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The apostle Paul taught Timothy and told him: 2 Timothy 4:1-4 - I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Our instruction from God: preach the word; be instant in season, out of season (ready at all times - like minutemen) ; reprove , rebuke , exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. Romans 12:9 - Let love be without dissimulation... Be real, not false (fake), do not have a deceitful love True Love of God is not false or deceitful. Love is truthful and real. Itching ears? Before I came to the study of these scriptures, I had been experiencing a few days that my ears were itching almost constantly. They were clean, and there was no apparent reason for them to be itching. I took it to the Lord, and said, “Lord, I don't know why my ears itch so much, but could You please make it stop?” He put it on my mind to read about itching ears in the scriptures of the Bible. I did and and after receiving this message that I am sharing now, the itchiness went away. God had made His point clear to me and taught me a lesson that I will not soon forget. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 - For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. After their own lusts .... this means that many will raise up teachers who will teach them what they want to hear to appease, not disturb, the lust of their heart. This is very strong, but is the true word from the Lord. Many preachers, teachers, pastors are willing to rise up and teach approving and/or justifying things that are sinful in the sight of God, in order to appease the people, to relieve their itching ears. Unfortunately, this has been taught as though it is the love of God. My friends, it is a lie from Satan. Mark 4:19 - And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. How is it unfruitful? The word of God like any seed has to have soil that it can grow in, receptive soil that allows it to do what it is meant to do. If there are cares of the world and lusts for other things interrupting this process, then it is the same as if weeds got into the garden and are robbing the nutrients from the young plant. This is what causes it to be unfruitful. A weak or malnourished plant cannot be fruitful. 1 Timothy 6:9 - But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. We, as followers of God, must cling to that which is good and not change the doctrine (teaching) of Christ. He said, Go and sin no more (John 8:11). Galatians 5:16-21 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. The Spirit of God and the flesh of man are not in agreement. The Spirit of God is strong enough to overcome the works of the flesh. The works of the flesh bring the condemnation of the law of God on a soul, BUT if we live in the Spirit of God, submitting to the will of God, we will be able to overcome the will of the flesh and Only by the Power of God. Lust after evil things will no longer have the strength in us, because God's Holy Spirit will give us new desires and will write His law on our hearts. When we have His law continually before our eyes and we fully recognize who He is, and who we are in Him, we will have a much clearer understanding of the importance of living a holy life. We will find it is not impossible, as so many people have come to believe it is, because we no longer rely on our own strength to overcome the lusts that war in our members. When we learn to trust in God, then we realize, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). Those who do this will learn to confess faith which yields obedience to Christ, and not weakness of flesh. Galatians 5:24-25 - And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. We are instructed to: Crucify the flesh - do not mind (do not pay attention or take heed to) the physical desires; instead, take up the cross and follow Christ Allow ourselves to be disciplined (set in order) by the Holy Spirit in order to learn to walk in righteousness Seek holiness – without this, no man will see God (Hebrews 12:14) Today, however, the true dedication to God in body, mind, and soul, has dissipated so much that many (not all) churches are become nothing more than a community, a club where people can meet up, hear things that make them feel good, and not feel an ounce of conviction to serve the Lord with fear and trembling – abstain from evil – flee even the appearance of evil. Someone once said: Evil prevails because good men do nothing. I have to say that sadly this has proven true. Hebrews 1:8-9 - But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. Jesus' Kingdom is established in righteousness and it has no end. Because He loves righteousness, and hates iniquity, He was anointed with the oil of gladness. Our mouth is filled with laughter and singing, gladness as well when we are guiltless before God (Psalm 32:1-2). Psalm 11:3 - If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? If the foundation, God's righteousness in the people, be destroyed, what can they do, how will they be able to stand in the day of evil? There is a reason for holiness to be among the people of God. 1 Peter 1:13-23 - Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 2:1-3 - Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Desire the sincere milk of the word so that you can grow by it. (Milk is the most easily digested and assimilated food, complete with the nutrients the body needs. In reference to the Word, it is the easiest to learn and understand – the basic elements of the Word of God, which become your foundation). Desire Christ. Begin (if you haven't already) to eat/drink from the sincere milk, so you can gain an understanding of the simple things. Fear God and keep His commandments, this is the whole duty of man. Those who stay in their former lusts can not grow up in Christ and become more powerful in Him, because they remain full of self and not full of Christ. (One can only grow stronger in the thing to which they are devoted). 1 Peter 2:11-12 - Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Stay away from the lusts, don't invite them into your home, because they will fight against your soul to destroy it (Proverbs 2:10-19). Proverbs 23:23 - Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The Truth is Jesus. Give up yourself for Jesus, let Christ teach you wisdom and instruction, and give you understanding because of your devotion to Him. Proverbs 2:1-6 - My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:10-13 - When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness. When we show that we truly want these things, then Lord will give it to those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Praise be to God who alone does wonderful things, and who redeems our life from destruction. Praised be the Lord!! Revelation 3:6 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Jesus said to His disciples, But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear (Matthew 13:16).

I read one morning (as the Lord put it on my heart to read) from Genesis chapters 28-29 and have seen: When God blesses you, it is much more worthwhile than anything man can give to you. His blessings are so much greater and carry so much more weight. They carry more significance than anything man can ever think to give. God's gifts reach to the heart, the very core of our innermost being. A dear sister once shared with me, Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give thee the desires of your heart. I read this entire Psalm not long afterwards. It is quite refreshing, in fact - full of promise. God's name be praised for ever and ever. When God gives blessing to His people, His Word says: The blessing of the Lord, it makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22) God gave His promise of blessing to Jacob in a time when he needed it most. God promised him prosperity and to be with him: And behold, I Am with you, and will keep you in all places where you go, and will bring you again into this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you of (Genesis 28:15). This is a most beautiful thing, especially considering that God knew Jacob's heart, therefore He knew Jacob only wanted the basic necessities and protection. Jacob had said if God would be with him and supply those needs, then the Lord will be my God (see Genesis 28:20-21 ). In another situation years later, God, when He looked down from Heaven, saw Leah (Jacob's wife) a woman who felt rejected. In her time of affliction when she felt that no one cared for her soul and no one could give her what her soul longed for, except the Lord, the Lord comforted her and gave her children. She said: Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction. Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, He hath given me this [second] son also. (Genesis 29:33) Leah knew the Lord was ministering to her deepest needs. By the time the fourth son came, Leah said: Now will I praise the Lord! Psalm 34:1, 2, 3 – I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. In a time when you, O child of God, are in great need of an answer of peace / comfort from the Lord, keep your hope in the Lord, because He promised, I will never leave you or forsake you. The answer He gives make not look like what you had hoped it would be, but it will be the answer you need for that time. Our God surely will supply all our needs. The comfort He gives will always sustain you as it will be delightful to your soul to know that surely our Help is in the Lord! We will be able to have joy as David did when he said: In the multitude of my thoughts within me Your comforts delight my soul. - Psalm 94:19 May the Lord be praised from this time forth and even forevermore!! Amen and amen. Psalm 66:4 – All the earth shall worship You, and shall sing unto You; they shall sing to Your name. Selah . Psalm 113:5-9 - Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill; That He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people. He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. What ever your circumstance may be, the Lord will give an answer of peace to all who will hope in His mercy, who choose to put their trust in Him. You that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: HE IS their help and their shield. - Psalm 115:11

He sheweth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 147:19 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. - 1 Corinthians 1:25-29 Catalysts  are substances that are mixed in with materials to be reacted, they can increase the rate of a reaction, but are not consumed by the reaction; The catalyst itself remains unchanged at the end of the reaction it catalyzes. Only a very small amount of a catalyst is needed to increase the rate of reaction between large amounts of reactants. If a catalyst is present, less energy will be required to complete the reaction. Think on these things as we move through this study. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? - 1 Samuel 15:17 Being little in our own eyes is necessary - in other words be humble . Before honor there must first be humility. Do not confuse humility with lacking confidence. Confidence is built up in us because of the Lord God. Let us be little, and let God be great. [Your] people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time. - Isaiah 60:20-21 The Lord is the One who enables the little things to have the potential to be impactful ... He speeds up the process - by His Power alone, not ours. There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. - John 6:9-13 A young boy willing to share, obedient disciples willing to distribute food to the hungry, giving of thanks believing God the Lord is the Provider all contributed to the feeding of more than five thousand people with more to spare. Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: - Isaiah 28:9-10 This is why Jesus said we must be as little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Children are teachable, children have a desire to learn and they absorb the information willingly. When a child grows to trust the teacher (whether parent or otherwise) they will follow the instructions they are given. When the Lord is our Teacher, and we follow His instruction, then we are His disciples INDEED. (Because we are not just repeating His word, but also living out the Word which He preached). Jesus said: He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me. Luke 10:16 When we preach the gospel to others, we are giving them Jesus. If they receive the Word that is preached to them, they receive Jesus, if they do not, they are rejecting Him – it is not US they are receiving or rejecting, it is CHRIST in us. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not , that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven . - John 10:17-20 When we believe on the Words of Jesus, we are receiving Him, His power into ourselves. When we go out preaching the Word of God, it is by His power in us that we shall tread down our enemies ( not flesh and blood , but spiritual: wickedness in high places - that reigns in the hearts of mankind). I remember when the Lord showed me a dragon rising up (in flight) from the earth, and a soldier stood across from it. The soldier was fully armored from head to toe. The soldier took out his sword and threw it straight towards the dragon. the sword enter the heart of the dragon and it fell to the ground. When I asked Him what He was showing me, the Lord made me to know this fact: A soldier that is fully armored will smite the dragon with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and will defeat him. The false doctrines and teachings which cause confusion are the most dangerous weapons the devil has against people today. They are like serpents and scorpions – sly, deceitful, and deadly. The Lord tells His people DO NOT fear, DO NOT be afraid, Preach the gospel, and DO NOT allow ourselves to be changed by the things that are around us – the times, the modifications in teachings. Stick to the truth, and we will be protected in the freedom of our Lord. KNOW who we are in Him (just like He KNEW who He was and did not allow people to convince Him otherwise). Many doctrines come and go, many teachings come and go like the wind. Alsways know that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty - freedom from deception. He wants His people to be catalysts – NO chemical reaction can change a catalyst . Remain unchanged by the influences of this condemned world . BE what HE AND HE ALONE designed us to be – walk in Righteousness, and in Holiness, Sanctified in Him – True Believers. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, That You have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Your sight. - Luke 10:21 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. - Romans 12:2 Allow yourself to be living proof of the Good, and Perfect (complete, not lacking anything) Will of God. Let God's Word transform your way of thinking - from that which seems wise, but is earthly, sensual and devilish, TO that which truly IS Wise being FIRST Pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. - 1 Corinthians 15:58-59 May God be with you all and may He bless you all richly as you walk in His Way (Christ Jesus). 1 John 2:18 - Little children, it is the last time: and as YOU have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; [this is how] we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:21-22 - I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth . Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:26-29 - These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which you have received of Him abideth in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth , and is no lie , and even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him ; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If ye know that He is righteous , you know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him .

Psalm 8:1-4, 5, 6 - O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands. I was pondering over these scriptures this morning as I stood outside talking to God, and thought aloud on When I consider the works of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, I think, what is man that Thou art mindful of him and the son of man that Thou visitest him? You made him a little lower than the angels, You crowned him with glory and honor. I began to think about how much sadness, hurt, pain, and injustice there is in the world, and I prayed, “Lord, Your Word says that You have called us to be kings and princes and judges here on earth. Everywhere are signs of bad rulership, and both good and bad prince-hood, and judgment. This is evident in homes, businesses, in cities, states, nations, and courthouses. The Lord has called us to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Blessed is that people whose God is the Lord! The Scripture says, In His house are set thrones of judgment .. . ( Psalm 122:5 ) In Exodus 2:11-14 , Moses saw what was happening in the midst of his people and he delivered one man and afterwards found his own people fighting each other. When Moses called their deeds into question, one person asked him, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? ... among other things. The point: a prince is taught by a king how the kingdom is supposed to be run, a judge calls into question the things that are not in order according to the Laws of the Kingdom (which, for us, is the Kingdom of God). Psalm 149:5-9 says: Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Who are the saints? Paul in his greeting to the Romans them they were among those who were the called of Jesus Christ; Romans 1:7 – To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:... Those who are the called of God, true followers of Jesus, Believers. Revelation 5: 9-10 - And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Now, going back to Psalm 149:6-9 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth [the mouth of the saints]   and a two-edged sword [which is the Word of God]  in their hand. To execute vengeance upon the heathen [tell them the wrath of God that will come upon the wicked of the earth if they continue on in their pernicious ways; pernicious means having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way, highly destructive, injurious, or deadly] and punishments upon the people; to bind up their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all His saints. Praise ye the Lord. (see Deuteronomy 7:1-8 ) In a short phrase: Recognize and cast out anything which is sin among you, that you may serve the Lord your God and be the holy nation, royal priesthood, a people that He has called us to be whose God is the Lord. Judging, for the Christian, is lining things up with God's Word which is why we study it... Ponder the path of thy feet; let all thy ways be established - Proverbs 4:26 Blessed are they who hear and do My sayings; Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. - Proverbs 8:32 By taking away judgment from the people of God, the ability to discern is taken away, due to lack of exercising lining things up with the Word of God. If we cannot see to judge within and among ourselves with the sight God has given us by the Power of His Word, and if we do speak out - in the churches/ congregations of Christ followers - against that which we know according to God's Word is sin, in the flesh, how can we do this elsewhere? If we are unable to identify sin, how can we call it into judgment and bring the wrongdoing to light, that the deeds may be reproved as God tells us to do? This judgment is not about pointing a finger at people, but is for the purpose of recognizing the deeds that are evil before God and calling it out; bringing the deed to light and rejected as God would have it. It is to this end: that people would Fear the Lord and depart from evil and live the life that shows the fruits of repentance. (see Matthew 3:7-9 ) Brothers and sisters, God will continue to bless you as you draw close to HIM.

Psalm 131 - Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever. Part 1 Mark 5:1-12 - And they came over to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder [broken apart] by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with You, Jesus,You Son of the most high God? I adjure Thee by God, that Thou torment me not. For He [Jesus] said unto him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit. And He [Jesus] asked him, What is your name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he [the demon] besought [begged] Him much that He would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine [pigs] feeding. And all the devils besought Him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. Once this man (possessed with Legion – many demons) saw Jesus, he ran and worshiped Him. #1 - Pondering this testimony, notice that this was the only time that this man was under controlled submission to anyone. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. - Philippians 2:9-11 When Christ is present, things are called into order – His order , not man's. Christ's order stands firm, no one and nothing can change it. His order changes people, changes things, and every being must submit to it, willingly or not. Pondering #2 – Those demons did not destroy the man – in the way of killing him; but they caused the swine (pigs) to run down a steep place and drown in the sea when they went into them. It could have been the man who ran down and threw himself into the sea and died... Why wasn't it? Demons are not always looking to kill the person because they need a body to live in so they can do their evil work here on earth. Also, God said, Behold, all souls are mine - Ezekiel 18:4 God knew what this man would do after he was healed and He knew that the cry of the man's soul was to be set free. Jesus said He came to set the captive free. After Jesus had healed him, the man wanted very much to stay with Jesus, to go with Him wherever He went. However, Jesus did not allow him, but said to him: Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. The man did what Jesus told him. Simple faith, simple obedience, glorious testimony! And all men did marvel. - Mark 5:20 Part 2 Mark 5:25-34 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue [ flow ] of blood twelve years, 26  And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered [ not made better ], but rather grew worse, 27  When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press [ crowd ] behind, and touched His garment. 28  For she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole. 29  And straightway [ right away ] the fountain [ flow ] of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue [strength] had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press, and said, Who touched My clothes? 31  And His disciples said to Him, You see the multitude thronging You , and You say , Who touched Me? 32  And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33  But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth. 34  And He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole [healed] of your plague. This woman, who was with an affliction for 12 years, and suffered many things of many physicians , was with simple faith made whole, completely well. And straightway [ immediately ] the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. She, fearing and trembling, knew what had happened in her body by her act of faith – meaning she behaved in faith – it is just that simple. The obstacles come when a person thinks "this just can't be that easy, there must be something more to it". A human tries to measure faith according to their knowledge of measures: cups, quarts, gallons; inches, feet, yards; meters, liters, etc. Jesus, after she confessed / gave testimony of what He (the Lord) had done in her, said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of your plague. What was her measure of faith? God knows by His measure, for God does not see as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) Be it unto you according to your faith (Matthew 9:29). Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. (Mark 5:34) Part 3 Mark 5:35 to the end 35  While He yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Your daughter is dead: why do you trouble the Master any further? 36  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 37  And He suffered [ permitted ] no man to follow Him, save [ except ] Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. 38  And He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 39  And when He was come in, He said to them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleeps . 40  And they laughed Him to scorn. But when He had put them all out [ made them all leave ], He took the father and the mother of the damsel, and those that were with Him, and entered in where the damsel was lying. 41  And He took the damsel by the hand, and said to her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto you, arise. 42  And straightway [right away] the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished [amazed] with a great astonishment. 43  And He charged them straitly [ gave strict instructions ] that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat. Jesus told the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe . Be not afraid of what? Afraid of losing his daughter; maybe even afraid that Jesus would be unable to do anything if she died. The man was already afraid for his daughter because of her sickness and went to Jesus because he knew He could heal her, but death? O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? (1 Corintians 15:55) Jesus overcame death with power . He said, I am come that you might have life... (John 10:10) In Mark 5:39, Jesus said, the damsel is not dead, but sleeps . This is the same that He said about Lazarus. I asked my pastor one day: "Where did the souls go when they died?" He told me, at the time he hadn't really studied on that in particular, but that when the Lord had something He wanted to do, [ He made a way for it to happen – I don't recall the words the pastor used verbatim, but this was essentially what he said]. The Lord making a way is true for all of the works that Jesus did - and the apostles, as the Holy Spirit moved in them, that is what they did. They went about preaching the gospel for the salvation of lost souls and in the midst of this work of Salvation, the Holy Spirit of Christ working in them, moved upon them to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils. By simple faith, obedience to God. Through reading these scriptures, the Lord was speaking to my heart – the simplicity of the Gospel, the simplicity of faith and obedience for the purpose of salvation of souls is what God wants from us. Glory to God!! Thank You, Jesus for the plan of Salvation! Amen. If you want to know Christ as your Lord and Savior, then pray a simple prayer of faith. - Ask Him to wash you clean from your past sins with His blood. Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, that He was crucified and rose from the grave, and He sits at the right hand of God the Father. Believe that what you are asking will be done according to His sovereign will according to His Word. Ask Him to come live in you and make His home in you. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Then, go and sin no more. Seek God through His Word, talk to Him in prayer, live for Him daily, and you will have life more abundantly in Christ Jesus. Please let us know if you have received Christ into your heart so we can rejoice with you. If you have any questions about how to live for Him, we would be glad to answer your questions as God enables us. May the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever. Amen. originally written 4/4/2019

What is the difference? It is a matter of identity If we preach that Jesus Christ suffered and died, shedding His precious blood for the sins of mankind. . . If we preach or teach that the blood of the LAMB (Jesus Christ) has the power to take away the sin of the world, that He washed us in His blood AND at the same time we tell people we are still sinners, then we are delivering a message of confusion and sending the message that blood of Christ and the great sacrifice that He madeis not truly effective in those that believe. People who do not know Christ, must hear and be able to see the difference between a true follower of Christ and a person who does not follow Him at all. There is no mixture of the two. Now, we know that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God . Jesus, in Luke 13:3 and 13:5 , said sin is sin and not one sinner is above the other when it comes to judgment. He said, I tell you, No; but [unless] you repent you shall all likewise perish. - Luke 13:3 But God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8 Christ died so that we might have life through Him. What is it that was overcome through His sacrifice on the cross? The answer : Sin, Satan, the world. He rose from the dead, showing that the power of God through Christ overcame all things even death. O grave where is thy victory, O death where is thy sting ? 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 All those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, His death, His resurrection, His precious blood that was spilled there on the cross at Calvary – all who believe on Him shall be saved . There IS power in the blood of Jesus. When a sinner comes to Jesus they must first become washed in the blood of the Lamb (Christ) through faith , in full and complete repentance, and lay down their life, to begin a new life in Christ. At this point, their former sins are washed away and forgotten, and they are now white as snow – for though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ( Isaiah 1:17-19 ) , thus says the Lord. Once they were of darkness, but now are they children of Light . It is now the responsibility of that person to walk in newness of Life . The ability to do this comes from seeking God daily, praying daily to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, reading and studying the scriptures (His Word) – and He will teach us HIS way. Who are we to reject so great a salvation as the one Jesus Christ has provided for us – that brings us joy and peace of mind? This is the Power that exists through Christ Jesus even now. Anyone who teaches that the soul who has been redeemed by Christ is still a sinner, is teaching that the power of Christ is not truly powerful. This is in fact AN OUTRIGHT LIE. The Word of the Lord tells us that the blood of Christ IS powerful enough to wash away all our former sins (even that of murder, assassination, adultery, fornication, abortion, witchcraft, demonic worship, just to name a few sins). The power of God does not end there , but it continues. Once we receive Christ into our heart, we are receiving His power into our lives (this is just the beginning), the power to overcome sin, the power to reject sin, Satan and any temptation of the world – just as He (Christ) overcame sin when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness or any other time in His time on the earth. This power of God is accessible to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and in which they can become strong because of Jesus Christ our Lord.   . . . the God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto His people. Blessed be God. - Psalm 68:35 If someone receives the idea in their mind that they are still sinners, then they are in danger of denying the very power of God unto Salvation ! ( Romans 1:16 ) We are saved through faith which comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God ( Ephesians 2:8 ). If we don't read God's words and seek Him with all of our heart daily, we will not have the power of God that comes through faith in Christ Jesus. Faith is more than a word . We must know the One in whom we have believed, and not doubt, for if we doubt, we will be damned [condemned] because of unbelief in the full Gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation. Salvation is only obtained by those who believe. Be very careful and alert , because the devil is as a roaring lion seeking those whom he may devour. Our enemy begins by destroying the faith of many through false teachings which he has cunningly intermingled in many of the churches today. Be one of those warned to avoid the snare of our enemy and live in the blessing of being one of the Redeemed. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. - Jude 24-25 May God bless you all as you learn to walk in His Truth. May God be praised whose TRUTH endures to all generations!! AMEN and AMEN

The more I read from GOD'S Word, the more I receive from it, this River never runs dry, and the Bread never grows stale. Thank GOD! Recently, in reading from the book of Deuteronomy, I noticed this scripture: “Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad: And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee” Deuteronomy 23:12-13 For those who do not understand: In those days, there were no bathrooms, so GOD told them to be sure to relieve themselves outside of the camp and to be sure to have a tool with which they could bury it. Here is His reason for this: “For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that He see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.” Deuteronomy 23:14 Now, if GOD took such care to establish these basic laws in order to keep their camp clean (and free of bad odors) how much more should we who are called to Him keep our inner self clean?   “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” I Corinthians 3:16-17 These are not just Old Testament laws meant only for the Jewish people of that time to observe, but were established as examples to us (both Jew and Gentile alike) who are now alive in Christ. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 If we have indeed received the gift of Salvation, then we have eternal life through Jesus Christ who is now become our LORD. Sin is what defiles and this is what we cannot allow into our life again. “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 17 Do you not yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the [ latrine ]? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” - Matthew 15:11, 17-18 GOD is amazing in how he showed us through His Son Jesus that the old laws were put in place to establish holiness and sanctity in the lives of His people, not just to observe on the outside. It was meant to be the example, that He dwells and walks in the midst of His people. Don't let the old refuse back into your life. Let what is old be passed away (out of us) and buried; and let us walk in the newness of life. All Glory to GOD who lives and reigns forever! May His name be praised in all the Earth. Amen and Amen. (from August 26, 2017)

In the time of Paul the apostle, people were identified by what they wore, as many are today: it showed whether they were rich or poor, a servant, slave, or master, what their nationality is, etc. In many of his teachings, Paul taught that we are all one in Christ Jesus members one of another there is neither male nor female bond nor free, Barbarian or Scythian, but Christ is all and in all (see Colossians 3:11 ). This was an important teaching in order for there to be no schism [or division] between the members of the body, as there were people of diverse backgrounds coming to Christ. He made it clearly understood that in the body of Christ we are all one people separated to God. Therefore, it does not matter what our birthplace was, our family's cultural background, our position in the community, or anything that we as humans would see as significant. What matters is our heart condition before God and our testimony before God and man, reflecting what is good and upright before the Lord. This is what defines our identity in Christ. In today's world, following instruction is not popular, because it is not well understood. However, when we begin seeking God and trusting His word, He makes us to be able to understand His laws. However, as long as we shut Him out and will not permit Him to make His ways known to us, we will never have a clear understanding, and will walk on in darkness, subject to our own base understanding of knowledge of wisdom. I pray that as you continue to read, dear one, the Day Star will shine in your heart and give you understanding, and will teach you to know and keep His ways. Amen. In a letter from Paul to Timothy (a young church leader), is this teaching about women, which also has to do with identity. 1st Timothy 2:8-10 - I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also , that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. By the words in like manner also , it shows these two scriptures are connected. It magnifies the manner in which we ought to praise and worship the Lord: through prayer, without wrath [meaning: strong vengeful anger or indignation ], without doubting God (in other words, pray in faith - see James 1:6-7 ), and with modesty. The women of that time showed who they were by their fine clothes and jewelry because that was their identity, but now being made one with the body of Christ it was important for them to understand that their new identity is in Christ Jesus and in him alone - the rich women and the common who were of lower standings in the community, both are sisters in Christ. There is no difference between them in Christ. Let your behavior show who you are. Dress in righteousness. For some women, putting on makeup or wearing jewelry is a snare, and they choose to stay away from it so that vanity doesn't come between them and God. On the other hand, there are women who dress plainly and they have allowed that to define their righteousness, just as the Pharisees who dressed appropriately and said all the right things, but their hearts were ugly. I have seen and heard of this in women who are in churches today, and it saddens my heart deeply. This is still a reflection of vanity, not of the outward appearance but it is just as damaging not only to themselves but to others as well. Putting trust in our righteous appearance causes us to be deceived. Whereas being truly righteous within, is where truth lies. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6) 1 Timothy 2:11-15 - Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. The scriptures explain the discipline of the woman in the home, how she must be towards her husband as this is the basis or foundation of how she must be in the church as well. A woman who is disciplined and under subjection to her husband under God in the home, is going to be disciplined and under subjection to God in the church. In this way, God is able to use her. We know that in the last days God said He would pour out his Spirit upon His handmaidens and they would prophesy, and He has, but we must understand what, according to God's word, is the order of things. It is God who empowers us to be Who We Are to be in Him but never outside of His order. Childbearing is not just physical it is spiritual as well. Having children gives women the opportunity to raise children a new generation for Christ, to teach them the ways of God and to follow in them. This is being fruitful and multiplying to replenish the earth with good fruit. This applies to being spiritual mothers as well. I am compelled to state that the instruction is not to shut women up in their houses to suppress them. The instruction is for women to know their place in the home, and that it is of great importance - children are a heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward. It is the incognisance in man that degrades what God created to be a treasure. The instruction is for women also to realize their identity and to be content with the identity they have in Christ Jesus our Savior. We are His treasure, all of us: women and men alike, whether we work for someone else or are the owner of the place, no matter the place of our birth - all those who are in Christ are His peculiar treasure. Do not let any man woman or child convince you otherwise - that you are trash, or a worthless sinner, these are opposite the doctrine of God which tells us: 2 Corinthians 5:17 - If any man [any human being] be in Christ , he IS A NEW CREATURE. That is a statement given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God to Paul to give to God's people - all those who have received Christ as their Lord and Savior. KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST STAND FIRMLY ON THIS FOUNDATION Keep your identity, stay in Christ by continuing in faith, charity, Holiness, and sobriety. Sobriety : the state of being sober; Moderation in general conduct or character; avoidance of excess or extremes. The opposite of sobriety is: frivolousness, self-indulgence , intoxication , allowance , discomposure 1 Peter 3:1-4 - Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart , in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price . There's so much to learn! May God be praised and His name glorified who's Holy Spirit teaches us all things one day at a time! God bless you all.

Behold, I come quickly, saith the Lord. Blessed are those who keep my Word, and those I find doing when I come. The Lord wants us to not only be hearers of the Word, but doers also. Those who DO it – put it into action in their lives – are the ones who will be blessed. Those of us who are followers of Christ, who want to be His disciples, must reject the ways of the world and accept the way of Christ. We must not walk as we once did, but walk in the new way of Life that Christ has provided. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him - Colossians 3:5-10 There are Christians today, who fall into the error of thinking (or believing) it is okay to do certain things as they have done before, but the scripture says, if any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature, behold, old things are passed away, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) This means that we are to walk in the newness of Life. Romans 6:4-6 Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. In this day and age, fornication and adultery are so prevalent that it has become normal to hear people have been unfaithful to their husbands or wives. Those who hear about it shake their heads and say how sad it is, and don't really know how to respond. It's like someone has taken a beautiful glass and thrown it to the floor where it is broken into pieces. All that is left from adultery is loss and pain and sadness. Fornication is like it. There is a barrier placed by God between man and woman, a boundary line that is not to be crossed until a contract is signed – one that is comprised (made up) of vows between them to honor, care for, and stay with one another UNTIL DEATH DO US PART . This is how it was ordained by God. If that line is crossed beforehand, God calls it fornication – which is a sin. Fornication is: consensual [involving or based on mutual consent] sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other The origin of this word is as follows: Late Latin fornicatio, from fornicare to have intercourse with prostitutes, from Latin fornic-, fornix arch, vault, brothel This alone should give one cause to stop and think about their actions before just accepting it as a normal part of life. Do you want to think of yourself in this way, as a harlot in a brothel? Is that what your life is worth? Is your body nothing more than merchandise to be bought and sold by people in exchange for a moment's pleasure? Let us think about fornication for what it truly is. Is this not the same as what human traffickers are doing right now? While the difference may be that they are using people against their will and have them in literal physical captivity, why would you want to treat yourself in the same manner while being physically free? Adultery is: voluntary sexual activity (as sexual intercourse) between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband The origin of the word adultery developed from Middle English / Latin / Anglo-French / Latin words adulterium,  from adulterāre  meaning "to defile by adultery, commit adultery with, pollute" Essentially, adultery is the act of being polluted. Pollute , sometimes interchangeable with contaminate , distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy. Contaminate   implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source Men and women, brothers and sisters, let us not be polluted or contaminated, but walk purely, wholly (completely) in holiness to the Lord. Only fools make a mock / scoff at sin as though it were nothing. Let us walk in Wisdom. Sin may seem pleasurable for a season, but afterwards it yields heartache and pain - it is bondage, captivity. There are many places in the Bible where God warns us of the traps of Satan so we don't fall into them. (see Proverbs 5:1-10, 15, 17, 21 ) Proverbs 7:1-5, 21-27 My son, keep My words, and lay up My commandments with thee. Keep My commandments, and live; and My law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. The flattering stranger does this: With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto Me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of My mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths . For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. We must be continually keeping our eyes on the Lord, not on man, so we can guard ourselves from falling into sin. In God is our Defense; if we are in Him, we will not be moved from the way of righteousness. Jesus said ( Matthew 5:27-29 ) if a man looks upon a woman and lusts after her in his heart, has committed adultery in his heart. The same goes for a woman. We must [it is imperative] keep our eyes upon Jesus, and these things – temptations – will have no power over us. For greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. O people of God, flee from sin , because those who don't, the scripture says ( Revelation 9:20-21 ) they will be part of those upon whom wrath of God is poured out. We must take care for ourselves and warn others so they can know they can know the truth, and the truth will make them free . John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed ; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Revelation 22:7 and 14 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into the City. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. AMEN. 1 John 5:17-21 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. originally written on April 29, 2015

In the beginning of time God created all things new, all things were bright and beautiful, they were good in GOD'S eyes. GOD created man and woman (in all cleanliness and purity) in His likeness and image, yet giving to them the ability to choose – whether it be for the good or bad. He gave them strict instructions not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, for in the day they ate of it, they would die. Then the Tempter to came to them with the intent and purpose of deceiving them into eating of that tree. They believed him and obeyed his voice, for which reason they and all mankind after them must now have an end to their life. “For the wages of sin is death” - Jesus Christ came to offer us life anew, to give us Eternal Life, and to be our Salvation - “the gift of GOD is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our LORD” (Romans 6:23). When we accept this great Salvation for our souls, we must not walk in the ways of darkness, but choose the paths of uprightness, and thus choose Life. When we first come to know the LORD, we have a natural hunger and thirst for Rightness, to be right before GOD – to do whatever is right in His eyes, so as not to become dirtied again as we once were. Isaiah 51:1, 4-5 “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Hearken unto Me, My people; and give ear unto Me, O My nation: for a law shall proceed from Me, and I will make My judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; My salvation is gone forth, and Mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on Mine arm shall they trust.” The world is designed to appear as if it is getting somewhere: people coming and going, doing this and that – busy hands, busy minds always thinking, always discovering something new to do, or new possibilities, new theories, etc. - all the while, forgetting more and more about the TRUTH, and forsaking the ONE TRUE GOD. They drift in the current wherever it might take them – without their realization of the true Life that is found in GOD. The child of GOD can be carried away in these dangerous currents as well, if they continue to dabble in the ways of the thoughts of this world. This is the OPPOSITE of waiting on the LORD, waiting only upon Him, looking to Him alone – from whom comes our Salvation. The moving and actions of the LORD are far greater than that which man can do or ever will. “For man looks [and works] on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks [and works] on the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7. It is like taking a very cool car and painting the outside of it until it looks absolutely gorgeous, yet the engine is dead, or has so many problems under the hood that it will not function properly to its fullest capability unless it is repaired. A teenage boy had a dream: He saw a man throwing a bundle over the side of a drop-off where there was a reddish-orange glow, he didn't know what it was. He looked over to see what was happening when the bundle was thrown in and there were terrible screams coming from it then the dream ended. The young man understood this dream to be from the LORD, and a man of GOD told him: Don't be curious about what the bundle was, the bundle was sin, and the more curious you are about sin, the further into its flames it will draw you until you are unable to return. “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” Romans 13:14. “Neither give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:27 Proverbs 7:7 "I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding” In this 7th chapter of Proverbs, there is the story of a young man who was instructed to desire Wisdom and Understanding, to keep GOD'S commandments and Law as the apple of his eye (his central focus). However he was in the street near the corner of the house of a strange woman [a picture of the Tempter who works to deceive both young and old to leave the paths of instruction and go the way that is appealing to the eyes – decorous, appealing to the taste and smell, riches, etc. - this is the way of the world. Proverbs 7:24-27 “Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways [go down to her level], go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.” Just because something is out there doesn't mean one has to know about it. Proverbs 8:4 “Unto you, O men, I call; and MY voice is to the sons of man.” 6 “Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of MY lips shall be right things.” 10 “Receive MY Instruction, and not silver; and Knowledge rather than choice gold.” 11 “For Wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” 13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” 17 “I love them that love ME; and those that seek ME early shall find ME.” 21 “That I may cause those that love ME to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.” I pray with all my heart you will take heed (pay attention and obey) these words. THEY ARE FOR YOUR VERY LIFE. In Christ's Love, GOD Bless.

While many have heard or read of the "ten commandments", it is important to know that they are not only ancient laws given by God that have ceased to have any bearing in the lives of people of the modern society. While the laws were given a long time ago, there is much to be learned of the wisdom from the One who gave them - God alone. Why? Simply: Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:25). 1 Corinthians 10:6-10 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. We are not to lust after evil things as others have. The Lord does not tell us to go with the flow of what the people did, He is telling us to follow Him. James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. We can be tempted to sin, but like a bad seed that is thrown into the soil, we must choose to discard it so it will not grow into lust, then sin which will bring the condemnation of death on our soul. Do not be idolaters then say “let's feast to the LORD!” or “it's for the LORD” as they did in Exodus 32:5-6, And when Aaron saw it [the idol they made of gold in the form of a calf] , he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. To worship any thing / image above or in the place of GOD is idolatry. GOD through Jesus must take preeminence above everything. What the Israelites did, in making an idol and worshiping it, was not service to GOD; although they said it was, it was in reality, idolatry. Later on, they did the same thing again, and kings stood for the worship of false gods, even encouraging it in the lands of Israel and of Judah. This was the Lord God's response to them: Jeremiah 19:4-5, 11-13 Because they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into My mind: Jeremiah 19:11-13 [God instructed Jeremiah to] say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the Lord, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet: And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. (Tophet was a place that was used to offer up children as a burnt sacrifice to Molech). The innocent blood that was shed included that of the prophets who were sent to warn the people, the people who would not worship idols, and innocent children who were sacrificed to the idols. Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward (Psalm 127:3). Therefore it is an abomination to the Lord to murder these innocent children for the sake of the idols of self-gratification, selfishness, and ungodly lusts. I am writing about these things, because the LORD does not want HIS people to be ignorant. He wants HIS people to know, to understand what sin is and why HE can't abide with sin. HE wants to teach us so we can learn to hate it as HE does, to abstain from it - as JESUS did when HE walked the face of the earth – and to be able to teach others the same. Neither commit fornication (1 Corinthians 10:8) What is fornication, why is it wrong? I looked it up in the dictionary and believe the definition of this word will explain for itself. The origin of this word comes from a Latin term which means to have intercourse with prostitutes , the synonyms are, to name a few: debauchery, depravity, infidelity, incontinence, indulgence, intemperance, lust, prostitution, harlotry, whoring. God said, " Be ye holy for I AM HOLY ". Fornication or whoring are also terms GOD uses when HIS people have removed themselves away from HIM to go and serve other gods. The reason is that, in fornication is also lack of care for true faithfulness or dedication in a relationship; it carries with it a willingness to go along with someone or something so long as no real commitment is required, thus making it disposable. However, just as God is faithful and dedicated in all things, so we must also be. God does not make empty promises, He will be true to His word; He expects those who make a commitment to Him to keep their word of promise as well. In a relationship with little to no commitment, the “promises” have no real bearing, because a person, without having made a vow, has no commitment to fulfill. Vows are made in front of witnesses, so that in the presence of God and man (2 or more witnesses), the man and his bride are bound to keep their promise to one another until death. Neither let us tempt Christ (1 Corinthians 10:9) Tempt in this case means to risk provoking. Exodus 17:2 and 7 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?” And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” Deuteronomy 6:16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah.” What happened at Massah? Numbers 21:5-9 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that He take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. The serpent is sin, and Jesus was offered up as a sacrifice for sin. Once that sin is on the cross we cannot go back to it again, because the Bible tells us that it is the same as crucifying the Son of GOD afresh and putting Him to an open shame (see Hebrews 6:4-6). Neither murmur ye, as the people of Israel did many times in the wilderness and were destroyed (1 Corinthians 10:10) They were not able to enter the Promised Land because of their murmurings and disputings before the LORD (see Numbers 14:26-30). Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. This was shared so the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST can be glorified both now and forevermore. May many souls be saved by the preaching of this gospel as it is written in GOD'S Holy Word, because our God is merciful and He wants the world to be taught so that they will know to eschew (keep away from) evil (1 Thessalonians 5:12) and therefore be under His covering in the day of trouble. Psalm 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. Amen and Amen.

The battle we fight “is not against flesh and blood” but is against spiritual wickedness in high places, however it can most certainly be felt and experienced in the physical realm; through afflictions, fears / emotions, and dreams. If we are to win, we must fight in the spiritual realm by the Word of God alone. Satan's job is to make things seem hopeless but he is a liar – for our hope is found in the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY the CREATOR of Heaven and Earth, the LORD who is Mighty in battle, the ONE who is MIGHTY to save. “The Lord is the STRENGTH of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) Satan comes to us with words of doubt / disbelief, until we forget about the Power of God, MOST HIGH. (This comes from looking too much at the dismal surroundings of our situation, the dismal, gray walls of our Alcatraz island. We feel so alone in a gloomy room, and are at a loss of what to do or how to escape that prison house.) This is how Satan, by the temptation of his smooth words, can cause us to yield to his temptation to give up the fight for freedom. This is only to keep us bound, but I will tell you: Now is NOT the time to give up, nor give in, for the battle is nearly over. It may seem easier to give in, to let down the defenses because it is not an easy road. You become tired and worn down, but lift up your head, for your Redemption, Deliverance, and Salvation is very close. Glory to God! He (our enemy) wants you (to whomever this is speaking) to think it's not nearly over so you will stay bound and not fight back, but CHRIST the LORD came to set the prisoner free, to give sight to the blind, to raise up those who were dead in trespasses and sin, to heal the broken in heart, and to bind up their wounds, to heal those who are sick, TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE! HALLELUJAH! Glory be to the name Most High, the One who has been a shelter for me and a STRONG TOWER from the enemy. Glory be to His name on High, to the One who has been my FORTRESS and DELIVERER, who has given me a song, and has been for me my song in the night season!!! Glory be to His Holy name who LIVES and reigns on High, in whose shadow I dwell. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. I love You, Lord, with all my heart. Your praises shall forever be in my mouth that I may sing praises to You, my Lord, my God, the Lifter up of my head. Forever and ever may Your name be worshiped and adored. May Your praises be sung both in Heaven forever and on earth so long as the sun and moon shall endure. May Your precious Holy name be lifted up and adored forever and ever and ever! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord who is worthy to be praised forever and ever. Amen and Amen. Psalm 18:24-28 - Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyesight. With the merciful Thou wilt shew Thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou wilt shew Thyself upright; with the pure Thou wilt shew Thyself pure; and with the froward Thou wilt shew thyself froward. For Thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. For Thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.