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 GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 5

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

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

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 5

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

NOTES

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

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

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

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

COMMENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Come to Him and find Life!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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

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

SEPARATED FROM GOD?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 1 Comment

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

sin-separates.gif

Does SIN separate you from God?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT A QUANDARY.

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

Romans 7:14-25, tells us,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THERE IS DELIVERANCE FROM THIS BONDAGE

Romans 8:1-6, tells us,

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

NOW THERE IS THE NEW COVENANT

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

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

Romans 8:31-39, says,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SO, WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THIS QUANDARY?

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

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

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

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

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

1 John 1:9 tells us that

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

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

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

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

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

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

 

IT IS FINISHED

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

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

IT IS FINISHED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 19:28 says,

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

Matthew 5:17 , says,

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

Proverbs 5:5, says,

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

Deuteronomy 4:1, instructs,

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

Deuteronomy 12:32, warns, 

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

Revelation 22:18, also warns, 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Charismatic movement.

What is the New Apostolic Reformation.

What is the Word of Faith movement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Put your trust in

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

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH

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

RECOMMENDED:  COVENANT CHURCH NAPLES

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

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

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

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

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

NOTES

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

Definition: ‘this’.

Usage: this; ‘he, she, it’.

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

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

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

COMMENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finally, what do these verses mean to the believer?

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

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

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

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

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

DIANOIA.

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

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

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

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

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

PSUCHE.

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

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

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

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

PSUCHE

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

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

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

PSUCHE

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

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

PNEUMA

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

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

DIANOIA & PNEUMA

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

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

DIANOIA, PSUCHE & PNEUMA

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

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

DIANOIA, PSUCHE & PNEUMA

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

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

Let’s Do the Word of God and LIVE!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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

Who and What is Dutch Sheets?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 2 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Apostolic Reformation connection with Dutch Sheets.

The Charismatic movement (and Dutch Sheets).

What is the New Apostolic Reformation?

What is the Word of Faith movement?

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

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

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

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

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

Put your trust in

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

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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

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

Finally, what happened to the Brownsville Church?

 

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

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

 “DO YOU KNOW YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT?”

​Have you ever been asked that question before?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​Romans 12             1 Corinthians          Corinthians 12       Ephesians 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Friend and Brother, Together, In His Service.

​Mike Young

A PROPHECY FOR TODAY

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

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

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WOE, WOE, WOE

A PROPHECY FOR TODAY

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

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

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

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

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

He who has an ear, let him hear

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

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

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

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

We can see this complete Prophecy again in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremiah 50

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Revelation 6:9  “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”

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

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

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

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 3

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

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

(John 17 – Part 3).

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

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

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

John 17, verse 12.  

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

NOTES

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

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

COMMENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RECAP

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

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

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

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

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 4

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

ALPHA and OMEGA

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 3 Comments

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

 The Bible’s Important Issues of Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alpha and Omega – A timeline

Your Brother and Friend

Mike Young

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 2

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

The Gospel of John – Part 2

(John 17 – Part 2)

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

God help me, help us all, I pray.

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

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

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

NOTES

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

COMMENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE NAME WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“THAT THEY MAY BE EVEN AS WE ARE”

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

RECAP

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

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

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

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

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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

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

 

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

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

THE BOOK OF JOHN

Theme – (From Biblegateway.com)

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

Overview

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

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

Grouping: Gospels

Author: The apostle John.

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

Genre: Narrative

Original Language: Greek

Audience: Primarily Gentile believers in Jesus and seeking unbelievers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

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

John 1:1 “In the beginning

NOTES

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

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

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

COMMENTS

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

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

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

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

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

SYNCRETISM

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

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

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

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

THE BIBLE TEACHES “SOLA SCRIPTURA”

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

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

John 1:1, “was the Word,”

 NOTES

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

COMMENTS

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

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

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

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

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

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

WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF MAN (AND WOMAN)

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to the podcast audio while you read along, then, pause the audio while you follow the page links.  When you are ready, resume the audio. Please note: I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for detail, credits and expanded teaching on a subject)

WHAT GOD REQUIRES

Micah 6:6-8.

With what shall I come to the LORD
            And bow myself before the God on high?
            Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
            With yearling calves?

     Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,
            In ten thousand rivers of oil?
            Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
            The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

      He has told you, O man, what is good;
            And what does the LORD require of you
            But to do justice, to love kindness,
            And to walk humbly with your God?

“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness, I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them.” – Isaiah 61:8

JUSTICE: noun:

  1. The quality of being just; fairness.
  2. The principle of moral rightness; decency.
  3. Conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness.(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.)

“Justice is behavior or treatment that is based on what is right and fair. Just behavior acts according to what is right. Just treatment of another person means to treat them in a manner that is fair. 

“How do we determine what is right and fair? Secular scholars have debated this for thousands of years. Does a society or culture decide their own standard? When groups or individuals with different standards are in conflict, how do we know what is just?

“The Bible measures right and wrong by God’s standard. God created the world and owns and rules it, (Psalm 89:11), so what He calls just is the definition of justice. He never changes, (Hebrews. 13:8), so the standard He set at the foundation of the world is unchanged and will remain unchangeable.

“Scripture is clear that a person’s dignity and worth is not based on their ethnicity or nationality or gender or background or wealth or position or abilities or contribution, (Acts 10:34-35, Leviticus 19:33-34, Galatians 3:28, Romans 3:10-24, James 2:5-9, Ephesians 6:9, Leviticus 19:14, 1 Corinthians 12:4-26). Every person has equal inherent value because we were all created by God and bear His image (Genesis 1:27). People should therefore receive equal treatment, unless they are different in a way that matters in the question at hand.” (Crosswalk.org 3/1/2021)

A close ‘first cousin’ of Justice has to be Ethics.

  1. The science of right conduct and character; the science which treats of the nature and grounds of moral obligation and of the rules which ought to determine conduct in accordance with this obligation; the doctrine of man’s duty in respect to himself and the rights of others.
  2. The whole of the moral sciences; natural jurisprudence.
  3. A particular system of principles and rules concerning moral obligations and regard for the rights of others, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions and duties: as, social ethics; medical ethics.(The Century Dictionary.)

Then came “Situational Ethics”.  I can remember when I first heard the term “Situational Ethics”, a system of ethics by which acts are judged within their contexts instead of by categorical principles. Situational ethics holds that right and wrong are determined by context and by a desired outcome in any unique situation.

Situational ethics is different from moral relativism in that moral relativism holds that there is no right and wrong whereas situational ethics holds the situation determines right and wrong, i.e., the person decides what is right or wrong, depending on their own situation or circumstance.  Therefore, the standard for ‘right or wrong’ varies from person to person. This is undependable and inevitably creates chaos and conflict.

What ‘situational ethic’ and personal justice boils down to, throughout history, is perspective. In order to keep this simple, let me say that in the context of situational ethics and personal justice, each individual can choose how they view and apply Justice and Ethics. This is how we get so many differing worldviews and conflicting types of government. This is why we have had ‘wars and rumors of wars’ since man has roamed the earth.

Three of the most influential types of worldviews have been the Judeo-Christian ethos, Greek Reason and Logic, and Marxism and the ensuing variants of each.

The Judeo-Christian ethics, emanates from a Divine Source with a system of justice of fixed standards of right and wrong which employ reason and logic, reward and punishment. This view holds that God is supreme and mankind is made in that image; life is precious and must be cultivated for good.

The Greeks embraced reason and logic, but, with a permanent fixed standard of right and wrong base on their system of justice which they believed emanated from a deity, but, justice comes from a person’s ability to use reason and logic.  The Greek held that the individual as important, but served the importance of the state.

Marxism and it’s variants of Leninism, Communism and Socialism, reject any notion of Divinity.  It’s reason and logic has only one conclusion which is the abolition of God or anything that is not according to the philosophy that “the state is supreme”.  Their standards of justice change with situations and circumstances, but always hold that the state and the few elite leaders of the state are supreme.  Violence, deceit, terror, deprivation and death all are legitimate means to maintain control in governing.

The most successful and, arguably, the most enduring are the principles which come from the Judeo-Christian tradition.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?

Micah 6:8 tells us to, “do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God”.  This is The Trinity of Justice. Seeing these three attributes, these qualities, lived out, uniformly, is rare and awe-inspiring. This is perfect justice, and, it is the justice we, as Christians, are called to live and exercise in our lives. It is the proper balance of judgement and mercy, for correction and training in righteousness.

We are now living in the Last Days, as foretold and described in Scriptures. We are told to engage the enemy and stand firm in our faith and practice. “Doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God” is foundational in our warfare and in our walk with God.

Next, is this video link by:  The Bible Project on the subject of Justice:

I will use this video by Ben Shapiro on Western Civilization and justice, to make this point. Please watch it and think.

Whether considering justice in legal terms, institutional justice, social justice, personal justice or Devine justice, the only system of justice which has brought equity, fairness, balance, dependability, trust and peaceful order, has come from the God of the Bible. It is only when mankind perverts and misuses God’s perfect system of justice, do things go bad for everyone – very bad, indeed.

Let’s draw near to “the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob“, and He will draw near to us.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

AND YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESS

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“But, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My Witnesses…”

Some people ‘witness’ by leaving printed tracts containing Bible verses, lying around on countertops or in public bathrooms.

Some people ‘witness’ by sketching cartoon-like drawings of ‘cliffs and stranded characters separated from God by imaginary chasms’, quote a scripture or two and invite others to ‘accept Jesus by praying a little prayer’.

roman-road-salvation-plan_233340.jpg

A few people go door-to-door, handing out religious literature or by standing on street corners handing out tracts, leaflets or pamphlets. So, what’s the harm?

Have we, tragically, reduced one of the greatest commandments and prophecies uttered by Jesus, to a “handout” or a sideshow?

Please read what the Bible actually says about being a witness:

Acts 1:4, “Gathering them together, He (Jesus) commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;

Verse 5.  “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Verse 6. “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Verse 7.  “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

Verse 8.  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

These foregoing verses are both a PROPHECY and a command. A prophecy is a foretelling and a forth-telling, commanded by the Word of God.

Defined by Strong’s Bible concordance from the Greek language: Prophecy, (propheteia, pronounced, prof-ay-ti’-ah) is a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp. by foretelling future events;

A prediction of events relating to Christ’s kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions pertaining to it, the spirit of prophecy, the divine mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due;

Gifts and utterances of the predictions, set apart to teach the gospel, accomplish for the works of the Kingdom of Christ

Prophecy begins with a declaration or an utterance. Then it is always manifest in this natural world. The prophecy will continue to reverberate throughout time and will culminate only when the Perfect (Jesus) comes.

Jesus said, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18)

We must know this because Prophecy is accomplished and continues through God’s people and His creation. We must be obedient to His Word.

His Word, accomplishes His Work, in and through His people

The Bible describes and defines The power (δύναμις dunamis doo’-nam-is) from the Holy Spirit as a mighty work, strength, the working of miracles, of might and of virtue.

God’s Word says you will receive this power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. 

  • You shall be given power, by the Holy Spirit, a strength, a power and the ability to be a witness for God.
  • You shall have an inherent power residing in you by virtue of His nature.
  • You shall exert and put forth miracles.
  • You shall exhibit moral power and excellence of soul.
  • You shall have the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth.
  • You shall have the power and resources as if arising from numbers which rests upon armies, forces and hosts.

So, what does “And you shall receive power”, say, and mean to you and to me?

God’s Word says when you will receive this power you shall be His Witness. Through the power of the Holy Spirit you will become a witness, (witness in the Greek language is, martus, pronounced, mar’-toos).

  • You shall also be a martyr, both in a legal and a historical sense.
  • You shall be one who will hear and will see and will touch the things of God.
  • You shall be one, who, after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of your faith in Christ, even if necessary, by undergoing a violent death.

So, what does “And you shall be My witnesses”, say, and what does this mean to you and to me?

God tells us that His Word which goes forth from His Mouth will not return to Him empty, without accomplishing what He desires, and without succeeding in the matter for which He sends it. – Isaiah 55:11

So, if you and I were to obey the Word of God, what would this look like?

Perhaps it would be like the time Jesus walked the earth, showing us the Father and doing the Works of the Father.

Jesus would preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, and as He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus went, going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. (Matthew 4:17-24)

These are His Works which He prepared ahead of time for us to walk in.

Let’s Go. Let’s Preach and Teach the Gospel. Let’s make disciples, heal the sick, set the captives free.

It is our time to go into the ‘fields ripe for harvest’ and to do His Works.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike and Betty on the Beach.jpg

Mike Young

Two helpful books online

A Simple Guide to Miracles  

Alpha to Omega – A quick Chronology and History 

Pre-Wrath-Pre-Trib-Rapture

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

At the end of this page, is a collection of videos on the Last Days from a Pre-Wrath-tribulation view, the rapture and a chronological look at eschatological history.

What is the Pre-Wrath (Tribulation) Rapture?

The Pre-wrath-tribulation Rapture is the clearest explanation, by Jesus, of the coming Day of the Lord and the rapture. The Bible says, in plain language, that the rapture will occur after or during the 6th tribulation seal. This view holds that the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) or a Great Distress (Luke21:23) begins during the 6th seal, being Daniel’s 70th week, when the Antichrist is revealed in the temple. This is not a “mid-tribulation view” because it occurs after or during the 6th Seal, but, well before the three and one-half year mark of the Great Tribulation. Again, this period is defined, in the Bible, as the Great Tribulation or the time of Great Distress as opposed to “the tribulation”.

References from Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are used as evidence of the coming of Christ to “deliver the righteous” by means of the rapture, which will occur after specific events in Revelation, in particular after or during the breaking of the Sixth Seal when the sun is darkened and the moon is turned to blood.

By this point – the breaking of the 6th Seal – many Christians will have been slaughtered as martyrs by the Antichrist, with many more to come.

After the rapture, God’s wrath of trumpets and bowls will come. The Day of the Lord’s wrath against the ungodly will follow for the remainder of seven years (the 6th and 7th Seal, the 7 Trumpet judgments and the 7 Bowl judgments).

Here are 4 important differences:

(1) The Pre-tribulation view says the final 7 years of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks will commence with the breaking of the first Seal of the Tribulation and will conclude 7 years later with the pouring out of the 7th and final Bowl of God’s Wrath.

But, the Bible clearly teaches that the final 7 years of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks will commence with the breaking of the Sixth Seal of the Tribulation. The first Seal of the Tribulation was broken in or around AD 1 as confirmed by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:14-21 , and the successive Seals 2 through 5 have been opened at various times over the last 2,019 years, with the 5th Seal being the most recent. The Day of the Lord is near, very near.

(2) The Pre-tribulation view is leading many people to believe that Jesus will come and “gather His elect”, then re-return to rapture His Church in secret.

But, the Bible is clear, Jesus will come and gather His elect in plain view, in the heavens, and continue to defeat the armies of antichrist.

(3) Theologians and Bible teachers who hold the Pre-tribulation view argue that some will be saved during the tribulation period.  This may be so, but, none will be saved after the Sixth Trumpet Judgment.

Revelation 9:20-21, says “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”

Revelation 16:8-9, also says, “The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent to give Him glory.”

And, Revelation16:10  says, “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 11and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.”

This dispute arises from the problem with timing of the Pre-tribulation view. Although no one know the day or the hour, we are told we can know the seasons. It is true that there will be those who are saved during the seasons of the first 6 Seals of the tribulation – because the Rapture will not have occurred and will not occur until the after or during the breaking of the 6th Seal.

Again, after the Sixth Trumpet Judgment, during this outpouring of The Wrath of the Lamb, none will be saved. (see Revelation 9:20-21 and Revelation 16:9-11 )

Why does it matter “when” the tribulation starts or “when” Christians are to be raptured into heaven?

  • It matters because being ready for His Return is proof of True Christianity, and only a True Believer in Christ will be guaranteed to join Christ at the sound of His Great Trumpet call and escape the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
  • It matters because being ready requires believing and doing what He has instructed us to do in preparation for His return.
  • It matters because He has warned that “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
  • It matters because many Christians are sitting idly waiting for an event that has already begun, and they are not DOING what He told them to do and therefore are in grave danger.
  • It matters because some of our family, friends and neighbors are completely unaware or just don’t believe that Christ will return and God’s final judgments will sentence them to outer darkness.
  • It matters because, as Christians, our faith, our convictions and our behavior are speaking louder than our words.

This is important to know because: (#1), you, as a Disciple of Jesus, need to know where you are on God’s Timeline, (#2), what it means to you, (#3) what is required for you to be ready, and, (#4) what it means to be ready for what is at hand and (#5), how to prepare.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young.

The Zion’s Hope videos are in a series, with more to come.  (The date of this posting is 10/29/2021).

You can view all of Zion’s Hope’s material, teachings and videos at Zion’s Hope‘s website.

Following this video are a series of videos of greater detail on these matters:

You can view all the Fuel Project‘s videos at their website.

May God give you wisdom and understanding on these matters as we prepare for His Return and the consummation of the age.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Pastor-Teacher John Piper’s views on the placement of the “Last Days”

This full-length feature can also be viewed at “7 Pre-trib Problems”

(PS: The Pre-Wrath-Tribulation view says that (#1). The first tribulation judgement seals were broken (opened) at or just after the birth of Jesus, and (#2). Tribulation seals ONE through FIVE have been opened sequentially, progressively, overlapping, and the effects have been intensifying to this date.

The SIXTH tribulation seal is still a future event, at which time and Matthew 24, verse 29 “immediately after the tribulation of the previous 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. Verse 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. Verse 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His [c] elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”