In the World...

not of the world 

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What does the Bible mean when it says we are in the world but not of the world...that we are to be no part of the world? How can we live here on earth...in this world...but be no part of this world? We have to live here and earn a living here. Quite the Christian Conundrum. 

The following scriptures explain how we are to view the world. "By world" it means this temporary, evil system, government, fleshly desires, possessions and such. We know that we are here for a brief time, that our eternal home is with God and Jesus in heaven. We are told to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth, because all those things are passing away. They are temporary and we can't bring them with us. Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” 

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

John 17:16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Philippians 3: 20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

This does not mean that we cannot enjoy the beauty of the world around us. God created it for us to enjoy. It simply means we are to be no part of the evil that surrounds us. 

This is not our home...

we are temporary aliens living in a foreign land.

Who Will be Raptured...

...and who will be left behind?

 Are you Ready?

The rapture of the Church has been a much debated topic amongst Christians for Centuries. Who will be taken, who will be left behind, and when will it occur? The only authority for answers to this question is the Bible...God's word...where we read, no one knows the day or hour...not Jesus, not the angels...only God knows.  Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

But it does say we would know the season. Paul said in  1Thessalonians 5:4 "But you are not in darkness brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief"

Not everyone who calls themselves a "Christian" will be caught up in the rapture. How can you know if you will be raptured? 

Luke 6:46  Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things I say?

Matthew 7: 21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

2 Thessalonians 2: 10-13 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

2 Timothy 3:1–5: In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.

If we do not want to find ourselves in the latter group, what do we need to do to be in line with God's will? 

Acts 16: 30-31  And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

Romans 10: 9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

John 10:27-28  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

John3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Colossians 3:4 “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

2 Corinthians 6:2b Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Jesus is coming soon for his bride...whether it is tomorrow, next year or 5 years, we are told to be ready. He is coming for those who trust in him, are looking for him and waiting for him...those who are saved by believing in him...that he is the Son of God, who came to earth, died on the cross for our sins, rose, ascended to heaven, and is coming back again for his faithful followers. Repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness, believe in your heart, be baptized and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior.

Jesus Christ is near, even at the door 

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Is Healing for Today?

Romans 3:4 let God be true, but every man a liar.

Some people (Bible believing Christians) say that healing is not for today, that healing and miracles stopped with the apostles. I've also heard it said that God heals us through doctors. While I may agree that God can use any means, even drs. to heal us...Show me in the Bible where it says that. My authority on everything is the Bible...the written word of God. If we cannot trust God's word on healing, how can we trust him with our salvation? How do we pick and choose what scriptures are true and which ones are not? 

When Jesus was on Earth he went about healing everyone who came to him...He did not say Go to a Dr. and if he can't help you come back and I'll see what I can do. 

A leper came to Jesus asking for healing: Matthew 8:2-3 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Notice Jesus did not advise him to Seek the advice of a Dr.  

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. If Jesus were here today, would he not heal you if you came to him? Ask and you shall receive. 

Mark 11:24 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." 

John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Proverbs 23:7...as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.

We can trust in man, or we can trust in God. God is not the author of sickness...Satan is...and Satan is a liar. Don't agree with Satan when he tries to tell you you're sick. Tell him to get behind you. Affirm what God's word says. You defeat Satan by faith in God's word and prayer. Believing what God's written word says and speaking it in faith. Either we believe what God's word says or we don't. God doesn't change, and he does not lie; he cannot lie. If he says it he will do it. Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Psalm 103:2-5 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” 

Matthew 4:23-24 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us.”

John 14:12-13 Jesus said himself “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do greater works than these shall he do.  

James 5:14 & 15 “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” 

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Exodus 23:25 "Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.

Jeremiah 30:17 "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord."

3 John 1:2 "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."

*Disclaimer: This is not medical advice!

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We Are All Temporary Aliens

Life here on earth is only temporary. We are just passing through on our way to eternity. That is why Jesus tells us in the Bible to build up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Mathew 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Luke 12:19-21 “And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Colossians 3:1-3 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

1 Chronicles 29:15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.

1 Peter 1:24 For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off.

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. 

Romans 12:2a Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

John 17:16  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John 2:17  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

James 4:4  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

None of us are guaranteed tomorrow...Our time here is limited. We will leave these earthly bodies behind and all our earthly possessions. What matters is what we do while we're here. Were we good and faithful stewards? Is our name written in the Lamb's Book of Life? So long as there is still breath in us, it is not too late to make a decision to lay up treasures in heaven by seeking God first, repenting of our sins, and receiving Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

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Vaccine...Mark of the Beast?

No...the vaccine is not the mark of the beast. However there is no doubt that it is part of their evil agenda to condition us to be obedient and compliant. We can already see certain similarities between the vax and the "Mark"...such as, not being able to buy or sell. They are putting conditions and restrictions on those who refuse the vax. This is definitely preparing mankind to unquestionably accept whatever authority they try to yield over us to quietly and unsuspectingly be led like sheep to the slaughter.

Revelation 13: 16-18  And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Firstly: You cannot accidentally take the mark without knowingly making a conscious choice. Secondly: The False Prophet and the Beast (Anti Christ) have not appeared on the scene yet. Thirdly: The Church will not be here when this happens. We will have already been raptured off the earth. These warnings are for the people who are left behind to live through the Great Tribulation which will begin after we are removed.

Revelation 3:10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. Revelation chapter 3 is the last mention of the Church...from chapter 4 on is referring to the people left on earth that will endure 7 years of tribulation. They are the ones who will be forced to accept the mark of the beast. 

With all the advances in technology... RFID chip implants, fingerprint and face recognition, digital money, and talk of a New World Order (the Great Reset), one world government and religion, social crediting (rewards and punishments for being good, obedient, compliant citizens), we can see how quickly things are converging to bring us to that event. By that time most people will have already given up and conformed to the system. 

Romans 12:2   And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

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Such a Time as This

There are no coincidences. Everything is by design...God's perfect plan, in God's perfect time. We are all here for such a time as this. 

We are the generation spoken of in Bible Prophecy. The generation that would witness the fulfillment of the "End Times" prophesied by Jesus, Ezekiel, Daniel and many other prophets of the Bible.

Nehemiah 1:8-9 Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’

In 70 AD the Jewish people were exiled from their land under the Roman Empire. Today, after 2,000 years, they have returned and reestablished sovereignty. Now over 3.5 million Jews have immigrated to the Land of Israel from all over the world. From the north, south, east, and west. fulfilling God’s promise of Isaiah 43:5-6. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. 

Jeremiah 16:14-15 "However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but it will be said, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors.

Jeremiah 23:3 I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.

The State of Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948.

On December 5, 1949, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced that Jerusalem was the eternal capital of Israel. In January of 1950, the Knesset passed a law stating, “Whereas with establishment of the state of Israel, Jerusalem once more becomes the capital.” 

Biblically Jerusalem was considered the capital of Israel since the Reign of King David who established Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel over 3,000 years ago. The Psalmist said we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was and always will be the capital of Israel and future home of our Lord Jesus Christ when he returns to rule on earth as King of King and Lord of Lords. 

On December 6, 2017 President Donald Trump announced the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the planning of the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 

May 14, 2018 exactly 70 years from Israel becoming a nation, President Trump in a historic move, officially opened the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

Some people today compare President Trump to King Cyrus (Cyrus the Great), in the old Testament. Saying Trump is chosen or ordained by God for such a time as this. It is true that God uses men to carry out his purpose on earth. In the first year of his reign King Cyrus was prompted by God to decree that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt and that such Jews as cared to might return to their land.

Now this does not mean that Trump is a saint or a savior as some try to insinuate. We must guard against idolizing men. These things were all foretold in the Bible and must take place in order to fulfill the end time prophecies. It shows how far we are in prophecy. This is all going to lead right up to the false prophet, Anti Christ, mark of the beast, rebuilding of the Temple and the abomination that causes desolation.

We are at the Precipice...It is occurring right before our eyes. But Jesus said in Luke 21: 28 When these things begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws nigh."

We can take comfort because we know God has not appointed us to wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Whose Reality?

Reality: The state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.

To this definition I would ask: the state of things as they actually exist for whom? There are as many different realities as there are people on earth, and that reality changes from minute to minute, second to second. I would say rather than "reality" a more fitting word would be "perception".

5 people can be in the same room when a fight breaks out. When questioned about what happened, each one will have an entirely different perception about that reality. The reality: a fight broke out... but the perception of that reality is where it differs greatly. So which one is true? All of them. From each person's perspective what they experienced is the truth. 

Someone may say to you that life sucks...there's nothing but hate, violence, and dishonest people everywhere you look. For them, that is their reality and perception of life, but for you, life is not like that at all. You see life as a pleasant, beautiful, optimistic, wonderful thing. They are both true and coexist at the same time. Even two married people living under the same roof and experiencing pretty much the same thing can feel very differently about their lives. 

In my own life there are different realities. If I were to focus on the news, and what I read online and on Youtube, I might believe that Joe Biden is our President, or President Trump is coming back, that there's a plan, The White Hats are in control, or the Military. There is child trafficking, rioting, murders, rapes, and homelessness, and people in our own government are child eating, Satan worshipping traitors...but, when I turn all of that off, and relax with a cup of tea in my favorite place (my enclosed back porch), none of that exists. All is well with the world and life is good. 

I would have to conclude that there is no such thing as reality only perception or interpretation of circumstances as experienced through the eyes and mind of the person experiencing them.

Is reality the same thing as truth? While there can be many realities or perceptions, there can only be one truth. In the above example of the fight, there exists only one truth of what actually happened. That is where arguing and divisiveness would come into play as each person would try to convince the other that their account of what happened is the truth. That is why it is sometimes hard to come to any concise conclusion as to what the actual truth of a situation is.

I don't envy the person whose job it is to determine the outcome of a murder, accident or other incident that calls for a judgement and sentence on the alleged perpetrator. 

I don't know if it is possible in this world to know what the truth is of our reality, but there is one who knows the truth of all things, and that is Jesus. 

Isaiah 59:4 No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

John 1:17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 14:6  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. 

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Psalms 5:1-6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

Psalms 25:5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

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