Religion

WHAT IS THE SABBATH REST?

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WHAT IS THE SABBATH REST?

Is Saturday or Sunday the real Sabbath day of rest? After 2000 years of teaching about the Sabbath rest, Christians still have a misunderstanding of what the true meaning is and what is important to us. Does Satan have people confused about what is God’s Sabbath rest and what is man’s Sunday rest? Is man’s Sunday rest in opposition to God’s Sabbath rest?

First, let us look at what Genesis 2:1-3 of the KJV says:

  1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2.And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3.And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

The word rested in the above verses does not have the same meaning as it does in Hebrews Chapter 4. It does not mean what we often think it means. Here it means God ended His activity. His creation work came to an end. We must come to realize that the true meaning of rest is very crucial to our Christian walk. What does it mean? It can be summed up in one word, FAITH.

I ask you, should we be observing the Sabbath rest today as many Christian groups still believe we should? If you do not follow their line of thinking that you must keep the Sabbath or you must not be a true Christian. Look at the following Scripture.

Colossians 2:16 (KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days.

In The Gospel of John, Chapter 5, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. The Jews were upset over this act. The Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus answered them by saying, My Father is working until now, and I am working. Jesus was imitating His Father in actions of love and mercy.

Now, let us look at what Hebrews, Chapter 4 says: So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God for whoever enters God’s rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his. This rest is available to us now.

The true Sabbath rest comes when you cease from your own labors, your own efforts, your own activity, and from your own works. The secret of a true Christian’s life is to cease from depending on your own activity and to rest on the dependence of God. Look at what Paul says in Galatians 2:20: Not I, but Christ. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Jesus said in John 14:10, The Son can do nothing by himself. It is the Father who dwells in me who does the work. Through our very best efforts we only accomplish a minimum of activity. Why? Because we continue to look upon ourselves as the resource instead of looking upon the One who can do all things. As long as you deny the truth and continue to blow your own horn or ego, you will never enter into the rest God has provided.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Rest is the secret of any success you may have. How can you have such success?

Look carefully at what John 12:24 (KJV) says: Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone; but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. If you consent to death of self, great things will begin to happen and one of the great things is you will find rest. Rest is the secret of our Christian life.

Hebrews Chapter 4 is a chapter that will define Jesus as your Sabbath rest. Are you ready to enter into His rest? When you do you will hear Jesus say “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”  When you learn to whatever degree you surrender to, the keeping of the Sabbath is intended to be kept as God’s Sabbath is to be kept.

Jesus Christ came in order that you may find the true meaning of rest in Him and not of self-fulfillments. The writer of Hebrews encourages you to enter into the Sabbath rest that Jesus Christ provides.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

JESUS GAVE US MORE THAN SALVATION

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JESUS GAVE US MORE THAN SALVATION

What Jesus gave us on the cross and by His shed blood is more than salvation. The extras are only given to those who have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There are answers to all the troubles you face in life. There is God’s authority and power, Jesus Christ’s authority and power, and then there is the authority and power delegated to the believers. I ask you if you believe that Satan has authority and power over you.  If so, where did he get it?  You must have given it to him.

The only defense we have against the devil is a right relationship with God, which includes submission to His will. Christians do not live in their own power, but in God’s authority and power. It is God’s ability that makes us able to accomplish anything of value, for apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). It is His strength that makes us overcomers. Are you totally committed to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Have you repented of your sins? Are you under the authority and power of Jesus Christ or are you still under the authority and power of the devil?

If you are not under the control of the sovereign God then you are under the control of the devil (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan works in our lives in the forms of deception, doubt, anger, fear and temptation. It is not whether you will face temptation; it is what you will do when faced with it.

The answer is very clear in the Scriptures. We can submit to the Devil and his ways or claim the power and authority given to us through Jesus Christ and the power of His Blood. Let’s look at some Scriptures that tells us what to do.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and a sound mind.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. God has provided the most effective weapons we can use against the devil. They are faith, wisdom, and knowledge about God and His Word. God has provided His full armor to stand against any form of evil Ephesians 6:10-18). These weapons are not weapons of this world. They are weapons with divine power to demolish the Devil’s strongholds. In order to use any type of weapon, you must first learn how to use it.

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you. If you ignore God, He will ignore you and the Devil will come unto you with all kinds of problems: health, financial, marriage, jobs, just to mention a few. Then what happens is that people will blame God for their problems. Why do people choose the destructive ways?

We should know that the Devil is real because the Bible says so and because of the experiences we encounter in our daily lives. Bad things do not come from a God of love. Confusion about God comes from the Devil.

Born again believers have been given authority over the Devil by Jesus and His Blood. Why not use it? Why let the Devil cause you to lose a war that has already been won?

In Jesus’ name, renounce the evil spirits that control your life. There are so many that it would take up so much space. Anything that is opposite of God’s teaching is an evil spirit. Learn to discern. Keep your eyes on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit lead you in your commands. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Six Days In Hell

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This is an itinerary of an individual that took his or her final breath without receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior. Usually when go on vacation you plan it with an itinerary. Let’s look at the first six days of this individual’s destination in hell.

DAY 1

The journey originates at the gates of death. Since departures are made daily, you may be called to begin your trip on short notice. You need to realize that this journey is one way. Don’t concern yourself with return plans.

Your initial point of departure may prove more than a little frightening, as soon as you realize the final destination. The trip will leave you little time to think about what awaits you.

As you pass through the doorway of death, you will notice almost immediately that your direction is taking you away from the light and going towards what appears to be total darkness. With each passing moment you notice that the darkness becomes more intense. At first the absent of light is only annoying, but you begin to feel it becoming more ominous and threatening.

The intensity of the darkness is only matched by the absence of any joyful sounds, no music, no laughter, no sounds of merriment. As you travel further, faints sounds of moaning and wailing become noticeable. They are coming through the darkness from every direction. You become aware of small flicker of light like a flame. Thick clouds of black smoke are all around it. These clouds prevent any real hope of light.

Suddenly you find yourself wanting to know what day and hour it is. Already it feels like you have been here for eternity… and it is only day one.

DAY 2

The continuing darkness is stifling. It’s like something is lurking in the night and it surrounds you. You yell and scream, you threaten, and you even plead but to no avail. Whatever it is just stays there producing fear like you have ever known before.

As your eyes struggle to adjust to the dark, you become aware of a new sensation. You start to feel heat that is beginning to be unbearable. Hot searing, intolerable heat. You would give anything for a drink of water. Your body begins to crave water. You try to push the desire for a drink of water out of your mind. Your attempts are unsuccessful.

The air is beginning to thicken, you feel like choking, it is miserable and it is only DAY 2.

DAY 3

At least you think it is Day 3. It seems like you have been there forever. You still can’t believe you’re here. Where are all the friends you thought you would see? Your thinking that they would be here brought you comfort during your lifetime. You thought you would be having fun with old friends. It is not like you were led to believe.

Suddenly you come upon a group of others. You begin to ask questions. As they open their mouth, no words come out. You only hear weeping and wailing. Some in the group don’t even try to answer. They only gnash their teeth as if in pain. You begin to think that this is just a nightmare and it will end when you wake up. You wonder why someone doesn’t wake you up. And it is only Day 3.

DAY 4

Now you begin to wish you could send a message back to those you left behind. You would warn them about the place you are in. You would tell them what it is really like, so they would never come. Just the thought of your loved ones coming to this place is unbearable. You begin to think about the times you decided that the rejection of receiving Jesus as your Savior and where you would spend eternity did not seem important then. Now, you realize how foolish you were to reject God’s offer of salvation. Again, you find yourself hoping that your loved ones will choose differently even though you will never see them again, never hug them and never speak to them. What a horrible realization and it’ only Day 4.

DAY 5

You are becoming aware of the absence of any good in this place. There is no love for only God is love and God’s presence is not there. There is no joy, peace or goodness because they only come from God. There is nothing holy or sacred because God is not present. You begin to realize how evil evil can be.

For the first time since you arrived, you begin to sense the distance between where you are and where God is. All you know is that it is beyond you comprehension. God is on the other side of where you are. Those who have received Jesus are on the other side. What a lonely feeling and it is only Day5.

DAY 6

As your eyes have adjusted to the darkness, you see a new face today. He stopped to speak with you. You could see the terror in his eyes. He asked questions that you had asked days before. You opened your mouth to reply, but all that would come out is weeping and wailing.

You have just spent your first 6 days in hell. Unfortunately, an unholy, unhappy eternity lies ahead and all because you rejected Jesus. If only?

But wait. The fact that you are reading this, you still have chance. In His mercy, God is giving you an opportunity to change your eternal destination. Oh, you may say that this blog is nothing but a bunch of bunk. I guarantee that some of it is Biblical. Separation from God’s love and mercy and grace are not what I want to deal with. Believe me, Satan is not love in any form and fashion.

It’s not too late to reconsider, before it’s too late. You are not promised a tomorrow, only today. Please do it now.

Acts 2:21 – Whoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.

Eternity is forever! The trip is only one way. There is never a return ticket.

ARE YOU A BELIEVER OR A CHALLENGER?

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ARE YOU A BELIEVER OR A CHALLENGER?

Is Jesus Christ’s resurrection a fact in history or a hoax? Christianity’s foundation is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Is our belief a verifiable fact from history? If someone were to ask you to prove that Jesus Christ lives or did live, could you prove that He did or does live now without quoting Scripture? Are you grounded enough in your belief to prove His existence? I pose these questions as to cause awareness as we draw closer to end times, people are going to scoff at our beliefs as Christians as some already do. The people that may be a challenger don’t believe in the Bible, so we have to be able to defend our convictions.

Many people have tried to disprove Christ’s resurrection, only to become believers. Then there are those who refuse to research history and examine the evidence because then they have to admit they are wrong. Challengers seem to take the easy way out and just argue that Jesus is just a figment of our imagination. They argue because they would have to become a believer and submit to His Lordship.

If you were to look at the tombs of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, and Lenin, you will find that they all occupied. The tomb of Jesus Christ is empty. Not only is this stated in the Scriptures but is a historical fact. There are many historical facts that prove Christ is alive and that the Bible is true. Personally, I don’t believe that anyone can challenge Christ’s existence or the truth of the Bible because History proves it.

One other way it is proven is by passing it down from generation to generation verbally just as your family history is passed down the same way. There were witnesses to the facts and their testimonies are passed down to us today.

I leave you with a Scripture verse in Revelation 1:18 (NKJ) I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Brokenness

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Brokenness

Have you experienced a brokenness in your Christian walk? Are you committed enough to Jesus to ask Him for a broken spirit and contrite heart? If you are sincere, I assure you that Jesus will accommodate you.

Definition: In the positive spiritual sense, brokenness is the condition of being completely subdued and humbled before the Lord, and as a result, completely yielded to and dependent upon Him also.

In mid-1970’s I was listening to a cassette tape on the subject of brokenness. At the conclusion of the tape, the speaker issued an invitation to ask the Lord for brokenness. I was compelled to ask and immediately I was in an uncontrollable sobbing stage. I was traveling at the time and I had to pull over to the side of the road and I felt I lost control of myself. This continued for several minutes. This was a time of a dramatic transformation in my life as I was drawn to the Lord as I have never been before.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite [repentant, regretful] spirit.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

 Hosea 10:12b [God compares our hearts to a garden, and for a garden to bear fruit the ground has to be broken up so that it is able to receive water.] Break up your fallow [uncultivated, unseeded] ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.

Psalm 32:9a [Unyielded people need to be more forcibly guided or restrained:] Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle.

The above verses are a few of many references to brokenness. It is better that a person surrenders voluntarily than to have God lead you in desert for 40 years in order to get your attention.

I have come to learn that God breaks us in order that we will become what He wants us to be and not what we think we should be. This could mean we take up our cross and follow Him. I assure you that He will be with you during that time and bless you like you have never been blessed.

THE BIBLE’S FORMULA FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE.

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THE BIBLE’S FORMULA FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE.

I don’t have all the answers regarding this subject. I will say that I have some and I want to share them so that they may help others who are struggling. My wife and I have been married 56 years and 4 months. There have been many bumps in our journey together. Through the grace of God, we have overcome them and are continuing to learn more as we go on down our pathway of life. Will it be smooth sailing? Probably not. One of the main things we have learned is that Satan hates God’s creation of families and does all he can to destroy them. As I point out some verses from God’s Word, you must work hard to put them in place. God gave us the instructions just as you get instructions for putting things together. Just as you are expected to read and follow the instructions for your finished product, you are expected to follow God’s instruction for a successful marriage. God has put into place all that you are to follow, it is now up to you. Don’t give up!

Here are few suggestions in order to enjoy a happy life together. Before I refer you to Scripture, I want to say that when you marry the love of your life, there is a life changing factor that must come into play. That is, everything is no longer about me. Everything is now about my other half. You must change your way of thinking and concentrate on the other half. Is this not what Jesus has done for His bride to be? He is our example. We must believe in and trust the one we love.

The responsibility for a successful marriage lies more on the husband than the wife.

Genesis 2:24 (NIV)

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Proverbs 5:18 (NKJV)

18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 (NIV)

9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

I must comment on these verses as the first part of verse 25 says something that I believe men need to understand about the way God created us. It says that men are to love their wives. Nowhere does it say that woman is to love their husband. Men need to understand that if he loves his wife in a Godly fashion, the wife will automatically respond to that love. In other words, since Jesus loves you, you respond to His love. This is a factor that I believe is missing in some marriages. The next reference is also important.

1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)

7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

1 Corinthians 7:5 (NIV)

5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

I bring this to your attention since this seems to be one of the major problems in marriages. This is in regards to your sexual relations.

Now I know that many people will refer to Romans 7:2, Ephesians 5:22and 1 Peter 3:1 in order to contradict what I have said. If you study these Scriptures you will see that submission does not mean that you are to rule their lives. Also, I want to point out that we do not live under the old law but under the grace of God in case you refer to the Old Testament.  Put in perspective what Jesus is saying to His Bride of which the saved belong. Does He rule your life if you don’t want Him to? God did not create woman for man to rule over them. He created them equal.

Will there still be problems? Yes, that is life due to Satan and his destructive ways since the Garden of Eden. Resist the Devil in the name of Jesus and by the power of His blood and he will flee from you. You only have this one physical life here on earth. Make it a wonderful life as that is what Jesus wants.

ARE YOU THANKFUL?

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ARE YOU THANKFUL?

Do you give thanks to God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit on a daily basis?  Do you realize that your very existence and all you possess belong to God? After all He created everyone and everything. I know that there are some people out there that do not believe in God. All I can say, I’m sorry that you are so misinformed and at some time in the future you are going to be confronted with the truth.

At the present time we are all living under the grace and love of God. I want you to think about what if His grace and love were removed from our presence. I believe that if those two were removed, that is part of what Hell is going to be. Just think about it. Separation from God is going to be Hell.

Some others are going to say, what about all the bad things that happen in the world or to me or someone I know. Bad things do not come from God. We need to give credit due to the one who is responsible, Satan.  Also, God gave us freedom to choose our way in life. Because of selfish reasons or greed, we all make bad choices. Then it is someone else’s fault or we blame God for our mistakes.

We cannot overlook the fact that when we fail to give God thanks for everything He has given us, we lose out on His blessings. Let us look at a few Bible verses regarding giving God thanks.

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way–in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

That is just a few of the many verses on why we should give thanks to God for all things. If people humble themselves and realize that God wants us to thank Him for all things, we will receive His many blessings. I might add that you should thank Him before you even receive an answer. This is a part of the power of prayer. We should especially be thankful for our salvation in Jesus Christ who suffered, died, and shed His blood for our sins. Thanking God is a choice. In most cases, when we receive something from someone, we usually thank them. Should it be any different with the One who provides all things?  Praise and thank you God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. Amen