Month: September 2025

It Is A Serious Matter To Offend One Of Those Who Have Faith In Jesus Christ

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And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Mark 9:42-50

How do people offend those who believe in Jesus?  By false testimony, accusing us of doing things we did not do, or reminding us of things that we did wrong, but we have already received forgiveness from the Lord.  By torture, and by death, and many otherr ways.

Any one who offends one of these; do you see how serious Jesus takes this matter?  If your offense is done with your hand, you are to cut it off.  If offense is done with your foot, it too, must be cut off.  If the offense is done with the eye, then, that eye is to be plucked out.  These drastic measures of showing repentance are not  necessary, but show to us the extremities that would keep the offender from experiencing eternal death.  If you have offended one of those who believe in Jesus, there is no need to cut the offending hand, the offending foot, or the offending eye and that is for you to believe Him too.

There is only one way to avoid the destruction of sin and death; and that is by way of the cross of Jesus Christ where He died in our place, taking the whole wrath of God upon Himself paying our sin debt.  A debt he did not owe.  He was also buried, and He rose up from the grave very much alive.  Ask Him for forgiveness and He will give it.

Paddling Your Way Through The Storms

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And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea, and entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.  And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.  So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.  But he saith unto them, “It is I; be not afraid.”  Then they willingly received Him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
John 6:16-21

There is a  high probability that every one reading this is  in a powerful storm, maybe the worst of your life.  If you are not then,  you soon will be.  You at the least have already been through the storm of your life.

Natural storms, the storms of nature, are many times very horrible, fearful; like the one the disciples were in when Jesus came walking on the waves of the Sea of Galilee,  and the disciples were fearful of the storm, then when they saw Jesus walking  on the water they were frightened by Him.  When Jesus got in the boat, and He had comforted them, the boat was at land.

These storms of nature are controlled by our Creator.  Also are the storms we must go through of life.  A heart issue.  A problem child.  A very ill child.  A financial dilemma of bankruptcy or being charged with fraud.  All of these and more can be very frightening.

Frightening yes, but then you see Jesus and  He gets in your boat (your life), and the storm quietens, the fear subsides, and you find yourself experiencing the loving kindness of the Lord, receiving His mercy, and His grace.  All of this is available through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Call out to Him, and He will come to you and give you peace.

Great Faith

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When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  And Jesus said unto the centurion, “Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Matthew 8:10-13

Do we recognize authority when we see it?  This Gentile Roman centurion knew authority.  He was the leader of one hundred men, and if he gave a soldier an order it was followed by the action of the order.  If he told the trooper to go, he went.  If he told him to stay, he stayed.

The centurion has a servant who is near dying from some sickness.  Because he has heard that Jesus was healing many, the centurion has recognized  Jesus as One having authority.

Jesus us amazed by this man’s faith that He speak to the Jews about theirs’.  He tells the people who are there that there will be many from around the world who are not Jews who will be in His kingdom, and many of them who call themselves the children of God will have no part of His kingdom.  It is because they have not believed the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, and they refuse to hear Him unto obedience.

Because of his faith the centurion’s servant is healed, at the same hour Jesus spoke the word (Read Luke 7).  A Roman centurion exposing his faith in the One who has authority and gives with authority.

We do not need to see Jesus to believe in Him or to believe Him.  We believe we will see Him someday, but we do not know when we will see Him.  We keep hanging on to His promise that He will come again (John 14:1-3).

The “We” in the last paragraph is those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, and we have received Him as our authority for salvation, sanctification, and glorification.  If you have not believed on Him and believed His words; why not?

In The Words Of The Baptist

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He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven is above all. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth; and no man receiveth His testimony.  He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.  For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 3:31-36

John the Baptist or Baptizer is the last of the Old Testament prophets,  He was sent by God ahead of the Messiah to prepare the hearts of the people to receive their God and King.  Who was John speaking of?  The answer to that question is; Jesus is the anointed One or the Messiah (the Christ) of God.

John the Baptist calls Him the Son of God, “The Father loves the Son…”   He is the One whom God sent.

John also tells us that, “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he that believes not on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Jesus Christ is the only way to have all your sins forgiven, and forgotten by God.  He stood in our place taking the wrath of His Father upon Himself, so that we might be delivered from Almighty God’s wrath.  So, the only way to get the wrath of God off of yourself is to trust in God through God’s only begotten Son, by believing in faith that He died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again from the dead on the third day.

In His resurrection He proved that everything He did, every word He spoke, every act of healing He did was true.  He is Truth.

Jesus Is The Son Of God

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The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, ‘After me cometh a Man which is preferred before me:’ for He was before me.  And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.” And John bare record, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him.  And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, ‘Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
John 1:29-34

There seems to be a number of people who do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and since He is the Son of God, that He is also God the Son.  I know that sounds odd maybe, but it is the truth.

This is one of those things that will be revealed to you by the Holy Spirit, and no other way.  Does it make a difference if you do not believe that?  It seems to me that the Bible bears that out quite clearly even with Jesus saying to Peter,  “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven”  (Matthew 16:17).  This was after Jesus had questioned His disciples concerning who people thought He is.  Peter said, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living  God” (Matthew 16:16).  Most Jewish religious leaders believed the Messiah was coming, but did not recognize Him when He came.  They also believed the Messiah to be Deity.  This Man Jesus is the Incarnation of God.

That is a hill that I stand on, and die for as well.  John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit coming on Jesus as He ascended out of the baptismal waters, in the form of a dove, and heard the Father said from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  So I think it best to believe the word of God over the deniers of the truth of who Jesus really is.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God; and He is God the Son.  This was Peter’s confession, It is also my confession and conviction.  What is your confession concerning the Deity of Jesus the Christ of God?

The Restoration of Worship

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Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.  And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.  And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.  Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.
Nehemiah 9:1-4

The people who are often referred to as “The Chosen People,” had been defeated by sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts, and some taken into captivity, because they had neglected the right worship of the LORD their God.

They had chosen their own way while having the pretense of worshiping God on the Sabbath days they were keeping ritual, but their hearts were far from Him.  Many of them had worshiped the gods of foreign people around them; lowering their image of GOD, blaspheming their God, and shaming His name.

Now they have spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, the king of the Medes and Persians, beginning with Cyrus released thousands of captives to return to Jerusalem to restore the city, the temple and the wall.

They are worshiping the LORD now in repentance and faith, as they should.  How did this all come about?  They had to be put through the fire.  Gold and silver is taken to a refiner, melted by fire and purified by skimming the chaff from the surface; purifying it. Thus, the people of Judah have been prepared by fire to worship the LORD God alone.

It started by the reading of the Law of Moses by Ezra.  The people stood when Ezra opened the book, they listened and heard the word of the Lord, and they were convicted that their sins were as evil as those who came before them.  They confessed and repented of their sins, and then they worshiped the LORD God with joy.

Just as GOD sent His Chosen people into the fire for cleansing;  He also sends those who follow Jesus Christ through the fire for our cleansing, and drawing us nearer to Himself.  That fire will lead us to repentance, renewing our worship, reviving us again for right living before the LORD our God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There must be a clear teaching  and preaching of the word of God.  Giving the meaning and the understanding of the text, so that the hearer might know what this does for the listener.  Teaching how one is to live their life before God.

Remember the Lord Who is Great and Awesome

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And our adversaries said, “They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.”  And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, “From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.” Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.  And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Nehemiah 4:11-14

Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem to lead in the restoration of rebuilding the wall around the city of Jerusalem.  The wall, as well as the temple was in ruins, the rock used for the wall had been weakened by the fires Nebuchadnezzar and his warriors  had done fulfilling the prophecies of the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, through the prophet Jeremiah.

Many of  the people were frightened by the destruction of a thing they were told was eternal.  Well, it was not.  Now after the 70 years Jeremiah  had come to pass some of Jewish people had been allowed to return to their destroyed city.  Ezra had gone earlier to rebuild the temple, and it was not the same as the temple built by Solomon, in the stead  of his father David.  Forty thousand plus people had returned with instruction from the king, and from the Lord.

Nehemiah had come to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, and build the wall is exactly what he did.  It was not without trouble.  Some of the people around the area did not like the idea of rebuilding the wall, and had threatened to kill Nehemiah if they did not cease.  Instead of ceasing he gathered some weapons for defense while they worked on the wall.

Nehemiah tells the people, “Do not be afraid.  Remember our Lord who i s great and awesome.”  They finished the building of the wall in fifty two (52) days, because the Lord was their Protection.

My Christian friend, brother and sister.  Is there  something God is leading you to do that is the right, and godly thing to do, but you are slack in doing it because of threats against you?  The LORD God says, “Do not be afraid.”  Remember whose you are.  You are a child of the Great and Awesome One through the shed blood of God’s only begotten Son.  He died on the cross for our sins, He was buried, and He rose  again.

Do not be afraid.   Remember the Lord who is the Great and Awesome One.

He Is Like A Refiners Fire

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“Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come,” saith the LORD of hosts.  “But who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.  Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.  And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not Me,” saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:1-5

The words of John the Baptist tell us of the One who was to come, and He came just as John said,

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 3:10-12

Living Life In The LORD

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And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.  But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.  Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in His spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.  Therefore it is come to pass, that as He cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear,’ saith the LORD of hosts: ‘but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.’ ”
Zechariah 7:8-14

Before they had gone into captivity the people of Israel/Judah had turned the backs on the LORD, and served other gods which were no gods, but demons.

When they turned their backs on GOD they had no desire to love their neighbor, not even their own family.  So the prophets had warned them of their undoing.

For the follower of Jesus Christ today one way to tell that we are  right with the LORD is by the way we love our neighbor; whether it be the orphan, the widow, the stranger,  and/or the poor.

Jesus Christ, as Chief Ruler of your life is the best life to live; and that will have the above justness toward all people, and we will treat them rightly..

The LORD Fulfills His Word

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Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.  Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.  And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

Ezra 1:1-4

There are millions of Christians in the world, maybe billions (I pray so), that believe the Bible, written by 40 men of God, over a period of 14 hundred years, is indeed the written word of God.  Why?  It is a book of 66 books, we believe and trust that GOD inspired by the Holy Spirit, because it is consistent in its teaching, that the LORD is God, and there is no other God, but the LORD (YHWH or Jehovah).  The Bible is also consistent in its history, and in its knowledge.

What does the above paragraph?  The fulfilling of the words which GOD spoke through His prophet Jeremiah concerning when the people of Judah would return to their homeland.  Notice how Cyrus the king of Persia is told by God to let the people go home, and he is obedient to the LORD and does so, thus fulfilling the prophecy and promise spoken by Jeremiah, and even the prophet Isaiah mentioned Cyrus 100 years or so before the events of their return to Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1).

Every promise and prophecy of God has come to pass, is happening now, or will come to pass in days yet ahead of us.  Whether the promise/prophecy be positive or negative it shall come to pass.

The word of God is also profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness, for living a life that pleases God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Every word spoken of the Messiah/Christ first coming was fulfilled in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  The prophecies concerning His first coming have been fulfilled.  The prophecies/promises of the second coming of the Messiah/Christ will be fulfilled sometime in the not too distant future.

Do you know that Jesus the Christ of God, the greatest gift given to Adam kind, was sent from heaven to die for your sins and mine.  He died on the cross, becoming sin for us, He was buried, and He rose up out of that grave alive forever more.  Now when we believe  in Him, turning from our sin, we shall not perish,  but will have everlasting life (John 3:15-17).  He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God, in Him (2 Corinthians 5:2).

If you believe in God, you will also believe in His Son.  The Son came to earth to fulfill all of God’s word.  He did.

To Bring In Everlasting Righteousness

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Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel 9:24-27

Daniel has just prayed, confessing his  own sins, and the sins of his people.  He is distressed about what sin had done to them all, and after he closes the prayer Gabriel who  is an angel, Daniel sees as a man, but this “man” is a messenger of the LORD with a message for Dan explaining the reason for the captivity of Israel/Judah in Babylon.

Verse twenty four gives us the answer as to why God’s people are in Babylon;

  1.  To finish the transgression;
  2.  To  make an end to sin;
  3. To make reconciliation for iniquity;
  4.  To bring in everlasting righteousness;
  5.  To seal up the vision and prophecy;
  6.  And to anoint the Most Holy.

Daniel had been reading the words of the prophet Jeremiah where he said that the captivity was for seventy (70) years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10 and Daniel 9:2)

What was the LORD’S purpose for the captives of Israel/Judah in Babylon?

To fulfill all of God’s purposes, especially the anointing of the Most Holy.  Which can be none other than the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ. He is the Most Holy.

He is the only One who can bring in everlasting righteousness.  He is also the only One who can cleanse and forgive our sins.  Because of Jesus there is no other, there  is no other way for forgiveness.  Because of the gift of His own life on the cross, His burial, and resurrection we can believe Him, trust Him, and surrender to His will and way.

Begin your new way, the right way of life today, by calling on the  name of the Lord Jesus in repentance and faith in Him, and Him alone.

The Eastern Gate

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Thus saith the Lord GOD; “The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.  And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.  Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the Sabbaths and in the New Moons.”
Ezekiel 46:1-3

Ezekiel has received a vison from the LORD of the redeemed of the house of Israel/Judah in a right  relationship and fellowship with Him.  That day has not come.

It will come when the Messiah Jesus Christ comes down to earth, and after destroying all the enemies of Israel/Judah’s enemies, He will also return the earth to its pre-fall condition.  There is so much more to this.  The time this is speaking of is called the Millennium (1000) when Jesus Christ in His resurrection body rules the world from Jerusalem for one thousand years.

Christ Jesus fulfilled all the Law.  He is the  essence of the Law.  Believing in Him, trusting Him alone is our only means of salvation.

Honor The LORD’S Holy Name

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Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ” Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before Me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.  Wherefore I poured My fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: and I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.  And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned My holy name, when they said to them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.’ But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.  And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.’ ”
Ezekiel 36:16-23

Knowing how to honor GOD’S holy name is not hard.  Do the opposite of the evil things which the people of Israel/Judah did.

For example they reached a point in their lives that they did not need God anymore.  Many were living comfortable lives, wealth and ease of life.  We ought always remember the LORD and honor His name.

Here is the way we honor His holy name:

  1.  Fear God; and you will fear nothing else;
  2.  Give Him thanks, praise, and worship all through each day beginning when you are getting out of bed in the morning;
  3.  Read, study, hear and do the  word of God, not living a hypocrites life;
  4.  Always remember you are always a witness for the LORD’S goodness, love, mercy and grace, and that others are watching you.

To know God’s grace through the cross of Jesus Christ is the first way of honoring the name of the LORD.

Knowing The Promise Keeping GOD

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And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.  Thus saith the Lord GOD; “When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob.  And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”
Ezekiel 28:24-28

When men and false gods make promises they often forget them, failing to keep them, because something happened to prevent it, or perhaps never intended to keep the promise in the first place.  The promises of men and women fail.

The promises of the  LORD God never fail.  Notice the LORD’S promises of to the people in captivity (Israel in Babylon).  The promise is that the Lord GOD will bring them back, and they will have the security for the LORD.

Knowing the LORD God is believing he keeps His promises.  We do realize too, that includes the ones for judgment as well as the ones for good.  One of the promises He has gave Israel/Judah is the promise of the Messiah who will see to it that they are dwelling in the city of Jerusalem is perfect security. That Messiah is Jesus Christ or Jesus Messiah of GOD.  He is the LORD who made the heavens and the earth from nothing.  He  even made the materials men make into false deities.

He is the Lord GOD who sent His Son, the Messiah, to die for the sins of all Adam’s kind (humanity), so that we might believe in Him and be saved.  He conquered sin and death, by his horrible death on a wooden cross, He was buried, and then rose up from the grave alive.  Because He lives forever we can by the grace of God also live forever with Him.  All who come to Him, He in no wise will put him out.

Do you want real security which gives you peace with God and people? Do you want peace with your financial condition? Do you want peace for your marriage and home?  Then you need to know the Promise keeping GOD, and that is by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  Call on His  name.  He will hear you, and He will give you peace.

 

 

 

 

The Lord GOD Says,

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Therefore say, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.  Therefore say, ‘Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.   And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:  that they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.  But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads,” saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 11:16-21

The Lord GOD says  what He is going to do with His people Israel when the time of their captivity is over.  He also tells us what will happen to people who walk for their own “truth” which is lie, and they will receive the recompense of the Lord GOD.

Israel will return to the land the LORD has promised to Abraham in the beginning of the nation of this people.  They put away all the “detestable things” all the abominations within the land.  God will also give them a new heart; He will  turn their heart of stone (hard heart) to a heart of flesh (moldable) so that they might see their sins and iniquities as God does.  Then He will be their God, and they will be His people.

Those who walk after those detestable things, if their heart seeks evil rather than God’s love, mercy and grace, then, they can only look for a reckoning from the LORD.  It will not be pleasant, and it will be eternal.

Getting a new heart requires God’s work alone.  It is certainly possible for the hard hearted to change his own heart, from a stone heart to a heart of flesh.  How can a murderer, child molester, a thief, a rapist, and adulterer get a soft heart?  There is only one way and that is through the One who is the way, and His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Do you desire to have a new heart, a heart for God, His word, His Spirit and be holy before the Lord GOD?  Jesus died so that we might come to God, and have eternal life.  He died on the cross, He was buried, and then, He rose again.  In repentance confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and believe that God has raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved.

Warn the Wicked and the Righteous

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And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.  When I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die;’ and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
Ezekiel 3:16-21

Who are the “Wicked”?  The wicked are those people who have rejected God’s love, mercy, and grace and have chosen to go their own way snubbing their nose at God.

Who are the “Righteous”?  The righteous are those who believe in God, believe His word.  In their daily lives they endeavor to do what is right, and to shun what is wrong. The righteous can be those who they have done no wrong, yet they claim something that can come only from God’s grace

The child of God who has been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ; we have no righteousness of our own.

Ezekiel is told by GOD that he is a Watchman for the wicked, and the righteous.  The watchman is to sound the alarm of an approaching enemy.  When the watchman is on duty he is responsible for every individual for that city, home, or nation.

As the pastor of a small country church I have a responsibility of warning the man or woman who has turned their backs on God, gone their own way, and ignoring the One who loves them, and snubbing the LORD God.

As a pastor to the congregation I also have the responsibility of warning those in the church of their sins, and the consequences of their transgressions.

Remember that Jesus became sin for us,  He was put to death on the cross taking the full fury of God’s wrath in our behalf.  The great thing about His death, is that He was buried taking our sins away, and was victorious in His atonement for us, because in His resurrection He proved every word He speaks in His word is  true.  In His death He gave us (those who called on His name) His Righteousness.  We are not  perfect or without sin, but we have been forgiven all our sins – past, present, and future sins are forgiven.

Every Christian, any follower of Jesus Christ, has a responsibility to warn the wicked, and the righteous.  It must be done in love, mercy, and grace and not condemnation.  Should we fail to warn the wicked and/or the righteous, and they do not turn from their sin to God; then we will be guilty of their blood.

Perpetual Covenant

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The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
“Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.’  For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
“In those days, and in that time,” saith the LORD, “the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, ‘Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.’
“My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.  All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, ‘We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’ ”
Jeremiah 50:1-7

Israel and Judah are once again joined together as one people.   Israel is back in the Land of God’s promise to them.  The only covenant that will work for them is the covenant made with their Messiah – the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are many Messianic Jews,  They are Jewish people who worship Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

Jesus did not come to earth to only call Israel to repentance, faith, and salvation;  He also came to the whole world.  He came because “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.”

Jesus Christ is our forever covenant.  Through Him, and through Him alone is there eternal salvation – salvation from sin and is bondage; salvation from death, and He makes us alive.  This is an everlasting life.

They Would Not Hear

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“For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; ‘As mMne anger and My fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall My fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.’  “The LORD hath said concerning you, ‘O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt:’ know certainly that I have admonished you this day.  For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying,” ‘Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.’   “And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which He hath sent me unto you.  Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.”
Jeremiah 42:18-22

These were a remnant of the people of Judah, that were left in Jerusalem to keep it for the Babylon.  They were the poor that that did not go into captivity, but could have had freedom.  They knew all of God’s words spoken by the prophet had come to  pass just as they had been spoken.

The prophet accepted their request for prayer “to seek the will of the LORD,” probably expecting that they,  had already been instructed to stay in Jerusalem, and nearby towns, and cities.  It seems they had made up their minds even before asking Jeremiah to pray to find the will of God.

If you follow up by reading the 43rd and 44th chapter you will find out more of what happens.  Jeremiah prays for ten days, gets an answer from God; and God says, “Stay in this land.”  The tell Jeremiah is lying, and that God did not say, “Stay in Jerusalem.”

Christian, have you ever went to God trying to get approval for doing something you wanted to that you knew, within your heart that it was out of His will; for one example consider a Christian business man that wants to take on a partner, but the person he has in mind is not a Christian.  So he prays to seek God’s will, then he is searches in the Scriptures and finds the verse that says, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers,” but he goes ahead with his plan any way.  Then, he starts having all kinds of trouble with fraud, and other crimes, and he wonders, “Why God allowed it to happen.,”

When God says to not do something, then, it is up to us to not do that thing.  When God has given us His word to do something, then, it is good to do that thing, and it will be quite a blessing and rewarding.

May we as Christians hear and do the word, and the will of God.  There are somethings we should not need to ask what God’s will is.  We need not ask if it is His will for us to pray, to read and study and apply His word in our lives.  Do not in pretense ask for prayer when you have already made up your own mind.  The end result will be  a disaster.

Believe what God says, and do it.

 

 

A King Who Would Not Hear the Word of the LORD

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Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, “I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.”  Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, “If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? And if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?” So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, “As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.”  Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah,
“Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.”  And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.”  But Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.  But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me: and, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, ‘Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.’  So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.”
Jeremiah 38:14-23

The word  of God should be heard, believed, and practiced in and on any day that we live.  Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, and Governors need  to hear and take heed to the word of the LORD, so that they can learn  they are to be servants of the people, and do good to and for the people.

Zedekiah called Jeremiah asking counsel of what he was to do.  The prophet told him to go out to the king of Babylon, and surrender to him.  Had Zedekiah obeyed the LORD the king of Babylon would leave him alive, as well as his family and he would not destroy Jerusalem

Zedekiah does not hear and heed the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, and the word of God comes to pass just as He has spoken.  O, how we the people of God need to take heed to the word of the LORD.  The word of the LORD is good for living all of life; with it’s troubles and trials.

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God is the Living Word of God, and God His Father, says to us “Hear Him” (Matthew 17:5) and the Father also says, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” You cannot get it any clearer than that.  If God says He is well pleased by His Son we need to ask “Why?” and that is because the Father knew that He was the only perfect Propitiate  for the sins of Adam  kind.  Jesus had no sin, and became sin in our place and took all the wrath of God on Himself on the cross, dying for our sins, being buried; carrying our sins away, and then on the third day He rose from that grave alive.

Today, there  is a Man in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, and He is our Mediator with the Father (1 Timothy 2:5).

Repenting of your sins turn to Jesus believing Him, putting all your trust in Him.  He will hear you when you call on His name.

…Return To The Land…

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The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.  For, lo, the days come,’ saith the LORD, “that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah,” saith the LORD: “and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ ”
Jeremiah 30:1-3

You can believe,  you can trust,  you can be confident that the LORD will fulfill all His word.  There will not be one single word He has spoken that fails to come to pass

Because of their rebellious and evil against the LORD, they had been scattered over the face of the earth, into Babylon and other nations.  They would not believe God concerning their exile, according to Jeremiah’s prophecy received from the LORD Himself.

Since the word of the LORD God are sure to come to pass, the negatives and the positives, then we need to take heed to them all.  GOD said of His Son Jesus, “This is My Son, Hear HIm.”

Jesus spoke, and tell us that if we know the Father we would know the Son; and if we know the Son, we know the Father.  He also tells us “If you have seen me you have seen My Father”  (John 14:9-10).  So if Jesus tells us “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” then it will be very beneficial, and miraculous for us to believe Him, then lives completely to Him.

There are many promises/prophecies of GOD that have yet to come to pass.  They will come to pass, just as He has told us, and what a joy, what wonder it will cause in the hearts of those who love Him as we see them come to pass.

Judgment and Justice

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“Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; that saith, ‘I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows;’ and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.  Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?  He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know Me?” saith the LORD.  “But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.”
Jeremiah 22:13-17

Part of the reason for God’s  wrath on Judah and Israel is that they were dividing the people by showing favor to one over another.  Someone with wealth could pay a price (a bribe) and be found “Innocent  of a crime.  Another thing the courts were stacked in favor of the wealthy over the poor.

Let us consider a possible situation –   a man,  a man with a wife and children, rent a spot from a wealthy land owner, the poor man and family have a crisis come into their home which causes them to fail to pay their debt(s).  They have a landlord who is tight with his wealth, and because of the poor man’s debt to him, the land owner takes to man to court, and sues him, sues the poor man, or makes a bond slave of him.  He has come came into the court trusting that there could be a merciful judgment.  Instead there is no mercy because the judge has received some money under the table.  Or the judge renders a verdict in favor of the landowner,

That is not justice.  Justice is to do the right thing. It is judgment, but a  false and evil, rule of corruption.  The Lord GOD, hates this kind of thing among His people.

Our God loves the poor, and He will not long tolerate His people hoarding money and ignoring those whom He loves.  I am not espousing any kind of organization, nor am I starting a new ministry, but I am as simply as I know how, that God cares for the poor, and He will not ignore or forget the ones who come to aid the poor.

Who are the poorest of the poor?  The man or woman without Jesus Christ is a very poor individual  – the poorest of the poor.  The poor person, who has Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives, has all that they need.

Jesus was raised in a poor family.  They were rich though. with love, mercy and grace.  He came from the glory and splendor of Heaven a very wealthy place, to become poor that we who believe Him, and become rich in Him.

Do You Desire To Have Peace With GOD?

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Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit; “Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.  And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.  And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘The LORD liveth;’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of My people.  But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 12:14-17

No one person, group, or nation can have peace with the LORD, unless and until they believe His word and obey His law.

What about mercy?  What about grace?

Reading the history of Israel/Judah they were disobedient to the LORD, again and again.  Yet, He had mercy on them and would free them from bondage to their enemies.  Sending the back to their land the LORD has given them.  What have they deserved?  To be forsaken by God, and leave them in bondage to their enemy.  What do they receive from God?  Grace.

The ones who will believe what God says about His Son Jesus, believing His who counsel of the word will at least have desire to live a life surrendered to the LORD as our Master.  If you do not desire to live a surrendered life to Him,  then you are apart from Him.

People Need The LORD

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“Therefore also now,” saith the LORD, “turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.  Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.  Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, ‘Spare Thy people, O LORD, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?’ ”
Joel 2:12-17

Our own nation (United States of America) needs the LORD now just as much as any other time.  Why?  Because even here lines are hard to see and confusing.  Even professing Christians are turning their backs on the LORD, not their face.  When you turn your backs on God’s word, no longer believing it is the holy, inspired of God, and infallible word of God; they have turned their backs on God.

When you have more confidence in science of men, or more confidence in your own abilities, than in God then You have shunned the LORD.

It is time for the LORD to work a work like Adam’s race has never seen.  We must be ready. Return to the LORD.

I need the LORD to continue to work in me.  You need the LORD as well.  All the people on earth need the LORD.

Come to the One who died on that old rugged cross, judged by His Father for our sins.  He was buried.  He rose up again, from the grave in which  He had been laid.  His return is imminent,  Are you ready.

The LORD Hates Hypocrisy…

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sI will also stretch out Mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; and them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for Him.
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid His guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.  In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
Zephaniah 1:4-9

The LORD hates hypocrisy as it shows in the above verses.  He hates it, especially among His own people.

You can see that they were worshiping idols made by men, false gods, which are inspired by demons (Leviticus 17:7;  Deuteronomy 32:17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; and Psalm 106:37) for example.  You could also read Psalms 115 and 135 to see what the value and worth is of any idol.  It can do nothing for you, but keep you in the darkness of evil.

Judah was worshiping the heavenlies – the stars, sun and moon and other idols; and at the same time worship the LORD,  The worshiping of idols, and then in pretense worshiping the LORD on the Sabbath is hypocrisy.

You might say to me, “No one worships idols in our country,” but we do.  Power, prestige, money (a big bank accounts), science, government, etc..  I hope you get the point.

May we who are Christians come the conclusion that only GOD is to be worshiped, honored and feared (I do not want to offend Him in any way).  I want to live for Him; and the only way I can do that is through the gift of grace through Jesus Christ who paid my sin debt on the cross, was buried – carrying my sins away, leaving them there in the grave, then, He came out of that grave alive.  Because He did that for me, He alone deserves my allegiance completely; not partial, but wholly.

When Truth Fails

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And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.  Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment.  And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him.  For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon His head; and He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.
According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompence to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompence.  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.  And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 59:14-20

Judgment is not what a lot of people think it is.  If you go to court charged with a crime nobody really wants judgment.  They need mercy.  Judgment is receiving what one deserves.

Truth is a precious item.  It is very much needed in every age, every millennium, every century, decade, year and every day.  Truth is truth.  It is not whatever you think it is.  I do not  have my truth, and you do not have your own truth.  Truth is what God says is truth.  Jesus Christ Himself said, “I am … the Truth…” (John 14:6)  The truth is much needed in the twenty first century.  With shouts of death, and damnation to one another we need help, and our only help is Jesus Christ

Jesus gives us a new heart and mind.  We have His heart and mind.  When we give ourselves to Him, spending time with Him in His word, and in prayer we grow to be more like Him.  Some of us just got started.  Some of us are headed in the right direction.  We will never be complete until Jesus comes to take us Home to be with Him forever.

Do you know the Christ of Heaven?  His name is Jesus. He gave his life for you and me dying on that old cross.  He was buried.  He rose again.  Turning from your sin, call on His name and be saved today.

When truth fails the LORD puts on Righteousness as righteousness.  He sent His Son Jesus to make us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).