GospelNotes.life

Author: Adam

  • Rapture on April 3-4, Passover/Resurrection Day/Purim

    How the rapture is on April 4, 2026 Israel time and fulfills the Passover Exodus, Resurrection Day and Purim (and why they are all significant):

    *If you don’t know what the rapture is, see note: the rapture

    Passover Exodus:

    1. The true start of Hebrew months go by the first sighting of the sliver of the new moon (the modern Hebrew calendar doesn’t do it this way). Sunset, March 20, 2026 is when the first sliver of the new moon will be sighted to start the first month of Nisan. And since Hebrew days go from sunset to sunset, we can count March 21 as being Nisan 1. Passover is in the evening of Nisan 14, which makes true Passover on the evening of April 3.
    2. The rapture typology: The Jews exodused Egypt in the early morning of Nisan 15. The exodus is a symbol of the rapture, and Egypt was a symbol of the world back in the day. Nisan 15, 2026 will be April 4th.

    Resurrection Day:

    1. Nisan 17 is when Jesus resurrected. On the Hebrew calendar that the Jews go by, Nisan 17, 2026 is April 4th (since they don’t go by the sighting of the first sliver of the new moon).
    2. The rapture typology: The rapture begins with the resurrection of the dead in Christ who rise first. Then after the dead resurrect, the believers who are alive and remain will be raptured.

    Purim:

    1. The rapture typology: Blood moons are prophetic signs to Israel of judgement. From 2024-2026, there were three consecutive blood moons on Purim. God was telling us through this Purim blood moon triad that judgement (with the rapture and Tribulation) would begin on Purim. And Purim truly does land on April 4, 2026 as well. Here’s how: In Antiquities of the Jews (Book 3, Chapter 10), the 1st-century (Jesus’ day) historian Flavius Josephus states that the Jewish month of Nisan (which he refers to by the Macedonian name Xanthicus) begins when the sun is in the sign (constellation) of Aries. So, when the sun was in Aries and the first sighting of the sliver of the new moon was spotted, that was the first day of Nisan back in Jesus’ day. Using that concept today, that makes the first month of Nisan 1, 2025 at sunset on April 29, 2025. Purim and Shushan Purim are on the 14th and 15th day of the 12th Hebrew month of Adar. So, by the Aries-sun calendar, if the first Hebrew month of Nisan started on April 29, 2025, that means the 12th month of Adar begins on the first sliver of the new moon on the evening of March 20, 2026. 14 days later brings you to sunset April 3, which would be Purim, and April 4 would be Shushan Purim.

    So, April 4, 2026 fulfills the Passover Exodus, Resurrection Day and Purim, which all tell the story of a: rapture, resurrection and judgement/Tribulation beginning, which are the three concepts that sum up the rapture event.

    My personal experiences pointing to an April 4, 2026 Passover and Purim rapture (Bear with me to see how this goes from 2025 to 2026):

    Hebrew Passover confirmation 1:

    In January 2025 I was expecting the rapture to happen on January 19. On January 24, 2025 at 1:24 pm, after the 19th had passed, I asked the Lord how many days from January 19, 2025 it would be until the rapture, and He gave me 85 days. 85 days from January 19, 2025 was April 13, 2025, which was the first day of Passover that began the day before since Hebrew days go from sunset to sunset, rather than midnight to midnight. Through this He was telling me that the rapture would happen on Hebrew Passover – just not the year yet.

    Passover confirmation:

    On December 14, 2024 around 5:50 pm, I had finished watching a video about the rapture being Feast of Atonement 2025, and I asked Father if we really had to wait until Feast of Atonement for the rapture, and He gave me John 13:1 – “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father”. He was telling me that we will depart from this world to the Father in the rapture that will be before Passover. He gave me this verse three separate times in regards to questions about when the rapture will happen. And He truly did mean that it would be before Passover, on Purim, just on the Aries-sun calendar.

    Essene Passover alternate calendar confirmation A:

    On December 14, 2024 when I was trying to figure out the day of the rapture, the Lord told me strongly that we needed to overlay the Hebrew feast days on a different calendar other than the Hebrew, but He did not give me the calendar yet. On February 20, 2025, He told me this calendar was the Essene (Dead Sea Scrolls) calendar. He had me look at when Passover 2025 was on the Essene calendar, and it was on April 1. He gave me many confirmations on this date. He was telling me through this that the rapture would be on a future Hebrew Passover that lands on April 1, which is 2026.

    Aries-sun Purim alternate calendar confirmation B:

    On December 14, 2024 when I was trying to figure out the day of the rapture, the Lord told me strongly that we needed to overlay the Hebrew feast days on a different calendar other than the Hebrew, but He did not give me the calendar yet. When I was told this, I was thinking about the Aries-sun calendar. There was a dual fulfillment to this prophecy: the first being the above Essene Passover fulfillment. This second one in overlaying Purim on the Aries-sun calendar.

    Hebrew Passover confirmation 2:

    On January 30, 2025 at 8:26 am, the Lord repeatedly told me that in five days from then He would give me something telling me when the rapture happens. Five days later, on February 3, 2025, He told me many times that the rapture would happen in 69 days, which lands on April 12-13, 2025 (depending on how you count), which was Hebrew Passover that year. Through this He was telling me that the rapture would happen on Hebrew Passover – just not the year. Then about 15 minutes later that day, I was thinking about a brother in Christ named Dana that I watch on YouTube who decodes rapture clues in secular media, and every time I would think about him the Lord would nudge me. I didn’t know why at the time the Lord kept telling me about brother Dana in context of a Passover rapture, but it turns out a couple months later on Essene Passover April 1, 2025 I talked back-and-forth extensively with him that day about an April Fools Passover rapture. Through this brother Dana nudge, the Lord was giving me the day and year of the rapture – a future Passover rapture that will be on April Fools Day, which is 2026.

    Purim Confirmations:

    Between March 14-16, 2025 for Purim that year, I received nine separate confirmations that the rapture would be on Purim, specifically Shushan Purim.

    The confirmations combined:

    All the confirmations combined point to a Purim and Passover rapture, specifically in the year 2026 because my Passover confirmations pointed to April 1, and Passover in 2026 is April 1, and won’t be again until either 2044/2045. Now we just have to shift the Passover date to April 4 for the different calendars.

    Joel 2:31 eclipses before the rapture:

    The prophecy of Joel 2:31 tells us that before the rapture, there will be a solar eclipse, and then a lunar eclipse. The prophecy: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD (the rapture and Tribulation).” On February 17 there will be an annular “wedding ring” solar eclipse (hinting at the soon wedding of Jesus to His church at the rapture), and then on March 3 will be a blood moon on Purim (the final Purim blood moon in a triad of Purim blood moons from 2024-2026).

    Download the Left Behind Notes to share with friends and family:

    Left Behind NotesDownload

    Interested in going in the rapture?

    Or were you left behind after the rapture and want to be saved now? Simply believe the gospel found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and you will be saved: that Christ (1) died to pay for all our sins, (2) was buried and (3) rose again the third day. It is by faith alone, not by works, lest any man should boast – Ephesians 2:8-9. The nanosecond you believe that gospel, you are indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit which is the guarantee of your eternal life – Ephesians 1:13-14. It truly is that simple. That’s why it’s called “the good news”. Just don’t take the mark of the beast or worship the image of the beast. For more details on salvation, see our homepage: https://gospelnotes.life

    A dear friend and sister in Christ named Kate: I was commissioned to do a different painting in the summer of 2023. When I finished it I said to myself, that may be my last painting, (I was expecting the rapture that Feast of Trumpets). After I said that I had massive whole body Holy Spirit chills. And I said out loud “not my last painting?” And it happened again very noticeably. Right then I knew what I supposed to paint. The prior years I had been fixated on painting fire, I have a natural ability to do portraits, and I recently have fallen in love with painting clouds, so I felt the Lord had prepared me my entire life to paint this exact painting that showcased all of these elements. As I painted I have never felt closer to the Lord and full of the Holy Spirit. I cried so much of the time I was painting and it came together so quickly. I felt like the Lord was painting it through my hand. I knew I needed lightning to show how fast the rapture will happen even though I don’t assume this is how it will literally look. I knew I wanted a city on fire to show how this is a rescue from tribulation. I knew I wanted our Lord’s face to be calm and welcoming. I wanted to remind the audience of His sacrifice on the cross with the wound in His hand. I wanted Him to be the light source in the darkness. I unintentionally painted 8 people being raptured. Now I think that was a sign pointing at 8 years from the revelation 12 sign.

  • Millions just disappeared. Where did everyone go? The Rapture

    Millions of people from all over the world suddenly disappeared from the earth. This is no hoax, it’s biblically called, The Rapture – where Jesus snatched his believers (true Christians who have faith in Christ ALONE and not in any way offer their own works such as doing good things or being a “good person” [there will be many left behind that say they are Christian, but they do not trust in Christ alone – they feel their works have merit]) away from earth in order not to go through the wrath that God is about to pour out onto the earth – a 7 year period known in the last book of the Bible’s New Testament (the book of Revelation) as the Tribulation. Young children, babies and mentally handicapped people that cannot understand salvation may also be raptured. The rapture is prophesied in the bible in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

    So, first off, don’t believe any of the lies the media is telling you: aliens, CERN, large hadron collider, the government, etc. The bible prophesied that there would be a great lie to explain away the rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-10, especially verse 10.

    It’s going to be the worst time the world has ever seen – worse than the Holocaust – worse than the flood in Noah’s day – with the rise of a global leader supposedly bringing “peace and security”, known as, the antichrist to Christians. You don’t have much time. The chaos around the world will undoubtedly reach your doorstep in a matter of days: looting, murders, rape, arson, all sorts of evil. So it’s very important that you do the following things immediately:

    You can see me again, and can live for eternity with me in Heaven and the new earth if you carefully listen me:

    1. You need to know, understand, and most importantly, BELIEVE the very simple Gospel message. This is how to become saved. It’s VERY simple: Jesus is God and was/is the Jewish messiah. (1) He came to earth the first time 2,000 years ago to die on the cross to pay for all your sins and the sins of the world – both Jews AND gentiles (non-Jews). (2) He was buried. (3) on the 3rd day God the Father resurrected Him from the dead – defeating sin and death and for your justification. Believe that, and you will be saved. It’s that simple. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 – “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that [1] Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that [2] He was buried, and that [3] He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”.
    2. In the book of Revelation (the last book in the New Testament Bible), there will be 2 men that rise to power – one rises to ultimate power (called the antichrist who will, “strengthen a deal with the many [nations] for seven years.” We Christians think that this deal is the Abraham Accords and the Israel-Palestine 2 State Solution), and the False Prophet (who will cause many to worship the antichrist and his image). The false prophet will make EVERYONE get a mark (possibly a chip implant) on either their forehead or right hand in order to buy or sell anything. This is called the “mark of the beast.” The False Prophet will also have set up an “image of the beast” for people to worship – an image of the antichrist. This could possibly be some sort of AI thing. LISTEN: GOD SAYS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION THAT ANYONE WHO WORSHIPS THE ANTICHRIST OR HIS IMAGE, OR TAKES HIS MARK WILL NEVER SEE HEAVEN, AND WILL GO TO HELL. So, under whatever circumstance – even to death – do NOT take the mark or worship/use the antichrist or his image. This may mean losing your home and all your possessions that you can’t pay for and not being able to buy food and drink. But some temporary suffering is a lot better than eternal suffering in the lake of fire and brimstone where the worm eats and never dies.
    3. (Reading the bible isn’t a requirement to be saved. Believing the gospel above is how to be saved) Start reading the New Testament! Start with the book of John (the 4th book). This is Jesus’ Gospel (Jesus saying a bunch of times, “Believe in Me alone and you shall be saved”). Then read Romans (the 6th book). This also goes in depth of how to become justified by God through faith in Christ (it may go a little over your head at first). Then read Galatians. This book talks a lot about justification by faith alone – not by works. Then read Ephesians, which talks about who you are in Christ – your identity as a child of God. Read the New Testament. But again: reading the bible isn’t a requirement to be saved. Believing the gospel above is how to be saved.
    4. This isn’t really a step – more motivation. After the 7 year horrible Tribulation period, Jesus will come back with all of his believers and will restore order and set up his new kingdom here on earth for 1,000 years (known as the Millennial Kingdom) and rule the world Himself. After that He will make a new heaven and a new earth and we will live there for eternity. This is where there is no more evil, the wolf will lie down with the lamb, there will be no more suffering, the child will put his hand in the snake’s den and not get bit, the lion will eat the grass of the plains, and everything will be just right. Be here. With me.

    Learn what the true biblical definition of “repentance” is. It’s usually defined today as, “turning from sin, not sinning, reforming one’s life, etc.”, but that is NOT what it means! The word repent comes from the Greek word “metanoia”. The true biblical definition is: “To change one’s mind.” As in, simply, change your mind about who Christ is and about needing Him as your savior as you are a sinner (like the rest of us). You MUST read the bible through the lens of the true definition of repentance AND the simple Gospel message of faith alone for salvation – no works or “being a good person”. If you read the bible through the lens of “working your way to heaven” by being “good” or “doing good things” or by “turning from your sins” in order to be saved, you’ll never see it for its truth. This is where most people that say they’re Christian err. Thus they think you have to have some sort of faith plus works to be saved – when indeed it is simply by faith in Christ alone. So whenever you see the word “repent” in the bible, just change it to “believe.”

    Also, know these other truths:

    What are “the works” God requires?

    John 6:28-29 — Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

    Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

    What is “the will” of God?

    John 6:40 — For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

    What is “the command” of God?

    1 John 3:23 — And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

    Who is it that “overcomes the world”?

    1 John 5:5 — Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

    Who are “the righteous”?

    Romans 1:17 — For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

    What is “the obedience” of God?

    Romans 16:26 — but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith

    What is “grace”?

    Kindness we don’t deserve. God’s unmerited favor. As in: God’s kindness to give us the free gift of salvation and eternal life to all who simply believe the gospel, even though we’re undeserving because we’re sinners.

    Extremely Important: Don’t go searching for more answers on the internet as pretty much 99.99% of articles online are false, legalistic, Calvinist, false articles that will lead you to hell. That’s why so many fake “christians” are left behind, because of these false teachings all over the place.

    Other things to know:

    Do NOT get mixed up with Catholicism or Christian cults that say you have to work your way to heaven by any other means (such as having to turn from your sins or do good deeds) than just having faith – and in your case since you’re in the Tribulation, not taking the mark required by the antichrist to buy and sell or worshiping him or his image.

    The book of Revelation says that the antichrist will put to death pretty much all Christians during the Tribulation, so you have to face the very real fact that you might have to die for your newfound faith. But don’t worry, it will take less than a second and you’ll be with Jesus for all eternity – where there is never any pain, suffering, sadness, depression, anxiety, stress, fear, nervousness, panic, evil or tears. Only infinite love, joy, peace, comfort, kindness and righteousness.

    Humble yourself before God and realize that you’re a sinner just like the rest of us, incapable of saving yourself, and needing Jesus your Savior. Put your pride aside and accept Jesus – your only Lord and Savior. See you on the other side.

    Download this left behind note to share with friends and family:

    Left Behind NotesDownload
    A dear friend and sister in Christ named Kate: I was commissioned to do a different painting in the summer of 2023. When I finished it I said to myself, that may be my last painting, (I was expecting the rapture that Feast of Trumpets). After I said that I had massive whole body Holy Spirit chills. And I said out loud “not my last painting?” And it happened again very noticeably. Right then I knew what I supposed to paint. The prior years I had been fixated on painting fire, I have a natural ability to do portraits, and I recently have fallen in love with painting clouds, so I felt the Lord had prepared me my entire life to paint this exact painting that showcased all of these elements. As I painted I have never felt closer to the Lord and full of the Holy Spirit. I cried so much of the time I was painting and it came together so quickly. I felt like the Lord was painting it through my hand. I knew I needed lightning to show how fast the rapture will happen even though I don’t assume this is how it will literally look. I knew I wanted a city on fire to show how this is a rescue from tribulation. I knew I wanted our Lord’s face to be calm and welcoming. I wanted to remind the audience of His sacrifice on the cross with the wound in His hand. I wanted Him to be the light source in the darkness. I unintentionally painted 8 people being raptured. Now I think that was a sign pointing at 8 years from the revelation 12 sign.

  • Least and Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

    Matthew 5:17-20

    1. “Do not think that I came to destroy (get rid of) the Law or the Prophets (prophecies). I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away (after the Millennial Kingdom and the Great White Throne Judgement), one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all (all prophecies, including the end of Revelation with the destroying of the current Heaven and earth, and the creation of new ones where we will dwell for eternity) is fulfilled.
    2. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
    3. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

    In point one, Christ tells us that He came to fulfill the law, which we later find out is on our behalf, that anyone who places their faith in Him receives His imputed righteousness. But He also mentions in this point that He does not abolish/get rid of the law – it still stands, just not for salvation.

    In point two, He tells us that those who obey the law and teach other believers to do so as well (again, not for salvation, but because its statutes are good and sums up the holiness of our Father who adopted us as His children) will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. And the opposite is true: while technically we can choose not follow the law and teach other believers that they don’t have to either (because we’re no longer under the law for salvation and that we’re saved by grace and not by works), for doing that we will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

    In point three, He makes an interesting point: that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. The Pharisees were known for the most stringent perfection of law keeping, and not even they were good enough? We have to be more perfect than they? What Jesus is doing here is elevating the standard of the requirement of law keeping for salvation to perfection, naturally leading people to the question: “Well who can be saved then? Since no one can keep the law that perfectly – not even the Pharisees.” Christ partially gave the answer in part one: He will fulfill the law, and we learn later in the epistles of Paul (primarily Romans) that we all fall short of the law’s standard, and the only way to achieve the righteousness that God requires (point three: a righteousness greater than the Pharisees) to enter into the kingdom of heaven is to get the imputed righteousness of Christ that comes by faith in Him alone – not by working the law.

    And again, in points one and two, while we’re no longer saved by following the law, the law hasn’t been abolished (ie: murder and lying isn’t all the sudden ok), and we’re still to uphold it because we agree that its statutes are good (not murdering is good. Not stealing is good), and if we choose not to obey the law and teach others they don’t need to follow it either because we’re saved by grace and not by law keeping, we will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

    Why do we still follow the law if we’re no longer under the law for salvation? Because it’s good, and its statutes bring true joy, peace and freedom (and the entire point of life is to feel peace and joy): it’s good not to murder. It’s good not to lie. It’s good not to steal. It’s good not to commit adultery, etc. The law sums up our Father’s holiness. He adopted us as His children, and like any good Father, He wants His children to grow up to be like Him. It’s like adopting a teenager who was in a street gang. You would want to teach him that the gang is not good, and would want him to separate from the gang. You would teach him good ways (the law) and would want him to start living a good, honorable life. Like Father, like son.

    We uphold the law because it’s good, but we’re not saved by keeping it.

  • Believers are True Family

    The most important thing to the Lord outside of believing the gospel for salvation is walking in love towards all your other brothers and sisters in Christ. In pretty much every epistle written by the apostles, when they thank God for your faith, they also thank God for your love towards all the brethren, and always pray that that love towards each other abounds more and more. Why is this so? Why does our Father desire that His children walk in fervent love towards each other? Because our good relationships with our family are everything: that’s what brings true, lasting peace and joy into someone’s life – a strong, good relationship – not fame, wealth, power or beauty. And a lonely life without joy and peace is a life not worth living. Meditate deeply on these things.

    Other believers in Christ are your true family (not just in name only). They are your true brothers and sisters, who you will spend eternity with.

    Our flesh and blood earthly family is temporal. Our heavenly family is eternal. These are our spiritual “blood” brothers and sisters – our true eternal family where we are joined together by the same Spirit of God that lives within all of us, where we are all born into the same family and all share the same Heavenly Father. Our familial bond of the same Spirit that lives inside each of us is more real and stronger than blood. We’ve all been reborn into the same family of God as brothers and sisters. You know what they say when it comes to family vs friends: “Blood is thicker than water.” However, Spirit is thicker than blood.

    As brothers and sisters and children of our Heavenly Father, we are all extremely and equally special to Him – He does not show favoritism among His children (Galatians 2:6), but loves us all equally.

    As the family of our Heavenly Father, as His children, just like any earthly father, He desires that His children get along and help each other. These are some of the qualities of our heavenly sibling relationships that our Father desires for His children:

    1. Be kind to each other – walk in love toward them unconditionally, selflessly.
    2. Help and serve each other.
      1. Physically
      2. Emotionally
      3. Financially
    3. Sacrifice for each other.
    4. Pray for each other.
    5. Don’t judge each other. Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
      1. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe (Romans 10:4), meaning, righteousness doesn’t come by adherence to the law, but rather through faith in Christ. Therefore, do not judge your brethren in regard to eating certain food or drink, or regarding not observing a festival or a new moon or sabbaths (Colossians 2:16). Also see Romans 14.
    6. Encourage each other.
    7. Lift each other up and esteem each other better than yourself.
    8. Submit to each other.
    9. Gently correct and teach each other with all humility and kindness. Whether it be:
      1. Christian teachings.
      2. A sibling stuck in sin.
    10. Have empathy for each other:
      1. Rejoice with one another in what’s good.
      2. Have compassion on those who are suffering.
    11. Read the Bible together, and learn and grow with one another.
    12. Be unified in the Spirit, walking in perfect love towards each other. This means that all brothers and sisters in Christ should be of the same mind and attitude towards each other:
      1. Rejoicing with each other.
      2. Feeling godly sorrow for each other’s misfortunes.
      3. Being peaceful amongst each other.
      4. Being gentle with each other.
      5. Being kind to each other.
      6. Being patient and long suffering with each other.
      7. Being self-controlled around each other.
      8. Bearing with each other’s shortcomings and burdens.
      9. Not getting angry with each other.
      10. Thinking no evil towards each other.
      11. Not being rude to each other.
      12. Forgiving each other.
      13. Being good and doing good to each other.
      14. Being faithful to each other.
      15. Being humble around each other, not boasting or bragging.
      16. Not becoming envious of each other, but rather rejoicing with each other.
      17. Not coveting each other’s possessions.
      18. Being selfless towards each other, putting your brothers’ and sisters’  needs before your own.
      19. Believing each other without cynicism.
      20. Being truthful with each other.

    Memorize these things and live by these things amongst your brothers and sisters in Christ and you will do well. (These things are the fruit of the Spirit and the definition of love found in Galatians 5:22-23 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

    The beginning of Acts (especially chapters 1-4) document the original church that the Jewish apostle Peter founded in Jerusalem, where the first believers came together as brothers and sisters unlike any other time, where they gave up everything to be with each other and to help each other and to live as one with each other:

    Acts 2:44-47 — Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

    Acts 4:32-37 — Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

    Now is your time to get back to that. The church started this way with the Jews in Israel, and will end this way with the Jews in Israel.

    And this I pray, that you may abound more and more in the knowledge of what love is and in discernment of what’s right and wrong morally, being able to test and approve of what’s morally correct, and that you may live by what’s morally good, being pure and blameless in your practical sanctification (your daily walk and growth of holiness) here on earth till the day of Christ’s return, being filled with the fruit of the Spirit that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit while exercising yourself in godliness (moral character and conduct) — Philippians 1:9-11.

    The Lord wants you to take action and be a doer of all these things, and not just a hearer of them — James 1:22-25.

    And remember: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” — 1 Peter 1:3-5

  • How can God predestine/elect/choose/qualify humans for salvation, yet give them free will?

    How can God predestine/elect/choose/qualify humans for salvation, yet give them free will? It all starts with this: with who God “foreknew”:

    Strong’s foreknew: οὕς προέγνω, whom he (God) foreknew, namely, that they would love him [would love Him by faith — 1 John 5:3; 1 John 3:23], or (with reference to what follows) whom he foreknew to be fit to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, Romans 8:29

    Galatians 4:9 — But now after you have known God [by faith in Christ], or rather are known by God [because of your faith]
    ——
    To know God is to believe in Him. And believers are known by God (God foreknew them by their faith from the foundation of the world).

    Roman’s 8:29 — For whom He foreknew [would love Him by faith — 1 John 5:3; 1 John 3:23], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

    2 Peter 1:2 — elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
    ——
    elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father – the foreknowledge that you would believe the gospel, and sanctified you by setting you apart and making you holy in the inner man by the Spirit, because of/for your obedience (faith) to the gospel and faith in the blood of Jesus Christ

    2 Thessalonians 2:13 — But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth
    ——
    But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation, setting you apart for God by means of the Spirit, because of your belief in the gospel.

    Ephesians 1:4 — just as He (Father) chose us [through faith] in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world

    Ephesians 1:5 — having predestined us to adoption as sons by [faith in] Jesus Christ to Himself,

    Ephesians 1:11-12 — [through faith] In Him (Christ) also we have obtained an inheritance (eternal life), being predestined according to the purpose [reason] of Him,  [that reason being] that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

    But so His divine purpose of election might stand (Romans 9:11) (the reason for election being: His total sovereignty over His creation), yet at the same time giving humans free will to choose Him, He knows the end from the beginning, and foreknew who would believe in Him once in the world, so for His purpose of election to stand, He “chose/predestined/elected/qualified” from the foundation of the world those whom He foreknew would believe in Him, and once in the world, He called them (Romans 8:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14), granted them repentance (granted them/opened their hearts to believe the gospel He called them by) (2 Timothy 2:25) and begun the work of faith in them (1 Thessalonians 1:3; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 12:2), justified them and glorified them in the inner man (Romans 8:30).

    God has written the script for a 7000 year long movie, where every human being that’s ever lived and will ever live plays a character in His movie. The characters have free will within the confines of His overarching story, yet God knows how it will all play out, as He knows the end from the beginning. He’s also created all the souls that will play those characters. He knows beforehand which souls will believe in Him if placed in the proper character, so He chooses them to play the characters that will believe in Him. He also knows beforehand the souls that, no matter what character they may play, they will never believe in Him, so He chooses them to play characters that are appointed to wrath (2 Peter 2:8). This gives Him the divine sovereignty through His purpose of election to choose who will play which character so He can control the narrative to get His story to play out the way He wants and bring about the conclusion of His story, while also giving humans free will to believe in Him (as He already knows beforehand which souls would believe in Him). He can also harden those characters hearts whom He foreknew would never believe in Him to accomplish His story line, such as Pharaoh mentioned in Romans 9: the soul chosen to play Pharaoh would have never believed in God (no matter which character he played). If God didn’t harden Pharaoh’s heart for each plague, that character, with his free will, might have let the Israelites go after the first or second plague, in which God’s story wouldn’t play out correctly where He wanted to show the world that He is God and their 10 idol false gods weren’t real. So He hardened Pharaoh’s heart after each plague until all the plagues were finished and He was finished telling that part of His story. For the believers, He stills gets to have His divine sovereignty and purpose of election as well by calling them by Paul’s gospel once in the world, granting them to believe (repentance) at the proper time, starting the work of faith in them, then justifying them for their faith, then glorifying them (perfecting them) in the inner man. Yet He knows beforehand those souls that would believe in Him if placed in the proper character, so humans still have free will, but at the same time He gets to control His story to bring about the ultimate conclusion of it, which is the great white throne judgement at the end of the 1000 year millennial kingdom, and a new eternal heaven and earth where there is no more sin and only righteousness, peace and joy dwells, with complete free will operating within the confines of godliness, where we are kept by the Lord forever. The purpose of this story is to show the qualities/riches of His character of agape love (selfless, sacrificial, unconditional), His grace (unmerited kindness towards sinners) and mercy, and to find out who is worthy of this eternal kingdom of God: those who truly love Him by faith alone in Him are worthy (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5).

    Many are called, few are chosen (Matthew 22:14): many characters are called, but only a few will believe (those in whom He foreknew from before the foundation of the world who would believe)

    How does prayer fit in?
    God does give us free will to do the things we desire – whether good or bad, while maintaining His purpose of election of who He chooses to get saved and who is appointed to wrath based on His foreknowledge from before the foundation of the world of if they would ever believe in Him. Prayer calls God into action to intervene in our lives or the lives of others we pray for. Example: we have free will to eat what we want, but if we decide to eat too much, we may feel sick and call upon God to make us feel better. For salvation: you may have an unsaved family member. You can call upon God to go after that person and call them to repentance (to faith in Christ). He will go after them, but He already knows if they will respond or not. If they will, He grants them repentance and begins the work of faith within them. In the overarching storyline, this is how that particular person was called to Christ: by God taking action through a prayer of another. Whereas other people may be called to Christ via hearing the gospel being preached, but never being prayed for before. That’s why it’s important to pray, as God can and will react and intercede in yours or someone else’s life that is governed by their own free will, all while maintaining His sovereignty of election. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows who’s going to pray for who beforehand (Matthew 6:8), and He knows who is going to respond to His calling initiated by that prayer and who isn’t. “What if in my free will I decide not to pray for that person’s salvation and God never goes after them, even though they would respond if they were called?” God knows which souls will believe in Him if placed in the proper character that gets prayed for, and He knows if someone will pray for them. God won’t lose any souls that will believe (John 6:39), so a soul who He foreknows will believe if prayed for will be put into that character, and a soul that He foreknows will believe but won’t be prayed for, they will be put into a different character and called in a different way.

    What about our good works?
    It is God who works in and through us to accomplish His purpose of bringing forth the gospel for those who will believe to hear. Philippians 2:13 — for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

    What about those who have never heard the gospel?
    God foreknows who will never believe in Him, no matter what character they may play, so they just happened to be appointed to characters of wrath in this particular character case.

    You may just be one of the elected/chosen/predestined/qualified ones meant to receive salvation via this website. Simply believe this gospel and you’ll be one.

  • Walking worthy of God, in His will, fully pleasing Him

    Three different ways of saying the same thing: walking worthy of God, doing His will for you, fully pleasing Him. What are these things?:

    1. Believing the gospel alone for salvation: that Christ died to pay for all your sins, was buried and rose again the third day – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
    2. Growing in godliness:
      1. The character of Christ: walking in love, peace, joy, patience, long suffering, kindness, gentleness, self control, goodness, faithfulness, selflessness, forgiving, humility, not boasting or proud, not envying, not angering, rejoicing in good, not rejoicing in bad, thinking no evil, bearing with others, believing others.
      2. The conduct of Christ: abstaining from all sin (not for salvation, but because it brings true joy and peace in one’s life).
    3. Doing good works.
    4. Using your ministry gifts (whichever you have) to edify others:
      1. Prophesying: bringing new revelation to the body of Christ.
      2. Evangelizing: spreading the gospel to the lost.
      3. Preaching and teaching fellow believers.
      4. Church administrations.
      5. Helping the needy physically and financially.
    5. Working quietly. We work:
      1. Patiently.
      2. Gently.
      3. Slowly, taking our time, not rushing, as to not bring stress, anxiety and nervousness upon ourselves.
      4. Methodically.
      5. Not forcing things.
      6. Doing a perfect job at whatever we set out to do, as doing it for the Lord.
      7. Working hard as if for the Lord and letting things take as long as they need to take. Hard work is quality work, not fast work.
    6. Leading a quiet and peaceable life.
    7. Learning the knowledge and wisdom of God found throughout scripture.
    8. Praying always for yourself and others, with giving thanks.
    9. Being content with what you have.
    10. Respecting others, especially those in authority.
    11. Grow in discernment between right and wrong morally, and in the ways of God vs the ways of the world.

    To do these things, you must commit them to memory over time and exercise yourself daily in them. It’s a lifelong process of growth. The goal, as Paul states in Philippians 3, is to become a perfect man in the ways of Christ (the above things). Run the race as to win the prize (work hard at these things!). Start by memorizing the character of God in point number 2. The way to view this note is: point number one is first and foremost – the only requirement for salvation – and all the rest of the points are equal and in no particular order, and are not salvation issues.

  • How to Turn from Sin (not for salvation)

    The first thing to understand is why we turn from sin: the goal of life is a life of true joy and peace, operating in love for others, which brings more joy and peace. Turning from sin brings the joy, peace and love into our lives.

    The next thing to understand is that turning from our sins is not what saves us. Believing that Christ died to pay for all our sins is what saves us.

    The next thing to understand is the truth behind sin: it promises to bring joy and peace, but in actuality, when you really sit down and deeply meditate upon your life, it’s the source of all our depression, anxiety, stress, fear, panic, worry, bitterness, anger, hatred, and sadness. Sin is like walking through a tar pit with a 500 lb weight on your back. The Bible likens it to being caught in a spider web, where every move you make makes the situation worse.

    Satan tells you that true freedom is to be able to do whatever you want. But the truth is that true freedom is freedom from sin and the negative emotional and physical consequences that sin produces.

    When you’re free from sin, you feel just that: pure, light, airy and free! Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about sin: being free from it feels really, really good. Life changing. There’s nothing like the feelings of freedom and godly joy, peace and love.

    Coming back around, so the goal of life is true joy and peace, which is found in our loving relationships with God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, our family and friends, and in our lifestyle that’s free from sin. The key is understanding that sin is not freedom – it’s slavery to all sorts of negative emotions and sometimes physical problems.

    It’s really hard for most people to stop certain sins. The key here is developing one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): self-control. Most people these days don’t have any, and neither did I to start.

    The Bible tells us we need to exercise ourselves in godliness. Godliness is becoming more Christlike in character/personality and conduct. What is Christ’s character? It is found in the definitions of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7): joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness (doing good), faithfulness (doing what you say), gentleness, self-control, not envious, humble, not rude, not self-seeking (seeking the benefit of others over oneself – selflessness), not provoked to anger, thinks no evil, does not find joy in iniquity, but rather finds joy in what’s good, forgiving, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

    And what is becoming more Christlike in conduct? Abstaining from sin: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like.

    The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:16 that the key to abstaining from sin is to walk in the Spirit, which is to become more Christlike in character (as defined above).

    The Bible tells us that we need to exercise ourselves in godliness (becoming more Christlike in conduct and character – 1 Timothy 4:7). You have to take action and exercise yourself (your inner man/soul) – the transformation doesn’t just happen miraculously without any effort. Take an example from the physical body (the flesh/outward man). Say you want to build muscle. Someone gives you the weights, but if you don’t exercise yourself with them, you’re not going to gain any muscle. Such is with the inner man, you as a soul. If you don’t take action and force yourself to produce the fruit of the Spirit to become more Christlike, you’re never going to grow. Take it from someone who sat on his butt for 10 years as a saved Christian, living in sin, praying to be transformed in conduct and character miraculously. It never came, until one day the Lord told me I’m being worthless and it lit a fire under me to do as the Bible says – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)” and “exercise yourself in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7)”: meaning, take action. You have the Holy Spirit as a believer to help and enable you to become more Christlike, but you have to practice. The Holy Spirit will help you, but He’s not going to override you – He’s very subtle and gentle. And just like any form of physical exercise, it’s really hard at first. Feels really unnatural and sometimes painful. But the more you exercise, the more natural, easier and more enjoyable it becomes, and the more you abstain from sin and grow in the character of Christ, the more true joy, peace and love you will feel, and it’s addicting, and it’s a good, safe addiction. It’s also important to note that “unnatural” is not “disingenuous” if you truly want your actions to be genuine. And the more you exercise what feels unnatural and what you deep down mean to be genuine, over time it will become more natural feeling.

    The next thing to know: know your enemy. Sin is way, way beyond just personal desire to do something wrong. The desire for sin truly comes from sin that dwells in the flesh (Romans 7) and the influence of demonic entities, whispering in your ear night and day enticing you to sin (Ephesians 6:11, 1 Peter 5:8-9).

    Now back to how to overcome sin by developing self-control and patience. When you first go to overcome a sin, the enemy is going to ride you hard. I mean – hard. It’s going to be mentally painful at first, but the more you resist temptation, the stronger you become, the more easier it becomes. The Bible tells us in James 4:7 to “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” There is also great reward from God at the bema seat for resisting temptation (James 1:12). Think of it like this when you’re in the midst of a temptation: “I’m being trained by God, being exercised in self-control and patience, becoming stronger little-by-little.” It may take many days (if not a couple weeks) to develop self-control and overcome the temptations, but the urges will taper off near the end, and the feeling of joy that you get when you’ve developed enough self-control to resist a bout of temptation is truly rewarding.

    So to recap: your journey to a joyful and peaceful sin-free life filled with love begins with developing self-control and patience, in which God will allow you to be tempted by the enemy in order to give you a chance to exercise yourself in resisting temptation that builds self-control and patience. Sin is not freedom like Satan says – it’s slavery to all the negative emotions like depression, anxiety, stress, fear, worry, panic, hatred, anger, bitterness and sadness. True freedom is being free from sin: feeling pure, light, airy and free. Self-control and patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Christ’s character), and to become more Christlike, you must exercise yourself in godliness (becoming more Christlike in conduct and character) by starting out to force yourself to produce the fruits of the Spirit: joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness (doing good), faithfulness (doing what you say), gentleness, self-control, not envious, humble, not rude, not self-seeking (seeking the benefit of others over oneself – selflessness), not provoked to anger, thinks no evil, does not find joy in iniquity, but rather finds joy in what’s good, forgiving, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It’s hard at first and can feel fake and unnatural (but that doesn’t mean you’re not being genuine), but it becomes more natural the more you exercise, and brings nothing but true joy, peace and love in your life.

  • Working for the Kingdom

    1 Corinthians 12.

    *Note: this is not for salvation. Salvation is purely accomplished through faith alone in the gospel.

    Playtime is in the next life, but as for right now on this earth, we have three missions:

    1. Save the lost.
    2. Help the needy.
    3. Edify the body of Christ (the church).

    As a believer, you’ve been given spiritual gifts and an administration/ministry to exercise those gifts:

    Spiritual gifts:

    • Wisdom
    • Knowledge
    • Faith
    • Healings
    • Miracles
    • Prophecy
    • Discerning of spirits
    • Speaking in tongues
    • Interpreting of tongues

    Administrations/ministries:

    • Apostleship
    • Prophesy
    • Teaching
    • Perform miracles
    • Healing others
    • Helping others
    • Praying in tongues

    Each of us is given a different one (or multiple of) these gifts/ministries, and we’re to use them while on this earth to:

    1. Save the lost.
    2. Help the needy.
    3. Edify the body of Christ (the church).

    Not everyone is meant to be doing the same thing. For example: not everyone is meant for street preaching or starting a church.

    It can take years to know what your gifts are, and also can take years of growing in the knowledge and wisdom of God before being able to properly exercise your gifts. Often times the institutional church will push new believers into “getting to work” and rushing out to make new converts, when those new converts have no clue what they’re doing or saying yet, and can actually cause a lot of damage to the cause of Christ with false teachings, not being able to answer further questions beyond the gospel and the like. It’s like telling a newborn baby to go out and get a job to help pay the bills. Remember, when Jesus told the disciples to go out into the world and preach the gospel, remember that they spent 3.5 years learning directly from Jesus Himself.

    Just remember, playtime is in the next life. Right now while on this earth, we have a mission, and that’s to save the lost, help the needy and edify the body of Christ. See how you can help those causes with what you’ve been given. An example from my own personal experiences: I’m not really personable or social, so my ministry isn’t to go up to random people in public and preaching the gospel. But I have been given web development skills, as well as many years to build up knowledge and wisdom in the things of God, so I can make websites and teach the knowledge and wisdom I’ve been given through that. Also, I have very little income that I’ve been given from Father God, but I try to give whatever I can that’s left over (not all of it of course) when I do come into a little money to help the needy. I also encourage the body of Christ and promote the gospel via YouTube comments. Just little things here and there as opportunity arises – not forced.

    You don’t have to be taking on the whole world. Just planting one gospel seed in someone, or giving $5 so someone to help get a meal for them is a win for the kingdom of God.

    And again – as opportunity arises. You don’t have to be going 100% all the time. You’ll go through droughts, and then there will be other times when you’re busy.

    As Jesus says in Matthew 11:30 — “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

  • Why We Love Jesus

    Life is all about feeling pure peace and joy, which makes us feel good (for the kingdom of heaven is about peace, joy and righteousness — Romans 14:7). And Jesus, His power, vastness, beauty, intelligence, design skills and creativity, and His ways of character and conduct leaves us in awe and brings us peace and joy, making us feel good and impressed. Versus the world’s ways that bring us misery, and for that we don’t love the world, because it makes us feel bad.

    1. He loved us first.
    2. He died for us so that we could have eternal life with Him forever. See note: The Gospel
    3. His character and personality. He’s: loving, peaceful, joyful, kind, gentle, patient, self-controlled, faithful, good, not envious, humble, not rude, not self seeking, does not anger, thinks no evil and does not rejoice in it, rejoices in good, bears with us.
    4. His ways are nothing but pure peace, joy, love and righteousness. See note: The Ways of God vs The Ways of the World
    5. His attributes: all powerful, intelligence, wisdom, creativity, beauty.
    6. What He gives us: a new glorified sinless body, a mansion designed just with us in mind, the finest food and drink whenever we want, and much more that we cannot even fathom right now.
    7. He always takes care of and provides for us materially.

  • Don’t Doubt Your Salvation

    Do you ever have times of doubt about your salvation? This is normal, as the enemy is relentless. Know how the Holy Spirit vs the enemy and the flesh works:

    First, reassure yourself of your belief in the simple gospel truth. Take all emotion and feelings out of it and think upon these salvation scriptures with pure logic:

    IF: you believe the gospel found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (that Christ died to pay for all our sins, was buried and rose again the third day) and don’t trust in any of your own works (Ephesians 2:8-9)

    THEN: the nanosecond you first believed that gospel you were indwelt by and sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of your eternal life and salvation (your inheritance) — Ephesians 1:13-14.

    Now, understand how the Holy Spirit and the enemy work to convict believers (the saved) and unbelievers (the unsaved):

    For unbelievers:

    God wants all people saved, and uses the Holy Spirit to convict unbelievers of their sin and their need for the Savior Jesus. The enemy wants to drag people to hell with them, and deceives the unbeliever into thinking that they are either “a good person” or are in “the proper religion (other than pure gospel faith Christianity)” or have “turned from all their sins” and are going to heaven for it, or straight up tries to deceive them into thinking that there is no God or afterlife at all, so that they’ll never seek the truth of how to become saved.

    For believers:

    God wants them to have assurance of their salvation and convicts them of their righteousness (being perfectly acceptable to God) through faith in the gospel. The enemy hates the believer and knows they can’t have their soul anymore, so they try their hardest to steal the joy of your salvation by deceiving you into thinking that you are unsaved, perhaps telling you that you’ve committed too many bad sins lately or that you don’t truly believe the gospel. They can also sometimes try to bring you under works for salvation and tell you that you’re not turning from all your sins in order to be acceptable to God, and that you’ve lost your salvation (which is impossible. See note on: Eternal Security). Your flesh and the enemy can also custom tailor deceptions created just for your specific situation, so be aware of their schemings.

    Also understand that we as our reborn, renewed inner man is sinless (born of incorruptible seed and kept from sinning), yet we still live in our unregenerate sinful flesh (the outward man), and “the flesh (circumcised from the heart – our inner man) is deceitful above all else.” So your flesh can deceive you, and the enemy loves to stir up the flesh. See this note for more details on: The Inner Man vs the Outward Man

    The enemy can oftentimes easily overpower the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, so if you’re saved by faith alone in the gospel (no works added) and you’re feeling condemned, it’s the enemy 100%. Just reboot:

    1. Take all feelings and emotions out of it.
    2. Logically progress over the gospel and the indwelling and guarantee of the Holy Spirit which you have believed in.
    3. Remember how the enemy works to deceive you and understand how they’re attacking you at that moment.
    4. Relax and find peace and comfort and joy in your salvation.

  • The Rich Young Ruler

    The story of the rich young ruler that asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life is found in Matthew 19:16-21 and Mark 10:17-27.

    The rich young ruler came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to get eternal life. He assumed that it was by keeping the law perfectly, and he thought he had kept the law perfectly. But Jesus knew his heart and sought to teach him that he hasn’t been following the law perfectly and that by the young man’s standard he wasn’t saved. So Jesus told him all the things to do in the law which he thought he was doing, except for one thing that Jesus brought up that he wasn’t doing, showing the young man that he hadn’t been keeping the law perfectly. This was to get the young man to say to himself, “Uh oh. How can I be saved then if I’ve failed at keeping the law?” And then Jesus told him to do the right thing by using his rich abundance to supply the lack of others by selling his stuff and giving to the poor (not for salvation, but because he wouldn’t need those worthless possessions anymore and the poor always need help and that’s the right thing to do), and then to follow Him so that he could learn that salvation is through believing in Him and not by following the law.

    Mark 10:17-27:
    As He (Jesus) was setting out on a journey, a man (the rich young ruler) ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone (Yes, Jesus is good as He is God, but what He’s doing is setting up to show the man who wants to be justified by the law that only God is good and not humans per the law’s standard). You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.” Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack (here Jesus shows the young man that he failed to keep the law perfectly): go and sell all you possess and give to the poor (because it’s the right thing to do by using his rich abundance to supply the lack of others by selling his stuff and giving to the poor [not for salvation, but because he wouldn’t need those worthless possessions anymore and the poor always need help and that’s the right thing to do]), and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me (to learn that eternal life is gained by believing in Him rather than by following the law).” But he was deeply dismayed by these words, and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” (Because most people trust in their works: “being a good person” rather than by faith in Christ alone) And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus responded again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were even more astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “(Jesus coming full circle here:) With people it is impossible (following the law), but not with God; for all things are possible with God (His salvation through faith in the gospel).”

  • Christ’s Love in Perspective

    The Bible tells us that Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life to save us, and that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for another. Let’s put that love into perspective:

    Imagine you were a saved believer in Christ, and that your favorite parent/sibling/spouse/child/friend (choose one) was an unbeliever. Now imagine that God told you, “I’ll get that person saved by getting them to realize how fragile life is and that their next breath isn’t promised, but in order for them to realize that, you yourself must be put into a most brutal and painful car accident that will nearly take your life.” Would you willingly jump at the opportunity? Deeply, deeply consider and meditate on this. (If I’m being honest, I had to think many more times than “twice” about this, and still haven’t made a decision, questioning if there could possibly be an easier way)

    Next, imagine that it wasn’t your favorite person in the world that you are going to go through that for, but rather it is for someone that has been the most awful to you.

    Jesus gladly jumped at the opportunity to die a most painful death to save us horrible, rotten, sinful humans who for the most part have despised, made fun of and rejected Him. Why? Because that’s how much He loves us. Yet even He, the night before His death, asked the Father if our salvation could be secured a different and easier way. And when He was told “No”, He went to the cross anyway.

  • Why You Won’t Find James 2 on This Website

    First, the antichrist’s number 666. I find it odd that there’s 66 books in the King James Version type of bibles.

    Second, God loves to test the genuineness of our faith. In the very second and third verses of James 1 it says: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

    And in 1 Peter 1:6-7 it says: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ

    James has a lot of good nuggets of godly knowledge and wisdom that he’s learned from Christ that are found throughout his book, but at the end of the day, the book of James (especially James 2) is as good as the rest of the apocrypha – uninspired by God, and cannot be because it plainly contradicts the entirety of the rest of scripture.

    Hundreds of years ago when those who were discussing what books should be in the Bible, the book of James was a heavily debated book. And the Lord told me that the reason He allowed Satan to sneak it in there was for it to be a test of faith for us (as I said earlier in this note, He loves to test the genuineness of our faith). If you can take the entirety of scripture (100’s of verses) that says that salvation is by faith in Christ alone, no works, and negate all of that for 2 simple James 2 verses that plainly say that salvation is by works, then you have failed the test of faith and are not worthy of God. The Lord tests our faith with James 2: are you going to keep your pride and say that Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t enough and that you need to have works to prove your salvation, or are you going to humble yourself completely and say, “Man, I know James 2 says my faith without works is dead, even though the rest of scripture says it’s not by works, but I’m deciding to throw out James 2 and go all in on Christ and put all my eggs in His basket and not trust in any of my own works.” Proverbs 16:18 — Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

    I’ve heard every way under the sun from people trying to reconcile James 2 to the rest of scripture and what it “really means”, twisting it to try and make sense of it, but James makes it very clear what he means in verses 24-25: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” He says we’re justified by works. Plain and simple.

    But we know that the entirety of the rest of scripture attests to salvation being by faith alone, and not by works: Ephesians 2:8-9 — “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Also consider the parable Jesus Himself told concerning the Pharisee (religious leader) and the tax collector, where the Pharisee supposed that he was acceptable before God for his works, vs the sinful tax collector who realized he was a sinner simply in need of mercy:
    Luke 18:9-14 — Also He (Jesus) spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

    See faith alone scriptures in the note: The Knowledge and Wisdom of God

  • Freed From the Law and Sin (Romans, chapters 3-8)

    This note explains the somewhat confusing and complicated chapters of Romans 3-8.

    The first thing to understand is the dichotomy of the inner man vs the outward man. A brief overview: we are actually a soul, that has a spirit, and lives inside our fleshly body. For more details, see the note: The Inner Man vs the Outward Man (opens in a new window)

    The next thing to understand is that “sin” is not just some abstract concept or idea. It’s a literal living thing that lives in our fleshly bodies:

    • Sin “entered” the world when Adam ate of the forbidden fruit. (Romans 5:12)
    • Sin “lives” in our fleshly bodies. (Romans 7:17-18; Romans 7:20; Romans 7:21-23)

    What is a law?
    When you’re under a law, you must obey it. If the law says, “You shall not steal”, then you cannot steal. And with laws, there’s consequences for going against it. For the law (the 10 commandments), it’s condemnation and death with eternal hellfire.

    What is a master-slave relationship?
    Likewise, if we were under bondage as a slave to a master, the slave must obey their master. If the master says, “Steal”, then you must steal.

    What is the rule about being under laws?
    The rule that God instantiated about laws is that when you die, you are released from the law you were under.

    The same goes for master-slave relationships. When you die, you are no longer the slave of the master you were owned by.

    We are all born under the law, and sin quickly becomes our master. As slaves of our master (sin) we obey its commands to break the law. And when we break the law, we are condemned to death and eternal hellfire as just punishment.

    So the question is: “If we get freed from laws and masters by death, how do we get freed from the law (the commandments) and our master (sin)?” The answer: we must die, and then we will be released from our master (sin), and from the law that condemns us. Here’s how we “die”:

    For this next part, you must understand the gospel: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — that Christ (1) died to pay for all our sins (2) was buried and (3) rose again the third day.

    The next logical question is: “How do we die?” The answer: when we believe the gospel, we are spiritually crucified with Christ. It is like our body/flesh was literally put to death on the cross (the gospel: step 1). So there, we just died (and the sin within us along with us). The moment we believed the gospel, our flesh died and we were released from our former master (sin), and from the law that condemned us when we sinned. Our dead outward bodies and the sin within were then buried (the gospel: step 2), and we as our inner man was spiritually reborn of incorruptible Seed and raised back to life (the final gospel step 3), and now our new selves are now slaves to God and are under His law of grace. All this is what’s meant by being baptized (following Christ) into Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

    So, Christ redeemed us (freed us) from our master (sin), as well as the law that condemned us when we sinned, when we believed in His death on the cross (for the payment for our sins), His burial and His resurrection. And that believing He did that for us, we are then baptized (following Him) into His death, being set free from sin and the law, and are raised to new life under our new master (God) and His law of grace.

    We are now a slave of our new Master, God, who redeemed (freed) us from our old master, sin. What does God command us to do? He commands us to believe the gospel for salvation, and to “be holy”: “Be holy, for I am holy”. (If I’m saved by faith, why be holy? See note on: The Ways of God vs the Ways of the World [The best note on this site. Opens in a new window])

    And not only are we God’s slave now, we are now also under the law of grace, being set free (redeemed) from the former law that condemned us. What does the law of grace say? It says: “If you do sin and break the other law, you are forgiven instead of condemned.”

    And just because we’re now under the law of grace (forgiveness) instead of the law of condemnation, it doesn’t mean that we should use that as an excuse to let our flesh sin and break the old law. We absolutely could, but we are told not to. Instead of totally disregarding the old law, we uphold it because we agree that its statutes are good (it’s good not to steal, it’s good not to murder, it’s good not to lie, etc.). We’re just not condemned by it when our flesh does break it, because we’re no longer under it, as we’re now under the law of grace.

    Now, there’s the spiritual reality of our flesh being dead, but then there’s also the physical reality: that our flesh is not dead yet and is very much alive and sin still lives in it. But we’re to reckon/consider/pretend our flesh to be dead, which means that we are free from our former master (sin), and since we’re no longer sin’s slave, we no longer obey it when it tells us to sin. We are to act/behave as if our sinful flesh is actually dead and deprive our flesh of its desire to sin. Instead, we obey our new Master (God), who commands us to be holy. And when our flesh overtakes us and we fail to be holy in the flesh, remember, we are no longer under the old law that condemned us for it, we are now under the law of grace that forgives us.

    Does “being dead to sin” mean that we won’t sin anymore? No. Remember, spiritually we’re dead to sin, but the physical reality is that our sinful flesh is still alive and desires to sin. We’re simply to pretend it’s dead and deprive it of its desire to sin to the best of our ability. See this note on how to do this: The Ways of God vs the Ways of the World (The best note on this site. Opens in a new window)

    Even Jesus (God) took on human nature and had a fleshly body with sin in it. But since He was also God within that flesh, He was able to deprive that sin of its desires, thus fulfilling the law (something us humans couldn’t do). (Romans 8:3)

    On the cross, God the Father put all our sin in Christ’s fleshly body. Jesus bore our sin in His flesh on the cross, and God put His body/flesh to death, along with all our sins in it: 1 Peter 2:24 — “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree (the cross), that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes (wounds) you were healed.”

  • Why the Law Was Given

    The law (the 10 commandments) was not given to save people by following it. It was given to:

    1. Show us what is right and wrong morally.
      1. Paul says in Romans 7:7 that he would not have known what coveting was unless there was a law that said, “You shall not covet.”
      2. Galatians 3:19.
    2. Hold us all accountable (make us guilty) before God.
      1. Galatians 3:22.
      2. Romans 3:19.
      3. As a just and fair God, He has to have something to judge us by if we don’t place our faith in Christ for salvation. And if we don’t believe in Christ for salvation, then He will justly judge our actions by the law, and we will receive fair punishment in hell for all eternity.
    3. Point us to Christ for salvation.
      1. Galatians 3:24-25.
      2. The law says, “Man, you’re guilty of breaking me and are condemned. You better believe in Christ to get those sins forgiven, or else you’re going to hell.”

    On a side note: If the law were to be the means to be saved, it would have to be followed perfectly, never once broken in your entire life. (Galatians 3:10)

    Timeline of events:

    1. First, God promised to Adam and Eve that a Messiah (their Savior) would come through their Seed. (Genesis 3:15)
    2. Second, God promised again to Abraham that all the nations would be saved through faith in the Seed (Christ) that was to come through his lineage. (Galatians 3:5-9)
    3. 430 years later, God gave the law. It doesn’t override the original two promises of salvation by faith in the Messiah (Savior). (Galatians 3:15-18)
    4. Around 1500 years after the law was given, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, fulfilled God’s original promise of sending a Messiah through the lineage of Abraham, that all who believe in His death, burial and resurrection would be saved.

    God didn’t give the law 430 years after His promise of salvation by faith and say, “Ok, scratch that. I change My mind. Salvation is no longer by faith in the Messiah (Christ) that is to come through Abraham’s lineage, but is now through following the law perfectly.” Salvation was originally and always has been by faith, and the law was implemented later for the three reasons mentioned first in this note. (Galatians 3:15-18)

    Truthfully, man has always known that God would provide a Savior for man for their sin, all the way back to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). Before the Messiah came, faith in God and His plan of redemption through a Messiah is what saved before the resurrection. After Christ’s resurrection, faith in Jesus Christ (the now known Messiah) saves now.

    God, who cannot lie, originally promised Adam and Eve that they would be saved through their offspring, and was again promised to Abraham that through his lineage the Messiah would come, and all who place their faith in Him would be saved. The law was only given to: (1) Show us what is right and wrong morally (2) Hold us all accountable (make us guilty) before God (3) Point us to faith in Christ for salvation.

  • Preventative Measures

    Want to prevent illness and evil from happening to you? Psalm 91 has your answer. It basically boils down to: “If you believe that Christ will keep you from all evil and illness, then He will.” He is able, and He is willing. You don’t have to know how it works, just know that it does.

    Psalm 91:

    1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
    Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
    2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
    My God, in Him I will trust.”

    3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    And from the perilous pestilence.
    4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
    And under His wings you shall take refuge;
    His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
    5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
    Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
    6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
    Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

    7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    And ten thousand at your right hand;
    But it shall not come near you.
    8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
    And see the reward of the wicked.

    9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
    Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
    10 No evil shall befall you,
    Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
    11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
    To keep you in all your ways.
    12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
    Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
    13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
    The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

    14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
    I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
    15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will deliver him and honor him.
    16 With long life I will satisfy him,
    And show him My salvation.”

  • Sins: Paid, Forgiven, Removed, Forgotten

    All of our sins were paid for on the cross 2000 years ago, and the nanosecond you believed the gospel, your sins were:

    1. Forgiven
      Ephesians 1:7 — In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
    2. Removed
      Psalm 103:12 — As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
    3. Forgotten
      Hebrews 8:12 — For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

  • The Savior brings The Good News

    Not good news:
    Behold! I am the messiah! I bring you good news on how to get to Heaven: keep the whole law perfectly and never once stumble! Good luck!

    Good news:
    Behold! I am the messiah and have come to pay for all of your sins so that you can get into heaven! Just believe in Me! That’s it!

  • Faith is Power

    It’s all about faith. NOT works. It’s impossible to please God without faith. That’s what He desires and cares about – faith in the unseen. Faith in the impossible – “for all things are possible with God.” We live in a physical, visible world with hard limits and tough work. The kingdom of God is invisible, limitless, of power and ease – with God’s ability to speak things into existence. Faith is power. God wants faith! Not works! It’s the power to get things done. It’s the power to save. But you MUST not doubt, or you should not expect to receive.

    Biblical definition of faith
    Hebrews 11:1 — Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

    The kingdom of God is power
    1 Corinthians 4:20 — For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

    Blessed are those who trust in God
    Jeremiah 17:7 — “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

    Know that anything is possible with God
    Matthew 19:26 — Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
    Jeremiah 32:27 — “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
    Jeremiah 32:17 — “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

    Without faith in God, nothing can happen
    Hebrews 11:6 — And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

    God’s power has the ability to do anything outside of human limits. Don’t let the “wisdom of humanity” that says certain things can’t be done fool you into thinking something’s not possible, when it is indeed possible with God through unwavering, childlike faith
    1 Corinthians 2:5 — so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

    You must believe and trust in God with all your heart
    Proverbs 3:5 — Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

    Faith in the gospel is the arm of God’s power to save
    Romans 1:16 — For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

    Believe with all your heart and do not doubt, and it will be given to you
    Mark 11:22-24 — “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

    God works miracles among you by your faith, not by your deeds
    Galatians 3:5 — So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard [the gospel]?

    Even the smallest amount of faith is extremely powerful. Imagine what a lot of faith can do!
    Matthew 17:20 — He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

    Peter walked for a moment on water because of his faith, and when he began to doubt his faith, he began to sink.
    Matthew 14:22-31, especially verses 28-31

    You must not doubt your faith. Have childlike faith!
    James 1:6-7 — But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

    God does not perform many miracles where there is no faith
    Matthew 13:58 — And he [Jesus] did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

    And of course, what you ask for in faith must be reasonable and of the things of God. Example: you can’t have faith in winning the lottery and expect to win.
    James 4:3 — When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

    Live reasonably and don’t put God to the test with your faith. Example: don’t ask God to keep you from getting the flu and then go out of your way to lick a petri dish full of the flu virus.
    Luke 4:9-12 — The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

    Your faith will NOT be put to shame by those saying, “Uh huh! Where’s your God now?!?”
    Romans 10:11 — As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

    Faith in Action – just a few of MANY examples of the power of God’s healing by faith:

    1. A man that had faith that Jesus could heal, not even needing Him to be present, but just by saying the word

      Matthew 8:5-13, especially verses:

      7-8: Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

      10: When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
      
13: Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
    2. A woman that had faith that Jesus could heal, not even needing Him to speak, but just by her touching Him

      Mark 5:24-34, especially verses:
      
27-29: When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

      34: He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
    3. Men that had faith that Jesus could heal, not even needing to touch Him, but just by being in His shadow!

      Acts 5:15 — As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s [an apostle of Christ with Christ’s authority to heal] shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

    Blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe.
    John 20:29 — Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

    God wrote His ENTIRE Old Testament and New Testament Bible around faith – faith in Him – and the abundant promises and blessings of having such faith. Upon acquiring such childlike faith, do you really think He’s then going to go back on all His promises and let you down and shame you because of the faith He demands, and then point your hope to that of the world and of men?

    The enemy whispers in your ear day and night and tells you that having faith and believing that something of God’s will – and believing it will indeed come to pass – is pride. He also gets you to doubt your faith by whispering in your ear, “Oh no, that’s just not possible. Don’t believe it because if you do, it won’t come true and you’ll just be let down and feel foolish.” Those are huge lies from Satan. Satan wants you to place your faith in what’s seen – the world and men – and to take your eyes off God and His truth.

    God says, you now have faith that I can do what you ask, but do you have faith that I will do what you ask?

  • Grace. Mercy. Justice.

    Grace = getting [good things] what we don’t deserve.

    Mercy = not getting what we do deserve [punishment].

    Justice = getting what we do deserve.

    Ephesians 2:8-9 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.