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.

OFFENDED BY CHRISTIANITY?

July 8, 2025July 10, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

OFFENDED BY CHRISTIANITY?

Do you find religion, in general, and Christianity specifically, offensive? Perhaps you dislike Christians and Christianity because of something that happened to you, or because of something you perceive or maybe because of something you saw or heard about that was distasteful, hateful, hypocritical or incongruous with your personal belief system (if you say you have one), or perhaps you see Christianity as being out of step with your personal worldview? (Here is a short view related to these matters, presented by Dr. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist, author and teacher.)

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1093882995851294

Now, just for your information – and hopefully we might find some common ground with any potential doubters or antagonists – please be aware that even various Christians and Christian denominations don’t always agree. Many denominations are even antagonistic toward one another. For example, there are over 200 Christian denominations in America alone, and over 33,000 various denominations and cults identifying with or calling themselves Christian. So, you are not alone if you have been offended, are an antagonist, or just don’t believe in any one Protestant Christianity.

Scholastically, I am probably one of the least equipped to tackle this matter but that might just be the necessary strength for me to tackle this subject. (What I mean is that I don’t have an excess of “P.h.D. trees” in my forest. In fact, I don’t have any of those “trees”).

So much of Christianity that is taught nowadays, is either (1), way too complicated to understand, to believe, to accept and to employ, or (2), it is way too easy to be effective in any possible and lasting life change.

If you had been with Jesus, you would have seen that Christianity was both “taught” and “caught”. What I mean is, He first, would say the Words (i.e., He taught and explained what would become known as Christianity – named after Him, the Christ, of course); Secondly, He showed the Works. (I.e., He led by example, doing what He taught while His followers watched and learned what His Words meant through demonstration); then, He sent the workers, (His disciples), to do the same as He was doing, and instructed them to teach others as they had learned.

And by the way, following Jesus is NOT complicated but it certainly is NOT easy – it is, in fact, hard. And it is hard because it produces a radical transformation and a complete renovation of one’s life. A transformation from what was wrong in your life mentally, emotionally, and physically, to something amazing, and so satisfying and rewarding that you have to experience it to believe it. Let me explain.

I will skip the ‘really hard theology’ and begin ”just where you are”. Regardless of how you believe you came into being, (besides the obvious physical means), we both can agree, “here you are”. And regardless of what you believe will happen to you at the end of your life, that being your physical death, we can both agree that it is coming, one day. (So, we at least can have these things in common).

In the meantime, “here you are”. The Bible says, (I.e., God says), that there are two main things about your existence, or two ways to live your life and two destinations after your life.

NOW,

(There is One Way). You can live your life “saved by God”, or

(Then there is the Other Way). You can live your life according to your own opinions, likes, and dislikes. You get to decide the course and guess at the outcome.

AFTER,

(There is One Way). You are destined for eternity with God in heaven” after this life, or you spend eternity in darkness, terror, and in a lake of fire.

(Then there is the Other Way). You decay into nothingness.

((Oh, and by the way, scientists tell us that matter never disappears. It can and does, however, change form. And that includes the atoms and matter of which you are made. So, the idea that when you die, it’s over, is just wrong. The soul or spirit, the energy of your existence continues forever! FOREVER! Where is goes and what happens is what is important. And no matter what you think or wish would happen, science and God’s Word agree on this – you never end.))

Some people believe that how you live your life now decides where you go after you die – heaven or hell.

Whereas some other people believe that you live now, then you die, and that’s the end. There is nothing more.

Most all believe that the quality of life you have now, to some degree or another, is dependent on how you think and conduct your life now. This is true to a large extent, but those who believe this way should be confounded by the infinite scenarios that can take place for that determination. Then there are those who adhere doggedly to “life is short, live it up and damned with the consequence”, to which many say that “stupid is as stupid does”.

Finally there is “THE WAY”. I am talking about the Christian way of living now and what comes after this life; that is by being “Saved”. Yes, “saved”. This choice tells us that we live an ordered life now, according to the Bible and will be saved from perishing (decaying or being destroyed) after this life. And because God has offered such an unimaginable gift simply because you choose to believe in and follow the teachings of Jesus. Sounds easy, right? But it is not easy. Allow me to explain.

I will start with the easy-to-follow version, first.

What it means to be Saved. (I am going into the literal meaning of this idea or concept of being Saved, according to the Bible. The way I will explain this, which comes from the language in which it was written, is usually skipped over because it just sounds and seems too good to be true. So, most Bible teachers and pastors just skip the explanation and the promises and give an abbreviated and reconstructed version that has little power to effect the change in your life because it omits any motivation).

“To be saved – SOZO – in the Bible, means to be rescued from destruction and brought into divine safety“. To deliver or protect— (From Strong’s Bible Concordance).

SAVED: To be made safe, to be made healthy, to be made whole (complete with purpose), NOW and for all of eternity,

You can be made safe, made healthy, and made whole in your body. In your mind. In your soul and spirit.

You can be made safe, made healthy, made whole in your home. With your family, your children, your spouse and relatives. In your work. With your friends. In every aspect of your life.

(This is not a magic formula or a spell. It is the Word of God at work in you, by way of your faithful, submissive obedience in following Jesus.)

This is the Good News that God gave John to proclaim.

This is the Good News and the reason God sent us His Son. Jesus.

This is the Good News that Jesus proclaims to the world, then and now.

And this is the reason Jesus sends His followers, His disciples, into the world – to tell the world about this Good News. In its simplest terms, this is the outcome of believing in Jesus, trusting Him and following Him.

Honestly, now. Who would not want these things in their life? You can ask millions who have received this GIFT, or you can just do it for yourself!

GOING DEEPER

Maybe you are still asking “how does this come about? Or, how can this be true?” If you really want to know, then hang on, because this may get a little strange at first. But considering all we now know about the brain, the mind, the psyche, how they interact, and the power of belief and faith, I hope you get this: You are saved by God’s Grace, this is His unearned and unmerited favor toward you, through your faith in Jesus and by your faithful submission to Him. (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

The book of Matthew 4:17 explains it this way: “Jesus began to preach and say”.

The words for ‘preach and say’, as used here, come from the Greek language, are ‘kerusso’. This is NOT a casual statement nor is it just a narration. It is a word of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed; something which has already been done, first in the Spiritual realm and then is to be manifest in the natural. It is not a general statement nor is it a request. It is a PROPHETIC command. Kerusso! Jesus is saying that you have to do this first, then the rest can come about.

Next, let’s notice that Jesus says “Repent”. What is often overlooked but should be glaringly obvious is that Jesus does not tell us WHAT to repent from. We typically assume we are to repent of our sins. But that is not what He actually says. He simply says, “Repent”.

But REPENT from what?

“Repent, (‘metanoeo’), from the Greek, means to change one’s mind – to change one’s mind for the better. (And, here is the task that makes this so difficult for most people!)

(And if it is so, that we are just to REPENT of our sins, it is just as important to know that the word Sin, from the Greek language is the word ‘hamartia’ – literally means to be without a share in; to miss the mark. To miss the mark both of all that God has intended for your life and all that He has for you now, and for all of eternity.)

It is commonly accepted that Jesus meant that we are to heartily amend, with abhorrence of our past sins. And it can mean that and it DOES mean that. BUT it MEANS SO MUCH MORE.

When Jesus says to REPENT, the overall meaning, the connotation of this word it to CHANGE AND CONDITION YOUR MIND TO THINK LIKE JESUS, TO SEE THINGS FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE AND TO RESPOND IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCE AND SITUATIONS OF LIFE AND DEATH AS JESUS DOES.

This requires a radical redefining of our understanding. It demands that we turn our minds to what Jesus says and what He means – even if it makes us uncomfortable.

Jesus is saying that REPENTANCE is a radical reformation and shift in our paradigms. It is a change in our attitudes, and of our mindset, our will and emotions from how we naturally see things to HOW JESUS SEES THINGS. It is a change in all the choices we make in life so that WE CAN SEE THEM AS JESUS SEES THEM.

Jesus is saying we must change how see or view and deal with our relationships with others, our families, marriage, and even our disputes. How we react to being wronged, how we give of ourselves, of our time of our resources. How we view work, money, wealth, and anxiety. How we view our community, our country and the world and how we view the lost – from how we see them – to HOW HE SEES THEM. We must see the world around us and what Jesus is commanding of us AS HE SEES it. THAT IS TRUE AND COMPLETE REPENTANCE.

We begin to see that the Words of Jesus are life giving words. They protect us, they guide and direct us. They strengthen us and provide us with purpose and hope.

And finally, in this verse, Jesus says, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand (The words ” the Kingdom of Heaven” are so descriptive that you must take the definition of each word and consider their impact and importance.

The Kingdom of God is now at hand, describes the long awaited arrival of the Messiah who is now to establish His Kingdom on earth. As the “Lord’s Prayer” even says, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. A Kingdom of forgiveness, of grace, mercy, justice and eternal salvation. A Kingdom conquering death, disease, sin and darkness.

His Kingdom is a royal power, a kingship, dominion, rule and the right or authority to rule over a kingdom; the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah and the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom.” This is our calling and our role as Christians, Disciples of Jesus,

And finally, the phrase, the kingdom is now “At hand.” (“At hand” comes from a Greek word with a meaning like the ‘crook of your arm’ and with the action like a mounting wave which has the power to knock you off your feet and roll you over and over; indicating a distance which is as close as your hand is to your wrist, AND as Luke 17:21 puts it, “the kingdom of God is now within you”. Romans 10:8 ALSO tells us, that “THE WORD (OF GOD) IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”.

Jesus is saying, we are to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is now at hand”.

Now, FINALLY – Here is The Mystery:

Believe it or not, and as strange as all this may seem, the One who spoke these prophetic words, possesses the power which is able to transform your life, so radically, so completely, so thoroughly, that those who knew you beforehand, would hardly recognize you afterwards. In fact, if and when you embrace and absorbed His Words into your heart, mind and soul as His devoted follower you would hardly be able to recognize yourself when the process is complete.

You might even have to ask yourself, “Can I really be that man or that woman who went about under my name before?”

You are, in one sense the same person, but in another sense, you will have become someone utterly different. Made new. Reborn. A new creation.

This can be most easily accepted by a new believer, as the rest of us may think, “yes, I have already done this”. But when Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus, said, “you must be born again”, He spoke those words in the Aorist tense which means this is a continuing action. The Aorist tense has no regard for the past, present or the future. In this tense they are one-in-the-same. In other words, “In Christ Jesus, you are born anew, each and every day”. He is not saying you must be saved over and over. He is saying our repentance and rebirth in Him is made new and refreshed each and every day. This sanctifying process of perfecting us into the image and likeness of Jesus continues until we are, one day, home with Him, at last!

Please understand that what I am about to say, does not negate the trials, tribulations and troubles we will face in this life. They are part of our being sanctified. Nonetheless, this intensely real power to which I am referring, can pick you up today – right now – from the midst of loneliness, failure, ruin, misery, despair or any difficulty, and in the twinkling of an eye, as Paul said, IN THE MIDST OF THE PROBLEMS YOU FACE IN LIFE, He can begin to solve those problems, smooth out the difficulties, cut you free from entanglements and place you clear, safe and happy upon the highroad of freedom and opportunity – IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HIS PLAN AND PURPOSES, AND ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO ENDURE THIS PROCESS.

Does this mean your will always be physically well or mentally strong or rich by the worlds standards or famous? No. No. A thousand times no.
But it does mean that you can find purpose and meaning and usefulness in even the worst of life’s circumstances.

He can free you to go and shape your life as God would have it – a life full with purpose and of promises met.

He can throw open the MANY prison doors that hold you captive, and liberate you.

He is the healing balm for the bruised and broken heart.

He can inspire you with new thoughts and ideas, so that your life’s work may be truly original, meaningful and lasting.

He can impart new and wonderful kinds of knowledge, as soon as you really want such knowledge – glorious knowledge – strange things not taught in schools or written in ordinary books.

He can find your true place in life, and put you into it, too.

He can find the right friends for you, kindred spirits who are interested in the same ideas and want the same things that you do.

He can provide you the type of prosperity that means freedom. Not as the world knows prosperity. But the type of prosperity that means true Freedom. Free to be and to do and to go as God has called you to be and to do.

This Power of God can teach you all things you need to know, if only you are receptive and teachable.

But Jesus said, “You must first repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”.

So, if your life is lacking the continuous flow of the fruit of the Spirit, the love, the joy, the peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, Now, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

If your life is missing out on the works that Jesus did, and even greater works of teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom which can heal all kinds of sickness and diseases, Jesus says today is the day of your salvation – repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

If you are living in loneliness, fear, doubt lack and want, Jesus says today is the day of your salvation – repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

If you and your behaviors are “friendly” with the world but at odds with the Words and Teachings of Jesus, Jesus says today is the day of your salvation – repent for the kingdom of heaven is now at hand.

You know, from the day we are born until the day we die, the twenty-third Psalm tells us that we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death in this lifetime. And that God has set at table before us in the presence of your enemies, and that He has anointed our heads with His Oil and that our cup overflows. And His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives. And our dwelling place will be in the house of the Lord, forever.

The day of our salvation is now at hand. You can experience the richness of being saved. You can feast at the table He has set before you, even in the presence of your enemies of lack, want, sickness, poverty, disease, loneliness and the like. You no longer need to miss the mark or to be left out of the things He has prepared for your life to Bless you and to prosper your soul.

You are made safe, and rescued from eternal harm. You will have found a rich and fulfilling purpose in and for your life, now. You can be made secure in all your relationships and in all the matters of your life. You can be assured of an eternal life with Him. THIS IS THE TABLE HE HAS SET BEFORE YOU.

For the kingdom of heaven is now at hand!

((Now, Father, we ask that you bless our heart and minds by having heard Your Word and ask You, Holy Spirit, to plant the seeds of Your Word deep into the soil of our hearts and minds that they will take root and produce your fruit in our lives, some thirty, some sixty and some one hundred fold, and that we will continue to be transformed evermore into the image and likeness of your Son, and our Lord, Jesus. Amen.))

Too much? Okay then. Just take it by faith, believe, trust and obey Him – if you can.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS: (Then there is the more ‘complicated version’ which tells about how God has designed a system of right and wrong, and the treatment of good and evil, that punishes all sin – rebellion toward God and His Ways – with both a physical and a spiritual death which leads first to an earthly grave and then to an eternity in hell.

(On the other hand, and to make it even more complicated, because God is, by nature, merciful, forgiving and gracious, He will forgive all your sins and will allow His own Son to die a physical and a spiritual death in your place as punishment for all your sins – that is, if you will believe in Him, (Jesus), and will follow His example in life – you will be allowed to live eternally with God in heaven, just as if you had always believed in Him and had never sinned. I know, it doesn’t make much human sense, does it? I told you it was complicated, but that’s the deal, or the Covenant as God calls it. (There is much more to the legal side of all this, but let’s skip the lessons on Jewish religious thought and belief systems). Oh, and one other thing – God allowed Jesus to be literally killed at the hands of the ruling religious elite at or around A.D. 30, and then as crazy as it may sound to some, He rescued His Son in the middle of all this. Yep. God raised (Jesus from the dead and took Him to heaven ‘as the first born of many’ sons. So, if you believe in Him and follow Him, you too will be rescued and raised from the dead to as one of “the many sons – and daughters” to follow after Jesus into the heavenly home He has already prepared for you!)

Do You Know Anyone Who is SMUG?

July 7, 2025July 13, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Smug?

We have all heard someone say things like, “This is how we do it here.”

Or, “What sets us apart from everyone else is our vision, which is ”.

Or, “What we believe you and everyone else here should be doing is ”.

“What I think you should be is ”.

(I, I, I, Me, me, me, mine, mine, mine.)

Smug: Having excessive pride in oneself, a high estimation of one’s own ideas or one’s achievements.

Self-satisfied, complacent, self-congratulatory, more or less superior, pleased with oneself, self-approving, well pleased, proud of oneself, somewhat better than others, self-centered

Smug is similar to the word proud,

1) showing one’s self above others, overtopping, conspicuous above others, pre-eminent

2) with an overweening estimate of one’s means or merits, despising others or even treating them with contempt, haughty.

Synonyms for the word “proud” found in the bible: ἀλαζών is properly a boaster, who tells great things concerning his own prowess and achievements, with the implied idea that many of his claims are false. This word naturally describes a trait which manifests itself in contact with one’s fellow men, not one which exists simply within the heart.

This describes one who thinks too highly of himself, describing a trait which is simply internal, not referring primarily to external manifestation, although this is implied. It means one who is proud, the external manifestation when it appears being in the form of arrogance in dealing with others.

You see, smugness is the conviction that you are, at least, just a little bit better than other people.

This would be arrogance if it wasn’t also mixed with a pinch of humility.

Smug people know they’re better, and the fact that they’re also humble about it makes them even better still.

No wonder they’ve got that annoying smile.

Ughhhh. I have to admit, I have found myself exhibiting some of these things at times. God, please help me.

Read what Proverbs 6:16-17 says about smugness or PRIDE:

There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue.

(yes, there are five more, but we can stop here for now)

So, is there a way I tell if I am being smug?

Here are a few things I might need to watch for.

1. If I think my answer is the only correct answer, I might be smug.

2. If other people annoy me for no reason other than the fact they are there, I might be smug.

3. If I am always, even a little, critical of the places I go and the people I encounter (or see), I might be smug.

4. If I struggle with even the meaning of humility, I might have a problem with being smug.

5. If I really dislike smug people, I might have a real problem with being smug, myself.

6. If I take extreme pleasure and find extraordinary joy in seeing a smug person embarrassed or humiliated, I might have a problem with personal smugness.

There’s more we could list, but we all get the idea.

This is a serious matter, but, here is a funny routine, by comedian Brian Regan, about this matter (funny, if it weren’t so true)

THE ME MONSTER

Let’s pray for one another to rid ourselves of anything that displeases God.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves”; (Philippians 2:3).

Your brother and friend,

Mike Young

A Sunday Message for every day of the week

July 6, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A group of pastors were asked what was their primary ministry objective. One pastor answered, “The Kingdom of God”. When asked did they mean “The Church”, they simply repeated, “The Kingdom of God”. When asked, “but, what about the people of God – The Church?”. Whereupon, they repeated “The Kingdom of God” was their primary calling for ministry. (I.e., these pastors believe their view of the corporate structure and function of God’s Kingdom was their primary calling, ministry and mission – not the Church! (This is a widespread phenomenon. Many pastors and staff view the Church (membership) as a distraction and a burden to be dealt by way of programmed activities (as a means to keep the ‘church people’ busy while the staff does their Kingdom Work). Scriptures see these pastor and staff as negligent, improper, manipulative and abusive in their treatment of the church, and subsequently the way Christians treat one another as they respond to this type of ‘leadership’).

What does the Bible say about each and every Christian’s primary calling, mission and objective, however?

“You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30).
You are to love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31).
“Go and make disciples, of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to follow all that I commanded you”. (Matthew 28:19-20).
“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this the world will know that you are My disciples”. (John 13:34-35).
Why? Because, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved…

Love – Agapao – to love (in a social or moral sens).
{chiefly of the heart (wholehearted, unconditional, devoted) while G5368 is chiefly of the head (feelings, conditional, sentimental)}

Aorist Tense – has loved, does love, will always love (past, present, future – a continuous action, without beginning or end).

For God so loved the world,

World – Kosmos – an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government; ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, ‘the heavenly hosts’, as the ornament of the heavens; the world, the universe, the circle of the earth, the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family, the ungodly multitude;

that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

Perish – apóllymi, ap-ol’-loo-mee; from G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively:—destroy, die, lose, mar, perish. To Kill, put an end to.

God created the world (kosmos) and loved, loves and will always love His creation so much that He had and has and will continue to have no intention of causing it to perish – However, He has not and will not force His creation to love Him, appreciate Him, believe in Him nor to obey Him. But all the men and women who refuse to believe in Him, will perish (be destroyed) by their own choice, by their own volition. Those that remain – those who believe in Him – have the right to be called the children of God and are joint heirs with Jesus, and will live eternally with God.

V. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. V. 18 The one who believes in Him is not judged;

Judge – Krino (krínō, kree’-no); properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish:—avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

Believe(s) – Pisteuo – pisteúō, pist-yoo’-o; from G4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well-being to Christ):—believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.

Please, please, please, dear Christian brothers and sisters, let’s stop going down the errant path of ‘self’ and “repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. Jesus has told us that although He is God, He did not consider even that as something to hold over people. He tells us that He came to serve and not to be served. This is the way – He is the Way. This is our only hope in these last days! Let’s love one another just as God loves us! Please.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

READY FOR JESUS’ RETURN?

July 2, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

During a men’s breakfast, one man asked “what should we be doing in anticipation of the return of Jesus and the rapture?” There were several answers. Then I shared an experience I had at a revival meeting a couple of years earlier. An evangelist and guest speaker came to the pulpit and asked the question, “Jesus is coming back soon. Are you excited?”, to which the congregation exploded in cheers and applause.

Then this evangelist became quiet and in a low and serious voice he said, “Too many Christians are doing little more than staring skyward waiting for the Lord to return, but He has told us we are to be busy with His works. So, it is time we stopped looking at the sky and get busy with the Father’s business!” He then went on to preach about the relationship between Abraham and his nephew Lot. God instructed Abraham to leave his land and go where God would instruct Him, in Canaan. The two travelled together, but soon they land they came to would not support both families and lot began to grumble and complain. In brief, Abraham was generous to Lot and gave him choice of the land they had come to, and Lot was self-serving and chose the choice lands. Abraham took what was left and dug his wells and pastured his flocks. God rewarded Abraham’s obedience to Him, his kindness and generosity toward Lot.

The takeaways and examples for us, especially in these last days and in preparation for His Return, are:

Trust in Divine Direction: Abraham showcases the blessings that flow from obedience.

Flee from Sin: God’s urgent command to leave Sodom encourages believers to depart from compromising environments.

Intercession: Abraham’s plea for Sodom demonstrates the power of prayer for those in peril or unbelief.

Grace Under Pressure: Even when we make shortsighted decisions, as Lot did, God offers rescue to those who heed His call.

Conclusion

Abraham and Lot’s accounts converge to depict both the rewards of faithfulness and the repercussions of unwise choices. Supported by biblical manuscripts and corroborated by historical and archaeological discoveries in the regions around the Dead Sea, the story stands as a testament to divine sovereignty, mercy, and the outworking of God’s plan through His chosen people.

As the narrative unfolds, these two figures continue to inspire readers to trust divine promises, heed God’s warnings, and anchor their hope in the One who fulfills all covenant faithfulness. Their lives illustrate that true prosperity emerges not from the world’s allure but from walking in step with God’s word.

Scriptures tell us that just before Jesus returns there will be an onset of cosmic and terrestrial cataclysms (Matthew 24:29), such as the world has never seen before and never will see again (Matthew 24:21). So what does this have to do with what we be doing in anticipation of the return of Jesus and the rapture? It has everything to do with being obedient to God’s commands in these Last Days; to be inspired by Abraham’s obedience and to inspire others to trust divine promises; to heed God’s warnings, and anchor our hope in the One who fulfills all covenant faithfulness. Our lives, like the life of Abraham, should illustrate that true prosperity emerges not from the world’s allure but from walking in step with God’s word.

And it is sadly true that, in my observations, far too many Christians are doing little more than waiting around, ‘staring skyward’ waiting for Jesus’ return, in anticipation of certain events to occur – many of which have already begun. The Lord Jesus said we are to be about His Works as this day draws near. He also warned against idleness, in no uncertain terms: “Why do you call me Lord, when you have not done the things I commanded you?”

Whereupon, another man pointed out how his pastor was going to receive many crowns for his hard work, but he probably would receive very little. Yet another man cautioned that we should be careful and witness as often as we get the opportunity, and yet another man said, “we should make the opportunities and take them or we might here ‘depart from me, I don’t know you because you did not do what I said’.

WOW!

But let’s get this straight. What am I to do and how am I, are we, as Christians, to be prepared for Jesus’ return? Rather than complicate and already complicated matter, let’s look at what Jesus says we are to do, to be and to be doing in preparation for His Return and the End of The Age.

Signs of Christ’s Return

Matthew 24:1, Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 But He responded and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

Verse 3. And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Verse 4. And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Verse 5. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people. Verse 6. 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. Verse 7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Verse 8. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. 12 And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:21, For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

The Glorious Return

Matthew 24:29 “And immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Parable of the Fig Tree

32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation (this epoch – “to become, and signifies a change of condition, state or place“; i.e., these conditions…) will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36 “But about that (exact) day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

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

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

Parable of Ten Virgins

Matthew25:1, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; 4 but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. 5 Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

Parable of the Talents

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents. 17 In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’

22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’

24 “Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed. 25 And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’

26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed? 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Judgment

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not [i]take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew28:18, And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So, what are you to be?

Galatians 5:22 Be filled with the Spirit and demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.

Philippians 2:2, Be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.

14 Do all things without complaining or arguments; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding firmly the word of life.

So, how are you to do what are you to do?

Acts1:7, But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses (martyrs – whether by dying for or giving up your own life for Him) both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

Not everyone is an evangelist, are they? Nor is everyone a preacher or a pastor. God has given each of us our own unique spiritual gift that is for witnessing and the building up of the Body of Christ.

SO, DO YOU KNOW YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT?

Have you ever wondered about that or been asked that question before?

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

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

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

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

Truth #1. The Church has become grossly self-serving.

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

Jesus, Himself, said, “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” and that is our calling also.

We are not here to “be served”, we are here to serve.

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

We have become accustomed, over the last two millennium (beginning with Constantine) with the idea that we ‘go to church’, but that is impossible in God’s Kingdom and in His economy because we are The Church.
Jesus created His Church – His Body – and made it so the whole Body fits together – perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

The Holy Spirit lives IN us to guide us – His Body – to convict us, defend us and to empower us.

Jesus transformed the practice and attitude of ‘going to church’ and having externals things to convict or to defend us. Those requirements are now written on our hearts and in our consciences.

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

No matter what you believe or say or do, otherwise, you are not a follower of Jesus and you should not call yourself by the Holy and set apart name (Christian) if you do otherwise.

We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and called to be His Witness and to serve.

We are God’s church.

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

Romans 12           1 Corinthians 12       Corinthians 12       Ephesians 4Prophecy             Word of wisdom          Apostle                   Apostle
Serving          Word of knowledge    Prophet                  Prophet
Teaching            Faith                                Teacher                  Evangelist
Exhortation           Gifts of healing Miracles                 Pastor
Giving                     Miracles              Kinds of healing   Teacher
Overseer                Prophecy               Helps
Mercy               Distinguishing spirits   Administration
Tongues         Tongues
Interpretation of tongues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are many places you can find and take a Spiritual Gifts test for the purpose of applying what God has so graciously and generously given you. This is His Gift to you for witnessing, serving, and being prepared for His Return.

Spiritual gifts test link to an external site

Or, you can click on this image to take a the test and grade it yourself by clicking on the image below

Your Friend and Brother

Mike Young

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 7, Part 1, Jesus Teaches at the Feast

June 29, 2025July 13, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 7, Part 1

Jesus Teaches at the Feast

I want to remind myself and you, the reader, that the New Testament of the Bible, generally speaking, and chiefly the Book of John and specifically these verses, are not just a religious documentary or a simple narrative of “The Life and Times of Jesus”, but they are (1) the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, (2) useful for our teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness, and (3) are the very breath, “the breathed out Word” of a Living God. (This is the potential of what you are holding when you hold a Bible in your hands. Think about it.)

It is as if Jesus is simultaneously living two realities for us to see and witness – because He IS simultaneously living two realities for us to see and witness. First, He is the only One True Living God, the living Word of God – The Son of God, the Second part of the Trinity of God; He is the Son of Man. Secondly, He is the Son of man, God made flesh, living among us, Emmanuel, God with us. So, what we see with our natural eyes is the manifestation of “God the Son” appearing to us as has pierced through time, space and reality. He has come to us from His Kingdom, as the scripture say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”, which is the Spiritual realm of God; and He has come to us, walking among us in the natural world. Put another way, we are seeing the manifestation of God’s Will within His created natural world: “His Kingdom come, His Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

With these things in mind, don’t just read these words, but “eat them and drink them”, for they are His Flesh and His Blood which give life!

Jesus Teaches at the Feast

John 7:1, After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Verse 2. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Verse 3. So His brothers said to Him, “Move on from here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. Verse 4. For no one does anything in secret when he himself is striving to be known publicly. If You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.” Verse 5. For not even His brothers believed in Him. Verse 6. So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always ready. Verse 7. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify about it, that its deeds are evil. Verse 8. Go up to the feast yourselves; I am not going up to this feast, because My time has not yet fully arrived.” Verse 9. Now having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.

(Commentary Break): ‘Jesus was walking in Galilee’ is significant by both definition and the tense of this verb. It is saying “He was continually walking, on purpose and with a purpose”. This was not a casual or curiosity stroll. Jesus is on mission. He is executing the Will and Plan of His Father. This is a clear mandate to any and all of His followers, including you and me. Every minute of every day we should be aware that we too are on mission for God, going about with His purpose on and in our mind, doing His Will.

It is also significant that this event in scriptures is taking place during the Feast of the Booths, or Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the fifteenth day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelites were commanded to be at a certain place at an appointed time – in this case, a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Biblically an autumn harvest festival and a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. We should realize that The Exodus, a freeing of the Jews from captivity, was a pattern, a foreshadowing of our being set free from our captivity to sin and death. THIS IS NOT A PHILOSPHY or a metaphor. It is a reality of what has already occurred in the Heavens and is now being manifest upon this earth. We are called, just like the Jews, at Sukkot, to be at a certain place at a certain time. More on this to follow.

Next, Jesus’ disciples begin to encourage Him to become more public so more people and especially His disciples would see His works and believe in Him. Jesus responds by contrasting His divine mission with the worldly perspective of His brothers. Their “time” refers to their freedom to act according to their own desires and schedules. This reflects our human tendency to operate independently of God’s timing and purpose. In a broader sense, it highlights the difference between human and divine perspectives on time and purpose. This is the lesson we should take from this.

Jesus’ remark that “My time has not yet come”, underscores Jesus’ awareness of His divine mission and the specific timing ordained by God. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is conscious of the “hour” or “time” set by the Father for His actions, particularly His crucifixion and resurrection. This reflects the prophetic nature of His ministry, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. It also emphasizes His obedience to the Father’s will, a key aspect of His role as the perfect servant and sacrifice. And, once again, this is the model for all of us, His disciples. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 10. But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as though in secret. Verse 11. So the Jews were looking for Him at the feast and saying, “Where is He?” Verse 12. And there was a great deal of talk about Him in secret among the crowds: some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He is misleading the people.” Verse 13. However, no one was speaking openly about Him, for fear of the Jews.

Verse 14. But when it was now the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple area, and began to teach.

(Commentary Break): The timing, “halfway through,” indicates that Jesus chose a moment when the city was bustling with activity and the religious atmosphere was heightened, allowing His message to reach a wide audience.

The temple courts were the outer areas of the Temple in Jerusalem, accessible to all people, including Gentiles. This setting was significant as it was a central place for teaching and discussion, where rabbis and teachers would often engage with the public. Jesus’ presence here underscores His role as a teacher and His willingness to engage with the religious leaders and the people in a public forum. The temple was the heart of Jewish religious life, making it a strategic location for Jesus to reveal His teachings. Dear friends, this is our pattern and model.

Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts highlights His authority and wisdom, which often astonished those who heard Him. Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus taught with direct authority, often challenging traditional interpretations and focusing on the heart of the Law. His teachings were rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, fulfilling prophecies and revealing deeper truths about God’s kingdom. (the foregoing 2 paragraphs are taken from BibleHub.com bible study notes).

Verse 15. The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, not having been educated?” Verse 16. So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me. Verse 17. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself. Verse 18. The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

(Commentary Break): Now, please pay careful attention. Jesus is not only fulfilling prophetic scriptures, He is teaching and training His disciples for when their time comes. Jesus says, “My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself.” I hear so many Christians ask or pray saying, “if it be your will”, as if His Will is always an unknown and unknowable thing. Yet Jesus says that “if anyone is willing to do His will, he will know…”

Jesus is teaching that which is Right, what is Good and Acceptable and Perfect, to Abstain from evil and lust, and to Give Thanks in all things!

First you must know the Will of God if you are to do His Will. And you don’t need to guess or wonder about His Will. You can know The Will of God from His Word. For example, the phrase “the will of God” is used a total of twenty-four times in the Bible (“The NASB version”).

The frequency of the use of a word or phrase in the Bible potentially tells us the importance or uniqueness of that word or idea communicated by that word or phrase. But, regardless of the frequency of this phrase, I would say that the “Will of God” is a pretty important idea.

So, use the Bible to decide what God says about GOD’S Will, and here are four instances of the twenty-five occurrences of the phrase “God’s Will” from the Bible, where the Bible clearly explains God’s Will:

1 Peter 2:15, “For such is the will of God, that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;”

1 Thessalonians 5:18, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Do you want to know about the teaching, whether it is of God? Then you must know and do the Will of God. Then you can see the power of God’s Word and His Spirit work for good in your life? Does using these four verses sound too simple? You can expand on these verses, but, just try these for a start.

DO RIGHT. (1 Peter 2:15),

RENEW YOUR MIND TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT. (Romans 12:2),

ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY. (1 Thessalonians 4:3),

IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS. (1 Thessalonians 5:13).

Interesting, isn’t it? Knowing and doing God’s Will produces a life that is RIGHT, GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, PERFECT and produces THANKSGIVING. Isn’t that what you want for every circumstance in your life? Think about it. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 19. “Did Moses not give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why are you seeking to kill Me?” Verse 20. The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill You?” Verse 21. Jesus answered them, “I did one deed, and you all are astonished. Verse 22. For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and even on a Sabbath you circumcise a man. Verse 23. If a man receives circumcision on a Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry at Me because I made an entire man well on a Sabbath? Verse 24. Do not judge by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

(Commentary Break): Jesus points out that they seek to kill Him because the say He is deliberately breaking the Law of Moses. The crowd deflects and suggests that Jesus has a demon who is causing Him this strife.

Now Jesus points out their ignorance of the Law and of their hypocrisy. The Law of Moses made an exception in the Law for circumcision on the Sabbath, yet they hold Jesus as guilty of breaking the law if He would heal or make whole, the entire person on the Sabbath. He then tells them not to judge by outward appearances, i.e., by strict legalistic standards (by the letter of the Law), but look at the heart on the intentions of a person before you judge.

If there is one great failing in Christendom, this is the one. We are so quick to judge unfairly, but equally as quick to overcompensate and to overlook evil in the name of forgiveness. If you have ever been judged unfairly, you have felt the sting of legalism and injustice. But, then you see someone else deliberately sin and find forgiveness just because of who they are or who they know, you have to stomach they hypocrisy. This is the fall of the Church.

Brothers and Sisters, let’s do all we can, by the grace and power of God to not judge and criticize and condemn others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge, so that you will not be judged unfairly. For just as you hypocritically judge others when you are sinful and unrepentant, so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure used to pass out judgment, judgment will be measured to you. Think about it, why do you look at the insignificant speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the similar egregious log that is in your own eye? Use godly wisdom, common sense, and moral courage together with God’s written word to discern right from wrong, to distinguish between morality and immorality, and to judge doctrinal truth. There are many judgments that are not only legitimate, but are commanded (John 7:24; 1 Corinthians 5:5, 12; Galatians 1:8, 9; 1; John 4:1-3; 2 John 10; however, do not judge another without carefully examining their intentions and without examining your own heart and actions. (End Commentary Break).

Jesus’ teaching is both revolutionary and counter-cultural and the path to life more abundant. But not as the world sees abundance. This is an abundance of life that is worth living. A life of peace, love, joy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A prosperity of the heart, mind and soul. It is a life that begins in the spirit and is then manifest in the world, “As it is in heaven, so it shall be on earth”.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 7, Part 2, People Divided over Jesus.

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 6, Part 2, Jesus Walks on Water, I Am The Bread of Life, The Words of Eternal Life.

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THE WORLD IS IN TRANSITION – PART 5

June 28, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE WORLD IS IN TRANSITION – PART 5

If I were to recapitulate what has been said by outlining the chapters of Ephesians in the context of “A manual for strategic training and preparation for Spiritual Warfare”, here is how I would put it:

Chapter 1 – KNOWING YOUR SAVIOR AND YOUR POSITION IN HIM. We are redeemed, and seated with Christ at the Right Hand of the Father in the heavenly places and empowered with the greatness of His power for His purposes – the redemption of the lost, the reclamation of the earth and victory over Satan and hell.

Chapter 2 – KNOWING YOUR SAVIOR AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP IN HIM. We are made alive in Christ and are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Chapter 3 – KNOWING HIS PURPOSE FOR YOU IN HIM. God’s Eternal purpose, which was carried out in Christ and is now entrusted to us to finish the Work which He has prepared ahead of time for us to walk in.

Chapter 4 – KNOWING HIS POWER IN AND THROUGH YOU. We have victory through Him as we unite ourselves in Him, as one. His power is released in and through our lives as we walk in the Spirit of God and deny ourselves every kind of impurity and greediness and rid ourselves of the “old self” and its lusts which are the obstacles to the wisdom, ability and strength of our calling.

Chapter 5 – KNOWING HIS IMAGE IMPRINTED IN YOU. We are to be imitators of Christ in our mind, attitude, heart, soul spirit and body, lest we fail to prevail.

Chapter 6 – KNOWING YOUR ABILITIES AND SPIRITUAL WEAPONRY IN HIM. Engaging the enemy of the world forces of darkness and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places, with the spiritual weapons given us by God, and then standing fast!

It labors me to say that the church is, for the most part, not engaged in this Last Day scenario. We have drifted. We are “playing church”, entertaining ourselves, saying we are “doing the works of Christ”. But we have fallen under the trance of the evil one. We have succumbed to the great delusion God warned about.

God has said He will raise up His remnant, a remnant of the Last Days, and they will carry the fight to the enemy because they will not love their lives so much that they will fear death, and they will prevail by the word of their testimony and by the Blood of the Lamb! (also see A Holy Remnant is Born).

In conclusion, the time is short, the enemy is inside our gates. This is becoming hand-to-hand combat, and the battlefield is being soaked with the blood of saint and sinner alike.

In the not-too-distant future, however, the tide of this battle will turn and the blood of the enemy will run as deep as the horse’s bridle for hundreds of miles and the wild beasts and fouls of the air will feast on their carcasses of our enemies.

God will not endure the faint of heart, and He takes no pleasure in those who would shrink back. You and I must engage this fight today. The victory is won, the title is ours, but we must join fearlessly join Him today!

So, enough of the pandering! It is time to cast off the postmodern fashions of the harlot church, and by doing so, only those who remain will be considered the final and holy remnant.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS: THE WORLD IS IN TRANSITION – PART 4

3 Videos by Pastor David Wilkerson

YEAST – SIN AND EVIL? OR, THE LEAVEN OF HEAVEN

June 25, 2025June 26, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

YEAST

THE LEAVEN of SIN and EVIL, or THE LEAVEN OF HEAVEN?

The Bible mentions leaven, or yeast, in several contexts. In some contexts, the reference to leaven is obviously literal; in other contexts, leaven takes on symbolic connotations.

I. In the Mosaic Law, leaven represents sin or corruption

II. Jesus, in the New Testament, compared the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees and Herodians to leaven. The Pharisees had come to Jesus to test Him (verse 1), but Jesus perceived their true intent and the state of their hearts. He later warned His disciples against being taken in by their teachings (verse 12), which He compared to leaven. A small portion of the “leaven” of falsehood can permeate a person’s heart and mind. In Luke 12:1 Jesus specifies that the leaven of the Pharisees is “hypocrisy.” Having a show of piety, without true holiness, is like leaven in that it gradually increases and spreads corruption, puffing up a person with vanity. Lies and hypocrisy can poison one’s whole character.

In one of Jesus’ parables of the kingdom of heaven, He uses leaven in a different sense: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33). In this case, leaven is not used as a symbol of evil; rather, leaven is a symbol of the kingdom, which will gradually and secretly permeate society. Just as a woman uses the smallest bit of leaven in the dough, so the gospel starts with small beginnings. Just as the leaven quietly works its way through the whole batch, the gospel will have a profound impact on all sectors of society.

III. So, the bottom line is that yeast or leaven in the Bible, can be literal yeast for making bread or other edible products, or it can be symbolic of an idea, an ideology or a teaching that rises up from small beginnings and spread, affecting or infecting everything near it, whether for good or for evil.

The metaphor of yeast can also be seen as representative of the intentions of churches, church leaders, pastors, preachers, Bible teachers and theologians. Some infer, imply or teach that since we live in the ‘here-and-now’ that our focus should be, primarily, on the here-and-now. We should be the ‘best version of who we can be, now’ as they see it in scriptures. Not a bad idea, but that’s just half the ‘story’.

Others emphasize continuing the work of Jesus, spreading His teaching, modeling His behavior during our short time on earth, but emphasize the future, an eternity with God in heaven.

Then there are those who emphasize and promote a social gospel or an egocentric view of the Bible. They usually believe and teach that religion and most of the Bible is allegorical. It represents truth as seen through the eyes and mind of religious humanists or religious secularists. They postulate that good and evil, right and wrong, are inventions of the imagination of people and is based on their situation at the time. They do not see the Bible as literal nor do they consider it without error; they see truth as it is measured by conditional or situational ethics. So, truth or error is ever-changing and shifting with time. And, they see the Bible containing truth as they define it, but archaic and in need of modernization. Therefore, they consider it their responsibility to correct perceived errors in the Bible and go about correcting them and clarifying them and teaching them. These people may or may not believe in a literal God, in heaven, nor in an afterlife. They live for the moment – some adhere to some kind of religious system, some may be religious pagans, most can be hedonistic. (The Bible often calls these people as false teachers, false prophets, and wolves among the flock, and says to avoid them).

So, where is the truth and the balance? Well, the Bible says very clearly that the Truth is a person and His Name is Jesus. And balance? If you know Jesus, you know that you only find balance in its extreme form. It is Jesus, or nothing. That is His definition of balance.

Everything God has created, He created in a perfect balance. It is humankind’s rebellion toward God that has thrown his world out of balance. This could be why the disciples of Jesus were said to have turned the world upside down – they righted it. Only to have to it leavened by the evil one and thrown it out of balance, at least for now.

The Bible says that the kingdom of heaven is like yeast. And speaking of the kingdom of heaven, it is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe. Jesus says, “the kingdom of heaven has come near” announcing His arrival on earth. And furthermore, it is only the “poor in spirit” and only those who do the will of The Father can inherit or enter this kingdom. And finally, the Message of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ is the entryway, for He says, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

Therefore, when we, as Christians, mix this yeast of the Gospel Message, through how we live and by our testimonies, into ‘the flour’ or the ingredients of this world’ it will work all through ‘the dough” (of this world) and will gradually and secretly permeate society. Just as a woman uses the smallest bit of leaven in the dough, so the gospel starts with small beginnings. Just as the leaven quietly works its way through the whole batch, the gospel will have a profound impact on all sectors of society.

And, it is not enough to just mix yeast of the kingdom of heaven into our world. We must first ingest and digest this yeast, this Message of the Gospel. It is then that we are transformed into the likeness and image of Christ, which will affect lasting change. It is then that we are considered able to effectively mix this yeast of the kingdom into the flour.

IV. Now finally, and please consider this carefully: Yes, we must live in-the-moment, in the here-and-now, but with your eyes heavenward, and by girding up the loins of your mind, being sober, and hoping to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; preparing for a future with the Lord.

And yes, we must be ‘our best selves now’, but only if that self is dead, and we have been made alive in Christ. By this, people won’t see that old cadaver of self, but Christ Who dwells in us! We are made new in Him. Knowing that those of us who are being sanctified have been made perfect by that One Sacrifice! (Hebrews 10:14).

So, if you are a welder, work to be the BEST of all the welders. Not in just fitting joints, but in all things. If you are an accountant, work to be the BEST of all accountants. A homemaker, a salesperson, a teacher, a nurse, a doctor, a truck driver, a cook, an athlete or whatever you do. Work to be the best at who you are and at whatever you do as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

So, in this is perfect balance. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Colossians1:28-29.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 6, Part 2

June 19, 2025June 29, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 6, Part 2,

Jesus Walks on Water, I Am The Bread of Life, The Words of Eternal Life.

Please pay particular attention to the fact that Jesus has performed miracles in the presence of the Jews and His disciples and they react with astonishment and say, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world”, and were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Then, almost inexplicably, because these same people do not hear or get what they want, they turn away from Jesus. Please pay attention that this is not true in your life. There are those who follow Jesus around for what they can get that pleases them, and there are followers of Jesus. There is a difference and the outcomes are vastly different. One leads to life, the other will perish into the outer darkness.

Jesus Walks on Water.

John 6:16, When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, verse 17, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. Verse 18. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. Verse 19. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. Verse 20. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Verse 21. Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

(Commentary Break): Remember the details of this event. It was dark, stormy, and they were three or four miles from land and they see Jesus walking on water. He enters the boat and suddenly they were at the land. This is both unforgettable and undeniable by those disciples. Now the stage is set, so to speak, for what is to come. This is important for you and me to understand so we can apply it to our lives daily, so we do not fear, or fail to trust Jesus.

Faith may be a malleable thing. One day we say we believe, but with enough pressure we can begin to doubt. A helpful remedy is to remember God’s purpose and plan for all our lives is perfecting us to the image and likeness of Jesus and to prepare us for an eternity with one another as believers in His perfect presence. This process of being sanctified and ever present and never ending, until we are finally with Him.

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14. (End Commentary Break).

I Am the Bread of Life.

Verse 22. On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

Verse 23. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Verse 24. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

Verse 25. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

(Commentary Break): Please do not miss the point here, that the crowd confirms that Jesus has miraculously appeared on the other side of the lake without the evidence of travelling with the disciples.

But Jesus will seemingly ignore their question about His whereabouts and will turn their minds and attention to the point all of these events have been leading to. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 26. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Verse 27. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

(Commentary Break): Once again, this will reveal the true intent of those who claim to be following Jesus; “you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill”. So, let me ask, why are you following Jesus? Is it because you want to satisfy your own desires and physical needs, or is it to repent and to find forgiveness of your sins – to be set right with God? This is important for your eternal future.

Jesus instructs the Jews and His disciples to not work for the food that perishes but food that endures to eternal life (now talking about the things that satisfies the spirit and not the body), which only Jesus can provide. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 28. Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Verse 29. Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

Verse 30. So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Verse 31. Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Verse 32. Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. Verse 33. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Verse 34. They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

(Commentary Break): Appearing to understand what Jesus is saying, they ask, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” But, Jesus stays on point, “This is the work of God: that you believe in Him (The Son of Man – Jesus) whom He (God the Father) has sent.” This would go against the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So the crowd of Jews ask for further proof. The crowd asks for again for a sign or a miracle so they can believe. Instead, Jesus quotes the Word of God and the crowd exclaims “Sir, give us this bread always.” (End Commentary Break).

Verse 35. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Verse 36. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Verse 37. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. Verse 38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. Verse 39. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. Verse 40. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

(Commentary Break): Now Jesus make clearer Who He is, “I am the bread of life that came down from heaven”, a direct reference to the manna that God miraculously to the Israelites during their wandering in the wilderness. Furthermore, Jesus say He has come down from heaven to do the will of God, and lays claim to be the Son of God with the authority to raise people up on the last day, to eternal life.

Now, I am asking you to imagine standing before a man today who would making such a claim. How would that affect you and what would you think? This is exactly what you must do, although not seeing Him but hearing His words through this account. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 41. So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” Verse 42. They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Verse 43. Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. Verse 44. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. Verse 45. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— verse 46, not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; He has seen the Father. Verse 47. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. Verse 48. I am the bread of life. Verse 49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. Verse 50. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. Verse 51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

(Commentary Break): “So the Jews grumbled” (gogguzó). This is more than just dismissive grumbling. This is an onomatopoetic term that shows a smoldering discontent. Notice how these Jews went from calling Jesus the Christ and wanting to make Him their king, to utter disdain.

Jesus then ‘doubles down’ so-to-speak, and says that if anyone eats of this bread, they will live forever because this bread is His flesh. He then informs them that only those who are drawn by God can come to Him, so they are trapped in a manner of speaking. If they feel repelled by Jesus, then He is saying they God is rejecting them and they have no life with God. But if they are drawn to Him, they must live with the confusion, doubt and disgust they feel. It all is so unacceptably incongruous to them. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 52. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Verse 53. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Verse 54. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. Verse 55. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Verse 56. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. Verse 57. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. Verse 58. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Verse 59. Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

(Commentary Break): Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” But drinking blood was strictly forbidden in Jewish law (Leviticus 17:10-14), making this statement particularly shocking to the Jew. (It signifies the new covenant in Jesus’ blood, which is essential for eternal life. This anticipates the sacrificial death of Christ and the shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of sins.)

Additionally, we are told that Jesus is the Word of God. So, metaphorically speaking, eating His flesh is tantamount to getting your spiritual nourishment from The Word of God. (End Commentary Break).

The Words of Eternal Life.

Verse 60. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” Verse 61. But Jesus, knowing in Himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Verse 62. Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? Verse 63. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Verse 64. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) Verse 65. And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Verse 66. After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. Verse 67. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Verse 68. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, verse 69, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Verse 70. Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” Verse 71. He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

(Commentary Break): A man once told me, after hearing a teaching from the Bible, that it was that kind of absolutism that would turn people away from Jesus. But clearly, our own words do not have the power to draw or repel people from Jesus. It is the Father alone who has that power. These words alone were not what drove many away from Jesus. These Jews were simply never drawn to Him by God. They were just following Him around for what they could get for themselves, such as the miracles.

Finally, Jesus turns His attention to His twelve disciples and asks, “Do you want to go away as well?” And from this we know that at least Peter knew the truth and was a true follower of Jesus, but that Judas was only following Jesus around, but that he was not a follower of Jesus! (End Commentary Break – End of Chapter 6).

Many churches and church leaders today have made the sad mistake of teaching that it is you and your words or your behaviors and your lifestyle that will draw others to Jesus or will drive them away. For example, one church in Winter Springs, Florida advertises itself as The F.. (full name hidden) …y – A Better You, A Better World. They say, “We believe God is working in you to create a better you and through you to create a better world. Come join us in reclaiming God’s intended reality!”

Another well-known preacher emphasizes the positive attributes of men and women while minimizing the effects of sin and the reality of hell. He has written several wildly popular books, such as “Your Best Life Now”, “Be Your Best You, Now”, “Empty out the Negative” and “Speak the Blessing”. While all these titles might represent some good ideas, they have absolutely nothing to do with being a disciple of Jesus, follow Him, being saved by Him or serving God. They are all about YOU!

Dear friends, following Jesus and being a Christian is a wonderful but a deadly serious matter. You can ‘live your best life now’ but spend eternity in an outer darkness “where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth”, condemned to the deadly fires of hell. Or you can live your life for Jesus now, and live with Him in heaven for all of eternity. The choice is yours to make. But, please, don’t make “the careless choice” of rebelliousness and recklessness toward God and thereby teach the same to others through your attitudes and actions. For “whoever nullifies even the least of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (see Matthew 5:19-20).

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: (coming soon), THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 7, Jesus Teaches at the Feast, People Divided over Jesus.

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 6, Part 1, Five Thousand Men Fed, Jesus Walks on Water.

(Please bookmark this page or subscribe for future episodes).

What have we done to the Bible – The Word of God?

June 14, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

What have we done to the Bible – The Word of God?

IN THE BEGINNING, THE WORD WAS GOD

Jesus never wrote a book. He never even made a list as far as we can tell. His teachings were from His heart, His mind by way of His Divine Nature. People learned what He was teaching and came to know Him by following Him around, listening to His Words and watching Him – then by doing what He had done and saying what He had said.

Today, however, we learn about Him, primarily, based on what we hear in sermons, through books, video and audio recordings and by reading the Bible. (Thereby, the Christian publishing industry makes billions of dollars in annual sales and comprises a significant segment of the publishing industry. Christian publishing, valued at $1.2 billion in 2020, sold over 179 million copies of religious books yearly at that point.)

We, churches, pastors, preachers, theologians, and authors, in this twenty-first century, write and sell hundreds of thousands and even millions of religious books, commentaries, sermons series, and videos every year, totaling in the billions of dollars in sales.

But oddly enough, we are in such disagreement on the teachings of Jesus and in fact much of what is in the Bible that Christianity and its variants, have splintered into over 200 known denominations in America and over 33,000 denominations, worldwide – and many are outright hostile to one another. (Jesus warned that there would be a rise of false prophets, false teachers and false christs, and so it is.)

And speaking of simplicity being lost in the rush to find answers, here is a funny skit done by Bob Newhart, on his TV show by the same name, which may help make my point in an odd sort of way:

KATHERINE: Dr. Switzer?

SWITZER, (Bob Newhart): Yes, come in. I’m just washing my hands.

KATHERINE: I’m Katherine Bigmans. Janet Carlisle referred me.

SWITZER: Oh, yes. You dream about being buried alive in a box.

KATHERINE: Yes, that’s me. Should I lay down?

SWITZER: No, we don’t do that anymore. Just have a seat and let me tell you a bit about our billing. I charge five dollars for the first five minutes and then absolutely nothing after that. How does that sound?

KATHERINE: That sounds great. Too good to be true as a matter of fact.

SWITZER: Well, I can almost guarantee you that our session won’t last the full five minutes. Now, we don’t do any insurance billing, so you would either have to pay in cash or by check.

KATHERINE: Wow. Okay.

SWITZER: And I don’t make change.

KATHERINE: All right.

SWITZER: Go.

KATHERINE: Go?

SWITZER: Tell me about the problem that you wish to address.

KATHERINE: Oh, okay. Well, I have this fear of being buried alive in a box. I just start thinking about being buried alive and I begin to panic.

SWITZER: Has anyone ever tried to bury you alive in a box?

KATHERINE: No. No, but truly thinking about it does make my life horrible. I mean, I can’t go through tunnels or be in an elevator or in a house, anything boxy.

SWITZER: So, what you are saying is you are claustrophobic?

KATHERINE: Yes, yes, that’s it.

SWITZER: All right. Well, let’s go, Katherine. I’m going to say two words to you right now. I want you to listen to them very, very carefully. Then I want you to take them out of the office with you and incorporate them into your life.

KATHERINE: Shall I write them down?

SWITZER: No. If it makes you comfortable. It’s just two words. We find most people can remember them.

KATHERINE: Okay.

SWITZER: You ready?

KATHERINE: Yes.

SWITZER: Okay. Here they are. Stop it!

KATHERINE: I’m sorry?

SWITZER: Stop it!

KATHERINE: Stop it?

SWITZER: Yes. S-T-O-P, new word, I-T.

KATHERINE: So, what are you saying?

SWITZER: You know, it’s funny, I say two simple words and I cannot tell you the amount of people who say exactly the same thing you are saying. I mean, you know, this is not Yiddish, Katherine. This is English. Stop it.

KATHERINE: So I should just stop it?

SWITZER: There you go. I mean, you don’t want to go through life being scared of being buried alive in a box, do you? I mean, that sounds frightening.

KATHERINE: It is.

SWITZER: Then stop it.

KATHERINE: I can’t. I mean it’s —

SWITZER: No, no, no. We don’t go there. Just stop it.

KATHERINE: So, I should just stop being afraid of being buried alive in a box?

SWITZER: You got it. Good girl. Well, it’s only been three minutes, so that will be three dollars.

KATHERINE: Actually, I only have five so —

SWITZER: Well, I don’t make change.

KATHERINE: Then I guess I’ll take the full five minutes.

SWITZER: Fine. All right. What other problems would you like to address?

KATHERINE: I’m bulimic. I stick my fingers down my throat.

SWITZER: Stop it! Are you a nut of some kind? Don’t do that.

KATHERINE: But I’m compelled to. My mom used to call —

SWITZER: No, no. We don’t go there.

KATHERINE: But I —

SWITZER: No, we don’t go there either.

KATHERINE: But my horoscope did say —

SWITZER: We definitely don’t go there. Just stop it. What else?

KATHERINE: Well, I have self-destructive relationships with men.

SWITZER: Stop it! You want to be with a man, don’t you?

KATHERINE: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm, yes.

SWITZER: Well, then, stop it. Don’t be such a big baby.

KATHERINE: I wash my hands a lot.

SWITZER: That’s all right.

KATHERINE: It is?

SWITZER: I wash my hands all the time. There’s a lot of germs out there. Don’t worry about that one.

KATHERINE: I’m afraid to drive.

SWITZER: Well, stop it. How are you going to get around? Get in the car and drive you, you kook. Stop it.

KATHERINE: You stop it. You stop it.

SWITZER: What’s the problem, Katherine?

KATHERINE: I don’t like this. I don’t like this therapy at all. You are just telling me to stop it.

SWITZER: And you don’t like that?

KATHERINE: No, I don’t.

SWITZER: So you think we are moving too fast, is that it?

KATHERINE: Yes. Yes, I do.

SWITZER: All right. Then let me give you ten words that I think will clear everything up for you. You want to get a pad and a pencil for this one?

KATHERINE: All right.

SWITZER: Are you ready?

KATHERINE: Mm-hmm.

SWITZER: All right. Here are the ten words: Stop it, or I’ll bury you alive in a box!

So, it was just two words and Katherine wants to write them down? She wants to analyze it? She says she doesn’t like the simplicity of the advice. She says it’s all moving too fast. She won’t do it! So Dr. Switzer, (Bob Newhart) says to write it down. All ten words!

Coincidentally, Jesus’ first, most complete and shortest sermon ever was just nine words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And sincere people, for various reasons, have written hundreds of thousands, even millions of commentaries on what we think He meant by those nine words.

By some credible accounts, there have been between 5 and 7 billion Bible sold, alone. And there is just no way to estimate the books written about the Bible, Jesus, God, etc.

That is quite a way from the Words of Jesus contained in about six chapters of the book of Matthew from the New Testament of the Bible. Today, there are over 450 known versions of the Bible translated into over 700 languages.

Okay. I know some will think or say have overstated my point. But I believe that I have oversimplified this matter. Of course, the disciples wanted to write it all down. They wrote it down because they were so-inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. And they wrote it down so they and future generations would not forget what had happened and how it all came about. Then as time went by, people like the Apostle Paul began stringing things together. The prophecies from the Torah, the Law and the events of the advent of Jesus and His miracles. And, even Paul, perhaps because he was highly educated and trained in the law, says some things that people still wrestle with the meaning of today. So much more it is with our present and past churches, pastors, preachers, theologians, and authors, in the fourth through twenty first centuries. And, the more time that passes, it seems the wider the division.

But, not so with Jesus. He said that what He said was intelligible and meant to be understood by His true followers.

He said what He meant and meant what He said. Even as He spoke in parables, used metaphors and similes, His message was and is clear “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

And yes, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Dear friends, we have entered the time known as the Great Apostasy (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3). Jesus spoke of this day as the coming Great Delusion. (see 2 Thessalonians 2:11). Let’s not be deceived. Call on the Name of Jesus. Pray for wisdom and understanding. Study to be approved. That day is ever so near.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

The 5th Tribulation Seal

June 10, 2025July 18, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

The 5th Tribulation Seal

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The Apostasy, Martyrs, The Peace Treaty, The Antichrist

BE ALERT: Are we witnessing the completion of the events of the 5th Tribulation Seal?

- The Great Apostasy, falling away from the faith in Christ.
- A great persecution of Christians,
- The signing of a peace treaty between Israel and her enemies.
- The revealing of the man of perdition

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

Verse 10. “and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Verse 11. “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”

I was having a conversation with a Christian friend and during our talk, he made these four points:

1. “I believe the return of Jesus is near”.

2. “I am looking forward to the rapture”.

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3. “I believe the tribulation will begin as soon as the rapture happens”.

4. “The antichrist will appear after the rapture and give the Mark of the Beast”.

When I asked him to elaborate by telling me where he gets his information, he said, “From the Bible”.

So, I pressed him a little, and asked “where in the Bible”. And, he answers with “The Book of Revelation and elsewhere”.

I decided to go to the ‘full court press’ and asked, “Yes, but, exactly where? And why do you believe what you have said?”

A bit exasperated, he responded with, “This is what I have always heard. It’s what my pastor says. Read it for yourself”.

I have had this same conversation with scores of well-meaning Christians, and it always ends the same way, “Someone else told me” but they cannot find it in scriptures OR they find a reference and ‘interpolate’.

Well, I have read it for myself – over and over for the last 10 years – I have studied eschatological matters and re-studied them, and used “good Bible study techniques and methods”, and here is what I found (for the ‘umpteenth time’):

Now, finally, well-known and respected men and women like Pastor and teacher John Piper and missionary Corrie Ten Boom have come to this realization. Bible teacher and author and Biblical pioneer, Marvin Rosenthal, founder of Zion’s Hope Ministries, authored “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church” revealing and promoting sound Biblical evidence overlooked by the bias of religious denominationalism.

I. WHEN DID”THE LAST DAYS” BEGIN? Look for and make note of ‘clues’ in the following verses:

Matthew 24:4-31, (Jesus), describing a panorama of the tribulation and the Last Days. Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, (see Matthew 24:3-4),

(1). Jesus warned that “In the Last Days, there will be a rise of false Christs and false prophets. (This was an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. See Matthew 24:4-5). Do you see these things in our day? Is this a clue pointing to the “Last Days”?

(2). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be famines and earthquakes”. (This has been a regular occurrence since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:7 and the 4^th Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:5-8). Do you see these things happening in our day? If you aren’t ‘denominationally biased’ could this reasonably be a clue to the timing of the “Last Days”?

(3). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there are wars and rumors of wars. (Wars and rumors of war have been occurring since as early as A.D. 35 or earlier. See Matthew 24:6 and the 2^nd Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:3-4).

(4). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be a persecution and martyrdom of Christians. (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. “See Matthew 24:9 and the onset of the 5^th tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:9-11).

(5). Jesus said, “In the Last Days, there will be a falling away from the faith.” (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35, and has been increasing to this very day. See Matthew 24:10).

These things, false Christs, wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes and plagues, persecutions, martyrs, which Jesus calls the ‘Birth Pangs’ of the tribulation (see Matthew 24:8), are nothing new; and from these cited verses, we can plainly see that the first 5 tribulation Seals have been broken, and the effects had begun between the time of the birth of Jesus and A.D 95, and have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity since those early days.

Jesus calls the 1^st phase of the tribulation the ‘Birth Pangs’ (Matthew 24:8). Jesus then calls the 2^nd phase of the tribulation, the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), also known as the 6^th Tribulation Seal (Revelation 6:12-14), and the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (Joel 2:31), and the Wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16).. (Please click these links for verification and understanding).

Do you now see the clues to the timing of the first 5 tribulation seals?

Acts 2:14-17, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be…’ (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days?

1 Peter 1:20, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “He, (Jesus), was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Do you see this clue to the timing of the Last Days here?

1 Peter 4:7, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “The end of all things is at hand.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). A clue!

2 Peter 3:3. (the Apostle Peter), saying, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Is this true in our day, also?

If these verses say all these things began occurring in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60, and Peter called those days the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.

What would you think, now?

1 Corinthians 10:11, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

Hebrews 1:2, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

Hebrews 9:26, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “But as it is, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60). Could it be any clearer? The Last days began at the appearance of Jesus!

If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.

What would you think?

2 Timothy 3:1, (Timothy), saying, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.

Would you now think the Last Days began? Want more?

1 John 2:18. (the Apostle John), saying, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).

Revelation 1:9, (The Apostle John), saying, “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 95 to A.D. 100).

According to the words and the testimonies of Jesus , His disciples and Apostles, the “LAST DAYS – THE LAST TIMES – THE END OF THE AGES – THE END OF ALL THINGS – THE BIRTH PAINS OF THE TRIBULATION” began with the Birth of Christ Jesus.

(The following in these parentheses is very detailed, technical and written language and context specific. But this is very important for a correct and complete understanding of these eschatological matters. It is probably best suited for the devoted follower of Jesus and the serious Bible student. And I am available via this website for discussion or to answer honest and serious questions.

I have been told by several ‘self- proclaimed bible experts’ that these things were only the times of persecution and not the tribulations of the Judgment Seals. Let me be Biblically clear: the use of the word ‘tribulation’ appears just 19 times in the English Standard Version of the Bible.

Sixteen of those instances are in the New Testament, and each instance, tribulation is translated from the Greek word ‘thlipsis’, whether referring to a time before or after the Sixth Tribulation Seal and the rapture.

Then in Matthew 13:21 we see, “yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation (thlipsis) or persecution (diogmos) arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” Each word is distinct in its meaning and in its context – tribulation versus persecution.

Additionally, Jesus makes a distinction between the Birth Pains (odin) of the tribulation (thlipsis) leading up to the Great (megas) Tribulation (thlipsis) in Matthew 24:21, when He says,

“For then (tote) there will be (eimi = future tense) great (megas) tribulation (thlipsis), such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”

And again, in Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus makes a distinction between the Birth Pains phase of the tribulation (Seals 1 through 5), and the Great Tribulation (Seals 6 and 7, and the Trumpet and Bowl Judgments) when He says,

“Immediately (eutheōs) after (meta) the tribulation (thlipsis) of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Finally, these same experts will say that Matthew 24:29-31 is neither the rapture nor is it the second coming of Jesus. But the scripture says,

“Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.“

We can also see in the corresponding scriptures in Revelation 6 and 7, “After these things (see Revelation 6:1 through Revelation 7:9)

I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

“Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

In recapitulation, Jesus appears in the sky, the angels gather the elect and immediately, a number too great to be counted is standing before the Throne of God, giving praise! Don’t be misled. This is THE RAPTURE!!)

II. WHEN IS JESUS COMING BACK?

2 Thessalonians 2:1 tells us, “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him (i.e., “raptured”) we ask you, brothers,

Verse 2. “not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Verse 3. “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, until the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed (i.e., the antichrist), the son of destruction,

Verse 4. “who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Verse 5. “Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things?

Verse 6. “And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.

Verse 7. “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.

Verse 8. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”

III. WHAT’S NEXT?

Every event and all the prophecies regarding Jesus’ 2nd Coming and the coming Great and Terrible Day of the Lord have been fulfilled up through the 5th tribulation seal – except for the revealing of the antichrist and the rapture of the saints, (which occurs at the 6th Tribulation Seal).

The Opening of the 6th Tribulation Seal which marks the BEGINNING OF the 7 years of “THE GREAT, (megas), TRIBULATION, (thlipsis) ”, (Matthew 24:21, “THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD“).

The 6th Tribulation Seal – Cosmic disturbances, blood moon, darkened sun

Revelation 7:13,“Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” verse 14. “I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

IV. WHAT AM I TO BE DOING?

1 Peter 4:7“The end of all things is near; therefore,

(1). Be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

(2). verse 8. “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

(3). verse 9. “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

(4). verse 10. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

(5). verse 11. “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God;

(6). whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

(7). verse 10. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

(8) verse 11. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Verse 12. “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.”

(9). verse 13. “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.

(10). verse 14. “Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, verse 15. “and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; verse 16. “in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. verse 17. “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(12). verse 18.“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

(13). Matthew 10:7, And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

(14). verse 8. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.

(15). verse 19.“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

(16). baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

(17) verse 20. “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I have tried my best to make this simple and clear yet thorough: we are at the end of the age and at the precipice. Denominational bias and clutter have clouded these matters. But, now they are plain, and now several well known and credible Bible scholars, Bible teachers and pastors are shaking off the heavy cloak of denominationalism and coming to this revealed Truth.

I want to give special credit to Marvin Rosenthal who pioneered the uncovering of this Bible truth through his tireless and groundbreaking teaching on this matter and his book, “The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church“. Also, to his son, David Rosenthal and the entire staff – THANK YOU. An untold number have benefited and been saved by your hard, selfless and God-centered work.

May God protect, preserve and bless us all.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Also, Here are 5 excellent videos on the Pre-Wrath Rapture. Just click on this text.

PS:

Luke 21:25“There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, verse 26, people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 27. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Verse 28. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

THE BOOK OF JOHN – Chapter 6, Part 1

June 7, 2025June 19, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 6, Part 1

Five Thousand Men Fed

These verses tell of 5,000 men, and Matthew 14:21 says they numbered about five thousand men, besides women and children. So they numbered well over 10,000 men, women and children. Please ask yourself ‘what is the importance of a narrative of Jesus feeding a crowd of people numbering in the thousands’? Would it be to increase your faith, or to create a curiosity? Is it to further aggrandize the Name and Person of Jesus? Let’s look deeper into the words of these verses and see if we can discover the nuance, the symbolism, the meaning, the teaching of a profound truth and the application for our lives – God’s Word.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

John 6:1, After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Verse 2. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

(Commentary Break): Note that this chapter begins with the words, “After this”. We need to remember that Jesus has just healed a man at the pool of Bethsaida and a crowd of Jews were accusing Jesus of unlawfully healing a man on the Sabbath. Therefore they were seeking to were seeking to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but they said that he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus finished testifying to His authority as the Son of God and His mission. And still a large crowd follows Him because of the miracles He has performed with the sick. If there is anything to gather here it would be that even those who are healed from physically illnesses will die one day. We should seek Jesus, not just for our physical needs, but for the healing that leads to eternal life.

Finally, one might assume Jesus that was escaping to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to find respite. But, Jesus is aware that His time is short and there is much to be done. Please read on. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 3. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Verse 4. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

(Commentary Break): It is beyond simply interesting that whenever you read that Jesus “goes upon the mountain”, [and please notice that it is called “THE mountain, and not “A mountain” – an unnamed mountain, which is indicative of symbolism], that He is going there to pray, to draw near to His Father, and a teaching, is about to follow, usually accompanied by or followed by miracles: For examples, see Matthew 5;1, Matthew 14:23, Matthew 15:29, Mark 3:13, Mark 6:46, Luke 9:28, John 6:3.

It is significant that the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. The Hebrew word for “feasts” (moadim) literally means “appointed times.” God has carefully planned and orchestrated the timing and sequence of each of these seven feasts to reveal to us a special story. The seven annual feasts of Israel were spread over seven months of the Jewish calendar, at set times appointed by God. They are still celebrated by observant Jews today. But for both Jews and non-Jews who have placed their faith in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, these special days demonstrate the work of redemption through God’s Son.

The Passover was an annual Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt, and it holds significant meaning within biblical history. The Passover Jesus portrays redemption through the sacrifice of the “Lamb of God.” When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he declared: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). This label directly connected Jesus to the Passover lamb-offered at the first sign of national deliverance for Israel. The New Testament writers consistently link Jesus’ atoning work with that of the sacrificial lamb demanded by God’s justice.

The Passover (Leviticus 23:5), pointed to the Messiah as our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) whose blood would be shed for our sins. Jesus was crucified during the time that the Passover was observed (Mark 14:12). Christ is a “lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19) because His life was completely free from sin (Hebrews 4:15). As the first Passover marked the Hebrews’ release from Egyptian slavery, so the death of Christ marks our release from the slavery of sin (Romans 8:2). (End Commentary Break).

Verse 5. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” Verse 6. He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Verse 7. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii (the equivalent of a day’s wages for a laborer) worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” Verse 8. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, Verse 9. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Verse 10. Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Verse 11. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.

(Commentary Break): Then, as suspected, a large crowd came toward Jesus. And right on cue, Phillip, again as Jesus suspected, was seeing through a human perspective, worries, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”

Please consider here, that we are seeing a microcosm of how God orchestrates our lives. Phillip, in this case, represents everyman and everywoman. Phillip is worrying about the cares of life and calculating his own solutions for this ‘God sized problem’. And although God is standing right at his side, Phillip neglects to turn to Him for answers – and Jesus was aware that he would do this.

Then Andrew joins the chorus and offers his idea: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

Then Jesus steps in and instructs the people to sit down. [This is symbolically significant]. Then Jesus takes the loaves, gives thanks, and distributes them to those who were seated, and they ate as much as they wanted, until they were filled.

(Please notice that He distributes them to those who were seated! This is significant if one assumes that others did not sit down, perhaps not committed to stay and listen. But those who sat down, were there to hear and see Jesus.)

Please also consider the magnitude of this situation. The setting is in a rural mountain region, in a open field, and were likely over 10,000 in attendance, considering around 5,000 men and women with children (see Matthew 14:21). And yes, the miracle is beyond astounding. But the miracle is not the main point.

The main point is the contrast between the lack of faith – not the smallness of their faith, but the absence of the disciples faith – and the willingness of God to provide.

Please hear me. This is not an isolated incident. This is not just a ‘teaching moment’ or an exception to God’s nature to provide. This is the very nature of God for those who will follow Him and obey His voice!

When we find ourselves in the remoteness of life, finding ourselves stranded on a faraway hillside with no or only meek provisions, even when we are following God, we must not worry or doubt. God always provides – always. We must find a means to deny our flesh, our own intellect and cunning and turn to God. “Ask and He will answer. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. For how much more will your Father Who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?” (see Matthew 7:7-11). (End Commentary Break).

Verse 12. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” Verse 13. So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

(Commentary Break): “They had eaten their fill.” Their bellies were filled, so they were satisfied. (At least one half of the equation is satisfied).

Now, please consider each word here and see the symbolism and the main points of this narrative and Jesus’ prophetic intent:

Now Jesus instructed the disciples to “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost (“For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”) So they gathered them up and filled twelve (the 12 Tribes of Israel – completed), baskets with fragments (the scattered ones) from the five barley loaves (Barley loaves hold significant symbolic and practical importance in the biblical narrative, representing sustenance, provision, and divine intervention. Barley, a grain more affordable and accessible than wheat, was a staple food in ancient Israel and often associated with the common people and the poor. Its mention in the Bible underscores themes of humility, provision, and God’s care for His people.) left by those who had eaten.”

This prophetic word is still true for us. We are to gather up the leftover fragments of our family, friends, acquaintances and those nearby by who are in danger of being tossed aside, left behind and lost, for the Son of Man has come to seek and save those who are lost. We are to bring them the Good News of God’s sustenance, provision, and divine intervention to the spiritually humble and poor. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 14. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

Verse 15. Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The people still do not understand the spiritual significance of the miracle of the loaves and the fish as being a prophetic reminder of what was, what is and what is to come: The Savior of the World, a suffering servant and the Lamb of God.

Now, how about us? Are we seeing God for what He can do for us in this world, considering the saving of our soul and eternal life just as an added benefit? Beware if this might be the hidden case. Jesus has warned that you cannot serve God and mammon; for you will love one and despise the other.

Trust, follow and worship God for Who He is and give Him thanks for what He has done.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 6, Part 2, Jesus Walks on Water, I Am The Bread of Life, The Words of Eternal Life.

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 5 Part 2, Two Resurrections – The Testimony of John the Baptist, The Testimony of Works, The Testimony of The Father, The Testimony of The Scriptures

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HOLY HUDDLES?

June 5, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Huddles

- - - noun A densely packed group or crowd.
    - noun A brief gathering of a team’s players behind the line of scrimmage to receive instructions for the next play.
    - noun A small private conference or meeting.
    - intransitive verb To crowd together, as from cold or fear.
    - intransitive verb To draw or curl one’s limbs close to one’s body; crouch.
    - intransitive verb Informal To gather together for conference or consultation.
    - intransitive verb To cause to crowd together.
    - intransitive verb To draw (oneself) together in a crouch.

Holy Huddles

- - - noun A densely packed religious group or crowd.
    - noun A brief gathering of a church or a religious group behind the line of scrimmage to receive instructions for the next play.
    - noun A small private religious conference or meeting.
    - intransitive verb To crowd together, as from cold or fear.
    - intransitive verb To draw or curl one’s limbs close to one’s body; crouch.
    - intransitive verb Informal To gather together for a religious conference or consultation.
    - intransitive verb To cause a religious group to crowd together.
    - intransitive verb To draw (oneself) together in a crouch.

Breaking the Huddle

Can you imagine if a football team, after huddling up, never came out of the huddle? The referees would certainly call a delay-of-game-foul, and assess a penalty. Right? And if the team refused to break the huddle a second time, a third time, etc., what would happen to the offending team? What would happen to the game?

A Holy Huddle is the place where believers join together to prepare to participate in the game called life. It is the gathering of followers of Christ to receive direction from the Lord through engagement with the Word of God. The huddle is the refuge from the world where the believer is surrounded by other Christians where encouragement and support occur. The holy huddle is the place in which believers gather for the purpose of preparing to play for the Kingdom of God.

The existence of the holy huddle is pushed along by a desire to be with other believers. It is driven by the passion to grow in one’s personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ; compelling believers to find their position in the Kingdom Work and their purpose on God’s team. The holy huddle lives because of the One who lives in believers.

Cautiously, Christians must understand the desire to huddle so they can guard against the hazards of huddling. If believers are not careful, the huddle will be overemphasized and as a result, the huddle never breaks. The huddle consists of great talks about the game and great conversations about the current situation going on in the game, but the huddle never disbands to engage in active participation in the game of life.

And what if the ‘quarterback’ (the pastor) calls plays that have little to do with the Coach’s (God’s) game plan (the Great Commission, etc.)? This would indicate that The Holy Huddle is stuck in a mindset of selfishness, where the existence of the Huddle becomes its own end to a means. In this case, the concern of the Huddle is not to receive the calling into the game, but would have become just a way to preserve itself. It is overly concerned with the form of the huddle than the situation in the game. COME GROW WITH US is the slogan!

In this metaphor, Christians are the so-called ‘team’, which is the local Body of Christ, the Church. The quarterback is the lead pastor. The referee is God The Father, Jesus The Son, and the Holy Spirit.) The ‘game’ is our lives. So, what would happen if a Church ‘team’ never came out of their huddle? Wouldn’t God just as certainly call a ‘delay of game foul’ so to speak, from His Word? Wouldn’t He and assess a spiritual penalty? And if the team refused to break the huddle a second time, a third time, etc., what would happen to this team? What would happen to the game?

Sound ridiculous?

- - Only 20% of Americans attend church every week (Gallup)
  - Just 41% of Americans are in monthly church attendance or more (Gallup)
  - 57% of Americans are seldom or never in religious service attendance (Gallup)
  - Regular church attendance has steadily declined since the turn of the century

Not only are we not coming out of our Holy Huddles, people are leaving them. A study and survey by Pew research shows why people join the Huddles (the Church) in the first place:

To become closer to God. (81%)
So their children will have a moral foundation. (69%)
To become a better person. (68%)
For comfort in times of trouble or sorrow. (66%)
They find the sermons valuable. (59%)
To be part of a faith community. (57%)
To continue their family’s religious traditions. (37%)
They feel a necessary obligation to go. (31%)
To meet new people or socialize. (19%)

And, people leave the Huddle when these expectations are not met, and because

They do not feel included.
They do not feel appreciated, loved, liked or even recognized.
They do not feel useful to the Huddles.
No one, or at least very few people in the Huddle, even knows their name.

Thus, it is imperative that Christians defend themselves against the traps of simply huddling together, but keep in mind the greater task that calls them to break from the huddle and engage in the game.

The church must never become a stuck, stagnant holy huddle, but must break and engage in the work of the Kingdom. Believers must be compelled by obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s commands to be His witnesses, to overcome the temptation to stay in holy huddles.

I could go on, but you get it, right? People, and especially Christians, are not cattle to be herded. They are God’s people, and they need to be heard. And here is what they are saying:

I want to get closer to God.
I want my children to have a moral foundation through my church and through bible study.
I want to become a better person, a better Christian.
I want comfort from my Christian friends and my church in times of trouble or sorrow.
I want to find valuable Bible Lessons to live by.
I want to be part of a loving, interactive Christian faith community.
I want to meet other Christians to socialize with.
I want to feel included, loved, cared for and useful.
I want to feel appreciated, or even just recognized.
I want to know and to be known.

I am fortunate enough to be part of a faith community that provides these things, I wish that for you. I pray for that for you.

Let’s break the Huddle, engage the game, and execute God’s Play Book.

Let’s all draw closer to God.
Let’s give our children to have a moral foundation through my church and through bible study.
Let’s become better people, better Christians, by doing as Jesus has taught and done.
Let’s make sure to comfort our Christian friends in our church in times of trouble or sorrow.
Let’s study and practice the valuable Bible Lessons to live by.
Let’s be a loving, interactive Christian faith community, on purpose!
Let’s come out of our Huddles and deliberately meet and spend time, socialize with other Christians in our Church.
Let’s include, love, and care for everyone around us, and make others feel useful in our lives.
Let’s recognize, show and express appreciation for those around us.
Let’s make a point to know all those around us and to let them know us.

Let’s Break the Holy Huddle and build His Kingdom!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

The Thin Red Line–And They Crossed It–Would You?

June 4, 2025June 4, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

The Thin Red Line – And They Crossed It – Will You?

Why was it that just after the time of Jesus earthly ministry the Apostles were working many signs and wonders, but as time passed those signs and wonders have seemed to slow to a crawl, or as some say, they have stopped altogether?

I still hear testimonies of God’s miracle working power among us, but why is it not creating the amazement and awe of those earlier days?

I once had a job working in a General Motors truck and coach manufacturing plant. When I started, I was given menial tasks such as sweeping floors and picking up trash along the assembly line, as I could not be trusted with the dangers associated with the assembly line. After some time, an opening came about to work on the assembly line. I still could only be trusted with the least dangerous jobs, such as driving bolts into the engine block.

Later, when management asked me to train for a more dangerous and important job. It was working with an “engine skyhook”. This was the process of dropping a 15,000 pound bus engine, suspended by a steel cable and hooks, from an upper floor level of the plant (about 50 feet in the air) into a bus frame as it moved along the assembly line on the main floor level of the plant. I held a control box that would move the suspended engine up or down, right or left, until it was seated into the bus frame. If it is not done expertly, the engine would begin to sway then swing wildly in the air and bringing it under control was very, very difficult.

But, after extensive training and practice, management felt I would be trusted for this important and dangerous work.

I have three observations and recommendations:

#1. Readiness. Likewise, Jesus’ early disciples were not performing any miracles or works. They, at that point, could not be trusted with such power. So, they had to follow Jesus, and were taught by Him, and they watched Him closely. (See Matthew 5:1 through Matthew 9:38). And once they were trained and had proven their trustworthiness, did Jesus sent them to do the important and dangerous Work of His Kingdom. (see Matthew10:1-20).

#2. Cost. Again, Jesus’ early disciples were not performing any miracles or works because they did not yet understand the cost to follow Him.

Jesus was making it clear, however. As the disciples followed Him, He repeatedly explained that the cost to follow Him was complete commitment. No holding back. Jesus says, “Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33

Now, large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” (Luke 14:25-33).

#3. Commitment. When I was a young Christian, I was disturbed that so many in our otherwise good and faithful church, were not being or doing the things the Bible said we should be and do. So I asked an older couple, good and kind people, leaders in our Church and longtime Christians, how I could reconcile this perceived dilemma. The wife bluntly told me, “You are taking this way too seriously”. Now, 47 years later, those word still ring in my ears.

Jesus warned about the commitment necessary when He said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Is it possible that we, as Western world Christians, have lost our savor and have become useless?

You would have to commit to take up your cross daily, in other words, make the cause of Christ your cause, His cross is now your cross. You must be willing to die for His Cause. Luke 9:23

Jesus made clear that “No one who puts his hand to the plow, in other words, undertakes the Works of Jesus, and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Peter appealed to Jesus in saying, “Peter began to say to Him, Behold, we have left everything and have followed You.”

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.” (see Mark 10:28-31).

Finally, we can see that once the disciples were aware of the cost, were ready and trained and were able to make the commitment, Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts, no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly, I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly, I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (see Matthew 10:1-23).

Are we not ready, as Jesus said, to be ready? Are we not able, not willing to pay the cost, or are we unaware of the cost? And are we, the “called out ones” unwilling or unable to make the commitment?

Be honest with yourself. Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus told His disciples to “go therefore”, He was not saying “go to church, therefore, and make disciples”. He was saying, “go out into all the world”. He was not just speaking to what we today call the “laymen” of the church. He was speaking to everyone who would dare to follow Him. He was particularly speaking to the pastors, preachers, teachers, deacons and elders in the church to go out and make disciples!

Jesus died for our sins and poured out His Blood on our behalf. The Bible also tells us that the gate is narrow and there are few who will find it. But, His Blood is the scarlet thread, the line of demarcation. It is also the trail we must follow and cross over. It satisfies the cost, the commitment and proves our readiness. It is once we step over the line drawn in His Blood that we are ready, have counted the cost and made the commitment and can be trusted with the authority. It is then that perhaps we will see the miracle working power of Jesus and the Apostles through our lives again.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame the accuser because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Revelation 12:10-11).

THE BOOK OF JOHN – Chapter 5, Part 2

June 2, 2025June 7, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 5, Part 2

Two Resurrections – The Testimony of John the Baptist, The Testimony of Works, The Testimony of The Father, The Testimony of The Scriptures

Jesus has established His relationship with the Father and established the role and relationship of His disciples. Now He completes His proclamation as the Son of God and tells us of our eternal future. Just as the greatest commandments of the Bible, according to Jesus, are “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself”, I for one, would consider this chapter of John to be the greatest explanation of our future and the greatest proclamation about Christ, by Jesus, Himself.

Two Resurrections

John 5:25. Truly, truly, I say to you, a time is coming and even now has arrived, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Verse 26. For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; verse 27, and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Verse 28. Do not be amazed at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, verse 29, and will come out: those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the bad deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

(Commentary Break): Jesus, in these verses, first, clearly spells out what happens after you die and how that happens; and, secondly, Jesus explains that He is the reason, the Life, and Judge. By the phrase, “Truly, truly, I say to you, a time is coming and even now has arrived”, Jesus is point to Himself and clearly saying the dead will hear His voice and will live! And at a future time He will be the Judge and those who committed bad deeds will experience the Wrath of the Lamb and the full fury of His judgment. What does this mean to you? (#1), Call on Jesus, follow Him in obedient surrender and live; Call on Jesus, now, and escape the coming judgment.

The Pharisees believed in a resurrection, and with Jesus claiming to be the raison d’être would certainly have put them into a rage, not unlike the atheists and deniers of our day. The Sadducees did not believer in a resurrection, so they had twice the reasons to hate Him. In both cases, they were condemning themselves to the judgment of the wicked. What does this have to do with you? Listen. There are modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees leading churches today, spreading lies and countering the Words of Christ. Jesus said they would come and they are here. Do not listen to them. Do not believe them. Run from them. There are others, in our church pulpits, ignoring these truths, and in effect negating their importance to you. They are liars by their silence!

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Some Christians will say that they don’t see the necessity to tell others about Jesus because, even according to these verses, some will hear His voice and live and others will not hear Him and will be condemned. So what difference can we make. God, through His Word, has included us, as Christians, in His redemptive plan. Romans 10:14 asks, “How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard?” So we, like John the Baptist, are a messenger, a voice calling out, catching their attention to hear His Voice. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 30. “I can do nothing on My own. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.

(Commentary Break): Jesus, through these amazing words, tells us about His relationship with The Father and thereby helps us understand our relationship with Him. We can do nothing on our own. As we hear Jesus, we judge; and our judgment will be righteous, because we do not seek our own will but the will of Jesus who sends us!” We do not claim to heal others. It is Jesus. We do not claim to save. It is Jesus. We do not have special revelations or new prophecies. It is Jesus. There is nothing new, only what has already been written in and by His Word. We take no credit and no glory. All credit and glory belongs to Jesus. Those who will claim all these things, even in His Name, are the false teachers, the false prophets, and liars Jesus warns about. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 31. “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. Verse 32. There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

(Commentary Break): Once again, Jesus points to the Father. Although He and the Father are One, Jesus is pointing out the order of “higher authority”. We would do well to remember that even Jesus submits to the Father, even though He and the Father are One. (End Commentary Break).

Testimony of John the Baptist

Verse 33. You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth. Verse 34. But the testimony I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. Verse 35. He was the lamp that was burning and shining, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

Testimony of Works

Verse 36. But the testimony I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Testimony of the Father

Verse 37. And the Father who sent Me, He has testified about Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. Verse 38. Also you do not have His word remaining in you, because you do not believe Him whom He sent.

Testimony of the Scripture

Verse 39. You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; verse 40, and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. Verse 41. I do not receive glory from people; verse 42. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. Verse 43. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. Verse 44. How can you believe, when you accept glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the One and only God? Verse 45. Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. Verse 46. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. Verse 47. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

(Commentary Break): These final verses are directed at the Pharisees, but they could be directed at so many today. The false teachers, false prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing that reside in our churches today. Jesus is matter-of-factly stating their doom. Do not play around with the fire of this judgment. The Wrath of the Lamb is coming soon enough. (End Commentary Break).

Jesus, in these chapters, has put the world on notice. His message is that He is sent by the Father. He has come to save, not to judge. In Him is Life. Those who do not believe are already judged, will die and will perish. He has come to do the will of the Father and as such, all things are subject to Him. The greatest announcement the world has ever heard, You are to “repent, for the Kingdom of God is now at hand” and that “God so loves the world that He has sent His only Son, and those who believe in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life”.

Dear friends, brothers and sisters, please know that this cannot be taken lightly. We are called, and we are sent in His Cause. Preachers and pastors also. The burden is on you as well, if not even more so. You are the tip of this spear. Get out from behind the pulpit, out of your committee meetings and conferences, and go. Go and make disciples, teaching them all that God has commanded you, The time is short and Jesus is waiting.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 6, Part 1, Five Thousand Men Fed, Jesus Walks on Water.

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 5 Part 1, The Healing at Bethesda – Jesus’ Equality With God .

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THE BOOK OF JOHN – Chapter 5, Part 1

May 31, 2025June 2, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 5, Part 1

The Healing at Bethesda – Jesus’ Equality With God

The words and the events of this chapter are so astounding, so revealing, and so important for the believer and to the watching world, that I will break this chapter into 2 parts so we do not hurry through and fail to absorb this enriched spiritual bread for the nourishment of our souls.

This testifies to the power, the presence the nature and the purpose of the One and Only Living God, Immanuel. Please read slowly and carefully, believe and receive.

The Healing at Bethesda

John 5:1, After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

(Commentary Break): After the conclusion of the great events of the Feast of Trumpets, the commemoration of the Creation and the Law giving in chapter four, Jesus went to Jerusalem. Now, the coming events will c0rrespond with that theme. Furthermore, the fact that this particular miracle on the sabbath would be referred to a few months later in Jerusalem, on Christ’s third appearance there, is no coincidence. Bear in mind that Judaean emissaries in Galilee had been bitterly assailing Jesus, on the ground of his persistent determination to heal sickness and hopeless maladies on the sabbath day. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 2. Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes.

(Commentary Break): The Encyclopedia from BibleHub.com, tells us that “The symbolism of the Sheep Gate takes on a deep meaning with the advent of Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Sheep Gate can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrificial death. Just as sheep entered through this gate for sacrifice, Jesus entered Jerusalem, ultimately to be sacrificed for the sins of humanity. This connection highlights the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system in the person and work of Christ.”

“Furthermore, in John 10:7, Jesus refers to Himself as the “gate for the sheep”: “So He said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.'” Here, Jesus identifies Himself as the entry point to salvation, emphasizing that through Him alone can one enter into a relationship with God. This metaphorical use of the gate imagery reinforces the idea that Jesus is the ultimate means of access to spiritual safety and eternal life.”

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“In a broader theological context, the Sheep Gate also symbolizes the believer’s journey. Just as sheep entered through the gate to be consecrated for sacrifice, believers are called to enter through Christ, the gate, to offer themselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1). This act of spiritual worship is a response to the grace and mercy received through Christ’s sacrifice.”
“The Sheep Gate, therefore, is rich in symbolism, pointing to the central themes of sacrifice, atonement, and access to God. It serves as a reminder of the continuity and fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ, the ultimate Lamb and the true gate for the sheep.”

Please put yourself into this event. You are one of the sheep, waiting for your Shepherd at the gate. Good News for you is now at hand! (End Commentary Break).

Verse 3. In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed. Verse 5. Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Verse 6. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, said to him, “Do you want to get well?” Verse 7. The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Verse 8. Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Verse 9. Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

(Commentary Break): Once again, please continue to see yourself as the man who had been ill for 38 years. Or at the very least, put yourself there as a first hand witness to what is happening. Imagine, as far as you can see is the horrendous sight of a multitude of sick, blind, limping and paralyzed people. Jesus focuses in on this one man out of a multitude who was lying there.

How did this man care for himself? How did he manage to get there? One can only guess his appearance was pitiful or appalling. His odor was probably repelling. Why did Jesus choose this one?

Jesus, then comes straight to the point, as He always does, and asks the man, “Do you want to get well?”

Take note of the man’s excuse in place of an answer, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Some might say that his answer is as pathetic is his condition. You or I might ask, “Why didn’t he just say ‘yes’?!

But, after 38 years of lying in his sickness and filth, helpless and hopeless, who can blame him for his hopeless reply? What would you have done after 38 years of unrequited prayers and efforts?

Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Being made “poor in spirit” literally translates to be crushed in your spirit; to be pinched by toil, hopelessness and extreme poverty; A beggar with no hope of rescue on the verge of death and perishing, helpless and powerless to accomplish an end; destitute of wealth, influence and honor; destitute of Christian virtue; destitute of the wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford.

It should cause one to wonder, how could they possibly be considered “Blessed” if they are made “poor in spirit”.

It is, however, because people of this class are the ones most ready to give themselves up to Christ’s teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure.

It is when life deals you crushing blows, which seem to be your end with no way of escape, that this marvelous work of salvation, redemption and sanctification can begin; and not before.

We hear it said “you must come to the end of yourself to enter the Kingdom of God” which is true enough, but none of us have the will power to bring ourselves to such a desperate state. It is God, alone, who will allow or bring crushing circumstances to bear on our lives which will cause us to turn to God for help. And only God can save us from such desperate circumstances, redeem us to a state of wholeness, health and safety which is His Sanctification (holiness) of our lives.

Then, when all is said and done, Jesus tells him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” And, IMMEDIATLEY the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

This is for you and for me today! (End Commentary Break).

Now it was a Sabbath on that day. Verse 10. So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is a Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” Verse 11. But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” Verse 12. They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” Verse 13. But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. Verse 14. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” Verse 15. The man went away, and informed the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Verse 16. For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath. Verse 17. But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

(Commentary Break): Most of these verse simply and powerfully speak for themselves. But I would like to focus our attention of verses 14 through 17. Verse 14: Please pay close attention to Jesus’ instruction “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The word ‘sin’ or from the Greek language, ‘harmartano’, translates literally as “to miss the mark of God’s intentions, plans and purpose for you and to miss out on what He has planned for you; to lose your share in the prize and a joint heir of Jesus”. Being saved by Jesus means you are being made well, made safe, made whole, given a life of purpose and this manifests from the Spiritual into the natural or physical world – i.e., it is manifested in your life. What worse could have happened to this man that being lame and disable for 38 years? It would be to lose one’s soul to hell. One cannot imagine.

Verse 17: But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” Jesus is saying God is always at work, and His care and provision for us are constant and unlimited. We are to recognize that His sovereignty and power to act is outside of human limitations and constraints.

The Sabbath is the symbolism of the rest we find in Christ. We are to find our true rest in Jesus and not in religious legalistic observances.

Jesus is saying, in essence, that God desires mercy instead of sacrifice.

He is inviting us to join Him in what He is already doing, not in creating solutions in our own imagination.

The main lesson for us here is to always and simply say “Yes” to Jesus! (End Commentary Break).

Jesus’ Equality with God

Verse 18. For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

(Commentary Break): Verse eighteen clearly and concisely describes the heart of the Religious Jewish mindset which is rigid, legalistic and deadly. On the one hand it might be admirable that the Jews are so profoundly committed to their belief system if it were not, on the other hand, so unforgiving and fatal.

(I have personally experienced the wrath of legalism when it comes to the various doctrines of eschatology, the matters of the rapture and the tribulation. Although eschatological matters have little effect on one’s salvation, I have seen hate-filled schisms in the Body of Christ over these matters and the selfishness of the ego.)

Nonetheless, the final conflict for the hearts, souls and minds of people is under way and Jesus is showing us the way to safety. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 19. Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way. Verse 20. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. Verse 21. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. Verse 22. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, verse 23, so that all will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Verse 24. “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

(Commentary Break): Jesus, in these verses, forcefully and powerfully declares His unity with God the Father as His Son. A unity that makes them indistinguishable except by Jesus’ own words. It is incumbent on every Christ follower to understand the profundity and the gravity of these words, to accept them as truth and to embrace them as the only way through death, unto life eternal and the Father. These are the Hallmarks of a true believer, a true Christian. (End Commentary Break).

(End Part 1, Chapter 5).

The word ‘disciple’ from the Greek, ‘mathētḗs’ (math = the “mental effort needed to think something through”) + a learner; a disciple, a follower of Christ who learns the doctrines of Scripture and the lifestyle they require; someone catechized with proper instruction from the Bible with its necessary follow-through of life-applications.

The term ‘disciple’ is a central concept in the New Testament, reflecting the relationship between Jesus and His followers. It signifies more than just a student; it implies a committed follower who seeks to emulate the teacher’s life and teachings. In the Gospels, the twelve disciples are often referred to as His disciples, highlighting their role as Jesus’ closest followers who were chosen to learn directly from Him and to carry on His mission.

The role of a disciple involves both learning and living out the teachings of the master. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations,” indicating that the process of discipleship involves both teaching and baptizing new believers into the faith. This underscores the transformative aspect of being a disciple as it requires a change in both understanding and lifestyle.

Therefore, we can safely and accurately say that this chapter of John is part of the bedrock of our faith as disciples of Christ, just as Matthew chapters four through ten are the detailed instructions for every disciple of Jesus.

Jesus, in part 2 of Chapter 5, completes His proclamation as the Son of God and tells us of our eternal future. Just as the greatest commandments of the Bible, according to Jesus, are “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself”, I for one, would consider this chapter of John to be the greatest explanation of our future and the greatest proclamation about Christ, by Jesus, Himself.

Let’s study it; Meditate on it; Believe it; Do it.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 5, Part 2. Two Resurrections – The Testimony of John The Baptist, of Works, of The Father, of Scripture.

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF JOHN, Chapter 4, Jesus goes to Galilee, The Woman of Samaria, Samaritans, Healing of an official’s son.

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