Category: The Bible

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).

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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.

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

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

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

JUSTICE

~ 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)

“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.

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

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

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

IS THE BIBLE SCIENCE?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

SCIENTISM: The science of god.

“Is there a God? Of course not. What is the meaning of the universe? It doesn’t have any. What is the purpose of life? Ditto. Is there free will? Not a chance.

“Scientism is the view that science is our best guide to the nature of reality. Its methods and its findings are our best account of the nature of reality.”  Alex Rosenberg, Philosopher

LET’S BE CLEAR. Science has become a religion for many:

However, God is not a scientist. However, God created science and scientists.

The Bible is not a science book. But it contains countless references to what scientists argue are incomplete scientifically.

The Bible is not a history book. But, it contains innumerable historical accounts. The Bible is not many things people attribute.

However, THE BIBLE IS THE INFALLIBLE, INERRANT, INDESTRUCTIBLE, INDISPUTABLE, INSPIRATIONAL, IMMUTABLE WORD, MIND AND VOICE OF THE ONLY, ONE, TRUE, LIVING GOD.

The Bible is the account of God’s action in the world, and his purpose with all creation.

In addition to all the above, the Bible is:

Useful as a guide for living life to the full. It gives us a road map for the perilous journey of life. Or to put it another way, on our voyage through life’s ocean, the Bible is an anchor.

Useful as a storehouse of wonderful stories for children and grownups. Remember Noah and the ark? Joseph’s coat of many colors? Daniel in the lion’s den? Jonah and the fish? The parables of Jesus? These stories emphasize the triumphs and failures of ordinary people.

Useful as a refuge in trouble. People in pain, in suffering, in prison, and in mourning tell how turning to the Bible brought strength in their desperate hour.

Useful as a treasury of insight as to who we are. We are not meaningless robots, but we are magnificent creatures of a God who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny.

Useful as a sourcebook for everyday living. We find standards for our conduct, guidelines for knowing right from wrong, and principles to help us in a confused society where so often “anything goes.” (This paragraph taken, in part and edited, from biblica.com)

So, again, what IS THE BIBLE?

Hebrews 4:12, says, “For 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.”

John 1:1, says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

1 Thessalonians 2:13, says, “You accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

1 Peter 1:23, says, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God”

Ephesians 6:17, says, “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

THE BIBLE IS

THE INFALLIBLE, INERRANT, INDESTRUCTIBLE, INDISPUTABLE, INSPIRATIONAL, IMMUTABLE WORD, MIND AND VOICE OF THE ONLY, ONE, TRUE, LIVING GOD

The Bible also has a few words to say about the likes of Alex Rosenberg or anyone of Scientism:

Proverbs 18:2, “A fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind.”

Psalms 14:1. “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”

Comparing the Bible or God to Science is foolish. It is a weak and feeble comparison.

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?

“Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coast lands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

“To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? Says the Holy One. “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? …remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me… Isaiah 40:12-18, 25; 46:5, 9

Humbled, we bow,

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS: Nothing Can Compare, by John Piper (used according to desiring God permissions)

THINK – Part 4 – The Sermon on the Mount

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(Please note, links are used in place of footnotes for references and citations.  Please review each link in order to get the full teaching on these matters.  Also, you can pause the Audio podcast to follow a link and resume the audio when ready.)

THINK – The Sermon – Part 4

Matthew chapter five contains a sermon by Jesus, which has been aptly named “The Sermon on The Mount”, simply because it took place on a small mount (hill) which overlooks the Sea of Galilee (the lake at Gennesaret.

This sermon has been named the “The Beatitudes”, again, simply because of the repeated use of the word ‘blessed’ in the sermon, which translate as ‘beatitude’, (beati sunt, “blessed are”), of sayings in the Latin Vulgate Bible. 

There are thousands upon thousands of commentaries, articles, published bible studies and more, about The Beatitudes. Most describe this as ‘the greatest moral teaching’ ever.  But, it is much more than that.

The Beatitudes can be found in Matthew chapter 5 and continuing through Matthew chapter 7.  It is presumed that Jesus preached this sermon over a period of several days.  I say it is much more than just ‘the greatest moral teaching ever’, which it is, but it is profoundly prophetic.  Jesus Words are prophetic because of what they do, to and through a disciple of Jesus.

– THE BEATITUDES –

A PICTURE OF SALVATION & THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION

God speaks of people as having a body, a mind, and a soul. (see Matthew 22:37, Deuteronomy 6:5). We live and learn on all three of these levels. Our experience begins in our spirit (pneuma) sometimes called ‘the heart’ and work into our soul (psuché), our will and emotions; next, it works its way up into our mind, expressed in thoughts and ideas, and culminates in our body (soma) where our thoughts and ideas are acted upon.

These Words of Jesus work powerfully on all three levels.

Matthew 5:1,  “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Verse 2. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

Verse 3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Poor in spirit” has been described and ‘spiritually bankrupt’, which is like calling the ocean ‘a wet spot’.  ‘Poor in Spirit’ (Greek: ptochos) literally means 1) reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms 2) destitute of wealth, influence, position, honor

2a) lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches

2b) helpless, powerless to accomplish an end 2c) poor, needy 3) lacking in anything 3a) as respects their spirit 3a1) destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up to Christ’s teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure)

 This definition comes from a root and alternate meaning “to be terrified”, “as a decaying corpse”.

The Jewish audience understood what Jesus was saying.  It should have caused them to wonder, how could they possibly be considered “Blessed” if they are “poor in spirit”.  But, that is exactly what Jesus said.  He goes on to explain what He meant.

 (When was the last time your preacher explained how you could “enter the Kingdom of Heaven”?  Was it when he told you to ‘pray this little prayer’: God, I have sinned…etc.?

Has he ever explained the true definition of being “poor is in spirit” and why you must be 1) reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms

2) destitute of wealth, influence, position, honor 2a) lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches 2b) helpless, powerless to accomplish an end 2c) poor, needy

3) lacking in anything 3a) as respects their spirit 3a1) destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford. (people of this class will most readily give themselves up to Christ’s teaching and are will to be proved, IN ORDER TO INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 

Has your pastor or preacher explained that this is the first step and the ONLY WAY to the Kingdom of Heaven?  If he has not, why not?  It is the first step and the only way into the Kingdom of Heaven!

(This series contains urgent and vitally important information.  Jesus warns us to not be deceived, for many will come saying “I am the Christ”.  This can come in the form of misinformed pastors, preachers and teachers through INSTITUTIONAL DECEPTION.  Beware!)

Please, pray, read, study, seek God on these matters.

Your Brother and Friend

Mike Young

Coming soon:  “THINK – PART 5 – BE BLESSED”

Previous article:  “THINK – PART 3 – WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”

PS:  When I went into the U.S. Army, basic training gave me the impression that I could handle being a soldier.  But, when you finish the training and begin your life as a soldier – real life in the military – everything changes.  It is nothing like basic training.  It is for real!

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food”  Hebrews 5:12

THINK – Part 2 – Repent and live

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THINK!  MINDS & THOUGHTS.

*Think, and the God of peace will be with you.

**Think, and you will have abundant life and peace and prosperity.

***Think, and God will reveal His Truths to you.

****Think, and God will give you understanding in everything.

*****Think, and you will be as you are.

In our last article, we discussed psychology and the soul.  This time, let’s take a brief look at what the Bible says about the mind and thoughts.

*Philippians 4:8, says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Verse 9. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

**Romans 8:5 tells us, “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. Verse 6.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on and peace.”

***Philippians 3:15 , says, “Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.”

****2 Timothy 2:7  tells us to, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

*****Proverbs 23:7, says, “… For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.”

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT OR RELEVANT?

First, no person, with a sound mind, can think one thing and do another.  You cannot say “today I pray to have success”, or “today I will pray to have friends”, or “today I will serve God”, then act in a contrary manner and expect to receive what you desire nor to achieve what you claim.

Secondly, and most importantly, Matthew 4:17, says, “Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  This is the greatest pronouncement and call to readiness for all Christians:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

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

Repent, in the Biblical sense, literally means,

“To change one’s mind; – reversing how you think – to change one’s mind for the better” and it comes from two root words which mean, “Hereafter, have this understanding or perception”.

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

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

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

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

BOTH A COMMAND AND A PROPHETIC WORD

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

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

The disciples echoed and repeated these very words as they continued to do the Works of God, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is now at hand”.

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

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

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

MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Previous article:  “THINK – Part 1 -Psychology in the Bible? – The Soul”

Next article: “THINK – Part 3 – Where are you Going?”

THINK – Part 1 – PSYCHOLOGY IN THE BIBLE?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

 

Matthew 22:37 says, “And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’”

 Also found in Deuteronomy 6:5  says, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

 These words are both a command and a prophecy from God, to the Israelites, then, and to us, now, so we can “live in the land which God has promised”.

The ‘land’ promised to the Jewish people is described in Joshua 1:1-9 and is actual real estate.  It is a foreshadowing of the eternal “Land” of the Kingdom of God.  (see metaphors such as found in Matthew 13:44, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Matthew 22:37 and Deuteronomy 6:5 tell us how we are to “love the Lord our God”.  These verses describe the entire person:  mind, body and soul.  We are to love God with our entire being and all of our essence in order to obtain His promises.

Let’s focus on the soul.

SOUL:  From the Greek, “psuché”, meaning, breath, the soul (the phonetic spelling is psoo-khay’).  It is defined as the vital breath or 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, the mind, will and emotions..

‘Psuche’, (the soul), is the root of the English words “psyche,” “psychology”; the soul (psyche); a person’s distinct identity (unique person-hood), i.e. individual personality.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT OR RELEVANT?

It is to make the point that the Bible speaks volumes about human psychology and is the leading and foremost authority on the matter. Scientists and psychologist are just catching up with the Bible on these matters, but, they still have a way to go. Most psychologists view the Bible as largely mythical or anthropomorphic, and they read it through the biased and ofttimes arrogant lens of scientism.

The main point is, however, is that Matthew 22:37 and Deuteronomy 6:5 tell us HOW we are to “love the Lord our God”.  These verses describe the entire person:  mind, body and soul.  We are to love God with our entire being and all of our essence – in order to obtain His promises.

Deuteronomy 28:28,  “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

Verse 2.  All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:

Verse 3.  “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

Verse 4.  “Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.

Verse 5.  “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

Verse 6.  “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

Verse 7. “The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways.

Verse 8.  The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Verse 9.  The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.

Verse 10.  So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you.

Verse 11.  The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the [l]offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

Verse 12.  The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

Verse 13.  The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully,

Verse 14.  And do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Finally, and to be sure, all the promises of God are already ours through the finished redemptive work of Jesus.  But, just like the Israelites wandering in the desert of forty years, though God provided them manna to eat and sandals to wear, the children of God still had to pick up the manna and put on the sandals which would never wear out.

The promises of God are here, but, we must appropriate them by believing and obeying God and taking the promises as our own.  Let’s live the Kingdom, now!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(Next Article:  “THINK – The Mind and Thoughts”)

A SERMON THAT REACHES TO “THE NEXT LEVEL”

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

I am sharing today’s message, via a video sermon (at the end of this page), by Pastor Trent Casto, Covenant Church of Naples PCA, Naples, Florida, that will answer some of the most daunting questions about our covenant relationship with God.

I have been a Christian for about 45 years.  I have been taught and trained in Christian theology and the study of God’s Word and I still study God’s Word, daily.  And I still have questions about what and why God has unfolded our salvation and world history the way He has done it.

Why did Jesus have to suffer so horribly and die so shamefully, for our sins?  Couldn’t God have done it any other way?

How does Jesus’ death excuse my sins?  (I know the doctrinal explanation, but, really, HOW does that work in LIFE?)

When did this all start?  Men and women had become so evil that God destroyed most of them.  I mean, Jesus wasn’t a ‘sudden idea’ of God, so He wouldn’t have to destroy us again, was He?

Where is this all going?

What does ancient Hebrew law and Israel have to do with me and God’s plan for my life?

This sermon answers the most daunting and most sought after explanations about WHYs, HOWs, WHENs, WHEREs and WHAT of our faith, SO ANY CHRISTIAN CAN UNDERSTAND and have their faith strengthened.

I am sharing today’s message (sermon) by Pastor Trent Casto, Covenant Church of Naples PCA, Naples, Florida, that answers those questions.  Listen to the end, and you will be deeply and greatly encouraged.

In Deuteronomy, God re-establishes Israel as his covenant people. What does it mean to be the covenant people of God, and what are the implications for our lives today?
Get ready to be encouraged in a very BIG way!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Sermon Outline:
I.   A Promise of Land, People, and Blessing.
II.  The Establishment of God’s Covenant People.
III. Deuteronomy as a Covenant Treaty.
IV. The Long Way of Disobedience.
V. Living as God’s Covenant People Today.

THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  

John 6:29

It is interesting that Jesus commands His disciples (Christians) to do the works that He has done and even greater works than these.  We are to continue in His mission, using His methods and His ways. (John 14:12, Matthew 10:1).

  • This is how we fight this Spiritual war.
  • This is how we overcome by the word of our testimony and by the Blood of the Lamb.
  • This is how we endure to the end.

Most of those chasing around after Jesus, during His earthly ministry, misunderstood what He was saying about His Works, and not much has changed to this day.

For example, a large crowd that had stayed on the far shore, saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them.  Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So, when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.  They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

“Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

“Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”   John 6

It can be a bit confusing, but, take heart.  Jesus told us that He has prepared His Works ahead of time so that we, His disciples, would walk in them.  And, He promised us that He will be with us, in His authority, giving us direction and even giving us the words we should use.  (Matthew 28:16-19, Luke 21:15, Luke 12:12)

He prepared the good Works; we just ‘walk in them’.

Many churches are teaching to do your own good works, in your own ways as if to say, “those were things they did THEN. But, these are the things we do NOW.

But, NO!  Man’s ways are failing.  They are failing to engage the enemy .  Our enemies are evil, fear, doubt, hatred, vengeance, lust, poverty, war, disease, sickness and more.

Here are Jesus’ methods and ways, and here is exactly what He has told us to do:

And, Jesus said, “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  

Here is our methods and ways, just as Jesus has told us:

  • Believe on the One whom He has sent.
  • Jesus will give us the words to speak.  
  • The Bible is the Sword of God.  
  • Jesus has fulfilled the law on our behalf.  
  • We are made to be His witnesses.  
  • When we lift Jesus, people are drawn to Him. Jesus will heal the sick; raise the dead; cleanse the lepers; cast out demons.

Each of us must develop and have our personal plan and intention of making disciples, following Jesus’ model, in His Name.  I pray you will work on yours today!

Again, let’s please remember, it is God Who does these Works through His disciples. We do not accomplish these Works on our own.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS: Do these “Works” of Jesus sound like the 2021 postmodern Church?  It would seem that, many claiming His Name, are so far off His Message, His Methods and His Means, that one has to wonder what He will have to say upon His return?

(Will it be, “‘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.’;  or, will it be “Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’”)

Imagine with me, if you will, that the world could witness these works being performed on a global scale. Don’t you think it would change how the world thinks and behaves?  It’s our job now, to be obedient and available for Him to do His Works through us, remembering, it is not us who does the Works; it is God Who does them.

A DOUBLE PORTION

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Gratitude.jpg

INSTEAD OF SHAME, YOU WILL HAVE A DOUBLE PORTION

Have you ever received a gift you didn’t expect, which exceeded what you could imagine?

How did you, or how would you react?

There are some people who would reject such a gift. They might say, “Oh, you shouldn’t have, and I can’t accept that.”

I have tried something as simple as to buy dinner for friends, and some of them say that exact thing, “Oh, I can’t let you do that!”

Maybe they are embarrassed or don’t want to feel obligated?

Listen to this and tell me what you think about this Gift:

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

I have read commentary after commentary on Isaiah 61. Each tells everything you would want to know. EXCEPT ONE THING.

I read that Isaiah is saying that God is at work in the historical events of the day to bring restoration and vindication of the people of God. As God’s people are renewed and restored, they would again assume their role as witness to God in the world (55:3-5).

Chuck Swindoll says, “the book of Isaiah provides us with the most comprehensive prophetic picture of Jesus Christ in the entire Old Testament. It includes the full scope of His life: the announcement of His coming (Isaiah 40:3–5), His virgin birth (7:14), His proclamation of the good news (61:1), His sacrificial death (52:13–53:12), and His return to claim His own (60:2–3)”

THIS ONE THING

These commentaries tell everything, EXCEPT THIS ONE THING: What does it mean to me, and should I apply it to my life, today?

Should I try to apply Isaiah 61 to my life?

Here are some of the scriptures that we are to apply to our lives – daily…

THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Jesus said, in Matthew 4, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

We are to do this as Jesus does.

THIS, WE ARE TO DO.

Jesus said, in Matthew 16:24 “Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

We are to do this as Jesus does.

THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Jesus said, in Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Verse 20.  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We are to do this as Jesus does.

THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Philippians 2:5 says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”.

We are to do this as Jesus does.

BUT, ARE WE ARE TO DO THIS, TOO?

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

If this is a PROPHETIC WORD from God…THIS WE ARE TO DO.

Verse 2. To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

Verse 3 . To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Verse 4. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.

GOD WILL DO THIS and GOD HAS DONE THIS

(Dear friends, repeat and think about the words in the ‘blue lettering’ as your confession, and read what God has done)

Isaiah 61:5 says, Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,

(and strangers will stand and pasture my flocks)

And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

(And foreigners will be my farmers and your vinedressers)

Verse 6.  But you will be called the priests of the LORD;

(But I will be called a priest of the LORD;)

You will be spoken of as ministers of our God.

(I will be spoken of as a minister of our God.)

You will eat the wealth of nations,

(I will eat the wealth of nations)

And in their riches you will boast.

(And in their riches I boast.)

Verse 7.  Instead of your shame, you will have a double portion,

(Instead of your shame, I have a double portion,)

And instead of humiliation, they will shout for joy over their portion.

(And instead of humiliation, I shout for joy over my portion.)

Therefore, they will possess a double portion in their land,

(Therefore I possess a double portion in my land,)

Everlasting joy will be theirs.

(Everlasting joy is mine.)

Let’s all say

BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME. YOU HAVE CROWNED MY HEAD WITH LOVING KINDNESS AND COMPASSION.

May it be as The Word of God says.

Now, let’s go and BE BLESSED – just as you have BLESSED THE LORD.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Parallel Universes – Really?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 4 Comments

Isaiah 55:9

 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

“In 1954, a young Princeton University doctoral candidate named Hugh Everett III came up with a radical idea: That there exist parallel universes, exactly like our universe. These universes are all related to ours; indeed, they branch off from ours, and our universe is branched off of others. Within these parallel universes, our wars have had different outcomes than the ones we know. Species that are extinct in our universe have evolved and adapted in others. In other universes, we humans may have become extinct.  This thought boggles the mind and yet, it is still comprehensible.” – From, HowStuffWorks / author, Josh Clark.

From, Psychology Today, The neuropsychology of motivated perception – What we see.

“Think of a time when your eyes saw what they wished to see: a person you were thinking about on a busy street, a heart-shaped pebble you were looking for on the beach.

“This phenomenon, called motivated perception, has been explored in psychological research for decades. Indeed, the world as we conceive it in our awareness is not exactly an accurate representation of what it truly is. Our perception is often biased, selective, and malleable.

“Why are we prone to seeing what we want to see? Recent research published in Nature Human Behavior demonstrates how our motivations and desires can give rise to two biases: a perceptual bias (when our motivations have a top-down influence on our perceptions) and a response bias (when we report seeing what we wish to see). The study, led by researchers from Stanford University, explores how these biases affect our perceptions. It proposes underlying neurocomputational mechanisms that guide these judgments.”

“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”  (From the Bible. You can read the entire text in Romans 8:18-25)

Do We See Reality as it is?  Watch this video by cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman, trying to answer a big question: Do we experience the world as it really is, or as we need it to be?

Still, scientists persist with their theories, with or without observable facts. Maybe they are onto something?  Something big?  Something very big?

An article from from, “Web Education” says, “Parallel universes are not a theory, but deductions from the « Many Worlds » interpretation of quantum mechanics. And there is at least on other theory that predicts not alternate universes but parallel universes where the universes are just like ours, only slightly different, where different versions of us could exist. One is the idea of Infinite universes. The reason space appears to be only 13.7 billion light years in radius is because That limit is set by the distance that light has had the ability to travel since the instant of the Big Bang. The universe is likely larger, and perhaps infinitely larger. If space is infinite, then it must start repeating at some point, because there are a finite number of ways that any set of particles can be arranged.”

The scientific community is buzzing with excitement over these speculations and theories of parallel universes, alternate universes, multi-verses,

Read this excerpt from an article found at Space.com:  “Around 13.7 billion years ago, everything we know of was an infinitesimal singularity. Then, according to the Big Bang theory, it burst into action, inflating faster than the speed of light in all directions for a tiny fraction of a second. Before 10^-32 seconds had passed, the universe had exploded outward to 10^26 times its original size in a process called cosmic inflation. And that’s all before the actual expansion of matter that we usually think of as the Big Bang itself, which was a consequence of all this inflation: As the inflation slowed, a flood of matter and radiation appeared, creating the classic Big Bang fireball, and began to form the atoms, molecules, stars and galaxies that populate the vastness of space that surrounds us.”

Coincidentally or not, the Bible simplified this “Big Bang” theory and the theories of evolution, in the Book of Genesis, some 3,300 years before the Belgian Catholic priest Georges Lemaitre proposed the Big Bang theory.

Genesis 1:1  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.

And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

      Verse 6,  “Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

      Verse 9,  “Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.

 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

      Verse 14,  “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;

There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

      Verse 20,  “Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.”

There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

      Verse 24.  “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind”      

Verse 26.  “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule…”

It would seem as if scientists have been looking directly into the Eyes and Mind of God, and are either unwilling or unable to recognize what they are seeing and experiencing.

For example, an English physicist, writer, broadcaster and professor, Paul Davies. has written a 1992 non-fiction book, titled “The Mind of God, and subtitled, The Scientific Basis for a Rational World.  It is a whirlwind tour and explanation of theories, both physical and metaphysical, regarding ultimate causes.

Its title comes from a quotation from Stephen Hawking: “If we do discover a theory of everything…it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason—for then we would truly know the mind of God.” In the book proper, Davies briefly explores: the nature of reason, belief, and metaphysics; theories of the origin of the universe; the laws of nature; the relationship of mathematics to physics; a few arguments for the existence of God; the possibility that the universe shows evidence of a deity; and his opinion of the implications of Gödel’s incompleteness theorem, that “the search for a closed logical scheme that provides a complete and self-consistent explanation is doomed to failure.”

He concludes with a statement of his belief that, even though we may never attain a theory of everything, “the existence of mind in some organism on some planet in the universe is surely a fact of fundamental significance. Through conscious beings the universe has generated self-awareness. This can be no trivial detail, no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces. We are truly meant to be here.”

BALDERDASH?

The scientific community is now admitting they are finding things that are turning their world upside down and making them rethink everything they thought they knew.  OMG.

So, I have a question for the scientific community and all the ‘wannabes’ and pseudo-scientists out there (most of whom are much smarter than me on these matters):  If and when you realize that you have found GOD and are willing to admit it, what will you do with Him?

I can hear the howls, already.  “You fool, there is no God”.  Yet, based on your scientific-faith, you continue to consider what is not possible, by your own admission.

WHAT IF?

But, what if you scientists are right?  What if there is something resembling a “parallel universe” or and “alternate reality”?

The Bible speaks clearly of such a place and of such a phenomenon.  It is called by another name.  It is referred to as heaven.

And, what if, through prayer, a “fervent”, focused, directed, mental and spiritual exercise of reaching out to God by crossing the dimension of “what is not seen” we can actually reach and interact with The “Invisible God” revealed and describe in the Bible?

Just what if we can influence and impact this world three dimensional world of ours by bringing the influences of a “parallel universe” or an “alternate reality” to bear on our own world?

I mean, after all, scientist, YOU BROUGHT IT UP!  So, let’s talk.  Yes, talk with me scientist.  Talk with me, you who bow reverently at the alter of science – if you dare.  If your ego and intellect will allow you to converse with a “small person”.  Please, talk with me.

Psalms 51

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,”
            They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
            There is no one who does good.

      God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
            To see if there is anyone who understands,
            Who seeks after God.

      Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
            There is no one who does good, not even one.

      Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge,
            Who eat up My people as though they ate bread
            And have not called upon God?

      There they were in great fear where no fear had been;
            For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you;
            You put them to shame, because God had rejected them.

      Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
            When God restores His captive people,
            Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Brother & Friend of Jesus,

Mike Young

Please talk to me via this contact form or by using the reply section of this page.

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THESE WORKS

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

What would you think, if in passing, you were to ask me, “What are you up to nowadays?”, and I were to answer, saying…

“Oh, just testifying to the Truth,

“Bringing a sword to the world and

“Turning sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers.

“I am working at fulfilling the Hebrew and Judaic law and that of their prophets, and

“Calling sinners to righteousness.  

“I am bringing fire upon the earth and to creating a lot of division.  

“I guess you might say I have been busy working at saving the world”.  

 WHICH WORKS?

It is interesting that Jesus commanded His disciples (Christians) to do the works that He has done and even greater works than these.  We are to continue in His mission, using His methods and His ways. (John 14:12, Matthew 10:1)

It can be a bit confusing, but He promised us that He will be with us, in His authority, giving us direction and even giving us the words we should use.  (Matthew 28:16-19, Luke 21:15, Luke 12:12)

WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?

“For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”  This, too, is our calling!

 TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH

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

TO BRING A SWORD

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

 TO FULFILL THE LAW

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

TO CALL SINNERS

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

TO SAVE THE WORLD

John 12:47, If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”   In a very real sense, This, too, is our calling, by lifting the Name of Jesus, telling others and leading them to Him

TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH

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

 WHAT HE REALLY MEANT, WAS…

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

I have heard so many preachers and bible teachers try to justify or explain away these Words of Jesus because they just cannot fathom the gentle and sweet ‘dashboard Jesus’ saying such things as we find in the verses cited.  These same confused preachers really get tied in a knot over John 14:12.  They will begin their commenary of teaching it with, “what this really means is…”.

Jesus said what He meant and meant exactly what He said.  We need to get over it and get on with it.

CONTEXT

The year is now 2024.  A recent-past president of the United States has declared that America is no longer a Christian nation.  Postmodernism is a term used to describe this new paradigm.  Our churches are practicing a new version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ often described by a “3-line motto” which can be seen across the spectrum of churches in America:  “Gather, Grow, Give” or “Love each other, Enjoy Jesus, Share Him with others”, etc.

These mottoes are an attempt to describe the church and its ministry to the watching world or to the ‘church shopping Christian’.  But, if these mottoes or labels are supposed to describe Jesus and His Church, they fail.

Jesus’  purpose in coming to earth was not to teach a social gospel, create a ‘family life center’, to make you a better you or to shake up the existing religious institutions.  Jesus was on a specific Mission from God the Father as is reflected in the foregoing Bible verses.  Jesus confirms that He is on His Father’s mission,, in John 5:19,  “Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way.”

With this in mind, can you, in your most vivid imagination, see Jesus announcing “mother’s morning out”, “cookies and campfires for kids”, “fishing with fathers and sons”, “financial workshops”, etc?  You might say “what’s wrong with that?”.  I would respond that there is nothing wrong with these activities, but, they have nothing to do with Jesus Mission and our calling to that mission.

THE BOTTOM LINE

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.”

FACING REALITY

Everything Jesus has done is IN THE CONTEXT of what God the Father said. But, the world, both Christian and secular worlds seem to have decided that Jesus is exclusively a gentle little lamb.  But, if you make a closer inspection and take an honest look a what the Bible says, you see a different picture:  Jesus is both the Lion of Judah and the Sacrificial Lamb.  He is both careful with His words and brutally honest.  He is both gentle and forceful.

THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE

If you came home and saw your house on fire, knowing your family was inside, what would you do?  Would you politely suggest everyone might want to step outside or would you take immediate action, sparing no effort or words to alert everyone to the immediate danger and move them to safety at any cost?

Likewise, God’s creation is perishing because of lack of knowledge of Him and Jesus is doing what is necessary to save the world.  We may not always understand His words, His methods or His ways, but it would be prudent to observe, listen, think and obey Him.

The world has long held a misconception, a distorted view of God.  We have made Him into a “kinder and gentler” image which we would prefer.

Jesus is setting that record straight in order to save the world from itself.

SO, WHAT ABOUT JESUS BEHAVIORS?

Most who have read this far, should have been shocked by the opening paragraphs of this article, but, that is EXACTLY what Jesus said and did.  These are EXACTLY the behaviors of our Savior.  Jesus’ words and behaviors are the perfect balance of love for this world coupled with rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness  This, too, is our calling!  

His words and actions must be kept in context, lest we misuse them, ourselves.  Read John 3:16 again, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.”

Jesus’ words and behaviors are the perfect balance of love for this world coupled with rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness.  This, too, is our calling!

WE ARE IN AN END DAYS WAR

We are locked in the eternal Spiritual struggle.  Millions upon millions of souls are at risk.  We cannot fight and win this battle using our own means, methods and ways.  It is urgent that we return to Jesus, to His methods and His ways.  It is urgent that we have the mind of Christ at all times and in all matters.  Anything less ends in defeat.

If you dispute or dismiss the idea that God’s ways may seem strict harsh or unfair, remember, God sacrificed His own Son for you.  That seems strict, harsh and unfair.

Jesus willingly gave up His own life for this Cause which also seems strict, harsh and unfair.

And, if God did not spare the natural branches (His own Jewish / Hebrew people), how will you stay secure in this Cause without following Him?  Does this also seems strict, harsh and unfair?  Perhaps.  But it is the only way!

WE MUST GET THIS RIGHT

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  We cannot fight this war with conventional earthly method, means or way.  WE MUST GET THIS RIGHT in our minds and do this in real-time!

This is the only way, for as it is written.  This will shake the very foundations of your life, your church and the world!

  • TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH
  • BRING A SWORD
  • FULFILL THE LAW
  • CALL SINNERS TO REPENTANCE
  • SAVE THISWORLD
  • CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH
  • WHAT HE REALLY MEANT, WAS “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  (John 14:12 ).

Time is short.  His return is near.  It is time each of us, individually and collectively, to pick up our cross and really follow Him.  Now!  Today!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(Contact me and let’s work, together!)

whitestonefellowship1@gmail.com

PS:  Just in case you were wondering.  The Bible is clear:  I am not talking about us saving ourselves.  No one can earn their way into the Kingdom of Heaven by what they say or do apart from Jesus.  Our salvation and place in heaven is secured solely by God’s Grace and through our faith in Jesus.

How we act, that is, our words and our behaviors are a reflection of our attitude.  And our attitude, our mind set, must be the same as Christ. Philippians 2:5,  exhorts us to “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”.

Your attitudes and resultant words and behaviors are what will free you or will limit you.

You will overcome because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of your testimony, and that you do not love this life even when faced with death!