Rejoice and be Thankful

 Life itself,

Hello. Welcome, today. We just finished up a series entitled "Being Bold for Christ." We talked about considering the cost of becoming a child of God. You could lose your loved ones, your job, property, freedom, and, in some cases, your life. Yet Yeshua tells us that we should have no fear of any of this for we will gain so much more. He said this to Peter.

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29

Do you know one of the surest ways to be bold for Christ? Rejoice and be thankful. No. I mean truly grateful. For what? Everything! Everything. Every day! Not just the last Thursday in November. Not just because it is your time to say grace at the family dinner. EVERY DAY!

I’m also not just talking about your Job. Your home. Family. Health, or whatever. I’m talking about every breath you take. EVERYTHING! Along with everything, it needs to be true and honest thanksgiving and contentment.

Some people need help figuring out where to start. OK. Fair enough. Let's talk about this for the next few weeks. We will touch on these to get you started thinking.

Life itself.
Forgiveness of Sins.
The Adoption into His Family.
Your Spouse.
Your Children.
Your Home and Daily Needs are being met.
Countless and even Unknown Blessings.

Let's start today with the simplest to understand. You are here. You exist. God gave you this current life itself. If you have your Bible, turn to Psalm 139. Start at vs. 2

“You know when I sit down and when I rise; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.”

Say “God is there.” Repeat it. “God is there.” When you are sleeping, He is there. When you are waking up, He is there. When you go to school or work, God is there. Read on.

“Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.”

Just the fact that you are breathing, is a gift from God and is a great reason to rejoice and be thankful.

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

Say “God is there.” Why? Because HE created you. He made you.

”For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

I remember talking to someone about this, 

“Just the fact there is a painting is proof that there was an Artist.”

Just because you are here, in this world that God created, along with you, is proof that there is a God. We will get back to Psalm 139 in a second. We read things like this throughout His Word.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse Romans 1:20

Say "perceived." Not just seen. Rather seen and what? "Clearly perceived" Fully understood. And here

“To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

One more?

“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:18

Ok, one last one.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3

The fact that you are here is proof that there is a God. Just the fact that the world is here is proof there is a God. As a side note? Well, not really. You are exactly the way God wants you to be, Back to Psalm 139

“My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

You are 6 foot tall, or 4 foot 11. You are Male or Female. Yes, you are. God does not make mistakes. All this other nonsense is that. Nonsense and confusion are created for and by the devil. You have blonde hair, red, or brown. The Word declares that God loves you so that when He was creating you, He even counted the very hairs on your head. Yeshua told us this.

“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30

This is why it is so important to simply rejoice and be thankful that God loved you so much that He created you. He created a plan and a purpose for your life. He created you. He is always there. Back to Psalm 139, verse 17

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!”

Think about this next part. This is why you need to be bold for Christ. This is King David talking about those in his time. However, it is just as true today as it ever was.

“They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.”

Then we get to a scary prayer for some to even think about praying. Why? Because many people do not want to know. Ready?

”Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:2-24

What if I pray this prayer and God tells me “Yes.” “There are some grievous ways in you, and you must change.” Most people do not want to think of themselves as bad people. They like the way they are and they think they are just fine. What if God sees you a bit differently? Remember the rich man who asked to follow Him, and what He said to him? Turn to Mark 17. Start at Verse 17

“And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"

These still apply by the way.

“And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Mark 10:17-22

That kinda sounds like the opposite of what we see on TBN and some mega-church pastors preaching the “Prosperity Gospel.” Doesn’t it?

Even before we get into any of this, salvation, family, daily needs, or even the blessing we are not even aware of, we have this. The fact that you are alive. You exist. God arranged it so that your earthly father and mother met, knew each other, and you came about exactly when and how God wanted it to be. That alone should be worthy of your praise and thankfulness.

We can all be thankful for this. Then there is the Adoption for those who accept it. You see, you can be thankful that you are of God’s creation, but we are not all children of God. There is only one way to be a child of God. Through the adoption. Have you been?

Have you been adopted? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be, say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yeshua's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 11

 Chapter 11

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

1 Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition, I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” 4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud.

5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. 8 When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered so that no two of them were left together.

The Kingdom Is Renewed

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Bold for Christ 6

 Losing your life

Today we will wrap up our series entitled “Bold for Christ.” We already covered

Bold for Christ. Losing a Job. God supplies your needs.
Bold for Christ. Losing loved ones. Anyone who does will receive many more.
Bold for Christ. Losing property. Anyone who does will receive many more.
Bold for Christ. Losing your freedom. You are truly free in Christ.

Today? Today may be a tough one. But even this, should not be.

Bold for Christ. Losing your very life.

Death is not something to be feared. At least not for children of the Most High. Life on earth is like everything else on earth. Life on earth is temporary. It lasts but a time, and then it is on to the next stage of existence. Death is as natural as birth. It is as natural as life itself. It will come for all living things.

I understand that many fear death. It is natural to fear the unknown. But it doesn't have to be the unknown. As a child of God, you know what to expect. You should understand that it is not a punishment when that time comes for you. It is not a horrific event. It comes because it must.

If you have your Bible, turn to Ecclesiastes 3, starting at verse 1

“For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up, a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Read that one part again. “A time to be born, and a time to die.” In other words, death will come. There is an appointed time. We all must face our immortality in this temporal world. I truly believe that we fear this because of uncertainty. We fear what comes next. However, we do not have to. Why? Yeshua or as translated, Jesus, tells us what comes next. Turn to John 14, also starting at verse 1

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house, there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that is where I am, and you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." John 14:1-3

Revelations 21 tells us what the capital, if you will, of the new earth will look like.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

This will happen. EVERYTHING you know, some of which you may very well love, will “pass away.” But look what is coming.

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also, he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

This is for you child of God. However, this will not be everyone.

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Revelation 21:1-8

Again. This WILL happen. Not maybe. Not could. Not what if? It is not a matter of if, but when. Want to know more? Read on and you will see pure beauty that cannot even be comprehended

“Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a rarest jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates, the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length, width, and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city does not need a sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelations 21:9-27

Now this is after the Tribulation, the end time. But I want you to think about this. "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." And "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Imagine that. It is a far better place to go, than the one where we live. A place where God Himself will wipe away our tears. A place where there will be no more sorrow, pain, sickness, or death itself.

You see, it is appointed to man {Humans} to die twice. Yup. Twice. The first is a physical death. The body will die. As stated in Ecclesiastes 3: 2

“A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;”

The second is a spiritual death. The old man is put away. In Revelations, it declares this.

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

This is the aftermath of the White Throne Judgement. Turn to Revelations 20 verse 11

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence, the earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15

So let's look at the two deaths. And how do you get your name written in the Book of Life? The first is obvious. A physical death. The body fades away from dust to dust. Every living thing faces this death. The second is spiritual.

You must remember, that because of one man, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are born into sin. We are born into the family of the devil. We are not all children of God. We are all God's creations. But not all Children. It is just this simple.

“that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order for the world to be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:15-18

It really cannot be simpler to understand than that.

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12

It does not matter one iota what “religion” you claim, or how educated you may be. It does not matter how much money you have. Even who you know. The ONLY way to Heaven and the ONLY way to salvation is Yeshua. Jesus’s sacrifice for the payment for your sins.

Remember what Yeshua said to the Priests and Rulers of the Synagogue in His time on earth? He never minced words. He never left it open for misunderstanding. Nor interpretation. 

“They answered him, "Abraham is our father."

They said we are the holy ones. We are the ones who know God and we are the true chosen by God. What did He respond with?

“Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the work your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father--even God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my words.”

They simply were not hearing Him. Rather they did not accept what He was saying. So He made it plain and crystal clear.

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." John 8:39-47

Just because they were religious, doesn't mean they were saved. That doesn't mean that they were children of God. He called them the children of the Devil. The only way you can become a child of God is through the adoption of the Spirit.

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:16-17

Only then can you be called a child of God. Only then can you be free from the fear of death, because it is at that moment that you will understand that your destination after leaving this earth is far better than what you are leaving behind.

Now we have said all that to say this. Why fear those who could make this happen? Those who can kill the body?

"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

What about those who hate God and His Word so much that they are willing to murder you for it?

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:26-28

Death is not to be feared. Dare I say, to me, it is something to actually look forward to. Think about it. Someone ends your life here and you wake up standing before God and hopefully, He says

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:21

Be bold for Christ. Even if it means you will meet Him in person, face to face. Are you a child of God? Can you be bold for Christ? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yeshua's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10


The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 10

 Chapter 10

Saul Anointed King

1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage. 2 When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ 3 Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. 5 After that you shall come to Gibeath-Elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8 Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait until I come to you and show you what you shall do.”

9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12 And a man of the place answered, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” 15 And Saul's uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.

Saul Proclaimed King

17 Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. 18 And he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”

20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot;[e] and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

Bold for Christ 5

 Losing your freedom 

Welcome. Today we are continuing our series entitled “Bold for Christ.” We have already talked about

Being bold for Christ while losing a job.
Being bold for Christ while losing loved ones.
Being bold for Christ while losing property.

Today we will discuss being bold for Christ while losing your freedom. Is this far-fetched? Look what Yeshua, translated as Jesus, warns us about.

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep amid wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” Matthew 10:16-18

This is not really happening today in America, but it is starting. Remember, during COVID-19 in the year 2020, they tried to outlaw Church gatherings in the name of health and safety. It did not work for long; many real churches came back strong or never complied. Some feel this was a test of our government's authority and power.

Look at Canada. We already talked about all the places where it is extremely dangerous to be a child of God and where even owning a Bible can get you arrested and or murdered.

1. North Korea
2. Afghanistan
3. Somalia
4. Libya
5. Pakistan
6. Eritrea
7. Yemen
8. Iran
9. Nigeria
10. India

Some of these make sense. However, what about Canada? Yes, our neighbors to the north are starting to go down this same road. “A judge in Canada ruled Monday that the religious freedoms of Alberta Pastor James Coates — who was in jail for more than a month after holding in-person worship services at his church despite COVID restrictions — were not violated.

Coates, who leads GraceLife Church in Edmonton, recently submitted a Charter challenge, claiming pandemic-related health orders in Alberta violated his religious liberties.” {By Tré Goins-Phillips, Editor of Faithwire, June 7, 2021}


Look at this from Canada Imprisons Christians – Are We Next? Posted on Friday, July 21, 2023|

by AMAC, Robert B. Charles

“Is Pierre Trudeau – by the terms of established international criminal law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – behaving like a criminal? He has decided to imprison Christians for exercising freedoms of speech, worship, and peaceful protest. If he can be imprisoned for resisting anti-freedom COVID restrictions and “transgender” harm to girls – is America far behind?”

Nope. Listen to this.

“Incidents of explicit, indefensible targeting, then persecution, intimidation, arrest, humiliation, and imprisonment in Canada are so numerous they would fill a small book. The expansion of government overreach and these incidents of textbook persecution come from the top.”

Don’t think anti-God, power-hungry leaders in our country are not watching and longing to do the same here.

“But now we see a harsher turn. We are beginning to see imprisonment and even alleged mistreatment of innocent religious protestors by Canada’s political police. Americans need to wake up and understand that oppression of rights, if not stopped, gets infectious. We need to take religious persecution across Canada seriously if we do not want more of it here.”

It goes on. The point is, that persecution of “Christians” is happening all over the world. People are being labeled all sorts of things and the Word of God is starting to be called “hate speech” in some incidents. Calling out sin. Homosexuality and Transgenderism, ETC. Do you know who no one arrests and no one complains about? Muslims. Those who come from a country that tortures and kills people for no other reason than they are gay or transgender. Nope, they get a pass. Muslims? Buddhist? Hindus, even false Christianity that has embraced sin and confusion, are left alone. However, if you are a Bible-believing, Bible-based, Yeshua-centered TRUE church, they are coming for you. That should tell you all you need to know.

Turn to James 5. Start at verse 7

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

He is coming back.

“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

Who is the judge? Yes. Yeshua is the judge. But if you still fear suffering, look at what James said here.

“As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” James 5:7-11

They persecuted them. Arrested them. Even put some of them to death. Look at Yeshua, or Jesus as translated. They arrested Him and put Him to death. Look at the Apostles. They arrested them and put them to death. What makes you think we will fare better than they? Remember what Jesus told us.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.” Matthew 10:24-25

And here

“Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they keep my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name because they do not know who sent me.” John 15:20-21

Remember, this will happen. It is pretty much a guarantee that it will happen.

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”2 Timothy 3:12

Look at Paul.

“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:24-28

What happens if you do get arrested? What if you do, for no other reason than preaching the Word of God or just talking to someone about God? If you are arrested for your faith. He answers that as well.

“When they deliver you over, do not be anxious about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

This is not just about strangers. There may come a time when someone in your own family turns you in.

“Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.” Matthew 10:19-25

You must have genuine faith in God and Yeshua. You have to lay yourself a solid foundation with this. {Holding up the Bible} and not just simply religion or what others tell you. Read it for yourself. See the warnings. Get ready. It is coming.

Are you ready to go to jail? I read that a whole family, including kids, got like 20 years of hard labor. Why? They just happened to be Christian and own a Bible in China. This could very well happen here. They are trying. Talk about Homosexuality, Transgenderism, or any other religion, or offend someone in any way, “HATE SPEECH!” they scream. They are only open-minded and all-inclusive as long as you are not a child of God.

Are you ready? The storm is coming. The hate is here. The persecution is already here. Jail may not very well be all that far away. Are you ready? Will you be bold for Christ in the back of a police car heading to jail?

Say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yeshua's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 9

 Chapter 9

Saul Chosen to Be King

1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin but did not find them.

5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today's “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) 10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city because the people have a sacrifice today in a high place. 13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” 14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.

15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel at the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's house?” 21 Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” 24 So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”

So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. 26 Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.

27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”

Bold for Christ 4

 Losing property

Let me tell you a few real-life stories. One involves a quaint little shop, beloved by many, called Shell Bazaar formerly of Stuart Florida. I love this place. We have been many times. My kids love this place. It was established in 1953 in front of B and A Flea Market. They are no longer there. A couple of years ago, they hung a sign in support of Trump. The landlord, who had nothing to do with the business, told them to take it down and they refused so the landlord threw them out. Forcing them to move to PSL. They are doing great at the new location.

Now some will say good. Good for them. Some would say they deserved it. However, Trump is a Christian. He is God-fearing. A lot of his policies can be found and backed up with the Bible. Is there a coalition?

Let me tell you a story about a little Bakery. Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, owned by Jack Phillips, was requested to make a wedding cake for a gay couple and he refused. He was sued and forced to close even though many bakeries would do this in that area. They were targeted because they were “Christian.” Now he did win a landmark US Supreme Court case in June. Good news? Yes. However? He is being sued again. Why? He would not make a transfer celebration cake. Why? Because of his faith. He is bold for Christ. He will win this one too.

Chick-fil-A? Well, this company which is owned by evangelical Christians has dared to designate some of its annual charitable giving to churches and church-related organizations that still believe in Orthodox Christianity.

“On March 22, the San Antonio City Council announced with great pride and fanfare it was officially banning Chick-fil-A from doing business in the San Antonio International Airport over what it called the fast-food chain’s “anti-LGBTQ behavior.”

“What was this egregious behavior?” You ask. Was it the refusal to do business with homosexuals? No. There has never been any such claim against Chick-fil-A. In fact, this company has been complimented repeatedly by the LGBTQ community for its gracious, kind, and exemplary customer service. Was it a refusal to hire homosexuals? No. Again, there has never been such an accusation against this company and in fact, Chick-fil-A does not ask about nor discriminate against any employee’s private sexual choices.” {Taken from an opinion piece by Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, is the author of “Not A Day Care: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth” (Regnery 2017). Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. }

Nope. It was simply for not hiding their faith. It was solely because they donated to faith-based organizations. That is it. However, they are a company with a bold owner for Christ, and Chick-fil-A will be just fine.

How about you? We read this.

For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power love, and self-control.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," 2 Timothy 1:6-10

Who will tell us we cannot do what God calls us to do? I will say that again. Who will tell us we cannot do what God calls us to do? Follow Yeshua, or Jesus as translated. Follow His Word. Follow God and not man. Who are they, on their way to hell for their love of sin and hate of God? Who are they? Who are they that you should fear?

Another real-life example? Memories Pizza, an Indiana pizzeria owned by a Christian family who in 2015 said they wouldn't cater a same-sex wedding if asked, has closed.

This is very possible. This has happened and the anti-Christian movement is growing. What if you get a knock on your door and the landlord says something like, “I can no longer rent to you. You are one of those hate-filled, homophobic, racist, Christians. I do not want to be associated with that so either you sign this paper saying you renounce God and anything “Jesus,” or I’m going to have to ask you to move. Sorry.” What then? Are you going to be bold for Christ? Or will you cave and sign?

God will be with you. Look here in Joshua.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

We are His children. We are His people. Of course, God will be with us wherever we go.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

“But you are talking about losing my business or my very home. What if I just sign the paper and go on serving God?”

This is the same answer people have been giving when asked if they would receive the mark of the beast in the end times. Turn to Revelations 13 verse 16.

"Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,”

Why?

“so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelations 13:16-17

You will be able to do nothing. It will be a cashless society and you will be able to get nothing. Food, water, buying or selling. Nothing. Without the Mark. People say yeah whatever, I will get the Mark but I will still love and serve God secretly. This does not work. Sorry.

“Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and the presence of the Lamb.” Revelation 14:9-10

No. You cannot take the Mark and serve God secretly. Read what the angel said again. “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and the presence of the Lamb.” God will not be mocked and He will not be lenient to those who are not bold. Look here, also in Revelations.

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

The first part. “But as for the cowardly,” include anyone taking the mark, anyone who signs a paper denouncing Christ, and anyone who rejects Christ to save themselves. Remember what Jesus tells us.

“And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Think about this. What if you are faced with a choice to either sign or not? Speak or not. Take the mark or not. Why would you? To “find your life.” or to save it. To hide your faith in God out of fear. Yeshua says they will lose their life. But if we do not sign, speak, or take the mark, and we lose our life or anything else for His sake, we will “find” a better and more perfect life in and with Him.

There is no room for cowardness. No room for deceitfulness. No room for indecisiveness. No. God wants us to be bold. What if you do lose a loved one, a business, or a job? Look what Peter said to Jesus and how He responded when Peter said, look, we left everything and followed you. What do we get?

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29

That is what the church is. I may lose my mother because she believes that all this is nonsense, but guess what? I now have many mothers in my church family. I have many brothers and sisters. Mothers and fathers, friends and family. And I will be blessed with options of where to live if I lose my business and or home simply for my faith in God. Why should I fear any of it?

If there were no persecution, there would be no need to be bold. There is. Therefore there will be a time coming, increasingly quickly at that, where you will need to be bold. Will you be? Are you willing to lose your property for Jesus? Just because you believe? What about your freedom? This is what we will be talking about next time.

Are you a child of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yeshua's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 8

 Chapter 8

Israel Demands a King

1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

Samuel's Warning Against Kings

10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

The Lord Grants Israel's Request

19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

Bold for Christ 3

Consider the cost of losing loved ones

People lose loved ones daily. There are many reasons for this. Death. Of course. Arguments over the family dynamics. Money, sadly often. Arguments and hateful feelings about the choice of spouse. Many reasons. However, the one that may hurt the most is losing a loved one for no other reason than you have chosen to accept Christ. Another sad fact about this topic is this. It is pretty much guaranteed to happen.

If you have your Bible, turn to Matthew 10:34

“Do not think I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.” Matthew 10:34-36

Yeshua, or Jesus as translated tells us plainly

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26

To be a disciple of Christ, we must be willing to give up everything for Yeshua. Following Yeshua requires commitment and faithfulness, even if our parents choose not to follow Christ. If and when faced with the painful choice of loyalty to family versus loyalty to Yeshua, we must choose Yeshua. Even if our family members disown us for no other reason than being “Christians,” we must follow Christ. It is in this sense that we are “hating” our family rather than choosing to put God and our faith in Christ over them.

Count the cost. This will happen, says our Lord and His Word. We read this in Matthew 10

“And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22

Read that again. “And you will be” what? “Hated for my sake.” Who’s sake? Yeshua, or as translated in your Bible Jesus. It is not an “if.” It is not a “maybe.” It is pretty much a guarantee. Remember, it is not just our families and loved ones, it is the whole world.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.” Matthew 24:9

Are you ready for this? Are you sure? Are you ready to truly put this {Holding up the Bible} at the head of your thoughts, in your heart, and in your Spirit? What it says we are, we are. Who we are, we are. What is sin and what is good is spelled out clearly. It no longer matters what your friends, or yes, loved ones, have to say about anything. It is all about following Jesus. Remember what Jesus said to people who wanted to follow Him however, they were not ready to let go of the past? He said this.

“To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:59-62

There is a cost to following Him. He is clearly telling us this. We can and will lose loved ones. Are you ready for this? Aunt June: A beautiful lady, kind, and always doing for others. Since her husband died, Aunt June has nothing to do with God, faith, or anything else.

Now you accept Christ. You receive the Spirit of Adoption where you can cry “Abba Father.” You are now growing in faith and you start to try to share it with those you love most. Aunt June comes for a visit and you tell her that you have become a child of God. Aunt June immediately changes her whole demeanor and says something to the effect, “That is stupid. You are smarter than that. God is not there. If He is there, He is a hateful, spiteful, egotistical tyrant who should never be worshiped. Keep away from me with that stuff.”

You try to not offend her, but her visits and calls become less frequent. She starts talking to other family members about how it is a shame and how odd you are becoming. She thought you were smarter than all that, etc. Are you ready to choose God and His Word over Aunt June?

What if it is not Aunt June? What if it is Mom? Dad? Sister or brother? Jesus was talking about this when He said we need to be ready to hate our family. Not that we will hate them to follow Him, but rather, when, not if, when they hate you because you are following Him, you have to be ready to let go of them.

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Think about that for a second. You are no longer you. Let me say that again. You are no longer you. You are no longer the little Petey that Aunt June knew and loved. You are now a new creation. A new person. You are changing and becoming someone she hates. Why? You are no longer of this world. You are now a child of God.

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

The world says there is no God. In many cases, God has given them up to their sins, lusts, and foolishness. Read Romans Chapter 1 However, this is not you. No. As a child of God?

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5

Turn to Romans 1 Start at verse16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

This is now you. You are now a child of God and you should be doing the best you can to live by faith. Aunt June? Anyone else that is still in the world? Especially if they are living in sin by choice and refusing to hear the truth. Even God will not force you to accept the Truth.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

Sadly, some of our churches have started doing this. God is patient only to a point. Read on.

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

What is God’s response?

“For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

Look at America today. Homosexuality and Transgenderism, 20 + pronouns, and time off of work if they are “misgendered.” Read on.

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:16-32

“Pride Month.” You get the point. This is the world in which we live. However, you are no longer of this world. You are now a new creation and that new creature is HATED by the world. Why? Because you now point out the sins of the world and tell them there is another way, a better way. One they reject wholeheartedly.

Paul wrote this to Timothy in his second letter. He might as well be talking to us.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

Again, look at social media, look at TV ministries. Look at America again.

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Calling sin good and good sin. Justifying sin with compassion and “love.” It is NOT love to sit back and watch someone, especially someone you claim to love, live in a way that you KNOW will lead to death and destruction. No. True compassion and true love are demonstrated by attempting to stop them and show them there is a better way that save their very Soul.

“As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Remember, it was not just Paul. It was not just Peter. “The Great Commission” was given to all of us as children of God.

“ And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

That is for you. That is for me. Our Father, through Christ’s sacrifice, gave us the keys to Hell and Heaven. Our Father, through Christ’s sacrifice, gave us the ability to close up the gate of Hell and to open up the gate of Heaven. Look here then I will close.

“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18

You have the Keys. You have the obligation. You are Blessed with the ability. However, never forget this most important fact. They have free will, just like you. They can accept or reject the truth. They can repent or continue to freely sin.

Will you lose loved ones? I hope not. But is it possible? Of course. This is why we are warned about it. Part of the cost of discipleship. If you have not already done so, and if you truly want to have Yeshua come into your life and set you free from Hell, death, and the grave, having the ability to be bold, then say this prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be, say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yeshua's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 7

 Chapter 7

1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.

Bold for Christ 2

 Losing your job. 

We read things like this.

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Timothy 3:12-13

We read things like this. Yeshua, or Jesus, said this

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they keep my word, they will also keep yours.” John 15:18-20

In His famous “Sermon on the Mount,” He told us this.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12

"Rejoice and be glad?" "Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ WILL be persecuted." The World WILL hate you and you WILL be persecuted. This is the Word. This is a warning of things to come. This will happen and I, God, am warning you that it is coming so you are not caught off guard. So that you are not surprised.

Peter warned us of this too.

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:14-17

One of the biggest risks and fears people all have is losing their jobs. There are people where you work that are lost, that are going to hell, that need a Savior. You are a child of God. You have the keys to the Kingdom and Hell, death, and the grave. Your Father, God, gave them to His Son, and He gave them to you. All you have to do is tell people about Yeshua, or Jesus, and His sacrifice for them and the fact all they have to do is believe in Him and they too can be saved.

Their response? “I cannot do that. My boss is not a believer, and we are not allowed to talk about religion or politics. I could, {say it with me} lose my job.”

Now I know we are going to cover some of the things we have talked about many times, but this is a reality that you, as a child of God, really need to learn and take for yourself and know, this is a fact told to you by Yeshua Himself. If you have your Bible, turn to Matthew 6, starting at verse 25

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than them?”

You need to get this child of God. He is talking directly to you.

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

God does this. Not man. Not “Mother Nature.” God.

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

If everyone needs these things, God knows you need them, then how do you guarantee you will get them? How can you guarantee that your daily needs will be met?

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:25-33

This is a fact. It is not your job that sustains and blesses you. I will say that again because someone needs to hear it. It is not your job that sustains and blesses you. Even though some people look at their j.o.b. as their g.o.d. It is not. In the “Our Father Prayer” Jesus even included this aspect of God’s love to us. 

“Give us this day our daily bread,” Matthew 6:11

Is your job in charge of your needs? The company or organization you are working for is at the mercy of profit. If they do not make money, they can not afford to pay you. Due to economic situations, you may go to work on Monday, and find you no longer have a job. They need to find ways to keep the company going, and if that means cutting you, you will be cut. Now, do they do this for a personal reason? No. It just happens. You were costing the company or organization more than they could afford to pay you. I understand it is hard not to take it personally. But for the most part? It isn't.

Here you are, driving home, fearful of the future. I know some that go to work every day, fearful that it is their last. Is there anything you could have done to stop the loss of your job? Probably not. Is there anything you can do driving home, to change the fact you lost your job? Nope. So why worry about it?

You have an unfair advantage. You really do. Remember, you are a child of God. Remember, God promised you that your needs will be met. The God of gods, the King of Kings, the Creator of all that is, was, or ever will be, is your Daddy. Do you think He will not meet your needs?

Think of a rich man. Would he not give all he has to his son or daughter if they became in need? Of course. God is far richer than the richest man. So you do not have to fear the loss of a job. As a side note. You also do not need to kill yourself trying to make that next dollar.

Our Lord tells us.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice on that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” Luke 6:22-23

“Leap for joy.” “Rejoice.” I love that. "Sorry, Pete, you are fired.” No. I’m not going to try to leap here. But I will rejoice. {laughing} My leaping days may be over. But it took me a long time to get this. I’m going to tell you a story that is going to be hard for you to understand. May even be hard for some to accept. However, you can research it yourself and find it true.

One of my first jobs was working in Mall Security. I started overnight. In the first few months, I became a sergeant. Things were going along just fine for the first 3 years. Then a new Mall Manager took over. He was not such a nice guy. He used and abused not only his staff but some of the tenants of the mall as well. He also used the mall as a personal storage area for his things. Now this was right in the middle of me discovering salvation and receiving a deeper understanding of the Word and God's Way.

Now, Dwight, and I, one of the instrumental people in getting me into my quest for Truth, decided to go to this man and ask him if he knew Christ. His exact answer was "I don't have time for that nonsense." Then he stole my file from the files, and asked my boss, Dwight, for it. Needless to say, it was not there. So I got blamed for stealing my file. Turns out, he had it the whole time and then fired me. He also fired Dwight and a few others. I, to my surprise, remembered this Passage

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:

for it is written,

I will repay, saith the Lord."

I forgave him. A few months later, I heard that he was in the center of the mall when the owners came in and fired him. Right there in the center of the mall, in front of so many people, he was abusive over the years he was there. He received the same treatment that he dished out. I hear he did not handle it well.

There was nothing I could have done to him, to equal what happened to him. Nothing. However, God did not stop there. If you go to the Newburgh Mall in Newburgh NY, you will find a shell. It no longer exists.

This was the first time, not the last, I have seen, firsthand, entire places disappear. A child of God wronged, and not soon after, the entire business was gone. You can do nothing in comparison to what God can do. Why stress out over it? Forgive them, and allow God to take it from there.

I worked as a manager for a major hotel brand. One in Newburgh and one in Stuart Florida. Both Holiday Inns. I built two award-winning teams in both and everything was going along just fine. However, my mentor in Newburgh was an alcoholic and abusive. He caused me employees and a lot of problems but I was also learning the trade and I toughed it out for seven years. Then due to personal matters, I ended up moving to Florida. I forgave him and continued my career in the Holiday Inn of Stuart. I worked there for three and a half years. I was fired based on a lie, and false allegations. Sound familiar? I forgave them. Skip ahead to today? The drunken mentor? Dead. The Holiday Inn in Newburgh and Stuart Florida? Yeah, they no longer exist.

Am I someone special? YES! I am a child of God! If you are, you are special too. The most powerful words you can possibly say to someone who wrongs you? “I forgive you.” The hard part is meaning it. "I forgive you." Why? Because you take them out of your hand, and you give them to God.

So what happened each time I got fired? I got a better job than I ever had before. God blessed me richly. I never had a fear or a lack of food. The bills were paid. Nothing happened to me. I do not even believe I had even a week off of work before I started a new Job.

Paul says this in Philippians

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, so that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8

Remember, Jesus called the rich man building barns a fool. Why? That very day, his soul was required. In other words, he was dying that day. Then whose stuff does all that become? You come into the world naked and you go out the same way. You do not take it with you. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. So why worry about it?

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:11

Be bold for Christ. What would happen if you lost your job? “Leap for joy.” “Rejoice.” Blessed are you. Forgive those you ought to and allow God to take care of it. There is nothing you can do that is worthy to be compared to what God can and will do.

Are you a child of God? If you have not already done so, and if you truly want to have Yeshua come into your life and set you free from Hell, death, and the grave, having the ability to be bold, then say this prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be, say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Yeshua's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!"

That's it. It is that simple. Now tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Yeshua, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Yeshua is Lord!

Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 6

 Chapter 6

The Ark Returned to Israel

1 The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines for seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” 3 They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” 4 And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. 6 Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? 7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. 8 And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”

10 The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12 And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. 16 And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.

17 These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, 18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”