Author: Michael Young, Sr.

I am a practicing Christian, a disciple of Jesus, a husband of over 50 years, a father and a grandfather, a business man, a veteran and a friend to all who will have me. I have served or am serving, at various times, as an Evangelist, a Pulpit fill pastor, an Associate Pastor of Evangelism and as Senior Pastor of a church plant. My passion is for practicing and teaching the Bible, building small groups, reaching the lost with the message of the Gospel of Jesus, recovering the straying Sheep of God and the gathering together the Called of God, in neighborhoods, business settings and in churches by equipping other Christians. I have authored a few small books and I have a background in professional business management, finance and investments. I am glad to meet you, even if it is virtually. Write me at any time and let's become friends.

GLOBAL MARXISM – GLOBALISM – Episode 2

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

As I said in episode 1, these articles were originally written in January and February 2022, at the beginning of the Joe Biden presidency, which was also the end of the BUSH-OBAMA-BIDEN triad era. The supposed culmination of the treasonous attempt to transform, subjugate and merge The United States into a One World system of government under the direction and leadership of the United Nations in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. Their progress of creating a Marxist style One World Government over the last 75 years has been stunning. Recently, however, the completion of this One World System has been interrupted if not stunted by the most unlikely of people – Donald J. Trump.

Now, just one year into his second term as president, it is being said by his advocates and the vast majority of conservative pundits that Donald Trump’s influence and impact on American politics and society will likely rank him as the most influential person and successful politician ever in American history. Many conservative leaders and laypeople alike are calling him “America’s political savior”. His impact on the global scene is no less impressive.

President Donald Trump, as of this writing (January 10, 2026), is prevailing in his crusade to reverse the deleterious effects of the Globalists through his “Make America Great Again” campaign, his leadership and conservative ideologies – but not without great effort, and great personal risk.

You may ask, “why would a world-class ultra-wealthy businessman risk his fame, fortune and life” in such a quest? He says it is for his love of his fellow Americans, and his love of America and the American Way. The same as the pledge of the Founding Fathers, as stated in the Declaration of Independence. They pledged to mutually support each other with their “Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor.” This reflects their commitment to the cause of independence, knowing they risked everything for it.

This should be the pledge by each of us who love America and the heritage of the American Way.

Thanks to Donald Trump, his administration, allies and his cohorts, we are  seeing a direct confrontation with and an effort to stop the Leftists Globalists efforts to transform America into a Socialist-Marxist state and to subjugate her to the One World System of the United Nations and the World Economic Forum Government’s One World Government.

Whether this is just a short reprieve of the death of America or a reversal of national and world events is yet to be known.

As I have already said, I am reprinting these articles to bring readers up-to-date on the contemporary historical course of our nation by first retracing the steps and ways we have fallen into this Globalist-Marxist snare. I will conclude with an amazing prophetic-like view into the future.

Please subscribe or bookmark this page for future episodes.

(You can listen by audio; pause the audio to follow page links, then, when you are ready, resume the audio. Please note: I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references.)

GLOBALISM – MARXISM – Agenda 2030, Episode 2 of The Series

My previous article explained how the Globalist-Marxist United Nations endeavors to use terms, phrases and a style of language acceptable to everyone and offensive to no one in order to hide their true agenda and the nefarious methods to be employed.

Here is another example from an excerpt from U.S. Aid.Gov: “The Biden-Harris Administration’s Request is a reflection of the critical importance of development and humanitarian assistance in advancing US interests around the world. This Budget will advance USAID efforts to: Combat Climate Change, Advance Democratic Values, Address the Root Causes of Irregular Migration, Strengthen Global Health Leadership, Bolster Humanitarian Assistance, Expand Inclusive Economic Growth, Improve Resilience and Security, Invest in Our People, and Restore Support for Key National Security Partners and Advance Peace in accordance with the Interim National Security Strategy Guidance.”

“KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PRESIDENT’S DISCRETIONARY FUNDING REQUEST”

“Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 President’s Budget Request For The United States Agency For International Development (USAID).

“COMBATS CLIMATE CHANGE”

  • Increases USAID Bilateral Climate Change Programming to more than $600 million, to dramatically expand the scale and geographic reach of USAID’s programs to combat climate change, including through investments in adaptation and resilience, renewable energy, and sustainable landscapes.
  • Builds on USAID’s comparative advantage when implementing climate change programming by leveraging relationships at the local level and supporting partner countries’ ability to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions and implement National Adaptation Plans and priorities.
  • Generates creative solutions to encourage policy innovation and strengthen partner country capacity to accelerate breakthroughs in technologies and practices that promote climate resilience, carbon capture and storage, advanced energy systems, and maximize resource efficiency.
  • Expands climate change adaptation programming and policy leadership for USAID globally, including access to weather and climate information, science and analysis for improved decision-making.”

On the surface, what could possibly be wrong with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Request to tax the average American family for U.S. Aid to be spent abroad?

FIRST, The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget Request for the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is $58.5 billion. That is FIFTY-EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS of your tax money spent overseas on Marxists planned, directed and initiated goals. Goals that are designed to complete, establish and entrench a One World Governing Body which will absorb the sovereignty of the United States of America.

SECONDLY – If you doubt that the U.S. Government, our government, has jumped on board with the One World Marxist Government push, just compare the United Nations pictorial of Agenda 2030 and the U.S. pictorial of the same (I have hyper-linked the images to the websites):

United States Sustainable Development Goals:

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

The foregoing are the goals of the Globalist-Marxists, which will give them complete authority over everything that affects and concerns you, from cradle to grave.

THIRDLY – Please note, from the image below here, the Biden administration 2022 U.S. budget proposals which total Six Trillion dollars. This, of course, is a back-breaker for the U.S. Citizen who works for and earns a living. YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS IN TAX INCREASES. But, the long-term goal of budgets like this is to collapse the U.S. economy and bankrupt the Treasury, which will create the crisis needed to weaken the U.S. sufficiently in order to move her into a One World Confederation.

It takes a patient and careful reading of the budgetary goals to realize that each department and has been equipped and directed to re-educate, retrain and indoctrinate our children in the ways of Marxist thought and doctrines, (Critical Race Theory, Socialist economic theory, Marxist ideologies, etc.), through the U.S. Department of Education and our citizenry through social engineering and social programs.

Biden Whitehouse 2022 Budget.gov

THIRDLY – If you are doubting these assertions and claims, then please read these page links and the associated documents, taken directly from United Nations websites and U.S. Government sites:

Agenda-21, cover for the United Nation’s One World Government

Globalism and the Tower of Babel

FINALLY – There is a lot to be read about the World Economic Forum, (WEC), a United Nations Strategic Partner organization in implementing the Agenda 2030. I will reveal more about this sinister alliance and their Global goals and methods in my next edition.

MORE:  Here is a link to a website, “The Wine Press” which as gone into some greater detail. It is interesting and informative. It also features a short video from the World Economic Forum (part of the Agenda 2030 family of Marxists) you should glimpse.

Michael J. Young

NEXT:  Marxist Globalism – Episode 3

PREVIOUSLY:  Marxist and Globalism – Episode 1

ADDITIONAL READING:

AGENDA 2030, THE U.N., GLOBAL MARXISM

The One World Government Emerges – 2022

GLOBAL MARXISM – The United Nations – The American Democrat Party – The Subjugation of America

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

This article was originally written in January 2022, at the beginning of the Joe Biden presidency, which was also the end of the BUSH-OBAMA-BIDEN triad era. The supposed culmination of the treasonous attempt to transform, subjugate and merge The United States into a One World system of government under the direction and leadership of the United Nations in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. Their progress of creating a Marxist style One World Government over the last 75 years has been stunning. Recently, however, the completion of this One World System has been interrupted if not stunted by the most unlikely of people – Donald J. Trump.

Donald Trump, born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, was an American businessman, media personality-turned-politician who served as the 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and was re-elected for a second term starting in 2025. He had been known for his career in real estate, his reality TV show “The Apprentice,” and his significant political influence as a member of the Republican Party.

Now, however, just one year into his second term as president, it is being said by his advocates and the vast majority of conservative pundits that Donald Trump’s influence and impact on American politics and society will likely rank him as the most influential person and successful politician ever in American history. Many conservative leaders and laypeople alike are calling him “America’s political savior”. His impact on the global scene is no less impressive.

His detractors and foes on the liberal and political Left have nothing good to say about Donald Trump and there is little doubt that these are the reasons the Democrat Party, in concert with the Leftists, Socialists, Communists, and Marxists in America and around the world (which I will henceforth call “The Globalists), have used any and every method, legal and illegal, to impeach him, jail him and assassinate him. Nonetheless, to this point, Trump is prevailing in his crusade to reverse the deleterious effects of the Globalists through his “Make America Great Again” ideologies, but not without great effort, and great personal risk.

You may ask, “why would a world-class ultra-wealthy businessman risk his fame, fortune and life” in such a quest? He says it is for his love of his fellow Americans, and his love of America and the American Way. The same as the pledge of the Founding Fathers, as stated in the Declaration of Independence. They pledged to mutually support each other with their “Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor.” This reflects their commitment to the cause of independence, knowing they risked everything for it.

This should be the pledge by each of us who love America and the heritage of the American Way.

I am reprinting this article to bring readers up-to-date on the contemporary historical course of our nation by first retracing the steps and ways we have fallen into this Globalist-Marxist snare. I will conclude with an amazing prophetic-like view into the future.

Please subscribe or bookmark this page for future episodes.

(You can listen by audio; pause the audio to follow page links, then, when you are ready, resume the audio. Please note: I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references.)

Globalist-Marxists are known to be the driving force and top echelon of the United Nations, as well as controlling the Democrat Party in America. They and their various adherents and factions around the world say that humankind is responsible for destroying the earth by depleting our natural resources and by polluting the land, the seas, lakes and streams and the air. There is no truth to these claims. It is a political ploy, a lie. Yet the Globalist cabal say it is factual and that they have the solution. It is seductively named “The Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

It began under the name of “Agenda 21”. The Twenty-one is a designation for ‘the 21st century”. Agenda 21 is 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. The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of UNCED, to monitor and report on implementation of the agreements at the local, national, regional and international levels. It was agreed that a five-year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session.

The Newest name for this United Nations organization is ‘Agenda 2030’. ‘Twenty-thirty’ designates the year their goals of Global domination will be completed.

The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030’.

The Preamble of the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (Agenda 2030) says, in part:

“This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want, and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing today demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what these did not achieve. They seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.

The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet:”

“We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations.”

 Who would not want to achieve these goals and live in such a Utopian world? Beware. The goals are lofty, but, the methodologies, the implementation and the governing of the world they describe can be likened to the gulags of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, the reign of terror imposed on China by the notorious Mao Zedong or the racist Hegelian, Karl Marx’s nefarious social construct of Marxism which is responsible for the deaths of upward of 200,000,000 people. They, all, used the same Siren’s song the United Nations is using now, to lure hundreds of millions into the webs of Agenda 2030.

On the subject of ‘climate change’, a simple line of reasoning will help you undo that lie of the Left. Ask yourself, “Do we have air pollution because of industry and technologies?” The answer is, ‘yes’. But, the earth has created far more air pollution on its own from volcanic activity, release of CH4 by paddy fields and cattle, release of CO by plants and animals, emission of natural gas, O3, nitrogen oxides, cosmic rays, UV-rays etc.

So, why the global outcry about ‘climate change’. It has been found to be an effective  narrative for the political goals of the Global-Marxist movement. No one can deny our climate is changing. The climate has been changing for millennia. It has never been stable.

But the Globalist-Marxist have convinced enough of the naive among the earth’s population to believe that suddenly, our fluctuating climate, is our doom. It is all a grand scheme of deception. Behind the cloak and grandeur of lies of Marxism.

About one-half of the world’s population has fallen for this lie. The poor of the world would see the opportunity to take from other countries what their failed systems and corrupted leadership has withheld from them while living lavish lifestyles.

The educated wealthy, the powerful and elitist of the Left are being motivated to ‘join the Globalist’s cause’ through promises of being further empowered and enriched. They will sit atop a One World Government with control over global finances, natural resources, food production, industry, technology, job creation, social constructs and anything that concerns the earth’s population.

I will endeavor to take one item at a time from the Agenda 2030, in the weeks to come, and expose the lies.

(A note to America: The Globalist in your country, at the highest levels of your government, are presently destroying your families structures, perverting your sense of morality, dismantling your legal systems, draining your treasury, corrupting your Constitution while staging the greatest coup d’etat the world has ever seen. If you don’t rise up, quickly and forcefully, you will perish as a sovereign nation. In fact, it may already be too late.)

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Click here for Episode 2

 

 

Related Articles of interest and importance:

Marxism – The United Nations and The American Democrat Party

The Global March to Marxist Communism

Twenty-first Century Globalism and How You Fit In

What Is Globalism and Where Did The Idea Come From?

This has already been foretold. The Bible has warned us this was coming. Inform yourself. THE JOURNEY TOWARD PERFECTION.

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 16, Jesus’ Warning, The Holy Spirit Promised, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold, Prayer Promises.

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 16

Jesus’ Warning, The Holy Spirit Promised, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold, Prayer Promises

This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter. So, let’s recap some of the key verses from chapter 15: “I Am The Vine”, “My Father is the Vinedresser”, “you are the branches”, “every branch that does not bear fruit, He takes away and it is burned up”, “You must abide in Me to bear fruit”, “The Father will prune you so you will bear much fruit”, “Remain in Me and My Words in you and whatever you ask shall be done for you”, “keep my commandments and you will remain in Me”; “love one another”, “there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your brother”, “you are my friends if you do what I commanded you”; “the world will hate you because they hate Me”, “I will send you The Helper”.

The Word of God does not disconnect from verse to verse or chapter to chapter. All the subject matter of scriptures, from verse to verse and chapter is directly connected and related – “precept upon precept, line upon line” – from the beginning, so it is and so it always shall be.

Jesus’ Warning

John 16:1, “These things I have spoken to you so that you will not be led into sin.

(Commentary Break): What are “these things” that He spoke to “you” so that you will not be led into sin?

First of all, the Word of God does not disconnect from verse to verse or chapter to chapter. All the subject matter from verse to verse and chapter is directly connected and related – “precept upon precept, line upon line” – from the beginning, so it is and so it always shall be.

Secondly, it is important to recognize and accept that Jesus’ Words, are the Word of God, (see John 1:1-3). The Bible is “God Breathed” into and inspired men to write those Words to and for all the people – the children – of God, of all times. (You may hear that some words in the Bible were written “for you” and other words were written “to you”. That is a misconception, and a lie. The Bible is not meant to be a historical account of the Jewish nation and religion nor an historical account of Christianity – not even of Jesus. The Bible is God’s Word and is in fact God’s Word breathed out. (see 2 Timothy 3:16). It is without error. It is creative, instructional, prophetic and causative.

Now, and with that said, “these things that He spoke to you”, (verse 1), were being spoken to Jesus’ disciples as well as to all disciples who would follow, even until the consummation of the age. (You must, please, get this). These words were not random or temporary. They are eternal. (see Matthew 5:18). He is speaking to you and to me – today!

Finally, Jesus has said and is still saying:

      • “I Am The Vine”,
      • “My Father is the Vinedresser”,
      • “you are the branches”,
      • “every branch that does not bear fruit, He takes away and it is burned up”,
      • “You must abide in Me to bear fruit”,
      • “The Father will prune you so you will bear much fruit”,
      • “Remain in Me and My Words in you and whatever you ask shall be done for you”,
      • “keep my commandments and you will remain in Me”;
      • “love one another”,
      • “there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your brother”,
      • “you are my friends if you do what I commanded you”;
      • “the world will hate you because they hate Me”,
      • “I will send you The Helper”.

… so that you will not be led into sin.

If you are struggling with sin or a particular sin, start with the Words of John 16:1.

(Let me tell you however, you can be saved and not be immediately “delivered” from the effects of sin. Both salvation and deliverance are a work of God’s Grace. Both require an obedient response by the recipient.

FYI: The verb translated “deliver” or “rescue” is used in the New Testament for every sphere in which God intervenes to save—spiritual, physical, temporal, and eschatological. Whether on the lips of the Lord Jesus, in apostolic testimony, or in prophetic hymn, the word consistently sets God (or His Messiah) as the active subject and His people as the grateful recipients. Although a Greek verb, the concept stands in direct continuity with Hebrew expressions for divine rescue (“natsal,” “chalats,” “palat”). By employing this word, New Testament writers consciously connect the saving acts of God in Israel’s account (Exodus, Judges, Psalms, Prophets) with the decisive saving act in Jesus Christ.

Deliverance is Grounded in the Person and Work of Christ:

      • Colossians 1:13 places ultimate deliverance in the completed work of the Father through the Son: “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son”.
        •         Romans 11:26, citing Isaiah, calls the returning Messiah “the Deliverer” who removes ungodliness from Jacob, binding the term to the Messianic identity of Jesus.
        •         1 Thessalonians 1:10 speaks of the risen Son “who rescues us from the coming wrath,” underscoring substitutionary atonement and final judgment.

So, I say gain, If you are struggling with sin or a particular sin, start with the Words of John 16:1. (If you have remaining questions, please contact me through the reply section below this post). (End Commentary Break).

Verse 2. They will ban you from the synagogue, yet an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering a service to God. Verse 3. These things they will do because they have not known the Father nor Me. Verse 4. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. However, I did not say these things to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

(Commentary Break): Once again, I remind us that these words are spoken to all of God’s people throughout all the ages. Times of persecution have come and gone, and they will come again. When these things come upon you do not be taken off guard. (Also see Ephesians 6:10-18). (End Commentary Break).

The Holy Spirit Promised

Verse 5. “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ Verse 6. But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. Verse 7. But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. Verse 8. And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: verse 9, regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; verse 10, and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; verse 11, and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

(Commentary Break): This highlights the disciples’ lack of understanding and their focus on their immediate concerns rather than the larger divine plan. Earlier, Peter had asked a similar question in John 13:36, but here, Jesus points out that they are not truly grasping the significance of His departure. The disciples are troubled by the thought of losing Jesus’ physical presence, which reflects their human perspective and emotional response. This moment underscores the need for the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will guide them into all truth (John 16:13) and help them understand the spiritual implications of Jesus’ return to the Father. This is still true, for us, today.

Jesus briefly explains the mission of the Helper (the Holy Spirit) as He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged. This reveals one of the primary reasons the world hates Jesus so vehemently and will hate each and every Jew and every Christian. They are judged and they hate it and they will hate you for adhering to this truth. The world wants to do only as each of them sees fit and they do not want to be judged or held accountable. (When you hear a Christian say, teach or preach that “no one should judge another person”, they are treading on the treacherous grounds of sinking sand. While we, as Christians are not to judge others unfairly, we are to make judgments about sinful behavior, attitudes and thoughts. For example, Matthew 7:1 says, “Do not judge (your brother) so that you will not be judged”. The word “judge” translate from the Greek to “avenge, condemn, decree or to sentence”, and is referring to a “brother or sister in the faith”. I.e., “do not judge a brother or sister in order to avenge, condemn, decree or to sentence”. This word goes on to include the idea to “hold in esteem”. This means we are to esteem them, treat them with respect, set a positive value on them, and to appreciate them first. Then address them as “we”, as one of the Body of Christ before making a judgment. Additionally, 1 John 5:14-16 reminds us, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (Therefore) If anyone sees his brother or sister committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.” (End Commentary Break).

Verse 12. “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. Verse 13. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. Verse 14. He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. Verse 15. All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold

Verse 16. “A little while, and you no longer are going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” Verse 17. So some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” Verse 18. So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” Verse 19. Jesus knew that they wanted to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you are not going to see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? Verse 20. Truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy! Verse 21. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Verse 22. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you.

Prayer Promises

Verse 23. And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Verse 24. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

Verse 25. “These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. Verse 26. On that day you will ask in My name, and I am not saying to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; verse 27, for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. Verse 28. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

Verse 29. His disciples said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and are not using any figure of speech. Verse 30. Now we know that You know all things, and that You have no need for anyone to question You; this is why we believe that You came forth from God.” Verse 31. Jesus replied to them, “Do you now believe? Verse 32. Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. Verse 33. These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (End Chapter 16).

(Commentary Break): What a grand day that we, too, can come to the disciples conclusion in verses 29-30, “Now we know that You know all things, and that You have no need for anyone to question You; this is why we believe that You came forth from God.”

The Jesus replies saying that “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

The word used here for tribulation is “thlipsis”. It is not, and I repeat, it is not referring just to persecution. It is the same word used in each and every instance the Bible refers to the Tribulation, as well as the Great Tribulation. Here in verse 33, the tribulation Jesus is referring to describes both the mounting pressures, trials, troubles, and yes, persecutions Christians have been facing since the time of the birth of Christ and will continue to face in this world. (These are the early stages of the tribulation period, also known as  tribulation seals 1 through 5, which are overlapping and increasing in intensity. Then will come the Great Tribulation, beginning with the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation seal (see Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 7:1-17) which will last for 7 years, which is divided by 2, three and one half periods – known as The Great Tribulation and the Wrath of the Lamb.

Though the Bible never uses the word “phases”, I will use it here only to assist in defining periods, and for clarity, the tribulation is referred to in the Bible in three “phases”.

Phase one is the “Birth Pains” of the tribulation, (see Matthew 24:3-14; deceptions, wars, rumors of war, famines and earthquakes, the same tribulation Seals as enumerated in Revelation 6:1-11.)

The “Second Phase” of the Tribulation is known as the Great Tribulation (see Matthew 24:29-31, 21), will commence with the Sixth Tribulation Seal and continue through the Sixth Trumpet Judgment. (see Revelation chapters 6 through 9).

The “Third Phase” of the Tribulation is known as the Wrath of the Lamb (and as The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord – see Revelation 11:15 through Revelation 16:17), after which Jesus appears in the heavens with His army to exact His final judgments (see Revelation 19). (End Commentary Break).

The days of “tribulation” (see verse 33) were indeed upon them and are also upon us now. (for details on this statement, please review “Did Jesus and His Apostles really say this?” and “When does the 7 years really begin?”)

Do not be deceived by some contemporary teaching saying that the birth pains of the tribulation have not begun. That kind of thinking will lull you into a false sense of security and a state of unreadiness.

Let’s be ready. Be found doing what He has commanded, when He returns.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 15, Jesus is the Vine, Disciple’s Relationships

NEXT:  (coming soon), THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 17, The High Priestly Prayer, The Disciples in the World, Disciples Future Glory,

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THE BOOK OF ACTS – Chapter 18, Paul in Corinth, Third Missionary Journey

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF ACTS – Chapter 18

Paul in Corinth, Third Missionary Journey.

You may wonder, “what is the point of reading about the Acts of the Apostles and the missionary journeys of Paul?” Is it just for our information or entertainment? What can we possibly gain from reading this book of the Acts? First, The book of Acts is vital to an understanding of the history and foundation of Christianity and the importance of evangelism in establishing it as the foremost religion in the world. The book of Acts makes up a significant portion of the New Testament and serves as a crucial reference point for understanding Paul’s subsequent letters or Epistles. Secondly, the Book of Acts is important because it provides insight into how the apostles spread the message of Jesus and established Christian communities as an example for us, today. It also offers valuable lessons on faith, prayer, and living out the teachings of Jesus in everyday life. But most critically, it demonstrates how Christianity has been under attack from within and from outside and has been pulled or has drifted from its founding principles since its inception. The Catholic Church has proven, since its earliest days, has been and still is rife with corruption, abuse and false teachers. Hence, the reformation in fifteen-seventeen when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses, and it continued until around 1648 with the Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War. This period marked significant religious, political, and cultural changes in Europe. For a more complete understanding and appreciation, it is important to read the information from Britannica and Bible Hub.

Now, and once again, the Christianity of the twenty-first century has drifted from its Godly moorings, and is hardly recognizable when compared to the early Church or the Church from the Reformation era.

Like in the days of the Apostles, today God is gathering His Remnant, and this includes you and me, if we are willing, responsive and obedient to His call.

(The “Remnant” is a significant theme throughout the Bible, representing a group of people who remain faithful to God despite widespread apostasy or judgment. This theme is evident in both the Old and New Testaments, where the remnant is often portrayed as a beacon of hope and a testament to God’s enduring covenant with His people. Theologically, the remnant represents God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises. Despite human unfaithfulness, God preserves a group through whom He continues His redemptive work. The remnant serves as a symbol of hope and renewal, demonstrating that God’s purposes will ultimately prevail.

Throughout Scripture, the remnant is characterized by faithfulness, obedience, and reliance on God. This group often faces trials and persecution but remains steadfast, serving as a witness to God’s power and grace. The remnant theme underscores the idea that God always preserves a people for Himself, ensuring the continuity of His covenant and the fulfillment of His promises. From BibleHub.com).

Paul in Corinth

Acts 18:1, After these events, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. Verse 2. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, verse 3, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and they worked together, for they were tent-makers by trade. Verse 4. And Paul was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Verse 5. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Verse 6, But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Verse 7. Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Verse 8. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household; and many of the Corinthians, as they listened to Paul, were believing and being baptized. Verse 9. And the Lord said to Paul by a vision at night, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; verse 10, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Verse 11. And he settled there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Verse 12. But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, verse 13, saying, “This man is inciting the people to worship God contrary to the law.” Verse 14. But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or vicious, unscrupulous act, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; verse 15, but if there are questions about teaching and persons and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” Verse 16. And he drove them away from the judgment seat. Verse 17. But they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. And yet, Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.

Verse 18. Now Paul, when he had remained many days longer, took leave of the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. Paul first had his hair cut at Cenchrea, for he was keeping a vow. Verse 19. They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Verse 20. When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, verse 21, but took leave of them and said, “I will return to you again if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

Verse 22. When he had landed in Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.

Third Missionary Journey

Verse 23. And after spending some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Verse 24. Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was proficient in the Scriptures. Verse 25. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was accurately speaking and teaching things about Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; verse 26, and he began speaking boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately to him. Verse 27. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, verse 28, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. (end Chapter 18).

The Catholic Church, in the fourteenth century, began its descent into corruption and apostasy as it became political and gained great wealth. It became coercive, manipulative and dealt in intrigue. It became drunk with its own power and was easily infiltrated by the greedy, the sexually perverse and the lazy. The Gospel was cast aside, and their church became their god, and this continues to this very day.

The Reformation made great strides in correcting the course of the Church, but even that is losing its antiseptic effects. Protestant churches, worldwide, have drifted and are drifting into apostasy.

Throughout history, God has intervened to cleanse His people and His Church. Ranging from the great flood of Noah to the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples. Next is the prophesied and promised cleansing by apocalyptic means. But this next time it will be, as the Book of Daniel describes it, “to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness… And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. (See Daniel 9:24-27).

And Daniel 12 says, “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation, till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever… Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined.”

You will either join God in what He is doing, or you will be left behind. There is no middle ground. There will be no innocent bystanders, no unaffected observers. You are either of the Remnant of God or of the rebellion against Him.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Previous: THE BOOK OF ACTS – Chapter 17, Paul in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, The Sermon on Mars Hill.

Next: (Coming Soon) THE BOOK OF ACTS – Chapter 19, Paul in Ephesus, Miracles at Ephesus.

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THE ENTIRE WORD

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE ENTIRE WORD

Why do so many people, including pastors, bible teachers and even theologians read and teach the Bible’s instructions, prophecies, precepts and meaning without regard to the context of the entire Bible? It is as if they have myopia. The way they teach and preach the Bible, one might think they assume that God’s mind wanders from event to event, topic to topic and subject to subject. As I read various highly regarded Bible commentaries, it seems as if those authors might think that God had to change His mind from time to time in order to correct Himself.

Even those who preach or teach the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse often fail to connect their chosen verse with the overall context of “in the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) and “Yes, I am coming quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

Isaiah 28:10 would explain this well and in the simplest of ways when it says, “For precept must be on precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little”.

Furthermore, God is not a God of disorder or confusion. Consider that God has said, “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14), the Pre-existent One. This reveals God’s self-existence, eternal presence, and unchanging nature. He is omniscient (all knowing at all time), omnipresent (everywhere, all the time) and omnipotent (all powerful). God never ‘has a thought’ or ‘changes His Mind’. He is and always has been and always will be.

So, when you read the Bible, from Genesis 1:1 (the beginning) through Revelation 22:20 (the end of all things old and the new beginning of all things new), make it your goal to discover the context of the entire Bible. For example, if you are to determine “if, when and how” God created all things, read the Book of Genesis (chapters 1 through 3, sort of like reading the topic sentence and paragraph of a well written book). Then, if you want to know why God created all things, read the last three chapters of the book of the Revelation. (Sort of like reading the epilogue or concluding sentences and paragraphs of that same well written book). Then it is fair to conclude that everything written between these two points supports the topic sentences and paragraphs and the concluding chapters.

This way, you will discover God’s Plan and His Purpose for all creation. And in that you will find His Methods and discover His Nature.

And, if by chance someone says that the Bible says that “God has a plan for your life” you will discover that God has both a universal plan (the same for everyone) and a personal plan (just for you). You will then find that you have a choice to make. You will either choose to follow Him and His Plan or you will reject Him, rebel and go your own way. Furthermore, you will either find peace and enter into an eternal rest with Him, or you will wander into an eternal torment without Him. Either way, you cannot make an informed decision in plans for this eventuality if you do not know the His Plan and The Way.

If this seems confusing, then let’s simplify this matter and get some assistance from Jesus. He has said, “I am The Truth and The Way and the Life. There is no other way to the Father except by Me.” In a colloquial vernacular, we might say, “Hey, folks. Over here! You are lost, and the path you are on leads to the destruction of your soul and an eternity in darkness and fire. Come and follow Me. I know the way out of this mess. I know the way out of your dilemma. I know the way to life. Come on. Follow Me – or you will perish.”

(Just as a footnote: from before time began, even before time existed, God exists. So for us to say that God had a plan is pathetically ignorant of God. God Is and always has been. God is the Plan, Purpose, The Way and The Method. It is the infinitesimally small and limited mind of mankind that needs to define, draw boundaries, analyze and explain God in order to gain some understanding. And even our pathetic attempt to define God is from a flawed human perspective. But we try and we fail. But we can take heart because God has said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” So by faith we fear God and gain wisdom and understanding.) (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 14:27, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 15:33, Psalm 19:9).

Finally, let me say that even from a secular point of view, science and scientists are just beginning to peer at things they admit they do not understand. They call this quantum physics. Strange and wonderful and often frightening things. But, when put in the context of the even stranger language of the Bible, it would appear that science is peering into the Eye and the Mind of God, so-to-speak. Just as it is written: “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HUMAN HEART, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.(2 Corinthians 2:9-13). This phrase refers to the idea that the wonders and plans God has for those who love Him are beyond human understanding or imagination. It is often cited in the Bible, emphasizing the mystery and greatness of God’s promises.

Let’s trust Him. Take Him at His Entire Word and give your soul rest while we busy ourselves preparing for His return.

Glory!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“What does it mean to get ready?”

A MAN’S RACE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

This message, “A Race Worth Running” by pastor Trent Casto, Covenant Naples Church, Naples, Florida, is a message for all people – men, women, boys and girls.

But I title this post, “A MAN’S RACE” because if you are a man and feel like church is pretty much ‘feminized’, then this may be just right for you.

Jesus was a man. In fact, the Bible often refers to Him as the “Son of Man”. Jesus was, in the vernacular of the beloved, respected tough man’s man, John Wayne, “One tough Hombre”. He is the toughest of Hombres.

It’s time, we as men, stop “pussyfooting around” and re-take our responsible place as leaders and defenders, as Christian Men willing to do what it takes to love, serve and protect as Christ has done!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

JUST IMAGINE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

JUST IMAGINE

You come to a particular church and decide it is the church you want to join. You go to the pastor and tell him your decision, and he says, “I am glad you want to join this church. Let me be clear about the main requirement for membership. You will have to surrender your eldest child (and if you do not have children, then you or your spouse) to a certain foreign legion military group for service, where the fatality rate is rumored to be near 100%.

Can you imagine your astonishment? You might think the pastor has lost his mind, is making a bad joke, or the church is some kind of cult? But he reassures you that is the main requirement.

Of course, this proposition is beyond ridiculous. No pastor or church would ever imagine or allow such a thing. But this is similar to what God has done for you.

But listen to this: God sent His son to seek and save and to die for the lost – you and me. And by that act, Jesus set the framework for the establishment of His Church. The main prerequisite was that God gave His only Son as a sacrifice. Our main requirement is to believe in faith that God gave His only son as a sacrifice for many, and that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.

Thankfully, the only sacrifice we have to make is putting our mortal flesh, our old life to death. But that is not an end, it is just the beginning of a new life, so we can live in and with Him forever!

So, why all these requirements of death in trade for life? There are three ways to view this. One is complicated and two are simplistic.

(1). The idea and practice of exchanging or sacrificing a life of one for the life of another – in other words, one must die so another can live, is this: Before there was a Law (the knowledge and boundaries of right and wrong) humankind was sinless. Then at some point they gained the knowledge of right and wrong, and they chose to do wrong and experience the pleasure and the pain of sin. (See the story of Adam, Eve, Satan and the apple of the fruit of knowledge). Then came death. First the death of animals so Adam and Eve could begin to clothe themselves. Then the son of Adam and Eve, Caine, killed his brother Able in a fit of jealous rage. And so sin progressed.

In the Jewish Law (Old Testament or the more accurately, the Torah) God established a law that said that lawlessness, rebellion and sin could be forgiven and the effects could be erased or mediated only if the sinner (the perpetrator) died or paid an equal price for his or her sin. This was supposed to relieve the anger and the pain and soothe the grieving conscience of the offended parties. But in the mind of the Jew, God needed to be satisfied and ameliorated also.  The Jew correctly believed that since God is perfectly sinless He cannot tolerate sin in His presence nor among His people. So, in order to satisfy God and the Law, someone had to die in order to keep the presence and peace of God with His people.

Therefore, this Law said that animals would be sacrificed each year so as to satisfy the unseen sins or lesser sins of the people in general. Additionally, the High Priest of Israel prayed over a goat (the “scapegoat”) designated to bear the sins of the people during the Yom Kippur ceremony, which occurred once a year. This ritual involved confessing the sins of the people over the goat before it was sent into the wilderness.

(2). God put an end to the endless, repetitive and largely ineffective sacrificial system with the sacrifice of His Son Jesus for all the sins of all humankind. The only difference being is that only those who confessed their sins and would confess Jesus as their risen Lord would be washed clean of their sins, forgiven and saved from a coming final judgment of the sinner.

Even for the Jew, it wasn’t until 70 CE when the Roman army destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem that sacrificial system ceased. The Temple was the only place where sacrifices were permitted according to Jewish law. Today, no Jewish community practices animal sacrifices. Instead, prayer and good deeds have taken the place of sacrifices in seeking forgiveness and drawing closer to God.

(3). On a more practical level, God created a conscience in all of us. Some may call this the heart or soul of a person (pseuche), where our emotions reside and from which they emanate. When we feel that we have been injured unjustly, treated unfairly or mistreated in any of hundreds of ways, it is built within us to want justice or for things to be made right. We want a sense of being made whole again, to be repaid physically, mentally and emotionally for any and all harms. Without things being put back into balance, we may very well carry a sense of a need to get even or to pay someone back (an eye for an eye) for what has happened to us. Or perhaps these emotions stem from anger, greed, vengeance or selfishness or dozens of other responses. In any case, and as strange as it may sound, they can and do lead to sexual immorality and addictions, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, murders, wars unless they are satisfied or recast in the mind of the beholder.

Can you see it? Do you get it? Any kind of betrayal, disappointment, failure, or harm must be put right in the heart and mind of any individual. Without that, we cannot live a productive, useful, satisfying and healthy life. This is simply how we are made – as a faint copy of the image of God.

God has made a way, if you are willing. God sent His Son, Jesus to speak directly to you, that is to your mind, heart, soul and spirit. The very mind, heart, soul and spirit He created and put within you. He is saying your sins – all of them, no matter what you have done – can be forgiven you, and you can be made whole, safe, healthy and well with a new start in a new life with Him. He was sacrificed on your behalf. He repaid the debt that you owed God. The same debt you may have felt you were also owed. But you must first step away from the tangled mess of the power, pleasure and pain of sin that has entrapped and enraged you for so long.

You can now be set free to live, maybe for the first time. Leave all that behind and God will satisfy your need for revenge. Believe me when I say that He will repay the vilest of offenders. (And if you could see it, you would wish you had not seen it. You would feel compassion on them for the severity of their punishment if they do not also repent of their great offenses).

Just like Adam and Eve, we all have been deceived at one time or another. It isn’t our fault! But now that it is done, it is our responsibility to turn to God and make things right once again. It is our responsibility to accept the balance that God brings. It is our right and our responsibility to become whole, safe, healthy and well at last.

In the simplest of terms, just turn to Jesus, right now, and ask Him to show you the way. Give Him your past and accept His future for you.

Just remember that you cannot bring your past with you. You cannot pass through that “eye of the needle” with the baggage and burdens of the past. You just will not fit through the “narrow gate” with all the additional baggage and weight of the past.

There is only and just enough room for you, empty-handed, unburdened and free.

Come now.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 15 – Jesus is the Vine, Disciple’s Relationships

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 15

Jesus is the Vine, Disciple’s Relationships

This book of John should be required reading for every Christian and perhaps even those who would consider following Jesus. If there were levels of Jesus’ teachings, like in institutions of higher learning, this would be among the most advanced. Jesus has opened the doorway, the portal, to the Kingdom of God for everyone who believes and follows Him. He explains our relationships with Him, the Father, one another and the world, which you will see, when kept in context, empowers the believer with and unleashes the power and authority of God into the believer and onto this world – and nothing is impossible for those who believe, in the calling, cause and mission of God.

Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches

John 15:1, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Verse 2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

(Commentary Break): How does The Creator explain the highest of Spiritual Truths and give instructions in its use in the lowly language of the created?

I am the vine is another way of saying ‘I am your source, and your supply for all that you will need; I am the giver of life to all living creatures, and I am your way and life and the support system that will hold you up in your mission.

My Father is the vinedresser is saying that He is The Supreme Creator, The Orchestrator of all things. This also establishes the Grand Order, from higher to lower. Your willing submission to Him and His Authority will allow you to receive authority from above.

Every Branch describes our place in this order of things. God is the giver of all things we receive from Him.

These are metaphors and similes revealing some of the deepest and most profound hidden oracles of God meant for the believer. You are a weak, impotent shell of what God intends without these truths in your heart, mind, soul and spirit and being manifest in your natural body. (End Commentary Break):

Verse 3. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

(Commentary Break): Such is the mystery! This is revealed in the Greek language it was written. The word ‘clean’ from the Greek language is the word ‘katharos’ which more literally means to be made clean, pure and clear having been purified by fire. I.e., your soul has been cauterized by the Word (Logos – the Word of God; the Living Word; the indwelling Christ), which Jesus has ‘spoken’ (laleo), as The Creative Word into you. When you receive this Word, the old dross within you is burned out of you and you are transformed by fire into a new creature being made into His image, to do His Work to bring Him honor and glory.

There is simply no way to overstate the magnificence and importance of this. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 4. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. Verse 5. I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

(Commentary Break): Jesus is cautioning us, His followers and believers that we are to abide, that is we must continue to tarry, to endure and to be ever present in Him in order to bear His fruit, both spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, patience, faithfulness, gentlene3ss and self-control), and the natural fruit of His Works, Otherwise it is not possible for us to bear His fruit and we become weak and will suffer from our own efforts.

Once again Jesus reminds us that He is the vine: our source, our supply for all that we will need; He is the giver of life and the way to an abundant life and He is our support system that will hold you up in your mission and safe from the adversary.

Apart from Him, you and I can do nothing. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 6. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. Verse 7. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

(Commentary Break): These two verses can be controversial in religious academic circles arguing matters of eternal security. But considering the example of Judas Iscariot, “one who was named among the twelve” and followed Jesus who betrayed Jesus, was found out to be traitor of the faith and was condemned to eternal judgment, the meaning is clear.

If you do not remain in Him, if you turn back (see Luke 9:62, Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”), you are in grave danger of being thrown away (ballo exo), cast out, into the fire (pyr), the destructive fire of judgement to be burned (kaio) up (destroyed).

By great contrast, Jesus says, “If, ( however), you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (There are those who foolishly believe and teach that you might use this promise and authority to ‘spend it on your own flesh’, do not be deceived.) All of this is intended, of course, within the context of The Greatest of Commandments, the Great Commission and the teaching of Jesus. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 8. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Verse 9. Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. Verse 10. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. Verse 11. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

(Commentary Break): Herein lie the steps in the pathway to God and into His eternal presence.

(1). The Purpose: My Father is glorified by this, (2), that you bear much fruit, and so (3), prove to be My disciples.

How is this to happen? (1), If you keep My, (Jesus’), commandments, (2), you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

You and I will manage to obey His commandments (ONLY) if we remain in His Love. I.e., abide, live moment-by-moment, tarry in continually. (This is no easy task. It is an act, a demonstration and the proof of our love for Him). He is saying that we can have the same relationship with Jesus as Jesus has with God the Father. (Let that and all it means sink into you mind, heart and soul). In this your joy is made full – just as it is written: “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HUMAN HEART, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” This phrase is a biblical reference from 1 Corinthians 2:9, which expresses that the wonderful things God has prepared for those who love Him are beyond human understanding or imagination. It emphasizes the greatness of God’s plans for believers. (End Commentary Break).

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

Verse 12. “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Verse 13. Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. Verse 14. You are My friends if you do what I command you. Verse 15. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

(Commentary Break): This is neither a suggestion nor a law that can be abrogated with the consequence of estrangement – a loss of relationship. We are to love one another, as Christians, the same way (attitude, speech, behavior and acts of charity) – even to the point of laying down our lives for one another, as Christ Jesus has done for us.

Tragically, this is hardly the example we see within the walls of the contemporary church. But, this is nothing new: See 2 Timothy 3:1, which was written in or around A.D. 64 to A.D. 63, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. (For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses (the very description and prophetic warning of the global feminist movement which has done more harm than can be enumerated here), always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”.

Here we learn (1), the tares and goats in the church resemble. Avoid them. (2), We also see that the “Last Days” or the “birth pains” of the Tribulation (the first 5 Tribulation Seals) began at or around the time of the birth of Jesus.

Finally, Jesus is pointing out that although we have been known as ‘slaves’, first to sin the as ‘servants’ (doulos – a voluntary, fully devoted bond-servant) to Christ, He is keeping no secrets from us. We are now friends and Jesus shares even the deepest and most important matters of the Father’s busines with us, Therefore, we are to grow in our faith, no longer as babes desiring the milk of the word, remaining childish in our thinking and ignorant about righteousness, but we should be as adults, desiring the solid food of the Word which is for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 16. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. Verse 17. This I command you, that you love one another.

(Commentary Break): These verses, sixteen and seventeen, are written to every Christian but particularly to the mature man or woman in Christ. Too many Christians who become pastors, teachers or church leaders in almost any capacity, begin to assume they are fully matured in the ways of the Word of God and foolishly forget they did not have the authority and not even the good sense to choose Christ. And no church board or group of church leaders appointed you. Jesus alone chose you and appointed you and your mission, your task is to bear the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of righteousness that is permanent. Again, anything you ask Jesus for, regarding these things, the Father will give you. But, the entry way, the key to this door is that you love God, and you love one another above all else which proves your righteousness and validates your fruit. (End Commentary Break).

Disciples’ Relation to the World

Verse 18. “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. Verse 19. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Verse 20. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also. Verse 21. But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me. Verse 22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Verse 23. The one who hates Me hates My Father also. Verse 24. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. Verse 25. But this has happened so that the word that is written in their Law will be fulfilled: ‘THEY HATED ME FOR NO REASON.’

Verse 26. “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, namely, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify about Me, verse 27, and you are testifying as well, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (End Chapter 15).

(Commentary Break): Why would Jesus offer these words, both an instruction and a warning? Wouldn’t you think this would discourage people from following Him?

First of all, Jesus not addressing the world in these verses. He is addressing His disciples, current and future. These words are meant to encourage and prepare the disciple of Jesus. So, yes, do not be surprised or discouraged when trials of persecution and hatred come. Remember, He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world and He has overcome this world and you too will overcome by word of your testimony and by the Blood of the Lamb. (End Commentary Break).

There have been periods of intense hatred for and persecution of Christians throughout history, and there is but one reason: They hate Jesus even though they do not know Him; and will they hate you even though they do not know you. It is and is not personal. It is personal because their murderous hate is directed at you. But it is not just you they hate. They hate the Message that Light has come into the world, and people whose deeds are evil loved darkness instead of Light. God is the light and now you too are the light of the world. And those who practice evil hate the Light for it exposes their sins

They also hate that there is only one way to God and that is by following the Light, Jesus Christ.

They hate that He has defeated sin and death and that they cannot enter the kingdom of heaven for their deeds are evil and dark. Therefore they are doomed to the darkness they love so much. They are doomed to an eternal lake of fire and darkness where is wailing and gnashing of teeth, and they will hate you for this.

But they are making their choice. They love the darkness and darkness they will inherit.

When Jesus walked the earth, He called all unto Himself. He told everyone who would hear that God the Father had sent His only Son, that whoever would believe on Him would not perish (into an eternal darkness and fire), but would have eternal life with Him in a heavenly home.

But not everyone would come to Him, so He said to “shake the dust from your sandals” and move on, and we must.

Yes, we are to tell of God’s goodness and tell the Gospel Message, but everyone will make their own choice. You cannot make decisions for them, and must not linger, for the fields are now white for harvest (which refers to the biblical teaching from Jesus in John 4:35, where He encourages His disciples to recognize that the time for spiritual harvest is now, indicating that many people are ready to receive the message of God. It symbolizes the urgency of sharing faith and reaching out to those who are spiritually seeking Him. We must reach them all, before the End of the Age and His return to claim some His Own and take us to our eternal home and others cast into the darkness they so love, for all eternity.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 14, Jesus comforts His disciples, One with the Father, The Holy Spirit.

NEXT:  THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 16, Jesus’ Warning, The Holy Spirit Promised, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold, Prayer Promises.

(Please bookmark this page for future episodes).

CALL ME RELIGIOUS IF YOU MUST – BUT MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR – IN JESUS NAME

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

CALL ME RELIGIOUS IF YOU MUST

BUT MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR – IN JESUS NAME

But I say, (if you) walk by the Spirit (that is according to the characteristics and leading of the Holy Spirit of the Lord God of the Bible, on this Christmas and New Year, then) you will not carry out the desire of the flesh, (which are hedonistic, self-serving and destructive to a healthy, self-controlled, moral, purposeful, useful, and giving way of life). The reason being is that the desire(s) of the flesh (the self-centered, self-destructive, hedonistic ways work) against the (desires of the) Spirit (of God which are life giving and life preserving), and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another. (The two work are in conflict with one another, holding you captive and chronically indecisive. Thereby keeping) you from doing whatever you want.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under (a set of manmade religious Laws).

Now the deeds, (the proclivities and urges) of the flesh are (self) evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Examples of this kind of person might be Adolf Hitler, Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin or Pot Pol – all of whom created chaos, poverty, wars and led hundreds of millions to their death.)

But the fruit, or the outcome of the (indwelling) Spirit (of the Lord God), that is for those who live according to the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no (set of manmade laws that can be imposed upon you lead you or cause you to live in the misery of a failed life). (Examples of these kinds of people are Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Billy Graham).

Now, ( here is “The Way” or the secret for) those who belong to Christ Jesus, (that is those who submit themselves to His teachings and following His ways by calling Him Lord of their life: You) will have crucified the flesh (so-to-speak, that is they deny the hedonistic, selfish and destructive ways of living) along with its passions and desires (and turn your life Jesus, to His ways and His teachings).

FURTHERMORE

Here are 10 guarantying steps for a successful life – not as the world considers success – but true soul, mind, body and spiritual success – and the process for a better life for some and a greater life for others. This way you will prosper even as your soul prospers.

  1. Rise up (from your current life, your current ways of thinking and living), and cross (your) “Jordan” (river – the dividing line between your selfish base desires and passions that only create poor life habits, self-serving behaviors, inane pleasures and spiritual fatigue). (Decide to go) into “the land” which (God) has given (those who will believe and follow Him. For those who will, then) every place the sole of your foot treads, He will (have given) to you. Just as God did for Moses. (Then), from the wilderness (and your misdirected hedonistic heart desires, reaching) as far as the “great river, the river Euphrates” (which is your new beginning of a prosperous, meaningful and successful life, throughout)  all the land of the Hittites, (that is all the low and terrifying places you have or will have encountered), and as far as the “Great Sea” (the new horizons of a new life) toward the setting of the sun (of your old life) will be your (conquered) territory. (You will overcome all these things, and), no one will be able to oppose you (in any of your efforts) all the days of your life. (Just as God has been with) Moses, (He) will be with you; He will not desert you nor abandon you. (You must decide to) be strong and courageous, for you shall (possess) all the land which God sworn to (the forefathers of Israel and their descendants and all those Christians to follow. He has given all this to) them. (Again, just) be strong and very courageous; (And) be (diligent) and careful to do according to all the (Words and Ways) which Moses, God’s servant commanded; do not turn from it to the right (- that is in your own strength) or to the left (- that is do not get wrapped up in your own ways or ways contrary to what God says, or your life will take on that form and failure), so that you may achieve success wherever you go. This Book of the Word of God shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, (and that way) you will be (able to be) careful to do according to all that is written in it; (It is) then (that) you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. (Now) God is commanding you – (do you hear) Me? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (see Joshua 1:1-9)
  2. Always find a way to show love to others – even those who behave badly and do not deserve love – find a way.
  3. Find the joy of life, especially in the face of troubles, so others see it and will reward you for it.
  4. Learn to be at peace, practice being at peace and demonstrate peace, and you will be rewarded with peace from others.
  5. Show patience to all people at all times and others will return the favor as you work toward your successes in life.
  6. Be kind and show kindness, always. What you give, you will receive if you persevere in kindness.
  7. Do good and give goodness to all people at all times and they will pour goodness into your lap until it runs over.
  8. Be faithful and show others your faithfulness. Make good on your word. Make your yes, yes and your no, no and nothing more or less.
  9. Be gentle and create an atmosphere of gentleness.
  10. Exercise and show self-control so all these other things will have their effect on your life and on other, and then your successes will be great and very great. (see Galatians 5:16-24).

Now, let’s please pray for one another and make this Christmas day, today, all of 2026 and the rest of our lives the merriest of Christmases and Happy New Years!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE GREAT ESCAPE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE GREAT ESCAPE

The Great Escape was a true-to-life movie made in 1963 about the mass escape of 76 Allied airmen from a Nazi POW camp in March 1944. Allied officers in a German prisoner of war camp during World War 2 make a daring plan for a mass escape by hundreds of POWs, hoping to draw German personnel and resources away from combat operations. 200 were in on the planning, but only 76 escaped and of those, 50 were executed by the Nazis for their attempt. Three men actually made it to safety.

THE GREATER ESCAPE. God created the heavens and the earth and all its inhabitants. Lucifer, (also known as Satan) once an angel of light, rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven and condemned to Hell and became a destroyer of nations. His prideful evil work would continue as the prince of the air of earth. Through his armies of demons, he kills, destroying lives and steals all that is good.

There is an ongoing escape from this present age greater than the one depicted in the great escape of World War 2.

THE GREATER ESCAPE FROM: Ungodly stress, unnecessary poverty, demonic sicknesses, unreasonable fears, confounding doubts, wounding hate, bewildering and isolating divisions, soul tearing perversity, deadly deviancy, monstrosities of witchcraft, satanic evil, spirit killing drunkenness, murders and the like.

THE GREATEST ESCAPE TO: A peace that passes all understanding, a love that transcends reason, Joy that lifts you above all your troubles, a Kindness that sustains, a Goodness that gives, Patience that heals, long-suffering that sustains, Faith that brings hope, self-control that proves what is good and acceptable in those who are being tested.

THE ESCAPE ROUTE: Romans 10:9-10, 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 a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

2 Timothy 2:19-26, The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His; and, Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to keep away from wickedness.

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honor while others are for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Break free and run! Run to Jesus. He has made a way and is waiting for you.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

One of Twelve Disciples – The 8.3″

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 1 Comment

 

 

“The 8.3”

One in Twelve

Salvation is an exacting matter. So, could there have been any significance to the fact that one of the twelve initial disciples of Jesus betrayed Jesus and was thereby condemned? Perhaps not, but I will coin a new term, “The Eight Point Three” as a new moniker for an old category.

  1. The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and 
  2. Andrew, his brother; and 
  3. James the son of Zebedee, and 
  4. John, his brother; 
  5. Philip and 
  6. Bartholomew (Nathanael); 
  7. Thomas and 
  8. Matthew the tax collector; 
  9. James the son of Alphaeus (James the Less), and
  10. Thaddaeus (Judas, son of James); 
  11. Simon the Zealot, and 
  12. Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. 

Regarding Judas Iscariot, Jesus said, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him. (John 6:70-71)

The Traitor – a devil. Nothing is known about Judas’ background. His encounter and call by Jesus is not recorded in Scripture. He was not from Galilee, that much is known. He obviously became a follower and stayed with Jesus for three years. Judas gave Christ three years of his life, yet he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15), and became an “8.3 percenter”.

The Calvinist and the Reformed believer and theologian (Baptist, Presbyterian), would most likely say that although Judas followed Jesus and seemed to be a ‘believer’ and was named, by Jesus, as His disciple, he was never truly saved. (see GotQuestions.Org). But others who hold an Armenian view (Methodists, Nazarenes, Wesleyans, General Baptists, Pentecostals), will say that he fell away or in a certain vernacular that “he lost his salvation”.

Certain scriptures, such as Hebrews 6:4-6, tells us that “It is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

Others scripture verses, such as Ephesians 1:13-14, explains that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, ensuring their eternal security. And, Philippians 1:6 assures that God will complete the good work He began in believers.

Both views use scriptures to make their point, but the people making their point do so as humans attempting to decipher the true meaning of God’s Word from an anthropomorphic point of view, through human logic and human reasoning.

Jesus said that He would lose none of those Whom God has given Him. Yet on another occasion He said “Depart from Me, for I do not know you workers of lawlessness” speaking to those who follow Him, calling themselves Christian.

Let’s please step back and look at the full picture, trying to reconcile these two points of view on salvation.

The Bible implies that there is confusion from a human perspective of who is really saved versus those who only thinks they are saved. Or those who persevere in the belief they are saved versus those who lose their faith.

The Bible says there will be wheat, true Christian believers – true followers of Jesus, and tares, or false believers; these are the “8.3 Percenters” in the Church, and that we are to let Him sort them out – “First, at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn.”  (see Matthew 13:24-30).

Now, factually, there are no ideas about an “8.3 Percenter” in the Bible. It is just made up to make a point. But in the case of Judas, it is true. He was chosen as disciple – One of Twelve who were chosen – he represented 8.3% of the total, and He was lost and condemned, although He followed and walked with Jesus. He became a sad statistic.

But for the believer reading this, please keep heart. God is not mocked. God knows every person’s attitude, intention belief and faith and holds you tight.

There are those who are believers and followers of Jesus whose faith is genuine, and they are truly saved (made safe, made well, made whole). This salvation given by God through faith in Jesus and His redemptive work, produces a salvation that delivers a person from sin and its consequences, allowing believers to attain eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. It encompasses both spiritual and physical aspects, emphasizing God’s grace and the transformative power of faith. And still, some of these believers will suffer physical and emotional scars or consequences of sin while living in their fleshly bodies and may begin to doubt is they are truly saved. Therefore, many of the believers live in fear and shame because of mental or emotional disabilities such as trauma induced afflictions or chronic habit or substance addictions. They live in a repeating cycle of sinful behavior and abuse – both in their thought life and in their actions.

I say to these believers, never give up. God knows your heart and your dilemma, and He is faithful. He will deliver you. But you must join Him and seek help as He directs you to overcome these adversities. It may be, and in fact it most likely will be a life-long battle of recovery or restoration, but it is “the one who endures to the end who will be saved.” God knows your heart. Continue to pursue God, pursue righteousness and pursue holiness. Whether Satan has afflicted you directly or you have stumbled into his trap, unaware, or if, God forbid, others have caused this affliction in your life, one day you will see victory. One day, you will be delivered from this torment, and you will be set free.

 TO OTHER BELIEVERS: Never cast a brother or sister aside. Pray for them. Encourage them. There may be times you need space from them, but continue in prayer and encouragement.

Listen, please. Here is a key:

Hebrews 6:4-6, tells us that “It is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt”, and they may seem to say you can inadvertently, helplessly or deliberately fall away from God’s saving work.

But in reality, these verses are literally speaking of a person who seems to be “a fully devoted follower of Christ”, but is in fact only ‘dabbling around the edges’, inspecting the idea of being saved and having faith. They take a‘taste’, of the heavenly gift here and there, and sample a momentary share in the Holy Spirit, but never make up their mind to made it their own. They continue to argue with themselves about the veracity of faith in Christ and the reality of being saved. Metaphorically, they ‘wrestle with their faith’ (the picture given from the Greek language in these verses is of a Greco-Roman wrestling match) until they grow tired of this “wrestling match”, and the argument throws them to the ground, and they are pinned to the mat in failure! And they are defeated. They are called out!

It could be said they had “lost their salvation” or that “they were never saved in the first place”. It matters very little how you say it, because either way, the end result is the same: They are eternally lost. God says this person is irrevocably lost. What a terror!

The lesson to be learned? Fully embrace the promises of God. Believe in faith. “Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (see Romans 10:8-10). Know this: the person who holds fast to the promises of Christ and perseveres, is saved. Even while you may struggle, God knows your heart and mind, and He will hold you tight in His Mighty and loving grip while He makes a way for you. Join God as He does His mighty work.

And finally, scriptures tell us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Never take anything simply for granted. Beware lest you become a statistic like the 8.3%.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

For the rest of the matter:  Separated from God?

God and The Bible – “In a Nutshell?”

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

GOD and THE BIBLE:

“In A Nutshell?”

  1. WHAT IS THE BIBLE? The Bible is the Word and Breath of God. It is the inerrant, infallible, perfect, eternal Word of God. It is creative, causative, instructional and prophetic. It tells the Truth to you, and when you consume it, it will tell the Truth through you.
  1. WHAT IS THE PLAN?: God created with an eternal plan already in place:
    1. A beginning (without form and void),
    2. The middle (the act of salvation and the process of sanctification),
    3. An end, and,
    4. A new and eternal beginning.
  1. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?: Perfection. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
  1. WHAT IS THE METHOD? God allows trials, tribulation and persecutions and our faith to squeeze us in order to transform us into the image and likeness of Christ. “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
  1. WHAT IS THE TEACHING? When Jesus had finished instruction His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Please note that each link opens a detailed description of the subject. This is meant to be ‘an overview from 50,000 feet’, so-to-speak.

I have visited scores of churches and have been a ‘visiting member’ of several. Additionally, I have been ‘on staff’ at a few churches and even established a small church. And what I have found is that the great majority of Christians who are ‘church attenders’ do not want to actually follow in the steps of Jesus. Allow me to explain.

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him. (Matthew 4:1-3).

Most, if not all, new Christians (pastors and leadership included) fail to recognize, embrace and endure the earliest first steps of God’s sanctification, which is the process of being set apart for God’s special use and purpose, which involves moral transformation and growth in holiness through the work of the Holy Spirit. It signifies both a definitive status received through faith in Christ and an ongoing journey of becoming more like Him in character and actions. It can be difficult and bewildering at times – so most will turn away from it and simply ‘go to church’ for the benefits. They take the easy road, and enter through the wide gate.

From that time, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17).

Jesus’ first sermon, both a message of instruction and the example for the rest who would follow, is only 9 words in length., but transformative and eternal in its intent and effect. When it is ‘unpacked’ these nine words change the world, but of the hundreds of millions of sermons preached from thousands of churches every week, this is the least preached sermon. It is just too hard and distasteful for most Christians. (Use this link for a deeper explanation of this verse, Matthew 4:17).

Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people”. (Matthew 4:18-19).

Jesus preached and taught that He is on mission to preach the Gospel and to make disciples. His last few words to His then current and all future followers, (i.e., disciples), before ascending to the Right Hand of the Father, were to “go and make disciples” But, again, few if any followers of Jesus, follow in these steps of Him Who called them.

Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.(Matthew 4:23).

This is the example Jesus sets before us. He repeated these instructions to His disciples in Matthew chapter 10. Jesus’ life and Words are prophetic and eternal. They were never ‘casual remarks’ or suggestive requests. Yet few to very few ever follow Him in these steps.

We ‘say a little sinner’s prayer’, congratulate ourselves, and go to church – all of which is a good start I guess. Then the most churches begin the “pandering“, giving what the ‘congregation’ wants. And we want to be comforted, entertained, motivated, affirmed and served.

We don’t want to ‘get our hands too dirty’ so rather than go and make disciples, we give and send. But Jesus never said that. He said go.

There is more that could be said about how Christians, pastors and churches have redefined what it means to “follow Jesus”, but anything more said here may be just beating ‘a dead horse’?

Please, dear friends. Hear this. Jesus said that the very first symptom or sign that we have entered the Last Days would be deception. The world has always been full of deception, but the Church – deception in the Church is the first sign. And it is well under way.

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.

For many will come in My name, (saying they represent Him) saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people.

And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.

The one who endures – Strong’s concordance #5278 depicts the voluntary choice to “remain under” pressure rather than escape it. In Scripture, this endurance is never stoic resignation; it is confident perseverance grounded in the character and promises of God. The term gathers ideas of steadfast loyalty, patient waiting, and unwavering courage.

To tarry behind. To persevere: absolutely and emphatically, under misfortunes and trials, to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ. Enduring ill-treatment bearing bravely and calmly, absolutely. Following Jesus.

To the end:

Strong’s #5056 (telos, plural telē) embraces the ideas of completion, goal, outcome, fulfillment and consummation. Scripture applies the word to taxes (the due paid at the completion of a commercial transaction), to prophetic fulfillment, to moral consequences, to the believer’s perseverance, and ultimately to the eschatological climax of history. Each sphere enriches the others, presenting a single divine storyline that moves from promise to consummation.

Hebrews repeatedly ties telos to enduring faith: “We are His house if we hold fast our confidence and the hope in which we boast until the end” (Hebrews 3:6); “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first” (Hebrews 3:14). Paul prays that God “will also keep you strong to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:8). Revelation 2:26 promises authority to the one “who overcomes and continues in My work until the end.” Telos serves as both the horizon and the incentive for steadfast discipleship.

Please. Let’s pray for one another as that day draws evermore near.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 14, Jesus comforts His disciples, One with the Father, The Holy Spirit

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 14

 Jesus comforts His disciples, One with the Father, The Holy Spirit.

Jesus is making final preparations for His physical departure by comforting and reassuring His disciples that all is going according to plan. Jesus is using human terminology to explain the spiritual and the supernatural or the metaphysical world. There is just no other way for these men, or for us to grasp the deep mysteries or what is about to take place. (It is interesting that science, in the twenty-first century, is just now beginning to imagine similar principles of the things Jesus is telling His disciples. The studies of quantum physics submit some bizarre and astounding theories that might just be a peek into the realm and activities of the kingdom of heaven. But scientist readily admit, it is still far beyond their understanding. Perhaps science is just catching up with what the Bible has been saying for centuries?).

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

John 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. Verse 2. In My Father’s house are many rooms (or mansions); if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. Verse 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. Verse 4. And you know the way where I am going.”

(Commentary Break): Jesus has informed His disciples that He is going to be betrayed and that He is going away. They have seen that He is troubled and is raising a deep concern among them.  Jesus words, now, are meant to comfort His disciples. They communicate both a familial relationship with Him and with God The Father and gives them the security of being at one’s home. Jesus is telling them that He is going away but will personally prepare a room or a dwelling place for them so they may be reunited with Him. He is also speaking to you today as His brother or sister. However, this astounding reality simply cannot be related by human thoughts and words. Jesus is speaking of a new reality, a spiritual reality that transcends the abilities of the natural mind. And He reminds them that they know the way to this heavenly home and destination. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 5. Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Verse 6. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

(Commentary Break): Thomas, still thinking of these matters from a strictly human perspective, is speaking on behalf of the disciples when he  laments “we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” And Jesus gives him a direct but perplexing answer, “I am the way”. He then goes further to say “(I am also) the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” This is a staggering idea and a profound truth that has never before been revealed. But for those who can hear,  Jesus is saying that He is not only the lone mediator but also the sole access between humankind and God. (It would be easiest to frame this in metaphorical terms or as a tenant of Christian doctrine – which it is – but this is a reality, a fact.

(Please note that the antithesis is not the way – it is being lost in a wilderness of the deepest of darkness and consuming fire. It is a place that, you don’t believe it exists, you have bought the lies of the evil one. It is a place of a spiritual death that never ends).

Somehow, this Jesus, Who is God with us, God in the flesh, is describing our true nature which is spiritual. We come from the dust of the earth, are temporarily housed in decaying bodies which are the temples of the Holy Spirit, being prepared to be raised up in glorified bodies. Our mortal human bodies are described in 1 Corinthians 15:42–53 as perishable, dishonorable, and weak, all due to sin. Our immortal glorified bodies will be imperishable, honorable, and powerful. Our new bodies will no longer be “natural” bodies, subject to decay and death; we will live in “victory over sin and death,” won by Christ on our behalf (1 Corinthians 15:57, NLT). Our glorified bodies will be empowered by the Spirit who owns us, and weakness will be no more. And will live with Him, in the presence of God, eternally.

This is where He is going. This is what He has prepared for us who believe Him and follow Him. This is what we will be transformed into. This will be our transfiguration in Christ. (End Commentary Break).

Oneness with the Father

Verse 7. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Verse 8. Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Verse 9. Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Verse 10. Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. Verse 11. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Verse 12. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

(Commentary Break): Please get the tone of this breathtaking exchange between Phillip and Jesus. Jesus has just explained that He is the way, the truth and the life and that there is no way to God the Father except through Him. Yet Phillip replies with, ““Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us”! The sense of Jesus’ amazement at Phillip’s remark is almost palpable. “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Of course this is expected since these are thoughts too high and too wonderful for Phillip and the rest of the disciples. So, Jesus goes on to explain the length, width and depth of the transformation which will take place because Jesus is going to be with The Father:

“The Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

As we believe, surrender and submit ourselves wholly to God, He will do His works – any and all things concerning His Works – through us. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 15. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

(Commentary Break): Verse 15 communicates an eternal truth, clothed in the beauty and warmth of God our Father. I will retranslate this verse from the Greek language in the context it is given.

If you love Me (agapáō) as you live through Christ, with an unconditional, volitional, covenant-loyal love that seeks the true good regardless of merit or cost, and which is rooted in God’s own character, you will keep (tēreō), which is also often translated into the word “obey”. Here is where it gets interesting. There are five different Greek words that can mean “to keep” or to “obey”:

Greek Word Transliteration Part of Speech Definition
ὑπακούω hupakouó Verb To listen attentively, to heed or conform to a command or authority.
ὑπακοή hupakoé Noun Obedience; compliance or submission to authority after hearing its word.
πειθαρχέω peitharcheó Verb To obey authority; to be persuaded by a ruler.
ὑποτάσσω hupotassó Verb To place or rank under; to subject oneself, implying voluntary submission.

But the context of this verse is strictly the Greek word for “to keep” is τηρέω (transliterated as téreó).

Definition and Usage

  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Pronunciation: tay-reh’-o
Meaning Description
To guard Protecting something from loss or injury.
To observe Noting or fulfilling a command or prophecy.
To maintain Keeping something in a particular state or condition.
To detain Holding someone or something in custody.
To reserve Keeping something for a specific purpose or time.

Biblical Context

The word tēreō, keep, appears frequently in the New Testament, often in contexts such as:

      • Keeping commandments: “If you will enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17)
      • Observing traditions: “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.” (Mark 7:9)
      • Guarding oneself: “Keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5:22)

This word emphasizes the act of careful attention and responsibility in maintaining or observing something important; my commandments, entolé, which are instructions, orders, requirements, an authoritative prescription by focusing on the end result.

Here is the picture:

A mother keeps watch over her infant child; cradling him or her in her arms; observing their expressions, watching the child sleep; gazing into one another’s eyes; and the baby, the child gazes and stares at the mother. Attached emotionally, dependent physically. Taking on the very expressions of the mother. Each becoming unconditionally attached to the other. And as time goes by, the child learns and adopts the behaviors, the attitudes and the mindset of the mother. They become one.

 The Bible tells us that to attain to this level of consciousness in God, to have this kind of faith, we must observe Him, watch Him closely; think on, meditate on, focus on, dwell on Him and His Word. Then something marvelous occurs, The peace of God that passes all understanding will guard you heart and mind in Christ Jesus. (see Philippians 4:7).  For then you will make your way prosperous and you will have good success, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go! (see Joshua 1:8-9)

 This is how we are to obey or to keep His commandment, through our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual unconditional love for Him. (End Commentary Break).

The Holy Spirit

Verse 16. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; verse 17, the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.

Verse 18. “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. Verse 19. After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live. Verse 20. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you. Verse 21. The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” Verse 22. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what has happened that You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” Verse 23. Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. Verse 24. The one who does not love Me does not follow My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s, who sent Me.

Verse 25. “These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you. Verse 26. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. Verse 27. Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful. Verse 28. You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Verse 29.And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. Verse 30. I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in regard to Me, verse 31, but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let’s go from here. (End Chapter 14).

This chapter could be considered as instructions leading to one of the gateways to the portals of the kingdom of God.

We, Christians, are more like the early disciples than we realize or will admit. We are untrained and uneducated in the Ways of Jesus. Even the most diligent of us are weak in our understanding, sloppy in our preparation, lazy in our prayers and supplications. We are doubtful, fearful, unfocused, selfish, fleshly and desirous of the things and comforts of this world. So we suffer and ask but do not receive the things we desire.

We must seek first and only, His kingdom and His righteousness, and pray fervently, just as the deer seeks water for life, then we will receive.

Please. Let’s pray for one another. Please pray right now. “Lord, we admit we are weak in your sight. But we pray, ask and seek, in your Name and by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you enlighten the eyes of our heart so that we will know the riches in glory for all who seek you. That we will know and realize the Hope of our calling which are the riches of the glory of Your gift to us and of our inheritance from you. Amen.”

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 13, The Lord’s Supper, Jesus Washes the Disciple’s feet, Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

NEXT: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chaptr3e 15, Jesus in the Vine, Disciple’s Relationships

WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 3 Comments

How can you be sure that God is all that the Bible says? If you look closely enough, you can see God’s Hand has moved in the affairs of humankind throughout the ages.

This is an abbreviated chronology and timeline of Biblical Historical events. You will not only see how God has moved and interacted with His creation but you can see His Master Plan, Purpose, Methods and Ways from before creation through the End of the Age and into the creation of a new heaven, a new earth and a new Jerusalem.

Those who have overcome, are with God eternally – which includes you and me – and, we will know that God’s Plan for Perfection is being completed.

Michael J. Young, pastor, Bible teacher

INTRODUCTION

Click this link for PDF format: What is the Bible?

Click this link or image above for digital book format; What is the Bible?

DANGEROUS CHRISTIANITY – HANDLE WITH CARE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

DANGEROUS CHRISTIANITY – HANDLE WITH CARE

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

The pastor of a Southern Baptist mega-church in Fort Meyers, Florida, which we attended 15 years ago, pastor Dr. Richard Powell, announced that the next Sunday’s sermon would be titled “Dangerous Christianity”.

The title of this upcoming sermon created a stir of excitement in the congregation. I felt a positive anticipation rising in me. DANGEROUS CHRISTIANITY was exactly what I needed. It was exactly what I wanted to dish out to the devil: DANGER FROM GOD!

The next Sunday came, and we sat in our comfortable theater-style cushioned seats, eagerly waiting to hear about “Dangerous Christianity“.

“Beware, Devil”, I thought, “we are going to be a threat to you and yours from now on!”

The pastor started by saying,

“It is Dangerous to take the Bible literally. Believing that everything in the Gospel is meant for your benefit can be DANGEROUS to your faith.”

I listened, and I thought, “Did I just hear what I think I heard?”

He repeated his opening statement.

Curious and a bit concerned, I listened to his “religious lecture”, but I didn’t hear too much after the introduction.

I kept thinking, over and over, that this “man of God” just said that the Bible presented a danger to the Believer’s faith, if he or she takes it literally.

Grammar, figures of speech, parts of speech, literary style, usage of nouns, pronouns, and verbs all aside, about all I remember about this “religious lecture” was the opening statement.

I understand metaphors, similes, idioms and hyperbole, and the Bible uses these figures of speech in various places to communicate an idea, a thought or a message.

But, the Bible is GOD BREATHED and is meant for every man, woman, boy and girl to understand. And the Bible indicates what is meant to be literal and what is not literal.

So, I decided to see if there was such a thing as “Dangerous Christianity” in the Bible, and here is what I found:

Genesis 22:17 “Indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.”

1. Christians are a danger to possess the gate of our enemies!

Psalms 125:1-2 (A Song of Ascents). Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.

2. Christians are a danger to anyone or anything that would try to separate us from God.

Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

3. Christians are a danger to weapons formed to be used against us and our accusers will be condemned!!

John 10:28-29, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

4. Christians are a danger to death or any kind of separation from our Father’s Hand.

Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

5. Christians are a danger to tribulation, or

  • distress, or
  • persecution, or
  • famine, or
  • nakedness, or
  • peril, or sword or
  • death,

because we are more than conquers through Christ!!

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;

6. Christians are a danger to upheaval or turmoil.

Matthew 16:19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

7. Christians are a danger to the evil of this world because we pray in Jesus’ Name and

  • Jesus possesses the keys to the kingdom of heaven and
  • Jesus binds evil,
  • Jesus binds death,
  • Jesus binds poverty,
  • Jesus binds sickness,
  • Jesus binds doubt,
  • Jesus binds fear,
  • Jesus binds hopelessness and the like.

Ephesians 6:10-13, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

8. Christians are a danger to schemes of the devil.

Mark 16:17 “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;

9. Christians are a danger to demons.

Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.”

11. Christians are a danger to sickness, death, disease and evil!!

Now, that is what I call DANGEROUS CHRISTIANITY.

Let’s exercise our gifts of the Spirit, the rights as brothers of Jesus, joint-heirs of the Son, and as sons of God and remember that it is The Spirit doing His Work through us! Let’s let the power of God and His love, kindness, patience, gentleness, self-control, goodness, and faithfulness flow through us.

Let’s speak the Logos of God. Let’s speak the “Rhema of God”. Let’s walk in the Spirit of God and carry His Word before us.

Let’s live a Dangerous Christianity and bring glory to our God.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS – Can you think of other ways we can be Dangerous Christians for the Glory of God and a credit to His Kingdom?

PPS – We left that church.