Month: June 2021

A DOUBLE PORTION

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Gratitude.jpg

INSTEAD OF SHAME, YOU WILL HAVE A DOUBLE PORTION

Have you ever received a gift you didn’t expect, which exceeded what you could imagine?

How did you, or how would you react?

There are some people who would reject such a gift. They might say, “Oh, you shouldn’t have, and I can’t accept that.”

I have tried something as simple as to buy dinner for friends, and some of them say that exact thing, “Oh, I can’t let you do that!”

Maybe they are embarrassed or don’t want to feel obligated?

Listen to this and tell me what you think about this Gift:

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

I have read commentary after commentary on Isaiah 61. Each tells everything you would want to know. EXCEPT ONE THING.

I read that Isaiah is saying that God is at work in the historical events of the day to bring restoration and vindication of the people of God. As God’s people are renewed and restored, they would again assume their role as witness to God in the world (55:3-5).

Chuck Swindoll says, “the book of Isaiah provides us with the most comprehensive prophetic picture of Jesus Christ in the entire Old Testament. It includes the full scope of His life: the announcement of His coming (Isaiah 40:3–5), His virgin birth (7:14), His proclamation of the good news (61:1), His sacrificial death (52:13–53:12), and His return to claim His own (60:2–3)”

THIS ONE THING

These commentaries tell everything, EXCEPT THIS ONE THING: What does it mean to me, and should I apply it to my life, today?

Should I try to apply Isaiah 61 to my life?

Here are some of the scriptures that we are to apply to our lives – daily…

THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Jesus said, in Matthew 4, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

We are to do this as Jesus does.

THIS, WE ARE TO DO.

Jesus said, in Matthew 16:24 “Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

We are to do this as Jesus does.

THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Jesus said, in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Verse 20.  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We are to do this as Jesus does.

THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Philippians 2:5 says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”.

We are to do this as Jesus does.

BUT, ARE WE ARE TO DO THIS, TOO?

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

If this is a PROPHETIC WORD from God…THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Verse 2. To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

Verse 3 . To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Verse 4. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.

GOD WILL DO THIS and GOD HAS DONE THIS

(Dear friends, repeat and think about the words in the ‘blue lettering’ as your confession, and read what God has done)

Isaiah 61:5 says, Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,

(and strangers will stand and pasture my flocks)

And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

(And foreigners will be my farmers and your vinedressers)

Verse 6.  But you will be called the priests of the LORD;

(But I will be called a priest of the LORD;)

You will be spoken of as ministers of our God.

(I will be spoken of as a minister of our God.)

You will eat the wealth of nations,

(I will eat the wealth of nations)

And in their riches you will boast.

(And in their riches I boast.)

Verse 7.  Instead of your shame, you will have a double portion,

(Instead of your shame, I have a double portion,)

And instead of humiliation, they will shout for joy over their portion.

(And instead of humiliation, I shout for joy over my portion.)

Therefore, they will possess a double portion in their land,

(Therefore I possess a double portion in my land,)

Everlasting joy will be theirs.

(Everlasting joy is mine.)

Let’s all say

BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME. YOU HAVE CROWNED MY HEAD WITH LOVING KINDNESS AND COMPASSION.

May it be as The Word of God says.

Now, let’s go and BE BLESSED – just as you have BLESSED THE LORD.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE – Ch. 15 – The Narrow Gate

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 1 Comment

A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Teaching, Training & Commissioning

Chapter  15

THE NARROW AND THE WIDE GATES

Jesus instructs us, in Matthew 7:13, to “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. Verse 14 goes on to say, “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Everything we are learning and training on, as disciples, hinges on this ‘directive’.  A disciple who is making their way on mission with Jesus, will likely will miss their destination and be rendered lost and wandering unless they follow the right path.  In this case, the path is one of Spiritual Warfare and the destination is Eternal life.  This is the mission and calling of being a disciple and an ambassador of Christ.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?

Jesus is telling us to take the right path, the path which leads to life.  And, to assist us, He reminds us, in John 10:9, that He is that Path and that Gate.

Again, in John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  

There is no other Path.  There is no other way.  There is only The One Gate.  Not only is this narrow way, which leads to life, clearly mapped out in scriptures, we have Jesus as our personal Guide.  There is never room for deviation for those who hope to successfully arrive at God’s predetermined destination.

There are many pastors, bible teachers, church leaders and Christians, whether through carelessness, ignorance or rebelliousness, think they have found ways around the difficulties of entering by this small and narrow passage way.  And, they lead others down the broad path and through the wide gate which leads to destruction.

How can I tell if I am on the Narrow Path which leads to the Small Gate and to life?  You can find The Way as God reveals Himself, by the Holy Spirit, through the Bible, by prayer, through circumstances and through the church.  Know and depend on these 7 realities:

  1. God is always at work around you. If you are on the right path, you will see where He is at work.

2.  God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real
and personal.  He will not leave nor forsake you.  He will always be with you.  You can know you are on the right path if If you are extending that love to others. God and people are the priority – not the path.

3.  God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.

( John 6:29 says, “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

(Matthew 10:7-15 says, “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

8“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

9“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

11“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.

12“As you enter the house, give it your greeting. 13“If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 14“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15“Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.)

(Matthew 28:19 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”)  If you are doing anything other than what Jesus has already done, or if you are doing more that Jesus has already done, you are not on the right path! Simply join Him in doing what He has already done – that is His Work.

4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer,
circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes,
and His ways.  If you are on the right path, you can listen, and you will hear Him; you can read His Word and understand; you can meditate on Him and know Him; you can pray, and He will answer you; you can watch, and you will see Him.

5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a
crisis of belief that requires faith and action.  ACT in faith, doing what He is already doing – or go home.

6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in
what He is doing.  Take that leap of faith and join Him, today, in what He is already doing!!

7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He
accomplishes His work through you.

(Taken from “The 7 Realities for Knowing and Experiencing God”, by Henry and Richard Blackaby – published by LifeWay Press® Nashville, Tennessee.)

We must be reminded, that the walk and calling of a disciple means to give up your life in order to have the life of Christ.  We may struggle and suffer, but we will overcome the evil that besets us in this life, in order to gain eternal life with God.  Or, we can live this life carelessly and in ease, but, lose our life.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please remember to click the blue italicized links in each chapter, in order to get the important details on these Bible teachings)

Please bookmark this page and watch for our next chapter, “A Tree and its Fruit”

(The previous episode can be found at “Righteous Judgment”)

(Please also notice, you can listen by podcast as you read along.  You can pause the audio in order to click the links for details and references, which are necessary for the entire teaching)

SHOULD YOU RUN & HIDE?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Should we, as Christians, ever ‘run and hide’?  If so, WHEN?

Jesus warns of such a time.  Jesus tells us, in Matthew 24:15, “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), verse 16. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Verse 17. “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Verse 18. “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Verse 19. “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! Verse 20. “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.

First, you should know that Jesus is speaking to His Jewish disciples who lived in and around Judea. They knew about the past destruction of the Temple and the significance of the events surrounding the Abomination of Desolation in 149 BC and the necessity to “run and hide”.

Also, Jesus is speaking of a ‘coming desolation’ which must be understood in the context of the verses which come before and after this statement.

Jesus begins by describing a past event in Matthew 24, verse 15, through verse 20, with an eye to the future.  He is recounting the urgency for escape from the destruction of the first Jewish Temple and the slaughter of thousands of Jews, in 425 BC, comparing it to a similar event which will occur at some future date.

It would be easy to speculate, as many have, that the ‘future date’ was during the destruction of the 2nd Temple in AD 70. The problem with that, is found within the warning Jesus gives in verses 21 through 31.

Jesus speaks of a “a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will”.

He goes on to say, that, “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. A tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Obviously, nothing on that scale has ever occurred. Jesus is speaking of an event which is yet to come and will occur after the destruction of the second Jewish Temple in AD 70.

Although we do not know the exact date or time, we can know the “season” and we are told to be prepared for what is coming, and we are told what to do when certain events occur. (Matthew chapter 24)

It is urgent that we are ready for what is coming, because Jesus tells us that “the SON OF MAN (is) COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Unfortunately, most Christians are not to be bothered with “getting ready”.  One has to wonder, do they not believe such fantastic things could happen or is it that they just cannot be inconvenienced?

Others, perhaps, just don’t understand what it means ‘to get ready’.  They have been taught, or conditioned to think, that ‘getting ready’ is walking an aisle in a church and repeating a ‘sinner’s prayer’ is all that is necessary to ‘be ready’.

Some think getting ready means to “Go Off Grid” or becoming a “Survivalist” or a ‘Prepper’.

Please watch this short video excerpt, “Going Beyond ‘Off the Grid’” for one possible explanation why many Christians are not “Ready” for what is coming:

I would suggest “The Grid” is just another name for the “This World System”.  So, “Going Beyond Off the Grid” does not just mean moving to remote locations and disappearing from view or becoming a “Survivalist” or a ‘Prepper’.  Instead, as Jesus has said, although we, as Christians, are in this world, we are not of this World System.

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?  DO YOU CARE?

Jesus warns against indifference and ignorance on these matters.     He tells us, in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Verse 37. “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. Verse 38. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, Verse 39. and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Verse 40. “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Verse 41. “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Verse 42. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Verse 43. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Verse 44. “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Verse 45. “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Verse 46. “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Verse 47. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. Verses 48 and 49. “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; Verses 50 and 51. the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

(Read Matthew chapter 24 and Matthew chapter 25).

Until the time comes, as spoken about in Matthew 24:15-20, we are to busy ourselves as disciple makers.  But, even that does not excuse us from having contingency plans, “to be ready”, beyond these days.

BEING READY – WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

 Stay Alert –

Matthew 24:32 says, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; Verse 33. So, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” 

   Matthew 24:42 says, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Verse 43. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.”

 Remain Vigilant –

 Verse 45. “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Verse 46. “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Verse 47. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. Verses 48 and 49. “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’. and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; Verse 50 and 51. the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Stay Ready –

Matthew 25:1 says “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Verse 2. “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. Verse 3. “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, Verse 4. But the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

Remain Faithful –

Matthew 25:14 says, “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. Verse 15. “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Verse 26. “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Verse 27. ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Verse 28. ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

This is a difficult question and an elusive answer.  But, what do you think?  Is living a life of ease and luxury, wrong?  Or, does it simply and gradually replace following Jesus?

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(Please leave a comment about what you think)

The Rapture Revealed 2020 

PS:  Click here for Additional Reading and footnotes

EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE – Ch. 14 – Righteous Judgment

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Teaching, Training & Commissioning

Chapter  14

RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT

The previous chapter on “Prayer and the Golden Rule” was the opening volley of the Christian’s offensive in Spiritual Warfare.

Oswald Chambers once said, “A child of God never prays to be made aware of the fact that God answers prayer, because he is so restfully certain that God always answers prayer.” August 21, 2018,

​” We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.” August 14, 2014

“To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me, and then I change things.” August 14, 2014

The second phase of our training in Spiritual Warfare is learning to have clear vision and to maintain your innocence before God. This begins with making Right Judgments.

Matthew 7:1-6 says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?  “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

The “hypocrite”, according to Bible lexicons and concordances, is an actor, stage player, a dissembler, a pretender and a hypocrite.  A hypocrite is one who simulates, feign or pretends.  One who is vile, shameful, reproachful, full of dishonor, ignominy, and disgrace.

Definitions won’t adequately describe what Jesus is talking about.  Jesus is saying that one’s attitude reveals their character, their heart and their intentions.  The hypocrite is in danger of being lost and perishing.

Read what Jesus says about, and to, hypocrites (I have abbreviated these verses for context.  (You can read the full chapter here: Matthew 23)

Verse 13:  “But WOE to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, you will receive greater condemnation.”

Verse 15:  “WOE to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

Verse 27:  “WOE to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Verse 29:  “WOE to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?”

Hypocrisy could be described as a deadly form of narcissism, where the practice of claiming to have moral standards or views to which one’s own behavior does not meet.  It is a pretense of morality that cloaks our inability to meet some predetermined moral code.

The word, in the verses cited above, comes from the Greek word,  “hupokrinomai”, which means, to be an actor under an assumed character, a stage-player;  figuratively, to disguise or conceal one’s real nature, motives, or feelings behind a false appearance.

One of the root causes of hypocrisy is fear and low self-esteem. We suffer hypocrisy as an avoidance for looking at our shortcomings and figuring out our part in it.  Hypocrisy  typically stems from a sincere belief that the double-standard we apply to ourselves is justifiable, because we have better intentions, therefore, we are forgiven for our “mistakes”.

We believe our intentions are just, noble and sincere, despite how we act at times.  The Bible, in Jeremiah 17:9, warns us about trusting our ‘heart’ on these matters, when it tells us, “The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick. Who can understand it?”

1 John 1:8, tells us that, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

In order to find relief from this satanic trap, this disorder, we must admit that we are imperfect beings, created with flaws, who are prone to fail.  1 John 1:9, says that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We must learn to look at our own shortcomings and recognize that every one of us is prone to wrongdoing.  The Bible tells us that we all fall short of God’s Glory and that none of us are righteous, no not anyone!

The person suffering from hypocrisy has a strong desire to be loved and accepted. The fear of personal failure, humility and judgment is so powerful, that the hypocrite uses “double-mindedness” and cognitive dissonance to avoid facing themselves.

Also, at the root of hypocrisy is a desire to be loved and accepted without judgment.   Only God can give that kind of love. And, only the fully devoted follower of Jesus, filled with His Holy Spirit, can also give that kind of love.

Until you “clear your own eye”, rid yourself of hypocrisy and master Righteous Judgment, you cannot possibly be effective nor survive the Spiritual War which rages.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please remember to click the blue italicized links in each chapter, in order to get the important details on these Bible teachings)

Please bookmark this page and watch for our next chapter, “THE NARROW AND THE WIDE GATES”

(The previous episode can be found at “Prayer and the Golden Rule”)

(Please also notice, you can listen by podcast as you read along.  You can pause the audio in order to click the links for details and references, which are necessary for the entire teaching)

EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE – Ch. 13 – Prayer and the Golden Rule

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Teaching, Training & Commissioning

Chapter  13

PRAYER AND THE “GOLDEN RULE”

Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires much of a person, as we have already learned.  And, prayer is an indispensable activity of the disciple. But, praying, just for the sake of praying, is never enough.  We saw, in chapter 12, episode 7, that praying in order to be recognized, will achieve nothing in the Kingdom of God.

Furthermore, the Apostle James tells us that, “When you do ask you don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that is so that you may spend it on your own pleasures.” (James 4:2-3)

Read and hear what Jesus says, in Matthew 7 verses 7 through 12, about the requisites of prayer.  And, remember, this is for His disciples:

Matthew 7:7-12, says,  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  

“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

“What man is there among you, who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

      “Therefore, In everything, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

It is important, first, to know the Greek word for ‘ask’ is in the Greek, is “aiteó”, and, it means to ask, to beg, to call for, to crave, to desire and to require. This word strongly implies an urgency and a fervency in prayer.

Additionally, it is in the Greek, aorist tense, which means the ‘asking’ has no regard for the past, present or future.

It is the same for the words, to “seek” and to “knock”.  In other words, it is continuing; it is not a simple “one and done” request.

Secondly, Jesus establishes the fact that if you continue to ask, seek and knock,” it will be opened to you”.  This phrase is emphatic, and is in the future aorist tense, meaning “it will continue to be opened to you”.

Finally, the requisite. “THEREFORE, In everything, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

This is an oracle of the Word of God.  A ‘golden key’ which opens the Kingdom’s treasury to you. ” Treat people the same way you want them to treat you”. 

You will have to do this with the right attitude. This cannot be contrived to reach your own ends, “so that you may spend it on your own pleasures.”

You must give, so, as it says in Luke 6:38, “it will be given back to you, 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 back to you.” 

For this is the “Laws and the Prophets”, which were meant to teach and guide the Jewish people in all their thought and conduct in order to live a life pleasing to God to have success in their affairs.

You cannot successfully complete the training, nor function as a fully devoted disciple of Jesus, until you learn and master the secret of this Golden Key of the Kingdom.  Neither, can you engage effectively in the spiritual warfare, which will inevitably ensue.

Trust His Words.  Believe Him.  Do His Words.  Practice His Presence.  And, by faith, we will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony! (Revelation 12:11)

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please remember to click the blue italicized links in each chapter, in order to get the important details on these Bible teachings)

Please bookmark this page and watch for our next chapter, “RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT”

(The previous episode can be found at “Removing The Obstacles of Worry and Anxiety”)

(Please also notice, you can listen by podcast as you read along.  You can pause the audio in order to click the links for details and references, which are necessary for the entire teaching)

Pre-Wrath Rapture – Page 5

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

Revelation 8:1 says,  “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Verse 2:  “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Verse 3:  “Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

Verse 4:  “And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.

Verse 5:  “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

Verse 6:  “And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. This discourse on the tribulation is now into the 7th seal!

COULD THIS BE THE RAPTURE?

Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

Ask WHO?  Ask WHERE?

I repeat, for emphasis,

      • ALL THE SAINTS,
      • BEFORE THE THRONE.

There is also a “Woe” to those still on earth, but it seems there are no more references to The Church, to disciples or Christ followers on earth after this event.

Now that Jesus has warned His followers of what to expect, He gives instructions on what we are to do:

Matthew 24:37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.”

Those in that day had it wrong, all except Noah, and I wonder about us in the 21st Century prophecy experts?

Verse 37:  “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.

Verse 38:  “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

Verse 39:  “and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Verse 40:  “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

Verse 41:  “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Verse 42:  “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

Verse 43:  “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Verse 44:  “For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Verse 45:  “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?

Verse 46:  “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

1. For this reason, you also must be ready.

2. The faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time.

3. Blessed in that slave whom his master finds so doing when He comes.

For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah

  • Noah believed God against all the odds.
  • Noah obeyed God, all the time, by faith.
  • Noah stood against the contemporary wisdom and the taunts of those around him.
  • Noah got ready. Noah stayed ready.
  • Noah as the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time.
  • Noah is the Blessed Slave whom his Master found doing so when He came.
  • Noah and his household endured to the end and were saved!

Are you ready to be a Noah?

Have you started building the Ark of your Salvation by believing God by faith, against all the odds?

Are you obeying God?  Are you doing what He has said to do to be ready?

Are you standing against contemporary wisdom and the taunts of those around you, both inside and outside the church?

Are you Ready for what is coming and may indeed already be here?

Are you being the faithful and sensible salve whom your Master has put in charge of your household to give them their food at the proper time?

Be the Blessed slave whom your Master finds doing so when He comes.

(Click here to return to Page 4)

Your Friend and Brother

Mike Young

(A video of Matthew 24:1-35 from the Lumoproject.com )

(A video of Matthew 24:36-51 from the Lumoproject.com )

A video of Revelation starting at chapter 6

Rapture Revealed – A PowerPoint presentation:

Pre-Wrath Rapture – Page 4

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

Matthew 24:29 says, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Verse 30: “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.

Verse 31: “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Revelation 6:12 says, “I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;

Verse 13:  “and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.

Verse 14:  The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Verse 15:  “Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;

Verse 16:  and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

Verse 17:  “for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Revelation 7:1 says,  “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.”

Revelation 7:9 says,  “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;

Verse 10:  “and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Verse 11:  “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

Verse 12:  “saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Verse 13:  “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?”

Verse 14:  “I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

RECAP

      • But, immediately after the tribulation of those days, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the power of the heavens will be shaken.
      • AND THEN, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, AND THEN all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and THEY WILL SEE the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
      • And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the FOUR WINDS , from one end of the sky to the other.
      • A great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues

I mean no disrespect, but, since when is the Bible unable to count the number of anything? So, this must be an extraordinarily large number, perhaps from the time of creation?

      • Standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches in their hands and they cry out with a loud voice, saying “Salvation to our God who site on the throne, and to the Lamb.
      • THESE ARE THE ONES WHO COME OUT OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (This is just too clear to be misunderstood).

Revelation 7:15 says  “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

Verse 16:  “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;

Verse 17:   “for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

IS THIS THE RAPTURE?

This is very clear:

These, the “ones who come out of the tribulation” are now in heaven along with the “great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues”

Please notice how Chapter 8 of Revelation starts…

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Pre-Wrath Rapture – Page 3

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Here’s a quick scan of time and history. See what you think.

News Headlines (2018)

The breaking of the 1st Seal in the Book of Revelation says we will hear of WARS and rumors of war and that we will hear of nation rising against nation

There have been thousands upon thousands of wars and conflicts since the time of Christ. Most notable for their scope and breadth are the

  • Religious Crusades (1095 – 1291, Muslims vs Latin Church, almost 2 million dead),
  • WWI (1914 – 1918, 17 million dead), and
  • WW2 (1939 – 1945, over 70 million dead).

Current wars and global conflicts, 2018 (link)

As recently as 1978 the communist military coup on 27 April 1978, known as the Saur Revolution, when the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) took power. Since that day, an almost continuous series of armed conflicts has dominated and afflicted Afghanistan.

The Syrian civil war has drawn the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, The Kurds, ISIS into this conflict.

Other countries involved in military conflicts as of 2018.

· Iraq. …

· Russia. …

· Ukraine. …

· Yemen. …

· Democratic Republic of the Congo. …

· Mexico. …

· Central African Republic

Wars and rumors of war is nothing new. Neither are famines and earthquakes.

Famines: A list of global famines (link)

Earthquakes: A historical list of global seismic activity (link)

Compare what Jesus said, found in Matthew 24 and what John said in Revelation about these matters.

I have coupled the corollary verses:

Matthew 24:6 says, “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.

7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.

8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.“

Revelation 6:1  says, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.”

Verse 2:  “I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Verse 3:   “When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.”

Verse 4:  “And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.”

  • But that is not yet the end…all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
  • Wars and rumors of wars have been ongoing since the 1st century.
  • The breaking of the 2nd Seal brings outright warfare on a Global Scale.

We have now seen two world wars

We have seen ‘the sons of Ishmael’ warring with ‘the sons of Isaac’ on a global scale since the time of Christ.

So, how can we tell when the 1st and 2nd Seals of the ‘tribulation’ have been broken?

Let’s skip forward to the 5th Seal events found in Matthew and Revelation.

Matthew 24:9  says,”Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”

Revelation 6:9 says, “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;

Verse 10:  “and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Verse 11:  “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

  • THEN, they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you…”

Matthew 24:13  says,”But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

  • But, the one who endure to THE END, he will be saved.”

Once again, if we are not to endure these ‘tribulations’ why is Jesus warning us to “endure to the end”?

Matthew 24:15  says, “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

Verse 16:  “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Verse 17:  “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Verse 18:  “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Verse 19:  “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! Verse 20:  “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. Verse 21:  “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Verse 22:  “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”
  •  “When you SEE the Abomination of Desolation. (HEY, DISCIPLES, when you SEE IT? How can you SEE IT if you are not on earth?)
  •  “For THEN there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.
  •  “…but for the sake of the ELECT”.  (THE ELECT are still on earth at this point? The ELECT are still on earth at the 5th Seal of the tribulation? How is that even possible, if they will have been Raptured away?)

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Pre-Wrath Rapture

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 1 Comment

 

When is the Rapture, the tribulation, the return of Jesus – and why does it matter?

You might say these things are in God’s Hands, I am saved, so what does it matter. I think I am ready, I cannot change these things, so why worry?

Well, if you say that, then you are partially right. You should not worry. However, it does matter. It matters a great deal.

1.  It matters because God’s Words tells us of the things to come and warns us to be ready and to be found doing the things He has told us to do.

Matthew 24:42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
“For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?

“Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

“Truly, I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

“But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, “and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Another parable tell of the waiting virgins who were not prepared, and the Lord says to them, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”

Yet another parable warns us that the worthless slave who is not faithful to be found doing as his Master instructed will be “Thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

2.  It matters because your families and others are watching. You are to be an example for them, and you are to help them be prepared.

Watch each of the 5 videos on this page, which explain the Pre-Wrath Rapture and teaching commentary on this subject by Pastor John Piper. Please watch, listen, pray and think.

THIS IS IMPORTANT.

The term, Rapture, refers to the idea that a day will come when Jesus will appear in the heavens, at which time the dead in Christ will be resurrected to meet Him in the air and to receive their glorified bodies. Living believers will be taken up also and will be translated en route from mortal to immortal. Both the resurrected believers and the living ones will then return to Heaven with Jesus. This event is viewed by most as being separate and apart from the Second Coming of Jesus, when He will return to earth to reign for a thousand years.

The word, Rapture, does not appear in English language Bibles, but it can be found in the Latin Vulgate translation of Jerome, which served as the basic Bible of the Western world for over 1200 years, from 400AD to 1611 when the King James Version was published. The word appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  In English versions, it is expressed as “caught up.” The concept of the Rapture can be found in many other places in the New Testament — for example, in John 14:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.

The Question of Timing

Among those who believe in a Rapture of the Church, there is disagreement as to the timing of the event. Until recent years, there were three concepts of the Rapture’s timing:

  1. The Pre-Tribulation View — This is the idea that the Rapture will take place before the Tribulation begins.
  2. The Mid-Tribulation View — This viewpoint places the Rapture in the middle of the Tribulation.
  3. The Post-Tribulation View — According to this view, the Rapture and the Second Coming are all one event that takes place at the end of the Tribulation.
  4. The “Pre-Wrath-Tribulation” View —In 1990 Marvin Rosenthal presented a fourth viewpoint in his book, The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. Rosenthal was not the originator of this new viewpoint. Rather, he was the one who popularized it with his book. The person who conceived the “Pre-Wrath” view of the Rapture was a man named Robert Van Kampen (1938-1999).

The most popular and widely accepted doctrine on the tribulation is the pre-tribulation rapture. It says that all Christians will be ‘raptured’ off the earth and into heaven, BEFORE any of the tribulation starts (i.e., before any of the tribulation judgment seals are broken or opened)0. Once the rapture has occurred, the 7-year-tribulation will then begin- or so it says.

I accepted the “pre-tribulation-rapture-view” without much thought. It was what I was told would happen and as a new Christian, I never questioned it.

Many years later, a friend and co-teacher, asked me to join him in teaching a Church class on a book about the Rapture and the Tribulation. My assignment was PRE-tribulation Rapture, and he would present and discuss the mid-tribulation rapture view.

It took me almost a year to prepare, and that study and preparation raised questions I could not ignore. I have spent 10 years searching scriptures and studying this matter. For example:

1. Why was Jesus warning His disciples (and subsequent disciples or anyone who would eventually read His Words in the Bible) about coming events it they would not experience those events, if they would be raptured before the tribulation?

2. How can we tell WHICH ‘wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes’ were the result of breaking of the first seal of the tribulation, because there have been thousands of them since Jesus said these words.

3. Was Jesus wanting to ‘scare’ listeners into believing by warning them ahead of time? (I think not. Trickery just doesn’t fit Jesus Character, and He tells us “do not be frightened” by these things.)

4. Jesus tells His disciples (and subsequent disciples or anyone who would eventually read His Word in the bible), in Matthew 24:6 that “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. Verse 7:  “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. Verse 8:  “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

And a few verses later, Matthew 24:13 says, “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

Why is Jesus telling us that we should not be frightened by the WARS, RUMORS OF WARS, NATIONS RISING AGAINST NATIONS, FAMINES, EARTHQUAKES, and that we must ENDURE TO THE END TO BE SAVED if we have been “Raptured” and out of harms way?

5. When you compare Jesus’ Words in the book of Matthew with John the Revelator’s account of the ‘End of Days’ in Revelation, why do you get the very real sense that something about pre-tribulation evangelical or reformed doctrines of the end times don’t line up with or doesn’t fit with what you read IN THE BIBLE.

(There are other daunting questions, but this is enough for this article)

I’m no scholar. But, that year of study changed my views, slowly at first, then after over twelve years of study and review, my mind is changed, permanently.

Here’s a quick scan of time and history. See what you think.

The breaking of the 1st Seal in the Book of Revelation says we will hear of WARS and rumors of war and that we will hear of nation rising against nation (Click here to link to the Rest of The Story – Page 3)

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(PS: The Pre-Wrath-Tribulation view says that (#1). The first tribulation judgment seals were broken (opened) at or just after the birth of Jesus, and (#2). Tribulation seals ONE through FIVE have been opened sequentially, progressively, overlapping, and the effects have been intensifying to this date.

The SIXTH tribulation seal is still a future event, at which time and Matthew 24, verse 29 “immediately after the tribulation of the previous days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. Verse 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His [c] elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE – Ch. 12, Ep. 9 – Removing the Obstacle of Worry and Anxiety

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Teaching, Training & Commissioning

Chapter  12  Episode  9

REMOVING THE OBSTACLES OF WORRY & ANXIETY

This final episode, on the removal of the obstacles of discipleship and of following Jesus, is one of the longest and most difficult.  It requires prayer, faith, trust, self-discipline and obedience to God’s Word, in the midst of a storm. Read carefully, trust God, then do what He says.

Worry brings doubt; worry and doubt are sin; sin separates us from God and brings destruction and death.

We must repent of our sinful thinking and ways, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Therefore, if you confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart, and you will be saved; for it is with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (Romans 10-:10-11)

(For our convenience, I have coded the Obstacle in green, the penalty in purple and the Remedy in Blue.)

Episode 9:  Removing the Obstacles of Worry & Anxiety requires that we Seek, First, His Kingdom and His Righteousness.

Matthew 6:25-34 says, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

”Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  “And why are you worried about clothing?

Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? 

You of little faith!

“Do not worry, then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things;

For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.”

“Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I will use the example of God’s servant, Job, to help understand how to remove the obstacles of worry and anxiety.

Job, according to the Bible, (Job 1:1-3), was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Job had seven sons and three daughters, he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; The Bible says that Job  was the greatest of all the men of the east. In other words, Job had it all!

But, Job worried. (see Job 1:4-5).  He worried that “his sons had sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” So, Job would pray and consecrate them, daily. The Bible says, “Job did this continually.”  The Hebrew word for ‘continually’ is a complex word, but, in essence could be compared to our modern word describing an obsessive and compulsive behavior, stemming from worry.

Now read carefully what comes next, because, because it is not a coincidence; it is a result of compulsive worrying:

Job:1:6-12  says, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.  The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

First, notice, Job has ‘left a door open for evil’ through his worry, and Satan will enter Job’s thinking and his life.

Secondly, ask yourself, “Is God not omniscient?  How could God not know this?” But, God did know, and He was revealing the intentions and activities of Satan for all to hear.

Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job?

(Once again, God is making Satan confess)

God goes on to say, “For there is no one like Job on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”  Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing?  “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

Then tragedy struck.  In one day, Job lost all his possessions and all of his children. (see Job 1:13-19)

But, it does not end there.  Once again, tragedy strikes and Job loses his health. (see Job 2:1-6)

Then, Job, crying out in pain, laments.  Sadly, Job’s confession of lament confirms only and solidifies his condition. “Afterward, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.” (see Job 3:1)

Next, Job utters the realization we must remember, in

(Job 3:25-26)

“For what I fear comes upon me,
            And what I dread befalls me.

“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
            And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

What follows in Job’s life are distorted relationships, tragedy, pain and suffering. (see Job chapter 4 through Job chapter 37)

Then, the most amazing of all miracles occurs. God speaks directly to Job in Chapter 38 and verses 2 and 3, and says,

“Who is this that darkens counsel
            By words without knowledge?

      “Now gird up your loins like a man,
            And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

(In our contemporary language, we might hear, “Who do you think you are, clouding the truth with ignorance?  Now, hike up your pants like and man and face Me!  If you are so smart, tell me what you know about Who I Am!)

Job, after receiving instructions about his own ignorance of the matters of God, utters A NEW CONFESSION that begins the process of removal of the Obstacles of Worry and Anxiety from his life,

” Then Job answered the LORD and said,

      “I know that You can do all things,
            And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

      ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
            “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
            Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

      ‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
            I will ask You, and You instruct me.’

      “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
            But now my eye sees You;

      “Therefore, I retract,
            And I repent in dust and ashes.”

The results?

The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.

Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.

The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days.”

RECAP

  • Worry brings doubt; worry and doubt are sin
  • Sin separates us from God
  • Sin brings destruction and death
  • Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand
  • Confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart, and you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (Romans 10-:10-11)

Knowing of these things and not doing them, make empty words. But, if we do as John 15:7 tells us, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Believe it!  Do it!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please remember to click the blue italicized links in each chapter, in order to get the important details on these Bible teachings)

Please bookmark this page and watch for our next chapter,  “ANSWERED PRAYER – THE GOLDEN RULE”

(The previous episode can be found at “Removing The Obstacle Pride Serving Two Masters”)

(Please also notice, you can listen by podcast as you read along.  You can pause the audio in order to click the links for details and references, which are necessary for the entire teaching)

Eschatology of the End Times – Simplified

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A Timeline Chronolgy of the Last Days

Genesis to Revelation

A Chronology of the prevailing view of the TRADTIONAL DENOMINATIONAL TIMELINE OF THE “END OF DAYS” – SIMPLIFIED.

  1.   In the Beginning
  2.    Prophecy of things to come
  3.    Foreshadowing of things to com
  4.    Events missing in the Outline of the End Times
  5.    The tribulation’s days of distress begins
  6.    The Signs
  7.    The Events
  8.    The Eschatological Clock – The 5th Seal
  9.    Daniels 70th Week – The Great Tribulation – The 6th Seal
  10.  The Rapture of the Church – The 6th Seal- The Interlude- The 144,000- A Multitude from the Revelation
  11. The Wrath of the Lamb – Trumpet & Bowl JudgmentsThe Battle of Gog and Magog
  12. The Abomination of Desolation
  13.  The Battle of Armageddon
  14. The judgment of the nations
  15. The binding of Satan
  16. The Great White Throne Judgment
  17. The new creation.

Eschatology of the End Times –  Chronology 

  1.  In the Beginning – Prophecies of the coming New World Order.  God creates mankind, with a flaw.  Failure is planned; a Savior is provided; The Plan has begun.
  1.  The Tower of Babel– Then and Now.  Man rebels and reaches for the heavens.
  1.  The coming of Messiah.  The Messiah is foretold.
  1.  Prophetic warnings– 1st century AD.  No one is listening.
  1.  The Days of Distress of the tribulation.The End has begun.
  1.  The countdown – The first 4 Seals of the Days of Distress
  1.  The World Events of the Seals.  ONGOING.
  1.  The 5th Seal is broken. The Great Apostasy begins,the falling away from the faith,The Antichrist is revealed. After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:20)
  1. The rapture of the church. Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 15:52). At this same time, the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected and taken to heaven, too. From our perspective today, this is the next event in the eschatological timeline. The rapture is imminent;  The only things that mus yet happen are, (#1), the revealing of the anti-Christ, (#2), the Great Apostasy and, (#3), the breaking of the 6th Schroll Seal of the Tribulation.
  2.  The Breaking of the Sixth SealThe Great tribulation, Daniel’s 70th week begins. A period of seven years in which God’s judgment is poured out on sinful humanity (Revelation 6–16). The Antichrist’s rise to power is associated with this time period. During the tribulationon earth, the Church will be in heaven. It is thought that at this time the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:6–10).
  3. The Battle of Gog and Magog. In the first part of the tribulation, a great army from the north, in alliance with several other countries from the Middle East and Africa, attacks Israel and is defeated by God’s supernatural intervention (Ezekiel 38–39). (Some commentators place this battle just before the start of the tribulation.)
  4. The abomination of desolation. At the midway point of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and shows his true colors. The Jews are scattered, and many of them turn to the Lord, realizing that Jesus is their Savior. A great persecution breaks out against all those who believe in Christ (Daniel 12:11; Mark 13:14; Revelation 12:17).
  5. The Battle of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus returns with the armies of heaven (Mark 14:62). He saves Jerusalem from annihilation and defeats the armies of the nations fighting under the banner of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:11–21). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
  6. The judgment of the nations. Christ will judge the survivors of the tribulation, separating the righteous from the wicked as “sheep” and “goats” (Matthew 25:31–46). (It is thought that at this time the Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead.) The righteous will enter the Millennial Kingdom; the wicked will be cast into hell.
  7. The binding of Satan. Satan will be bound and held in a bottomless pit for the next 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–3).
  8. The Millennial Kingdom. Jesus Himself will rule the world, and Jerusalem will be the capital. This will be a 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity on earth (Revelation 20; Isaiah 60–62). Memorial sacrifices will be offered in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40–48).
  9. The last battle. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations once again, and there will be a rebellion against the Lord that will be quickly defeated (Revelation 20:7–10). Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, never to reappear.
  10. The Great White Throne Judgment. All those in hell will be brought forth, and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before God in a final judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). The verdicts are read, and all of sinful humanity is cast into the lake of fire.
  11. The new creation. God completely remakes the heavens and the earth. It is at this time that God wipes away all tears and there will be no more pain, death, or sorrow. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven, and the children of God will enjoy eternity with Him (Revelation 21–22).

There are multiple views of the chronology of the Biblical End Times.  I do not want to pursue or repeat what has already been written.  The following outline is a generally accepted chronology and is from the pre-tribulation view.

Almost every such outline or chronology of this sort, is the same.  They begin with the rapture of the church and go from there.  They usually ignore the prophecies about the coming End of Days, the events which foreshadow the coming Day of the Lord (a.k.a., End Times) and the most recent first century warnings which are leading up to the tribulation and the Great Tribulation periods.

I will use this outline, taken from Gotquestions.org – end times timeline, as my template and fill in the missing parts.

  1. IN THE BEGINNING

It is difficult to imagine that God planned the entirety of time.  We cannot go back far enough to discover when this began, because there is no beginning with God.  In so few words, such an incomprehensible statement:  “God has always existed”.

It is equally difficult to imagine “a world without end”, but God is eternal, even beyond “the new heavens and a new earth”.  (Revelation 12:1)

But, God has spoken to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, and in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.  And it is by these ways that we can know.

  2. THE PROPHECIES

First, God has spoken to us through the prophets in various ways.  God’s warnings are warning of coming judgment for His people’s rebellions and disobedience.  God’s judgments followed His warnings, and each of these events, known as The Day of the Lord, are a foreshadowing of what is yet to come.  A time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation.  (Daniel 12:1)

The words and the imagery of the destruction during the great and Terrible Day of the Lord would be difficult for most to accept or to understand.

(The good news is that God’s people, everyone who is found written in the Book of Life, will be rescued.)

Here is are those prophecies:

Isaiah 13:9 See, the day of the LORD is coming –a cruel day, with …

See, the day of the LORD is coming –a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger–
to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. …
//biblehub.com/isaiah/13-9.htm – 18k

Lamentations 2:22 “As you summon to a feast day, so you summoned …

… terrors on every side. In the day of the LORD’s anger no one escaped or survived;
those I cared for and reared my enemy has destroyed …
//biblehub.com/lamentations/2-22.htm – 19k

Ezekiel 30:3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near– a …

For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near– a day
of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. …
//biblehub.com/ezekiel/30-3.htm – 17k

Hosea 9:5 What will you do on the day of your appointed festivals …

… What will you do on a festival day, on the day of the LORD’s feast? …
//biblehub.com/hosea/9-5.htm – 16k

Joel 1:15 Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it …

Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it
will come like destruction from the Almighty. …
//biblehub.com/joel/1-15.htm – 17k

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For …

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day
of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. …
//biblehub.com/joel/3-14.htm – 17k

Amos 5:18 Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you …

….. Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why …
//biblehub.com/amos/5-18.htm – 17k

Obadiah 1:15 “The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you …

….. The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As …
//biblehub.com/obadiah/1-15.htm – 18k

Malachi 4:5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before …

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that
great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. …
//biblehub.com/malachi/4-5.htm – 17k

Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of …

….. Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. …
//biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-7.htm – 18k

Zephaniah 1:8 “On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish …

“On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the officials and
the king’s sons and all those clad in foreign clothes. …
//biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-8.htm – 18k

Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near– near and coming …

….. The great day of the LORD is near– near and coming quickly. …
//biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-14.htm – 18k

Zephaniah 2:2 before the decree takes effect and that day passes …

… the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the LORD’s
fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s wrath comes upon …
//biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-2.htm – 18k

Zechariah 14:1 A day of the LORD is coming, Jerusalem, when your …

A day of the LORD is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will
be plundered and divided up within your very walls. …
//biblehub.com/zechariah/14-1.htm – 17k

1 Thessalonians 5:2 for you know very well that the day of the …

for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. …
//biblehub.com/1_thessalonians/5-2.htm – 18k

Each of these prophecies tell us what is past, what is present and what is yet to come.  This is important because in order to look forward, we must look back.  This is how prophecies work.

 3. FORESHADOWING OF THINGS TO COME

Besides the prophecies in the Old Testament, we can foreshadowing of what is to come.  It is as if we “see through a dark glass dimly”.

  1. Genesis 6– The Flood shows us God’s judgment on a global scale.  A catastrophe for mankind.  God judged the world because (Genesis 6:5) “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

2. Genesis 6  –   The Corruption of Mankind

    •  Building the Ark of their Salvation

3. Genesis 7  –   The Flood; purging, cleansing the earth of sin

4. Genesis 9  –   The Covenant; restoring

5. Daniel gives us a glimpse into our present and future.  We know this by looking back.  (the Book of Daniel chapters seven through 12)

6. Daniel 7 – Daniel’s vision of the 4 Beasts and a future Tribulation

 7. The “Ancient of Days” – The Son of Man presented – The Vision Interpreted

 8. Daniel 8 – Daniel’s vision of the Goat and the Ram

-The Little Horn

-The Vision Interpreted

10. Daniel 9 – Daniel’s Prayer for his people

11. Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

12. Daniel 11 – Conflicts to Come

13. Daniel 12 – The Time of The End

These are just two of many foreshadows of the coming Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.

  1. *MISSING FROM“THE TRADITIONAL DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINES” of things to come: from Gotquestions.org – end time timeline, as my template:
  2. *MISSING FROM THE TRADITIONAL DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINES”of thing to come: The rapture of the church. Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those who trust in Him. (1 Corinthians 15:52). At this same time, the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected and taken to heaven, too. From our perspective today, this is the next event in the eschatological timeline. The rapture is imminent; no other biblical prophecy needs to be fulfilled before the rapture happens.’
  3. *MISSING FROM“THE TRADITIONAL DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINES” of things to come: Prior to the rapture of the church.  We are told by Jesus and some of the Apostles that the End of Days, also known as the “times of distress” had begun as early as AD 1, but more likely between AD 60 and AD 100.

(1).  Jesus called this period the LAST DAYS or the END OF THE AGE in Matthew 24:3-8

(2).  The Apostle Peter called this period the LAST DAYS in Acts 2:16-17

(3).  The Apostle Paul call this period THESE LAST DAYS in Hebrews 1:1-2

The Bible tells about the END OF DAYS and the Tribulation.  It is important to know that the Tribulation period actually is called by three prominent, although variant names:

(a)  The beginning of Sorrows, Birth Pangs, The End of The Age or the Last Days

(b)  The Tribulation also known as The End of Days

(c) The GREAT Tribulation also know as the Wrath of God or the Wrath of the Lamb.

The beginning of Sorrows, Birth Pangs The End of the Age or the Last days, begin with the opening of Tribulation Seal ONE began between AD 60 and AD 100, and perhaps as early as AD1.  

 Seals ONE through FIVE have been broken, progressively, up until this day.

 the 1st Tribulation Seal  –  Global conquest and political intrigue

the 2nd Tribulation Seal –  Wars and Rumors of War

the 3rd Tribulation Seal  –  Famine

the 4th Tribulation Seal  –  Death

the 5th Tribulation Seal  –  Martyrs, persecution,Anti-Christ, falling away

 We are now standing at the precipice of the breaking of 6th Tribulation Seal . 

(4).  *MISSING FROM“THE TRADITIONAL DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINES” of things to come:  The Denominational Outline says His Return is IMMINENT. BUT,

 1.  2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no one in any way deceive you, for

    •  it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and
    •  the man of lawlessness is revealed,the son of destruction”

There are two events that must take place before the day of the Lord can come. First, the apostasy must come. Second, the man of lawlessness must be revealed.

2.  The rise of the Antichrist. After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27). He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist. (Revelation 19:20).

3.  MISSING FROM “THE DENOMINATIONAL OUTLINE”:  

 First, as has already been stated from 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no one in any way deceive you, for

    •  it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and
    • the man of lawlessness is revealed,the son of destruction”

There are two events that must take place before the day of the Lord can come. First, the apostasy must come. Second, the man of lawlessness must be revealed.

Secondly, a simple face value reading gives you a timeline.  That timeline is deliberately blurred by denominational bible teachers who have to make the Bible fit their doctrinal statement.  This can be confusing for the Christian Bible student and dangerous for those preparing in earnest.

4.  The tribulation. A period of seven years in which God’s judgment is poured out on sinful humanity (Revelation 6–16). The Antichrist’s rise to power is associated with this time period. During the tribulation on earth, the Church will be in heaven. It is thought that at this time the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will occur in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:6–10).

5.  The Battle of Gog and Magog. In the first part of the tribulation, a great army from the north, in alliance with several other countries from the Middle East and Africa, attacks Israel and is defeated by God’s supernatural intervention (Ezekiel 38–39). (Some commentators place this battle just before the start of the tribulation.)

6.  The abomination of desolation. At the midway point of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and shows his true colors. The Jews are scattered, and many of them turn to the Lord, realizing that Jesus is their Savior. A great persecution breaks out against all those who believe in Christ (Daniel 12:11; Mark 13:14; Revelation 12:17).

7.  The Battle of Armageddon. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus returns with the armies of heaven (Mark 14:62). He saves Jerusalem from annihilation and defeats the armies of the nations fighting under the banner of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:11–21). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).

8.  The judgment of the nations. Christ will judge the survivors of the tribulation, separating the righteous from the wicked as “sheep” and “goats” (Matthew 25:31–46). (It is thought that at this time the Old Testament saints will be raised from the dead.) The righteous will enter the Millennial Kingdom; the wicked will be cast into hell

 9.  The binding of Satan.Satan will be bound and held in a bottomless pit for the next 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–3).

 10. The Millennial Kingdom. Jesus Himself will rule the world, and Jerusalem will be the capital. This will be a 1,000-year period of peace and prosperity on earth (Revelation 20; Isaiah 60–62). Memorial sacrifices will be offered in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40–48).

 11. The last battle. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations once again, and there will be a rebellion against the Lord that will be quickly defeated (Revelation 20:7–10). Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, never to reappear.

 12. The Great White Throne Judgment. All those in hell will be brought forth, and all the wicked from all eras of history will be resurrected to stand before God in a final judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). The verdicts are read, and all of sinful humanity is cast into the lake of fire.

 13. The new creation. God completely remakes the heavens and the earth. It is at this time that God wipes away all tears and there will be no more pain, death, or sorrow. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven, and the children of God will enjoy eternity with Him. (Revelation 21–22)

Finally, here is a table showing the alignment of World History, an historical overview of Daniel’s 70 Weeks and a Biblical Historical outline:

Timeline of World History compared to Biblical Timeline of Daniels 70 Weeks

I know that this is a long read/study, but, (#1), it is important for you, as a Disciple of Jesus to know where you are on God’s Timeline, (#2), what it means to you, (#3) what is required for you to be ready, and, (#4) what it means to be ready for what is at hand and (#5), how to prepare.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

CRITICAL RACE THEORY SIMPLIFIED

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 4 Comments

The pundits of Critical Race Theory (CRT) will tell you (in unison) that “the Critical race theory is an academic movement made up of civil-rights scholars and activists in the United States who seek to critically examine the law as it intersects with issues of race, and to challenge mainstream liberal approaches to racial justice.”

The Encyclopedia Britannica says, “Critical race theory (CRT), is an intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color. Critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans.”

The American Bar Association allowed an article on the principles of Critical Race Theory, written by liberal civil rights attorney and adjunct associate professor, Janel George,  who teaches a course on racial injustice in K–12 public education through a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework.

However, the material and principles contained in that paper should not be construed as the position of the ABA House of Delegates or the CRSJ Council has adopted it.

Here is a link to the “American Bar Association web page”

Are you confused,  yet?  Tired of reading?

SIMPLIFY, PLEASE?

Reading about CRT is a never ending task.  Understanding what you read is  even more (unnecessarily) difficult.  I believe the interminable defining of CRT is intended to discourage the reader and cause him or her to throw up their hands and say, “Oh well.  Whatever!”  But, we cannot do that.  We cannot give in.  We must understand what is happening and learn to fight back!

SIMPLIFIED

Critical Race Theory says that racism is embedded in every institution in America.  And, that everyone who is not “a person of color” (Black) has been taught to be racist and needs to be retrained in their thinking or eliminated (cancelled or removed).

NOTE:  Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a deeply rooted in the Marxist doctrine of “Critical Theory”.  It has been borrowed and cultivated by modern Marxists to say “If you are not ‘black’ or some other ‘minority skin color’, you are racist, and you need to be retrained or eliminated.”

The message that “anyone who does not believe in systemic racism is part of the problem” and that message, is sadly, permeating all the literature on race in America today, our school systems, the courts and our churches.

These ideas of oppression and systemic racism come from a Marxist doctrine called “critical theory.”

It is important to note that Marxism is the theory and Communism is the practical implementation of Marxism.  Communism has never worked as advertised.  It is an inhumane, murderous scheme to enrich a few at the cost of hundreds of millions of lives.

Examples of the viral spread of this lie can be found in Buffalo, New York, the school district’s “Emancipation Curriculum” told children that “all white people play a part in perpetuating systemic racism.”

Another example is at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, a Smithsonian institution funded by taxpayers.  Officials released a document last year intended for use in schools that claimed ideas such as “hard work is the key to success” and that trying to “be polite” are evidence of an oppressive society.

Contemporary Marxists claim that Karl Marx “was well aware of the centrality of race under capitalism”.  Even though Marx never wrote on the question of slavery and its racial impact in societies, he did write about America from his own egocentric and psychopathic point of view:

According to Marx: “The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of Black skins, signalized the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production.”

Although Marx never personally witnessed anything of what he wrote about regarding America, he found it expedient to ‘fill in his necessary blanks to make his points.  He wrote:

“Direct slavery is just as much the pivot of bourgeois industry as machinery, credits, etc. Without slavery, you have no cotton; without cotton, you have no modern industry. It is slavery that has given the colonies their value; it is the colonies that have created world trade, and it is world trade that is the pre-condition of large-scale industry. Thus, slavery is an economic category of the greatest importance.

“Without slavery, North America, the most progressive of countries, would be transformed into a patriarchal country. Wipe out North America from the map of the world, and you will have anarchy–the complete decay of modern commerce and civilization. Cause slavery to disappear, and you will have wiped America off the map of nations. Thus, slavery, because it is an economic category, has always existed among the institutions of the peoples. Modern nations have been able only to disguise slavery in their own countries, but they have imposed it without disguise upon the New World.”

Thus, Marx proposed a fundamentally flawed and a gross misunderstanding of the centrality of slave labor in the national and international economy.

But what about race?  Marx never addressed race. Let me repeat:  Karl Marx never addressed race.  His supporters and adherents state unequivocally that Marx addressed race, but with the implied disclaimer, “What Marx meant to say” – even though he never said it.  And, for a man to write as prolifically as Marx, to never have mentioned a matter simply means it was not relevant in his thinking.

So, using the fundamental tenant of the Critical Race Theory, KARL MARX WAS PROFOUNDLY RACIST, himself.  In fact, Marx used the ‘underprivileged’, the ‘oppressed masses’ for his own ends from the beginning.

Is CRT (Critical Race Theory), rooted in Marxism?  Yes. Absolutely.  But, it is nothing more than another fabrication of The Beast and the Dragon of the Bible, this thinly veiled “New Marxism” has come only to steal, kill and destroy!.

An article by Christopher F. Rufo, founder and director of Battlefront, A public policy research center, explains Critical Race Theory, its dangers and how to fight it. You can read this article by clicking this link.

It is a good article, and gives us an idea of how to respond, how to fight the manifest evil known as “CRT”.  But, it also falls short of giving us a grassroots remedy.  None of us can muster up a “PhD Quality dissertation” to fight with.  We need a simple and powerful method. I have listed some links to additional articles which will help can you find methods that will work.

Let me conclude this very brief introduction to CRT by saying, Critical Race Theory is a Marxist battle plan to overthrow the American system of government, and our way of life.  Marxism’s goal is to subjugate every man woman and child under ‘state control’, to eliminate the right standards of living according to the Bible, and to vanquish God from His Throne.

It is time to get serious.  Find groups in your area who are fighting this battle.  Also, consider supporting a frontline legal team, such as Alliance Defending Freedom, and ADF Church Alliance who are busy engaging this enemy.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Click Here to go BACK TO THE MAIN PAGE

For Additional reading, click these links:

Critical Race Theory – The Threat

Critical Race Theory (CRT) Exposed

How to Engage in Effective Biblical Warfare

The Enemy:  How to Identify Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

How to Deal with Marxists in the Church

How to Overcome

Why America is Unraveling and What You Can Do

EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE – Ch. 12, Ep. 8 -Removing the Obstacle of Two Masters

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Teaching, Training & Commissioning

Chapter  12  Episode  8

REMOVING THE OBSTACLE OF TWO MASTERS

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  Having two masters is untenable as a disciple of Jesus.  In order to follow Jesus and to serve Him, in order to inherit the Kingdom of God, there is room for only One Master:  Jesus.

We are faced with the reality of making a choice. This choice will determine the path you will follow.  You may have the intention of following Jesus, but, if you practice the “the love of money”, your steps will take you away from Him and into a temporal darkness, far away from the path of the Disciple of Jesus.

(For our convenience, I have coded the Obstacle in green, the penalty in purple and the Remedy in Blue.)

Episode 8:  Removing the Obstacle of Two Masters requires you choose between  God and Wealth.

Matthew 6:19-24 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

“where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

“for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 

“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

“No one can serve two masters;

“for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. 

“You cannot serve God and wealth.”

This teaching is about the obstacle of having to choose between two masters: God or Wealth.

Jesus starts by telling His disciples they must choose between immediate gratification of earthly treasures or the delayed, but, permanent rewards with God. The consequence of gathering earthly treasure is lifetime lost.  It is a choice between the temporal and the eternal.  The text is about God and wealth, but, the CONTEXT is about lust.

Next, Jesus addresses “the lust of the eye” which affects your entire body and soul.  And, we are warned, that if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  We are instructed and commanded to walk light as He is in the light, so we will have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Finally, He describes the lust as the cruel, unforgiving and demanding taskmaster when He says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Once your mind and soul have been ensnared by the lust for money, (1 Timothy 6:10), you will have wandered away from the faith and pierced yourself with many griefs.

When you have been enticed, your lust gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

THE CURE is to repent, daily, for His Kingdom is at hand; literally, as near as your hand is to your wrist – it is within you!

Repenting, in the Biblical sense, literally means, “To change one’s mind; to change one’s mind for the better” and it comes from two root words which mean, “Hereafter, have this understanding or perception”.

Repenting is the act of changing your mind which means your mindset, your values, and your worldview is changed.  Some would say you then live by new standards.  But it is much greater than just living by new standards.

A person of sound mind cannot simultaneously think one thing and do another, repentance results in a complete change of mind and direction of one’s life.

Another way of saying this is, “As a man or woman thinks, so are they”.

BOTH A COMMAND AND A PROPHETIC WORD

Interestingly, Jesus, the Son of God, in fact God Himself, said these very words which is recorded in Matthew 4:17.  Remembering, this is both a Command and a prophetic Word from God.

Jesus said this is what we are to do – Repent – in order to become His disciple and to follow Him, and, this is what will happen is we repent.

The disciples echoed and repeated these very words as they continued to do the Works of God, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is now at hand”.

Jesus says for each of us to repent as an act of our will and that Repentance will allow the Holy Spirit to come into our bodies, our minds and regenerate our spirits.  We will become One with Him.

Our fleshly desires begin to fade, and our new desires emanate from the Holy Spirit of God.  It is not us producing Spiritual Fruit, it is from The Holy Spirit, and it should pour out of us, liberally.

We begin to desire the Things of God.  We are made new, and we can now walk with certainty, with purpose and power in our New Life.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please remember to click the blue italicized links in each chapter, in order to get the important details on these Bible teachings)

Please bookmark this page and watch for our next chapter, “Removing the Obstacle of Anxiety”

(The previous episode can be found at “Removing The Obstacle Pride and Hypocrisy”)

(Please also notice, you can listen by podcast as you read along.  You can pause the audio in order to click the links for details and references, which are necessary for the entire teaching)

AS A MAN THINKETH

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Hey, “pastors”, “church leaders”, “Christian”, here is an urgent reminder:

IT IS GOD’S CHURCH.  

The Church was created by God, in His Name and for His Purpose.  His Church is empowered by His Spirit and enabled by His Presence.  And, we are That Church.

Hear Ye:  Now, we “see through the mirror, darkly”.  No man or woman can fully understand the things of God, because no one can fathom the Mind of God.  No one can understand His thoughts or His Ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Therefore, no one can fully understand anything of God, or His Church, except what God has revealed through His Prophets, and, in these last days, through Jesus, His Son, (Hebrews 1:1-3) Who is The Word. (John 1:1)

Furthermore, no man or woman has any right to proclaim or teach any doctrine or ritual or any practice that Jesus has not already taught or practiced. (Matthew 5:17-19)  There is no “vision”, except that of Jesus.  There are no practices, except those of Jesus. There are no good ideas, except those of Jesus.  No buildings will prosper you.  No projects will elevate you.  There is nothing except Christ crucified; Who died and was raised to life on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:-34); Who ascended into heaven and is seated at the Right Hand of The Father! (Luke 22:69, Ephesians 1:20)

You are to teach Jesus, alone.  We need to know nothing more than Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (2 Corinthians 2:2-6)

And, please, ask yourself, “Who do you think you are to reinvent God’s Methods and Ways?  Who do you think you are to advise God on anything?” (Job 38)   You must retract and repent in dust and ashes, as did Job. (Job 42:6)

Let’s remember, Jesus is gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29), and we  are to be the same.  So, remember ‘pastor’, ‘church leader’, ‘Christian’, you are to treat your brothers and sisters in Christ just as Jesus has treated you.  That is, you are to consider them “as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  (Philippians 2:3-8)

Be warned.  The Word is saying to you, this day, ‘preacher’, ‘church leader’, ‘Christian’, “Remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.”

Here is a message from Pastor Trent Casto, of Covenant Naples Church, Naples, Florida, to help along our way.

Let’s pray for one another, that we continue, in all humility and in His Grace, to be the good and faithful servants of our Lord, Jesus.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

AND YOU SHALL BE MY DISCIPLES – Lesson 16

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

​

  • Do Not Cast Pearls before “swine”

​​“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6).

 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Jesus has just finished teaching His followers, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”  

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?”   (Matthew 7:1–5).

Now Jesus is telling us to make a judgment on what is Holy, who are the “dogs”, what is a “Pearl” and who or what are the “swine”.

It is important to understand the words and the context being used.

Jesus is NOT SAYING we should never make judgments. He IS SAYING we should not judge people unfairly, but we are to make right judgments. THIS IS IMPORTANT, especially in our world.

I will define terms so we can begin to understand the differences between being judgmental and making righteous judgements.

“Holy” is the word hagios (hag’-ee-os) which refers to the Holy characteristic of God, or being separated to God, who is worthy of veneration.

Its highest application is to God himself, in His purity, majesty and glory.  It is also applied to persons as separated to God’s service and is in regard to Christ, of Christians and in the moral sense of sharing God’s purity, including sacrifices and offerings.

“Pearls” are referred to as a Proverb or a word of Great Value.

A “Dog” is a metaphor for an impudent person.  Someone who shows no respect for another person.

A “Swine” is colloquially, the ultimate symbol of loathing by ancient Jews.  Pigs were considered as symbols of disease, filth and hypocrisy.

We learned, in Lesson #14, that we are not to “judge hypocritically”.  Jesus teaches us that we are not to pronounce judgment on someone, and, that we, as Jesus’ disciples, correct our own attitudes and behaviors.

At the same time, we are told to judge, and “judge righteously”.  That is to say, we are to judge using righteous discernment.  “Do not judge according to appearance, but do judge with righteous judgment.”  John 7:24

Discernment  is the word, dokimazo (dok-im-ad’-zo ) which means to “prove” or to try, to discern and to examine.  To test, examine, prove, scrutinize to see whether a thing is genuine or not, such as metals.  To recognize whether it is genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy.

Judgment is the word, krino (kree’-no ) which means to determine, to condemn, go to law and to call in question.  It involves esteem.  It is to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong.

RECAP:

Disciples of Jesus are not to judge hypocritically.  We are to judge righteously using righteous Discernment.

  • DISCIPLE OF JESUS, are to judge righteously.
  • We are to pray for and use righteous discernment
  • We are to determine (judge) who is worthy of the things of God.
  • We are to determine what is Holy and Pure, His majesty and glory.
  • We are to determine who are the people of God and Christ and in His service.
  • We are to know who is sharing the Truth of God’s purity, including sacrifices and offerings.
  • We are to determine what are the “Pearls” of God, which is a Proverb or The Word of God, which is of Great Value.
  • ​Disciples of Jesus are not to give what is Holy or of Great Value to those who prove to be impudent people full of hate and hypocrisy.

​“Do not judge according to appearance, but do judge with righteous judgment.”   John 7:24

Now, it is your turn:

HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?  _________________________________________

HOW CAN YOU TEACH THIS?______________________________________

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young