Month: November 2021

FOREIGN TO AND IGNORES IDEAS PRECIOUS TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to the article on audio podcast and pause the audeio to follow important page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for imporant details on this teaching)

THE TENTACLES OF THE SOCIALIST-MARXIST TAKEOVER

(It is already in your home, government, schools, hospitals, churches and food production. It is in your Federal, State and local governments.)

The United Nations – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – The Commission on Global Governance – The United Nations Globalist Great Reset – Agenda 21 – Agenda 2030 – The Global Community – The Council on Sustainable Development – U.N.C.E.D. – International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives – The Social Security Administration – The Internal Revenue Service – etc.

Explosive documents have surfaced which exposed a planned genocide based on a Malthusian population control method, in order to save the planet from a depletion of resources due to overpopulation.

Was the release of the Corona-19 virus and the resulting ‘pandemic’ an accident, or was it a carefully executed plan of population reduction? Before you cry, “Oh, just another conspiracy theorist nut”, do your homework.

The LEFT, that is progressives, liberals, democrats and socialists, Marxists all, have been propounding population control, in concert with Communist China, for the last 75 years. They have pushed for population control through birth control methods, abortion, legalized euthanasia, by encouraging and endorsing homosexuality, transgenderism and wars. But, with the continued growth of world population, the worldwide Globalist-Marxist movement has activated and unleashed the most insidious and evil plan to date.

Their reasoning is based on the argument that the world is overpopulated and that the only way to save the planet from environmental doomsday is to force people to have fewer children, which has been the rallying cry for Stalinist population control measures around the world. Their methodology is based on extreme Malthusianism.

 “Malthusianism is the idea that population growth is potentially exponential while the growth of the food supply or other resources is linear, which eventually reduces living standards to the point of triggering a population die off.

Deo-Malthusianism is the advocacy of human population planning to ensure resources and environmental integrities for current and future human populations as well as for other species. (Source, Wikipedia)

Stephen Moore, a columnist for The Washington Times, and a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and an economic consultant with FreedomWorks, writes in a Washington Times article, “China took the population control crusade to a whole new level when it instituted its notorious one-child policy. To this day there are tens of millions of females demographically missing in China. The homicidal environmental policy was cheered on by the United Nations and many of the same left-wing activists and organizations that preach “reproductive freedom” and women’s rights. Similarly brutish population control programs were implemented in Africa, India, Egypt and many South American nations. To save the planet, babies had to be prevented.

Fortunately, scholars like the late Julian Simon of the University of Illinois proved that human beings do not deplete the world’s resources, but help discover and create them. A larger number of human beings — especially when combined with freedom and free enterprise — leave the planet materially and environmentally better off not worse off.

Simon also showed that freedom and prosperity are the best forms of contraception. Population growth happened because we found ways to conquer early death — with infant mortality rates falling by 70 percent and 80 percent — and eradicate killer diseases like small pox and tuberculosis.  

 

The Malthusians were not just immoral; they were dead wrong on their population projections.  

All of those population forecasting models that predicted standing room only on the planet over the next 25-50 years were lies. In the 1970s, the left predicted a population by today of more than 10 billion people. The number is closer to 7.5 billion.  

These doomsday demographic models of the future were about as accurate as the climate change models predicting catastrophic temperature changes have been.  

What the population control crowd didn’t see happening was that population growth has radically slowed down — and not because of government edicts. As people get richer and freer, couples have chosen to have fewer, but healthier children. In most countries of the world today — including in China — the tragedy is not too many children, but too few.  

But at its core, the radical greens really do believe that the fundamental problem with the human race is that there are too many of us. People are the pollution. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Prince Harry are urging people to have fewer or no kids. Rep. Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez wondered earlier this year whether young women should feel ethically bound to not have children so as to help prevent climate change. At the end of the day, she rejected that lunacy idea, but the very idea that liberals had to ask the question shows how anti-human the left has become.  

This is a fundamentally anti-Judeo Christian ideology that disrespects human life and — as history proves all too well — can lead to dastardly consequences for basic human rights and economic progress. Human ingenuity is the solution to, not the cause of, environmental problems, and the constantly changing climate of our planet.” (Full article at “Democrats Embrace Population Control”)

An article by Human Life International, the world’s largest pro-life and pro-family Catholic advocate, Dr. Brian Clowes, PhD, explains that “the United States National Security Council, highest decision-making body regarding foreign policy in the United States, on December 10, 1974, completed a top-secret document entitled National Security Study Memorandum or NSSM-200, also called The Kissinger Report, since Henry Kissinger was Secretary of State at the time it was written.

“The Subject of NSSM-200 is “Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for U.S. Security and Overseas Interests.” This document, published shortly after the first major international population conference in Bucharest, was the result of collaboration among the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Departments of State, Defense and Agriculture.

“NSSM-200 was made public when it was declassified and was transferred to the U.S. National Archives in 1990.

“Although the United States government has issued hundreds of policy papers dealing with various aspects of American national security since 1974, The Kissinger Report continues to be the foundational document on U.S. government population control. It therefore continues to represent official United States policy on government population control and, in fact, is still posted on the USAID website.

“NSSM-200 is critically important to pro-life workers all over the world, because it completely exposes the unsavory and unethical motivations and methods of the population control movement. We can use this valuable document to lay bare the strategies used by unscrupulous governments and “aid” agencies that are used to bend developing nations to their wills. Their rote denials will be useless in the face of this evidence.”

“According to The Kissinger Report, elements of the implementation of government population control programs could include the legalization of abortion, financial incentives for countries to increase their abortion, sterilization and contraception-use rates, indoctrination of children, and mandatory population control and coercion of other forms, such as withholding disaster and food aid unless an LDC implements population control programs.

“This last strategy, force and coercion applied to developing countries, is currently used by the population control cartel to push not only abortion, sterilization and birth control, but other evils such as homosexuality and transgenderism.

“There are dozens of examples of this kind of blatant injustice, including the following:

  • When Nigeria refused to legalize contraception and homosexuality, the United States withdrew financial and military aid that would allow it to combat the Islamic terror group Boko Harem, which has murdered and kidnapped tens of thousands of people in that nation.1
  • When Ecuador declined to legalize abortion, the United Nations refused to provide any aid for it to battle COVID-19, condemning many more Ecuadorians to death.2
  • When Kenyan pro-lifers collected irrefutable evidence that Marie Stopes International (MSI), one of the largest abortionists in the world, were committing illegal and dangerous abortions on a vast scale, MSI demanded that they be either muzzled or jailed.3
  • The United Nations Population Fund halted food and other aid to millions of starving Yemenis because the nation refused to legalize abortion.4
  • When Zambia refused to legalize sodomy, the United States withdrew much-needed foreign aid to help alleviate the 11% national HIV infection rate and to care for 250,000 AIDS orphans.5
  • The Joint United Nations Program on AIDS [UNAIDS] threatened to withdraw all of its aid from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia unless it approved language supporting abortion and homosexuality in a political declaration on HIV/AIDS.6” (It is important to read this full article. Go to Human Life International – population control).

Although the global fertility rate is in a steep decline, the Globalists Marxists and Communists, through the United Nations, have decided that in order to reach their proposed goals by the date they had set, the year 2030, they needed to accelerate the process of negative population growth. So, it appears they have taken matters into their own hands and in 2019, early news reports pointed to a virology lab in Wuhan, China, which may have released the Corona-19 virus. Since that time, a cover story has emerged and spread throughout the liberal and Leftist media, worldwide, claiming the Corona-19 virus was transmitted from either bats or a pangolins, (scaly ant eaters).

It was reported widely in the news media that democrats in America were using the phrase, “Don’t let a good pandemic go to waste”. So, we should ask if the Covid-19 pandemic was the Globalist’s opportunity to accelerate their Agenda 2030 completion?  (see COVID-19 & GLOBALISM).

The United Nations Global Movement is a complexity of a myriad of sub-organizations, (tentacles), hiding behind many names under the control and direction of the Unite Nations. It is the United Nations which formulated the Agenda 21, which claims to be a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. Its lofty sounding goals and programs are designed to deceive the observer and obscure the nefarious Marxists methodology and end game.

Now, what began as Agenda-21 (the “21” represents the 21st century), has evolved into what is now known as Agenda-2030, and has brazenly stated it will have accomplished all its goals by the year 2030. It has and is achieving what the people could not have imagined possible just a few decades ago.

For the Christian or any serious student of prophecies, this could be considered as the rebuilding of “The Tower of Babel”, an event recorded in the Bible, in Genesis 11:1-9, which tells about humanity as proposing, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.” Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the men had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they have started to do, and now nothing which they plan to do will be impossible for them.”  Few, if any, in the United Nation’s Globalist-Marxists movement would recognize or admit their efforts are a continuation of the humanist effort to replace God and become a god of their own design.

The Tower of Babel, from the Christian perspective, is described in Genesis 11:1-9. After the Flood, God commanded humanity to “increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). Humanity decided to do the exact opposite, “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:4). Humanity decided to build a great city and all congregate there. They decided to build a gigantic tower as a symbol of their power, to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4). This tower is remembered as the Tower of Babel.

In response, God confused the languages of humanity so that they could no longer communicate with each other (Genesis 11:7). The result was that people congregated with other people who spoke the same language, and then went together and settled in other parts of the world (Genesis 11:8-9). God confused the languages at the Tower of Babel to enforce His command for humanity to spread throughout the entire world.

Four thousand two-hundred years after the Tower of Babel, the ‘Spirit of The Tower’  has lingered, survived and reemerged on the world stage. Humankind is still determined to defy God and build that tower!

In the spirit and with the determination to fulfill the goal of creating a Global Community, the Commission on Global Governance was established in 1992 with the full support of United Nations Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali.

The Commission on Global Governance is an organization co-chaired by Swedish Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson, and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Shridath Ramphal, that produced a report, Our Global Neighborhood, in 1995, calling for United Nations reforms that would increase its power.

The commission made a standard definition of global governance stating that “Governance is the sum of many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs. It is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and co-operative action taken. It includes formal institutions and regimes empowered to enforce compliance.”

“FOREIGN TO AND IGNORES IDEAS PRECIOUS TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE”

The Commission on Global Governance has publicly stated that when their Agenda-21 plan is fully implemented, “it will bring all the people of the world into a global neighborhood managed by a world-wide bureaucracy, under the direct authority of a minute handful of appointed individuals, and policed by thousands of individuals, paid by accredited NGOs, certified to support a belief system which contains ideas that are foreign to the American experience, and ignores other values and ideas that are precious to the American experience.”

The United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, in June 1992 in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, drafted the Agenda-21, which claims far reaching global goals, while hiding or obscuring their Marxists methodology. They are organizing international cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies at the cost of personal human rights and freedoms, the dismantling of democracies around the globe and other goals which are anti-Christian and malevolent to the Jewish Nation and people..

Here are some examples of what the Agenda-21 claims to be their goals:

  1. Combating poverty
  2. Changing consumption patterns
  3. Protecting and promoting human health conditions
  4. Promoting sustainable human settlement development
  5. Integrating environment and development in decision-making
  6. Protection of the atmosphere
  7. Integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources
  8. Combating deforestation
  9. Managing fragile ecosystems: combating desertification and drought
  10. Managing fragile ecosystems: sustainable mountain development
  11. Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development
  12. Conservation of biological diversity
  13. Environmentally sound management of biotechnology
  14. Protection of the oceans, seas, and coastal areas, etc., and more.

Use this link to view the entire, (albeit misleading), United Nations Agenda-21 Sustainable Development document.

You now have just a glimpse of what has, and is, happening in every country, in every city, village and borough around the world. The question should be, “What can you and I do about it”?

There are many capable and willing people fighting this spreading Global Marxist threat, but, it is my opinion that we have been awakened too late. The deed is done, the plan is in place. It is no longer a question of, “What can I do about it”, rather, we should ask, “What do I do now and how can I prepare or resist?”

Please believe me when I tell you that this current United Nations Global Socialist-Marxist movement and power grab has been in the heart of man and in the planning stage for over 4,000 years, (see The Tower of Babel). It has emerged from time to time in history under different names, but make no mistake, this time it is thorough, established and in control of your life (See “The History and Establishment of Socialism in America“.)

The ONLY response and the ONLY defense to this evil menace is God and His Word. The Bible lays out the perfect plan of resistance and counter attack. This is why the Marxists, Communists, Socialists, Leninists, et al, hate the God of the Bible, Christians and Jews and seek to eradicate every vestige of God and His Principles from our minds and from our planet.

I have prepared a lengthy, 19-part series, on “Effective Spritual Warfare” on how we can resist and fight back. It is the only way, according to the Bible, you and I can endure to the end and overcome this evil, as we await the return of Jesus and the day when He will completely conquer and destroy the works of the enemy.

There is much more to be written and said on these matters, but, I will leave you with some important links for further information and study on the enemies we face and solutions.

  1.  The Heartland Organization is one of the world’s leading conservative free-market think tanks. It is a national nonprofit research and education organization based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission since its founding in 1984 is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.

The Heartland Organizationis an “action tank” as well as a “think tank,” and we measure our success by the impact we have in the real world. The Heartland Institute plays an essential role in the national (and increasingly in the international) movement for personal liberty and limited government. We are the pipeline between the freedom movement’s leading writers and thinkers and the nation’s 8,400 national and state elected officials.

  1.  Human Life International is a Catholic, Pro-Life mission, teaching the world to value life and to follow God’s plan for the family. In1972, Fr. Paul Marx, O.S.B founded the Human Life Center to fight the spread of abortion and breakdown of the family. In 1981, the Human Life Center became Human Life International.

Now we travel the world helping local leaders build a pro-life culture in their families, communities, and countries. The anti-life movement is huge. But we save lives and souls every day with the help of our amazing supporters. Together, we can build a culture that values life at every stage. Legal abortion will never end unless we can change the way our culture treats sexuality and marriage.

3.  America Under Siege – And What the Bible Says About It

4.  Agenda-21, What is it?

5.  The Agenda-21 Course (detailed).

6.  Agenda-21 – A Cover for the One World Government.

7.  The Great Reset.

8.  Global Fertility Collapse and Rate.

9.  I Thought Communism was Dead?

10.The Lie called “The Social Gospel”.

11.The New World Order and Preident Bush

12.The Overthrow of America by Socialism – Since 1939?

13. Escaping the Marxist Dialectic – What Marx and Lennin Say

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Next Episode:  Marxist Agenda-2030 – The United Nations – The Destruction of The United States – Episode 6

Previous Episode:MARXISM, AGENDA 2030, THE U.N., THE AMERICAN DEMOCRAT PARTY – Episode 5

 

LIFE AFTER LIFE – LIFE AFTER DEATH

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” Hebrews 9:27

A recent Pew Research poll shows that

90% of American say they believe in God or some kind of ‘higher power’;

56% percent of those believe in the Biblical God, and another

33% say they believe in a ‘higher power or a spiritual force’. There are about

10% who say, ‘I do not believe in God or the Bible’.

A Roper public opinion poll showed that

66% of respondents said they believed in heaven and hell,

11% of respondents believe in heaven only, and

17% believe in neither heaven nor hell.

It is interesting that most people who believe and trust what the Bible says, get their views of life and death, from the Bible.

The Bible, was written by 40 authors and offers approximately 1,500 years of history on the study of God (theology) and Spiritual matters (pneumatology) and on life and death matters, dating back as far as 1400 B.C.

The Bible contains over 450 prophecies telling of the coming of Jesus Christ. A study shows that Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry.  A statistical study by Professor Peter W. Stoner, past Chairman of the Departments of Mathematics and Astronomy at Pasadena City College and Chairman of the science division at Westmont College, in his book, Science Speaks, outlines the mathematical probability of one person in the first century fulfilling just eight of the most clear and straightforward Messianic prophecies. He shows that the odds against Jesus fulfilling just 48 of the 456 prophecies is 1 to 10 to the 157th power. Written out, that is 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.

In order to give you some perspective, electrons are very small objects. They’re smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10 to the 15th power of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long.  19 MILLION YEARS!

On the other hand, people who don’t believe the Bible, draw their views on these same matters, from ‘feelings, personal unsubstantiated opinions, uncorroborated science, fiction or from agnostic or atheistic sources‘ – and, they bet their lives, futures and eternity on feelings or a guess.

The Bible clearly teaches that, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment”, and that there is no such thing as ‘dying and visiting heaven and returning to earth’ to tell others. The Bible also clearly teaches there is a ‘life after physical death’.

John 11:25, says, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live,”

John 5:24, says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

(More Bible verses on Life after Death.)

If we ‘live on’ after death, what happens then? The Book of The Revelation tells us what happens at the end of all things.

REVELATION 20

At the End of The Age, when all ‘earthly’ things cease, the existing earth and heavens will dissolve or melt with a fervent heat,  Revelation 20:11-15, tells us,

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

REVELATION 21

Revelation 21:1 tells us,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. Verse 2. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Verse 3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,verse 4, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (John the Apostle).

We are born, we live, then we die. But, that is not the end of things. The Bible teaches that your soul and spirit continue into eternity.  Even if you reject the Bible or reject the Biblical teachings on eternal life, YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART, MIND AND SOUL that something happens after you die. YOU KNOW IT.

The Bible, which gives us indisputable evidence of its veracity and accuracy, tells you that one of two things will happen to you after your physical death:

  1. You will go to heaven and live eternally with God. (John 14:1-3, Revelation 21:1 – 22:9), or,
  2. You will be cast into the lake of fire, (hell), and be tormented for eternity. (Revelation 20:11-15)

You have to comprehend the gravity of what you are being told. If you do not believe in God, I implore you to change your mind and call out to Him, now.

If you are calling yourself a Christian, and are practicing things which are not of God and are not of the Bible, there is a chance you have been deceived and are not born again. Please, repent and turn fully to God.

Don’t misunderstand. You cannot earn your salvation by what you do or do not do. It is by faith in Christ, alone, by God’s grace alone. If you do not know God and have not made Jesus your Lord and Savior, please, call on him right now! He is merciful and full of grace for you.

Whether you are a Christian or not, if you are licentiously practicing, (continually doing), ‘deeds of the flesh’, or if you are changing or adding to what the Bible teaches, your eternal soul may be in danger. Please, repent, today. Call out to God for forgiveness and restoration.

I am not judging anyone.  I am not being condescending. I am pleading with you to come to God and start living again!

Time is short. “The Day” is at hand.  Please, repent now, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:  A True Christian, a Follower and a Disciple of Jesus, acts like Jesus – and when he or she does not, they “confess and repent of their sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness.”  You will know them (and yourself) by their fruits.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 6

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 3 Comments

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 6

John 1:6-8, says,”A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.”

There are several ways to approach this astounding commentary by John the Baptist. One, is to make a narrative or a story about John, his life and mission as having been sent by God; another, is to make it a religious historic narrative. Yet, another way, is to make it a theological commentary. But, any of these methods would only recount what happened and fall woefully short of releasing the power of the Gospel of John into the life of the reader.

The Bible is the inspired, breathed Word of God. It is prophetic, creative and causative. It is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We need to apply the Word of God to our lives in this fashion.

The Bible, when read and taken into the heart of a man or woman, releases the power of God and changes both the person and everything that they come in contact with. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing is ever the same again.  So, let’s approach these verses for what they are:  an oracle of God, spoken by John, as he is inspired by the Holy Spirit. We are going to look through the eyes and the mind of John the Apostle.

John’s personal experience informs us of two major events. The first is that “a man came, one sent by God, and his name was John”. This seems simple enough, on the surface. But, imagine with me, that if you were John the disciple, (son of Zebedee), and, you see, (DIANOIA), the following, as reported in Matthew 3:1-6,

“Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’” Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.”

Based on what you see, how would you be affected? (PSUCHE). Assuming that you are looking through John the Apostle’s eyes, you would immediately know that John the Baptist’s remarks are coming from a prophetic Word found in Isaiah 40:3. Your mind and emotions would probably be reeling with the thought that you could be witnessing prophecy being fulfilled!

Since we know that John the Apostle wrote these words after witnessing this astounding event, he correctly concluded that “a man came, one sent by God and his name was John”.

It is clear, from these verses, that one reason John the Apostle wrote this was  in order to convince others of Jesus’ authenticity and for posterity. But, considering the profound and prophetic nature of this event, it must be for a much broader reason. It is an example or a pattern for future generations of disciples to follow!

When Jesus’ mission on earth was complete, He commanded and commissioned His disciples, (both then, and for all future generations), to,

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God is speaking through the inspired writing of John the Apostle, (PNEUMA), and calling and commissioning you and, me as His disciples, to “Go and make disciples”.  He is telling you and me that He is with us always, even to the end of the age!

You cannot, or should not, read these few verses and simply think, “What a wonderful story about John the Apostle and John the Baptist”.  These words are the Breath of God, the Word and Spirit of God, (the PNEUMA), prophesying through John, spoken to you and me, saying as Isaiah said, (Isaiah 40:10-11)

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it produce and sprout,
And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.”

We are now faced to face with the Word of God, calling us to be His disciples on mission! What will you say? What will you, now, do?

Secondly, we are being informed that “He, (John the Baptist), came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.” 

What comes next, gives us a clear picture of Jesus as the Messiah, and a clear pattern for our calling and ministry as disciples of Jesus.

In the meantime, meditate on Isaiah 40:10-11 and realize that the Prophetic Word of God is speaking to you and through you, and if you receive this word into your heart YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Let’s GO and DO!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 7

 

SPIRITUAL WARFARE – THE PRAYER ASSAULT

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE PRAYER ASSAULT JOURNAL

The world is engaged in a spiritual war. And, it is a real war, whether you realize it or not; and the enemies of God are on the offensive. The Bible gives us warnings about this war, tells us about the strategies of the enemy, cautions us about the injuries and fatalities we may suffer, instructs us how to engage in spiritual warfare and how the enemy will ultimately be defeated.

Like any endeavor, and especially warfare, to succeed, you must have a strategy and a balanced plan of offense and defense. Scriptures from the Bible teaches us many things, but, the one thing the Bible brings to all who will heed its teachings, is The Perfect Balance.

BALANCE

God speaks often about ‘balance’.

Proverbs 16:11 tells us that, “A just balance and scales belong to the Lord; All the weights of the bag are His concern.”

And, Proverbs 11:1, tells us that, “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,But a just weight is His delight.”

Job 31:6 gives us a prayer and a practice we should adopt when it says, “Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, and let God know my integrity.”

”Daniel 5:27: ‘TEKĒL’, “you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

”Daniel 5:27 tells us that God weighs all people on His scales of justice and righteousness. And, in this verse, God tells Belshazzar that he has been weighed in the balances, and found deficient: A mighty army and brilliant tactics overcame the Babylonian Empire, yet it still fell from within. The armies of the Medes and Persians could only conquer because Belshazzar and his kingdom were found lacking in spiritual and moral values.

(Bible verse Source: Knowing Jesus on the topic of Balance. Comments are my own.)

THE PERFECT BALANCE

 Here are some examples of God’s Perfect Balance:

God loves people. (1 John 4:16).

God hates sin. (Proverbs 6:16-19) If you choose sin over God, God still loves you and He still hates sin. What is God’s balance between sin and the sinner?

THE BALANCE:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Revelation 20:11-15, tells us of the outcome of this Perfect Balance, when it says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

 Revelation 21:27, warns, “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

GOD IS JUST

The old testament gives us scores of examples of entire nations that had become so sinful, that God allowed them to be completely destroyed.

Genesis 6:5-8, tells us, ”Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.  So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

There are many, today, who claim the Name of Christ, but, refuse to believe that God would destroy them for their sinful lives. I have even heard a so-called pastor say to his congregation, “God loves you and me too much, to love us any less”. (This came from a ‘pastor’ who had many moral failings, while a ‘pastor’.)  But, the Bible says, if you ‘practice deeds of the flesh’, (the word practice is from the Greek word, ‘prasso’, found in Galatians 5:16-21), you WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Jesus, during His earthly ministry, was on mission to save the world. He engaged in this spiritual war, to the death. Jesus demonstrated The Perfect Balance.  It may not be what you might think or have expected.

Jesus said, John 18:37, “For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth.” Jesus demonstrated the Perfect Balance: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are these inconsistencies or is this God’s method of Perfect Balance?  It is our model.  We are to love people. We are to hate sin.

(Please note:  This is neither rhetoric nor hyperbole. What you are about to read contains teaching and training on the use of the most powerful weapon ever known.

(Do not make the mistake of underestimating the power of the Gospel and the power of God’s spoken Word to change hearts and minds, to pull down strongholds and defeat our enemies and to save those who endure to the end..

(Also, please be aware that there is no ‘shortcut’, no easy 1-2-3, to defeating our enemy. It takes discipline and training and preparation.  You need to read, study, prepare and, foremost, PRAY.  In order get the complete detail for a complete understanding of the steps to take, please read all of the related page links.)

A WAR TO RESIST AND OVERCOME

The evils enveloping America and the world can be fought in four basic ways:

The first two methods have been in use since creation and have brought only temporary periods of peace or limited prosperity for the few.  We have been fighting wars throughout our history, which have murdered billions of people and caused destruction at unimaginable costs in dollars and human suffering, so the first two methods have not brought any measure of lasting peace or prosperity, except to a few.

The last method mentioned, Spiritual Warfare, the spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the pulling down and destroying the strongholds of rulers, authorities,  cosmic powers, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places, is the only way to defeat and eradicate evil and usher in worldwide lasting peace and prosperity.

Spiritual Warfare and spreading the Gospel is the method, mission and ministry to which God has called us.  It is through Spiritual Warfare, that, in the end, God will judge the entire world, defeat the forces of evil in the bloodiest of all battles.  It is through this warfare that Satan and the Anti-Christ will be cast in the lake of fire for all eternity.)

If you cannot, or will not, believe that this is your mission and that He will  accomplish these things through you, then you are not yet His disciple.  And you cannot know how and are unable TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THE EVIL ENVELOPING OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

Engaging in the Spiritual War raging across America and the world, requires that you know Jesus as your Lord and knowing what He requires of His disciples (a.k.a., Christians).  It is the indwelling presence of God that enables you to understand what God is saying and to gain the wisdom and abilities to fight this war.

Our relationship with God requires more than just knowing about Him. We must know Him, believe Him and we must follow Him, which requires our FAITH in ACTION. 

Pastor and author Henry Blackaby points out, in his study “The 7 Realities For Experiencing God”, what we should know about God’s ways, His plans and His purposes. It illustrates how we can follow Him:

  1. God is always at work around you.
  2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
  3. God invites you to become involved with Him in 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.
  5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
  6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
  7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.
  8. JESUS’ MINISTRY IS OUR MINISTRY

Our relationship with Jesus is more than ‘Just Knowing’; it requires Believing and Doing.   Jesus has

(a) The plan for us to follow,

(b) The purpose which becomes our purpose, and

(c) The ministry for us as His disciples.

For example, in Matthew 10:2, we are told that “Jesus sent these twelve out after (a) instructing them (b) He gave them authority

  • over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to
  • heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness
  • “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
  • “Heal the sick,
  • raise the dead,
  • cleanse the lepers,
  • cast out demons.
  • Freely you received, freely give.
  • “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.
  • “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. “As you enter the house, give it your greeting. “If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.
  • “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. “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.

If you cannot, or will not, believe that this is your mission and that He will  accomplish these things through you, then you are not yet His disciple.  And  you cannot know how and are unable TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THE EVIL ENVELOPING OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

  1. JESUS’ MISSION IS OUR MISSION

After Jesus’ death and resurrection and just before His ascension, He said:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

So, Jesus was sent by His Father and was on The Mission of His Father.  If you are a disciple of Jesus (His follower) this is your mission, and He will do this work through you.

If you cannot, or will not, believe that this is your mission and that He will  accomplish these things through you, then you are not yet His disciple.  And  you cannot know how and are unable TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THE EVIL ENVELOPING OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

III. JESUS’ PURPOSE IS OUR PURPOSE

1 John 3:8 “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.”

These are the WORKS of the devil, the thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY (John 10:10)

The devil is the accuser, a liar, a thief, a murderer, the author of disease, pain, despair, loss, lack, fear, hopelessness and the like.

IV.  JESUS’ METHOD IS OUR METHOD

Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him (the devil) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word (logos) of their testimony (Maturia -> Martus), and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

Here is how Jesus destroyed the works of the devil.  And, how He will continue to destroy the works of the devil, through His yielded and obedient disciple:

  • Condemns a Fig Tree Matthew 21:17-22
  • Feeds More than Four-Thousand People Matthew 15:32-39
  • Stills the Storm
  • The Catch of Fish
  • The Second Catch of Fish
  • The Temple Tax Money Obtained from a Fish’s Mouth
  • Walks Upon Lake Galilee
  • Water Converted Into Wine
  • Cleanses the Leper
  • Cures a Man With Dropsy
  • Cures the Woman With the Issue of Blood
  • Healing of the Immobile Man
  • Heals a Demoniac
  • Heals Peter’s Mother-In-Law
  • Heals the Daughter of the Non-Jewish, Syro-Phoenician Woman
  • Heals the Demoniac
  • Heals the Ear of Malchus
  • Heals the Epileptic Boy
  • Heals the Nobleman’s Son
  • Heals the Paralyzed Man
  • Heals the Woman With the Spirit of Infirmity
  • Opens the Eyes of a Man Born Blind
  • Restores a Blind Man
  • Restores Sight to Two Blind Men Near Jericho
  • Restores the Centurion’s Servant
  • Restores the Deaf-Mute Man
  • Restores Two Blind Men to Sight
  • Restoring the Withered Hand
  • Throws Demons out of Two Men of Gadara (Gerasa)
  • DEFEATED DEATH
  • Raises Lazarus from the Dead
  • Raises the Daughter of Jairus from the Dead
  • Raises the Widow’s Son to Life at the Village of Nain
  • “Miracles in the Name of Christ”

If you cannot, or will not, believe that this is your mission and that He will  accomplish these things through you, then you are not yet His disciple.  And  you cannot know how and are unable TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THE EVIL ENVELOPING OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

V.   GO ON THE OFFENSIVE – RESPOND TO THE CALL TO PRAY

YOU, begin to pray. Put together a Strategic Prayer Assault. Engage the enemy at the gates and drive him back!

RECRUIT others to join you in a strategic prayer assault on the enemy.

BUILD or JOIN A NETWORK of praying warriors who will pray strategically and drive the enemy back!

The time is late. Please, start now! Pray fervently. Pray effectively. Pray continuously.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Click to access war-room-prayer-assault-journal-.pdf

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 5

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 5

John 1:4,5, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

NOTES

“In Him was life”; (from the Greek word, ‘zoe’, which means both of physical  and of spiritual, particularly future existence. The Lord intimately shares His gift of life with people, creating each in His image which gives all the capacity to know His eternal life. Compared to ‘psuche’ the vital breath, breath of life, (b) the human soul, (c) the soul as the seat of affections and will, (d) the self, (e) a human person, an individual. This is a life worth living; active, purposeful and effervescent.)

“And the life was the Light of men”; (from the Greek word, ‘phós’, which means a source of light, radiance; to emit and be seen.

“In the darkness”; (from the Greek word, ‘skotia’, which means spiritual darkness; a brand of moral, spiritual obscurity, (i.e. which blocks the light of God when faith is lacking).

“Did not comprehend it”; (from the Greek word, ‘katalambanó’, which means to overtake or to eagerly seize or possess; also, to comprehend.

COMMENTS

God’s creation of ‘mankind’ is recorded in Genesis 1:26, where God’s Word says we are created ‘in His image’. The Hebrew language, tells us that God created us ‘in His image’, which comes from the Hebrew word ‘tselem‘, a mere empty image, a semblance, a shadow or an outline; a vain form of the original. This comes from a root word meaning ‘of dubious character’, i.e., with a flaw.

It is difficult to know why God created Adam this way, and that all humankind, throughout all the ages, which includes you and me, with ‘a flaw’, which would lead us to become afflicted by the curse of sin which carries the penalty of physical and spiritual death and separation from God.

What we must trust is that God’s plan is His perfect divine purpose and that God revealed that the curse of sin can be negated and reversed through His grace and by our faith in Christ. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and payment for our sin.

Now, when we consider verses 4 and 5 of the book of John, we see both its complexities and its simplicity. The Truth is that the life given by God, is rich in its complexity, life giving and powerfully effervescent and purposeful. It is a life worth living.

This Life is not passive, but it is active and radiant, dispelling the darkness of fear, doubt, lack, want and all sorts of evil.

This “Life” is comparable to the ‘PSUCHE’, the soul, which is the vital breath of life; it is the human soul, as the seat of affections and will, the ‘self’ of the human person.

‘The darkness’ cannot overtake the ‘Light of men’ which the light of God created within you, instead, the Light overcomes and defeats the darkness. Darkness cannot comprehend God’s Light, and is dispelled from the soul of the child of God.

This Life of God, takes birth in your spirit (your PNEUMA), and wells up into your soul, (your PSUCHE) will radiate the image of God in and through your life, (the DIANOIA).

The simplicity is that if you confess, with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart, (PNEUMA), a person believes, which results in righteousness, and with his  mouth, a person confesses, (DIANOIA), resulting in salvation.

Come to Him and find Life!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(There may be times or circumstances with which you struggle that seem impossible to overcome.  Please read “Separated From God?” for a word of encouragement and hope.)

Click here for the next episode in THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 6

SEPARATED FROM GOD?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 1 Comment

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

sin-separates.gif

Does SIN separate you from God?

Have you ever heard that sin can separate you from God? I have often heard this phrase, that my ‘sins’ separate me from God, and that sin even hinders or negates my prayers or that God won’t even hear me.

Those who say that sin separates us from God, usually quote verses like Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”

Or, New Testament verses like Galatians 5:4, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

Then, when I commit a sin, this phrase comes to my mind, I begin to worry and doubt and fear that I have created a separation between me and my Eternal Hope.

I try to “not sin”, then I sin, anyway. And, the cycle of worry and doubt and fear starts over again.

I have met Christians who have serious challenges with alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual addiction, kleptomania, homosexuality, and other habits of thought, behavioral habits or addictions, and most will either say “the harder I try, the worse it gets” or “I am better, but…” or, they find themselves having to live in the torment. I had found myself in this dilemma, once in my life.

Then there are the few who say they have been delivered from this torment and have been set completely free. How do they do that?

I have read all the well-intended commentaries and the so-called Bible scholars on this matter, and you get answers that differ depending on denominational views.

WHAT A QUANDARY.

The Apostle Paul gives us a word of hope in Romans, chapter 7, speaking about the conflict of the two natures that dwell within us.

Romans 7:14-25, tells us,

“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 

For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.  But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind I am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh, the law of sin.”

THERE IS DELIVERANCE FROM THIS BONDAGE

Romans 8:1-6, tells us,

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of [c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For, those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For, the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,”

NOW THERE IS THE NEW COVENANT

The Good News is that Jesus died, ONCE, for all who would believe.

Sin may cause us to separate ourselves from God, but sin will never separate God from those of us who believe.

Romans 8:31-39, says,

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future, nor any powers neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You see, our ‘natural response’ to sin is to withdraw and try to HIDE FROM GOD, due to shame, guilt, worry, doubt and fear.

We can see this played out in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 3:8

“They (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

Sin does not separate God from us. God will seek us out. We are the ones who will seek separation.

Sin is a method of Satan to impose guilt, shame, fear and doubt into our minds in order to compel us to withdraw from God and from God’s protection over our lives.

God never withdraws from His own, thanks to Jesus our Christ. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

Romans 8 tells us that, “there is now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, those who walk in the Spirit of God. And that the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace!”

SO, WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THIS QUANDARY?

James 4:7 (Think on this, understand this, take it seriously, and do it)

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

YES!! Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

1 John 1:9 tells us that

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

And, on a final note, as helpful as some recovery programs are, this is not a “Two-Step” program for recovering addicts or habitual offenders.

James 4:7, is ALL ONE STEP:  Submit yourself to God AND resist the devil and the devil will flee from you WHILE you are drawing near to God.

In other words, MOVE YOUR FOCUS AWAY FROM THE TROUBLE AND ONTO GOD.  YOU DO YOUR PART, WHILE, GOD IS DOING HIS PART

Again, let’s remember, Romans 8:6, says, “The mind set on The Spirit is life and peace.”  Life and Peace, Indeed!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

 

IT IS FINISHED

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

IT IS FINISHED

The word “canon” comes from the rule of law that was used to determine if a book measured up to a standard. It is important to note that the writings of Scripture were canonical at the moment they were written.

Scripture was Scripture when the pen touched the parchment. This is very important because Christianity does not start by defining God, or Jesus Christ, or salvation. The basis of Christianity is found in the authority of Scripture. If we cannot identify what Scripture is, then we cannot properly distinguish any theological truth from error.

The canon of Scripture refers to all the books in the Christian Bible and Hebrew Scriptures that together constitute the complete and divinely inspired Word of God. Only the books of the canon are considered authoritative in matters of faith and practice.

The idea of a closed canon is that the Bible is complete; no more books are being added to it. God is not appending His Word.

A closed canon also implies that there are no apostles or prophets today who are receiving new messages from God.

The church is gifted with teachers and preachers of the Word today, but anyone who claims a new revelation from God, proffers his or her message as divinely inspired, or assumes authority on par with the Bible is leading people astray. Sadly, many in the church give heed to dreams and visions shared from the pulpit and to those who falsely claim that “God spoke to me.”

The canon of Scripture was determined by God, not men. Jude, one of the last books to be included in the canon before it was closed, says, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3).

The words the faith in this passage refer to, are the sum of what Christians believe, all the apostles’ teachings, or the whole body of Christian beliefs. In other words, everything we believe in the Christian faith has already been delivered or revealed to the saints through the apostles and prophets. Through the Scriptures, God has given us a final and complete body of knowledge for living the Christian faith.

John 19:28 says,

”After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” verse 29. A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Verse 30. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

Matthew 5:17 , says,

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Verse 18.  For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Verse 19. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Proverbs 5:5, says,

”Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Verse 6. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”

Deuteronomy 4:1, instructs,

“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Verse 2. You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”

Deuteronomy 12:32, warns, 

“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.”

Revelation 22:18, also warns, 

“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; verse 19. and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

I have participated in, been a member of and have been ‘on staff’ with the Baptist church and the Nazarene church. I have also been a member of and actively participated in the Assemblies of God church. Furthermore, I have interacted with and studied the doctrines, teachings and practices of the Methodist church, the Word of Faith movement, the Charismatic movement. So, I have some first-hand experience and some studied involvement and I can tell you, unequivocally, that many have drifted from the directives and commands of Scriptures and are teaching others to do the same.

The Word of Faith and Charismatic, churches, and many of the Pentecostal,  Methodist churches and Assemblies of God churches are adding practices and beliefs which are, at least incompatible with Scriptures, and at worst, are disobedient to the Word of God, bordering on heresy. (See “Has The Great Apostasy Begun?“).

I have friends who follow and recommend the teachings of certain Word of Faith, Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers and teachers to others. I have researched these ‘denominations’, as a result of a recommendation by friends, and I had even joined one Pentecostal church. However, I have stayed silent about some strange things I saw and learned, not wanting to offend my friends.

Now, these same people are recommending certain self-appointed ‘apostles and prophets’ to my wife.  She has asked me what I think about this.  Now, I am going public with my findings.

First, let me say, I am not questioning their sincerity nor am I questioning their salvation. They use many Biblical examples in their teachings, but, they regularly mix their teachings with extra-Biblical and non-biblical teachings and practices.

I am exposing what I have discovered about their beliefs, practices and associations, and they are not Biblical. They may be sincere, but, it is my opinion, along with scores of others, that these teachings are at least incompatible with and at worst, sincerely wrong for The Gospel and for Biblical Christianity.

Extra-Biblical ideologies are ‘wildly popular’ among Charismatics, Pentecostals, Dominionism and Word of Faith adherents.

I have gathered information, both firsthand, and gleaned from dozens of websites about self-proclaimed Prophets and New Reformation Apostles. I have studied the New Apostolic Reformation, and the ‘Dominionism’ movement. Furthermore, I have considered the Charismatic movement and their affiliations with the Word of Faith movement. I have studied the Lakeland Church movement associated with heretic and apostate Todd Bentley and of Kundalini Spirit worship (video at the end of this page). I have looked at the Brownsville Revival also known as the Pensacola Outpouring and have spoken to participants of that ‘revival’, which was later exposed by various news sources as fraught with misinformation, deceit, controversy and alleged fraud.

The Bible is clear that any person who claims to have ‘special revelations’ and claims to speak on behalf of the Bible and of God, can NEVER join, affiliate or participate in anything such as the bizarre and non-Biblical behaviors at the Lakeland revival and Brownsville revivals, such as ‘golden dust’, ‘angel wings’, ‘kundalini’, ‘barking like dogs, laughing uncontrollably, shaking violently, howling, rolling on the ground’, and have any credibility of discernment or to have any prophetic abilities.

Here are some links to these questionable ‘religious movements’ and denominations.

The Charismatic movement.

What is the New Apostolic Reformation.

What is the Word of Faith movement.

Teachers, preachers, members and adherents of these aforementioned movements claim to have special revelations through dreams and thoughts and interpret these dreams as having special Extra-Biblical relevance. They connect their dreams to scriptures and call them prophecies, thereby effectively ADDING TO SCRIPTURES.

(NOTE:  Matthew 5:18-19, warns, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Revelation 22:18-19, warns, ”I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”)

The Bible is clear that we are to avoid such practices.

My Conclusion:  YOU SHOULD AVOID THESE BELIEF SYSTEMS, TEACHINGS AND PRACTICES because they are of men, many with dubious associations, practices and bizarre, nonsensical non-biblical beliefs.

(To my friends in the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches:  I know there are good and faithful pastors and Christians in these churches. I am in no way criticizing the Church, the Bride of Christ or all of you. I am criticizing and condemning any errant sprits and denominational deviations from the plain Word of the Bible. I do believe you know if I am talking about you, and you know those you should remove from your midst; adhere faithfully and closely to the written, revealed Word of God.)

Put your trust in

  1. “Scripture alone”, Sola scriptura:
    2. “Faith alone”, Sola fide:
    3. “Grace alone”, Sola gratia:
    4. “Christ alone”, Solo Christo:
    5. “To the glory of God alone”, Soli Deo gloria:

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH

This is the warning: “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many”, Matthew 24:11.

RECOMMENDED:  COVENANT CHURCH NAPLES

PS:  Here is a graphic video on the teaching and practices of the Charismatic and the Word of Faith adherents at the Lakeland Revival and the Brownsville Revival.  These satanic practices spread to other churches and have been practiced by unwitting people.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

John 1:2,3, says, “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

NOTES

HE: from the Greek word, ‘houtos’, and, ‘hauté’, and, ‘touto’: this part of speech is a Demonstrative Pronoun.

Definition: ‘this’.

Usage: this; ‘he, she, it’.

WAS: from the Greek word, “eimi”, meaning “I exist; I am”; eternally self-existent.

BEGINNING: ‘arche’. From archomai; a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank) — beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule. to commence (in order of time) — (rehearse from the) begin(-ning).

CAME INTO BEING: from the Greek word, ‘gínomai’, properly, to emerge, become, transitioning from one point (realm, condition) to another. Unlike ‘eimi’ or self-existent.

COMMENTS

Notice that the descriptive personal pronoun for Jesus, the Word: ‘He’. It is clear to say that God is not defined by any human term. He, ‘houtos’, is unbounded, undefinable, indescribable and is all inclusive.

Secondly, not only is God eternal and self-existent, He was before there was anything and moves about, from realm to realm, at His will (see the Greek word ‘ginomai’).

What is being emphasized is the completeness and the thoroughness by which all things have come into being. The origins of things created and formed, animate and inanimate, plant, animal and human, all the elements, known and unknown, seen and unseen; all things came into being through the Word, (Jesus), by the Word and because of the Word. There is nothing left to be created which forms all things and there is no need to look elsewhere for their origins.

There are those, both inside the Church and outside the Church who would propose that there is a better explanation found in science or an admixture of science and The Word. This is patently absurd and false. Anyone who denies the the inerrancy and the infallibility of any of the written Word, is denying all of the Word of God.

C.S. Lewis, a lay theologian and a prolific writer and Christian apologist, suggests that when you come upon matters of God and the Bible, you are best served if you act on the things of God’s Word you can understand and to temporarily put aside the things which you cannot understand, until God reveals the truth of those things to you, remembering that the creation of God can never stand in judgment on God or His Word without suffering potentially severe and catastrophic results. (See Hebrews 6:4-8)

The entire Word of God is breathed by God. You cannot depend on the parts of the Word which your human and fallible mind chooses as true if you then reject other parts of God’s Word. You must believe all of God’s Word, or, you in effect, believe none of It. Thus, you cannot expect God to respond faithfully to an unbelieving and faithless person.

John 3:18, tells us that, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Finally, what do these verses mean to the believer?

Hebrews 11:6, tells us, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” 

The rewards of a believer can be found throughout the Bible. For this example, I will only cite select verses from Hebrews. We will look at the our Levels of Learning as we study, pray and meditate on the Word of God.

To the DIANOIA (the cognitive mind) – WHAT YOU WILL THINK AND DO.

Hebrews 11:1-2, says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

(‘Substance’ is the manifestation of Faith. This ‘hope’ is a certainty. This evidence is the proof of those things not yet seen. You will obtain these things and God will grant you ‘a good testimony’ based on your manifest faith in Him.)

DIANOIA.

Verse 3. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

(This understanding flows upward from our hearts into our minds, given by our teacher, Jesus Christ and by our tutor, God the Holy Spirit. We will be able to understand that the things which are visible come from things which are not yet made. So, we ask anything in His Name and He will do it, so the Father will be glorified.)

PSUCHE, (The Soul – Mind, Will & Emotions) – HOW YOU WILL BE AFFECTED AND MOVED TO ACTION.

Verse 6. ”But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

(God pays wages of righteousness, which is life, to those who diligently, (ardently crave, seek and demand to find), Him. This must not and cannot be under emphasized.

PSUCHE.

Verse 7. ”By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

PNEUMA. (The Spirit) – THE HOLY SPIRIT IMPARTS YOU HIS WISDOM INTO THE CAUSE OF ALL THINGS.

Verse 11. ”By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Verse 12. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

(You, too, will receive strength that defies the natural order, if you only believe and act as God prompts you. The blessings and fruit of your faith and obedience will multiply beyond your ability to count them.)

PSUCHE

Verse 23. “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

(God tells us, at least 60 times in the Bible, “do not fear” or “fear not”.  Read Joshua 1:5-9“, slowly and carefully,  “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. verse 6. “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. verse 7. “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. verse 8. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. verse 9. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

This can be done only when you practice your faith. Meditate on these things and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind.)

PSUCHE

Verse 27. “By faith Moses Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 

(For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW, DEEP IN OUR SPIRIT AND ACT UPON IT IN OUR SOUL AND LIFE, IN THESE LAST DAYS.)

PNEUMA

Verse 28. “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

(It is urgent that we understand and practice the covering of protection and grace for our children.  Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb and His Blood is our covering.)

DIANOIA & PNEUMA

Verse 29. “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

(Your obstacle may not literally be the Red Sea, but, by faith, when you encounter seemingly impassable obstacles, you will pass over them on steady and dry ground, and your pursuers, your enemies will be destroyed. You must both know and do this.)

DIANOIA, PSUCHE & PNEUMA

Verse 30. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. Verse 31. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

(Obstacles in your way, will fall at God’s command, and you will live in peace. As God says in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”)

DIANOIA, PSUCHE & PNEUMA

Verse 32. “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, verse 33. Who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, verse 34. quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Verse 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; verse 36. and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. Verse 37. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, verse 38, (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Verse 39. “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, verse 40. because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”

I have used Hebrews for the background study of John 1:1-3, since the Bible is the entire Truth of God and is its own commentary.

Let’s Do the Word of God and LIVE!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please click here for the next episode in THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 5

Who and What is Dutch Sheets?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 2 Comments

(You can listen to the article on this audio podcast, and, pause the audio to follow page links for important details on select subjects and topics in this article, then, resume the audio when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references.  It is important to read them to get the full teaching or full explanation.)

Who and what is Dutch Sheets and what does he believe?

I have Pentecostal and Charismatic friends who follow and recommend the teachings of Dutch Sheets to others. I researched Dutch Sheets, upon a recommendation, and I choose to ignore his teachings. I stayed silent about what I learned, not wanting to offend my friends.

Now, these same people are recommending Sheets to my wife.  She has asked me what I think about this man.  Now, I am going public with my findings.

First, let me say, I am not questioning Dutch Sheets sincerity nor am I questioning his salvation. Sheets uses many Biblical examples and teachings, but, he mixes them with extra-Biblical teachings and practices.

I am exposing what I have discovered about his beliefs, practices and his, associations, and they are not Biblical. He may be sincere, but, it is my opinion, along with scores of others, that he is sincerely wrong for The Gospel and for Biblical Christianity.

He is ‘wildly popular’ among Charismatics, Pentecostals, Dominionists and Word of Faith adherents. He sells a lot of books and is in demand as a speaker.

Gleaned from dozens of websites, I have found that Dutch Sheets is a self-proclaimed Prophet and New Reformation Apostle. He is from the New Apostolic Reformation, he is at various times associated with the ‘Dominionism’ movement, considered as a Charismatic, has affiliations to the Word of Faith movement, has been part of and participated in the heresy of the Lakeland Church movement associated with heretic and apostate Todd Bentley and of Kundalini Spirit worship (video at the end of this page), which Sheets says he has ‘repented from’ and admitted his errors on that one count. Sheets was also part of the Brownsville Revival also known as the Pensacola Outpouring which was later exposed by various news sources as fraught with misinformation, deceit, controversy and alleged fraud Dutch Sheet preaching at Brownsville.

Then there is this video of the occult KUNDALINI spirit being practiced at Brownsville Church:

(A person who claims to have special revelations and claims to speak on behalf of the Bible and of God, can NEVER join, affiliate or participate in anything such as the bizarre and none-Biblical behaviors at the Lakeland revival and Brownsville revivals, such as ‘golden dust’, ‘angel wings’, ‘kundalini’, ‘barking like dogs, laughing uncontrollably, shaking violently, howling, rolling on the ground’, and have any credibility of discernment or to have any prophetic abilities.)

New Apostolic Reformation connection with Dutch Sheets.

The Charismatic movement (and Dutch Sheets).

What is the New Apostolic Reformation?

What is the Word of Faith movement?

Dutch Sheets claims to have special revelations through dreams and thoughts and interprets his dreams as having special Extra-Biblical relevance. He connects his dreams to scriptures and calls them prophecies, thereby effectively having ADDED TO SCRIPTURES.

(NOTE:  Matthew 5:18-19, warns, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Revelation 22:18-19, warns, ”I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

The Bible is clear that we are to avoid such practices.

My Conclusion:  YOU SHOULD AVOID DUTCH SHEETS AND HIS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES because they are of a man, and, of a man with dubious associations, practices and extra-biblical beliefs.

Put your trust in

  1. “Scripture alone”, Sola scriptura:
    2. “Faith alone”, Sola fide:
    3. “Grace alone”, Sola gratia:
    4. “Christ alone”, Solo Christo:
    5. “To the glory of God alone”, Soli Deo gloria:

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:  A graphic video on the teaching and practices of the Charismatic and the Word of Faith adherents at the Lakeland Revival and the Brownsville Revival, at which Dutch Sheets either spoke or participated.  These satanic practices spread to other churches and have been practiced by unwitting people. This is the warning: “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many”, Matthew 24:24.

https://youtu.be/7c-fOBeUwss?si=WLKEu9pxnQoRg7I7

Finally, what happened to the Brownsville Church?

 

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Links to a Spiritual Gifts Test at the end of this article

 “DO YOU KNOW YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT?”

​Have you ever been asked that question before?

So, do you?  Do you know your Spiritual Gift?  And, if you do know your Spiritual Gift – SO WHAT?

​What I mean is, SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR PRECIOUS GIFT from the Holy Spirit?

​Spiritual gifts, (charismata) are an endowment or extraordinary powers given by the Holy Spirit.

These supernatural graces, are given to individual Christians by the Holy Spirit with the purpose of building up the Body of Christ which is The Church and are needed to fulfill the mission of the Church.  Spiritual Gifts enable Christians to serve the Lord and His Church.

Two important Truths have been lost over time, and this loss is rendering God’s Church as less effective in Her mission and, is in fact, soiling His Bride.

Truth #1.  Many in the Church have become grossly “self-serving”.

It is through Spiritual Gifts that God empowers and enables us to serve Him and to serve His Church, which is His Body.  We are, as Christians, to serve the Lord and His Church.

Jesus, Himself, said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”  That is our calling also. ​We are not here to be served, we are here to serve. Call on the Holy Spirit, now, to teach you about His Gifts for you.

​Truth #2.  You and I are The Body of Christ, that is we are “The Church”. 

​We have become accustomed, over the last two millennium (beginning with Constantine) with the idea that we ‘go to church’, but that is impossible in God’s Kingdom and in His economy because we are The Church.

Jesus created His Church, His Body, and made it so the whole Body fits together perfectly.  As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

The Holy Spirit guides us, convict us, defends us and empowers us.

Jesus transformed the practice and attitude of ‘going to church’. He also teaches about not allowing external things to convict or to defend us. We are to depend on and call upon the Holy Spirit for those things.  Jesus has told us that His laws are now written upon our hearts and in our consciences.

We must BE the Body of Christ, The Church, and behave as such, or we simply are not following Jesus.

​No matter what we believe or say or do, we are not a follower of Jesus and we should not call ourselves by His Holy Name, if we are not behaving as Jesus says.

​We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and called to serve. ​We are God’s church.

Here is a list of the Gifts which God gives His Body.  See if you can find which gift or gifts are yours.  Can you imagine how different things would be in The Church and the world around us if we engaged and used these Gifts, daily?

​Romans 12             1 Corinthians          Corinthians 12       Ephesians 4

Prophecy               Word of wisdom           Apostle                   Apostle
Serving                  Word of knowledge      Prophet                  Prophet
Teaching                Faith                               Teacher                  Evangelist
Exhortation           Gifts of healing             Miracles                 Pastor
Giving                     Miracles                         Kinds of healing   Teacher
Overseer                Prophecy                        Helps
Mercy                     Distinguishing spirits  Administration
Tongues                 Tongues
Interpretation of tongues

​Sometimes, Spiritual Gifts are mistakenly considered to be a natural talent or a person’s proclivity, a natural inclination.  Natural talents can mimic Gifts of the Holy Spirit, but, they will never accomplish God’s purposes effectively.

Please remember, these are not natural talents.  These are supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Here is a more detailed description and function of the Gifts.

Apostle:   The title apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos which means “a messenger, one sent forth with orders”.  It refers to one who has been delegated authority by another in a foreign land.  Apostles were the first leaders of the Church; they were commissioned by Jesus to initiate and direct the preaching of the gospel. (There is no passage in the Bible saying this gift was temporary nor that is has ceased)

Prophet: In the New Testament, the office of prophet is to equip the saints for the work of service through exhortation, edification, and consolation (1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 14:3 Ephesians 4:11).  The prophet’s corresponding gift is prophecy. Prophecy is “reporting something that God spontaneously brings to your mind”.

Prophecy is addressed to the human understanding “he who prophesies speaks to men,” Corinthians 14:1-25. The prophet “edifies the church” (14:4).

​Evangelist:   An evangelist is one who devotes himself to preaching the gospel. In the New Testament, evangelists preached from city to city, church to church.

Pastor:   This term derives from a Greek word for “shepherd”.  Pastoral Gifts include integrity and compassion.

(The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep to defend the sheep from attackers to heal the wounded and sick sheep to find and save lost or trapped sheep to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust.

​During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact.)

Teacher:  Someone who devotes his or her life to preaching and teaching the Christian faith. When teaching is provided for the Church by God, two gifts are actually given—to the Church is given a teacher and along with the teacher comes a divine capacity to teach.

Service: The word translated as “ministry” is diakonia, which can also be translated “service”.  Since there are many types of ministries and service to the Church, this then describes a broad array of gifts rather than a single gift.

Exhortation: The ability to motivate Christians “to patient endurance, brotherly love, and good works”.

Giving: Those with this gift share their own possessions with others with extraordinary generosity. While all Christians should be givers, those possessing this gift will go beyond this normal giving.

Overseeing:  This gift speaks to the various roles found in the Church. While many think of roles such as administration, management of funds, strategy planning, etc. as functions outside of the supernatural realm, in reality individuals in these positions are just as in need of supernatural empowerment as are ministers of the gospel.  This is sometimes inappropriately called ‘leadership’.

Mercy:  Possibly identical to the gift of helps, the mercy-shower possesses a ministry of visitation, prayer, and compassion to the poor and sick.

​Word of wisdom:   An utterance or message of wisdom supernaturally granted to an individual. For Paul, wisdom refers to “the knowledge of the great Christian mysteries: the Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection of Christ, and the indwelling in the believer of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2; Ephesians 1:17)”.

​Word of knowledge: The knowledge referred to is often said to relate to understanding Christian doctrine or scriptural truth.  It is sometimes said to be connected with the ministry of teachers.

Faith:  This refers to that strong or special faith “which removes mountains, casts out devils (Matthew 17:19–20), and faces the most cruel martyrdom without flinching”.  It is distinguished from the “saving” and “normal” Christian faith.

Gifts of healing:  The ability to supernaturally minister healing to others. The plural indicates the variety of sickness healed and the many forms the gift takes, such as healing by anointing with oil, by the laying on of hands, by saying the name of Jesus or by the sign of the cross.

​Working of miracles: The performance of deeds beyond ordinary human ability by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Visions. An outpouring of this gift is prophesied in Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17 and is expected to increase and be of great value in the “last days”.

Discerning of spirits:  The capacity to discern, distinguish, or to discriminate the source of a spiritual manifestation—whether it emanates from a good or evil spirit. It seemed to have been particularly associated with prophecy as it would be necessary to know whether a prophetic utterance was truly inspired by God.

​Tongues:  The supernatural ability of speaking an unlearned language.  Paul seems to have distinguished between the public use of the gift (which must always be interpreted) and the private use which was for the spiritual strengthening of oneself.

​(Among Christians there is a discussion as to whether tongues were/are always xenoglossy, which is speaking an unlearned human language, or whether it also included/includes glossolalia, which is speaking an unlearned and allegedly non-human language of heavenly or angelic origin).

Interpretation of tongues:  This gift always follows the public exercise of the gift of tongues.

(In 1 Corinthians 14, the Apostle Paul required that all speech in Christian worship should be intelligible. This required that speech given in an unknown tongue be interpreted in the common language of the gathered Christians.)

​Helps:  This gift has to do with service to the sick and the poor.   Possessor of this gift has a “spiritual burden and a God-given love for the needy and afflicted”.

Administration:   Also called the gift of governing, the Greek word translated “governments” is kubernesis, the verb form of which means “to steer” or “to be a helmsman”. This gift then refers to the God-given capacity to oversee or guide the Church through storms and difficult seas.

(NOTE:  Many versions of the Bible and many theologians and bible teachers say the word “leader” or “leadership” is a Spiritual gift.  That is a misunderstanding of the correct word and intention of the word “overseer”. )

I pray that you will consider the Gifts God has given you and how you can serve His Church and affect the world around you as we make ready for His return.

​There are many places you can find and take a Spiritual Gifts test for the purpose of applying what God has so graciously and generously given you.  Here are just two of such web sites:

​Click this text-link for a Spiritual gifts test from an external site​

Or, you can click on this image to take a the test here, and grade it yourself.

Your Friend and Brother, Together, In His Service.

​Mike Young

A PROPHECY FOR TODAY

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to this study using the audio, above; you can pause the audio to follow page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note, I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references. They are important for details and for an expanded explanation of a word, subject or matter.)

eagle.png

WOE, WOE, WOE

A PROPHECY FOR TODAY

(A prophecy is as true today as it was when it was issued. A full explanation is found at the end of this page)

Jeremiah 50:3 “Tell all the world that Babylon will be destroyed; her god Marduk will be utterly disgraced! 3 For a nation shall come down upon her from the north with such destruction that no one shall live in her again; all shall be gone—both men and animals shall flee.

Verse 4. “Then the people of Israel and Judah shall join together, weeping and seeking the Lord their God. verse 5. They shall ask the way to Zion and start back home again. “Come,” they will say, “let us be united to the Lord with an eternal pledge that will never be broken again.”

Verse 6.  “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds led them astray and then turned them loose in the mountains. They lost their way and didn’t remember how to get back to the fold.

Verse 7.  “All who found them devoured them and said, “We are permitted to attack them freely, for they have sinned against the Lord, the God of justice, the hope of their fathers.”

He who has an ear, let him hear

(A full explanation is found at the end of this page)

The foreshadowing of this prophecy was partially fulfilled in 539 BC when it was overthrown by the first Persian Empire. (Jeremiah 50:3)

Then, in 323 BC, before his death, Alexander the Great ordered the superstructure of Babylon’s ziggurat pulled down in order that it might be rebuilt with greater splendor. But he never lived to bring his project to completion.

Over the centuries, its scattered bricks have been cannibalized by peasants to fulfill humbler dreams. All that is left of the fabled Tower of Babel is the bed of a swampy pond. Because the water level in the region has risen steadily over the centuries and the ruins of Old Babylon have become inaccessible.

We can see this complete Prophecy again in

Isaiah 13:19 says, “And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

Verse 20. “It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation;
Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.

Verse 21. “But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.

Verse 22. “Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers and jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come, and her days will not be prolonged.

The complete and utter destruction is yet to come. (A full explanation is found at the end of this page)

In order to get a complete understanding of this Prophecy, These are key the words:

Babylon = Confusion. To mix, mingle, confuse, confound. Allegorically, of Rome as the most corrupt seat of idolatry and the enemy of Christianity.

The account and description of Babylon and their intentions are found in

Genesis 11:1  “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. Verse 2. It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

Verse 3. “They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. verse 4. They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Verse 5. “The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.”

The modern NEW WORLD ORDER is now – it has been built and is near completion. (see the end of this page)

Marduc = (Merodach) “Thy rebellion”. Although the practical meaning of the name Marduc was that of the chief deity of the Babylonians in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, but, the symbolic name is “Thy Rebellion” which is representative of Babylon and the coming New World Order, The anti-christ and the state of the world in the ‘last days’.

Zion = “parched place”. Another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.

Jerusalem literally means, “set ye double peace’. It is “the City of God founded by Christ,” now wearing the form of the church, but after Christ’s return to put on the form of the perfected Messianic kingdom.

“The heavenly Jerusalem”, that is the heavenly abode of God, Christ, the angels, saints of the Old and New Testament periods and those Christians that are alive at Christ’s return.

“The New Jerusalem,” a splendid visible city to be let down from heaven after the renovation of the world, the future abode of the blessed.

James L. Resseguie, distinguished professor of New Testament emeritus at Winebrenner Theological Seminary, describes the significance of Babylon by saying that “Babylon is not merely a representation of the Roman Empire. It is “the city of this world” and a cipher for “the tyrannical ways of evil.” Perhaps the phrase is specifically referencing some aspect of Rome’s rule of brutality, greed, and paganism.”

Here is a full explanation of this Prophecy being fulfilled at this time:

Jeremiah 50

(verses 1 – 2) Jeremiah was telling the world in 586 BC and is telling the world today, in the 21st century, through a Prophecy given him by God, that

  • “Babylon”, which is the attempt by “man” to ascend into the heavens, as it were, to make a name for himself, by becoming his own god. This has always been in the heart of evil men, and is taking shape NOW, even as I write this!  See:  The New World Order is Now with us!
  • (verse 3) God says this attempt by “man” to ascend into the heavens, as it were, to make a name for himself, by becoming his own god will be destroyed;
  • Babylon’s god, Marduk, which represents and literally means “Rebellion against God”, will be utterly disgraced! This was true in 586 BC and is still true today. This Prophecy continues to reverberate its Truth to this day!
  • For a nation shall come down upon her from the north with such destruction that no one shall live in her again; all shall be gone—both men and animals shall flee.

Jeremiah repeatedly prophesies that the invader who destroys Babylon will be a mighty nation who comes from the north. Jeremiah even describes the conquering invader as a strong coalition of nations and something stronger than a single nation. This detail is repeatedly emphasized by Jeremiah and does not describe the conqueror of ancient Babylon – Persia – who came from the east. A FUTURE DEVASTATION IS TO COME ON THE ENTIRE WORLD SYSTEM of rebellion against God.  (See:  The Future Fall of the city of Babylon.)

  • (verse 4) Then the people of Israel and Judah shall join together, weeping and seeking the Lord their God. 5 They shall ask the way to Zion Another name for Jerusalem, especially in the prophetic books. They will seek the Jerusalem “of double peace’.

Verse 4 is the foreshadowing or the image of all Christians in these Last Days, before the 6th Seal of The Great Tribulation and the GREAT DAY OF WRATH, as they will seek “the City of God founded by Christ,” the perfected Messianic kingdom.

All will look eagerly toward “The heavenly Jerusalem,” that is the heavenly abode of God, Christ, the angels, saints of the Old and New Testament periods and those Christians that are alive at Christ’s return.

“The New Jerusalem,” a splendid visible city to be let down from heaven after the renovation of the world, the future abode of the blessed. They will start back home again. “Come,” they will say, “let us be united to the Lord with an eternal pledge that will never be broken again.”

  • (verse 6) My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and then turned them loose in the mountains. They lost their way and didn’t remember how to get back to the fold.

This is the tragic picture of what is happening today, in the year 2021 as “postmodern” pastors from the denominationally divided Body of Christ, have taken on the mantle of religious businessmen, religious CEOs, using the name of God, the name of Jesus, to enrich themselves and build kingdoms of their own design. Even these hirelings have lost their way. Although prevalent in the Western world, this is a worldwide phenomenon – an apostasy as described in the Bible. (See:  “Has The Great Apostasy Begun?”)

  • (verse 7) All who found them devoured them and said, “We are permitted to attack them freely, for they have sinned against the Lord, the God of justice, the hope of their fathers.”

This is occurred in 539 BC, was a foreshadowing of what is coming, a conclusion, and now at hand, a great worldwide persecution of Christians.

Revelation 6:9  “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; 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?” 11And 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.”

THIS PROPHECY IS BEING FULFILLED IN OUR DAY. The NEW WORLD ORDER is at hand, The Rebuilding of the Tower of Babylon has begun, It is happening now.  (See: The New World Order)

Now is the time for the people of God to embrace our Call, employ the Spiritual Gifts of God, unite and Arise.

Our God takes no pleasure in those who ‘shrink back’ or are cowardly. Judgement is for those who are negligent in their ministry to God. Having put our hand to the plow, let’s not look back and be found unworthy.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

invitation2.jpg

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 3

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready.  Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).

(John 17 – Part 3).

  Our study is in John 1, but, we are continuing to read background scriptures about and study the Trinitarian relationship and how Jesus has made us part of this mystical and powerful relationship.

Is it possible that we can ‘fall from grace’ or slip out of the Hands of God?  Or, worse, is it possible that once we have been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, that we might turn away?

There has been an ongoing ‘debate’ in religious circles, particularly in protestant churches, concerning the idea or doctrine of “Eternal Security”. The Calvinist view, called ‘the Preservation of the Saints’, says, Christ holds and protects the confessing Christian, so they can never be ‘lost’ again. The Armenian view is that a Christian can ‘Fall from Grace’ and be lost, again. I don’t care to enter this endless argument. It only sows seeds of doubt and discord. But, I do want to hear the words of Jesus as He prays to The Father:

John 17, verse 12.  

“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”

NOTES

The phrase, “I was keeping them”, translates from the Greek language and word, “tereo”, which means, ‘to watch over, to guard; to keep in custody; preserved’.

The phrase, “and I guarded them”, translates from the Greek language and word, “phulasso”, which refers to, ‘a military guard, exercising unbroken vigilance as a military guard; preserve by ‘having an eye on’; referring to the uninterrupted vigilance shepherds show in keeping their flocks.

COMMENTS

I have already stated that The Christian’s belief system must be built on both faith and reason. So, reason with me.

The Son of God, The Word, Who as from the beginning, through Whom all things were made, has said, “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished…”

Do you think it is reasonable that the Creative Word of God can, and has, kept His word?

Read, also, John 10:27-30, ” My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”

Jesus repeats that no one can pluck the confessing Christian from neither His nor His Father’s Hand. (I believe that includes a ‘back-slidden’ Christian.)

One last question on this matter, for now:  Is it possible for a believing Christian stop believing and reject God’s gift of salvation? Hebrews 6:4-6, has stern words on this matter when it says,

“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

 The language used in Hebrews 6:4-6, the picture of ‘not eating, but only tasting’ of the heavenly gift and the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. The phrase, “and then have fallen away” is not a theological term, but, it is a picture of two Greek wrestlers, locked in combat, and one of them is ‘thrown to the mat’ and loses his match. This metaphor is a picture of a person who comes to Christ and explores the things of God, but, wrestles with them in his or her soul, eventually, falls away or fall away, fall back into the unbelieving and godless ways of the old time.

The Bible tells us that it could be both, the Calvinist view and the Armenian view, regarding our security in Christ.

It is clear in scriptures that Jesus will not lose anyone the Father has given Him.  We are secure in His Hands and in His Grip!

It also seems clear, that a person who does not fully embrace and continues to question, or wrestle with, the things of God, and fails to submit themselves to His Lordship of their lives, can find they have “fallen onto the mat” and can walk away from God, lost forever.

Doubt can be a normal thing, but unbelief can be fatal.  John 3:18 warns that, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

God has made provision that we can confess the sin of unbelief and cry out to God, “I believe, but, help my unbelief.”

Read Romans 8:24-39 and be encouraged and take comfort in our eternal relationship with our powerful and eternal Father.

RECAP

1.  Jesus will never lose anyone given to Him by the Father.

2.  Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, and endure to the end.

3.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Nothing can remove us from our relationship with Him.  Hold tight to those things which you have learned, He is coming soon!

We are returning to John chapter 1 to continue our study in verse 13.  Please bookmark this page and let’s continue together.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

ALPHA and OMEGA

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 3 Comments

(You can listen to this article by audio on this podcast, then, pause the audio to follow page links, and, resume the audio when you are ready.  Please note:  I use page links in lieu of references and footnotes for important details and credits.)

 The Bible’s Important Issues of Life

God has a plan, and His plan is unfolding exactly as prepared since the beginning of time. We need to trust Him and His plan and understand there is a purpose for all that happens.  You find His plan from the “Alpha to the Omega.”

But, God’s purpose and plans for His people (Christians and Jews) is that His concern is with our response to circumstances, (which includes the COVID-19 scare) and all other calamities or circumstances we face, whether good or bad.

The Bible says to ‘FEAR NOT’ at least 365 times.

One use of the Biblical Greek word fear is “Phobeo”, (phobia), which is an unreasonable, paralyzing fear.

Yet another word used for fear is “pachad”, a paralyzing terror, dread.

Yet, another word from the New Testament meaning fear is, Yawray, which means to stand in awe of, be awed, to fear, reverence, honor, respect.

This same word, fear, in the Hebrew is “Mowra”, which means a fear, a reverence, object of reverence, awe-inspiring spectacle or deed.

Isaiah 8:12-14 says, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’  In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy,  And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.

Verse 13,  “It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your FEAR, And He shall be your dread. 

Verse 14, “Then He shall become a sanctuary;”

We are told to stand in “Yawray” and “Mowra” (stand in awe, and stand in fear and reverence and to show honor and respect) of and to our God.

Because, there is no room for PHOBEO, (phobias), or PACAD, (terror).

The Bible also refers to wisdom or being wise over 700 times. Repetition in the Bible indicates EMPHASIS.

God has a plan. You’ve heard that many times. His plan is at work. We should JOIN HIM IN WHAT HE IS DOING, and fear not.

Daniel 12:10 says His plan in the Last Days is that, “Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.”

God says, in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Fear and terror outside of awe and reverence for God, has no place in our lives.

I am presenting a very brief and a very simple overview of a biblical timeline, from the Creation to the New Heavens and the new earth, completing God’s Plan as found in the Bible.  It is an abbreviated history of how God has created the world, dealt with the people He created, and why the world has gone the way it has gone and how it will conclude.

This is not designed to please everyone, and it will not fit every different denominational doctrine correct. Instead, this little booklet is meant to

  • Inform the uninformed,
  • Inspire the uninspired and to
  • Ignite them to move toward the One Living God and to join Him in what He is already doing!

I hope that my Christian friends, and others who read this, don’t find this objectionable solely because I have omitted certain events.

However, it is my intention to inform and inspire, NOT overwhelm the reader with volumes of information.

I want the reader to see that in approximately 6,000 years of time, many men and women have sacrificed everything, including their own lives, in order to bring the knowledge of Jesus, the Bible, “The Breath of God”, forward through these centuries.

My desire is to present The Hope that Jesus brings all people and a chance to make God their Lord and Savior. My desire is that this very brief outline will provide some clarity to the uninformed and the misinformed.

Click on the ALPHA & OMEGA icon, read and understand God’s Plan, how it has unfolded and continues to unfold.  Trust Him and Be Blessed!

Alpha and Omega – A timeline

Your Brother and Friend

Mike Young

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 2

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

The Gospel of John – Part 2

(John 17 – Part 2)

As I read and comment on John 17, I am both awestruck and humbled by Jesus’ words. I am strained beyond my ability to understand the depth and breadth of His love for me and the profundity of His words. At the same time, I sense a tremendous weight of responsibility to understand and respond to His words. I pray that you will see the Gospel of John the same way.

God help me, help us all, I pray.

John 17, verses 6-11.  “I have manifested Your Name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

“Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.

“I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 

NOTES

The phrase, “I have manifested, your Name” comes from the Greek word, ‘phaneroó’, which means to make clear visible, manifest, and to make known.

COMMENTS

“I have manifested, your Name” seems like a simple and straight forward statement. But, there are two things that have happened.

  1. Jesus, by saying, “I have manifested your Name”, is saying that “He, Jesus,is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.”

We have been conditioned to see Jesus as the humble servant with whom we are pals. We ‘walk with Him and talk with Him as we go along our way’ as the song goes. But, the Word tells us that when we look upon Jesus, we should be awestruck and humbled and blinded by the radiance of His glory.

The Bible tell us that, before Jesus came to earth, no man had looked upon the face of God and lived. We have been chosen and are privileged to look upon the face of God, in these Last Days, and live!

  1. The “Name of God” encompasses the Grandeur, the Glory and the Majesty of God.  His Name represents all we can know about God and the things of God we cannot begin to grasp.

It is impossible to fully understand what we are seeing we look upon the face of God, nor can we completely comprehend Him, as “His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts”. Yet, He has made us His own, as children, we are joint-heirs of His Kingdom!

  1. Jesus then says these prophetic and causative words, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.

 And so it is. We are being kept in His Name, the Name He has given Jesus.

THE NAME WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME

It  may seem, to some, unnecessary to attempt to understand “the Name He has given (Jesus)”, but, if we are being “kept in that Name”, and we are to be identified by that Name, I believe we should know.

This can be complex, but, read, study, pray and watch:

The word for “Name” here is the Greek word, “onoma”, which means a name, authority, or causation; its usage is as a name, one’s character, fame and reputation. According to Hebrew notions, a name is inseparable from the person to whom it belongs, i.e. it is something of his essence. Therefore, in the case of God, it is specially sacred.

This text says, specifically, “keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me.” By this, it is unmistakable and undeniable that God the Father and God the Son, are One.

The text goes on to say, “that they may be one even as We are.”  The phrase, ”that they may be” translates from the Greek word, “eimi” meaning “I exist; I am”; eternally self-existent.

Take a breath, (assuming you have lost your breath like I have), and realize what this is saying. Jesus is praying to God the Father, using prophetic and causative words, praying to The Father and stating that we, His disciples, may will also be ‘eternally self-existent’

And that His disciples are made as one,” even as We are”. This phrase, translated from the Greek word, ‘kathos’, means, ‘according to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as’.

“THAT THEY MAY BE EVEN AS WE ARE”

We are to be kept, by the Eternal “I Am”, (Eimí), and we shall be as Christ is: eternal.  God’s Name for Himself, “I am”, hearkens back to God’s only name, “Yahweh“, which means “He who always was, is, and will be”, and so are we, and one day, so shall we be.

RECAP

  1. Jesus, by saying, “I have manifested your Name”, is saying that “He, Jesus, is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.”

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:18

  1. The “Name of God” encompasses the Grandeur, the Glory and the Majesty of God.  His Name represents all we can know about God and the things of God we cannot begin to grasp. And, we are to be identified with that Name as the children of God and joint-heirs with Jesus.
  1. Jesus then says these prophetic and causative words, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.”

And so it is. We are being kept in His Name, the Name He has given Jesus.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(We will resume with John chapter 1, after completing our background study in John 17)

Please bookmark this page and let’s study together, through the Prophetic and life giving book of John.  THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 3

 

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen via this podcast, while you read along. You may pause the audio to follow page links, then, when you are ready, resume the audio. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references, which are important for details on this teaching.)

THE BOOK OF JOHN

Theme – (From Biblegateway.com)

John presents Jesus as the Word, the Messiah and the incarnate Son of God, who has come to reveal the Father and bring eternal life to all who believe in him.

Overview

It’s clear from the first paragraphs of this Gospel that the disciple John broke sharply from the styles of the other Gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, and Luke. They focused on events, following Jesus through the bustling marketplaces and villages. Unlike them, John assumed that readers knew the basic facts about Jesus. Instead, he mulled over the profound meaning of what Jesus had said and done. The NIV Student Bible says the book of John reads as if it were written under a great shade tree by an author who had lots of time for reflection. In his first sentence, John highlights Christ’s nature.

John’s book tells the story of the eternal Word who became flesh and dwelt with humanity. People often turn to the Gospel of John because it spells out so clearly the basics of the Christian faith. Jesus proves who he is, diagnoses humanity’s problems, and bluntly describes what is necessary for conversion to everlasting life.

Grouping: Gospels

Author: The apostle John.

Timeline: Early church period after Christ’s resurrection; between AD 50 and 85.

Genre: Narrative

Original Language: Greek

Audience: Primarily Gentile believers in Jesus and seeking unbelievers.

What I find troubling about the description in the NIV Student Bible is that it implies the Gospel of John (and the Bible) is a story or a ‘novel’, and reduces the human authors of the Bible to people who had the time to lounge about, reflecting pensively on their experiences with Jesus as His disciples and Apostles of the Church.

The fact is, all the Apostles worked tirelessly and traveled extensively, on foot, spreading the Gospel. The result of being disciples of Jesus, they suffered greatly, and, they all died a martyr’s death.

Secondly, the Bible is not meant to be a novel, a story, or a narrative on the history of Israel, of Judaism, of Christianity nor of Christ. The Bible is about God. It is about His nature, His plan, His purposes and His ways. Everything else in the Bible is ancillary, secondary or helps explain the Undefinable and Indescriblable God.

The Bible teaches about the path we must travel to find God. The Book of John, likewise, reveals the trail of fiery trials and persecutions one must endure to find God and learn to become a fully equipped disciple of Christ. It is then, and only then, can you become one who is able to carry on the Work of God which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them.

Finally, the Bible, when correctly understood, is found to be an immensely powerful prophetic book. It contains all the Oracles of God. “The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The Gospel of John is both practical in its teachings about Jesus and the Christian faith, and is deeply prophetic in value.

A final note of preparation for this study:  it is important to consider that the Bible can, and should be read and understood on three levels.

Level #1 is what I will refer to as ‘the cognitive level’, from the Greek word, “DIANOIA”.  It is read, for the most part, ‘at face value’,  and understood by the intellect of the cognitive mind. This method is informative, but, not necessarily transformative.

Level #2 is what I will call the psychological level, which comes from the Greek word, “PSUCHE”.  When read and understood at this level, the Bible affects a person’s soul, which is the seat of a person’s emotions, affections and will. This level of learning is emotional and temporarily effective as a teacher, but is also subjective.

Level #3 is the spiritual level, which comes from the Greek word, “PNEUMA”,  which can be described as the core or the essence of a person.  When the Bible is read and understood at this level, it sets or fixes a person’s core beliefs. For a Christian, this is the place the Holy Spirit teaches our Spirit the Truth. This is truly transformative.

The wisdom, understanding, and the Truth revealed in the Bible, when dwelt upon, meditated on and taken into your mind, it will seep down into your psyche and finally, into your ‘heart’ which is your spirit, where it does its transformative work. At this point, you are changed, forever.

This transformation then wells back up out of your spirit, into your soul, and manifests in your mind, creating in you a new perspective, a new belief system of faith and reason.  You will have begun to discover The Mind of Christ within you, leading you to think and act with Godly Wisdom, under the prompting and the guidance  of the Holy Spirit.

This type of learning and spiritual maturity will come about only with time in prayer, meditation on and the study of God’s Word.

I realize this may seem a bit abstract to some.  It is a shift in paradigm for many Christians. But, this is how I will proceed teaching and commenting on the writings of John: By the prophetic, transformative power of His Word.

If you are able and willing to take the time to pray, ask God and allow His  Spirit to guide you, then you will be amazed at what God will do, in and through your life;  you will be truly and thoroughly transformed by the renewing of your mind.

I have met and known people who have experienced this transformation and I can tell you, I scarcely recognized them as the person I once knew; they would also say that they hardly knew the person they had been.  One thing is for certain: If you experience this, you will never be the same.

The Bible is the Prophetic, Creative, Causative, Inerrant, Infallible, Living Word and Breath of God.  Once the Word lives in you, it will tell the Truth to you and through you, and nothing will ever be the same!  Now,

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

John 1:1-5,  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 , He was in the beginning with God. 3,  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4,  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5, The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:1 “In the beginning

NOTES

The word, ‘Beginning’: comes from the Greek language, ‘arche’, which comes from a root word, archomai; which is a commencement, or, concretely chief in various applications of order, time, place, or rank.

Genesis 1:1 confirms John 1:1, saying, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

The word, ‘Beginning’: which comes from the Hebrew language, is ‘reshith’. Which is a beginning, the chief of, firstfruits, it is a part of time, a principal thing; it is the first, in place, time, order or rank.

COMMENTS

The ‘beginning’, as used in this verse, is the origination of all things. It preceeds even what scientist call the ‘big bang’.  This comes before even time existed.  There was only The Creator, God, or, ‘Elohim’ in the Hebrew language.

It is also worthy to note that this Hebrew word, ‘Elohim’, is plural; it is the One True God. God the Father, God the Word (Son), God the Holy Spirit, The One God.

Whether this was the beginning for earth, and whether that was 4.5 billion years ago (secular view), or whether it was 6,000 years ago (Biblical view), it  is only relevant in regard to faith and reason.

Whether this was the beginning of all things, (the universe), 13.8 billion years ago, (the secular view), or whether it was around 6,000 years ago, (the Biblical view) is only relevant in regard to faith and reason.

The Christian’s belief system must be built on both faith and reason; faith in God, that He exists and that His Word is all sufficient and dependable in all matters, and that being our reason to believe.

SYNCRETISM

“At the heart of the issue is the question “where does absolute authority reside?” Is it in the church, Scripture, tradition, science, last night’s dream, or some combination of all those? To what degree must a person be taught outside the revelation of Scripture in order to be saved and follow Christ?

“Prima scriptura says that, to some extent, we can rely on something other than the Bible. Sola scriptura says we live under the authority of Scripture alone.

“Through the years, an evangelical version of prima scriptura has developed. Most evangelicals acknowledge the Bible as God’s divinely inspired, authoritative Word. But they also accept, to varying degrees, certain other sources of authoritative truth: “denominational traditions, the sign gifts, dreams and visions, angels, the workings of conscience, common sense, etc.

The evangelical version of prima scriptura holds that we can know much of God’s will through what He has said in the Bible, but we may need other sources of information to fully understand what He wants of us. Being the “primary” authority, the Bible is still used to test and, if necessary, correct the “revelation” from other sources. Most Protestants who hold to prima scriptura believe in the primacy of Scripture but would argue that the Bible’s authority is conditioned upon “correct” translation or proper hermeneutics. This is theoretically plausible, but the fact is that the Bible is authoritative whether or not it is interpreted or understood correctly.

THE BIBLE TEACHES “SOLA SCRIPTURA”

In 2 Timothy 3:15–17, Paul says to Timothy, “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Notice the scope of Scripture’s sufficiency in this passage: 1) it is sufficient for salvation, 2) it is God-breathed, and 3) it is able to equip us for every good work.

”God says not to add to or take away from Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Revelation 22:18–19), but prima scriptura subtly allows additions to be made. The church is to be under the authority of Scripture, not be a co-author of divine revelation. We are to preach and teach the Word, not our own opinions of what the Bible says. “The purpose of preaching is to preach the Scripture with its own insights, directives, and teachings. . . . The first great task of preaching [is] to preach God’s Word, and to let listeners sense its very authority” (Timothy Keller, Preaching, p. 29).” (GotQuestions.org)

John 1:1, “was the Word,”

 NOTES

‘Word’ from Strong’s Bible concordance #3056 – (lógos) “speaking to a conclusion”; a word, being the expression of a thought; a saying, preeminently used of Christ, expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit.

COMMENTS

This is a great mystery, and the mystery deepens, as we will see. For now, suffice it to say that the Bible instructs that The Word (John 1:1) and God (Genesis 1:1) were ‘at the beginning’.

We know that The Word of God is prophetic in and through our lives, today.  It is creative and causative. Just as The Word, created the heavens and the earth, The Word continues to create within us a knowledge and experience of God.

This is important because it informs us that the Word of God is eternal, immutable and inerrant – It is the same today as it was then, and it always shall be. You and I can depend on The Word to continue to be creative, causative and without error in our lives, now.

And, we have discussed just the first six words from the Gospel of John.  We only have 18,652 words to go!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please bookmark this page and come back for the next and continuing study in John 1:1, “was the Word”, a profound revelation about The Word in relationship with you and what that means for your life, now!