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 BOTTOM LINE – The Marxist Utopia – 2030

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“THE BOTTOM LINE”

The Marxist Utopia – 2030

You might ask why a Christian writer, blogger, pastor or evangelist would choose to write about Marxism? I am doing it because many people do not fully understand the aims, techniques, methods, goals and end results of Marxism, Communism or any of the precursor or variant ideologies, such as Socialism.

I am doing it because many people are woefully unaware of the Global rise of Marxism which is imprisoning nation after nation into its deadly snare.

I am doing it because Marxism and its variants are the sworn mortal enemy of Christianity and every Christian on earth. Communism, at last count, has murdered over 259,000,000 people since 1900, in its quest to ‘save the world‘.

Marxism is the antithesis of everything honest, fair, decent and right. Marxism is evil incarnate.

Please read these quotes by the fathers of Communism, Marxism and Leninism to make this point:

  • “Take away a nation’s heritage, and they are more easily persuaded.“ (historical landmarks torn down, religious symbolism destroyed, rewriting of history).
  • “Communism begins where atheism begins. “ (Church attendance is falling to dramatic lows; over 50% of those attending church don’t believe the Bible is true or that Jesus was born of a virgin, and more.)
  • “The education of all children, from the moment that they can get along without a mother’s care, shall be in state institutions.” (Government control of education, ‘no child left behind’, Critical race theory taught at all levels of schools, national association of teachers (Marxists in nature), Federal Education Department.)
  • “We have no compassion, and we ask no compassion from you. When our turn comes, we shall not make excuses for the terror.” (Black Lives Matter, Antifa, burning down our cities, killing people, Defund Police movement, murder in our streets, schools and churches, and the LEFT blames the gun.)
  • “The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism.” (This is the rally cry of the American democrat party.)
  • “If you can cut the people off from their history, then they can be easily persuaded.” (Revision of text books, historical data, historical sites.)
  • “The democratic concept of man is false, because it is Christian. The democratic concept holds that each man is a sovereign being. This is the illusion, dream, and postulate of Christianity.” (Paganism taught in schools, government and many churches.)
  • There are, besides, eternal truths, such as Freedom, etc., that are common to all states of society. But Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis; it therefore acts in contradiction to all past historical experience.”
  • “The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all private property.”
  • “When the sufferers learn to think, then the thinkers will learn to suffer.”
  • “The Communists everywhere support every revolutionary movement against the existing social and political order of things. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. “
  • “The last capitalist we hang shall be the one who sold us the rope. “
  • A heavy or progressive or graduated income tax is necessary for the proper development of Communism. “
  • “The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion.
  • “The unity is brought about by force. “
  • “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. “
  • “There is no greater stupidity than for people to marry and so surrender themselves to the small miseries of domestic and private life. “
  • “Taxes are the source of life for the bureaucracy, the army and the court, in short, for the whole apparatus of the executive power. Strong government and heavy taxes are identical. “

The foregoing are quotes by  Karl Marx, one of the founding fathers of Communism and the namesake of Marxism.

 

 

Now, please read these quotes by Lenin:

  • “Give me your four-year-olds, and in a generation I will build a socialist state. “
  • “We can and must write in a language which sows among the masses hate, revulsion, and scorn toward those who disagree with us. “
  • “The press should be not only a collective propagandist and a collective agitator, but also a collective organizer of the masses. “
  • “The goal of socialism is communism. “
  • “Why should freedom of speech and freedom of press be allowed? Why should a government which is doing what it believes to be right allow itself to be criticized? It would not allow opposition by lethal weapons. Ideas are much more fatal things than guns. Why should any man be allowed to buy a printing press and disseminate pernicious opinions calculated to embarrass the government? “
  • “The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation. “
  • “People always have been, and they always will be, stupid victims of deceit and self-deception in politics. “
  • “Give me just one generation of youth, and I’ll transform the whole world. “
  • “One man with a gun can control 100 without one. “
  • “As an ultimate objective, “peace” simply means communist world control.”
  • “Atheism is a natural and inseparable part of Marxism, of the theory and practice of scientific socialism. Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism. “
  • “It is, of course, much easier to shout, abuse, and howl than to attempt to relate, to explain. “
  • “Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism. “
  • “One of the basic conditions for the victory of socialism is the arming of the workers Communist and the disarming of the bourgeoisie to the middle class.”
  • “The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves. “
  • “Give us the child for eight years, and it will be a Bolshevik forever. “
  • “There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel. “
  • “We are not shooting enough professors. “
  • “Germany will militarize herself out of existence, England will expand herself out of existence, and America will spend herself out of existence. “
  • “It is necessary – secretly and urgently, to prepare the terror. “
  • “The establishment of a central bank is 90% of communizing a nation. “
  • “We want to achieve a new and better order of society: in this new and better society there must be neither rich nor poor; all will have to work. Not a handful of rich people, but all the working people must enjoy the fruits of their common labor. Machines and other improvements must serve to ease the work of all, and not to enable a few to grow rich at the expense of millions and tens of millions of people. This  is the new and better society, and it is called a socialist society. “
  • “There can be nothing more abominable than religion.”

The foregoing are quotes by Vladimir Lenin, founder of Communist Leninism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many academics and highly regarded politicians proffered that Communism was dying and would indeed be dead by the end of the 20th century. Now, in the 21st century Communist Marxism has risen from its preordained grave to disprove the obituaries,  and has defiantly announced that it will have attained its longstanding goals by the year 2030 (hence the U.N.E.S.C.O’s Agenda-2030).

One such ominous and brash announcement was made by the first Director-General of The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Julian Huxley in 1946,   “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). Huxley bragged, “U.N.E.S.C.O. 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.

On their surface, these lofty sounding goals seem irresistible. But they will neither be what they seem nor will the methods used to implement these goals nor the end results be what anyone expects.

Nonetheless, these Marxist Globalists are so certain and emboldened by their victories that these United Nations entities, with the complicity and support of the World Economic Forum, have published numerous intermediate documents parading their success and outlining their final goals.

In order to make this simple, here is a video by the World Economic Forum, brazenly telling about your loss of freedoms, rights of choice and self-government and proclaiming “you will own nothing, and you will be happy!”

  1. You will own nothing – and you will be happy (one way or another; like it or not).You will rent what you need.
  2. The U.S. won’t be the world’s leading superpower – a handful of countries will dominate (a.k.a., a one-world government).
  3. You will eat much less meat – it will be an occasional treat and not a staple, FOR THE GOOD OF THE ENVIRONMENT and your health.
  4. A billion people will be displaced by climate change (the Globalists have been saying this for decades but there is no evidence of an onset).
  5. “We” will do a better job of “welcoming and integrating refugees” (a.k.a., illegal aliens, for the sake of homogenizing the world through Globalism).
  6. There will be a (greater) carbon tax for oil and gas producers to make fossil fuels obsolete.
  7. “Our” focus and main effort is to find another inhabitable planet.
  8. Western values have been tested (a.k.a., assaulted by Marxist) to the breaking point – the (redefined) principles of democracy must not be forgotten. (presented by THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM).

The antithesis is:

  1. A Communist-Marxist system provides that The State is the sole owner of all goods, production and currencies and distributes them as it sees fit. The Bible says that it is good to work and enjoy the fruit of you own labors.
  2. The Bible warns against another ‘Tower of Babel’ scenario. The United Nations and the World Economic forum have worked ceaselessly in creating a one-world government. God will intervene once again.
  3. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:1-5, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
  4. There is good reason to expect climate change.
    1. It has been changing continuously since the creation of the earth.
    2. The Bible says horrific climate change is coming with the Great and Terrible day of the Lord, also known as the Great Tribulation (see Matthew chapter 24:29-31 and Revelation chapters 6,7, and 8.
  5. (See #1 and #2 in the first list above). A method to integrate and consolidate the world’s population for mass control.
  6. (See #1 and #2 in the first list above). A method to control the world’s population via energy production.
  7. (see #2 in the first list above). The Bible says “they will build a ‘tower’ to reach the heavens so nothing will be impossible to them”.
  8. Democracy is dead and dying. A redefinition of democracy is a variant of Marxism or ‘social Marxism’ – with the principles of the old Marxism at its core.

The entire story is long and complex. But at least you now have a (very) abbreviated bottom line of what has happened and what is happening in our natural and physical world.

If you want the entire story broken into dozens of separate parts, go here:

https://whitestone2020.com/category/most-used-socialism-marxism-communism-one-world-govt-u-n-agenda-21/ (34 articles).

Like the famous and loved Paul Harvey, the radio broadcaster would say, now for ‘The Rest of The Story’.

The rest of the story does not come from what we are able to see with our eyes, hear with our ears and can touch with our hands. What is manifest today is simply the remnant of what has already come to pass. The effects may trigger additional events and they may linger for a period of time, but everything has a season and everything has an end – everything except for God and what He has planned for His final act.

https://whitestone2020.com/category/most-used-end-times-prophecy-eschatology-one-world-govt-pre-wrath-rapture-tribulation/ (53 articles).

I realize it would simpler if I just ‘bottom-lined’ the rest of the story, but I strongly encourage you read all you can in order to inform yourself and to prepare yourself for what is already upon us, so you can not only survive these events, but you can play an important role within your sphere of life.

Your Bother and Friend,

Mike Young

Please contact me with your questions or remarks.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Least In The Kingdom Of Heaven – Part 9

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Least In The Kingdom Of Heaven – Part 9

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”  (The Words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 5:17-19).

These words and remarks of Jesus can seem to veer away from what He has been teaching in the preceding verses. However, we must consider the context of this teaching: It is a spiritual discourse and teaching about entering or inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus began His sermon and teaching with a new, radical sounding and revolutionary message on salvation and sanctification. The first time, ever in scriptures, salvation is no longer based on ‘keeping the law’, i.e., a ‘rule book’ of required practices, a book of ‘dos and don’ts’. Instead, salvation is now based on God’s free gift of grace through your faith in Jesus.

Jesus, also for the first time, teaches about a process known as sanctification. This revolutionary teaching reveals the steps of the most difficult process of purging, cleansing, purifying by which each and every believer will be restored to God as His child and son and prepared for the Kingdom of Heaven!

Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them”, so we can understand that He is not replacing the ‘old ways with something new and strange’, but that He is the living fulfillment and completion, of that which was incomplete, (the Law). The Apostle Paul reiterates this in Galatians 3:21-26:

“Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

Jesus is making clear that the Law is now completed by Him, through Him and in Him! Jesus has set us free from the impossible requirements, restrictions and bondage of the Law.

The New Covenant is alive and active and its name is JESUS! It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and its name is JESUS!

It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and its name is JESUS!

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Now, He dwells within us!

 

Next, in order to emphasize His teaching that the Law is not abolished, but is alive, He says, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Finally, speaking directly to His disciples both then and now, Jesus warns, “Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Keeping the context of this teaching in mind, ‘these commandments’, or teachings to which Jesus is referring, begin in Matthew 5:1 and continue through Matthew 10:41.

I say again, Jesus is teaching, first, about your salvation and explaining the process of your sanctification.  He then follows up (in subsequent chapters and verses), with examples and details of His commandments and teaching on this Truth.

NOTE: This is IMPORTANT. If you decide not to follow His commandments and teachings as presented, or if you choose a different method, you “will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”, at the very best.

Many Christians find other ways, more convenient ways, or methods that make one feel more comfortable. Then, these same people wonder why they cannot ‘do the works that Jesus does, and certainly cannot do the greater works’ He commanded and promised.

Failure to obey or to follow these commandments / teachings does not mean you are no longer saved, far from it. But when Jesus says you “will be called least in the kingdom of heaven”, He is telling you that you will be ‘weak’ and will be able to do ‘very little’.

By contrast, ”whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”. By this, Jesus is saying you will be able to do ‘very much’ in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus has told us that The Kingdom is within you now, and after your earthly life, you will dwell with Him in His Kingdom.

What are you to do with these words? For me? I am serious about studying them, meditating on them, so I can do them by way of the Holy Spirit Who lives within me. I encourage you to do the same, and more. Jesus has told us, “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.” (Matthew 11:29-30).

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Your Righteousness – Part 10. (Please bookmark this page or subscribe for future episodes and articles).

PREVIOUS:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – When You Mourn – Part 8

GOD’S PLAN FOR PERFECTION – Prophecy, World History and the Tribulation -2023

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment
 

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

Our world is careening out of control. Everything we have known as good in recorded history is being called evil; and all things evil are being called good; The world substitutes darkness for light and light for darkness, bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

The Liberal Left, however, will tell you that all is well and that we have entered a New World Order, a Great World Reset is at hand.

This short video will give you a glimpse of what is being sold as this New World, but in reality it is the same tired old saga of the Marxists Utopia.  The claims are the outrageous imagination of the world’s Globalists-Socialists and Marxists.

Having and promoting unrealistic promises as reality is nothing new, except every single previous promise of a Socialist, Communist, Leninist, Marxist government or social structure, or any variant of the same, has always ended in tyranny, despotism, wars, loss of personal freedom, lack of basic needs, poverty and the death of millions.

If you will patiently walk with me, I will take you on an amazing journey. A journey from the beginning of time through recorded world and Biblical histories. We will identify important past Bible prophecies and correlate them to the actual past world events; then we will compare both prophecies and histories to one specific prophecy known as ‘Daniel’s Seventy Weeks’, which will bring us to current events and the final epoch of time known by various names, such as, “The Last Days”, “The End The Age” the “Latter Days” and “The Tribulation”, which are now unfolding with frightening accuracy.

I will not stop there, however. I will conclude by laying out a successful response to these events, a plan of action by which you can both survive and thrive in these final days.

Finally, there is an event coming which is so fantastic as to be unbelievable. But I will show the evidence leading to this event, known as the ‘Rapture’ and I will even help you calculate the odds of its occurrence.  You will then be faced with the most monumental decision you have ever faced. You don’t want to miss this.

We will take a journey assisted by a book aptly titled ‘The Journey to Perfection’.  Our travels will coordinate Bible Prophecy, Biblical and World Histories culminating with The End of Days’. You can read this book either as a digital ONLINE book or in a PDF format, (see both versions below).

After finishing “THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION“, you will want to read “Effective Spiritual Warfare“, “America Under Siege” and “Agenda 2030, The U.N., Global Marxism“. Now…

PERFECTION

In the beginning, God created.

He began with the imperfect and created the Masterpiece, first in the heavens and then on the earth. His work completed in just seven days; He would allow His Masterpiece to mature for a millennium until it became His Perfection.

This is a journey of discovery and revelation of God’s Grand Plan and Design, from creation through the End of the Age, then into a New Heaven and a New Earth.

This is a non-academic thesis on the reasons for WHAT God is doing in these Last Days and WHY He is doing it this way. My prayer is that, after reading this, everything you’ve wondered about the reasoning behind God’s Plan for the world and your life, will fall into place.

By: Michael J. Young, Sr., evangelist, pastor, teacher.

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

Romans 12:2

NEXT:  THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION – IN THE BEGINNING.

 

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – When You Mourn – Part 8

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – When You Mourn – Part 8

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

These words of Jesus are part of a larger discourse which should be read as a whole to get the correct meaning and progression of His teaching. Each verse, if taken individually or apart from the other related verses, will leave you will a partial understanding, which in this case is a failed understanding. Let me explain in natural terms:

Jesus’ teaching, which has become popularly known as “The Sermon on the Mount”, is a spiritual teaching, a spiritual discourse about entering or inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven, alternatively known as the Kingdom of God. Matthew 5:3, tells us, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, is discussed in the previous lesson, part 7.

The main theme, the guiding principle and the main objective, not just for Matthew chapter five, but for the entire ‘Sermon on the Mount’, chapters five through nine is:  How you shall enter or inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, how you become a ‘son of God’ doing the works of Jesus, and are made into the salt and light of this world.

Matthew chapter five, however, is specifically an outline for and a picture of God’s method of salvation and the process of sanctification. (Jesus modeled the testing the ‘Christ follower’ will face in a precursor event, when Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1-11.)

Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”, as it is called, can be viewed as a (1), human response to a spiritual phenomenon, (2) a description of the psychology of how your mind, will and emotions work, or (3) as the steps and stages of being transformed into a true disciple of Jesus through the renewing of your mind. In any case, the person who ‘endures to the end will be saved’, and

The Apostle Peter adjures us, in 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.“

Although enormously difficult, bewildering at times and sometimes heartbreaking, this is what each and every believer in Christ must face:

You will be made poor in spirit, verse 3,

You will be made to mourn, verse 4,

You will be made meek, verse 5,

You will be made to hunger and thirst for righteousness, verse 6,

You will be made merciful, verse 7,

You will be made pure in heart, verse 8,

You will be made a peacemaker and a son of God, verse 9,

You will be persecuted, verse 10,

You will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, verse 10,

You will be reviled, persecuted, falsely accused, verse 11,

You will gain a great reward in heaven, verse 12,

You will be made the salt of the earth, verse 13,

You will be made the light of the world, verse 14.

Put another way, that is in a simple, plain language of the human experience:

You will suffer testing, temptation and chastisement for the purpose of purging, cleansing and restoring your soul. This will come either by the Hand of God or will be allowed by God.

This normally will be followed by a ‘deep heartfelt cry’; an attitude of meek humility is the result, and it settles over your heart, body and soul. You will sense a desire for things to be made right in your life.

Instead of a critical spirit, you now will see through new eyes of mercy. You will now begin to be controlled by a pure heart. You will have an attitude of mercy toward others who are afflicted by sin, as you have been afflicted.

You will have been changed. Some family, old friends and acquaintances may tease or even ridicule your changed heart and attitude.

It is now that you have inherited the Kingdom of Heaven.

You will suffer false accusations and new persecutions. But your heavenly rewards will begin to shower upon you, both now and in the future, eternal rewards.

There is little doubt that you are becoming the salt of the earth by your life and your words. Your life will emanate the Light of Christ, and it will be visible to all.

Take heart as you endure these things, because, just like with Jesus, so it will be with you, when your testing is complete, “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS  – Least in The Kingdom of Heaven – Part 9 (Coming soon – Please bookmark this page or subscribe for future episodes and articles).

PREVIOUS:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – The Poor In Spirit – Part 7

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – The Poor In Spirit – Part 7

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – The Poor In Spirit – Part 7

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

Matthew 5:3 “

As a way of reminder, this series is saying that the Bible says that Jesus’ Words are creative, causative, prophetic and instructional; and asking the questions, “Can this really be true? WHAT IF WHAT THE BIBLE IS SAYING IS REALLY TRUE?”  I mean, not only without error, but literally true and factually accurate in ways we fail to recognize?”

Please remember, this is not just a study ‘about the Bible’ or ‘about Jesus’. This is not just a story.

The verses being studied are The Word of God (the Words of Jesus), being demonstrated in real life situations. These Words are for our learning, our rebuke, our correction and our training in righteousness, so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

I say again, the Word of God, is creative, causative, prophetic and instructional, to you, for you and ultimately, ‘through you’.

So, again I ask, “what do these Words mean? And, are they true”?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit”. Matthew 5:3 begins with the word ‘blessed’. This word is so vitally important both to what Jesus is saying and what it ultimately means to the believer that I encourage you to take careful notice.

This word, blessed, as it is used here, translates as, ‘supremely blessed and by extension means fortunate and well off’. It carries the idea of these blessings ‘being long and large’ specifically when God extends His benefits and the advantages He confers.

Being ‘blessed’ in these verses describe a believer in an enviable and fortunate position from receiving God’s provisions and His favor, which literally extend His grace to you. This happens with receiving (obeying) the Lord’s in-birthing of faith.

What makes Jesus’ statement about being blessed so remarkable is what comes next:  “are the poor in spirit”.

Being ‘poor in spirit’ literally means ‘one who crouches and cowers, hence beggarly, poor and destitute. Someone who is both spiritually poor, and materially destitute.

Read this extensive description of what Jesus is saying about being ‘poor in spirit’: to be thoroughly frightened, to cower down or hide oneself for fear; one who slinks and crouches, often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness.

Destitute of the Christian virtues and the eternal riches, Revelation 3:17; equivalent to helpless, powerless to accomplish an end.

Lacking in anything, destitute of the wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford.

Can this be true? You are ‘supremely blessed and by extension means fortunate and well off’, when you are poor to the point of having become crushed in your spirit, cowering in fear, destitute in all manners and means and without hope?

If what Jesus has said to this point isn’t confusing enough, He completes His opening remarks to this most amazing sermon and teaching, saying, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.

This kingdom of heaven (of God), is one of royal power, kingship, dominion and rule; not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom. Jesus as the triumphant Messiah confers royal power and dignity on Christians in His Kingdom.

These final words are spoken in the present tense. This is not a future event, but is now, in the present. Many Bible versions will translate this to say that the Kingdom of God is ‘near’ or ‘in your midst’. But, the literal translation says, “within you”. (“Nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21). This is truly more accurate because once you surrender your life to Jesus, the Spirit of God comes into your mortal body, soul, mind and spirit and takes up residence within you! (“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Astounding as it seems, Scriptures tell us that it is people of this class who most readily give themselves up to Christ’s teaching and prove themselves fit to lay hold of the heavenly treasure!

Knowing these things is not enough. Words may lay idle until put to use. We must use these Words of Life. The Kingdom of God is within you, now.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Those Who Mourn – Part 8. (Please bookmark this page or subscribe for coming episodes).

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WE MAY NOT AGREE ON WHEN OR HOW – WE DO AGREE ON WHAT – JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

WE MAY NOT AGREE ON WHEN OR HOW – WE DO AGREE ON WHAT – JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!

CREATION  –  THE FALL  –  SIN  –  DEATH  –  REDEMPTION  –  TRIBULATIONS  –  THE DAY OF WRATH  –  JUDGMENT  –  BOOK OF LIFE  –  LAKE OF FIRE  –  A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH.

One of the prevalent eschatological teaching (study on the matters of the end of the age) is the Pre-tribulation Rapture and Premillennialism. It was originated by John Nelson Darby in 1833. Darby is considered to be the father of modern Dispensationalism and Futurism. Pre-tribulation rapture theology was popularized extensively in the 1830s by John Nelson Darby and the Plymouth Brethren, and further popularized in the United States in the early 20th century by the wide circulation of the Schofield Reference Bible.

Other eschatological views include:

Preterism (1554–1613)

Historicism (mid 1500s)

Futurism (mid 1500s)

From these views spring major theological positions of

Premillennialism,

Pretribulation Rapture,

Mid-tribulation Rapture,

Post-tribulation Rapture,

Postmillennialism,

Amillennialism, and the

Pre-Wrath Tribulation Rapture.

Because there are a myriad of Church denominational and doctrinal positions, it is understandable that so many differing eschatological views have emerged.

But, with the passage of time, historical events and particularly religious, social, economic, and political developments are revealing the frightening accuracies and the realities of Biblical prophecies which are coming to life and are bringing Biblical prophecies into focus. A reassessment is under way.

In the meantime, however, most theologians and Bible teachers doggedly adhere to their seventeenth century, long-held denominational-based views of Biblical eschatology, despite the clarity of the scriptures when viewed outside denominational bias and when examining the emerging evidence to the contrary.

Other examples are of those who call themselves Bible teachers or theologians who teach and claim that all Biblical eschatology is metaphorical, and idiomatic, analogical or parables used to explain natural events and their outcomes. This puts Jesus and His Teachings in the category of fantasies, fairytales and lies – although the Bible clearly warns otherwise.

Some other so-called teachers have been teaching that is no literal 2nd coming of Christ although, again, the Bible clearly and plainly teaches otherwise.

Others teach there will be a 2nd advent of Christ, however, they would have you believe that the second coming will be ‘in secret’, and that Jesus’ visible and actual 2nd coming will not occur until the battles of Armageddon.

And if that isn’t enough, others teach that there will be BOTH a visible 2nd coming as described in Matthew chapter 24, and a visible 3rd advent (coming) of Christ when He will defeat Satan at the battle of Armageddon.  And, things get even more convoluted when it comes to the various denominational doctrines of The Millennium.

Most of these same preachers, pastors and ‘bible teachers’ will tell you that the entire tribulation period is a yet-to-be experienced, future event, putting you at ease when Jesus clearly teaches the very opposite thing. Jesus warns that you must be on the alert, standing at the ready at all times, during “these last days”! (See Matthew 24:36-44)

Many are well-intentioned, dedicated Christians and devoted students of the Bible and of eschatology. So what are we to think? How are we to know?

There is one thing in the five major views which we all agree on:  Jesus is coming again to get His Church and to defeat Satan, the beast, and to judge the living and the dead.

If you are alive when the sixth tribulation seal is opened, one of two things will happen to you:

(1). If you are counted among His Elect (A Christian and a devoted follower of Jesus):  “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

(2). If you are not counted among His Elect (Not a Christian and a devoted follower of Jesus):  “There will be a great earthquake, and the sun will become black as sackcloth, the full moon will become like blood, and the stars of the sky will fall to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. Then the sky will vanish like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island will be removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, (including you) will hide themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Furthermore, if you are not killed by these events, you stand to face even greater and more terrible events of God’s judgments spanning a seven-year period!)

If you are not alive when the sixth tribulation seal is opened, one of two things will happen to you:

(1). The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. And we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

(2). The sea will give up the dead who are in it (who are not in Christ), and Death and Hades will give up the dead who were in them (who are not in Christ), and they are judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, they too are thrown into the lake of fire.

You have absolutely no control over the sequence of events, nor over any of the events themselves.  But you do have control over your preparation for what is coming.

PREPARE NOW

Surrender yourself to God through faith in Jesus. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (See Romans 10).

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy, will cause you to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (See 1 Peter 1).

Who then is the faithful and wise servant of God? It is the one whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” (See Matthew 24).

IN THE END

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

“And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, I was naked, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.“

If you never know the different denominational tribulation views and have no clue about the coming millennium, (over which you have no control), these things I have mentioned are all you need to know to be saved – “sozo” – made safe, rescued from eternal harm, made whole and made well this very day.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(Millennial Views by The Gospel Coalition – an excellent resource).

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Follow Me – Part 6

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Follow Me – Part 6

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional

 “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Jesus’ words seem pretty straight forward, as He says, “Follow me”. But what if these words are profoundly, literally true, without any error and factually accurate in ways we fail to recognize? Without the proper understanding of what each word means, the context in which they are spoken and Jesus’ intent, we might fail to complete our mission as Christians and never reach the full potential that Jesus has for us! Now, that would be a real tragedy.

If we look deeper into the language and look at the context of what Jesus is saying, we will find that He isn’t making a calm, polite request. His words are an interjection, and an emotional imperative command; “Come here now, and follow Me!”

Jesus is telling His disciples not to just follow Him, but to follow Him closely, as if to be leaning upon His back, peering over His shoulder, intently watching and learning. Ultimately, being closely identified with Him.

Jesus goes on to say, “I will make you fishers of men“. The word Jesus uses, “make”, (poieo), is rich and extensive in meaning. He is saying that He will fashion you, appoint you and ordain you into the very thing by which it is to be called. In this case, His disciple.

This complex word also has a dual or interchangeable use:  “To make into” and “To practice” (prasso). You will be made for a designated purpose for an intended, earnest and habitual, performance; and a definitely directed action to the scope and character of the result: Jesus’ disciple.

This cannot and should not be understated. Jesus is saying to His disciples, then and now, “Be aware. You are entering into an irreversible contract with God. You are to be refashioned and transformed into an object for My use.”

Imagine with me; Jesus looks at you and says your name, and says: “Come here                        ! Come and follow me, very closely. You will become my disciple. Walk closely by Me. Watch my every move, practice what I do so you can do the same. I will fashion and transform you into my likeness as my disciple, and will make you a brother, a friend, and a child and son of God. You will perform and practice what I teach you, and there will be no turning back. What I make you into is permanent and eternal.”

How would you then feel? What would you then do?

He has called you. You have been transformed. It is urgent that you do not misunderstand these Words of God. Please know that you could likely be numbered among the Elect who will stand in the Gap, boldly proclaiming the Words of God, calling the lost and the straying, laying hands on the sick and the infirm, caring for the poor, the oppressed, the widows and the orphans and ‘Sounding the Shofar’ in the Last Days, if you will only follow Him.

May God keep and protect us as we work out this great and wonderful salvation!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Coming NEXT:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Blessed Are You When – Part 7

PREVIOUS:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Repent – Part 5

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

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD – It is not about you or me.

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD: It is not about you – or me.

I have heard preacher after preacher say that “It is not about you. It is about Jesus.” I agreed then, and I agree now…sort of, that is. (What I mean is I want to agree with Jesus and I mean to agree with Jesus, but when it comes down to sacrificing my comfort, my rights, my little space on this earth and yes, my life, I become conflicted. I find it becomes a struggle within my mind.

But the truth is that it really is not about me and my comfort, my rights or the survival of my physical body  – or yours – nor any of the things of this natural world.

And, yes, I know that the Apostle Paul warned that this kind of thing may happen when he confessed: “I do not do the things I wish to do, but I do the very things I detest. Wretched man that I am. Who will save me from this body of death?” (see Romans 7:21-25)

Of course, God cares about our earthly and physical needs. He provides what you and I will eat or what we will drink, and for our bodies, that is, as to what you will put on. But, life is more than food, and clothing. Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. (see Matthew 6:25-33)

But God’s primary purpose was not to come to feed and clothe us, He came to seek and save the lost – to buy us back from the curse of sin and death. He came to rescue us and give us a home with Him, for all eternity.

There are times that we are tempted and seduced to follow our own desires – the desires of our flesh, as the Bible calls it. We may even begin to think that it is perfectly normal to want the better things of life, possessions, some degree of wealth and status. And there are many instances that God grants these things to His dedicated followers. But this life is not about us and what we want. It is about God and what He wants for us. Anything else we might think can be a form of idolatry.

Jesus asks why we call Him Lord when we do not do what He says? Let’s be clear.  Jesus says that His own, that is His disciples, His sheep, know His voice and they follow Him. They do His bidding and not their own desires. He warns that if we continue doing things our own way for our own purposes, He will tell us to depart from Him because He does not know us!

It is not about us. It is about Him. It is about His purpose and His plan for this world and for us as His followers. And if you and I want to experience the peace, the power and the spiritual prosperity He offers, then we must forsake the things of this world and live to walk in His ways, in His Spirit.

Listen to how the Apostle Peter describes how it is about God: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Again, in Ephesians, the Apostle Paul reminds us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

The answer to Paul’s question, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” is this: Thanks be to God for my deliverance through Jesus Christ our Lord, because even though I find that I serve my human nature, my worldliness, and my sinful capacity, through the law of sin with my flesh, on the other hand with I serve the law of God my mind.  And I praise God that “there is no condemnation whatsoever, (despite this seeming contradiction), for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And praise God that the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. (see Romans 8).

So, let’s set our mind on the things above. Let’s set our mind on the things of the Spirit of God. Let’s think on, dwell on, meditate on and practice whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, pure, lovely, and whatever is commendable. If there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, think about these things, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds.

So, what is the point of all of this? IT IS NOT ABOUT US. IT IS ABOUT GOD, HIS PLAN, HIS PURPOSE AND HIS WAYS. It is not about what we want. It is about what God wants for us. And if you and I want to experience the peace, the power and the spiritual prosperity He offers, then we must seek first the Kingdom of God. We must forsake the things of this world and live to walk in His ways, in His Spirit.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

BECOMING a Christian is simple – BEING a Christian is something else

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Knowing how to become a Christian is simple, but being a Christian is anything but!

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7).

Such a succinct and simple sounding statement by Jesus is in reality a profound oracle of God. It is the portal to the ‘Other Side’ – from the natural world into the realm where all things originate. It is the ‘Basileia Ouranos’, the Kingdom of Heaven.

There are times when the Words of God are easy to read yet seem to be too deep for our complete understanding. Perhaps at these times we are tempted to ask God, “why tell me this if I cannot grasp and do it?”  It takes the diligent work of study, prayer, meditation, seeking and of asking God. Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that all of God’s Word is for our learning, our rebuke, correction, and for our training in righteousness so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work. God’s Word is written for us to understand and to perform.

The greatest of all tragedies would be to lazily ignore or to misunderstand what Jesus is saying, and to either ignorantly miss or foolishly forfeit this great gift of God and your place in the Kingdom.

Let’s take a deeper look at John 15:7. First, Jesus is saying “If you abide in me”. Any and every synonym of the word abide could help us understand: We are to stay in Him, to remain in that state, relationship or expectancy; to continue with Him, dwell with Him, endure in Him, be present with Him, remain in Him, stand, tarry, remain in Him as our own.

This is an open secret to answered prayer and inheriting the Kingdom of God! The Bible repeatedly speaks of meditating and setting your mind on Him and His words, thinking on Him and His words, dwelling on Him and His words day and night; praying to Him without ceasing. And in each instance we are told that for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success, he God of peace Himself will sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We must abide in Him and His words must abide in us – and He will perform His promises in and through us.

The work of knowing and obeying the word of God is no easy task. It takes time and work. (Someone once said they just could not memorize scriptures. Then they were asked about their home address, which they rattled off with ease. The questioner asked how they could do that with such ease? Excuses are cheap. You will do what you prioritize and find necessary.

This is not meant to be harsh or critical of anyone. This is to point out (to me and others) that knowing how to become a Christian is simple, but being a Christian is not something to be taken lightly – it can be difficult. And if you or I want the benefits of a true relationship with God, we must fully enter into that relationship. We must do what He says. (I.e., the door is open, but we must walk through it!)

Now, make these verses your abode (Memorize, personalize and internalize them. Hear these words from the mouth of Jesus or recite them directly to Jesus as you memorize them):

John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Verse 8. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

John 15:15, “And if we know that He hears us in whatever<mg3739, 1437=””> we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

John 14:13. “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.”

John 16:23, “And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Verse 24. Until now, you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

1 John 3:22, “and whatever<mg3739, 1437=””> we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”

(The following verses have been personalized for our memorization.)

Deuteronomy 28:1, “Now it shall be, as I diligently obey<mh8085, 6963=””> the LORD my God, being careful to do all His commandments which He is commanding me today, that the LORD my God will put me high above all the nations of the earth. Verse 2. And all these blessings will come to me and reach me as I obey the LORD my God:

Verse 3. “Blessed will I be in the city, and blessed will I be in the country.

Verse 4. “Blessed will be the children of your womb, the produce of my ground, and the offspring of my animals: the newborn of my herd and the young of my flock.

Verse 5. “Blessed will be my basket and my kneading bowl.

Verse 6, “Blessed will I be when I come in, and blessed will I be when I go out.

Verse 7. “The LORD will cause my enemies who rise up against me to be defeated; they will go out against me one way and will flee at my presence seven ways.

Verse 8. The LORD will command the blessing for me in my barns and in everything that I put my hand to, and He will bless me in the land that the LORD my God is giving me.

Verse 9. The LORD will establish me as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to me, if I keep the commandments of the LORD my God and walk in His ways. Verse 10. So all the peoples of the earth will see that I am called by the name of the LORD, and they will be afraid of me.

Verse 11. And the LORD will give me more than enough prosperity, in the children of my womb, in the offspring of my livestock, and in the produce of my ground, in the land which the LORD swore to my fathers to give me.

Verse 12. The LORD will open for me His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to my land in its season and to bless every work of my hand; and I will lend to many nations, but I will not borrow.

Verse 13. And the LORD will make me the head and not the tail, and I will only be above, and not be underneath, as I listen to the commandments of the LORD my God which He is commanding me today, to follow them carefully, verse 14, and I will not turn aside from any of the words which He is commanding me today, neither to the right nor the left, to pursue other gods to serve them.

Now, as we make Him our Abode, may the LORD bless you, and keep you; May, the LORD cause His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you; May the LORD lift up His face to you, and give you peace.’

Your Brother and Friend,

 

Mike Young

IN WHATEVER YOU ASK OF GOD…

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14-15, New American Standard Version)

Put another way:

This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us. And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him. (1 John 5:14-15, Amplified Bible version)

This is a great Word from God and a great promise. It seems to be straight forward, but it can also be taken out of context and misunderstood. One might think he or she could ask for ‘anything’ or ‘everything’, and presto! Like magic, you have what you want. But this is not about what we want, it is about what God wants for us. Let me say that again. It is about what God wants for us.

The context of these verses can be found in verses 1 through 4:

1 John 1:1, “Everyone who believes [with a deep, abiding trust in the fact] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is born of God [that is, reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], and everyone who loves the Father also loves the child born of Him. Verse 2. By this, we know [without any doubt] that we love the children of God: [expressing that love] when we love God and obey His commandments. Verse 3. For the [true] love of God is this: that we habitually keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And His commandments and His precepts are not difficult [to obey]. Verse 4. For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world–our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].” (Amplified Version).

Rather than filling up dozens of pages citing the expressed or implied “Will of God” and the hundreds of promises of God contained in scriptures, I will rely on a simple, yet profound Word found in:

Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.”

Matthew 6:25-33 reminds and exhorts us, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

There is nothing you can do to earn the favor of God, so relax in Him a little. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rescued, made safe, whole and healthy). For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

It is by God’s grace and your faith in Jesus that you are clothed in His righteousness, cleansed and forgiven of your sins, set apart for His purpose. It is nothing of yourself,

Put simply, love and serve God and one another. Then, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

“And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Think it. Believe it. Do it. Practice it.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Repent – Part 5

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

This is one of the greatest pronouncements and calls to readiness for all Christians:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repent, in the Biblical sense, literally means, “To change one’s mind; reversing how you think, to change one’s mind for the better”. The word ‘repent’ comes from two root words which mean, “Hereafter, have this understanding or perception”.

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

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

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

This is not a metaphor.  It is not hyperbole.  It is the literal call from God through His Son, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

BOTH A COMMAND AND A PROPHETIC WORD

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

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

The disciples echoed and repeated these very words as they continued to do the Works of God, This is His command and commission to us, as His disciples, in these last days. Let us, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is now at hand” and let’s go and tell others.

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

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

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

MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Once we repent, our new desires move us to a new way of living, new actions, which are the direct manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance means it is no longer you, or I who lives, but it is Christ, literally, living in us.

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

If you are living in the sin of doubt or fear,  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

If you are living under the oppression of poverty, sickness, lack or want, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Rise up.  Proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness, help all who are ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; heal them all.  Matthew 4:24

Go and tell others this exceedingly Good News, and let us all, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Let’s stop thinking as the world thinks and see things from a heavenly perspective (Colossians 3:2), let’s have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5), and begin to really live!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Follow me – Part 6

PREVIOUS:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Begone Satan – Part 4

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Begone Satan – Part 4

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional

“Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God.” Matthew 4:10

Outrageous, ingenuous and insane? Or The Omnipotent, Omniscient Omnipresent Son of God? It has been said that Jesus was either a demon possessed fraud, a liar and insane, or He truly is the Son of God.

Jesus made statements that, for many, are hard to believe. For example, Jesus once said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat from it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I will give for the life of the world also is My flesh.” (John 6:47-51)

Many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is very unpleasant; who can listen to it?” As a result of this, many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him.  (John 6:60, 66)

How can you tell which is true of Jesus?  Ask yourself, did Jesus do what He said could be done? A careful study will show the prophecies He fulfilled. Jesus, Himself, said, “even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:38).

A simple face value reading of Jesus’ Words and a careful study of the results, will either completely confound you or thoroughly convince you that He meant what He said and said exactly what he meant.

So, I ask, ‘what if we have been reading and misunderstanding what Jesus meant by and the intentions of His Words? What if we have been misapplying what He taught? Could this be one of the main reasons our faith has grown weak and our works have faded?

The full context of this verse begins with Verse 8, “Again, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Verse 9. And the devil said to Jesus, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Verse 10. Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Remembering that Jesus’ Words are always creative, causative, prophetic and instructional, there is very much to learn from these few words:

First, Jesus is submitting Himself to this temptation and testing in order to teach and instruct. Jesus is showing those who would follow Him will also face temptations and testing by the devil. This is not a metaphor. It is a fact. You must be ready.

Speaking the Word of God is how we defeat the temptations and trials of the evil one. This is the first step and the only way!

“For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Secondly, we are to remember that the Word of God is creative and causative and that His Words “Accomplish the very thing which He purposes, and they shall succeed in the things for which He sent them”. (Isaiah 55:11).

Jesus is exercising the authority given Him by the Father, and He has told us He will be with us ‘until the end of the age’. Additionally, Jesus has conferred His authority to His disciples.

Jesus, is quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, the Jewish Bible (also called the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh), which Christians call the Old Testament, instructing us and demonstrating the creative, causative and prophetic power of God’s Word.

Next, when Jesus says, “For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”, He is making a grand proclamation of truth and of finality. Spoken in the future tense, Jesus is literally saying ‘from this moment forward and for all time, hence’, you are to fully and meekly surrender yourself as a lowly and menial servant or slave to God, giving yourself to Him in the deepest admiration, love and dependence.

This is spoken within the context, “For is it written” (i.e., “It is written in The Word of God”). Jesus, once again, is speaking the Word of God from Deuteronomy 6:13-15, “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.  You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the Lord your God who is in the midst of you is a jealous God; so follow Him, or else the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.”

In doing so, Jesus is both vanquishing the devil, (“Be gone, Satan”!) and is setting the example for His disciples to follow.

Finally, Jesus’ words address one audience: ‘‘You shall worship the Lord God and Him only shall you serve’.’, (meaning only the people of God, i.e., those who are called by His Name), Authority over the devil is granted only to the people of God.

If you know Him, you can’t help but worship and serve Him. He is your sanctuary.

If you don’t know Him, you have to admit, He is a pretty scary man! I beg you, lose your fear. Come to know Him. He has words of eternal life (John 6:68).

Know His Words. Speak His Words. Live His Words.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Repent – Part 5

PREVIOUSLY: A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Testing God – Part 3.

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Testing God – Part 3

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS

Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional

 “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Matthew 4:7.

This is a continuing series on “THE WORDS OF JESUS – What Am I To Do With Them?” We have discussed and discovered that the Word of Jesus is the Word of God. (“Jesus and the Father are One”) . I have extracted the words of Jesus from scriptures in an effort to evaluate, study, discuss and understand

  • What Jesus really said,
  • What Jesus meant by what He said,
  • What is the nature of what Jesus has said,
  • What He said and what it means to me,
  • How I should respond to what He said,
  • What I should do with what He said,
  • If what He said is literal and if it is really true.

We began this study with the questions, “Do you read the Bible? If so, how do you read and understand the Bible?”

What I am asking is, do you read the Bible as ‘stories’ about people, places and ‘about God’? Do you read the Bible for prophecies? For promises? For power?

Do you read the Bible to learn? And if you read to learn, what have you learned? And most importantly, what do you DO with what you learn?

We have looked at several examples of what the Bible says about The Word of God, and finally, we are asking, “What if the Word of God is true? I mean, what if His Words are literally true in ways we fail to recognize?”

People who personally encountered Jesus testified and reported on the Works He did, and this caused throngs to follow Him, stirred great controversies, created deadly conflicts and gave untold millions a greater hope for a new, vibrant, changed life, full of promise now and eternal hope of a home in heaven with God. The Words Jesus spoke, and the Works Jesus did, changed the world.

I ask again, ‘What if we have been reading and misunderstanding what Jesus meant by and the intentions of His Words? What if we have been misapplying what He taught? (Jesus was always concerned about His disciple’s lack of understanding and ‘lack of faith’.) In Part 2, we considered Jesus’ meaning of ”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”, and that we need both physical food and spiritual food, ’every word that comes from the mouth of God’, in order to survive and to thrive, both now in this world and in the age to come.

“Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

These words of Jesus, are also found from Deuteronomy 6:16, when God cautioned the Israelites, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah”.  Massah is a reference to the place where circumstances gave the Israelites cause for complaining to Moses, and to doubt whether God was present in their need (testing God); and, it was a sign of unbelief and of challenging the ability, dependability, the provision and sovereignty of God.

(Rather than go into further detail here, please refer to this article on Massah, and this article on what it means to ‘test God’.)

The consequences of putting the Lord God to the test can be severe. In this case, God was merciful. But in a similar and subsequent event years later, Moses and Aaron were denied entrance into the Promised Land because of their disobedience to God at Kadesh Barnea. God had instructed Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water for the grumbling Israelites, but he disobeyed by striking the rock twice (Numbers 20:12). Because the Israelites had failed to believe and obey the Lord, their arrival into the land “flowing with milk and honey” was postponed until Joshua led the younger generation out of the wilderness by the command of the Lord.

There are volumes being said in this short, terse statement by Jesus, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’”.

“ON ONE SIDE OF THIS COIN”

  • Do not challenge the Lord your God, for it is a sign of a rebellious and ungrateful heart.
  • Do not question the sovereignty of the Lord your God, for it is a sign of pride and arrogance.
  • Do not doubt the Lord your God, for it is a sign of unbelief.

The Psalmist warns, Do not be a “stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

“The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle.

“They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law.
They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. In the sight of their fathers, he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan”. (Psalm 78:8-12)

“He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light.

“He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

“Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

“He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?”

“Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath; a fire was kindled against Jacob; his anger rose against Israel, because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.

“Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.

“But before they had satisfied their craving, while the food was still in their mouths, the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel.

“In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.” (Psalms 78:13-33)

Again, James instructs and warns, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8

“ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN”

These few words spoken by Jesus are prophetic and instructional. They have been spoken to you, and are meant to be active and will come alive, through you!

Jesus’ words are causative and creative. “They shall accomplish the very thing which He purposes, and they shall succeed in the things for which He sent them”. (Isaiah 55:11).

When beset with trials and temptations, when faced with lack, need or want, speak the Word of God and repel the devil, negate his attacks and  temptations. Be steadfast and completely dependent on God, in faith. He will not fail you. He will deliver you!

    • This is what Jesus really said,
    • This is what Jesus meant by what He said,
    • This is the nature of what Jesus has said,
    • This is what He is saying and what it means to you and me,
    • This is how you should respond to what He said,
    • This is what you should do with what He said,
    • What He has said is literally true. Depend on it!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Begone Satan – Part 4

PREVIOUSLY: A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – Bread Alone – Part 2

This is the promise to all of God’s children – First to the Jew, then to the Gentile. This is THE WORD OF GOD for you:

“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.

“If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.

“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:1-6

EKKLESIA – The Church?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

The Church EKKLESIA.jpg

Let’s say you encounter a group of people – a large group of people – who are loving and who show unselfish concern for other; people who are joyful and show an inner peace; people who are patient, and show not only the ability to wait, they wait with kindness, people who are good, faithful, and gentle, showing great self-control. WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

What if these people show a loving attitude and behavior that allows them to endure with patience and serenity; a people showing a love that is kind and thoughtful, that is not jealous or envious; a people showing a kind of love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. People who are not rude; not self-seeking, not provoked nor are overly sensitive and not easily angered; People with a loving attitude that does not take into account a wrong endured. They do not rejoice at injustice, but rejoice with the truth when right and truth prevail. WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

People with a love toward others that bears all things regardless of what comes upon them, believes all things, that is looking for the best in each person, hopes all things, remaining steadfast during difficult times, and endures all things without weakening. People with a love never fails, never fades and never ends. What would you think? What would you do? AND, YES, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

THE CHURCH: INHERITING THE EDIFICE COMPLEX

“The idea, that the Christians in the apostolic age, erected special houses of worship is out of the question.

The Savior of the world was born in a stable, ascended to heaven from a mountain. His apostles and their successors down to the third century, preached in the streets, the markets, on mountains, in ships, sepulchers, eaves,and deserts, and in the homes of their converts.

“Thousands of costly churches and chapels have since been built and are constantly being built in all parts of the world to the honor of the crucified Redeemer – who in the days of his humiliation had no place of his own to rest his head!” — PHILIP SCHAFF, NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICAN CHURCH HISTORIAN AND THEOLOGIAN

“MANY CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANS have a love affair with brick and mortar. The edifice complex is so ingrained in our thinking that if a group of believers begins to meet together, their first thoughts are toward securing a building. For how can a group of Christians rightfully claim to be a church without a building? (So the thinking goes.)

The “church” building is so connected with the idea of church that we unconsciously equate the two and it has caused Christians to disconnect the original meaning of “The Church” (Ekklesia) from the people of God, the disciples of Jesus, to the edifice or buildings which occasionally house the Body of Christ – His People.

Just listen to the vocabulary of the average Christian today:

“Wow, honey, did you see that beautiful church we just passed?”

“My goodness! That is the largest church I have ever seen! I wonder what the electric costs to keep it going?”

“Our church is too small. I’m developing claustrophobia. We need to extend the balcony.”

“The church is chilly today; I am freezing my buns off in here!”

“We have gone to church every Sunday this past year except for the Sunday when Aunt Mildred dropped the microwave oven on her toe.”

Or how about the vocabulary of the average pastor:

“Isn’t it wonderful to be in the house of God today?”

“We must show reverence when we come into the sanctuary of the Lord.”

“Or how about the mother who tells her happy child (in subdued tones), “Wipe that smile off your face; you’re in church now! We behave ourselves in the house of God!”

“To put it bluntly, none of these thoughts have anything to do with New Testament Christianity. Rather, they reflect the thinking of other religions—primarily Judaism and paganism.

FROM HOUSE CHURCHES TO HOLY CATHEDRALS

“The early Christians believed that Jesus is the very presence of God. They believed that the body of Christ, the church, constitutes a temple. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He made some radically negative statements about the Jewish Temple.’

“The one that angered many Jews most was His announcement that if the Temple was destroyed, He would build a new one in three days! (See John 2:19-21.)

“Though Jesus was referring to the Temple that existed in the architectural sense, He was really speaking of His body. Jesus said that after this temple was destroyed, He would raise it up in three days.

“He was referring to the real temple—the Ekklesia—which He raised up in Himself on the third day (Ephesians 2:6).

“Since Christ has risen, we Christians have become the temple of God.

“At His resurrection, Christ became a “life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Therefore, He could take up residence in the believers, thus making them His Temple, His house. It is for this reason that the New Testament always reserves the word church (ekklesia) for the people of God. It never uses this word to refer to a building of any sort.” (Excerpts from Frank Viola & George Barna’s book, “Pagan Christianity”, Tyndale Publishing, 2002, 2008)

“When Christianity was born, it was the only religion on the planet that had no sacred objects, no sacred persons, and no sacred spaces.

“Although surrounded by Jewish synagogues and pagan temples, the early Christians were the only religious people on earth who did not erect sacred buildings for their worship. The Christian faith was born in homes, out in courtyards, and along roadsides. For the first three centuries, the Christians did not have any special buildings!

“As one scholar put it, “The Christianity that conquered the Roman Empire was essentially a home-centered movement.”

“Meeting in homes was a conscious choice of the early Christians.” It was a coming together in a more intimate setting, a ones’ home. Very little could be hidden in such an environment.

“Then, in the late second and third centuries a shift occurred”

Christians not only had adopted sacred spaces, they also had created sacred objects. (They would soon develop a sacred priesthood.) It might seem they had forgotten Moses and the golden calf.

“In all of this, the second and third century Christians began to assimilate the magical mind-set that characterized existent pagan thinking.

“These factors made the Christian terrain ready for the man who would be responsible for creating church buildings. In AD 327, Constantine began erecting the first church buildings throughout the Roman Empire, some at public expense.’ In so doing, he followed the path of the pagans in constructing temples to honor God.

“Interestingly, he named his church buildings after saints — just as the pagans named their temples after gods. Constantine built his first church buildings upon the cemeteries where the Christians held meals for the dead saints. WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

“Constantine brought peace for all Christians.'” Under his reign, the Christian faith had become legitimate. In fact, it had risen to a status greater than Judaism and paganism.

“For these reasons, the Christians saw Constantine’s rise to emperor as an act of God. Here was God’s instrument who had come to their rescue.

“Christianity and Roman culture were now melded together.” WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

“The Christian building demonstrates that the church, whether she wanted it or not, had entered into a close alliance with pagan culture.’ As Will Durant, author of The Story of Civilization (a sweeping, eleven-volume work on world history that earned him a Pulitzer Prize), put it, “Pagan isles remained in the spreading Christian sea.”

“This was a tragic shift from the primitive simplicity that the church of Jesus Christ first knew. The first-century Christians were opposed to the world’s systems and avoided any contact with paganism. This all changed during the fourth century, when the church emerged as a public institution in the world and began to “absorb and Christianize pagan religious ideas and practices.

“As one historian put it, “Church buildings took the place of temples; church endowments replaced temple lands and funds.”

“Under Constantine, tax-exempt status was granted for all church property.

“Consequently, the story of the church building is the sad saga of Christianity borrowing from heathen culture and radically transforming the face of our faith.

“To put it bluntly, the church buildings of the Constantinian and post-Constantinian era essentially became holy shrines. The Christians embraced the concept of the physical temple. They imbibed the pagan idea that there exists a special place where God dwells in a special way. And that place is made “with hands.”‘ WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

“As with other pagan customs that were absorbed into the Christian faith (such as the liturgy, the sermon, clerical vestments, and hierarchical leadership structure), third- and fourth-century Christians incorrectly attributed the origin of the church building to the Old Testament. But this was misguided thinking.”

“Most Americans are struggling to clarify their identity. They tend to see themselves as unique individuals, Americans, members of their family, occupational professionals, consumers, and then as followers of Christ — in that order of priority.

“In the minds and hearts of most Americans — even those whose beliefs classify them as “born-again Christians”— their identity as a follower of Christ pales in importance in comparison to the other roles they embrace. WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

“Oddly, most of the born again Christians consider themselves to be servants of God and to have been transformed by their faith in Christ.

“Clearly, there are some missing connections in this self-evaluation. Perhaps the confusion is due to the enormous number of inter-actions and responsibilities that people take on each day.

“Maybe it has to do with the disjointed, topical teaching that most of us receive from our churches. It may even be attributable to the lure of competing perspectives and images bombarding us from the ever-present media.

“The bottom line is really quite simple: You are a priest of God, a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a member of His glorious body. Through your declaration of allegiance to Jesus and your stated desire to live with Him forever, you have a responsibility to be a functioning priest, minister, and member of the Body .

“The organized church has moved down a winding path over the past two thousand years. The only way to get it back on track is for each of us to begin prayerfully exploring the original plan that God had for His people, and then to be willing to respond faithfully to that plan.

“In this way, the Revolution that has begun to take root in our day will spread far and wide. And God will get what He has always been after.” (Excerpts from Frank Viola & George Barna’s book, “Pagan Christianity”, Tyndale Publishing, 2002, 2008)

So, where can I go from here? Click the following link to another page, read it, and begin to pray for God’s Wisdom and discernment. An invitation

I humbly offer this after eleven years of prayer, study, seeking God, asking for His Wisdom to know and follow His Call. I sincerely and prayerfully urge you to do the same.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

More links on this site about “The Church”

What is God Saying to His Church – You and me

The Church Militant?

Consumerism in the Church?

Is this the Church?

Socialism in the Church?

It is Time – The Day is Now Upon Us

IT IS TIME – THE DAY IS UPON US

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

THE SIGN OF CHRIST’S RETURN AND THE END OF DAYS

‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God has said,

‘THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;

AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY,

AND YOUR YOUNG MEN WILL SEE VISIONS,

AND YOUR OLD MEN WILL HAVE DREAMS;

AND EVEN ON MY MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS

I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS,

And they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18 and Joel 2:28-29))

There are testimonies, warnings and plain statements regarding at time in the Bible known as the Last Days or the End of the Age. For example, Jesus gives us an account of the Last Days and The End of the Age from two distinct perspectives. We need to look at a Biblical comparison and correlation of The Seals of the Tribulation as seen in the book of Matthew and correlated with the book of The Revelation (1). So we can know the sequence of these events that may be prepared and ready at all times. (2). It is also important so that we will not be taken by surprise or frightened and lose focus and composure; (3). It is also a reminder that we are to inform and warn others of the present and coming judgements. To Wit:

Matthew 24:1-5 tells us, “As 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?”

Revelation 1:1-3, which was written around A.D. 95 says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place ; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

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 [c]is to come, and from the [d]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 [e]His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Verse 7. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING

Jesus and these same disciples testified that these present and coming prophetic judgments and events may have already begun. in or around the birth of Christ or as late as A.D. 95, calling them “events of These Last Days”: 

Hebrews 1:2, “but in these last days He (God) has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” 

(This was written by the Apostle Paul, is written in the present tense, in or around the year A.D. 70 and is referred to as these last days ).

Hebrews 9:26, “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, He (Christ) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

(These events were occuring in or around A.D. 30. The book of Hebrews is written by the Apostle Paul, and is written in the past and present tense, in or around A.D. 70 and is referred to as the end of the ages.)

Acts 2:14-17, “But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, 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, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.”

(This occurred in or around A.D. 60 and as written in the past and present tense, by Peter the Apostle, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is referred to as  being ‘in the last days’).

2 Timothy 3:1,“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.’

(This was written by the Apostle Timothy, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in or around the year A.D. 67, was written in the present tense and is referred to as being ‘in the last days‘.)

1 Peter 1:20-21, ” He (Jesus) was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

(This is written in the past tense was recorded in or around A.D. 90, and is referred to, by the Apostle Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as being ‘in the last times ‘.)

1 Peter 4:7, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

 

(This is written in the past tense was recorded in or around A.D. 90, and is referred to, by the Apostle Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as being ‘the end of all things‘.)

2 Peter 3:3, “Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.

(This is written in the future tense as a testimony about. things that were already beginning to occur, and was recorded in or around A.D. 90. This is referred to, by the Apostle Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as being ‘in the last days‘.)

1 John 2:18, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have (already) come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.“

(This is written in the present tense was recorded in or around A.D. 90, and is referred to, by the Apostle John, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as referred to as being in ‘the last hour‘.)

Matthew 24:29-31, ““But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

This is written in the future tense was recorded in or around A.D. 70, and is referred to, by the Apostle Matthew, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as referred to as being in ‘after the tribulation of those days’ , speaking of the tribulation of those days already referred to (above here.)

RECAP:

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

  As seen in Revelation      –      As seen in Matthew

 the 1st Tribulation Seal  –  Global conquest and political intrigue

the 2nd Tribulation Seal –  Wars and Rumors of War

the 3rd Tribulation Seal  –  Famine

the 4th Tribulation Seal  –  Death

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

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

(CONCLUSION: These events (the breaking of Tribulation Seals 1 through 5) began in or around the birth of Christ or as late as A.D. 95, and have been overlapping and intensifying.  We are still waiting for the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal as described in Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelation 6:12-16)

Considering the ‘seasons’ which we have entered, and considering the Seal which is upon us, this prophecy from Isaiah 61 is being fulfilled. This is the calling of the Shofar to gather around and begin the final assault!

NOW, HEAR THE VOICE OF THE LORD:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD has come upon us, because the LORD is anointing and commissioning us to bring good news to the humble and afflicted;

He is sending us to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, to proclaim release from confinement and condemnation to the physical and spiritual captives, and freedom to prisoners, to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD, that is a day of salvation (49:8), and the year of His redeemed (63:4), and the day of vengeance and retribution of our God, so that we will no longer be prey to the nations, and the predators of the earth will not devour us; but we will live safely, and no one will make us afraid in this day of the Messiah’s reign.

To comfort all who mourn, To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning, the oil of joy instead of mourning, The garment expressive of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So, we will be called the trees of righteousness strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

We then will rebuild the ancient ruins, and we will raise up and restore the former desolations; And they will renew the legacy of the ruined cities, the spiritual desolations, deserted spiritual settlements, of many generations.

Strangers will stand and feed our flocks, and foreigners will be our farmers and our vinedressers.

And we shall be called the priests of the LORD; People will speak of us as the ministers of our God. We will eat the wealth of nations, And we will boast of their riches.

Instead of our former shame we will have a double portion; And instead of humiliation we will shout for joy over our portion.

Therefore, in this our land, we will possess double what we have forfeited; everlasting joy will be ours. (personalized from Isaiah 61)

(Then, at The Breaking of The Sixth Tribulation Seal (See Matthew 24:29-31))

‘I, (GOD), WILL DISPLAY WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE

AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW,

BLOOD, FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.

‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS

AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,

BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD COMES.

‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’  (Acts 2:18-20 and Joel 2:30-32, Matthew 24:29-31)

The Lord is calling and. I am inviting you into the ranks of His earthly army. I am inviting you to join together as an earthly contingent of God’s heavenly armies to join in this final assault.

What does this mean?

First know, that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly and supernatural places.

Secondly know that we will encounter physical opponents who are of the spiritual forces of wickedness, but it is not ours to destroy them physically, but We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when our own obedience as a church is complete.

The time has come that the Church is no longer to be an idle building, a gathering place for pleasure and entertainment.

“The Apostle Paul says the foundation of this building called the church is made up of the prophets and the Apostles, that is, the Old Testament prophets and New Testament Apostles. Why? It’s because the prophets and Apostles are the agents of revelation by whom God speaks to His people. They delivered the Word of God. Another way of saying this is that the foundation of the church is the Word of God.

“That’s why we must pay close attention to our doctrine of Scripture. The attacks launched against the integrity, authority, sufficiency, and trustworthiness of Scripture are attacks not upon a side alcove of this building. They don’t put a dent in the roof of the church. They’re attacks on the church’s very foundation. To have a church without Apostolic authority, without the Word of God as its foundation, is to build a church on sand rather than on rock. The foundation of the prophets and the Apostles is necessary for the entire edifice of the church to stand securely.

“Paul continues the building metaphor in Ephesians 2:20b: “Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.” Christ is the cornerstone, the point that holds the foundation together. Take out the cornerstone, and everything falls apart. “In [Christ] the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:21–22). The church is a new temple built in Christ, by Christ, and for Christ. Obviously, Paul isn’t saying the church is a building made out of mortar and brick, but that we are the stones, the living stones, as 1 Peter 2:5 tells us. Each believer is part of this church just as each stone is part of a building. The church, the new temple, is still under construction. Every day, new stones are added. This new temple will not be finished until Jesus returns to consummate His kingdom. Christ is still building His church, not by adding cement but by adding people who are the stones that hold together in Him.

“Paul continues in Ephesians 3:14–19,

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

“The Apostle Paul explains the doctrine of the church so that we might understand what God has done and so that we may understand who we are. And in calling us to understand who we are and what we’re called to do, Paul says that we’re the church. We’re the church that God ordained from the foundation of the world. We’re His people; we‘re His household, so let the church be the church.

“Christ is the cornerstone, the point that holds the foundation together.

“We’re living in a time of crisis. Many Christians are decrying the decadence of American culture and complaining about the government and its value system. I understand that, but if we want to be concerned for our nation and culture, our priority must be the renewal of the church. We are the light of the world.

“Government merely reflects and echoes the customs embraced by the people in a given generation. In a real sense, our government is exactly what we want it to be, or it wouldn’t be there. Change in culture doesn’t always come from the top down. It often comes from the bottom up. The change we need to work for, chiefly, is renewal within the church. As the church becomes the fellowship of citizens of heaven who manifest what it means to be the household of Christ, and when the church walks according to the power of the Holy Spirit—then the people of God will shine as the light of the world. When people see that light, they will give glory to God (Matt. 5:16). This will change the world. But Paul says, first of all, let the church be the church. We must remember who we are, who the foundation is, who the cornerstone is, who the head of our building is, who the Lord of the church is.

“Do we love the church? I doubt if there have been many times in our history when there has been as much anger, hostility, disappointment, and disillusionment with the institutional church as there is today. It’s hard not to be critical of the church because in many ways the church has failed us. But if the church has failed, that means we have failed. We are called to serve the church in the power of God the Holy Spirit.

“We, the church, have been made for this task by the indwelling presence and power of God’s Spirit. Yet, we are called not so much to rise up but to bow down. And if we bow down to our Lord, as Paul says in Ephesians 3:14, the church will be the church, and our light will pierce the darkness.” (the foregoing in quotes is from Ligonier.com, by R.C. Sproul)

PUTTING OUT THE CALL

This is an all-volunteer force. I you need financial support, you will eventually have to raise that funding as you go.

This is not a call to build buildings, to establish religious corporations nor to leash ourselves to any 501-c-3 contract. This is not a hierarchy of priests. You are like living stones, being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture:

You are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A CONSECRATED NATION, A special PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies, the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were NOT A PEOPLE at all, but now you are GOD’S PEOPLE; once you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

We will consider others as more important that ourselves. We will continually and faithfully devote ourselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers. Day after day we will meet, continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. We will eat their meals together with joy and generous hearts.

I am putting out the call, first for:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Those with the spiritual gift of Exhortation: The ability to motivate Christians “to patient endurance, brotherly love, and good works”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

CONCLUSION

This is not meant to be and is not a ‘new movement’. It is a continuation of the Church that Jesus built, as the Bible describes it. There are to no assumptions to be made about anything that is not written in the Bible (such as special or new revelations, unwritten words of knowledge, new prophetic words, cessation, reformation, replacement). If the Bible is silent, we are silent. Where the Bible speaks, we speak.

We must become (recreate in our own lives) what Jesus created as His Church. The fruit of the Spirit, the result of His presence within us, is love and unselfish concern for others, joy, inner peace, patience, not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Remembering that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified and are crucifying the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.

We must strive to remember that as we claim to live by the Holy Spirit, we will also walk by the Spirit with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit. We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.

Pray that, following the lead and example of Jesus, as our numbers grow, God’s influence will become an irresistible force as the day of His return draws ever-so-near.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(Please reply in confidence, below. I will reply and we will begin the Assembly.)

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