Reconciled to God

"We cannot conceive of a Creator who knows the end from the beginning, one who is Love, who has infinite wisdom, and infinite power, giving to any being life, life which is never to end, but to continue in suffering to all eternity. The Bible does not teach it anywhere in the original languages. God’s punishments are remedial and take place within the span of the ages during which He is accomplishing the making of man in His image and likeness. Punishment will last no longer than is necessary to bring man to hate his sin and be reconciled to his Savior."

G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945)

The Cross and the Ages to Come

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18)

"Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:17)

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him." (Ephesians 1:10)

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence." (Colossians 1:21-22)

"For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:29)

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

August 10th - Be Commended For Your Faith

”These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)

Who were those “all commended for their faith"? The list is the hall of fame of the Bible…Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel.

They were commended for their faith but did NOT receive immortal life that God has promised.

God has promised to make us perfect… but not in this age…for now we all die. Now we can only believe the promise of God that….

“…as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” for “just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man” and these earthly bodies will be “buried in weakness and raised in power; buried a natural body but raised a spiritual body…The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-53)

Only the joy of having faith in God’s promise will make a sinful man good, and a religious man humble.

Look Up!

"Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him." (Isaiah 1:2-4)

The "LORD" is Yahweh who became flesh and dwelt among us, He is Jesus, "the Holy One of Israel" that Israel turned their back on and had crucified when He came the first time. They are no longer the people of God but are termed "not my people".

"And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” (Hosea 1:9)

But there will come a day when Israel will again become His people.

"...and I will sow her for myself in the land. And will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’” (Hosea 2:1)

Two days (two thousand years) after they rejected Jesus, He will return and heal them. Listen to Hosea, Peter and Paul.

"Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence. So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth." (Hosea 6:1-3)

"I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created...But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day...This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters." (2 Peter 3:3-4, 8, 15-16)

"I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israeli away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.” Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." (Romans 11:25-29)

As best as I can tell, Jesus was crucified on either Wednesday April 28, 28 AD or Wednesday April 25, 31 AD. We are nearing 2,000 years from that  day - watch the events taking place in the world, then look up, for our redemption is drawing nigh!

"For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE, STAND UP AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, BECAUSE YOUR REDEMPTION IS DRAWING NEAR.” (Luke 21:22-28)

When Will the Antichrist Be Revealed and the Rapture Occur?

"Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for HE CAN BE REVEALED ONLY WHEN HIS TIME COMES." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-6)

The "man of lawlessness" Paul is speaking about is the Antichrist. There will be a final government of humanity during "his time" and he will begin as one of the "seven heads" of that final government. The book of Revelation calls this government a "beast".  The Antichrist will become the leader of the "beast" government in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel. I believe the "day of the Lord" that Paul is speaking of is the final year of the 70th week of Daniel, a 7 year period of time immediately before the return of Jesus. Many refer to this seven years as the Tribulation. I will use this term hereafter.

"Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns...and the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority." (Revelation 13:1-2)

This final powerful government comes to great power during the Tribulation. It gets its power from the dragon/Satan who will be "throne to the earth" together with his angels in the middle part of the Tribulation. 

"Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." (Revelation 12:9)

The Antichrist is revealed as the "man of lawlessness" sometime after he receives a deadly wound and miraculously recovers. He takes total control of the beast government with the help of a strong religious leader called "another beast" and the "false prophet". The seven leaders that at first share power in the government are reduced to one  - the Antichrist.

"I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”" Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made." (Revelation 13:1-8)

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life." (Revelation 13:11-14)

It seems to me that until the middle of the Tribulation, the seven headed beast government is the "white horse rider" of what is known as the four horseman of the apocalypse. They most likely establish policies that bring the world together into a new world-wide order - these policies seek to establish peace, heath, environmental protection and equal financial prosperity for all humanity, ignoring national boundaries, sexual preferences, and racial differences.

"I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory." (Revelation 6:2)

The process is greatly helped when this final government body negotiates a seven year alliance between Israel and its enemies. Daniel tells about this so we know the "alliances" have to do with Israel and its place of worship. These seven year alliances begins the Tribulation. 

"Then for one seven, he will forge many and strong alliances, but halfway through the seven he will banish worship and prayers. At the place of worship, a desecrating obscenity will be set up and remain until finally the desecrator himself is decisively destroyed.’” (Daniel 9:27)

And then all hell breaks loose bringing in rapid succession the last three horsemen of the apocalypse, war, famine, and death. Under the afflictions brought on by the Antichrist, the pale green horse rider (death) kills one-forth of humanity by the the sword, famine and disease. Another one-third of humanity are killed by the "Four Angels" God has prepared for that purpose when He pours out His wrath on the kingdom of the Antichrist.

"I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals." (Revelation 6:8)

"The sixth Angel trumpeted. I heard a voice speaking to the sixth Angel from the horns of the Golden Altar before God: “Let the Four Angels loose, the Angels confined at the great River Euphrates.” The Four Angels were untied and let loose, Four Angels all prepared for the exact year, month, day, and even hour when they were to kill a third of the human race." (Revelation 9:15)

That means one out of every two people on earth will die during the Tribulation. Jesus Himself said unless that time was cut short everyone would die and that one of every two will be taken.

“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place."...For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones." (Matthew 24:15,21-22)

"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day...People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.  “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming." (Mathew 24:37-42)

As best I can tell from the chronology recorded in the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, the 6,000th year from the creation of Adam to the return of Jesus will be 2035 AD.

The beginning of the Tribulation would then START in 2028 AD.

INTERESTING NOTE: The last US President's administration negotiated what is called the Abraham Accords: The Abraham Accords are a joint statement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States signed on Septembe15, 2020, three days before Rosh Hashana 2020.  Something broader will have to be accomplished by the beast government in the fall of 2028 AD for my views to be accurate, at least as to the exact date of the beginning of the Tribulation.

If the start of the of the Tribulation turns out to be 2028, the Antichrist will be revealed between 2031 and 2034 AD. And I think believers will be Raptured to meet the Lord in the air during 2034, one year before the return of Jesus to earth.

“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the saints before God. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and sounds, and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” (Revelation 8:1-5)

From this point on is what the Bible calls  "the favorable YEAR of the LORD" for the people of God. It will be “a YEAR of retribution” against the kingdom of the Antichrist.

Again, Paul is speaking to believers when he says “God has not destined us for WRATH”. 

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep (dead or alive when Jesus returns), we will live together with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8-11)

Therefore, in my view, the Rapture will occur during the “half an hour of silence” just before the “YEAR of retribution” when the wrath of God is poured out on the Antichrist. And I think it will occur in 2034 AD.

Watching, Counting and Waiting

A few days before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples about His return...

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,  but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “THEREFORE KEEP WATCH, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matthew 24:32-44)

For those of us who watch for signs of the return of Jesus, there has been a thought that the Bible implies that God will tolerate humanity trying to govern themselves for six thousand years, a thousand years for each day of creation.

"A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." (Psalm 90:4)

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." (2 Peter 3:8)

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. AFTER TWO DAYS He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea 6:1-3)

In my retirement years I have had time to meditate on the above Scriptures, and others, watching for His return. I no longer attend church services or bible studies but occasionally I feel that sharing my thoughts may be beneficial to others who are "watching" for His return.

I began to think that if God is in fact going to allow humanity 6,000 years (a thousand years for each day of creation) there should be some evidence of such in the Bible.  Below is my thoughts after searching the Scripture for that evidence. The Bible has some interesting chronological passages that I found...

Creation of Adam to the world wide flood:                    1656.00 years  (Genesis 5:3-32; 7:6, 11; 11:10)

Flood to birth of Arphaxad:                                                  2.00 years   (Genesis 11:10)

Arphaxad to birth of Abraham                                          350.00 years  (Genesis 11:12-32; Acts 7:4) 

Abraham's age when he entered Canaan                             75.00 years  (Genesis 12:4)

Length of time in Canaan and Egypt                                 430.00 years  (Exodus 12:40-41; Galatians 3:17)

Exodus from Egypt to start of Temple                               480.00 years  (1 Kings 6:1)

Reign of kings of Judah to Babylonian captivity               419.25 years  (1 Kings 6:1through 2 Kings 24:8) 

Years in captivity                                                                  70.00 years  (Jeremiah 25:11)

End of captivity to birth of Messiah Jesus                          483.00 years  (Daniel 9:24-25)

TOTAL years from creation of Adam to birth of Jesus:   3,965.25 years

Years remaining to add up to 6,000 years                         2,034.75 years

                                                                                           6,000.00 years

Today we are in year 2021 AD (AD refers to the year of the birth of Christ). So, we are 14 years from 6,000.  That would be in the year 2035AD.

Another interesting thought I had was about why God instituted the 50th Year Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-12) celebrated on the day of Atonement. That Jubilee came in 50 year cycles at the end of which all land returned to the original owners, all debts were cancelled, and all slaves were set free. 120 Jubilees would be exactly 6,000 years (120 X 50=6000).

Passover in 2035 AD would be almost if not exactly 2,000 years from the crucifixion of Jesus! See Hosea 6:1-3 above. If Jesus returns around that time it would fit nicely into my thoughts!

I was going to keep this to myself since most people think such meditations to be foolish - but in case you don't, Jesus also said...

"At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near...Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:27-28; 36)

July 24th -None Shall Perish

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

It appears obvious to me that the word “perish” as used in Scripture simply refers to a person staying dead after becoming deceased. If there is no resurrection then death wins and nothing follows. However, the above Scripture says that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish” and that all “come to repentance”. There will be "victory" over death, our last enemy.

So, what is God saying in the above verse? He says that NONE will perish and that ALL will come to repentance….because it is the WILL OF THE LORD as Paul tells Timothy...

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL…For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; WHO WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED…For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL...” (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

There is a term for those who do not agree with what God says in Scripture…the term is “unbeliever”, and there are many unbelievers, even those with their names on various church roles.

Yet though they do not believe now, they will, when in fact God has seen to it that none “perish” and that all have “come to repentance” at the "resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous" as Paul explains…

“And I have a hope in God…that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous…” (Acts 24:15).

 “…we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people…” (1 Timothy 4:10).


“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive….The last enemy that will be abolished is death…so that God may be all in all…when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in VICTORY.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-54)

Do Not Be Afraid

“Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies; do not be afraid…for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4)

Before they entered the promised land Israel was told they would do battle with their flesh and blood enemies, but not to fear for the LORD would “save” them…and He did.

Today we are told that the struggle of mankind is with another kind of enemy…

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Again, however, mankind is not to fear the "forces of darkness" for the LORD has promised to save...and He will.

“In the world you have tribulation, fear not for I have overcome the world… put on the full armor of God…take up the shield of faith…take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. …it is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men…” (John 163; Ephesians 6:11-17; 1 Timothy 4:9-10)

Mankind can only "take up" the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation because it is our free gift from God.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

How to Pray

Jesus instructed humanity on how to pray.

”But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

“...when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6)

"...when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too." (Mark 11:25)

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25)

"...bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:28)

Until humans do this, the joy and peace that comes from believing in the God of the Bible will remain an enigma. As Paul says...

"For at present we are observing by means of a mirror, in an enigma, yet then, face to face. At present I know out of an installment, yet then I shall recognize according as I am recognized also. Yet now are remaining faith, expectation, love - these three. yet the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)

Frustration in Religion

 When religion frustrates me I return to the basics I learned from my parents.

"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 KJV)

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23 KJV)

How "sin" is dealt with is not that complicated. The bible tells me sin is dealt with as follows: The flesh and blood "mortal" bodies that all humanity are born with "in Adam" will be destroyed in death and returned to the "soil" from which it came. It is replaced by a glorified "immortal" spiritual body that all humanity will have "in Christ" at the consummation of the ages.

"As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV)

Jesus was the first to come out of death into immortal life but the rest of us will follow. That is the good news that even a child can comprehend - efforts to expand this good news into various details is ALWAYS confusing to most people, which is why most of them walk away from an exposition of those details "in a fog" saying "what the hell is he talking about".

"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (Mark 10:15 KJV)

Gifts of the Spirit

“Love is never lapsing: yet, whether prophecies, they will be discarded, or languages, they will cease, or knowledge, it will be discarded. For out of an installment are we knowing, and out of an installment are we prophesying. Now whenever maturity may be coming, that which is out of an installment shall be discarded." (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

There are those who think there are still gifts of the spirit operating in the church today. I do not. My study of the Bible has convinced me that these once necessary gifts have not been operating in the body of Christ since the Apostles Paul and John received the final revelation of what God wanted humanity to know. The Bible is the “maturity” which was “coming” and it is now complete. Until it was completed our knowledge of God’s plan was “out of an installment”.

Only that written in the pages of Scripture is authentic prophesy written by the prophets. There are no prophets today because the scripture is “complete”.

“…since surely you are persisting in the faith, grounded and settled and are not being removed from the expectation of the evangel which you hear which is being heralded in the entire creation which is under heaven of which I, Paul, became the dispenser… in accord with the administration of God, which is granted to me for you, to COMPLETE the word of God - the secret which has been concealed from the eons and from the generations, yet now was made manifest to His saints, to whom God wills to make known what are the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory.” (Colossians 1:23-27)

What God wants us to know is in the Bible for us to read for ourselves.

Nevertheless, we are seeing many today claiming the gifts of the spirit, including the gift of prophecy. And in the past few months many of these prophets have claimed to have received a prophetic word from God that President Trump will be reelected, or in some other manner continue to be the President of the United States. Although I do not agree, I empathize with their hope and will change my mind about gifts of the spirit if they turn out to be correct. 

One thing for sure, if they are wrong the scripture is still the word of God and I hope all bible believing people will then consider what it says about how to tell if a person is actually speaking the Word of God.

“In case you should say in your heart:How shall we know the word that Yahweh has not spoken? When a prophet shall speak in the name of Yahweh, and the word shall neither come to be nor come about, then it is a word that Yahweh did not speak, In arrogance did the prophet speak it.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

December 12th - The Grace and Salvation of God are Free

"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 1:4)

Let’s be perfectly clear, the Grace we receive from God is FREE. We do not earn, accept, or reject it. The GRACE of God is ours as a FREE gift. We only learn of it “by Jesus Christ”.

And we are SAVED by the grace of God, it is also FREE. And we only learn it is ours “through Jesus Christ”.

“…the FREE GIFT of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b NASB)

I notice some translations leave out the word “free” but look at it in the original Greek and the idea of being free is there. These translators have a problem with "eternal life" being free. They also have a problem with salvation being free as a result of the "grace of God which is freely given you". They prefer their own version which requires joining their group by accepting their offer of salvation with heaven the reward. They add words like “offer” to their translations but reading the original Greek we see it is THEIR offer, God has no such requirement - Salvation is a "free gift" to “all men” by the "grace of God"…

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…” (Titus 2:11 NASB)

But notice the NIV translation...

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” (Titus 2:11 NIV)

I really like the NIV because of the way it reads, but when I check out what it says I find that the Greek manuscripts do not include the word "offers".

I know most of you will not take time to look it up in the Greek so here it is for the verses above in Romans and Titus…

“…τὸ δὲ χάρισμα (free gift) τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν."(Romans 6:23 Greek)

"Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριος (bringing salvation) πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις" 

(Titus 2:11 Greek)

It is deception to leave out the obvious idea of a “free gift”, or to add the word “offers” to the text. Translators know most people won’t look it up and they know most church leaders and teachers who do look it up won’t say anything because they prefer it NOT say “free gift” and they DO want it to say “offer”. They do so in order to back up what they are teaching. Think about it...it is the heart of the growth strategy of almost all institutional churches to require non members to accept their “offer” - which means it cannot be "FREE". 

 Again, it is THEIR offer, not GOD's - The bible says that Salvation is a “free gift” to “all men” by the “grace of God”.

Rejoice in that as we approach the celebration of the birth of "the Savior of the world"...

"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord..we have heard for ourselves and know that this one is indeed the Savior of the world...the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world..." (Luke 2:10-11; John 4:42; 1 John 4:14)

Sinners Sin

I have never met a human that didn’t sin. However, I have met a few who think they don’t, or at least give you that impression. They are usually condemning sinners for sinning, and worse, are saying God will condemn them – for eternity – unless they do this or that.

So, for THEIR sake, let’s take a stroll through the Bible they are usually thumping, remembering that God is LOVE, but humanity, all of us, are NOT. All humans are equally subject to the penalty for sin - which is death. There are no self-righteous acts that can avoid it.

“All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT)

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:23-24 NLT)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NLT)

“God is Love…” (1 John 4:8 NLT)

“Love does not keep a record of wrongs…” (1 Corinthians 13:5 NLT)

“God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.” (Romans 5:8-9 NLT)

ONE MORE THING…

“Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.” (Romans 14:12 NLT)

Each and every human - regardless of church affiliation!

And personally I would not like to be the one who is suggesting that God, Who is LOVE, and who sent His Son to SAVE sinners, FAILED; and not only failed, but then decided to torture most sinners forever – good luck with that teaching not fueling the fire on "judgment day".

“Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

ONE LAST THING – I PROMISE…

The book we call the Bible is not what condemns us or justifies us – it is Jesus Christ who will judge us...

"For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

And He now sits at the right hand of God interceding for humanity.

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” (1 John 2:1-2 NLT)

What Is Faith?

“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed” (Hebrews 11:1 CLNT)

The faith that the Bible speaks of is not some blind leap into the dark, but it is believing that what God says is true even though we are not now observing it, or able to prove it.  For example, God has promised to resurrect the dead when Jesus returns. We assume and expect it to happen even though we have never observed anyone dying and coming back to life. But we have chosen to believe the Bible.

Some say there is no God and when we die that is it…that is their faith.  They have no hope beyond this world.  Choosing to have faith in God gives me peace and hope in this chaotic world. I agree with Paul when he said…

“If in this life only we have hope…we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

He Who Wins Souls Is Wise - Oh Really, Who is That?

"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all humanity. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God... And now I commend you to God and to the word of His GRACE, which is able to build you up and to GIVE you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20:26-32)

The revival was over. We had listened to a dynamic speaker for two weeks. During that time there were over 90 decisions for Christ and many other rededications. At one service, everyone there walked the aisle to make one decision or another or to pray at the altar, myself included. At the end of the last service, we had been challenged to "go win the world to Christ, one person at a time, bcause he who wins souls is wise". Everyone was saying Amen and left fully intending to be a part of a great renewal. The evangelist received a big love offering and off he went to his next scheduled revival.

Sound familiar? 

Problem was that two weeks later no one was out "winning souls", and all was back to normal. This has been repeated over and over again in institutional protestant churches since the 1730's yet the percentage of the world's population that refer to themselves as "Christian" remains the same, maybe less. 

WHY I asked myself?

WARNING!: Stop reading if you are a Christian prone to getting defensive when your views are challenged.

I asked an evangelical pastor WHY and his response was that God's people are disobedient to their commission from the Lord. 

He was right, but he did not have a clue why he was right in my opinion. 

So, here are my thoughts after meditating on the problem.

The gospel message being presented in our churches and on the mission fields is flawed. It has been changed from a glorious declaration of the Salvation of ALL sinful men to a mere "offer” to save "if" people jump through certain hoops. After 40 years of study, I cannot find anywhere in the bible that says we should go "offer" salvation or "win the world to Christ". 

The Salvation of humanity is not a game we are playing which can be won or lost by hard work and obedience. Nevertheless,  if you like the game analogy consider this - the GAME HAS ALREADY BEEN WON! And that pastor friend, myself, you, Paul, nor Billy Graham had any part in the victory. God guaranteed the salvation of humanity "before the foundation of the world".  

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious GRACE, which He has FREELY GIVENus in the Beloved One (Jesus)." (Epesians 1:3-6)

Salvation is a done deal for humanity. It will be complete at the end of the ages when sinful humanity have ALL become a new creation in Christ Jesus, old things will have passed away - all things will have become new.

"So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away.  Behold, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:16-18)

Those of us who realize we are saved have a commission and ministry to TELL people about their salvation and reconciliation, not play a game to WIN or LOSE their souls! 

I know what some of you are thinking, the preacher told us  "he who wins souls is wise" and he read it right out of the Bible. 

Yep, and the last time I looked, Jesus is the ONLY wise man who has ever lived that had the power to win souls - and HE won them ALL at the cross. The first part of that verse is that the fruit of a righteous man is a tree of life. Jesus is also the only righteous man who ever lived - and his fruit is the "tree of life" for the souls he won - ALL SOULS...

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls." (Proverbs 11:30)

What we should be telling those who have never heard is "You have been saved by the Love and Grace of God through the wisdom and righteousness of His Son Jesus".

So, I am telling you now - believe it, rejoice, and go tell your family and friends the GOOD NEWS! 

Then live your life like you appreciate what God through Jesus has done for humanity.  Do what God requires, not what some priest of pastor requires. Here it is...

"What can we bring to the LORD? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of ramsand ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:6-8)

There you have it, 1) Do what is Right 2) Love Mercy, and 3) Walk Humbly with your God

If you want to play games that is OK, but play golf or some other game.

"But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a SAVIOR has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:10)

What is the Gospel?

The word “gospel” means “good news”

The good news is about the Son of God, Christ Jesus…

“It is the gospel of God…concerning His Son” (Romans 1:1,2)

The good news was made known to the Apostle Paul through a revelation of Jesus Christ…

“For I am making known to you, brethren, as to the gospel, which is being brought by me, that it is not in accord with man. For neither did I accept it from a man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12)

The good news is powerful…

“…it is the power of God unto salvation…” (Romans 1:16)

The good news reveals the righteousness of God…

“For in it the righteousness of God is being revealed…” (Romans 1:17)

Is there a simple statement of the basis for the good news? – yes there is…

“For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been resurrected the third day according to the scriptures...” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

So, what happens when I do the right (just) thing which is to believe the good news…

“Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we have the access also, by faith, into this grace in which we stand, and we may be glorying in expectation of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)

We are righteous (justified), we have peace toward God, we embrace that our future salvation from death is a gift by the grace from God, and we glory in our expectation of salvation from death at the return of Jesus Christ!

Love

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

At the center of an ideal family relationship is love, agape love. By family I mean a father, mother, and their children. In this kind of relationship with each other there is security, peace, faith, hope and joy….and freedom.

My perception of God is that He meets mankind on this basis…as His family. Not on a scientific, forensic basis of pure justice under Law…like is required in the government of men. We are not dealt with out of His overbearing demand for obedience to His just Law, but under the Grace of a loving parent who gives us an ideal standard to live by, then allows us to test this standard within our own unique set of circumstances. Eventually all will agree that abiding by the advice of an omnipotent parent would have been best.

”When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:11-13)

Christ Won The Race

"Are you not aware that those racing in a stadium are, indeed, all racing, yet one is obtaining the prize? Thus be racing that you may be grasping it...lest somehow, when heralding to others, I myself may become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Paul says he is not engaging in the race "voluntarily" - "for wages" (for a prize) - but "involuntarily". 

"For if I should be bringing the evangel, it is not for me to boast in, for necessity is lying upon me, for it were woe to me if I should not be bringing the evangel!  For if I am engaging in this voluntarily, I have wages, yet if involuntarily, I have been entrusted with an administration." (1 Corinthians 9:16-17)

He (or we) need not train to run a race to win a prize that Christ has already won. Humanity's race is simply to "grasp" what Christ has won on its behalf. All will "grasp" it when God's plan is consummated at the close of the eons. In the interim, we are "enslaved" in the role God has predetermined. Trying to qualify ourselves for any other prize is "punching the air". We "become disqualified" in any race for a "corruptible wreath" requiring our own religious self effort.

A Reminder

I have to return to the basics sometimes in my meditations about God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I remind myself of the good news (gospel) of God concerning his Son (Jesus) delivered by the Apostle Paul. Here are the basics:

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, died for the sins of mankind

He was buried and remained in the tomb for three days and three nights

He was resurrected to life

"Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it...I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said." (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4)

When I believe those three things I feel blessed and have peace, joy and hope. When I question or am tempted to stop believing those three things, I lose hope.

"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with HOPE to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say." (Titus 2:11-15)

It is sad that many go to church filled with the peace, joy and hope of salvation only to leave with a load of guilt piled upon us by well meaning, but wrong minded, pastors, evangelists, teachers and friends.

God finished the work of Salvation at the cross. It is ours to rest in and enjoy. We should share this good news with other sinners without adding anything to it. Then daily thank Him for such a wonderful free gift and try to live life in appreciation for what he has done for us.

"This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

"...love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:35-36)

It has been a long time since the simple gospel has been preached in the Church. As best I can tell it left the church on June 19, 325 AD when the Council of Nicaea was called to order, yet it remains on the pages of Scripture in Paul's letters (Romans through Philemon) should anyone be inclined to search it out.

June 19th - Don't Be Myth-taken

“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord...instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths… It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:1-20)

You can search all you want but you will not find a single verse in the Bible that says the penalty for sin is Christianity’s morbid concept of “hell” eternal conscious torment). It is a myth. The penalty for sin is DEATH in the Bible.

"The wages of sin is death..."  (Romans 6:23)

Jesus came into the world to save sinners from DEATH - the penalty for sin. But for more than 1900 years there have been an abundance of leaders in the church, like “Hymenaeus and Alexander”, who are shipwrecked in regard to their faith by strange doctrines and myths. In embracing the myth of eternal conscious torment they blaspheme God it seems to me. In effect they deny that Jesus is the Savior of the World.

It is not that anyone will escape judgment or condemnation. It is just that all of God’s dealings with mankind in regard to judgment is with a view to the eventual reconciliation of ALL humanity, even Hymenaeus and Alexander and their modern day counterparts. That is if you read and study the Bible, not some commentary or sermon of "Myth-taken" men (pun intended).

“…through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not counting their sins against them and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...” (Colossians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5)

There is absolutely no thought in the minds of the writers of Scripture with regard to eternal conscious torment in hell. Such punitive retribution was introduced centuries ago by corrupt theology and is being passed on as truth by many today. Churches are full of good people doing some good things, but teaching myths and strange doctrine is not among them.

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness..." (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

May 26th - Joy To Replace Our Despair

Political and religious differences of opinion seem to have fostered such disunity among our American citizens that I fear nothing short of war, and maybe not even that, will bring us together. It is depressing to me at times so I find myself feeling that God is not paying attention. So, I go back into the Bible for encouragement. Here is what I found this morning that helped restore some joy in the midst of these turbulent times.

"This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven..." (Matthew 6:9

Jesus came into the world to introduce a perceived distant God, as “Our Father”. All that is going on around us is simply preparing us all for the good that "Our Father" will when He gathers His family at the great reunion He will host for humanity one day. He is, after all, tHE “Father of all”. 

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:6)

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named...For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family ^a in heaven and on earth derives its name." (Ephesians 3:1-6, 15).

Our Father is the One who gives beauty to replace our ashes, joy to replace our mourning, and the praise to replace our despair.

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favorand the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joyinstead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

God knows exactly what He’s doing. And He says that the best is yet to come!

“Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 2:15).