The Rapture not the 2nd Coming

Denial of the Rapture – when the members of the Body of Christ are caught up to meet Him in the air – is a quick tip that a person fails to rightly divide Scripture and is at best confused and misled at worst likely not even be saved!

Anyone who thinks they have to go through or endure the Tribulation because they believe they are Israel; they aren’t, we’re the Body of Christ and  have already received the atonement  –
Romans 5:11 KJV — “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom  we have now received the atonement.” –
does not understand the gospel that saves today (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), and they can’t really believe what they don’t understand so they need to get saved.

The rapture ends the dispensation of grace and is one of the mysteries revealed to Paul by the glorified, risen Christ so cannot be found or connected to anything outside of Romans thru Philemon. Sorry, but it’s not in Matthew 24, Isaiah, Daniel, Luke, or Revelation.  Believe me, there was a dark period before I found the key when I was ready to sell everything find a cave in the deepest wilderness and learn to survive on berries, tree bark and those weird meals you justvadd water to when I tried like mad to find it there with no luck.  You can’t find what isn’t there, so I began to think maybe the people saying we had to go through the Tribulation had it right.  Praise God though my husband in his study of the Bible – no teachers, no preachers, just him and God’s word and the Holy Spirit – began to see right division and share it with me.  One day it clicked and Praise the Lord I saw things right!!  All the confusion, doubt, fear, and worry was gone because I realized who I was, I was complete in Christ and set free from sin, dead to it and the reason I couldn’t find the rapture in the red letters or prophets was cause it wasn’t there. 

But what I did find through pouring over God’s word rightly divided was the division between the Rapture and the Second Coming I had missed.  I hadn’t realized that the Tribulation is the divider between the two events.  The Rapture occurs, then the Tribulation begins at some point after the Body is caught up, the Tribulation then ends with Christ’s Second Coming.  Below is a summary of the key differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming that right division makes glaringly obvious. 

The Rapture:
• Occurs before the Tribulation period (1 Thes 1:10)
• Is a message of grace, joy and peace (1 Thes 1:1, 10; 2 Tim 4:8; Titus 2:13)
• Believers are to look for Christ, not signs (Phil 3:20-21)
• Believers have “comfort” and “rest” (1 Thes 4:18; 5:11; 2 Thes 1:7;2:16,17)
• Results in LIFE as Members of the Body of Christ are raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thes 4:16)
• Marks the end of the Dispensation of Grace (Rom 11:25; 1 Cor 15:51-52)
• “Blessed Hope” for Body of Christ (1 Thes 4:14)
• Believers burden is to reach others for Christ so they are not left behind to go into the Tribulation (1 Thes 5:4-8)
• Unrevealed until the risen Christ told Paul about it (1 Cor 15:51)

The Second Coming:
•  Takes place after the Tribulation (Matt 24:29)
• Is about judgment, vengeance and wrath (Psa 50:3; Joel 3:9-16; Rev 19:11-21)
• Israel is to look for the signs of Christ’s Second Coming (Matt 24:3,15,33; Luke 21:28)
• The earth will “mourn” and great fear (Zech 12:10; Matt 24:30; Rev 1:7)
• Results in DEATH, carcasses from Armageddon cover the ground (Psa 110:5-6; Zech 14:12; Matt 24:28; Rev 19:17-18)
• Marks the end of the Tribulation (Matt 24:3)
• Believers in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah MUST endure till the end to be saved by the Second Coming (Matt 10:22; 24:13; John 20:31)
• The burden of Israel will be God’s vengeance poured out on their enemies (Psa 5; 58; 59; 79)
• Predicted in the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Hebrew epistles (Isa 64:1-2; 66:15-18; Mark 13:24-26; Jude 14, 15)

Once You Expire It’s Too Late

Everything and everybody  has an expiration date, including you. Which is why it is so important that every single one of us is absolutely certain of where they will go when that expiration date is up – eternal with God in Christ in heaven or eternal life in hell and the lake of fire where the worm dieth not.  We are all guilty before God, sinners bound for hell by birth.  Scripture tells us that all have sinned and that the wages of that sin is death.  That sin separates us from God who is holy, perfect and can not have sin where He is. He didn’t want it to be that way, He made man to fellowship with that’s why he walked with Adam in the garden, but when Adam rebelled and sinned  closeness and connection was broken.  God knew before he spoke this world into creation it would so way back then He came up with a plan to fix what Adam would bring on the world about to be created.  He planned one day to become a man, to put meat on, and live a perfect sinless life then at just the right time he would go to the Cross and die to pay for the sins of all mankind, he’d be buried and rose the third day alive, victorious over death and the grave offering complete and total justification to all who believe that today.  It’s that simple to know where you will go when your expiration date comes, just believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins was buried and rose again for your justification before God and that very instant you are saved, sealed and seated in heavenly places spiritually in Christ.  It is a done deal and nothing you do or don’t do from that moment on can ever change that.  It is finished, you are saved and heaven will be your eternal home.

Romans 3:23 KJV — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:12 KJV — Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 KJV — For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:15 KJV — But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 4:4-5 KJV “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Ephesians 1:7 & 13 KJV “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;… In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

The Greatest Love Story

Has anyone ever told you just how much God loves you?

He does. So much so that He did something so amazing for you, something you yourself could never ever do. He died for you, a jacked up lost sinner.

See we are all sinners by birth because of Adam’s sin, it’s just who we are. And God well, He’s perfect, just, holy and he can’t be a part of or around sin. That’s a problem see because God created man to be in fellowship with Him, and we crave that connection because at our core it’s the only thing that completes us. But like I said we’re a jacked up mess and we’ll we blew it. We sin and sin and sin and that separates us from God.

Romans 3:23 KJV — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:12 KJV — Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 KJV — For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But did you notice that last verse. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That is the greatest love story the world has ever seen. That God the creator of all things, perfect holy and just put meat on and became a man, Jesus Christ, then did what we as just regular man never could – lived a sin free life for over 30 years. Then
He went to the cross and died, was buried and rose from the tomb the third day. I know your like what, how’d that fix my problem with God? God became man and died How’s that fix my problem?

This is how:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Christ, God in the flesh, died for our sins, was buried and rose the third day for our justification before God and eternal life. He died but he didn’t stay dead! Let that soak in. He’s alive! And because he’s alive when we believe that he is who he said and did what he did and it accomplished what it accomplished then we are saved! Saved from those wages of sin mentioned before, saved from death and eternal hell because God himself paid the price for us, the price we can’t pay, because He loves us.

Romans 5:15 KJV — But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 4:4-5 KJV “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Ephesians 1:7 & 13 KJV “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;… In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

He loves us and wants us with Him to be in fellowship with us and that is why He did what He did and all he asks is that you trust Him by believing he did for you. What you never could or would. Do you?

And that my friend is the greatest love story the world has ever seen!

Every Body Has an Expiration Date!

Everything and everybody  has an expiration date, including you. Which is why it is so important that every single one of us is absolutely certain of where they will go when that expiration date is up – eternal with God in Christ in heaven or eternal life in hell and the lake of fire where the worm dieth not.  We are all guilty before God, sinners bound for hell by birth.  Scripture tells us that all have sinned and that the wages of that sin is death.  That sin separates us from God who is holy, perfect and can not have sin where He is. He didn’t want it to be that way, He made man to fellowship with that’s why he walked with Adam in the garden, but when Adam rebelled and sinned  closeness and connection was broken.  God knew before he spoke this world into creation it would so way back then He came up with a plan to fix what Adam would bring on the world about to be created.  He planned one day to become a man, to put meat on, and live a perfect sinless life then at just the right time he would go to the Cross and die to pay for the sins of all mankind, he’d be buried and rose the third day alive, victorious over death and the grave offering complete and total justification to all who believe that today.  It’s that simple to know where you will go when your expiration date comes, just believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins was buried and rose again for your justification before God and that very instant you are saved, sealed and seated in heavenly places spiritually in Christ.  It is a done deal and nothing you do or don’t do from that moment on can ever change that.  It is finished, you are saved and heaven will be your eternal home.

Romans 3:23 KJV — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:12 KJV — Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 KJV — For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:15 KJV — But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 4:4-5 KJV “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Ephesians 1:7 & 13 KJV “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;… In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

The Real Gift of God

I tend to marvel this time of year  over the way God orchestrated putting on meat and becoming man  and dwelling among us, with us, as one of us – but perfect, sinless, as God.  From the incarnation of God in flesh at the conception in a virgin in late December to using a pagan heathen king and his whims to get Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem the following September during the Feast of Trumpets to fullfil prophecies given hundreds of years earlier that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.  A birth that was basically normal, albeit it was God in the flesh in the form of an infant, it wasn’t the real miracle. The real miracle is that God put meat on and became man at all.  That he humbled himself to be one of us in all that entails from conception to the Cross he lived it all. God put on our humanity, that thought amazes me and he did it at the conception not the birth.  A conception that has nothing to do with what we call Christmas today with the trees and gifts and hustle and bustle and everything to do with what God would do one day when he went to the Cross and died to pay for the sins of the world.  All we have to do is accept that payment by believing that Christ, God the Son, died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose the third day according to the Scriptures for our justification before God the Father. The instant we believe completely, trust completely and solely in Christ’s death burial and resurrection for our salvation we are saved, sealed by the Holy Spirit into Christ and seated with Him spiritually in heavenly places.  That’s what I celebrate not just in late December when the conception occurred but every single day.

So to all of you my prayer today and everyday is that you but your trust in Christ, God in the flesh and believe that his death burial and resurrection alone is all that God requires and be saved.  Then rest in that salvation knowing that you are saved eternally – you can’t loose it or give it up because you did nothing but to earn it, God did it all in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ His Son and he made you a member of the Body of Christ. Let that truth grip your heart and soul and live in it. Live knowing that the Creator of the universe now lives in you, let that lead and guide you as you study his word in the King James Bible and begin to understand it His way. By letting it say what it says, look at who is speaking to whom and when and why they are speaking.  Realize that God has a magnifying plan for you as a member of Christ’s body a plan only found in the parts of the Bible about the Body of Christ – Romans through Philemon.  You’re His Ambassador on Earth now, you represent Him so learn what He would have you to do and then do it. Live in and for and by Christ and share the gift of His grace with others.  It’s the real gift, the only gift that matters eternally.

Grace and peace today and everyday, and remember Jesus loves you so much He died for you. Just trust Him.

Romans 3:23 KJV — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:12 KJV — Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 KJV — For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:15 KJV — But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 4:4-5 KJV “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you ❗the gospel ❗which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,❗ how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”❗

Ephesians 1:7 & 13 KJV “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;... In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ❗ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”❗

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

Satan’s Big Knockoff

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, 👉which deceiveth the whole world:👈 …” — Revelation 12:9 KJV

Satan is a deceiver out to deceive the whole world. He has a knockoff or counterfeit for everything the Lord has and tries to pass his cheap copy off as truth at every opportunity. That’s one reason Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11 to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” As saints we need to know if we have the real thing or a knockoff if we are to avoid being deceived.

For example there’s a holiday that is celebrated every year called Christmas which Satan has used to deceived the world, including many in the Body of Christ, into believing is the birthday of Jesus Christ.

It’s not and scripture proves that if we just study it. Hint: Luke 1 tells of John the Baptist’s daddy, Zachariah, serving his week long course of Abia in the Temple, that’s the Greek word for Abijah from 1 Chronicles 24:10. The Jewish religious year begins on Passover which is the 3rd week of April so count forward 8 weeks from the end of Passover week and that puts you in late June for when Zachariah went home at the end of his course and Elizabeth conceived John. Six months later Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel and Jesus was conceived. Just for the record that means a conception, not birth, occurred in late December. The birth of Jesus Christ occured not in late December but in late September, during the Feast of Trumpets.

But the deceiver doesn’t want us focusing on the real miracle of late December so one of Satan’s biggest knockoffs, the Catholic Church, took the real miracle of a virgin conceiving that Holy Thing of God and twisted it to be about what was really an ordinary birth that occurred 9 months later in late September. They call it the mass of Christ but really it’s just taking the beautiful truth of Jesus birth steeping it in idolatry and pagan traditions then calling Christmas to make religious people buy it hook line and sinker

Christmas is bad enough but that deceiver Satan and his Catholic Church have also supplied us with another even more insidious knockoff linked to this fake birthday of Jesus, Saint Nicolas, better known as Santa Claus. Look at all the ways this vile knockoff attempts to imitate the real thing, the Lord Jesus Christ and not just imitate Jesus Christ in general but in a very specific way as you will see.

1. Psalm 48:1-4 the city of the great King is in the North, Santa lives in the North.

“Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” — Psalm 48:2 KJV

2. John 4:24 God is a Spirit. We also have the spirit of Christmas.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” — John 4:24 KJV

3. Psalm 139:7-12 God is present everywhere. We tell our children that Santa is everywhere watching them.

“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” — Psalm 139:7 KJV

4. Romans 11:33 God has all wisdom. Santa has all wisdom.

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” — Romans 11:33 KJV

5. Isaiah 46:8-14 God knows all. Santa knows all.

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” — Isaiah 46:10 KJV

6. Acts 1:9-11 Jesus returns in the clouds. Santa comes in the air.

“Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” — Acts 1:11 KJV

7. Revelation 19:11-14 Christ returns on a white horse. Santa rides on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” — Revelation 19:11 KJV

8. Revelation 19:13 Christ returns with a red and white outfit (he is clothed in a white robe which is dipped in blood think about that.) Santa has a red and white outfit.

“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” — Revelation 19:13 KJV

9. Luke 17:34 Christ comes at night. Santa comes at night.

“I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.” — Luke 17:34 KJV

10. Revelation 20:12 Christ keeps a record of all the works that are done. Santa keeps a record of all the good and bad you have done.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” — Revelation 20:12 KJV

11. Revelation 11:10 there is a time when gifts are exchanged. Santa has a time when gifts are given.

“And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” — Revelation 11:10 KJV

12. Revelation 1:14 & Isaiah 50:4 Christ has white hair when he returns and a beard when he was on earth. Santa has white hair and a beard.

“His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;” — Revelation 1:14 KJV

“I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” — Isaiah 50:6 KJV

13. Ephesians 2:8 Christ is a giver of gifts. Santa is a giver of gifts.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” — Ephesians 2:8 KJV

14. Hebrews 4:16 believers come boldly unto the throne of grace. Believers in Santa approach his throne and ask for what is wanted.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16 KJV

15. Ephesians 6:1-3 the Word commands children to obey their parents. Santa tells children to obey their parents.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” — Ephesians 6:1 KJV

16. Luke 12:40 the hour of His coming is a mystery. Santa coming is a mystery.

“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” — Luke 12:40 KJV

17. Mark 10:14 Christ tells the children to come to him. Santa tells the children to come to him.

“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” — Mark 10:14 KJV

18. Zechariah 2:6 the Lord says Ho; ho. Santa says Ho, ho, ho.

“Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.” — Zechariah 2:6 KJV

19. Mark 6:3 Jesus was a carpenter. Santa builds toys.

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” — Mark 6:3 KJV

20. Revelation 19:6 Christ is all-powerful (omnipotent). Santa is all-powerful. He can deliver all the toys to the entire world in one night.

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” — Revelation 19:6 KJV

21. Jeremiah 10:1-4 the heathen had a custom of cutting down a tree and decking it with silver and gold. Santa leaves our gifts under a tree that has been decorated.

“For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.” — Jeremiah 10:3-4 KJV

Do not be deceived by the Deceivers vile trickery. Christmas was never about Christ Jesus and Santa really is just Satan imitating Christ at his second coming in the future. What better way to get people not to believe that Christ will come again than to get well meaning Christians to lie to their children habitually about a cheap knock off of Christ coming to establish His kingdom on the throne of David. After generations of this lie being perpetrated along with others now the world scoffs and buys the lies Satan has given us about his many ways to get to heaven: Do good works; be baptized, believe in God, be a member of a church, etc. And the world is going to hell alone with many religious folks called Christians.

According to God’s word for this age there is ONLY ONE way to heaven and that is to truly believe that Christ died for your sins, that he was buried and that he rose again the third day (I Corinthians 15:1-4). The instant you just believe that, you are saved eternally, sealed and seated in Christ.

Repent = Change of Mind

In the over 100 occurrences of some form of the word “repent” it ALWAYS means a change of mind in scripture and it never means to stop sinning. In fact God himself repents more than anyone else, I stopped counting at 12 times so if repent means to stop sinning then God is the worst sinner of all! It’s true that often sorrow, grief and pain occur with a change of mind but that is the consequence or result of changing or repenting not the act of it.

Before you say I’m crazy let’s just use God’s own definition of the words repent, repented, repentance and repenting by looking at the first occurrence of each to see the meaning given them. This is the rule of first mention and is the main meaning or way in which any given word is used in Scripture.

“Repent ”
Exodus 13:17 KJV — “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:”
👉Israel might have changed their mind and returned to Egypt out of fear.

“Repented”
Genesis 6:6 KJV — “And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
👉God changed his mind about making man.

” Repentance”
Hosea 13:14 KJV — “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.”
👉They will not be able to change their mind or ways and escape their fate.

Jeremiah 15:6 KJV — “Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.”
👉This is the only occurrence it does not mean sinning as it is God who is speaking and God cannot sin.

So telling a lost sinner to repent by stopping sinning is kinda pointless. First off, that’s not what the word even means and secondly lost sinners can’t stop sinning. Let’s let God explain through his word why it is impossible for dead sinners to stop being who they are. Let’s just see what God tells us:

Romans 5:12 KJV — “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and👉 death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”👈

Romans 6:23 KJV — “👉For the wages of sin is death👈; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ephesians 2:1-10 KJV — “And you hath he quickened, 👉who were dead in trespasses and sins; 👈Wherein in time past 👉ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:👈 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 👉Even when we were dead in sins,👈 hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

A lost person is dead in the sins they live in until they change their mind about God and believe that Christ paid the debt they owe God when He went to the cross. It is belief that Christ Jesus’ death to pay for their sins, his burial to remove them and his resurrection for their justification before God that saves them. Believing that He did what they couldn’t do they are instantly, eternally sealed into Christ, baptized spiritually into His death, His burial and His resurrection. Their life, as every other saved person today’s life, is then hid in Christ. They live in Him and therefore they aren’t slaves to their desires of the flesh and sin because they aren’t dead in sin but alive in Christ whom they have believed on.

They are saved by his grace and they live in his grace, it is their strength to overcome sin when He is who they rest in. In his grace, his strength, his faith and not their own. When they walk in Him, in His spirit then they will seek to do his will, and they find that by studying their Bible (KJV) learning what God says to them and they are more than conquerors.

Romans 8:37 KJV — “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

We find that in the books written to for and about us today, Romans through Philemon, given to the Apostle Paul by the glorified risen Christ from heaven; these 13 books are the completion of Scripture and record the final instructions of God to his people ever recorded. In them we find out about the mystery God had been hiding in himself since before the world began, the mystery of what exactly was accomplished by the cross. We also learn about other mysteries God had kept secret like the body of Christ and it’s catching away to the heavenlies with him one day. We learn who we are and what Gods purpose in forming us, Christ’s body, is. Which then let’s us fully understand what God was doing and revealing through all the rest of the Bible with the nation of Israel spoken of since the world began. We fully understand His two fold plan to restore both heaven and Earth back under his government in Christ.

Ephesians 1:10 KJV — “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”

As we begin to understand more about what Gods doing and who we now are in his Son we are changed from the inside out and that old sin nature starts dieing and our spirit grows as we become rooted and grounded in the truths of sound doctrine, preparing for eternity.

Titus 2:1 KJV — “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:”

That is why we MUST be careful to pay attention to how God uses words like “repent” and not give them man’s meanings. Because telling a lost souls to repent and stop sinning in order to be saved today is useless, it can’t save or keep them saved because they are trusting in what they are doing not what Christ did, and sadly their still just as lost as a golf ball in high weeds. They’re still lost but they are now trusting a false hope and don’t realize it, a false hope that makes it so very hard for them to see the truth of the Gospel of God’s grace after that and truly be saved. Hell is full of those who said they were Christian but never really trusted Christ to save them.

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV — “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

They never believed that Christ died for their sins, his death paid the price for all of them past, present, and future (at that time all our sins today we’re yet future after all); his burial to remove them and his resurrection for their justification before God.

Have you?

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV — “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

God Said What He Meant

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV — “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

It’s the one verse in all of scripture that tells us how we are to study God’s word. We’re told to rightly divide the word of truth. Yet the vast majority of the church the body of Christ rejects what the last few words of this verse command us to do today. Rather than just taking the final phrase of the verse in context, at face value they wring and twist it like a dish rag trying to make it mean something different; because apparently they don’t believe God says what he means and means what he says. They run to obscure meanings of the original Greek words as defined by man in a lexicon or Greek dictionary such as the one found in the Strong’s Concordance (written by James Strong who also helped pen the Revised Standard Version) and then water that down to mean anything other than what a litteral reading would. But what does that verse mean if we just read it plainly, giving the words the plain obvious meaning.

“rightly dividing the word of truth”

“Rightly” means correctly
“Dividing” means to separate or separating
(The) “word ” (of) means God’s word the KJV Bible
“Truth ” means a fact or reality that is indisputable.

So a litteral reading say: correctly separating the Bible truth from truth. In other words since we know the Bible is the word of God and therefore ALL of it is true we must separate the truths correctly. This is done by reading literally and in context any given passage then believing it means what it says.

It’s simply giving each word and phrase the plain common sense or meaning by looking at who is speaking to whom, when and where they are speaking and referring and why and how. The same who, what, where, when, why and how any grade school child knows from their reading comprehension studies. When you do that then it becomes obvious that there are distinctions in how God has dealt with man and thus differences are found in different portions of his word which is truth. For example we know the book of James is written to the nation of Israel that is scattered throughout the earth. How do we know, a plain reading of the first verse tells us :

James 1:1 KJV — “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, 👉to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, 👈greeting.”

Since I’m not a member of any of the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel I know that the book of James is not written to me. It’s for my knowledge and understanding of what God’s two-fold plan is but it’s not about me and neither are the doctrines or truths contained in it. When I read it I understand that it’s written to the 12 tribes scattered around the world during Daniels 70th week, explaining to them what God expects of them.

Thus when I go to Paul’s Epistles and read this:

Romans 11:13 KJV — “👉For I speak to you Gentiles👈, inasmuch as 👉I am the apostle of the Gentiles👈, I magnify mine office:”

I see that Paul (I, the who) in this verse wrote to me ” you Gentiles” because he is the apostle of the Gentiles to magnify his office. That’s about as plain. When I read the full context I see that he is telling about the fall of Israel and how through her fall salvation was brought to the world without her but through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection alone.

By just reading what God says and believing he means it I can understand what God is doing today and what my role in that as a member of the body of Christ is. I couldn’t though until I began to obey God’s command in 2 Timothy 2:15 by rightly dividing truth for me a Gentile from truth for Israel. When I did, well we serve one amazingly glorious awesome God and I am just thankful he made a way through the death of his precious Son for me to have a part however small of that plan of His:

Ephesians 1:10 KJV — “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”

Has Anyone Ever Loved You Enough To Tell You How …

Mine heart breaks today for all of you my family and friends on my list of friends here on FB. You are

Friends from my past.
Friends I’ve met along the way.
New friends.
Old friends.
Friends that have already lived and died.
Even friends that I have never met.

Some of you are family members that I speak to frequently. There are those that I hardly know, and those who don’t know much about me at all other than I’m the one always talking about God.

Somehow each and every one of you have found yourselves acquainted with me in some way or another.
One day our path crossed.
We entered into this curious dance of modern-day internet friendship.

Isn’t it funny how that works. Who am I that you should befriend me. I am nothing special and I haven’t done anything that is considered remarkable. My name won’t make a lasting impact in this world.

Yet here you are reading my words.

On the flip side who are you that I would bother to post the written words of God each day in the hope that it might open your eyes?

In God’s eyes YOU are someone worth saving. Because you matter to HIM, you matter to me.

Because my Lord and savior Jesus Christ cares about each and every one of you. He loves you dearly.

Why else do you think the Lord Jesus Christ would go to the cross and die so that you might live?

He sure didn’t die because we were so worthy or because we deserved it or earned it.

You see God loved you so much that he sent his precious Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins WHILE you were yet sinners?

That is why I di what I do. It’s why I talk everyday about the ONE who offers you the only real hope, real peace you will ever have.

Because the same forgiveness that I have in Christ, is offered to anyone who would simply believe the gospel of the grace of God.

And that is why mine heart breaks right now, because I know not all of you will believe. If it breaks mine so how must it break Gods.

But I don’t want a single one of you people on my friend list, or that I come into contact with in this life, to not be given the opportunity hear the truth, to hear the gospel of the grace of God.

If you reject it, it won’t be because I didn’t love you enough to bother to tell it to you.

The truth is this: “Jesus Christ died for your sins according to the scriptures.
And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.“
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

This is the gospel of the grace of God.

People get confused wondering what it is they are supposed to “do“ to be saved. Many have sat week after week in church buildings across the world and STILL can’t answer the MOST IMPORTANT question: “what must I do to be saved?”

My dear friends, there is NOTHING you can do. There just isn’t.

You can’t repent enough, stop sinning enough, get dunked in water, sing hymns enough, live holy enough.

You can‘t earn it by obedience to the Law of Moses, or attending church.

You don’t ask him into your heart, or make him Lord of your life or even walk down the isle at some church crusade.

Salvation is a free gift. You can’t earn it and you don’t deserve it but it is offered to you in love.

It is a gift extended to everyone.

The only thing you need to do is believe.

To be saved from an eternity in hell (which you do deserve we all do), separated from God, you must believe what God has said in his word.

You must hear the gospel of your salvation, and simply believe.

Thats it.

Believe. That takes faith.

Faith is trusting what God said and believing that he is able to do what he said.

One day, there will be no more days left for you to live.
You WILL meet him face to face.

Without the grace of God, you will be guilty before a holy and just God.

If you reject the free gift offered to you, you will pay for every sin you ever committed.

But if you have believed the gospel of Christ…

All of your sins, past and future, will be forgiven the moment you believe.

My heart aches because religion with it’s rituals, traditions, and steps has done its darndest to confuse and distracted you from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Don’t get distracted by all those trappings.

Just believe.

I will be thinking of you and praying that your salvation is today.

I have Bibles for anyone who needs one. And I am always available to answer your questions, talk with you, study, pray.

Please study Gods word yourself, and study it according to 2 Timothy 2:15. Rightly divide the word of truth. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t be religious- religion crucified the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ sent the Apostle Paul to write the commandments of the Lord to those of us living in the dispensation of grace.

Jesus Christ sent Paul.

Paul wrote his epistles, Romans to Philemon to you, for you and about you!

The King James Bible is the written word of God.
Think about that, God loves you so much that he preserved his words for you and promised us in Psalm 12 that he would keep them forever.

Grace and peace.

God Never Said Just Be Happy!

I often hear people say things like “If you know what it takes for you to be happy then just do it. If your a Christian or if your not it doesn’t matter, God wants his people happy. So just go do it! ”

But this could not be more wrong.

God does not say anywhere in his word that he just wants us to be happy in general . Saying just be happy if you mean by going out and embracing the deceptions and wily ways of the world then God does not want that for those who are in Christ. In fact when Paul addresses believers living carnally in their flesh rather than spiritually in Christ his response is “God forbid!”

It is literally the exact opposite of how to be happy as a Christian, saying “oh just go do whatever makes you feel good right now in your flesh even if it’s a sin in God’s eyes,” all that will accomplish is keeping you the same jacked up mess you were when before you first trusted Christ for your salvation.

Instead believers in the body of Christ (Christians) are instructed to study God’s word rightly divided to show themselves approved unto God by being grounded in sound doctrine which roots and stablishes us in who we are in Christ. If a person says they have trusted Christ as their Saviour then they are part of Christ’s body and thus represent Him, don’t suggest they obey the world rather than the one who died for them. Christ’s instructions to all who trust Him are:

When we do that we see see his grace is sufficient and just how true it is we are blessed with all spiritual blessings and thus we know true peace and happiness.

I also would never tell a lost, unsaved soul to just do whatever to be happy either. I would point out that the reason they aren’t happy is they are separated from God by their sinful nature, lost and headed for eternity in hell.

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Since all have sinned all will die for that is the result of sin. If a person dies without trusting Christ as their Saviour they go to hell, it’s that simple. So I would share the gospel if God’s glorious grace that gets them saved and sealed eternally in Christ giving them eternal life in him.

I would show them how Christ died on the cross and paid the price for ALL their sins past present and future; was buried to forever remove their sins from them, and rose the third day for their justification before God and when they trust in Christ alone by believing that it is his finished cross work alone they are saved. Saved, sealed and set in Christ for all eternity and then I would begin showing them who they now are in Christ and how to grow in grace and sound doctrine for their edification so that they will know the true peace and happiness ONLY found in Christ which is also how God intends and wants his people to be happy, because today those in the Body of Christ are His only people.

The happiness found when we embrace and glory in ALL that we now ARE in Christ!

In Christ I Am:

I am Redeemed ( Gal. 4:5 )

I am complete in Him (Col. 2:10)

I am a New Creature ( 2 Cor. 5:17 )

I am called to be a Saint ( Rom. 1:7 )

I am accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6)

I am more than a conqueror ( Rom. 8:37 )

I am an Ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20 )

I am justified freely by His Grace ( Rom. 3:24 )

I am looking for that blessed Hope ( Titus 2:13 )

I am the Temple of the Living God ( 2 Cor. 6:16 )

I have redemption through His blood ( Eph. 1:7 )

I am free from the law of sin and death ( Rom. 8:2 )

I am a son and heir of God through Christ ( Gal. 4:7 )

I know the body is not one member but many (1 Cor. 12:14)

I am not my own, for I am bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ( 2 Cor. 3:3 )

I am not far but now made nigh by the blood of Christ ( Eph. 2:13 )

I am sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30 )

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me ( Phil. 4:13 )

I am risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God ( Col. 2:12 )

I am to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ ( 2 Tim. 2:3 )

I am to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery ( Eph. 3:9 )

I am presented holy, unblameable and unreproveable in His sight (Col. 1:22)

I have redemption through His blood, and the forgiveness of sins ( Eph. 1:7 )

I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3)

I am always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 4:10)

I am washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus ( 1 Cor. 6:11 )

I am to wait for Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. ( 1 Thes. 1:10 )

I am confident that He which hath begun a good work in me will perform it ( Phil. 1:6)

I am saved by grace through faith and not of works lest any man should boast (Eph. 2:8)

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ( Gal. 2:20 )

I know this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27)

I faint not, though my outward man perish, my Inner Man is renewed day by day ( 2 Cor. 4:16 )

I am a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15)

I am looking for the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)

I know God hath raised us up and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6)

I am persuaded that nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ ( Rom. 8:38-39)

And Ye Are Complete in Him (Col.2:10).