Month: August 2022

When a new believer accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior it’s only the beginning of their walk with God. We all begin our spiritual journey on the spiritual milk of God’s word but we must constantly move forward in our walk with God or in all likelihood we’ll start to doubt our faith and end up becoming backsliders. The Bible refers to it as a “falling away” from the faith. The Bible assures us that in the end times many of the elect will “fall away” from God. Our task is to make sure our faith is rock solid and we’re not influence by, or in the company of, those destined to “fall away” from God. A new believer must grow in the faith by moving on to the spiritual meat of God’s word so their faith can never be doubted or shaken when persecution and hard times come; and they will come.

Psalm 33:11 – The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Gentile).

Psalm 18:46 – The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

2 Timothy 3:1 – But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.

How can a believer become a resolute Christian? A committed Christian should maintain their fellowship with God by reading their Bibles daily. Christians should study God’s word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom on a regular basis. Lastly, Christians should pray to God at least daily. Praying is talking to God, which we’re commanded to do and which we must do to stay in fellowship with God the Father. In fact, believers should be praying to God all throughout the day and in every circumstance. There’s no such thing as praying to God to much but there is such a thing as praying to God too little. The Bible tells us to pray to God continually because God wants to hear from us about anything and everything that concerns us. We’re God’s children and he is always there for us 24/7.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Isaiah 33:6 – Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.

2 Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight.

If you believe in God and that his son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to die on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins before rising from the dead and ascending back to heaven then you have eternal life in heaven because you have believed in this gospel message. The Bible is the inerrant word of God. The Bible is the truth of God. That means every story in the Bible is true, and either has happened already or will happen in the future. If you believe in God and Jesus but don’t believe every story in the Bible as written then you’re calling God a liar to his face because God wrote the Bible and God cannot lie. You cannot pick and choose what you want to believe in God’s word. God speaks the truth plainly and if you don’t believe him you’re what God calls a “lukewarm” Christian and God says he will spew you out of his mouth. If you’re a believer you still have your salvation but calling God a liar means your works before Jesus will be burned up by fire on the last day.

Deuteronomy 8:3 – Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

Pslam 18:30 – As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Psalm 19:7 – The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Ephesians 3:11-12 – According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

The Apostle Peter admitted that some teachings are hard to understand yet as believers we’re to walk by faith and not by sight. God wants believers who are all-in; who believe every word of the Bible and not believers who pick and choose what they want to believe. As Christians, know what you believe to be the truth of God and why you believe it. That comes by studying the evidence in God’s word, which is irrefutable. When talking to most nonbelievers about my faith I can usually count on them saying the same thing. They all read from the same hymn book. Nonbelievers think there’s no God because they don’t believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale. They also don’t believe the story of the flood and all the animals fitting inside Noah’s ark. And last of all, nonbelievers have bought into the humanist lie that dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago therefore the Bible couldn’t be true because God’s word reveals that creation was only 6,000 years ago.

2 Peter 15-16 – And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things which are hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

2 Peter 1:20 – Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 2:1-2 – But there were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 – Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.

If Satan can convince people the Bible has errors in it then, by extension, it cannot be the word of a perfect God who is incapable of lies or making mistakes. It’s all part of Satan’s plan to hide the truth of God from man to ensure their eternal damnation in the fires of hell alongside him. We can all agree on one thing; if the Bible isn’t error free then God doesn’t exist. Thankfully, there is overwhelming evidence that God exists and that the Bible is indeed the word of God! The nonbeliever bases his conclusions on false assumptions without looking at the hard evidence for God. Sadly, I also hear these same arguments from some believers. These are the so called “lukewarm” Christians who will be the ones who will “fall away” from the Christian faith in the last days according to the Scriptures. The important thing is to study God’s word so that we can identify false teachings for ourselves so we’re not fooled by what someone tells us is true. Study God’s word so that we know the truth of God when we hear it, read it or see it. We need to be firm in our convictions so no one can fool us with their lies.

Psalm 53:1 – The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.

1 Corinthians 3:19 – For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness.”

Proverbs 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

You know, it’s a funny thing. You can have a believer who is wise in his own eyes who will accept 95% of the Bible as true yet he can’t accept that the remaining 5% of the Bible is the truth of God. I find that odd. With the Bible it’s all or nothing. Believe all of it or believe none of it. The choice is yours. What you can’t do is cherry-pick which parts of the Bible you want to believe and decide which stories in the Bible you don’t think really happened. The wrath of God will be upon your shoulders if you call him a liar. The fact that over 500 Bible prophecies have been fulfilled should be convincing by itself. The fact that over 60 Bible prophecies about the coming Messiah were fulfilled by the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ should cause any rational human being to accept the entire Bible as God’s word, as it is written. Statistically speaking, the odds of there being no God is zero. The odds of the Bible not being God’s word is also zero. Both God and the Bible have been proven irrefutably. Scholars have been trying to find errors in the Bible for 2000 years but they have all been unsuccessful. The more we investigate God’s word the more it is confirmed as the truth of God without any errors in it.

Psalm 68:11 – The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it.

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:97-98 – Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me.

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Why is it some believers think they are wiser than the experts? God refers to those who don’t believe his word as fools. Instead of the massive amount of irrefutable evidence in the Bible (95%) causing the believer to believe the entire word of God by faith the lukewarm believer allows the 5% of the Bible that is hard to understand, which may not have irrefutable proof, to cause him to doubt the word of God in its entirety. It’s like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Where is the common sense? Besides calling God a liar to his face, once a believer starts to doubt God their faith cannot stand firm during tribulation. Satan caused Eve to doubt God and look where that has led us. How can anyone trust in their salvation if they lose their belief that God’s word is true and without errors? They can’t. That’s the lie that Satan sells to nonbelievers and lukewarm Christians of all ages. If you’re a lukewarm believer rest assured that all of your works will burn with fire before Jesus Christ on the last day.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.

Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes you can get a better understanding of the definition of a word if you look at a word than means the exact opposite. Take the word “bless” for example. The exact opposite of bless is “curse.” In the dictionary “curse” is defined as “an appeal to a supernatural power to harm someone or something.” “Bless” is “an appeal to a supernatural power to favor or protect someone or something.” God is the only supernatural power who does good; who dispenses his favor and protection. This is confirmed in the Scriptures. God is in complete control of his creation so he can also dispense curses where sin is involved. On the flip side, the other supernatural power (Satan) can dispense only evil. One of the spiritual truths of heaven is that a good tree will only bear good fruit and a bad tree will only bear bad fruit.

Genesis 3:17 – (God speaking to Adam) – Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:14 – (God speaking to the serpent in the Garden of Eden) – Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every other beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

Genesis 12:1-3 – Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will BLESS you and make your name great; and you shall be a BLESSING. I will BLESS those who BLESS you, and I will CURSE him who CURSES you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be BLESSED.

Psalm 113:1-3 – Praise the Lord! Praise O servants of the Lord, BLESSED be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore!

God chose Abraham to be the father of his chosen people (Israel) and God’s blessings are poured out on the Jewish people. Abraham is Israel and Israel is Abraham. When God says Abraham is a blessing to the Gentiles he means salvation unto eternal life is from the Jews because Jesus Christ is a Jewish rabbi and direct descendant of Abraham. Christ is also the son of God and the only way to enter heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The above verses are very revealing. Our job on this earth is to seek out God’s blessings and avoid God’s curses. Therefore, make it a point to NEVER curse or do anything bad to Israel or any Jewish person because God will surely punish those who do. Instead, bless the Jewish people with your lips in prayer and look for ways to help Jewish people. God will love you for it and bless (reward) you accordingly.

1 Peter 1:3 – BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Ephesians 1:3 – BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED us with every spiritual BLESSING in heavenly places in Christ.

Psalm 1:1-2 – BLESSED is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but delights in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 24:3-6 – Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive BLESSING from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

God also made a covenant with Gentiles through the blood of the Lamb of God; Jesus Christ, the son of God, who died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven by a just God and our fellowship with God restored:

Ephesians 1:3-5 – BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED us with every spiritual BLESSING in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

Psalm 112:1-2 – Praise the Lord! BLESSED is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be BLESSED.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 8:34 – BLESSED is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors.

The Bible is full of curses and blessings. The word curse appears 101 times in the Bible. Cursed appears 72 times and other forms of the word curse appear another 34 times. 207 curses in total. The word bless appears 127 times in the Bible. Blessing or blessings appears 79 times and other forms of the word bless another 14 times. 220 blessings in total. As believers, if we want to curry God’s favor (blessings) and avoid God’s wrath (curses) we need to read the Bible daily and study God’s word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. We cannot do God’s will and obey his commandments if we don’t know what they are. It would be like walking through a minefield blindfolded. When you read your Bible and you see the word blessing aimed at God think praise and worship and you’re on the right track. When we thank God in prayer God is also honored and glorified. When you see the word curse in the Bible attached to any promise from God pay particular attention to it so you can avoid it at all costs. Make sure all your actions only bring God’s blessings and none of God’s curses. God never fails to deliver what he has promised, whether good or bad.

Psalm 119:1-2 – BLESSED are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! BLESSED are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!

Jeremiah 17:7 – BLESSED is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

Romans 4:8 – BLESSED is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

Revelation 1:3 – BLESSED is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keeps those things which are written in it, for the time is near.

The word “curse” in the biblical sense only has one meaning. On the other hand, the word “bless” has a dual meaning, depending on who is doing the blessing and who is receiving the blessing. When God is doing the blessing we have the most common definition which is a supernatural God dispensing favor or protection to his creatures or creation. When something is blessed it’s made holy. Holy means morally and spiritually excellent. God is perfect and the definition of holiness. For man, holiness is something we strive for and something God is working in us for our sanctification. When man is the one blessing and the recipient is God then the definition of “bless” or “blessing” means to praise God. We can clearly see this is what God means in Psalm 34:1.

Psalm 34:1-2 – I will BLESS the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Proverbs 10:6 – BLESSINGS are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

Titus 2:13 – Looking for the BLESSED hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Provers 28:20 – A faithful man will abound with BLESSINGS, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

If you want a primer on the blessings of God check out the beatitudes in the book of Matthew, chapter five. If you want an awareness of the curses of God and how to avoid them don’t neglect reading the Pentateuch; especially the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. Below are some definitions you need to know:

Praise – show respect and gratitude

Worship – show deep respect and admiration

Glorify – to praise and worship God

Reverence – deep respect or admiration for someone or something

Fear – show awe and reverence

Psalm 34: 1, says we are to bless the Lord at all times with our lips. The definition of bless is “to praise God.” Praise means to show respect and gratitude. Worship means to show deep respect and admiration so praise and worship are essentially the same thing. Reverence is showing that respect and admiration for someone, which in our case is God. Biblical “fear” is when we show awe and reverence for God. People sometimes ask the question, “How do I worship God?” or “Am I worshipping God correctly?” Worshipping God doesn’t have to be intricate or hard. Worshipping God can be as simple as saying, “Bless you Lord for my salvation” or “Bless you Lord for loving me” or “Thank you God for watching over me.” You can bless the Lord in endless ways by using the word bless (which means praise) and then adding any of God’s many attributes or any of the ways God has helped you (i.e. Thank you Lord for your tender mercies). The point is, blessing God is meant to be quick and easy so we can do it often throughout the day and this is confirmed in the Scriptures.

God made us and put us on this earth for fellowship. That means God wants to be our friend and he wants to talk to us on a regular basis. God has established how this two-way communication between God and man is going to work. The biblical term for man talking with God is “prayer.” After the advent of Jesus Christ God talks to man primarily through the pages of his word (the Bible), or through the indwelt Holy Spirit influencing our thoughts and actions. I’m not saying God can’t or won’t manifest himself to a believer, or have an angel appear with a message or speak directly to man out of thin air. I’m just saying it’d be rare for such a thing to happen. When I see televangelists say they have an ongoing verbal dialog with God I take it with a grain of salt. I’m not calling them a liar. I’m just saying it hasn’t happened to me and I remember the great Billy Graham saying God never spoke to him either.

Ephesians 5:20 – Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

Hebrews 13:15 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Psalm 5:3 – My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

If you were invited to speak to an earthly monarch, like Queen Elizabeth of England for instance, you would first be summoned to appear. You’d have to wait outside the throne room. You’d be instructed what to do; either bow or kneel. Then you’d have to address the sovereign with a preferred royal title such as Your Majesty or Your Highness. This protocol is a sign of respect. After the preliminaries are done then you can say why you are there. Even the Queen’s family will use her royal title when addressing her in a public setting. Even the Queen’s family cannot barge in on her unannounced. The court of heaven also has a protocol and our audience is through prayer.

1 Thessalonians 6:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but let everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Psalm 63:1 – O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

God is King of kings and Lord of lords. God is the Sovereign King of the universe which he has made. As believers we’re the beloved children of God and he has graciously granted us 24/7 access to the throne of grace. Even the angels don’t have the access to God that we have. Even as a child of God we must still approach God in the proper way using an acceptable format that shows our deep respect, admiration and reverence for God. You don’t just barge in on God and say, “Hey dad, what’s up?” When addressing God the first words out of your mouth should be to address God with one of his royal titles or an attribute of the Most High God. My personal favorites are, “Holy God” and “Lord of Heaven and Earth.” “Holy God” because holiness is God’s greatest attribute. “Lord of Heaven and Earth” because Jesus often used that title when he was praying to God the Father. When you’re coming before God know why you’re there. There are basically five types of prayers before God which are worship, thanksgiving, confession, intercession and personal petition. You can cover more than one kind of prayer when talking to God when it’s appropriate. Not only does God grant believers access to his throne, he also promises to hear our prayers and answer them. God is a good, kind, gentle, generous and merciful God!

Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Luke 21:36 – (Jesus speaking) – Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

James 5:16 – The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Psalm 4:1 – Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

Ninety percent of all prayers to God are because we want something from God; either for ourselves (personal petitions) or for others (intercessions). The next most prevalent prayer is a prayer of confession for the forgiveness of sins. All of us need God’s forgiveness on a daily basis because we’re imperfect creatures mired in sin. When I pray to God every night I always ask for God’s forgiveness of any sins that I may have committed that day. As a believer I know all my sins before God have been washed away by the blood of the Lamb but I’m still acutely aware that I continue to sin and I want those new sins off my ledger before my eyes close for the night. It just makes me feel a lot better knowing when I stand before the bema judgment seat of Christ that all of my sins will have been confessed as well as forgiven.

Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice!

1 John 1:9 -If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 4:15 – Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

Psalm 6:9 – The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

The last two categories of prayer are for thanksgiving to God and the worship of God. Probably less than five percent of all prayers are specifically for this purpose only. Most believers will pray to God at some point in the day; probably at meal times and maybe at night before going to bed. I fall into that category most of the time. Like most everyone else my prayers are usually personal petitions and intercessions sprinkled with a few confessions here and there. Scripture says we’re to pray to God always, ceaselessly and continually. Always means on all occasions, at all times, repeatedly and forever. The word ceaselessly means without stopping. The word continually means constantly or occurring frequently. When our prayers are only about “us”, our desires and our family and friends it’s very hard to pray as often as the Scriptures say we should. We can only pray all day long if we have the love of God in our heart. Prayers should come easily from your heart if you love God.

Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Luke 10:2 – (Jesus speaking) – The harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Luke 11:9 – (Jesus speaking) – So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Psalm 22:5 – They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

It’s only when we turn to the little used prayers of thanksgiving and worship that we realize God’s priorities for prayer are different from our own. We have it upside down. Instead of 90% of our prayers being all about us and what we want, 90% of our prayer life should be focused on prayers that worship God and prayers of thanksgiving for what God has done for us. Only by looking at prayers in that context will we be able to obey God’s command to pray to him always, continually, and ceaselessly. When God says to pray continuously he doesn’t mean nonstop because then we couldn’t get anything else done. Even monks in a monastery can’t approach that level of prayer. God is actually telling us to pray more frequently during our waking hours, and in every circumstance in which we find ourselves. This could easily mean praying 3-4 times an hour with each prayer possibly being very brief, taking no more than a few seconds each. “Lord help me” is an example of a short prayer. The point is we need to keep God at the forefront of our minds as we go about each day. The moment we know we’ve a committed a sin pray for God’s forgiveness immediately.

John 9:31 – Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him.

1 John 5:14-15 – Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

Psalm 30:2 – O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

How is it possible to pray that often? Our minds never stop thinking. Our thoughts are like the spinning wheels of a slot machine that stop briefly ever once in a while, before carrying on. As believers we have the peace of God knowing God has saved us unto eternal life in heaven and ever time that fact crosses our mind during the day we should rejoice briefly by acknowledging God and thanking him in prayer. Just a few words will do. Something like, “Holy God, thank you for eternal life”, “Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son Jesus to save me from hell”, or “Lord, thank you for saving my soul” You get the general idea. Whatever crosses your mind that you’re thankful for let God know right away with your lips. There’s no right or wrong way to pray. Just make sure your prayer comes from the heart and you’ll be in good shape. Address God respectfully and tell him what you’re thankful for; keep it short and sweet. God knows what you mean to say when you pray and he knows your needs.

John 3:27 – A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

1 Timothy 2:8 – I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Psalm 50:15 – Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

When you pray to God frequently you can’t help but cultivate a sense of gratitude and thankfulness toward God. The more you pray to God the more your fellowship with God deepens and the happier you’ll become. The peace of God settles on your soul and you end up with a happy and successful life as you walk humbly with your God. As you study God’s word note how many times we’re commanded to pray and what we’re to pray for. Prayer is important to God so do it frequently throughout the day. Jesus Christ prayed to God the Father often during his earthly ministry as an example for us follow. Jesus commanded us to pray and he also told us how to pray. The word pray appears 313 times in the Bible. The word prayer or prayers appears 138 times in the Bible. Other forms of the word prayer occurs an additional 94 times in the Bible. Prayer mentioned this many times in God’s word shows it’s an integral part of God’s salvation plan for man. We’re to pray not only on earth but also when we get to heaven.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Matthew 7:11 – If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 6:7-8 – (Jesus speaking) – And when you pray do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Psalm 34:1-2 – I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.

I don’t care what nationality you are, what language you speak, or what your ethnic background is. We’re all brothers and sisters made by the same God, who put eternity in our hearts so that we would know deep down in our soul that there is a God and that we’re to search him out. We’ll never find true happiness or inner peace until we return to our maker. We can see all this inner turmoil and spiritual hunger that ungodly people have play out through the pages of human history as each tribe, nation or people created their own god or gods to worship. The vast majority of people know there’s a God in heaven. The problem most of us have is deciding which God is real and which god is false.

Hebrews 1:2 – (God) Has in these last days spoken to us by His Son (Jesus), whom He has appointed heir of all things, through which He made the worlds.

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

All the evidence you need to make an informed decision about God is easily discerned. I’ve been passionately studying religion for over twenty years and the overwhelming body of evidence proves that the one true God of creation is the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The inerrant Bible has been proven beyond any doubt that it’s the word of God. On the other hand, there’s not one shred of evidence to support any of the fake religions or false gods that have ever been created. What does the true Lord of heaven and earth have to say about all these other fake religions and false gods?

Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before Me.

Exodus 20:7 – You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain (not show proper respect).

Numbers 23:19 – God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will he not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Romans 3:4 – Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written, “That you may be justified by your words, and may overcome when you are judged.”

Why is the world in such a mess? Satan is the arch-enemy of God and, as the god of this world, he opposes God at every turn and tries his best to destroy God’s creation and prevent man from finding the truth of God and their salvation unto eternal life in heaven. Man is God’s beloved masterpiece of creation and since Satan hates God he also hates us and would like nothing better than to grieve God by taking as many of God’s children to hell with him as he possibly can. We wouldn’t want to see any of our children burn in the fires of hell and God is no different in that respect.

Hebrews 9:27 – And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

Hebrews 10:31 – It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It was Satan who caused the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and he has been trying to destroy us ever since. Throughout history it has been Satan who has sponsored all the fake religions and false gods in an effort to hide the truth of God from man. Satan is the father of lies and the father of all those evil men who helped Satan create the world’s fake religions and false gods. These men are all liars, either intentionally or unintentionally, and they’re all weak-minded accomplices of the devil. They will pay a heavy price for leading billions of people down the wide path that leads to destruction; eternal damnation in the lake of fire and brimstone.

John 8:44 – (Jesus speaking) – You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Romans 1:24-25 – Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

2 Peter 3:14-16 – Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Matthew 24:5 – (Jesus speaking) – For many will come in My name, saying “I am the Christ”, and will deceive many.

If you’re one of those lost people in the world who haven’t yet found God then today could be your lucky day; the day of your salvation. Pull your head out of the sand while there’s still time and take a look at the world around you. Take time out to consider the universe; ponder the earth where we live; and evaluate the complex nature of man. Do you really think the universe we live in just happened on its own? Scientists have established over 200 physical parameters in our universe that allow human life to exist. Most of these parameters have narrow ranges and if even one of these parameter didn’t exist then no human life would be possible. You’re telling me all 200 plus parameters evolved on their own and arranged themselves in order for life to exist; all on their own without the guiding hand of a supernatural God. Are you kidding me? It’s statistically impossible for all these parameters of life to have evolved on their own without the guiding hand of God.

John 14:9 – (Jesus speaking) – He who has seen Me has seen the Father.

John 1:3 – All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Psalm 138:2 – I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

Do you really believe man evolved from a one-cell organism into a complex human being made up of more than thirty trillion highly specialized cells and with a brain that is the greatest super computer in the universe? Can you can tell me that with a straight face? Really! God has explained everything in his word, our Holy Bible, which contains God’s wisdom. Have you taken the time to actually read your Bible all the way through? Less that ten percent of church-going Christians have read the entire Bible. Have you studied your Bible and meditated on it? Very few people have done this. My question for everyone is why not? After all, the Bible contains the wisdom of God and tells you everything you need to know to live a successful life. God’s word answers all the important questions of life. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Aren’t you the least bit curious? You should be.

Philippians 2:5-8 – Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:9-11 – Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:12-13 – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:14-16 – Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

We can’t see an invisible God but we can see his handiwork, his fruit, all around us and know that God is real. We can’t see the invisible fallen angel known as Satan but we also know he is real by the mark he leaves behind in the world; the fruit of his doings. All the wars throughout history, all the killings, all the murders and all the unspeakable evil that men do to one another can be attributed to Satan. Sin came to man through Adam’s fall, which was caused by Satan, and we cannot save ourselves from an eternity in hell. Only a good and loving and gracious God can save us and he did that through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the son of God, who came down from heaven to die on the cross in our place to satisfy our sin debt owed to a just God.

Matthew 1:22-23 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us.

2 Corinthians 6:2 – In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the clay of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

John 12:48 – (Jesus speaking) – He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

Galatians 1:11-12 – (Paul speaking) – But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Even though God paid the sin debt of all men we must still claim that forgiveness of sin as an individual, by personally accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, whereby we are gifted salvation unto eternal life in heaven. The sin debt will remain on all those who reject God and his Christ. One of the spiritual laws of heaven is, “the wages of sin is death.” Therefore, a just God will send to hell for all eternity those who die without having their sins forgiven. God does not change. The choice is ours not God’s. It’s up to us to accept God’s mercy and grace and the sooner the better. Do it today, right now, because if you die before you’re saved you’ll miss your opportunity to go to heaven.

Matthew 10:28 – (Jesus speaking) – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Psalm 95:6 – Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Look, it’s not possible for the human mind to fully comprehend how long “forever” is. In eternity a billion trillion years is only a day. Nor can man fully understand the level of excruciating pain and agony that the damned will have to endure continually, 24/7, for all eternity. If nonbelievers truly understood the horror of their impending fate they would all rush to Jesus with arms open wide begging for mercy. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and he loves us all dearly! Come to him while there is still time!

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.

Isaiah 55:6 – Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

The Word of God is about the coming revelation of Jesus Christ and it was written over a period of 1500 years (1400 BC – 100 AD). The Old Testament is Jesus Christ prophesied and the New Testament is Jesus Christ fulfilled. People naturally focus on the New Testament as they should because the first four books of the New Testament are the four gospels of Christ (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), through which God brings “good news” to man by gifting salvation unto eternal life to those who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for the forgiveness their sins. It’s true we don’t need to know the Old Testament in order to be saved. Salvation is through faith in Jesus. But God gave us the Old Testament for a reason. God wanted us to know the history of man from creation to the end of time and God also wanted us to know his salvation plan for man. Without the Old Testament we lose critical background information every believer needs to know in order to live the abundant life God has planned for us. Without the Old Testament we only know half of the greatest story ever told.

Genesis 3:15 – (God speaking) – And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed (Jesus Christ); he shall bruise your head , and you shall bruise His heel (crucifixion).

Genesis 12:1-3 – Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

People tend to think that since we have the New Testament the Old Testament is now no longer valid. Nothing could be further from the truth. God’s truth never changes; it’s always constant for all eternity. God’s Word is our Holy Bible which contains the covenants of God and both testaments of God. The dictionary defines the word “testament” as a person’s will. God is a person and the Bible is a statement of God’s will so that man might know what our maker requires of us. God’s Word is his truth and his wisdom. God’s word is a living thing. What does that mean? Scripture makes it clear that an all-powerful God does as he pleases.

Philippians 2:13 – For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Isaiah 46:9-10 – Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.

If something is God’s will it’s a foregone conclusion it will happen exactly like God says it will. God is omnipotent and nobody can oppose him. God cannot lie and God is never wrong. What more do you need to know? God gave us the Bible in written form so we’d know his will; what has happened already and what will happen in the future. That makes the Bible God’s truth. That makes the Bible a living thing which will endure forever. God makes it clear in Hebrews 8:13, that the coming of Jesus Christ ended the Old Testament Abrahamic covenant under the law of Moses and established a new covenant through the blood of the Lamb; Jesus Christ our Lord and the Son of God. However, the coming of Jesus didn’t suddenly invalidate the entire Old Testament. On the contrary, one covenant of God simply became obsolete so God replaced it with a new and better covenant, for those living after the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:14 – To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Gentile).

The Bible isn’t a novel with a bunch of made-up frivolous words. God speaks the truth plainly and he doesn’t waste words. God cannot lie and he speaks only the truth. Every single word and punctuation mark in the Bible is there for a reason. They are there so man might receive the knowledge, understanding and wisdom of God. Can you not see how special this gift of God is for us? Most people walk past their unopened Bibles every day like it’s merely a book; never taking the time to stop and fully comprehending that the Bible is the power of God unto salvation, for all eternity. The Bible is our owner’s manual and it has unimaginable spiritual power that God has graciously provided to us.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Every word in the Bible has a purpose even though most of the time we might not know what that purpose is. The Old Testament is three times bigger than the New Testament and contains a wealth of information. If we don’t read the Old Testament and know it like the back of our hand we’re missing out on a lot of the knowledge that God wants us to know. I truly believe we can’t know God as we should without a working knowledge of the Old Testament because in it God reveals so much of his nature through his words and interactions with man. God wants us to know him personally and for that to happen we need to study the Old Testament.

Hebrews 8:13 – In that He (the Lord) says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete.

2 Samuel 7:16 – (God speaking to King David) – And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.

People think the Old and New Testaments aren’t connected together but that’s not true. Not only does the New Testament contain numerous references to the Old Testament, the Old Testament contains many prophecies that are fulfilled in the New Testament. The Bible contains over 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have already been fulfilled and documented as fact in the New Testament. The Bible is one third prophecy, which weaves the Old and New Testaments together into one inseparable word of God.

In the book of Jeremiah, written around 580 BC, God goes to great lengths to explain the new covenant he will create with man through his son Jesus Christ. This is in Jeremiah 31:31-34, and it’s the longest Old Testament text quoted in the New Testament and it’s repeated verbatim in Hebrews 8:8-12 and 10:16-17. These two complimentary sets of verses firmly link both testaments into one Word of God for those who need further convincing. These verses from both the Old and New Testaments give us assurance that God will grant believers salvation, new hearts, and fellowship with God in heaven forevermore. What a wonderful promise from an awesome God!

Jeremiah 31:31-32 – Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.

When God came down from heaven in the incarnation of Jesus Christ the Jews rejected their Messiah. In the above verses God is obviously referring to the last Day when Jesus will set foot on the Mount of Olives and save a Jewish remnant that will enter into the kingdom of God forever. The Lord does not change so the Jews will always be God’s chosen people even though they’ve rejected their Messiah for the last 2000 years. In the interim, Jews who don’t accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will go to hell just like all nonbelieving Gentiles who reject God’s saving grace. However, God in his love, mercy and grace will save a Jewish remnant on the last day because of his covenant promise to Abraham, which was then passed down to his direct descendants Isaac, Jacob, King David, and King Solomon.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 – But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

In heaven both Jew and Gentile will be the same; equally children of God. Salvation was of the Jews and God graciously grafted the Gentiles onto the Jewish vine so we could receive the blessings of Abraham. Cherish the Jewish people because they’re our brothers and sisters and we owe our salvation to them through Abraham. When Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven he didn’t stop being a Jewish rabbi. That being the case, if you love the Lord how can not love the Jewish people?

Scripture makes it clear God will curse those who curse the Jews. I love the verses above because I used to worry about going to heaven and then being found unworthy to be up there because I sinned in some way. Relax, God’s got this. God is going to make it so we can’t sin once we get to heaven because God says we’ll know him intimately. God doesn’t make mistakes. If you find yourself in heaven it’s because you were meant to be there; you’ll always be there and you’ll never have to take a back seat to anyone. Continually give praise, honor and worship to the Lord of heaven and earth because he has made you, he loves you and he has saved you unto eternal life. All glory to God in heaven!

2 Corinthians 4:3 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.