General

Promises in the Bible

Promises

JoeMcWilliamPromises you can live by are found in the Holy Bible. Elder Joe McWilliam asked the congregation to come forward and read favorite Bible promises at church this past Sabbath, 27 February 2016 at Whipple Creek Seventh-day Adventist Christian church. The Bible study was very informative as the word of God is powerful and impacts peoples’ lives.

Here is the list of what the congregation read. I am reading the New American Standard Bible. If one of the scriptures is long like the whole chapter, I am including a link to that chapter.

Isaiah 48:14-16
“Assemble, all of you, and listen!
Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

“I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

“Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the first I have not spoken in secret,
From the time it took place, I was there.
And now the Lord God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

Matthew 5
WhippleCreek

Philippians 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Psalms 137:3-4
For there our captors demanded of us songs,
And our tormentors mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

4
How can we sing the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

1 Chronicles 28:20
Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

Jeremiah 29:11
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope’.

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.

7
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

Colossians 1:16-21
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

Romans 8:28
We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 43:1-3
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!

2
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.

3
“For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.

Isaiah 26:1-4
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for security.

2
“Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that remains faithful.

3
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.

4
“Trust in the Lord forever,
For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.

29
He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

30
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

31
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Psalms 34:7
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

Hebrews 1:1-3
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

1 John 5

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

Isaiah 49:25
Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away,
And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued;
For I will contend with the one who contends with you,
And I will save your sons.

Andrews Study Bible1 John 2:1
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.

Psalms 91:1-2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”

Matthew 10:15
Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

These are the Bible promises that Joe had the young adults read during worship service:

Genesis 17:7-8

Exodus 29:45-46

Leviticus 26:11-12

Jeremiah 24:6-7

Jeremiah 32:38-41

Ezekiel 11:19-20

Ezekiel 36:28-29

Ezekiel 37:26-27

Zechariah 8:5-8

Zechariah 13:8-9

Hosea 2:19-23

Hebrews 8:8-12

2 Corinthians 6:11-18

Revelation 21:1-7

I am so grateful that I was able to study God’s Word on God’s Holy Day. The promises in the Bible are a solid foundation for faith. If you are interested in free online Bible study guides, please check out this site as all the major Bible topics are covered.

Voice of Prophecy

Rebellion and Redemption

Rebellion

rebellionRebellion is defined by Dictionary.com as resistance to or defiance of any authority or tradition. As a teen-ager in 1972, I experienced rebellion in my life. Unfortunately, I had to suffer the consequences of that rebellion. I still have visible scars from my resistance to authority. I am lucky & grateful though that God is Love & HE came to rescue me when I was at a low point in my life. Praise God !

I write & share this message I heard this morning from a Christian woman that holds 2 Doctorate Degrees. I needed to hear it just as much as anyone. I have learned that Judging myself & extending mercy to others is reflecting Jesus’s Character. A very large segment of society will be mesmerized by a football game on Sunday. When I was a child, football was not that big of a deal and everyone I knew went to church and were good neighbors. Now our world has shifted to a self-seeking society and idols of all kinds abound. Some people make politics or football their God. ( end of my thoughts )

sabbath-school“The current Sabbath School quarterly deals with Rebellion & Redemption. The Great Controversy is the battle between God & Satan. Satan wants worship and that narcissistic self-centeredness caused the original sin & is the root of all death, pain, sickness, suffering and sin today.

Satan has one mission: Kill, Steal & Destroy as many of God’s children as possible. Satan misrepresented God to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden and that distortion is rampant today. Satan makes God out to be a vengeful and cruel God that punishes. Satan wants man to doubt God.

Satan uses the following idols to separate man from God:

1. Alcoholism
2. Drug Addiction
3. Food
4. Football & Violent Sports
5. Gambling
6. Sex
7. Television
8. Tobacco

Jesus came to reveal God’s true character which is LOVE.
Jesus came to save us from all of our idols.
Narcissism is about worship of self and a self-centered life which is of Satan.
Altruism is about worship of God and being other centered which is of God.

Three Bible lessons that Jesus taught have critical bearing.

Matthew 7:21-23 teaches that not everyone will be saved.
Luke 17:11-19 teaches that just one of the ten cleansed lepers came to give thanks to Jesus for being made clean.
Matthew 25:1-13 teaches that only half of the virgins had oil ( Holy Spirit ) to illuminate their lamps.

We are in serious times. I pray that the Lord Jesus will help me get through my temptations and difficulties each day.”

My closing thoughts:

I believe that many kinds of sports have immense value. I myself enjoy amateur golfing, ice skating, mountain hikes, long walks and being physically active. You only live once so take care of your body.

Unmistakable Signs of the End

Unmistakable Signs of the End

Unmistakable Signs of the End is a powerful message given by Attorney and Pastor Ed Reid. There are seven signs that Jesus is preparing to return to take His believers to the new heaven and the new earth that is described in the Book of Revelation.

Seven Signs of the End

1. Signs in the Political World
2. Signs in the Natural World
3. Signs in the Social World
4. Signs in the Financial World
5. Decline of Morality
6. Pope Francis and the Sunday Agenda
7. Gospel Is Going to All the World

unmistakable signs of the endIn the Political World, tens of millions of people are refugees or have fled from persecution. Wars have been the bloodiest ever. Deranged people take prisoners and decapitate the head of the prisoner while someone records a live video of the event. Hundreds of millions of people have lost their lives in war ever since Cain killed Abel.

In the Natural World, disasters have grown stronger and more violent. A 9.0 earthquake struck Japan recently. Tornados, floods, tsunamis, fires and other disasters are reported each week and almost on a daily basis.

In the Social World, many people have become self-centered. In the Bible, 2 Timothy 3:17 reveals:

Difficult Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

In the Financial World, nations are on the brink of financial disaster. Greece, Puerto Rico, Portugal and many other nations have missed debt payments and have serious financial issues. The United States went through a serious economic crisis from 2007 to 2012. Wall Street bankers and former SEC chairman Bernie Madoff have served prison time for corruption. The Public Debt in the USA is a staggering $18 Trillion and grows by $3.8 Billion per day.

Decline of Morality is evident with the kinds of movies and television programs society now accepts. The secular world now has total disregard for God and the Bible. Franklin Graham, the son of Evangelist Billy Graham states that Sin Reigns and Is Celebrated Now. The 280 million people that live in the fifty states voted no on gay marriage but one Federal Supreme Court Judge cast a deciding vote in a 5-4 ruling that made gay marriage legal at the federal level.

Pope Francis and the Sunday Agenda of the Roman Catholic system believe that doctrines of man are more important than the Word of God in the Holy Bible. Rowan County Kentucky clerk Kim Davis was jailed because of her beliefs about marriage being between one man and one woman after the Supreme Court had decided gay marriage to be legal at the federal government level. Seventh-day Adventists realize that probation closes when the Sunday Law is imposed on the public. Government has slowly taken away our liberties and imposing Sunday Laws is a top priority of the Catholic system.

Gospel Is Going to All the World as we see in the explosion of the amount of people downloading Bible Lessons from the Adventist World Radio website. The 2 top language requests are Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. Notice that in the Gospel commission of Matthew 28 that there is no question about the spread of the Gospel Message to the World. There are over 25,000 new people coming to the Seventh-day Adventist church each Sabbath ( Saturday, the Seventh-day of the Week ) established by God at Creation for all mankind, not just Jewish people.

It is clear from the Bible that Jesus answered His Disciples about Unmistakable Signs of the End in three different dialogues. Studying our Bibles is the certainty that we can be ready for Jesus Second Coming.

Table Talk by Martin Luther

Table Talk

If you are a Christian ( Catholic or Protestant ) you owe it to yourself to read “Table Talk” by Martin Luther. Table Talk reveals horrible events of the Dark Ages. Thousands of people were put to death because of this one courageous priest that studied his Bible & realized that the practices of the Roman Catholic church were not only leading people astray but were abominations according to the Word of God. Luther did not want to start a new church. Luther wanted the Papal system of Rome to correct all of the errors & here is a list of the most deceptive:
table talk reformation
1. Saved by works
2. Transubstantiation ( sacraments become the blood & body of Christ )
3. Immortal soul
4. Purgatory
5. Must go to priest for confession of sins
6. Sunday sacredness
7. Idol worship ( Mary )
I don’t personally know the current pope & have no reason to not respect him but have learned that his actions recently make people think he is a wonderful man. Did you know that he has performed foot washing ceremonies on marginalized people? He in turn did not allow anyone else to wash his feet.
According to the Bible in John 13, Jesus washed His Disciples feet; however, they did not wash Jesus’ feet. Jesus was sinless & did not need His feet washed. The pope’s actions of not allowing a reciprocal foot washing is a subtle way of saying he is sinless like Jesus. This is another abomination.
Lord Jesus, I pray right now for the Catholic people. Father, the enemy is a clever deceiver. I was lost in the deceptions myself until I started to study Your word. Lord Jesus, I pray that people will read their Bibles as time is short. We know you came right on time in the first Advent as the Bible revealed in the Book of Daniel. Father I also pray for all the Protestant churches that have said the ‘Protest’ is over & they wish to be in agreement again with the Papal Catholic Church of Rome. May these followers of yours also study their Bibles.
I ask all these prayers in your precious name Jesus, Amen.
Here is a video from a man that came out of the Catholic deception:
If you want to order a paper copy of Table Talk, just search Bing & you will find one. Below is an online summary of Table Talk.

Gutenberg Files

People That God Uses to Do Big Things

eugene-adventistPeople have done incredible things in the world. The following message is from Pastor Greg Middlestetter’s sermon at the Eugene, Oregon Seventh-day Adventist church on Sabbath, 26 December 2015.

A Cast of Nobodies

God does things differently. We are one year closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. God’s thoughts & thinking are beyond our comprehension.

Pastor Greg shared about how he felt overwhelmed one Sabbath when four of the Arise Pastors were all sitting in the sanctuary listening to his sermon. Jesus birth in Bethlehem is an example of God using ‘Nobodies’ to accomplish miraculous events.

Isaiah 9:6
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

wisemenWhen the King of the Universe appeared, don’t you think that event should have made big news? God sent Jesus to this world through an average young woman named Mary. Mary was no one special.

Luke 1:30
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

Joseph was an unknown person. He was not wealthy or top 10. God comes to us when our heart is willing.

This is how God uses people in the world. God picks people, gifts them with skills and uses the people’s talents for His work.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Joseph depended on God. He followed God’s call.

eugene-sanctuaryThe shepherds were also considered nobodies and were picked by God to welcome Jesus. The wise men were different. Their customs, language, and religion were wrong but God used them to fund Jesus’ parents.

Elizabeth and Zechariah were the ordinary parents of John the Baptist who was Jesus’ cousin. God picks ordinary people to do big things in the world. God looks for faithful hearts.

The good news of Christmas is that God Loves Us & Can Use Us to do big things where you are in the world.

Just pray & open a conversation with God. All you have to say is: God Use me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

God communicates with us through these three channels:

1. His Word in the Holy Bible
2. Through Prayer
3. Through Nature

Four Gifts of the Wise Men

wisemenThe Four Gifts of the Magi is a powerful message that Pastor Mike Bauler gave at the Historic Message Bible Church in Portland, Oregon on Sabbath 19 December 2015.

Scripture Reading is Numbers 24:17
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth.”

Matthew 2:1-12
The Visit of the Magi

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6
‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

There is order to everything in the Bible. Everything is ordered by God.

The Wise Men brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Let us look at the spiritual meaning of these gifts.

A. Gold
Revelation 3:18
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

james1-17Spiritual Meaning of Gold is found in the following verses:

James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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

Love is the engine for Faith. Faith & Love leads us to Obedience. God is Faith & Love working together.

John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love.

Jesus abided in God His Father.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

B. Frankincense
Let us quickly review the earthly sanctuary.

Exodus 25:23
The Table of Showbread

23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.

and Exodus 25:30
You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.

So the Table of Showbread had the Presence of God.

Leviticus 24:5-9
“Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. 6 You shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. 7 You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. 9 It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lord’s offerings by fire, his portion forever.”

Frankincense was placed on loaves for memorial.

Exodus 30:1
The Altar of Incense

“Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.

and Exodus 30:34
The Incense

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.”

and Exodus 30:6
“You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.”

and Revelation 8:3
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

When we pray, our prayers are like incense to God. We meet with God through prayer. Frankincense is white

John 6:48
I am the bread of life.

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Hebrews 6:19-20
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Just remember that the Bread ( God ) is always on the Table. Jesus priestly ministry on behalf of man is to save.

C. Myrrh
Exodus 30:23
“Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty.”

Jesus was crucified at CalvaryHoly Anointing Oil
When Jesus was suffering on the cross, Roman soldiers offered Him wine mixed with myrrh.

Mark 15:23
“They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.”

Myrrh is very bitter. Jesus refused it on the cross.

After Jesus had died the physical death on the cross, Nicodemus came to embalm Him.

John 19:39
“Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.”

Myrrh was an embalming oil.

In Matthew 2:11 the Wise Men or Magi worshipped Jesus.

D. Worship Is the Fourth Gift
In Scriptures, when people fell down, they were rendering extreme respect.

In the Book: “Desire of Ages” by Ellen White, the wise men recognized the presence of Divinity. The wise men gave their hearts to the Savior.

Page 63
The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem. The shadows of night were falling as they left the gates, but to their great joy they again saw the star, and were directed to Bethlehem. At Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn King. None of the world’s honored men were in attendance. Jesus was cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were His only guardians. Could this be He of whom it was written, that He should “raise up the tribes of Jacob,” and “restore the preserved of Israel;” that He should be “a light to the Gentiles,” and for “salvation unto the end of the earth”? Isaiah 49:6.

“When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.” Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus, they recognized the presence of Divinity. They gave their hearts to Him as their Saviour, and then poured out their gifts,—“gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” What a faith was theirs!

The greatest gift we can give is to give Jesus our heart.

Seattle to Nashville on Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines launched daily nonstop service between Seattle and Nashville on 23 September 2015. Alaska is flying its brand new Boeing 737 – 900 Extended Range on the route as demand is strong. Here is a photo from Nashville Aviation’s Instagram account.

A Sabbath Lesson from Luke a Gentile

I write this out of love & am not judging anyone as the Bible clearly tells me that is not for any man to do.

Today is Sunday which is the first day of the week. Most of the Christian world attends services today. Some of the pictures I see from people at one of the so called non denominational churches has pictures of rock bands on stage.

Andrews Study BibleI am a Conservative Bible Christian. Jesus is my example. Jesus is what I follow. I would never walk into a place of so called worship if it resembled a night club. That is my first thought when I see some of the pictures people are posting.

There are many wonderful Christian hymns that can be used to Praise the Lord by using an organ, violins & even acoustic guitars. You will never see the heavy metal type instruments in our church that meets on the Bible Sabbath which is Saturday.

Luke was the only Gospel writer that was a Gentile. He clearly emphasizes the Sabbath to a population of Christians made up of a large proportion of people without a strong Sabbath background. He highlights the fact that Jesus’ followers faithfully observed the first Sabbath of the Christian era. Luke makes it explicitly clear which day he was talking about by making prominent the fact that Jesus was crucified on Friday ( Luke 23:54 ), rested on the Saturday Sabbath ( verse 56 ), & resurrected on Sunday, the first day of the week ( Luke 24:1-6 )

Luke had stressed the fact that Jesus kept the Sabbath ( Luke 4:16 ). In the Book of Acts, Luke consistently presents the apostles as worshipping on the Sabbath rather than Sunday ( Acts 13:14, 42, 44: 17:2; 18:4 ) and even when there are not enough Jews to form a congregation ( Acts 16:13 )

Before you write a comment that the Sabbath is for the Jews, how many Jews were around in Genesis 2 when God created the Sabbath day ? The answer is of course none. There are only 8 first day texts in the Bible & none of them is talking about ‘worship’.

We have a choice in this life that God blesses us with each day. We can follow man’s traditions which include many errors or we can follow & study the Bible to find the truth. In prayer, ask God to show you clear understanding of His Word.

Genesis 1:5
God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

The above verse is the only first day text in the Old Testament.

Sabbath6Matthew 28:1
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mark 16:1-2
Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

Mark 16:9
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Luke 24:1
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

John 20:1
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

John 20:19
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Acts 20:7
Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

Of the seven texts in the New Testament, the above one is the only one that mentions a message was being given but there is no reference to worshipping God. If you remember that the day begins at sunset, this meeting was actually a Saturday after the sun had set. Paul spoke until midnight as he planned on leaving on Sunday morning. Let us look at just one other text in Acts that mentions the Disciples, the Jews & now the Gentiles were breaking bread together.

The custom of the time during the early Christian church was to lay up offerings for stewardship. Paul and the Disciples had expenses as they traveled the world preaching the Gospel message.

1 Corinthians 16:1-3
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.

Laying up at home an offering for the next Sabbath was a principle of Stewardship in the early Christian church.

Validity of Jesus Christ Crucifixion

Jesus was crucified at CalvarySome people try to deny that a man named Jesus Christ was actually put on a cross with 2 criminals & died for mankind’s sins.

Here are some verifiable facts.

Roman custom was to let a person hang suffering on a cross for days & then throw the body out for scavengers to eat. Jewish custom was much more merciful.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 tells us how a dead body was removed from the cross because it was not to remain all night upon the tree. Burial that same day was required.

The day Jesus was crucified was the Friday before a High Sabbath Day which also was the Passover Celebration. The Jews demanded all 3 of the men be removed from their crosses before sundown to not break their custom.

The two criminals had there legs broken to hasten death. When the Roman soldiers got to Jesus, they did not break his legs as they noticed HE was already dead. One of the soldiers did pierce his chest and a stream of blood & water came out of Jesus. Dead people do not normally bleed.

HumanHeartDiagram_24311767 [Converted]Medical knowledge suggests that in cases of a ruptured heart, the blood in the heart mixes with the fluid in the pericardium, which surrounds the heart. The spear that went into Jesus hit that sack of fluid indicating that Jesus had not died from His physical injuries but from a broken heart as He bore the sins of the world. Our sins crushed His heart.

John 19:31-37
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

One of Jesus disciples did not run from the event. His name was John. He wrote in his Gospel that he was an eyewitness of the events of that dark day.

Jesus Christ Was a Protestant

Jesus Christ was a Protestant.

There are 2 options for Christian people:

1. Bible Based Christianity

2. Man Based Christianity

Baptism with Holy Spirit1. a. The Bible teaches that the Blood of the Lamb of God ( Jesus ) restores the repentant sinner to God. Man only has to believe & accept Jesus. Instead of having ATONEMENT ( Broken down means = at one with God ) by animal sacrifices which was the Old Covenant under the Mosaic Law, the New Covenant is based on the death of Jesus on the Cross at Calvary. Acts 2:38

b. Bible based Christianity follows the total immersion in water by all that can once the person has accepted Jesus as their Savior. The reason total immersion is so critical is it symbolizes the death to the old sinful self going down into the water & the new life in Jesus Christ when you come up out of the water. Matthew 3:16

c. The word for Saturday in hundreds of languages of the world is ‘Sabbath’. The word with a capital ‘S’ appears 96 times in the Old Testament & 59 times in the New Testament of the Bible.

holyGenesis 2 tells us that the seventh-day Sabbath ( Saturday ) was a day that God Blessed, Sanctified & Rested from all His Work. this was right before Adam was created.

In Exodus 20:8-12, God tells us to Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy. God wants us to honor each Sabbath as a rest day to remember that He is our Creator & Redeemer. Bible based Christians follow the Seventh-day Sabbath & rest from Friday sunset through Saturday sunset. It is a time for family, Bible study, fellowship with other Christians, worship & avoiding the cares of this world.

2. a. Roman Catholicism teaches you are saved by your works. This does away with Atonement. It brings in more error including the concept of an immortal soul & purgatory.

b. Catholicism adopted sprinkling water over the head of a person in their worship services back in 1311. You can still see old baptismal pools in the oldest cathedrals in Europe when the Catholic church still followed the Bible example of full immersion in water.

Sabbath6c. Catholicism adopted the Pagan sun worship celebrations & declared that the Catholic church has the authority to change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. The Early Christian Church still worshiped on the Seventh-day ( Saturday ) Sabbath for the first 300 years of the religion. The change was instituted by the Emperor Constantine around 330 AD. Catholic Encyclicals discuss this openly & you can find out more on the church’s website which is catholic.com

Did you know that the Prophet Daniel predicted that there would be a Power that thinks to change the times & the law over 600 years before Jesus Christ was on this earth? Read Daniel 7:25

Bible Based Christianity is rapidly growing. Contact me if you want some free online Bible studies.

Sources Used: My own Bible study & listening to Pastor Walter Veith preach on Amazing Discoveries a sermon titled: “I Want My Church Back”.

I Was Lost and Jesus Found Me

Just realized I had not shared my conversion process of how I went from someone who knew about Jesus to someone who knows Jesus, has experienced Him & His Peace.
I left the church of my youth when I went off to college. Had serious problems come up from about 1975 through February 1994. There were accidents, lost jobs, many relationship problems & other problems that come up living on what is known as ‘SELF-WILL’.
I didn’t want to have anything to do with God. Was chasing the high life so to say. On a winter morning I walked into a Veterans Hospital near death. From that time till today, I know that there is some POWER in the world that does fine managing the world without me being involved. I have had every single need met since that day.
By learning that God is living in people, I was able to begin what I call my growth journey. When an opportunity to minister to hurting souls came up whether in jails, prisons, hospitals or nursing homes, I am thankful that my resolve was and still is to always say “Yes, I will Go” & be a part of that outreach or mission work. I knew I was in God’s Will, not mine when I was following the guidance of God. There was still some more growth that needed to happen.
After being outsourced from the best employer I ever worked for in 2005, I bought some property in the country & used my Business education to go to work for myself. While living out in this rural area, a neighbor asked me if I wanted to study the Bible. I had just read the Bible through the past year & said “Yes” to the person that asked me.
Real Important Point Here:
Who did the searching ? I had started the process by reading the Bible the past year then God sent this neighbor into my life & that is how God works. He is searching for every soul as He Loves All.
Andrews Study BibleWhen you study the Bible with someone, the Word comes out more powerful & I learned what it means to ask for the Holy Spirit to be with us as we studied. I learned so much truth that I had just never noticed or glossed over so to say.
About 3 months or so after starting this process, I agreed to be baptized by immersion in a baptismal pool just like Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan. I remember feeling so much relief that all that filth from my past, and trust me I was the dirtiest soul but was now washed clean.
I had noticed a calming peace come into my life all during this process of when I began attending a church that believes strongly in following the clear guidance of God found in His Word the Bible. Things that used to bother me no longer sent me into an emotional state of upset. Anger stopped coming up at ordinary things like someone cutting you off in traffic or someone doing behaviors that I don’t like such as blasting music so loud in their vehicle that it hurts your ears.
Baptism with Holy SpiritOn the day I was baptized, it was my oldest sister’s birthday in 2007. I came home & felt so much joy, peace, & a sense that I was forgiven for all of my past sins & bad behaviors. It was a warm late summer day & I looked out at the tall Douglas Fir trees at the end of the little farm God had loaned me & I had the most incredible thing happen to me.
I felt like I was wrapped up in a comfortable or favorite blanket & God spoke to me through the Holy Spirit that He has me in His Hands, He Forgives me, He Loves me, Always Has Loved me, Always Will Love me.
When you experience Jesus, it is the most incredible event of your life. Everyone will have a different conversion experience. I wake up in the morning & the first thing on my mind is Thanks to God for keeping me through the night & thanks for blessing me with breath for starting another new day to walk with Him. I am compelled to share Him, His Love, His Peace, & His Mercy.
Once again since trusting in the Lord Jesus all my needs have always been met since 1994. I have so many blessings in my life that I cannot begin to share them. Please share your testimony with me as I enjoy reading about how people come to Jesus !

Courage of a Missionary

This is a story about a man that displayed incredible courage. A group of prisoners during World War II were put to work on an assignment under grueling conditions. The soldiers guarding them were brutal in their treatment; many of the captured were not even part of the enemy army.

One day the commander lined up the prisoners and stated that a shovel had been stolen and that the guilty party must step forward to be punished – which meant he would lose his life. After it was quiet for a moment, the commander shouted: “If someone doesn’t step forward, I will kill all of you!”

Jesus was crucified at CalvaryAt that moment a missionary quietly moved forward. The other prisoners gasped, because they knew this man had not stolen the shovel. They understood he was willing to give his life in order to save the rest of them. The missionary was indeed killed, and the men never forgot the sacrificial love of this innocent man.

In a small way, this story describes what happened when Jesus Christ stepped forward to give His life for a lost world. The pure, innocent Son of God willingly took the death sentence for all of us so that we, who rightfully deserve death, might be free. Romans 3:23 says: “All have sinned.” Because “the wages of sin is death” ( Romans 6:23 ) and all have sinned, something special was required for every person who has ever lived.

If Jesus was only a man, He could not have paid for the sins of the entire world, however, Jesus was all the fullness of God in a man’s body. ( Colossians 2:9 ) Only one whose life is equal to all mankind could die for the sins of the human race. Because Jesus is the Creator and Author of all life, the life He laid down was more than equivalent to the lives of all people who would ever live. And since Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He is now able to administer the benefits of His gift of love to all who ask in faith.

O Lamb of God, my words are inadequate to express my love for you, who gave your life for me.

How could one man’s death pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind? John 3:16
Source: 365 Amazing Answers to Big Bible Questions devotional by Doug Batchelor
Article is from the 5th of October !

Gift of Time

Gift of Time
Ask a student the value of a year
Ask a mother of a premature baby the value of a month
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper the value of a week
Ask romantic lovers waiting to unite the value of an hour
Ask a person that narrowly escapes an accident the value of a second
Ask any silver medal winner at the Olympic Games the value of a millisecond
globeSome people say they don’t have time to go to church or prayer meeting or to spend daily time with God in Bible Study.
People have a choice in life how they spend their time. We don’t want to waste time because it is so precious.
The choices & values in our life have a large bearing on how we spend our time.
How we spend our time is very important to Jesus. The Bible is a Guide Book that teaches man how to live life.
Luke 13:6-9
Fig Tree Parable
 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
God wants us to be productive.
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.
Every first day of January that we live is a new gift of time. Then each 24 hours after are all gifts to you.
Joel 2:25
So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
Are you worried about time that was not spend wisely ? We can go forward & focus on the ‘Present’ as yesterday is History and tomorrow is a Mystery.
26 December 2004
Tsunami took lives of thousands of people & the gift of time was no more for them.
How many of these people had used their time wisely?
How many were ready to meet God?
Facing the coming Judgment is the most important event of our lives.
We all have bits & pieces of free time throughout the day where we can develop our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Write out a Bible text each morning & when there is a free moment in the day, pull the text out. Over time you will learn many verses of Scripture that will help you get through this life.
Growth takes time so don’t expect it to happen overnight. Begin a daily prayer life. God will bring about growth for you.
Contact me if you want to know more about becoming a ‘Christian’.
This message was given on Adventist Media in September 2015 by Barry Kimbrough, who is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church Pastor.

Prayer of Confession

A Prayer of Confession

Let us pray,
Lord God, we come to You to say that we are sorry
Because we do not always behave
Like those who belong to You.
We set our hearts & minds on things in the world,
Instead of putting pleasing You first. Help us to put you first, always ! Amen
JesusHere are four simple steps to begin walking with the Lord Jesus Christ !
1. Acknowledge My Sin
Romans 3:23
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
2. Faith
Acts 16:31
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
3. Confess
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
4. Accept
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Prayer helps develop our relationship with God. I have learned to be in prayer all through the day now to help me in this world that we live in.

Glory of God

These are the sermon notes that I took from Pastor Edward Nelson’s sermon about the Glory of God at Whipple Creek Seventh-day Adventist church on 22 August 2015.
Power of a Lie
The biggest lie ever told was the deceptions of Satan in Genesis 3 in the Bible.
Satan’s Accusations:
1. God Is Overbearing
2. God Is Lying ( Eve would not die for eating of the forbidden fruit )
3. God Cannot Be Trusted
What does the Bible say?
serpentJohn 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
1 Timothy 6:16
God alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
In Isaiah 40:3-5, the true Character of God is fully revealed.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4
Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 40:9
O Zion,
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
Glory of God
Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
JudgementHebrews 1:1-3
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,  2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;  3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Isaiah 40 tells us that all flesh will behold the Glory of God.
John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Glory of Jesus’ birth, Glory of His Power to Save ( Peter was drowning ), Glory to Forgive, Glory of His Father reveals the true nature & character of God.
Jesus was crucified at Calvary
John 12:23-25
But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12:31-33
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
Jesus tells us His Hour Has Come !
John 17:1
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”
The last human act of Jesus revealed the Glory of the Cross & this is the most important event in the history of mankind as that means sinful man can be restored through having Faith in Jesus Christ to forgive our sins.
So the Truth Found in the Bible Says:
Glory of God:
1. God Is Humble
2. God Speaks Only Truth
3. God Keeps His Covenant
Read Isaiah 42 from your Bible to learn about God’s Character.
John 14:8-9
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,  4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.  5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.  6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:1-5
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—  2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—  3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.  4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
There is NO darkness at all in God !
Newer Posts Older Posts