God is in control.

"And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:" Daniel 2:21

There are a lot of people who do not know God. Some of them are members of churches, many of them are Pastors of churches, and most of them are entire churches. T he Lord calls these people the blind and says to leave them alone and they will lead them into a ditch. Matthew 15:14 "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." they stand in their pulpits and shout how God cannot change mans will because God wants us to freely come to him, but the truth is because of total depravity man will never, never, ever repent and come to the Lord. Job said of man in Job 15:16 "How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?" Paul wrote in Romans 3:11 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." if none will seek after God then how are they going to change their will. Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 9:13 "For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts." Lets face it God controls salvation by giving it to His elect by the Holy Spirit which changes mans will. Another place of error by these same people is that they do not give God credit for what He does on His own. "And he changeth the times and the seasons..." That's right all you "Global Climate Change" people God controls the entire seasonal seasons, He has His own pleasure in the weather systems we are damaging nothing, God is protecting us and controlling all weather patterns. Most people do not want to believe this and deny God in doing so because they can't believe God brings harm to people. Well, God will bring harm to people, He will even kill people and it is called chastisement at the least and judgment at the worst. Daniel went on to say "... he removeth kings, and setteth up kings..." That's right He even controls who runs the powers of this world. While we may not know who will be elected President in our next election God does because He will set them in office. This one I used to have an issue with because I could not understand how God would set a person in office who endorses the murder of unborn children in abortion. However, God has a plan and these people who are elected to political office is leading the world to the tribulation period, therefore God set these folks in office and then uses them to do His will even though they may hate Him. Paul wrote in Romans 13:1 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." in verse 3 God called their works "...but to the evil..." and in verse 6 God called them "... for they are God's ministers...". Now one must make one wonder how it is that God sets evil working people into office to run this world when He hates the workers of sin. The answer is simple, God has a plan and He is working out His plan, it will make these people very angry to know one day that while they hated God so much they were actually doing His blessed will. Daniel concluded with this thought, "... he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:" People on their own will never understand the will and works of God unless God gives them the knowledge and understanding of it. To know God is a blessing because He give the understanding. God controls everything and that includes our understanding of Him. God is not fair as people understands fair, He does not give the same blessings to everyone because it is fair. God is fair in that He owes no man anything but eternal hell fire, but by grace gives blessings to mankind as He chooses. He saves who He chooses, calls to works who He chooses, and gives all blessings as He chooses. To those who believe God owes you something, He owes you nothing but eternal damnation. Give God due credit, ask of Him and He will give as He chooses. James 1:4, 17 "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (17.) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

In Times Of Danger, And Troubles, Believe God!

"Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." Acts 27:25

When we look at faith we look at something uncertain. Faith is defines for us in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is believing something or in someone with no eyes to see for real or without clarity. If one can see something it is no longer faith, is it evident or clear. Without faith we cannot be saved from our sins because Jesus Christ died for them more than two thousand years ago. Faith is (a.) believing by faith that Jesus Christ lived and died. (b.) believing by faith that His blood was shed for our sins. (c.) We also believe by faith, believe that God will accept that blood as just payment for our sins. This is the only way God will ever forgive our sins, because there is no other just payment. Now the question here is, how do we believe all of this? We believe it because God told us, God said in Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Faith (that is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen) comes to us by hearing the word of God, and no other way. When I preach I must prove what I say by the word of God, because Christians are not going to believe something just because I say it. I personally would not because God said in Romans 3:4 "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar..." So we believe because God has said it, and because God is true, God is truth and nothing but truth, in fact He cannot lie. Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" We believe this because we believe God, we believe what He says as absolute truth. But it seems we have issues believing God. That is right we believe God for the most important thing is our existence which is our salvation but for everyday issues we seem to have doubt in believing. Here we see Paul and others at sea for many days and when danger came they all worried except Paul because he had a visit from an Angel give him assurances they would be fine. Paul believe God, even though an angel or a messenger from God delivered him a message. Paul believed God because he had strong faith in God. It is a fact that the strength of ones faith allows them to stand stronger in Gods promises. One can never go wrong in trusting God, because God will never fail you. The Psalmist wrote; "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." Psalms 18:30 The word " buckler" means a shield or a protector because of the faith we have in it that it is Gods word and absolute truth. Therefore, beloved trust in God's word and trust it with your life just as Paul did. We go through many things in life, horrors and persecutions but by faith in God, as we learn through his word let us make those troubled times more easier and less worrisome. God told us through the writer to the Hebrews "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 God said when help is needed call on Him, but never call on God in doubt but with full faith and assurance that God will answer according to His will. To many people pray and doubt, please beloved pray with assurances not that God will answer to your will, but to His will. Do you trust God, then trust Him. "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." Ephesians 3:12

Every Knee Shall Bow!

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10.) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11.) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9 - 11

God has promised that one day every knee shall bow to the Lord Jesus Christ, they will confess who he truly is as they bow. It doesn't matter who you are, what you are, or how much of a hater of him, one day you will bow to Jesus Christ and call him Lord and Master. God has given him a name above every name so that every name under him shall bow before his blessed throne and confess who he truly is. This includes everyone in creation, from Satan, World Leaders, to Presidents, to Congress, to Atheist, and etc, etc, etc. This includes all in heaven (who do always), and those in hell. This will be the final glory of Jesus Christ from this wicked earth that hated him more than a murder and crucified him. People have mocked God long enough, therefore at this time it is God's turn, it is his turn to put haters in their rightful state of mind before he puts them into eternal damnation. This is as sure to happen and God is real, God has sworn it by his own blessed name. "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Isaiah 45:23 Paul also promised it would happen in judgment. Romans "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12.) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." 14:11 - 12 God said Jesus is worthy of this glory "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (13.) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Revelation 5:12 - 13 People have bowed and worshiped false images long enough and at this time all worship and bowing will be to Jesus Christ. God said in Exodus 20:4 "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:" A "graven image" is an idol and that is an idol of any kind. People worship and bow to idols all the time and every time they do it takes away the glory due Christ Jesus. graven images can be anything that is a holy idol. It can be a church building, this building is nothing until the church of Jesus Christ meets there, it is not holy in itself. Alters are also graven images because an alter is a place of sacrifice and the last alter was the cross of Jesus Christ. A idol or a graven image is also anything not real, this includes photos of Jesus Christ, that's right there are no actual photographs of Jesus Christ or any other bible creatures in the bible. If you have an image of Jesus Christ in your house or church building it is a false graven image and should be destroyed. I have heard all the excuses, and of all I have heard this is simply the worst one, "we don't worship the image, we know its not really Jesus, but..." really than this is my question, why do you have it? I do not keep images of strange men in my house that reminds me of Jesus Christ. Angels are another, why do people have images of angels? They are not creatures that are to be worshiped. "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: "I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:10 When one worships anything but God, the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit that are taking glory away from God and God said that was a no, no. But one day every bow of glory will be to the one that God gave a name above all other names and that name is Jesus Christ.

Do You Fear God?

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever." Psalms 111:10

The Psalmist said "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." I believe the biggest downfall of people and even some believers in Christ is their lack of fear for God. This lack of fear is the first step to ungodliness. A lack of fear in God is about the most unintelligent thing a believer can do. The lost have no fear of God because they do not believe or understand him. The lost are at enmity with God and would rather fear a falling tree more than God. However, for the Believer in Jesus Christ it is totally different. The believer has no reason to not fear God unless they are in a very weak church that never teaches the Sovereignty of God. The Psalmist wrote that the fear of God "is the beginning of wisdom" fearing God is where true wisdom begins. We should fear his name because it is Holy and Reverend. Fear will cause us to respect Gods laws, his will, and his doings. Fear will also cause us to fear offending him or causing other to offend him. All wisdom for the believer begins with fear, God has just proved it. Job wrote in Job 28:28 "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Now here Job adds to the Psalmist thinking in adding that our fear of God will make us wise but it also causes us to exit evil in our lives. When a believer who knows better goes ahead and sins, lives in sin, or has sinful ways about them, then they are not fearing God. They are convinced that God will not chastise them or that he will ignore what they are doing and that could not be further from the truth. What kind of God, what kind of Father would he be if he did. Not only is wisdom the beginning of wisdom but the writer of the Proverbs adds in Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." it is the knowledge of is understanding, that is it brightens your understanding of God as a Holy God. It also brightens your knowledge of Gods works, will, and ways. It will also brighten you understanding of the Holy Scriptures. The Preacher wrote added in Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." The conclusion of the preacher was to fear God, but he also added it is our duty to God. God has done so much for us in salvation, that we will never repay him, even if we lived a million life times. All God ever asked of Israel was to be faithful to Him and obey Him and they failed. All God ask of the believer is to be faithful to Him and sometimes we also fail, some more or less that others. If one fails to attend church it is the beginning to being unfaithful to God. We must attend church and study and learn that we might show ourselves advanced in scriptures to God. 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God..." Your improvement in scriptural knowledge shows God your fear of him but it also shows him how much you love him. But is also teaches you how to "rightly dividing the word of truth." That means it will teach you how to hold a straight course in life. Beloved it is every believers duty as a Christian to fear and follow God. We cannot do this if we are not following His fearing him first and foremost.