Month: August 2024

I had five older brothers, one older sister, and a younger brother.  I now only have the youngest of the five older brothers and the youngest of all left.  Today, August 10, would have been my brother Ruben’s 78^th birthday. Ruben was my favorite brother from the older group. He was funny, super thin, good-spirited, and when I was four years old, he used to iron my shorts.  When he was around 19 yrs. old, he would come home from work and give us pocket change, maybe 18-35 cents each.  We didn’t know how much; all we knew was that we had lots of coins and we’d zoom to the candy store down the block and grab what we could for what we had.  It wasn’t about how much we received, but that unexpectedly, we had “jingle” in our hands.

Unfortunately, for my brother, he and his wife got caught up in a very false cult, where they were taught that Jesus wasn’t God nor His Son.  Speaking of Jesus, Acts 4:12 reads, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

They teach there’s no hell and Jesus’ parables or stories, were all allegories.  “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14,15).

According to them, one can drink life away and it not be held against you.  Where, since one could give gifts at any time of the year, and not on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, definitely not on Christmas Day, or on birthdays-which should not be celebrated at all…but NEVER give gifts at all. Doctrinally, Jesus was just another good man.  He is not needed, according to them, for salvation.  And since there’s no hell, and no one is going to heaven either because only 144,000 already went up, one should just live until you die and become dust.

God’s Word, not the one they have manufactured, says differently.  “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9a).

So, unfortunately, members die not knowing where they’re going other than that they will live on the earth forever.  The old, sinful earth, that is; not the New Earth that Jesus said He’ll make.  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heavens and first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea” (Revelation 21:1).

And based on scripture, they die a Christless death.

Make sure you’re not caught up in a false cult; one telling you your family isn’t your real family but only their organization is.  Please note that there are many other false cults and sects-all borrowing truths from the Bible and adding their own twists to make scriptures say what they want them to.  Make sure scripture and Jesus are the main focus at what house of worship you attend. Most importantly, get saved!  We’ll meet up there and can swap stories!

These verses paint a different picture to that of cultists believing there’s no eternal punishment at the end of a life lived away from God. Everyone who has died without Christ and/or cast into Hades (Hell), will also be cast into the lake of fire.  It’s the second death because “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…,” (Hebrews 9:27,28) all who haven’t received Christ will face a second death; that is, a spiritual death as well as the physical one.

Be not deceived by false security where you think all is dandy.  Make 200% sure your life lines up with God’s word. Example: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

That’s real security!

I’m sorry my brother is gone and probably isn’t with Christ.  Ultimately, God knows.

God Bless,

Sam

I think everyone has met at least one two-faced person;  Hypocrites. They’ll say something to you and then change what they said or they’ll say something differently to others about you.  Generally, they’ll talk behind your back.  Here’s a goodie to remember: “He who tells you about others, will tell others about you.”

No one likes two face people.  Of course, they don’t actually have two faces, but they

Re perceived that way.  But what about a four-faced being?!  Ever heard of that?  Ever seen one? I doubt it!  And I’m sure you’re glad you’ve never seen one!  So, what is it?

“And I looked, and saw a windstorm coming out of the north-an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light.  The center of the fire looked like glowing metal.  And in the fire was what looked like four living creatures.  In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings.  Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands.  All four of them had faces and wings. And the wings of one touched the wings of another.  Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.  Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.  Such were their faces.  They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had other wings covering its body…The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning” (Ezekiel 1:4-11, 14).

These are God’s special creatures! There’s plenty of speculation out there.  I’m sure Mulder and Scully would have jumped on the scene and searched relentlessly trying to discover and recover what they believed the government would cover up!  Nonetheless, they are weird creatures which are continually in God’s presence and which we will get to see!  I don’t know about you, but I surely don’t need to see such creatures standing before me now.   Sounds scary enough!

God Bless!
Sam

Is another man’s treasure, the saying goes. And it’s true! We’ve all seen it. Someone dumps a few items, and another person gathers them and makes something out of it. We can repurpose many things.  We can even turn them into works of art.

Sometimes we may not feel too good or worth too much.  Maybe our self-esteem is down; or maybe, others have picked on us so much, we feel worthless.  Now that’s a word Satan is good at using.  He makes us feel worthless, cheap, or like garbage. He wants us to believe we’re unwanted, refuse, repulsive, reckless, or ruined.

Jesus, though, searches about.  Where others might give up on us, He doesn’t. He might find you outside a bar or down an alley.  He might rappel down a ravine to find you at the bottom of a valley; or scale mountain to reach you beyond heights.  He can confront a bear and protect you from the enemy’s claws, or simply shuffle in to an upscale club and snatch you up from a heap of “trash.” 

What Satan deems trash and of no value to him, Jesus finds, rescues, reclaims, restores, and redeems for His glory and purposes.  We are then reconciled to the Father.  But He expects us to grow by remaining in Him that we may bear fruit.

No matter how clean you are, no matter where you study, work, live, or the clothing you wear, where you work, who your cronies are, or how much moolah you own, until claimed by Jesus, you’re nothing but waste in Satan’s eyes.  Just as reclaimed wood is worth much more than regular wood, you’re of extreme value to God.  In fact, you’re irreplaceable.  You’re priceless to Him!  He left His throne in heaven to live in this trash-like earth just to find you and let you know your worth.

So, get yourself appraised and praised by the LORD of Lords and King of kings.  He thinks the world of you!  You’re His Beloved (Song of Solomon 6:3)! You’re the reason He went to the cross-to be rescued from Satan’s gripping claws. Satan loves garbage.  Satan loves keeping people in bondage. Jesus, however, loves all of His creation and longs to give you freedom from sin and death.  Seek Him now!

“But I am come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Get Cleaned Up By Jesus!
Sam

 We’ve all seen movies about The Invisible Man, including with the comedians Abbott & Costello. People have wished they could be invisible to pull off pranks, naughtiness, or disappearing acts, etc.  Even the X-Files returned a few years ago with an episode where two guys made some wishes from a genie lamp.  One wish was to be invisible, which didn’t produce the results they had hoped for!  Unfortunately, we can’t be invisible.

However, God, who created the visible world also created an invisible one.  It’s where battles are fought daily; probably 24/7.  All spiritual warfare takes place in this realm.  Prayers against demonic activities and release of souls from spiritual chains and the powers of darkness, occur here.  In this invisible world Christians storm the gates of darkness binding Satan and his demonic host.  Spiritual victories lie in this realm unseen by the natural man.                                                                                                  Our eyes can’t see the invisible world lying beyond us. Yet, it exists. In a familiar Biblical story, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, doubted God’s deliverance from the enemy.  Early one morning, Gehazi saw his city surrounded by an army of chariots and horses ready to overtake them in battle.  He panicked. But Elisha told him,

“Don’t be afraid,” those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.”  Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17).    

Elisha’s faith in God allowed him to trust God for deliverance.  However, Gehazi lacked the faith and belief that God was with them in a most dangerous situation.  He only saw what was present in the natural world-the enemy.  That’s what Satan wants us to see.  He doesn’t want us to walk by faith.

God opened the servant’s spiritual eyes, the ones needed to wage war in the heavenlies; also known as spiritual battles.  God has myriads of angels known as his angelic host which battle with Satan’s demonic armies over our minds, thoughts, lives, plans, decisions, and other areas that need/want to serve God.  The unseen world exists and is frequently looked into by occultists, mind readers, those into witchcraft, and everyone  that opposes God’s presence and dominance on earth.

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” Colossians 1:15-20).

One day soon, however, both worlds will meet!  Check it out:   “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in Him” (Ephesians 1:10).                                                 

YEP, God will unite both worlds.                                                      “What is seen is temporal, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

We’ll live amongst the seraphim, the cherubim, angels, and other heavenly creatures He’s created. But for now, we can’t be invisible but we can travel to the invisible world, the spiritual realm of God, that is, when we talk to Him in prayer.

God Bless!

Sam