What Do You Mean By Bible Believer?

 What do you mean by "Bible Believer"? Well, it's a good question since there are more than 300 different English translations of the Bible in circulation since 1901!

That's right, Bible translation and publication is big business. And people are just suckers for anything that claims to be new and updated.

Think about it. Don't you buy the "new" toothbrush, the "new" razorblade, the "new" detergent, the "new potato chip, or the "new" air freshener? Why, if you slapped "new and improved" on turtle food, someone would buy it!

My personal favorite is this one: (You've seen it a million times) "Brand New Look; Same Great Taste". Which in a nutshell means that it is the same old stuff repackaged so that you will buy it.

This has happened with the new Bible translations. And many people are oblivious to the diabolical "new" changes that have taken place.

Acts 17:21- (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

Let's investigate and see what happened right under the noses of a majority of modern professing Christians.

II Thessalonians 2:2- That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Satan is an imitator of God and was busy perverting the truth before the New Testament was completed. He has never had a shortage of willing accomplices in unregenerated mankind.

Romans 1:18,25- For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

II Corinthians 2:17- For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

II Corinthians 11:14-15- And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Jeremiah 23:30- Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

Proverbs 30:5-6- Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Revelation 22:18-19- For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Satan is involved in stealing the pure words of God away from Christians and substituting the language of the New Age Movement in their place.

Consider these examples: Matthew 17:21, Matthew 18:11, Matthew 23:14, Mark 7:16, Mark 11:26, Mark 15:28, Luke 17:36, Luke 23:17, Acts 8:37, Acts 15:34, Acts 15:28-29, and Romans 16:24 are completely missing from the NIV and most "new" Bibles!

This isn't a question of making something easier to understand, but of completely stealing the word of God from people!

This is an incredible indictment against these new versions of the Bible which have done nothing to aid in the furtherance and understanding of the Holy Scriptures, but to the contrary have done untold damage to Christians everywhere. These are only a few samples of more than 35,000 changes that the "new" versions have made.

So is there an English translation of the Bible that doesn't have all of these Satanic omissions and additions? Is there a Bible that I can believe in?

Thank God, yes, there is!

It's your great Grandma's Bible- the King James Authorized Version of  1611! The King James Bible is the preserved word of God in the English language.

Psalms 12:6-7- The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

• The KJV is the seventh English translation of the Bible from Syrian manuscripts, all new versions come from corrupt Egyptian manuscripts.
• The text of the KJV has no copyright, all others do.
• The KJV has been responsible for national revivals, millions saved, and sound doctrine.
• The KJV is the version that every "new" version compares itself to when they come out.
• The KJV gives the Lord Jesus Christ the preeminence that the other versions do not.

It is the Bible that God uses and that Satan hates.

Isaiah 9:3- Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Every other Bible version says that God has increased the joy! They can't both be right.

Every existing manuscript of Isaiah has the reading of the KJV, even the corrupt ones! You see, there is a worldly joy, and there is "the joy of the Lord" which is our strength. The new bible translators cannot understand how a nation could be multiplied without having the hoy increased. They think that gain is godliness.

Luke 12:15- And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

The phrase "be fruitful" is found in 9 verses: Genesis 1:22, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 8:17, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 26:22, Genesis 35:11, Genesis 41:52, Jeremiah 23:3, Hosea 13:15.

The word "planted is found 9 times in the New Testament: Matthew 15:13, Matthew 21:33, Mark 12:1, Luke 13:6, Luke 17:6, Luke 17:28, Luke 20:9, Romans 6:5, and I Corinthians 3:6.

John 15:5- I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

This is the 9th verse that has both "vine" and "branches in it: Genesis 40:10, Isaiah 16:8, Ezekiel 17:6-8, Ezekiel 19:10, Joel 1:7, Nahum 2:2, and John 15:5.

Numbers represent things in the Bible, and 9 is the number of fruitfulness.

A Christian cannot bear fruit without using God's methods and truths from the Word of God. This phrase "word of God (having 9 letters) is found 45 times (9 X 5) in the New Testament.

The only verse that uses it twice tells us that the Word of God works effectually in us!

I Thessalonians 2:13- For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

There are 9 fruits of the Spirit in the 9th New Testament book.

Galatians 5:22-23- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Pentecost has nine letters. Holy Ghost has nine letters. Comforter has nine letters.

The KJV has been responsible for spiritual revivals and conversions, social, cultural, governmental, medicinal, linguistic blessings, and has been quoted on the moon!

Colossians 1:5-6- For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

King James = 9 letters

Holy Bible = 9 letters

1+6+1+1 = 9

Matthew 24:35- Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Now, ask yourself why would anyone want to change a perfect book? Who would want to change a perfect book? You know the answer.

It's not to make it easier to understand. As previously stated, the new versions all have copyrights, and to avoid copyright infringement, you need to make substantial changes to the original work.. If there are 300 different versions and all of them are different enough to be copyrighted, they cannot be saying the same thing!

It's time to ask yourself what you believe, and why.

-Adam Trosclair

A 360* View Of The Lord’s Supper (video sermon)

 

God Is A History Teacher

 Why is it that we want to treat God like he is our Math Teacher instead of treating Him like our History Teacher?

Let me explain - think about a high school math class: What does the teacher put on the board everyday? PROBLEMS! 

What is the math textbook filled with? PROBLEMS! 

What do student have for homework? PROBLEMS!

AND what is the goal with all of these problems? SOLVE THEM!

In contrast, think about a high school history class. What does the teacher discuss in class? FACTS! 

What is the history textbook filled with? FACTS! 

What do students memorize in preparation for quizzes? FACTS! and how do we approach history facts? 

Do we try to somehow "solve" them? Do we try to change Independence Day from July 4th to Aug 4th?

 
Of course not. We know that we can't "solve" facts. When it comes to facts, our goal is to accept them, understand them and learn from them.

Think about this: Everything is history to God... He said, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."(Rev 22:13 KJV) 

There is nothing about what God has done or will do in our lives that needs to be "solved." God wants us to learn the "FACTS" and accept HIM, understand HIM and learn from HIM...

Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Thomas Wayne Willingham

Destined For A Fall (poem)

There was a people long ago
Who had great riches, wealth untold;
They built a city with a wall,
A kingdom they thought would never fall.

How they labored unceasingly
To lay up treasure increasingly;
They gave no thought to what lay beyond,
That their kingdom would someday be gone.

But one by one the stones came down;
The city was leveled to the ground,
No more fortune to be found,
No one left to wear a crown.

The mighty kingdom fell at last;
Its beauty's gone, its pleasure's past;
All was lost they sought to gain,
Their lives were wasted, their labor vain.

You can build a kingdom with a mighty wall,
But like the kingdom long ago, it is destined for a fall,
Unless Christ the Lord becomes your King
And ruler of everything.

—Perry Boardman

Be Thou My Vision (song)

The Tragic Death Of Naboth

 Meditating on the tragic death of Naboth, a clear example of a man who died on the principle that he would not sell out the heritage of his fathers. What I’m thinking about this morning, though, is not the wicked plot of Jezebel or the wicked passivity of Ahab.

I King 21:1-7- And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Rather, I’m meditating on the wicked participation of the elders of the city.

I Kings 21:8-14- So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

They knew the accusation against Naboth was baseless, for what was required was finding “sons of Belial” to bear false witness against him.

They knew that Naboth was a man of integrity and honor. Yet, so as not to incur the displeasure of the powerful king and queen, they saw his righteous cause as inconvenient and unworthy of defending.

They found the false witnesses.
They stirred up the city against Naboth, on account of his “blasphemy” against God.
They occasioned his death.
They destroyed his heritage.
They killed not only Naboth, but his heirs.
They erased a name in Israel. All because of fear that they would be next if they stood on principle with the defenseless one.

It’s easy to wax indignant against accusations of wrongdoing of a brother who has no connections, limited influence, and a position that adds no value to one’s own worth and ambitions.

It’s quite another thing to refuse to hide the sin and indiscretion of those more prominent.

May I remind you that the elders of this city had one duty, and that was to speak the truth, even if that put them on the wrong side of Ahab and Jezebel. God’s men have the same responsibility. They must speak the truth, even if it puts them on the wrong side of a wicked, yet prominent, figure. Certainly, it is not their duty to hide his sin, and join with him in destroying the inconvenient voices.

II Kings 10:11- So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

The elders of the city did not escape the judgment of Ahab. Jehu destroyed them the same. Naboth went home to his reward. Those who destroyed his name, reputation, and heritage received theirs as well.

I’d rather be with Naboth than Jezebel.

Johnathan Bach

The Judgment Of The Nations

This judgment is for those who survive the tribulation. This is not the Christian's judgment, nor is it the judgment at the end of time when everyone that has ever lived will be judged by God.

When Christ comes back and destroys the AntiChrist's kingdom, He will bind Satan and cast him into the bottomless pit. Then He will judge the nations according to how they helped or hindered the people of Israel. It is not based on faith, but on how they treated the Jews during the tribulation period.

Joel 3:1-2,11-14- For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

This will be a terrifying time for humanity. Standing before the Lord Jesus Christ after He's bound the AntiChrist who people thought was invincible, knowing that now they will be next.

Can you imagine escaping the holocaust that the AntiChrist propagates, and enduring the destruction and plagues that God has rained down on the earth, then to be ushered before the Conquering Savior to give an account of what you did while trying to survive?

Matthew 25:31-40- When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

This particular judgment isn't mentioned in any other gospel. Matthew writes his gospel from the view of Christ the King. And this judgment only occurs after He is crowned King during the Millennium.

Mark emphasized Christ's humanity. Luke regards Him as the servant. And, John points out His deity as the Son of God. None of these viewpoints show His kingship, and that is why this event isn't expounded upon in their writings.

Christ is the one who will be doing the judging at this time.

John 5:22- For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Notice how in Matthew, Jesus said it is based on how they treated his brethren, the Jewish people. How you treat the Israelites during the tribulation will seal your fate in the millennial kingdom.

Isaiah 58:10-12- And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Some will make it through to live in the renewed earth under Jesus as their ruler for the millennium. Others will be cast alive into a burning pit.

Matthew 25:41-45- Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 

This fire is not buried deep in the heart of the earth like hell. It's a pit that is on the surface of the earth where people can come and look at those who have been imprisoned there.

Isaiah 66:23-24- And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

This was prophesied back in the Old Testament. But many who read this passage believed it would occur when the Messiah came the first time. It didn't happen then because the first advent was all about Christ dying for the sins of the world. This recompense is for a specific time after the second return of Christ when He rescues the remnant of the Jews that survive the devastation of the AntiChrist during the tribulation period.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10- And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

When does He recompense this vengeance? When He is revealed from heaven as the true Messiah who has come to be glorified- the Second Advent.

Revelation 19:11-16- And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Christ as King returning in flaming fire to smite the nations. Why is coming like the force of a nuclear bomb with the angels of heaven and the redeemed from the Church Age? To rescue the remnant of the Jewish people that have survived the captivity of the Tribulation.

Ezekiel 39:25-29- Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

When the time of Jacob's trouble ends, the time of the Gentile nations' judgment will begin.

Jeremiah 30:16,23,24- Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.

Jeremiah knew there was a judgment coming. Even the disciple, Jude, speaks of the time when Enoch prophesied of this before the flood of Noah.

Jude 1:14-15- And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Where does this judgment take place?

Zechariah 14:4-5- And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

It happens just outside of Jerusalem, where Christ's grand entrance has split the Mount of Olives and has made a valley- the Valley of Decision, as Joel called it.

How does one avoid ending up in this place? By taking care of the Jews during the Great Tribulation when the AntiChrist is actively hunting them to destroy them. What you do could cost you greatly during the AntiChrist's rule, but it will definitely cost you during Christ's reign.

Numbers 32:23- But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Isaiah 3:10-11- Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Ode To Charlie Kirk (poem)

 A grain of wheat has fallen
Which once grew tall in truth
From a stalk of divine calling
A call to revive our nation's youth.

The assassin's bullet scythed min down
His blood then soaked into the ground
But from this ground of hearts will grow
A bountiful harvest the world will know.

Hoping to silence his voice of truth
With hate filled hearts they stopped the ears
But soon they'll hear a choir of America's youth
Singing Charlie's Song for many years:

Jesus saves! He purifies!
The peace He gives- it satisfies!
He gives us purpose. He gives us light.
Now rise up Christian! Join the fight!

Fight for freedom! Fight for truth!
Fight for our country! Fight for youth!
Trust in Jesus. Do not wait.
Fight with love instead of hate!

-Dee Dee Hall

Thoughts Regarding The Assassination Of Charlie Kirk

 

 I am not typically a "current events" guy...

I am not a "headlines preacher"...

Never been my thing...

That said, this week's events hit a bit different due to the fact that I have personally had threats on my life and safety, threats of lawsuits, threats of "destroying my church", and the list goes on, in 15 years of ministry...  

The bullet tore the air in half. A folding chair rattled. A Bible dropped. A young man slumped sideways beneath a white event tent, eyes wide with the weight of eternity.

It was supposed to be a conversation. A “prove me wrong” segment. But this time, rebuttal came not with words, but with a rifle.

Charlie Kirk didn’t get to finish his sentence.

WHY?

All because of words, ideas, beliefs, that were shared that someone else despised...

What was their solution to the problem? Kill the messenger.

The human tendency for violence isn't new - it's been around since Abel's blood cried from the ground after his brother, Cain, took him out, due to his envy & self righteousness and his hatred for what Abel stood for - that's been thousands of years.   

And guess what? THAT IS IN EVERY HUMAN BEING to this day... the only thing that can change a man or woman's hateful and bitter heart, is the LOVE OF GOD... the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which our brother in Christ, Charlie Kirk, often preached and mentioned.

Charlie isn't the only one they are trying to quiet. If you've taken any sort of stand that goes against what they believe, their "tolerance" becomes non-existent. They show their true colors- hate.

An attempt to shut me or my ministry down because their insecure minds were threatened with words from a Book that they claim are archaic, too hard to understand, and full of "fairy tales"... strange, indeed!

I have never seen someone get this upset over words shared from "the Brothers Grimm" or "Aesop's Fables", but for some reason, this Book and principles from it are a "threat to society", while also being full of "fairy tales". Not sure both of those can coexist simultaneously.

Do you know why people want others dead? This world IS THEIR KINGDOM - it's as close to heaven as they will come, and they see the need to fight with violence to maintain what they want, even if it means killing innocent people because of ideas they disagree with...

I got the news just before the prayer meeting. I contemplated this death as I prepared to lead the saints in prayer. But I didn’t feel like praying. Not tonight. My hands were still. My mouth was ready. But my soul was pacing. Angry. Grieving. Tempted.

Tempted to grow quiet.
Tempted to sit this one out.
Tempted to wonder if any of this, faith, boldness, public gospel witness, is still worth it.
Because hatred in this world isn’t simmering anymore. It is boiling.

Europe is trembling. Israel is burning. Rockets lit the sky over Gaza again. Drones rained fire down on Ukraine, again. And now, here on American soil, the blood of a Christian apologist paints the pavement of a university quad.

What do you do with that? What do you say when courage gets gunned down in daylight?

Charlie Kirk was no perfect man. None of us are. But he had a backbone where most Christians don’t anymore. He was a believer. Unashamed. Unafraid. He understood that real conversations only happen when truth is welcome at the table. And the truth he carried most was Christ.

He brought the gospel into public space on purpose. Because the gospel isn’t supposed to stay in church basements and private Bible studies. It is meant to confront. It is supposed to offend. It was not made for safety.

Christ didn't die to make your dreams come true. He died to save your soul from hell. How will people hear that good news if someone isn't out there telling them?

When someone speaks words I disagree with, I generally ignore it (social media has conditioned us that we have to speak on everything), or if I do feel compelled to respond for the betterment of someone else, I will, with different WORDS, IDEAS, and BELIEFS, but not with violence...

But that seems to be the dying world's only recourse.

The Word became flesh and they nailed Him to a tree.

So of course they came for Charlie. Of course they reached for a gun. This is what evil does when it runs out of arguments. It doesn’t reason; It kills.

That’s the part that catches in my throat. Not just the sadness, but the strategy of hell behind it.

The Enemy wants us afraid. He wants us to see what happened to Charlie and backpedal. He wants the rest of us to whisper, to soften the message, to believe the lie that faith should stay private.

But Christ never whispered. He preached in temples, on hillsides, in courtrooms, at dinner tables. And when they told Him to be quiet, He picked up His cross. Not a symbolic one.
A real one. Heavy. Bloody. Splintered.

When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He didn’t hand out maps. He handed out crosses.

I have continued to see "WE ARE NOT THE SAME"... truth is, we aren't, but not for the reason many think.

I am not the same but it is because over 30 years ago, I asked the Creator of the Universe to be my Savior. I am not the same, not because I am better than my fellow man and am more "righteous" in and of myself, but because the Lord Jesus Christ made me a "new creature"...

For the believer, as beautiful as fallen creation can be, this world is as close to hell, as I will ever come... this world is NOT MY HOME... mine is waiting for me.   That’s what I remembered tonight.

2,000 years ago my Savior made a promise!

John 14:2-3
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

I have HOPE, I have LIGHT, I have PEACE, regardless of your politics... and every sinner is called to have this hope if they will receive it. Put your politics aside, and know you have an eternal soul that God cares deeply for - so much so, He sent His Son to die FOR YOU!

The world doesn't need more violence...it needs more JESUS!

NOT more religion...

NOT more political movements...

MORE JESUS!

When He was attacked and ridiculed, mocked, beaten, and unjustly killed by sinners, He said, "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO"... He said to a sinner who cried for mercy in his last moments "TODAY THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE"...

That is NOT how we typically respond to threats... we typically respond with more hatred...  

I sat in our prayer space, surrounded by saints who had brought prayer lists and worn Bibles. And I realized I didn’t want to lead them in mourning. I wanted to lead them into battle. Not with banners or fists, but with open Bibles and tear-stained prayers.

The kind of war that kneels in gravel beside the wounded, hands them living water, and refuses to leave. The kind that speaks both mercy and judgment without flinching. The kind Charlie died for.

They have NO HOPE, NO GOD, NO FAITH...

This world is not a friend to grace. But grace isn’t fragile.

JESUS is the solution...

Just know, we believers will not stop preaching Him, we will not stop preaching His truths, we will not stop going to college campuses, the streets, we will not stop preaching Him at work, around the dinner table, to friends, family, enemies, and in "ALL THE WORLD"...

His message - His death for sinners, His burial and His resurrection, has been saving souls and changing lives for 2000 years, and when the world seeks to silence Him & His people more, don't be surprised if more sinners are drawn to this HOPE and LIGHT, in the midst of the darkness!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

Paul didn’t leave that question unanswered.

“Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” —Romans 8:35

He piles up every fear you and I carry and then sets them on fire. “Nay. In all these things we are more than conquerors.”

That means bullets don’t win. Slander doesn’t win. Prison bars don’t win. Death doesn’t win.

You can lose everything in this world and still walk into glory with your head lifted high. Because the love of God in Christ Jesus isn’t suspended by headlines or gunfire.

Don't forget, the greatest "INFLUENCER" outside of Jesus Himself was a man named Paul who used to kill & incarcerate Christians... We all know how that turned out!

There are two worlds unfolding right now: The one you see. And the one you don’t.

One is filled with chaos. The other is filled with crowns.

I believe that when Charlie Kirk’s body slumped to the concrete, his soul stood upright in heaven. Not limping. Not silenced. Not stunned. But crowned.

He didn’t fall. He crossed, and the great cloud of witnesses gained another voice.

And I wonder if Stephen met him there.The first martyr. The man who got stoned for preaching what the crowd didn’t want to hear. The man who, in his final breath, saw the heavens open.
The only time in all of Scripture we see Jesus standing at the right hand of God, rising to receive one of His own.

I like to believe He stood again.

Are you afraid? Do you feel the tremble in your spirit? Do you wonder if it’s still worth it to speak boldly, to carry your Bible, to preach the gospel in a world that doesn’t just disagree but wants you gone?

You’re not alone. You’re not weak for feeling that.

But you are called to something stronger than silence. 

The cost is high. But the reward is Christ. And He’s not a concept. He’s a King. 

Heaven is not empty. It is filled with scarred saints who refused to bow to fear. Men who were stoned. Women who were burned. Children who sang while the flames climbed. And every last one of them arrived in heaven.

There is no difficulty that can cancel the promise of God. There is no persecution that can derail your destination. There is no sniper’s bullet that can separate a soul from Christ. Your life is not measured by how long you live on earth, but by how much of it was spent pointing to heaven.

Paul said, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith.” Then he looked toward the reward. Not a monument. Not a mention in history books. But a crown, handed to him by the One with nail marks still in His hands.

So let me say this clearly. We do not mourn like the world mourns. We do not write eulogies dripping with sentiment. We carry the banner of a Kingdom that does not tremble.

Charlie Kirk did not die for nothing. He died carrying the same message you and I must now carry forward.

The cross stands tall.
The tomb is still empty.
And the gospel has not lost one ounce of power.

So, Christian, pick up your cross. Wipe your eyes. And keep going.

WHY?

Because, the crown is worth it. The King is coming. And there’s still time to speak.

Even if they shoot. Let's keep shining, let's keep giving hope, let's keep telling the OLD STORY of redemption through Christ and restoration to a Holy & Loving God!

Lord, give us courage, Ffr we carry not just the message, but the marks. And You are worth every bruise.

This is a compilation of thoughts from Pastor Rich Bitterman and Pastor Adrian Dominguez 

Never a Time (song)

The Cross (poem)

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood;
He fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,
Shall I forget that look!
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayest live."

Thus while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too!

-John Newton

Indian Madras Lentils recipe

 2 TBS unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS grated fresh ginger
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp ground coriander seed
½ tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth,
1 cup dry black or brown lentils
1 (15-oz) can red beans or pinto beans, drained
1 (​13.66-oz) can coconut ​cream

Heat butter in a large pot or skillet over medium/high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook until onions are soft and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, coriander seed, and cayenne pepper. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Add vegetable broth and lentils. Cover and let gently simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in canned beans and coconut ​cream. Mix well.

Serve as is, or eat over rice.

Where is the Lord God of Elijah? (video sermon)

The First Adam & The Last Adam

 When God created Adam in the garden, he was a unique creation. Never before had there been a human. Never before had there been a creation that was told to maintain other parts of God's creation. And, never before had there ever been a creature that had his mate created from part of his body. 

He was the first being ever created with a living soul.

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

Adam is the reason humanity is the way it is. He was the only creature that brought damnation to the entire creation. Of course, Satan had already rebelled, but his pride only affected himself. Adam's sin, however, plunged the whole of the universe into a sinful, fallen state.

Romans 5:12- Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 8:22- For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Adam chose to sin in the garden of Eden, and because we are born from his fallen being, we, too, are sinful creatures. Just as Adam and Eve had to have an innocent lamb die to cover their sins, so we, too, had to have an innocent Lamb die for our sins.

I Corinthians 15:54- And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

After about four thousand years, God sent another very unique creation into the world. Jesus was different from any creation that had been before. He was God Almighty in a human body. He was sent for one purpose- to redeem the human race. And, through him a multitude of new creations come forth.

II Corinthians 5:17- Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Jesus faced the same temptations that Adam faced. But, where Adam failed, Jesus prevailed.

I John 2:16- For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Eve was the first to eat the fruit. Eve saw that the fruit was good for food- the lust of the flesh. Eve saw that it was pleasant to look at- the lust of the eyes. And, Eve saw that it could make her wise- the pride of life.

Adam faced these same three tests, though for him they were a bit different. Adam  deeply loved his wife and didn't want to live without her- the lust of the flesh. Adam understood if he didn't eat the fruit that he could potentially lose his life with Eve forever- the lust of the eyes. And, Adam deemed the punishment of the fruit worth more than obedience to God- the pride of life.

Hebrews 4:15- For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus faced these same three temptations when the devil stood before Him on the mountain after He had fasted for those 40 days and 40 nights. Satan told Him to turn the stones into bread- the lust of the flesh. Satan showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to Him- the lust of the eyes. Satan taunted Him to throw Himself off the temple and allow the angels to keep Him from harm thus proving to mankind that He was the Messiah- the pride of life.

Romans 5:18-19- Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Because of Adam's disobedience we have been cursed. However, because of Jesus Christ's obedience to God by His death on the cross, we have an opportunity to be made righteous.

Just like Adam, you have a choice- disobedience unto death or obedience unto righteousness.

You see, you had no choice to be born a sinner. That was passed from Adam and Eve down to you. It is a part of your creation, genetically bound inside you.

Romans 3:23- For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

The punishment that was placed on Adam was death. And that punishment followed his mutated DNA down to you. You will die one day. Your body will go into the ground. But, you are given the choice as to where your soul will go.

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

The gift of God is the pardon for your sin. It is the adoption into His family. It is eternity for the soul in heaven.

Romans 10:9-10,13- That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

When you acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. And you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth to die for your sins, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day proving that He is God who triumphs over sin and death. Then all you must do is confess to Him that you believe and ask Him to forgive you of your sin and apply the blood He shed on Calvary as payment for your sin debt.

John 3:17- For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God didn't force Adam to obey. He won't force you to accept His offer. It is a choice that you must make. Will you follow the first Adam into death? Or, will you follow Jesus Christ into everlasting life?

John 3:16- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Deuteronomy 30:19- I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

What choice do you make?

Where Did Cain Get His Wife?

The Bible opens with one of many mysteries—where did Cain get his wife? Some people think it’s trivia, but it’s not. The gospel is involved.

Who was Cain’s wife? Who cares? At first glance, who Cain married seems little more than Bible trivia. But linger on it and you’ll discover important implications for the gospel.

Genesis 4:1-17- And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Here’s the concern: Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel, Cain killed Abel, and then Cain went off and had a family with his wife. But where did Cain’s wife come from? It’s an age-old question with at least two distinct gospel consequences.

First, the unbeliever uses this sort of question to dismiss the gospel.

You see, many people today don’t believe the gospel because they don’t believe the book from which the gospel comes. They are convinced that the Bible has been disproved by evolution and its supposed ape-men, rocks that are billions of years old, and so on.

So a question like, “Where did Cain get his wife?” can be a real obstacle for them. If a Christian’s answer is, “I don’t know, but the important thing is to trust in Jesus!” their logical response is, “Why? If the Bible is wrong about history, then why trust what it says about eternal salvation?” The evolutionary view of history undermines the Bible’s authority, including what it says about sin and salvation.

Second, the believer’s response can distort the gospel.

Sadly, many Christians reject the history documented in Genesis and concede that God may have used evolution or created different people groups at the beginning. In that case, Cain’s wife would have come from people not descended from Adam. But this leads to a tragic, unintended gospel distortion. If some people are not descended from Adam, then the gospel is not for all people! Christ had to be made like us, “his brethren,” so He could redeem us. That means we must be related to Him to be saved.

Hebrews 2:17- Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Thankfully, we are related to Jesus Christ through our common ancestor Adam. God’s Word tells us all people are descendants of Adam, and all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are under the judgment of death.

Romans 5:12- Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 3:23- For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Since it was man who brought sin and death into God’s perfect creation, humanity needed one of its own to pay the perfect, infinite price to satisfy God’s righteous wrath. But how, since “all have sinned and fall short”? Wonder of wonders, God became flesh! God the Son became the perfect man, the Last Adam. He is of our blood, yet sinless—the just, perfect, infinite kinsman redeemer. Dying on the Cross, Christ paid our debt, absorbed God’s wrath due us, that those shackled by sin in the first Adam may repent and believe to receive salvation through the Last Adam.

I Corinthians 15:21-22,45- For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Bottom line, only descendants of the first Adam can be saved by the blood of the Last Adam, Jesus Christ.

With the gospel implications grasped, it’s time to answer the question at hand.

Genesis 3:20- And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

Acts 17:26- And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

The Bible is clear that Adam was the first man, Eve is the “mother of all living”, and all humans are of “one blood”. The fact that all people are descendants of Adam and Eve means there is only one biological race. (It’s also the reason we’re all sinners in need of a Savior.)

So, who did Cain marry? Genesis 5:4 is the key: “And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:”. Jewish tradition suggests that Adam and Eve had 33 sons and 23 daughters. That means originally, close relatives like brothers and sisters married. So Cain married a sister or possibly a niece.

Whether Jewish tradition is correct, or not, Adam lived over 900 years. He could have potentially had many children during that time.

Also, the Bible doesn't always give you every member of a family tree- just the most important ones. It is possible that Adam and Eve had more children before Seth. Regardless of when the girl was born, it is easy to see that Cain had to have married one of his sisters or cousins, since there was no other family around besides Adam and Eve's clan.

But wait—you can’t marry your relation, can you? Well, since there’s only one race, if you don’t marry a relative, you’re not marrying a human and you’ve really got problems! Abraham was married to his half-sister and it was not an issue. Until the time of Moses, 2,500 years after creation, God did not prohibit the marrying of close relatives (Leviticus 18:6- None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.).

But why was marrying a close relative originally okay and later forbidden by God? One reason people don’t marry close relatives today is that humans have accumulated mutations (damaged genetic information) within their DNA for thousands of years. Close relatives are likely to have mutations in common, which if passed on by both parties ofte​n result in genetic disease. If a person marries a more distant relation, they are less likely to have the same mutations, so they are less likely to pass genetic disease on to their children.

Adam and Eve were genetically perfect, preprogrammed straight from the hand of God. So there would be no genetic mutation occurring through the combination of their DNA.

— Bryan Osborne

Beauty Where the Blood Fell (video sermon)

If I Were The Devil

 ​If I were the devil
I would not come with fire and fangs,
But with feelings—soft, soothing, deceptive.
I would not roar—I would whisper.
Whisper until your soul sang lullabies in chains.

I would cradle a generation in emotionalism,
Make feelings their compass,
Make truth seem cruel,
And boundaries the enemy of ​love.
I would teach them to worship their wounds,
To wear offense like armor,
And to name their pain “identity.”

I would declare war on holiness with charm.
I would poison their hunger for righteousness
With a gospel made of glitter—
All shine, no sanctification.
I would convince them that conviction is abuse,
That correction is control,
That to be separate is to be hateful—
That to be like Christ is to never confront.

If I were the devil,
I would preach a gospel of comfort,
Not of crosses.
A gospel where tears replace truth,
And goosebumps take the place of God.
I would build golden calves of emotion
In the sacred places once reserved for the Spirit.

I would whisper:
“You are a victim. Always.
You are owed.
You are right.
You are the center.”
And they would listen.
Because it would feel good.
Because it would feel holy.

I would make sure they believed
That they could blend in and still burn bright.
That compromise is compassion.
That lukewarm is loving.
That they can sip from the cup of demons
And still feast at the Lord’s table.

I would tell them that happiness is the highest goal, That holiness is outdated,
That repentance is optional,
And that the fear of the Lord is religious trauma.

If I were the devil,
I would not need to curse them—
Just convince them
That they can be carnal and Christian,
Worldly and washed,
Anointed and apathetic—
All at once.

But I am not the devil.
And I will not be silent.

Church, awaken.
There is no revival without repentance.
There is no power without purity.
There is no fire without sacrifice.
There is no Christ without the cross.

Let us tear down our golden calves,
Let us rise from the altars of emotion,
And return—heart, mind, soul, and strength—
To the altar of the Living God.

For He alone is worthy.
And He is not impressed by our tears
If they do not lead to transformation.

-Author Unknown

The Comforter Has Come (poem)

 Oh, spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
   The Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
    The Comforter has come!

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:
    The Comforter has come!

O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine—
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
    The Comforter has come!

The Comforter has come, The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n, The Lord’s dear promise giv’n;
Oh, spread the tidings ’round, Wherever man is found:
  The Comforter has come!

-Francis Bottome

Thank You Jesus for the Blood (song)

What Kind Of Heart Do You Have?

 People today like to quote the adage about "following your heart". That's probably the worst advice you could possibly give someone! The Bible says the heart is deceitful. Not only that, but the Lord tends to take into account what's in your heart when He answers you.

Jeremiah 17:10- I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

The deceived heart.

Ezekiel 14:1-5- Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

These men came before Ezekiel claiming to want to know what the Lord had to say, when in reality, they were harboring idols and looking for justification for their sins. The Lord answered them deceitfully and appeared to be giving them an allowance for what they really wanted.

The lying heart.

Jeremiah 42:1-3- Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

These people claimed to want to know God's will. They promised they would follow whatever God had to say when in reality they had already made up their minds about what they were going to do.

Jeremiah 42:19-22- The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you. Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

God called out their lies, and told them exactly what would happen to them should they follow their own council. Guess what? They died in Egypt because they followed their heart instead of obeying the Lord.

The conniving heart.

Mark 11:27-34- And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

These religious leaders were demanding answers from Christ for questions they should have already known the answers to. If they had submitted to the preaching of John they would already know whose authority Jesus was working through.

However, they reasoned among themselves because they didn't want to answer honestly. Because of this dishonesty, Jesus didn't even answer them.

The uncommitted heart.

Matthew 19:16-22- And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

This man seemed to be honest. He appeared, even, to be righteous. But theLord saw through him and answered with the thing he wouldn't relinquish. You may come to the Lord in what you believe to be honesty, but you need to be ready to act on what He points out. It isn't that easy, because we don't know what lies deep inside sometimes.

The humble heart.

Matthew 15:21-28- Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

This woman came to Jesus with a very serious request. It was an honorable request. But, Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of Israel, not the Gentiles. He was under no obligation to help her.

He even went so far as to call her a dog. How humiliating! Yet, in her despair,she accepted his insult and replied in humility. And Jesus answered according to her humbleness. He stepped out of his dispensation to address her desire.

God is looking for the humble, believing heart. The one that will acknowledge what is being said, not puff up in anger at it. The one that will submit to His direction and change accordingly.

Isaiah 66:1-2- Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

God isn't obligated to make you believe. He isn't even required to answer you directly or honestly. He's going to respond to you with the exact same attitude as how you approach Him.

Psalm 14:2- The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. But woe to the man that is looking to use the Word of the Lord deceitfully!