2010.15: Warning to ye that are rich

James 5:1-6
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.”  See also “The vanity of riches“

Blessings,

2010.14: The royal law

James 2:5-13
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill, Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shown no mercy, that hath shown no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”

All of the commandments of God are given to help us learn of Him, and to live a long and peaceful life upon the earth. “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the LORD thy God.”  Deuteronomy 28:1-2. Yes, it is true that we are utterly and completely unable to keep the commandments and laws of God perfectly, the wonderful news is we have a mediator and saviour in Jesus Christ. It is a mistake to assume “the law of liberty” implies that Christians do not need to keep any laws. Search the bible, and you will see how important it is for us to obey His laws and commandments with all our hearts and minds, for commandment-keeping and faith are one and the same.

God bless,

2010.13: Test the spirits

1 John 4:1-6
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: thereof speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

Blessed be the LORD

Blessed be the LORD, who sends the rain. The heavens shed their tears freely, to water and nourish the earth.

Blessed be the LORD who created the sun in all its power and light, so that life may grow.

Blessed be the LORD, who has mercy and shows kindness towards His children.

Blessed be the LORD, who stretched forth thy hand and givest life to all that thou hast created.

Blessed be the man who places his trust in the LORD, and says not in his heart, I am great.

Blessed be the LORD who gives us this fine day! Who witholds His judgment against the world.

Blessed be the LORD of truth, whose mercy endureth forever.

Blessed be the name of the LORD, who winks at our foolishness.

Blessed be the name of the LORD, that gives the children space for repentance.

Blessed be the name of the LORD most high.

Blessings,

Keep thy law

Teach me, O  LORD, the way of thy Statues: and I shall keepe it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy Law: yea I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to goe in the path of thy commandments: for therein doe I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies: and not to covetousnesse. Turn awy mine eyes from beholding vanitie: and quicken thou me in thy way. Stablish thy word unto thy servant: who is devoted to thy feare. Turn away my reproach which I feare: for thy judgements are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

Psalm 119:1-24 (1611 KJV)

The death of truth

Question: How does the Bible define truth?

As always, we must look to the word of God in the Bible for an answer.

The LORD’s judgments are truth – Psalm 19:9
“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.”

The LORD is truth – Psalm 31
“Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.”

Truth came by Jesus Christ – John 1:17
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Jesus spoke the truth – Mark 9:32
“And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:”

Truth is of the light – John 3:20-21
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Devil is the opposite of truth – John 9:44
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Jesus Christ is The truth – John 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

As you can see, the Bible defines truth in a very specific way, wherein every word uttered by the LORD is the absolute truth. Given that Jesus Christ came into the world   to bring the true gospel message from the Father, it may be concluded that Jesus Himself is the truth. It is also certain, that Satan the devil represents the polar opposite of truth. Everything spoken by the devil is a lie, because in him there is not a shred of truth.Therefore, anything the world at large considers to be truth, is in fact a lie. What a sad and depraved world we live in today. The leaders in charge deny the true God, or at best pay Him nominal acknowledgment. No government on earth rules or enacts laws based upon the laws of God. How different would our banking system be, if the financial institutions released their debtors after seven years, as God instructed Moses so long ago!! To be certain, they would be very careful to whom they advanced a loan.

The recent financial meltdown was absolutely predictable, because human behavior, greed and the inherent preponderance to do evil has been passed on us from Adam and Eve. No amount of emergency measures, restructuring, international cooperation, and so forth will bring about real and positive change. The system may change, the powers in charge may be replaced, but believe me, sin and greed is alive and well and will not be removed so easily. It is only when God the Father says “enough is enough”, and sends His Son Jesus Christ to take over all human governments, and clean up the giant mess we have made of His world. When this event at last enfolds, resistance of the world to God and His Laws will be deemed futile. According to scripture, all who choose to fight God and the saints, have a guaranteed final destination in the lake of fire. Sin and rebellion will no longer be possible or tolerated. The people of this world will either submit to God’s rule and gain eternal life, or be destroyed in the world-wide cleansing fire. Where does your relationship with God stand? Do you know? If not, you need to get going and repent of your folly, for time is now very short.

Many well meaning people have said that there is a multitude of pathways to God. This is a lie. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the only way for people to be saved. True Christianity is not about compromise, it is not about rituals, or doing the right things, or attending church. Rather, true Christianity is about a unique, individual, loving relationship between each of us, and God the Father through Jesus Christ. Our LORD is eternal, and gave up everything for us, and He will not change. It is you and I  who must change if we are to be justified and cleansed by His precious blood. All the teachings about evolution, global warming, man’s inherent goodness, and so on, are all lies. It is only Jesus Christ and God the Father that represent real truth, everything else is a lie. Do you remember whom Jesus said is the father of all lies? It is Satan, the evil fallen angel who is in charge of this world and its systems. As Christians, we must exert all effort and power, to resist being swept along by the tide of evil drowning our world. Jesus prayed to His Father that the apostles would be kept in the world, but not be a part of it. So it must be with us also, if we are to truly follow in His footsteps.

I pray that each of you has a loving and saving relationship with our LORD, and truly understands the enormous consequences of our collective sin and world events. Let me assure you that there is no rapture of the church, and no escape for those of us alive when the tribulation commences. The Bible clearly records in the book of Revelation, the awesome and frightening judgments God has planned for mankind. May His Spirit strengthen you for the time of trouble of ahead, and may His strength grant you peace and comfort for whatever trial comes your way. May our LORD Jesus Christ bless you all.

In His service,

LearnTheBible.ca

Repent or ye shall perish

Luke 13:3 – I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 – In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

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

Please ask yourself, “Where do I stand before God”. Jesus is returning soon, and our time in this life is rapidly coming to an end. I urge you to accept Gods’ precious offer of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

Blessings in Christ our LORD,

2010.12: Belief alone is not enough

James 2:xx
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” Verse 14

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works is faith made perfect?

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”  Verses 17-26

Hebrews 11:6-7
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Notice! Noah not only believed and feared God, he acted upon the commandment to build an ark. Imagine how he was ridiculed by his neighbours, mocking him for making an ark in the midst of the land! Keep in mind also, that God had not yet caused rain to fall upon the earth, so this was an entirely new concept for the people to understand. Reading the entire chapter, we see that Abraham, Jacob, Issac, and so on, all heard the word of God, and then took action to respond.

Here is how God is dealing with the devils who rebelled, as described in James 2:19,

“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person,  a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.” 2 Peter 2:4-5

Revelation 14:12
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

The protestant teaching of “simple belief and faith” is not supported in scripture. Yes, we are to have faith and belief in the promises of God, along with the sacrifice of Jesus as Calvary. However, there must also be a change in our hearts, minds and actions. What exactly does “belief in Jesus” actually mean? Biblically speaking, belief not only means faith and hope, but also includes commandment-keeping, works, tithes, and so forth. Unless you have experienced a complete change of direction in your life, then I would question whether you have been truly converted. I am sorry if this sounds harsh, but the word of God does not support a “belief-only” perspective. Without exception, all of the people God used in the Bible, not only believed Him, but also acted on that belief. I pray each of you will do likewise, to whatever God calls upon you to do.

Blessings,

Climate Change and planet Earth

I am very concerned about climate change ,but not in the way you might think. The climate change I am speaking about is the prevailing climate of sin dominating our world today. What is sin? Quite simply, sin is the transgression of God’s Laws – See 1 John 3. Sin, which is in essence any action or thought contrary to the Word of God, has made our world weak, broken, corrupted and terminally ill. Because sin entered into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve  – See Genesis Chapter 3, mankind and all creation have been in a steady decline. With all of our technology and medical advances, are we able to heal all our sickness and illness? No. How about our lifespan, have we discovered a “fountain of youth” or magic pill to make us live forever? No. Yet, before the Great Flood, the people lived for centuries enjoying a vigorous life and good health. Because people during that time period were living much closer to the time of creation than we are now, the negative effects of sin were not as great. Their environment was healthy, the air cleaner, and the food untainted by chemicals and processing. All of these factors meant the people could enjoy a much longer and productive life span.

The Old Testament is ripe with stories of how the people mocked, rejected and deplored God and His Laws – no different than today. What was the result? Because of disobedience and sin, God brought great hardship, disease and tribulation to the people. Does this imply that God is hateful and mean? NO!!God is the purest essence of love and He wants the best for His people. However, like children,  all of us (to various degrees) have gone astray and forgotten what He has commanded us – See Isaiah 53:6. While God is merciful and long suffering, He will not permit us to continue in sin indefinitely. Yes, the ultimate day of reckoning will soon be upon us, when all of the world will be judged. When Jesus Christ returns to this earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, at long last, the effects of sin will finally come to an end.

If you have not had the chance to read Deuteronomy 28, you would do very well to do so.  Sometimes known as the “Blessings and Cursings” chapter, it describes the promised physical rewards to the nation of Israel if they obeyed God, and likewise their punishment if they did not. Now before you say, “What right does God have to do this…” , understand that since God is our Creator and law giver, He can do anything He likes. All of our human objections and opinions are of no significance.

Sadly, both the world and the majority of Christians fail to understand that the choices of destiny are not heavenly bliss or eternal hell. No, those who have been given the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but failed to do so, will not suffer eternally in hell. Rather, they will mercifully be completely destroyed in the lake of fire – See Malachi 4:3. Individuals who have responded to God’s call while in this life, will be given the opportunity to live and rule in the Kingdom of God – on the earth. No one is going to heaven, as scripture is perfectly clear on this point. Please see our detailed study “The End (Beginning) of the Story“. 

Satan is using his considerable power and influence to mould and shape our world to his will, in deference to God’s warnings not to follow the way of sin and death. All around us we have corrupt schools teaching the lies of evolution, rampant sex, adultery, lust, murders, greed, covetness, abortion, and on and on. Our world is irrevocably terminal, and all creation groans for relief – See Romans 8:22. This present world cannot be saved in its present condition. At the return of Jesus Christ, this world will be cleansed of sin and renewed in order that all may be made right once again. This world, is destined to return to the same physical state that existed in the Garden of Eden, prior to the sin of Adam and Eve. Yes, the ways of this world can only lead to death and destruction. Far too many people belive that all religions worship the same God, with many pathways to eternal life. This belief is contrary to the Bible and therefore cannot be true. Jesus said “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. 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.” – See John 15:5-6. As I explain in “Christianity 101“, to be  a Christian is to have a personal relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. To call Christianity a “religion” is quite inaccurate.

Closing Comment: Although it is too late to save this present world, our LORD can save YOU! Turn to Him and be saved before it is too late – please. 

GOD BLESS
learnthebible.ca

2010.11: Can a Christian sin?

Romans 6:1-4
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.”

1 John 3:4-9
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither know him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

A fews back, I was told my someone in the church we were attending, that we (Christians), so not have to observe any rules. This immediately struck me as a rather odd saying, and I realized later just how heretical this line of thinking was. To even entertain the thought of living outside of God’s laws, is, well, unthinkable. It is certainly true that while we abide in the love and grace of Jesus Christ, He acts as a propitiation for our sins. We are however, to ask on a daily basis, forgiveness for our sins – see the Lord’s Prayer, which is not a one-time activity. A tremendous difference exists between a person who unintentionally sins (as best they can), and one who does so willfully and expects God to forgive them. The person in the first case is saved while the other appears to be in real danger of being lost.

We should be very careful not to take the promises and grace of God for granted, for it is all too easy to fall away from the true faith. God does not force us to love Him, so He will also not force us to refrain from sinning (with repetitive intent). It takes committment and effort to live a Christian lifestyle, which most assuredly is not an easy one, although very rewarding. Because sin has been defined as the transgression of the law, any action or thought contrary to His will is naturally considered to be worthy of punishment. The saved Christian must not, (which is not the same as “cannot”) sin over and over with intent. It is certainly true that regardless of our actions, God will continue to love us unconditionally, but this does not mean that we can conduct ourselves anyway we like. So to summarize, the Christian who is standing in the love and grace of our LORD, is keeping His commandments, and has faith and hope in the promises, will continue to sin while still living in the flesh, but this type of sin is not unto death, and is continually cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Many blessing, and God bless!