Blog Archives

Daily Word - Success

1/31/2015

TRUE SUCCESS: KNOWING GOD & LIVING BY HIS WORD (Joshua 1:8)

It can be hard to resist what may seem to be great opportunities to get ahead in life...

Financial success and the rewards of what may be years of hard work.

But we have an enemy who also knows the allure of these things and will not hesitate to use them to our demise.

So whatever we do ... whatever we receive ... let it be by God's hand and never compromise our salvation to "gain the world, but lose our soul". (Mark 8:36)

Jeremiah 22:13

"Woe to him that builds his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that uses his neighbor's service without wages, and gives him not for his work."

Joshua 1:8

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

MY PRAYER: That you would have a Saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

Daily Word -Yellowstone: Really Erupting in 2 Weeks?

1/30/2015

"THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT..." 2 Peter 3:10

Will it erupt? PERHAPS, but no one knows for sure. Could it erupt? YES!

But, will Yellowstone really be erupting in the next couple of weeks? NO - Not necessarily at all.

This conjecture came about due to a quote from onsite Yellowstone geologist, Hank Heasler, during an interview with CBS.

His quote, which was taken out of context, merely means that due to the ever-changing nature of seismography, that there is only about a 2-week window of certainty.

Heasly stated that, "One thing that Yellowstone has taught me is that everything changes so be careful in what you predict and forecast."

There is no need to fear, for it is God who does the 'changing' - (Daniel 2:21-22)

"And he changeth the times and the seasons: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him."

God knows what is going on inside the Earth - He knows the 'deep and secret things' and He knows what is happening in the 'darkness'.

Below is an excerpt of Heasly's interview on CBS news entitled 'Will the Yellowstone Volcano Erupt?'
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Researchers like Hank who study both seismic and volcanic activity here at Yellowstone say they are fairly certain that there will be no type of volcanic eruption here in the foreseeable future.

But then we asked Hank to define "foreseeable future".

"Now what do we mean by foreseeable future? I would say, you know a couple of weeks, and that's what I would say with certainty."

The mystery here is what happens next.

Life here seems to move slow. But geologically, seismically and volcanically things are changing and in motion all the time.

And if you're in the business of being certain about things like Hank Heasler is, it makes you job very challenging.

The people who actively watch this situation seemingly fall into two camps: those who think the Yellowstone volcano will never erupt again and those who think it will happen tomorrow.

The truth is no one knows for sure when it will happen again, but the experts we've spoken with and several others say it will happen.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? - All this will happen someday, but in God's timing:

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10

"The foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed...; and it shall fall, and not rise again." Isaiah 24:18-20

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." Matthew 24:7-8

Daily Word - Unredeemable?

1/29/2015

IN ADAM ALL DIE...IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE!

After the 'fall of man', Adam & Eve were forbidden access by God to the Tree of Life.

This meant that they could no longer retain immortality in their mortal bodies.

"And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden." (Genesis 3:22-23)

This is said to have been 'merciful' on God's part - that if they were still immortal in their fallen state, they would be unredeemable, just like the Fallen Angels.

If one is immortal and in a fallen state, then such a being will always stay the same as they are and either can't - or won't - change.

This helps to explain why the fallen angels, and perhaps their offspring (the nephilim), are likewise unredeemable.

And further, why those who take the Mark of the Beast are condemned. The 'mark' must also convey immortality, as in the verse where it says:

"In those days men shall seek death and not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." (Revelation 9:6)

Those who take the Mark of the Beast won't be able to die, but will wish that they could.

Even now there are those who are seeking immortality, either through 'science' or sorcery. Many of these persons seem to be either God-haters or God-deniers.

They themselves have already realized that they are in a fallen or 'debauched' enough state that they are unable, or at least unwilling, to let themselves be redeemed by God.

Their conscience must already be 'seared with a hot iron' and they want to find a 'different way' than God's way to eternal life: to try and "climb up some other way" into the sheepfold.

So much of that is already being attempted even in our current day, especially with all the new bio-technologies such as cloning, gene therapy, and genetically modified foods.

It's interesting, too, to ponder the biblical tie-in with " trying to climb up another way" into the 'Sheepfold', and Dolly the 'Sheep' (the first mammal ever cloned).

"He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." (John 10:1)

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22)

"Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)

Daily Word - Are Ghosts Real?

1/28/2015

HEBREWS 9:27

What does the Bible say about ghosts? Are ghosts real? In the King James Version of the Bible, the word ghost appears 108 times.

Of these, the word is never used in the sense of the disembodied spirit of someone who has died. It is used in only two ways.

First, it is used in the phrase “to give up the ghost,” meaning “to die.” Second, it occurs as the title, “the Holy Ghost,” the third person of the Godhead or Trinity.

The Bible refers to the spirits of the dead as “familiar spirits,” (see, Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:11; 2 Kings 21:6; Isaiah 8:19, etc.) and warns against having anything to do with them.

These are the 'spirits' of the demons and fallen angels who are attempting to deceive and torment us. They are not the spirits of humans who have died:

Hebrews 9:27 "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

Please see the rest of this article HERE.

Daily Word - Church Morality

1/27/2015

FLYER ENTICING YOU TO COME TO "CHURCH!"

Too often we can see the moral fiber of our world crumbling before our eyes - including our own country, and even in many so-called 'churches'.

Amid the many new laws, court decisions and Executive Orders, there is a blatant disregard for God, His Word and His commandments.

We are all warned of our sinful nature as it is clearly written in Isaiah:

Isaiah 5:20-21

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"

Daily Word - Murmurers...

1/24/2015

"MURMURERS..."

For those who may receive complaints and false accusations, I know that at times it must wear you down.

I hope that the following will give you some encouragement.

First, no matter what Jesus did, there were always people who complained about him.

Some said that He was ministering in the power of Beelzebub. And some got so angry at Him that they wanted to kill Him. (Matthew 12:24)

And eventually they succeeded in doing so (but of His own free will). So when you get complaints and false accusations, you are sharing in the fellowship of Christ's sufferings:

"I lay down my life for the sheep...that I might take it again." John 10:15-17 "As ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." 2 Cor. 1:7

Second, some people have a critical spirit. No matter what you do, they will criticize you for it. In such cases, the problem is with them -- not you. There are some people whose nature is to constantly criticize people.

The devil is called "the accuser of the brethren" and look how relentlessly: day and night!

"Now is come salvation...for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." Revelation 12:10

These people are helping the devil do his job. These people have a serious problem, and they need to repent and turn to God and ask Him to set them free from it.

If people don't want to hear what you have to say, they don't have to listen to it. Why do they listen and then complain?

If they really don't like it, then they shouldn't listen. If they keep on listening, and keep on complaining, then to me it looks like they enjoy complaining.

Jude 1:16 says, "These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."

So according to Jude, there are some people who are characterized by being murmurers and complainers. And they are "walking after their own lusts."

The word "lust" means strong desire. Not just sexual desire, but any kind of desire. Well some people have a lust to complain. They are looking for something to complain about.

They are driven by a desire to murmur and complain. I think that probably accounts for most of the critical, complaining comments that you ever receive from such persons.

Third, with some people, it is just a lack of ability to understand facts and use logical reasoning. Or it's normalcy bias and outright denial.

But I'll bet that the critical spirit, and the desire to complain, account for most of the criticism. Then the rest is done by trolls (demons) who get paid (by their 'employer' the devil) to do it.

Fourth, although there are people who do not appreciate you -- God does. He knows that you are pouring out your heart and your life, trying to make people aware of Christ's love.

So please be encouraged, and don't let 'those guys' wear you down. God loves you, and so do your friends and family.

Thank you for being faithful. You are much needed. May God bless you, encourage you, strengthen you, guide you, comfort you, and give you wisdom in all you do.

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee...make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Numbers 6:24-26

*This post has been adapted from an email alert by Maryanne. The original post can be seen HERE.

Daily Word - Is Tithing Biblical?

1/23/2015

MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN LIGHT Matt 11:30

Is a 10% 'Forced' Tithe Actually Biblical? This is undoubtedly a controversial subject (especially for many Pastors!),

But it is one that we will attempt to shed a little 'light' on here: "Thy word is...a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)

God's Requirements: "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8

My hope and prayer is that God's people would be freed from the burden of guilt that the supposed required tithe sometimes brings and see that the New Covenant does not require this type of offering.

Offerings should be made from a glad and willing heart, not from a superimposed 'requirement' of 10% of one's gross household income.

The Lord's 'requirements' are not burdensome; if they are, they are not of God: "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

Biblical Guidelines For Offerings -

To Be Made Gladly with Thanksgiving
To Be Made by Our Own Free Will
To Be Made From What a Man 'Hath'
To NOT Be Made From What a Man 'Hath Not'
From the 'Net' Income, not the Gross
One Is To Give 'As They Are Able'
Give Yourself Unto God as a 'Living Sacrifice'
The Lord's 'Yoke' is Easy, not Burdensome

Both the Old and New Testaments clearly show that offerings are to be made with thanksgiving of the heart, and by our own free will:

Leviticus 22:29 "And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will."

2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

The giver must be of a 'willing mind', and the offering is made out of what a 'man hath' - not what he 'hath not'. (2 Corinthians 8:12)

This is a clear instruction that an offering, and even a 'tithe', should be made from a person's net income, not from the gross as is so often preached.

How can one give of what they don't have? In both the Old and New Testaments, offerings were made from the crops and livestock that they actually had.

One is to give as they are able, and from that which they have:

2 Corinthians 8:12 " For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."

Deuteronomy 16:17 "Every man shall give as he is able."

Ezekiel 46:11 "The meat offering shall be ...as he is able to give."

In the Old Testament of the Bible, when there was a precedent for the Tithe, it was usually during certain days of celebration, and not on an ongoing basis:

When Melchizedek, a priest of God, blessed Abraham who “gave him tithes of all” (Genesis 14:20), it was a one-time offering on the specific occasion of a victorious battle.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul noted that the offering should be done willingly, not from compulsion or given grudgingly. (2 Corinthians 9:5, 7 - "Of bounty...not of necessity")

I would encourage Churches to offer a voluntary offering box at the back of the sanctuary, and/or mail-in envelopes.

And, to dispense with the 'passing of the plate' and the 'offering time' altogether. You are free to give as you choose.

Give to the ministry of your choice, but most of all give of yourselves unto God:

Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Micah 6:8 "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

The Lord's 'requirements' are not burdensome; if they are, they are not of God: "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

Daily Word - Is Physical Health Promised in the Bible?

1/22/2015

JESUS HEALS US FROM THE SICKNESS OF SIN

The verse below from the book of James is a very good one in addressing the "Health, Wealth and Prosperity" doctrine about praying for healing:

James 5:15 - "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

This verse states that the, "prayer of faith" (our own prayer of faith ... i.e. our own salvation prayer ... when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior) ... "shall save the sick"

(This act of faith, our prayer to accept the Lord will "save us" ... and give us everlasting life ... not just "heal us" of our current ailment or sickness ... in this temporal life) ...

"And the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him"

(Reaffirms that this verse and our "prayer of faith" is speaking directly to our salvation and our forgiveness in Christ).

There are so many Christians who are devastated when they pray for "healing" and don't receive it .... when they just need to realize that their "prayer of faith" has already been answered in the everlasting forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hallelujah!

Daily Word - Music of Our Soul

1/21/2015

'MUSIC OF OUR SOUL'

As we take God's Word into our hearts and lives,

It dwells in us and begins to become evident...

In everything we do.... everything we say ... and every song we sing.

It becomes the music of our soul.

Collosians 3:16

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Daily Word - Controversy

1/18/2015

THE HOSEA PROPHECY

With all the mass deaths of fish, birds and other animals in just the past couple of years, it truly seems as though we are seeing the fulfillment of the Hosea Prophecy in our day.

The Bible passage below is a perfect description of what is happening today: No Truth, Mercy, or Knowledge of God in the land...

Swearing, Lying, Killing, Stealing, Committing Adultery, and Bloodshed...Because of these things, the Animals, Birds and Fish are being taken away.

Why are these things happening? Is it Electro-Magnetic Waves, Pesticide, Pollution? Or is it because the land and its people are reaping what they have sown:

And because - "The Lord hath a Controversy with the Nations..."

Hosea 4:1-3

1 Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

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