Christian

The consequences for not bearing fruit

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Below is a part of John 15. This chapter of the Bible is part of one of the private times Jesus had with His disciples. They were as He Himself stated His friends. Meaning that these men were saved. They are the first that can truly be called “Christian.”
They were given the teachings from Him much like the one that I will discuss shortly. They were told the requirements for living a true “Christian life.”
I will start with the fifth verse. “He that abideth in me”
“He that abideth” is “meno” in the Greek. Means “I remain, abide, stay, wait: I wait for, await”
“Abide” – accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation).
To act in accordance with a rule or teachings.
Within the Bible are the “rules” and the teachings of Jesus and His Father …. God.
Those that truly have Jesus “abide” in them they will without argument, excuses or complaints take the Bible literally. They will know that if it is called a sin it is a sin. They will strife to end their sinning nature. Sure they will stumble and fall, but they will feel guilt, sorrow, grief. If someone doesn’t feel this are they truly “abiding?” Per the Bible the answer is no.
Those that say we must accept those that live in sin. This is opposite what the Bible teaches. It says love them, care for them, but tell them they will not be welcome into heaven if they insist on remaining in their sin. This is not me saying this, this is the Bible, this is Jesus, and this is God. See verses seven and ten.
Living in sin is not abiding. Verse five says if a person does not abide in Jesus they do not bear fruit.
If someone does not bear fruit, what is the result? Per verse two God Himself will removed them from Jesus, from the Body of Christ and the result is verse six. That person is cast off, withered and they will be cast into the fire. The fire is the pit of fire.
You sin you burn. I didn’t say it JESUS SAID IT.
Also key in on this important fact. They are REMOVED from Jesus. These means that they were once part of Jesus. The only way to be part of Jesus is to be saved, born again, a Christian. Yet it says they are removed from the vine and given to the pit of fire. Ponder upon that for a while, and make the appropriate changes within your life to bear fruit for Jesus.

John 15
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
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.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Daniel 12:2: my personal view

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In chapter twelve of the book of Daniel we are given insight into what is to occur to the people of Israel just before the second coming of Jesus Christ. In verse two it speak specifically of a type or resurrection.
If they believe in a resurrection there differing views on this particular verse. I actually find that mine differs from what I have read. You see I believe in the specialness of the Jewish people. They have a special place in God’s heart and a special purpose in His ultimate plan for all of creation.
To me I see that there is a full resurrection of every single Jew ever born upon the day that Christ set foot upon the Mount of Olives. Both righteous and unrighteous. Nowhere in the Bible does it state when the pit of fire was made or where it will be. The Bible does say that both good and bad of the Israeli nation will be resurrected and by the way the wording is done in way that it will be at the same time. It does say the righteous will be rewarded and that those that turned their back on God will receive their due.
This resurrection is separate from the Rapture and is separate from the resurrection at the end of the Thousand Year Reign of Jesus Christ.

Really??

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So the pro-Christmas community is in a tether over Starbucks new cups. Two of my friends on Facebook summed it up wonderfully. The First one stated we are not to get into the foolish arguments. This 100% qualifies as something foolish when compared to what truly needs our attention like the butchering of aborted babies, no decorations on cups is extremely foolish.
The second person said this: To not worry so much about keeping Christ in Christmas but instead keep Christ in Christian which is a 24 hour 365 days a year endeavor.
The mere fact that these cups are an “issue” shows fully that people do not truly understand what it is to be “Christian.”
Per the Bible, first and foremost we are to place God first in EVERYTHING. Every single aspect of your life. Not just a couple of hours on Sunday if you even do that, but in every word spoken by you, to how you drive down the road. What should be on your mind all the time is God, the Bible and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you do this the next part required by God is to treat all other as you would wish to be treated. Then the rest of the commandments follow closely behind.
Would you like it if your body was torn from your mother’s womb and then your body was torn apart for money? I didn’t think so. Why are people not upset that the Middle East is being purged of Christianity, the very birth place of this believe system.
So the next time people wish to get upset about something. Get upset at all those folks turning their backs upon God and how the world is more important to them than the One who created it all. As I have said before humanity would be extinct if not for the grace of God.

A Judgment and a prayer

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I have been going through the book of Daniel the last couple of weeks. Reading it studying it and reading commentaries. As I entered into the ninth chapter this morning I feel as Daniel did when he read the prophecy of the 70 years enslavement of the Israelites given by Jeremiah. Only I am reading Daniel.
In Daniels prophecies he was given an image of what turned out to be Antiochus Epiphanes, the first “little horn.” As study what this man did to the Jews and how he defiled the temple I came into understand of what is happening with this nation I live within, the United States. I know without a doubt that this was the second nation created under the blessing of God. I do not cater to those that say this is not true. There is too much evidence that states otherwise. Too much documentation, and the mere fact that the basis for our government was a slightly changed version of that used to govern the colony of Pennsylvania, which was written by the Quaker William Penn.
This is a Christian nation, yet now too many have turned from God. Too many say they are His, but in reality they are not. I have wondered why God allowed this nation to place under two terms of the obviously most anti-Christian and anti-Israeli president ever encountered in this nation and I suddenly realized through reading the book of Daniel that He was placed in power to usher this nation into a time of God’s judgment against those that call themselves Christian and Jew alike within this nation.
In many ways this man is reflecting the image of Antiochus Epiphanes. So he is the “little horn” of the “little horn” who is an image of the true “little horn” to come. His purpose is to punish this nations for turning its back upon God. Will others follow in his footsteps? That is the important question.
What can change this for the betterment of Christianity and this nation as a whole? The answer is simple. It is the answer that Daniel came to. It is the answer that Jesus gave us.
1) We are to pray for forgiveness for our sins against God by turning our backs upon His will and His teachings.
2) We are not just sit and pray but are to take action as well (James 2:14-19).
a) Turn form those that support sin
b) Become active in church and prayer
c) Vote for those that support God and against any that oppose God
d) Change laws that go against God and obey ALL laws that fall within the dictates of the Bible

Below is a modified version of the pray Daniel offered to God in Chapter nine of the book in his name:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to your servants those that truly profess your Word and teaches, who spoke on your authority to our government officials and ancestors and to all the people of the land.
“Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of all the states and major cities and the entire nation, those scattered near and far, wherever you have placed us because of our disloyalty to you. O Lord, we and our government officials, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants those that truly profess your Word and teaches. All this nation the Untied States has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice.
“So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin. You have kept your word and done to us and our leaders exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster that as happened in this nation. Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the Lord our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him.
“O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from sin through giving unto us your one and only Son as a Sacrifice upon the cross. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your this nation. All the neighboring nations mock the United States and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.
“O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate nation that was only second to Israel.
“O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
“O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and this nation.”

As I look about me……..

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For around 2600 years the time of the Gentiles has been heading down a journey. A journey toward the acknowledgement that God is the creator of everything. For longer than that they have rejected this believe because they do not wish to surrender themselves to the dominion of something above them. They make up fantasies which enable them to say “No there is no such thing as God.” Others go about saying there is a God, but they do not honor Him as such. They imagine Him to be a benevolent spirit that grants their wishes and allows them to live their lives as they please.
This is not what God wants. God wishes to have a relationship with us, not just as our Creator, but someone that will talk and share His creation with Him. There is only one way to accomplish this relationship with Him though and most of the human race has no real desire to do what is required of them.
What is required? Surrender. To turn over all that was, is and will be within us over to Him. To not only say He is God, but to truly follow what He asks of us. In the book of Daniel this happens two times. Once for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they are ask to bow to the image of Nebuchadnezzar and when those that were jealous of Daniel plotted to place him into the lion’s den.
What is the most important element in both instances is that these four men refuse to submit to what the world offers. They place more value in God over the world and all that is within the world including those in power.
This has been lost for the most part from those that say they are followers of God. They place more value in the world then they place in the Creator of all. They compromise too much when they should be standing their ground. They say that the world is grey when God through His Son Jesus Christ says it is black and white.
The compromising must end. Too much is happening too fast, must faster than we have ever thought would happen. Does this mean we are approaching end of times? More and more are saying yes it is, I am leaning strongly in the direction myself, but there are still things that must take place, more signs that were given unto us through the Bible. The handbook to salvation through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. But there are those that try to discount the Bible. Why? Because they still wish for humans to be the gods when they are not. So they blind themselves and other to the truth, for it is better to share misery than it is to share happiness.

Daniel’s journey into the den of lions

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What caused him to be taken and given to the lions? It all boils down to humans trying to be more important than God. What Daniel did was say “no God is more important.”
In several recent laws humans are saying they are more important than God. This should have caused everyone that calls themselves “Christian” to respond as Daniel did. Most did not. They caved in and said let it be. This using what Daniel did as an example of what someone that calls themselves “Christian” should have done lays guilt at the door step of all that did not echo Daniel.
Ponder upon that and make the necessary changes required in your life to reassert God as the most important being in your life and in your world and culture.
(2 Timothy 4:1-5)

My personal insight into the feet of iron and clay with the help of God

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In the book Daniel a statue is seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar. It has been established through the passage of time that Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome were the first parts of the statute.
The feet of iron and clay people do not wish to place a label upon since the do not wish to place this combined group of nations to any time period. Why they are doing this I do not know, but when you apply the translation to the wording and use commonsense and understanding you can formulate a very strong possibility.
In Daniel 41-43 – And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
As you can see there is a lot going on here. First a foremost it shall have the appearance of Rome, yet it shall be divided. This in its basic format fits the how Europe now appears today. It is within a good part of what use to be the Roman Empire geographically, yet the nations within it are separate yet they have joined together to make themselves stronger finically, but at the same time they are weak. Evidence of this is seen in how they are handling the sudden influx of migrates from the Middle East, which in itself brings in more elements of the former Roman Empire into the European Union, since most of the Middle East was part of the former Roman Empire. This gives some weight to the statement that it shall mix with man’s seed yet it shall be fractured and divided. Not only are the nations separate, but within their borders they are becoming divided as cultural groups slice up the regions into smaller fragments. As we look upon the turmoil that is happening within the EU and the Middle East events are transpiring which could lead the development of ten new powerful leaders that will encompass both the west (Europe) and the east (the Middle East), each have five powerful leaders emerging from the mayhem.
Events transpiring this very moment are unlike any others that have happened since Christ ascended into Heaven. Mainly since they are happening so quickly because most change has taken several generations to go by as change took place. Now though events are becoming hard to follow they are happening so quickly. Once solid cultural communities are be shattered and fractured. It is not nations, but regions and it is within these regions that ten powerful leaders will emerge.
Does this mean the way Europe is now is a sign we are nearing the return of Christ? This in itself would not give enough evidence to support this, but throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testament are other elements within the behavior of humanity that does lead credence to such a supposition. It is also important to note that the people as denoted by the degradation of the statute, become weaker and more susceptible to sin. More willing to embrace that which is wrong and hate that which is good. This again is witnessed throughout other areas of the Bible. A prime example being 2 Peter 2.
Now I do not place any confidence in my insight upon me alone. For like Daniel I give all my belief and ideas upon this to the glory of God. For without Him I would not be seeing what I do see, for only through Him is the world seen for what it truly is and where it is truly headed, but the Bible makes it clear that no human can say when the return of Christ will be, but we are to watch for the signs that are given within the Bible. Many of which are now transpiring. Are there enough of them to fully fulfill prophecy? Only time will tell, but it is better to be cautious and make yourself right with God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: You know there are just some days you wish you could see the plan God has set for you

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As I write this I have encountered such a day. It would just be so cool to look over God’s shoulder as he is mapping out the way your life should go if you honor and trust His lead, which is what we are to do just for the record. When you are hit with a sudden and unexpected emotional punch in the gut. You are going along thinking you are doing fine and bam the wind is knocked out of you and your emotions go into a spiral.
Yes I got angry for about five minutes then I just started thinking and praying and I lost the anger. The anger would do me no good it would accomplish me nothing, so why be anger? Am I still depressed over the issues? Yes I am for I was becoming excited at the prospects that lay ahead of me and to once again having those goals, that I saw as something good for me and my family, kicked out from under me as they had been once before, but again not as depressed as happened the first time this occurred. Mainly due to the fact that I am placing my trust and faith in God as to how He wishes my life to go so it will honor Him.
Then I started to look at this at different perspectives. First and foremost was the prospective that God has something else in store for me or that His timing was not just write. Could it be He wanted to see if I would do what I am doing this very moment? Sharing it with you the reader. Giving you an insight into how God’s plans work under His time table and never under yours. For we are His servant not the other way around and any that tell you otherwise either do not know the Bible or are lying to you.
Yes it would have been a help for this event to occur for it would have allowed me to be more accessible to my family, but I will just have to try and figure out another method to do that better until God says I have accomplished my goals assigned by Him.
You see we all have tasks that we are assigned to do by God. For this life a test to see if we are worthy to go to the next level of existence. It will be approximately one hundred years now, then if we pass that we are told there will be a thousand years here on earth co-reigning with Jesus Christ, then there will be the eternal life beyond the Great White Throne Judgment. These latter two things are beyond our full comprehension to understand so God has saw fit not to tell us too much about them, but we are told they are real and will take place.
So in the mean time we must go through our maze of life, seek after the righteous path God desires for us to go down. Will we make the correct turn at the correct time? Not always, but that is the cost of free will. What is most important is to honor God, to trust God and believe all is possible through and with God. For once you forgotten this you have definitely turned down the wrong path.

A dream within a dream

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I have just awoken from my sleep to write down what just occurred within my dream. For as I have said before I am one of the old men in Acts 2:17.
So within this dream I was given a statement and I was given an answer to this statement. Then I found myself at an event which was a ceremony for those going into the world, and I was one of three speakers which were holy men. There had been other speakers, but I was the middle one of the three speaking for God. (Now remember this is just a dream and I am not placing any import to that statement. It is just how it was in the dream.)
So I get up to speak and I state that I had a dream about a statement I was given to say. The statement was:
“Go and feed my children.” Now, as I specified in my dream, those within the audience were the children. These “children” were all young adults about to start their live in the world, just so you understand.
So I said: “What is it we are to feed the children?” and commented that those listening were the children I was referring. At this point a girl next to me stated her view as to what to feed them which cause those in the audience to laugh and I mentioned that they just heard her answer.
I then tried to return to my topic when a young man close to the stage became disruptive trying to discourage any from listen and cause my speech to be shutdown. It got to the point that the young man got up from his table and came before the dais. At this time the previous speaker got up and tried to protect me. I become filled with a righteous anger, I moved the previous speaker aside and went down and literally picked up the young man under his arms and carried him back to his table and said he would be expelled from school if he continued his interruptions and the dean of the school agreed to do so. The young man has gotten fear upon his face even as I carried him bodily back to where he sat, and was silenced.
I then continued: “As you can see there will be those that do not wish to hear the answer. There will be those that interrupted with silly comments to distract and then there will be those that will become disruptive so as to shut down the word of God. But as you can see God’s word cannot be stopped. For how can you challenge the Creator of all there is? You can’t, you will lose.
“The answer to the question is: The knowledge of God, but what is the knowledge of God? It is not just the Ten Commandments, or more accurately the twelve commandments since Jesus Christ Himself added two more. That being to love God with all your heart and to place Him first in all that you do, and second to love your neighbor as yourself, which means simply to follow the golden rule of ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’
“It also means to understand that this knowledge states clearly in both the Old and New Testament that if it is called a sin it is a sin. That you must repent of these sins. For if you are to honor the greatest commandment which is to love God and place Him first, NOTHING can be before Him. If you would rather live within a sin, then it is first and not God and so you in this alone are not only sinning against God you are rejecting God for you do not wish Him to be first in your life.”
It is here that I awoke and came straight to my computer and wrote it down for all to read and think upon.
John 21:15 – So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Out of insignificance God causes greatness.

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Now why such a title?
This is why: Nazareth is the town Jesus was raised within when Joseph returned them to Israel from Egypt. It was such an insignificant town that there are skeptics that doubt it existed during the young year of Christ. In comparison it is like a going through the countryside on a two lane road, suddenly the speed limit reduces for forty-fire to twenty-five. You see a stoplight that is green for you, as soon as you pass through the intersection the speed limit returns to forty-five. That was a town, you didn’t give it a second thought and it was gone. That was Nazareth. As mentioned above this is where Christ came from and he is the greatest thing to have happened for this planet, which brings me to my next topic: this planet.
It is on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy. One galaxy out of millions, maybe even billions. Yet is this solar system even close to anything? It is not even close to the center of its own galaxy, a galaxy that is off in the woods so to speak when compared to other galaxies as seen through astronomy.
So it is easy to say that this little planet of ours could be considered “insignificant.” Yet it is here that God chose to place Adam and eve upon. Yet it is here that He spoke to Abraham. Yet it is here upon an insignificant mountain in that a burning bush drew Moses to look upon it and hear the words of God.
So what greatness and wonders are there that we can look forward to in our eternal lives that we are promised to partake of? Just how great and wondrous will it be since we are in such an insignificant planet on the edge of nowhere.
The only way to find out is to accept Jesus as your Savior and to repent of your sins and never do them again.