On Walking With God Intro I am writing this as a way to express, remember, and pass forward (teach) what I have been taught (by pastors, and preachers and the like) and learned in the walk with God. All is being written with the best intentions, meant only to help not harm. If anything is wrong please know the truth from another and better source. Aside from the intentions of what is written, contents may be changed or added over time, however nothing is written with harmful means. Above anything else let it be known that God exists and He loves all of us to a great degree. It is because of his love that He desires all of us to repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Before anything is said let it be known that nothing is being said to hurt anyone or to shame anyone. This is all said to help, not hurt, and all is being written from only love for all. With that being said sadly Christianity now has changed from how it was in the past. Many Christans have made compromises to the world and unknowingly to the Devil on subjects and behavior that real followers of God should not budge on if they want to be in full agreement with God. The sad truth is many Christians and many people who have not come to God do not want to hear the full truth of following God and agreeing with God. The truth that if you do no repent of your sins you will be unable to spend eternity in peace with God, no one wants to hear that God is against abortions and homosexuality, no one wants to hear that God will judge. In fact even in the Bible it talks of how in the past the people of Judah did not want to hear the truth from God and even now many people do not want to hear the truth from God (Isaiah 30:9-11). This is so because either they simply do not fully believe or that they think they already know it all, or because it is not all the good stuff they just want to hear. This is one reason why people either have misconceptions about God and the Bible or just do not want to believe the full truth. However the truth is that God is against sin, but He loves the sinner. Hating sin and hating the sinner are not synonymous. Love God asks us all to love, not just family and friends, but also strangers, people that have wronged us and others, and ourselves along with Him. We love because He loved and loves us and has made sacrifices for us. We are to love others because God also loves them and He wishes we live together in harmony with others, we love others because it is yet another way for us to be like God which He also asks us to try to be (1 Peter 1:16, Leviticus 11:44). While the world is full of 1 sin and not peace, it may make it hard to love but it is possible to do so. As a Christian it is not only possible but mandatory if one wants to be in full agreement with God and also know God. 1 John 4:7-8; “Beloved let us love one another, for love is of God, he that loveth knoweth God and is born of God, he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love”. While many Christians know to love and claim that they do, sometimes they do not and even I am not excluded from this in the past. However the more you do love the easier it gets. So as Christians we know to love it is then important to ask, or to figure out how to love. In order to love as God would want us to it is constant and unending. There are three parts to loving as He would want us to and that is loving God, loving others, and loving yourself. We show our love to God by obeying what He asks of us. God asks multiple things of us, all to help our lives and the lives of those around us. One way to show love to God is through praise. Psalm 22:3; “God inhabits the praises of His people” To inhabit means to live in or occupy, so essentially God lives in our praises. In fact God is currently being praised all the time in heaven. That is how much He delights in praises of His people and is also how much He is deserving of it. Forms of praise include prayer, fasting and making joyful noises to him. Not all may realize that fasting is a form of praise however multiple times in the Bible is fasting conveyed as a way to humble the soul and to show that one cares more for God and what God would desire than themselves and their desires. So praying a prayer of thanks and praise, fasting, and making a joyful noise (Psalm 100) are all forms of praise to God, but also you do show favor to God and bless Him when you show love to others. A great man of God, Apostle Ron C. Hill has said multiple times that people are not your problem, and they are not your answer. He and his wife Lady Osie Hill of Love and Unity Christian Fellowship have really lived out that statement in living holy towards people, and have reinforced that people are an opportunity to be an example of God, and to bless and love them. So how do you show love to others? You show love to others when you allow yourself to be a blessing to them. Proverbs 19:17; “Anyone who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, God will reward him for what he has done” Hebrews 10:24; “Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works” 2 A great way to show love is in how you choose to be a blessing to someone. Not just to those you know but also those you do not know. There is also another great way to show love. Proverbs 10:12; “Hate stirs up fights, but love erases all sins through forgiveness” This means that if you love someone you should forgive them even if they have done something wrong to you or someone else. If you never forgive someone and allow yourself to be taken over by hate and anger then you will never truly be set free from what happened. Forgiving someone is one of the greatest ways to show love. So I urge anyone if they have anger or unrest to someone that they forgive them. Remember that we should be trying to obey God’s word and trying to help others. 1 Peter 4:10; “God’s gifts of grace come in many forms. Each of you has received a gift from God to serve others. You should use it faithfully” Here God tells us that He has blessed us each with gifts suited uniquely for us. When you know what that is in you, you can then use that to help serve others and also glorify God even. Many times people do not know what they are to do or want to do with their lives. To them I would urge them, especially younger people, to ask God what it is you should do, and to figure out in you what gift that God has blessed you with. After you know what it is you can do and are blessed with expressing that gift to others and show your love to them. Remember that these gifts vary per person. Some may be blessed to sing, others to teach, and others to lead, whatever the case all are of great importance when it comes to helping and showing love to others. Although you may love God and love others it is still essential to love yourself. Sadly there are still many people, both non believing and Christian alike that do not love themselves. As a Christian it is just as important to love yourself as it is to love others and God. God would want you to love yourself, remember how you are described as the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13). Psalm 139:14; “How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for what you have done is wonderful. I know that very well” Song of Songs 4:7; “Every part of you is beautiful my love. There is no flaw in you” God wants you to know that you have no reason to not completely love yourself as God loves you and wants you to love yourself. Do you not know that you are described like royalty through Christ (Revelations 5:10). You should be loved by yourself and you show that by taking care of yourself (Ephesians 5:18; Be not drunk with wine which leads to debauchery but be filled with 3 the Spirit), this is just one example of how to take care of yourselves. You show love to yourself when you enact self control against evil longings (1 Peter 4:1-3). You show love to yourself when you do not think or speak negatively about yourself and to yourself. In living like this to yourself you show respect to the Lord and yourself as one of God’s beautiful works. Not all Christains believe this sadly. Many Christians though they believe in God allow the Devil and demons to invade their minds to believe that they are no good or that they just cannot love themselves, and that is false. Not only can you love yourself, but God wants you too, and you should for yourself as much as you should to show respect to God. 1 Corinthians 3:17; “If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” On this note I want to point out that your bodies are a temple of which the Holy Spirit dwells in. It is important to take care of your body as you are upkeeping the temple for the Holy Spirit. Furthermore God says that you should not destroy the temple, this is as much a warning to suicide as it is to general upkeep. It is one of the most least desirable things in the world to God to watch someone take their life before it is time, and God has stated to punish the act. Please care for yourselves, and others. Do not be immoral with yourselves, and please do not let the enemy make a fool out of you by making you think to do something that God would dislike. Many Christians today say they love but do not completely live it out. Sometimes they may love in one aspect but not the other 2 or vise versa. It is very important you live out love in all three areas. See if you are loving the best you could, and if not then ask God to help you to love more and better. Also remember though that if you make a mistake it is ok and you can always ask God for forgiveness and to try to not make the mistake again in the future. While more could be said on the topic of love in general or love for God, love for others, and love for yourself, it is best said that love is of the highest quality in being a Christian (1 Corinthians 13:13; “And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these) is love”). So please I urge you to love. Love God, love others, and love yourselves. Living Holy and Good Commonly it is said amongst Christians to live and be holy because God is holy. Just as loving is a process and an unending act as is living holy. As you strive to “be holy” it is important to remember that it is not an overnight process. It is important to know that living holy is a process 4 and you will make mistakes along the way, but that is okay because God tells us that if we make mistakes we can still confess them and ask for help to do better in the future. So now what does living holy entrail? To live holy is to live out the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, forbearance, and self control (Galatians 5:22). It is important to say that in order to live holy it is highly important to be filled with the Holy Spirit. John 14:28; “I will not leave you comfortless” John 16:23; “However, when He, The Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into truth” As Jesus was making preparations to leave to be with The Father he needed his disciples to know that they will not be alone. The purpose of the Spirit is to help us in times of need either through guidance or through comfort in stressful times. You will need the Spirit’s help because as a Christian eventually you will face some obstacle, challenge, or issue that may seem impossible to get through without God, and in fact many have already experienced situations like this where they can say ‘yes, that was God that helped me through’. Do not minimize the importance of the Holy Spirit. Luke 18:27; “What is impossible with man is possible with God” Acts 1:8; “But you shall receive power when the Spirit is upon you” Know this; there are multiple situations in life where you just can not do something unless it is with the help of God. Either it is going to be something you are trying to achieve or something you are trying to overcome. Regardless of the situation we know that the Spirit is a part of the Holy Trinity, so it stands to reason that if we have God in us, then we will have power through Him. Power that can overcome dim situations that seem like there is no way to win. Please please I sincerely hope you can believe this and not minimize any of what this and the bible is saying. Also as it happens, living holy is synonymous with how you decide to treat others. Philippians 2:3; “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” As you live holy it is highly important that you value others with great respect and love. Some time ago I do feel it was God that told me that respect should not be earned. I understand many 5 have already come to this conclusion but many others still have not. Understand that respect should just be given. So now as one tries to live holy they are to love people and as they are loving people one of the first steps you can take is to learn to control your mouth. Ecclesiastes 3:7; “There is a time to tear and a time to mend, there is a time to speak and a time to be silent”. Not all the time should you speak, in fact the Bible tells us in the book of Ecclisiastes and Proverbs that foolish people do not know when to stop talking. However when you can discern when and when not to speak you are starting to enact self control, and when you do have something to say do not speak in efforts to put someone down or to speak curses and profanity, but rather to help someone or to be honest. As you strive to control your mouth, control also your thoughts. Proverbs 15:26; “The Lord hates the thoughts of sinful people, but the thoughts of pure people are pleasing to him”. God does not like the thoughts of sinful people because they are thinking in a way that is displeasing to God because they will think more about their desires and more about doing stuff that God would not want them to do. Even in Christians, many may not want to do or may not think as sinful people do but a Christian can be just as capable of an impure thought just as sinful people are. With this in mind it is important for Christians and people in general to control what you think. Romans 12:2; “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” Philipians 4:8; “Finally my brothers and sisters think of what is true. Think about what is noble, right, and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If any of these things are excellent and worthy of praise think of these things”. As you attempt to control what you think the Devil will try to invade your mind in efforts to get you to think negatively and wrongfully against other people. Remember the Devil wants to destroy your relationship with others. When you detect that you are thinking negatively about someone, start praying for them. Pray favor upon them, and if you do that soon enough it does 2 things. It puts you in a mode of praying more which is always good, and it helps you to think less and less negatively about others. 6 Suppose you think something that is wrong and you detect it and it has nothing to do with people, in such a scenario it is best to ask God to help you not to allow intrusive thoughts into your mind. If possible at the moment read your Bible to fill yourself with only good thoughts. I would advise that everyone remember Philipians 4:8, so that the next time you catch yourself thinking something you have no business thinking you may be able to recite that verse to yourself to help yourself get back in agreement with how one ought to think as they walk to live holy. After controlling your thoughts, and mouths it is best to control your actions. The good news here is, if you can get a strong grasp on your thoughts then you can get a grasp on how to control your actions, since after all you will do what you are thinking rather you believe that or not. One of the primary ways you can control your actions is by controlling your anger. Anger is easy to fall into and there are multiple reasons why. People get angry from built up resentment towards something or someone, or they do not feel their anger rising until it is already high, depression with limited range of emotion (this means they can only express their depression in anger), or hypervigilance. Psychologists describe hypervigilance as being in a state of increased alertness, and they feel this commonly happens in kids who go through chaotic upbringings in order to make them feel safer. Interestingly four out of five of these have to deal with people and that is all but depression. While depression has the possibility of being brought on through trauma inflicted by someone or something depression can be dealt with similarly and with another part of what God says. Here is what the bible has to say about anger. Proverbs 29:11; “A foolish person lets his anger run wild. But a wise person keeps himself under control”. Plainly God tells us that you are foolish not to control your anger. No one wants to be a fool, and in fact the book of Proverbs speaks often about how anger is foolish. Many times people let their anger control them for reasons that are later and previously stated in the Bible and it is important to not act in anger. Act in a way that is a blessing to someone and not in foolishness. God in fact tells use to drive away foolishness from us (Proverbs 22:15). Now understand to get over anger to those four of five causes mentioned earlier you must forgive the situation and the person. Remember to forgive because you also were forgiven. Colossians 3:13-14; “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity”. 7 Remember The Lord’s prayer “forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven others”. In the prayer Jesus has us not only ask for forgiveness but also to forgive others. This is so because if you do not forgive then the anger inside you can have a negative impact on you and others. A huge part of living holy is being able to resist lust and sexual immorality. In the 1970’s pornpgraphy was hard to come by, and now (2020) pornography is as easy as a few taps away on a phone. It is so prominent now that people are getting, and have been, not only addicted to it, but also addicted to sex more and more. This happens so much so that it can affect people’s lives on a daily basis. So now let us understand why people keep immersing themselves in it. Pornography and sex are so enjoyable because they activate pleasure centers in the brain and when these centers are released they release dopamine. Dopamine is a drug released by the brain during sex and pornography as a way to make the body feel good, and to do this too much one risks becoming addicted. People are becoming addicted to these because they want to feel something and they get a temporary fix from participating in these activities. Now having sex under the right conditions is not wrong. If a man takes a woman to be his wife and they have sex as a means to express love to one another and become one that is ok in the eyes of the Lord. It is however wrong to have loose sex with multiple people and in homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22). So this is how we should treat sexual immorality. 1 Corinthians 6:18; “Flee from sin. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body”. 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5; “That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God” The Word says to flee from sin. Flee as in to run away from it. Do not get caught up in sexual immorality and any debauchery (-impure or excessive indulgence). In order to flee from it you must exercise self control over your body. Do not live in lust or sexual immorality, but keep your bodies under control and in this way God says that you will show respect to your body. Remember also you are a creation of God, if you take care of your body you are taking care of what God has made and in this way you show respect to God. If someone makes you a gift from hand and they put time and effort into it, then it would be disrespectful for you to mistreat it and damage it on purpose. This same principle applies to God and you. If you feel tempted by these things you have the ability to pray and ask for help and to cast out impure spirits from you. Remember that you cannot fill a void in your life with sex, it is only a temporary fix of feeling good, but with God comes peace and grace. 8 While trying to live holy do not get caught up in selfishness and jealousness. Everyone has been affected by these two before. Selfishness is bad because it puts us in a mode to not think about others and to not be willing to bless others. As followers of God we know we are to be seeking to help someone in need. Philippians 2:3; “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. Valuing others greatly is a part of following God, and if you would care about someone enough to help them in any situation they should be in then God will surely take notice of it (Proverbs 19:17). Just remember to really help someone from a part that genuinely wants to be good to someone. As for jealousy, remember that we all have our own lives and God knows what is meant for it to be. Isaiah 43:19; “God has something great for you future” God knows you better than you know yourself, and as such he knows what would truly bless you, so do not get caught up in what someone else has because God has something specifically for you. Of course more could be said on each subject and in the future more may be added to this document. Just remember it is not impossible to live holy. When God said “be holy for I am holy” He did not ask us to do something that is impossible, that would be wrong, and we know God to be a fair and just God. So please spend time with the Word of God and learn more and more on how to live holy. Time with God and Prayer For anyone walking with God it is highly important they spend time with God. There are enough distractions in the world as is, it is important to remember not to worship idol gods (1 Corinthians 10:14 and 21). While you may not worship, for example; a golden statue, be sure not to love other things a dangerous amount or close to your love for God. Other things like sports, or media, and especially money. Is it a sin to watch a sports game or 2? No, it is not, however it is a problem to let sports or media and money affect your relationship with God. Understand that the world does not promote reading your Bible or prayer as much as God would like it, and some pastors and preachers do not do so either. The world is full of things that will rob you of your time. Time you could, or should, spend with God. As I have continued to walk with God I have come to realize the importance of spending time with God. Water filters are an appliance used commonly to clean water for drinking purposes or other. Typically tap and other water sources 9 will have some sort of filter either store bought or implemented by the city. Sometimes when drinking water becomes contaminated and there is no filter the drinking water can become harmful or not as thirst quenching over time. In the walk with God, it is important to filter your minds so that your faith does not lose its potency. As crazy as that may sound, if you do not spend time with God commonly then you risk your faith becoming weak. In fact it would make no sense to not spend time with God now since eventually you believe you will go to heaven and there you will spend time with God every single day. So as that is true would it not be nice to start spending time with Him more now while on earth? Matthew 6:13; “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. 2 Timothy 3:16; “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”. The Bible tells us to seek out God and to know that after we seek God all things will be supplied. God takes care of His children, so if you chase after God, He will take note and add to you what you need. If one is faithful to God, they pay tithes and offerings, obey His Scripture, and loves others then God will not forget to build them up. Then also see how the Bible is described as good for correction, righteousness, and reproof. Understand that the Bible is important to teach Christians and followers of God how to live. As you spend time with The Word know that the more you spend time the closer you will get to God and when you get closer to God the more you will discern His teaching from the rest of the world and yourself. Trust that the more you talk to Him, He will talk to you. Now praying is another key part to spending time with God. Prayer is a direct way to talk with God, and you can do so whenever you need and want to. Keep in mind that when you pray you should believe in what you pray for and in. Ephesians 6:18; “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people”. Here we are to pray for God’s people, and all other types of prayers rather it be for yourself (but with a good heart and intentions) or for others (also with good intentions). Here also I want to point out how this verse mentions to pray “in the Spirit”. Here God is also talking about praying in tongues. Despite many different beliefs on praying in tongues I want to say it is possible and if any follower of God has the Holy Spirit in them they can reach the potential, through God, to pray in tongues, also through the Spirit. 10 Now here is a good way to spend time with God: first pray then read your Bible, then pray then read, and do that until your time with God at that time is fulfilled to your content. When you start praying for the first time do not ask God for anything, but rather pray a prayer of thanks and praise, then read what you feel led to. Then when you pray again either pray another prayer of praise, in tongues, or casting out of unwanted spirits. Afterward continue to read then pray and on your final prayer (whenever it may be or when you feel ready). If you keep this up constantly then you will get closer to God in greater ways than before. Note that going to Bible study is great, but it is just as ,if not more, important for you to seek God for yourself and to know Him with your own personal relationship with Him. Suffering and Using Your Faith As you walk with God, it is important to know that you will suffer. In fact the Bible teaches that we suffer because Christ suffered (1 Peter 2:21). So just because you walk with God, that does not mean your life will be without any hardships. Take Paul for example, He was a great man of faith in God yet even he faced hardships. He faced hardships as bad as being on trial and having to survive a shipwrecked boat. In today’s climate there are many people that talk about coming to God so you can just get blessed, or so that you can live a carefree life. The truth is although God can bless you, that is not why you should go to Him, and that should not be your reasoning for believing in Him. At this very moment there is someone who does not believe in God and is vastly wealthy with no financial troubles, a big house, and nice cars. Now if a sinner and nonbeliever who does not believe in God can achieve all that without the help of God then this is one reason as to why getting blessed should not be your primary focus on walking with God. When all you want to do is get blessed from God and nothing else then you suffer from selfish ambition. We come to God for our faith in Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior, and we know/believe that sin in our lives can destroy us and is destroying the world, and we do not want to be taken by the second death as a result of it, but rather be with God in peace, and want others to be with God in peace too. So now that the truth of why we should go to God has been said, next it is important to know that you still can and will suffer while following God. Suffering comes to by three causes; the evil one, people or the world, or God. Satan can bring suffering on you, and he does it commonly through temptation, just as he did with Eve, or through just bringing on hardships to your life just as he did with Job. John 10:10; “The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy” 11 The thief here is Satan and he comes to destroy. Know that he is coming to destroy your life. As the thief tries to destroy you tell me if this sounds familiar, you have been tempted by sin and/or the Devil to do something then after you give into it shame falls upon you and you hear in your head how bad you are, or shameful or etc. This has happened to multiple people multiple times. Although the Devil comes to destroy us remember we have God given tools to help us withstand the devil. Ephesians 6:10-17; “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. The weapons against the Devil are given to you by God to fight against his woes. As a side note, remember that one of your biggest weapons is prayer to God, so long as you keep your faith and belief in what you ask for and in God, with good intentions and good heart, God will grant and help you. . Now just as the Devil is able to bring temptation and hardships to someone’s life, people are also able to bring on those hardships. Proverbs 6:12-14; “A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord” People can and will bring hardships upon your life. It is just something that happens as a result of humans being born into a sinful nature from the downfall into sin by Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Remember that although people may be difficult they are not the problem. People are not your problem. Ephesians 6:12; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”. 12 Remember that you are not on this earth to fight against people but instead to fight against sin and the devil and his woes. On your treatment to people they ought to be loved and helped. Another reason you may suffer is due to God wanting to test you. Proverbs 17:3; “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts”. Remember that even Abraham who was a man of great faith in God was tested. Why does God test us? He tests us to make sure our faith is real, and that we are ready for what He has next for us, but also that it may help our faith. James 1:2-4; “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”. 1 Peter 5:10; “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”. God will test you in order to make you strong. Other times we suffer so that we shine brightly even after the hardships. John 9:3; “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” Sometimes we go through hardships, and although they seem unfair or unending when we come out of it, we can say we came out through God and because of that we can help shine our light to others because God has helped us to overcome. Finally on suffering I personally want to say keep your faith and hold on through it. In the book of Joshua it talks about how Israel was doing great when it came to being blessed and winning battles against other armies because God was on their side. In Joshua 6 God told Israel not to take anything from Jericho for it was all to be for God, but Achan stole some precious metals from the battle after they had won, essentially robbing God. When Israel came to fight their next battle they had lost, and it was a great shock to them. So Joshua turned to God and asked Him to reveal why they lost, however God responded that Israel has sinned by taking what was not supposed to be taken. Joshua began to question tribe by tribe if anyone has taken from the battle at Jericho. Achan came to be questioned and he gave up that it was him who sinned, and as a result he and his family were killed. After they made amends with God, He was back on Israel’s 13 side and they began to win their next battle. Not only did they win their next battle which was against Ai, but God also gave them permission to keep what they wanted within the city. I want to say that whatever battle you are going through, whatever temptation is upon you keep holding on to your faith in God. Although you may be going through whatever sort of hardships, if you just hold on you may be one battle away from a breakthrough from God, but you need to keep your faith. Then also if you have sinned against God confess it and ask God to help you to do better in the future and do not let the devil or anyone else make you feel bad for being human and making a mistake. Now know also that as you suffer God has given you the measure of faith and Jesus tells us we can use our faith to dispel hardships from our lives. Mark 11:23; “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them”. Here Jesus talks about the importance of using your faith and 2 things are important here. 1, that we can say to a ‘mountain’ to be moved. Meaning we can say to situations or problems in our life to be moved or speak it out. 2, the next thing Jesus tells us is to believe in what we are speaking over. It would make no sense to ask something for someone but not believe that it can happen. Remember that we can ask God of something and with good intentions and He will respond. Matthew 7:7-8; “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”. From this verse Jesus tells us we are able to ask of God and He will deliver. We ask through faith, and we also can get together in accordance and we can ask anything of God (Matthew 18:20). Another way to use your faith is to watch your mouth. If you reexamine the first chapter of Genesis and look at how God formed the universe repeatedly it says “He spoke” or “He said”. God formed the universe not by grabbing things with His hands, but just by speaking. Proverbs 18:21; “The tongue has the power of life and death” 14 Here this means that you should watch what you say. What you speak and how you talk can determine your life. If you are constantly talking bad and death over what you are currently going through, then you may continue to go through it, however if you talk life over your situation, eventually it will get better. Remember that as you use your faith, all your answers will not come instantly. As Jesus walked the earth very commonly in the Bible it said “He walked”. God is not always in a hurry, you cannot rush Him, so if you are to call on God you must have patience and wait on His answer. Yet when God does answer your prayer do not doubt the answer. Zephaniah 1:7; “Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited”. John 6:63-64; “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him”. Here we find that a prophet (Zephaniah) is foretelling the coming of Jesus but in John 6 many of Jesus’ disciples leave him because they do not believe that he is who he says he is. So Zephania tells of Jesus coming, then when he gets there people doubted he was who he was, and the same goes for us commonly. As followers of God we may pray and ask God for an answer and when the answer arises many do not believe in it. It is imperative to believe in what you ask of God. In using your faith, prayer is one of the most important tools available as followers of God. Before you pray, understand who you are talking to. You are talking to the God of all creation (Psalm 46:10). 1 Thessalonians 5:17; “Pray without ceasing” Ephesians 6:18; “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people”. Here God tells us to always pray, but not just that but also to pray in the Spirit, otherwise known as praying in tongues. Know that everyone born of God and filled with the Holy Spirit has the capability to be able to speak in the Spirit. Speaking in the Spirit is a gift from God. So know this also to be persistent to be God when you pray. Remember the story of the woman and the Judge (Luke 18:1-8). A woman made a request to a judge multiple times, and multiple 15 times she was rejected, but on one occasion her request was granted. This is but another way of saying pray without ceasing. Keep praying to God until you request is fulfilled by God. It may be answered in a month or even a year, there is no telling, but trust in God that he knows when, and trust that he hears the cries of his people. Know also that when you make a request to God, sometimes it may not be answered or it may not turn out the way you expect it to. I personally have prayed to God and experienced differing results from when I prayed, however it is important to keep your faith no matter the outcome. This does not mean that God is not faithful; it means that there is either something else in store, a test, or you failed to hold up your end of something. If a student does not study at all for a test they know nothing about and pray to God that they receive an A and get an F does that mean God is unfaithful? No, it means the student failed to do what was right. In the book of Ezekiel God tells the people of Israel that they will experience hard times because they have been disrespectful to Him and not help up their end of the covenant He made with them. God is not unfaithful, He is just treating them fairly in accordance to how they have acted. Remember also to pray on all occasions and for the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:18). Pray for others. Pray for those you love and care about, and pray for those you do not know and for those who speak ill of you. If you could learn to love and forgive those who speak ill of you, then you will only grow in love for all. As you pray remember that you should always keep your faith in God. Luke 18:27; “Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God’” Remember to believe God when you ask of Him. Know that if your request is not always answered or if it is answered late this is no reason to lose faith in God. You are to always keep your faith in God and remember that all is possible through Him. Fear and Worry Know that God wishes for no one to live in fear. Yet still one of the most common feelings people experience on a day to day basis is fear. So where does it come from? Genesis 3:10; “‘I heard you in the garden,’ the man answered. ‘I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid’” This is happening just after Adam disobeyed God and ate the fruit he was told not to eat after Eve led him to. Here is the first mention of fear in all the bible. So after sin entered the world 16 Adam felt fear. Essentially a byproduct of a sinful nature is experiencing fear. God never intended us to feel fear, it is not how he intended creation to live. 1 Timothy 1:7; “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. So here we see God does not want you living in fear, He wants you living in the spirit that is of love and gives you power, and that spirit is the Holy Spirit. So remember what God has to say to you as a follower of God. Isaiah 8:12; “Do not be afraid of what others fear. Do not be afraid”. God tells us plainly not to fear. Do not fear what others fear, and why should we? If someone believes in the Bible they know that no weapon formed against you can prosper. Remember that whatever you go through, no matter how dark it is God is always with you (Psalm 23:4). If anyone suffers from anxiety remember Psalms 94:14 which says you can always turn to God for joy even in anxiety. Another great affliction closely related to fear is worry. It is estimated that 38% of people worry a day, and most of them do not suffer from anxiety. If you have anxiety or not, if you will learn to trust in God as He would want you to, you will come to find out that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Matthew 6:25-27; “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life”? Here Jesus begins to question the mentality of worrying. When Jesus, rhetorically, asks if you can add an hour to your life by worrying he is saying that worrying will do nothing for you. If and when a problem arises in someone’s life, if they were to sit down and do nothing but worry about it that problem would not go away. If your house catches fire it will not be put out by you standing there worrying if it is going to go out or not. Matthew 6:28-33; “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do 17 not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Jesus continues on to say that we are not to worry about life and what it contains for us. Do not worry about what you will eat, wear, etc. All God asks is that we seek God first, because in doing so God is not going to leave you uncared for. If you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to you. So do not worry, the birds do not worry yet they are cared for, and your life means more to God than a bird so trust in God, and do not worry. Sin, The Enemy, and Not Accepting Christ On the topic of sin, it is very very important to know that God does not hate sinners. God hates sin, and the continuation of sin. God hates sin because He knows how sin can ruin our lives and He knows that sin perverts and poisons the purity of what He built as it relates to humanity from the beginning before the fall into sin (Genesis 3). So what is sin? Sin is the act (or acts) that defy, offend, or go against God. Not always is a sin physically represented, many times sin can be internal through thoughts and feelings. This is so because sin is a nature. When we are born we are born into a sinful nature, then after we accept Christ we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). Although in a sinful nature when you get into sinful thoughts you are more likely to express it. This is why it is important not to get into sin in your mind and to control your thoughts and feelings. An example of sin in your heart or mind is hatred. Hatred is commonly talked down upon by God as it relates to person to person. Yet you can hate someone within your heart and mind, and that is wrong. The Bible tells us that when we have hate in our hearts we murder (1 John 3:15), while you may not physically murder someone you do so to that person within you. Now let us understand more the expression of sin. To do so examine the original sin. The original sin was not when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit, that was just the sin that plunged all of humanity into sin. In fact the original sin was when Lucifer rebelled against God because he had suffered from pride. Ezekiel 28:12-17; “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the 18 stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee”. Isaiah 14:14; “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” Here God is talking about the fall of Lucifer. Lucifer was described as being in a high position but because of pride he fell. The same thing happens even to us. So often are people in great positions then they believe they are so great and so amazing, they get into pride then express it and they fall and lose their status and oftentimes much more. After Lucifer was afflicted with pride he expressed it. Pride led him to believe that he could achieve the impossible. In his belief he deceived ⅓ of all God’s angels and rebelled against God. Many people know this story, yet it is important to know for 2 reasons. The first is that Lucifer, now Satan, was powerful enough to lie and deceive many many angels, and in the Bible it describes angels as being stronger than humans, so if he, the Devil, was able to cause them to follow him in sin then he could cause humans to do the same. The second is that sin is internal and external. When you get into sinful thinking and belief, you increase the chances of sinful expression. Now what are sinful expressions? They are commonly and accurately summarized to be fruits of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21; “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God”. These are sinful expressions, that are seen daily, and heard of commonly on a day to day basis. Most of these are easy to recognize, however not all are, and in today’s climate some of these are even accepted. These being debauchery, sexual immorality, orgies, drunkenness, and factions. Debauchery is defined as impure or excessive indulgence. This parallels drunkenness and orgies since debauchery is about impure and great indulgence, and in drunkenness and orgies this is where commonly it is released physically. The problem with drunkenness is that it clouds the mind and causes one to chase after a temporary fix to what they may truly be needing. Although scripture tells us “be not drunk with wine” (Ephesians 5:18) still many people both believers and non believers alike still follow into drunkenness because it feels good, or because it helps to have a good time. Now let it be known it is not a sin to drink alcohol, however it is wrong to drink to an extent of drunkenness. It is talked down upon because although you may drink to get drunk in the comfort of your home or a friend’s party alcohol still can lead you to a point where you will lack wisdom (Proverbs 20:1), and if the book of proverbs has taught anything, it is that fools lack wisdom, and fools get into trouble with other people and inevitable can get in trouble with God. 19 Sexual immorality, aside from drunkenness, has been vastly more potent in the modern day culture and society. At least with drunkenness it is not accepted everywhere, however with sexual immorality it is more accepted to a wider scope. Sexual immorality now is seen in the form of the homosexual community. Before this is addressed let it be known that God hates homosexuality, but he still loves the sinner. God loves all people, but he does not love homosexuality or the likes of it. If anyone follows God and is unable to love someone else because they are a homosexual or apart of that community then the love of God is not truly in them. There are many misconceptions that Christians hate homosexuals and that is just not true or if any Christian does hate someone for being gay then that is not how it should be too. Remember, God hates the sin, but loves the sinner. Now sexual immorality and homosexuality is against God because it goes against how God originally created and planned for us to live. Furthermore the transexual community is also under sexual immorality because they make a statement (either knowingly or unknowingly) to God when they go through whatever physical changes or mental conclusion for/about themselves. The statement they make to God is that He was wrong. They make a statement that God is wrong because when God makes someone, they are described as wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), but when you say you were born in the wrong body or that you basically feel as something other than what you were born as you it sends a statement to God that he made you the wrong way, and that is just not true. In the Bible sometimes (but not all) when it says ‘unclean’ spirits, it is talking about homosexual spirits and or sexually immoral spirits that would lead one to beleive against the agreement of God. The truth is God carefully crafts all and He would not make anyone falsely. Many claim that they were born gay or whatever the case and the truth is that is not the case. If we know and believe God to be all good (which He is) then it would be evil of Him to make you in such a way that directly contradicts what He stands for then to punish you for it. Homosexuality comes on someone through an uncleanliness of which can be prayed about with adequate time and spending with God and His word. However now it is more acceptable to be homosexual than it is to be a Christian. I am not saying one can not be a Christian, that is very possible and encouraged, but what I mean is a person of the LGBT community can make a mean or false statement about God and not many would look at it, however if a Christian were to make a comment about the LGBT community that is offensive to them, then likely there is more of an uproar. As sad as that truth may be, know that will not be the case forever. No sexual immorality is also the chasing after the desires of the flesh. God frowns upon this because orgies, and chasing the flesh is not a clean lifestyle to live, and in fact God tells us to not please the flesh. Imagine if one gave into the flesh everytime their body desired something no matter what it was. That is a lifestyle for the ungodly. The lifestyle of drug use, constant drinking, and constant premarital sex is all designed to please the flesh but in doing so it would be disappointing to God. You cannot walk in the Spirit of God and in the flesh at the same time (Galatians 5:16). A faction is defined as a small dissenting group of individuals from a larger group. This is more inconspicuous, yet the important term here is dissenting. Dissenting comes from another word; dissent which is related to dissensions meaning disagreement that leads to discord. In effect a faction is in disagreement with others or the greater majority. This is harmful as it leads to discord and not being in one accordance. 20 Another topic worth addressing is abortions. Knowingly it is hard to be a mom, and sometimes young women become mothers through unexpected circumstances or prematurely. Whatever the situation may be please know that the child inside a mother's womb is crafted by God, and a creation of God. That child much like every other did not ask to be born, so it is unfair to treat it as other than what it is. We all started and went through the same stages and it regardless what you think you know, God is against abortions and the killings of innocent unborn babies. All these and more are a part of the fruits of the flesh, all of which are sinful expressions, but can also take place internally. Do understand that the sins of the flesh, and the things the enemy brings to one’s mind that would feel good are what the flesh would enjoy. Would it feel pleasing to the flesh to have sex with women after woman, or man after man, and to fill the system with all sorts of drugs to get high? Yes it would, but that is a part of the flesh that one must deny in order to live the holiness you have received by your faith in Christ. Do not partake of the fruits of the flesh, but rather the fruits if the Spirit. While these are the sins that man commits do not forget the Devil is very active in the world. If Lucifer was able to tempt and deceive ⅓ of God’s angels, believe that he can, will, and has done the same to people. The good news is as a follower of God “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). While this is true do not forget the goal of the devil. John 10:10; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. Satan comes to destroy three things. He wants to destroy your relationship with God, other people, and yourself. He does so because he knows he is damned to hell and he wants to take as many down with him as he can. Know that he is going to Hell. When it comes to Christianity not everyone wants to talk about the full truth. Not everyone wants to say that the penalty for not accepting Christ is death and Hell. Revelation 20:15; “Anyone whose name was not written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire” Understand that the purpose of Christianity is not to walk the earth telling people they are going to Hell. Christians are here to be examples of God and to walk the narrow path. However it is the truth as it is written in the Bible that Hell exists and that if you do not repent of your sins and accept Christ as Lord and Savior you will perish. Many would argue that if this is true then that is not love, but they fail to completely understand that God is all holy and people in their own nature are sinful. So holiness and sin cannot mix, just the same as water and oil cannot mix. Furthermore you can be the nicest and most generous person on earth, but if you have not accepted Christ then you cannot be with God in eternal peace. 21 John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. ... For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”. John 14:6; “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” Ephesians 2:8; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Here it says plainly that you must have faith in Christ in order to be able to be with the Father. Commonly people say “I’m saved by grace” and that is it, but they fail to remember that the only way you are saved by grace is through your faith in Christ. If you have no faith in Jesus and do not believe He is the Lord and Savior then you are not saved. Revelation 21:8; “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death”. Although if you do not accept Christ and are not saved then you will perish to the second death which is Hell. Keep in mind that just as God is faithful to loving you so is the Devil faithful to hating you. In regards to sin, do not use “saved by the grace of God” as an excuse to to justify or to keep sinning. Galatians 5:13 says that although you were chosen to be free, that is not a reason to live in sin. If you love God keep His word. Try to live holy, and not sinful. Although you may make mistakes here and there, understand it's not an overnight process and it is possible. If it were not possible to live holy God would not have asked you to do something you are incapable of doing. To the unbeliever remember Hosea 7:2; “but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me” Jesus Will Not Leave You The Same and Honoring Faith It is important to come to God, and when you do understand that you will not be the same. When you come to God you in fact become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). When Jesus encountered people He never left whom he encountered the same when they sought his help. Matthew 8:1-4; “This story talks about a man with leprosy who came to Jesus”. First understand that this man was a leper. In these times, a leper was as low as you could be in society at the time. In Leviticus (13:45) it talks about how if someone had leprosy they were outcast from a city, or camp, or just general society. So this man was in the worst condition both 22 physically, and in social status. Next understand that nowhere in the story does it specify where he came from. This is important to know because God does not care where you come from. He does not care if you come from poverty, sickness or what have you, God’s more concerned with that you come to Him because He cares about you. God is always willing to help you, (Matthew 8:3, 1 Peter 5:7). Finally understand that this leper had the faith that no one else could help him, but Jesus. He had the faith that the only one that could help him was Jesus and for that faith he was rewarded. He made it to Jesus and Jesus said he was willing to cleanse him, but if it were not for that man’s faith in Jesus he may not have been healed. Matthew 8:5-13; “This story talks about a faithful centurion who seeked the help of Jesus because his servant was ill”. Here is a man who knew Jesus was who Jesus was and for it he knew that Jesus was able to heal his servant. Yet in Matthew 8:8 he had enough faith in God to know that all Jesus had to do was just to speak healing over his servant and it would be so. Jesus was amazed by this man’s faith saying he never encountered anyone else with such faith. The man furthermore acknowledges that he is under authority as well which is important to know as you go to God because the kingdom of heaven is not a democracy. So from this man’s faith his servant was healed. It is important to know that God honors faith. He did so with the centurion, the leper, and more. The truth is if God would honor their faith, He will honor yours too. John 9:1-9; “Here Jesus is passing by and a man is blind and Jesus’s disciples as if this man or his parents”. What is interesting about this story is the man was able to see only after he washed his eyes from the mud that was in his eyes. God wants to move in people's lives however He is waiting for them to remove the mud from their lives. I don’t know what anyone is going through but if you are going to God continuously and nothing is happening make sure you are not also going to the world as well. Why get saved from the life you were living just to go back to it? In fact to do so is worse. 2 Peter 2:20-22 says that if someone does not know God in the beginning then they are to go to the second death, however then it says if they come to God then leaves God that they are no better off than if they did not come to God at all. So as a quick side note, know that after you come to God you must live it as well, because if you say you belong to God but act as if you belong to the world then you are no better than any other sinner. So after the mud has been washed from your eyes only then are you able to see what God has in store for you. Remember that the ‘mud’ can take any form in your life. Either it can be a person that is dragging you down who into sin, or something like a job preventing you from reaching your full potential, or whatever the case may be, take the leap of faith and wash the mud from your eyes. 23 As this section comes to conclusion may I state just how important it is to pay tithes and offerings to God. In the Bible it says you cannot serve money and God (Matthew 6:24). Believe it or not, your money follows your interest. Leviticus 27:30; “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord”. Malachi 3:8-12; “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty”. Proverbs 11:24; “One person gives freely, yet gains even more another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” Luke 6:38; “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”. Here are just a small portion of how much God mentions the importance of giving. Here we understand that a tenth of what we earn belongs to God. Now someone may not be harvesting crops however they make other earnings in the form of money in which a tenth belongs to God. If someone earns $1000 then a tenth of that ($100) belongs to God. It is very important to pay tithes and also important to give offerings. Not only that, but to do so with a joyful heart. When you do so you are showing your faith and devotion to God, and just as Proverbs and Luke says if you give freely you shall be honored in your faith by God, but remember this you cannot buy a blessing from God. By this I mean do not give because you want to get something out of it or because you may have interior motives inside your heart, give because you love God and love being faithful to Him. End of Times 24 Many people have said that they wish they wish they could have been around during ‘Biblical times’. As this is written, know that these are still Biblical times. Jesus may not be walking the earth with us yet again, but these are still Biblical times. We are still in Biblical times because the times of the Bible have not yet ended. Before the return of Jesus there are events that must take place, and these events many to most we(humanity) have lived through. Now it is important to understand what these signs are as they are an indication of the second coming and show how we still are in Biblical times. Jeremiah 23:7-8; “So then, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.” Revelation 7:4-8; “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000”. Before the return of Jesus, God speaks of His people and the return of the Jews. In the year 2015 over 8,000 Israelis returned to the land of Israel keeping up with the return of Jews. Then in March 2020 it was reported that 250,000 Israelis returned to Israel, albeit due to concerns of the coronavirus still it helps to keep in line with what God says is to happen with the return of the Jews. Daniel 12:4; “But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge”. In the book of Daniel, God talks more of how people will increase in knowledge before the day of the Lord. Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles about every two years. This means that every time this happens there becomes new technological advancements that can help lead to this phenomenon. Technological advancements that can be represented as an exponential growth function of which grow vastly quicker than other types of functions. Anytime Moore’s Law happens our knowledge expands as well as our capabilities, not only in relation to microchips but fields as well. An example being in 1926 the longest flight distance was over 5,000km, then 60 years later (1986) the longest flight distance became 40,000km. In 1970 the number of transistors on integrated circuit chips was about one to five thousand, then in 2018 the number was approximately around ten billion 25 (ourworldindata.gov). These few examples display the growth of knowledge God talked about to Daniel. Matthew 25:31-35; “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” Matthew 25:41-43; “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me’” God is preparing to separate the sheep (those who follow God) from the goats (those who did not come and turned their backs to God). As a quick side note see how God says what our inheritance is. God loves you so much that he has given you an inheritance greater than anything imaginable. Not even the angels that serve Him are written to receive His inheritance. Revelation 6:1-8: “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds] of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds] of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” Commonly people have heard of the four horsemen but not all completely know what they are authorized or said to do. The horsemen are War, Death, Famine, and Pestilence. All of these are happening and have happened on the earth today. This year alone in 2020 more Americans have 26 died from the coronavirus compared to all in the Vietnam War, proving death and pestilence being active in the world. Pestilence has also been around in the bubonic plague and the spanish flu as well. Earth also has been no stranger to war as well. War is said to take peace from the land, in doing so causing war and murders. According to fbi.gov there has been an increase in murders by 21 percent from the years 1996 to the year 2000. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimated 815 million people were suffering from undernourishment in the year 2016. Undernourishment happens when one experiences the effects of not receiving enough food for their bodies to be as healthy as they should be for a given age. In other words this is how one experiences a famine. Revelation 6:12; “ I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red” Now these are the natural signs to happen before the day of the Lord. All of these have happened as well. There was a solar eclipse most recently on June 21, 2020 and a recent blood moon on January 20-21, 2019 which was in fact a super moon and wolf blood moon. When it speaks of a great earthquake, I am unsure if a greater earthquake is to come or not but as far as history has shown the largest earthquake to happen was a magnitude of 9.5 in Valvidea in southern Chile. While more is said to happen before the day of the Lord’s return not all of it has been written down here. Just know that God is being patient to the return because He wants all to come to Christ before judgement comes on all. Remember that what is happening, and arguably, has happened is all that is to pass, although it is shocking to witness and even go through remember that God is larger than all that is to happen and as scary as it may seem to most, do not lose hope or faith. Finally As I come to conclude this may I leave you with one other important message. It is necessary for followers of God to tell someone about Christ. I personally have prayed with people to receive God and it is a wonderful thing, although there are times I know I can do better I am still learning, but I urge anyone to share the gospel. God wants for none of us to be lost to the second death, although He knows many will go He still wants as many as He can get to come to Him before the second coming of Christ. In fact the last thing Jesus told his disciples before he ascended was “go and spread the good news” (Mark 16:15) and the good news is the gospel. The gospel is this; in the beginning God made everything perfect and beautiful, then Eve was 27 deceived and she led Adam to disobey God which plunged humanity into sin, but God still had great love for us, and He loved us so much that God sent Jesus into the world so that he may save the world and die on the cross for us as a sacrifice. Then on the third day God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and through faith in Christ we can receive salvation from the Father in heaven, and not be bound by sin on earth, and not suffer the second death after someone passes from earth. Remember God loves us all and it is the enemy that would lead anyone to believe otherwise. Now if any of what was written would speak to you and make you realize that it is better to walk with God than the Devil and the world, or make you realize you may not be save then please pray this prayer: Father God in heaven I know I am a born sinner. I know and believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, and that he rose again on the third day. I now repent of my sins, and I accept Jesus into my heart. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, and help me to walk a life of faith, hope and love. In Jesus name I pray amen. Post Message Please forgive any misspellings or typos. Special thank you to God and all that have helped me to grow in my faith and walk with God. If anything here is false or not of God and the Bible please let me know in efforts to help me grow as well as yourself. “Beloved let us love one another, anyone that love is born of God and knoweth God for God is love, but he that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Notable Verses/Chapters Song of Songs 4:7- You are Beautiful 1 John 4:7-8- Love Each Other Galatians 5:22-23- Fruits of The Spirit Hosea 3:1- God still loves in spite of recognizing faithlessness in others Proverbs 10:12- Love Forgives Sin Proverbs 19:11- Honor in Giving Proverbs 11:23-26- Give Freely Proverbs 19:29- Foolish are Punished Proverbs 17:3- Lord will Test You Proverbs 14:29- Anger is from Foolishness Proverbs 28:20- God Honors Faith 28 Ecclesiastes 11:9- Young people should get determined and not waste their time Ecclesiastes 11:10- Do Not Worry 1 Corinthians 13:13- Faith, Hope, and Love 3 John 1:2- Prosper Ephesians 6:10-18- Armor of God Isaiah 8:12- Do Not Fear 1 Peter 4:10- God’s Gifts 1 Peter 5:7- Worries on God 2 Peter 1:3-8- Be Holy Like God 2 Peter 3:18- Get to Know God Better Isaiah 57 Luke 18: 27- Possible With God Philipians 4:8- Think of Good Things Ezekiel 33 Ezekiel 38 and 39- One leader brought fire upon his whole army and nation, because he was acting evil (careful who is in charge of a nation, because they could cause their nation to be plunged into a terrible situation just as Gog did with his army and his nation) 1 Timothy 4:1- In the end of days some will fall away from Christ and follow after the fruits of flesh 1 Peter 1:3-5 - Hope is in the believers of Christ, and also we are kept by the power of God Titus 2:11 Leviticus 18:22- Homosexuality is a sin Lamentations 3 Daniel 12:10 - During hard times believers will be strong, but sinful people will keep sinning 1 John 5:5 Jeremiah 10, 11, 17 Revelation 12:7-9 - Satan and demons are in the earth Mentions of Jesus in Old Testament In the old testament there are over 300 mentionings of Jesus Christ. Here are just some verses of which I have noticed, and recorded: Hosea 3:4 Zephaniah 1:7 Zechariah 2:13 Zechariah 9:9 Zechariah 13:1 Malachi 3:1-3 29 Jeremiah 23:5-6 More Lessons/Notes Much of “religion” in the world as it relates to Christianity is not as filled out as the Bible says it is. Many leaders and religious people who claim to be Christian do not fully believe the Bible and do not believe ALL of what it says. Although Christianity is about having power and faith through and from God. Many religious people act like we are not to be spreading the gospel, or thinking that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, or that we are able to hear the voice of God. Many of what religious people will do is tell you that you are to come toGod to get a blessing or that they just talk about all the stuff that paints Christianity as something that is all happy and all easy and carefree, and suffer free. The truth is we are to be spreading the gospel, praying for others, casting out demons, and would want us to be hearing His voice, filled with the Spirit, and to know that within Christianity there is suffering. Keep up Your Prayer Life Jeremiah 29:13 You can find God, but you must call on God. In the natural world you have an appetite for food, but in the spiritual you must form an appetite for God. A good way to do so isto get a regiment where you set time aside every day to pray and read the Bible whether you feel like it or not, and do so by faith. You cannot see God and know God until He reveals himself to you, and He does so when you have started to seek him. Do not allow anyone or anything to come in between you and God. Isaiah 5:6-7 Luke 11:5-13 Luke 18:21 Keep praying. If you do not keep up your prayer life, you will faint in the spirit and will start to be more and more consumed by the world and or its philosophy. Isaiah 40:27-31 Wait on God, and he will strengthen you. If you deal with God you must have patience as you live with God. Something interesting to know is that experiencing church does not have to be in a building with a cross on the front of it. Church can happen in the living room of one’s house. In the Word it says if 2 or more comes together in agreement to God they can ask anything of Him. The very minimum you need is one other person and if you two (or more) will get together and pray, and read the Bible together then there is church right there. 30 John 1:1and 14 John 15:3 Let the Word of God dwell(live) in you. Colossians 3:16 Married couples ought to both be involved with the Word of God. Joshua 1:8 Matthew 24:35 God’s words will last forever, therefore why not get something that is going to last longer than the earth in your spirit and in your body. Hebrews 4:12 When you start your prayer life (if it is new or being recontinued) it is important to know that there will not be overnight progress. There will be rough times, and you must keep faith through those times as you are reaping by faith what you will reap in the later years and/or when you pass on to heaven. Matthew 17:15-21 Know What You Are Saying Jude 1:8-10 Here in Jude, he talks about how evil people speak evil things about what they do not understand. In verse 8-9 Jude talks about how even Michael, the archangel, does not speak evil against heavenly beings, nor the devil. Remember, Satan was Lucifer, an angel before he became Satan. So Michael knowing of this, leaves judgement of Satan to God alone. So in these verses Michael is aware of what he says and also to whom, and why. However in verse 10 it goes on to say that there are godless people in the church who do not understand who they are talking to when they speak evil things. Someone could be the leader of a large church denomination, however if they do not fully understand that they are to be casting out devils and demons, then those devils and demons will tear down that person, because of his, or her lack of understanding. Devils and demons are nothing to play with. Jesus approached them seriously, and even He knew what he was dealing with when He would encounter a demon. So should you. Understand that if you cast out demons and devils you should do so in the name of Jesus. Understand that if you fight these devils and demons you are fighting against something that only wants your 31 destruction. Remember also that life and death are in the power of the tongue, so you should be very careful with what and how you say things. Pride Ruins the Self (Book of Ezekiel) In the book of Ezekiel in the 28th chapter, it is often seen as describing what happened with the fall of Lucifer who became Satan. It is also mentioning the first sin, which was pride. Lucifer rebelled because of pride, and that caused him and all the angels he deceived to be cast out and into darkness. Now in the 31st chapter of Ezekiel, God shows another example of pride. He describes the nation of Assyria as a tree in doing so. God said Assyria was once like a great tree that grew taller and stronger than all the other nations. God helped Assyria to become stronger and to look beautiful. But then, Assyria made the same mistake as Lucifer did. Ezekiel 31:10-11; “So the Lord and King says, ‘The cedar tree grew very high. Its top was above all of the leaves. It was proud of how tall it was. So I handed it over to the Babylonian ruler of the nations. I wanted him to punish it because it was so evil. I decided to get rid of it’” Here it is seen that pride caused Assyria to fall. God went as far as to say that when it was in pride it was evil. Do not be evil. Let go of pride in life. Do not let pride afflict your heart to believe you can talk bad about anyone, or thing, or to believe that you are better than anyone or anything. If you do so, know that in the chapter Assyria was described as being strong, mighty, beautiful, and majestic, and not even they could stop the punishment of God on them for their pride. So it does not matter who you are, who you think you are, how high in life you may be, you can not withstand God. Abortion and Homosexuality Leviticus 18:22 Psalm 139:13 Jeremiah 1:1 Here it is made known that within the womb you were and others have been made by God. This is why God is against abortion. God forms us within the womb and when someone gets an abortion and others suppport it and others perform the operation for it, all are committing an act to kill God’s creation that is with a soul. Genesis 19:3-9 32 When the Bible says know, it does not mean to meet them but rather to have intimate relations with them. Here Lot tried to get the homosexual men to not have sex with other men but rather to get them to be intimate with his daughters because he knew it was wrong for men to be intimate with each other. As the Bible went on the men prepared to take Lot since they could not have the other men. It was only by the angels that Lot was saved. Later on God passed judgment on Sodom because of the sexual perversion within the city. Romans 1:21-27 Sadly there are many that hate the Bible but think they are wise. They do not know the truth, and this is that they will have to reap the type of hate they are sowing now against the Bible. Soon they will know that they are wrong and God is alive and Jesus is returning. Also see note how God calls it shameful for men to ‘perform acts’ with other men. Just remember that all of what is being said is from the Bible. This is not what I have come up with, or what anyone else has come up with. Someone once said that the Bible is not a friendly book to the world, meaning the Bible is against the philosophy of the world. This book can and will help anyone if they allow it to, but know that the Bible is not in agreement with the world and the demonic power within the world. Small History Lesson Daniel 8 These chapters talk about the inevitable coming of Christ. Gabriel explains to Daniel that before the second coming of Christ the king of Greece would fall and from his kingdom four smaller kingdoms would arise which would not be as strong. I believe this to be Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great was king of Greece, then when he died his empire was divided amongst his generals who were: Cassander, Ptolemy, Antigonus, and Seleucus (according to www.ancient.eu). Then the Bible goes on to mention how after those four kingdoms came another king. I believe this king was Caesar Augustus. Daniel 11 In Daniel 11, Daniel is informed of events to happen before the end of times. One of which being the rising of kings in the Persian empire, and then one of the kings attacking the kingdom of Greece. This has already happened during the Archimedean empire. During this empire the king Darius the Great attacked Greece which led to the Greeco-Persian wars (www.britanica.com). Then later in the chapter it talks about a mighty king appearing then his kingdom being divided. 33 This I believe to be Alexander the Great, who was famous for defeating Persia and later he did have his kingdom divided as mentioned earlier. While more history could be explained from the Bible, I point this out to explain that yet another prophecy has happened already before the end of times, and reinforce the fact that the Bible and what it has to say is real. Small Messages from Hosea Hosea 6:3 In chapter 6 of Hosea, Hosea encourages to keep chasing after God. God is self revealing, meaning the more one seeks Him, the more God reveals his nature to us. In fact the verse goes on to say God renews us. This is the importance of reading and praying on a daily basis. We learn more about God through the studying of the Word. Some people do not fully grasp the importance of often reading your Bible, which is why some believers are not as fully successful in their faith as they could be. Sad to say some believers only pick up the Bible when going to group studies or church on Sunday, never minding the rest of the days in the week in which they should read the Bible. Hosea 4:4-9 God recognizes that just because may be a spiritual leader, that does not make them any more holier. God will get as upset with an unfaithful preacher as He would an unfaithful church goer, because God in general would be upset when someone says they love God, but does not live as they say. There is an interesting effect that can happen when disobeying God though. Hosea 4:2-3 When Israel got into disobedience to God, their land was corrupted and not even the environment was ok afterwards. Even in the modern day, America, and many other nations around the world have been disobedient to God, and as a result the world is in a rotten place all around for it. God is not one to see disobedience and to let it go unrectified. In fact the Bible says that the earth we live on will soon perish. Hosea 7:14 In this verse God recognizes that there were many people in pain in Israel, but would not cry out to Him. The same happens today. All over the world there are people that are in pain, but would not cry out to God, instead they go home and feel bad in whatever situation as if they have no 34 one higher to turn to, when all along God is desiring you to come to Him. Furthermore God makes note that many are causing self harm due to their pain they are experiencing. All of which happens all over the world now. It is God's desire that you come to Him so that he may help you in life. This is why we have faith, so that we may have life more abundantly. I know not all people will understand this, but it is true. God can't force you to make a decision, but he sees the pain someone is in, and it does Him no joy. Hebrew, Regret and its Meaning (Genesis 6) A while ago a friend of mine said he wondered what the Bible meant by God regretting the creation of man, notably from Genesis 6:6. Commonly the word ‘regret’ is understood to be the opposite of rejoicing. In the old testament it was originally written in Hebrew and in the Hebrew language, as many other languages, the use of certain words is based on semantics and context. The Hebrew word for regret is nacham (naw-kham’) meaning also contrition and repentance. The word regret is tied to human actions and feelings of guilt to doing something wrong. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, that was a very sinful act in the Garden and for that God now had to change the way He dealt with humans because He is holy, and humans had now attained a sinful nature. The word ‘regret’ is still used in response to human action, and not of God’s actions. So the word ‘regret’ is not used as God having done something wrong, but rather God acknowledging that He now must change the dynamic interaction of humanity and Himself because of humanity having been evil and disobedient. Remember God’s works and Himself are perfect as described in the Bible (Deuteronomy 32:4). Genesis 6:7 After Genesis 6:6 in the next verse we are informed that God made the decision to start over and to flood the earth. Had things stayed perfect as they were God would never have done this. Had Adam and Eve never disobeyed God, man would not have attained a sinful nature and God would not have wiped out the earth as He did on account of man being sinful. It is only because He had to wipe out the earth from all the sinful and mean acts that had polluted it (Genesis 6:11) that God felt the pain in His heart in Genesis 6:6. Remember when God first created everything it was good and perfect. It was never His intention for sin to infect humanity and the earth, and it certainly does God no pleasure to have to wipe people out in order to restore things to how they ought to be. 35 The Day of The Lord and Judgment Currently this is being written in January 2021, and it is in great belief that the day of The Lord is very close. On that day much will happen. It will be, in opinion, one of the most important days ever. The others being the day humanity was created, the day humanity fell into sin, and the day Christ paid for our sins. While many are looking forward to the day of The Lord, in the Bible it describes the day as being a day of suffering for those who are not walking with The Lord. Zephaniah 1:15 God tells us that on that day there will be great suffering, and why is that? There will be suffering because God will pour out his anger on those that have been sinful and unrighteous to God and in the earth. Many people, in fact, most people on earth will experience this because most of the world do not know or believe the truth about God and his Word. Now God also says on that day, after all the torment, books shall be opened. The Book of Life and the other books. In the Book of Life will hold all the names of those that are saved. All the other books held the acts that people had done in the world (Revelation 20:12). In the Bible it is repeated that God is seeing and keeping track of what we do, not just sinners, but also believers in Christ. Then the book of Revelation says that anyone whose name is NOT written in the Book of Life shall be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death (Revelation 20:14-15). Some people, believers and sinners alike do not believe in Hell or the fact that there exists a place where there will be unending torment for eternity. Such a place exists because this is the punishment for sinners. This is the repercussions of living sinful. For God is holy, but he cannot mix with those who are unholy. This is why Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, because they attained a sinful nature through disobedience and eating of the forbidden fruit. God was, and is holy, and they became sinful in nature. To some they may say, a place such as Hell does not sound like a place that God would send those he says he loves. To that one must understand that God wishes for all to be with him in heaven, however since heaven is God’s holy kingdom, if a sinner were to enter it then it would taint the holiness within it. And it would not make sense if God should reward sin. Heaven and Hell exist and that is the truth. Now God informs us on how one can live in order to not have to spend eternity in Hell. As sad as it may sound it is the truth to know that there are those who will go to Hell because of their disobedience and refusal to believe the Gospel. Now this is the importance of telling sinners about the gospel. One of the last things Jesus said to his disciples was to go and preach the gospel. This is important because God wants as many people to enter his kingdom before it is too late. If anyone other than the original writer is reading this now, please please do yourself and God a favor and tell sinners about God. Malachi 4:1 36 Isaiah 13:6-9 So here it says God is coming to set punish the sinners who’ve been disobedient and unaccepting of God. In the book of Jeremiah chapter 10, Jeremiah said to God to please correct me and to be fair about it (NIV Jeremiah 10:24). When God comes to punish he is not being spiteful or evil hearted. He is doing what is fair. It is fair and good for a God loving man or woman who seeks God to be able to spend eternity with him after death in the physical body, just as it would be fair for someone who has turned on God or rejects him to not be able to spend eternity with him. 2 Peter 3:10 Now here we learn about multiple things. The first which is most important in this verse is that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. This means that when it comes it will catch some people off guard. There are those right now that believe they have all the time in the world to get their lives right with God. Now this is a personal story right here; when I was in school one of my Bible teachers mentioned how he once talked with a young kid on his relationship with God. The kid said that he plans to do all that he wants to do then when he’s old he will commit himself to God. At the time I was only in middle school but I knew that was not right, and my Bible teacher told us that was wrong. Someone needs to know that tomorrow is not promised to you. Someone needs to know that the day of the Lord could be the next day you wake up in the morning. Once the day of the Lord comes to pass or once you die and you are not right with God then it is too late. Get right with God now, do not wait until tomorrow, because as it says in The Word, “the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night”. The next important thing is what is going to happen in heaven. Yes even heaven is going to be dealt with. Heaven is going to pass away and there shall be a new heaven. Now it is important to know that the people in heaven will be fine, they will not die again or be eviscerated or anything like that. Those souls are enjoying the promise of salvation and that is something that cannot be taken from them. The salvation of God is so beautiful to know that there is nothing you need to do because Jesus already did it, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do to take it away. Then the last important thing is to know that there will be a new earth. Things will be beautiful on earth as God intended them to be before the entry of sin and disobedience. These things are all to happen in the day of the Lord. Now the day of the Lord is said to have all these things to happen and more. If I were to go into all the verses that talk about the day of the Lord this section would be a lot longer. For now I urge you to not let the day of the Lord sneak up on you. Get right with God now and help someone else to get right with God. 37 Heaven Heaven in the Bible is one of the most beautifully described places. In heaven there is nothing but perfect peace, and joy with The Lord God Almighty. Revelation 22:3-5 One of the best things about heaven is said in the first sentence which is that there are no illnesses or diseases. Down on Earth there are all sorts of diseases and all sorts of illnesses. Currently in the year 2021, as this is being written there is a pandemic, but thank God to know no one will have to deal with that in the kingdom of God. Now the verse goes on to mention that God and the Lamb will be there and his servants to be with Him. So know that in heaven we are not always just going to be sitting around stargazing, in fact there is work in heaven. In the Bible God mentions how He has appointed positions in heaven meaning there are jobs designed for people to be worked. This is not a torture job or anything of the sort by the way. Matthew 22:29-30 In heaven there is no marriage. In heaven there is enjoyment of fellowship amongst all. There is no need to be married to one another because we will be married to Christ. In the Bible it says the church will be the bride of Christ. Some may ask why there is no marriage between us in heaven. This is answered by Christ. Luke 20:34-36 We do not marry in heaven because we cannot die anymore and we are like the angels. In marriage vows, commonly you say ‘until death do us part’. This is talking about a physical death not spiritual death of the soul. This is why it is ok for a widow to remarry. In the Bible it says a widow can remarry if her husband dies (Romans 7:3), so this again all in physical death. Understand that when you die your body returns to the dust of the earth, but your soul lives on with Christ, so in that respect you are forever with Christ as a part of the church which is to be the bride of Christ. Matthew 6:19-20 This means that there are treasures in heaven for those who follow God. This is one of the reasons why God does not want us chasing after the world, because after all of judgment there will be a new earth and heaven. This means the old earth will burn up and be destroyed as well 38 as the things in it. However when you live right and well after God, He takes notice and you will earn rewards that are meant specifically for you. Revelation 21:21-27 The beautiful parts to this passage is how it describes what heaven will look like visually when one sees it. The passage describes heaven as having streets of pure gold. Then goes on to say that the sun is not needed because the glory of God will be enough light. That is amazing to think about. Another key point is the description of splendor being brought into the city. This means that in addition to there being no sickness in heaven there will also be no depression or sadness too. There will only be joy and peace in heaven. Finally the passage mentions no sin is allowed into the city. Then elaborates to say that no sinful people will be allowed in as well. So there will be no one mean, rude, full of anger or jealousy. No people who are plotting against you or others. There will be no need to keep watch for that as we do on earth, because there just will not be any of it in heaven. Matthew 25:46 Aside from the mentioning of where those who have not accepted Christ will go, this verse also mentions the destination of those who have followed God. It describes it as eternal life which is another great beauty of heaven. The fact that when you are there no one can take it away from you but that it is eternal. You will NEVER die. While this is only a glimpse into what is waiting on the other side, know that there are only good things waiting in heaven, and that if you give your life to Christ you too can enjoy all that God has to offer not just on the earth, but also with him in paradise. Luke 23:43 Importance of Fasting Today many believers in Christ and non believers alike do not completely understand the importance of fasting nor the need to. Jesus said that when he will not be here then it shall be the time to fast, and since Jesus is not currently walking the earth it is not the time to be fasting. What is a fast? A fast is an abstinence from food, typically done for religious purposes but from time to time nonreligious people have adopted the practice to personal needs or desires. 39 Why fast? In the Bible a big application to a fast has been to honor God through fasting and prayer so says Luke 2:37 Now in The Word it Jesus asked if there was more to life than just what one will eat. In the Bible it also states multiple times that God is life. So, personally, I believe as we fast we show God or communicate to Him that he is greater than just our next meal. From the book of Joel chapter 2 verse 12 to 13 we see that fasting is also used as a form of repentance. This point is reemphasized in the book of Jonah. Jonah 3:4-10 Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and the Assyrians were hard punishers at the time. So Nineveh being the capital was the center of it many times. A pastor taught me some of what happened in Nineveh and on my own I researched the rest. Come to find out that Nineveh’s punishments and torure tactics included, but not limited to: flaying (skinning someone alive), cutting off body parts on live victims, hanging decapitated heads on trees and pikes, burning of adolescent boys and girls, and feeding people to dogs. Nineveh was not a loving place to be in. However when they heard the message out of Jonah from God that God was preparing to destroy them they got into fasting and it worked. God took pity in them as the Bible says and did not destroy them. Do remember that in Joel it states God to be a loving God to forgive, so do not think that you are so bad as to not be unforgiven. We can fast also for when trouble comes to our lives. Matthew 17:21 (KJV) Sometimes trouble will arise in our lives, trouble that seems near impossible to overcome yet God says fasting and prayer is an effective tool to use in those situations. Temptation will arise, devils and demons will attack us, and it can be so great until the only way out is through prayer and fasting. Fasting can also be done for guidance and divine intervention. Act 13:2-4 The Holy Spirit did not talk to the disciples before the fast, but only after they began to fast. It is a great belief that God can and will talk to someone if they are in a mode of praying and fasting. 40 If one could learn to get into fasting and prayer and the Word of God, it can amplify one’s ability to detect the voice of God. While there are many more applications to fasting stated and observed in the Bible these are just a few that can majorly help. Before ending this section I will say that fasting is not easy. It is a rough experience to go through especially if you have not done it before or are not used to doing it. It will get extremely uncomfortable and the flesh will want to give up early. However it is important, a pastor pointed out that Jesus did not start his ministry until after fasting. Abraham the father of faith went through fasting. A you fast you must resist temptation and maintain self control, and the best way to do so is to get yourself in the mental state of fasting. Before you fast think about what you are fasting for and make up in your mind to hold that goal up above breaking the fast. When I was taught that it made one particular fasting experience for me that much greater than some of my past experiences. Be blessed and hang in there. Matthew 9:15