Welcome to the Flat Earth Impossible According to Science post.
Many people believe in a flat earth. I believe we live on a round earth.

I have traveled at least 3 or 4 million miles by air to many parts of the world at different seasons of the year. I worked in the airline business most of my life.

If the earth was flat, I would not be able to observe the dawn on the horizon shortly after we reach altitude on a summer solstice day traveling on an Air Canada 787 Dream Liner to Europe from Montreal, Canada where the sun had just set an hour before. We were able to see the fading sunset on our climb out of Montreal up to altitude. Here is my sunset photo.

I have also seen the early morning dawn en route from Dallas, Texas to Santiago, Chile in the winter time when it is summer in South America. So I have experienced summer solstice sunrises at altitude in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

The photo below is just 2 hours after departing Montreal, Canada on the Air Canada 787 DreamLiner. We were about 1100 miles out over the North Atlantic Ocean en route to Frankfurt, Germany. You can see the sun is rising in the northern sky. The flight patterns swing on a semi polar route because the distance around the spherical earth is shorter the closer you get to the North or South Pole.

Don’t take my word for your flat earth belief. Here is an article written by Ethan Siegel in Forbes Magazine. The article link is at the bottom of the post. Ethan wrote a short bio here:

“I am a Ph.D. astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, who professes physics and astronomy at various colleges. I have won numerous awards for science writing.” Ethan Siegel

Flat Earth Impossible According to Science

1.) Lunar Eclipses don’t occur only at midnight. Take a look at the shape of the Earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse, particularly during a partial phase. Do you notice how the Earth’s shadow always appears to be a piece of a near-perfect circle?

If the Earth were a flat disk, that means there’s only one possible orientation that the Sun-Earth-Moon alignment can take place in to create a circular (rather than elliptical) shadow: with the Earth’s “disk” perpendicular to the Sun-Moon plane. This means the Sun would need to be at the “midnight” position relative to the night side of Earth, and yet lunar eclipses occur at all different times depending on where you are on Earth. The flat Earth can’t explain that.

2.) Different locations on Earth experience seasons at different times. Ever notice how the summer in the United States corresponds to winter in Australia? Or how winter in Italy lines up with summer in Argentina? This is because the Sun’s rays, which are almost perfectly parallel, strike Earth at different angles during different parts of the year. If the Earth were flat, the Sun’s rays would always come in at the same angle, meaning that the USA, Australia, Italy, and Argentina would all experience the seasons the same exact way. The flat Earth idea can’t explain this.

3.) Different stars are visible from different latitudes. Look up at the night sky from a very high (northern) latitude location, and you’ll see the Big and Little Dippers, the bright orange giant Arcturus, and the Pleiades, among other sights. Yet if you head to the south pole, none of these celestial sights are visible, but you can see Alpha Centauri, the Magellanic Clouds, and the Southern Cross, all of which are never visible to most northern hemisphere skywatchers. If the Earth were flat, everyone on the night side of the Earth would see the same sky; this is another observation that the flat Earth can’t account for.

4.) You cannot see Kawaikini from the peak of Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea, the highest peak in Hawaii (the summit of the Big Island), offers incredible views. With nothing but the ocean around it, and a few other nearby islands, you should be able to see extremely far away. The island of Kauai has the seventh highest point in the Hawaiian islands: the peak known as Kawaikini. If you were to draw a straight line from Mauna Kea (elevation: 13,796 ft.) to Kawaikini (elevation: 5226 ft.) it would span a distance of 303 miles.

However, you cannot see one from the other, which you would absolutely be able to do if the Earth were flat. With a curved Earth of its measured radius, the line-of-sight limit for those two elevations caps out at 233 miles. Only with a curved Earth is one invisible from the other, and this is true for any two mountain peaks with clear line-of-sights from one to the other.

5.) Sunsets and sunrises happen at different times depending on your longitude. If the Earth were flat, then someone in New York and someone in Los Angeles would see the sun rise and set at exactly the same time as one another. But in practice, the difference is approximately three hours. Not only that, but at every point in between, the Sun rises/sets at a different time, something that could not happen if the Earth were flat. The fact that it can be evening in New York and late afternoon in Los Angeles, or morning in New York while it’s still before dawn in Los Angeles, is something that a flat Earth can’t account for.

If the Earth were flat, these five phenomena would be very different, and yet they are so simple to verify that any flat Earth believer cannot possibly doubt their veracity. Whether it changes anyone’s mind is up for debate, but without resorting to space, circumnavigation, or any advanced scientific experiments, you can experience a whole handful of phenomena that a flat Earth can’t account for.

With a flat Earth, we’d only get lunar eclipses at midnight, everywhere would have the same seasons, every location would see the same stars, all high mountain peaks would be visible from one another, and every place on your “side” of the Earth would see sunrise and sunset at the same time. Since these are false, so is the flat Earth.

If this helps even one person challenge their belief that the Earth is flat, it’s a remarkable win for knowledge. But don’t bet on it. Like the old saying goes, you can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into.

Hope you have enjoyed reading the Flat Earth Impossible According to Science post. My blog has a thousand different posts about Health, Healthy Living and Spiritual Messages.

Healthy Living

Ethan Siegel’s post on Forbes is below:

Forbes Flat Earth Article

 

Welcome to the How to Overcome Addictions post. The best mental health therapist in the world cannot bring the results to people seeking mental health help like the Holy Bible can. These scriptures are powerful and healing for those that seek mental health therapy. There are many people who suffer from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues.

Please see my disclaimer at the bottom of this site.

Full disclosure: I am not a licensed mental health professional. I have had family members with mental health issues and have recovered from some deep mental health issues myself through spiritual approaches.

History tells us that sin has distorted mankind’s emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Here is a short list of scriptures that show us our fallen condition. Because I want to focus on overcoming, I will not share these scriptures. You can look them up for yourself if you wish.

1. Isaiah 53:6
2. Proverbs 21:2
3. Proverbs 16:25
4. Jeremiah 10:23
5. Jeremiah 17:9

Bible Passages For Strength Each Day

God’s Word in the Holy Bible has power to change people. I have seen this happen since God woke me up out of my own addiction issue in 1994. Claim God’s Power by asking for a Baptism of the Holy Spirit Each Morning. Read these scriptures and ask for victory each morning. God wants you to claim victory over addictions! Here are two gifts from God. There is hope for all of us.

A. 2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

First Gift from God is the Bible is the Standard of Right and Wrong.

B. Ezekiel 36:26-27

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Second gift is God brings the willing heart back into a connected relationship. God never forces. God brings us from unholiness to holiness.

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We can go from self-will to God’s Will.

Psalms 32:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

We were created in God’s Image. Sin damaged and distorted mankind but Jesus Christ restores us to God’s Image.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Revelation 22:11-12

He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.

We are what we think. We can find the thoughts of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus was human. Jesus was tempted just as you and I are. When we have problems, God calls us to cast our burdens on the Lord Jesus.

Psalms 138:3

In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

Jesus was tempted as we read in Hebrews 4:15 and Matthew 4:3-4.

God promises care in Isaiah 41:10.

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Matthew 11:29

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

1 Thessalonians 5:7

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. If alcohol is or was a problem for you, get rid of liquor shirts, shot glasses and liquor signs. If smoking is or was an issue for you, quit hanging around smokers.

Getting rid of all the things that bound me in chains was not hard once I made up my mind that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. God removed the desire for my addictions. My issue now is placing a 15 minute time limit on being active on social media sites. Please share in the comments below what you do to break free from your issues!

Here are six more scriptures you can look up and get more power from in your daily walk:

1. 1 Corinthians 15:33
2. Proverbs 3:5-6
3. 1 Corinthians 10:31
4. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
5. John 8:31-32
6. Isaiah 26:3

The key to Freedom is to trust in Jesus and think His Thoughts.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Overcome Trials

The moment a trial hits, STOP and refuse to Act. Do not think about the trial. Ask God for Strength. Where are the feelings coming from. Do not focus on your feelings.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Psalms 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Wait on the Lord Jesus for help.

Psalms 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Feelings are produced by our thoughts. We cannot change the past. You CAN respond differently today with God’s Thoughts and His Word.

Psalms 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Romans 12:21

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

How to Overcome Addictions Conclusion

This article is based on a message given by Pastor Dan Gabbert of the Black Hills Health & Education Center. Hope the How to Overcome Addictions post has helped you. Dan is featured on the Amazing Discoveries ministry website often.  If interested, you can purchase his series of messages there.

Amazing Discoveries

For more Spiritual Messages, please visit my category below.

Spiritual Messages

Welcome to the How Can You Have Assurance of Heaven blog post about knowing how to be saved for eternal life. Assurance of Salvation is the most important aspect of a person’s life. Click on the video below to learn about the simple process God gave us.

Here are four key action verbs to describe the process:
Recognize >> Repent >> Ask >> Receive
Through Bible Study and listening to Bible teachers, I found a simple four step process straight out of the Bible to guarantee a place in God’s Eternal Kingdom.
When I was lost and in trouble, I am very grateful that my family had brought me up with the fundamental concept of a Supreme Being or God. I recognized my need for help.
Remember these four verbs:
1. Recognize
2. Repent
3. Ask
4. Receive
Here are the scriptures that guide our journey to how you can have assurance of heaven.
1. Recognize Your Sinfulness – Romans 3:23
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
2. Believe Jesus died for You – Acts 16:31
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
3. Receive Him as Savior – John 1:12
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
4. Trust His Promise – John 20:31
“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Greatest Display of Love

Human beings will never see a greater display of love than Jesus Christ dying on a cruel Roman cross for the sins of mankind. Christ believed in salvation received and heaven assured in regard to How Can You Have Assurance of Heaven.

“In terms of salvation, you cannot separate faith and repentance—both happen simultaneously. In order to be saved, you must place faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and that faith decision requires a change of mind (repentance) about your way of life. Yet many people mistakenly believe they must change their way of living long before they can make a faith decision for the Savior. The truth is, repentance does not mean that we must completely change our ways and “clean ourselves up” so we can receive Christ as Lord.

If you’re holding off on a decision for Christ until you think you are “ready” or “worthy,” you’re waiting in vain. Jesus is ready to receive you right now. Only as a child of God will you find the power—His power—to truly become the person you were created to be.” Dr. Charles Stanley

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU!

I like to use the Bible Gateway site as I can see many different translations when doing my Bible Study.

Hope you have enjoyed reading my How Can You Have Assurance of Heaven post. For more spiritual messages, please visit my Spiritual Category Link:

Spiritual Messages

Welcome to the Almost an Atheist post.

I am almost an atheist.

I don’t believe in:

• Harry Potter Books or Movies
• Warlocks and Witches
• Greek Gods
• Over 300 Million Hindu Gods
• Reincarnation
• A Religious Doctrine That Does Little to Admonish Radical Sects of That Religion
• A Religious Doctrine That Believes In Predestination of Salvation ( God has already chosen who will be saved )
• The Papal System That Says It Has the Authority to Change God’s Times and Law

Jesus Christ and the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are what saved me.

I was hurting and cried out and Jesus found me. My life has been transformed since.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

I want to say this as tactfully as I can and make sure that anyone searching for spiritual truths has their awakening. If your concept or picture of God is not Jesus as He is presented in the Gospels, your picture is wrong.

God Is Love. Just read the New Testament and you will see many instances of the Love of God.

Jesus healed people.

Jesus died to save us.

Satan is where all evil comes from ever since the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden by saying: “You will not surely die.” You can look up this scripture in Genesis 3:4.

Satan has one mission: Separate as many people as possible from God by deception and false doctrines.

We can be on guard by reading our Bible everyday. God speaks to me through the Bible and is the reason I wrote this Almost an Atheist post. Here is a valuable resource for online Bible Studies:

Discover Bible Lessons

Friends, Jesus said He is coming back. It is best to be prepared now as none of us knows when our last day on earth will be.

You can pray this prayer and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart:

Sinner’s Prayer

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

Hope you enjoyed reading my Almost an Atheist post. If I can help your spiritual journey, please contact me. Here are many more Spiritual Messages on my website:

Spiritual Messages

Welcome to my Bible Truth Restored post where I share an overview of the Protestant Reformation. I am editing the post today to update some new history that I have learned through attending seminars at church.

Sola Scriptura means that Scripture alone is the primary and absolute source for all doctrine and practice (faith and morals).

Bible Truth Restored

The Protestant Reformation began in earnest during the fifth century when St. Patrick evangelized Ireland. This was after the Roman Empire had fallen. God used Barbarians to overthrow Rome and some of these Barbarians ended up in Ireland.

Ireland is an Island Nation. It was far enough away from the Catholic Church in Rome to not be influenced by the Papal System that teaches  doctrines that are not in the Bible. You can learn more about this period of Christianity from the Pale Horse Rides Documentary from the Voice of Prophecy.

The Adventist movement, ( every person that believes Jesus Christ is going to return to take His believers to heaven is an Adventist ) is a culmination of Biblical Truth being restored that began in 1175 when Peter Waldo uncovered many deceptions that the Catholic Church used. Due to its length, I made a detailed description of Peter Waldo and the Waldensian movement in the last section of this blog post.*

In the 1300’s, John Wycliff translated the Bible into the language of the common people.

Jan Hus ( John Hus ) lived from 1369-1415 in Europe. He protested the Catholic Eucharist tradition. He was burned at the stake for heresy by the Catholic hierarchy.

The Bible does clearly say that Jesus Christ died on the Cross once for mankind’s sins.  1 Peter 3:18 in the Amplified Bible says:

For indeed Christ died for sins once for all, the Just and Righteous for the unjust and unrighteous [the Innocent for the guilty] so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit;

Ulrich Zwingli was a Catholic priest serving in Zurich, Switzerland during the 1500’s. Zwingli spoke against the medieval doctrines of the Catholic church and frequently pointed people to base their beliefs on what the Bible says. He was in disagreement with Luther on issues about the Eucharist.

Then in 1517 Martin Luther published his 95 Theses and posted them at the Castle Church on the campus of the University of Wittenburg in Germany.

In the 1500’s, John Calvin ( Presbyterian ) restored the truth that Christ is the mediator between man and God and not a priest.

Then John Smythe ( Baptist ) restored the truth of Baptism by Immersion in the 1600’s.

In the 1700’s, John Wesley ( Methodist ) restored the importance of witnessing.

Everyone of these truths being restored is very important but further truths kept being discovered so just using one of these truths to base a religious doctrine on is not good enough when it comes to following God’s word in the Bible.

Pride can affect very well educated people and closes the mind of some people to the point that they are not willing to accept further truth. More truth came out in 1844.

In 1844, Rise of the Adventist Movement ( 19 years later Seventh-day Adventist ) restores message of Law of God and the Heavenly Sanctuary ministry found in Hebrews 8.

So when someone makes a comment about not believing what the Seventh-day Adventist believe, they are indirectly saying they do not believe in the whole Bible Truth Restoration movement of the Protestant faiths.

If you want to learn more, seek out some Bible studies around Daniel 8:14. This is the 2300 Day Prophecy between 457 BC when the Decree to Rebuild Jerusalem in Ezra 7 was proclaimed until 1844 which is the Start of Judgment after the Great Disappointment. The Seventh-day Baptist led by William Miller were deeply saddened that Jesus did not return in October of 1844.

My resource for the above material is the Gospel Path of Salvation ( GPS ) by Ivor Myers.

Mr. Ivor Myers has an incredible story about being saved and how he overcame a difficult youth. He was involved with the Rap Music Industry in California. Someone shared the Gospel Message with Ivor which dramatically changed his life. You can find some of his videos online.

Here is the detailed synopsis about Peter Waldo that I mentioned above. He lived over 300 years before Martin Luther and began the Bible Truth Restored movement.

*Peter Waldo was a wealthy clothier and merchant living in Lyons, France. Mr. Waldo was well educated, knew how to read Latin which meant he was able to read the Bible . He heard a sermon in 1160 that set in motion a series of events that is probably the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Waldo drew people to him like a ‘magnet’ because he lived what the Bible teaches.

The following information is from Wikipedia: “The Waldensian movement was characterized from the beginning by lay preaching, voluntary poverty and strict adherence to the Bible. Between 1175-1185 Peter Waldo either commissioned a cleric from Lyons to translate the New Testament into the vernacular, the Arpitan (Franco-Provençal) language or was himself involved in this translation work.

Regardless of the source of translation, he is credited with providing to Europe the first translation of the Bible in a ‘modern tongue’ outside of Latin. In 1179, Waldo and one of his disciples went to Rome where they were welcomed by Pope Alexander III, and the Roman Curia. They had to explain their faith before a panel of three clergymen, including issues which were then debated within the Church, as the universal priesthood, the gospel in the vulgar tongue, and the issue of self-imposed poverty.

The results of the meeting were inconclusive, and Waldo’s ideas, but not the movement itself, were condemned at the Third Lateran Council in the same year, though the leaders of the movement had not been yet excommunicated.

Driven away from Lyons, Waldo and his followers settled in the high valleys of Piedmont, and in France, in the Luberon, as they continued in their pursuit of Christianity based on the New Testament. Finally, Waldo was excommunicated by Pope Lucius III during the synod held at Verona in 1184, and the doctrine of the Poor of Lyons was again condemned by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 where they are mentioned by name for the first time, and regarded as heresy.

The Roman Catholic Church began to persecute the Waldensians, and many were tried and sentenced to death in various European countries during the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries. These Christians persisted by fleeing to the Alps and hiding there. Centuries after Waldo’s death, this Christian movement connected with the Genevan or Reformed branch of the Protestant Reformation.” The Waldensians were Seventh-day Sabbath keepers.

Did you know that there are Ethiopian Christians that have always kept the Seventh-day Sabbath? It very well could be that they were just far enough away from the Roman Catholic Church that the Sunday worship doctrine never reached the Ethiopians. I have seen a building in Seattle, Washington where a congregation of these Sabbath keepers meets every Saturday for worship.

A denomination known as the Anabaptists rose up during the 16th century. Anabaptists rejected the Catholic practice of infant baptism.

Seventh Day Baptists have presented the Sabbath as a sign of obedience in a covenant relationship with God and not as a condition of salvation. They have not condemned those who do not accept the Sabbath but are curious at the apparent inconsistency of those who claim to accept the Bible as their source of faith and practice, yet have followed traditions of the church instead.

Seventh Day Baptists date their origin with the mid-17th century separatist movement in England. The first separate church of record was the Mill Yard church founded about 1650 in London. A group of these believers established the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in America in December, 1671.

A group of young Bible believing Christians from the Methodist, Seventh-day Baptist & Seventh-day Presbyterian churches stayed up all night reading their Bibles and formed the Seventh-day Adventist church in 1863. The early church leaders were in their 20’s and the movement has grown into the fastest growing Protestant church in the world.

The Seventh-day Adventists have the largest Protestant school system in the world with many hospitals & clinics around the world as well. There are Seventh-day Adventist fellowships in over 220 nations of the world. God has a Bible Truth Restored movement.

I am not a trained Theologian. I did attend private high schools in Virginia and had Theology classes. My college degree is in Business & Economics and I am a born again Baptized by Immersion Seventh-day Adventist Protestant Christian. I am in my Bible doing some daily study ever since Jesus came into my heart in 2007.

I hope you have enjoyed my Bible Truth Restored post. If another Bible based church can show me new truth, I will be open to searching the Scriptures to see if it is sound teaching. As for now, I am confident in the doctrines taught by the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Healings from Jesus Reveal His Love for Us

Welcome to my Healings from Jesus Reveal His Love for Us blog post. Miracle from Dirty Hands is a message given by Pastor John Wesslen on Sabbath, 19 March 2016 at Orchards Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church.

Three Simple Stories of God’s Love for Man are found in Luke 7.

Luke 7:1-10
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

7 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” 10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

This is the first time in the Bible that a Gentile recognizes the Divinity of Jesus Christ. The soldier feared ( Respected ) God. His dialogue with Jesus revealed that he understood where Jesus’s authority came from and he believed Jesus could heal his servant. The Greek words dia sosa translates to help get through illness. Jesus took pity on the man and healed him immediately. This reveals that Jesus had power to do healings from a distance.

Luke 7:11-17
Jesus Raises the Son of the Widow of Nain

11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” 17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

The People must have thought Jesus was crazy. How could a dead man on the way to be buried be resurrected back to life?

Jesus loved people. He Loves you. God came to the widow woman and healed her son through Jesus Christ.

Luke 7:18-23
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus

18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

20 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

22 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Jesus reveals His Divinity to John the Baptist by sharing all of the healings that Jesus did. Here are three important points to never forget about Jesus.

1. Jesus Came to Save Us All ( heathens, lepers, prisoners and refugees )

2. Jesus Goes to Work to Save People Who Do Not Know Him

3. We Can Recognize Jesus by Miraculous Power Displayed in What He Does

We are sinners and Jesus pursues us. As human beings, we will never be able to fully understand Our Infinite God. We will learn more at Jesus’s feet when HE comes in the Second Coming.

Pastor John Wesslen has a friend that did not attend any church for most of his life. The man’s wife began attending church and soon the man started going so he could be with his wife.

The friend that began going to church vowed he would never give up the fine wines that he enjoyed every evening. About a year later after he had accompanied his wife to church, the man realized that he had not had any of the fine wines in a few weeks. The amazing thing is the man did not miss the wine. Jesus had removed the alcohol from the man’s life.

Romans 7 Study of the Law

Bible Truth Restored

Solar Eclipse 2017

Welcome to my blog. Today’s post is about the recent Solar Eclipse 2017 that I was blessed to experience in Silverton, Oregon. As Eclipse Week Comes to a Close Today, I Am Reflecting Back About the Power of God. In an instant, my friend Wendy and I were in total darkness when the total eclipse happened.

Then after 100 seconds, in an instant, there was light again. In Genesis 1:14:19, we find the power of God in the fourth day of Creation Week.

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

God is so powerful that my finite human mind cannot begin to understand the Infinite Power of God.

God has revealed Himself to me in so many ways this week beyond just the lesson in Astronomy. Science is wonderful. Science changes everyday. God is eternal and in the Holy Bible in Malachi 3:6, scripture reveals: “For I am the Lord, I do not change”.

Do you have trouble with the God Concept? May I suggest you ask God to reveal Himself to you in the next 7 days?

Ask God to show Himself to you in:

1. Nature
2. Prayer
3. Bible Study

I do sincerely hope you have enjoyed my post about Solar Eclipse 2017. Send me a Private Message if I can help you on your spiritual walk.

 

What Day Is the Sabbath

Welcome to my Bible Study about What Day Is the Sabbath post. For over 4,300 years, man kept God’s Sabbath as it is described in the Holy Bible. Sabbath was established at the end of Creation Week and was the first thing Adam experienced. Read Genesis 1 and 2.

Jesus kept the Sabbath. HE kept it even on the Cross when HE died for my sins. HE rested in the tomb on the Sabbath and was resurrected on the first day of the week. I have never found a single verse in the Bible that says we should keep Sunday holy because of HIS Resurrection.

When Jesus gave the New Covenant to His Disciples in the Upper Room on Thursday night, it was sealed when HE died on Good Friday.

If you have ever had party to a will, no one can change the will once the testator is deceased. So in order for Sunday to be the new Holy Day, Jesus would have said something to His Disciples.

Do a thorough study of the Book of Acts and you will come across many references to Paul being asked to return to the Synagogue on the Next Sabbath to preach to the Gentiles.

There has never been a problem with God’s Word the way it reads. Man has taken scriptures and formed tens of thousands of different faith organizations from one Bible. Several people over the years have made a comment to me about is it important What Day is the Sabbath. I chose to follow Jesus’s example myself.

If you come up with teachings that better reflect what the Bible says than the 28 fundamental Bible teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist church, I am open to a conversation with you.

Mark 2:27-28
And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Pagan sun worship crept into the church during the reign of Constantine from 306 to 337, Sunday worship began and Christianity was decriminalized. A decree in the Catechism of the Catholic church acknowledges that Saturday, the seventh-day is the Sabbath day. The Catholic church says it has the power to change God’s Holy Day from the seventh-day Sabbath of Creation to the first day of the week which is Sunday.

In the Bible, Isaiah 66:21-23 says:
I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

Faithful people ( not just the Jews ) for the first 4,300 years of life on earth have kept the one commandment in the Bible that says: “Remember’. Exodus 20:8-11

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

When Jesus comes to take the Righteous Living & Righteous Dead to heaven with Him ( see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ) man will once again keep God’s Sabbath Day.

John 14:15
If you love Me, keep My commandments.

I do not think following Jesus’s example in the Bible is Legalism. I think it is more about Loyalty.

There are eight first-day ( Sunday ) texts in the Bible but none of them say a word about worship on Sunday. Contact me via personal message for those scriptures.

Want to learn more ? Hal Holbrook has a wonderful series about what day the Sabbath is and does it really matter what day is Holy. Sabbath Truth

Hope you have enjoyed reading my What Day is the Sabbath Day post.

Welcome to my What Bible Says About Studying God’s Word post where a series of scriptures makes Bible study clearer. The Bible is the most published Book ever. People are searching the Bible now as the world is a very unstable place.

Here is an excellent presentation by Geoff Youlden about what the Bible says about studying God’s Word. I have included all of the scriptures in my blog post for easy reference for you.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14
These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

John 7:17
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

Daniel 8:16
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”

Luke 1:26
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth
1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Isaiah 26:19
Your dead shall live;
Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead.

Psalms 50:3
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him

Isaiah 66:15
For behold, the Lord will come with fire
And with His chariots, like a whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.

Psalms 68:17
he chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.

Isaiah 28:9-10
“Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”

Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

2 Peter 1:20-21
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Many people read this verse and make a doctrine out of half of what Paul is saying. Read the whole verse to understand the full meaning.

I do hope this Bible Study has helped you better understand God’s Word. When we stop and pray, we are having a conversation with and connecting to God. When we read the Bible, we are listening to His Word.

If you want an excellent online Bible study guide, let me know. You can send me an email on my Contact Page.

Humanism is very popular in today’s world.

Humanism

Self-Help programs, books and philosophies are all around you. Humanism is all about making your self better. Make more money, have better relationships, self, self, self, etc. Guess who gets left out of the picture? The Gospel Message and turning from sin. Many people do not want to give God control over their lives because then they would have to make radical changes in their lives. What they spend their time on, what they read, etc.

I used Humanism myself but ultimately found the Truth of Jesus Christ. Humanism opened the door for me to understand what the Bible & Jesus teach. Read these scriptures after praying that the Holy Spirit would guide your understanding of His Holy Word.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 8:1-12
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Many people heard Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount but few accepted the message.

Humanism teaches that if I can do enough good deeds, I will gain entrance to eternal life. Jesus teaches us that if you have ever had anger in your heart, you have broken the Law about not committing murder.

Every single one of us is guilty. We need a bridge back to God and the Bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the Light of the World. No one comes to the Father, accept through Jesus.

John 8:1-4
Jesus Cleanses a Leper

8 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Guess who the Leper is? It is me and anyone that sins. There is good news. The great Paradox in Life is that when you give your Life to Jesus Christ, you will have an Abundant Life Full of Joy and Peace. God Blesses the People Who Follow the Lamb of God.

If you need spiritual help, send me an email or Skype connect request.

My Way to Jesus

Writing this out of a spirit of Love and Concern as every business has had all kinds of ads for Easter candies, bunnies, etc.

Do a search in your Bible. You will NOT find the word Easter.
Easter is a pagan celebration of the fertility goddess Esther.
Pagan celebrations have crept into the Christian church for hundreds of years.

Easter

At this time of the year, many in the Christian world celebrate all kinds of special days & events in what is known as the Catholic Holy Week.  Before you call me a radical or out of my mind, I am so grateful that Jesus did die on the Cross for my sins on Good Friday. I am also eternally grateful He rose on the first day of the week which is Sunday.

In the Bible there is no direct scripture that instructs us to observe Lent, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and even Good Friday or Palm Sunday.

Jesus was greeted by palm fronds in John 12:13 but there is no mention of the first day of the week or worship.

There are passages in the four Gospels about the Last Supper.

The Bible calls Friday preparation day. It is the sixth day of the week. Guess what day gets left out of the conversation? Sabbath, the Seventh-day of the Week which is the only day that God Sanctified & Made Holy.

Below is a list of what is in the Bible as far as the Last Supper, Good Friday, Jesus resting in the tomb on the Seventh-day Sabbath ( Jesus kept the Fourth Commandment even in death ) and Jesus’s Resurrection on the first day of the week ( Sunday ).

Read Matthew 26 through 28

Read Luke 22 through 24

This Friday is a special day for followers of Jesus Christ because without Jesus’s death on the Cross, I am eternally lost.

When the sunsets on Friday night, God’s Seventh-day Sabbath will be here once again. It is a weekly rest given by God to all mankind right after God created Adam. It is not just for the Jewish people.

On Sunday morning, I will be in Bible study remembering that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ gives me hope for today and a future void of fear.

Christian Rock or Rap is not from God according to the Bible.

Christian Rock

In the 1980’s, a new style of music emerged. Christian Rock is popular in the secular world we live in today and has been popular for over 30 years. I am not going to mention any names or bands because my religion is the Holy Bible which teaches me not to be the Judge of someone’s behavior. All of these people could be sincere Christians. It is not up to me to decide as to their Salvation.

Just because something or someone calls themselves Christian does not mean that the thing or person is a Disciple of Jesus Christ. I called myself a Christian for many years but if you looked at my life, I was self absorbed and did not reflect the character of Jesus Christ. A good guide for Jesus’s Character is found in what is known as the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 through 7.

Christian Berdahl has a seminar that does an excellent job explaining the contemporary Christian music environment. His website is below:

Shepherd’s Call Ministry

Derrol Sawyer was born in New York City and is a man that worked in the entertainment industry. Derrol also has a ministry that teaches about reverent Christian music. Here is one of his popular hymns. Notice how the melody & lyrics follow what the Bible teaches.

Does the Bible guide us in how we should worship God?

Psalm 98:5 “Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody.”
Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.”

Christian Rock or Rap music has violent musical instruments Including full drum sets and lyrics that absolutely are NOT melodious. I have never heard, sang or read a Christian Hymn from the Church Hymnal at my Church that is ‘rock’ or ‘rap’ music. Our Hymnal Book has songs of Praise. Here are some of my Favorites.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Fairest Lord Jesus
How Great Thou Art

A couple of days during the week I attend functions at one of these non denominational churches. In the center of the stage of this church is a full set of drums.

When I go to church, I don’t want to feel like I am walking into a night club or bar.

As we grow as Christians, we are to leave worldly things behind and become more like Jesus. We are taught about the Sanctification Process in the Bible. The old me that came to the foot of the Cross and repented would not be allowed to go to be with the Lord Jesus on Judgment Day. We need to become Holy People and I cannot see that happening with Christian Rock or Rap.

There are 150 places in the Bible where ‘sanctuary’ is mentioned.

Hebrews 8:2 “A minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.”
Hebrews 9:1 “Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.”

I sense the growth of all these non denominational worship places is that the secular world is attracted to so called new age practices & styles of worship. Praise God if souls are won to Jesus Christ through these places.

Just be on guard as Satan is very clever in his deceptive ways of infiltrating ‘church’. The way to be prepared is to study our Bibles daily. Ask God to show you His Church.

I look forward to heaven where there will be no more death, violence, or suffering. We will be able to sit at Jesus feet and hear wonderful melodies. There will be cellos, flutes, harps, organs, pianos, and violins playing wonderful music Praising Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

State of the Dead

State of the Dead is a major Bible Topic that many people do not understand due to lack of Bible Study. Are you reading your Bible ? What really happens when someone dies?

When I see people making comments like their loved one that has passed away is up in heaven looking down on them, it makes me think I must have missed the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. No one will miss that as according to the Bible, a loud trumpet blast signals the soon coming of Jesus Christ.

Recently Nancy Reagan passed away to her sleep and the very highly educated minister performing her funeral service kept inferring that she was in heaven. I know that he is believing unbiblical myths versus what is in the Bible.

That minister has had many years of advanced religious training. I am an average human being with a Business Degree. I do not have advanced religious training but I study my Bible since 2004.

In Revelation 20, we learn that there are four categories that all mankind fall into. There is the redeemed dead, the redeemed that are living, there is the wicked dead, and the wicked living.

The MYTH that people go to heaven when they die is fallacy that came about from ancient Greek philosophy & to some extent Buddhism.

It is tragic that many Christian faiths teach that the dead are ‘up’ in heaven right now. If that is the case, then there is no need for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As I have been studying my Bible for many years now, I read that Moses, Elijah, and Enoch plus some other believers that were resurrected are currently in heaven. That is the only mention in my Bible of people that are in heaven. Here are some texts to look up about the state of the dead. I trust what my Bible says over what any man says and that includes my Pastor, Conference President, and our lead Elder Ted Wilson in the Washington, DC area.

God is the only One who has immortality. 1 Timothy 6:l6 is even more clear. “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.” Only God has this power of immortal existence. Man is described as being mortal, or subject to death.

What About Lazarus?
If you just stop for a moment and think about this wonderful truth. You will realize that our loved ones who have preceded us in death, are not being tormented now in hell, nor are they in heaven either where they would be looking down upon the terrible scenes taking place on this earth. They are all sleeping the sleep of death until resurrection morning. The Bible calls death a sleep. Jesus said his friend Lazarus was asleep when he referred to Lazarus’ death.

“Our friend Lazarus sleepeth” John 11:11.

Lazarus Is Dead
Then in John 11:14 Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead.” Christ called Lazarus forth from his tomb where he had been dead for four days. When Lazarus stepped forth from his tomb, he did not say that he had been to heaven. If Lazarus had been in heaven, don’t you think that he would have protested about being brought back to this sinful earth. He would not have wanted to stay here for even one minute. He would have told those around him of the glorious scenes of heaven. But Lazarus did not speak of heaven. Lazarus had been sleeping in the dust of the earth since the breath of life had left him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Ecclesiastes 9:5

For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.

Many sincere Christian believers think, say and write that their deceased loved one is in heaven. If that is so, there would not be a need for Jesus to come back to this earth.

There are 145 verses in the Bible about Jesus coming again. Matthew 16:27 and Revelation 22:12 are key verses. This is the Second Resurrection.

25 of these Second Resurrection verses are in the New Testament. When I study my Bible, believers in Jesus Christ that have died are sleeping now just as Lazarus was for 4 days. The righteous dead in Christ next conscious moment will be the Trumpet blast that all will hear. 1 Thessalonians 4
This will be the beginning of the Second Resurrection and that is when the dead come up and meet the Lord in the Air and those righteous believers still here on earth will meet with the Lord in the Air. This will be a Super Natural event to say the least.

The myth that when a believer dies they go straight to heaven is comfort for the grieving person that has lost a loved one. It is myth and not Biblical.