the ringing of bells or even at the arrival of an assistant who would bring their food. By this method, Pavlov believed the response of the dogs was a learned behavior: that a conditioned stimulus provoked a conditioned response with the presentation of food. Pavlov's discovery as a physiologist became the Classical Conditioning Theory of psychology, which has been helpful in understanding human behavior.
Church bells have been used for centuries as a signal to call people to prayer and worship to Christian churches and Christian religions because the bells is a conditioned stimulus, which provokes a conditioned response, with the presentation of food or reward. Bells were introduced in churches as early as 400 A.D., and they have also been used as a safeguard against lightning and violent tempests, which is superstition.
Bells were used first in ancient Egyptian religions as a signal of worship to their god Osiris, the god of the afterlife, the underworld, and the dead.
In addition to bells, the ancient Egyptians used music in temples, palaces, workshops, farms, battlefields, and the tombs: with gods associated with music, such as Hathor and Bes.
Egyptian percussion instruments included hand-held drums, rattles, castanets, ells, and sistrum. Stringed instruments included harps, lyres, and lutes. Male and female voices were frequently used as well, including professional musicians. The highest status belonged to temple musicians in the office "musician" (shemayet) to a particular god or goddess was a position of high status frequently held by women. Ritual temple music was a matter of the rattling the sistrum, accompanied by voices, sometimes with harp or percussion. The sistrum was used in dances and worship for the goddess Hathor. The sound of the instrument was used to appease and attract the attention of gods and goddesses.
In the Greco-Roman period, the sistrum spread with the cult of Isis wherever the kingdom spread, even today in worship rites in Coptic and Ethiopian churches.
Isis, a goddess in ancient Egyptian religions, was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife, the matron of nature and magic. Isis had a brother, Osiris, who became her husband, and she had a son, Horus, who was killed by Set (Satan). Isis was instrumental in the resurrection of Horus (son god). Thus the monogram, IHS, stands of Isis, Horus, Set, which equals mother-son-satan).
Thus, the ringing of bells, music, and worship of pagan dieties had their orgins in ancient Egyptian religions, which were incorporated by pagan priests in the religion of Christianity, beginning in the Roman Empire. The false apostle, Simon Peter Magus, added the mystery religion of ancient Babylon, which is witchcraft, and the casting of spells on believers, beginning in Rome, and a practice that continues even to this day.
In many Christian churches and religions, the sound of bells is the conditioned stimuli, which provokes a conditioned response to music, with the belief that a presentation of food will be received from the ministers of religion.
Christ, however, does not dwell in buildings made by human hands; neither does the Lord mix Himself with man's religions, nor allow Himself to be as a pawn among pagan rites, rituals, and relics. Christ dwells in the hearts of believers, so that we can worship and serve the Lord without buildings.
God did not create us to be obedient puppies to the masters of religion. God wants us to know Christ and experience the power of His resurrection.
Church bells have been used for centuries as a signal to call people to prayer and worship to Christian churches and Christian religions because the bells is a conditioned stimulus, which provokes a conditioned response, with the presentation of food or reward. Bells were introduced in churches as early as 400 A.D., and they have also been used as a safeguard against lightning and violent tempests, which is superstition.
Bells were used first in ancient Egyptian religions as a signal of worship to their god Osiris, the god of the afterlife, the underworld, and the dead.
In addition to bells, the ancient Egyptians used music in temples, palaces, workshops, farms, battlefields, and the tombs: with gods associated with music, such as Hathor and Bes.
Egyptian percussion instruments included hand-held drums, rattles, castanets, ells, and sistrum. Stringed instruments included harps, lyres, and lutes. Male and female voices were frequently used as well, including professional musicians. The highest status belonged to temple musicians in the office "musician" (shemayet) to a particular god or goddess was a position of high status frequently held by women. Ritual temple music was a matter of the rattling the sistrum, accompanied by voices, sometimes with harp or percussion. The sistrum was used in dances and worship for the goddess Hathor. The sound of the instrument was used to appease and attract the attention of gods and goddesses.
In the Greco-Roman period, the sistrum spread with the cult of Isis wherever the kingdom spread, even today in worship rites in Coptic and Ethiopian churches.
Isis, a goddess in ancient Egyptian religions, was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife, the matron of nature and magic. Isis had a brother, Osiris, who became her husband, and she had a son, Horus, who was killed by Set (Satan). Isis was instrumental in the resurrection of Horus (son god). Thus the monogram, IHS, stands of Isis, Horus, Set, which equals mother-son-satan).
Thus, the ringing of bells, music, and worship of pagan dieties had their orgins in ancient Egyptian religions, which were incorporated by pagan priests in the religion of Christianity, beginning in the Roman Empire. The false apostle, Simon Peter Magus, added the mystery religion of ancient Babylon, which is witchcraft, and the casting of spells on believers, beginning in Rome, and a practice that continues even to this day.
In many Christian churches and religions, the sound of bells is the conditioned stimuli, which provokes a conditioned response to music, with the belief that a presentation of food will be received from the ministers of religion.
Christ, however, does not dwell in buildings made by human hands; neither does the Lord mix Himself with man's religions, nor allow Himself to be as a pawn among pagan rites, rituals, and relics. Christ dwells in the hearts of believers, so that we can worship and serve the Lord without buildings.
God did not create us to be obedient puppies to the masters of religion. God wants us to know Christ and experience the power of His resurrection.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
NOAH'S ARK
The ark was 437.5 feet long, 72.9 feet wide, and 43.75 feet high with three stories.
The ark had the same capacity of a modern cargo ship, a volume of 1.4 million cubic feet, and a gross tonage of 14,000 tons, which is equal to 522 railroad box cars.
The ark could have carried 125,000 sheep-size animals; today, there are less than 18,000 species of land animals and the average size of most animals is less than that of a sheep.
The ark had one window, one door, and it would not capsize.
Noah had no navigational system, and it landed safely on the mountains of Mount Ararat.
There were no casualties.
God had everything under control.
artwork image copyright by Alfred Lee
A SIMPLE THANKS
In the short time that I have been writing this blog, I am surprised and even stunned by the hundreds and hundreds of views this blog has received!
So far, people are reading this blog from the United States as well as people in the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, Germany, and Russia.
Please know that I thank you for reading my writings, and please know, too, that wherever you are and no matter where you live, God wants to be your friend.
franky g
So far, people are reading this blog from the United States as well as people in the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, Germany, and Russia.
Please know that I thank you for reading my writings, and please know, too, that wherever you are and no matter where you live, God wants to be your friend.
franky g
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
THE FALSE APOSTLE: THE FIRST POPE
And after the ascension of Christ to heaven, the apostles began their journeys to take the Gospel of Christ to other nations. Paul was the only one of the group whose ministry was to be the apostle to the Gentiles (which are non Jews). All the other apostles were sent from Jerusalem to take the Gospel of Christ to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Paul never preached in areas where Jews had been scattered, and the other apostles never preached to the Gentiles. All of the apostles understood God's plan for them and they went their ways in accordance to God's plan and preached in their specific areas. There were some Jews in Rome, however, and Paul preached to them; but his primary ministry was to the Gentiles.
Simon Peter traveled as far as Great Britain, preaching Christ to the Jews that were there and established churches. Later, Peter was crucified in Rome, even though he never preached there, and Paul was beheaded in Rome, where both men were buried.
Inside the Roman Empire's headquarters in Rome, however, there was a man by the name of Simon Magus, or Simon the Sorcerer, sometimes called Simon Peter. His office was that of a "Peter"---an opener or interpreter of secret religions; for, in ancient pagan religions, gods were also called "Peters". He masqueraded himself as the apostle Peter, teaching the pagan priests the mystery religions of the Babylonians and Samaritans, which were occultic and thereby adding flames of fuel in the hands of pagan priests in addition to their false gods, and which would be used on the minds of people to deceive them from believing in Jesus. This practice was pure evil, straight from the mind of Satan.
As told in the Bible book of Acts, chapter 8, Simon Magus had met the apostles, Peter and John, in Samaria, where Simon Magus had bewitched the people there with sorceries. When he saw believers in Christ receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands by Peter and John, Magus saw something he did not have and offered money to the apostles for the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter rebuked Simon Magus for thinking that the Holy Spirit could be purchased with money. Years later, Simon Magus made his way to Rome, where he deceived people to believing that he was the apostle of Christ, Simon Peter, from Jerusalem.
Under Simon Magus's influence, a conspiracy that would eventually cloak Christ, and Rome would highjack the church of Christ and turn Christianity to a state religion, which happened during the reign of Constantine the Great. At that time, pagan priests became "Christian" priests, who were the ministers of the mystery religions of the Babylonians and Samaritans, as taught by Simon Magus.
The question that we have now is which Peter is buried under the Vatican: is it the body of Simon Peter the apostle of Christ, or Simon "Peter" Magus?
The answer is Simon Magus, who became the first pope---and not Simon Peter, the true apostle of Christ, who is more commonly called Saint Peter.
Something else that is interesting is the fact that both Judas Iscariot and Simon Magus have no genealogies, or family trees. So where did these two men come from?
Jesus said,
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7: 15)
Paul never preached in areas where Jews had been scattered, and the other apostles never preached to the Gentiles. All of the apostles understood God's plan for them and they went their ways in accordance to God's plan and preached in their specific areas. There were some Jews in Rome, however, and Paul preached to them; but his primary ministry was to the Gentiles.
Simon Peter traveled as far as Great Britain, preaching Christ to the Jews that were there and established churches. Later, Peter was crucified in Rome, even though he never preached there, and Paul was beheaded in Rome, where both men were buried.
Inside the Roman Empire's headquarters in Rome, however, there was a man by the name of Simon Magus, or Simon the Sorcerer, sometimes called Simon Peter. His office was that of a "Peter"---an opener or interpreter of secret religions; for, in ancient pagan religions, gods were also called "Peters". He masqueraded himself as the apostle Peter, teaching the pagan priests the mystery religions of the Babylonians and Samaritans, which were occultic and thereby adding flames of fuel in the hands of pagan priests in addition to their false gods, and which would be used on the minds of people to deceive them from believing in Jesus. This practice was pure evil, straight from the mind of Satan.
As told in the Bible book of Acts, chapter 8, Simon Magus had met the apostles, Peter and John, in Samaria, where Simon Magus had bewitched the people there with sorceries. When he saw believers in Christ receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands by Peter and John, Magus saw something he did not have and offered money to the apostles for the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter rebuked Simon Magus for thinking that the Holy Spirit could be purchased with money. Years later, Simon Magus made his way to Rome, where he deceived people to believing that he was the apostle of Christ, Simon Peter, from Jerusalem.
Under Simon Magus's influence, a conspiracy that would eventually cloak Christ, and Rome would highjack the church of Christ and turn Christianity to a state religion, which happened during the reign of Constantine the Great. At that time, pagan priests became "Christian" priests, who were the ministers of the mystery religions of the Babylonians and Samaritans, as taught by Simon Magus.
The question that we have now is which Peter is buried under the Vatican: is it the body of Simon Peter the apostle of Christ, or Simon "Peter" Magus?
The answer is Simon Magus, who became the first pope---and not Simon Peter, the true apostle of Christ, who is more commonly called Saint Peter.
Something else that is interesting is the fact that both Judas Iscariot and Simon Magus have no genealogies, or family trees. So where did these two men come from?
Jesus said,
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7: 15)
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. (Book of Genesis 8:21)
Why does God say that?
God is creative. He created us in His own image, and, like God, we are creative.
In God's mind, He knew what Adam would look like before He created him. In our own minds, we can imagine what something will do or look like, then bring the invisible from our minds to the visible and see the image that began with our imaginations.
Why, then, does God say that our imaginations are evil from our youth? As young children, we knew how to lie without being taught. We knew how to steal without being taught. Lying and stealing are natural to us and parents had to teach us not to lie or to steal. We also know how to judge, condemn, criticize, find fault, and deceive others without being taught.
What about God? We had to be taught about God because God was not part of our natural birth.
Out of man's imagination, he has been creating religions throughout human history. Religions are images out of the minds of man, designed by man, for man, and by man's own laws, precepts and policies. They are man's substitutes to cleanse himself of sin and thereby justify himself as a way to get to heaven by man's own way. Therefore, instead of confessing our sin directly to God to get forgiveness for our sins against God, man created his own system, which God will not accept.
Not only did men create religions for themselves, they convinced others to believe in these false systems and gained converts. Men were deceived in their own imaginations, they deceived others, and then the converts deceive others to believing the same system, even their own children. Consequently, generations of families have been deceived by the same religious programs, fueled in their imaginations from the imaginations of men. Do you see that?
Because of our imaginations, we reject Christ because He does not fit the images we have in our minds because of the image of ourselves that was created in our minds out of the image of religion.
Why is the AntiChrist called "Antichrist"? He is not called AntiCaesar, AntiPharoah, or AntiLukeSkywalker, is he? The Antichrist is the great imposter of Christ because Satan does not want us to believe in Christ and be saved from our sin. Satan wants us to keep believing in religions and religions' messengers.
Religion is dangerous, dear people. It is a work of evil out of the imaginations of evil minds, influenced out of the mind of Satan because Satan does not want us to believe in Christ.
Jesus said, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:30).
Why does God say that?
God is creative. He created us in His own image, and, like God, we are creative.
In God's mind, He knew what Adam would look like before He created him. In our own minds, we can imagine what something will do or look like, then bring the invisible from our minds to the visible and see the image that began with our imaginations.
Why, then, does God say that our imaginations are evil from our youth? As young children, we knew how to lie without being taught. We knew how to steal without being taught. Lying and stealing are natural to us and parents had to teach us not to lie or to steal. We also know how to judge, condemn, criticize, find fault, and deceive others without being taught.
What about God? We had to be taught about God because God was not part of our natural birth.
Out of man's imagination, he has been creating religions throughout human history. Religions are images out of the minds of man, designed by man, for man, and by man's own laws, precepts and policies. They are man's substitutes to cleanse himself of sin and thereby justify himself as a way to get to heaven by man's own way. Therefore, instead of confessing our sin directly to God to get forgiveness for our sins against God, man created his own system, which God will not accept.
Not only did men create religions for themselves, they convinced others to believe in these false systems and gained converts. Men were deceived in their own imaginations, they deceived others, and then the converts deceive others to believing the same system, even their own children. Consequently, generations of families have been deceived by the same religious programs, fueled in their imaginations from the imaginations of men. Do you see that?
Because of our imaginations, we reject Christ because He does not fit the images we have in our minds because of the image of ourselves that was created in our minds out of the image of religion.
Why is the AntiChrist called "Antichrist"? He is not called AntiCaesar, AntiPharoah, or AntiLukeSkywalker, is he? The Antichrist is the great imposter of Christ because Satan does not want us to believe in Christ and be saved from our sin. Satan wants us to keep believing in religions and religions' messengers.
Religion is dangerous, dear people. It is a work of evil out of the imaginations of evil minds, influenced out of the mind of Satan because Satan does not want us to believe in Christ.
Jesus said, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:30).
CHAMELEON
Nearly two thousand years ago, one of the apostles of Christ, by the name of John, wrote the last book of the Bible, which is The Revelation of Jesus Christ. In this book, John wrote about things past, things present, and things future.
At the time John wrote this book, things future were future from John's place in time; for us, however, those things future are but a turnkey away.
For nearly two thousand years, we have had a prophetic blueprint of the world in which we live today. Many people have been preaching and teaching about this era of time and many people have believed. On the other hand, many people have not believed in its writings since the time of John, and many do not believe it today. Even before the time of Christ, the Old Testament prophets wrote of this same subject, and Christ also taught of this coming age as well as the other New Testament writers.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a desperate warning that we may know and be prepared and thereby escape the wrath that will surely come upon the earth. This book is God's SOS!
If you could control the religion of the world, you could control the world. Even now, governments around the world are under the control of religion as religions are moving together to unite under one name, under one roof: for the false messiah will be a religious figure, not a politician; and when this man arrives, all the world will worship him. The key ingredient to know here is the fact that he's a man of the earth. But because people have been deceived by religion, they will believe anything their religion says, even if it is a lie.
The false messiah is called Antichrist and he will be everybody's super-action hero: Prince Charming, Superman, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, Pharoah, Caesar. He will speak English. He will bring peace to the earth, he will fix everything, he will perform miracles. He will be an eloquent speaker, captivating audiences by witchcraft. Through his power of deception, people will believe that he is Jesus Christ. He will be the head of religion as well the head of civil government. He will be a global dictator.
For three and a half years, he will be everybody's hero. Suddenly and unexpectedly, however, the chameleon will remove his mask, sit down in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, and declare himself to be God!
His path to power has been paved by people for centuries, primarily through the deception of religion and politics. Even now, the world is ready for a big change. All banking and financial markets throughout the world are all connected electronically. Mass communication systems are all connected electronically. And people around the world are connected through religion. Governments and religious figures control the keys to these three elements worldwide, and all of them are deceivers. Deceivers are chameleons: they change.
God, as always, provides an escape clause, who is Christ the Lord. Seek Him now and you will not experience the wrath of this dreadful regime that is coming at us like an underwater tsunami.
You are encouraged to read The Revelation of Jesus Christ and see what happens after the Antichrist declares himself to be God. You are also encouraged to do your own research and look for the evidence of change that is in progress now. The evidence is in front of your eyes.
At the time John wrote this book, things future were future from John's place in time; for us, however, those things future are but a turnkey away.
For nearly two thousand years, we have had a prophetic blueprint of the world in which we live today. Many people have been preaching and teaching about this era of time and many people have believed. On the other hand, many people have not believed in its writings since the time of John, and many do not believe it today. Even before the time of Christ, the Old Testament prophets wrote of this same subject, and Christ also taught of this coming age as well as the other New Testament writers.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a desperate warning that we may know and be prepared and thereby escape the wrath that will surely come upon the earth. This book is God's SOS!
If you could control the religion of the world, you could control the world. Even now, governments around the world are under the control of religion as religions are moving together to unite under one name, under one roof: for the false messiah will be a religious figure, not a politician; and when this man arrives, all the world will worship him. The key ingredient to know here is the fact that he's a man of the earth. But because people have been deceived by religion, they will believe anything their religion says, even if it is a lie.
The false messiah is called Antichrist and he will be everybody's super-action hero: Prince Charming, Superman, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, Pharoah, Caesar. He will speak English. He will bring peace to the earth, he will fix everything, he will perform miracles. He will be an eloquent speaker, captivating audiences by witchcraft. Through his power of deception, people will believe that he is Jesus Christ. He will be the head of religion as well the head of civil government. He will be a global dictator.
For three and a half years, he will be everybody's hero. Suddenly and unexpectedly, however, the chameleon will remove his mask, sit down in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, and declare himself to be God!
His path to power has been paved by people for centuries, primarily through the deception of religion and politics. Even now, the world is ready for a big change. All banking and financial markets throughout the world are all connected electronically. Mass communication systems are all connected electronically. And people around the world are connected through religion. Governments and religious figures control the keys to these three elements worldwide, and all of them are deceivers. Deceivers are chameleons: they change.
God, as always, provides an escape clause, who is Christ the Lord. Seek Him now and you will not experience the wrath of this dreadful regime that is coming at us like an underwater tsunami.
You are encouraged to read The Revelation of Jesus Christ and see what happens after the Antichrist declares himself to be God. You are also encouraged to do your own research and look for the evidence of change that is in progress now. The evidence is in front of your eyes.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
OUT OF EGYPT
And after God had delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt and on their way to the promised land, the most difficult problem God had with the Jews was trying to help the people to get the religion of ancient Egypt out of their minds and to trust in Him. The Lord also had to teach them how to dispose of both human and animal waste as well as to wash their hands. They did not know God, nor simple hygiene, because of their association in an idolatrous nation for over four hundred years.
Please consider a simple parallel between your mind and your stomach:
Your stomach does not know the difference between good foods and bad foods, for this decision you make is from the responsibility of your taste buds; therefore, you prefer the foods that thrill your taste buds.
If you will consider your mind as your stomach, neither does your mind know what is good or bad for it to receive. This is the responsibility of your eyes and ears, which are the taste buds of your mind.
Going further, if your mind has received a steady diet from the table of this world's systems through your mind's taste buds, you will develop a worldly mind and therefore continually return to the table for more and more of the same menu because your eyes and ears have been trained by what you have seen and heard. Deeply embedded in your mind, however, these systems root and grow and thereby become a self-defense system against the Gospel of Christ, which you will likely resist at first. You have been trained how to think and speak by your systems.
Back in Egypt, God had to do a mighty work in to bringing down the strongholds of Pharoah before he would let the people go. In the same way, God must do a mighty work in us to bring down the strongholds of our minds in order for us to see Christ and to follow Him to the promised land.
This process can take time, which is not easy for the Lord to do. Nevertheless, the Lord is faithful: He keeps digging at the roots of our unbelief, removing rocks and stumps and all kinds of trash that we have collected that have blinded us from the truth of Himself. He never gave up on me and I have faith to believe that He will not give up on you.
Please consider a simple parallel between your mind and your stomach:
Your stomach does not know the difference between good foods and bad foods, for this decision you make is from the responsibility of your taste buds; therefore, you prefer the foods that thrill your taste buds.
If you will consider your mind as your stomach, neither does your mind know what is good or bad for it to receive. This is the responsibility of your eyes and ears, which are the taste buds of your mind.
Going further, if your mind has received a steady diet from the table of this world's systems through your mind's taste buds, you will develop a worldly mind and therefore continually return to the table for more and more of the same menu because your eyes and ears have been trained by what you have seen and heard. Deeply embedded in your mind, however, these systems root and grow and thereby become a self-defense system against the Gospel of Christ, which you will likely resist at first. You have been trained how to think and speak by your systems.
Back in Egypt, God had to do a mighty work in to bringing down the strongholds of Pharoah before he would let the people go. In the same way, God must do a mighty work in us to bring down the strongholds of our minds in order for us to see Christ and to follow Him to the promised land.
This process can take time, which is not easy for the Lord to do. Nevertheless, the Lord is faithful: He keeps digging at the roots of our unbelief, removing rocks and stumps and all kinds of trash that we have collected that have blinded us from the truth of Himself. He never gave up on me and I have faith to believe that He will not give up on you.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
GREAT PYRAMID OF EGYPT
In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 19:19-20)
Consider carefully the fourth day of God's creation of the earth, as recorded in the book of Genesis, chapter 1 and verse l4, when God created the sun, the moon, and the stars, for they would be: for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
Furthermore, when God speaks of the Orion constellation in the book of Job 38:31, pay special attention to the three stars of Orion's belt for these are of major significance, for these also are lines of connection to the Great Pyramid.
And when God speaks of the "Sun of righteousness" of Malachi 4:2, there will be two suns in the universe, one of which is the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns to earth. He will outshine the sun (star) and every eye will see Him from all over the earth without the aid of television!
God connects the stars and planets to the Great Pyramid as signs in the heavens to point us to Himself and to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Great Pyramid of Egypt was built supernaturally and with technology unknown to man. This structure has baffled engineers and scientists for centuries, and no matter how many times people have tried to duplicate the precision of its construction, all of their efforts have failed!
The geometric measurements of the Great Pyramid contain the history of the Bible, written in stone, and these are easily understood when inches are converted to years. Important dates have been there even before the Bible was written on paper, and all the dates written therein have been verified by human history.
Air ducts in the main chambers of the pyramid remain a constant, year-round temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which has never changed. And red granite within the pyramid is the same red granite that is found on Mount Horeb where Moses received the Ten Commandments of God.
The chambers of the pyramid contain: the King's Chamber, Queen's Chamber, Ascending Passageway, Descending Passageway, Wall Shaft, Pole Star Draconis, North Star, Subterrranean Passage, Main Gallery, and the Bottomless Pit---all with precise measurements.
Over 4,600 hundred years ago and over 1,000 years before the first book of the Bible was written on paper, the Ascending Passageway exactly depicted the Exodus of Jews out of Egypt as well as the birth, baptism, and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Pole Star Draconis lined up the beginning of the construction of the pyramid, and work began in 2623 B.C.
When historians originally attempted to count backwards to the birth of Christ through the Reign of the Kings, one king ruled twice under two different names and he was counted twice; thus there is an error in our calender of two years. And because there is no year zero, a year must be added.
There are many dates given in the measurements of the Great Pyramid, but there are no dates as important as the date given for Jesus Christ, including Bethlehem, where He was born, and Nazareth, where He lived until the age of 30.
Jesus Christ was born on September 29, 2 B.C. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist on October 14, 29 A.D., and the Lord was crucified on April 3, 33 A.D. Therefore, on April 6, 33 A.D., Christ arose from the grave and lives even now.
The seventh Hebrew month Tishrei (September-October) is a celebration called the Feast of the Ingathering of Harvest as well as the Feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets -- Christ was born on September 29 in these days of feasts! His return will be ushered with the blowing of trumpets!
Amen.
Consider carefully the fourth day of God's creation of the earth, as recorded in the book of Genesis, chapter 1 and verse l4, when God created the sun, the moon, and the stars, for they would be: for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.
Furthermore, when God speaks of the Orion constellation in the book of Job 38:31, pay special attention to the three stars of Orion's belt for these are of major significance, for these also are lines of connection to the Great Pyramid.
And when God speaks of the "Sun of righteousness" of Malachi 4:2, there will be two suns in the universe, one of which is the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns to earth. He will outshine the sun (star) and every eye will see Him from all over the earth without the aid of television!
God connects the stars and planets to the Great Pyramid as signs in the heavens to point us to Himself and to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Great Pyramid of Egypt was built supernaturally and with technology unknown to man. This structure has baffled engineers and scientists for centuries, and no matter how many times people have tried to duplicate the precision of its construction, all of their efforts have failed!
The geometric measurements of the Great Pyramid contain the history of the Bible, written in stone, and these are easily understood when inches are converted to years. Important dates have been there even before the Bible was written on paper, and all the dates written therein have been verified by human history.
Air ducts in the main chambers of the pyramid remain a constant, year-round temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which has never changed. And red granite within the pyramid is the same red granite that is found on Mount Horeb where Moses received the Ten Commandments of God.
The chambers of the pyramid contain: the King's Chamber, Queen's Chamber, Ascending Passageway, Descending Passageway, Wall Shaft, Pole Star Draconis, North Star, Subterrranean Passage, Main Gallery, and the Bottomless Pit---all with precise measurements.
Over 4,600 hundred years ago and over 1,000 years before the first book of the Bible was written on paper, the Ascending Passageway exactly depicted the Exodus of Jews out of Egypt as well as the birth, baptism, and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Pole Star Draconis lined up the beginning of the construction of the pyramid, and work began in 2623 B.C.
When historians originally attempted to count backwards to the birth of Christ through the Reign of the Kings, one king ruled twice under two different names and he was counted twice; thus there is an error in our calender of two years. And because there is no year zero, a year must be added.
There are many dates given in the measurements of the Great Pyramid, but there are no dates as important as the date given for Jesus Christ, including Bethlehem, where He was born, and Nazareth, where He lived until the age of 30.
Jesus Christ was born on September 29, 2 B.C. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist on October 14, 29 A.D., and the Lord was crucified on April 3, 33 A.D. Therefore, on April 6, 33 A.D., Christ arose from the grave and lives even now.
The seventh Hebrew month Tishrei (September-October) is a celebration called the Feast of the Ingathering of Harvest as well as the Feast of the Blowing of the Trumpets -- Christ was born on September 29 in these days of feasts! His return will be ushered with the blowing of trumpets!
Amen.
Friday, December 16, 2011
JUDAS ISCARIOT
At the Last Supper in the Upper Room of the night before Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, the Lord calmly said one of the twelve disciples was a traitor. This created a murmur among the disciples for they were surprised and even shocked that Jesus said one of them was a traitor. Jesus never pointed a finger at anyone, but his words went forth and found the guilty. Judas never denied that it was him and he left the room.
Judas Iscariot was like a church member, as a person who associates himself with Jesus. By hanging out with Jesus and as a member of the Twelve Disciples, it was easy for others to assume that Judas believed in the person he was following, just as it is easy for us to believe that a person believes in Jesus because he goes to church. Judas was with the Lord for three and half years, he heard Jesus teach and preach, and he saw the miracles of the Lord just like the others. Judas had head knowledge of the Lord, but there is no evidence that any of the words that Jesus spoke lodged in his heart. He was also the most trustworthy of the disciples because he carried their money pouch, which also made him to appear unlikely to be a spy. His behavior, however, is the evidence of the condition of his heart.
Judas was a deceiver and he had the perfect cover for a devious plan. Knowing that there were people who wanted Jesus eliminated, Judas met with them and they were like a secret society: meeting in darkness, forming an evil plan from the mind of Satan to destroy Jesus, but out in the daylight Judas appeared to be as normal any other man of his community. Spies can do this: they can appear to be everything they are not.
In his heart, Judas was sneaky, sly, and a spy. He never said much, for the less people knew about him was better for his cover-up, and he certainly did not want to draw attention or suspicion to himself. Even when he was among others, he was a loner, and nobody noticed him missing when he attended secret meetings. Thirty pieces of silver was an attracive contract, a tidy sum that would provide him with financial independence and prominence in his community, and he had everybody who knew him hoodwinked: except Jesus. Jesus knew the evil that was in his heart and the Lord exposed him for what he was at the Last Supper.
While Jerusalem slept in the early morning hours on the day Jesus was crucified, Judas and his band of conspirators arrived in the garden under the cover of darkness to arrest Jesus. They were quiet and sneaky, just like Judas, for they did not want others to know of their deviant behavior as officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, which were the religious people from the local assembly. The others would not be able to recognize Jesus in the darkness, but they knew Judas could, which he did, and Judas Iscariot kissed the face of the Son of God in his final act of defiance, turned his back on the Lord---and never went to heaven. And after the crucifixion of the Lord, Judas committed suicide, dying an ugly and brutal death: he plunged: falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. (Book of Acts 1:18).
Like Judas, we also have opportunity to be saved from our sins by the Lord. We can hear about Jesus, we can believe in our minds that He is the Son of God, then, like Judas, we can turn our backs to him. We can have head knowledge of Jesus just like Judas did, but it is the heart that must be converted to Christ. By his action, however, it is doubful that Judas never had a desire to go to a place like heaven, or if he ever believed the words that Jesus spoke. Judas was interested in Judas, looking for a way to advance himself.
Beyond this, the best place for Satan to hide is in churches and religions, for these are the least likely places people expect the devil to be---surely not in the house of God!? So one of Satan's spies can be in churches and religions, too, for the spy is empowered with all the deceptiveness of Satan.
We should not be surprised, then, that the devil had infiltrated the camp of Jesus and His disciples. Jesus knew it. But for Judas (as for all of us) to have freewill and make his own choice, Jesus had to allow the devil to tempt Judas for him to make his choice when two choices are available. Judas chose fruit from the wrong tree and went with the devil. This is the same picture of what happened in the Garden of Eden: God saw what was going on between the serpent and Adam and Eve, but God left them alone to make their choice.
What then, will you do about Jesus, whom is called Christ? The Holy Spirit reveals to your mind that Jesus is the Son of God and you believe that. Now, if you will receive Christ from your mind to your heart, you will be saved from your sin. For Judas also believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but Judas never accepted Jesus in his own heart, therefore he became the son of perdition.
Judas Iscariot was like a church member, as a person who associates himself with Jesus. By hanging out with Jesus and as a member of the Twelve Disciples, it was easy for others to assume that Judas believed in the person he was following, just as it is easy for us to believe that a person believes in Jesus because he goes to church. Judas was with the Lord for three and half years, he heard Jesus teach and preach, and he saw the miracles of the Lord just like the others. Judas had head knowledge of the Lord, but there is no evidence that any of the words that Jesus spoke lodged in his heart. He was also the most trustworthy of the disciples because he carried their money pouch, which also made him to appear unlikely to be a spy. His behavior, however, is the evidence of the condition of his heart.
Judas was a deceiver and he had the perfect cover for a devious plan. Knowing that there were people who wanted Jesus eliminated, Judas met with them and they were like a secret society: meeting in darkness, forming an evil plan from the mind of Satan to destroy Jesus, but out in the daylight Judas appeared to be as normal any other man of his community. Spies can do this: they can appear to be everything they are not.
In his heart, Judas was sneaky, sly, and a spy. He never said much, for the less people knew about him was better for his cover-up, and he certainly did not want to draw attention or suspicion to himself. Even when he was among others, he was a loner, and nobody noticed him missing when he attended secret meetings. Thirty pieces of silver was an attracive contract, a tidy sum that would provide him with financial independence and prominence in his community, and he had everybody who knew him hoodwinked: except Jesus. Jesus knew the evil that was in his heart and the Lord exposed him for what he was at the Last Supper.
While Jerusalem slept in the early morning hours on the day Jesus was crucified, Judas and his band of conspirators arrived in the garden under the cover of darkness to arrest Jesus. They were quiet and sneaky, just like Judas, for they did not want others to know of their deviant behavior as officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, which were the religious people from the local assembly. The others would not be able to recognize Jesus in the darkness, but they knew Judas could, which he did, and Judas Iscariot kissed the face of the Son of God in his final act of defiance, turned his back on the Lord---and never went to heaven. And after the crucifixion of the Lord, Judas committed suicide, dying an ugly and brutal death: he plunged: falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. (Book of Acts 1:18).
Like Judas, we also have opportunity to be saved from our sins by the Lord. We can hear about Jesus, we can believe in our minds that He is the Son of God, then, like Judas, we can turn our backs to him. We can have head knowledge of Jesus just like Judas did, but it is the heart that must be converted to Christ. By his action, however, it is doubful that Judas never had a desire to go to a place like heaven, or if he ever believed the words that Jesus spoke. Judas was interested in Judas, looking for a way to advance himself.
Beyond this, the best place for Satan to hide is in churches and religions, for these are the least likely places people expect the devil to be---surely not in the house of God!? So one of Satan's spies can be in churches and religions, too, for the spy is empowered with all the deceptiveness of Satan.
We should not be surprised, then, that the devil had infiltrated the camp of Jesus and His disciples. Jesus knew it. But for Judas (as for all of us) to have freewill and make his own choice, Jesus had to allow the devil to tempt Judas for him to make his choice when two choices are available. Judas chose fruit from the wrong tree and went with the devil. This is the same picture of what happened in the Garden of Eden: God saw what was going on between the serpent and Adam and Eve, but God left them alone to make their choice.
What then, will you do about Jesus, whom is called Christ? The Holy Spirit reveals to your mind that Jesus is the Son of God and you believe that. Now, if you will receive Christ from your mind to your heart, you will be saved from your sin. For Judas also believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but Judas never accepted Jesus in his own heart, therefore he became the son of perdition.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
OF GOD AND ME
Knowing God is not a religious experience. God is not in religion and religion is not in God.
We live in a world of confusion and the world has us confused about God; therefore, people have mixed God with religion and religion with God, making it easy to believe that the two are one. We can then say that because a person is religious he knows God, or if he speaks of God then he must be religious.
The blogs I write are out of my own experience. For you see I was a religious person for 46 years.
As a child, I was taken to church where I was taught when to sit, when to stand, when to pray, and when to say "Amen". I was taught how to dress appropriately for the "house of the Lord". In time, I learned how to do these behaviors all by myself! I was also taught how to do "daily Bible readings", how to memorize Bible verses, and then I learned how to study the Bible all by myself. For me, all of these behaviors were normal. And I could do them without God! When I became an adult, I began to compare myself with others: in my clothing standard, in my devotion to God, and in my Bible knowledge. I also compared myself to people who did not go to church as well as to people who went to churches that were different than mine, and even with people in my own congregation. For if anybody knew God it was me!
Early on an April morning in 1995, however, something happened. A still, small voice spoke to me and said, "You have never confessed to God that you are a sinner and you have never received Christ as your Savior." The voice was not heard with my physical ears, but rather internally. And in that moment of time I recognized that I did not know God. That is when I bowed on my knees, confessed to God that I was a sinner, and I invited Christ into my heart to save my from my sins. He did. And I felt an internal peace that I had never known before. Afterwards, I did not run across the moutains or through the streets, and I did not jump across pews, for I was not in church on that day. This was truly a quiet and humbling experience, not something for me to brag about, for it wasn't me that saved me, it was the Christ who was crucified in Jerusalem for my sin and for the sin of the world.
The past seventeen years have been delightful. Have all my ways pleased Him? No. Have I been perfect? Never. Do I make mistakes? Every day. Have I been a hypocrite at times? Certainly. For in all of my ways that are unpleasing to Him, I confess my wrongs, He forgives me, and I begin anew.
To read my story and hear me say "God spoke to me" sounds like a person who has either lost his mind, drunk, or "tripping out" on something. That was not the case. What I am sharing with you is the fact that God was not interested in my religion; He is interested in my heart and with me as a person.
So as I write to you about God and about religion, I now know the difference; for it is God who showed me this, not something I learned all by myself. For God is not interested in man's multitudes of religions and He is not interested in people being religious. What God is interested in is people seeing His Son, which is the sum total of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only did Christ save my soul, but He also saved me out of my bondage to religion.
God has plans for us that will be truly wonderful. You are invited to read the Word of God for yourself and know what a wonderful Lord we have!
Be still and know that I am God: (Psalm 46:10)
We live in a world of confusion and the world has us confused about God; therefore, people have mixed God with religion and religion with God, making it easy to believe that the two are one. We can then say that because a person is religious he knows God, or if he speaks of God then he must be religious.
The blogs I write are out of my own experience. For you see I was a religious person for 46 years.
As a child, I was taken to church where I was taught when to sit, when to stand, when to pray, and when to say "Amen". I was taught how to dress appropriately for the "house of the Lord". In time, I learned how to do these behaviors all by myself! I was also taught how to do "daily Bible readings", how to memorize Bible verses, and then I learned how to study the Bible all by myself. For me, all of these behaviors were normal. And I could do them without God! When I became an adult, I began to compare myself with others: in my clothing standard, in my devotion to God, and in my Bible knowledge. I also compared myself to people who did not go to church as well as to people who went to churches that were different than mine, and even with people in my own congregation. For if anybody knew God it was me!
Early on an April morning in 1995, however, something happened. A still, small voice spoke to me and said, "You have never confessed to God that you are a sinner and you have never received Christ as your Savior." The voice was not heard with my physical ears, but rather internally. And in that moment of time I recognized that I did not know God. That is when I bowed on my knees, confessed to God that I was a sinner, and I invited Christ into my heart to save my from my sins. He did. And I felt an internal peace that I had never known before. Afterwards, I did not run across the moutains or through the streets, and I did not jump across pews, for I was not in church on that day. This was truly a quiet and humbling experience, not something for me to brag about, for it wasn't me that saved me, it was the Christ who was crucified in Jerusalem for my sin and for the sin of the world.
The past seventeen years have been delightful. Have all my ways pleased Him? No. Have I been perfect? Never. Do I make mistakes? Every day. Have I been a hypocrite at times? Certainly. For in all of my ways that are unpleasing to Him, I confess my wrongs, He forgives me, and I begin anew.
To read my story and hear me say "God spoke to me" sounds like a person who has either lost his mind, drunk, or "tripping out" on something. That was not the case. What I am sharing with you is the fact that God was not interested in my religion; He is interested in my heart and with me as a person.
So as I write to you about God and about religion, I now know the difference; for it is God who showed me this, not something I learned all by myself. For God is not interested in man's multitudes of religions and He is not interested in people being religious. What God is interested in is people seeing His Son, which is the sum total of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only did Christ save my soul, but He also saved me out of my bondage to religion.
God has plans for us that will be truly wonderful. You are invited to read the Word of God for yourself and know what a wonderful Lord we have!
Be still and know that I am God: (Psalm 46:10)
SEDUCTION OF THE CHURCH
.
And after the ascension of Jesus in Jerusalem, twelve apostles and many disciples embarked on journeys to take the Gospel of Christ to a world that knew not God. Their message would not be welcome; their mission not easy.
In the first year after the resurrection of Jesus, at least 2,000 believers were executed in Jerusalem; and for the next 300 years, Roman emperors persecuted thousands and thousands of believers: they were scourged, dipped in oil and set on fire, beheaded, hanged, thrown to wild animals, and cruicified.
Still, the church of Jesus grew as believers met in church-houses to worship the Lord; and because they refused to make sacrifices to pagan idols, they suffered.
In 312 A.D., Constantine the Great, the emperor of Rome, converted to Christianity, and he declared Christianity to be a legal religion as well as the state religion of the Empire.
This was strange: after persecuting believers for 300 years, why did Rome suddenly turn the other cheek? Why did Rome embrace a belief that was in direct conflict with its own religious system?
Because pagans had temples and shrines in which to worship their idols, Constantine believed that Christians should also have buildings where they could worship their God. Thus, Constantine initiated a massive and expensive building program to erect churches for Christians: in Constantinople, in Rome, all over Italy, in Jerusalem, and throughout the Roman Empire.
Out of a pagan mentality, Constantine named churches after the names of Christians of the New Testament. He elevated the names of deceased apostles and important disciples, bringing their images into the buildings to be adored and offered prayers just as the pagans did with dead people. Pews were brought in the churches so that Christians could sit and be comfortable instead of standing as pagans were required to stand in their temples.
Moreover, pagan priests became Christian priests, wearing elaborate costumes, introducing rituals in meetings with chantings and pageantry, followed by the addition of pagan choirs. Memberships grew, money offerings increased immensely, and Christianity became a lucrative enterprise. To help manage the money, government officials also became priests to become financial ministers, for the money was good for the Empire! In time, an order of worship was instituted and every church in the Empire followed the same religious script. Believers now had priests, not pastors and deacons, and they were supervised in how to worship.
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field"---we are told in Genesis 3:1.
Just as the serpent seduced Adam and Eve to eat fruit from the forbidden tree, the devil also influenced people to embrace Christianity as a religion, erect buildings, and the buildings became traps: people had been deceived and their minds were transformed to become religious puppets of the state and therefore prisoners of religion. Christ would decrease and become virtually invisible as the Son of God in a sea of religious pomp and pageantry, but merely seen as a god among many gods, or as an idol. For now, religion had power over the people. They had been seduced by attractive buildings and distracted from their purpose of the Gospel of Christ.
This change produced a time of great sorrow as a cloud of spiritual darkness swept across nations; for even up to the Protestant Reformation and beyond, people were forbidden to worship Christ in their own way, reading the Word of God in their own languages was also forbidden, and persecutions continued.
The Greek word for "church" is ekklesia, which means a "body of people", not buildings. This is the word Jesus used when he spoke of his church. The disciples and apostles of that time understood what Jesus meant when he said ekklesia, which is why buildings or religious institutions cannot contain the church of Jesus.
The moral of this story is this:
Constantine's construction of churches was a work out of his own pride, a tribute to himself and his own glory, and the buildings became places where people could be comfortable in their worship of idols while never being told the truth about Christ the Lord, but rather as a place where Jesus would be seen as a baby in his mother's arms.
And after the ascension of Jesus in Jerusalem, twelve apostles and many disciples embarked on journeys to take the Gospel of Christ to a world that knew not God. Their message would not be welcome; their mission not easy.
In the first year after the resurrection of Jesus, at least 2,000 believers were executed in Jerusalem; and for the next 300 years, Roman emperors persecuted thousands and thousands of believers: they were scourged, dipped in oil and set on fire, beheaded, hanged, thrown to wild animals, and cruicified.
Still, the church of Jesus grew as believers met in church-houses to worship the Lord; and because they refused to make sacrifices to pagan idols, they suffered.
In 312 A.D., Constantine the Great, the emperor of Rome, converted to Christianity, and he declared Christianity to be a legal religion as well as the state religion of the Empire.
This was strange: after persecuting believers for 300 years, why did Rome suddenly turn the other cheek? Why did Rome embrace a belief that was in direct conflict with its own religious system?
Because pagans had temples and shrines in which to worship their idols, Constantine believed that Christians should also have buildings where they could worship their God. Thus, Constantine initiated a massive and expensive building program to erect churches for Christians: in Constantinople, in Rome, all over Italy, in Jerusalem, and throughout the Roman Empire.
Out of a pagan mentality, Constantine named churches after the names of Christians of the New Testament. He elevated the names of deceased apostles and important disciples, bringing their images into the buildings to be adored and offered prayers just as the pagans did with dead people. Pews were brought in the churches so that Christians could sit and be comfortable instead of standing as pagans were required to stand in their temples.
Moreover, pagan priests became Christian priests, wearing elaborate costumes, introducing rituals in meetings with chantings and pageantry, followed by the addition of pagan choirs. Memberships grew, money offerings increased immensely, and Christianity became a lucrative enterprise. To help manage the money, government officials also became priests to become financial ministers, for the money was good for the Empire! In time, an order of worship was instituted and every church in the Empire followed the same religious script. Believers now had priests, not pastors and deacons, and they were supervised in how to worship.
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field"---we are told in Genesis 3:1.
Just as the serpent seduced Adam and Eve to eat fruit from the forbidden tree, the devil also influenced people to embrace Christianity as a religion, erect buildings, and the buildings became traps: people had been deceived and their minds were transformed to become religious puppets of the state and therefore prisoners of religion. Christ would decrease and become virtually invisible as the Son of God in a sea of religious pomp and pageantry, but merely seen as a god among many gods, or as an idol. For now, religion had power over the people. They had been seduced by attractive buildings and distracted from their purpose of the Gospel of Christ.
This change produced a time of great sorrow as a cloud of spiritual darkness swept across nations; for even up to the Protestant Reformation and beyond, people were forbidden to worship Christ in their own way, reading the Word of God in their own languages was also forbidden, and persecutions continued.
The Greek word for "church" is ekklesia, which means a "body of people", not buildings. This is the word Jesus used when he spoke of his church. The disciples and apostles of that time understood what Jesus meant when he said ekklesia, which is why buildings or religious institutions cannot contain the church of Jesus.
The moral of this story is this:
Constantine's construction of churches was a work out of his own pride, a tribute to himself and his own glory, and the buildings became places where people could be comfortable in their worship of idols while never being told the truth about Christ the Lord, but rather as a place where Jesus would be seen as a baby in his mother's arms.
Monday, December 12, 2011
IMAGINATION
Human imagination operates exactly like a television.
Television and imagination produce images.
Television and imagination images are not real.
We can turn the channel of television and imagination and see other images.
Television and imagination can produce new images and re-run old images.
Images can be programmed into our minds by television and imagination, and we can also program images in the minds of others from television and imagination.
Our imaginations can imagine a god, and we can also worship the god of our imagination and thereby have an idol within our own minds and worship the idol.
Religion is an image, or creation, out of human imagination. It has no life or life-sustaining capability, therefore it is not real. Idols of religion are also not real because these are also products of imagination.
If we, therefore, have an image of "a god" in our minds, then he will do no more or no less than what we imagine him to do, for we have written a script of him with our imagination; or the script has been written in our minds for us.
Religion and imagination are deceptions: we can believe that we are actually worshipping the one true God, when in fact we are believing and worshipping a created image.
Being a religious person does not necessarily mean than you know God, but rather you simply know the god of your religion; and your god cannot forgive sin because he is an idol created in your own mind. This means that you have been deceived into believing in something that is not true.
Even Christ can be an image of religion, created in the minds of people, and they will believe in the idol by the power of imagination. This is an illusion, a work of deception. For Christ has no fellowship with man's religions, nor with man's religious idols.
Knowing Christ, therefore, is about a relationship with Him: for it was Christ who died on the cross for our sins; and because life "is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11) neither religion nor imagination have life because neither has blood: neither can either forgive us for sin, nor give us eternal life.
For further information, you are invited to read the Word of God for yourself and allow God to help you to understand Him more clearly. Please do not rely on religion or imagination for this important decision.
Television and imagination produce images.
Television and imagination images are not real.
We can turn the channel of television and imagination and see other images.
Television and imagination can produce new images and re-run old images.
Images can be programmed into our minds by television and imagination, and we can also program images in the minds of others from television and imagination.
Our imaginations can imagine a god, and we can also worship the god of our imagination and thereby have an idol within our own minds and worship the idol.
Religion is an image, or creation, out of human imagination. It has no life or life-sustaining capability, therefore it is not real. Idols of religion are also not real because these are also products of imagination.
If we, therefore, have an image of "a god" in our minds, then he will do no more or no less than what we imagine him to do, for we have written a script of him with our imagination; or the script has been written in our minds for us.
Religion and imagination are deceptions: we can believe that we are actually worshipping the one true God, when in fact we are believing and worshipping a created image.
Being a religious person does not necessarily mean than you know God, but rather you simply know the god of your religion; and your god cannot forgive sin because he is an idol created in your own mind. This means that you have been deceived into believing in something that is not true.
Even Christ can be an image of religion, created in the minds of people, and they will believe in the idol by the power of imagination. This is an illusion, a work of deception. For Christ has no fellowship with man's religions, nor with man's religious idols.
Knowing Christ, therefore, is about a relationship with Him: for it was Christ who died on the cross for our sins; and because life "is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11) neither religion nor imagination have life because neither has blood: neither can either forgive us for sin, nor give us eternal life.
For further information, you are invited to read the Word of God for yourself and allow God to help you to understand Him more clearly. Please do not rely on religion or imagination for this important decision.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
THEN CAME JESUS!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ has had more impact on human history than any person who has ever lived, of any nation, any language, and even calendars and keeping of time were reset because of him with the letters B.C. and A.D.
Jesus never sat on the throne of any earthly kingdom: he was never a King, never a Pharoah, never a Caesar, never a President, and was never the heir to the throne of a Queen.
For all the earthly kings and queens of every kingdom throughout human history, not one of them was ever cruicified for you or me or for any person who has ever lived upon the earth, and never did they ever spill one drop of blood for their own people.
Jesus walked wherever he went, never owned a tract of land, never owned a home, sandals were the only shoes he ever had, and the only writing he ever accomplished was when he wrote with his finger in the sand.
More books, poetry, and songs have been written about Jesus than for any earthly King, Queen, Pharoah, Caesar, or President, dead or living.
More human blood has been spilt by more people for Jesus than for any earthly King, Queen, Pharoah, Caesar, or President, dead or living.
Yet, to the world that knows him not, his name is hated and cursed more than the names of any King, Queen, Pharoah, Caesar, or President, dead or living.
His name as words of profanity were never used while he was living; or even after he died. But after his resurrection, all things changed: he wasn't supposed to do that!
Jesus never sat on the throne of any earthly kingdom: he was never a King, never a Pharoah, never a Caesar, never a President, and was never the heir to the throne of a Queen.
For all the earthly kings and queens of every kingdom throughout human history, not one of them was ever cruicified for you or me or for any person who has ever lived upon the earth, and never did they ever spill one drop of blood for their own people.
Jesus walked wherever he went, never owned a tract of land, never owned a home, sandals were the only shoes he ever had, and the only writing he ever accomplished was when he wrote with his finger in the sand.
More books, poetry, and songs have been written about Jesus than for any earthly King, Queen, Pharoah, Caesar, or President, dead or living.
More human blood has been spilt by more people for Jesus than for any earthly King, Queen, Pharoah, Caesar, or President, dead or living.
Yet, to the world that knows him not, his name is hated and cursed more than the names of any King, Queen, Pharoah, Caesar, or President, dead or living.
His name as words of profanity were never used while he was living; or even after he died. But after his resurrection, all things changed: he wasn't supposed to do that!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
THE GREAT WAR
Over the past 2,000 years, more people have heard about Jesus Christ than any person who has ever lived. In this time, too, people have heard about the Garden of Eden, about the serpent, about the Great Flood of Noah, and they have heard about the Bible.
Since the time that Jesus was crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem, millions of believers in him have been executed simply because they refused to stop talking about him and all of the wonderful works of God. For nothing more than translating the Bible to other languages, men have been beheaded. And many, who never learned how to read, have been butchered.
At this time, common sense should say: is there something going on that I do not understand? Why has so much attention been bestowed on this person by the name of Jesus? Why have millions of believers been put to death? Is there something about the Garden of Eden, the Flood of Noah, and the Bible that is more than just hearing about?
Beloved, we are engaged in a great war---a war not heard with human ears, nor seen with human eyes. It is an invisible war, the evidence of which is clearly seen in our physical world, which is a trail of innocent blood upon the earth.
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! 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: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Book of Isaiah 14:12-14).
Lucifer is the serpent that came to deceive Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he has been deceiving people since that time. He wanted to be God, for which God cast him out of heaven. Since we are created in the image of God, the devil made a declaration of war against people to deceive us from believing in God. In the minds of evil men, he hatched the idea that they, too, could be God and rule the earth. And the evidence of man's empires across human history has been man's attempt to form a new world order, to control and dominate people. All of these empires collapsed.
Thus, the New World Order that is being transmitted today is the same evil plan of Lucifer. For more than two hundred years, evil men have been working secretly to execute this plan, built by lies and deception, whereby the earth will be ruled by a world government with a world religion, neither of which is from God, but only appears to be. Even the language of this New World Order was chosen to be English.
Consider, also, the color blue and how it is used in subtle ways to denote peace and tranquility: by the United Nations, European Union, China, United States, Israel, corporate logos, as well as the dominate color of Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook, and even in a major department store (with blue walls) where millions of people go shopping every day.
In spiritual symbolism, blue is considered to be the heavenly color. Blue is therefore used as an attraction to a system that will appear to be peace and tranquility, when, in reality, there will be no peace or tranquility. Is this an accident? God forbid!
We are therefore engaged in this great war, as invisible as it is, but clearly visible if we will open our minds and hearts to Christ and see the world through his eyes, for even Christ spoke of this very topic; and the Lord gave us signs, which are contained in the Word of God, because the Lord wants us to know the truth.
This war is also silent. In time, however, we will hear it.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:6).
Since the time that Jesus was crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem, millions of believers in him have been executed simply because they refused to stop talking about him and all of the wonderful works of God. For nothing more than translating the Bible to other languages, men have been beheaded. And many, who never learned how to read, have been butchered.
At this time, common sense should say: is there something going on that I do not understand? Why has so much attention been bestowed on this person by the name of Jesus? Why have millions of believers been put to death? Is there something about the Garden of Eden, the Flood of Noah, and the Bible that is more than just hearing about?
Beloved, we are engaged in a great war---a war not heard with human ears, nor seen with human eyes. It is an invisible war, the evidence of which is clearly seen in our physical world, which is a trail of innocent blood upon the earth.
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! 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: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Book of Isaiah 14:12-14).
Lucifer is the serpent that came to deceive Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he has been deceiving people since that time. He wanted to be God, for which God cast him out of heaven. Since we are created in the image of God, the devil made a declaration of war against people to deceive us from believing in God. In the minds of evil men, he hatched the idea that they, too, could be God and rule the earth. And the evidence of man's empires across human history has been man's attempt to form a new world order, to control and dominate people. All of these empires collapsed.
Thus, the New World Order that is being transmitted today is the same evil plan of Lucifer. For more than two hundred years, evil men have been working secretly to execute this plan, built by lies and deception, whereby the earth will be ruled by a world government with a world religion, neither of which is from God, but only appears to be. Even the language of this New World Order was chosen to be English.
Consider, also, the color blue and how it is used in subtle ways to denote peace and tranquility: by the United Nations, European Union, China, United States, Israel, corporate logos, as well as the dominate color of Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook, and even in a major department store (with blue walls) where millions of people go shopping every day.
In spiritual symbolism, blue is considered to be the heavenly color. Blue is therefore used as an attraction to a system that will appear to be peace and tranquility, when, in reality, there will be no peace or tranquility. Is this an accident? God forbid!
We are therefore engaged in this great war, as invisible as it is, but clearly visible if we will open our minds and hearts to Christ and see the world through his eyes, for even Christ spoke of this very topic; and the Lord gave us signs, which are contained in the Word of God, because the Lord wants us to know the truth.
This war is also silent. In time, however, we will hear it.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:6).
THEN CAME THE MORNING
And after the death of Jesus on the cross, Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate to beg for the body of Jesus in order to give the Lord a proper burial according to the Jewish tradition.
Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was dead so soon, for the Roman method of crucifixion was not designed to kill people quickly; instead, it was a form of punishment that would produce extreme pain and extended suffering, torture was purposely prolonged, and death was thereby delayed for several hours or even days before victims suffocated. When Pilate conferred with the centurion on this matter, thus confirming that Jesus was dead, he consented to Joseph's request.
Returning to Golgotha, the place where prisoners were executed, Joseph took the body of Jesus, wrapped him in fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre hewn out of rock, and which had been purchased by Joseph. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were there, too, since they had followed Jesus from Galilee, bringing with them spices and ointments. Nicodemus, a priest of the Jews, brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes.
Perhaps it is fitting to say here that these believers were stunned and even somber as they beheld the body of Jesus---the man they could not recognize from the scourging he had received by the hands of the Roman soldiers as well as from his punishment on the cross. Nevertheless, they quietly performed their duty and closed the door of the tomb.
Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah wrote of the Messiah: his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men; he hath no more comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Early in the morning on the third day since Jesus' death, his resurrection was as silent as his birth had been in Bethlehem. There were no trumpets blasting, no singers singing, and no shoutings from the roof tops, for making noise was not his way. His life was an example of humility, as was his death, and so was his resurrection. His life and his message were not to draw attention to himself, for such attention he did not seek. Everything he did was for us and not for himself. He gave his life freely that we, who will trust in him by faith, will be forgiven for our sins and live again also. This is the simple message of Jesus.
Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was dead so soon, for the Roman method of crucifixion was not designed to kill people quickly; instead, it was a form of punishment that would produce extreme pain and extended suffering, torture was purposely prolonged, and death was thereby delayed for several hours or even days before victims suffocated. When Pilate conferred with the centurion on this matter, thus confirming that Jesus was dead, he consented to Joseph's request.
Returning to Golgotha, the place where prisoners were executed, Joseph took the body of Jesus, wrapped him in fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre hewn out of rock, and which had been purchased by Joseph. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were there, too, since they had followed Jesus from Galilee, bringing with them spices and ointments. Nicodemus, a priest of the Jews, brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes.
Perhaps it is fitting to say here that these believers were stunned and even somber as they beheld the body of Jesus---the man they could not recognize from the scourging he had received by the hands of the Roman soldiers as well as from his punishment on the cross. Nevertheless, they quietly performed their duty and closed the door of the tomb.
Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah wrote of the Messiah: his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men; he hath no more comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Early in the morning on the third day since Jesus' death, his resurrection was as silent as his birth had been in Bethlehem. There were no trumpets blasting, no singers singing, and no shoutings from the roof tops, for making noise was not his way. His life was an example of humility, as was his death, and so was his resurrection. His life and his message were not to draw attention to himself, for such attention he did not seek. Everything he did was for us and not for himself. He gave his life freely that we, who will trust in him by faith, will be forgiven for our sins and live again also. This is the simple message of Jesus.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
GODS OF THE UNIVERSE
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. (Book of Genesis 3:1)
The word subtil is from the Hebrew word subtilis, which means sly, artful, cunning, crafty, deceitful, treacherous; as in how subtil heated water becomes steam or vapor, and the water eventually disappears.
The serpent, therefore, and with his subtilty, has turned the minds of people away from the knowledge of God, or that God, like the water, has disappeared, or never existed at all.
With his subtility, the serpent has also deceived people to believe that even the serpent himself does not exist.
Moreover, the serpent has deceived people to believe that Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, and Great Flood of Noah are nothing more than myths and fairy tales from a book (the Bible) that is also a collection, to them, of myths and fairy tales.
For thousands of years, however, man has built enormous temples and shrines across the face of the earth for worship of his gods of the universe: the sun, moon, stars, planets, and even the earth itself. In this time, they ordained priests and priestesses, prophets and prophetesses, to administer rites and rituals in worship of their gods not made with hands, and the worship of earth itself is reviered as Mother Earth, as well as things of the earth such as birds, plants, frogs, rivers, and creeping things, including images, symbols, and relics. He has enshrined dead people to the place of diety where even they are worshipped and offered prayers. From time to time, men gave diety to certain men by the belief that these men are gods on earth, infallible and incapable of sin or wrongdoing as mortals, and even to offer humans as sacrifices on their altars of the temples to appease their gods of the universe, all of which is man's making of his own religions for himself and out of his own evil and continual imaginations.
This doesn't sound like myths and fairy tales, does it?
The serpent, therefore, has not only persuaded people not to believe in God, but, at the same time, he has persuaded people to believe: in the gods of the universe! This the serpent has done and the evidence of which is written across human history as well as in the minds of people, who believe the serpent instead of God.
As the apostles of Christ departed Jerusalem to take the Good News of Jesus to the uttermost parts of the world, the world they saw and entered was the world as described above: to people who had no knowledge of God, and who worshipped creation and not their Creator.
And the world they saw then is much like the world we live in today: for even now the serpent knows that Jesus arose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; but with his subtilty, he convinces people that Jesus was defeated on the cross and is still dead. Therefore, the serpent's profile has never changed: he is a liar and the father of lies. But Jesus is alive for evermore!
.
The word subtil is from the Hebrew word subtilis, which means sly, artful, cunning, crafty, deceitful, treacherous; as in how subtil heated water becomes steam or vapor, and the water eventually disappears.
The serpent, therefore, and with his subtilty, has turned the minds of people away from the knowledge of God, or that God, like the water, has disappeared, or never existed at all.
With his subtility, the serpent has also deceived people to believe that even the serpent himself does not exist.
Moreover, the serpent has deceived people to believe that Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, and Great Flood of Noah are nothing more than myths and fairy tales from a book (the Bible) that is also a collection, to them, of myths and fairy tales.
For thousands of years, however, man has built enormous temples and shrines across the face of the earth for worship of his gods of the universe: the sun, moon, stars, planets, and even the earth itself. In this time, they ordained priests and priestesses, prophets and prophetesses, to administer rites and rituals in worship of their gods not made with hands, and the worship of earth itself is reviered as Mother Earth, as well as things of the earth such as birds, plants, frogs, rivers, and creeping things, including images, symbols, and relics. He has enshrined dead people to the place of diety where even they are worshipped and offered prayers. From time to time, men gave diety to certain men by the belief that these men are gods on earth, infallible and incapable of sin or wrongdoing as mortals, and even to offer humans as sacrifices on their altars of the temples to appease their gods of the universe, all of which is man's making of his own religions for himself and out of his own evil and continual imaginations.
This doesn't sound like myths and fairy tales, does it?
The serpent, therefore, has not only persuaded people not to believe in God, but, at the same time, he has persuaded people to believe: in the gods of the universe! This the serpent has done and the evidence of which is written across human history as well as in the minds of people, who believe the serpent instead of God.
As the apostles of Christ departed Jerusalem to take the Good News of Jesus to the uttermost parts of the world, the world they saw and entered was the world as described above: to people who had no knowledge of God, and who worshipped creation and not their Creator.
And the world they saw then is much like the world we live in today: for even now the serpent knows that Jesus arose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; but with his subtilty, he convinces people that Jesus was defeated on the cross and is still dead. Therefore, the serpent's profile has never changed: he is a liar and the father of lies. But Jesus is alive for evermore!
.
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
In my previous blog, I wrote about the apostles of Jesus; yet, there is another portion of the day of Pentecost that is of vital importance. Please read this carefully, will you?
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Book of Acts 2:1-4).
It is clear to see, therefore, that the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles with the ability to speak languages in order for them to effectively communicate the Message of Jesus to people in nations where the apostles traveled: to Britain, Turkey, Ethiopia, Persia, Armenia, Alexandria, India, to nations of the Mediterranean, and, eventually, to the uttermost parts of the world. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were not babbling, nor speaking in unknown tongues.
The story in Acts continues:
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans, and Arabians, and we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
One attribute Almighty God has is common sense. He wants us to know His Son and to understand the Message of his messengers, in clear and concise ways of communication. God does not confuse, but rather simplifies. He wants us to hear and understand the wonderful works of God!
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Book of Acts 2:1-4).
It is clear to see, therefore, that the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles with the ability to speak languages in order for them to effectively communicate the Message of Jesus to people in nations where the apostles traveled: to Britain, Turkey, Ethiopia, Persia, Armenia, Alexandria, India, to nations of the Mediterranean, and, eventually, to the uttermost parts of the world. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were not babbling, nor speaking in unknown tongues.
The story in Acts continues:
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans, and Arabians, and we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
One attribute Almighty God has is common sense. He wants us to know His Son and to understand the Message of his messengers, in clear and concise ways of communication. God does not confuse, but rather simplifies. He wants us to hear and understand the wonderful works of God!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS
When Jesus began his Messianic mission at age thirty, he called out twelve men to be his disciples, who were also called apostles. A disciple is a pupil; an apostle is a messenger.
Peter and Andrew were brothers as were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Peter was also known as Simon Peter. After that, there were Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (called Zelotes), Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, the traitor.
These men were the twelve disciples; later they would become apostles. In time, however, and as more and more people came to believe in Jesus, they also became disciples even though they were not part of the original twelve, chosen by Jesus. As Jesus passed by these twelve men, he simply said "follow me" and immediately they stopped what they were doing and followed him. They walked and talked with Jesus. They listened to Jesus teach and preach. They witnessed the miracles he performed. They watched him pray. In short, Jesus was training twelve men to become the leaders of his Message.
Many times and in many places, Jesus told the twelve that they and future believers would suffer, be persecuted, and die just as Jesus would be persecuted and die. Perhaps the twelve did not understand the full meaning of his words. Neither did they understand why Jesus would die and even be resurrected from the grave. This was news to them, for they had never known anyone to come back to life after dying. But in Jerusalem they watched Jesus die, and after the resurrection of the Lord, they were there.
After the ascension of the Lord, the disciples were in a bit of confusion and with no organization. Their leader was gone. For them to become apostles, something had to happen. They met, they talked, they had discussions. What the apostles lacked, however, was power. For Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem, which they did, and when the day of Pentecost arrived, each of them was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now they could do that which they could not do by themselves, for now they had the power of God with them.
The apostles were pioneers: sharing the Word of Jesus to people who had never heard of him, to people who had no knowledge of Christ, across language and cultural barriers, and into lands they had never been before; blazing trails that future believers would follow, and which, eventually, would take the good news of Christ to every continent. In time, they came to understand the words that Jesus had told them about suffering, persecution, and death.
Initially, Jesus spoke two words, "follow me", and these men arose and followed Jesus. It may be difficult for us to understand, and perhaps it is not necessary for us to know, how or why these men made that decision so easily. Without question or reluctance, they followed Jesus, and their lives were never same thereafter.
John, brother of James, (the sons of Zebedee) was the only apostle to live and die at an elderly age.
James, brother of John, was beheaded in Judea in 44 A.D.
James, son of Alphaeus, was beaten, stoned, and clubbed to death in Jerusalem at age 94.
Jude, brother of James, was crucified in Edessa, Greece, in 72 A.D.
Matthew was killed with a weapon that had a blade and spike in Nadabah, Ethiopia, in 60 A.D.
Simon Peter was crucified upside down in Rome.
Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, was crucified in Edessa, Greece.
Simon (called Zelotes) was crucified in Britain in 74 A.D.
Thomas was thrust through with a spear in India.
Bartholomew was skinned and beheaded in Armenia.
Philip was scourged, imprisoned, and crucified in Heliopolis, Phrygia (Turkey) in 54 A.D.
Paul, who replaced Judas Iscariot, was beheaded in Rome.
Mark and Luke were not apostles, but disciples, and they wrote the gospels of Mark and Luke.
Luke was hanged from an olive tree in Greece at age 84.
Mark was dragged to death in Alexandria, Egypt.
These men gave their lives for Christ and they were also the writers of the New Testament.
You are invited to read their stories.
Peter and Andrew were brothers as were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Peter was also known as Simon Peter. After that, there were Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (called Zelotes), Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, the traitor.
These men were the twelve disciples; later they would become apostles. In time, however, and as more and more people came to believe in Jesus, they also became disciples even though they were not part of the original twelve, chosen by Jesus. As Jesus passed by these twelve men, he simply said "follow me" and immediately they stopped what they were doing and followed him. They walked and talked with Jesus. They listened to Jesus teach and preach. They witnessed the miracles he performed. They watched him pray. In short, Jesus was training twelve men to become the leaders of his Message.
Many times and in many places, Jesus told the twelve that they and future believers would suffer, be persecuted, and die just as Jesus would be persecuted and die. Perhaps the twelve did not understand the full meaning of his words. Neither did they understand why Jesus would die and even be resurrected from the grave. This was news to them, for they had never known anyone to come back to life after dying. But in Jerusalem they watched Jesus die, and after the resurrection of the Lord, they were there.
After the ascension of the Lord, the disciples were in a bit of confusion and with no organization. Their leader was gone. For them to become apostles, something had to happen. They met, they talked, they had discussions. What the apostles lacked, however, was power. For Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem, which they did, and when the day of Pentecost arrived, each of them was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now they could do that which they could not do by themselves, for now they had the power of God with them.
The apostles were pioneers: sharing the Word of Jesus to people who had never heard of him, to people who had no knowledge of Christ, across language and cultural barriers, and into lands they had never been before; blazing trails that future believers would follow, and which, eventually, would take the good news of Christ to every continent. In time, they came to understand the words that Jesus had told them about suffering, persecution, and death.
Initially, Jesus spoke two words, "follow me", and these men arose and followed Jesus. It may be difficult for us to understand, and perhaps it is not necessary for us to know, how or why these men made that decision so easily. Without question or reluctance, they followed Jesus, and their lives were never same thereafter.
John, brother of James, (the sons of Zebedee) was the only apostle to live and die at an elderly age.
James, brother of John, was beheaded in Judea in 44 A.D.
James, son of Alphaeus, was beaten, stoned, and clubbed to death in Jerusalem at age 94.
Jude, brother of James, was crucified in Edessa, Greece, in 72 A.D.
Matthew was killed with a weapon that had a blade and spike in Nadabah, Ethiopia, in 60 A.D.
Simon Peter was crucified upside down in Rome.
Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, was crucified in Edessa, Greece.
Simon (called Zelotes) was crucified in Britain in 74 A.D.
Thomas was thrust through with a spear in India.
Bartholomew was skinned and beheaded in Armenia.
Philip was scourged, imprisoned, and crucified in Heliopolis, Phrygia (Turkey) in 54 A.D.
Paul, who replaced Judas Iscariot, was beheaded in Rome.
Mark and Luke were not apostles, but disciples, and they wrote the gospels of Mark and Luke.
Luke was hanged from an olive tree in Greece at age 84.
Mark was dragged to death in Alexandria, Egypt.
These men gave their lives for Christ and they were also the writers of the New Testament.
You are invited to read their stories.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
CHANGE
First, if you can change the minds of children, you can change the course of a nation in two to three generations. As the older citizens pass away, the fundamentals of their beliefs pass away, too.
In slow and subtle ways, our nation has undergone a transformation, beginning in the minds of children. Here in the United States, we are on the edge of a major shift: instead of having a government by the people, we will, in time, have a people by the government; and we, therefore, will become subjects of the state and our civil liberties will vanish.
Toddlers and young children do not know the difference between truth and lies. All they know are words they hear; and words, like seeds, root and grow. Therefore, if their little minds are told lies, they will live those words as if they are truth.
Furthermore, if you can change the minds of children around the world, you can change the course of the entire population of the earth. Just like the United States, the entire world is on the edge of a global government, at which time no nation will have civil liberties.
Instruments of change are these: television, radio, records, CDs, DVDs, movies, books, magazines, writers, photographs, music and musicians, actors and actresses, lawyers and politicians, family and friends, animation, and the internet. In droplets of lies, in slow and subtle ways, childrens minds have learned how to live and what to believe according to the words they have heard and read.
Secondly, if you can change the minds of children about God, you can produce a Godless nation in two to three generations. And if you can change the minds of children about God around the world, you will have global Godlessness.
The instruments of this change are the same as listed above with one exception: the teachings of multiple religions with multiple false prophets. Instead of leading people to God, they are and have been leading people away from God. This is a work of deception: in slow and subtle ways, by people that people trust, in droplets of lies that sound like truth.
One religion is Paganism: the belief that idols and relics and people are holy and with supernatural powers. Thus, in slow and subtle ways, they changed the minds of children about the Christ of Christmas with Santa Claus, and they changed the minds of children about the resurrection of the Lord with a bunny rabbit, which are two methods out of Paganism. Holy days became holidays, the Sabbath Day became Sunday, Christmas became Xmas, Easter break became spring break, the Holy Bible became a Good Book, God became the man upstairs, the Son of God became a prophet, and little children became adults.
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; (2 Corinthians 11:14,15).
All that I am presenting today is nothing new under the sun. It has been done before, and it shall so happen again: change is not good when God is not wanted.
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. (Gospel of Luke 23:28).
In slow and subtle ways, our nation has undergone a transformation, beginning in the minds of children. Here in the United States, we are on the edge of a major shift: instead of having a government by the people, we will, in time, have a people by the government; and we, therefore, will become subjects of the state and our civil liberties will vanish.
Toddlers and young children do not know the difference between truth and lies. All they know are words they hear; and words, like seeds, root and grow. Therefore, if their little minds are told lies, they will live those words as if they are truth.
Furthermore, if you can change the minds of children around the world, you can change the course of the entire population of the earth. Just like the United States, the entire world is on the edge of a global government, at which time no nation will have civil liberties.
Instruments of change are these: television, radio, records, CDs, DVDs, movies, books, magazines, writers, photographs, music and musicians, actors and actresses, lawyers and politicians, family and friends, animation, and the internet. In droplets of lies, in slow and subtle ways, childrens minds have learned how to live and what to believe according to the words they have heard and read.
Secondly, if you can change the minds of children about God, you can produce a Godless nation in two to three generations. And if you can change the minds of children about God around the world, you will have global Godlessness.
The instruments of this change are the same as listed above with one exception: the teachings of multiple religions with multiple false prophets. Instead of leading people to God, they are and have been leading people away from God. This is a work of deception: in slow and subtle ways, by people that people trust, in droplets of lies that sound like truth.
One religion is Paganism: the belief that idols and relics and people are holy and with supernatural powers. Thus, in slow and subtle ways, they changed the minds of children about the Christ of Christmas with Santa Claus, and they changed the minds of children about the resurrection of the Lord with a bunny rabbit, which are two methods out of Paganism. Holy days became holidays, the Sabbath Day became Sunday, Christmas became Xmas, Easter break became spring break, the Holy Bible became a Good Book, God became the man upstairs, the Son of God became a prophet, and little children became adults.
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; (2 Corinthians 11:14,15).
All that I am presenting today is nothing new under the sun. It has been done before, and it shall so happen again: change is not good when God is not wanted.
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. (Gospel of Luke 23:28).
Monday, December 5, 2011
THE CHURCH OF JESUS
To me, Jesus never came to earth to launch or begin a new or different religion. He came to restore man's relationship with God: one on one and face to face.
To begin, the word "religion" is used 5 times in the New Testament, the word "Christian" is used 3 times, and the word "church" appears 114 times in the New Testament.
For the record, Jesus never used the word "religion" nor the word "Christian" throughout his ministry.
The word "church" is the Greek word "ekklesia". To the Greeks, ekklesia means "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly".
The New Testament writers understood this Greek word "ekklesia"; therefore, the "church" to them was the word "ekklesia", an assembly or congregation of believers in Christ Jesus. As the apostles built churches, this was the establishment of congregations of people. Believers met in church-houses, for under the Roman Empire they had no rights such as "religious liberty" and they certainly did not attempt to construct church buildings.
Today, it is difficult for people to think about God without thinking about religion; nor to think of Jesus outside the context of religion: because our minds have been saturated with religious ideas that we can easily think---in order to get Jesus---we must become a member of a religious organization with all of its dogmas and doctrines, as well as laws, rules, and regulations, and in addition to religious atmospheres and symbols, rites, rituals, and traditions, which have been created out of the minds of religious people, in to our minds, and not from the mind of Jesus.
Therefore, if we submit ourselves to a religious institution, we can become institutionalized---unable to think for ourselves because we have submitted ourselves to the thinking of others, and, consequently, we are under their control. Our behavior is thus modified to conform to religious principles and teachings, written by people, and we, then, will think of Jesus only as our religion allows us to think of Him, becoming slaves to a spiritual system, which is a system of deception. And with the words of religion written in our minds, we live these words and not by the words of Jesus. Religion, therefore, is a system of spiritual slavery.
Furthermore, because of man's religions and religious people, Jesus can also become an idol---shaped as an image in the minds of people, and, as an idol, he is therefore dead and not living, but simply a symbol.
Religion, obviously, is a system designed for performance: based on the false premise that it is what we do that matters, not because of what Jesus did.
Whenever Jesus spoke of the church, he was speaking about people. Whenever he spoke about his return to earth for the church (or his Second Coming) he is speaking about the church, which is people. He will not return for a religion, nor for people of a certain religious persuasion.
Belief in Jesus Christ, therefore, is not a religious experience. It is a personal relationship with Him, a relationship that is internal in the minds and hearts of believers. It is not an external experience as in a relationship with religion. Religion is something we do, but knowing Jesus is recognizing what he did and who he is. As Jesus said in the Book of John 21:21, my Father hath sent me. God did not, therefore, send religion.
As a personal note, however, I will tell you that the best thing that ever happened in my life was the day I lost my religion. That was the day I met Jesus for the first time and I was unshackled from the ball and chain of religion that I had been dragging for a long, long time. In short, that was the day of my release from a spiritual prison. This does not mean that I am perfect, or know everything. God forbid!
You are invited to read and research the New Testament for yourself and arrive at your own conclusion of this matter, which is the separation of Christ from religion and to understand the true meaning of the word "church".
To begin, the word "religion" is used 5 times in the New Testament, the word "Christian" is used 3 times, and the word "church" appears 114 times in the New Testament.
For the record, Jesus never used the word "religion" nor the word "Christian" throughout his ministry.
The word "church" is the Greek word "ekklesia". To the Greeks, ekklesia means "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly".
The New Testament writers understood this Greek word "ekklesia"; therefore, the "church" to them was the word "ekklesia", an assembly or congregation of believers in Christ Jesus. As the apostles built churches, this was the establishment of congregations of people. Believers met in church-houses, for under the Roman Empire they had no rights such as "religious liberty" and they certainly did not attempt to construct church buildings.
Today, it is difficult for people to think about God without thinking about religion; nor to think of Jesus outside the context of religion: because our minds have been saturated with religious ideas that we can easily think---in order to get Jesus---we must become a member of a religious organization with all of its dogmas and doctrines, as well as laws, rules, and regulations, and in addition to religious atmospheres and symbols, rites, rituals, and traditions, which have been created out of the minds of religious people, in to our minds, and not from the mind of Jesus.
Therefore, if we submit ourselves to a religious institution, we can become institutionalized---unable to think for ourselves because we have submitted ourselves to the thinking of others, and, consequently, we are under their control. Our behavior is thus modified to conform to religious principles and teachings, written by people, and we, then, will think of Jesus only as our religion allows us to think of Him, becoming slaves to a spiritual system, which is a system of deception. And with the words of religion written in our minds, we live these words and not by the words of Jesus. Religion, therefore, is a system of spiritual slavery.
Furthermore, because of man's religions and religious people, Jesus can also become an idol---shaped as an image in the minds of people, and, as an idol, he is therefore dead and not living, but simply a symbol.
Religion, obviously, is a system designed for performance: based on the false premise that it is what we do that matters, not because of what Jesus did.
Whenever Jesus spoke of the church, he was speaking about people. Whenever he spoke about his return to earth for the church (or his Second Coming) he is speaking about the church, which is people. He will not return for a religion, nor for people of a certain religious persuasion.
Belief in Jesus Christ, therefore, is not a religious experience. It is a personal relationship with Him, a relationship that is internal in the minds and hearts of believers. It is not an external experience as in a relationship with religion. Religion is something we do, but knowing Jesus is recognizing what he did and who he is. As Jesus said in the Book of John 21:21, my Father hath sent me. God did not, therefore, send religion.
As a personal note, however, I will tell you that the best thing that ever happened in my life was the day I lost my religion. That was the day I met Jesus for the first time and I was unshackled from the ball and chain of religion that I had been dragging for a long, long time. In short, that was the day of my release from a spiritual prison. This does not mean that I am perfect, or know everything. God forbid!
You are invited to read and research the New Testament for yourself and arrive at your own conclusion of this matter, which is the separation of Christ from religion and to understand the true meaning of the word "church".
Sunday, December 4, 2011
SILENCE OF THE LAMB
It was a silent night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The city was busy with people as they arrived to pay their tax to Caesar, the inn had no vacancies, and suddenly Joseph and Mary arrived, which certainly raised no eyebrows. No one knew that Joseph was of royal blood, a son of King David no less! And Joseph's concern was not about himself, but rather for his young wife to deliver a child, who was also a son of King David.
Even after the birth of Jesus, the only witnesses to this event were Joseph, Mary and a few shepherds; therefore, if they had proclaimed that the Savior had been born, who would have believed their report? That Messiah would be a baby?
For the next two years, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived a rather silent life, going about their daily affairs as any normal family in all of Israel.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, however, an entourage of wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, and they stopped at the headquarters of Herod and posed a question: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" If you listen to their words carefully, their question sounds more like a statement, rather than a request, as we might say, "Can you give us directions to the house of Jesus?" Perhaps the wise men believed that everybody knew where Jesus lived. Everybody did not. Herod didn't know, the priests didn't know, and neither did any of the king's men, nor any others in all of Jerusalem.
After the departure of the wise men, Herod's rage insued: he issued an order to slaughter all males, two years old and younger, with his desire to kill Jesus. Joseph, however, being warned of God in a dream of the impending danger, arose from sleeping and took Mary and Jesus out of town, under the cover of darkness, and took refuge in Egypt until the death of Herod; after which the family returned to dwell in Nazareth where Jesus worked as a carpenter and thereby lived in obscurity of his messianic mission.
When Jesus stood up at age thirty to begin his ministry, one person immediately knew who Jesus was the moment he fixed his eyes upon him. That was John the Baptist, who declared: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Later, John would be decapitated for his belief in Jesus.
For the next three and half years, Jesus taught and preached with a calm voice. He never ranted or raved, ran or screamed, never needed a microphone, and always at peace as he spoke words that people had never heard before. Along the way, he also turned water into wine, healed the sick, gave hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind, released 2,000 demons from a man named Legion, fed 5,000 people with a boy's lunch, walked on water, and raised the dead. When his friend Lazurus died, the Lord did something few people knew about either: Jesus wept.
On the cross, however, the silence of the Lamb was broken when he cried with a loud voice: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is: My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?
Nailed to a cross, Jesus was suspended between heaven and earth, and, for the next three hours, darkness covered the earth as the Lamb of God took on the sin of the world.
But after his resurrection, the silence of the Lamb was spoken. More people have believed in Jesus than any person who has ever lived. More books, poetry, music and songs have been written about Jesus than any person in human history. And at this time of the year, more lights are aglow around the world to celebrate the birth of the Lamb of God, even in Bethlehem!
Even after the birth of Jesus, the only witnesses to this event were Joseph, Mary and a few shepherds; therefore, if they had proclaimed that the Savior had been born, who would have believed their report? That Messiah would be a baby?
For the next two years, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived a rather silent life, going about their daily affairs as any normal family in all of Israel.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, however, an entourage of wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, and they stopped at the headquarters of Herod and posed a question: "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" If you listen to their words carefully, their question sounds more like a statement, rather than a request, as we might say, "Can you give us directions to the house of Jesus?" Perhaps the wise men believed that everybody knew where Jesus lived. Everybody did not. Herod didn't know, the priests didn't know, and neither did any of the king's men, nor any others in all of Jerusalem.
After the departure of the wise men, Herod's rage insued: he issued an order to slaughter all males, two years old and younger, with his desire to kill Jesus. Joseph, however, being warned of God in a dream of the impending danger, arose from sleeping and took Mary and Jesus out of town, under the cover of darkness, and took refuge in Egypt until the death of Herod; after which the family returned to dwell in Nazareth where Jesus worked as a carpenter and thereby lived in obscurity of his messianic mission.
When Jesus stood up at age thirty to begin his ministry, one person immediately knew who Jesus was the moment he fixed his eyes upon him. That was John the Baptist, who declared: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Later, John would be decapitated for his belief in Jesus.
For the next three and half years, Jesus taught and preached with a calm voice. He never ranted or raved, ran or screamed, never needed a microphone, and always at peace as he spoke words that people had never heard before. Along the way, he also turned water into wine, healed the sick, gave hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind, released 2,000 demons from a man named Legion, fed 5,000 people with a boy's lunch, walked on water, and raised the dead. When his friend Lazurus died, the Lord did something few people knew about either: Jesus wept.
On the cross, however, the silence of the Lamb was broken when he cried with a loud voice: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is: My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?
Nailed to a cross, Jesus was suspended between heaven and earth, and, for the next three hours, darkness covered the earth as the Lamb of God took on the sin of the world.
But after his resurrection, the silence of the Lamb was spoken. More people have believed in Jesus than any person who has ever lived. More books, poetry, music and songs have been written about Jesus than any person in human history. And at this time of the year, more lights are aglow around the world to celebrate the birth of the Lamb of God, even in Bethlehem!
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