Seveal passages in the Old Testament foretold that the Messiah would be executed. 529-2 - 23 - 6

That the Messiah would be executed is hinted at in the garden. Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” God had foreknowledge that man would fall so He had a solution. Satan would be the author of evil and bruise the heel of Jesus, nevertheless, Jesus would ultimately destroy him.

Genesis 3:21, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins and clothed them.” God provided coats of skins for Adam and Eve but at the cost of blood. In the same way, we are covered by the blood of Jesus shed on that cross; we are justified before God.

Psalm 22 could have been dictated from the foot of the cross. Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” Psalm 22:7-8, “7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.”

Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” CM pointed out a child is born, Jesus as a baby and a son is given would be a prophesy that the Messiah would be executed. The balance of the verse refers to the divinity of Jesus and His second coming.

Jonah 1:17, “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jesus referred to Jonah as prophetic of His death and burial.  Matthew 12:40, “For as Jonah 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.”

Numbers 21:8, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” Jesus clarified this in John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” Again Jesus, a propitiation for sins.

More than a hundred prophecies in Old Testament were fulfilled by Jesus.

BIB529-2 - 23 - 2 Prophetic utterances around the cross

The Seven Sayings of Jesus on the Cross” – Fulfillment of Prophecy! Revisited

Several years ago Pastor Bruce talked about “The Seven Sayings of Jesus on the Cross.” I found this very inspiring then and I still do today. In fact I was inspired to look into some of the prophecies that were fulfilled while Jesus hung on that cross.

# 1. Forgiveness: Luke 23:34, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Numbers 15:26, “And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.”

Psalm 22:18, “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”

#2. Salvation: Luke 23:43, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Isaiah 40:3, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

#3. Relationship: John 19:26-27, “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home

Psalm 69:8 “I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.”

#4 Abandonment: Matthew 27:46, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

#5 Distress: John 19:28, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

Psaml 69:20, “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.”

#6 Reunion John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."

Psalm 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

#7 Triumph: Luke 23:46, “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”

Psalm 31:5, “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”

Jesus was the ultimate propitiation before a righteous God as hinted at in Genesis 3:21, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins and clothed them.” God provided coats of skins for Adam and Eve but at the cost of blood. In the same way, we are covered by the blood of Jesus shed on that cross; we are justified before God.

As a Christians I should memorize I John 4:4. 545 - 7 - 4

1 John 4:4, “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.”

As a believer I have the discernment of the Holy Spirit within me enabling me to overcome the false teachers that will abound as we draw closer to the return of Jesus. 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Again, believers will have the discernment of the indwelling Holy Spirit and turn from these false teachers.

There is another warning in 1 John 4, in verse 3, “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.” And in verse 5, “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.”

In Matthew 7 Jesus warns against people who falsely profess to acknowledge Him as Savior

Matthew 7:21, “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.”

Those who are not allowed entrance into the kingdom of heaven then cry, Matthew 7:22  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 Jesus will say, Matthew 7:23, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

What a horrific statement to hear. Again, we believers are protested from false teachers,  1 John 4:4, “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.”

We owe our justification before a righteous God to the gift of grace of Jesus who served as our propitiation. The least I can do is to conform to Galatians 5:24-25, “24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

In my opinion,1 Corinthians 7:2 rules out polygamy and Same Sex marriage 535-1 - 6 - 6

1 Corinthians 7:2, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”

Fornication, G4202, harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication. to act the harlot, that is, indulge unlawful lust (of either sex), or practise idolatry.

Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

"In the beginning God" are first four words of the Bible and are the very foundation for the Judeo-Christian faith. The Bible is not a buffet that you can pick and choose from, either you accept it as the Word of God or you reject it.

Christians often quote 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.”

However wonderful John 3:16 is, many people failed to internalize the following verses.

John 3:17-18, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Either one believes the first four words of the Bible and that Jesus came to be our propitiation or one is in disbelief. The believer is justified before our righteous God but the serious implication of John 3:18 is that he who believes not is condemned already.

But I digress, so back to the book of Genesis.

Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” 

There is a well-worn joke on the Internet that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. I don’t know how it could be any clearer, God meant for there to be two sexes, a man and a woman. Obama seemed to be obsessed with the LGTB agenda and promoted transgender bathrooms and more. After the Supreme Court’s decision regarding same-sex marriage, Obama lit up the White House with the LGBT colors of the rainbow, co-opted from God’s rainbow.

The rainbow of Genesis 6 was God’s commitment that he would not destroy the world with water again. Interestingly enough, the next time would be by fire. 2018 has been a year of major wildfires and is continuing in California today.

After the flood, Noah his wife and their three sons and daughter-in-law’s left the ark to repopulate the world. Not only were the humans in pairs, a man and a woman, the animals saved in the ark were also male and female.

Again I don’t see how it could be any plainer. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed not just because of their homosexual population but because of their acceptance of homosexuality. Some writers have speculated that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because they did not help the poor, a more politically correct interpretation.

In my opinion, 1 Corinthians 7:2 rules out polygamy as well as homosexual marriage, again, a man and a woman.

John 8 and Psalm 69 provide insight into the life of Jesus from childhood on.

John 8 and Psalm 69 provide insight into the life of Jesus from childhood on. The legibility of Jesus’ was questioned by the Pharisees throughout his ministry and His siblings seem to have rejected Him.

John 8:18, “ I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”

The Pharisees next question, John 8:19 “Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”

Again, the legibility of Jesus’ was questioned by the Pharisees throughout his ministry. Jesus was very politically incorrect when speaking to those Pharisees. John 8:44, “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.”

This disbelief in the deity of Jesus was of the anti-Christ then as it is today.

Psalm 69 not only deals with the crucifixion, it provides insight into the childhood of Jesus. Prior to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus there is no record of his siblings considering him other than mortal. Read his emotional pain of rejection as He cries out in verses 8 and 10.

Psalm 69:4, “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.”

As it was in the time of Jesus, as it is now, it is very difficult to understand the hatred directed at Jesus by the very people He came to offer eternal life. Jesus being without sin was our propitiation, our justification before a righteous God.

Psalm 69:6, “Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.”

Jesus prayed that His death would not be an obstacle to His believers. With the exception of John, all disciples deserted Him while on the cross. After the resurrection a 180 degree turnaround as the disciples proudly proclaimed The Good News.

Psalm 69:8, “I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.” Psalm 69:10, “When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.”

Jesus siblings likely rejected and ridiculed Him. After the resurrection, another 180 degree turnaround of at least two of his siblings as James and Jude wrote two books of the Bible.

How serious are sexual sins in our society today? 535-1 - 1 - 5

In the past America has committed a trifecta of sins, two dealing with sexual sin:

1. Abortion for convenience after sexual promiscuity.

2. Acceptance of homosexuality/ Same sex marriage.

3. Throwing Israel under the bus, being rectified in part by President Trump’s moving of our embassy to Jerusalem

From a KI post I made days before the Presidential election of 2016:

 “Trump not only is standing against the Democratic Party and their immoral candidate, he’s facing the elitists many of whom are promoting the one world order. Add to that the majority of the mainstream media who denigrate Trump for locker room trash talk. A flawed candidate, indeed. However flawed a number of leading religious leaders are encouraging voters to cast their ballot for Trump as the candidate who better reflects Christian values. It has been said that millions of Christians didn’t vote in the last election as Mitt Romney is a Mormon. So instead we got four more years of President Obama. 

So what will it be? Which candidate is more likely to follow 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

As it was with Israel, are we standing on the precipice or are we being offered more years to bring more into the Kingdom?”

Now two years and a mid-term election later, where are we? Today we have a warrior of the type of Jehu fighting to overcome the scheming not only of the left but also the RINOs and the Elite. Was/ is President Trump our King Cyrus, the king God dictated a letter to through the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 44:28, “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.”

As prophesied, Cyrus’ military was unopposed, Isaiah 45:1.

 Unlike Cyrus and for nearly two years President Trump has met with great opposition, opposition from Liberals, from Obama, the RINO including past Republican presidents and members of Congress, a bias often lying media, voter fraud, the Elicits both from without and within his own party and more. The more would certainly include Satan.

We now have a more conservative Supreme Court, hopefully not too late. However, if we push Israel into a two state solution including giving up part of Jerusalem, God forgive us.

As for the question, “How serious are sexual sins in our society today?” In my opinion. getting worse. Abortion is still murdering thousands of babies a day. Degenerates are inventing new genders, rather than just those ordained by God, a man and a woman.

The three views as to the identity of the “Elect Lady.” 545-2-3

There are three views as to the identity of the “Elect Lady.”

1. The Christian Church.

2. An individual, probably a prominent lady in the Church.

3. Mary, the mother of Jesus, the most “Elect Lady” in the entire Bible.

In 2 John refers to the “elect lady and her children.” Mary, the elect lady, who John is warning to be on guard against those who will come in her name with false teachings to lead her children, the Church, astray.

As an aside, in Genesis God foretold the virgin birth 3:15, “and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Mary was of the house of David through Nathan, the son of King David thus circumventing the blood curse of Jeconiah.

The angel Gabriel had a message for Mary. Luke 1:31, “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” Mary humbly answered, Luke 1:38, “And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

Mary’s reaction to to Gabriel’s message from God was her Song of Praise, often called The Magnificat

Luke 1:46-47, “46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour (G4990).”

Saviour, G4990, a deliverer, that is, God or Christ. Mary made no claim of being a co-creator. Rather she was humbly in need of a deliverer.

Luke 1:48, “For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

Mary would be called blessed, however, nowhere does the Bible say that she would bestow blessings. Catholics pray to Mary “Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women." Does the Catholic hierarchy consider this as an out-flowing of grace that Mary can infer on those praying to her? I think not.

Luke 1:49-50, “49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.”

Mary is not in a proactive role, rather, she is in a in a passive role and the receiver of great things. She recognized the holiness of God and that the fear of God is rewarded with mercy.

Luke 1:51-53, “51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.”

As Paul put it in Romans 2:11, “For there is no respect of persons with God.”

Luke 1:54-55, “54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55  As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.”

Mary speaks with gratitude for the eternal faithfulness God has for His chosen people.

So who is the Elect Lady John was referring to in 1 John 2? Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

The book of Malachi applies to Christians today. 526-2 -6 - 1

Malachi 4:1-2. “1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”

Are we professing Christians Stubble, or do we really fear God? In my opinion, Norma McCorvey was stubble who came to fear God.

Norma McCorvey was far more known as Jane Roe of the infamous Roe v. Wade abortion decision. Norma was “The Shadow Plaintiff” in the Roe v. Wade decision and it was many hours old before she heard about the decision. In her own words “I came home from work—the first day I had been able to work in years, due to depression—and picked up the evening paper.” At the same time as this important decision the Watergate scandal had captured most of the media attention.

Again, to quote Norma, “but in the lower right-hand corner of the Dallas Times Herald I noticed a news item announcing a Supreme Court decision about abortion. Could this be me? I thought. The words announcing the Court’s decision gripped me. It was me! I had won! And yet it seemed so strange. I had already delivered my baby and placed her for adoption, so it really wasn’t relevant to me—I couldn’t abort a child who had already been born. In the article, I was referred to only through my pseudonym, Jane Roe, so even though they were talking about me, it felt like they were talking about someone else.”

[Mccorvey, Norma. Won by Love]

Norma worked at promoting abortion and worked in at least two abortion centers. In 1995 the prolife group Operation Rescue moved next door to the abortion clinic where she was working. This had to be a God thing as Norma was “Won by Love” by those in Operation Rescue. Norma became a proactive Christian and joined the prolife until she passed in 2017.

Now what does this have to do with Malachi? While Norma was still actively involved with the abortion center, a few of the Operation Rescue workers lead by Ronda were able to bring a jar of aborted baby parts to their prolife center. Among the aborted baby parts was a nearly perfect baby boy.

Ronda said she always wanted a boy and would have named him Malachi. The head of Operation Rescue told her “You need a better reason than that. Go through the Bible and find a reason you think we should name this boy Malachi, and we’ll go with that.” Ronda learned that Malachi means “God’s messenger.” The aborted Malachi could provide a visual of the truth of abortion, to be “God’s messenger.”

Malachi 4:5-6, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Sadly, the message of the aborted Malachi of the last century has not been heeded. Nearly 60 million potential humans have been aborted since Roe v Wade.  

We read in Proverbs 6:17 that among the things that God hates, “is hands that shed innocent blood.”  Not only is innocent blood being shed, baby parts are being sold. Thankfully God has been patience, however, is the day of Malachi 4:1 not growing ever closer?

Why, when we constantly offend Him and are so unlovable, does God persist in loving us? 526-2 - 5 - 3

The following are just a few versus that speak to God’s promise to love us even when we constantly offend him.

Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Conversation figuratively has to do with deportment or character and covetousness with greed. Our character should be without greed. As born-again Christians we should be very content because we have the promise of an eternity with the Lord. “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” includes two negatives which implies a very strong statement. What a wonderful statement that we will never be forsaken by God. Family and friends may forsake us or discount us but not our heavenly father.

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Jesus always was, always is and always will be. Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” From old to everlasting…

A few verses from Deuteronomy serve as witness to God as an oath keeper, a faithful God, who keeps His covenants.

Deuteronomy 7:8, “But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” 

Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” 

However, there is a warning, Deuteronomy 7:10, “And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.” 

God values His Word above all else, we have Hebrews 13:5 as Israel had God’s Word. Not for Israeli sake, rather for “the sake of my holy name.”

Ezekiel 36:22, “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.”

Tthe eight woes of Matthew 23 are relevant today 529-2 - 16 - 2

Matthew 23:13, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”

The Good News is so simple and available to those of us who place our faith in Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” Jesus seeks a personal relationship, not ritual.

The Roman Catholic Church “shuts up the kingdom of heaven against men” unless rituals such as confession are observed. In indulgences are sold, masses are set for the dead and holding the correct the correct icon…:

“Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular Shall not suffer eternal fire!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel to Simon Stock

July 16, 1251”

[http://www.philomena.org/scapular.asp]

By encouraging their congregants into these rituals that have nothing to do with Jesus leads one into Matthew 23:15, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”

And then we have the prosperity, name it and claim it tele-evangelists. Matthew 23:14, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”

These tele-evangelists use a hard-sell prosperity message if only you will support their ministries. Jesus traveled the earth for 3 1/2 years in sandals and homespun and made the comment, Matthew 8:20, “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Now we have a prosperity form of Christianity spread by televangelists who live in multi-million-dollar mansions and insist on having their private jets.

They promote false teachings, Matthew 23:16, “Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!”

There are several more woes in the 23 chapter of Matthew, subject for another time. Suffice to say that the woes enumerated by Jesus nearly 2000 years ago are relevant today.

Polluting the name of God through our national misconduct, where was/ is the Church? 526-2 - 4 - 2

I first read about the concept of today and tomorrow with respect to God several years ago.  God hates the word “Tomorrow” as Satan hates the word “Today.” Tomorrow means just that, I’ll do it tomorrow. We put things like witnessing off until tomorrow and when tomorrow comes, well, tomorrow……Today is the day to act!

After decades of former presidents of the United States kicking the can down the street, President Trump has moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem. After eight years of the Obama administration poking its finger in God’s eye, finally the United States is getting on the right side of both history and the will of God.

Although some are returning to the simplicity of the gospel, there are still many hypocrites who worry more about the appearance of godliness then the actual practice of same. Jesus traveled the earth for 3 1/2 years in sandals and homespun and made the comment, Matthew 8:20, “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Now we have a prosperity form of Christianity spread by televangelists who live in multi million dollar mansions and insist on having their private jets. In fact, Kenneth Copeland has his own private airport.

“Kenneth Copeland Airport (FAA LID: 4T2) is a private airport located eighteen miles (29 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, USA.

The airport is used solely for general aviation purposes, mainly those of the airport's namesake, televangelist Kenneth Copeland (whose ministry is located near the airport).”

[http://www.airports-worldwide.com/usa/texas/kenneth_copeland_texas.php]

God had this to say about hypocrites: Matthew 23:27, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness." Jesus hated what these hypocrites were doing to the temple, Mark 11:17, “And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

During the last few Presidential administrations, and primarily during the eight years of Obama, we in the United States had hit what I call the trifecta of things God hates; the growing acceptance of homosexuality with same-sex marriage, millions of babies aborted and throwing Israel under the bus. Here in the United States we’re witnessing quite a change in direction from that of Obama who lit the White House up with LGBT colors co-opted from God's rainbow and purple when Prince died.

President Trump has moved our embassy to Jerusalem and is working on draining the swamp that is Washington DC. Washington DC is set up in a very pagan architecture, a discussion for another time. Sadly, same-sex marriage is now protected by the Constitution and abortion is a very strong issue with the left.

It is my opinion, another eight years of the Obama administration by way of Hillary Clinton would have spelled the end of America as it was and could be. God raised up Donald Trump as a sort of King Cyrus/ Jehu to provide one last chance for our country to turn around.

As for Jehu, recommended reading, “The Paradigm,” by Jonathan Cahn,

“The Paradigm: The Ancient Blueprint That Holds the Mystery of Our Times is, above all, the revealing of a mystery, a blueprint, an ancient paradigm, that uncannily and amazingly has everything to do with our times. It is also the revealing of a warning to a nation and a civilization concerning its present course and the ultimate end of that course.”

As for whose responsibility it is to honor the Name of God, the Church has been far too quiet. The election of 2016 was, in my opinion, a turning point!

Do I earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it? 526-2 - 1 - 6

Matthew 6:19-21, “19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

First things first, why work to earn wages? Is it to take care of basic needs or is it for the love of money? In economics there is the theory of diminishing returns, a situation in which less and less is achieved despite the use of increasing amounts of effort or money. Somewhere between working to take care of basic needs to the preoccupation of storing up money is the love of money.

The Parable of the Rich Fool is an example of putting his wages in “A purse with holes in it.” Jesus tells of a rich man who had such great "fruits and goods" that he had no room for them. His solution; Luke 12:18, "And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods." However, God had other plans; Luke 12:20, "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is relevant today as many people/ countries have not accomplished the first level.

Physiological Needs

Our biological needs: The need for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body temperature. They are the strongest needs due to mans need to survive.

Safety Needs

When all physiological needs are satisfied and are no longer controlling thoughts and behaviors, the needs for security can become active.

Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness

When the needs for safety and for physiological well-being are satisfied, the next class of needs for love, affection and belongingness emerge.

Needs for Esteem

When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can become dominant. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person gets from others.

Needs for Self-Actualization

When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, then and only then are the needs for self-actualization activated. Maslow describes self-actualization as a person's need to be and do that which the person was "born to do."

[http://economicrot.blogspot.com/2006/01/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-and-us.html]

Here in the United States many have reached the pinnacle of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. What self-actualization is to one person may be foreign to another. The new Ager's often speak of reaching a higher vibration and/or dimension. Another example of storing wages in a purse with holes in it. A relationship with Jesus seals our eternity in his presence.

Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 12: 21, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

What will it be? Working for the short time wages that expire with our physical death? While it is indeed necessary to be productive and take care of our families in this incarnation, what of laying up treasures in our eternal home?

In reading the example of Rich Young Ruler, why is it so difficult for a rich man to be saved? What of tithing?

Matthew 19:24, “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Repeated in Mark and Luke, a major lesson to be taken literally.

1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money (G5365) is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 

G5365, love of money, fond of silver (money), that is, avaricious: - covetous.

Avaricious is also defined as greedy, rapacious, and grasping

Applicable verses are found throughout the Bible concerning the use of/ misuse of money. Many are found in the book of Proverbs including;

Proverbs 13:7, “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”

One can have great riches but be a spiritual pauper, and the poorest (financially) believer is an heir to the great riches of God.

Proverbs 21:17, “He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.”

Is there really satisfaction and in luxurious living, here, wine and oil. How often have we read of the poor little rich girl? Many pursue the so-called better things in life which often drains one financially and spiritually.

As for questionable use of wealth, an example would be the oil-rich Arab countries.

Meet the super-rich Arabs

“Meet the super-rich Arabs whose life includes pet Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs, Chimps, Snakes, falcons, his n' her private jets and Collection of cars. How mega-wealthy Arab men are accessorizing their super-cars and powerboats with lions and cheetahs. Meet Humaid, He Owns Many Supercars and Many Big Cats! Humaid really is unlike any other supercar owner in the world. Why? Because he also loves big cats! He owns a selection of big cats most suited to life on the African savannah including a couple of lions, a tiger and a cheetah and he loves nothing more than posing and playing with them around his expensive supercars!”

[http://phimhotnhat.net/xem-video/video-living-with-lions-pet-wild-animals-wealthy-lifestyle-of-rich-arabs.Xequ-622YC0]

Death is the great equalizer:

Proverbs 22:2, “The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.”

We all come from the same Creator and will all be judged someday. There are no class distinctions that survive death.

Money itself is not an evil. It is the love of money leading to greedy and questionable acquisition and misuse of same that is the evil.

Money can be used for good and for evil. Wealthy families set up foundations that do a lot of good throughout the world. Sadly, there are those such as George Soros who use money as a weapon to destroy countries.

As for the question of the young ruler and why it is so difficult for a rich man to be saved, being wealthy can lead not only to pride but to boasting about what one has done. We could ask King Nebuchadnezzar how well that worked out for him. His pride and boasting resulted in seven years of eating grass like oxen. The good news is that this experience likely saved King Nebuchadnezzar’s soul.

As for tithing, we are really just giving back to God a portion what he has provided for us.

The prophecies of the Old Testament were documented well before the New Testament period 529-2 - 14 - 3

The Septuagint was completed nearly three centuries before the birth of Jesus. The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947 include Book of Isaiah from ca. 125 BC.

The Septuagint (also known as the LXX) is a translation of the Hebrew Bible into the Greek language. The name “Septuagint” comes from the Latin word for seventy. The Septuagint was translated in the third and second centuries B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt.

Here are two often quoted prophetic verses from the Septuagint:

Esaias (Isaiah) 53:5, "But he was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his bruises we were healed. 6 All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins."

Michaeas (Micah) 5:2 And thou, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity.

[Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L. English Translation of the Greek Septuagint, Including the Apocrypha]

The Great Isaiah Scroll

"The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran in 1947. It is the largest (734 cm) and best preserved of all the biblical scrolls, and the only one that is almost complete. The 54 columns contain all 66 chapters of the Hebrew version of the biblical Book of Isaiah. Dating from ca. 125 BCE, it is also one of the oldest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some one thousand years older than the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible known to us before the scrolls' discovery."

[http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah]

Isaiah 53 at Qumran

"Among the Dead Sea Scrolls found in caves at the village of Qumran overlooking the Dead Sea (Hebrew, Yam haMelach, Salt Sea) were fragments or whole copies of 21 distinct scrolls of the prophet Isaiah. The best known is the Great Isaiah Scroll (designated 1QIsaa), the only complete copy of Isaiah at Qumran, measuring 24 feet long. It was among seven original scrolls found in 1947."

[http://www.hebrew-streams.org/works/qumran/isaiah-53-qumran.pdf]

2 Peter 1:19-21, “19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 

353 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus - A good witnessing Tool

Christhttp://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html

Jesus decreed blindness on Israel (Luke 19:42) until..... 529-2 - 14 - 2

Jesus rode into Jerusalem in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Also, the timing was as prophesied in Daniel 9:25.

Luke 19:41-42, “41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” It is as if scales have covered their eyes and they were and are blinded to Jesus as Messiah.

Saul was spiritually blinded by the law to the point that he persecuted the believing Jews. On the road to Damascus, Saul had an encounter with the glorified Jesus and was blinded physically. Ananias was sent to Saul by Jesus, "that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." Act 9:18, “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight , and arose, and was baptized.” Perhaps foretelling of when the fullness of the Gentiles come in and the scales drop from the eyes of the Israelis.

Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

Jesus held the Jews responsible to know the time of thy visitation. Matthew 23:38-39, “38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Romans 11:25 speaks to how long the blindness would last. “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” The fullness of the Gentiles is when the Gentile bride is completed and caught up/ Raptured from the earth; then God will resume His dealings with Israel.

Ezekiel 37 and the “Valley of dry bones” is prophetic of the restoration of the unbelieving Israel that occurred in the 20th Century. Ezekiel 36:22, “Therefore say to the Israelite's, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name.” God cannot abandon Israel without breaking His Word. God will protect the Jews as prophesied in both Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 83.

During the tribulation many Jews will be killed by the Antichrist and his minions, nevertheless, a remnant will escape to Petra. According to Zechariah, the remnant “shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son.” Then the scales will drop from their eyes and they will be brought into the Kingdom.

As Christians we are required to know the time in which we live, to be like the Sons of Issachar.

John 8 and Psalm 69 provide insight into Jesus’ childhood and the reputation that followed Him 529-2 - 15 - 4

John 8:18-19, “I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. 19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. “

John 8:41-42, “41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”

The temple leadership accused Jesus of being born through fornication, an accusation that followed Him from childhood through His ministry.  

Psalm 69 is a Psalm that deals not only with David; it deals with the crucifixion and provides insight into the childhood of Jesus, considered illegitimate by many.

Psalm 69:4-5, “4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. 5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.”  It’s difficult to understand the hatred directed at Jesus by the very people He came to offer eternal life. Jesus was the sinless lamb of God who took on the sins of the world. As is was 2000 years ago, so it is today.

As a child Jesus was subject of speculation. Psalm 69:12, “They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.”  The men who sat at the gate of the city would be like today’s city council members. They would speculate as to who was the father of Jesus and the town drunks would make up vulgar songs.

Prior to the resurrection Jesus siblings likely rejected and ridiculed Him as possible mentally defective. Psalm 69:8, “I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.” Psalm 69:10, “When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.”

Again, Psalm 69 is prophetic of the crucifixion including Jesus being given vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:21, “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” John 19:28-30, “28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Psalm 69 also suggests the second coming of Jesus as the avenging Lion of Judah and of His reign during the Millennium. Psalm 69:34-36, “34 Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein. 35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. 36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.”

Adam was a type of Christ 529-2 - 13 - 5

Who Created God?

“Every event has a cause.

The universe is an event.

Therefore, the universe has a cause. (And, of course, he said that cause was God).”

[Pastor Lutzer]

As a Christian I hold to the worldview is that our world is deliberate result of our Creator: Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning (H7225) God created (H1254) the heaven (H8064) and the earth (H776).

H7225 - the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically a firstfruit): - beginning, chief first-fruits, first part, principal thing.

H1254 - to create; select, feed (as formative processes): - choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make.

H8064 - to be lofty; the sky, aloft; alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve.

H776 - to be firm; the earth, a land, country, earth, field, ground, land, nations, wilderness, world.

Genesis 2:7, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Adam was created by God as were the angels. God formed his body from the dust of the ground, but only by the breath of God did Adam become a living being.

Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Jesus was not a creation of God but was from everlasting.

Genesis 2:21-22, “21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” God provided Adam with a helpmate, Eve.

Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” God created he marriage bond between Adam and Eve, a type of the relationship that exists between Christ and the Church.

Then came Satan. Eve was beguiled by Satan; however, Adam ate of the forbidden tree with full knowledge. Adam chose to join his bride in a hostile world suffering spiritual death, a foreshadowing of Jesus sacrificing his life on the cross for his bride, the Church.

Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” In his concern for his creation, God sewed skins of animals for Adam and Eve to wear both to protect their bodies and to demonstrate that a blood sacrifice would be needed to redeem mankind.

Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

By giving up paradise for his wife, Adam was a type of Jesus who was the propitiation for his bride the Church: Philippians 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Both the Shroud of Turin and the fiery serpent of Numbers can be a hindrance to a person's faith 543 - 8 - 2

Numbers 21:8 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent (H8314), and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”

H8314, A masculine noun meaning a serpent, generally a poisonous snake. There is a burning sensation from the serpent's bite sent as judgment.

King Hezekiah, a ruler in Judah, was one of the kings who did what was right in the eyes of God. He was a great reformer, campaigning against all forms of idolatry. 2 Kings 18:4, “He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.” Nehushtan, meaning literally "A Bronze Thing."

Much has been written and theorized concerning the Shroud of Turin as being the covering that was used to wrap Jesus's body

Why Shroud of Turin's Secrets Continue to Elude Science

“The 53-square-foot rectangle of linen known as the Shroud of Turin is one of the most sacred religious icons on Earth, venerated by millions of Christians as the actual burial garment of Jesus Christ.

It is also among the most fiercely debated subjects in contemporary science, an extraordinary mystery that has defied every effort at solution.

Over the 117 years since a photographic negative of the linen unexpectedly revealed the image of a tortured body, ranks of physicists and chemists have weighed in on the fabric’s age and the image’s composition. Forensic pathologists, microbiologists, and botanists have analyzed its bloodstains, along with specks of dirt and pollen on its surface. Statisticians have combed through mountains of data.”

[https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150417-shroud-turin-relics-jesus-catholic-church-religion-science/]

The shroud appears to be that of a man who was crucified. Carbon dating indicates that it postdated Jesus by centuries. Then it was theorized that the piece of cloth tested had been added later. Speculation concerning the shroud continues.

Full Scale 3D Printed Model of Christ Created Using the Famous Shroud of Turin

“Professor Giulio Fanti at the University of Padua created this 3D printed carbon model of Christ using precise measurements taken from the Shroud of Turin.”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsSKfCm8Fxo]

The Roman Catholic Church places great values on relics such as:

Head of St Catherine of Siena

Blood of Saint Januarius

The Tongue of St Anthony of Padua

The Finger of St Thomas

Like the fiery serpent, the above relics including the Shroud of Turin are just things. King Hezekiah broke the fiery serpent, “A Bronze Thing” as it had become an idol. Relics denigrate who Jesus was. It's very easy to get caught up in things and forget the simple declaration by Paul 1 Colossians 15:3-4, “3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Of great spiritual importance to me is the burial napkin that was neatly folded beside where Jesus' head would have been. In that day a folded napkin meant "I am coming back." Jesus rose again and was seen by hundreds of people. We still have His promise of the folded napkin, He will be back!