There are approximately 2.5 billion people on earth that claim they’re Christians but in reality many of them aren’t Christians at all and they don’t even know it. Let me explain myself. Claiming you’re a Christian and being one are two different things. Just because you say you’re a Christian doesn’t make you one. Some people think that just because they’re a good person in their own eyes and they attend a Christian church once in a while it means they qualify as a Christian, that they’re saved, and therefore they’re going to heaven when they die. They are mistaken. Others think if they become a member of a Christian church then they’re automatically Christians bound for heaven. They are just fooling themselves. Quite a few people think that since they believe in both God and Jesus that automatically makes them a Christian. Wrong again!

John 11:25-26 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 5:22 – (Jesus speaking) – For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.

Let me tell you something. Satan and his fallen angels (demons) also believe in God and Jesus because they contend with the Lord for the souls of men every day. That doesn’t make them Christians and they certainly aren’t going to heaven. Just believing there is a benevolent God who controls everything gains you nothing by itself. You must believe in the right God, the only God, the true God of creation which is the Christian God Jehovah. The followers of all the fake religions and false gods in this world believe their god is the right one but they’re just deceiving themselves and they’ll go to hell for their mistake.

Exodus 20:3 – (God speaking) – You shall have no other gods before Me.

Matthew 4:10 – (Jesus speaking) – Away with you Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.

John 14:0 – (Jesus speaking) – He who has seen Me has seen the Father.

Satan is the god of this world and this humanist world we live in will try to convince you there’s no God. Don’t be fooled by the lies. False prophets and false teachers abound, especially in these last days, and they’ll all try to convince you their path to God is the only one that is right. They’ll try to convince you that their god is the only god. Don’t believe it for a second. Nonbelievers don’t have a shred of evidence to prove what they’re saying. They are deluding themselves. The truth is we have overwhelming evidence that supports Christianity as the one true religion and that Jehovah is God.

John 15:5 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 8:32 – (Jesus speaking) – And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Luke 10:18 – (Jesus speaking) – I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

The problem people have seeing the truth of God is that Satan has put blinders over the eyes of nonbelievers so that they cannot see the truth of God. It is foolishness to them. They cannot see that the one true living God is Jehovah. Nonbelievers are blind to the truth of God. If you follow false prophets and false teachers it’ll be like the blind leading the blind. You will both fall into the ditch, as the Scriptures say, and you’ll wind up in hell for all eternity. So, the first step in becoming a Christian is knowing the God you worship is the real God and then by believing Jesus Christ is truly the son of God sent to die on the cross for the sins of man. The word Christian means “Christ’s men.” Those who believe the gospel message of Christ belong to Jesus because he is the author and finisher of the Christian faith and it is Jesus Christ who will judge both the living and the dead at his coming and his appearing.

Luke 6:39 – (Jesus speaking) – Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?

John 8:31 – (Jesus speaking) – If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

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

After you first believe in God you must take a second step if you actually want to become a Christian and belong to Jesus Christ. You must accept God’s son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. Those words mean something. You must believe that God stepped away from his throne in heaven and came to earth in the incarnation of the man Jesus Christ to live a human life and die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, before rising from the dead on the third day and returning back to heaven. This is the gospel message of Christ and by his death in our place Jesus “saves” us unto eternal life in heaven if we believe the gospel message of Jesus Christ dying so that our sins could be forgiven. That’s what being our “Savior” means to us. Jesus saves us “from” going to hell and then Jesus saves us “for” heaven. Once saved by faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit will indwell the believer; which is our proof and promise from God that we’re both saved and we’re a Christian bound for heaven. The Bible confirms everything I’m saying is true and God cannot lie.

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

John 1:1, 14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

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!

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord it’s not just a bunch of meaningless words spoken just so we can get into heaven. We are giving our lives to Jesus. We are agreeing to obey his commandments for our lives and trying to live our lives to emulate the sinless life of Jesus. We belong to Jesus. It’s a master/slave relationship. Now you know what it means when you give a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God is watching to see if you mean what you say. Without faith in their words a person is still a nonbeliever in God’s eyes. They’re not “saved” for heaven and they’re not Christians either because they don’t belong to Jesus. Christ has not claimed them as his own possession by coming to live inside them as their helper.

John 6:51 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.

John 3:36 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Luke 24:46 – (Jesus speaking) – Thus it is written, and thus is was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise on the third day.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that most people who refer to themselves as Christians have very little spiritual understanding about the kingdom of God and how things work in heaven because they don’t read their Bible daily. They haven’t read their Bible in its entirety nor have they taken the time to study God’s word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. They have no earthly idea what it takes to actually be saved and what qualifies someone to be called a Christian. So when someone tells you they’re saved and they’re a Christian take it with a grain of salt until you know more about their circumstances.

John 5:24 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

John 3:18 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Him (the Son) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Luke 1:47 – (Mary, the mother of Jesus speaking) – And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior (Jesus).

So what’s the big deal about being saved by faith in Jesus? The big deal is we’re all going to hell if we’re not saved. If we don’t repent of our sins before God and believe in the gospel message of Jesus Christ then our sins will not be forgiven. All men are sinners, not only in our actions and but also in our bodies we have received from Adam’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Man cannot enter heaven as long as we abide in our sins because God doesn’t allow sin in heaven. Our sins stick to us like glue and only God can wash those sins away. Man also can’t enter heaven unless God calls him through the Holy Spirit. When the gospel message of Christ is preached to nonbelievers and their hearts are right to receive the message of redemption the Holy Spirit will commune with their spirit and testify that Jesus is God. Man cannot save himself. It’s only through the blood of Christ that man is saved unto eternal life in heaven.

John 6:40 – (Jesus speaking) – And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son of God and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Matthew 7:13-14 – (Jesus speaking) – Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Mark 16:15 – (Jesus speaking) – Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

When the Holy Spirit convicts someone of their sins two things will happen. That person comes to the realization they’re a sinner who cannot save themselves and they’re going straight to hell when they die. In the same instant, that person also knows in their spirit that only Jesus Christ, the son of God, can forgive them of their sins through faith in his death on the cross in their place. Jesus paid their sin debt to God by his substitutionary death. The wages of sin is death so a just God provided his son for that purpose so that our sins could be forgiven. Jesus Christ the man was the only person who could have died for us because he was without sin. At the instant we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior our sins are forgiven by God and we are saved unto eternal life in heaven in the presence of Jesus forever. The Holy Spirit writes our name in the book of life . See what love God has for us!

John14:23 – (Jesus speaking) – If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him (the Holy Spirit).

John 7:38 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Matthew 7:22-23 – (Jesus speaking about Catholics) – Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And I will then declare to them, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Matthew 7:20 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore by their fruits you will know them (believers).

How does someone actually go about accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? This is not a trick question. You see, there may 2.5 billion people on earth who loosely refer to themselves as Christians but when it comes right down to it the bulk of them actually don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. For example, let’s look at Catholics. Most Catholics don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus because it’s frowned on by the church. There are 1.5 billion Catholics in the world, most of whom treat Jesus like a cookie during their eucharist and then they put Jesus back on the shelf and forget about him until needed at the next mass. Catholics are told to pray to Mary, a human being who can’t hear our prayers, instead of God as man was commanded to do in the Bible. Catholics claim their Pope and priests are also Christ who can forgive their sins when the Bible clearly says only God in heaven can forgive the sins of man. And lastly, Catholics are brainwashed into thinking the Pope can interpret Scripture better than God himself and only the Pope can save them unto eternal life in heaven. Oh yes, Catholics know a little bit about Jesus but most haven’t personally gone to God in prayer to repent of their sins, they haven’t asked for the forgiveness of their sins, and therefore they aren’t indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Instead, Catholics go into a box and ask a priest to forgive their sins and he can’t do it because he’s a sinner just like them and most likely a child molester to boot. Only God can forgive our sins.

John 4:36 – (Jesus speaking) – And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

Matthew 9:37-38 – (Jesus speaking) – The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Matthew 15:14 – (Jesus speaking about the Pharisees) -Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.

Catholics also believe their salvation is secure because they follow church doctrines, traditions and dogma; and because the priests and the Pope of the Roman Catholic church say they’re saved. In reality most Catholics (but not all) haven’t repented of their sins before God in prayer and they haven’t acknowledged that Jesus Christ personally died for them on the cross. They haven’t asked Jesus to come into their heart as their personal Savior. They think being a member of the Catholic church and following church doctrines, traditions and dogma will save them. They haven’t dedicated their lives to emulating Jesus and obeying the commandments of God. Catholics don’t witness for Christ because the Catholic church doesn’t teach it or condone it. The Catholic church wants salvation to run exclusively through the church and not God. Anything else lessens their power and control over their flock. Most Catholics haven’t made the personal profession of faith to God in prayer we know as the “sinner’s prayer.” All Catholics think they’re saved because the church tells them they are because they’re members of the church. Catholics don’t see the need to personally go to Jesus in prayer if they’re already saved by the Pope, church membership, following the rules, etc. Many Catholics will be shocked on the last day to find out they aren’t saved because they were led away from the truth of God by the Roman Catholic clergy; evil men who were pawns of Satan.

Matthew 15:9 – (Jesus speaking) – And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Mark 6:7 – (Jesus speaking) – This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

John 6:47 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

Unfortunately, Christian terms are used very loosely by most of us and they mean different things to different people. Remember that when interacting with people. If someone tells you they’re a Christian that may or may not be true. If someone tells you they’re a believer or they’re saved that also may or may not be true. It’s not that they’re lying to you; they just don’t know themselves in many cases. What you believe and what is the truth doesn’t always match. Always dig a little deeper to see if their beliefs match yours. The problem is on the last day many people who think they’re Christians will find themselves at the Great White Throne judgement of God because they didn’t have the knowledge, understanding and wisdom of God’s word to guide them because they didn’t take the time to read it and study it. Through ignorance they failed to accept God’s free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus.

John 6:44 – (Jesus speaking) – No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Matthew 22:14 – (Jesus speaking) – For many are called, but few are chosen.

John 6:37 – (Jesus speaking) – All that My Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

The professing Christians who don’t make any effort to stop sinning or try to obey God’s commandments have a faith that is lukewarm and God will spew them out of his mouth according to Scripture. They have no excuse on the last day. They are just fooling themselves into believing they’re saved. God knows his own. God cannot lie so read your Bible every day if you want the proof of what I’m telling you. Learn what God expects from you and then go do it. It’s just that simple. God doesn’t hide anything from us. God wants us to know exactly what he expects from us. It’s all there in the Bible in black and white so we have no excuse on the last day when we stand before Jesus for our judgment; some knowing they haven’t obeyed God. There are millions of people dying every day on the road to hell who think they’re Christians but they really aren’t. There are also millions of people who are going to hell every day because they believe in a false god. It’s so sad! It doesn’t have to be this way! I pray every day that the eyes of the nonbeliever will be opened to the truth of God before it’s too late. I do the work of God to the best of my ability. I provide the gospel message of Christ in written form (passive witnessing) through my Christian blog site and my Christian tract ministry. I also distribute to nonbelievers Bibles, Christian books and gospel comics. Come help me spread the gospel seed!

Matthew 7:7 – (Jesus speaking) – Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Luke 13:3,5 – (Jesus speaking) – Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Matthew 16:27 – (Jesus speaking) – For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

I have a ministry of reconciliation given to me by the Holy Spirit. I pledge to work God’s harvest field witnessing for Christ in the hope of saving one more soul for the kingdom of God. My daily mantra is, “one more for Jesus.” My heart bleeds for those individuals on the last day who think they’re saved but find out God has condemned them instead. They’ll still be in a state of shock when an angel of the Lord picks them up bodily and hurls them into the lake of fire where they’ll be in pain and anguish for all eternity. Please take stock of your personal situation and don’t let that happen to you! You’re either sure of your salvation or you’re not. I’m sure of my salvation. Are you sure you’re saved? If you’re not totally sure you’re saved then get on your knees right now and recite the sinner’s prayer before God, with faith. You won’t regret it. God will save you because he has promised to do it. God will forgive your sins, whatever they are, because God is good, kind, and merciful. God cannot lie! As a believer you’re saved unto eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ but you’re not truly a disciple of Christ until you do the work of God. In John 8:31 God is telling us we must obey his commandment to witness for Christ, and save at least one lost soul for the kingdom of God in order to be worthy of the name “disciple.” The question is, are you going to please God by being obedient or are you going to grieve the God who made you by your disobedience? Your answer will determine your rewards in heaven. There’s no such thing as being unworthy of salvation. God created each of us with the same small amount of faith on the inside of us so that any man can choose to serve God.

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is my name; and My glory I will not give to another.

Isaiah 43:25 – I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

It may not be politically correct to slag down the Catholic church like I have but I must be true to my God and speak truth to power. The truth is, the early church was corrupted by Satan so that by the time of the papacy of Gregory the Great in 595 AD Satan owned the Catholic church, and probably well before then. That’s why every single church doctrine and tradition is 180 degrees away from what Gods says believers must do. However, there are many members of the Catholic church who are saved but they weren’t saved by the Catholic church, but in spite of it, because many Catholics choose to personally go to God in prayer for their salvation against the teachings of the church. The Catholic church is really just another Christian cult and well over half of all Catholics will not see heaven because they don’t know Jesus personally. Jesus is the only path to heaven so where does that leave most Catholics? The answer is “lost.” It’s insane! We’re talking about possibly a billion Catholics who think they’re saved who will find out on the last day that they’re not. Other Christian cults are in the same boat. The Mormon church is another Christian cult that may look good to the casual observer but their seventeen million followers are going straight to hell. Same thing for the nine million followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Scripture says the path to heaven is through the narrow gate and there are few who find it. Make sure you’re one of the ones who are “sure” of your salvation by going in through the narrow gate. The Bible will show you how. If you’re one of the two billion Muslims in the world who worship the false god Allah get ready to take a swim with Satan in the lake of fire forever when you die. If I don’t speak the truth who will? If you’re one of the millions of Hindu followers who worships many gods (or no god) get ready for the smoking furnace for all eternity. Same thing for all you practicing Buddhists who say there is no God. Into the frying pan you go for a billion trillion years. That’s one day in eternity. If you’re one of the nonbelievers I’ve just mentioned you must read and understand Hebrews 10:31, or face the terror of the Lord. Even though God is loving he is also just. If a nonbeliever fails to accept God’s saving grace before they die the Lord will have no choice but to sentence that person to the lake of fire (eternal death). Look, all men are sinners and one of the spiritual truths of heaven is, “the wages of sin is death.” If you cannot, by faith, accept that Jesus Christ has paid your sin debt to God then you must pay for your sins yourself. That’s as clear as I can make it. As a disciple of Christ I know this to be true. You have my testimony. God’s word will confirm what I’m saying. True wisdom is found only in the Holy Bible so go read it. It’s imperative you know what’s coming so you can prepare for it. Take action now before it’s too late! I challenge anyone to prove me wrong about anything I’ve said in this blog.

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

Ephesians 2:8,9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Studying God’s word so that you can effectively witness for Christ are the twin themes of my blog site (www.onemoreforjesus.net). My personal goal every day is to save one more for Jesus. I want to encourage all believers to strive for the same goal. This is what I pray for every morning when I talk to God because in the Scriptures it says we’re to not only witness for Christ we’re to pray to God for more workers in his harvest field. Millions of people are dying every day and going straight to hell for the lack of a witness to God’s saving grace. We must be that witness for Christ in order to save some from an eternity in the lake of fire. If believers don’t do it who will? Haven’t you figured it out yet? Don’t you get it? Nothing matters more to God than saving lost souls for the kingdom of God and therefore it should be our top priority in life to learn how to witness and then do it. Before Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven he gave this work to his disciples to do. Have you forgotten the Great Commission from Jesus where he commanded all believers to share the gospel of Christ with all nations and all peoples? We don’t have the option of refusing the work of Jesus if we want to please God. It’s why God left us here after our salvation.

Psalm 45:1 – My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

As believers who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are now disciples of Christ and the Great Commission falls to us to do as a commandment from God. Are you going to obey God or not? Jesus can’t do it for us anymore because he’s is in heaven right now sitting at the right hand of God the Father as our Mediator. God commands us to share the “good news”, the gospel message of Christ, with all nations and all peoples as our reasonable service to the God who made us and saved us unto eternal life in heaven as adopted sons of the Most High. I don’t know about you, but I want to please God and build up treasure in heaven at the same time. I know God loves me and I want to show I love him back by being obedient to his commandments.

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.

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).

Romans 4:4 – Now to him who works (witnesses), the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

It’s up to believers to do the work of God here on earth. Jesus specifically gave that task to us. It’s up to believers to ensure that the main thing (saving lost souls) always remains the main thing in our life of service to the God who made us. We can’t afford to be sidetracked by Satan or the humanist world we live in. Once you become a believer the world will be against you because you’re no longer one of them. You belong to God. Accept it as a fact and move on. Our citizenship is in heaven and we’re just interlopers on the earth for a short time. Think of it like you’re working undercover or you’re engaged in guerilla warfare. I am being a little flippant but spiritual warfare is real and it’s going on all around us. Look, as believers we must all one day stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ to be judged on the things we’ve done in our life so we need to focus on what’s important and that is doing the work God has called us to do. We have roughly a seventy year life span to do everything God has planned for us to do with our life. Seventy years is such a short time to build up treasure in heaven; treasure meant to last us for all eternity.

Philippians 3:20 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the bema 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.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Ephesians 5:15-16 – See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

God has an individual plan for each life he has created but we have to claim it through faith. It is imperative we start doing our work down here to fulfill God’s plan for us; right now, today. Please don’t waste a minute of the precious time God has given you because you never get that time back. Roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work alongside God in his harvest field saving lost souls for the kingdom of God. There’s no greater calling you can receive from God than this and no greater honor than to serve God as his witness. Jesus will ask us two questions when we stand before him on the last day for our reward. Have you witnessed in my name? Have you saved lost souls for the kingdom of God? Your answer better be yes and yes or any of your other good works will be burned up by the fire of God.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 Timothy 2:21 – Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (sin/dishonor), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

2 Timothy 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.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

The instant we become saved through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit indwells us and changes our eternal destination from hell to heaven. Our salvation is the single most important event of our eternal existence. That doesn’t mean we’re all done down here on earth and now we can go back home to heaven. Our salvation is only the beginning of our walk with God. As new believers we all start out on the spiritual milk of God’s word and through consistent prayer, Bible reading and the systematic study of God’s word we progress to spiritual meat and become mature Christians who are able to do God’s work.

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

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

Proverbs 4:18 – But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

We are a useless vessel to God if we do not do these things to prepare ourselves for God’s work. We cannot “do” the work of God until we “know” what to do and “how” to do it. That’s where studying the Bible comes in and obeying the commands of God for our life (i.e., witnessing for Christ). The Scriptures repeatedly command all believers to study the word of God for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. We gain knowledge by reading the Bible and we gain understanding by studying the Bible. We gain the wisdom of God when we internalize the precepts contained of the Bible and live by them to the best if our ability as we walk humbly with our God.

Romans 11:33 – Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

1 Corinthians 3:8 – Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Do you realize that well over 90% of the believers in heaven will be there only through faith in Jesus; not having saved even a single soul for the kingdom of God? Do you need proof? Consider this; the majority of Christians are Catholic. When have you ever seen a member of the Catholic church witnessing for Christ? I know I haven’t seen a Catholic witnessing for Christ, ever, because the Catholic church doesn’t condone it. I don’t think you’ve ever seen a witnessing Catholic either. If I’m being fair, most other Christian denominations also don’t focus on witnessing for Christ to save the lost. It’s only the evangelical churches that focus on witnessing for Christ so were talking about 300,000 Christians out of a total of 2.5 billion Christians worldwide. And in those evangelical churches only about 10% of the congregation (30,000) actively witness for Christ.

Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

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

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

Romans 14:12 – So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Just imagine all those millions of Christians in heaven who have failed to do the one thing closest to God’s heart. They failed to make the main thing to God the main thing in their lives. They will regret it for all eternity and they will lose their reward. They failed to please God because they didn’t witness for Christ and save at least one lost soul for the kingdom of God as they were commanded to do. Yet God in his love, mercy and grace still saves them all through faith and gives them all eternal life in heaven in his presence. As a believer you may get to heaven through faith alone but don’t expect to receive any treasure or glory in heaven without being obedient to God by saving at least one more soul for Jesus by your witness for Christ. Why only one? More is better but one will do. Because every soul is priceless to God. How could God be pleased with us if we don’t obey the number one command of God for all believers?

Daniel 12:3 – And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

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

Proverbs 14:27 – The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.

Knowing the truth of God, I strive every day to be obedient to my God and Maker. I know I’m a sinner and I know I sin every day. I’m not perfect by any means but I am forgiven; and that makes all the difference. I don’t want God to be angry with me so I pray for his forgiveness every night. I always want to do what pleases God. On the last day I want to hear Jesus say, “well done good and faithful servant.” Therefore, my daily mantra while I yet live is to save, “one more for Jesus.” It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I dwell on before going to sleep at night. This is blog post number 629 for me and over the last four years I’ve consistently encouraged my readers to seek their own salvation first, then they’re to study God’s word, and finally they’re to use that knowledge, understanding and wisdom from God to witness for Christ.

Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Proverbs 11:24-25 – There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

Proverbs 22:9 – He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

I’m like a broken record in that regard because I often repeat myself in my blog. In fact, my twin themes are woven into all of my blogs because they’re constantly on my mind when I write. Sometimes I repeat the same thing over and over exactly and I often say the same thing repeatedly but in different ways so as not to be too monotonous. Repeating something is a literary device that God uses often in the Bible and I picked up on it in my writing as well. When God repeats something in the Bible pay close attention to it because it’s really important. When I repeat something it’s because I want to emphasize an important truth of God that will benefit you. In the Bible when God starts a sentence with “verily, verily” or “most assuredly” I pay close attention. God is declaring that he is a witness to this event or to the truth of which he speaks. There is no greater testimony or truth than that which comes from the mouth of Almighty God, Creator of the universe including us.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

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 Thessalonians 2:4 – But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

Philippians 2:4 – Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

When you say something over and over long enough the mind internalizes it as the truth. That’s why advertisers keep showing you the same car commercial over and over. Sooner or later your mind will convince you to buy that car. It’s just human nature; it’s how our mind works. I taught myself how to witness for Christ long ago using the traditional path known as the “Roman Road” to salvation ( Scriptures from the book of Romans), which has been used by pastors for centuries to bring nonbelievers into the kingdom of God. Google the Roman Road for yourself and then learn to use it in your witness. The Bible contains many verses that have led people to salvation so use what works for you. I’ve saved a few people in my time by one on one witnessing. I know it’s a lot of hard work and the rejection you’ll face is palpable. Very few people can handle the rejection and save more than a few lost souls this way. In addition, the opportunities to witness one on one are usually few and far between and can lead to frustration on our part and we wind up not sharing our witness at all. Don’t let that happen to you. You must persevere in sharing the gospel message of Christ no matter the rejection you receive or the obstacles you face.

Romans 11:29 – For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

1 Corinthians 3:9 – For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

2 Corinthians 5:9 – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Ephesians 6:19 – And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.

What’s a believer to do if they want to save “many” lost souls to eternal life in heaven but they’re not accomplishing it? The answer is you must “leverage” your witness by primarily focusing on sowing the gospel seed in innovative ways because God rewards those who sow the gospel seed equally with the reaper of each soul saved for the kingdom of God. Reap a soul when you can but if you want to save many the secret is to sow the gospel seed abundantly; using whatever leverage you can create. It’s rare for someone to be saved the first time they hear the gospel message of Christ. In my experience it usually takes a person hearing the gospel many times before they accept God’s saving grace. Sometimes as many as 25-30 times. Every person who shares the gospel seed with someone and it becomes a part of the gospel chain leading that person along the path to salvation will receive the same reward from God as the reaper of that soul. Think of it as spiritual compound interest. God will be the righteous judge and God is generous and fair to all his creatures. What a good and kind and awesome God we have!

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

1 Corinthians 6:20 – For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

I leverage my witness for Christ through my blog site. It works 24/7 sharing the written gospel message of Christ to believers and nonbelievers alike. When you primarily sow the gospel seed in this manner you have to come up with your own method of determining the effectiveness of your witness. For me, every time I get 1000 hits on my blog I credit myself with one saved soul for heaven. Saving one tenth of one percent of those who read my gospel message is a conservative but fair estimate. When I get to heaven I’d rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed with how many people I helped save unto eternal life. The Holy Spirit has also given me the spiritual gift of giving. I have a few ministries (mostly prisons) that I ship Christian tracts, Christian books, Bibles and gospel comics. I claim one saved soul for every 1000 tracts I send out. For everything else I send out I claim one saved soul for every forty items. Keeping a personal tally of souls saved is just how I stay motivated to work for God. The important thing is to work for God every day. Tracts are disposable but everything else gets read and reread before being passed around to others for an extended period of time and that makes them more effective as a witness tool.

2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

2 Corinthians 5:18 – Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Ephesians 2:16 – And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross (Jesus and man), thereby putting to death the enmity.

2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to become a Christian blogger. The Holy Spirit nagged me to study God’s word and write about it until I finally gave in. I thirsted for God’s word like a man in a desert thirsts for water. God’s speaks about this condition in his word and you have my testimony that it’s true. All I know is I’m approved by God for the work I do which is the ministry of reconciliation through sowing the gospel seed in written form to nonbelievers. I started off by writing hand-written letters about God (each one 8-10 pages long) to my family and friends. Sometimes several letters in a day. Everyone thought I was off my rocker. As you walk with God you will receive pushback and you will suffer because Jesus suffered so buckle up and have courage along with faith. Being obedient to God could cause your spouse to divorce you, your children to disown you and your friends to abandon you. It doesn’t matter what adversities you face. You must obey the Lord to the best of your ability and stay on the righteous path once you know the truth of God.

Psalm 84:2 – My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

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.

Psalm 143:6 – I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land.

You know a secret that nonbelievers don’t know so hold fast to the truth of God and don’t hold it against them for being blind. Satan has put blinders over their eyes. All you can do is try to rip the blinders from their eyes so they can see the light of God. You can try to help nonbelievers by sharing the gospel of truth but you’re not responsible for the decisions they make about God. They have the free will to choose to serve God or Satan just like you did. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. So it is with nonbelievers. Find your own way to leverage your witness for Christ that fits your personality and go for it. You could become a Christian author, television host or radio personality and leverage your witness that way. The best way I’ve found to “passively” sow the gospel seed is through distributing Christian tracts to other godly men who will give them to nonbelievers on my behalf. I’ve been blessed to personally hand out Christian tracts for the past nine years when I go out shopping or to the doctor’s office, etc.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can they know them because they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

God has blessed me beyond most believers because he has physically confirmed to me that I’m indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This happened many years ago when I was working on a job in New Orleans. Frankly, it scared the hell out of me at the time. It took me six months to figure out what I felt was the Holy Spirit. All these years later I was never really sure why God did what he did that day. As I was completing my previous blog the reason finally dawned on me. I was giving my testimony in my blog about this blessed event for the umpteenth time and it hit me. God had revealed himself to me in that hotel room in New Orleans almost ten years ago so that I could give my personal testimony about God to the nonbeliever in my blog. John 7:38 describes perfectly what I experienced. While the Holy Spirit is a distinct person within the triune Godhead he flows in the spiritual world like water does on our physical plane of existence. That’s why the Holy Spirit is often referred to as living water. The Holy Spirit is God!

John 7:38 – (Jesus speaking) – He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Of course God knew I was going to be a Christian blogger before he laid the foundation of the world. On more than one occasion I’ve been in dangerous situations in my life where people have said to me afterwards, “God must have plans for you because you should be dead.” I’ve also felt supernaturally protected by God on several occasions. They were really weird experiences and I felt shaken afterwards. All these strange things that have happened to me in my life, when viewed together, just confirm to me that God has a specific plan for my life and he won’t let anything interfere with his plan. I know I have God’s approval to blog about the kingdom of heaven. I’m guided in this work by the Holy Spirit that indwells me. I had originally intended for this blog to be about the New Testament epistles but the Holy Spirit led me to the topic of this blog so I just went with the flow. That’s how it works.

Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Romans 8:18 – For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

I’ll never stop reading my Bible and neither should you if your immortal soul is important to you. I’m well aware that I need to listen to God every day if I want to maintain a strong and lasting relationship with God. This requires a commitment from all of us who seek to know God. God speaks to man through the pages of the Bible and we speak to God in prayer. That’s how our two-way communication with God is supposed to work. God is always ready, willing and able to speak to us. The problem is not with God. The problem is with man. When we don’t find God it’s entirely our fault because God has provided the Bible for that purpose. The simple truth is the vast majority of us aren’t looking for God and those who are don’t bother listening to God when they do find him. I read the Bible most days because I love it! I love God’s word and his revelations to me through the Holy Spirit. Not that I’m anything special; I’m not. God imparts his wisdom and shares his revelations with any believer who will immerse themselves in God’s word. All God’s children are equal in his eyes. Scripture confirms that God is just and impartial.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Genesis 14:13 – Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.

Aside from prayer and witnessing for Christ, I can’t think of a better use of our time than reading God’s word, our Holy Bible, on a daily basis. I can’t think of a more worthy goal for our life than studying the Bible for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. It’s a journey that takes us a lifetime and the earlier we start the greater the wisdom and rewards. It’s always best to start reading and listening to the Bible at an early age and then never stop doing so during our lifetime. Those are the lucky ones. It’s sad that very few people ever get the opportunity to grow spiritually this way from childhood so they can reach their full fellowship potential with God. I didn’t have that opportunity but I’m at peace with where God has put me. We can’t worry about missed opportunities and what might have been. All of us live with regrets. The main thing is each of us needs to start serving the Lord wherever we find ourselves when we discover the truth of God. Begin your walk with the Lord with fear, humility and obedience to the commands of God as you understand them.

Hebrews 1:1-3 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Philippians 4:19 – And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I’m reading the New Testament now and I’ve just finished the book of Hebrews. I don’t know about you but reading the book of Hebrews always gives me a thrill. I don’t know what it is exactly. It’s just such a feeling of joy. There’s just so much spiritual meat in Hebrews it enriches my soul every time I read it. It’s well worth our time to discuss this important epistle of the New Testament. My first question is, “who wrote the book of Hebrews and why did he write it?” Biblical scholars tell us the author of Hebrews is unknown but I dispute that. I don’t believe everything that Bible scholar says just because they have a PhD and I don’t. Earthly education doesn’t impress God or me that much because it doesn’t always give us the spiritual wisdom we need. Don’t be lazy about your Christian faith and let yourself be spoon fed someone else’s spiritual wisdom when you can go to the Bible and seek God’s spiritual wisdom for yourself. I use other believers and Bible reference materials as a sounding board to help guide my study of God’s word but any spiritual understanding and wisdom I have is from the indwelt Holy Spirit of God. I’m one of those lucky believers that God has blessed by allowing me to feel the physical presence of the Holy Spirit inside me (on one occasion). I know I’m indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God by faith and also by personal experience. You have my testimony. The Holy Spirit is called our “helper” for this reason; the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth of God to believers who are ready to receive it through prayer and immersion in the Bible.

Romans 8:9 – But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

Hebrews 12:2 – Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The Jewish people (Jews) are also called Hebrews. God first called Abram a Hebrew in Genesis 14:13. Hebrew means, “the one who crossed over the river (i.e., the Euphrates River),” enroute to the promised land. Hence all the descendants of Abram (whom God later renamed Abraham) are referred to as Hebrews. We know Hebrews was written some time between 64 AD and 69 AD in Rome. How do we know this? Hebrews makes no mention of the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus in 70 AD and it surely would have if it had been written after this event. If the Temple had been destroyed at the time Hebrews was written it would have influenced the development of the author’s overall argument in the epistle. Christians in Rome were first persecuted in 60-62 AD and later on a second more severe persecution of Christians occurred under the rule of the Roman Emperor Nero who blamed Christians for the burning of Rome. Many Christians were killed during this second persecution. We know from history that Nero ruled Rome from 64 AD to 68AD and Nero’s persecution of Christians is referenced in Hebrews so we know Hebrews was written during the five year window between 64 AD and 69 AD. The writer of Hebrews makes it clear he is writing his epistle from Rome and the target audience is the Jewish Christian community in Rome.

Galatians 2:16 – Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Galatians 1:11-12 – But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel that 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.

Acts 10:43 – To Him (Jesus) all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.

We know the writer of Hebrews had to be Jewish because he was very familiar with Old Testament Scriptures as well as the practices of first century Jews. A Jewish audience at that time would only have listened to a Jewish writer and the same could also be said of the Gentiles. In the first century very few people could read or write. Only the rich could afford to educate their children. The writer of Hebrews was not only well educated he was well versed in the Torah and Jewish law which suggests he was a Pharisee by training. Who do we know who fits this description? I posit that the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Paul came from a wealthy Jewish family in Tarsus (present day Turkey). Paul was well educated and a Pharisee. The Apostle Paul was acknowledged as an expert in Jewish Law because he sat under Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of Jewish Law in the ancient world. The Apostle Paul was also in Rome when the book of Hebrews was written there. We know from historical records that Paul was imprisoned in Rome by the Emperor Nero starting in 64 AD and Paul remained in prison there until he was beheaded in 68 AD.

Hebrews 2:17 – Therefore, in all things He (Jesus) had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Galatians 3:13 – Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.

2 Timothy 4:6-7 – For I (Paul) am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

The book of Hebrews has been accepted as part of the New Testament canon since the first century because of its sound theology, eloquent presentation and other intrinsic factors. Hebrews has been described as an intricate New Testament book and it has earned the reputation of being a masterpiece. Even though Hebrews doesn’t have a declared author all the early Christians and church fathers acknowledged that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews and it remained that way for 1200 years. In fact, the original King James version of the Bible titled the book, “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.” So what changed? During the Protestant Reformation of the 1500’s the Roman Catholic church suddenly decided that Paul didn’t write the book of Hebrews. The church decided to give credence to flimsy evidence that disputed Paul’s authorship of the book of Hebrews and that’s where we are today. One of the reasons given by the church was that Paul didn’t claim authorship of Hebrews at the beginning of the epistle like he did in all thirteen of his other letters. The church also claimed the book of Hebrews deviated from Paul’s normal style of writing and the purity of the Greek text was not consistent with Paul’s other letters. The church incorrectly assumed that Paul didn’t have the ability to change his writing style to fit his target audience (Jewish Christians). These were all minor differences in my mind when compared to the major considerations that I think do confirm Paul’s authorship of the book of Hebrews. It’s like throwing the baby out with the bath water!

Ephesians 4:10-12 – He who descended is also the One who ascended far above the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Hebrews 6:19-20 – This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered before us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In most of Paul’s other epistles he’s in one location writing to one of the churches he has established during one of his missionary trips. Problems in the churches have come to Paul’s attention and he writes his epistles as guidance to the congregation. Paul’s letters are meant to be read before the faithful on his behalf so therefore Paul adds his name, authority and a greeting to each letter. Paul is aware each letter he writes becomes a part of the holy Scriptures from God. Paul was already in Rome when he wrote Hebrews for the Jewish Christians in Rome to argue against their apostasy; returning to the Jewish faith to avoid the persecution of Christians by the Roman authorities. Hebrews was written by a Jew to convince the Jewish Christians in Rome that the blood covenant of Jesus Christ was vastly superior to the Abrahamic covenant of the Jewish faith. The writer of Hebrews argued that Jesus Christ is our High Priest in heaven and Mediator between God and man through which man has access to God 24/7. Jesus’ death on the cross eliminated the need for Temple sacrifices and an earthly High Priest because the shed blood of Jesus washed away the sins of all men, past, present and future.

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 3:28-29 – There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heir according to the promise.

Galatians 2:21 – I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

Hebrews was originally a sermon from Paul to the Jewish Christian community in Rome and not a letter, therefore no introduction was needed. Paul knew them and they knew him. Paul was also in prison at the time and couldn’t deliver his sermon in person to the Jewish Christians in Rome. Paul didn’t have access to pen and paper like he did in 60-62 AD when he was only under house arrest and was able to pen many of his epistles during that time. Paul probably dictated Hebrews to a scribe so that the sermon could be delivered by someone else on his behalf. The language style and Greek of Hebrews may be that of a scribe but the contents of Hebrews could only have come from the mind of the Apostle Paul. The real clincher for me was the writer of Hebrews referred to Timothy as his brother and traveling companion. We all know Timothy was a disciple of Paul who accompanied him on many of his missionary trips. The obvious familiarity with Timothy indicates the author of Hebrews is none other than the Apostle Paul. When I read Hebrews it feels like an epilogue to Paul’s forty year ministry. It’s as though Paul is summarizing God’s dealings with man from start to finish.

Hebrews 8:6 – But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also a Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

Ephesians 1:11 – In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at this logically. God appointed Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and share with them the mysteries of God as God revealed them to Paul. God doesn’t identify anyone else to do this, only Paul. Half the New testament was written by Paul. The parts of the New Testament not written by Paul were minor books written by the Apostles Peter and John or Jesus’ brothers James and Jude. I divide the New Testament into two parts. We have the four gospels and the acts of the Apostles (which was originally combined with Luke) and then we have the epistles. While Revelation is technically an epistle I put it in a separate category because it’s the end time revelation of Jesus Christ. Hebrews is the only book of the New Testament without a named author and it’s also a major book that explains the mysteries of God. Only a prophet appointed by God for this purpose would have received this information. Paul is the only prophet and Apostle God has identified who has the spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom to have composed the book of Hebrews.

Colossians 2:9-10 – For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Hebrews 4:14 – Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

Let’s don’t make this any more complicated than it has to be. If we look at the dozen or so people who supposedly could have written Hebrews not a single one of them has Paul’s pedigree nor were any of them chosen by God to receive his revelation or preach the gospel of Christ to both Jew and Gentile. Only Paul had that authority from God. If there were any others God would have said so. Only Paul had the credentials to have written Hebrews based on his education and God-given ministry to the Gentiles. Anyone who writes a New Testament book speaks for God and is, by definition, a prophet. So we’re supposed to believe the book of Hebrews, a masterpiece of spiritual wisdom from God, was written by an unnamed prophet of God? I don’t believe it one bit. God always identifies his prophets so that rules out all the individuals that other people think wrote Hebrews. Every other New Testament book except Hebrews was written by named prophets of God who were either an Apostle or one of Jesus’ two brothers. The book of Hebrews is an important epistle of the New Testament and it won’t be the exception by winding up being written by someone other than a prophet or an Apostle; and we know who they are. Hebrews stresses that those who hear the truth of God should have faith. As believers we need to have faith that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:28-29 – Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Hebrews 10:10 – By that will (of God) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

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

When you look at all the evidence Paul is the only person who could possibly have written the book of Hebrews because God chose him as his spokesperson, an Apostle and prophet, to share the mysteries of God with man. What a tremendous honor that was for Paul. The Apostle Paul is the greatest Christian who ever lived. Do you really think God is going to leave Paul on the sidelines while an unknown person writes the New Testament book of Hebrews? Not a chance in hell. There’s no one else even remotely qualified to write the book of Hebrews other than the Apostle Paul. Period! I also don’t put any credence in what the Roman Catholic church has to say about who wrote Hebrews. Whatever the church says I tend to go the opposite direction. What we have to remember is that Satan started corrupting the church early on it its history so that by the time of Pope Gregory the Great in 600 AD Satan owned the Roman Catholic church lock, stock, and barrel, and probably well before then. It’s to Satan’s benefit to try make us doubt Hebrews as Scripture. Satan wanted to dispute Paul’s authorship of the book of Hebrews and its inclusion in the New Testament canon but he has failed miserably on both counts in my estimation because the Lord’s will cannot be thwarted by demon, angel or man.

Hebrews 9:11-12 – But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats or calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 8:1-2 – Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

Hebrews 7:24-25 – But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Sharing the gospel message of Christ is difficult for most people because of the rejection they face. As a believer, wear your faith proudly and just make it known you’re available if anyone wants to hear your witness. You’d be surprised by the number of people that are dying to hear a witness for Christ but they won’t advertise it. You’ll never know who they are if you don’t cast out your line once in a while. Keep throwing your line out there in the water of life occasionally and when you do get a nibble then set your hook. That’s why Jesus called believers, “fishers of men.” Fishing and witnessing are seen as being very similar experiences. The main thing we need to do is bait our hook with knowledge about God, keep our hook in the water, and then let God do the rest. God will bring the fish to you. Jesus filled Peter’s net with fish on the Sea of Galilee as an example for us to follow. Peter fished all night and caught nothing but persevered and finally had a good harvest with God’s help. You don’t have to get in people’s faces and be pushy. That’s not my personality either. God will bring people to you when you’re ready to fish for them.

Philippians 2:9-11 – Therefore God 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 the 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.

1 Corinthians 8:6 – Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

2 Corinthians 5:18 – Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

In previous blogs I’ve shared in detail how to share your witness using the “Roman Road” to salvation. That works great for the nonbeliever but not for the Jew. Jews already know and serve the one true God Jehovah. The Jews rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah and for that sin they’ll go to hell along with the nonbeliever because Jesus really is the only way to heaven. The New Testament contains two books written primarily for a Jewish audience; the gospel of Matthew and the book of Hebrews. Lean on the Scriptures from both books when witnessing to a Jewish person, especially Hebrews. Jews must be shown that the blood covenant of Jesus Christ ends the Abrahamic covenant. Jews need to understand that Jesus Christ is our High Priest who is always making intercession with God on our behalf and that the new temple is the body of each believer which is indwelt by Jesus forevermore. The book of Hebrews explains things clearly so the Jews can see they erred in rejecting Jesus Christ as the Messiah. It’s not too late for the Jewish people to receive redemption through faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Our job is to be the messenger who brings the truth of God to the Jews when we can. The rest is up to them.

Ephesians 1:4-5 – 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 Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

1 Corinthians 3:17-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

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

All human beings no matter where they’re born or what their ethnic background is they all want to have a happy and successful life. It’s what makes us human. Different cultures may define “happiness” and “success” differently but our basic human needs are all pretty much the same. Everyone wants to be loved and respected and have a sense of self-worth. Everyone wants to be financially secure. Everyone wants to be happy in their own skin. Everyone wants to be wise and live their best possible life. Every person has a picture of their ideal life in their head and that vision never leaves them. Unfortunately the reality of their life never really quite matches their expectations. Our lives never play out as we want it to or expect it to; not even close. Jehovah, the one true God of creation, defines a successful human life as one in which man seeks out his God, accepts God’s saving grace, and then is obedient to commands of God for their entire life. A successful life cannot be lived apart from God nor can anyone find true happiness without God. Common sense tells us there can be only one God but which one is real? There is overwhelming evidence that proves that Jehovah is the one true God; the Lord of both heaven and earth.

1 John 2:25 – And this is the promise that He has promised us – eternal life.

1 John 5:11-12 – And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Romans 10:13 – For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other (except Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

I know this is true; the only truly happy and successful people in the world are believing Christians. Christians are happy because they have the peace of God in their spirit and they are successful because they know they can count on eternal life in heaven in the presence Jesus because God has promised it to the saints and God cannot lie. Nobody else can make that boast. All the followers of fake religions and false gods aren’t happy or at peace no matter how much money, fame and power they have. They’re also not happy because they don’t have a personal relationship with their god because they can’t; they are all false. The life of the nonbeliever is not successful because their fake religions give no assurance of heaven because they can’t. The life of the nonbeliever is ultimately a failure because when they die they will suffer eternal death in hell forever. The proof of the Christian God Jehovah is self-evident for anyone who takes the time to look at the body of overwhelming evidence. In the Scriptures when God talks about profit he’s referring to eternal life in heaven and heavenly treasures stored up for the saints based on their works.

Isaiah 48:17 – Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.

Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works (primarily witnessing for Christ). These things are good and profitable to men.

Job 22:2 – Can a man be profitable to God, though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

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.

God gave us his word, our Holy Bible, so that we might know God and know ourselves. God gave us the Bible so we might know how to be saved unto eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. God gave us the Bible so we might know how precious we are in his sight and that believers are indeed royalty in heaven and children of the Most High God. If God and the host of heaven loves and respects believers then we should love and respect ourselves. If God thinks every believer is priceless so should we. If everyone knew that there would be less suicide in the world today. If God thinks the life of the believer has been successful because they have the righteousness of Christ Jesus who are we to argue with that? Jesus Christ is the righteous judge of the living and the dead on the last day. Everything we pictured in our head about an ideal life can only be realized by having a right relationship with the God who made us. God made us with a void in our heart that can only be filled by God. The Scriptures say God put eternity in the hearts of men so we would seek out God. Think of our lives as a big jigsaw puzzle with God as the missing piece.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

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

The Bible is the truth of God. The Bible is God’s wisdom. Without reading and studying the Bible we cannot fully know the truth of God nor can we gain true wisdom. We may be smart and we may go out and earn three PhD’s but knowing ” earthly things” is not the same as being wise about spiritual things or having wisdom. Having money, power and fame is all well and good but it’s a known fact that none of these things will bring true happiness. True happiness is only possible through a right relationship with God. Never believe anything I tell you, or anyone else for that matter, without first running it through the filter of God’s word to make sure it’s true according to the Scriptures. If what I’m telling you doesn’t agree with Scripture then discard it. Beware of those who teach church doctrine that’s not biblical. Let’s examine the Bible to see the revealed truth of God’s word.

Romans 11:33 – Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Psalm 104:24 – O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions.

Proverbs 3:19 – The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.

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.

The Old Testament books of Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are traditionally known as the wisdom literature books of the Bible. If the entire Bible is God’s wisdom then then these three books are God’s wisdom on steroids because they have a higher wisdom content than the other books of the Bible. The book of Psalms and the Song of Solomon are considered Bible poetry but they also contain much wisdom and they are often grouped with the other three to make five Bible books of God’s distilled wisdom. The book of Job may be the oldest book in the Bible. We don’t know who wrote Job or when it was written. Job deals with the problem of evil and why would God allow evil to seemingly triumph over good. Why is there an uneven distribution of suffering and success in the world? The answer is that God doesn’t tell us why he does what he does nor does God owe us any explanation. God doesn’t tell us everything he knows; but only what he wants us to know about the kingdom of God. I’m sure God will tell us everything in heaven. Even without knowing everything about God we can still be wise by fearing God (showing God awe, reverence and respect) and also by turning from evil (by trying not to sin and by being obedient to God). Remember that God’s glory is served even when evil is permitted.

Ephesians 6:19 – And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.

Ephesians 5:15-16 – See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 – But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

The dictionary defines “wise” as having or showing experience, knowledge and good judgment. The suffix “dom” is used to form nouns and denotes a state or condition of being. The definition of wisdom is “the quality or state of having experience, knowledge and good judgment. Wisdom essentially deals with knowing the way the world works and who knows that better than the God who made the world and established the physical laws that govern the universe. It’s just common sense that man can gain only a limited amount of wisdom on their own. God created the world and only he can give true insight into the way the world works, because God’s wisdom is seen in the light of eternity which man has no knowledge of.

Job 28:28 – And to man He said, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.

Proverbs 14:27 – The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.

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.”

Deuteronomy 17:19 – And it (God’s law) shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes.

The book of Proverbs is the primary book of Bible knowledge and it was written mostly by King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Proverbs contains the basic principles of wisdom on how we are to live our lives. In a perfect world our children would be taught the Proverbs at an early age and all adults would know all the Proverbs by heart and fully incorporate them into their daily lives. If this were true we wouldn’t be seeing all the evil in the world today. However, that’s only wishful thinking. Satan is the god of this world and he has put blinders on the eyes of nonbelievers so they cannot see the truth of God. Satan has also set stumbling blocks before believers so they don’t read and study the Bible as they ought to. Proverbs should be read every day by the believer because in it God tells us how the world works and how we should live our lives. Proverbs views God’s wisdom from his perspective and if we want to please God we’ll do the same thing. God’s wisdom will sometimes only make sense to us when viewed from the perspective of eternity.

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

Psalm 119:97-99 – 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. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.

2 Corinthians 4:6 – For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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

The word “wise” appears in the Bible 247 times and “wisdom” 234 times. Of the 481 times the Bible uses one of these two words, 25% of the time the use occurs in the book of Proverbs. Another 25% of the time the words wise and wisdom occur in the other four books of wisdom literature (Job, Ecclesiastes, Psalms and Song of Solomon). Fully half of all biblical references to being wise or having wisdom occurs in these five books out of the 66 books of the Bible (less than 10%). That should tell us that anyone wanting to gain the wisdom of God would do well to focus their study on the wisdom literature of the Bible. There are 150 psalms, all examples of wisdom literature that are prayers and/or songs of worship to God. The psalms have many authors but primarily King David and King Solomon. Many of the psalms deal with the difficult problems of life. God tells us how to handle all situations in life. A theme that runs through the psalms is that while God allows his children to suffer he’ll never abandons them. God makes it clear in the Scriptures that when believers suffer like Christ both they and God are glorified. God will explain why that is when we get to heaven. We just have to trust God in the meantime.

Psalm 145:19 – He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them.

Psalm 33:18-19 – Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

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.

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon near the end of his life. King Solomon observed that living life on a horizontal level (under the sun), without God, is meaningless. King Solomon came to the conclusion that our life gains meaning only through a right relationship with God. This insight from a man who was king of Israel for 40 years with all the power that entailed. This testimony from a man who had 300 wives and 700 concubines. This declaration from a man who owned 40,000 horses and commanded a great army. This understanding from a man who had more gold and silver than any man in history. And still it wasn’t enough to make King Solomon happy. King Solomon departed from his right relationship with God late in life by worshipping false gods so he knows what he’s talking about. You have the personal testimony of the wisest man who has ever lived or who will ever live. The Song of Solomon shares King Solomon’s wisdom on maintaining a good marriage which all married couples should read.

Isaiah 55:11 – So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 – But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in 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.

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.

King Solomon argues that his wisdom, or the wisdom of anyone else, is pointless unless one lives in fear and obedience to God. Therefore, the ultimate wisdom is to fear and obey God. The message is clear. Don’t waste your life in pursuits that mean nothing and gain nothing in the light of death and eternity. Enjoy your life but fear God because he is our creator and our judge on the last day. In the end we can’t discover life’s meaning on our own; it can only be revealed to us by a loving and gracious God through his word. How we live our lives is of eternal significance otherwise God wouldn’t have put us here on earth in the first place and he wouldn’t have left us here after our salvation. Obviously we have work to do for God on this earth and God is very clear in the Bible what that work is. We are to do the number one good work for God which is to witness the gospel message of Christ to all nations and all peoples. We are also to do other good works that glorify God. This message from God is abundantly clear to us if we open the eyes of our spiritual understanding by reading our Bible regularly. Our primary focus in life should always be on God’s revelation and on eternity because they are what define the true meaning and lasting outcome of life.

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 Thessalonians 2:4 – But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord your God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Wisdom presupposes the fear of God because without fear there can be no wisdom. True wisdom goes beyond a set of memorized do’s and don’ts. True wisdom is to live according to God’s way by following God’s commands in his word until such time as it penetrates one’s thinking, values and actions. It’s a process that takes time; and sometimes a lifetime. The wisdom literature of the Bible deals with how to live well. Wisdom is needed for those who want to have harmonious relationships with friends, co-workers, family and God. Wisdom is needed to accomplish God’s plan for your life because you cannot “do” until you “know” what to do. Wisdom is needed for those who wish to avoid foolish mistakes in everyday life. Wisdom is needed for those who desire to raise their children in the fear of the Lord and everyone needs to go to the Bible’s wisdom literature for advice. God’s word is the wisdom of the ages and it has been around for 2000 years for a reason. The Bible is given to us for our edification so use it! Anyone who wants to be wise should read the Bible daily for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. It’s unfortunate that very few people take advantage of God’s wisdom as they should and they’ll regret it on the last day. Don’t be one of them! Go be wise, happy and successful by studying the Bible in depth.

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

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Daniel 12:3 – And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

God’s wisdom literature features a lot of parallelism, which is a literary device using two statements to reiterate and reinforce each other. Daniel 12:3 is a perfect example. We can’t fully understand either line of this verse on their own but when read together as a single thought both lines become crystal clear. In the second line of the verse we learn that believers who witness the gospel and save many for the kingdom of God will shine like the stars forever. In the first line of the verse we learn that those who shine like the firmament God calls “wise.” In this one verse God has defined “wisdom” as the act of witnessing the gospel of Christ to all nations and all peoples. God has declared that those who save souls are “wise.” That confirms to me that my mission on this earth is to save as many as people for the kingdom of God as I can through witnessing the gospel of Christ to nonbelievers for as long as I’m able. You would be wise to do the same thing. Nothing is more important to God than our witnessing for Christ because it saves lost souls who are priceless in the eyes of God. Believers who fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave his disciples build up treasure in heaven and they also please God by their obedience.

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).

2 Corinthians 4:4 – (nonbelievers) Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

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

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

God’s word is the wisdom of the ages and man becomes sanctified and wise when he reads the Bible daily. Man gains a heart of wisdom when he dedicates himself to studying the Bible for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Fear of the Lord is maintained when we meditate on the magnitude and majesty of Almighty God often and by going before the throne of grace daily in prayer. If we believe on the name of Jesus Christ then we get to go to heaven but if we want to please God and earn treasure in heaven we must do more; we must witness the gospel of Christ to nonbelievers and save at least one more person for the kingdom of God. We enter heaven through faith but we earn treasure by our works. Fully 90% of the people who go to heaven will be there through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; not having saved even a single soul for the kingdom of God by witnessing for Christ. Can you see God giving heavenly treasure to a believer who has never done the one thing closest to God’s heart, which he has commanded we do? I can’t see God giving treasure to believers for their disobedience. I hope I’m wrong but that’s how I see it.

On the other hand, I can’t see God withholding treasure from any saint who has saved at least one other person for the kingdom of God because each person is priceless to God. God is all about quality not quantity. When my eyes open in the morning the first thing I think about is God and how I can save one more person for heaven, hence the name of this website, “www.onemoreforjesus,net.” To be “wise” in the eyes of God we need to save many by our witness for Christ and then God will make us shine in heaven like the noonday sun. God doesn’t quantify what he means by “many” but to me the number is 1000 saved souls. Make it your goal to first save 100 lost souls for the kingdom of God because in the Bible God calls a hundredfold a good harvest. If that number is good enough for God it’s good enough for me. Then shoot for 1000 saved souls or whatever number you decide is “many.” The important thing is to set a goal you can strive for and then persevere. Look, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I do know the truth of God when I hear it. God made salvation so simple that anyone can understand it and do it. When I first heard and understood God’s salvation plan for man my soul said, “this is perfect.” I have told you the truth of God so you have no excuse when you stand before Jesus Christ on the last day.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.

2 Peter 1:2 – Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

I’m biased against the Roman Catholic church and you need to be aware of that as I post this blog. Like most believers today I too was once naive. I’m a Southern Baptist and I thought Catholicism was merely another denomination of Christianity. I didn’t know any better. It wasn’t until I started studying God’s word that the truth dawned on me. In my youth I even went to a Catholic service with a friend who was Catholic. I thought the service was a bit strange but it never entered my head that Catholics weren’t Christian. If you google world religions you’ll see there are supposedly 2.5 billion Christians so the whole world thinks all Catholics are Christians, including themselves. The whole world is wrong. Roman Catholics make up approximately two thirds of Christianity (1.5 billion people). Here’s the rub. While there are many Catholics who are Christian believers who are going to heaven, the majority aren’t. The majority of Catholics think they are saved unto eternal life in heaven but that’s simply not the case. I’m not making the call here. I’m simply stating what it says in God’s Word, which is the ultimate authority on who is going to heaven and who isn’t. If you believe the Bible is without error, as I do, then you must agree with me. To do otherwise is to stick your head in the sand. Let me explain myself.

Romans 3:4 – Let God be true but every man a liar.

Isaiah 48:11 – And I (God) will not give My glory to another.

Salvation is a personal thing between a person and the God who made them. There are many believers who are members of the Catholic church because they have personally gone to God in prayer and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. These people are saved unto eternal life in heaven not because they’re members of the Roman Catholic church; but in spite of it. To their credit, these individuals are risking the wrath of the church because they’ve gone against Catholic doctrines, traditions and dogma in order to save themselves. The Roman Catholic church wants salvation to run exclusively through them; bypassing God altogether. That’s not possible. Why do Catholic believers remain in the Catholic church? I don’t know the reason. Maybe their family and friends have always been Catholic and they don’t want to rock the boat. Scripture says believers are the church and Jesus is the head of the church and he’s in heaven sitting at the right hand of God the Father as our mediator. The Holy Spirit indwells the body of each believer to prove they are God’s possession and the Catholic church has no impact on that spiritual truth of heaven.

Psalm 29:2 – Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 86:5 – For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Nowhere in Scripture does it say Jesus will appoint a church leader on earth to take his place (i.e., the pope). The Roman Catholic church likes to tie their legitimacy as God’s church to the conversation Jesus had with Peter where he said, “On this rock I will build my church.” They mistakenly thought Jesus was talking about Peter as the rock who would build God’s church . Since the Roman Catholic church has claimed Peter as the first pope that means they think they have the sole mandate to be God’s church. The Roman Catholic church claims that every pope who came after Peter has inherited the mantle of church leadership (i.e., the pope) through Peter. That’s a lie. That is a totally false assumption based on the interpretation of a single verse of Scripture taken out of context. If you look at the surrounding verses you’ll see Jesus was actually talking about the gospel message of Christ as being the “rock” upon which the church will be built and not Peter himself.

2 Corinthians 6:17 – Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.

Revelation 18:4 – And I hear another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive her plagues.”

Jesus never mentions the presence of the Catholic church directly by name nor does he make any reference to a pope who will lead his church. The Bible clearly says Jesus is the head of the church and no one else. However, I know of at least two places in the Bible where God commands believers to come out of an unholy church that professes to be the true church of God. This can only be a reference to the Roman Catholic church we know today. When I claim there are 500 million believers in the Catholic church I’m really just guessing and hoping there are that many believers in the Catholic church. I think I’m a bit on the high side but I’m always optimistic. Common sense tells me if God commands believers to come out of the Roman Catholic church then they’re in the minority and the majority who are left are nonbelievers. Believers are clearly in the minority whatever the true percentages are. By my math that leaves approximately one billion people who claim to be Catholics but who aren’t saved unto eternal life in heaven but who think they are. That’s tragic because on the last day they’ll have to stand before Jesus Christ and find out they’re condemned to an eternity in hell because Satan has put blinders over their eyes and hid the truth of God from them.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

I share the truth of God through my blog because it’s an integral part of the ministry I received from the Holy Spirit. I don’t want to offend anyone but the truth needs to be told. If I don’t do it who will? If you’re a Catholic who hasn’t personally accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then you are in great peril. What I’m telling you is backed up by Scripture. You don’t have to believe what I’m saying. You can go read it for yourself in the Bible. If you examine any of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church you’ll see they are all diametrically opposed to what the Bible says we must do. They are all 180 degrees in the opposite direction! If you believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God then you must agree with me that the Roman Catholic church is a fraud and is, in fact, the church of Satan. If you look at Roman Catholic church traditions and dogma it’s the exact same thing. They’re all the opposite of the truth of God. If it was only one or two things maybe it could be a coincidence but when 100% of the Roman Catholic church doctrines, traditions and dogma are aligned against God’s word and for Satan’s agenda then it has to be on purpose and driven by a hatred of God. The odds are just too great for it to be a coincidence.

Matthew 6:7-8 – (Jesus speaking) – And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do (i.e., the rosary). 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.

Matthew 15:9 – (Jesus speaking) – And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

If you’re a Catholic and you think you’re saved why not hedge your bets and make damn sure you are. What’s the harm in that? After all, your eternal soul hangs in the balance. Think of it as your salvation backup plan or your eternal insurance policy. Start by reading your Bible and then start praying directly to God. Read the verses in the “Roman Road” to salvation in the order I have them listed (John 3:16; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; and Romans 10:9). Obey the commandments of God. Google “sinner’s prayer” and verbally follow the script; just you and God alone in prayer. If you believe what you’re saying to God when you pray then you’re saved unto eternal life in heaven, because God said so and God cannot lie. In the Bible God says salvation is simple and it is. As a new believer you can still remain in the Catholic church if you want to and nobody will be the wiser. You can have your cake and eat it too. However, I advise you to leave the Catholic church because it’s Satan’s church. Why would you want to be in the house of your enemy who seeks your destruction?

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

Matthew 7:23-23 – (Jesus speaking) – Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And I will then declare to them, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Satan hates God and vice versa. Satan is the second most powerful being in the universe and only he has the power to effectively implement the evil that is inside the Roman Catholic church. We know God didn’t act against his word to perpetrate this evil so who else is there? Only Satan. When Satan couldn’t stamp out the early church he switched tactics and decided to corrupt the church from within. By the time of the papacy of Gregory the Great in 590 AD the Roman Catholic church belonged to Satan, and probably well before then. Catholic popes started declaring themselves infallible God’s who could interpret Scripture better than God the Father himself. The popes also stole God’s glory by declaring that they had the exclusive right to decide who goes to heaven or hell. Let’s take a look at the lives of a few of the 266 popes who ruled the Roman Catholic church over the last two thousand years. The Roman Catholic church says God works through men to choose the pope God wants to be his representative on earth; his “vicar of Christ.” I posit that Satan owns the Roman Catholic church and he makes sure each pope is an evil spawn of the devil:

Pope Stephen VI – (896 – 897 AD) – It was obvious to everyone from the beginning that this pope was insane, which led to riots that removed him from office after only one year as pope. Stephen came from an aristocratic Italian family that had apparently been badly mistreated by the previous pope and when Stephen was elected pope he became highly vindictive toward his predecessor. Stephen had the stinking corpse of the previous pope (Formosus) dug up and put on trial for his crimes. Stephen personally served as the prosecuting attorney while the dead pope was propped up on a papal throne and dressed in papal vestments. The dead Formosus was found guilty of course and Stephen then cut off the fingers of the dead pope, stripped off his papal vestments and then buried the dead pope in a pauper’s grave. Stephen’s anger still wasn’t appeased so later on he dug up the dead pope again and this time had his corpse thrown into the Tiber River. This insane pope was later imprisoned and strangled to death in his cell.

Would God make the mistake of choosing someone insane to lead his church? Would God choose someone so obviously full of pride, vengeance and hate? I don’t think so. Scripture says a good tree will produce good fruit and a bad tree bad fruit, but not vice versa. This spiritual truth of heaven also applies to God. God cannot produce the bad fruit that is pope Stephen VI but obviously Satan can and did. Can you see the fingerprints of Satan on all these evil popes? I certainly can. God does only good and God doesn’t make mistakes.

Matthew 7:17-18 – (Jesus speaking) – Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Pope Sergius III – (904-911 AD) – This bloodthirsty and murderous pope had the distinction of being the only pope guilty of killing another pope; and he did it twice. In order to become pope Sergius killed two of his predecessors, Pope Leo V and his son Pope Christopher. Sergius was also shacked up with Marozia, the daughter of a powerful nobleman and ally. His illegitimate son grew up to be Pope John XI.

Throughout the history of the early church several powerful aristocratic Italian families fought among themselves to capture the Holy See and make one of their family members the pope. Bribery, treachery and force of arms usually decided who would be pope and not God. In the case of Sergius, he was from one of those aristocratic families and he used his army to capture Rome and have himself elected as pope. If someone becomes pope by the force of arms does that prove God didn’t choose them? Yes it does because God would never do it that way. Would God choose a murderer and a fornicator to lead his church? Not a chance. None of that is God’s doing. It’s Satan’s doing. Popes are chosen by evil men under the sway of Satan.

Pope John X – (914-928 AD) – This promiscuous pope took over his predecessor’s lover as his own mistress. He also later slept with Marozia’s mother. Marozia turned on Pope John X and married the pope’s greatest enemy; who then overthrew the papacy and had John X thrown into a dungeon where he was later smothered to death with a pillow.

Would God choose a pope who was a known fornicator who would sleep with anyone? Would God chose a pope who sleeps with a woman and her mother too? That illicit sex is an abomination to the Lord. How could God violate his word and choose such a person as pope? There is no way God could do that or he wouldn’t be God. Satan would, but not God.

Pope Paul II – (1464 1471 AD) – A repressive and autocratic ruler of the church who devoted his energies to games and festivities. A shallow man who lived in splendor. Paul was thin skinned and he had his critics imprisoned and tortured to death. He died in 1471 while he was being sodomized by a young page.

Would God choose a murderer to lead his church? How about someone who tortures people to death? Would God choose a sodomite to be pope when God declares that kind of sexual perversion to be an abomination before the Lord? I think not; but Satan would.

Pope Alexander VI – (1492 – 1503 AD) – Alexander VI openly sold church offices to the highest bidder. He fathered nine illegitimate children, including four with his live-in mistress. He had an incestuous affair with his own daughter. This pope bribed his way to becoming pope. He threw lavish parties and often hosted orgies at the papal palace.

Would God pick a pope who slept with his own daughter? That’s an abomination to God. Would God pick a leader who would sell the church for filthy lucre? Would God pick a pope who was such a notoriously promiscuous fornicator as his representative on earth? God wouldn’t but Satan would.

Pope Leo X – (1513 – 1521 AD) – An openly homosexual and promiscuous pope. This pope engaged in the wholesale selling of indulgences to raise money for his pet projects. An indulgence was a papal document attesting that the pope would move a person out of purgatory and into heaven for a price. The actions of this pope led Martin Luther to start the Protestant reformation because Martin Luther believed God’s word where it said we are saved by faith and not works. Martin Luther chose to believe God and not man. All Catholics should follow the example of this brave man and throw off the yoke of Satan.

God considers a homosexual to be an abomination. We’re supposed to accept such things in our politically correct world but I’ll stand on the word of God in such matters, against all comers. God hates sodomites. God hates fornicators. God hates liars. Would the Lord ever choose such a person as Leo X to lead his flock on earth? Not a chance; but Satan would.

Pope Paul III – (1534 – 1549 AD) – This pope was a known fornicator who was notoriously corrupt, murderous and a sexual pervert to boot. Paul took charge of the thousands of prostitutes in Rome and organized their trade. In exchange Pope Paul III took a cut of their earnings hence he is referred to as “pimp pope.” His daughter was his lover.

God hates whoremongers, murderers and sexual deviants. Incest is an abomination to God. Do you really think God would select someone like this to lead his church? Hell no he wouldn’t but this kind of person would be right up Satan’s alley.

Pope John XII – (955 – 963 AD) – The father of this pope was Alberic II, Duke of Spoleto. Because of his family wealth and power Alberic extracted a promise from the Roman nobility that it would make his son John the next pope. John XII became pope at age 18 and he wasn’t up to the job. He knew nothing about God. John turned the papal palace into a whorehouse. He was devoted to hunting, gambling, wine and women. He had a habit of toasting the devil and invoking pagan gods during dice games in the palace. He was a violent psychopath who once castrated a deacon before killing him. When his own confessor angered him he had him blinded before killing him. The papal palace was notorious for its orgies and drunken parties. John had sex with both men and women in his palace and raped whoever he wanted to have sex with, including a niece and his two younger sisters. After nine years as pope he was killed by an angry husband who caught him having sex with his wife.

This sordid pope did everything evil under the sun. God cannot abide sin and he certainly wouldn’t pick a vicar of Christ who openly worshipped Satan. This pope worshipped Satan and did unspeakable things in the name of the devil. Do you really think God would select a devil worshipper to be the pope of the Roman Catholic church? That’s simply not possible because then God would be a liar and not faithful to his word. God forbid! Satan is the god of this world and he controls the Roman Catholic church and he decides who will become pope. Satan always chooses one of his own. It can happen no other way.

Pope Benedict IX – (1032 – 1044 AD) – (1045) – (1047 – 1048 AD) – This pope had the distinction of being deposed as pope by force on three separate occasions and reinstated by force of arms each time. Benedict first became pope at age 20 because his powerful father used his family connections and bribery to secure his election. He hosted orgies and raped men, women, boys and girls. Benedict was a sadist who enjoyed torturing, burning, drowning, and flaying to death those who angered him. Benedict IX finally decided to retire after his third stint as pope so he sold the papacy to a priest.

I don’t know who was worse; this pope or John XII. This pope was despicable. He did unspeakable evil in the sight of God and he would be the last person God would chose to lead the Roman Catholic faithful. This pope was obviously one of Satan’s children. God cannot abide such sinful behavior. Who can argue otherwise?

Pope Julius III – (1550 – 1555 AD) – This pope was chosen even though he was a known pedophile who regularly had sex with children in the papal palace and he did it openly. Why didn’t some church official oppose this sordid behavior? Julius also looted the church treasury for his own purposes.

Children have a special place in God’s heart and to exploit them sexually is an abomination to God. Pedophiles and those who condone that behavior have a special place in hell reserved for them. God would never pick a pedophile to lead his church but Satan would.

God is faithful to his word and consistent in all his actions. God doesn’t change. In deciding whether or not God chooses who becomes pope of the Roman Catholic church there are only two logical choices because it doesn’t make any sense for God to pick some popes and not others. Either God selects all the popes or he selects none of them. Either the Roman Catholic church is God’s church or it isn’t and the two issues are tied together. God never sleeps. God never takes a day off or goes on vacation. God never takes his eyes off his creation. When we examine the facts and we see that the church has elected evil sinful popes then we must conclude that a holy God was not involved because God cannot abide sin. If God didn’t pick any of these evil popes I mentioned the he doesn’t pick any of the popes. When the Roman Catholic church does the exact opposite to what God says we must do in his word then we also have to conclude that the doctrines, traditions and dogma of the church did not come from God for the same reason. For those believers who are spiritually aware it’s obvious that the Roman Catholic church is Satan’s church not God’s. Anyone with an open mind who takes an honest look at the evidence in the Bible must come to the same conclusion I have. Satan has put blinders on the eyes of nonbelievers so they cannot see the truth of God. Nonbelievers must start praying to the Lord and start reading the Bible in order for the scales to be lifted from their eyes so they can see the glory of God and the love he has for them.

Romans 3:10 – There is none righteous, no, not one.

Exodus 20:4 – (God speaking) – You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

In this blog I’ve just reviewed ten of the worst popes in history to prove they are not godly men chosen by God to lead the Roman Catholic church. The rest of the popes may not be as bad as the ones I mention but they were all sinful, arrogant men who lied, cheated, and in many cases bribed their way to the top position. Throughout the history of the Roman Catholic church popes have personally led or directed armies in wars of conquest that have caused the death of millions of people in the name of God. It’s obvious the popes are not children of God. By their fruit they have shown themselves to be the children of Satan pursuing the devil’s agenda. The popes and the Roman Catholic church are consistent in their actions against the Lord, the one true God. Show me where I’m wrong? You cannot do it because everything I’m saying is backed up by Scripture. You don’t have a leg to stand on other than the lies that evil men have taught you. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if not a single pope makes it to heaven because of the evil they do on earth. Please wake up! Read the Bible yourself so you know the truth of God within your spirit while you still have time.

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.

Isaiah 5:20 – Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

The Roman Catholic church has the trappings of Christianity to fool their followers into thinking they are worshipping God when in reality they’re not. The Roman Catholic church worships Satan; also known as the devil; and sometimes referred to as the dragon or the beast. The church pays lip service to Jesus Christ while in their heart they elevate the pope and priests above God. The pope and priests declare themselves to be Christ on earth to steal God’s glory. They shame Jesus with their satanic mass by turning him into a cookie that they crucify again at every service (the Eucharist). Catholics are directed to pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and not God. Mary is a human being and she can’t hear our prayers. In the Bible believers are told to pray to God because only Almighty God can hear the prayers of the creatures he created. Satan does this to steal God’s glory so don’t be gullible enough to help him by praying to Mary or anyone else but God. Woe unto the popes and priest who lead their flock down to the pit! God will repay them for their iniquity. Popes and priests cannot forgive the sins of men. Only God can to that. Popes and priests can’t save you or condemn you. Only God can do that. There’s no such place as purgatory or God would have told us in the Bible. It’s an evil doctrine of the Catholic church to keep their flock shelling out money for their salvation. Catholicism is just an evil worldwide business enterprise.

Revelation 2:10 – Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

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

At the beginning of this blog I said I was biased against the Roman Catholic church. The truth is, I really hate the Roman Catholic church. I’ve accepted the fact that for the last two thousand years the church has led hundreds of millions of people straight to hell by fooling them into thinking they were saved when they weren’t. I’ve learned to accept the fact that the church in Rome blatantly disrespects God and steals his glory at every turn. I’ve studied the Bible for over twenty years and I’m a student of Bible prophecy. I know what’s coming during the seven year tribulation so let me warn you. My hatred of the Catholic church stems primarily from the fact that they’ll be the one world religion at the end of human history and the Catholic pope will be the prophesied false prophet of the antichrist.

Psalm 44:22 – Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Matthew 7:7 – (Jesus speaking) – Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.

I’ll be raptured to heaven before the tribulation begins because Jesus will come in the air for all believers. During the seven year tribulation period all nonbelievers will be left on earth but many millions of them will see the truth of God after the rapture and find salvation by turning to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Better late than never. The antichrist and the false prophet (the pope) both belong to the devil and they will hunt down all the Jews and saints and cut their heads off if they refuse to worship the antichrist and take his mark on their hand or forehead. It would be far better to suffer a martyr’s death than to take the mark of the beast (666) and be condemned to hell for all eternity. I cannot forgive the Catholic church for what they are going to do to the children of God during the tribulation period. As a believer, if you find yourself in this unenviable position things are dire but all is not lost. Revelation 2:10 and Psalm 44:22 were written to guide you during this perilous time. Grab your Bible. Find a hole, crawl into it and wait out the coming wrath of God. You won’t be able to work, buy food or do anything else without the mark of the beast so you’ll need to make your preparations for survival beforehand. If you’re very lucky you may be able to be one of the few to hold out until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth.

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

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

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.

Philippians 2:9-10 – Therefore God has also 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.

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.

As you can see from the Scriptures above, there is only one God and the only real truth is God’s word. If anyone comes to you professing to be God’s only representative on earth (i.e., vicar of Christ) they are lying to you. Believers are the church of God and not a church leader (i.e., the pope) or some building constructed by man (i.e., the Vatican). For a believer God’s temple is our bodies which are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. When we worship God our spirit communes with the Spirit of God inside us. There’s no need for an intermediary such as a church leader or physical church in order to speak to God or to be saved. If anyone comes to you declaring you must be a member of their church in order to be saved (i.e., the Catholic church) they are lying to you. If anyone comes to you saying only the head of their church can grant you eternal life in heaven (i.e., the pope) they are lying to you. If any church leader comes to you declaring only they can interpret what God means in his word (i.e., the pope) they are lying to you. God made his word available so that every man and woman could read it themselves for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Don’t let anyone spoon feed religion to you or tell you what God requires of you. Everything you need to know to please God is in his word so read it for yourself. Every man has to deal with God directly for their salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Nobody else can condemn you or save you. You have to make that decision yourself.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Romans 3:4 – Let God be true but every man a liar.

Numbers 23:19 – God is not man, that He should lie.

Galatians 1:8 – But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

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.

Anyone who comes to you declaring they are another Christ (i.e., the pope) and what they say takes precedence over what God says, they are lying to you. If anyone says only they can save you unto eternal life in heaven because they’re Christ on earth (i.e., the pope) you are being lied too. If anyone says only they have the right to send someone to heaven or hell forever (i.e., the pope) they are lying to you. The Roman Catholic pope has declared that since he is Christ on earth his priests in the Roman Catholic church are also Christ on earth because they are his appointed representatives. I now understand what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24:5,11. When Jesus said many will come claiming to be Christ he was referring the pope and priests of the Roman Catholic church. When Jesus said many will come claiming to be prophets of God he was referring to the popes of the Catholic church who claim to speak for God in earthly matters.

2 Corinthians 6:17 – Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.

Hebrews 12:2 – Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 10:12-13 – But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

Hebrews 7:25 – Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

There have been 266 popes and all except maybe a very few at the beginning have all claimed to be Christ on earth and prophets of God. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and it wasn’t long before the Roman Catholic popes thought of themselves as God. They will all show up at the Great White Throne judgment expecting to receive honor and glory from God. Instead they will be condemned by Jesus for leading millions of people straight to hell and for stealing God’s glory and shaming Jesus Christ with their satanic mass. The Catholic mass is an abomination to God! After final judgment an angel of God will grab hold of each pope and throw them into the lake of fire. Believers will be there to see it all unfold.

John 1:1-2 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 – But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached (i.e., the pope), or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it!

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 1:25 – (Men) Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature (Satan) rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Roman Catholic doctrines, traditions and dogma are all utter nonsense. If you want to know the truth of God go straight to the source and read the Bible for yourself. Cut out the middleman who seeks to tell you, for his own evil purposes, what you should do and what you should believe about God. For the Roman Catholic church it’s all about power, control and money. The church wants to force you to become members by saying you will go to hell if you don’t. They are dead wrong. Everything the Roman Catholic church stands for is nothing but a pack of lies! The Roman Catholic church is Satan’s church not God’s. The Bible says we’re saved by faith alone. The church wants to make you follow nonsensical doctrines, dogma and vain repetition (i.e., the rosary) by threatening eternal damnation if you don’t. It’s an empty threat because only God can send someone to hell. On the flip side, salvation unto eternal life in heaven is a gift from God.

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.

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

1 Corinthians 8:6 – Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Scripture confirms that only God the Father can condemn a human soul to hell for all eternity. The Roman Catholic church just makes stuff up in order to control their flock with the threat of going to hell. The Roman Catholic church is nothing but an evil giant business enterprise and they’re all about keeping the money flowing into the church coffers at all costs. The Roman Catholic church invented “purgatory” in order to squeeze more money out of their flock by having them work for their salvation. Scripture says after death we’re all judged; period! The Roman Catholic church would have you believe the pope is another Christ on earth who is infallible and what he says takes precedence over what God says. What rational person would believe a man can tell God what to do? It is blasphemy!

2 Peter 3:16 – As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things (salvation), 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.

Hebrews 9:28 – So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time (the rapture), apart from sin, for salvation.

Hebrews 9:10-11 – And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

Hebrews 6:4-6 – For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Basically the Roman Catholic church is saying the pope is God on earth. Can you buy that load of bull? I know I can’t. I have a book in my library on the history of the papacy and just about every pope in the book was a documented sinner of the worst sort. Yet popes are considered holy, infallible and Christ on earth. Give me a break! When the pope appoints a priest they also become Christ on earth, which is why they are able to hear confessions and forgive sins. Can you believe it? Only Jesus can forgive sins and not some priest in a box who may be a child molester which, by the way, the church knows many priests who are yet they try their best to cover it up. The Catholic church still gives lip service to Jesus only because they have to retain some semblance of Christianity in order to fool the faithful into thinking they are worshipping God when in reality they’re worshipping Satan. It’s the old bait and switch. The Eucharist is a part of the mass where a priest forces Jesus Christ to come from heaven to his church where Jesus is then turned into a cookie and eaten by the flock so that Jesus experiences crucifixion over and over again at each and every church service along with the shame that goes with it.

1 John 5:11-12 – And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

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.

Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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

Do you buy the story that a creature of God (a priest) has the power to drag the omnipotent Creator of the universe out of heaven against his will and make him suffer the shame of crucifixion repeatedly in every Catholic church throughout the world? If you believe that I have some oceanfront property in Arizona I’d like to sell you. Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrews 12:2 both say to crucify Jesus again is to openly shame the Lord. I wouldn’t want to be the person taking part in that service and have to face Jesus on the last day. The Catholic church has convinced their flock that Jesus is nothing more than a cookie to be crucified over and over again at every mass in every Catholic church throughout the world. The Bible says Jesus Christ was crucified once for the sins all men so there is no need for continual crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. To claim otherwise is shaming Jesus and calling God a liar to his face. To attend Catholic mass is to worship Satan. Woe unto that person on the last day!

Acts 20:28-30 – Therefore take heed of yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after My departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Matthew 24:23-25 – (Jesus speaking) – Then if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!” or “There!” do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.

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

Isaiah 48:11 – And I will not give My glory to another (i.e., to popes or priests).

When you read the Bible you can be confident you’re receiving the unfiltered truth of God with no middleman (church leader or physical church) to distort the divine message from God. God cannot lie but his words can be twisted by evil ungodly men. Detractors have been trying for 2000 years to discredit the Bible but no errors or inconsistencies have ever been proven to exist. However, evil men with their own agenda can and will lie to twist the truth of the Bible to suit their own purposes. As a believer and disciple of Christ you must trust only God and his word. Take what men say with a grain of salt because all men are sinners. Make sure your church teaches the Bible and not the doctrines, sacraments and traditions created by evil men seeking to gain power, money and control over their flock. The Roman Catholic church is a perfect example of this.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may destroy.

Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Ephesians 6:19 – And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.

Satan couldn’t stamp out the early church by persecuting Christians so he switched tactics. If you can’t beat them then join them. Satan started a campaign to corrupt the Catholic church from within and he was so successful that by the time of the papacy of Gregory the Great around 600 AD Satan owned the Catholic church lock, stock and barrel. How do I know this? Because Satan hates God. Because every single doctrine, sacrament and tradition of the Catholic church is the exact opposite of what God commands us to do in his word. The odds of this all happening accidentally is zero so someone had to cause it and that person is Satan, the second most powerful being in the universe. There is no other logical explanation to account for this.

John 17:11 – (Jesus speaking) – Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

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

Ephesians 3:9 – And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 9:24 – For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

The Bible says Jesus Christ is the word of God. God came off his throne in heaven and came to earth in the incarnation of Jesus Christ the man in order to die on the cross in our place. Jesus died in our place so that our sins could be forgiven by God through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God intentionally made salvation a simple process for man. There is no path to heaven other than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by believing on his name. A man can’t save you. The pope can’t save you because he’s not Christ. He’s just a man with a large ego. A priest can’t save you because he can’t even save himself. Being a member of a church can’t save you. Following a set of church doctrines, sacraments and traditions gains you nothing. Every man must save himself by personally going to God in prayer, repenting of their sins and accepting the grace of God through the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

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

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

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.

The Roman Catholic church has found a way around the truth of God. The church has declared the pope to be Christ on earth with the power to interpret Scripture. The church has declared that all priests ordained by the pope are also Christ and can therefore forgive sins. In Roman Catholic theology a priest is “alter Christus” or “another Christ.” The church directed the flock to bypass Jesus with their prayers and instead pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus, a human being who cannot hear the prayers of man. Mary is shedding tears in heaven right now because man is praying to her instead of our blessed Savior Jesus Christ. Scripture is clear we are to pray to God and no one else. God says we’re not to make any carved image of God to worship yet the Catholic church is full of carved images of Jesus Christ on the cross. Satan wanted his church to have a constant reminder of the shameful death of Christ displayed prominently. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Every single thing the Roman Catholic church does is the opposite of what God requires and we have Satan to blame. If you’re a Catholic leave the church immediately before the wrath of God comes for you.

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

Matthew 24:11 – (Jesus speaking) – Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Matthew 24:26 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore if they say to you, “Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or “Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it.

Matthew 24:27 – (Jesus speaking) – For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

During his Mount of Olives discourse Jesus was discussing with his disciples things that will occur at the end of time. I’ve always been confused by Matthew 24:5,11, where Jesus says many will come claiming to be Christ and many will come claiming to be prophets of God. I thought how could that even be possible. Who could get away with making those claims today? It makes perfect sense to me now that Jesus was talking about the Roman Catholic church because the popes have been claiming to be Christ for centuries. Every pope says they speak on behalf of God and are therefore prophets of God. Popes call themselves “Holy Father” when this title belongs only to God. The pope sits as Christ in the Vatican. And when the pope speaks ex cathedra, he speaks for God, in place of the Holy Spirit. The pope is given, in essence, all the titles of the Triune Godhead combined. This is not a one off. The popes are supposed to be infallible. Look at what they’ve said:

Pope Innocent III – He (the pope) judges all and is judged by no one.

Pope Boniface VIII – We declare, assert, define, and pronounce: To be subject to the Roman Pontiff is to every creature altogether necessary for salvation.

Pope Leo XIII – We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.

John 19:30 – So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Matthew 27:50 – And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

John 14:15 – (Jesus speaking) – If you love Me, keep My commandments.

1 Samuel 15:22 – Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.

If you’re a Catholic you face a very important decision. Your eternal destiny depends on it. God’s Holy Word will judge you when you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ on the last day, just like it says in John 12:48. Many Catholics are saved, not because of the church, but in spite of it. Many Catholics have disregarded what the church says and they have personally accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. On the other hand, there are many Catholics who don’t have a personal relationship with Christ. Instead they depend on the church membership, church sacraments, the pope, and priests for their salvation. Many Catholics don’t see the need to go directly to Jesus because they think they’re already saved so what’s the point. They’re dead wrong! The Roman Catholic church and Satan are lying to you! Jesus Christ commands all believers to come to him for salvation. Catholics are told to come out of the church (Revelation 18:4) because it’s Satan’s church; the mother of abominations and the whore of Babylon. Will you choose to believe God … or men? If Roman Catholic teaching disagrees with God’s word, and it does in virtually every instance, then it’s wrong in God’s eyes. Many Roman Catholics are sincerely trying to please God but they’re going about it the wrong way. They’re obeying the church thinking that will save them when they should instead be obeying what God says in the Bible.

Revelation 18:4 – And I hear another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other (but Jesus), for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

The Catholic religious system is evil because it’s leading millions of people straight to hell and they don’t even know it. Satan is the pied piper leading man straight to hell. Many of the church faithful who think they’re saved unto eternal life in heaven will be shocked on the last day to discover they’ve been hoodwinked by Satan and they’re going to hell instead. Going back to my original question in this blog, “Is there another Christ?” The answer is, “No, there is only one Jesus Christ and he sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven as our mediator.” Jesus will one day come back to the earth, in the air, to rapture the saints of his church to himself and take them back to heaven. After this, Jesus will next set foot on the Mount of Olives at his Second Coming on the last day; at the battle of Armageddon to save Israel from destruction and set up his millennial kingdom on earth.

Romans 3:10 – There is none righteous, no, not one. (this includes popes & priests)

Exodus 20:4 – (God speaking) – You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Being a member of the Roman Catholic church, or any church, doesn’t really matter. If you follow church sacraments, doctrines and traditions it’s all meaningless mumbo jumbo. By obeying the pope, priests, and pastors you gain nothing. You only get one shot at salvation so don’t screw it up because eternity is a very long time. An eternity in hell means being in pain and agony 24/7 forever and ever. That’s the worst possible decision anyone can make yet most of the people in the world are going to make that choice and go straight to hell. Don’t be one of them. See, I have told you what you should do but the ultimate decision is yours to make. God has given you the free will to choose your destiny. Will you choose to serve God or Satan? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I rebuke Satan and his Roman Catholic church for leading millions of people straight to hell. In the name of Jesus I rebuke the Roman Catholic church for twisting the word of God to suit their evil purposes. In the name of Jesus I rebuke the Catholic pope and all his priests for claiming to be God when they are not, and never can be, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m retired now but for many years I worked in an office with a man I’ll call John for the sake of discussion. I know you’re not supposed to talk about politics, religion or sex at work but John and I were good friends and we could talk about anything and often did. John knew I was a believing Christian and he wasn’t offended when I attempted to save him with my witness for Christ. In return, I wasn’t offended when John attempted to convince me I was wrong about God and that religion was the opiate of the masses. We each gave as good as we got with no quarter given or expected.

Genesis 7:11-12 – In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.

You see, John is an engineer. Engineers are some of the smartest people you’ll ever run across. By and large, engineers only believe in what they can see and touch and measure in some way. Engineers depend on their intelligence, education and common sense to figure things out. Engineers are not big on faith and what they can’t see. John’s problem was a lack of faith. John was so intelligent he leaned heavily on his own understanding and nothing else. John was “wise” in his own eyes and only trusted his own conclusions. I’d be willing to bet you that the percentage of engineers and attorneys in heaven will be less than that of other professions because most engineers and attorneys consider themselves to be much smarter than everyone else. They don’t take advice. I don’t mean to offend anyone but this is what my life experiences have taught me.

Genesis 7:19-20 – And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.

Although John was raised in a loving Christian home he just couldn’t accept the biblical account of “Noah’s Ark” and the “Great Flood”, even as a child. As an adult and an engineer John was even more convinced the Bible was wrong about Noah’s ark and therefore God’s word wasn’t true. In John’s mind, if the Bible contained errors like this then maybe God didn’t exist at all. John wasn’t convinced God existed because he was torn between what his mother taught him and what his common sense told him. As a result John was an agnostic. But deep down John wanted to be convinced there is a God. John wanted to believe what his mother taught him as a child. John’s first argument about Noah’s ark was there was no way all the animals of the earth could fit on the ark. After many discussions, I was finally able to convinced John it was possible that the ark was big enough to hold all the types of animals on earth. I talked about this proof extensively in earlier blogs so I won’t repeat myself here.

Genesis 8:1-2 – Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.

The second issue John had was the “Great Flood.” John said the amount of water needed to cover all of the mountains of the earth is more than the earth has in all the groundwater reserves worldwide. He argued that Mount Everest is 29,035 feet high so it would require the oceans to be over five and half miles higher than they are today for all land to be underwater. Forty days and nights of continual rain wouldn’t have much of an impact on that much water because rain is recycled evaporation from the oceans. I told John we must have faith in what God tells us because God knows everything but he only tells us what he wants us to know. I had no other explanation for John; that is until today.

Isaiah 43:15-16 – I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your king. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters.

I was reading an article on AOL earlier this week about scientists discovering a layer of sponge-like rock within the earth about 400 miles down. I forget the name they gave this layer of rock deep within the earth but they said it contains a massive amount of water. It contains so much water that one percent of it would cover the earth beyond the height of the “Great Flood” upon the earth in the time of Noah. The Bible mentions water coming up from the “fountains of the deep” which we all thought was just ground water because we didn’t know water existed further down in the earth. Even today we’re still discovering hidden truths mentioned in the Bible. What an awesome God we have!

Isaiah 49:22 – It is He (God) who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.

In earlier blogs I’ve talked about truths mentioned in the Bible that weren’t scientifically proven until thousands of years later. It’s one way we can know God is who he says he is. Let’s briefly review some of them. The Bible says the earth is round whereas everyone thought the world was flat until a few hundred years ago. The Bible says the earth hangs in space on nothing but in ancient times people thought the earth rested on the back of a giant turtle. The Bible says that things seen are made of things unseen which we now understand as the atomic structure of all things. The Bible says there are mountains and canyons in the oceans when in ancient times everyone thought the bottom of the oceans were smooth like the bottom of a bowl. The Bible says there are rivers in the oceans and we now know about the ocean currents. The Bible says there are fresh water volcanoes in the ocean. We now know that’s true but why are they there? The answer is simple. God made them in preparation for the “Great Flood” which he planned before the foundation of the world. God knows the end from the beginning. How else was water 400 miles down ever going to be able to reach the earth’s surface if not for volcanoes on the ocean floor? Fountains of the deep is merely a biblical term for volcanoes.

Job 26:7 – He (God) stretches out the north over empty space, He hangs the earth on nothing.

John was younger than me and he’s still working. I’ve lost track of John over the years but my hope is that one day he will stumble across my blog and know I’m talking about him. It’s possible because the Lord never stops pursuing nonbelievers and guiding them to the truth of God. God is called the “Hound of Heaven” for good reason. I know this to be true. You have my testimony. I was a backslider and God hounded me for forty years until I returned to fellowship with the God who made me. God will never give up on you! I hope John will one day come to the realization that the Bible is the truth of God and there are no errors in it; that God cannot lie. My hope is for John to be at peace with God by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior while there is still time.

Proverbs 8:27-28 – When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the deep.

I want John to have the peace of God that I have. I want John to know God loves him and has gifted him eternal life in heaven in his presence through faith in Jesus Christ. I have a dream about you John so don’t let me down. I’d love to see you in heaven one day. When I go to heaven to meet Jesus I’ll be looking around to see if John made it too. While this blog is primarily for John’s benefit, it’s also for everyone else out there who has doubts about God. We all have some doubts we want the answers too. We’ll get all the answers we need when we get to heaven but right now we’re required to have faith and trust in Almighty God and in his word. Seek the Lord while he may be found. God loves us all equally and Scripture says that God and all the angels in heaven rejoice whenever a lost soul is saved for the kingdom of God. When that happens God is glorified. Praise God for his love, mercy and grace!

Nehemiah 9:6 – You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

I go for a walk every morning to keep fit. It’s my personal time to be alone with God. During this quiet time I can talk to the Lord and consider the magnitude and majesty of his name. Sometimes it almost takes my breath away. This morning I was reflecting on God’s glory and how wonderful it’ll be when I get to see God’s glory in heaven. You don’t believe heaven is real? God’s word, our Holy Bible, is to be read and understood literally unless it’s obvious God is speaking metaphorically or symbolically like in the book of Revelation. Heaven is mentioned in the Bible 582 times so I can assure you heaven is a real literal place. The Bible mentions God 4456 times, which is understandable since the Bible is all about God and the revelation of his son Jesus Christ. Remember, God wrote the Bible and there are no errors in it. God cannot lie.

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

1 Corinthians 8:6 – Yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we are all things, and through Him we live.

God is an invisible all-powerful being who has always existed. Try wrapping your head around that! God resides on a spiritual plane totally separate from our physical plane; in a place called heaven. These two planes of existence are both real places and they converge in the human mind. Our brain is the nexus between the physical world and the spiritual world and our mind is the organ through we reach across the veil between the two planes of existence to worship God. God is self-contained and by that I mean God doesn’t need or require anything he can’t provide himself. God is not lonely. God doesn’t change. God is forever!

Romans 1:20 – For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I do not change.

However, in eternity past God chose to create an innumerable number of angels (untold millions) to serve him and glorify his name. God knows exactly how many angels he created and he knows them all by the name he gave them just like God knows our name and he has since before he laid the foundation of the world. God knows you personally and he’s always got his eye on you. God made you out of the dust of the earth to serve him. We know how to serve God but how do we glorify his name? The dictionary defines glory as great fame or honor (respect) won by notable achievements. I would say God creating the heavens, the earth and man count as notable achievements for which we should show God respect (honor). In the biblical sense the word “glorify” means to praise and worship God. Worship in the biblical sense means to show deep respect and admiration for God.

Colossians 1:16 – For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Isaiah 48:11 – And I will not give My glory to another.

Praise means to show respect and gratitude by some verbal action; in this case by singing songs or hymns to God or using your lips to proclaim respect and gratitude to God for what he has done. It’s impossible to praise God silently. In summary, to glorify God we must show him respect, gratitude and admiration for what he has done. What has God done for us? First, God has created us, both man and angel, out of nothing (or almost nothing). We have our existence, our being, through God and without God’s extended hand to uphold us even the very atoms of our bodies would fly apart and dissolve into nothing. Second, God has saved us to eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God has given us everything we’ll ever need. By his eternal power God is the glue holding the universe together and causing it to function with precision. How else can you explain the fact the universe moves in such perfectly synchronized motion; like a Swiss watch? How else can you explain the human body which is composed of thirty trillion highly specialized cells to create tissues, organs and body systems, all of which are needed for survival? Evolution is linear and cannot adequately explain the presence of man. Only God’s word gives us a feasible explanation for our existence.

Colossians 1:17 – And He is before all thing, and in Him all things consist.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Hebrews 2:10 – For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.

In heaven the angels are continually glorifying God through worship and the praise of their lips by the singing of songs and hymns. God created Lucifer as the number one angel in heaven responsible for leading all the other angels in the worship of God; to glorify God. God made Lucifer more beautiful and powerful than any of the other angels. He was the “Brilliant One”, the “Morning Star.” Lucifer was made perfect but because of his power and beauty he became prideful and sinned against God. Lucifer then led a third of the angels in heaven in a revolt against God. Lucifer was defeated and thrown to earth along will all the rest of the fallen angels we now call demons. Never again will God choose to make an angel as powerful as Lucifer, whom he renamed Satan after his fall from grace. Satan means “adversary.” God is omnipotent and has no adversary. God gave Satan his name because he’s our adversary; the adversary of man not God. Satan is working on our destruction every minute of the day and we better wise up to that fact. Satan strives mightily to keep man away from the truth of God and our salvation.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Ezekiel 28:17 – (Satan) Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.

1 Timothy 3:6 – Lest (a believer) being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

After the Lord made the angels he decided to make man in his image to serve and glorify God. God made man a little lower than the angels. The Spirit of God is eternal so when God gives us a part of himself at conception (our eternal spirit) we also become eternal beings. God created the heavens and the earth and put our spirit into physical bodies on this plane so that man might seek out his God and do good works to glorify God. With our free will to choose God or Satan comes a risk. If we seek out God and accept eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we will fellowship with Jesus in heaven forever as sons of God. We will have glorified God by our obedience in accepting his grace. If nonbelievers choose to serve Satan and not God then they grieve the God who made them. Choosing Satan will result in the nonbeliever abiding in his sins and going to hell for all eternity.

1 John 5:10 – He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself (the Holy Spirit); he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Galatians 1:4 – I am delivered from the power of darkness and I am translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.

God made us for his glory. Heaven and hell is all about glory, which is why the words glory or glorified appear 481 times in the Bible. The more you grieve God the deeper in hell you go. The more you please and glorify God the higher up in heaven you go. Glorifying God equates to building up riches in heaven; to receiving crowns and rewards in heaven on the last Day. Glory is the currency of heaven and as a believer you receive your wages (glory) by what you do on earth. What does God require you to do for your pay? You must seek out God and then acknowledge him. You must accept God’s saving grace through belief in his son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As a believer you must obey the commandments of God; number one of which is to witness the gospel of Christ and do other good works; all to the glory of God. What you need to realize is every time you save a lost soul God is glorified in heaven and your riches in heaven go up as a result. Salvation is by faith but riches in heaven come from the work you do here on earth working in God’s harvest field to save lost souls for the kingdom of God.

John 4:36 – Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

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

Daniel 12:3 – And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Every believer glorifies the Lord when he accepts God’s saving grace so everyone in heaven will have some amount of glory coming to them. God also glorifies a person when they reap a lost soul for the kingdom of God through their witness for Christ. When we help save someone as the sower of the gospel seed or the reaper of that soul we build up treasure in heaven (glory). Every believer glorifies God by their other good works and by their obedience to his commandments and in return God will glorify man on the last Day when he stands before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ. It grieves God when man rejects his grace. The salvation of God is purchased by the shed blood of his dear son Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who was crucified so that our sins could be forgiven. If a nonbeliever chooses Satan over God they have spit in God’s face. They will abide in their sins and be condemned to hell forever.

Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Matthew 4:19 – (Jesus speaking) – Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Mark 1:17 – (Jesus speaking) – Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.

God made us for his glory. That’s the bottom line. You please God when you work his harvest field alongside him to save lost souls. There may not be actual levels in heaven but scripture is clear that believers receive treasure and riches in heaven on a sliding scale based on their good works here on earth. Gold, silver and precious stones are worthless in heaven so those reward levels indicate how many lost souls a believer has saved for the kingdom of God. They equate to privileges and crowns in heaven based on rank, honor and glory. God is reciprocal. If there are levels in heaven based on good works then there must be levels in hell based on bad works. Do you really think a run of the mill nonbeliever who doesn’t believe in God will receive the same punishment in hell as a Hitler, Stalin or Judas? Not a chance. We get some indication of this in the Bible when learn that the Lord has chained fallen angels in the bottom of the pit of hell because they are an abomination to God.

These were the angels God sent to early man and who then left their estate by taking on human form and sleeping with women. If fallen angels are chained in the pit now they’ll still be chained after final judgment. If Satan is to be chained up for one thousand years after the Second Coming of Jesus and released for a little while then he’ll also be chained up at the Great White Throne judgment for all eternity. Nonbelievers in hell won’t be chained up or God would have said so. This tells me we have different levels of punishment in hell; some chained and some not. Another place in the Bible says Judas Iscariot went to his own special place in hell for his betrayal of Jesus. This tells me Judas won’t be able to move about because he’ll be in chains. Judas may be the only man in history who will wind up chained in hell. The fact Judas will be all alone in hell tells me his condemnation will be greater than other men. God will inflict the worst possible punishment on him for his betrayal of Jesus Christ which led to the crucifixion of our Lord.

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

2 Peter 2:4 – God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.

Jude 1:6 – And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

God is light! The glory of God the Father shines like intense sunlight. God is already at maximum glory so when we glorify God by our works on earth it’s like we’re shining a spotlight on something that’s already there. So how does that add to God’s glory? It doesn’t. Remember this spiritual truth about heaven, “you reap what you sow.” When believers sow glory to God through good works the Lord will hold onto that glory and give it back to us on the last Day. When we glorify God by our actions we’re actually building up our own treasure in heaven and pleasing God at the same time. Glory is the currency used in heaven and our glory is based on our good works here on earth. We have such a short time here on earth to earn our glory; seventy years if we’re lucky; and whatever wages we earn on earth will last forever. Man became an immortal being at conception and the most important time of our life is right now while we can still earn our wages. Don’t waste a minute of your time down here. Share the gospel of Christ with nonbelievers while you still can.

Ephesians 5:15-16 – See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

How does a believer go about earning his wages? You must seek God and acknowledge him. You must accept the grace of God though faith in his son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. You must obey the commands of God, number one of which is to witness the gospel of Christ in order to save lost souls for the kingdom of God. Every time a believer sows the gospel seed that leads to salvation or reaps a soul for God the Lord is glorified and Jesus will return that glory to the believer on the last Day at the bema judgment seat. Other good works count in heaven as long as the believer has saved at least one soul for the kingdom of God. If a believer is not saving souls he can’t please God and all other good works are meaningless. They will be burned up on the last day as wood, straw and stubble. When believers save souls that equates to gold, silver and precious stones in heaven and those works won’t be burned up by the fire of God on the last Day. All believers will have to stand before the bema judgment seat of Jesus Christ on the last Day to receive their rewards for work done in the body here on earth. Salvation is by faith alone but if you want any treasure in heaven you must save at least one person by your witness for Christ so go save at least one more for Jesus.

Romans 4:4 – Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

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

1 Corinthians 3:14-15 – If anyone’s work which he has built on it (Jesus) endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss (no reward); but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

You would think that everyone on earth would be falling all over themselves searching for God and sharing the gospel of Christ. The truth of God is self-evident by what he has made (the universe, the earth and us). The Bible is everywhere in the world and it says plainly right there in God’s word what man is to do. So why isn’t this happening? Here’s the problem we have. God expelled Satan and his fallen angels (demons) from heaven after their failed rebellion. God imprisoned them all on earth. The fallen angels can’t leave the earth’s atmosphere so we’re stuck living with millions of powerful demons who hate our guts and seek to destroy us at every opportunity. Originally God gave Adam dominion over the earth but when Satan caused Adam to sin against God title to the earth passed to Satan. That’s why Satan is called the, “god of this world” and the “prince of the air.” Because Adam sinned against God in the Garden of Eden he lost his immortality and suffered physical death. Adam’s sin and physical death was imputed to all men who came after so we all bear the mark of Adam’s original sin in our bodies and we’ll all die physically. God came down from his throne in heaven and came to earth in the incarnation of Jesus Christ to redeem the earth and save man from eternal death through the blood of Christ shed for the forgiveness of our sins.

Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.

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

Ephesians 1:7 – In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Do you remember the Bible story about the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor? Jesus took Peter, John and James up on the mountain to pray. While Jesus was praying his personal appearance was changed into his glorified form. Light radiated from Jesus’ face and his clothing became dazzling white. Jesus allowed his disciples to behold him in his heavenly glory so they would gain a greater understanding who he was and as a testimony to all believers. Every believer in heaven will receive a glorified body just like the one Jesus has. Every believer in heaven will be able to radiate the glory of their salvation from their body. God will return to us the glory we gave him. That’s why the transformation God will make in us in heaven is called, “glorification.” Glorification is defined as , “the act of receiving glory”, and in the biblical sense it means receiving glory from God the Father.

Romans 8:30 – Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

In scripture God says he will not give his glory to another so where does the glory we receive from God come from? It’s not from God or angels so that leaves only us. God speaks plainly so our common sense should tell us the glory we receive is our own glory that God is storing up for us in heaven (our treasure) because of our good works done on earth. In the Bible angels always appear in white and radiate white light. In heaven man will be sons of God and judge angels so it’s obvious believers will rank above angels. We’ll also radiate glory like the angels. Every believer in heaven isn’t going to be running around glowing like a light bulb but we’ll be able to radiate our glory when we choose to do so. There will be no need for name tags or badges in heaven. Everyone will know everyone else by name and our glory level will be readily apparent to everyone we meet. If you’re a believer and a slacker on earth you’ll be on the bottom rung of heaven. Your work for the Lord will define who you are and what you do for all eternity.

Don’t worry when I repeat myself. Repetition is good. It’s a literary device God uses very effectively in his word and I’ve picked up on it in my writing. Repeating spiritual truths helps the mind accept them and believe them. Car advertisers understand this principle which is why we see the same car commercial over and over. If your mind hears the same car commercial fifty times it will eventually want you to buy that car. You’ve heard the saying, “garbage in garbage out.” Shield your mind from harmful things. Always feed your mind on the goodness, truth and wisdom of God’s word on a daily basis along with prayer and you’ll always have fellowship with God and the peace of God. Nothing is better than that.

Romans 4:5 – But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

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

In heaven 90% of the saints will be there only through faith in Jesus Christ, never having saved even one lost soul for the kingdom of God through a witness for Christ. The wise believer will focus his efforts on doing the work of God by sharing the gospel and saving lost souls. The more souls saved the greater the glory to the saints who work God’s harvest field in order to save them. The primary reason God leaves us on earth after our salvation is so we can help save nonbelievers. The greater our glory for saving others the greater will be the radiance emanating from our glorified bodies on the last Day. One of my favorite passages of scripture is Daniel 12:3, because it states the ultimate goal God has for us. In the dictionary the word wise means to become aware of something. In the Bible wise means those who become aware of the gospel of Christ and then go out and share it with nonbelievers.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 – Now if anyone builds on this foundation (Jesus Christ) with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it; because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

1 John 3:8 – He who sins is from the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Daniel 12:3 says those who save souls will shine like the stars because of all the glory they will accumulate saving others. In the Bible angels are often referred as stars because they shine like stars. The above verse says some believers will shine as brightly as stars and angels. The key word of this verse is “many” which means a large number. In my mind “many” is one thousand saved souls. I need to save one thousand lost souls for the kingdom of God if I want to be in the top one percent of believers in heaven. Saving a thousand souls will be hard but not impossible. However, it’s virtually impossible for the layman witnessing for Christ to save that many souls one on one, unless you start young. You’ll probably need to leverage your witness like I’ve done if you want to save “many.”

I have reached thousands of people through my witness for Christ on my Christian blog site (onemoreforjesus.net). Every year I also distribute thousands of free Christian tracts and hundreds of Bibles to other godly men who witness on my behalf. You can go to my second website to read about it (christiantractministry.com). My ministry partners are all over the country and they are primarily prisons. Everyone needs to leverage their witness for Christ in a way that works for them. The important thing is to do something for God; anything! Take the first step. Plan your work and then go work your plan with perseverance! Godspeed!

The Bible tells us God always does as he pleases and his will is never thwarted. God always prevails in all circumstances and against all odds. God has never been defeated and never can be. However, the greater the odds God faces and overcomes in his dealings with man the greater the “glory” God receives. Throughout the Bible we see numerous stories where God prevailed against tremendous odds. In each case the Bible informs us God was glorified. God gave us these Bible stories for our edification; so that we might know him and have faith in the Lord our God in all circumstances, no matter the odds.

Isaiah 55:11 – So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing in which I sent it.

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

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

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

What glory does God receive if he helps one army defeat another army of equal size? None. What glory does God receive if he uses the best and brightest of us to achieve his goals. None. We see this pattern play out in the Bible over and over where God uses the least of us for his purposes or God ensures the odds are heavily stacked against him before he acts. It’s as if God is trying to level the playing field so his victory is not a given. Or maybe God just wants to work up a sweat or get a good workout. I’m kidding of course. Everything is easy for God. What we do know is that God receives more glory the harder the task and the greater the odds are against God. Let’s take the Bible story of Gideon for example. Gideon was a timid Israelite who was scared of his own shadow. Gideon was probably the last person anyone would choose to be the savior of Israel yet God chose him to be a mighty man of valor and champion of Israel. God instructed Gideon to gather an army of 32,000 Israelites to go against 135,000 invading Midianites. The odds were still not great enough to glorify God to his satisfaction so God had Gideon send all but 300 soldiers home. God then used the 300 Israelites to defeat the 135,000 Midianites. God did this for his glory and to prove that he is God Almighty.

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Isaiah 46:9 – Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.

Luke 1:37 – For with God nothing will be impossible.

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

A second example is Moses. Egypt was the greatest country on earth when Israel was in bondage and they had the greatest army of that time. Did God raise an army to free his people? Did God stretch out his hand and destroy all of Egypt? No. Instead God used a stuttering eighty year old shepherd armed with a simple wooden staff to free his people Israel. It was Moses who delivered Israel out of Egyptian bondage by the strong right arm of Almighty God. No person would have conceived such a thing; only the mind of God. God stacked the odds against himself and triumphed; to his eternal glory! Are you starting to see the picture here and God’s modus operandi? God always goes against great odds, against all odds, otherwise what’s the point of the struggle? In addition, God almost always chooses an unlikely underdog to be his champion.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

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

Psalm 34:19 – Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Titus 2:15 – Speak these things (the gospel), exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Do you want another example? Let’s look at the Bible story of David and Goliath. In one corner we have a nine foot tall giant Phillistine warrior named Goliath who weighed in at close to 400 pounds. Every day for a month Goliath issued a challenge to the Israelite army to send their champion out to fight him in one on one combat to the death with the winner’s country being declared the victor in the war between the two countries. Goliath had no takers. Goliath also blasphemed God every day so God sent forth his underdog; a shepherd boy named David armed with only a sling. David hurled a stone that struck Goliath in the forehead knocking him unconscious. David then cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword and held it up for the Philistines to see. The Philistine army ran away in terror, knowing God was with Israel. God’s honor was restored and God was glorified!

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

Isaiah 43:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

Psalm 50:23 – Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.

Psalm 37:3 – Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

You’re probably telling yourself that could only happen in the Old Testament times but not today because God no longer does miracles. You’d be dead wrong. God does not change. If God did miracles in ancient times then he still does miracles today; they’re just not as obvious as in the past. I’ve studied all the Arab-Israeli wars and I can tell you in every instance God miraculously saved Israel from destruction. In every war Israel has fought Israel was outnumbered one thousand to one in personnel and equipment yet Israel managed to win and win convincingly. If it happened only once you could say maybe it was a lucky win or a coincidence. But Israel has won five or six times in the same fashion which tells me each victory was a miracle. The hand of God was at work protecting his beloved Israel. One thousand to one odds are right up God’s alley. God used his power to defeat the Arabs, who were supported by Satan. God saved his people and was glorified! The spiritually aware believer can see the hand of God at work when he performs miracles but the nonbelievers cannot see the truth of God because Satan, the god of this world, has put blinders over their eyes.

Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I do not change.

Ephesians 1:6 – To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

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.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

God will usually choose an unlikely underdog for his service; someone you’d least expect. That’s why I’m certain the Apostle Paul was appointed by God to bring the gospel message to the Gentiles. Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul), a Jewish Pharisee, was the perfect candidate for God and the last person on earth anyone in the ancient world would expect to serve Jesus Christ. Did God choose on of his disciples or another holy man of God to minister to the Gentiles? No. That would be too easy. Instead God chose the worst enemy of every Christian; a persecutor who hated all Christians and who relentlessly imprisoned and killed Christians at every opportunity. God’s choosing Paul was the personal equivalent of winning a battle against great odds. The result was the same. God was glorified by selecting Christianity’s greatest enemy and making him the champion of Christianity. Never before or since in recorded history has the greatest enemy of anything flipped to become the greatest champion in three days. That’s why I know without a doubt that Paul met Jesus Christ in his glorified body on the road to Damascus. That’s why I know Paul is an Apostle of Jesus Christ. There is no other feasible explanation for what happened. If Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus it could be for only one reason. Jesus was appointing Paul the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. God was flipping the script and charging Paul with helping those he previously persecuted. This about face brought glory to God!

Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

1 Peter 1:25 – But the word of the Lord endures forever.

2 Peter 1:3 – As His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

John 17:5 – (Jesus speaking) – And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Scripture says God is “inscrutable”, which just means God is impossible to understand and interpret. Nobody knows the mind of God. Prophets, kings, priest and holy men of ancient times served the Lord for forty years and never came close to knowing what was on God’s mind and why God acted as he did. God knows everything and we know next to nothing. What I’m saying is not new or unexpected. I don’t have any special knowledge of what motivates God. However, as Christians living in the current end times we have an advantage over all believers who came before us. God has provided us with a record of human history through his eyes. I’m referring to the Bible, where God recounts the history of man from creation to the last Day. We can look at the stories in the Bible to see how God handled various situations when dealing with man. Yes, God is unpredictable but God is also unchanging and he likes to do things a certain way. If we’re students of the Bible and spiritually aware we can detect patterns of behavior that not only verify God’s identity but also helps us predict what God will do in the future. I mean, God is not being sneaky about this. God is purposely telling us everything he has done in the past and will do in the future as an example to believers so we can know him and what is to come.

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

Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.

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

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

It’s not hard to discern the patterns of history if you’re paying attention. King Solomon tells us there is nothing new under the sun. It is hard to see historical patterns in the times in which we live because we’re too close to the situation. We can’t see the forest for the trees. However, we can evaluate the current and future historical trends if we have a proper guide and that guide is the truth of God, our Holy Bible. What proof do we have that our God is the one true God? Only God can do two things; bring someone back to life and tell the future. Only our God Jehovah has the documented eyewitness testimony in the Bible of bringing several people back to life. Only the power of God can bring someone back to life. God’s word contains over 1000 prophecies, over 500 of which have been fulfilled and documented as historical fact. God is the author of history and prophecy is only history recorded in advance. Prophecy is telling the future and it’s easy for God. Prophecy that comes true verifies the identity of God. All the other fake religions and false gods sponsored by Satan throughout human history do not contain even one fulfilled prophecy. This proves our God is God and Satan is a liar and an imposter. Resist Satan and flee from him!

John 8:32 – (Jesus speaking) – And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Hebrews 2:10 – For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.

1 Peter 4:16 – Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

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

The main purpose of this blog is to allay the fears of all believers living in these perilous times when it seems the world is going to hell in a hand basket. God said these times would come but we are not to worry because we have the hope of resurrection and eternal life in heaven. We are to put our faith in the Lord and persevere in our good works until the last Day. We know the times will become more evil, wars will flourish, and society will start to crumble. Man will ultimately destroy himself were it not for God’s intervention. This is all chronicled in the Bible so we shouldn’t be surprised by what is coming. Believers are in God’s hands. The question for nonbelievers is, “what are you going to do about it?”

Psalm 37:5-6 – Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass, He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday sun.

2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

John 17:4 – (Jesus speaking) – I have glorified You on earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

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

Believers will be raptured to heaven before the end time tribulation starts but God is going to do what he’s always done for those left on earth and that is to save us from ourselves at the very last minute when the situation is bleak, the odds are greatest against us and our destruction seems imminent. For those who don’t know, I’m talking about the battle of Armageddon on the last Day. Then everyone will see the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth on the clouds of heaven and in the presence of his holy angels and all the saints; to save Israel from destruction. God will be glorified on earth and in heaven! It’s a little bit like those old western movies where right when it appears all is lost we hear the bugle of the U. S. Calvary coming to the rescue. Only this time the bugle is the trump of Almighty God and the calvary is Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. Praise God in heaven for his mercy and grace!

Isaiah 40:5 – The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Revelation 19:16 – And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.

Titus 2:11 – For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

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

Man is God’s greatest creation yet man is born lost because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. All men are therefore destined for eternal damnation in hell forever. God receives his greatest glory whenever a person is saved unto eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that God and all the angels in heaven rejoice whenever a human soul is saved. There is no greater glory to God than that. Very few people will go to heaven when you look at all those who have ever lived. Maybe only one in a thousand people go to heaven. All I know is the odds of going to heaven are great so whenever someone is saved God is glorified. This fits God’s pattern perfectly.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

1 Corinthians 6:20 – For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

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

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

If you’re a believer you’re one of the lucky few who will fellowship with God in heaven forever as a son of the Most High. As a nonbeliever you’re in trouble from the start because you’re going to hell when you die unless you make a dramatic change. The only way to escape hell is to accept the grace God is offering you through the blood of his son Jesus Christ. Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is easy and the instructions are in the Bible (see Romans 10:9). Jesus died on the cross for your sins so God is always ready to receive you, against all odds, but you must choose God of your own free will and you must do it before the rapture occurs or before you die. If you die unsaved you’ll abide in your sins and go to hell for all eternity where you’ll be in continual pain and torment. So you have a choice. You can go to hell and cause grief to the God who made you or you can glorify your heavenly Father by accepting his grace. Please don’t make the wrong choice on this one. Forever is a very long time. A trillion billion years is only a day in eternity! Give God the glory he deserves by accepting his precious gift of eternal life! As a disciple of Jesus Christ I’ve told you the truth of God which I’m commanded to do. It’s up to you to decide whether to serve God or Satan. Choose wisely!

Oddly enough the Bible doesn’t tell us the year of Jesus’ crucifixion. Why is it important? It’s imperative we know the year of Christ’s death because the timing of God’s end time prophecies are very precise and they’re all tied to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world. It’s the most important event in human history because if Jesus rose from the dead it means our sins have been forgiven and we too will be resurrected when we die. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will not see eternal death in hell but instead will see the resurrection of eternal life in heaven as God’s children. It will be proof our sins have been forgiven by God.

Mark 13:32 – But about that day or hour (the rapture) no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

John 14:3 – And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back (the rapture) and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.

I’m a long time student of Bible prophecy, especially end time prophecy. Bible scholars almost universally agree Jesus died between 29 AD and 33 AD. That’s a five year gap which is unacceptable for those of us trying to pinpoint when the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur or when the rapture will happen. Most experts now think Jesus died in either 30 AD or 33 AD, with plenty of people advocating each date. I used 33 AD as the date of Christ’s deaths in my blog titled, “Jesus is Coming!!!” , posted on February 5, 2022. In that blog I calculated the date of the Second Coming of Christ and the rapture. What if I chose the wrong date? I’m currently taking a New Testament course and my renowned professor is of the opinion that Jesus died in 30 AD. My confidence has taken a hit so let’s go back and review the evidence for each date.

Revelation 3:10 – (Jesus speaking) – Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial (the tribulation) which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Matthew 24:30-31 – (Jesus speaking) – Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Before we start I need to explain how the world dating system came into being. It took several centuries after Christ’s death for Christianity to become the dominant religion of the world and for everyone to realize the importance of Jesus’ birth. A Roman world dating system was in use at that time, but in 527 AD Pope John 1 commissioned a noted monk and mathematician named Dionysius Exiguus to come up with a new world dating system that made the birth of Jesus Christ the dividing point of world history. Dionysius probably based his new world dating system on early Christian writings. There was no zero in his system so the birth of Jesus was set at 1 AD, which means the year before Jesus’ birth would have to be 1 BC, a difference of two years instead of one like it should be. The first year the new dating system was actually put in use became 532 AD. AD doesn’t mean “after death” like some people think. AD is from the Latin “Anno Domini” meaning, “the year of our Lord.” The use of BC (before Christ) for earlier periods in world history did not start until two centuries later, in 731 AD, by a man named Venerable Bede.

Luke 17:34-36 – (Jesus speaking about the rapture) – I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.

Philippians 3:20-21 – For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (the rapture), who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Right now the majority of scholars advocate the 30 AD date but most Christian laymen still believe Jesus died in 33 AD. If 30 AD is the right date it means Jesus was born some time between 2-4 BC and not 1 AD. God is so precise in everything he does I just can’t bring myself to believe that God would allow a mistake like that in the world dating system that honors his son Jesus Christ. In the gospels we learn that Jesus attended at least three Passovers and possibly four which is not consistent with a 30 AD crucifixion date. Jews can’t be called Rabbi or teach in the synagogue until age 30 and Jesus did both. If Jesus’ ministry lasted three and a half years that’s consistent with the crucifixion date being 33 AD and Jesus being 33 and a half years of age at his death. When Jesus was born and how old he was when he died is not nearly as important for us as the date Jesus died and rose from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – (Paul describing the rapture) – Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Romans 6:8 – Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.

What do the scholars say about the death of Jesus? First, Jesus was crucified by the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate. We know from Roman historical records that Pilate was the Prefect of Judea from 26 AD to 36 AD which gives us a ten year window for Jesus’ death. Second, we know from the gospel accounts of Jesus’ death that Jesus died on a Thursday (preparation day) before the Passover the following day, which fell on a Friday. Jewish days start at sundown and continue to the following sundown. Jesus was buried before sundown on Thursday and was in the earth for three Jewish days and rose from the dead early Sunday morning, which is why Sunday is the sabbath for Christians. A review of the Jewish calendar and lunar astronomical records show that during that ten year window when Pilate was Prefect in Judea the Passover fell on a Friday only twice; in 30 AD and again in 33 AD. There’s a 99% probability Jesus died on one of those two dates. But which date is the correct date of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection?

Luke 3:1-3 – Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar, Pontius Pilate became governor of Judea, Herod became tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Luke 2:1-5 – And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Agustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

Third, according to the gospel of Luke, John the Baptist’s ministry started in the fifteenth year of the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar. John the Baptist was only six months older than Jesus and he was the prophesied forerunner of Christ, preaching in the wilderness shortly before Jesus started his ministry. The problem is there are two dates for the start of Tiberias’ reign. Tiberias became co-regent with Caesar Augustus in 11 AD and then he became sole regent and Caesar after Augustus’ death in 14 AD so Luke could be referring to either date and be technically correct. With the 11 AD date John the Baptist began his ministry in 26 AD and in 29 AD if the later date is right. That means Jesus Christ probably began his ministry in the following year; which is either 27 AD or 30 AD. The Bible makes no reference to a co-regent ruling with Tiberias so we have to assume their was none which makes the 30 AD ministry date more plausible. If Jesus started his ministry in 30 AD his crucifixion had to have occurred three and a half years later in 33 AD.

Matthew 27:45-46 – Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Daniel 12:2 – And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.

On the other hand, four noted historians from those times independently described a darkening of the sun in the eighteenth year of Tiberius on Nisan 14, the Passover which would be dated 30 AD. This perfectly correlates with the three hours of darkness when Jesus died. It was not a lunar eclipse because Passover is held on the full moon. Eclipses don’t last for three hours and cannot happen during the full moon of Passover. Scripture also indicates Jesus was born during the time of the first Roman census when Quirinius was governor of Syria in 5 BC, but not in 1 AD. The gospels said Herod died in 1 BC and Jesus was born before then (2-3 BC). I was once 90% sure of the 33 AD date for Jesus’ death. I’m still supporting 33 AD as the year Jesus died but my confidence level is down to about 70%. When your confidence level is only 70/30 your best option is to make sure you’re ready for either date to be correct.

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 (the tribulation), and to stand before the Son of Man.

Revelation 16:15 – (Jesus speaking) – Behold, I am coming as a thief (the rapture). Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

I think the clincher for me to stick with the original 33 AD date for Jesus’ death was the actions of Pontius Pilate during the crucifixion week. The feckless behavior of Pilate during Passover week was consistent with 33 AD but not 30 AD. Let me explain. Prior to 30 AD the Roman Emperor Tiberius had retired to the Isle of Capri and left the running of the empire to Lucius Sejanus, the head of the Praetorian Guard in Rome. It was Sejanus who appointed his protege Pilate as Prefect in Judea. Both were antisemites. Normally Roman governors wouldn’t hesitate to ruthlessly exert Roman power at the slightest provocation. If Jesus had come before Pilate in 30 AD he would have been crucified immediately. Pilate wouldn’t have sent Jesus to Herod for judgment and he wouldn’t have tried to wash his hands of Jesus’ death because in 30 AD Pilate was secure politically and his benefactor Sejanus would have made sure nothing negative about Pilate or Judea ever reached the emperor’s ear.

2 Timothy 4:8 – Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing (the rapture).

Philippians 2:9-11 – Therefore God 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 the 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.

Pontius Pilate’s situation had changed dramatically by 33 AD. In 31 AD Tiberias found out Sejanus planned a palace coup so Tiberias had Sejanus executed. Friends of Sejanus, like Pilate, were immediately under suspicion as possible collaborators in the attempted coup against Tiberias. Tiberias was looking for the slightest excuse to replace all of Sejanus’ political appointments so Pilate was on tender hooks and in a very weakened position politically. Pilate simply couldn’t afford a confrontation with Herod nor could he allow a Jewish uprising in Judea or Herod would send a bad report about Pilate back to Tiberias. In my mind, actions taken in those tumultuous times speak louder than the words of historians who lived hundreds of years after those events occurred. Pilate’s actions in Judea were consistent with the political realities that existed in 33 AD but not in 30 AD.

2 Peter 3:8 – But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years (a God day), and a thousand years as one day.

Hosea 6:1-2 – Come, let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.

In verse one of the above Scripture God is referring to nonbelieving Gentiles who receive his grace (salvation). In verse two God is saying the time of the Gentiles will last two days. God is referring to God-days lasting 1000 each, or 2000 years total. If the church age started on Pentecost of 33 AD then it must go to 2033 AD at Pentecost, which is exactly 2000 years, in order to fulfill the Scripture. After this 2000 years God says he will revive us, which is just another way of saying he will rapture the believer. In the same sentence God says he will raise the believer up on the third day so we may live in his sight. The word revive means to return an incapacitated person to their previous state. After Jesus calls all believers to himself in the air (the rapture) he will return us to our previous state of having glorified bodies like Adam and Eve had before they fell from grace. The word “revive” tells us everything we want and need to hear. It also tells us the second day was ended by the rapture and the third day is about to begin.

The beginning of the third day is the Second Coming of Christ and the third day is actually the millennial kingdom of Christ where we’ll reign with Jesus for a thousand years. God doesn’t say “then” after the second day but instead he pauses, which leaves an obvious gap between reviving us and raising us up at the Second Coming (the last Day). That gap is the seven year tribulation period. I’ve often heard the rapture could happen at anytime because there are no more prophecies that have to be fulfilled. I disagree with that. Hosea 6:1-2 tells me the rapture can’t happen until at least Pentecost of 2033 AD. The rapture has to happen between Pentecost 2033 AD and the signing of a peace agreement between Israel and the antichrist. That’s the window in which the rapture will occur but we don’t know the timeframe. The rapture could occur precisely on Pentecost of 2033 AD or God could wait months or years before he pulls the trigger. Godly men can figure out the approximate time of the rapture but only God knows the actual date and time of our “blessed hope.”

There are two more things that lead me to believe Jesus died in 33 AD. During the tribulation we know Russia attacks Israel. If Russia can’t defeat the Ukraine they are certainly no match for the Israeli defense force (IDF). Russia’s army is currently being destroyed by fighting in the Ukraine and who knows when that war will end. Military experts say it’ll take Russia at least ten years to rebuild their armed forces back to their pre-war levels. That timeframe coincides perfectly with 33 AD. If the rapture comes in 2033 AD as I predict then the Second Coming will be seven years later in 2040 AD. If you’re a student of the Bible like I am then you know God is fond of the number forty and any multiple of forty. 2040 AD not only ends in forty it’s a multiple of forty. Jesus left this earth at the Mount of Olives on Pentecost of 33 AD and the angels told the disciples Jesus would also return to that spot the same way he left. The Second Coming will come after the time of the Jews has been fulfilled. All of these facts support 2033 AD as the date for the rapture and 2040 AD as the date for the Second Coming.

Hebrews 9:28 – So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time (the rapture), apart for sin, for salvation.

Matthew 24:42 – (Jesus speaking) – Watch therefore, you do not know what hour your Lord is coming (the rapture).

In a previous blog titled, “Jesus is Coming” I predicted the rapture would occur in April 2026 and the Second Coming on Easter Sunday of 2033. I mistakenly subtracted the seven year tribulation period from the time allotted to the Gentiles. I should have added the seven year tribulation period to the time God deals with Israel (Daniel’s seventieth week) which comes immediately after the time of the Gentiles has been fulfilled in 2033 AD. The Scriptures confirm that God has a sense of humor and we know God can laugh. I can see why God would laugh at my feeble attempt to figure out his timeline for the end of time. I don’t mind being laughed at by God or anyone else because I love Bible prophecy and my machinations will never stop. I know what I know and I’ll stand for my beliefs against all comers. I’ll let God decide whether I’ve been faithful or not on the last day. I personally think God is pleased when his servants meditate on the kingdom of God and look forward to the rapture; even if we do get the timing all wrong.

Revelation 20:6 – Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Titus 2:13 – Looking for the blessed hope (the rapture) and glorious appearing (the Second Coming) of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, all of human history, from creation to the Great White throne judgment, will encompass only 7000 years. The seven days of creation represent our 7000 years of human history; seven God-days of 1000 years each. The seventh creation day of rest represents the 1000 year millennial kingdom of God where we’ll rest in Jesus. Do you really think God rested on the seventh day because he was tired? The Scriptures confirm the time of the Gentiles will be two God days, each 1000 years in length. This is the 2000 year church age we’re currently in. The church age began at Pentecost of 33 AD, ten days after the ascension of Jesus back to heaven, when God sent the Holy Spirit to earth to indwell all believers and be their helper forever. This 2000 year time of the Gentiles ends on Pentecost of 2033 at sundown. The rapture won’t occur before then or God’s word would be wrong and that can’t happen. The rapture could occur in the first hour of Pentecost or it’s possible God could decide to wait a little while in order to save as many of the lost as possible.

Isaiah 40:5 – The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

God could also choose to rapture the saints at the Feast of Trumpets which is next Jewish holiday on the calendar. Some people think the trumpets blown during this feast are the same trumpets that will announce the rapture so that makes sense. Next on the calendar comes the most important Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, when Jews repent of their sins and seek reconciliation with God. Yom Kippur would also make perfect sense for the Second Coming. In 2040 Yom Kippur falls on September 16. Or God might even decide to postpone the rapture until just prior to the prophesied peace agreement that Israel will sign because that agreement will begin the seven year Tribulation period. The rapture has to occur before then because God promised to remove his church before the time of God’s wrath, which starts immediately after the peace agreement signing between Israel and the antichrist. It’s true what Scripture says that no man knows the exact day and time of the rapture; only God the Father. However, spiritually aware Christians can know the approximate timeframe in which the rapture could occur. In fact, God wants believers to know the season of his coming so we’ll be ready for Jesus when he appears in the air.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God (the rapture). And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Romans 8:18-19 – For I consider that the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God (the rapture).

It’s important to remember that although the time of the Gentiles will end with the rapture of the saints, God still has to complete Daniel’s seventieth week because God suspended the last seven years of his dealing with Israel at 483 years when Christ was crucified. The Second Coming cannot happen until the 490 years of God’s promised time dealing with Israel has been completed. Believers need to be concerned with the time of the rapture because that’s the important event for us. Forget about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ for now because we won’t be on earth to see it. At the rapture all believers, both dead and alive, will be called to meet Jesus in the air where he’ll give us our glorified bodies before taking us back to heaven with him. At the Second Coming of Christ all the saints in heaven will return to earth in the air with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:14 – Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus (the rapture), and will present us with you.

Romans 14:9 – For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

In summary, don’t start worrying about the rapture until Pentecost of 2033 AD, but be looking for it from that point onward until the peace agreement is signed by Israel. The rapture could happen immediately after Pentecost of 2033 AD or it could take a while. Everyone will know when the peace agreement with Israel is about to be signed because it’ll be front page news. Don’t be surprised by these events because the Bible tells us they will happen. Continue to witness for Christ and do the good works that God has planned for you to do from the foundation of the world. Watch for the rapture and be ready for it to occur in 2033 AD. Over 500 prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled and documented as fact. That gives us confidence that the remaining 500 plus prophecies in the Bible will also be fulfilled in like manner. So far all the prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled in the time that was allotted to them. Early church believers always greeted each other by saying, “Jesus is coming.” We need to start doing that again because the time of Jesus’ return is near; just ten short years away. When we expect Jesus to return soon there will be greater fellowship among believers and we’ll be better witnesses for Christ.

1 John 5:10 – He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself (the Holy Spirit); he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.