Author: hillturnfs

There are unseen forces, both angelic and demonic, that are actively working around us. God has a plan for our lives and works planned for us to do but Satan opposes God at every turn. That is spiritual warfare and the battle between good and evil has been going on since the dawn of human history.  Go to Amazon or Ebay and buy a copy of Stu Weber’s book “Spirit Warriors” for an in depth look at spiritual warfare. We can’t opt out of this fight because it’s about us and it’s all around us. We have to be in it to win it. To sit on the sideline is to forfeit any chance of victory.  This fight is in the spiritual realm against powers in heavenly places.

While we are in our earthly bodies in this physical realm we cannot see into the spiritual realm but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. Remember in Scripture when the prophet Elisha asked God to lower the veil between the spiritual and physical realms so his servant could see the angels from heaven stationed around them for protection. We’re that close and can’t see it.  Remember also when the archangel Gabriel was dispatched by God to speak with Daniel in response to Daniel’s prayers for Israel. Gabriel said he was delayed three weeks in a struggle with the prince of Persia, the demon controlling that area of the world.  The archangel Michael finally had to join the battle with Gabriel in order to free up Gabriel to complete his assignment from God.

Angels are very powerful. Can you imagine what it must look like for a thousand angel engaged in hand to hand combat with an equal force of demons?  Half the battle is just realizing there is a real firefight going on all around us. Without God and His angels protecting us the powers of darkness would destroy all human beings on earth within days. God loves us and in His Word He has given us everything we need to be victorious against Satan.  Put on the whole armor of God that is described in Ephesians 6:10-20, and take the battle to the enemy. Victory is already assured if we just obey God’s commands because God’s Word is truth and must come to pass. God loves us and would not leave us defenseless.

Only 10% of Christians who attend church regularly have read the entire Bible. Fewer still read their Bibles daily or actually study the Bible for deeper meaning. We all want to do it and plan to do it; we just allow Satan to distract us so we never get around to it. Satan knows without the knowledge of God’s Word we are defenseless against him and his demons.  More importantly, we cannot witness for Christ effectively without a good working knowledge of God’s Word. Satan’s goal is to make sure saved Christians remain on spiritual milk all their lives and therefore cannot save others on the road to hell.  Every non-Christian, of course, has not read the Bible either which is why they are non-believers. Every atheist, agnostic and adherent of other false religions all have this in common. In their arrogance they listen to themselves or to other people who profess to know all about religion without investigating themselves whether or not God is real.

None of them actually take the time to read the Holy Bible. Their eternal destiny hangs in the balance. Their soul depends on it. I’ll say this over and over until the cows come home. You cannot read the Bible through twice with an open mind without accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  The Holy Spirit is always present when God’s Word is read or spoken, ready to convict a willing heart of the truth of God’s Word. God’s Spirit will commune with your spirit to verify the truth of God’s Word in your heart.  In these last days it is very important to know you Bible thoroughly in order to know false teaching when you hear it because false prophets, false teachers and corrupt doctrine will abound in the end times to lead the elect away from the church and the truth of God’s Word. Prepare yourself for that day. Listen to God in Scripture tell us why we should study His Word:

2 Tim 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

You will be able to discern the truth contained in the Bible because you have read and studied it so you will not be ashamed when you stand before Jesus at the bema judgement seat. Since you know God’s Word you will follow His commands and therefore you will meet with God’s approval on that day. This little verse says a lot.

Eph 4:14 – That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

How is that for a warning what will happen if you don’t read and know God’s Word intimately? God is warning us to protect ourselves with His Word so do it now.

Eph 6:11 – Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Satan is a very powerful fallen angel and we have no chance against him by ourselves and make no mistake, Satan is out to utterly destroy us. Satan is no match for God and God graciously offers His protection to us through His Word.

Matthew 4:19 – Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.

As Jesus was beginning His ministry He was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and chose His first two disciples, Peter and Andrew, when He uttered the above verse to them. Jesus didn’t choose disciples for the fun of it.  Jesus chose people he was going to train to go out and share the “good news” of the gospel with a sin-filled world. The disciples didn’t know that then but Jesus knew from the beginning. What good would it have been for Jesus to die for our sins if He left nobody to carry on and share the “good news” with the rest of the world?  The key was to teach these new disciples how to “fish”; to hook them and haul them into the boat of God’s kingdom as His possession.  Once Jesus taught the disciples how to fish for men they were expected to train others to do the same thing.  Fishing for souls and pulling people out of the fires of hell is serious business.

Once you are a Christian you are a disciple of Christ and another synonym for disciple is “fisher of men”. Disciple and fisher of men are two names that mean the same thing. We are a disciple but what we do is fish for men. We are what we do.  Whenever you see the term disciple in Scripture think “fisher of men” and you’ll always have God’s primary command to you before your eyes and at the forefront of your mind.  You are not only what you do, you are what you think. Say it out loud “I’m a fisher of men” and say it repeatedly in order to train your mind to make it a reality. In the Bible God says you can have what you say so keep saying “I’m a fisher of men” and pray for it also.

God will give you your wish because it’s a promise in His Word and God cannot lie. It’s God’s will and fondest wish for you and because you have asked. In Scripture God says to ask of Him what you will and it will be given to you if it’s according to God’s will, and it is!  Ask God to make you a fisher of men and you’re in God’s wheelhouse! God has been waiting and hoping you’d ask for this so be prepared to be blessed beyond belief. As a fisher of men you must “go” and not wait for men to come to you.  I’ve tried that so I know that doesn’t work as well.  Make others aware of what you’re about and then the choice is theirs when they’re ready to talk with you.  Don’t be pushy but be available.  They will come.

Rom 10:15 – And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Lk 14:23 – Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

It’s late on Christmas eve and I should be in bed but I’m staying up to write one last love letter to God, which is what my blogs are. It’s a blessing to be able to share my love of God with others. The Holy Spirit has given me the inclination to write and when I sit down at my desk I usually don’t have a clue where I’m going. I have tons of reference material. I’ll drink a few cups of coffee and meditate a few minutes while asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. I scratch wherever I get the itch.  I’m streaky and sometimes repetitive. Sometimes I get on a topic and beat it to death. Sometimes I repeat myself but it’s all good. I speak what’s on my mind and I make no apologies for it. I go where my passion takes me. I’m not a politically correct person so don’t be offended by my honesty. I could be wrong but I never have a hidden agenda. I simply want to know the truth wherever that takes me.

I welcome comments because a discussion helps us all grow in our faith. In the wisdom literature of Proverbs God confirms that the council of many results in better decisions. In this age of television, cell phones and texting people don’t talk over issues like they used to and interactions are superficial at best.  The next time you go to a restaurant look at the tables around you. The majority will be on the phone, playing games or texting. They may as well dine alone because conversation is nil. The best venue for Christians to fellowship is still at church as a member of the congregation.  Blogging is a viable way for the body of Christ to gain information and insight and even share their views on-line if they aren’t a member of a local church. The important thing is to go directly to God’s Word for the answers to your questions and not rely on others interpreting God’s Word.  I try to back up my comments with supporting Scripture as much as I can.  I welcome feedback and correction on any blog.

My plan was to write one blog a week and respond to any comments during the week. The problem is after four years of studying the Bible I had so much material stored up I just had to get it out and into the blog archives. So, in the first twelve days on line I’ve posted over fifty blogs and I still have maybe two dozen more I need to post.  Christian blogging for me is passive witnessing for Christ.  It satisfies my soul and I believe there is no better use of my time. I’m like a dog worrying a bone, I can’t leave it alone. I go to bed at night and wake up in the morning formulating blogs in my head that need to be written.  Maybe the new will wear off but I don’t think so.  I think this is God’s plan for the rest of my life. I’m not a pastor or Christian scholar. I’m a simple layman with a passion for God’s Word and for witnessing for Christ.

I seek to share and to learn in equal measure. I seek the truth and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I don’t know how long a blog should be. I’m trying to keep it to one page, around 250 words or less.  Any less and I may not get my point across. Any longer and I might bore you to the point you lose interest. Everyone has a short attention span today, including me. Blogging is a new journey for me that I hope to get better at over time.  The Holy Spirit gives each believer a spiritual gift or gifts to aid them in their walk with God. Amazingly, most Christians don’t have a clue what spiritual gift they have. I’m not sure myself but I’m starting to believe I have the spiritual gift of “exhortation”, which is proclaiming God’s word and encouraging the brethren to faithfulness.

Exhortation is usually the gift of preachers, teachers, and evangelists but Christian writers fall into this category too. The Apostles Peter, John and Paul had this gift. I believe Christian blogging falls into this broad category but I could be wrong. Maybe I’m just hoping.  I’ll continue praying for clarity.  As the author of history, God prepares His servants to use every new advancement in communication methods. Blogging is here now with the potential for impacting millions out there who do not attend a church but still hunger for God’s Word and the salvation it promises. Blogging is evolving and if used correctly can unite the faithful and guide others to the truth of God’s Word.

I never intended to write a Christian blog. Blogging found me. I’ve always been a profuse writer of study notes and personal letters so writing comes naturally. I have a journal. When I started studying God’s Word my personal journal became my spiritual journal. I progressed to sharing my Christian insights with family and friends by email.  A childhood friend who is a man of God suggested I start a Christian blog so here I am. All I know is the Holy Spirit prompts me to study God’s Word and write about it. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch, an urge I can’t resist. I can understand how the writers of the Bible books were moved along by the Holy Spirit as they wrote their verses.

The name of my blog has been on my mind for a number of years. It stuck with me since  I first heard the following story, which makes me think the Holy Spirit even then was grooming me to be a blogger. A son was writing an article about his father, an elderly pastor, who was in a hospital dying of terminal cancer.  The old pastor on several occasions got out of his hospital bed and heading for the exit.  As he hurried down the hospital corridor in his hospital gown, Bible in hand, he could be heard talking to himself.  The old pastor kept repeating over and over the phrase, “one more for Jesus.”   That struck a nerve with me.  I intuitively knew here was a man who knows a secret and is pursuing it until his dying breath.

My website, www.onemoreforjesus.net, is named in honor of this old pastor, whose name I’ll never know.  I do know his secret.  I too will witness for Christ while there is breath in me, always striving to get, “one more for Jesus.”  Here was a man who knew what was important in life. Here was a man who knew he was dying but his only thought was saving one more person from an eternity in the fires of hell. His life was focused on the only important thing. No telling how many people this old pastor ushered into God’s kingdom but his focus was on the next one and then the one after that.  Until  his last breath he was going to work God’s harvest field. The old pastor is my hero and a shining example of witnessing for Christ as life’s top priority, using every waking moment searching for an unbeliever to save. Never being satisfied. Always striving for “one more for Jesus”.

There are five basic questions every human being on earth has pondered at one time or another in their life. There will always be fear, uncertainty and doubt until you answer these questions. No amount of money, fame or power will help you get to the bottom of it. All the answers you seek, and more, are contained in the wisdom literature of the Holy Bible, the ultimate revelation of God to man, His special creation.

1. Who am I?
You are a child of God. You were made by God for His glory. You are a special creation of God and object of God’s eternal love. God wants to lavish His love on us for all eternity. As Sons of God we will be royalty in heaven.

2. Where did I come from?
We were created by God in His image (with a soul and spirit). Scripture says were fearfully and wonderfully made. Scripture says God knit us together in our mother’s womb and knows us intimately. God knew us before the foundation of the world was laid.

3. Why am I here?
You were put on earth to seek God, find salvation, and emulate the life of Jesus in word and deed to the glory of God. We are here to love God and be loved in return. We are here to witness for Christ and to share God’s love with others.

4. Where am I going?
God gave each of us a part of His eternal spirit at conception and we became immortal beings. We have two possible eternal destinations, with God in heaven or without God in hell. Because of Adam’s original sin we are all born on the path to hell and once the age of decision has passed we have to proactively accept God’s gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  No decision leaves us on the path to hell. We will spent eternity in hell in torment 24/7 or in heaven in the joyous presence of God. We have the free will to choose between the two.

5. How do I get there?
Accept God’s mercy and grace unto salvation. Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to die for our sins. Believe that Jesus died, was buried, and was raised from the dead by God on the third day and ascended back to heaven where He sits at the right hand of God. Repent and make Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life and you will have eternal life. Your name will be irrevocably written in the Book of Life.

I witness for Christ when I get a positive response to the feelers I have out all the time. So far it hasn’t been very often. My Christian blog is a form of passive witnessing for me because my theme and goal of the blog is to study God’s Word so we can witness more effectively, teach others how to witness and actually witness on-line to those who are searching for answers.  Think of it as self-study for witnessing or long distance witnessing.  Many people don’t go to an established church and need to hear the gospel in a different venue such as a blog. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to lead someone to salvation. I study because I love it.  I’m going to give you the five verses, in order, you can use to lead someone to salvation as long as their heart is right and the Holy Spirit has convicted them of their sin. God does the saving, we just set the table. Keep a copy of these verses in your wallet and you can witness to anyone at any time.

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

Roman 3:23 -For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (ALL ARE SINNERS)

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death. (SINS MUST BE PAID FOR)

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrated His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ((JESUS PAID OUR SIN DEBT IN FULL)

Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. (RECEIVE JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR)

A few things should be clear to the world by now. Jerusalem is God’s holy city and God’s name is there. The Jews are God’s chosen people. God has sworn to protect the nation of Israel as His special possession. Common sense should tell the Arabs the truth of what their eyes are seeing but Satan has blinded them with their hatred of Israel. Those who oppose the will of Almighty God will be led to the slaughter.

5. The Sinai War of 1956 against Egypt lasted only a week. Israel captured the Sinai all the way to the Suez Canal and destroyed a quarter of the much larger Egyptian army. 3,000 Egyptian soldiers were killed and 5600 captured. Vast stores of military equipment were seized. Israel suffered 171 killed and 600 injured.

6. In the Six Day War of 1967 Israel launched a preemptive strike on Egypt as the Arabs were massing for an attack on Israel. The Egyptian Air Force was destroyed on the ground (444 planes). Egypt lost 100,000 men, 700 tanks and 450 artillery pieces. Israel lost two planes, 679 killed and 2,563 wounded. Israel seized Sinai, Gaza, the west bank and the Golan Heights, adding 8,000 more square miles to Israel.

7. The Yom Kippur War in 1973 caught Israel by surprise. Egypt and Syria attacked with 5,000 tanks, 2,000 artillery pieces, 1,000 aircraft and 838,000 men. God caused the Arab forces to halt when they were on the verge of victory allowing the Israelis to regroup and win the war. Israel lost 4,000 men but the Arabs suffered much heavier losses.

8. The Russian War hasn’t happened yet but it’s been prophesied in the Bible so it will happen. Russia will invade Israel and attempt to destroy Jerusalem and God has promised to kill 6 out of 7 Russian troops and destroy the invading army.

9. The Battle of Armageddon also hasn’t happened yet but rest assured God will destroy the antichrist and the combined armies of the world when they attack Israel and surround Jerusalem.

When God brought the Israelites to the promised land He was with them in every battle they won. There have been battles where God’s deliverance was so clearly evident to any observer they bear mentioning:

1. When Joshua entered Canaan God miraculously caused the walls of Jericho to fall so the city could be captured. Excavations at the site prove the biblical account.

2. Gideon with 300 men routed 10,000 Midianites. God had Gideon send all his men home save 300, which God used to defeat the enemy, to the glory of God.

3. In 701 B.C. King Hezekiah threw himself on God’s mercy when Sargon II of Assyria surrounded Jerusalem with the intent of destroying Israel. God sent His death angel to deliver Israel and 185,000 Assyrian troops were slain in a single night.

A death angel is just a regular old angel sent for the sole purpose of causing death on earth. All the angels in heaven can be used for this purpose and there are many millions of angels in heaven. The firepower of our God is beyond our comprehension.

4. When Israel was declared a nation on May 14, 1948, they were attacked the next day by the combined forces of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli forces had a handful of rifles and sub-machine guns and very little ammunition. Four old artillery pieces were the only heavy weapons.  Israel had one Piper Cub airplane.  The mechanized Arab troops outnumbered the Israeli forces 40 to 1 and in equipment the advantage was 1,000 to one against Israel. This was about the same odds Gideon faced battling the Midianites. Lets face it, God wants a battle where He is vastly outnumbered so the victory will be to His glory. When the fighting ended Israel had won the war and gained 23% more territory.