Dreams

The Importance of Dreams

Steve Nixon

The prophet Joel prophesied of a time when the Holy Ghost would be made available to all flesh, and not just to a select few; such as the prophets of old, certain kings and a few other specially anointed people. Joel 2:28 says;

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”

This prophecy began to be fulfilled as the first group of the New Testament church were assembled together on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:2-4;

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

When onlookers saw what was happening but did not understand, they asked Peter what was going on, he explained to them;

“…this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:16-18).

I’ve been wondering lately about the lack of people speaking out concerning their dreams and visions. I think people have dreams and visions whether they are Christian or not,
but I am especially concerned with the dreams and visions of Christians. Why aren’t people more open about what they dream, or their visions? There is certainly a great lack of teaching by the world’s denominations of Christianity, in every aspect of the Christian faith and experience; and this holds true in the area of dreams and visions as well. I wholeheartedly think that if the Lord were to give a grade the result of the teachings of the majority of churches today that He would grade them an ‘absolute failure’. When people upon having one of those dreams, “that stand out in their minds,” why aren’t they seeking an interpretation? Are we afraid of being laughed at? And worse than that, are we afraid of being laughed at ‘by other Christians?’ If this is so, what does that say about not only the character of today’s Christians but their own level of spirituality? Are we silenced by a fear of skeptics? Or do we not perceive dreams as being spiritual or given by God? Sure, the human mind ‘wanders’ at night and we have what seem to be nonsense dreams that don’t mean anything (and usually vaporize into nothing as soon as we wake up; but there are other dreams we have that we wake up with. Dreams that we are sure ‘mean something’ but we can’t figure out. Some dreams are on our minds all day before they disappear, some for weeks and sometimes years. These are the dreams that I’m wondering about. Why are we not more open about discussing these dreams. If we pray for an interpretation and do not receive one, then why aren’t we feeling the freedom to seek an interpretation from other Christians? If indeed these dreams are given by God, then how dare we ignore them! They are for a reason; and those reasons are always in one way or another to our eventual benefit. These gifts of God are like many other things, if we ignore them, then they become pointless and we either receive them less often, or stop receiving them at all. So this brief study looks at how God spoke to His people in both the Old and New Testaments and what role dreams and visions played in guiding, directing and speaking to His people.

Abraham

When Abram (later named Abraham) first received notice that God was calling him out of his own country and into a strange land and would make him a father of nations; it was in a vision. Abram believed God in this vision, and became known as the ‘father of faith.’
(Genesis chapter 15).

Abimelech

In Genesis 20:1-18; Abimelech had previously, through no fault of his own, received Sarah (Abraham’s wife) as his wife, thinking she was Abraham’s sister. Innocent of knowing she was Abraham’s wife or not (ignorance of the law is no excuse), it would be a sin for Abimelech to have sex with Sarah. So God warned Abimelech not to touch Sarah. How was that warning given? In a dream. Because Abimelech heeded his dream, rather than ignoring or seeing little importance in it, Sarah was then returned to Abraham. What would have happened if Abimelech, like so many of us today, would have ignored his dream? Then Sarah would not have had Issac by Abraham. Isaac would not have had Jacob who through him came the nation of Israelites. Jesus would not have been born and all those who receive salvation by Him would be damned.

Jacob

In Genesis chapter 28:12-16, began the story of how Jacob was to be blessed by the Lord to become a great nation; which later became Israel and ultimately all of those both Jew and Gentile who would be considered in the family of God. And how did Jacob receive this vision and understanding, creating the faith in Jacob to spend his life in the direction to which God had appointed him? In a dream. Jacob understood the significance and
spiritual direction of a dream.

Joseph
In Genesis chapter 37, Joseph, the son of Jacob, had a dream. He dreamed that he would rise above his brothers and they would obey him. His brothers already did not like Joseph because he was the youngest of the brothers, but after Joseph related his dream his brothers hated him. This dream might have been ‘the final straw’ that caused his brothers to sell joseph as a slave to an Egyptian. We understand though, in later chapters in Genesis, that once again it was God behind this dream. What I marvel at about this dream is that Joseph’s dream, like many dreams, was metaphorical in nature… yet his brothers and father instantly understood what the dream meant. People of old had a far better understanding of the spiritual nature of dreams than people of today have. Isn’t it about time we start paying more attention to our dreams as well? Later in Joseph’s life, (Genesis chapter 40), Joseph found himself in prison and two men, a butler of Pharaoh and a baker, each had a dream. Not an ordinary dream but they must have recognized their dreams as having meaning that neither of them could figure out and it made them ‘sad’ because they didn’t understand what the dreams meant. When Joseph asked why the men were so sad they told him it was because they did not understand their dreams. At that time Joseph made a profound statement, that ‘interpretations belong to God’.

(The New Testament declares the fulfillment of “your young men shall dream dreams, and your old men shall have visions”. There is a difference of ‘dreams’ and ‘visions’.
Dreams are usually metaphoric and required interpretation, visions are not. Both dreams and visions usually give direction, warn or assure. Dreams occur during sleep whereas visions can occur either in sleep or ‘daydreaming’ (in a trance). Visions generally are not metaphoric but explain plainly). Getting back to the story; Joseph explained the two men’s dreams to them, both dreams being prophetic in nature, and those dreams came to pass exactly as Joseph had interpreted. Later, in Genesis chapter 41, the Pharaoh himself had a very disturbing dream and was informed that there was a man in prison who could interpret dreams (Joseph’s God being with him) and Pharaoh summoned him to interpret his dream. Pharaoh related his dream (in which everything was metaphoric) to Joseph and Joseph gave the interpretation; warning Pharaoh of a coming serious drought that would last seven years and also of how to spare Egypt during the disaster to come. Pharaoh listened, and did everything Joseph said to do, resulting in all of Egypt being spared throughout the drought, and all of Israel as well. How much credence was given to dreams in centuries gone by? Enough to change the course of nations! In these last days there is supposed to be an abundance of ‘dreams and visions’. Are we so dull of understanding of these spiritual blessings?

Gideon

In the book of Judges, chapter 7, Gideon was going to war against the Midianites and Amalekites, but God wanted Gideon to reduce the number of his forces from 30,000 to a mere 300! Still, the Midianite and Amalekite armies were huge and Gideon was now far outnumbered. How was Gideon reassured to enter this conflict against overwhelming forces? Because of a man’s dream, and Gideon’s understanding of that dream!

King Saul

In 1 Samuel, chapter 28, King Saul, who at one time was filled with the Holy Spirit, received direction from God both through prophets and through his own dreams. By those prophets and dreams, King Saul led the nation of Israel. But there came a time when, through Saul’s disobedience, that God’s Spirit departed from Saul, and Saul no longer received God’s direction himself, and sought Samuel for understanding and direction.

Solomon

In 1 Kings, chapter 3:1-15, Solomon was King of Israel, and he besought the Lord to grant him understanding by which to lead God’s people. God granted Solomon his request and Solomon to this day is known worldwide for his wisdom! And how did Solomon ask this of the Lord, and in what way did God grant his request? The whole
event took place…yes, in a dream.

Daniel
One of the most dramatic dreams and interpretation of dreams to be spoken of in scripture is in the book of Daniel, chapters 1 through 5. If you are reading this article to learn about the importance of dreams and interpretation of dreams that have nation changing effects; then these chapters are an absolute must read. In Daniel, chapter 7,
Daniel has another most amazing and dramatic dream which is the forerunner of the vision of John known as the Book of Revelation; Daniel chapter 7 reveals Daniel’s prophetic dream of earth’s destruction and the kingdom of God.

Joseph and Mary

The virgin Mary had been promised to Joseph. But before the marriage she was found to be pregnant. At that time in history (and in some cultures still true today) a woman found pregnant could be killed. Mary could have been stoned to death, and her husband to be Joseph was fearful of proceeding with the marriage. But in the book of Matthew, chapter 1 verse 20, an angel came to Joseph and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife; and Joseph obeyed and the marriage took place. Had this not happened, what would become of Mary…of Jesus? And how did this angel appear to Joseph? Yes again…in a dream! People not only believed in their dreams, they received heavenly instruction by them.

Wise Men from the East

The wise men of the east were instructed of King Herod to inform him when they had found the infant that was to be King of the Jews. But after the wise men had found Jesus, they were warned not to return to Herod, but return home a different way. How were they warned? In a dream, again. And they listened and followed that warning that came in that dream. What would happen if they didn’t? Herod wanted to know where the baby was so he could kill him. (Mt 2:7-12).

Joseph and Mary

In Matthew 2:13-18, Joseph and Mary were to return to where they had lived before going to Bethlehem. But God warned Joseph not to return, but to flee into Egypt, for King Herod was in a rage trying to find Jesus. Again, the warning came in a dream.

In Matthew 2:19-20, an angel came to Joseph and informed him that King Herod had died, and to return to Nazareth in Israel. This message also… came in a dream. Are we seeing a pattern here… in all these dreams?

Apostle Peter and the Gentiles

At first, New Testament salvation was of the house of Israel, and only for the Jews, but several years after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost was poured out and made available to all believers, the Apostle Peter fell into a trance and had a vision. In this vision, the Lord was giving approval for Gentiles to be saved. Just prior to Peter’s vision, in a different town, an angel came to a Gentile household to a man named Cornelius, informing him to send for the Apostle Peter. When Peter came to the house of Cornelius, the Spirit of God began filling all in the house of Cornelius and Peter then understood the vision he had. That Gentiles also could be saved and have eternal life through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts chapters 9, 10 and 11).

John’s Book of Revelation

Even the Book of Revelation, given the Apostle John and now having been read by millions, was given to John in a vision (Revelation 9:17).

There are many other examples as well, of major importance recorded in scripture that came through dreams and visions. Look up ‘dream’ and ‘vision’ in a good concordance to find them. It’s an interesting study. But what am I saying about dreams and visions in today’s world? Share all your dreams? Not hardly. But don’t ignore them, either.
Most dreams are somehow therapeutic to the mind; perhaps it’s way of dealing with the stresses and pressures of day to day life. I’m sure some dreams are simply the mind’s fanciful nonsense. But like I said earlier, some dreams ‘stay with us’ for a while, causing us to wonder what it meant. Some dreams give us a feeling like it’s a warning, but we somehow can’t figure out what it means. THESE are the dreams I’m referring to. We should not ignore them. We should seek to understand them. We should first go to God in prayer and seek understanding. If no understanding is given then it very well could be that ‘someone else’ has the interpretation or ‘will have’ as soon as they hear the dream.
This has certainly been the case many time in the Old Testament. And how will we ever find that person unless we at least feel a liberty to speak of our dreams to those we believe are also Christians.

And what about sharing visions? Where would we be if the Apostle Peter, upon receiving his vision, simply stayed on his rooftop? Where would the Gentiles be now? And Cornelius. What would have happened if he ‘dismissed’ his vision and for whatever reason did not send for the Apostle Peter. What about Daniel, and the vision of the Apostle John and the Book of Revelation? Were it not for their realization of the importance of their visions, and their obedience, the Judean-Christian faiths would not be fore-warned of what is to come. The men of both the Old and New Testaments knew the spiritual nature and seriousness of dreams and visions; so should we. Some dreams and visions are given by God. They are given to warn, instruct or assurance, both for the present day as well as future events and are often prophetic in nature. The words of the Apostle Peter hold just as true today, as they did when he spoke them in Acts 2: 16-18…

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”

A Quick Course on Creation and timelines

A Quick Course

by Steve Nixon

Let’s take a good look at Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

Try to clear your mind of everything you’ve ever heard about ‘creation’, both of the church, and of science, at least for this fresh look. Forget the ‘typical’ and ‘what’s always been taught’ and ‘what you’ve always hear’ as far as interpretation goes and just take a close look at what God’s Word actually says, and only what it says.

First of all, Genesis begins with the planetary ball we call Earth as being already created.
Verse 1 says;
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

This verse 1 ends in a period. It is done… period. The ‘days of creation’ do not begin until verse 3. The idea of ‘the days of creation’ refers only to what was done to the earth to make it as we see now (with trees, birds, etc). The earth existed before the ‘first day’ of the creation story. How do I know this? Because it is not until verse 3 that scripture begins to record the different days of creation and each of those days begins with “And God said”. Remember too, that God ‘spoke’ all things into existence; this is also verified by Psalms 33: 6-9;

6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

So exactly “how old” this planet is, the bible does not say, or even pretends to say.

2 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

The earth was without form (no mountains, valleys, cliffs, nothing was on it… it was without form…void. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. The face of the deep meaning the surface of the water. “The deep” always refers to water (oceans). To veryify this, look at the second half of verse 2. So here we have earth, a ball of water, at least on the surface. Being a ball of water, it is void and without form. All this was already in existence prior to the ‘days of creation’. Now begins the story of creation, not of the earth itself, but of what God did with the earth. Now begins the ‘And God said’ phrases at the beginning of each day.

Where did the ‘light’ come from? The sun was not created yet, and not created until the fourth day of creation. The light is from God Himself. The glowing aura that surrounds the Purity and Holiness of God, called the Shekinah (my spelling might be off) glory of God, was allowed to shine upon the earth. This is similar to the description in Revelation, where there is no more sun, but heaven will be lighted once again by the light that eminates from God himself. This was the first day.

“6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”

In these verses above, God has created the sky (which He calls ‘firmament’) and divides the waters below the sky (ocean), from the waters above the firmament (now we have clouds…which… are water also, as we well know). Heaven simply refers to sky, even as we say ‘we look up into heaven’ meaning the sky. It’s the physical heaven, not the spiritual one. This ends the second day.

The third day is really busy!

. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

Although the earth was a ball of water, under the earths ocean was land. If you make an object that you can shape, that is covered in water with land beneath, all you have to do is to dip below the water and pull up on what is under it. Or, push down on the bottom below the water to make a deep impression on the bottom. As the water flows to the depth of the impression…other parts of the surface become evident. We see mount Everest as extremely high, being thousands of feet above sea level. Yet we have deep trenches and valleys under the oceans that are as much as 37,500 feet below sea level. Now we have an earth that is no longer “void and without shape”, we have mountains, hills, and deep ocean valleys.

Also on day 3;

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Note that (thousands of years before ‘Darwin’) God’s word is careful to specifically say that every thing living was created had seed within itself, after it’s kind.
There’s no evolution here.

Now we come to day 4;

. 14” And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

NOW we have the sun, and the moon. On the fourth day. And why were they made?
Verse 15 says “to give light upon the Earth.” I love day four; it shows how important the Earth is to God! He made the sun and moon for the earth! Science used to teach that the earth was a meteor cast forth from the sun and found its orbit 93 million miles away to become a planet. They don’t teach that anymore and have come up with a new theory.
But God’s word tells us the earth came first, with the sun and moon to aid the earth.
NOT ONLY THAT, but verse 16 tells us he also made the stars on day 4! This makes earth the oldest thing in the universe… and that all things were made to benefit Earth.
and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. Remember the ‘wise men’ from the east, looking for the newborn king of the Jews? They followed his star…

Ah… on to day 5:

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Once again…’after his kind’. No evolution here.

On to day 6… an extremely important day to understand…

. 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

First of all, in verse 24 and 25 it is mentioned 5 times that the living things created were ‘after their kind’. Again, thousands of years before Darwin, God prepared His people to have the truth. Notice also, that man was created on the sixth day. On that sixth day, he created male and female on the same day (man too) Notice too… that everything concerning creation was created by God “speaking them into existence”. These verses of creation all begin with “AND GOD SAID…” This is important… to know that God SPOKE them into existence, simply by the power of His word and the strength of His will. On the sixth day, He spoke man into existence as well. Scripture does not say ‘a man’, but ‘man’. The species. Mankind. Not a singular man. Just for fun, look at verse 30 again; all living things like cattle, beasts and man were designed to be vegetarians. This was not changed until after Noah’s ark… which explains how all those animals could
co-exist without killing each other.

The sixth day is now over. Mankind exists. The seventh day is about to come. A big surprise comes after that day of rest, in chapter two. But I want to point out also on the first six days, that even though scripture says ‘a day unto the Lord is as a thousand days’
That this phrase does not apply to the ‘days of creation’. Each day of creation was a 24 hour day as we know it now. Okay, how do I know this? Because at the end of each day of the days of creation, one through six…is the phrase; And the evening and the morning were the (first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth) day. The evening and the morning (singular), not evenings and mornings (plural). The Word of God is not redundant for no reason. It’s trying to drive home a point; just as in the phrase ‘whose seed is in itself, after it’s own kind. Still, people miss it. They also miss the fact, according to scripture, that the earth already existed before the ‘six days’ in which God gave the earth form, mountains, and living things. How long? It could be billions of years, nobody knows. But after a period of time, God went to work on it and spoke all things then created into existence, in six days, including man.

Genesis Chapter 2

“1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.”

Notice in verse 1 that the earth was now finished in six days. Now, stop right here for a moment.
God’s word never had specific chapters and verses… these were all added later.
From verse 7 and onward, the story is NOT a repeat of chapter one at all. IT’S A CONTINUATION of the creation story and history.
Look at verse 5 above; “there was not a man to till the ground”. Man, mankind, was already created at this point; being created on the sixth day. Yet, there was no man to till the ground. Why? So what does God do, to have ‘a man’ (singular) to till the ground?
He creates Adam. Mankind existed from day 6, not Adam.


Verse 7:

“7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Please note that, while ‘man’ was created by God speaking him into existence,
Adam was made later, AFTER the sixth day, and that God did NOT speak Adam into existence but “formed man of the dust of the ground”. Indeed, this was no ordinary ‘man’ like what was spoken into existence on day six. This one God took some time with.
Not only that, but after God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Mankind, which was made male and female on day six, were made the same day as were cattle and every creeping thing upon the earth, were not much more than ‘beasts’ themselves; although they were human (man) and had superior intelligence. But they were not created having the ‘breath of life’ from God which creates in them “a living soul”. Only Adam did, and Adam alone. Adam was meant to live an extremely long life, and did so, as well as all his descendants for hundreds of years.

Verse 8

“ 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”

Again, scripture re-states, “there he put the man whom he had formed.” ‘The man’
(singular) whom He had formed (not spoken into existence). Verses 9 through 17 describe where the Garden of Eden is (Africa) and God’s guidelines of what Adam may and may not eat.

9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Verses 18 through 25 tell the story that there were additional animals made for the Garden of Eden, which were also ‘formed’, not being part of the sixth day creation.
And also the creation of Eve. Rmemeber on the 6th day of creation, God created ‘man’ (mankind) being male and female, which were told to ‘go and replenish the Earth’; yet Adam and Eve were told to STAY IN THE GARDEN, and in fact was made FOR the Garden… to till and to keep it. Remember they were driven out of the Garden after they had sinned.

“18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

TIMELINES:

There is a huge gap, or very could be a huge gap, between the time the Earth was fist made (remember it already existed before Genesis 1:1) and the time when God decided to ‘do something with it’ It could be a few days, or billions of years, the Bible does not say.
The second gap occurs between when God created plants, trees, animals, birds and mankind… and when the story continues on to Adam. The seventh day, God rested. That’s all we know. It never says, ‘on the eighth day…Adam’. So, once again, between the seventh day, and the time when God decided to form Adam, could be hundreds, thousands, or millions of years! Adam and Eve were designed to stay separated, living in the Garden of Eden. Remember, female humans were already created on the sixth day, but Adam (separated from the ‘pack’) was alone and there was no helper found for him and that he was alone. Remember also that when Cain left Adam and Eve that we went and lived in the land of “Nod”, so there was already an established area (which had to be established by mankind [ descendants of man created on the sixth day]). The history of Adam and Eve go back 6 thousand years, historically traceable through well-kept Jewish records and even traceable through scripture (though it’s an exhausting job). Yet mankind, can be millions of years old. It all depends on the ‘gap’ between the seventh day of creation… and when God finally made Adam.
Mankind, was well-established by the time Cain left. In Genesis 6:1- 5 ‘men’ began to multiply on the face of the earth (as they were told to do on the sixth day of creation, but not Adam and Eve). Later, the ‘sons of God’ (descendants of Adam) saw the daughters of ‘men’ and made wives of them. What was the result of this? Complete wickedness; which led to the destruction of all mankind except Noah and his family.

Gen 6: 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

So who were these people, that God created, not having the breath of life, or souls, but were intelligent above animals? God’s word tells us man was created in Africa. So they were Africans. Adam and Eve, were set apart from the rest of man in the Garden of Eden, also in Africa, but history shows they became the foundation of the Jewish race. Our own science traces humankinds beginnings as being from Africa. But remember too, that ALL mankind everywhere was destroyed from the earth by the great flood. So, all mankind as we know it today comes from one family… Noah, and his sons and their wives. We are all related through Noah… even though it was not intended to be that way.

Don't They Know?

Don’t People Know?

I do not consider myself to be among the best or the brightest. Not trying to be humble or debase myself; just stating what I believe to be true. I do have an ability to reason, but probably no better than most people. I find myself having many questions about life and people and I do spend some time searching for answers to these questions. Sometimes I think I have found an answer to a question and that answer appears before me so clearly, as like something appearing before me out of a dense fog… only to disappear again into obscurity, leaving me wondering once more. Often I find answers that I’m quite satisfied with, some are very enlightening while others remain unsolved and perplexing. One of the things I’m currently trying to understand is how so many people can claim to be Christians when their words and actions are so contrary to Christianity. I’m having a hard time trying to solve this puzzle. I know that scripture says that ‘light was in the world’ and that man loved ‘darkness rather than light’ but this relates to unbelievers and those who reject the one true God of Israel. What about those who really believe they are Christians, yet walk in the works of darkness? All of them claim to love Jesus, yet the New Testament teaches that it is our obedience to Him that shows our love for Him (John 14:21). All of them claim to have salvation yet scripture teaches that Jesus is the author of salvation of those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Yet regardless of these scriptural statements and others much like them, I see people who claim to be Christian and walk in the disobedience of their own will. How can this be? Don’t they read their bibles that are written in plain English? I’ve seen people be self-sacrificing of themselves in some areas of Christianity while at the same time defending obvious sin in other areas of their lives. Don’t they know that their disobedience makes pointless their acts of goodness? And then, we all know people that ‘talk’ Christianity and live otherwise. Is that some kind of a game… what is that? I see people rightfully being outspoken against what is sin; and turn right around and live those same sins themselves. Are they blind? I have listened to people say very intelligent things about God’s word, seeming to grow deeper in understanding and claim to be a member in His kingdom and yet whenever they get angry or stressed their Christian composure flies right out the window. Don’t they know that it’s not in times of peace and contentment that our lights must shine the brightest but in times of darkness, hardship and spiritual warfare? I know people that are active in church and use every bit the foul language of their co-workers while at their jobs. Don’t they know that commitment and obedience to the Lord and His teaching is not just for church but must be 24 hours every day and 7 days each week? Don’t they read their bibles? Have they been so deceived and deluded by false doctrines that they are blind to scriptures that speak of holiness, righteousness and steadfastness? I have heard it said “most people just read what they already believe; instead of believing what they read.” When people read the bible, do they just discount what they don’t already believe or are not willing to accept? If this is so; then why read it at all? If the bible is read to search for truth, then why ignore those truths when they are found? This makes no sense to me. With all the scriptures pertaining to holiness, commitment, godliness, obedience, of a live lived that is pleasing to God and turning away to all things related to the kingdom of darkness; do some people think God is just kidding? When Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; why is it overlooked… even in churches? I don’t have answers; just questions. Puzzling questions. Are would-be Christians so deceived by the common and modern perversion of salvation by grace and faith that they feel so completely at ease with ignoring scripture that relates how they live? Do some people put more faith in what churches teach than what they do God’s own word to us? Regardless of the error of many church doctrines concerning grace and faith, when they stand before God on the Day of Judgment, haven’t people read what God’s criteria will be for that judgment?

Revelation 20:12 - 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 20:13 - And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
I’m not condemning or censuring people, heaven knows God will do that soon enough, but these people are my co-workers, acquaintances and family members spread across the entire country and I really do care about them. Their lack of discernment makes me very sad. It puzzles me; how can people claim to be Christian, read God’s word, and live contrary to it’s teaching? I just don’t understand. I have no answers, but just maybe, even though many profess Christianity, they aren’t fully persuaded that God exists at all! Now, that might sound strange, but I ask you; if they really believed in the reality of God how could they possibly do those things that are contrary to His will? It only seems logical to me that if someone really believed in the reality of God and the truth of His word that to live contrary to Him would be utterly ridiculous! Perhaps disobedience and lack of commitment go hand in hand with unbelief. My wife says “people believe in God, but don’t believe God.” I suppose she’s right.

Who is This Jesus

Who Is This Jesus?

In order for us to understand who Jesus was, and is, we have to go back to the Old Testament and learn some things about God himself as creator of all things. And before we go into the Old Testament to find out who Jesus is, we need to understand some things about God’s name.

God has a name but the word ‘name’ in the bible does not always refer to a proper (personal) name. Sometimes the word ‘name’ as used in scripture is defined as having the meaning of ‘authority’; like, ‘in the name of the law’ means ‘by the authority of the law.’ So the phrase “I come to you in the name of the Lord” means “by the authority of the Lord.” The word name in scripture is also used to mean ‘reputation’. A person who often commits crimes or is known for bad ethics or morals is said to have a ‘bad name.’ A person of good conduct who has a reputation for honesty and integrity is said to have a ‘good name.’ In scripture, the attributes of the nature of God that make up His character are also referred to as names, as in Exodus 34:14 that says; “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” But we know that ‘Jealous’ is not God’s proper name, not the personal name of God himself but of one of His attributes. Another use of the word name in scripture (also not referring to a proper name or actual name of which a being is called) is defined as a ‘title’; such as ‘father’.
‘Father’ is not a name; it’s a title. Likewise ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ are not names but titles. If I gave my daughter a thousand dollars to open up a checking account in my name, then the bank would ask her what that name was. If she said ‘father’ they would laugh at her. Father is not my name but it is my title. The word ‘father’ can also be used to relate to authority, just as ‘in the name of the law’ means ‘by the authority of the law’ so likewise does “I come to you in my father’s name” mean “I come to you by the authority of my father”. The name, or names of God are mention many times in scripture, but in many cases do not refer to his personal and proper name of the Being we call God. They refer to His position, His authority, His attributes, His reputation or militarily His rank (i.e., The Lord of Hosts). When studying scripture we would do well whenever it mentions the word ‘name’ that we would determine which usage of the word ‘name’ it’s referring to. There are books available that further clarify which meaning of the word ‘name’ is being used at the various scripture locations.

Two actual names ascribed to God are Jehovah and Yahweh. These names were man-made creations stemming from the four initials used to represent God’s name in the Old Testament. In the King James where the word LORD appears all in caps, you’ll find four Hebrew letters; YHWH. His name is YHWH. Some pronounce it “Jehovah”, but since there was no letter “J” in the Hebrew language, we call Him Yahweh. The terms ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ are synonymous and interchangeable with each other. These four letters are called the tetragrammaton, which is Greek for “four letters”. In Hebrew they’re pronounced yod, he, wah, he, which probably gave rise to the “Yahweh” we use today. Since Hebrew has no vowels early English language translators added an E, an O, and an A, (vowels they took from Elohim, a form of the Hebrew word meaning God and Adonai, Hebrew for Lord) to form the word Jehovah. Some Hebrew traditions claim that the four letters are God’s initials, standing for His real name that contains 72 syllables. It was forbidden to write or even speak God’s actual name except for once a year on Yom Kippur when it was spoken 7 times.

In order to understand who Jesus was and is, we have to understand who the Father is.
There is only one God, (synonymous with one Lord), in the entire universe. The Lord commanded the children of Israel to do many things in the wilderness, and He commanded them to teach certain things to their children, and their children’s children. They were to teach them these things so that they would never forget the Lord their God. The very first of these things that they were to be taught continually is the there is but ONE God. Deuteronomy 6:1-7 says;

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his (singular) statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

(Note: in all scripture references I am going to point out everywhere that God is referred to as singular, denoting ONE God, and one God only in the universe. I will use bold print to do so).

Isaiah 45: 5-6 affirms the same view; “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and thee is none else.” Could it be any plainer than that? There is only one God in heaven, the Father, the Lord. Isaiah 45:18 declares that He is the creator, and no other; “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself (singular) that formed the earth and made it; he(singular) hath established it, he(singular) created it not in vain, he(singular) formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” Malachi 2:10 also tells us that there is but One God, our Father, our creator; “Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us?” Isaiah 43:3 says too, that the Lord thy God, is also the Saviour;
“For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isaiah 43:10-15 specifically declares beyond doubt, and God wanted His people to know, that there will never be another God. Not before Him or after Him. He is the only Saviour there is, there will never be another. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he (singular): before me (singular): there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I (singular):, even I (singular):, am the LORD; and beside me(singular): there is no saviour. I (singular): have declared, and have saved, and I (singular): have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I (singular): am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I (singular): am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.”

What very explicit words! There was no God before Him, no God shall be formed after Him, and there is none beside Him! He alone is the Holy One of Israel, the redeemer, the Saviour. God Himself; the Father. Isaiah 12:2-6; “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for YHWH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”

In Isaiah 12:2-6 says that YHWH Himself ‘is become’ my salvation; and this speaks of a future time. We know it speaks of a future time because of the wording in verse 4; “and in that day”. It also speaks of “this is known in all the earth” referring to the spread of the gospel in the New Testament era. And this salvation shall come because of “the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee” (speaking of the time of the ministry of Christ).

God is a Spirit

In John 4:24 it is written, “God is a Spirit.” As a Spirit, God Himself is invisible, but He takes on various physical forms on occasion to reveal Himself for specific purposes. He became a pillar of fire by night and a overshadowing cloud by day to the children of Israel in the desert. He became the fourth figure in the fiery furnace and in the form of a Dove as seen by John the Baptist. Isaiah 42:13 gives us a great revelation of prophecy when he declared that God, (and there’s only one) would one day come…as a man! “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.” John 1:1-14 explains it this way; “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same (the Word) was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him(God); and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He (God) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh (now we have the entrance of the man, Jesus Christ), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (The Word of God was given a physical life, a body to dwell in).

The coming of the God of heaven into the world in the form of a man was to be given and introduction. The Lord is King of Kings, and kings always receive an introduction. This introduction was prophesied in the old testament by the prophet Isaiah, who said there would a voice crying in the wilderness that make a path straight for a highway four God… Isaiah 40:3-5 says; “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” God Himself, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, the God who said there was no other God in heaven but Him nor was there any with Him and neither would there be another God after Him, was going to come in the form of a man. Malachi 3:1 speaks of John the Baptist when the Lord told Malachi; “Behold, I (Yahweh) will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me (God Himself): and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.” That ‘temple’ was the very body of the man Jesus Christ. Jesus himself referred to his body as a temple (John 2:19-21). John the Baptist testified of Jesus saying (John 1:32-33) “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew hin 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.”

God is a Spirit, and that Spirit lived within the body of the man Jesus Christ, the begotten Son. The Father, the Creator, lived inside that fleshly body. The man Jesus was the temple, the temporal physical housing of an eternal God. Jesus was a willing vessel yielded to the will of the Father to be Gods voice and actions at that time. When people saw Jesus, they saw the human man, born of flesh, the begotten. But as the spokesperson in word and deed for God; his words and actions were that of God Himself. The man Jesus, was born… having a beginning; but the Spirit that empowered Him was eternal, from everlasting. When scripture says “…this day have I begotten thee” it means just that. 2 Corinthians 5:19 also explains that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Matthew 3:17 records; “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Notice God does not say “with whom I am well pleased, but in whom. You might ask, ‘why does that verse say a voice from heaven since God’s spirit was in Jesus’? The answer is that no one human body can contain the God of the universe. God can be everywhere, simultaneously.

Jesus understood prophecy from God’s word, but as a man did not always know what His Father would do next. Jesus did not lead the Spiri but rather, He let the Spirit of God lead Him. Jesus, in his humanity and as our example, received instruction from His Father through prayer. As the man of flesh he prayed for direction; just as Christians should do. “ Of myself I can do nothing. What I see the Father do, that I do.”

In John 14:7-10 Jesus was speaking to the people and he declares that the Father, the creator, YHWH… lived in him. He declared that the things He did were not done because of his own will or power but that it was the Father himself within him that was doing these things. In many instances the very words that Jesus spoke was not coming from his own making but that it was the Father speaking through him. Jesus became the voice and actions of and for the invisible God. John 14:7-10; “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

Jesus had a dual nature. He was a man, born of flesh and a human by birth; but Fathered by the One God of heaven instead of an earthly father. In His humanity He was as all men, and even though He was fathered by God, He did not begin his ministry until he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Christ is our example, and we are to be like Him, but there are two differences between Christ and his followers; Jesus was Fathered by God is one of those differences but the other difference is that Jesus received the infilling of the Holy Ghost ‘without measure’ whereas his followers receive ‘a measure.’ As a man, Jesus had his own will just like we do; but He yielded that will to the will of the Father. When Jesus spoke, sometimes he spoke his own words while at other times it was not his words at all but the Father of Creation speaking through him. Once we understand these things then scripture is so much easier to understand! Sometimes Jesus spoke as a man, sometimes his words were the words of the Father himself speaking through him.
We can see some of the differences of his human side and the Holy Spirit within him in some of these examples: As a man he increased in wisdom (Lk 2:52) but the Spirit in Him knew all things (Jn 21:17). As a man He grew hungry (Mt 4:2) but through the Father in Him He fed multitudes (Mt 14:19-21). As a man he was a servant (Phil 2:7) but the Spirit in Him was King of Kings (Rev 19:16). As a man, He died (Jn 19:30) But because of the Eternal Spirit within Him he arose from the dead (Lk 24:1-6). As a man, he wept over the death of Lazarus (Jn 11:32-37) but through the power of the Father he raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn 38-44).

When Jesus told the Pharisees “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up again” it was not the man Jesus who was talking but was the Holy Spirit, the Father himself talking. The man, Jesus, is a separate being from God (the Father, the Holy One of Israel, the Holy Spirit … [whichever name you choose, they all apply to that one being]). The man Jesus was fathered by God, and is the Son of God. The term ‘Son’ refers to the flesh; the human man Jesus. Only the Father is the Father, and only the Son is the Son, and even though one cannot be the other, what we see in Jesus is one inside the other! What must be understood is the scripture of 2 Corinthians 5:19; “for God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” In that Jesus often spoke the words the Holy Spirit gave Him to speak, and do those things (miracles) the Holy Spirit anointed Him to do, Jesus became the spokesperson for God. He was God’s representative on earth, his actions and words being those of the Father; and by those things we perceive God the Father himself. When Jesus spoke on his own, he spoke as a man. When we see the man Jesus, the Son of God, going through trials and tests, submitting his will in obedience to His father, displaying an inner character pleasing to his Father, then we see Him as our example of how our lives should likewise be lived. It is very important, if we are to have a better understanding of scripture, to know just who is speaking when Jesus spoke. Was it Jesus, speaking as a man, or was it the Holy Spirit speaking through Him? Knowing the difference unlocks the understanding of many verses in the New Testament. The Father was IN him. Residing IN the body of Christ. Jesus, being led by the Holy Spirit and obedient to the Holy Spirit, was a manifestation OF God. 1 Timothy 3:16 reads; “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” God can manifest himself in any way He chooses to, and God came to earth in the form of a man. Therefore that form, was God. The flesh was man… but the life, the being, was God. The flesh was the temple, but inside the temple was the Holy of Holies. His flesh, his humanity, was the sacrificial Lamb, but residing in him was the Lion of Judah! Colossians 1:15 refers to Jesus as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” Jesus was the incarnate of God in that God, the Father, lived, walked, talked and had his being within the man we see as Jesus the Christ, his Son. Just as when a person would go into the temple there would be the Holy of Holies (God) behind a veil;
so likewise when we see Jesus in the flesh, we see the Son of God; but when we see beyond the veil of that flesh then we see the One True God of all creation; our heavenly Father.

God knew that when He came to visit His people, (fulfilling the prophecy foretold in Isaiah that YHWH would go forth as a man), that most people would not recognize Him as God, because they would not see beyond the veil of flesh that was his Son. In Old Testament prophecy Zechariah 12:10b said of the future visitation and crucifixion, “…and they shall look upon me (the Father) whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him (Jesus), as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” John the Baptist knew, as all Israelites knew, that there is but one God, and that besides Him there is no saviour and never would be. John knew also the words recorded in Isaiah 35: 4-6 that OUR GOD shall come, and certain things would happen when He came; “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, YOUR GOD will come with a vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.” (and look at what will happen when He would come…) “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” So when John the Baptist, who already knew that Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb, wanted to know if Jesus was the manifestation of “He that should come” (meaning God Himself), Jesus answered John this way, as recorded in Matthew 11:2-5; “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him,, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them”. To paraphrase, John was asking if Jesus was the One, The Messiah, The Holy One of Israel, The Mighty God Himself, who was to go forth as man; and Jesus responded by pointing out the works that He was doing, which were the fulfillment of Isaiah 35:4.

Jesus was a man by His flesh, but God Himself within that flesh. John 1:1 records it this way;

“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same (the Word) was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him(God); and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He (God) was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh (now we have the entrance of the man, Jesus Christ), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (The Word of God was given a physical life, a body to dwell in).

Although the Word of God was with God (and WAS God) from the beginning of creation, the man Jesus never existed before his birth into the world. That’s why scripture says in numerous places, “this day have I begotten thee.”
As I stated earlier, it’s important to know who was speaking when Jesus spoke; Jesus as a man, or the Holy Spirit speaking through him. If we do not understand this then it opens the door to false doctrine. One of the false doctrines is the concept that there are two Gods (many even say three). Many think that the Father is one God and the Son is yet another; rather than understanding 2 Corinthians 5:19 that says “God was IN Christ” and was manifested IN him. Scripture clearly and repeatedly declares that there is but ONE God, and there are none beside, neither will be before Him or after Him. That this ONE God became our saviour who manifested Himself within Jesus.

When Philip said “show us the Father” and Jesus returned with “Have I been so long with you Philip and you still don’t know me?”; it was not the man Jesus who was speaking at that moment but was the Father Himself speaking. The concept of Jesus (the Son) being in heaven with the Father (at the creation or anytime, actually) before his appearance on earth probably comes from the prayer Jesus spoke in John 17:3-5;“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

But again, that was not the ‘man’ Jesus speaking of himself during that prayer but it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Him. Remember that in creation, God created the world by the power of His word. God spoke… and it came into being. God’s word, which was in the beginning, became flesh in Mary’s womb… not before then. The word was in the beginning with God; not the man. “With the Glory I had with thee from the beginning”; that was the Spirit of God, communing from within Jesus, to the eternal spirit. Isn’t that like God, praying to God? Of course it is, in the same exact way in which a Spirit-filled believer, while praying to God in the Spirit prays. It is the Spirit of God within the believer, praying to the Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit within you, praying to the Holy Spirit outside of you. There are many such times when Jesus spoke that it was not His words at all, but the Holy Spirit talking.
The man, the flesh and blood Jesus was the son of God; but the Spirit within that flesh was our heavenly Father, the creator of all. When scripture refers to the Son of God it refers to the man, not the Father within Him. Jesus was the Lamb, the blood sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. When scripture refers to Jesus as God; it refers to the presence, words and actions of the God of Israel within him, no longer the Lamb of God but instead the Lion of the tribe of Judah! Since God Himself is an invisible Spirit, it is only as Jesus that we can visualize a form when we speak of God. It is only when we look through our ‘spiritual eyes’ that when we look upon the flesh of Christ that we can both see and understand our heavenly Father who not only enabled Him, but spoke and did works through Him.
Thomas, one of the apostles of the Lord, walked with Jesus for three years. Thomas was taught by Him and saw His mighty works. Yet Thomas only recognized Him as the Son of God (a man of flesh). Thomas did not really know who Jesus was until Jesus had risen from the tomb and had appeared to Thomas in the upper room. It was then, that Thomas finally understood what was going on. Who Jesus was. It was then that Thomas could see beyond the flesh. John 20:28-29 says; “And Thomas answered and said unto him, ‘My Lord and my God’. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” What did Jesus mean by that? “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed”? Thomas knew already that Jesus was the son of God. Thomas knew already many things about Him, but not the knowledge of WHO JESUS REALLY WAS! This he did not know, until after Jesus had risen and Thomas gained the understanding he summed up by his exclamation “My Lord and my God!”

“Heaven is my throne” says the Lord. The throne is a place from which deity rules; the seat of power. The apostle John saw that throne in his revelation and wrote about it in Revelation 4:2 and he said; “And there was ONE that sat upon the throne.” If the Father and Son are separate, who sits upon the throne? Jesus? If so, then where’s the Father? Where’s the Holy One of Israel, YHWH who says he will never give His glory to another? But if the Father is on the throne, then where’s Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings?

The answer is just as while on earth, God was IN Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, so likewise in heaven Jesus will be on the throne but it will be the Father who reigns through Him.

Water, though ONE element can be in the form of water, as ice, or as steam. So likewise the Lord, YHWH, the Almighty God is manifest as the Father (in creation), as the Son (in redemption) and as the Holy Ghost as indwelling Spirit (bringing salvation). These three ARE ONE. Meaning; one and the same. A man can be a father, a son, and also a husband, but he is still just ONE man. The very same is true with God. He manifested Himself in different ways (as His creation had need of Him), but He is still just ONE God. One being. The doctrine of “God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost” implies three separate beings (three Gods) and has no scriptural backing or foundation. Jesus was the son of God, never God the son. The common song called the “doxology” declares ‘God in three persons’ but the ONLY personage of God that ever existed was in the form of Jesus Christ. The ‘trinity’ and Trinitarian concept are totally contrary to the Holy Scriptures and were unheard of until 300 AD and to this very day Trinitarians are viewed as Polytheists and idolaters (those who worship multiple Gods) by those who have an understanding of God that goes back thousands of years, when God Himself declared;

“I am the Lord, there is none else. There is no God beside me. I am the Lord, beside me there is no Saviour. I am the first, and the last and beside me there is no God. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.”

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God is ONE LORD.

The Tares and the Wheat
Matthew 13:25-30
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn”.
The part of the New Testament where Jesus spoke of the tares and the wheat crossed my mind the other day. When it did I thought, “hmm, tares. What are tares really?” I’ve always thought it must be some kind of weed, but sometimes I challenge ‘what I’ve always thought’ and take a moment to look things up.
Going to the dictionary (online, www.dictionary.com) I looked up ‘tares’ and found the following entry:
Taresthe bearded darnel, mentioned only in Matt. 13:25-30. It is the Lolium temulentum, a species of rye-grass, the seeds of which are a strong soporific poison. It bears the closest resemblance to wheat till the ear appears, and only then the difference is discovered. It grows plentifully in Syria and Palestine.
Tares and wheat look alike as they grow together. But they are two separate plants. One is wheat, the other a type of grass. It is not until the wheat produces its seed (the fruit of the wheat) that these plants can be distinguished from each other. Then the fruit of the wheat, it’s seed, is ground into flour.
Since these verses in Matthew are a parable, we know that Jesus was really using the comparison of wheat and tares to explain the differences in people, as well as the harvest of souls. God wants us to be fruitful, in fact, He doesn’t just ‘want us to’ be fruitful…no, He commands it! “Be ye fruitful” is a command. Comparing the wheat/tare relationship to humanity, I then thought about the similarities of appearance between true born again Christians, who actually live their lives in obedience to God’s word and either the pretend or deceived followers who sometimes ‘seem’ to be Christians but are really not. Both are in the same field, both look like wheat. Sometimes the differences in claims of Christianity in people are obvious, and sometimes they are hard to distinguish. That is, until it’s ‘fruit time”. The fruit I’m referring to is more than what is found in Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith…” etc, but even more than that, as fruits also pertain to attitude, to what our actions (and words) are when we are angry or under the pressures of life and with not only friends but co-workers and those who might cause us stress. Christians learn to bear the right fruit; the fruit of the Spirit. When those not born of the Holy Spirit are severely tried they usually revert back to ‘what they truly are on the inside’ and it shows in their words, actions and attitudes.
The seeds of wheat produce what becomes flour; life sustaining, energy producing, nourishing food. It becomes a blessing to all who partake of it.
The tares also produce seeds, but as shown in the definition of what a tare is; the seeds are ‘soporific’. “What’s that?” I wondered. So I had to look that up as well. It is a type of poison that is used as a sedative, tending to cause sleep as in a medicine or drug. And doesn’t that description also aptly fit the effect that non-Christians have? Listening to the vain philosophies, the worldly values, and the sometimes ‘right sounding’ attitudes of the unregenerate man can have a sedative effect on those who listen to them. A believer can be lulled into spiritual sleep by getting into the mindset of those of the world.

The Fruits of the Spirit

John 15:2 - Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:8 - Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Fruit trees are fruit trees long before they bear fruit. Fruit comes after the tree has been planted, then grows and matures to a certain degree before fruit ever appears. Then fruit comes. So it is with fruitful Christians. Even though our carnal nature is instantly changed when we are born again of God’s Spirit, even though we’ve entered into a whole new world and are part of the Kingdom of God; fruit takes time to develop. Fleshly sins and desires of the flesh have melted away, but there remains the need for inward changes that are not so obvious; things concerning integrity, attitudes and character. These are revealed through the fruits of the Spirit, or I could just as easily say the fruits produced in us through following the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our all of our ways then the end result will be it’s fruit produced in us. The fruits of the Spirit are listed in Galatians 5; 22 & 23, 1 Timothy 6:11 and 2 Peter 1: 5, and they are; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, righteousness, godliness, patience, virtue and knowledge. “If these things be in you and abound”, says 2 Peter 1:8, “they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God wants us all to be involved in spreading the gospel in whatever way we can. He wants us to go to those unknowingly lost in the kingdom of darkness and bring them into His kingdom. He calls various people into the ministry and gives gifts of some kind to all of us for the furtherance of His kingdom and to gain the souls of man for Him. To do this we must speak the truth concerning His Word in a world full of deception. But just speaking the truths of God’s word is insufficient. We must be fruitful! “Be fruitful, and multiply” is what God told his creation. Being fruitful is also taught by the Lord in the New Testament and the development of us bearing fruit is one of the main purposes of the indwelling Holy Spirit!
Since it is the fruit that bears the seeds of reproduction, it is only when we bear fruit that we can multiply. Even for God; it’s not His wrath that draws people to Him… it’s His goodness. Romans 2:4 says the “…goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.”

Of the list of fruits of the Spirit, many of us have developed one or more while others are in the process of being developed within us. As I read the list, one the fruits stands out to me; meekness. Admittedly, meekness is not one of my strong points. So this study of meekness is something I’ll have to incorporate into my own life. Sometimes, while trying to relate God’s truths, I come across as being harsh. To avoid conflict then, there are times when I should say something that I instead remain silent; and this isn’t God’s will either. Part of meekness is “being submissive to the will of God” and God wants us to speak. So either way I have difficulty; whether I speak, or whether I don’t. It’s a problem.





Just What is Meekness?

Meekness is defined by several different terms. It means; soft of temper, gentleness, submission to the will of God without complaining. Forbearance. (Forbearance is part of meekness, so just to be sure of it’s meaning, I looked it up). Forbearance: self-control, abstaining from the enforcement of a right, exercising patience and self-restraint when under personal injuries and provocations, to hold back. To wait. To endure the moment. The exercise of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us, the delay of resentment or punishment.

We are supposed to be gentle with people; gentle not just with fellow Christians but gentle with sinners as well. Yet at the same time boldly speaking out against sin. How does a person boldly speak out against sin, yet be gentle? Ephesians 4:15 says; “…speaking the truth in love.” 2 Timothy 2:25 says, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…”. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness…”.

How Important is the Fruit of Meekness?

God does lead all those whom He fills with His Spirit, after all, fruit trees are still fruit trees even before they have born fruit, but I am sure there comes a point in time when God expects the results of his leading to produce fruit. We all want to have ‘right thinking’ when it comes to God’s word, we all want to be taught by the leading of the Holy Spirit. How important is meekness? Those who have developed Meekness have these promises;
Psalms 25:9 - The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. Psalms 147:6 - The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Psalms 149:4 - For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
I am sure none of us want to be on the earth in the days of God’s final wrath. Read Zephaniah 2:3 – Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
Example of Meekness

Meekness does not mean weakness. When we are in some way provoked, especially in a serious way, it takes for more strength to ‘turn the other cheek’ to be smitten as well (as Jesus said to do) than it does to do the ‘natural thing’ which is to retaliate. When it comes to personal afflictions, or our daily interactions with others, a Christian is to be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves. No it’s not how we might want to react, but it is how we are commanded to react out of obedience to Jesus as our Lord. Jesus was obedient too, for He did not want to die on the cross, in fact, He prayed earnestly three times trying to avoid it, but He yielded His will in obedience to His Father. (Philippines 2:8 says; “…he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”). We must have that same “not my will, but thine be done” attitude and incorporate the fruit of meekness into our lives. But in defense of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God against the kingdom of darkness; in defense of what is right against what is wrong and when speaking out against sin, Jesus did not back down from boldly speaking the truth without even hesitating. Meekness includes submitting to the will of God without complaining. A Christian must speak out against what is evil without fear or compromise, but meekness means suffering the personal abuses of man that accompany the doing of God’s will with patience instead of retaliation. With a soft answer rather than harsh words. Not returning as 1 Peter 3:9 says; “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing (insults for insults): but contrariwise blessing…” It means to proclaim the ways of the Kingdom of God, but with humility, patience and forbearance.

I always thought of Moses as a very powerful man (and he was). He had to be, leading thousands upon thousands of Israelites across the desert. What He is most famous for is that, more than any of the prophets, Moses was the Lawgiver. He stood for what was right, and was unafraid to be outspokenly against what was wrong. Yet what does the bible say of Moses? Numbers 12:3 says; “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” Meek. Not just meek, but very meek. Not just very meek but “above all the men upon the face of the earth.” Wow. Moses was a very serious, determined individual in his service to God. He heard from God and passed on what God had told him, giving us the Law. He was God’s obedient spokesman. But Moses also had a heart of compassion; often interceding for the Israelites when God was ready to destroy them. Moses did what he had to do, but he also knew that the only way for his people to truly be blessed was to be obedient to the Lord. When people of this very large flock had problems and questions, they didn’t turn a man with a whip; they turned to a man who cared for them and who had answers. And that man was Moses, who would tell them the truth even though the truth might be hard. But the source, the underlying motive for his corrections weren’t out of harshness but out of love and concern for them; as a parent corrects their child. Moses told the Israelites in prophecy (concerning Jesus) “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15). When Jesus came on the scene He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29). We are supposed to be gentle with people; gentle not just with fellow Christians but gentle with sinners as well. Yet at the same time boldly speaking out against sin. How does a person boldly speak out against sin, yet be gentle? Ephesians 4:15 says; “…speaking the truth in love.” 2 Timothy 2:25 says, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…” and Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness…”.

Meekness means to have compassion, gentleness and kindness when instructing or correcting error. It means tospeak clearly and honestly when opposing sin and declaring what is true, while being non-aggressive and non retaliatory when personally abused, attacked or accused. It means to be submissive and obedient to God’s will and the leading of His Spirit without murmuring or complaining.

Defining "abomination of desolation"

July 2009

The Abomination of Desolation

I was glancing over God’s word recently and came upon Ezekiel chapter 12, verses 21-28.

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying. Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.”

God has given many prophecies; many have already been fulfilled, many are being fulfilled, and many will be fulfilled in times to come. Our God is faithful and true and none of His word will return to Him void. All will be done. Some people though, grow impatient and begin to doubt God’s word and sometimes even God himself with the passing of time. Doubting that God will fulfill His word, and a faith in Him that seems to have an expiration date, always makes God angry. Such was the case above in Ezekiel and they were soon destroyed and became captives.

Jesus walked the earth two thousand years ago, and like in the old testament made many promises and prophecies that either have been fulfilled, are being fulfilled, or will be fulfilled. Many people over the years have made it a top priority to understand the prophecies of the end of days as written in the book of Revelation. But just as the passing of time without fulfillment of prophecy caused many in Ezekiel’s day to doubt, so likewise have many in today’s world. Yet even this present day doubting itself is a fulfillment of prophecy!

2 Peter 3: 1-8 explains that people will once again become doubtful when it seems that His judgments are not swift in being fulfilled. People will have the same attitudes as those in Ezekiel’s day, and then goes on to explain that God does not work within the same type of time schedule as man does.

“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

Then in the next verse Peter goes on to explain why God has assigned such a long time span (long in human terms anyway) between the ‘end time prophecies’ and its fulfillment. Verse 9 says;

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

God is waiting, giving each generation time to come to Him. And their children. And their grandchildren. But this ‘waiting time’ is not limitless. God is highly organized in all things including the timing of the endtime prophecies. In order to correctly understand current events in the light of endtime prophecies we have to go back to Genesis 15: 12 and 13. In these verses Abraham was foretold that his descendents would grow in number (even though he had not yet had his first child) and that they would become slaves in the land of Egypt for 400 years.

“And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their's, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;”

Why 400 years? Why not sooner? Why was the nation of Israel being held back?
The answer is in verses 14-16;

“And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”

The land to where the Israelites would go was to be the land of the Amorties. What was the iniquity of the Amorites? Idolatry, wickedness, witchcraft and the occult. (Deut 9:5 and 18:10-12). 400 years was given to the Amorites to turn from their wickedness. When that time was completed, their time was over. All of those inhabitants of those lands had plenty of time in that 400 years to seek out the true God; if any were to desire the True God it had to have been within that time frame. After that time span then the ‘iniquity of Amorites was full.’ Now we skip through history to the time of Jesus. It was long prophesied, even in the Old Testament, that Jesus would be ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles’ and when the Jews rejected Jesus, because of that rejection, God turned to the Gentiles with His offer of salvation and His invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is the time in which the vineyard was taken away from the ‘wicked husbandmen’ and given to ‘other husbandmen’ (Matthew 21:41 – “They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons”.).

After the fall of Jerusalem and the scattering of its people, the true church, would soon become dominated by Gentiles. This offer, too, was not limitless; it had an expiration; and that expiration would be when “the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21: 21-24;

“Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

When is that time? What are the signs? Jesus spoke of the final signs, but He also spoke of the signs preceding the final signs. Look at Mark 13: 2- 14;

“2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? 5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains…”

Verse 2 through 13 speaks of much turmoil; deception, massive world wars, numerous earthquakes and famines but these are only ‘the beginning of sorrows’. In verse 10 the gospel is published in all nations (hence, to the whole of the gentile world) and many shall be martyred. These things are not the ‘end’ signs, or the ‘fulfillment of the time allotted to the Gentiles.’ The final sign of the fulfillment of the time of the Gentiles, when Jesus says “Flee” occurs in verse 14 when He says; “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains…”. The end is so close at that time that Jesus went on to say that if you are outside your house, don’t even go inside to get out any last items from your house…just leave!

Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter. The final signs. Jesus referred to the book of Daniel, and specifically where Daniel mentions the “abomination of desolation.” Daniel 11:31 says; ‘And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” Abomination of Desolation; ever hear of that? Ever hear a sermon or a teaching on it? I’ve heard a couple of preachers making guesses that are laughable, but in order to understand it we must also know what Daniel refers to when he mentions “the taking away of the daily sacrifice” as it applies to the New Testament times in which we live… after all, the end times occur in New Testament times. Bear with me for just a little while; but in order to explain the “abomination of desolation” as Jesus referred to it, or the “abomination that maketh desolate” as Daniel referred to it; I first need to explain the “daily sacrifice” as it pertains to the New Testament era. I will be as brief as possible while still trying to explain it the best I can.

The Daily Sacrifice

As Daniel pointed out in prophecy of the last days (which occurs in the New Testament era), “they shall take away the daily sacrifice.” Jesus was the sacrificial lamb of God who shed His blood for our sins; without which our own atonement with God could not be possible. Most of us know that. But the sacrifices did not stop with Jesus! Let me explain. Scripturally, if we are to be born again, and receive the true born again experience of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit; we come fully repentant before the Lord and commit our lives in complete obedience to Him. We place our will second to His, and fully trust in His care. We die to self, to self will, to the desires of the flesh, and pledge ourselves as disciples of Christ and He becomes our Lord. The lives that we live are no longer ours… but His. This is why the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Cor 5:15; “that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again”.
This is why the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1 and 2; “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. It is to be remembered that Jesus did not want to die on the cross, in fact, he besought His Father three times and with very much emotion to find a different way for Him to be sacrificed. But those prayers were followed by “but not my will, but thine be done.” Jesus submitted His will in obedience to the Father. In Philippians 2: 8 Paul wrote of Jesus saying; “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”. The cross is not just the symbol of our Saviour’s sacrifice; it is symbolic of the type of obedience each and every one of us as Christians must have. That’s why Jesus said; “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Churches today say many things about the cross on Calvary that places all the sacrifice on Jesus and celebrates His obedience… but teach nothing of the personal dedication, submission and obedience of those they supposedly shepherd. When we come to Christ, if we do it in manner that is not only pleasing but the only way that is accepted with God, then we come to the cross and lay down our lives there… that’s our sacrifice. Jesus said in
Mt 16: 24 and 25; “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it”. And that’s why the Apostle Paul said in Gal 2: 20; “I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. No, the sacrifice certainly did not stop with Jesus; in fact, it had just begun. The ‘daily sacrifice’ mentioned by Daniel was to be fulfilled by every person who would come to the Lord century after century ‘until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled’. Many churches today teach and preach a gospel that is not based upon scripture. Their doctrines are based upon hand picked verses the present only partial truths. The presentation of a partial truth, presented as the whole of a truth, makes the conclusion a lie. Preaching both a Jesus and a salvation that is not the full picture as written in the New Testament creates followers that are seriously misled, and are deceived into being worshippers of a Jesus of their own making. Churches today exhort people to just ‘accept the Lord Jesus Christ’ instead of be ‘acceptable to Him’
There is a huge difference! Inline with picking up one’s own cross and following Jesus that today’s churches also stay well away from Hebrew’s 5:9 where it says of Jesus that He is “…the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him”. The author of salvation to those that obey Him… salvation is directly linked to obedience to the will of God. Jesus did not say go into all the world and get them to ‘accept me’, no, he said go into all the world teaching them to be obedient to everything that I have commanded you.

Because of the multitudes of seekers who have been deceived by false doctrines, the true salvation and the real born again experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, through repentance and the holiness of commitment and obedience, is becoming a rare event. The ‘daily sacrifices’ have not stopped altogether but they have been greatly diminished.

Back to Daniel 11:31

“And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate”

But Daniel says the daily sacrifice will be ‘taken away’ (not just diminished). The final end of the daily sacrifice will not come through heresy or perverted doctrines, and it won’t be totally ended voluntarily… it will be taken. It will be taken away because they placed the abomination that maketh desolate. That part of the sentence sounds like bad English doesn’t it? “They placed the abomination that maketh desolate” leaves a person wondering… placed what? Where? But the word ‘placed’ is a verb, and it means ‘to put into position’, to ‘set in place’ such as when a law is passed and made to take effect. So, at the end times, they will put into position the abomination that makes desolate. And what is desolation? To be desolate is to be barren, destitute, completely alone, lost, wretched, totally cheerless and without hope.
True desolation is a life without the presence of God. What will make people desolate in the end times, will be the abomination (a law placed in effect) that illegalizes God’s word and Christianity. This statement just made in the previous sentence is not just a possible methaphor of the meaning of Daniel 11:31… it is what means. This is what will ‘take away the daily sacrifice’. This coming law, which legally takes away the spread of Christianity thereby ending the daily sacrifice is an abomination to God, and it most certainly will leave desolate the souls of man, and removes the ‘salt of the earth’ which makes the earth of no further value to it’s Creator. As in the days of Noah wherein all man was wicked… so shall such widespread wickedness be again.

Thirty-one years ago God gave me this understanding. Thirty-one years ago Islam had not begun it’s massive spread into Europe or into many other nations of the world as they are now. Terrorism was unknown. Islamic nations had not begun their push for world domination. America still considered herself to be a Christian nation not by law but by popular opinion of it’s citizens. Fundamentalist Christianity was still highly revered and proudly proclaimed as the only true religion. Christmas was still honored as such, with store displays, courtroom depictions of scriptures and the cross, and public areas and buildings embraced the icons of the Judean-Christian faith. Thirty-one years ago the ecumenical movement, conceived in an attempt to combine all faiths into unity by abandoning their doctrines (even their God-given truths) in order to become one, was still in it’s infancy stages.

At this time is when God revealed to me the understanding of Daniel 11-31-35 and Mark 13: 2-14. Of course, I was not well received when I spoke of this with others. But since that time I have watched as Christianity in America and the rest of the Christian world became under attack. Laws were passed not only forbidding prayer in schools but the forbidding of teaching anything from the Bible as well. Bibles themselves became banned. Judean-Christian symbols were fought against and removed from many public places. Many stores refuse to make references to Christ’s birth at the now called ‘holiday season’ we still call Christmas.The weakening effect on Christianity by the ecumenical movement and it’s own apathy is leading to the onslaught and eventual takover by Islam. Efforts by Islamics to vilify any criticism of their terrorizing religion have led to laws that are contrary to scripture which commands Christians to speak out against false doctrines and false prophets. As Islam rises to power in the world, the homosexual movement has also led movements against scripture by making laws forbidding the use of scripture to speak out against homosexuality. Laws against scripture are being passed while Islam is fighting it’s way into the public school system to indoctrinate the nations children in the teachings of Muhammad. Bible believing Christians are even being looked down upon and sneered at by ‘modern’ Christians who have been deceived and taken in by the ecumenical movement. “Modern” Christians, Islamics and homosexuals combined continue their efforts to criminalize Bible believing Christians. In nations where Islam is more in control, Christians are not just harassed or jailed but tortured and killed. These things are not just happening in ‘other countries’ but in many areas even in the United States Christians are harassed and even jailed simply for speaking their bible based beliefs openly. As Islam takes control (which they are certainly doing at a rapid pace) we will see more worldwide persecution of Christians and such persecutions will be spreading throughout north America.

The eventual passing of laws forbidding God’s word and Christianity, which will surely come to pass, will mark the end of the ‘times of the Gentiles’ and those days will then be fulfilled. Although the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abominable law that causes desolation shall be placed into effect…look at the verses following Daniel 11:31. Daniel 11:32-35 say that the Christians who do know their God (i.e.; the real, born again spirit-filled Christians) shall be strong! We will do exploits (continuing to speak God’s Word with power and the authority of scripture) and shall teach others. As we do we shall be killed or imprisoned but without fear or compromise. We shall suffer the persecution of the first Christians. These prophecies are coming into view now on the horizon as the world heads into it’s very near future.


See Daniel 11:31-35;

31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. 33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

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steve32646@msn.com