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.

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 12, Verses 30-50, The Unpardonable Sin, Words, Signs, Relationships

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 12, Verses 30 – 50

The Unpardonable Sin, Words, Signs, Relationships

Matthew 12:30, The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters. Verse 31, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Verse 32. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

(Commentary Break): Please note that although Jesus’ intended audience is Greek-speaking Jewish Christians, these remarks draw a stark line between the ‘saved’ and the ‘unsaved’. Jesus makes a distinction here between those who believe in and have confessed Jesus as their Lord and are His disciples.

      1. (i.e., the one who ‘gathers’, i.e., (from the Greek word), ‘sunagó’, that is the one who ‘joins with and come together’ with Jesus), and
      2. those who do not believe in Him but ‘scatters’, i.e., (from the Greek word), ‘skorpizó’, that is one who ‘dissipates and wastes’ this most valuable and precious gift from God.

Verse 31 begins with the connecting and defining word ‘therefore’, indicating that what comes next is based on what was said before: Therefore, every sin and Blasphemy (blasphemia), that which is abusive, scurrilous, and evil; that which exchanges what God says is good for that which is evil. Exchanging the truth of God for a lie, will be forgiven, even if it is spoken against the Son of Man, i.e., Jesus. But if blasphemy is spoken against the Holy Spirit, cannot be forgiven.

Please Note: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, at the time of the speaking of these words, had to do with accusing Jesus Christ of being demon-possessed instead of Spirit-filled. The Pharisees were in a unique moment in history: they had the Law and the Prophets, they had the Holy Spirit stirring their hearts, they had the Son of God Himself standing right in front of them, and they saw with their own eyes the miracles He did. Never before in the history of the world (and never since) had so much divine light been granted to men; if anyone should have recognized Jesus for who He was, it was the Pharisees. Yet they chose defiance. They purposely attributed the work of the Spirit to the devil, even though they knew the truth and had the proof. Jesus declared their willful blindness to be unpardonable. Their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was their final rejection of God’s grace. They had set their course, and God was going to let them sail into perdition unhindered.

This exact kind of blasphemy cannot be replicated today.

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension to the Father, the unpardonable sin, (blasphemy), is the state of continued unbelief. The Spirit currently convicts the unsaved world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). To resist that conviction and willfully remain unrepentant is to “blaspheme” the Spirit. There is no pardon, either in this age or in the age to come, for a person who rejects the Spirit’s promptings to trust in Jesus Christ and then dies in unbelief. The love of God is evident: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And the choice is clear: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). But, as long as you are alive, it is never too late to confess and repent of your sins and turn to Jesus for complete forgiveness and to receive His free gift of salvation (see GotQuestion.Org). (End Commentary Break).

Words Reveal Character

Verse 33. “Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; because the tree is known by its fruit. Verse 34. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. Verse 35. The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. Verse 36. But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. Verse 37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

(Commentary Break): Jesus begins with a metaphor of a tree and its fruit, then reveals the subject of His metaphor is the Pharisees – and Jesus leaves little to the imagination. He calls them vipers and evil; bad trees that produce bad fruit. Jesus reminds us that it is ‘the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart’ which is revealing wisdom, both then and now.

Besides rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus warns of the dangers of their errant words, which is true for everyone at any time.

As I discussed in a recent article, the state of your heart and mind is revealed by the words you speak and, in a real sense, it is those words which condemn you or justify you. (End Commentary Break).

The Desire for Signs

Verse 38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” Verse 39. But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign; and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet; Verse 40. for just as JONAH WAS IN THE STOMACH OF THE SEA MONSTER FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Verse 41. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. Verse 42. The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

(Commentary Break): Jesus is rebuking the unbelieving Pharisees, then, and the unbelieving world now. He is saying, in essence, ‘I don’t need to prove anything to you. There is enough evidence and proof already available, if you chose to see it. You claim to believe what happened with Jonah and you claim to understand about the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, yet you deny all that is written about Me. You offspring of vipers! You believe only those things you desire but you neglect the greater things!’

Likewise, it is not our responsibility to use extra-Biblical means to convince others about Christ. Everything necessary is recorded. We believe by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We don’t have to and should not try to prove anything more. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 43.“Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Verse 44. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Verse 45. Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

(Commentary Break): These are ominous and prophetic words. It foretells and forecasts the condition of those who reject Christ, Jew and Gentile alike. NOTE: The final words of verse forty-five say ‘that is the way it will be also with this evil generation’ (meaning this race, family or generation, and the characteristic unbelieving behavior of this generation), which, when used with another time word (such as ‘and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first’)  perfectly indicates an infinity of time. I.e., So it will be forever!

The succeeding generation will be plagued with and identified and controlled by unclean spirits, getting progressively worse with time! We can see examples of this already in our world today with the rise and acceptance of child sacrifice (abortions), Satan worship, murders, rapes, acceptance of homosexuality, transgenderism, hate, violence, rampant thievery, the spread and acceptance of drug use, and more. It would appear that paganism and satanism is on the rise and Christianity is on the wane. But Jesus warns of their fate. (End Commentary Break).

Changed Relationships

Verse 46. While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Verse 47. Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.” Verse 48. But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” Verse 49. And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! Verse 50. For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

(Commentary Break): There is no clearer example of what the family of God represents. If you think blood relatives should be close, then you should now know that the Blood of Christ relatives are also your family and should be help close as well.

It is obvious that there are cliques and groups in the church that ever-so-politely exclude others. Those who treats some a more important than others, leaving some out of their social gatherings, their activities and their lives, while including others. The Apostle Paul corrects the church on these matters: “But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you instruction, and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people.”

The Apostle Peter also encouraged the family of God, saying, “Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently loveoneanother from the heart.” (End Commentary Break).

This is how we know if we are His disciples, by our love and respect for one another!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 13, Jesus Teaches Parables

PREVIOUS:  THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 12, Verses 1 – 29, The Sabbath & The Lord of the Sabbath, The Pharisees Rebuked.

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HEAVEN?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

HEAVEN?

Is heaven real? If so, how does a person get into heaven? And, why should I care?

Put in the simplest of terms, the Bible says heaven is real, although, probably not like what you may think. It is beyond your wildest imagination in glory, and magnificence.  The Bible also tells you of the only way to get into heaven, and I think you should care because the Bible says the only alternative is an eternal torment in a lake of fire, also known as Hell.

Christianity is the only religion that teaches that a person can do nothing to earn or pay his or her way into heaven. Humankind, a slave to the sin nature he was born with, must completely rely on the grace of God in applying Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to the sins of the believer. People are saved by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. Upon death, the spirits of Christians go to heaven, while the spirits of unbelievers go to a temporary holding place called hell. At the final judgment, unbelievers are separated from God for eternity in the lake of fire. The odd thing about all of this is that you have the power to choose to believe or to reject God’s offer.

I have been a Christian for about 49 years, and during that time, I have been a student of the Bible, to the best of my ability. I have had classroom training on and about the Bible, God and Christianity. I have been, and am now, a Bible teacher, a pastor, and an evangelist. I can quote the scriptures relating to a person’s salvation and heaven.  But being perfectly honest, I know that it is hard to understand WHY ‘confessing your sins with your mouth to Go and saying I that will repent or turn away from your former sinful ways to follow Jesus and His teachings, and asking Him to take up residence within your heart, mind and body, can possibly save your corpse from rotting in a grave and your essence or your soul from perishing after you die.

The Bible says this matter of heaven, hell and salvation is nonsense to those who do not believe, and that you or I must believe in Jesus and His power to forgive us and cleanse us of our sins and of our sinful nature, and to save us from perishing and giving us a home, in heaven, with Him.

Now, please allow me to change the paradigm.

You came into being from nothing. (And, yes, I know the biology. But what came before the sperm and the egg? And, do you really buy the alternative ‘swamp goo’ theory of evolution?)

According to the Bible, you were born with a sin nature. Yes, even that cute little, innocent and harmless baby was born with a sin-nature deep within his or her core. The process after that is far too complicated to discuss, but the outcome can be obvious. You are considered a good person or a bad person, or somewhere in between. Regardless, the Bible teaches that without a supernatural intervention by the God Who created you, you will die, rot and perish. Just like a flower that sprouts, blooms and dies and is soon forgotten. But this is the natural view of this matter.

Spiritually speaking, your spirit (or soul) is given a body at birth and your mind is a blank slate. Your experiences and what you may be taught, then create ideas, feelings, core values, mindsets and attitudes. Over time, those things are expressed in your behaviors and actions. Additionally, all of these things are, or can be, influenced by DNA and genetics. In time, however, you are revealed to be what you have become. Good, bad or in between.

If you have some kind of philosophical view that good and evil don’t exist, this will be especially difficult for you. But even if you think ‘a basically good person’ will get into heaven, then defining what is good becomes problematic, because only God can set that standard. The Bible tells us that “No one is good. No, not even one” (see Romans 3:10-12), and that even your best efforts at ‘being good’, still will not get you into heaven.

So, if you think, given your few years on earth, you know better than the prophets of God and His written Word, perhaps you should ‘get saved’ or have died as an innocent infant so you can think you at least have a chance at heaven. But alas, this is all too subjective, and too confusing to work this out by our shallow reason or our flawed logic.

A natural approach of human logic based on feelings and emotions is futile, so, at this juncture, we are left only with spiritual avenues.

For example: You are who and what you are at any given time. Your destiny, at present, is set by the way you believe and think. The only way to influence or affect your ultimate fate is by non-physical or other-worldly means, i.e., by the Spirit.

We consider the spirit of a man or woman is as the Bible teaches. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for spirit is: רוּחַ. Transliteration: ruach; Phonetic Spelling: (roo’-akh); Definition: breath, wind, spirit.

In the New Testament, the Greek word for spirit is πνεῦμα, ατος, τό; Transliteration: pneuma; Phonetic Spelling: (pnyoo’-mah); Definition: wind, spirit, breath.

The Bible teaches that our physical life springs forth from this spirit. The Hebrew word for our natural body is ‘nephesh’, or flesh, and the Greek word is ‘soma’ or body.

Everything that emanates from the flesh, (our natural body, mind and soul), originates in and comes from the spirit. Our mind, will, emotions (a.k.a. the soul) and our body is determined and sustained by the spirit of our natural life.

After our physical death, our body goes to the grave to dissipate, but the spirit within us, our true essence, lives on for eternity, either in the terror of fire and darkness or in the peaceful presence of God in heaven. These are spiritual matters, first told about by the prophets, and by Jesus Christ, and then recorded by men under the influence and inspiration of God.

We therefore know that it is only when the Spirit of God intervenes and intersects with our spirit, after our natural birth, that our spirit is made alive, giving our essence, (our spirit), a divine-like eternal nature. We are made alive or quickened as the Bible states. This is called ‘being born again’ by the Spirit of God. Jesus said it best, as found in John 3:3, when H said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

So, when Jesus teaches and demonstrates the nature of the Good News, of His New Covenant, His new contract with His creation, which, as the Bible says, “Is written in His Blood”, what He is doing is explaining how one can be “born again to a living and eternal hope”.

He is also warning of the obstacles and pitfalls to obtaining and walking in this new life, and He puts His Message in a form that the human mind can accept and understand. Jesus spoke in the dialect of the ‘nephesh’, the ‘soma’ and of the ‘psuché’, (Hebrew and Greek words from the Bible which describe the natural flesh; a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotions).

Jesus, as I have previously stated, did not come to start a religion or a denomination. He did not come to put new laws in place to regulate our lives. He came to tell us how to get out of the lost and miserable state we find ourselves and to find our way to God and how to live a meaningful, purposeful life now, and later, how to enter heaven for all eternity. Jesus proved all this by His life, death, His resurrection from the grave and His ascension to heaven.

I would suggest we quit thinking and reasoning with our natural minds. I suggest we stop reading the Bible as some sort of religious artifact; and I suggest we stop living our lives as if religion and going to church is some ritual or practice to ‘fit into’ for our enjoyment until we die. Furthermore, I suggest that we read the Bible as it is written and as it is intended: A love letter written to you for your good and for your salvation!

Finally, please try to grasp the idea that Jesus not only told us of the way, but He has showed us the way. He says we just follow Him, and He will get us to safety!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young.

“God gave His only Son, so that whoever would believe in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.”

DID JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES REALLY SAY THIS?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

DID JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES REALLY SAY THIS?

Assume with me, if you can, that you have never thoroughly read a Bible, or that you have only read it for cursory content information.

Please, further assume with me, that by chance these verses are the ones that might have caught your attention:

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). “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).

(2). 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 4th Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:5-8).

(3). 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 2nd Tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:3-4).

(4). 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 5th tribulation Seal, found in Revelation 6:9-11).

(5). 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, 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 1st phase of the tribulation the ‘Birth Pangs’ (Matthew 24:8). Jesus then calls the 2nd phase of the tribulation, the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), also known as the 6th 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).

Now, what would you think?

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).

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).

 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).

 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).

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?

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).

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

 

 

What would you think?

 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).

If these verses say that John was a fellow participant IN THE TRIBULATION in the year A.D. 95.

What would you think?

 These testimonies clearly tell us that the Last Days, also known as The End of All Things, The End of the Ages, The Last Hour, The Last Times and the tribulation, began at the birth of Christ and these first 5 tribulation Seals have been overlapping and intensifying since those days. (We are still awaiting the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord, the Wrath of the Lamb and the Great Tribulation.

So, what do you think, now?

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(Further reading: IS THIS THE END?

Luke 12:54, And He was also saying to the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. Verse 55. And whenever you feel a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way. Verse 56. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?”

WHY DID JESUS…?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

WHY DID JESUS COME TO EARTH?

You and I have been caught up in a maze which leads to lack, want, fear, spiritual poverty, and eventually to death, from which there is only One Way out. Jesus. He is showing us the only way out of this trap. He is showing us how to be truly and powerfully set free.

Jesus has brought the way to a magnificent freedom, so that we can put away all the religious entrapment, cast aside all the religious garbs and dress ourselves in the freedom of Christ.

You and I can choose to dress ourselves in freedom’s clothing of love, and joy, in peace, and in kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, and gentleness.

We can forsake fear, doubt, lack and want, for in Him, everything good is provided for us and nothing is impossible for us.

This requires, first, that we must, as Jesus forcefully taught, repent – we must change the way we see Him. We must change how we think about Him and what He taught. We must repent, for the Kingdom is now at hand.

Furthermore, we must repent, for the Kingdom is near to us. It is, in fact, within us!

Please listen, friends. Jesus did not come to earth neither to start a religion nor start another religious denomination. Those things are the inventions of men and women.

Jesus came to earth both as God and as a man. He has shown us God the Father, as He is the exact representation of Him. Therein, He came to warn us of our impending doom and to buy us back, (redeem us), from the death and destruction of our sin and to prepare us to become like Him, to live with and rule with Him, eternally.

It was only in this way that we, humankind, could relate to Him and understand Him, as He spoke to us in the language of our lives.

Jesus came to earth as the fulfillment and the satisfaction of the requirements of Jewish Law of the Torah. (see Matthew 5:17). We no longer need to be held captive to external written religious laws. We have been set free from the bondage, the slavery of man-made laws, and from the sentence of sin and death. Jesus’ cancelled those things and has written in new governing ‘law’ of love and companionship in our hearts and minds.

Jesus came to earth to seek and save those who are ‘lost’ to those things. (see Luke 19:10).

(The ‘lost’ are, according to the Greek language in which these verses were written, are those who have been permanently and absolutely cut off from God and from life. They are, from birth, perishing and will die both physically and spiritually, i.e., their very essence will perish. Their existence will come to ruin and will be destroyed in a miserable end.)

Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (see John 6:38-40)

Jesus said, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth… Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (see Luke 12:49-53).

Jesus is dividing the light from the darkness, dividing the sheep from the goats, dividing the wheat from the tares.

Jesus said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness.” (see John 12:46).

Jesus said, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth.” (see John 18:37).

Those are the reasons.

Following Jesus does not mean that we are recruiting for a religious movement or a certain, denomination. Following Jesus means we are to be like Him, doing the very things He told us we can and must be doing. We are to tell everyone about the Good News, that Jesus has come to set us free, to save us, and to put us upon the high and glorious domain of the King!

The old things have passed, and the New has come!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

SAVED: Strong’s concordance #4982 = sozo = safe, save, make whole, heal, be whole.

1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction; (from injury or peril)

2) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health

3) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue

4) to save in the technical biblical sense; to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment

To be made safe, saved, made whole, healed, to be made whole, and kept safe and sound, rescued from danger or destruction in your marriage; with your family; with your friends; in your career or job; in your body, mind, soul and spirit; where you live; where you travel; while you sleep and when you get up.

Don’t be deceived, in this world you will have tribulations (troubles and stresses), but the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears are toward their cry for help. The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to eliminate the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The afflictions of the righteous are many, but the LORD rescues him from them all. (see Psalms 34:16-19)

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – “Everyone who acknowledges me before men”, Part 46

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – “Everyone who acknowledges me before men”

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 46

“Everyone who acknowledges me before men”

“So, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” 

The Words of Jesus, Matthew 10:32-33

Have you ever been encouraged by your pastor, Sunday school teacher to memorize Matthew 10:32-33 as important verses in the Bible?  (I didn’t think so. Me neither.)

The wording of these verses is of a highly technical nature. They also issue a grave warning.

The word ‘acknowledge’ (or ‘confess’ in some versions), is the Greek word ‘homologeó’, meaning to voice the same conclusion, i.e. agree, (“confess“); to profess because in full agreement; to align with, (to endorse). Covenant, acknowledge.

The word ‘denies’ (or ‘rejects’, in some versions), is the Greek word ‘arneomai’, means to deny (refuse); hence, contradict, refuse to affirm or to confess (identify with); disown (repudiate), to abnegate (To give up rights or a claim; to renounce. To deny. To deny and reject; to abjure.)

Is it possible that you ‘deny’ Jesus when you continually disobey Him? (This is different from sinning, feeling remorse and turning away from that sinful behavior).

Is it possible that you are denying Jesus in ways you are not recognizing? Do you pray? Do you treat your enemies with respect? Do you witness Christ to others? Do you regularly do things in private that you would be ashamed to do in public?

This is urgent because if you are denying Him, His commandments, His ways, His methods, you may be at grave risk.

Jesus says, plainly and flatly, “whoever denies (or rejects) me before men, I also will deny (and reject) before my Father who is in heaven.”

The funny thing about salvation is that it is ‘all in’ or ‘not in at all’.  I hear preachers say you can ‘squeak into heaven’ or you can ‘make it to heaven by the skin of your teeth’, but that is a dangerous lie.

Jesus warns us that the devil is shrewd, and that we are to be sober, well-balanced and self-disciplined; we are to be alert and cautious at all times. Because your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a fiercely hungry, roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, (see 1 Peter 5:8), and that ‘someone’ is you and me.

Many in the current-day, postmodern church are turning a blind eye to sin and sinful behavior. In fact, sin is in fashion in the world and has crept fashionably into the churches. (Look how many people dress, talk, act and reject the ‘old ways’ of Christ). They call themselves Christians. They go to church, and, they would never consider themselves as ‘tares’, waiting to plucked up in the Great Harvest, thrown onto the fire and burned up, but that is the risk some are taking. DON’T BE ONE OF THOSE.

Understand this, that in these last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. (See 2 Timothy 3:1-5)

But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning]. (See 1 Timothy 4:1-2)

Dear brothers and sisters, let’s be on the alert and always ready to preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. (See 2 Timothy 4:2).

The day of His return is very near – let’s pray for one another to stay sober, ready and on the alert.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – “A disciple is not above his Teacher”, Part 45

NEXT:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – “Not Peace but a Sword”, Part 47.

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SHARPEN THE KNIFE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

Sharpen the Knife
I find it extremely satisfying when I pick up any kind of knife, and it does the job for which it is designed. Conversely, I am greatly disappointed when I go to cut something such as fruit or when cutting the skin off a fish or fat off a piece of meat, and I find myself grinding into the cutting board and tearing things unevenly.
So, by pulling the knife’s blade against the whet stone, I sharpen the knife. I do this frequently, so it is always ready to get the job done, quickly and efficiently.
The same goes for a person’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual life, although on a much higher and more important level – especially the spiritual. A person’s mental, emotional and physical health and well-being flow from their spiritual core.
The Bible puts it this way, “As a person thinks, so are they”. The spirit of a person, (sometimes referred to as the subconscious or ‘core’), is the hidden place where human awareness and acuity begin. Interestingly, the spirit of a person can be considered to be ‘alive or dead’, ‘full of light’ or ‘full of darkness’, and this will determine how a person will think (the mind), how they will feel (the emotions), how they will make decisions (the will), and how they will act (the physical body).
The Bible, when speaking to this matter, compares this inner person to the ‘eye’. “The eye,(the mind’s eye or one’s view of matters) is the lamp(one’s guiding principles) of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, (healthy and sincere with a single undivided focus, i.e. without a secret “double agenda”), your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad,(i.e., evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful; emphasizing the inevitable agonies and misery, that always go with evil), your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (see Matthew 6:22-23).
One must sharpen, or hone his or her spirit, mind, will, emotions and body to a fine edge in order to be able to live the life for which you have been designed and efficiently attain a purposeful and satisfying life.
It is your choice, of course. It is Light or darkness.
Living in darkness equates to a negative attitude, a lack of basic needs, friend-lessness, hopelessness, resentment, anger, depression which can often lead to death.
Living in the light can bring a positive outlook, a steady supply of what you need physically, mentally, emotionally in terms of friendships, hope for the future, gratitude, joy and happiness, a bright spirit and an abundant life.
Living in the Light does not come automatically. For most people it takes an awareness, and the desire to live a meaningful and purposeful life, coupled with discipline, hard work and endurance.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
”In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. (1st Peter 1:6-7).

A BRIGHT RED LINE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

A BRIGHT RED LINE

The Bible tells us that all of the Law, (the Torah), and all Prophecies are to be fulfilled by Jesus.  (see Matthew 5:17). In fact, the entirety of the Bible, all the narratives, all the events, each and every word points to a time when there would be a bright Scarlet Line etched into the cosmos and into the hearts and minds of every person on the earth.

This is the Blood of Christ, spilled on our behalf. An immutable Scarlet Line drawn in the eternal sands of time, dividing truth from error, deception and lies, and life from death, and you must choose. Choose which side of this line you will stand.

 

 Many people, Christians included, seem to miss or overlook the fact that the Bible is a purely prophetic book. About 27 percent of the Bible is predictive or prophetic, that is it ‘foretells’ the truth of what was, is and is to come.(By one count, Payne, J. B., The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, Baker Pub. Group, 1980, p. 675). The remaining 73 percent of the Bible is prophetic in the sense that it ‘forthtells’ these same truths and directly supports, explains and defines the predictive prophecies.

Surprisingly and sadly, however, you can listen to many preachers and Bible teachers tell what they call ‘stories’ from the Bible. They focus on the narratives and the moral lessons to be gained. They cannot see the profound prophetic significance of every word, sentence, chapter and book in the Bible. They assume, speculate and muse about many things written there, supposing what they might mean. Some will ignorantly or deliberately reframe the meaning of the Bible texts into their own perspectives.

There are those who foolishly try to redefine certain words in the Bible, or to convince others to there is no Line you can cross. They will say ‘it is not so. There is no true Line.’ They will say there are many different ways to see and interpret the things that Jesus spoke, taught and demonstrated.  But, the Bible informs us, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (see 2 Peter 1:20-21). These men and women have Crossed The Line, and that is a dangerous game. (see Matthew 5:17-19, and Revelation 22:18-19).

I have to ask, in light of all this, why do they not just accept the Bible as it is written and in the context it is written? Why would anyone take these documents (The Bible), which they purport to believe, and then deny its accuracy and inerrancy? Is it a deliberate deception of evil intent, or is it lunacy, the work of fools? Or, both?

 

Why do I call this The Bright Red Line? It is because there are no ‘shadows of turning’ nor are there any ‘shades of gray’ in the Bible. There is the Truth and there is Error. One leads to life and the other leads to death. However, following ‘the letter of the law’, does little eternal good. It is living on the side of Truth, which is faith in and loving obedience to Jesus’ Words. Crossing that line only leads to trouble.

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8.

Those who ‘have eyes to see’, know that this Red Line is the demarcation of a permanent end to the power of sin and the sting of death. This is the Good News.

But to those who choose to ignore or cannot see the Scarlet Line, it marks the edge of the precipice to eternal darkness, damnation and the fires of hell. Simply put, the Bible is The Book of Life, The Word of God for all who would believe. For those people who would speculate otherwise, a millstone waits for their neck and the depths of the ocean for their grave, and all the plagues of the Bible and eternal death will be added. (see Luke 17:2, Revelation 22:18-19).

CAN THE BIBLE BE ABOUT COMPROMISE AND BALANCE?

The Bible is about balance – a radical balance of extremes.

Is this going too far? Is this ‘out of balance’? Is this too radical? What if I told you Jesus said or did things such radical things, such as:

John 18:37 “Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” 

TO BRING A SWORD

Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35. For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; Verse 36 and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”

 TO FULFILL THE LAW

Matthew 5:17, “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.” 

TO CALL SINNERS

Mark 2:17, “And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  

TO SAVE THE WORLD

John 12:47, If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”  

TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH

Luke 12:49, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50. But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Verse 51. Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather to create division.

 WHAT HE REALLY MEANT

John 14:12, “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

“(I never lie). I testify to the truth. I AM the Truth!

“I do not bring peace, but a sword to the world”.

“I am turning sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers”.

“I am the fulfillment the Hebrew and Judaic law and that of their prophets”.

“I have the right to call sinners to righteousness”.

“I am bringing fire upon the earth and creating division”.

“I came into the Temple and beat men with a whip and turned over tables”.

“I am openly calling the scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees (religious elites) hypocrites, whitewashed tombs, robbers, murderers, blind guides”.

Jesus gave up His own life to give you a life.

Jesus died for sins He did not commit, so you could be forgiven of the sins you did commit.

Jesus prayed for and died for even those who killed Him.

(for more details see “These Works”).

I could go on with examples, but you get the idea, right? Even His own family said, “He has lost His senses”. (Mark 3:21).

What I am illustrating is that, when kept in context, Jesus said exactly what He meant and meant exactly what He said. And no matter how much you wish that some of what He said were not so, the consequences for abrogating His Words, can be dire. It is like wandering off a path of safety into a nightmarish quagmire.

THE CHURCH

Jesus said He would build His Church, in or around A.D. 30, “And I say to you that you are Peter, (just one small stone), and upon (a more massive) rock, (constructed of many stones such as you), I will build My church”, (see Matthew 16:18), and that “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind, (i.e., forbid) on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose, (i.e., permit) on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  And the prophetic work began.

But only a few years after Jesus had spoken these words, the drift of the Church began.

In or around A.D. 95, John heard these things and wrote them in seven letters to the 7 churches at that time:

Revelation 1, Verse 4. “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, verse 5, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, verse 6, and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Verse 9. “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation (which has now begun), and (in the) kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Verse 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, verse 11, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

These letter reveal that:

  1. False apostles had crept into the church.
  2. The church at Ephesus had lost its first love for Christ.
  3. There were some in the church who were ‘of the synagogue of Satan’.
  4. Those at the church of Pergamum held to the false teachings of Balaam, of sexual immorality and of the Nicolaitans.
  5. There were those in the church at Thyatira who tolerated the woman Jezebel who called herself a prophetess, and she taught and led Jesus’ bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
  6. There were those at the church of Laodicea who were lukewarm, toward God, and lazy, arrogant and self-reliant.

Herein lies the early seeds of drift, rot and failure within the Church. Here is where the church began to cross the Red Line Jesus had drawn.

THE AGE OF APOSTASY IS UNDER WAY

There are several warning signs that the church has entered the age of apostasy, as described in the Bible. However, most Christians cannot adequately describe what this means.

2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 1 through 3, tell us about the coming apostasy and of the timing, “Now we request you, brethren, (1) with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you

(2) not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

(3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for

(4) it will not come unless the apostasy, (the falling  away from Christ and the forsaking of His teachings of the truth and the Gospel Message), comes first.”

We read about it again in Matthew 24:10, “And at that time many will fall away (from the faith), and they will betray one another and hate one another.”

Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.”

IN A.D 35 THE CHURCH WAS A MOVEMENT

During the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, in AD 35, The Church of Jesus Christ, The Body of Christ, had no buildings, little money and no wealth, but, the Church was a Movement.

Jesus said to make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.

The penalty for becoming a Christian was often death, still, the Church grew exponentially.

THEN THE CHURCH BECAME A PHILOSOPHY

A.D 49, The Church expanded into Greece. The Church became a philosophy to many. The Church grew and size and influence.

THEN THE CHURCH BECAME AN INSTITUTION

A.D 313, The Church expanded into Rome, and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.

THEN THE CHURCH BECAME A CULTURE

A.D 380, The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.

THE CHURCH BECAME A BUSINESS

A.D 1607, The Church reaches America.

A.D 1681, The Church became corporate. It had become a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government.

The Corporate Church grew. It needed money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.

A.D 1777, The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.

A.D 1894, The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.

A.D 1954,  The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax-exempt status.

The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people, the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.

The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model.

Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three line slogans”.

The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (see 2nd Timothy chapter 3).

The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.

And just like in business, record numbers of pastors quitting the ministry because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).

Contrary to what the Bible say about debt, the Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.

THE CHURCH ABANDONS THE TRUTH

A.D 1968, Despite what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, the church begins to ordain homosexuals as clergy.

A.D 1972, The United church of Christ ordains homosexual clergy

A.D 2010, The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy

A.D 2012,  The Presbyterian church, USA, ordains homosexual clergy

The Episcopal Church in the United States and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have also allowed ordination of openly gay and lesbian candidates for ministry for some years.

Internationally, churches that have ordained openly lesbian or gay clergy include the Church of Scotland, the Church of England, the Church in Wales, the Church of Sweden, the Church of Norway, the Church of Denmark, the Church of Iceland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Methodist Church in Britain, the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, the United Protestant Church in Belgium, the Swiss Reformed Church, the United Protestant Church of France, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church in Canada, the Old Catholic Church, the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and the United Church of Christ in Japan.

A.D 2019, The formation and establishment of the One World Church, THE ABRAHAMIC FAMILY HOUSE.

Now, approximately 1,900 years later:

A.D 2020, The church is losing and has lost influence. The church in 2020 is losing members.

A.D 2020, The church is teaching and living a different Gospel than that of the Apostles.

A.D 2024, By God’s gracious choice, there has come to be at the present time, a remnant, those who endure to the end.

THE AGE OF APOSTASY IS WELL UNDER WAY

There are several warning signs that the church has entered the age of apostasy. As described in the foregoing paragraphs, we can see the onset, and its progression. Still, most Christians cannot adequately describe what this means.

Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.” This the final act the 5th tribulation seal, the climax of the apostasy, will usher in the beginning of the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation, the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal.

Despite all the signs and warnings, it seems like the contemporary church, (i.e., Christians), are far more concerned with their comfort and safety rather than taking up their Cross and following Jesus.

Again, I believe that most professing Christians do not have a good grasp on what it means to follow Jesus.  If you ran a survey, most Christians might say that following Jesus is nothing more than doing a good deed here-and-there, attending church and being nice most of the time. And that discipleship is sitting in a classroom learning.

Jesus says, you must deny yourself and do His Will, His Way. You must leave family friends and home if necessary, and go where He directs and where He is needed. You must put your worldly concerns aside and focus on Him and His mission.

Additionally, many more professing Christians are more concerned with receiving a blessing than being a blessing. This too, is a departure from the way of Jesus.

We, The Church, The Body of Christ, You and I, must return to Jesus’ Way.  We must be doing those Works that Jesus does and the way He does them.

Jesus faced the same circumstances during His earthly ministry. But He and His disciples stood out from the crowd. They were counter-cultural. They were reviled, mocked, spit upon, and persecuted. And they changed the world and glorified God!

The postmodern church’s way of inventing new ways of ‘doing church’ in order to connect to the culture is failing! We are not of this world – we must stop acting like it. We must be and act like Jesus.

Despite these things, we do not lose hope. There is a time coming, and is close at hand, when God will purge, cleanse, and refine His Church, in preparation for the wedding of the Groom, Jesus, and His Bride, the Church. (see Daniel, chapter 12).

Be Berean. Read, study and pray to be prepared.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Ephesians 2:13, But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 9:14, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

1st Peter 1:19, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 10:19, Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

1st John 1:7, but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 11:20-30, Unrepenting Cities, Come to Me

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 11:20-30

Unrepenting Cities, Come to Me

The Unrepenting Cities

Matthew 11:20. Then He began to reprimand the cities in which most of His (works of power and) miracles were done, because they did not repent. Verse 21. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the (works of power and) miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in (symbols of mourning), sackcloth and ashes. Verse 22. Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. Verse 23. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! For if the (works of power and) miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. Verse 24. Nevertheless, I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”

(Commentary Break: These words of Jesus are spoken, both to those in that day and are prophetically spoken to everyone of all the ages since that day.

Jesus is patient and loving beyond our comprehension. He is the embodiment of love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control.

 But there is a time coming when the faithful will be rewarded and the faithless will be judged. And Jesus words should be taken with all the seriousness and gravity as one would expect from God’s judgments.

 Jesus is warning the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre, Sidon and Capernaum of God’s coming judgment for their unbelief, their sins and their worship of false gods despite the fact that they had seen and experienced the acts of Jesus in their midst. This warning is extended to each and every person, city, state and nation who falls in the category of the unbelieving ways of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre, Sidon and Capernaum. BE AWARE and BEWARE!

These coming judgments are pictured as seven seals opened, seven trumpets blown, and seven bowls poured out. God’s judgment against the wicked will leave no doubt as to His wrath against sin. (Besides punishing sin, these judgments will have the effect of bringing the nation of Israel to repentance.) (End Commentary Break).

Come to Me

Verse 25. At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants. Verse 26. Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight.

Verse 27. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him.

Verse 28. “Come to Me, all who are (exhausted), weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Verse 29. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND A RESTING PLACE FOR YOUR SOULS. Verse 30. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”

(Commentary Break): We see, in the earlier verses of this chapter eleven, that Jesus has given tribute to John for his faithful and obedient work, and He answers John’s questions about Him (Jesus) being the anticipated Messiah.

Jesus then gives John’s disciples evidence of His own divinity, and warns the gathering crowds (and all future potential followers) of the dangers of misunderstanding His intentions and the consequences of unbelief. He continues by warning of the coming “day of judgment”.

Please do not miss the significance of the context of these remarks. The tribulation period, the days of distress is beginning – and as we will see, the various seal judgments will begin to overlap and intensify. Then, with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, the final 7 years of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord will begin. (Also known as Daniel’s 70th week or the Great Tribulation period.)

Jesus, now praying to His Father, is thanking Him for hiding the great oracles of God and the prophetic truth about His (Jesus’) identity; about His plan and purpose and the fate of the heavens and the earth.

The ‘wise and understanding’, those from whom these things are hidden, are the teachers and leaders of Israel (Jews) such as the Sanhedrin, the scribes and the Pharisees. These are the ones who have seated themselves ‘in the chair of Moses’. They tell you what to do according to scriptures but do not comply, themselves. These are the ones who tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people. (see Matthew 23).

Notice that the spirit of these who consider themselves as ‘the wise and understanding’ as still among us today. Still exalting themselves, still dressing in their robes, ‘broadening their phylacteries’ calling themselves Rabbi, teacher, Father and leader.  Jesus issues eight woes to those who believe and act like them. Be warned, all who hear these words!

Jesus then thanks His Father that He has revealed these things to ‘to little children’, meaning ‘like a simple person, even an immature Christian’. Someone who believes and follows Jesus with a simple, abiding faith and obedience. One who is not encumbered by traditions, customs, rituals and the teaching of men.

Jesus now makes the most astounding of all claims to His Divinity, Sovereignty and His Authority: All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

Jesus continues by telling us that those who come to Him, will find that His authority and sovereignty will bring them rest for their souls: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

It is those who are humble in heart, those who submit themselves wholly to Jesus, His ways and His teachings, who find rest. (End Commentary Break).

And, as odd as it may seem, it is these same gentle sheep of the Great Shepherd who gird themselves with the full armor of God, having become strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, be able to resist the evil in that day, extinguishing the flaming arrows of the evil one. And with every prayer as an ambassador of Christ, making known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.

Please don’t make the mistake of reading these words and believing they were spoken only to and for the Jews present at that time – or you miss the entire point of what Jesus is saying. These words were spoken to the Jews at that time AND for you and me in our time. Also, please remember specifically, the words of Jesus are never random. His Words are always creative, causative, prophetic, and instructional, and are spoken to and for all people of all the ages.

We must grasp the reality, the immediacy and urgency of this fulfillment of prophecies in, as explained by Jesus in these last days – which are evidenced by the coming of John and of Jesus.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 12, The Sabbath, Unpardonable Sin, Words & Character, Signs, Relationships.

PREVIOUS:  THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 11:1-19, John’s Questions, Jesus’ Tribute to John.

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THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 11:1-19, John’s Questions, Jesus’ Tribute to John

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 11:1-19

John’s Questions, Jesus’ Tribute to John

John’s Questions

Matthew 11:1, When Jesus had finished giving (and commanding) instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach (and proclaim) in their cities.

(Commentary Break: Verse one is simply stated and easily overlooked. Jesus has finished giving instructions and continues to fulfill His mission and leads by example, by continuing to teach and preach in their cities!

This is the model and the way for each and every disciple of Christ, but particularly pastors and teachers and anyone else who would brazenly assume the role of a leader. Get out from behind your religious trappings and follow Jesus! (End Commentary Break).

Verse 2. Now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples, verse 3, and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to look (and wait) for someone else?” Verse 4. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: verse 5, those who are BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the POOR HAVE THE (GOOD NEWS of the) GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. Verse 6. And blessed is anyone (that is whoever) who does not take offense (and stumble over) Me.”

Jesus’ Tribute to John

Verse 7. As these disciples of John were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? Verse 8. But (well then), what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ (houses and) palaces!

Verse 9. But (well then), what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. Verse 10. This is the one about whom it has been written:

‘BEHOLD, I AM SENDING MY MESSENGER (BEFORE YOUR FACE), AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’

(Commentary Break: Jesus emphatically states, whether they know it or not, they shall see one who is a prophet, and more than a just a prophet!

Likewise, if you encounter a true prophet of God, your curiosity will turn into fear. You will not encounter the ordinary, but the extraordinary things of God. Your sins will be exposed, you will be humbled, and you will know the fear of God. You will mourn, you will hunger and thirst, and you will find seek and find mercy.

Jesus warns this crowd and gives us perspective of the natural order versus the Devine, our standing as citizens of earth before Christ Jesus and on our position as Christians in His Kingdom. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 11. Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

(Commentary Break: Jesus, in His tribute to John the Baptist, is reminding us that the greatness of men is measured by the divine not a human standard. ‘The prophet, who was more than a prophet’, the herald or the forerunner of the kingdom, was greater in his work, his holiness, his intuition of the truth, than the far-off patriarchs, Abraham, Moses, David or Solomon, and much greater than the conquerors and the destroyers. The Greek gives the comparative, not the superlative.

The death and the resurrection of Christ were indeed great points of the gospel, but to which John could only prophesy of, and not preach of, and declare us things in his time accomplished. So, Jesus explains and warns that the weakest Christian is greater in privileges than the greatest of the Old Testament saints.

 We are not to seek to attain earthly glory or status – even when they are beneficial and worthy things, for the best of earthly accomplishments fade to nothingness when compared to the glory and privileges, even the lowest of Christians will attain in the Kingdom of God. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force. Verse 13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. Verse 14. And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who (is going to come). Verse 15. The one who has ears to hear, (listen and) let him hear.

(Commentary Break: You might be better served to read a good commentary for the preceding verses (twelve through fifteen). However, it is certainly passive here. Luke’s phrase compels us to understand the reason of the violence is for entrance into the kingdom. The kingdom is not being ill-treated, but it is as if it were being taken by storm (Meyer). The violent, are men using strong force, men whose minds are made up and who do not care what force and power they employ to attain their object. Take it by force, i.e., ‘grasp it for themselves’ like rough and violent bandits seizing their prey. Our Lord is describing the energy with which some souls are pressing in, and using such energy, so their salvation is obtained. There is no thought of hostile purpose in these words. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 16. “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the other children, verse 17, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not (beat your breast and) mourn.’ Verse 18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ Verse 19. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy (wine) drinker, a friend of tax collectors and (irreligious Jews) and sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

(Commentary Break: These words of Jesus are often misunderstood or passed over because of their mysterious sounding nature and complexity. These are metaphors and colloquialisms known by the Jew, and if you were a Jew in that day, you would understand the references used.

It would be easy to assume that these words spoken to the gathering crowd are draped in sarcasm, when actually Jesus is issuing a stern warning. He is rhetorically asking the crowd why would they travel so far in such a desolate place? Did they make this journey only to see the ordinary and mundane, such as a commonplace reed blowing in the wind? What would be the point of travelling into the wilderness when you could see that anywhere? Or perhaps did they expect to see a man wearing royal clothing wandering about the wilderness? Nonsense. They are fooling no one but themselves!

Before continuing, please remember that these are creative, causative, prophetic and instructional words of Jesus. These words apply to you and to me today in the same way they applied to the crowds following Jesus. Grasping what Jesus is saying, teaching, prophesying and instructing is our obstacle to overcome.

Even in our day, crowds of people travel near and far after hearing about a miracle-worker, a prophet or a gifted man of God. They go to great lengths to be amazed, entertained or to receive a prophet’s miracle. Too often, however, when we seek out a prophet of God, we only find that which is very ordinary. But what did you really expect?

But if you encounter a true prophet of God, it will not be a commonplace thing. There will be no inspiring oratory, no magnificent stage presence, no entertainment, no magic.

Jesus uses a metaphor to describe the behavior of both observant and non-observant Jews as miscreant children, saying they are immature, selfish and childish. They are “like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates”, pretending that what is occurring is only a child’s game for their entertainment. But the seriousness and the reality of it is that, “John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and (yet you ‘childish people’ say), ‘He’s possessed by a demon. ’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ (End Commentary Break).

We must not think or behave like immature children through the rituals of “going to church and calling out to our ‘playmates’ seeking to entertain and to be entertained in the name of our religion, complaining when we don’t get what we want or expect.” In other words, we must stop ‘playing church’, and sense the gravity of the task before us as Christians.

“Wisdom is justified by her deeds”, and of us, it will be found out by way of our own deeds! There is no exception.

(End Chapter 11, verses 1 through 19. Next, Chapter 11, verses 20 through 30).

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS:  THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 10, Instructions for Service, A Hard Road, Discipleship and The Rewards.

NEXT:  THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 11:20-30, Unrepenting Cities, Come to Me

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RELEVANT

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

  1. The quality or state of being relevant; pertinent; applicability.
  2. Sufficiency to infer the conclusion.
  3. The property or state of being relevant or pertinent.

Many of us are looking for our place in the order of things. We have a desire to be relevant at some level. There are those fortunate few who are content in whatever circumstance they find themselves. But for the rest of us, whether we acknowledge it or not, we are constantly searching for some semblance of relevance, or even, in some small way, a bit of significance.

There are myriads of reasons that people look for relevancy, whether it is for recognition, confirmation, affirmation, the need to feel wanted, appreciated or loved. But the reasons for this are subjects of their own. And I don’t want to delve into why people are that way or how they got there. I want to relate this matter of seeking relevancy to those within the church.

Before I go any further, I will confess that I have been one of those who suffered this malady, and I will tell you from observation, from study and from personal experience, being relevant or receiving recognition, confirmation, affirmation, the need to feel wanted, appreciated or loved does not satisfy this craving. It only stokes the fires of passion within. And unless this is properly dealt with, for the unfortunate, it can go from a need to a craving and for many it can turn into the psychosis of narcissism.

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial matters. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they’re not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them. This is a truly serious matter and can have devastating effects, especially in the church.

It can be seen in those who crave positions within the church for visibility, individuality or influence, and recognition for admiration. Some common traits of people with narcissistic behavior that you may be able to spot are:

  1. A Sense of Entitlement

A common sign of people with narcissism is the belief that their opinions are superior to others and deserve special recognition. They believe that others should be accepting and more obedient to their views and wishes, and that all the rules don’t necessarily apply to them.

  1. Manipulative Behavior

Another common trait of narcissism is manipulative or controlling behavior. A narcissist will at first try to please you and impress you, but eventually, their own needs will always come first.

When relating to other people, narcissists will try to keep people at a certain distance in order to maintain control. They may even exploit others to gain something for themselves.

  1. Need for Admiration

One of the most common signs of a narcissist is a constant need for praise or admiration. People with this behavior need to feel validation from others and often brag or exaggerate their accomplishments for recognition. They also like to feel appreciated in order to boost their ego.

In the church, this is manifested in their superiority of Spiritual abilities, Spiritual gifting and leadership skills and accomplishments.

  1. Lack of Empathy

Lack of empathy is another sign of narcissism. This means that the narcissist is unwilling or unable to empathize with the needs, wants, or feelings of other people. They prefer to be in charge without collaborative groups. This also makes it difficult for them to take responsibility for their own behavior.

  1. Spiritual Superiority or Arrogance

People with narcissistic behavior already see themselves or their opinions as superior to others, so they may become curt, rude or abusive when they don’t receive the treatment or recognition they think they deserve. While they hold themselves superior, they may speak or act rudely toward those that they deem as holding faulty views or are spiritually inferior.

Other signs include:

  • A sense of self-importance, exaggerating their achievements and talents.
  • A preoccupation with fantasies of success, power, or brilliance.
  • A belief that they’re more special or unique in particular areas than others and should only seek out other high-status people for associations.
  • Envy of others or the belief that others are envious of them.
  • Insisting they have the best views of everything.
  • Feeling they deserve certain privileges and treatment.

This is sometimes seen in the leadership of a church. But it is particularly dangerous when it comes from the pulpit or from the pastor. This type of narcissism is sometimes considered as spiritual abuse.

Sometime misnamed as “visionary”,  “a controlling personality” or a “strict leadership”, narcissism is a psychosis and is usually well hidden behind what seem to be good intentions by the perpetrator.

Spiritual abuse is when a spiritual leader, such as a pastor, uses their power and influence to manipulate and control people.  A spiritual abuser is not concerned with promoting the well-being of those he serves. Rather, he’s only interested in how people can further his plans and agenda.

Few things cause Christians to become disillusioned more than being ripped to pieces by spiritual abuse in the church. Few things do more to sully the name of Jesus more than abusive spiritual leaders.

There are few things more dangerous to a church than a pastor who is extraordinarily endowed on the gifting side and extraordinarily deficient on the character side. That guy is a decaying tie rod waiting to break. The progress can be impressive until the character collapses.

Here are six bright red warning signs of spiritual abuse.

  1. He surrounds himself with “yes” people.
  2. Critics are isolated.
  3. Loyalty is prized over diversity.
  4. Refusing accountability.
  5. Leading by force of personality.
  6. Refusing to believe anything is wrong.

There are ways to cope with a narcissistic person whom you cannot avoid, like a close family member or a work associate. But within the church, it becomes difficult to improbable. If you try to avoid a narcissist in a close community, like a church, they will seek you out to correct you publicly, by any and all means necessary. So, avoidance rarely works there. In these situations, if you are confronted by a narcissistic person, be polite, do not engage in conversation, just move along. They will eventually move on to someone else.

If it is a pastor in the church, you probably should find another church. Your church is suffering from a psychosis.

You cannot “fix” a narcissist. DO NOT TRY. Don’t condemn them. Don’t argue with them. Don’t try to befriend them to win them over. Do not try to socialize with them. Do not talk about them.

Do pray for them, privately. Do love them from afar. Do be polite to them. Do keep your distance.

If you have been negatively affected by someone like this, feeling of betrayal, disappointment, hurt, anger, sorrow and distrust are normal, but you must get healing and move past them. If you do not, the effects will continue to wear you down.

  1. Pray to God for relief and wisdom.
  2. It is natural to grieve. But, it is also natural to get past this stage and end it.
  3. Seek Counselling.
  4. Find a confidant who does not know the offending parties or the church.
  5. Forgive as you are able.

If you find any of the traits mentioned in your own life, here is what you can do.

  1. Begin to pray honestly to God for wisdom.
  2. Get counselling.
  3. Deliberately avoid seeking any position or opportunity for recognition or praise.
  4. Find, study and memorize Bible verses about servanthood of the believer.
  5. Go to a confidant or your pastor and talk about your concerns.
  6. Trust God. He has this and He has you.

Having done these things, you have taken the step necessary to putting Jesus back on the throne of your life. I know it is much easier to give this advice than it is to do these things. But you can and you will.

“Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond servant.”

Your Brother and friend,

Mike Young

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 10, Instructions for Service, A Hard Road, Discipleship and The Rewards

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 10

Instructions for Service, A Hard Road, Discipleship and The Rewards

Let’s review the purpose of this study and commentary. First, it is for us, as His disciples and followers, to learn to walk in the steps of Jesus. We, have been commissioned and sent into all the world, to make disciples. We are to tell people about Him. We are to teach them to obey His words, and to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Book of Matthew presents us with the model and methods of Jesus, which are to be our models and methods in order to accomplish our mission.

Secondly, the purpose of this study is to concurrently seek and find the prophetic words of Jesus, in order to pursue and apply them to our lives. This task and exercise will lead us to call on and to walk in the Holy Spirit with His guidance and power.

(NOTE: Please. If it isn’t found in scriptures, it is not of God. Making conjecture ‘because it sound reasonable’ is error! If it isn’t here – don’t you dare!).

Finally, Jesus has told us we are to do the Works He has done and greater works than these, as He has gone to the Father.

If you are wondering about ‘these works’, you are not alone. The crowds that followed Jesus also asked, “What are we to do, so that we may habitually be doing the works of God?”  Jesus answered, “This is the Work of God: that you believe, [adhere to, trust in, rely on, and have faith] in the One whom He has sent.” (See John 6:28 & 29).

It is by this method – walking by faith, in the prophetic – that we are prepared and empowered to allow God to do His Works and even greater works – though our mortal bodies and through our lives.

The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service

Matthew 10:1, Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.

(Commentary Break: Here is the definition and use of the word ‘authority’ as used in Matthew 10 verse 1 from Strong’s Concordance: ‘eksousía’, meaning a conferred power; delegated empowerment (“authorization”), operating in a designated jurisdiction. The power to act; moral authority or influence in a quasi-personal sense, derived from later Judaism, of a spiritual power and hence of an earthly power.

It is being taught in many churches that the authority Jesus gave these twelve disciples has ended. It is being taught that this authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness was exclusive to them. The Bible never says nor infers that this authority was exclusive, restricted or withdrawn. Such an idea is a fabrication of men or women who have never seen or experienced such authority. IN FACT, the original twelve disciples are rarely shown exercising such authority, although there are examples to be referenced. (see Healings through the disciples).

Although there are few reports of legitimate miracles, casting out of demons or unclean spirits and healings, there are a number confirmed examples in our current day as well. But the main point to be made here is that unless the Bible clearly states an event has occurred, or has not occurred, whether or not a spiritual gift has been revoked or has not been revoked, then nothing has changed in the recorded scriptures. They are the Word and Breath of God and His is the same yesterday, today and forever.

If you simply cannot fathom the inerrancy or accuracy of the written Word of God, then it is your faith that is needs work, and not the Bible. (It would be best to pray about these matters and spend time studying and practicing The Word of God). (End Commentary Break).

Verse 2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; and [footnote ‘a’] James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Verse 3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Verse 4. Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who also betrayed Him.

(Commentary Break: This event is similar to Genesis, “in the beginning”. Jesus has set a prophetic mission in motion. Here, Jesus is calling and sending the first of many millions of disciples to follow. Then before His ascension, Jesus gave these final instructions, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” With the passing of these disciples, came the next wave with the same mission and calling; then the next, and the next, and the next, and now you!

Every called one who give his or her life to Jesus is a disciple of Jesus. Every disciple of Jesus is also commissioned and sent on this mission. No Christian is exempt, that is, no true follower of Jesus is exempt. This is the reason. This is the cause. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 5. These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go on a road to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of Samaritans; verse 6, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

(Commentary Break: These 12 were sent to the house of Israel. Soon after, Paul was sent to the Gentiles. The Gentiles have been grafted into the Olive Tree and are now one with Christ. There is now, therefore, no household, no race and no gender which is to be left behind. Although only the few will respond, all are to be called, (End Commentary Break).

Verse 7. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Verse 8. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Verse 9. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, verse 10, or a bag for your journey, or even two [footnote ‘j’] tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of their support.

(Commentary Break: This is still the Message, unlike so many of the preachers and evangelists of this age, today: “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

And, this is still the Method, unlike so many of the preachers and evangelists of this age, today: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give”.

And, these are still the Means, unlike so many of the preachers and evangelists of this age, “Do no acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandal, or a staff. For the worker is deserving of their support”. (End Commentary Break)

Verse 11. And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. Verse 12. As you enter the house, give it your greeting. Verse 13. If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Verse 14. And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet. Verse 15. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.

(Commentary Break: If you are to follow Jesus and obey His leading, this is His model – and please don’t parse His words saying something like, ‘that was then and this is now. Things have changed’. Yes, things have changed, but He has not changed. His Word and His Ways have not changed. You need the support and encouragement of staying with the right people.

Secondly, these instructions should be clear. Do not spend your time trying to convince anyone that Jesus is the way. Whoever does not receive you or listen to your words, simply shake the dust off your feet as you leave. It is Jesus who is doing the work of salvation, not you. You are just His earthly vessel. Don’t worry and don’t take credit. Just keep moving. (End Commentary Break).

A Hard Road Ahead of Them

Verse 16. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves. Verse 17. But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; Verse 18. and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. Verse 19. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour. Verse 20. For it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking in you.

Verse 21. “Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. Verse 22. And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

Verse 23. “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

Verse 24. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. Verse 25. It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house [footnote ‘u’] Beelzebul, how much more will they insult the members of his household!

Verse 26. “So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Verse 27. What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. Verse 28. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Verse 29. Are two sparrows not sold for an [footnote ‘w’] assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Verse 30. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Vesrs 31. So do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

(Commentary Break: Statics by Barna Group, a Christian oriented research firm, shows that pastors a quitting or are considering quitting ministry for the following reasons:

        • The immense stress of the job,
        • I feel lonely and isolated,
        • Current political divisions,
        • I am unhappy with the effect this role has had on my family,
        • I am not optimistic about the future of my church,
        • My vision for the church conflicts with the church’s direction,
        • My church is steadily declining,
        • I am not satisfied with my job,
        • I don’t feel respected by the congregants,
        • I don’t feel equipped to cope with ministry demands,
        • I don’t have what I need to be successful in my job,
        • I don’t feel supported by my staff,

Notice the “I”. As hard as it may be to hear, it is not about you, pastor. It about Him. Do your best to get your focus back on Him and His ways. And, re-read the previous verses in this chapter 10 of Matthew for help.

Also, you should know that if Jesus was persecuted, will be persecuted as well. Jesus warned, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (see Matthew 5:11). If you think this verse was referring solely to those outside the church, you are mistaken.

Read Jeremiah 12, verses 5 and 6, “[The LORD rebukes Jeremiah for his impatience, saying] “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace [where you feel secure], then how will you do [among the lions] in the [flooded] thicket beside the Jordan? For even your [tribal] brothers and the household of your father, even they have dealt treacherously (unfaithfully) with you; indeed they are [like a pack of hounds] howling after you. Do not believe them, although they may say kind words and promise you good things.” This is representative of the unfaithful in the church! (End Commentary Break).

Verse 32. “Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. Verse 33. But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Verse 34. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35. For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; verse 36, and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.

Verse 37. “The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Verse 38. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Verse 39. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.

(Commentary Break: It is unfair, almost deceitful, that churches and pastors don’t warn the new Christian what they are going to face after ‘praying that little sinner’s prayer’ in church. It is also unfortunate that Bible colleges and seminaries don’t adequately warn the young minds entering them, what they are actually going to engage upon graduation. It is a war.  A war that will divide families. A war that demands loyalty and obedience or will end with a dishonorable discharge with eternal consequences. It is a spiritual war and you are on the tip of God’s spear!

Here is the warning found in Hebrews 10, verses 32 through 38: “But remember the former days, when after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming companions with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul.” (End Commentary Break).

 The Reward for Service

Verse 40. “The one who [welcomes and] receives you [welcomes and] receives Me, and the one who [welcomes and] receives Me [welcomes and] receives Him who sent Me. Verse 41. The one who [welcomes and] receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who [welcomes and] receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. Verse 42. And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

(Commentary Break: These verses shows us the law of reciprocity in action.  Verse 42 could be restated to say, “And whoever gives one of these little ones [those with childlike faith, or anyone endeared to God through faith in Jesus] just a cup of cold water to drink [which is the smallest of gifts but great in a time of need] in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward [of kindness and generosity from God].” (End Commentary Break).

It would be a grave mistake to take this chapter lightly. These are the instructions for all disciples for all the ages. They are the narrow gate and the hard road which leads to great reward.

Luring people to the gates of heaven with false or overstated promises, entertainment, or man-pleasing or woman-pleasing programs or tactics is deceitful and have no place in His Church.

The Church is the Body of Christ, filled and led by the Holy Spirit, exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, and those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with it passions and desires. Please, dear friends, THINK ABOUT IT.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 11:1-19, John’s Questions, Jesus’ Tribute.

Previous: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 9, The Paralyzed Healed, Matthew Called, Fasting, Healing

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

DO YOU BELIEVE – OR DO YOU JUST BELIEVE IN?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

DO YOU

Can you say…

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day He rose again.

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Do you also believe in…

         

Please listen, dear friends, Many will say to Jesus on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then He will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

There is an important difference between believing IN something and BELIEVING. Those who BELIEVE Jesus, what He said and how He lived and what He has commanded us, are the ones who obey and keep His words.

But, those who do things because they just “BELIEVE IN” them, are the ones who are ‘practicing lawlessness’, and this is because they do things by their own will and volition.

So, if you say you believe IN Jesus, but do not do what He says, the way He says it, perhaps you simply believe IN Him.

The demons believed IN Jesus and shuddered, (see James 2:19). Interestingly, however, they shuddered because they also BELIEVED HIM. They BELIEVED and KNEW that Jesus meant every word He said, and He had the authority to do what He said.

Do you believe In Him – AND – Believe Him at His Word?

Do you know that Jesus said what He meant and meant every word He said – exactly as He said it?

Do you know and believe Jesus has the authority to DO what He said – and He will do it?

Do you ever shudder at the words of Jesus – knowing He will do what He says?

The Apostle James explains to us that, “faith works WITH your works. It is the result of your works that faith is perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called a friend of God. You see, that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”. (see James 1:22-24).

So, if you say you BELIEVE IN Jesus. But do you really BELIEVE HIM, if you neglect to DO exactly what He has said?

Not everyone who says to Jesus, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of His Father who is in heaven will enter.

You might say, “this isn’t fair. I am trying to do what He has commanded. I love Jesus. I honestly love Him!”

Okay, let’s talk about loving Jesus.

Jesus says, “If you LOVE ME, you will KEEP My commandments”, (see (John 14:15). In fact, a deeper look at this verse you will discover that the word “keep”, “téreó” in the Greek language, means to guard and to watch over, to continue to observe. This can be compared to the relationship between a baby and his or her mother. The mother watches and guards over the infant, lovingly nourishing her baby emotionally and physically. And the baby watches his or her mother intently, attaching to her in every way, until the infant, out of the deepest love only a baby can have for a mother, begins to reflect and imitate the mother’s expressions and behaviors which will endure of its lifetime.

So it is with us, who truly LOVE Jesus. As He watches over and guards us and nourishes us in every way, we watch Him in a true love relationship that only a born again believer can experience, until we begin to take on His attitude, expressions and behaviors out of a love only a child of God can truly know.

Additionally, this word “keep” could also be used to mean “obey”. For example, John 14:21 says, “The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me will be LOVED BY My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” This is from the word, as we have discussed, “téreó”.

There is the word, “peithó”, as used in Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you”. This word means to “obey” in the sense of obligation through persuasion. An external influence and control.

There is also the word, “hupakouó”, found in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”, which is to “obey” and authority figure out of duty. This is also used as a soldier would obey orders. Again, and external influence and control.

There are other meanings and uses of this word “obey”, all related to external commands.

But God is using the word “téreó” to express obedience through a relationship built on love and trust.

It is the one who not only BELIEVES IN JESUS, but the one who both BELIEVES IN HIM and BELIEVES HIM is the one who LOVES Him

The one who BELIEVES Jesus is the one who is the child of God. (John 1:12).

The one who BELIEVES Jesus is the joint-heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17).

The one who BELIEVES Jesus is called a friend by Jesus. (John 15:15).

The one who BELIEVES Jesus is the one who shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:3).

Conversely, and in love,

If you think you are important in the Kingdom of God, then you are not.

If you think you are not arrogant, then you are.

If you are proud of your accomplishments in the Church, you are simply proud.

If you think your ministry is vital in the Kingdom of God, it is not – and you need to check your vitals.

You have heard it said to Love God first. I say, Love the Lord your God, alone. Only He is worthy.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and all your strength. Then, Love others as God loves.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(PS: I talk to many Christians who misquote scriptures or say, “but here is what I believe” with little or no scriptural basis for their thoughts. It is like driving a car for the first time, with no steering wheel.)

(PSS: These are things I also need to learn, and that, I pray, I am learning, late in life, but thanks be to God, He is still teaching, and it’s never too late!)

The One World Government is Here – Part 2

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

The One World Government is Here – Part 2

(What We Can And Must DO About It)

(You can listen to this audio while you read along, then, you can stop the audio to follow a link, then, resume the audio when you are ready)

​     Everything you read in this article, “America Under Siege”, has been foretold through Biblical prophecy over 2,800 years ago.  Various New Testament writings by Jesus and the Apostles Paul, John and Peter, brought some clarity to these prophecies and gave clues to timelines along with certain instructions and warnings. Here are references in scriptures to the LAST DAYS. Please notice that the New Testament references were spoken in by the disciples or Apostles in or around A.D 35 to A.D 95, clearly showing that the LAST DAYS and the earliest steps of the tribulation had already begun; that is, Seals 1 through 5 were broken then, and have been overlapping and intensifying ever since those days, and only Seals 6 and 7 are yet to be broken open!

Old Testament References             New Testament References

​​Isaiah 2, 9, 11, 13                                   Matthew 24,

Micah 4                                                 Hebrews 1:2,

Jeremiah 30, 33, 50                            Hebrews 9:26,

Hosea 3                                                 1 Corinthians 10:11,

Joel 2, 3,                                                Acts 2:14-17,

Zechariah 8                                         2 Timothy 3:1,

Ezekiel 30.                                            1 Peter 1:20,

Amos 5                                                  1 Peter 4:7,

                                                                2 Peter 3:3.

                                                                5th Tribulation Seal

                                                                6th Tribulation Seal

It is important to know that ‘what we see with our eyes’, i.e., that which is manifest in the natural world, is simply a manifestation of what has already occurred in the spiritual realm. What the Bible has prophesied is now coming to pass, sometimes with frightening accuracy, and at other times giving us the greatest assurance that God is in control of all things. The past, present and future and determined and are now converging in these Last Days.

​     The intended purposes of this article are to correctly frame the context of current and past world events and the inexorable march toward a Socialist-Marxist One World Government, from a Biblical worldview, and to outline actionable steps of what we can and must take.

     American culture, societal norms, family structures, personal freedoms, legacy and history are being desecrated, destroyed and dissolved. Our Constitutional ‘guarantees’ are being ignored, violated and negated. You might say our Constitution is being shredded right before our eyes, and no one is doing anything to stop it.

​     The Democrat Party in America has adopted and is practicing Socialist-Marxism.  Their plan is the dissolution of our way of life with the plan of merging the United States into a confederation of a one world government.  (see, “Our Global Neighborhood“).

​     The so-called Conservative leadership in America has been either complicit, or has become ineffective, self-serving and cowardly – or both, when dealing with the forces of evil, the anti-Christ spirit prevalent in our world today. Those things may be changing for a short period. But make no mistake – what has been written in scriptures is coming to pass, and a time of tribulation is indeed at hand.

     Conservatives in congress are being soundly defeated in a political war for the soul and existence of America, which they don’t understand, using outdated methods against a foe who is expert at a new style of guerrilla warfare.

​     We are losing, and in fact, may have already lost our nation, our freedoms and our way of life, and it is getting worse, but there is a way.

​     The Marxist organization, UNESCO, through their Agenda 21, over the past 75 years, have developed an advanced framework for the dissolution of every nation’s sovereignty and borders.  Their plan, “when implemented, will bring all the people of the world into a global neighborhood managed by a world-wide bureaucracy, under the direct authority of a minute handful of appointed individuals, and policed by thousands of individuals, paid by accredited NGOs, certified to support a belief system which contains ideas that are foreign to the American experience, and ignores other values and ideas that are precious to the American experience.” (The Commission on Global Governance, 1996; also see, Global Governance, Our Global Neighborhood, The Report of the Commission on Global Governance)

​     There was a World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in New York City, NY, USA, September 15-17, 2015, in which a date of 2030 has been set for complete global dominance by this Marxist global movement.

​     As of this date, August 31, 2021, these Globalists, have been embedded in our U.S.government, in our legal system at every level, in our religious systems, in our churches, in our school, colleges and institutions of higher education. Over 406 American cities are members of “Local Governments for Sustainability”, which is the Agenda 21 (renamed as Agenda 2030) program at the local level.  Also known as “ICLEI”, an international Marxist and Socialist leaning sustainability organization, that helps to implement the Agenda 21 and Local Agenda 21 concepts across the world. The United States has nearly half of the ICLEI’s global membership of 1,200 cities promoting sustainable development at a local level. (Former presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush, were responsible for promoting and implementing these Marxists programs in America.)

​(PLEASE NOTE: Links on these pages contain important details and are used in lieu of footnotes and citations.)

​     UNESCO, Agenda 21 and their various entities are using Marxist methods to erase and eradicate the culture, history and legacy of the countries and nations both in Europe and in America.

​     It is made more difficult to stop the dissolution of our America, since we, in America, have forgotten the principles upon which our country was built.  The principles which made America the greatest nation the world has ever seen are principles which spring from the Judeo-Christian ethos.  This is reflected in all our founding documents and in the personalities and lives of our founding fathers.

​     The spiritual evil swallowing our Nation has always lurked in our world, infecting and infesting the minds of people who, then, manifest this evil on earth, killing, stealing and destroying everything good.  Because of our Nation was founded on Biblical principles, and our nation trusted and followed God, we have been protected and blessed.  Now, we have gone our own way and forgotten God and His Ways, or we have mixed evil with good and call it normal, so judgment has come.

     As noble as it would be to restore our Nation to her Christian roots and to regain our lost freedoms, it would take an extraordinary effort and compromise is unacceptable. WE cannot allow evil ways to roost with God’s plan and principles, and this kind of effort will not occur by natural means alone.

​     But there is still hope. There are still some Americans willing to carry this fight to the enemy, and would be willing to make the commitment if they knew who to follow, knew just what to do and how to do it.

     But, it appears there will be no help from the leadership of any existing political, social and few if any religious organization. It would have to be a true grassroots movement with a new type of leadership. It will take fearless men and women who are full of faith in God, who will not compromise on God’s Word and Ways, who will not surrender nor will they quit, even in the face of ruin or death; it will take a remnant.

​     The following pages will articulate the steps we must take to engage the enemy and drive this manifest evil from our land.  I have abbreviated, simplified these steps, but they will work if you and I will do them.  It will take each one of us doing our part.

     So, please, as God’s people, let’s stop living in fear and confusion.  Let’s stop lamenting, crying, complaining and despairing and let’s get to work.  Please follow this link to page 2, “OUR STRUGGLE”

​“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, and the accuser of our brethren will be thrown down, that is, he who accuses us before our God day and night. And we will overcome him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of our testimony, and we do not love our life even when faced with death.”  (Paraphrase of Revelation 12:10-11).

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  “America Under Siege – The Marxist Dialectic”

Previous: The One World Government is Here – Part 1

The One World Government is Here

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

Over the last seventy-five-plus years, global governmental and non-governmental organizations, under the planning and direction of various United Nations organizational branches have successfully collaborated in the establishment of an emergent One World (Marxist-style) Government. And you might be surprised that it has a branch office in your state, your city, or in your town! (More on that, below).

The framework for this Global Government is now operational and for the most part, firmly established in many cities in America and around the world. Although, by their own admission, there is the ongoing work of expansion of powers and additional infrastructure to be done.

The following will help you understand the key players in this One World Confederation, their objective, methodologies, their location and the very real and deadly veiled threat.

These pictorials show the primary and main players in the emerged ‘Global Community’, or more nefariously known as the One World Government. All these entities are cooperating and coordinating the implementation of a Global Marxist-style Government under the guise creating a global community for humanity’s welfare. But when view through a historical lens, you will see what and who they really are.

                                                                                  

   

    

The goal of this article is that the reader, and particularly the American reader, will get the point that there is an efficiently organized entity shaping and driving the redevelopment of America. It is embedded in our political systems of government at the highest levels. It controls or influences almost all of our legal systems (jurisprudence), our enforcement organizations (Police, FBI, CIA, our Military and academies), all levels of our educational systems, Labor, our Social Order, arts and our media and now, our religious institutions our churches and it is now in your homes.

(Knowledge is power. So, please choose to read these articles and all the related links – which will take considerable time – but failure to become informed and equipped to counter this emerged threat is at the expense of your beloved nation and at your own peril. Please, choose to take the time. Be informed, Be active. Get involved.)

The United Nations, with the cooperation of several other global entities, has worked tirelessly and efficiently, particularly over the last eighty years, to develop and implement what has become to be known as the (Marxist) U.N. Agenda 2030.

Here is a very brief time-outline of the developmental stages of the establishing of the emerging One World Government:

1944 – The New Global Marxist Regime Begins…

  As early as 1944.

First, please Read this introduction by the Commission for Global Governance.

1946 – The emergence of a single world culture by transferring full sovereignty from separate nations to a world organization.

“The task before UNESCO, (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization a specialized agency of the United Nations claiming to be aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture)” said its first Director-General Julian Huxley in 1946, “is the emergence of a single world culture by transferring full sovereignty from separate nations to a world organization. The “new world order” will be a socialist, authoritarian global government and court with “global rule of law” and a “one-world economy,”. The recommendations of the Commission on Global Governance, if implemented, will bring all the people of the world into a global neighborhood managed by a world-wide bureaucracy, under the direct authority of a minute handful of appointed individuals, and policed by thousands of individuals, paid by accredited NGOs, certified to support a belief system which contains ideas that are foreign to the American experience, and ignores other values and ideas that are precious to the American experience. The Leftist are destroying America’s legacies – is Christianity their last obstacle?

 

1958 – A prophetic warnings from his speech in 1958, “An Insider’s Plan to Destroy America”,

Robert Welch’s prophetic warnings from his speech in 1958, “An Insider’s Plan to Destroy America”, are now a reality in America’s politics, economy, schools and society: see this article “Joe Biden – Barack Obama – Karl Marx and the United Nations” or simply watch this video, “A prophetic speech in 1958, by Robert Welch”.

 

1987 – V.P. of the World Socialist Party, Gro Harlem Brundtland, coins the term Sustainable Development; a code word and action for a Global Social-Marxism.

Agenda 21 – what-is-it and where did it originate? Produced by the United Nations World Commission on Environmental and Development, authored by Gro Harlem Brundtland, VP of the World Socialist Party, the term Sustainable Development was first introduced to the world in the pages of a 1987 report (Our Common Future).

 

1990 – An international non-governmental organization that promotes ‘sustainable development’.

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (or simply ICLEI) is an international non-governmental organization that promotes sustainable development. ICLEI provides technical consulting to local governments to meet sustainability objectives.

Founded in 1990 and formerly known as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, the international association was established when more than 200 local governments from 43 countries convened at its inaugural conference, the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York in September 1990.

As of 2020, more than 1,750 cities, towns, counties, and their associations in 126 countries are a part of the ICLEI network.

Here is a comprehensive list of the U.S. Cities operating as surrogates for the American Democrat implemented, Socialist takeover of America.

Click this link for the I.C.L.I.I. Member’s List by City or County, then State. (Count, 315) as of 3/22/2024.

 

1992 – The United States is a signatory country to Agenda 21.

The term was first offered as official U.N. policy in 1992, in a document called UN Sustainable Development Agenda 21, issued at the U.N.’s Earth Summit, today referred to simply as Agenda 21.

Agenda 21 has now become involved in forty areas ranging from SOCIAL and ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS to poverty, consumption issues, health matters, deforestation, legal instruments and implementation and everything in between, including The World Health Organization, which is closely allied to and aligned with the World Summit on Sustainable Development.  The World Health Organization has revamped their website to conceal this fact.  Their previous web address was Who.int/wssd/en/, but when you click the link, you will find they have concealed any mention of the WSSD.

The United States is a signatory country to Agenda 21. But adherents quickly remind us that because Agenda 21 is “a legally non-binding statement of intent” and not a treaty, the United States Senate did not hold a formal debate or vote on it. It is therefore not considered to be law under Article Six of the United States Constitution, or say they say.

 

1992 – President GEORGE H.W. BUSH was one of the 178 heads of government who signed the final text of the agreement at the Earth Summit in 1992; Signing Resolution 353, supporting Agenda 21 in the United States.

(click on the image for his speech on a One World Government).

 However, President GEORGE H.W. BUSH was one of the 178 heads of government who signed the final text of the agreement at the Earth Summit in 1992, and in the same year Representatives NANCY PELOSI, Eliot Engel and William Broomfield spoke in support of United States House of Representatives Concurrent Resolution 353, supporting implementation of Agenda 21 in the United States.

 

1993 – BILL CLINTON, signed a 1993 Executive Order, creating the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD), making it the law.

Then president, BILL CLINTON, signed a 1993 Executive Order, creating the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) is explicitly charged with recommending a national action plan for sustainable development to the President. So, bypassing Congress, Clinton, made it law.

 

1996 – The President’s Council on Sustainable Development formulate recommendations for the implementation of Agenda 21 in the U.S.

The President’s Council on Sustainable Development is composed of leaders from government and industry, as well as from environmental, labor and civil rights organizations.

The President’s Council on Sustainable Development submitted its report, “Sustainable America: A New Consensus”, to the President in early 1996. In the absence of a multi-sectoral consensus on how to achieve sustainable development in the United States, the President’s Council on Sustainable Development was conceived to formulate recommendations for the implementation of Agenda 21.

In the United States, over 528 American cities are members of “Local Governments for Sustainability” or “ICLEI”, is an international Marxist and Socialist leaning sustainability organization, that helps to implement the Agenda 21 and Local Agenda 21 concepts across the world. The United States has nearly half of the ICLEI’s global membership of 1,200 cities promoting sustainable development at a local level.

 

2015 – Agenda-21 becomes Agenda-2030, designating a completion date of the year 2030.

The Newest name for this United Nations organization is ‘Agenda 2030’, from which springs The Sustainable Development Goals or S.D.G. These goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. The 17 Goals were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals. ‘Twenty-thirty’ designates the year their goals of Global domination will be completed. (See the Agenda 2030 – the U.N. and Global Marxism.)

 

2019 – The World Economic Forum and the United Nations signed a Strategic Partnership Framework outlining areas of cooperation to deepen institutional engagement and jointly accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The World Economic Forum and the United Nations signed a Strategic Partnership Framework, June 13, 2019, outlining areas of cooperation to deepen institutional engagement and jointly accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The framework was drafted based on a mapping of existing collaboration between the two institutions and will enable a more strategic and coordinated approach towards delivering impact. The Great Reset

The Capitalist, Published June 26, 2020 (Excerpt)

“Quietly, while the coronavirus pandemic distracted the world, a group of liberal “key global governmental and business leaders” met in Switzerland and planned the next coup d’etat to take over the global economy. Many call it The Great Reset. It also means “dangerous times for those who support individual liberties and free markets.”

The World Economic Forum will hold a summit next year to further their initiative. According to them, “The Great Reset is a commitment to jointly and urgently build the foundations of our economic and social system for a more fair, sustainable and resilient future. It requires a new social contract centered on human dignity, social justice and where societal progress does not fall behind economic development.” At least according to Marxist standards and views.

“What it is really trying to accomplish is using the coronavirus pandemic as a cover. They’re aiming for a renewed push for Socialism and climate change initiatives.”

 

2019 – One World Government & The One World Church.

THE ABRAHAMIC FAMILY HOUSE

Christianity and the Church has been an obstacle to the establishment of the One World Government. But world forces as described in this expose, have worked tirelessly to counter the Christian Church with a New World Religious Order – The One World Church.

This one world church is ecumenical and synchronistic. Here is their stated objective: The Abrahamic Family House will be a beacon of mutual understanding, harmonious coexistence, and peace among people of faith and goodwill. It consists of a mosque, church, synagogue, and educational center to be built on Saadiyat Island, the cultural heart of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Through its design, it captures the values shared between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and serves as a powerful platform for inspiring and nurturing understanding and acceptance between people of goodwill. The vision for the Abrahamic Family House originated after the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in February 2019. This landmark will be a place for learning, dialogue, and worship – open to all and a true reflection of the UAE’s belief in tolerance and hospitality. Within each of the houses of worship, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about religious services, listen to holy scripture, and experience sacred rituals. A fourth space—not affiliated with any specific religion—will be an educational center where all people can come together as a single community devoted to mutual understanding and peace. The Abrahamic Family House will host a variety of programming and events—from daily religious services to international summits. (Here is a link to their website: The Abrahamic Family House.)

This effort will enable the Marxist One World Movement to more easily migrate Jews and Catholics into this One World Religion.

Also, Abu Dhabi bears great significance in the 10 Nation confederation which will align against Israel in the Final Days, as foretold in scriptures. Please see The Qatar Connection!

2020 – U.N. BACKED “GREAT RESET” TO USHER IN NEW WORLD ORDER

THE NEW AMERICAN, The New American – Europe; UN-Backed “Great Reset” to Usher in New World Order, July 15, 2020, Alex Newman, (Excerpt).  Get ready for a lot less freedom and prosperity, and a lot more government — at least if the elites get their way.  After peddling coronavirus lockdowns that crushed the economy and funding riots that terrorized the public under the guise of fighting “systemic racism,” Deep State globalists are stepping in to offer their proposed “solution” to the crises they themselves unleashed: A “Great Reset” to transform the world and everything in it, supposedly for the benefit of the masses, but really for the benefit of the ruling classes.

 

2021 –  The Selling Out of America

Did Joe Biden Secretly Sell Out America?

H.R.1319 – American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Although the A.R.P.A., the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 has been a budgetary disaster for the future of America and the demise of our way of life, if you ahve ever wondered why most of the media outlets, most universities and colleges, most corporations, many state legislatures and governors, practically every government agency and even the American Medical Association support Joe Biden’s $2 trillion American Rescue Act Plan in one way or another? Read the Act.

 

2022 – the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York

One of the tentacles of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 is the ICLEI was formerly known as the ‘International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives’. This international association was established when more than 200 local governments from 43 countries convened at its inaugural conference, the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York in September 1990.

 

2024 – Attempted Assassanation (by the Globalists?)

THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

The investigations and the inquiries are still ongoing and we may never know all the facts. But a few things are abundantly clear: (1). A 20 year old boy, climbed atop a nearby building in plain view of others, who had no training in weaponry nor was a skilled shooter, managed to take several shots at the president, hitting him in the right ear, while people shouted warnings and the police and secret service did nothing until after it was clear he had wounded the president and killed or wounded innocent bystanders. It was only then, that a Secret Service sniper ‘killed the evidence’ by shooting the would-be assassin.

(2). Although it is thought that the would-be assassin worked alone, it is clear that no 20 year old boy could have pulled this kind of feat off on his own.

(3). No highly trained organization such as the Secret Service, the FBI and the local police could have accidently missed this as or before it occurred.

(4). There is a coverup going on.

(5). Donald Trump has been and continues to be a formidable obstacle to the completed implementation of a One World Government and a One World Religion.

This is the abbreviated timeline. We are up to date.

Our nation and our world is on the fast track to a One World Govenment and the earthly forces driving this quest will not be denied.

PEEKING THROUGH THE KEYHOLE?

Almost every person I talk with or listen to, when it comes to the state of our Nation and the world, I hear regurgitated ‘sound bites’. Sound bites are the extracts from a speech or interview used as edited into a news or other broadcast, such as an interview clip, especially seen as particularly expressive or pithy, but without little basis in fact or reality. When you listen to these ‘sound bites’, it is like looking through a keyhole. You can see only what the key hole is focused on.

For example: “If we would put the Bible back in the school system things would get better”, or “the problem with our government is that the (name a political party) will take away our freedoms”, “It’s a woman’s right to choose”, “None of us is safe until all of us are safe”, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”, “He digs deepest who deepest digs”, “The war to end all wars”, “People not profit”, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

These ‘sound bites’ are good for little, except to indoctrinate, or to be used as rhetoric to inflame the populace and to incite them to vote a particular way, or to hate their opposition. They are used for what I will call ‘igniting brushfires.’ Brushfires, which are usually troublesome but temporary issues created to distract people from what is really going on in the highest circles of power.

What is going on within our government and society is obscured by these ‘brush fire issues’. We spend our time and energy bickering and complaining about these brushfire issues, so we never get to the cause of the problems. The culprits, the instigators and the originators of our most serious problems, therefore, remain hidden in plain sight.

(PLEASE STOP FOCUSING ON THE ANCILLARY EVENTS)

The foregoing timeline and ESSAY are TO CLAIRIFY WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN OUR WORLD and how we got here. I have formatted this article as a timeline so you can see why these things began, when they started, how they have evolved, where we are today and where we are headed.

The culprit behind all the division in our country and the world is the drive toward the formation of a global community, also known as a One World Government. 

And, the first recorded effort is the biblical account of The Tower of Babel, in the year 2242 B.C. By that account you can easily see that such an ideology is counter to God’s plan for this world – that being humankind determines his or her own fate.

I will present a followup article explaining “What We Can Do” to survive and even thrive through this “Great Reset”, or as the Bible calls it, “These Last Days”.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: The One World Government is Here – Part 2

43 Additional article on the Global Movement to a One World Government.

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 9 – The Paralyzed Healed, Matthew Called, Fasting, Healing

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 9

The Paralyzed Healed, Matthew Called, Fasting, Healing

There are those who will tell you that the Bible was written to certain people at certain times or for particular and specific reasons. That is incorrect. The Bible is written to every person, for all times and for all the right reasons. Put more succinctly, the Bible is God’s Word, His breathed out Word, a love letter of instruction for life, both now and for eternity, written specifically to you so you may know the Lord, follow Him and do His will.

Jesus meant every word he said and said every word He meant to say. We cannot add to it and we must not take away from it. It is personal and it is powerful. Handle it with care. It is explosive.

Jesus, in this chapter, continues to teach His disciples and minister to the masses.  Please, pray and ask God for insight, wisdom and understanding in the Chapter. Please read carefully and know that these are your instructions for life.  Watch for your calling through these Words.

A Paralyzed Man Healed

Matthew 9:1, Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to His own city. Verse 2. And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “Take courage, [footnote ‘a’] son; your sins are forgiven.” Verse 3. And some of the scribes said [footnote ‘b’] to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” Verse 4. And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Verse 5. For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? Verse 6. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”, then He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” Verse 7. And he got up and [footnote ‘c’] went home. Verse 8. But when the crowds saw this, they were [footnote ‘d’] awestruck, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

(Commentary Break: These verses give us an example of what happens when frail people become arrogant and think they speak for God. We accuse and condemn. In this case the scribes misunderstood the meaning of the words ‘sin’ and ‘forgiven’, or perhaps the simply assigned their own meanings, thereby changing the Word of God by adding to it – like many theologians, Bible teachers and pastors do today.

We might equate Biblical ‘sin’ with Biblical ‘transgression’, which translates as ‘lawless disobedience’, and is similar but separate from sin. ‘Transgressions’ are willful, reckless, disobedient, and deliberate rebellion toward God and His Word.

 The word ‘sin’, however, comes from the Greek word ‘Hamartía’, which means ‘to miss the mark’. Hamartia is a noun derived from the words ‘not’ and ‘a part or a share of’; ‘no part of, a loss or forfeiture from not hitting the target, i.e., missing the mark. The idea can be equated to an old English term used in archery competition. When an archer would miss the target, the judge would shout, “sin!” which meant the archer had missed the target. This should cause us to ask, “what is the target” when spoken in Biblical terms?

 The ”target” is God’s Will for your life. Besides your obedience to Him, it is His Will that none perish, but all come to repentance. It is His Will that the obedient would not just have life but they would have an abundant life. It is His will that you would prosper just as your soul prospers. So, when you sin, the remedy is a contrite and humble confession of your sin, and He will forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness.

 Finally, this public healing of a paralytic caused people to be “awestruck, so they would glorify God, who had given such authority to men”. Now the questions remain, are you and I awestruck and do we glorify God? And, why or why not?  We should answer and resolve these questions in our own lives. (End Commentary Break).

 Matthew Called

Verse 9. As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

Verse 10. Then it happened that as [footnote ‘e’] Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [footnote ‘f’] sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. Verse 11. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” Verse 12. But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Verse 13. Now go and learn [footnote ‘g’] what this means: ‘I DESIRE [footnote ‘h’] COMPASSION, [footnote ‘i’] RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

(Commentary Break: At first glance, these verses would seem to be a simple narrative. But think about them. Jesus sees a man called Matthew, sitting in a tax collector’s office and says to him, “Follow Me!” And Matthew got up and followed Him. No questions, just obedience. Compare this to your response to the spoken and written Word of God to you and your response to Him.

Secondly, it is interesting to know that the words “Jesus sees a man” is correctly translated as “Jesus sees a man and he perceived everything about that man, and Jesus’ call to Matthew, “Follow Me!” is an imperative command with gravity and force. It is not an optional request.

Finally, see that the Gospel Message is for all who will have ears to hear. But, Jesus targets the sinners of this world. The ones who have missed the mark. (End Commentary Break).

The Question about Fasting

Verse 14. Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

Verse 15. And Jesus said to them, “The [footnote ‘j’] attendants of the groom cannot mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. Verse 16. But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for [footnote ‘k’] the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Verse 17. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Miracles of Healing

Verse 18. While He was saying these things to them, behold, [footnote l’]’ a synagogue [footnote ‘m’] official came and [footnote ‘n’] bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.” Verse 19. Jesus got up from the table and began to accompany him, along with His disciples.

Verse 20. And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the [footnote ‘o’] border of His [footnote ‘p’] cloak; verse 21, for she was [footnote ‘q’] saying [footnote ‘r’] to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will [footnote ‘s’] get well.” Verse 22. But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has [footnote ‘t’] made you well.” And [footnote ‘u’] at once the woman was [footnote ‘v’] made well.

Verse 23. When Jesus came into the [footnote ‘w’] official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, verse 24, He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. Verse 25. But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl [footnote ‘x’] got up. Verse 26. And this news spread throughout that land.

Verse 27. As Jesus went on from there, two men who were blind followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” Verse 28. And after He entered the house, the men who were blind came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They *said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Verse 29. Then He touched their eyes, saying, “[footnote ‘y’] It shall be done for you according to your faith.” Verse 30. And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows about this!” Verse 31. But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that land.

Verse 32. And as they were going out, behold, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak [footnote ‘z’] was brought to Him. Verse 33. And after the demon was cast out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever [footnote ‘aa’] been seen in Israel.” Verse 34. But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

Verse 35. Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.

Verse 36. Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were [footnote ‘ab’] distressed and downcast, like sheep [footnote ‘ac’] without a shepherd. Verse 37. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Verse 38. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

(Commentary Break: The foregoing verses speak for themselves.. But the recurring theme is that ‘their faith has made them well’, as we discussed in the last chapter.  

It is also interesting that although the Pharisees, the lawmakers, would slander and castigate Jesus, but that Jesus would continue to teach in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every sickness. Let me repeat those last words: healing every disease. Healing every sickness. (End Commentary Break).

Jesus preached to everyone. But He has a heart for ‘the distressed, the downcast, those like sheep without a shepherd’.

It seems that many larger churches, now-a-days, while working hard to do the work of the Gospel, are leaving so many feeling like they are nothing more an audience – and sadly, the sheep have come to willingly accept that they are ‘the managed’, but without a shepherd. While the church has appointed shepherds and appoints others as ‘under shepherds’, such as deacons and elders, they still collect themselves together and lift one another up in ministry. It seems, far too often, that the sheep are just additional work and provide employment. This should not be so. We must come together in unity as the Church, each doing as he or she is called and appointed. No one is greater than any other. There is no professional and there is no laity. We are all one under Christ. We are all “ministers being built up into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. (see 1 Peter 2:5).

The words, teachings and instructions contained in the Bible are for our rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness, so that we, the man or woman of God, may be fully capable and equipped for every good work.  Anything less is a counterfeit.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  (coming soon) THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 10,  Instructions for Service, A Hard Road, Discipleship and The Rewards

PREVIOUS:  THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 8,  Jesus Heals Leprosy, The Centurion’s Faith, Jesus Heals Others, The Disciples Tested, Jesus Calms the Storm, Casting our Demons

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