Jesus Came To Divide The Sheep From The Goats

In Matthew 10 ISV, Jesus tells us:

32“Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven.”

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword!aa 35I came to turn

‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36A person’s enemies will include members of his own family.’bb

37“The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn’t worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.
38The one who doesn’t take up his cross and follow me isn’t worthy of me. 
39The one who finds his life will lose it, 

and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.”

This is simply a great short video!

Cults And The Devil's Algebra

Jacob Prasch quickly shows the difference between cults and what the scriptures teach.

Jacob Prasch Asks A Question To Muslims

Jacob Prasch asks a question to Muslims

Relationship With God & Obedience

In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul tells us to obey our government, love our neighbor as ourselves and to "clothe yourselves with the Lord, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires".

The days are evil. We are to obey God's laws, but we are also to obey our government regarding those things that are not sinful and against God. There will be uprisings and rebellion against the government, but God tells us we are not to participate with those who do this.

I do recognize that the same Paul who wrote this hid and fled from certain authorities who came to arrest him. Jesus also hid himself from them at times. It appears Paul's command is we are not to seek to bring harm against those in power, nor are we to resist the laws that are not sinful.

Verse 3, says "the authorities are not a terror to good conduct". We know that authorities do bring terror to good conduct, so we must seek God to know what to do in those type of situations. We need to be close to the Lord so we know what to do. We are going to face challenges we could never have dreamed of. Forced abortion, polluted vaccines, and the forced evil teachings of our children being only a few examples.

Protect your ears and the ears of  those you love from TV, worldly music, video games and any evil thing that seeks to pollute the mind and heart. The war is for the mind, heart and soul.

Love one another and do not practice sin.

Romans 13 ISV

Obey Your Government

1Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God’s permission.a The existing authorities have been established by God, 2so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval. 4For they are God’s servants, working for your good.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God’s servants to administer punishmentb to anyone who does wrong.5Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities,c not only for the sake of God’sd punishment,e but also for the sake of your own conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes. For rulersf are God’s servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work.g 7Pay everyone whatever you owe them—taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fearh to whom feari is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Love One Another

8Do not owe anyone anything—except to love one another. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law. 9For the commandments, “You must not commit adultery; you must not murder; you must not steal; you must not covet,”j and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”k 10Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law.

Live in the Light of the Messiah’s Return

11This is necessary because you know the times—it’s already time for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we became believers. 12The night is almost over, and the day is near. 

Let’s therefore put aside the actions of darkness and put on the armor of light. 

• 13Let’s behave decently, as people who live in the light of day.l 
• No wild parties, 
• drunkenness, 
• sexual immorality, 
• promiscuity, 
• quarreling, 
• or jealousy! 

14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah,m and do not obey your flesh and its desires.

The True Worship Of God Verses The Tickling Of Our Ears

We live in a day when the teachers are ignoring the scriptures. They may give one or two verses to tickle the ears, but the teachers think their own words are more important. Joel Osteen is a prime example of this. We are in a Laodicean period of time. A time of "man's opinions" which are more important to them than God's.

It is also a time when music "worship services" are more important than the scriptures. No one asks "what do the scriptures teach" or "what does God say?" I love music, but have you tried to find in the New Testament any verses that elevate "worship music"?  They are not there, but have become a major part of church services and countless churches advertise them. They have to have a great music program so they can please the peoples ears. They cannot build a big church by teaching the scriptures!! Look at the money they would lose!

When I as a prodigal came home to the Lord, I changed my music to Christian music. I have had precious times alone with the Lord and singing to him, but I saw that music is like caffeine. It gives you a lift but does not strengthen you for the battles of life and conform you to His image. God's word, the scriptures, do. Every Sunday countless believers and non believers worship in music, then go home and the rest of the week lives for themselves. They do not love or read the scriptures, but instead have chosen teachers to tickle their ears.

•  3For the time will come when people will not tolerate healthy doctrine, but with itching ears will surround themselves with teachers who cater to their people’s own desires. 4They will refuse to listen to the truth and will turn to myths. 5But you must be clear-headed about everything. Endure suffering. Do the work of an evangelist. Devote yourself completely to your ministry. 2 Timothy 4 ISV.

So, what do the scriptures teach about worship? Paul tells us in the first verse of Romans 12.  God considers worship dying to self and seeking holiness.

Brothers and sisters why are you listening to ear tickling preachers? There is a war for your soul. Get into the New Testament and find out what God says. My blog is committed to the scriptures that you do not hear from today's teachers, who do not warn! They tickle your ears and can even do this with the truth, simply by leaving out the warnings. The love of God can be seen in his warnings. Can you see the following verses are loving warnings and not just words? You may love worship music, but do you love God, his word and his people? Do you practice obedience or living in rebellion by continuing to sin?


Romans 12 ISV

1I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, 

• to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, 
• for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.a 
• 2Do not be conformed to this world, 
• but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds 
• so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is—what is proper,b pleasing, and perfect.

3For by the grace given to me I ask every one of you not to think of yourself more highly than you should think, rather to think of yourself with sober judgment on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you. 4For we have many parts in one body, but these parts do not all have the same function. 5In the same way, even though we are many people, we are one body in the Messiahcand individual parts connected to each other. 6We have different gifts based on the grace that was given to us. So if your gift is prophecy, use your giftd in proportion to your faith. 

• 7If your gift is serving, devote yourself to serving others.e 
• If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching others.f 
• 8If it is encouraging, devote yourself to encouraging others.g 
• If it is sharing, share generously.h 
• If it is leading, lead enthusiastically.i 
• If it is helping, help cheerfully.j

9Your love must be without hypocrisy. 

• Abhor what is evil; 
• cling to what is good. 
• 10Be devoted to each other with mutual affection. 
• Excel at showing respect for each other. 
• 11Never be lazy in showing such devotion. 
• Be on fire with the Spirit. Serve the Lord.k 
• 12Be joyful in hope, 
• patient in trouble, 
• and persistent in prayer. 
• 13Supply the needs of the saints. 
• Extend hospitality to strangers.
• 14Bless those who persecute you. 
• Keep on blessing them, 
• and never curse them. 
• 15Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. 
• Cry with those who are crying. 
• 16Live in harmony with each other. 
• Do not be arrogant, 
• but associate with humble people. 
• Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.
• 17Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, 
• butl focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. 
• 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people. 
• 19Do not take revenge, dear friends, 
• but leave room for God’sm wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord.”n 
• 20But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him. 
• For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. 
• If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head.”o 
• 21Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

This is a great  worship song which is precious, but without the warnings in the scriptures such as above and dying to self, it is worthless. Jesus warns us not to be deceived. Make sure you do not have a form of godliness, but by your life style deny there is power to change you. 

The Fear Of God Is The Beginning Of Wisdom

Today we are looking at what Paul had to say about the fact that part of the people of Israel have rejected the Messiah Jesus and have been as it were like branches cut off from the "holy olive tree" which refers to Jesus. This gave way to God bringing in gentiles and grafting them into the true tree of Israel, by faith.

Paul warns us that we gentiles can also be cut off. Many of Jacob's descendants are believing in Jesus the Messiah and a day is coming when great tribulation and destruction will fall on Israel. God will open their eyes and those who are alive will believe in Jesus the Messiah on that day.  

Meanwhile, are you taking seriously the warnings of Paul? Brothers and sisters we have not finished the race yet. You will not hear warnings from the ear tickling preachers of our day, but Paul says very clearly in verse 22:

• "Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you—if you continue receiving his kindness."

Romans 11 ISV

11And so I ask, “They have not stumbled so as to fall, have they?” Of course not! On the contrary, because of their stumbling, salvation has come to the gentiles to make the Jewsi jealous. 12Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their fall means riches for the gentiles, how much more will their full participation mean!

13I am speaking to you gentiles. Because I am an apostle to the gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in the hope that I can make my peoplej jealous and save some of them. 15For if their rejection results in reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance bring but life from the dead? 16If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

17Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, 18do not boast about being better thank the otherl branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19Then you will say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in.”

20That’s right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!m 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly will not spare you, either.

22Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you—if you continue receiving his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. 23If the Jewsn do not persist in their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, because God is able to graft them in. 24After all, if you were cut off from what is naturally a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier it will be for these natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree!

25For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.o26In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion;

he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

26

27This is my covenant with them

when I take away their sins.”p

• Psalm 111 "Psalm 111 ISV  "10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; sound understanding belongs to those who practice it. Praise of Godf endures forever."

The Mind That Lives According To The Human Nature Is Hostile Toward God.

Friends, today we find ourselves in Romans chapter 8. I suggest you read all of chapter 7, as it explains that when we surrender to Christ and receive a new nature (being born again from God) we no longer have to live according to our old nature, but are to live in our new nature. Until we die or Christ comes for us, we will wrestle with our old nature, but we must not let it rule over us. We must live according to the Spirit. If we sin we are to repent and get back on track.

In our day countless believers watch TV, listen to worldly music, look at pornagraphy, etc, and fill their minds with the trash of this world. As Paul says it in verse 6, "To focus our minds on the human nature leads to death". In our day countless ear tickling teachers such as Joel Osteen, teach "you can have your best life now". This encourages the love the old nature and of this world, which brings death.

Have you been set free? Are you a believer or unbeliever who is living according to your old nature? Jesus came to pay for sin and set you free with the new nature he gives. We are to put to death the sinful desires of our old nature and rule over it through the power of the Holy Spirit which God gives to those who believe. Salvation is not a prayer and then live as we wish according to our old nature. In verse 17, we see that saying no to our old nature brings suffering, as we war and put to death the desires of our old nature.

Are you in the war, putting to death the sinful activities of the body and consequently experiencing suffering? If so you will live. If not you will die. Each has eternal consequences. Meanwhile, countless thousands of believers are going to listen to deceiving teachers who tickle their ears. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit does not tickle our ears. This is about heaven or hell.

Romans 8 ISV

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in union with the Messiaha Jesus.b 2For the Spirit’s law of life in the Messiahc Jesus has set med free from the Law of sin and death.3For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the form of humanity,e he condemned sin by being incarnate, 4so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to human nature but according to the Spirit.

5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To focus our minds on the human nature leads to death, but to focus our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace. 7That is why the mind that focuses on human nature is hostile toward God. It refuses to submit to the authority of God’s Law because it is powerless to do so. 8Indeed, those who are under the control of human nature cannot please God.

9You, however, are not under the control of the human nature but under the control of the Spirit, since God’s Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah,f he does not belong to him. 10But if the Messiahg is in you, your bodies are dead due to sin, but the spirith is alive due to righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then the one who raised the Messiahi from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.

12Consequently, brothers, we are not—with respect to human nature, that is—under an obligation to live according to human nature. 13For if you live according to human nature, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you continuously put to death the activities of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children. 15For you have not received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba!j Father!” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with the Messiahk —if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.