Author: carljohnsonsite

Happily married born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reformation Day 2019

“It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic priest and professor of theology, nailed his thesis protesting the Catholic Churches sale of indulgences. It was a single day and single act of bravery that forever changed the history of the world. The celebration of Reformation Day has been the yearly practice of Bible Christians starting as early as 1567. Today this great Christian celebration has been completely overshadowed by the overtly pagan Roman Catholic practice of All Saints Day or better known as Halloween.”

From Berean Beacon – a ministry of former Catholic priests “whose sole purpose is the promotion of biblical Christianity.”

When Martin Luther nailed his thesis to the Wittenberg church door, he had no idea what these questions would precipitate. The resultant Reformation changed the western world for the better. As Luther and the other Reformation leaders read the Bible in the original languages in which it was written and put aside the traditions of men, the Light of the true gospel enlightened their understanding of God and His ways. As they communicated what they learned from the Bible, multitudes of people were set free from the bondage of the dominant church of their day.

May the Reformation continue for another 501 years or until Christ returns.

May the Light of the Bible continue to light your path!

God bless,

Carl

God’s Jewels.

Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.

And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

Malachi 3: 16-17 Amplified Bible

“This was not a fear based on feelings but was the result of hearing, learning and responding to who God is from His word. Those who feared God would keep his commandments, walk in righteousness, and put aside anything that would hinder worship and service to Him.

Those who feared the Lord received wisdom from God, which brought blessing and favor.”

Messenger of Rebuke and Renewal – David M. Levy, p. 93

Communist China Church Update

As you are probably aware, the communist government is ravaging the Christian church in China. Many pastors have been beaten and imprisoned, church buildings destroyed or converted to secular use, church members beaten and some imprisoned, a rewrite of the Holy Bible to make it “pro-communist”, youth forbidden to attend church, and other suppressing tactics.

Yesterday at church I spoke with a sister-in-Christ who had done much gospel work in Communist China over the years. I asked her what her contacts were saying about the current outbreak of persecution. She said that some are saying it is really bad.

Others said they had been praying for persecution to return because the Christian church in Communist China was becoming too much like the church in America and it needed persecution to purify it.

Think about that for a moment.

Please pray that the Chinese Church will go “on in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts: 9:31). That the true believers would be “…all filled with the Holy Spirit and ” begin “to speak the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31)”.

“Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. “. Hebrew 13:3

Carl

Should Christians Read The Old Testament?

“Nothing in Scripture is written in vain. God had wise and gracious purposes towards us in leaving the Jewish history upon record; and it is our wisdom and duty to receive instruction from it.”

Matthew Henry

Some Christian pastors believe that Christians should “unhitch” their faith from the Old Testament. I strongly, strongly disagree with them. The following is one reason why.

In I Corinthians 9:27 Paul said “…but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified”. Paul did not want to be disqualified from serving God in the gospel cause but he knew it was a possibility, if he did not control his body. He had received instructions from the Old Testament examples of people not controlling their body and being disqualified from serving God. In the original letter to the Corinthians there were no chapter divisions, therefore chapter 9:27, is followed immediately by chapter 10: 1-11, where he warns us about being disqualified:


[1] … For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;

[2] and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

[3] and all ate the same spiritual food;

[4] and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

[5] Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

[6] Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.

[7] Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO play.”

[8] Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

[9] Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

[10] Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

[11] Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

[12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” (Emphasis added)

As you can plainly see in verses six and eleven, Paul tells these New Testament Christians that Old Testament events “happened as examples for us” and “they were written for our instruction…”.

Why?

“…so that we” (New Testament believers) “would not crave evil things as they“ (Old Testament Israel) “also craved.” (V6) And suffer punishment from God (v 5).

The Amplified Bible puts it this way:

Now these things are examples (warnings and admonitions) for us not to desire or crave or covet or lust after evil and carnal things as they did. [Num. 11:4, 34.] (Verse 6)

And

“Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction…” (verse 11)

You do not need a theological degree to understand that. Paul cites four Old Testament events to warn these New Testament Christians that craving or lusting after evil things will bring the chastisement of the Lord:

1. The idolatry with the golden calf in Exodus 32: 4-6 (verse 7);

2. immorality with Moabite women in Numbers 25:1-9 (verse 8);

3. testing the Lord when the serpents attached in Numbers 21:4-9 (verse 9); and

4. grumbling in response to God’s severe treatment of Koran in Numbers 16:1-50 (verse 10).

God’s character did not change from the Old Testament period to the New Testament period and He is the SAME today as He was back then, therefore, He can warn His New Testament children not to be involved in idolatry, immorality, testing the Lord or grumbling using Old Testament Israel as an example. Because HE remains the same. What was an abomination to Him in the Old is still an abomination now in the New. What He highly esteemed then, He highly esteems now. God has not changed.

In closing, first read the Old and New Testaments and receive wisdom and instruction from both. Secondly, Paul summed up this discourse with a warning (verse 12) which Matthew Henry addresses:

“…let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” Note: The harms sustained by others should be cautions to us. He that thinks he stands should not be confident and secure, but upon his guard. Others have fallen, and so may we. And then we are most likely to fall when we are most confident of our own strength, and thereupon most apt to be secure, and off our guard. Distrust of himself, putting him at once upon vigilance and dependence on God, is the Christian’s best security against all sin.”

Thank you for your time. God bless you. Carl

Drag Queen Story Hour ‘greatest grooming program ever devised,’ counselor says

A clinical counselor who has worked with over 4,000 serial predators is urging parents to be vigilant after a Texas library hosted a Drag Queen Story Hour for kids featuring a reader who has a criminal record. 

Parents in Texas discovered that David Lee Richardson, who goes by the drag name “Miss Kitty Litter” and has been participating in Drag Queen Story Hour events for the Austin Public Library System over the past year, has a criminal record for prostitution. 

This is not the first case of a library inviting Drag Queen Story Hour readers with a criminal history to read to and interact with young children. Two men charged with sexually assaulting a child were allowed to read to children at a library in Houston last year.  

The group Mass Resistance, which has been at the forefront of exposing other sex offenders hiding behind drag names elsewhere in the state, posted evidence of Richardson’s history from the Texas Department of Public Safety on its website Tuesday. A criminal history search document shows that in 1996, Richardson was arrested and convicted of offering sex for money, which is prohibited in the state penal code.

Activists also highlighted Richardson’s social media postings from earlier this year, which included extremely lewd messages and photos that included swear words, references to prostitution, and celebrations of sexual violence like sado-masochism.

Jon Uhler, a licensed professional counselor who has worked clinically with approximately 4,000 serial predators for over 11 years, said in an interview with The Christian Post on Wednesday that he believes Drag Queen Story Hour events constitute “the greatest grooming program ever devised” and predators “are laughing all the way to the bank.”

While drag queens reading stories to children at public libraries has been billed as an innocuous activity, community groups and mothers who resist are right to oppose it, he adds, because sexual predators and offenders prioritize convincing people to doubt their instincts and think that their “red flags” are nonsense.

“The question is: Why are these men dressed in women’s underwear and drag wanting greater access to children?” Uhler asked.

He noted that because predators can calculate that the public senses something off-putting about them, they manipulate perceptions about what they are really doing. Such has been the case with the public relations efforts surrounding the Drag Queen Story Hour.

“Their favorite phrase is: ‘Well, I know what it looks like but it’s really not that,'” he said.

“So now they’ve spun it. And what we’re hearing from these guys is 100 percent a lie.”

Uhler calls the push to foment confusion in the minds of children and break down their boundaries with gender-bending messages — with Drag Queen Story Hour at libraries and gender fluidity lessons at schools — a “moral e-bola virus” that is spreading rapidly through society.

“We cannot afford to do nothing because we have very darkened and deviant individuals that are predators [going] after our kids and they are expanding. To not do anything is to hand our kids over [to them],” he said.

But Uhler does not believe marching and picketing Drag Queen Story Hour events is effective because by the time they are scheduled it’s almost always too late. Instead, parents should go to the events and tape what goes on with their phones or hidden cameras and then expose it.

“The only way this is going to be stopped is if the public sees that every single time, at every single one of these, really perverse things are going on. So you let their own actions speak for themselves,” Uhler said.

“But then at the same time, you go to the decision makers, usually the county commissioners or supervisors, and follow the money. Whoever has the checkbook for the library, that’s who you

talk to,” he added, noting that he has never met a public official who has a clinical background in working forensically with sex offenders.

Because of their lack of expertise, these people in office have no meaningful way of assessing risk, and determining who is and is not a predator.

“Predators are using this [Drag Queen Story Hour] as a test to find out the degree of resolve of that community,” he continued. “And if it’s easy pickings, trust me, predators are going to begin to flock to that community.”

While he could not comment definitively on the specifics of the funding streams behind the Drag Queen Story Hour, a nonprofit organization that began in San Francisco in 2015, he does not consider these events as something many communities would ordinarily have.

“You just don’t have this degree of coordination,” he said. “If you look at how many libraries around the country now are hosting these, that takes time, effort, energy, money, and coordination. You cannot tell me that this is just some spontaneous thing in local communities that just happen to be all happening at the same time, that this is an organic movement.”

Uhler created the nation’s first intensive treatment program within solitary confinement and

headed up one of Pennsylvania’s high intensity sex offender programs for predators and has written hundreds of parole sex offender psychological evaluations.

Asked to respond on the how men become deviants, he replied that it is “100 percent” fueled by pornography.

Source: The Christian Post

No Accommodation of Bad Doctrine

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ” does not mean that you accommodate yourself to wrong teaching and doctrine, that you say nothing when falsehood is being propagated…”

Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones (1899–1981, Welsh Protestant minister and medical doctor).

The Berean Call

Two Wrong Assumptions About Deception

“Paul warned that Antichrist’s

…coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all deception of wickedness… (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)

This puts in a very vulnerable position, those Christians who accept anything that seems to be miraculous, as coming from God.

Although miracles are important, we must beware of placing greater emphasis upon them than Scripture supports. Jesus Himself said of John the Baptist that there was no greater prophet born of women (Luke 7:28), and yet we are told that John “did no miracle” (John 10:41 KJV). And of Jesus it is said, though He did so many miracles, yet the Jews still did not believe on Him (John 12:37). The Bible does not teach that the great need today is for a miracle ministry, as is so heavily emphasized on much Christian television. Rather, it warns us that we need discernment to know the difference between what is of God and what is of Satan.”

(The Seduction of Christianity – Dave Hunt – emphasis added)

In Kingdom of the Occult, Walter Martin states another mindset that causes the unsuspecting to be snared:

“The modern age, with its wealth of occult material, is proof positive of this fascination. People on the lookout for something real no longer pause at the brink of satanic reality —they plunge into the depth of it, secure in their mantra: if it’s real, it’s right. People are enthralled by evil, and this false sense of security is the catalyst that propels them right over the edge of the abyss. Satan has always offered real experiences with evil spirits, and they are not only wrong but lethal to the soul. The only thing new about the power of the occult is its modern-day audience, a fresh hunting ground at the mercy of a seasoned hunter.”

These two godly brothers warn us about two wrong assumptions:

1. We should not believe that just because it seems to be miraculous, it is from God.

2. We should not believe that since some occult experience is or seems real, that it is right.

When Christ was asked about what would be the sign of His second coming and the end of the age, the first recorded words out of His mouth were

“See to it that no one misleads you, for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’ and will mislead many.”

He is saying that the end times will be characterized by deception. There will be many false “Saviors” or “Messiahs” deceiving the masses. They are here now.

They are all over the world as I type this post and they will increase in number as the end times draw nearer. Some are using false signs and wonders and occult miracles (demon empowered) to deceive people. Others are deceived by eastern mysticism or the New Age movement, thinking that they are a god, can become a god or can become one with the Universal Mind or Force. The media is keeping the door to sorcery wide open 24 x 7. It is calling out to your sons and daughters. And it is only going to get worse.

Therefore, be sure your heart is not going after signs and wonders or men. May your heart only go after the biblical Jesus and the truth of His word. May you be led and empowered by His Spirit. May He give you a spirit of discernment as you live in these wicked days. As Paul said

“Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

Redeem the time.

Tell someone (about Jesus).

Carl

Little Children and The Kingdom of God

But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD BELONGS TO SUCH AS THESE. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

Lord Jesus to the parents of the little children- Luke 18: 16-17 (emphasis added)

This morning the pastor shared this Scripture in his sermon and it reminded me of the following statement by the commentariat Matthew Henry:

“The Holy Spirit is given to us to make us like little children.”

What a great truth to live by. May we become like little children in our relationship with our Heavenly Father; trusting, believing, receiving from and loving Him, as little children in relationship with their earthly fathers.

Carl

He Is Able

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory BLAMELESS and with GREAT JOY, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Emphasis added)

If that does not bless you, the Amplified Bible says:

Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]–

To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).

May God’s word lift you from the earthly to the eternal, heavenly today, fixing your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (I Peter 1:13)

May Great Joy in-Christ be yours no matter what the world and the devil throw at you. Blessings to our brothers and sisters over-seas who are in the thick of the fight. God has not forsaken you but is pouring forth grace upon grace and the comfort of the Holy Spirit for you.

Carl

Surprise Divine Encounter

Last week we had the pleasure of visiting with good friends who took us to a wonderful museum and arboretum. After walking through the gardens we entered the museum and were greeted by an elderly, stately gentleman who gave us a brief orientation.

As we finished viewing the first wing, I encountered the gentleman again. I took the opportunity to ask if they had any toothache trees in the garden. I wanted to show our friends this tree that was used to treat toothache pain prior to modern medicine. He said he did not know.

As we continued to talk it became apparent that we were Christian brothers. Then to my surprise he said he wanted to show me something. He reached into his coat pocket and brought out a folded piece of paper. On it was written I Corinthian 13 from the King James Version. He was memorizing this Scripture while he was guarding the collection. He began to share what the Holy Spirit had shown him about “charity” or love through his memorization work.

It was one those unique moments when you encounter someone you have never met before yet, you seem to have known them forever and the conversation flows without reservation or uneasiness. All because Jesus is Lord and because of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

This surprise meeting was so encouraging and edifying to me. To find a total stranger, who seemed like a long-time close friend, that believed that God IS, that He exists, and therefore, he treasures what God has said so much that it was important to hide it in his heart that he might not offend Him.

Though he has never seen God the Father or Lord Jesus in the physical, his memorization work is an expression of his love for Them. The following scripture describes this faith and it’s result:

“….though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls…” (I Peter 1:8-9)

May you have great rejoicing with joy inexpressible and full of glory as you walk by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, believing in the Father and the Son! May you have many divine encounters that strengthen and encourage you.

Carl

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman At The Well

The following poem was written by my precious wife after hearing our son preach on John 4: 1-43, Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. May it minister to you. Carl

A Woman in a Far Away Town

She came to the well at midday

When the women of town were at home,

No judgement, no stares, no whispers were there,

Just the Samaritan woman alone.

No friends to walk with her to Jacob’s well,

No kindness to come alongside,

Always alone to finish her chore,

Five husbands, yet still not a bride.

She had never wed the man in her home.

She lived with him outside the law.

With her head hung in shame, she stood at the well,

Bucket in hand, with water to withdraw.

Standing near her, she saw a man at the well.

A Jew who could not look or dare speak.

She sought to ignore Him and finish her work,

Until he asked, “Will you give me a drink?”

A Jew asked a favor? This surely can’t be,

Yet with kindness He continued to say,

“If only you knew the Gift of God,

Living water I could give you today.”

Jesus had compassion and revealed who He was.

Told of her history and present day sin.

Never shamed her or judged her in any harsh way,

Because of this, she led many to Him.

Oh, that we could look past the stains others wear

And the shame of bad choices in life,

And offer God’s grace and an encouraging word,

Not judgement and stares filled with strife.

Let’s put on compassion and walk in His love,

Let’s build up and never tear down.

Let’s remember His love He so freely shared

In that long ago, far away town.

Nelda Johnson

THE IMPERSONATOR

IMG_0586

At this moment I am sitting in my yard listening to a flock of blue jays squawking in the woods. They discovered a four or five foot pine snake in a tree and, surrounding him, are making a terrible racket to scare him off. In the photograph above, the snake is impersonating a tree limb by stretching himself between the two small, limbless tree trunks. He is lying still, patiently waiting for a bird to land so he can inject his poison.

This scene calls to remembrance another snake that uses deception. The Apostle John described him like this:

“… the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…. ” Revelation 12:9

This snake disguises himself as “truth” through various false religions. Since he deceives the whole world, he is a pro at “blending in the surroundings” and mixing his lies with the “truth”, in order to ensnare the unwise and unsuspecting.

But, no fear disciples of the Lord Jesus, the word of God and the Holy Spirit will guide you through his “garden”, that is, this world. Therefore:

“Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”    I Peter 5: 8-9

Carl

Ignorance Is A Terrible Thing

One evening last week, we went outside to check on a juvenile Goldfinch that was asleep on top of the bird feeder. Little guy was fluffed up with his head tucked behind a wing, a miniature ball of feathers. We didn’t know if he was sick or had one too many sunflower seeds. When my wife made a squeeky noise, he opened his eyes and stared at us for three or four seconds before taking to the wing. Seems he was just napping.

As my wife started watering the petunias in the window boxes, I stood by the car surveying the trees and the surrounding woods. Suddenly, without any words or thoughts, I became aware of how blessed I was that I did not have to fear the evil spirits in the woods.

What? I realize this is a strange statement but let me explain.

I had recently viewed the testimony of Chief Shoefoot, a former Yanomami shaman or witch doctor, who Christ Jesus had set free from bondage to the evil spirits that dwelled in the Amazon jungle. As I stood on the driveway that evening, I was reminded of an article in National Geographic, which related how primitive tribes lived in constant fear of the evil spirits that dwelled in the jungle, constantly trying to appease them. Since I had been exposed to the truth in the Holy Bible, thank the Lord, I did not need to fear the kingdom of darkness around me.

Anthropologists say that missionaries should leave these remote tribes alone and let them live as they have for thousand of years. Chief Shoefoot does not agree with them. He said he never wanted to return to his former life. He had experienced what 2 Timothy 2:25-26 revealed:

[25]…if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, [26] and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Ignorance is a terrible thing. The powers of darkness take advantage of ignorance. Ignorance about God Almighty and His ways, about His Son, Jesus, and about what God did for lost mankind through Jesus’ Cross and resurrection. Ignorance about His Holy Spirit and how He comes alongside the believer to comfort and help him.

The jungle dwellers and all men deserve a chance to hear the truth that sets man free from the domain of darkness.

Colossians 1:12-14 says:

[12] giving thanks to the Father….[13] For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Let us offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for the knowledge of the Truth. The revelation of His Truth is contained in the Holy Bible. How I thank Him for using men and women, who believed the Holy Bible, to establish our country. And let us be faithful to share with those who are still ignorant about God’s wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, mankind’s Messiah.

Thank you for your time.

Carl

Relics Anyone?

When Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire recently, it was reported that early in the fire they were able to move religious relics to safety. You may be asking “What are religious relics?” The following from Martin Luther (1897) by Miss Whately throws light on this unbiblical practice in the 1500s (AD):

“In those days of superstition and ignorance people were taught that holy men could perform miracles, cure the sick and even raise the dead. Therefore, they often gave large sums of money for part of the leg or arm, even the tooth of a saint. These relics sold for very high prices, and, indeed, a great part of the wealth of the church [Roman Catholic Church] came from selling of relics. Some of the most precious relics were said to be a part of the cross upon which our blessed Lord was crucified, and the crown of thorns which he wore when the people mocked him…. They also pretended to show some of the hay in which Christ lay in the manager in Bethlehem, and the head of John The Baptist, though it is well known, from history, that the Saracens [Arabs and Muslims] opened his tomb and burned his remains to ashes. (Page 49-50)

We see that a religious relic was, and still is, body parts of the people the church considered holy and items supposedly associated with the Lord’s life on Earth. In the Middle Ages, whichever church had the most religious relics was considered to be the holiest. Martin Luther, being a Catholic Doctor of Theology who started reading and preaching the Bible, knew that relic veneration was not of God and was not based on biblical truth. Like indulgences, he knew it was a money making racket. He tells the following curious story about a relic:

A German, making his confession to a priest in Rome, promised to keep secret whatsoever the priest should impart to him, until he reached home. Whereupon the priest gave him a leg of the donkey on which Christ rode in Jerusalem very neatly bound up in silk, and said, ‘This holy relic on which the Lord Christ did sit, with his sacred legs touching this donkey’s legs.’

Then was the German wondrous glad, and carried the said holy relic with him into Germany. When he got to the borders, he boasted of his holy relic in the presence of four others, his comrades, when, lo! It turned out that each of them had likewise received from the same priest a leg, promising the same secrecy. Thereupon all exclaimed, with great wonder, ‘Oh, had that donkey five legs?

Page 50: The Story of Martin Luther edited by Miss Wheatley (1897)

The spiritual gloom created by the teaching and commandments of men produced this erroneous practice of relic veneration ….and they both are going on today.

Jesus Christ said,

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32

May His word set you free from the religious teachings and commandments of men.

Carl

The Two Advents of Jesus, The Messiah

Part One – The First Advent of Jesus, The Messiah

When Jesus returned from the wilderness and being tempted by Satan, the Scriptures say that He came to His hometown Nazareth, in the power of the Holy Spirit. He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as was His custom and He stood up to read. The scroll of Isaiah was given to Him and He found what we know as Isaiah 61 and read the following:

Luke 4:18-19

[18] “The SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, [19] To PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

and then He said this:

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4: 21

This caused quite a stir in His hometown synagogue. Why?

The Hometown Guy, which is what His old neighbors considered Him to be, had just informed the congregation that He was the Anointed One or Messiah that Israel had been looking for for hundreds of years. At that time Israel was looking for the Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression.

They could not receive this awesome revelation and ended up trying to kill Him by throwing Him off a cliff.

Jesus had declared that He was the Messiah. The title Messiah refers to one who is anointed with oil, symbolizing the reception of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to do an assigned task (Vines). It refers to the consecration of someone or something to a specialized task (Moody).

The Hebrew word for Messiah is masiah and in the Greek it is christos. In the English language it is christ. In English speaking cultures Jesus is known as Jesus Christ which means Jesus The Messiah or Jesus The Anointed One. The word “Christ”, emphasizes the special anointing of Jesus of Nazareth for His role as God’s Chosen One (Vines).

Jesus fulfilled the two qualifications to be the Messiah: 1) the anointing of the Holy Spirit and 2) He was able to fulfill the specialized task.

Please note that after defeating Satan’s in the wilderness, it is said that:

“And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…”

He was “anointed with oil” so to speak; the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, note that in verse 18 above that Jesus said “…because He [God The Father] anointed me to…” and then He read the specialized task that He was “anointed” to do:

  • …to preach the gospel to the poor
  • …proclaim release to the captives
  • …recovery of sight to the blind
  • …to set free those who are oppressed
  • …to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord

There is a spiritual and physical component to these task. He preached the good news of God’s mercy to those who realized they were spiritually bankrupt (poor) regardless of their financial status. He physically healed the eyes of the blind but He also opened the eyes of the heart (the understanding) of the spiritually blind. He set free people who were held captive and oppressed by sickness and disease. He also set free those who were enslaved and oppressed by the demons, held captive to do Satan’s will.

So we see He had the qualifications of the Messiah: He was anointed because of the Holy Spirit and there were specialized tasks that only He could perform. All through the New Testament we see Him fulfilling these tasks thereby proving that He is the Messiah.

He was the Servant Messiah who died for our sins and was raised from the dead and is seated at God’s right hand as I write this. The favorable year of the Lord has brought eternal salvation from the guilt and penalty of sin. By God’s grace we can be saved from our sins through simple faith in what Christ did on the Cross. During this “year” God remembered us Gentiles and made a Way for us to be reconciled to Him through the Cross of Christ. The Gentiles were welcomed into the kingdom of God.

These are the days we are living in. Next time we will look at the yet-to-come second advent of the Lord Jesus. Hope you will join us for it. You will find it very interesting.

Thank you for your time. I pray you were blessed by the Word of God.

Carl

The Way of A Fruitful Life

“Let any one who has a garden ask the gardener what makes the plants grow so luxuriantly, what makes them produce such sweet and pretty flowers. He will answer, ” The warm summer sun and the damp dew of evening, the cold north wind and the drenching rain, — these all help forward the growth of your plants. Were it not for each, the flowers would not be so bright and blooming.”

Just so it is with the children of God, who are called “trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.” Sometimes they are in trouble; affliction of some kind comes upon them, which tries them, and makes them to grow in faith and patience. Then, again, the Lord raises them up, causing his face to shine upon them, just as the sun warms and revives the earth when the winter is past.

Oh, yes, the Lord’s people require both the north and the south wind to blow upon them, that they may bring forth much fruit to the glory and praise of God.

“Awake, O north wind; and come thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.” (Caut. iv, 16)”

From Martin Luther edited by Miss Whately (1897)

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12: 11)

May the blessings of God be upon your life as you experience all the trials and tribulation that living in this world brings. May your “garden” bring forth much fruit.

Carl

Islamic Imam Beaten and Hunted By Father For Becoming A Christian

NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – Sheikh Hassan Podo, a 28-year-old imam in Kerekerene village in eastern Uganda, missed mosque prayers for three consecutive weeks and was seen entering a church building around noon on March 16.

He had kept his faith in Christ a secret for three weeks. The young Muslim who saw Podo enter the church building in Katira Sub-County, Budaka District, went straight to Podo’s parents and brothers to report him.

When Podo arrived at the house that evening, his family interrogated him about where he had spent the better part of the day.

“Without my completing answering them, my brothers immediately began surrounding me, with sticks,” Podo told Morning Star News. “It was difficult to escape. They began shouting, beating and insulting me as an ‘infidel’ and enemy of the Islamic religion.”

His wife and two children managed to escape to the home of a nearby Christian neighbor, he said.

With sticks and other blunt objects, Podo’s relatives injured his left arm from the shoulder to his fingers, said one of the area residents who found him unconscious. He also sustained a head injury.

“There was a loud cry emanating from Podo’s homestead, raising a big concern from the neighbors who arrived at the scene of attack and helped Podo to escape,” the source said. “He bled as he fled for his life. Later he was found in a pool of blood a kilometer away from the homestead, unconscious.”

They rushed him to a clinic in Katira, and he was discharged after two days and taken to a pastor whose name is withheld for security reasons. His wife and two children later joined him at an undisclosed location.

The pastor said Podo’s father, Mwanamwoiza Juma, has since mobilized a group of Muslims from different mosques “to hunt for the life of his son, declaring a fatwa and disowning him, and giving his land to the brothers for bringing blasphemy into the family. Sheikh Twale and Galami Abdulmutwalibi have been carrying out a series of prayers to curse Podo’s family. But we know the blood of Jesus will protect the family.”

The pastor has been giving Podo discipleship lessons to strengthen the family’s faith in the midst of the ordeal, he said.

Podo put his faith in Christ on Feb. 24 after hearing the message of His saving death and resurrection from another pastor. His wife became a Christian one week later, he said.

Before his conversion, Podo was part of a Muslim extremist group that had attacked the Church of Uganda’s Katira congregation.

“Please family of Christ, our humble request is that we covet prayers for Podo and his young family for God’s healing, medication, protection, provision and to get to a safe haven for the young family,” the pastor said.

The attacks were the latest of many cases of persecution of Christians in eastern Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another.

Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, but with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit https://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.  

Wisdom Calls – The Conclusion of All Things

King Solomon, aka “The Preacher”, gives you and I hard-earned advice on what is important in living out our life. Being very, very rich and not always obedient to the Lord, Solomon investigated all of life’s pleasures and came to the following conclusion.

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14

Now let’s look at the Amplified Bible’s translation of the same Scripture. The richness of the Hebrew amplification is stunning and far reaching when you apply it to the way you live your life. The authors of the Amplified Bible say that this is what a Hebrew person understands when he reads this Scripture.

All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good or evil. [Matt. 12:36; Acts 17:30, 31; Rom. 2:16; I Cor. 4:5.]

Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14

Take a few moments and dwell on this Scripture. It is worthy of your pondering and meditation.

A short definition of the fear of the Lord is a healthy, overwhelming, profound, adoring, awed respect of the Lord. It is not a negative practice. As a matter of fact, Scripture tells us it is our treasure. We will discuss that later.

May we New Testament believers follow Apostle Paul’s instructions:

“THEREFORE, since these [great] promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring [our] consecration to completeness in the [reverential] fear of God. ”

2 Cor. 7:1 Amplified Bible

Thank you for your time and interest. Comments welcome!

Be blessed and protected in Christ Jesus!

Carl

When It’s Not Safe to Die

The following is an excerpt from One Heartbeat Away by author Mark Cahill. His book is designed to help us think about the inevitable: our death. It is a great witnessing tool to promote discussion with anyone not sure of their eternal destiny.

“I talked to a young man one day who mentioned that he had been injured and ended up on an emergency room operating table. He said his heart had stopped beating and as his soul rose out of his body, immediately the sense of an evil presence began to come over him and he could hear an evil, hissing laughter. He told me he was so glad to get back into his body and be alive. He now knows how real evil is.

A respiratory nurse who works in an emergency room told me about a patient who had gone “code red,” —he flatlined. She and some other medical personnel rushed over with the defibrillator to try to bring him back to life. They applied the paddles and revived him. She said that he started screaming and shouting, “The heat! the heat!” Then his heart stopped again.

They brought him back to the second time. He shouted, “The flames, the flames!” They lost him again.

Four times the man flatlined and was brought back, each time shouting about the heat or the flames. After the last time, he died, and they couldn’t bring him back. She said all the doctors and nurses just stood there for a few minutes and stared at the body. They all knew that man went to hell. He was screaming it to them before he even got out of here.

I have met several people (all in a non-drug and non-alcohol-induced state) who experienced a burning hell rather than being with Jesus, or the typical tunnel- and white-lights scenario. So, don’t believe that sweetness-and-light neardeath stories are the only kind people report.

Dr. Maurice Rawlings, a cardiologist, has witnessed numerous patients during and after their near-death experiences and reported his findings in Omni magazine. After interviewing 300 patients immediately after resuscitation, Dr. Rawlings says that nearly half of them reported seeing a lake of fire, devil-like figures, and other sights reflecting the reality of hell. “There is a life after death,” Rawlings said, and if I don’t know where I’m going, it’s not safe to die. ” (Source: Chick Publication)

Dear Reader: God created the lake of fire, what we call hell, for the devil and his angels, not for man. He is not willing that any should perish but that all would repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as the sacrifice for their sins. He sent Jesus to the Cross to pay the penalty of your and my sins so that we would not have to pay for them, for the wages of sin is death.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

John 3:16-17

Therefore, if you are without Christ in this evil world, call out to Him now and ask Him to save you from the guilt and penalty of your sins.

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

Romans 10: 8-11

Jesus will save you from the wrath of God. You will be born again and become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the devil fool you. This is the decision he wants you to put off so you will be with him in hell for eternity.

Drop me a comment if I can help you get started in your Christian walk.

God bless!

Carl

Is It Good Thursday or Good Friday?

Have you ever wondered how Lord Jesus spent three days and three nights in the grave when He died on Good Friday and was resurrected Sunday morning. If I can count that is only two. During Easter I received the following that explains that He really died on Thursday and not Good Friday. I think you will find it interesting and well documented. The information is from the Berean Call. Enjoy and God bless you! Carl

Question: I understand that you believe that Jesus died on the cross on Thursday, not Good Friday. Why do you say that, and does it matter?

Response: Scripture reveals the answer. Through the writings of Jeremiah, Daniel learned that the Babylonian captivity would last 70 years (Dn 9:2). God had commanded that each seven years the Hebrew slaves should be set free, debtors forgiven, and the land given a one-year sabbath of rest (Ex 21:2;  Lv 25:2-4; Dt 15:1,2,12). For 490 years Israel had disobeyed this precept. In judgment, the Jews became slaves of Babylon while their land rested for 70 years of sabbaths.

Daniel confessed this sin, pondering and praying, and was given the revelation that another period of 490 years (70 weeks of years) lay ahead for his people and for Jerusalem (9:24). Then all of Israel’s sins would be purged, all prophecy fulfilled and ended, and the Messiah would reign on David’s throne in Jerusalem. These 70 weeks of years were to be counted “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (v. 25). That crucial date is given to us in Scripture.

Nehemiah tells us: “in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king” (2:1), he received the authorization to rebuild Jerusalem. When the day of the month was not given, the first day was intended. There were several Artaxerxes, but only one, Longimanus, who ruled more than 20 years—from 465-425 BC. Thus we have the key date from which this incredible prophecy was to be calculated: Nisan 1, 445 BC.

At the end of 69 of these “weeks” (7×69 = 483 years) “Messiah the Prince” would be made known to Israel (Dn 9:25) and then “be cut off [slain]” (v. 26). Counting 483 years of 360 days each (the Hebrew and Babylonian calendar), a total of 173,880 days from Nisan 1, 445 bc brings us to Sunday, April 6, ad 32. On that very day, now celebrated as Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey and was hailed as Messiah the Prince! (See also Zec:9:9

There is, however, an even deeper meaning to the phrase, “In the fulness of time”: April 6, ad 32, on the Hebrew calendar was the tenth of Nisan. On that day, the Passover lamb was taken from the flock and placed under observation for four days to make certain that it was “without blemish.” During the same four days, Christ, whom John the Baptist had hailed as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn:1:29before“the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it [the passover lamb] in the evening [between 3:00 and 6:00 pm]” (Ex 12:6). It was during that precise time period that Jesus died on the cross!

In fact, the rabbis had determined not to arrest Jesus during Passover, “lest there be an uproar of the people” (Mk 14:2). Yet that was when He had to die. Judas was not only Satan’s pawn but God’s. Even the “thirty pieces of silver” for which he so shrewdly bargained fulfilled prophecy (Zec:11:12-Paul wrote, “Christ our passover [lamb] is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor:5:7

The fourteenth of Nisan began at sunset Wednesday evening. That night, Jesus and His disciples had the “last supper” in the upper room where they were preparing to eat the Passover the following night. At this meal “before the feast of the passover” (Jn:13:1), Jesus told His disciples, “One of you shall betray me” (Jn:13:21significantly, “I tell you before…that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he” (Jn:13:19 was declaring once again to His disciples that He was Yahweh, the I AM of Israel, who tells beforehand what will happen and makes certain that it comes to pass (Is 46:9-10).

Arrested by the Judas-led troop in the Garden later that night, Christ was taken secretly to the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. A sham trial with hastily called false witnesses convened sometime after midnight and condemned Christ to death as dawn broke. Pilate, the Roman governor, was notified of the emergency. Hurriedly taken down side streets, the prisoner was received into the citadel at “the third hour” (Mk 15:25), (about 9:00 am), Nisan 14. All over Israel preparations were underway to kill the Passover lamb, which was to be eaten that night.

Pilate let his citizens decide the prisoner’s fate. The bloodthirsty rabble turned against the One who had miraculously healed and fed so many of them. “Crucify him, crucify him” (Lk 23:21). “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Mt 27:25).

Shortly before noon, Jesus, scourged and beaten, was led out of the city to “the place of the skull.” By noon, the One whom Jerusalem, in fulfillment of prophecy, had hailed as its long-awaited Messiah, was hanging naked on the center cross between two thieves. Man had crucified his Creator!

The next three hours of that Thursday afternoon the earth was darkened mysteriously (Mt 27:45) as God “laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is 53:6). Thursday? Not “Good Friday”? Indeed not. Jesus himself had said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [i.e., “Abraham’s bosom”]” (Mt 12:40; Lk 16:22). The gospel includes the declaration that Christ “rose again the third day” (1 Cor:15:4).

Had Christ been crucified on Friday, He couldn’t possibly have spent three days and three nights in the grave by Sunday morning. We are distinctly told that the angel rolled away the stone “as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week” (Mt 28:1). The tomb was already empty, so Christ must have risen from the dead sometime prior to dawn.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday—does it really matter? Yes! The day of our Lord’s crucifixion is of the utmost importance. If Christ was not three days and three nights in the grave, then He lied. His death, to fulfill prophecy, had to occur at the very time the Passover lambs were being slain throughout Israel. It is an astronomical fact that Nisan 14, AD 32, fell on Thursday.

“And it was the preparation of the passover….The Jews therefore…that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day…besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away” (Jn:19:14 of the Passover lamb (Ex 12:46) or of the Messiah (Ps:34:20 knowing why he did it, “one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side” (Jn:19:34), fulfilling yet another scripture: “they shall look upon me whom they pierced” (Zec:12:10

John explains that the “Sabbath,” which began at sunset the Thursday Christ was crucified, “was an high day.” It was, in fact, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, of which the first and last days were special sabbaths. It ended Friday at sunset,  immediately followed by the weekly sabbath that ended at sunset on Saturday. Thus two sabbaths followed Christ’s death, preventing the women from coming to the grave until the third day, Sunday morning.

The rabbis thought that having Jesus crucified proved He wasn’t the Messiah. In fact, it was one more proof that He was! The soldiers took His clothes for a souvenir and gambled for His robe (Ps:22:18 nails were driven into His hands and feet, and a spear pierced His side, drawing forth the blood of our redemption—all in fulfillment of prophecy!

[Adapted from “The Cradle and the Cross,” Dave Hunt, 1992]