Happy Thanksgiving 2024

 Happy Thanksgiving.

Isn't it amazing how God works? We are in the middle of the Sermon Series entitled "Rejoice and be Thankful" as we run into Thanksgiving. That was all God and not my little mind planning things out. That is what the whole series is about. Let's not make this just a one-day-a-year thing, where we have set aside this one day to remember to give God thanks. Oh, we will all, I included, say grace at the big dinner with family and friends and when people ask me what am I thankful for, I will answer this...

My life, for without Him, I would not even be here in the first place.

My Wife. Without Him, I would not have been so blessed with a woman who supports me in any and every way. One that loves me no matter what. One that serves together with me. One that I truly love.

My three beautiful children. Joshua my firstborn son. Elijah, the second, and of course, my Baby girl the princess, Maya.

My two homes, and 17 acres, when so many have lost theirs.

Truck, Jeep, Jeep.

Food on the table.

Pretty much anything and everything.

The Word of God declares.

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I do have a question for you. If you are like me and are truly thankful to God for, well, everything, then why do you only give Him thanks once a year?? Also, is giving Him thanks in the method of speaking, merely saying it, enough, for all He has done for you?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

What does this mean? It means you are a child of God. He is your Father, yet rather, He is your Daddy. He is your Daddy 24-7 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, from the time you were adopted until the day you leave this earth to go to be with Him. Not one day a week, if you feel like going to church, and not one day a year.

God wants a one-on-one relationship with you. Oh yes, of course, He wants to be invited to Thanksgiving day dinner, but He also wants a one-on-one, daily, relationship with you. He wants to be there when you get up. He wants to be there when you lay down. He wants to be there in everything in between. The good times. The bad times. He wants to meet your needs, comfort you, and laugh with you. He wants you to BE His child.

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

We should be those people that other people look at and go, "Wait, what?" Seriously, we should be those people that we have all known or have known of. Those weirdos. Those strange people. Always seemingly happy, no matter what is going on. Always ready to serve others. Always with a kind word and a warm embrace. Open and honest. Loving.

Am I saying that we should not celebrate Thanksgiving? Of course not. I will be. I do it right every year. Get as stuffed as the turkey and pass out in my chair attempting to watch something on TV.

What I AM saying is, don't forget to give thanks to God the other 364. He is not only God then, but He is God always.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all!!!

Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 13

 Chapter 13

Saul Fights the Philistines

13 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

Saul's Unlawful Sacrifice

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince[b] over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.

And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, 21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. 22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

Rejoice and be Thankful 2

 Forgiveness of my Sins.

Do you think it is appropriate to be thankful to God one day a year? Of course not. Some people have a hard time trying to think of something to be thankful for. This is what we are talking about in this series. Being thankful to God, for God, for us, always.

Last time we talked about being thankful to God for the simple reason, well, not so simple really, but for the simple reason that you exist. You are here. You are alive. How about if we rejoice and be thankful that we are forgiven for our sins?

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness because he had passed over former sins in his divine forbearance. It was to show his righteousness at present so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26

Let us examine this a bit more.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”

What does this mean? Yeshua, as translated as Jesus, made this statement.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-20

What is the Law of God as God gave it to us?

You shall have no other gods before God.
You shall not commit idolatry.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
Honor your Father and Mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness
You shall not covet.

Yeshua summed all this up in this way.

“And one of the scribes came up and heard them arguing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.” Mark 12:28-34

Now understand this fact. This is God’s Law. Now the Jewish religion has 613 laws. They include some of this of course. Some examples,

To know God exists.
Not to entertain the idea that there is any god but the Eternal
Not to blaspheme in the penalty for which is death
To hallow God's name

ETC. Others

To honor the old and the wise Leviticus 19:32
To learn Torah and to teach it Deuteronomy 6:7.
To cleave to those who know Him the Talmud states that cleaving to scholars is equivalent to cleaving to Him.

This one I find interesting.

Do not add to the commandments of the Torah, whether in the Written Law or its interpretation received by tradition.

Well? God gave us 10 and the Rabbis gave us 613. So?

It goes on to address things like;

Signs and symbols
Prayer and blessings
Love and brotherhood
The poor and unfortunate
Treatment of Gentiles
Food

ETC. 

It goes on. 613. Could you follow all these? Of course not. This is why when asked, Yeshua summed them up as two.

"The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Remember, He did not come to do away with the Law. It is still very much in effect. However, there is a difference between being a Jew and being saved by grace through the faith in Yeshua, or Jesus, as the Christ.

Remember, back in the day, the early church was going around circumcising grown men and making the non-Jews of the time follow their law. It became such an issue that Peter and the rest of the Apostles had to settle it.

“But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." After Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.” Acts 15:1-2

It seems like, to me anyway, that it was stopping non-Jews from accepting Christ due to this requirement according to Jewish Law. So they met.

“The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days, God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:6-9

Therefore, they came to this conclusion and even put it in writing.

“Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter:

"The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." Acts:15:22-29

First, we must hear the gospel and accept Christ's sacrifice.

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

Pretty simple. Easy to understand. And of course.

"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 so that the world might 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 3:16-18

It is just that simple. God made it so simple that mankind sometimes gets lost in the simplicity. Rejoice and be thankful, that even though we are not Jews from birth, even though we do not have the Jewish Laws to learn and follow, God has made the way for us to be equal to the Jews, and fellow children of God.

“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

This is the result.

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

This is the reason.

“This was to show God's righteousness because he had passed over former sins in his divine forbearance. It was to show his righteousness at present so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Why? “To show God’s righteousness.” Remember what Peter learned.

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,” Acts 10:34

You are blessed with the ability to accept Jesus and become an heir with the Jews, who also accept Christ, and become heirs with Christ.

“For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature, do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:12-16

Rejoice and be thankful that although you cannot be made perfect and acceptable following the Law of the Jewish people and or even the Ten Commandments fully, being born into sin, we can be made perfect and acceptable through the blood that Jesus, or Yeshua, shed for us all. Your sins are forgiven. You are a new creature. A saved being. An heir with Christ Himself. A child of God.

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 12

 Chapter 12

Samuel's Farewell Address

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now, therefore, stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. 16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

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!