Faith

Prison Sermon by Jim Carmichael

May 2017

What is faith

What does Faith consist of?

I would like to start by giving a description of faith as I have observed it in Scripture, and we will start in Genesis 2:7 for you see, I see patterns in everything and I see a pattern set before us in the very beginning.

Genesis 2:7 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 being.

God, formed the Body, and then breathed life (himself, for God is life) into the body, and from these two elements, came a living soul.

Let me illustrate this, if we have nails and boards, and assemble them in a certain way we will have a box, remove the nails, and we no longer have a box. It takes the combination of the two elements for the third element, namely the box to exist.

It takes the two elements; the body, and the spirit for the living soul to exist.

By now you’re wondering what this has to do with faith, so lets look at James 2:28 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also

James just compared works to the spirit, and again in Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

God gave the spirit…

And where do the works come from?

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The pattern? The body when it receives the spirit becomes a living soul, the belief when it receives the works, becomes a living faith.

So, let’s make this statement when the element of Belief and the Element of Works come together comes the third element: a living Faith.

Faith is the most crucial foundational pillar of our Christian life. All rests upon this one attribute, having faith.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (NKJV)

It is a fundamental duty

John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”(NKJV)

And, Christ says;

In 1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.(NKJV)

So is it just hearing? Or might there be more, or maybe the word hearing has a little more depth to it than just hearing someone talking about it.

Just as belief has a little more substance to it than just believing, for even the demons believe, but are not saved, no they tremble…

James 2:14-17 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead..(NKJV)

James 1: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.…

So we learn from these two verses we shouldn’t expect to receive anything from God if we doubt, and any faith without works is dead, and we can’t expect to be saved with a dead faith, so without works we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord… And yet, there is so much we do want to receive from Him isn’t there, we want Him to hear our prayers, and we want them answered, generally for a desired result, but we must expect and accept a no occasionally.

There is one thing we want from faith we do not talk about much, and that is the moment to moment peace of mind that all is well, God is in His place and overseeing our activity, and that no matter what happens it will be to his perfection and our eventual benefit, and that when that fateful day arrives, that last day on this earth, we know we do not have to fear it, for we have that total conviction; that absolute knowledge where our next place in eternity is… heaven.

Many here seek freedom, but are you seeking the true freedom, the true freedom is in God, and eventually eternal life in heave.

Psalm 56:3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You(NKJV)

We want that faith, just as the apostles did;

Luke 17:5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”(NKJV)

2 Corinthians 5 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Galatians 5: 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Hebrews 11 as most of us knows gives example after example of those who walked in faith, and what their act of faith was, and we must follow their examples.

So, we want God to hear us, but how do we gain that faith, that faith that is stronger than ajax as the old saying goes.

We want God to do it for us, just to give it to us, and to some extent He will, but as in everything else, action is required on both parts. And we also know there is a growing, we grow in our faith.

Well, we already know we must do works for our faith to be a living faith, and when it is living we need to know how to strengthen it, what our part is, that is.

I had a person tell me once to never pray for added faith, that is when trouble comes, because that is often how God strengthens us, is by testing us, pulling us, pushing us, and so on. I read a story about faith once that included a story about a hatching egg, if you help the chick out of the egg by breaking the shell for it, the chick will not survive, it is the struggle to get out of the egg, breaking through the shell that gives it the strength it needs to survive, and that is how faith is strengthened, through struggle.

So go ahead and pray for faith, and when difficulty arrives at your door, just thank God He has heard your prayer.

Most of you know my focus here is teaching classes on apologetics, which is the Greek word for apologia which means to give a legal or logical defense. This also increases faith, strengthens it because it gives us that intellectual knowledge and power to defend what we believe, not only to the non-believer, but to ourselves during moments of doubt. At those times, instead of falling back we can fall forward, knowing beyond any doubt the bible is provable to be the inspired word of God. Our faith, our belief, is not a blind faith, no it is based upon solid historical, scientific, and prophetic facts, unshakable facts, undeniable facts… it is the truth.

With all that said, I want to take a look at another path to faith, knowing the word. It makes sense doesn’t it, we should know what it is we are defending? God gives us wisdom…. How? Maybe by the inspiration to study His word. To know it so well that it is literally a part of us, that it becomes part of our DNA.

I recently had my DNA checked for genealogical purposes, and wouldn’t it have been cool if it said I was not only 25% Scottish, and Irish, 50% French/ German, 10% Spanish and Portuguese’s, and less than 1% African, Jewish, but also 100 % Christian, well that’s a physical DNA, and I bet if we could have our Spiritual DNA checked we would find out we are 100% Christian… Sons and Daughters of God….

In the beginning I quoted Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.(NKJV)

How do we seek Him? What is the most basic way to learn about God, or for that matter anything at all?

Study the words written about the subject, and in this case God is the inspiration of every word written in this book we refer to as the scripture.

So let’s take a look at what the scripture tells us about studying the word.

Principles Governing Kings

Deuteronomy 17:14 “When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ 17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.

18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

Growing in the Faith:

How strongly does God feel about us knowing His word?

Deuteronomy 6: 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 27:8 And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.”

2 Corinthians 3:3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Has anyone here ever stated they knew a song by heart? It means by memory doesn’t it, and it the same here, know it by memory.

We are told to have the words on our hearts… First Question… Why?

1 Timothy 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

We are told to have the words on our hearts… 2^nd Question… how do we get them on our hearts? And, I am talking about the scripture, we all know we can’t just hold the bible up to our head and all of a sudden we know them…. And there are very few who can just read the word and retain it, in fact the average is around 8 times that you must read the bible to even start grasping it… so let me share something with you from outside scripture about physically writing something, so that it becomes engraved upon your heart, in other words, committed to memory…

Writing and Remembering: Why We Remember What We Write

Dustin Wax

The following are excerpts from the actual blog:

In a nutshell he writes in his blog after a study he performed on memory, he found that those who take notes and those who don’t

both remember about 40% of what they hear, however those taking notes remember the key points, those who don’t take notes remember random pieces of information.
Writing something down helps us to remember (I was once told by a school principal that I should use blue or green ink, it helps in the memory department, and to write in caps or small caps).
When we take notes, though, something happens. As we’re writing, we create three-dimensional relations between the various bits of information we are recording.
3-D tasks are handled by another part of the brain, and the act of linking the verbal information with the 3-D relationship seems to filter out the less relevant or important information
What this and other tests suggest is that when we write — before we write, although indistinguishably so — we are putting some degree of thought into evaluating and ordering the information that we are receiving.
That process, and not the notes themselves, is what helps fix ideas more firmly in our minds, leading to greater recall down the line.
But there’s something else going on, too.
When we write something down, research suggests that as far as our brain is concerned, it’s as if we were doing that thing.
Writing seems to act as a kind of mini-rehearsal for doing.
visualizing doing something can “trick” the brain into thinking it’s actually doing it, and writing something down seems to use enough of the brain to trigger this effect.
Again, this leads to greater memorization, the same way that visualizing the performance of a new skill can actually improve our skill level.

How does this help our faith

It was when I spent hours every morning just writing scripture that I found the most joy, and beyond that, I can honestly say it was exciting like a great adventure, and it was this activity that led me from being a pew warmer, to being active in the church, to do what I could to obey the sacred duty to take the word to the world as commanded in Matthew 28: 18 – 20 and to do it without fear, on the contrary with great courage, and excitement.

It is this one activity that helped my faith grow more than all other activities, and by the way, it is one of the works, and commands of Christ.

Let’s recap and call it a night:

Belief and Works are the two components of Faith

Pray for additional faith and expect the trouble that follows that will strengthen your faith

Know how to defend the faith, and by the way we are teaching apologetics right here in this room on Monday mornings starting around 9:15

Physically write the words on paper so they have a better chance of being “written” on your hearts/

The result will be a well-rounded three-dimensional unshakeable faith, the faith needed to be heard by God, the knowledge needed to be heard by other inmates, the Faith needed to get you through the moment to moment trials you face, the Faith needed to please God, the Faith needed to keep you on the narrow path to lead to eternal life in heaven where there will be no more tears, no more pain, and no more death.

And, I’ll see you there.

Torah Lesson 041417, תלרה Lesson by RABBI MOSHE BEN AVAHAM

One of the goals of these lessons is to teach how to apply the laws of the Torah to today’s times. A second goal is to teach theology and to those goals this is offered. Mathew 5:47[i] talks of greeting and this greeting then and today is to wish a person peace. The Hebrew word for Peace is Shalom! Example is shown at Luke 24:36[ii] and John 20:21[iii]. In Judaism the Aramaic word “Aleychem” is used that means “unto you”. So Shalom Aleychem[iv] means “Peace unto you”. The proper reply is Aleychem shalom and that means “unto you Peace”

Now it’s equally important to know this includes when entering someone’s home. Matthew 10:12[v], says when you go into a household, greet it. It’s explained at Luke 10:5[vi]. But when coming to the home of one you do not know a more perfect greeting is the one king David told his men to say to Na’bal@ 1 Samuel 25:6 (NKJV) 6 And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! The cite Matthew 5:47 (see ref “I”) opens the greeting to everyone you may meet. This of course not followed by most xten’s (John 8:31[vii])

Equally it’s important to understand Matthew 15: 11 & 18[viii] Paul a/k/a Saul comments @ Ephesians 4:29[ix] and warns at 1 Thessalonians 5:22[x] in his first letter to the church at Thessalonica. It was gven the title “Pro Thessalonikeis A”[xi].

But ungodly people allowed themselves to use profanity and allow themselves to make no attempt at stoping the filthy language. See Colossians 3:8[xii] and do not try to follow Ephesians 4:29 (see footnote #ix) But you should (Matthew 12:36[xiii])

Samuel in Hebrew is שְׁמוּאֵל reading from right to left.

“Amen” means “it is true” before you say something is true you should be sure it is that you be not guilty of bearing false witness. Exodus 20:16[xiv] Magilla of Yitro 20:13” You shall not bear false witness…”

It is man’s duty to Tikkun Olam[xv] (Repair the World) Sometimes you must start by repairing yourself!

When Hebrew people sit down to a meal there is always salt on the table because at Leviticus 2:13 it’s commanded[xvi] Romans 2:13[xvii] Romans 3:29[xviii]

What Megilla is ויקרא states[xix]: “You shall salt your every meal-offering with sault; you may not discontinue the salt of your G-d’s covenant from upon your meal-offering on your every offering shall you offer salt.

The Word “Ester[xx]” means “hidden”. The word “Tanakh[xxi]” is an Acronym for Torah, but what does the word Torah, mean[xxii]?

As an aid to keeping an open mind the following story is told:

EXPECTATIONS

A man whispered, “God, speak to me” A meadowlark Sang, but the man did not hear So the man yelled “God, speak to me” Thunder rolled in the sky, but the man didn’t listen. He looked around and said “God, let me see you” A star was shining brightly, but the man didn’t notice. The man shouted, “God show me a miracle. “And a life was born, but the man did not know. So, the man cried out in despair, “Touch me God and let me know you are here.” Whereupon God reached down and touched the man, But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on alone.

Don’t miss out on a blessing

Because it is not packaged the

Way that you expected.

The point of the story told at Mark 12:42-44[xxiii] is missed about charity. It’s not about the amount given, it’s about the intent of the heart in giving it! (Luke 21: 1-4[xxiv]) In latin “ex animo[xxv]”, means from the heart – Sincerely…

Read the story of Jephthah @ Judges 11:30 – 40[xxvi] what did Jephthah do wrong? Judges 12: 1-7[xxvii] He had too much pride and it kept him from seeking advise of the sages who would have told him how he could have lawfully not killed his daughter yet kept his vow (Numbers 30:2[xxviii]; Leviticus 22:25[xxix]; Leviticus 23: 2 – 7[xxx]) But his pride kept him from seeking advice.

It is important you do not commit error by following Jephthah and you remember Proverbs 11:14[xxxi]; 15:22[xxxii]; 24:6[xxxiii]. The Hebrew title of Provers is “Mishle Shelomoh” the Greek Title is “Paroimiai Salomontos”. The Latin title is: liber Proverbiorum. [Book of Proverbs] The rabbinical writings called Proverbs “Sepher Hokhmah” (book of wisdom). “Mishel Shelomah” (proverbs of Solomon) is to be read daily.

Mark Twain once said: “Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.[xxxiv]”

There is a Russian Proverb that says: “There is no shame in not knowing, the shame lies in not finding out.[xxxv]” A Japanesse Proverb that says: “fall down seven times, get up eight[xxxvi].”

END

[i] Matthew 5:47 And if you greet your brethren[a] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

[ii] Luke 24:36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”

[iii] John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

[iv] Shalom aleychem malachey hasharet malachey elyon mimeleh malehey hamelahim hakadosh baruh hu

Bo’achen leshalom malachot hashalom malachot elyon mimalkat malechot hamelachot hakedoshah beruchah hi

Barechuni leshalom malachey hashalom malachey elyon mimelech malechey hamelachim hakadosh baruh hu Tzetchen leshalom malachot hashalom malachot elyon mimalkat malechot hamelachot hakedoshah beruchah hi

One of the best-known examples of angelology in the Jewish tradition, Shalom Aleychem remains a popular Shabbat evening table song. According to legend, an angel accompanies each Jew to and from the synagogue on Shabbat evening, for protection and companionship. These English words can be sung to the traditional melody. Welcome among us, messengers of shalom, angels of the Highest One, from deep within us, Majesty of Majesties, the blessed Holy One. Come, then, in shalom, blessing us with shalom, leaving us with holy shalom, from deep within us, Majesty of Majesties, the blessed Holy One. (Translated by Burt Jacobson)

[v] Matthew 10:12 And when you go into a household, greet it.

[vi] Luke 10:5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’

[vii] John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

[viii] Matthew 15:11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

[ix] Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

[x] 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

[xi] Could not find reference to this; please help if you can

[xii] Colossians 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

[xiii] Matthew 12:36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

[xiv] Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

[xv] https://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/issues-v20-n03/tikkun-olam-repairing-the-world/

[xvi] Leviticus 2:13 And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

[xvii] Romans 2:13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;

[xviii] Romans 3:29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

[xix] http://torah.org/torah-portion/ravfrand-5761-vayikra/

[xx] http://www.aish.com/h/pur/t/dt/48953946.html

[xxi] Tanakh is an acronym of the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text’s three traditional subdivisions: Torah (“Teaching”, also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (“Prophets”) and Ketuvim (“Writings”)—hence TaNaKh.

Tanakh – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanakh

[xxii] The word “Torah” in Hebrew is derived from the root ירה, which in the hif’il conjugation means “to guide/teach” (cf. Lev 10:11). The meaning of the word is therefore “teaching”, “doctrine”, or “instruction”; the commonly accepted “law” gives a wrong impression.

Torah – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah

[xxiii] Mark 12:42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

[xxiv] Luke 21:1-4 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God,[a] but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

[xxv] Definition of ex animo: from the heart : sincerely https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ex%20animo

[xxvi] Judges 11:30-40New King James Version (NKJV)

30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his hands. 33 And he defeated them from Aroer as far as Minnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim,[a] with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Jephthah’s Daughter

34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it.”

36 So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I.”

38 So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. 39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man.

And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

[xxvii] Judges 12:1-7New King James Version (NKJV)

Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim

12 Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!”

2 And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. 3 So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4 Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.” 5 The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6 then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.

7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in among the cities of Gilead.

[xxviii] Numbers 30:2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

[xxix] Leviticus 22:25 Nor from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf.’”

[xxx] Leviticus 23:2-7 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.

The Sabbath

3 ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

The Passover and Unleavened Bread

4 ‘These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. 5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.

[xxxi] Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;

But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

[xxxii] Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel, plans go awry,

But in the multitude of counselors they are established.

[xxxiii] Proverbs 24:6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,

And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

[xxxiv] http://lifehacker.com/always-do-right-this-will-gratify-some-people-and-ast-1300779343

[xxxv] http://thinkexist.com/quotation/there_is_no_shame_in_not_knowing-the_shame_lies/11940.html

[xxxvi] http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2011/03/fall-down-seven-times-get-up-eight-the-power-of-japanese-resilience.html

Governmental Change In Two Realms Over The Earth

By Michael Harley

There are three realms in which power and authority over the earth emanate: God’s throne in the “uttermost parts of the north,” The heavens, and the earth itself. In the near future, two of these realms, the heavens above the earth and the earth itself, will have a change of government.

God rules in an overall Kingdom over the universe. God delegates power over parts of His Overall Kingdom to angels.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job1: 6,7[i])

God in time past delegated power and authority over the earth to Satan and his angels. Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4:5,6)[ii]

In time past Satan became disqualified to rule the earth, by seeking to exalt his throne above God’s throne.

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High: yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit (Isa 14:12-15[iii]).

The earth is the only place in God’s universal Kingdom which Scripture states that disobedience has entered. God then set about to replace Satan and his angels by creating a new creature: Man. Man made in God’s own image and likeness, was created to have dominion over the earth. Stan knowing the reason man was created set about to disqualify man from having dominion over the earth, and succeeded, causing man to fall. But man’s fall has not caused God to change His mind aoubt the reaon He called man into existence.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29[iv])

Man made in the image and likeness of God, called into existence to replace Satan and his angels, though in a fallen condition, will be brought back into a condition in which he will replace Satan and his angels. In the age to come, man will rule over the earth, instead of angels.

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. (Hebrew 2:5[v])

The Bible is a book of redemption. It’s about bringing man back into a condition in which he will be able to rule the earth. It begins with God creating man to rule over the earth, then ALL Scripture moves toward the time when man realizes the reason he was created in the beginning: “let them have dominion.”

There are two realms in which governmental control over the earth will change from angels to men, and the Gentile nations to the nation of Israel: the heavenly places over the earth and the earth itself. This change will take place a the end of this age.

“Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13: 40-43[vi])

Then in the Book of Revelation, among others, we see the heavenly realm’s governmental powers changing.

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. (Rev 12: 7-10[vii])

“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev 12:12[viii])

During the coming Great Tribulation war will break out in heaven. Angels will fight angels over the heavenly realm above the earth. The current rulers, Satan and his angels will be over powered and cast down to the earth. The heavenly realm will have been taken. Then Satan among other things will gather the whole world together to Armageddon and this is where the earthly realm will be taken.

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Rev 16: 13 -14[ix])

And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Rev 16:16[x])

Jesus Christ Himself will come forth, the beast and the false prophet will be captured and cast alive into the lake of fire, the armies of mankind will be killed with the sword which proceeds from Christ’s mouth, the Devil will be bound and shut in the bottom less pit during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ, and Christ and His co-heirs will rule with a rod of Iron over the earth and bring all disobedience to an end.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that on one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in Heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on White horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: K ING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of Kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great. “And I saw the beast, the Kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness ot Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 19:11-20:6 [xi])

First, the heavenly realm will be taken, then the earthly realm. Christ will then set up His Kingdom and rule the earth from a heavenly realm along with His co-heirs who overcame and sat down with Him on His throne, Israel will be the head of all the Gentile nations and rule from an earthly realm. This rule will last 1,000 years and will deal with one place in God’s overall universal Kingdom. Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit during this time. At the end of the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ, Satan will be released and gather those of mankind who are tired of being ruled by Christ together once more, God will rain down fire on them and devour them. The devil will then be cast into the lake of fire and all disobedience will be a thing of the past. Jesus Christ will then deliver the kingdom up to God. God will move His throne from “the farthest sides of the north” to the new earth, and the throne of Christ’s glory will change to a universal throne: “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Rev. 22:3-6[xii])

[i] Job 1:6-7New King James Version (NKJV)

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[a] also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

[ii] Luke 4:5 – 6 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him[a] all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

[iii] Isaiah 14:12-15New King James Version (NKJV)

The Fall of Lucifer

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,

O Lucifer,[a] son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground,

You who weakened the nations!

13 For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

I will be like the Most High.’

15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,

To the lowest depths of the Pit.

[iv] Romans 11:29 New King James Version (NKJV) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

[v] Hebrews 2:5New King James Version (NKJV)

The Son Made Lower than Angels

5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

[vi] Matthew 13:40-43New King James Version (NKJV)

40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

[vii] Revelation 12:7-10New King James Version (NKJV)

Satan Thrown Out of Heaven

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them[a] in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

[viii] Revelation 12:12New King James Version (NKJV)

12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

[ix] Revelation 16:13-14New King James Version (NKJV)

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and[a] of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

[x] Revelation 16:16New King James Version (NKJV)

16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

[xi] Revelation 19:11-20:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

Christ on a White Horse

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had[a] a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,[b] followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp[c] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS.

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,[d] 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free[e] and slave, both small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Satan Bound 1,000 Years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

[xii] Revelation 22:3-6New King James Version (NKJV)

3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Time Is Near

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy[a] prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
Word count: 3197
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Governmental Change In Two Realms Over The Earth | Prison Apologetics

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Governmental Change In Two Realms Over The Earth By Michael Harley There are three realms in which power and authority over the earth emanate: God’s
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Following Jesus, Where?

By, Michael Harley

God’s Throne is in “the farthest sides of the north” (Isa. 14:13)[i] If a person could travel north from Earth, leave our galaxy, and pass north of all other galaxies, he would reach God’s holy mountain. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. (Psalms 48: 1,2) This is why God is the God Most High, “For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth (Psalms 47: 2)”

Jesus Christ in time past left the dwelling place of God, in the northern most parts of the universe, a place of universal rule, to the earth, the only place in the vast universe in which Scripture states that disobedience entered God’s universal Kingdom. Jesus came from the farthest sides of the north to accomplish that which man, who was created to rule the earth, was not able to accomplish. Jesus came as a Man and was completely obedient to God so that man could realize that which he was created for in the beginning – to rule the earth.

“Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things”. (Ephesians 4:10)

Jesus came from heaven as a Man and was completely obedient to God the Father and overcame all things, Therefore God has given Him rule over the part of God’s overall Kingdom in which rebellion has entered – the earth. This is the gospel which Jesus spoke of continually. The gospel of the Kingdom of heaven. The good news of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God which Jesus Christ when he returns will rule – The Kingdom over this earth. One place in a vast universe. Christ will sit on His own throne. He will leave a universal throne, at God’s right side, return to earth and sit on His own throne and rule over the earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years.

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24 – 25).

It will take 1,000 years for Christ to put an end to all disobedience. This is why Revelation chapter 20, verses 1 through 7 state the Kingdom being 1,000 years six times – because that’s exactly what it means: 1,000 years. [ii]

When Jesus commanded Jews, who were a saved people, to follow Him, He meant to follow in His footsteps, and just as He found Himself in a position to rule over the earth, those who followed Him would also find themselves in a position to rule over the earth. And this is exactly what you find in the Scriptures: They forsook all and followed Him.

18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4: 18-19)

11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:11)

27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. (Luke 5:27-28)

11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, [iii] (Luke 9:11a)

And because they left all and followed Him, Jesus promised them positions of power and authority in the Kingdom of heaven.

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[a] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:27-29New King James Version NKJV)

It is impossible for anyone to be where Jesus is unless they follow Him, for He is “the Way.”

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10: 37 – 39)

Just as Jews 2,000 years ago followed Christ will find themselves in positions of power and authority in the coming age, Christians today who follow Christ will find themselves in of positions of power and authority in the coming age, in the Kingdom of heaven, when that in Matthew chapter 25, verse 31 comes to pass, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:21)

26: And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; (Revelation 2: 26-27).

Man was created to rule the earth. Scripture begins this way, and Scriptures ends with man realizing that which he was created for in the beginning. The Man Jesus Christ will rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and those who deny themselves and follow Jesus will also sit on His throne and be given power over the nations. Christians minds need to be off the world and set on the age to come. This age is passing away and everything with it, but the coming Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom.

[i] For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north; Isaiah 14:13

New King James Version (NKJV)

[ii] Revelation 20:1-7New King James Version (NKJV)

Satan Bound 1,000 Years

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

[iii] 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. Luke 9:11

Sermon: Dying to Self

Prison Sermon on Pride for December 2016

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a cosmic battle going on, a spiritual warfare between two factions, pride on one side, humility, and meekness on the other.

I decided to teach this lesson by comparing the two factions and giving examples, as well as definitions of each.

My favorite joke is to say my greatest source of pride comes from how humble I am…. But seriously I use this to remind myself that pride can sneak up on you, you have to be very careful around this deadly poison (pride) that seems to have a mind and purpose of its own, and that is to destroy its victims, for ever and ever and ever…..

I have often wondered about pride, I have talked about it, preached about it, but really what is it? How can I recognize it, know it when I see it? How can taking pride in my work be a sin?

I used to think the old bumper sticker “God is my co-pilot” was a positive thing, a good statement of faith, but what it’s really saying God is taking second place in my affairs, and I am in control of my destiny, this is pride…. No God is the pilot, and I am the flight attendant and my job is serving the others on board while we make this journey….

C.S. Lewis writes, in Mere Christianity, that pride is the “anti-God” state, the position in which the ego and the self are directly opposed to God: “Un-chastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

But again, that is confusing, because we have all been taught to be proud of our accomplishments, or take pride in ourselves, family pride, pride of our son’s football team, or our daughters musical talents, or whatever they may be involved in.

How about taking pride in our work, meaning to do a good job, create a good product, and etc.

What about humility or being meek? Are these just other words for weakness? This is what I discovered:

Hubris

This is the type of pride C.S. Lewis is speaking of:

Hubris was a character flaw often seen in the heroes of classical Greek tragedy and The familiar old saying “Pride goeth before a fall” is basically talking about hubris.

In ancient Greek, hubris referred to actions that shamed and humiliated the victim for the pleasure or gratification of the abuser. The term had a strong sexual connotation, and the shame reflected on the perpetrator as well. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Definition of Hubris by Aristotle

From his book “Rhetoric”

“Hubris consists in doing and saying things that cause shame to the victim…simply for the pleasure of it. Retaliation is not hubris, but revenge. … ~~Young men and~~ the rich are hubristic because they think they are better than other people.”

Aristotle thus believed that people indulge in crimes like sexual misconduct and maltreating others only to fulfill their basic desire to make themselves feel superior to others.

A couple of examples:

Paradise Lost

In his famous epic “Paradise Lost”, Milton portrays “Satan” as a character that suffers from Hubris. He loses his glorious position through giving in to his excessive pride. It was his Hubris that made him try to take control over Heaven. Although he failed miserably, his pride lasts:

“Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.”

The reason of his desire to rebel against his creator originates from his reluctance to accept the authority of God and His Son because he believed that angels are” self-begot, self-raised” and hence bringing his downfall in being thrown out of Paradise.

How often have we heard men boast “I am my own man” or how about that song by Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley…. I did it my way?

A good example of making God the co-pilot, second in command rather than first in their lives.

Doctor Faustus

An instance of Hubris can be spotted in Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus”. Faustus’s arrogance and extreme pride in his scholarship and his irresistible desire to become superior to all other men of his age forces him to sell his soul to “Lucifer” by signing a contract with his blood. He learns the art of black magic and defies Christianity. Finally, he must pay for his arrogance and pride. The devils take away his soul to Hell and he suffers eternal damnation.

Let’s look at the other side of this cosmic battle….

What is the opposite of hubris?

Meekness and Humility

God’s Cure for Pride, Haughtiness, and Egotism

Two men came to lead their people; first Moses to lead the Jews out of Egypt, and then Christ to lead all men out of captivity.

Both men, came, gave up comfort, and lived by, and taught us God’s will.

Numbers 12:3 – Moses was very meek, above all men on face of the earth.

Matthew 11:29,30 – Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly in heart.”

These men were two of the greatest characters who ever lived. God chose both to be givers of His law. Jesus was the Divine Son of God. Surely, we should seek to be like these men.

Other verses emphasize the importance of these qualities

Matthew 5:5 – Blessed are the meek (gentle – NKJV), for they shall inherit the earth. Jesus declares a “blessing” (happiness) on those who are meek.

Galatians 5:22,23 – Meekness is one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit – qualities that we must possess if the Spirit leads us.

Definition: Meekness

This is a difficult word to understand, because we think “meek” implies weakness. Sometimes it is translated (NKJV) “gentleness,” but that also implies weakness.

The best way to know the meaning of a word is to study passages where it is used. As we do, we will see meekness is an attitude or quality of heart [1 Peter 3:4] whereby a person willingly accepts and submits without resistance to the will and desires of someone else.

The meek person is not self-willed – not continually concerned with self, his own ways, ideas, and wishes. He is willing to put himself in second place and submit himself to achieve what is good for others.

Meekness is the opposite of self-will, self-interest, and self-assertiveness.

This is a sign, not of weakness of character (as some think), but of strength. It requires great self-control to submit to others.

Think about it, we are born with only one thought, self, we know nothing of the outside world, the only thing we know is that if we are uncomfortable, or hungry we cry, because things are simply not going our way….

The job of the parent is to teach the child, to speak, walk, read, write, but more importantly to look to others, to put their needs and desires ahead of their own.

Jody’s focus when we teach a Sunday school class of little ones, is teaching them to share.

Our instinct is to gather for ourselves, work a job so we can have money to spend on ourselves. Not for others. So, we must resist our natural instinct to be meek, and that takes great strength of character.

Meekness is what we must possess to fulfill the greatest commandant, to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, as well as the 2^nd greatest commandment to love each other, and by this men will know we are Christians…. Love is agape…. To put the others needs ahead of your own. Fits perfectly doesn’t it?

Matthew 22:37-40  ³⁷Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is  the  first and great commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

“DYING TO SELF”

by Dr. D. W. Ekstrand

The world’s philosophy says LIVE FOR SELF… but God’s Word says DIE TO SELF! Many people came to Jesus and asked to be His disciples, but most of them turned away because they were not willing to give themselves to Christ; i.e., make themselves a “slave of Christ” (Lk 14:26, 33; 16:13; Rom 12:1; 1 Cor 6:19-20; 1 Pet 1:18-19). Jesus said, “He who loves his father or mother or himself more than Me, he is not worthy of Me” (Mt 10:37-39). Thus Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

The essence of a being’s “existence” has to do with the fact that he is a “living reality” — if one no longer has or the functions of vitality, they are said to “no longer exist.” So, the essence of “death” is the absence of “life” – therefore when one dies “one ceases to exist.”

To carry the argument into the spiritual realm, when someone “spiritually dies to self,” self ceases to exist – that is, SELF IS NO LONGER THE REASON FOR ONE’S EXISTENCE.

As such, the individual is no longer concerned with “his own will or happiness,” because he is no longer in the picture… he is no longer the center of his own little universe… he no longer continues to arrange the world around himself.

The individual who “dies to self” understands that God created him for a reason; that he is a part of God’s plan for the world. To be used of God one must understand the essence of who he now really is, and how it is that God can use him.

Every genuine child of God wants to be used by God to accomplish His purposes in the world

Jesus said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (Jn 15:8).

That is the essence of God’s plan – we are saved to bear fruit; created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph 2:10).

We bear fruit when Christ lives His life in and through us (Jn 15:5; Gal 2:20). The apostle Paul said, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). The Lord wants us to live a godly and spiritually productive happy life.

Definition: Humility

This is an attitude or quality of mind [Acts 20:19] whereby a person holds low esteem or opinion of his own goodness and importance. Spiritually, one abases himself because he realizes his sinfulness and therefore he is willing to depend on God to meet His needs. It is the opposite of pride, haughtiness, and self-exaltation.

The goal of death to self and daily cross-bearing is “fellowship with Christ.” The goal of life for the believer is to “seek God” and make Him their all in all, their last end.

Jeff Alexander suggests the following five ways that we embrace the cross (www.cause-of-god.com) —

Humiliation – This is the essence of the Christ-life. Here God uses reproaches, abuse, poverty, loneliness, persecution, distress, seeming failure, disappointments, and the like. These things succeed when they cause us to lose our own will and let God take charge.

Rejecting the praise of men – Self thrives on praise and adulation; self-esteem is the hotbed of the self-life.

Embracing simplicity and child-likeness – Self feeds on things grand and glorious; Christ-likeness is child-like and simple.

Living by pure faith – Self depends on outward assurances; living by pure faith trusts the Word of God even when there is no indication of God’s presence or blessing.

Seeking our nothingness and His all-ness – We must make a daily habit to distrust ourselves, our own wisdom, and our strength, and look to Christ alone for what we need.

Now, let me offer a few examples of those who have displayed amazing humility and meekness: This is a story given to us by our pulpit preacher Mitch Wilburn a couple of weeks ago…

Michael W Smith met with Billy Graham for the purpose of planning Rev. Graham’s funeral. The famous evangelist was, at the time, 94 years old. He was confined to a wheelchair, on oxygen. His mind was sharp and spirits were high. But his body was seeing its final days. So he called for Michael. And he called for his pastor. He wanted to discuss his funeral. He told them that he had a request.

“Of course,” they said. “Anything you want. What is it?”

“It has to do with the funeral…”

“You cannot mention my name. Just mention the name of Jesus.”

Billy Graham has preached to over a billion people. He has filled stadiums on every continent. He has advised every president of the last half century. He has consistently been at the top of every most-admired list. Yet, he wants to be unmentioned at his own funeral.

Mother Teresa was a teacher in a school in India, and all her needs were met in the convent where she lived.

However, she chose to give up her life in that convent to live with the poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta, taking care of the very sick and dying. She took care of people with whom no one else wanted to bother.

The Missionaries of Charity is the name of the religious order Mother Teresa started. Women who join this order give up their possessions and live a life of great simplicity. When they find people dying in the streets and the slums, they take them into their hospitals, clean them up, give them medical care, and if they cannot recover, provide a clean and sanitary place to die with dignity.

I have often stated my real hero is not the mother Teresa’s of the world, who are fine examples of humility, but the humble little nurse/ nun who gives up all her life, her happiness in a worldly sense, live among the poorest of the poor by choice, and we never even know their name. They live and die for others, without recognition, without glory or honor, they just do the work.

That is above most of us, certainly for me.

We should start each day with a prayer, and self examination. Starting the day with the prayer, and then with the determination that we will die to self this day, we will put all others first. And then at night, praying for forgiveness of our failure, examine those failures, what could we have done differently this day?

That is a form of dying to self, just having the goal, and working on it daily, and each day we will move a little closer to accomplishing that goal.

Thank you for having me, I pray we all go in peace and as we start the New Year, that we all are determined to move closer to being meek and humble:

I think we can see the difference, the two sides of the story are glaringly obvious now. We can recognize the prosperity preaching is not real teaching, at least Christian teaching, we don’t need self-help guides, we only need Christ, to die to ourselves is Christ, the greatest gain, the greatest of all victories.

Park Plaza Prison Ministry: SOME THINGS WE HEAR

SOME THINGS WE HEAR

Why do you waste your time? – It’s just jail house religion – We will never see them in church – Sure, they will listen, a captive audience! – It’s casting pearls before pigs – Just lock them up and throw away the key.

A THOUGHT

I hope it never happens to you!! If and when a family has a loved one arrested, it is amazing how suddenly their attitude change. PRISON MINISTRY IS WELL WORTH THE TIME, ENERGY AND MONEY. I could put a list together of men and women whose lives were changed by the power of the Gospel. And later were released and have done very well. The list would include ministers, missionaries, elders, deacons, Bible School teachers, song leaders, prison ministers, just good hard working members of the Lords Church, etc.

One out of every 31 citizens in the US is part if the criminal justice system. Either locked up or on parole, or probation etc. If you add chemical addiction to the equation, one in every three is affected. On the average one out of every two families are affected. It costs between $25,000 – $40,000 per inmate per year. We don’t always succeed in turning a prisoner into a faithful and fervent church member. However, he or she may leave prison and stop drugging, drinking, stealing, and beating his wife and or kids. HOW MUCH IS THIS WORTH? We must remember the value of one soul yanked away from Satan.

The spiritual growth process is simple: we plant and water and God does the rest. A willing few go behind the bars while many others send by praying and sending financial support to them. Thank you for your prayers and support. We could not do what we do without your prayers and support. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!! ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!!!

6TH GRADUATION FROM FAITH AND CHARACTER BASED UNIT.

This unit is made up of believers in Christ. They spend there time in Bible and Life Skill classes for one and one half years. I have had the privilege to teach in this unit for several years. I have seen many men change there lives because of this teaching. Of the ones that graduate less than ten percent ever go back to prison as an inmate. The rate of all inmates is about 80 percent are back within 3 years. We graduated 25 men on Friday December 9, 2016. What a blessing to get to witness the change in these men because of the word of God.

Thank you from the bottom of our heart.

From all the jail and prison workers Jim Pinkston, Senior Prison Minister

Park Plaza Prison Ministry Report 01/01/2017

Tulsa County Jail. Jim Pinkston, Francisco Davila and Zeth Parkhurst teach the men. Several ladies go to the women’s pods every Thursday and Friday for the last four years, to teach. Zeth is teaching with Jim each Wednesday and teaching the hearing impaired. We have baptized 398 of our students this year.

Back to the ladies: We have ladies teaching in all three ladies pods at Tulsa County Jail each week. They rotate lessons every thirteen weeks. Carol Siling, Elaine Russell, and Theresa Hawkins teach. Jody Gilkey was teaching but her job schedule is preventing her at this time but hopes to return soon. Elaine is the coordinator for the women. Many ladies are being changed by the Gospel because of these ladies.

Dick Connors Correctional Center. Jim Pinkston teaches NLB Lessons and CASA (Christians Against Substance Abuse). He also teaches in the faith based unit and preaches there four evenings each month. Jim Carmichael teaches every Monday morning and for the next three months also on Thursdays and preaches one night per month. Elaine Russell, Jim’s wife Jean, Jim & Jody Carmichael, Patrick Murphy, and Beverly Bennett help and Booker leads singing when he can. We go to the Minimum Security unit on the first and forth Sunday nights for services and to the Medium Security (behind the walls) on the first and third Tuesday nights for services.

Correspondence. 40 packages of 6 to 7 lessons mailed to many prisons in Oklahoma. Every two weeks = 260 lessons x 2 = 520 per month or 6,240 per year. Many of these are people we studied with at Tulsa and Creek County Jail and have gone on to prison or were transferred from one prison to another. This is one way we keep up with our students as they are moved from prison to prison. Elaine Russell & Carol Siling sends lessons to ladies who were former students at Tulsa County Jail who have gone to a prison or gone home. On the second and fourth Tuesdays evenings we have a group that meets to grade and get these lessons ready to mail.

John H. Lilly Correctional Center. Bryan Campbell is doing Celebrate Recovery every Saturday.

Creek Co. Jail . David Stikes is preparing to start teaching there again in January.

Re-entry program. (Hope City) It houses five men at this time. Randy Milam is the onsite manager. We have the space for five. Two units are being remodeled to where it can handle seven. We also have a RV that is being plumed at this time to where it can house one, making the total eight. One of these men (Bryan Campbell) has been trained to go into the prisons and be a full time teacher. He leads a C.R. group there each Saturday.

In the last three years over twenty men have been helped and are closer to Jesus because of the Hope City ministry. Two of these men have their own businesses today and employ several ex-offenders.

Advisory Board. The board is made up of eight men: James Ivy,(deacon over ministry) Ken Williams, Steve Stade, Scott Blackwell, Gary Medley, Mark Clayton, Randy Milam and Kevin Neiman. Jim is the recruiter for the applicants. The board decides who is approved to enter the reentry program. They go by a set of guidelines approved by the Elders. The board also oversees the operation of the program.

Rogers County Jail Mike Hawkins started a great jail ministry a few months ago and has been very successful teaching there. God just keeps growing this ministry along with the others.

Future Plans. To continue with the programs that are now successful and just see where God leads us in 2016.

This ministry was started by Terry Finch and James Ivy in 2009, Jim Pinkston came aboard in 2010 part time for 2 years then full time.

Baptisms from this work

2010 94

2011 109

2012 139

2013 259

2014 406

2015 382

2016 398

Total 1787 Since 2010 That we know of.

To put this in perspective, 1787 would more than fill first & second service at Park Central.

Impossible without your support.

“Jesus did it!!!”

Faith & Character Program by Jarrod R

“…chose you this day whom ye will serve…” – Joshua 24:15

The vision I have for the Faith and Character Program here at DCCC is that it continues to strike deep in the hearts of all those who are truly trying to change and better themselves, taking accountability for the choices they have made ad will make.

Since we are all in the business of making choices, my hope is that before these choices are made, some thought goes into them.

Many of us get caught in the moment and regret some of those choices.

Having a relationship with GOD will point us in the right direction “GOD is faithful b whom (we) were called into the fellowship of HIS SON JESUS CHRIST our LORD (1 Corinthians 1:9).

Since there are consequences to every action, and the choices you make today could be the situation you deal with in the future.

Spreading kindness and positive vibes can only benefit all those who are involved. The love you have for your fellow human beings is the love that you shall receive one way or another! 1 John 4:7 commands: “Beloved, let us love on another; for love is of GOD.” Pay it forward and you shall be blessed beyond anything you have ever known.

Change is not easy, but it is always necessary as the world turns; so we shall move with our best foot forward and our heads to the sky, leaving a positive print on this earth that never will be destroyed. Love yourselves and love each other. JESUS said; “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you” – John 15:12.

Remember, it is never too late to change.

The FCCP is looking for individuals who have made up their minds that they want something different out of this life and realize they have something positive to contribute to humanity.

We are looking for those who truly want to change for the better.

“…be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Romans 12:2

State of the Union & The Church

I believe America has received a reprieve from completely sliding into the abyss of perversion. And, we have been spared the wrath of God for our sins. We have had people in office, running our country that do not adhere to God’s law first, they do not honor Him nor His precepts, and have made shambles of the Christian Character of America.

We have lost the respect of the world, but more importantly we are falling from God’s grace, as we as a nation have been turning our backs on Him.

We have a very weakened military, the economy is in the worst shape it has been in for decades, children are no longer allowed to pray in school let alone study the word, and teaching the word in school has been so far removed that people have lost memory of it. The government with the permission and even encouragement from the people have allowed for marriage consisting of a deviated sexual life style and attempting to pass it off as normal as traditional marriage. We have legally murdered 60 million babies since 1973 after we somehow decided God’s commandment of “Do Not Murder” didn’t apply to us. Our daughters have been left unprotected from sexual deviates that are now allowed to choose which gender they are for the moment, and may enter without risk of persecution, any lady’s restroom they choose. We can’t even obtain decent health insurance for our families.

I believe we have been given a second chance due to all the prayers offered to God, begging for that chance.

But what does that mean? Do we just continue with business as usual hoping the good folks who have wondered from their Christian training will somehow change their minds and return to solid Christian values?

I see three things that we need to take control of immediately:

Return the power of government to the states through the convention of states now be formulated.
Return the education of school children to the church. Bring in your foreign missionaries, let them teach American children, bringing them up in the word of God with the overwhelming evidences of God existence… no more teaching of “bible stories” but biblical reliable history, proving to them the bible is the word of God, by proving to them there is no other choice.
Take whatever means possible to stop the mass genocide of unborn children. Picketing abortion clinics, educating the young, pursuing legal measures, and bombarding the government with demands to cease the horrendous criminal activity hidden behind the false curtain of “women’s health” regardless of the child’s health.

Sermon: The Two Witness of the Last Days

Transcript of the September 2016 Prison Sermon by Jim Carmichael

Grace be to God that I am able to stand before you this evening and share His word with you.

if you possess a certain level of common sense, once something is proven to you to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt,

especially when it concerns your eternal well-being, seeking that truth should become a passion in your life.

The bible gives us an example of just how strong that passion should be:

Psalm 42:1 (For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.) As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?…

Genesis 2: 7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. God is life, and He imparted life to us, now think how much you would desire that breath of life if you were drowning.

This should be our goal, to seek God with this kind of overwhelming passion.

But we can’t just choose to, at least I couldn’t, we have to have a conviction, a true ironclad conviction that God does exist, and did create the world.

Let me define Science; Science means knowledge.

There are two forms of science

There is true science we call observable science. WE call it true because we can see evidence of it.

We can see the result of a thing happening, such as arriving upon an accident about 5 minutes after it occurred. We didn’t see the accident, but we see two cars smashed together and can safely assume there was indeed a car accident because it is based upon observable evidence.

On the other hand, we have false science, or pseudo-science, more commonly known as scientific theory.

Now pseudo-science would be like saying, I believe an accident has occurred here, even though there are no witnesses, no wreckage, and no real reason to think so.

There is no way to prove scientific theory, because there are no witnesses, and no evidence, and in fact may even contradict real science.

We can go back to the accident, and instead of thinking an accident had occurred we would try to convince people that what appeared to be an accident was actually just an act of nature, both wrecked cars just developed through time. That would be contrary to observable evidence, wouldn’t it?

That is precisely what the theory of evolution attempts to do with observable evidence of creation, even though all the evidence points towards creation, the evolutionist wants to tell us even though it appears to be creation, it really just occurred through small mutations over millions of years.

How can we know the bible is truly inspired by God? And, can it possibly be proven?

The answer is; God gave us two witnesses to this fact, many years before they could stand as witnesses.

The prophesies, which is man making predictions of future events of which they could not have had any knowledge of in advance, no way of knowing what or why they were predicting it, all they knew was God was telling them to write it down, and they did.

The second was having them write what would become observable science/ knowledge thousands of years in advance. They were writing things they could have had no idea of what it meant, and no man could have until recent years with the development of technology, and true science.

These are our two witnesses that offer us testimony to the fact that God must have told them what to write, and they did, it had to be the inspired word of God, there is simply no other option.

I normally do not study prophesies concerning end-time events, however I do want to look at a couple of those prophesies.

1 Timothy 6:20 warns us of a false doctrine, and false teachers stating that those would come who would profess profanity and idle babblings that actually contradict true, or observable science/ knowledge.

That time has come, and a great delusion has swept the earth which was also predicted

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Today a great lie has covered the earth, the theory of evolution which contradicts observable evidence, yet is taught worldwide as fact, and many just accept this without investigation.

There are only two options on how we came to exist: Either through evolution, or creation.

There can only be one absolute truth regarding the beginning, not two. One is supported by observable evidence the other is not.

Did it ever occur to you that if we can prove just one fact that had to come from God, that is all that required to “prove” His existence, but I will tell you now, He has given us a thousand ways, and the theory of evolution has given us none, yet people flock to it.

Why, for evolution eliminates the need for Christ, there is nothing to be forgiven for, we just developed this way, there is nothing after this life, no hell that burns forever.

The problem with that idea is that you might not believe a bus is barreling down on you when in reality it is, but if you don’t move, believe it or not, you are going to be squashed.

Whether you believe in hell or not, if you do not accept the truth, with a passion and live by it, and teach it to others, you will be hit by it, and there will be no recourse, and it will continue forever.

I would like to explain something to you, we have all kinds of proof that creation is the only answer, from the study of the cosmos, the earth, and the human body. We use these facts very often in an attempt to “prove” creation, but at each and every turn, at every example those who believe in the lie will have a counter, and generally it will be “given enough time” and all things could have occurred by chance.

So what is the answer? Using these facts as the observable science, the true knowledge, that even the atheist will not refute… for it is science… observable science and compare it to the bible in order to verify the bible is in line with that same observable science.

So where does the proof lie?

When we can demonstrate the bible stated the observable facts long before they were observable, information given to man before he would have had any idea of why he was writing it, then we are establishing a higher power must have been in play, and we are going to look at a few examples of this evidence this evening.

The earth was designed for biological life. (Isaiah 45:18) Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Scientist have discovered that the most fundamental characteristics of our earth and cosmos are so finely tuned that if just one of them were even slightly different, life as we know it couldn’t exist. This is called the Anthropic Principle and it agrees with the Bible which states that God formed the earth to be inhabited.

I hope you see the connection, God created the earth to be inhabited, and it is so finely tuned that life couldn’t have existed as we know it without the fine tuning.

Let’s go to Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.

Satan just adds two words, In the beginning God did not create the heavens and Earth.

Just as he only changed one word in the Garden, he caused the fall of man, he now changes two words, and hopes to seal our fate… eternity in the lake of fire with him and his demons.

In the beginning God revealed Himself to early man. It was obvious enough that He told them to write, and they wrote without question, writing things they had no idea of their meaning.

So let’s take a look at them and see if they agree with observable science.

God told them in Genesis 1: 14-16 That He had created the lights in the heavens for signs, seasons, days and years. We know now that it takes one full year of time for the earth to make one trip around the Sun, and during that year the seasons changed due to their position in relationship to the Sun. The phases of the moon follow one another with clock like precision constituting the lunar calendar, and in Job 38:12,14 The picture here is of a clay vessel being turned or rotated upon the potter’s wheel – an accurate analogy of the earth’s rotation. Luke 17:34-36 says the second coming of Jesus Christ will occur while some are asleep at night, and others are working at daytime activities in the field. This is another clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night occurring at the same time. And, here is your first example of the bible agreeing with observable science.

Now, we have covered the seasons, the day’s, the year, and even the calendar with the earth tuning on its axis, but what about that first reason given for those lights? For signs. Now many think this has to do with astrology, but God commands us not to use the stars for predicting the future Isaiah 47:13 “You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.”,

yet He gave them as signs, so what could those signs be for?

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Increased when? In the end. Do we have a great increase in knowledge now?

This verse is a great witness to the fact that God has concealed the meaning of this book until the “time of the end”. To “shut up” means to hide, keep secret or conceal. This is a common methodology of God found throughout the Bible. God has hidden information for us to find. This information is revealed by the Spirit of God at the proper time. For some scriptures it was during the time of the Apostles and Paul when God revealed vast amounts of new revelation. But, it is also for our time based upon this verse in Daniel, that we live in right now.

So I want to go over this really quickly, in the beginning God revealed Himself to early man, a burning bush, To Noah on how to build the Ark (by the way, the dimensions of the ark turned out to be the perfect dimensions for large sea going cargo vessels, one of those revealed scientific facts) To Moses, with his ten plagues, parting of the red sea.

Later with Christ revealing Himself as God in the flesh performing miracles of healing and raising the dead, and rising from the dead Himself.

And now us, He is revealing Himself with this great increase of knowledge, so we can know and recognize Him. So we can accept Him, so we can have our witness, in order to gain eternal life.

the new technology has revealed many things in scripture that proves it to be in accordance with observable science.

Let’s go a little further. These lights in the heaven are stars; In Genesis 17:22 and Hebrews 11:12 God states that the stars are comparable to the sands of the sea. Modern day scientist estimates the number of stars as very comparable to the number of pebbles of sand on the sea shore.

In Jeremiah 33:22 God says they are incalculable. At a time when less than 5,000 stars were visible to the human eye, God stated they were incalculable. It was not until the 17^th century that Galileo invented the telescope and got a glimpse into the immensity of our universe, today astronomers estimate that there are 10,000 billion trillion stars (that’s a 1 with 25 “0”’s following it), and as the bible states, they also say this estimate might be “woefully” inadequate.

The bible agrees with observable science. Although the number of stars are immense, and incalculable the scientists state that the number is finite, which also agrees with the bible which states that in Isaiah 40:26, and in Psalms 147:4 God counts them and calls them by name… we serve an awesome God.

In Job 38: 31 The Pleiades and Orion star clusters are described. The Pleiades star cluster is bound gravitationally while the Orion star cluster is loose and disintegrating, the clusters gravity isn’t strong enough to hold the group together, yet God asked Job 4,000 years ago” Can you bind the cluster of Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?” Yet, it is only recently that we realized that the Pleiades is gravitationally bound, but Orion’s stars are flying apart.

Let’s look at a star very familiar to us… The Sun… goes in a circuit. We found this in Palms 19:6. Some scientist scoffed at this verse thinking it taught geocentricity, that the Sun traveled around the Earth, and insisted the Sun was stationary, yet we now know that the Sun travels through space at 600,000 miles per hour. It is literally moving through a huge circuit in space, just as the bible stated 3,000 years ago.

Of course what do stars do? Provide light, so….

Let’s go a little further, 4000 years ago God declared that light had its way in Job 38:19. In the original language the word used here was Derrick, which means road or path, and more accurately a road or path traveled. Job wrote this at a time when it was thought that light traveled instantaneously, we now know that light is a form of energy that travels at 186,000 miles a second in a straight line, and as the bible says, in complete agreement with observable science, light has its way.

And moving to Job 38:24 the bible states that light can be divided, and it wasn’t until about 400 years ago that Sir Isaac Newton decided to study light and discovered that white light was made of 7 colors that could be divided, and then reunited. Science confirmed this 400 years ago, but God declared it 4 millennia ago.

Let’s wrap this up with one more example, staying in Job 38, going to verse 35 God says light can be sent, and then manifest itself in speech. We now know that light waves and radio waves are merely two forms of the same thing, electromagnetic waves. Therefore, radio waves are merely a form of light, and by using a radio transmitter, we can send lightening’s, and they will indeed manifest themselves in speech.

As should be obvious, these are things that could have only been known by God when they were written, and they have been revealed to us in these days of increased knowledge, and written at an earlier time so we could confirm the truth of God.

We lived in a blessed time. There are app 2,500 predictions of the future in the bible almost all fulfilled except for a few end-time prophesies, and hundreds of these scientific facts proving the bible lines up perfectly with observable science.

We didn’t even touch the tip of the preverbal iceberg… it’s an exciting journey for anyone who decides to take it… it gives you an iron clad faith, which will instill in you a passion for seeking God and his truth.

So, you can have your witnesses, your two witnesses of the end times, and you can know you live in the final days. God’s word is provable, and by that fact we know trustworthy to be true, every word…. And the increase in knowledge, the description that covers the earth, all tell us we are in the end days… the very end days.

Now I am going to wrap this up with two more verses: To me the two scariest verses in the Bible.

Revelation 3:15 -17 15I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other. 16 So because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of My mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.…

James 1: 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Studying apologetics, becoming a student of it, along with solid biblical knowledge will give you an ironclad faith, that faith will cause a passion in you to share the word with everyone who will listen.

And, you will have an unstoppable power to defend the word against the most aggressive atheist that might attack you.

So why are we studying this? Because many people have no idea of the truth of the scripture. They have had no background training, and all they have heard that bible is just a bunch of nonsense, full of lies, because they have been taught evolution is the true answer for the reason we are here.

They have been deceived. If not taught the true knowledge, they face an eternity in damnation, and if only for a teacher they could have eternal life.

Let’s be that teacher. We have to defend the bible, and from what? From the ignorance of the world that now believes in the theory, the pseudo-science of evolution, and to do that we must have solid, honest, provable information. Thank you for your time.