Category Archives: Spiritual

The Fruit of the Ruach (Spirit) Is His Work – Not Ours

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11 Then [YeHoVaH] said, “Let the land sprout grass, green plants yielding seed, fruit trees making fruit, each according to its species with seed in it, upon the land.” And it happened so. 12 The land brought forth grass, green plants yielding seed, each according to its species, and trees making fruit with the seed in it, each according to its species. And [YeHoVaH]  saw that it was good. – Genesis 1:11-12, TLV; the bracketed words are my emphasis

3 to console those who mourn in Zion,
to give them beauty for ashes,
    the oil of joy for mourning,
    the garment of praise
        for the spirit of heaviness,
    that they might be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of [YeHoVaH],
    that He may be glorified. – Isaiah 61:3, TLV; the bracketed word is my emphasis

 3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a sower went out to spread some seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some seeds fell by the road; and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil. They sprang up immediately, because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched; and because they had no roots, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew and choked them out. 8 But others fell on good soil and were producing fruit. They yielded a crop—some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

23 “Now the one sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands. He indeed bears fruit, yielding a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.” – Matthew 13:3-9 and 23, TLV

22 But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control—against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23, TLV

The gifts of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), which are given to born again, saved, justified, Spirit-filled, and being sanctified Yeshua believers, empower them for service – they (the spiritual gifts) give Yeshua’s believers spiritual Power that enables them to do ministry work. Without a doubt, YeHoVaH makes it clear in Genesis chapter one that the service Yeshua’s believers are called to do is symbolized by YeHoVaH’s planted, cultivated, and harvested seed that makes fruit according to its species. For sure, some of the ministry works Yeshua’s believers are called to do are as follows:  function as evangelists, participate in missionary activities, minister to the needy, teach Bible classes, and so forth.   

Again, in Genesis chapter one, YeHoVaH says that every fruit tree makes “fruit, each according to its species with seed in it,” and Yeshua says that a tree is known by its fruit – either good or bad (see Luke 6:43-45). What the Father and the Son say about fruit-bearing trees are why it important for Yeshua’s believers to understand that it is the Work of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) that empowers them with spiritual gifts that make it possible for them to function as evangelists, participate in missionary activities, minister to the needy, teach Bible classes, and so on. Furthermore, it is the Work of the Ruach HaKodesh that yields the following fruit in Yeshua’s believers: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Recently, some Christians commented on my Facebook posting about evangelism being the central work of Yeshua’s believers that evangelism isn’t the chief work believers are called to do. These Christians either claimed that love or worship is the principal work of Yeshua’s believers. I responded by telling them that neither godly Love nor godly Worship is WORK. I added that godly Love is a FRUIT of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirt), and I declared that this kind of Love originally/initially comes from a SEED humans did not plant, did not cultivate, and did not harvest.  

The Divine Truth, where each Yeshua believer is concerned, is that it is Yeshua who Plants a SEED in “good soil” (every born again and saved spirit that hears the sown Word and understands It). After Yeshua plants the SEED, it is Yeshua’s Ruach HaKodesh who cultivates that SEED until it matures – grows into a tree of righteousness, which spiritually means that each Yeshua believer is spiritually being transformed into the image of Yeshua who is symbolized as the Vine or the Tree from which spiritually mature/healthy branches (believers) not only sprout but also bear much fruit (see John 15:1-3).

Once there is fruit on a tree of righteousness, it is the Lord’s Ruach HaKodesh who harvests that fruit from each branch – gathers the fruit which has a seed within it. Spiritually speaking, Yeshua’s fruit-bearing believers won’t initially be gathered until the time of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Nevertheless, the spiritual point here is that the fruit of the Ruach HaKodesh is every Yeshua believer’s transformed spirit, and the harvest is that of saved, justified, Spirit-filled,  and sanctified living souls – both the living souls who are dead and alive in Yeshua. Put differently, Yeshua’s believers on earth who bear much fruit only do so because of the Ruach HaKodesh’s progressive Work that is happening in their spirits (good soils). This ongoing sanctification Work of the Ruach HaKodesh results in the spirits (good soils) of Yeshua’s believers yielding, again and again, much fruit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. They continue to bear fruit until they have been transformed into Yeshua and become overcomers who are ready to receive their glorified bodies.

Secondly, where the kind of godly Worship YeHoVaH expects is concerned, this kind of worship is done in Spirit and in Truth (see John 4:24). Without a doubt, the Spirit part of godly Worship refers to the Work of the Ruach HaKodesh. He stirs within good soils the holy desire to celebrate YeHoVaH, as well as the holy desires to rejoice in YeHoVaH and to give thanks to YeHoVaH. This worship of YeHoVaH in Spirit happens after the Ruach HaKodesh awakens in the spirits of Yeshua’s believers a spiritual awareness of YeHoVaH’s Glory, Beauty, and Power. Moreover, this worship of YeHoVaH in Spirit also happens after the Ruach HaKodesh opens the spiritual eyes of understanding within Yeshua’s believers and then empowers their spirits so that they are able to show YeHoVaH how much they comprehend and appreciate everything – all the Godhead’s treasures – YeHoVaH has made available to them through His Son, Yeshua. Again, the spirits of Yeshua’s believers only pertains to the born again, saved, justified, Spirit-filled, and being sanctified spirits that hear the sown Word and understand It.

Now, as far as the Truth part of godly Worship is concerned, this part also refers to the Work of the Ruach HaKodesh because He is the only One who knows all of YeHoVaH’s Truths, as well as knows ALL truths. Only the Ruach HaKodesh can teach, explain, inform, and reveal YeHoVaH’s Scriptural Truths, and only the Ruach HaKodesh can teach, explain, inform, and reveal YeHoVaH’s Scriptural Truths to Yeshua’s born again, saved, justified, Spirit-filled, and being sanctified (transformed) believers’ spirits. Since human interpretations and opinions do not create the atmosphere in which YeHoVaH-exalting worship takes place, this Divine Truth is why the said believers’ godly worship in Truth not only must be informed and conformed by the Ruach HaKodesh’s Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding of YeHoVaH’s Scriptural Truths but also must be founded, embedded, and focused on the Ruach HaKodesh’s Scriptural Revelations of the Truths about YeHoVaH and Yeshua. In other words, the spirits of Yeshua’s believers who are worshipping YeHoVaH in Truth can not do so if their worship is based on the traditions of men or on erroneous human interpretations or opinions about YeHoVaH’s Scriptural Truths.

So again, godly Love and godly Worship are the Works of the Ruach HaKodesh – not our works. Furthermore, the uncomfortable Divine Truth is that we do the work of an evangelist, and all the other ministerial services we are called to do, because we love YeHoVaH and Yeshua enough to want to obey their Commands, as well as love YeHoVaH enough to desire to Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. However, we must realize that we only can do the work of an evangelist; love YeHoVaH, Yeshua, and our fellow human beings; or worship YeHoVaH in Spirit and in Truth when the Ruach HaKodesh’s Work makes it possible for us to have the spiritual power, will, fruit, and gifts to do so. Shalom . . . .  

Blackout Tuesday Solidarity 2020

02 Tuesday Jun 2020

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24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands. 25 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, since He Himself gives to everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one He made every nation of men to live on the face of the earth, having set appointed times and the boundaries of their territory. 27 They were to search for Him, and perhaps grope around for Him and find Him. Yet He is not far from each one of us, 28 for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being.’

As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ – Acts 17:24-28, TLV
















Shalom . . .

					


	





	

								
Vision’s Normal Sharpness in 2020
										

			02
			Thursday
			Jan 2020
		

	
	

		

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25 He replied, “I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see.”





26 They said, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”





27 “I’ve told you over and over and you haven’t listened. Why do you want to hear it again? Are you so eager to become his disciples?”





28-29 With that they jumped all over him. “You might be a disciple of that man, but we’re disciples of Moses. We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from.”





30-33 The man replied, “This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It’s well known that God isn’t at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of—ever. If this man didn’t come from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”





34 They said, “You’re nothing but dirt! How dare you take that tone with us!” Then they threw him out in the street. – John 9:25-34, MSG















As the new year and new decade begin, they also activate a new season – one in which our vision will have the potential of functioning with normal sharpness (perfect discernment, righteous judgment, and godly spirituality). Starting this month, let us repeatedly make a conscious effort to not let only our hindsight be twenty-twenty. Let us strive to make sure that our foresight (prudence, wisdom, insight) also has normal sharpness.





I composed the below poem in 2000. I first posted it as a blog entry on January 9, 2009, and I first published it in 2017 in a collection of poetry titled My Spirit’s Musings.





Approximately 20 years after I composed this poem, almost 11 years after I blogged this poem, and practically 2 years after I first published “Vision” in a book of poetry, I am blogging it again. Additionally, “Vision” is included in my Moody Woman poetry anthology that will be published this month.










HAPPY NEW YEAR!  HAPPY NEW DECADE!  HAPPY NEW SEASON!










UPDATE:





I published Moody Woman: A Collection of Poetry on January 12, 2020.  This book is my fifth published book – my third poetry anthology. This book — in paperback and eBook formats — is sold on Amazon.com. Right now, both formats are available to purchase.





There are limericks. free verses, lyrics. sonnets, couplets, concrete poems, and haiku poems in this anthology. Additionally, Moody Woman is comprised of material composed over six decades — from the 1960s and forward.

					


	





	

								
Spiritual Revivals Are Holy Spirit Outpourings
										

			18
			Monday
			Mar 2019
		

	
	

		

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…“The Father is the one who sets the fixed dates and the times of their fulfillment. You are not permitted to know the timing of all that he has prepared by his own authority. But I promise you this—the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be filled with power. And you will be my messengers to Jerusalem, throughout Judea, the distant provinces—even to the remotest places on earth!” ~ Acts 1:7-8, TPT





On the day Pentecost was being fulfilled, all the disciples were gathered in one place.  Suddenly they heard the sound of a violent blast of wind rushing into the house from out of the heavenly realm. The roar of the wind was so overpowering it was all anyone could bear! Then all at once a pillar of fire appeared before their eyes. It separated into tongues of fire that engulfed each one of them. They were all filled and equipped with the Holy Spirit and were inspired to speak in tongues….~ Acts 2:1-4, TPT















Almost every day, I read a Facebook posting or Twitter tweet in which a professed Christian is praying for or waiting on God to send him, her, the church he or she attends, society, or the world a revival. By revival, most of these posters and tweeps usually mean a spiritual renewal in the life of a church congregation, in the life of an individual believer, or in the life of a society—renewed spiritual life that these posters and tweeps believe will have either a local, or a national, and/or a global effect.





Then too, by revival, a few posters and tweeps also occasionally mean the renewed spiritual interest in (the restoration of) evangelistic meetings that were known as revival meetings. In these restored or renewed evangelistic/revival meetings, the focus would be on the spiritual restoration of the so-called CHURCH from its moral decline to an essential and zealous relationship with God, which would include the spiritual restoration of believers’ faithful obedience to God’s Commandments. In these evangelistic/revival meetings, the focus also would be on the spiritual restoration of lost souls. The latter spiritual restoration actually refers to mass conversions—large numbers of unbelievers being saved so that they can become Christians.





Unfortunately, these posters and tweeps don’t seem to understand that a spiritual revival is not a spiritual restoration. Spiritual revivals have nothing to do with the restored interest in evangelism—the Lord’s method of winning souls for Him—nor do spiritual revivals have anything to do with renewing the CHURCH’s spiritual relationship with God.





Biblically speaking, spiritual revivals, whether local, national, or global, really have nothing to do with Gentiles’ understanding of who Christians are or who/what Gentiles think The Church is. Moreover, every biblical spiritual revival was meant for only the already saved believers in Christ.  





Put differently, the Holy Bible never mentions any spiritual restorations or spiritual revivals that happened to Christians or The Church. That is because, biblically speaking, every spiritual restoration pertained to God turning His wayward nation of Israel as a whole back to Him, as well as pertained to every Hebrew keeping His Commandments. Furthermore, neither the term Christian nor the term The Church is ever mentioned in the Scripture as the names Christ or His initial disciples/apostles gave to believers in Christ. For sure, first-century believers in Christ never called themselves Christians. Scripture proves that first-century followers of Christ were called saints, the brethren, followers of the Way, disciples, or believers in Christ. Since they already were saved believers, their spiritual revivals were not spiritual restorations.





The main reason why spiritual revivals are not spiritual restorations is that spiritual revivals had to do with the outpourings of the Holy Spirit upon members of Christ’s Ekklesiae (His collective bodies of saints or followers of the Way who gathered locally in saints or Way followers’ houses mostly to fellowship with each other). Furthermore, in every first-century Ekklesia, there were ONLY converted, Jewish believers. Now, even though some of these Jewish believers over time either had strayed away from their first love—Father God—or His Commandments, once again, their spiritual restorations were not spiritual revivals because, once again, spiritual revivals had to do with the outpourings of the Holy Spirit. These outpourings only fell on believers in Christ (people who already were reborn and saved souls), but not to restore them. The outpourings of the Holy Spirit provided the necessary power, spiritual gifts, anointing, and authority that reborn and saved believers in Christ had to have so that they could fulfill the Great Commission.





Once more, spiritual revivals have always been the times of vast outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Biblically speaking, there were four great outpourings of the Holy Spirit that are found in the Book of Acts. These four vast outpourings of the Holy Spirit are as follows: 1. upon converted Jews on the Feast of Pentecost (when the 120 Jewish saints who were in Jerusalem were Holy Spirit filled, and then they spoke in tongues—see Acts 2); 2. upon converted Samaritans in Samaria (when Peter and John prayed for the newly converted Samaritans to be filled with the Holy Spirit, laid hands on them, and they were Holy Spirit filled—see Acts 8); 3. upon converted Romans in Caesarea (when Peter preached to the Gentiles who were gathered inside Cornelius’ house, the Holy Spirit filled all of them, and then they all began speaking in tongues—see Acts 10); and 4. upon converted Greeks in Ephesus (when Paul laid his hands on 12 converted Gentile Ephesians, the Holy Spirit filled them, and they began speaking in tongues—see Acts 19).





Please notice that in every one of these mentioned four New Testament huge spiritual outpourings or spiritual revivals the Holy Spirit ONLY poured out on the already reborn and saved souls. In other words, only the already reborn and saved believers were revived, meaning they were fortified or invigorated (strengthened, energized, empowered, and endowed) by the Holy Spirit’s outpourings—His spiritual fillings or spiritual baptisms.





Since the New Testament’s biblical times, there have been countless Pentecost-like Holy Spirit outpourings worldwide. For example, one of the most important Holy Spirit outpourings in the United States of America is the major Pentecost-like Holy Spirit outpouring that happened on Azusa Street in Los Angeles on April 14, 1906.





Be that as it may. No one knows the number of outpourings that will happen before the last ever Pentecost-like Holy Spirit outpouring happens, but the Scripture is clear—there will be an end-time spiritual revival (Holy  Spirit outpouring). In Joel 2:28-29, the prophet Joel speaks specifically about an end-time outpouring of the Holy Spirit; however, there are many biblical prophecy scholars who believe that, according to the apostle Peter in Acts 2, the initial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy has already begun.





What is evident today is that, just like the four great Holy Spirit outpourings that happened in the Book of Acts, God still has been allowing all who follow Christ the opportunity to experience the Gift of the Holy Spirit who not only is continually living within them but also is frequently reviving them—is repeatedly filling/baptizing them so that they can function as anointed, gifted, authorized, and empowered witnesses for Christ. Unfortunately, not all believers have allowed or have wanted the Holy Spirit’s outpouring (spiritual revivals) to fall on them.





Nevertheless, whether a believer in Christ allows or even wants to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, according to Scripture, spiritual revivals will happen but only when and where there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In other words, spiritual revivals can’t happen if there is no outpouring of the Holy Spirit because only the Holy Spirit’s outpourings are true spiritual revivals. The circular argument was intended.





Lastly,  the fulfillment of Joel’s prophesied Latter Rain or the end-time (climactic) outpouring of the Holy Spirit will only happen in Israel and among Father God’s Jewish people—an overdue spiritual revival. In other words, the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this planet neither will happen in Gentile “churches” nor in what Gentile Christians call The CHURCH, but this prophesied end-time Holy Spirit outpouring will happen in the same nation the first Holy Spirit outpouring took place. By then, the Holy Spirit’s outpourings will have come full circle, ending where they began. Selah . . . . .

					


	





	

								
Midterm Elections 2018
										

			01
			Thursday
			Nov 2018
		

	
	

		

			Posted  by  in Faith and Wisdom, Spiritual		

		

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VOTE2


 


Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads. – Deuteronomy 1:13, NASB


Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. – Revelation 4:2-3, NASB


 


If you are a believer in Christ, then you know that it truly doesn’t matter who is in the White House, who is in Congress (either the House of Representatives or the Senate), or who is on the Supreme Court. What matters is that Father God and Christ Jesus still sit on Their Thrones in Heaven. Without a doubt, the Ones who sit on Their Heavenly Thrones are the Ones Who rule over the White House, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. The Father and the Son are King of kings, Lord of lords, and the only true Savior of this world.


After apostle John was in the Spirit; that is, after he was raptured up into Heaven, he immediately saw a multicolored throne that was surrounded by an emerald rainbow. Sitting on that Throne was Father God, who was equally as colorful. The most important point here is that John’s recorded image is a reminder to the world that, whether it is Caesar’s throne (in John’s day) or American politicians’ thrones (in our day), the eternal and absolute truth will always be that the One who has Supreme Authority over the entire universe forever sits on His Heavenly Throne.


Even though our (Christ believers’) God is Sovereign (He rules), which means His Will—not the will of men—will be done because His Will is the Supreme and Ultimate Authority and Power in the whole universe, this truth is why all citizens of America (especially Christ believers) who are registered voters should vote in November’s midterm elections. Now, midterm elections have a history of having a much lower voter turnout than presidential elections. However, if concerned Americans want to guarantee that the party of the sitting president loses—which also tends to be midterm elections’ history—registered voters shouldn’t rely on past midterm elections’ results. For sure, it is every citizen’s right to vote, so anyone who hasn’t already voted via Early Voting should get to the polls on November 6, 2018—Election Day—and exercise his or her right to vote.


Vote for the party or candidate of your choice, knowing and believing that it is your civic duty to do so. Vote for the party or candidate of your choice, knowing and believing that—if you are a believer in Christ—your God is the One Who is in control.

					


	





	

								
The Sound of Silence…Crickets
										

			03
			Wednesday
			Oct 2018
		

	
	

		

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Crickets


 


 


One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid anymore, but go on speaking and do not be silent;  for I am with you, and no one will attack you in order to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” ~ Acts 18:9-10, AMP


Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ]. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. ~ Philippians 2:1-3, AMP


 


The term “crickets” refers to the nonresponse a believer in Christ receives, for example, after posting a call-to-action message. Put differently, the sound of silence is CRICKETS—what a follower of Christ hears after asking several people groups to work on creating unity by loving each other, respecting each other, listening to each other, supporting each other, and defending each other. 


Today’s churches are filled with people who talk a good game, but when challenged to practice what they preach – crickets. Then too, many churchgoers profess that they love God, but when they are asked to show the same love they have for God to their neighbors – crickets. Another example is the way many confessed believers in Christ are united only within their own denominations. When they are invited to unite with other brothers and sisters in Christ from different denominations – crickets.  Sadly, most denominational Christians won’t even unite over issues they have in common. Every time they are asked to do so – crickets. 


Oh, the hypocrisy of it all—believers in Christ who declare they believe in the Scriptures, yet they do not do what every Scripture tells them to do. For instance, the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:10 that believers should be in total agreement, including being united in the way they think and the way they judge matters of faith. When believers today are asked to demonstrate the same oneness – crickets. 

					


	





	

								
The Exceptionally Rich
										

			07
			Tuesday
			Aug 2018
		

	
	

		

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The Poorest Person Is The One Without God


 


 


15 Speaking to the people, Jesus continued, “Be alert and guard your heart from greed and always wishing for what you don’t have. For your life can never be measured by the amount of things you possess.” 16 Jesus then gave them this illustration: “A wealthy land owner had a farm that produced bumper crops. In fact, it filled his barns to overflowing! 17 He thought, ‘What should I do now that every barn is full and I have nowhere else to store more? 18 I know what I’ll do! I’ll tear down the barns and build one massive barn that will hold all my grain and goods. 19 Then I can just sit back, surrounded with comfort and ease. I’ll enjoy life with no worries at all.’ 20 “God said to him, ‘What a fool you are to trust in your riches and not in me. This very night the messengers of death are demanding to take your life. Then who will get all the wealth you have stored up for yourself?’ 21 This is what will happen to all those who fill up their lives with everything but God.” ~ Luke 12:15-21, TPT




A word to the wise is sufficient. Amen!

					


	





	

								
Signed, Sealed, and Delivered Saints
										

			22
			Sunday
			Jul 2018
		

	
	

		

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The Seal Of God


 


 


It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. ~ Ephesians 1:13-14, MSG


 


The Holy Spirit is the One who seals believers in Christ. Father God allows the Holy Spirit to seal Christ’s followers so that they can feel safe and secure in God’s Love, Power, and Promises. Furthermore, it is the sealing of the Holy Spirit that accomplishes Father God’s signed, sealed, and delivered spiritual Objectives, which are as follows:


1. He seals with (stamps God’s Approval on us; validates us via) God’s Insignia so that we not only can receive the Holy Spirit inside us and on us but also can receive our eternal sonship, our eternal life, and our other promised eternal gifts.


2. He seals up (preserves, locks in) our faith that God has given to us so that unbelief, nonbelief, and apostasy) will be sealed out.


3. He seals to (protect, secure, and save) us by marking us with God’s Seal—a visible impression to the forces of darkness—so that demonic/evil forces will know they can’t enter us. In other words, God’s Seal will let Satan and his imps know that we Father God’s Children.


Shalom . . .


Every blessing . . . . .

					


	





	

								
A Two-Word Sermon: But God!
										

			06
			Friday
			Jul 2018
		

	
	

		

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But God!3


But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ~ Ephesians 2:4-7, NASB


But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:8, NASB


 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. ~ Genesis 50:20, NASB


 


 


 


But God . . . these two little words are more than enough Daily Bread (God’s Manna) to sustain me for the rest of my life. They also make me stop and reflect on my life whenever I come across them in the Word of God. They encourage me. They lift me up. They never fail to remind me of how often God holy and righteously intervened in my life and saved me from my own self—or from other people who only meant to harm me. They also remind me that with God ALL things are possible.


But God  . . . what an awesome set of words! More important, these two words always point to the Good News that follows them! But God . . . the two-word sermon!

					


	





	

								
Traditions of Men
										

			01
			Sunday
			Apr 2018
		

	
	

		

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Traditions Of Men


 


 


 


Jesus replied, “You are frauds and hypocrites! How accurately did Isaiah prophesy about you phonies when he said:


‘These people honor me with their words

while their hearts run far away from me!

Their worship is nothing more than a charade!

For they continue to insist

that their man-made traditions

are equal to the instructions of God.’


 “You abandon God’s commandments just to keep men’s rituals, such as ceremonially washing utensils, cups, and other things.”


Then he added, “How skillful you’ve become in rejecting God’s law in order to maintain your man-made set of rules. For example, Moses taught us:


‘Honor your father and your mother,’

and,

‘Whoever insults or mistreats his father or

mother must be put to death.’


“But your made-up rules allow a person to say to his parents, ‘I’ve decided to take the support you were counting on from me and make it my holy offering to God, and that will be your blessing instead.’ How convenient! The rules you teach exempt him from providing for his aged parents. Do you really think God will honor your traditions passed down to others, making up these rules that nullify God’s Word? And you’re doing many other things like that.” ~ Mark 7:6-13, TPT


 


Long before the time of Jesus, the Jewish religious leaders frequently added to the Law of Moses their own traditions—the traditions of men—that were their rules they made everyone follow. The reason they added their traditions was because these religious leaders wanted to make the Word of God more convenient to themselves. They also wanted to control the entire Jewish population—to control Israel—and they wanted to take the place of God.


Over the course of time, mostly after the Roman Empire destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 AD, as well as after the deaths of Jesus Christ’s apostles, the Roman believers in Christ developed their own highly sophisticated theology and organizational structure that was controlled by the papacy. The papacy was nothing like the Ekklesia that began on the Day of Pentecost, which was right after Jesus Christ’s Ascension Day that happened forty days after His Resurrection.


By the way, Jesus Christ was raptured twice. He first was raptured on the Day of First Fruits, when He rose from the grave and then secretly went to Heaven where He was presented before Father God who accepted His Son as the firstfruits of the resurrected dead. Secondly, Jesus Christ was raptured when He ascended to Heaven right in front of His original disciples.


Now, although the Roman Catholic Church has claimed that it is the Church Christ died for, according to the New Testament, the real truth is that the Roman Catholic Church’s beginning was not based on the teachings of Jesus Christ or His original disciples who became apostles. Indeed, for the first 280 years after Jesus Christ established His Ekklesia on the day of Pentecost, the Roman Empire banned believers in Christ and His teachings.


In fact, it wasn’t until after the Roman Emperor Constantine’s alleged “conversion” that the Roman Catholic Church made “Christianity” the ONLY religion of the Roman Empire. As a result, the Roman Empire stopped persecuting and crucifying believers in Christ around 313 AD. 


However, even though the Roman Catholic Church has claimed it is the Church Jesus Christ established, nowhere in the New Testament are there any mentions of a papacy; the confession of sin to a Catholic priest for his absolution; the immaculate conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus; the worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus; purgatory; infant baptisms; the petitioning of saints in Heaven for their prayers; calling priests “fathers”; the rosary and its string of prayer beads; Lent; and so many more of the Roman Catholic Church’s traditions of men. 


Like the Jewish religious leaders who added their own traditions to the Law of Moses, the Roman Catholic Church added its own traditions to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His disciples—to the New Testament. The Roman Catholic Church did this because it wanted to make the Word of God more convenient to its papacy and the religious leaders under the Pope, and it wanted to combine and control the “Christian” and pagan populations. Moreover, the Roman Catholic Church’s early religious leaders wanted to control the world, to take the place of God, and to give absolute POWER to the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, even the Roman Catholic Church’s history confirms that many Popes, Bishops, and other religious leaders were wicked, power hungry, and greedy for monetary gain. This description also applies to many of the Jewish High Priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees.


Most important, because the Roman Empire was massive, sprawling, and diverse, the Roman Catholic Church’s religious leaders not only wanted to distance themselves from the Jewish communities that were still celebrating God’s appointed seven annual feasts but also these religious leaders wanted to absorb the pagan feasts, beliefs, and rituals of their non-Christian citizens—feasts, beliefs, and rituals the Roman Emperor Constantine also continued to practice. Thus, the Roman Catholic Church’s religious leaders at the time of Emperor Constantine wanted to absorb the existing paganism so that these religious leaders could get all Roman citizens to embrace the Roman Catholic Church’s religious brand—“Christianity.”


Long story short, it is the Roman Catholic Church’s traditions of men that became the law and the customs the entire Empire had to follow as soon as said religious leaders during Emperor Constantine’s reign “Christianized” their existing pagan rituals and feasts. These traditions of men became the law and customs that most of the world, Protestant believers included, still follow today. A few of these traditions of men are the celebration of Christ’s birth (the annual Christmas holiday), the celebration of Good Friday (the annual celebration of Christ’s death), and the celebration of Easter (the annual celebration of Christ’s resurrection). 


The uncomfortable truth is that there is nowhere in the entire Word of God—the Old and the New Testaments—that Father God instructs His Children to celebrate His Son’s birth. Christmas, therefore, is not an annual God-appointed feast day. It is just one of the many pagan feast days and rituals that the Roman Catholic Church absorbed and Christianized. 


Likewise, there is nowhere in the entire Word of God that Good Friday is presented as a God-appointed feast (annual holiday). Good Friday is the Roman Catholic Church religious leaders’ attempt at getting rid of Passover—the annual God-appointed feast day that is in the Word of God. Passover is the day of preparation for the Jewish High Sabbath (a sacred day), and Passover is the day the Roman soldiers crucified the Messiah on the Cross.


Then too, there is nowhere in the entire Word of God that Easter is presented as a God-appointed feast (annual holiday). Easter, however, is the Roman Catholic Church religious leaders’ additional attempt at getting rid of Passover, which they did by making Easter fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurred on or after the spring or vernal equinox. These same religious leaders also changed Passover’s name to Good Friday, changed First Fruits’ name to Easter, changed Passover’s significance—Jesus Christ’s crucifixion day—and changed First Fruits’ significance, which was Jesus Christ’s resurrection day. By changing Passover and First Fruits’ dates, names, and significances, the Roman Catholic Church’s religious leaders were able to get rid of three Jewish feasts—Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. These were Jewish Feast days that many of the Roman Catholic Church’s “Christians” were observing. Having Roman Catholic “Christians” who also celebrated these Jewish Feasts days was causing a big problem in the Empire. Even so, the truths these early Roman Catholic Church religious leaders tried to bury were the Holy Bible’s annual God-appointed feast days of Passover and First Fruits, which were the days when Jesus Christ died and rose from the grave—not Good Friday and Easter.


The bottom line is as follows: If the Roman Catholic Church started with Jesus Christ and His disciples it certainly has done everything in its power to change or remove the Lord and His disciples’ teachings by either altering or replacing them all together with their own traditions of men, all for their own convenience. Out of their own disdain for the Jewish festivals’ traditions that line up with the entire Word of God, and because of their own life of compromise—mixing Christianized pagan feasts and rituals with their “Christianity”—the early Roman Catholic Church’s religious leaders ended up leaving behind an unholy legacy. 


Tragically, today’s believers in Christ have inherited from these early Roman religious leaders the same life of compromise and the same disdain for God’s appointed seven annual feast days that begin with Passover and end with Tabernacles. Consequently, way too many of today’s believers in Christ—Roman Catholics and Protestants—still religiously celebrate Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter. They do so as believers in Christ who are ignorant of the following fact: By continuing to celebrate these nonbiblical feasts, they are saying that the Roman Catholic Church’s attempt to change Father God’s prophetic calendar was ordained by God when it wasn’t. 


It is evident that Father God foresaw this unfortunate example of the blind leading the blind—not only in the Roman Catholic Church’s celebrations of the wrong feasts but also in ALL the Hebrew and Roman religious leaders’ other traditions of men that have been added to the Word of God. Sadly, every followed tradition of men is why so many believers in Christ who will be living right before the Tribulation Period begins will be so unprepared and unalert that they—carnal believers and natural men and women (unbelievers – Jews and Gentiles)—will miss the Rapture and end up suffering during the Tribulation Period. 


May the Lord help them see the errors of their ways before it is too late. Amen.