The End

If this is your first time seeing the Sower of the Seed blog, there’s lots of other posts from the last year (2010) to check out. I don’t plan on ever taking down the site, so this will be a permanent source for reference for years to come. If you feel so inclined, I encourage you to start from the beginning and check out each post all the way through. It was really fun and exciting to share my thoughts with you over this time, and I hope it’s been as equally fun and exciting for you to read them. As always, please don’t hesitate to explore the blog through and through and tell your friends, family, and neighbors (even that really mean person down the street).

This post will be the last post for this blog and the subject is touching on the end and return of Yeshua (Jesus in Hebrew) the Messiah. These scriptures are just awesome. They show God’s (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) authority, wisdom and eternal sovereignty. We can be confident in God’s promises. Everything happens for a reason. There may be some horrible things in store for this world, but in the end, the Lord is going to restore all things. He’s going to bring joy and the reign of his kingdom in a way never seen or heard. So if we know God, through His Son, we have nothing to fear.

Psalm 102:25-27

25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

Isaiah 13:10

10 The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.

Isaiah 34:4

4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

Isaiah 24:19-20

19 The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. 20 The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls-never to rise again.

Isaiah 51:6

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.

The above quote may sound rough, but after this life, there’s eternity to face. Eternity with the Lord is a good thing. Jesus is the salvation and righteousness mentioned. I guess the only thing we can say is Hallelujah. For anybody who doesn’t know what that word means, it’s a solemn oath to praise the Lord. It’s like commanding yourself to praise the Lord.

Matthew 5:18

18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Matthew 24:3

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

If you read this scripture to Matthew, there are a few quotes from Daniel in the Old Testament that describe it even further. But first, you’ll have to follow this link to Matthew 24. If you prefer, press here to listen to chapter.

The scriptures below describe some Antichrist antics. I’d like to explain some of it for you. The part that says, “Abomination that causes desolation,” the Antichrist, more accurately Satan, will be the abomination that enters the Jewish temple of that time. He’ll do this in the same way the Romans did prior to the Maccabee revolt, 120 years before Jesus Christ was born. The Caesar at the time had been sacrificing pigs at the altar, which was an insult to the Jewish people. They also set up an altar to Zeus. This is when the Maccabees revolted and re-dedicated the temple and the events occurred that inspired the tradition of Hanukkah, which Yeshua celebrated as well.

Here's a very brief video to show you, in case you didn't know what a Menorah was. Oh, and they're not always solid gold. This one in particular was made for the Third Jewish Temple.



Courtesy of Wikipedia

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple following Judah Maccabee's victory over the Seleucids. According to Rabbinic tradition, the victorious Maccabees could only find a small jug of oil that had remained uncontaminated by virtue of a seal, and although it only contained enough oil to sustain the Menorah for one day, it miraculously lasted for eight days, by which time further oil could be procured.

So, in this same manner, Daniel prophecies a similar abomination, this time by the Antichrist, or Devil himself.

Daniel 9:27

27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Daniel 11:31

31 "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

Daniel 12:11

11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

Thus completes my 77th post for the Sower of the Seed blog. This was my goal when I started the blog. Hopefully, they’ll be some more blog-sites to come. God bless ‘til then.

Thoughts On The End

This post is on thoughts about the end of the age, spoken by Jesus in Luke 21. Please take the time to read it, it may change your life.

Luke 21:5-34

5Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6"As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
7"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"
8He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
10Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17All men will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By standing firm you will gain life.
20"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
29He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32"I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Mark 13:32-37

The Day and Hour Unknown
32"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "

We live in perilous times. We can see more and more of these prophesies from Luke fulfilled everyday. Take a look in the newspaper.

The Jewish Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Israel, today, is surrounded by hostile countries. They’re either wanting them dead or they want their land. We don’t hear much about it in mainstream media. A lot of Christians in foreign countries are being murdered because they profess to follow Christ. So we need to take these things seriously.

God’s made it plain enough for everybody to see. If the Lord says something’s gonna happen, that means it’s gonnna happen. We’re not talking about hollow words here that never come to pass. All anyone has to do is to do a little research on Biblical prophecy. And look around and you’ll see lots of prophesy from the Bible being fulfilled. Jesus told us these things to warn us so we can get prepared for His return.

Yeah, and I know people say, “Well, it’s a fantasy. That’s never gonna happen.” Have you ever taken the time to think about what’s in space, because the sun is a giant flaming ball of plasma with a nuclear reaction happening in the center of it? If you were to tell a little kid that, they would think you were nuts, until they were more mature and learned about it.

God’s like the teacher and the Bible is His textbook. So you should prepare for the future if you were to die today. Do you know where you’d spend eternity? There’s heaven; everything pleasant God created. Or there’s hell; offers nothing that God has. There’s nothing pleasant in hell. It was designed for Satan and his fallen angels. So if we reject God’s way through His Son Jesus, . So why should God let us into heaven if we don’t want what He has? So, hopefully everybody wants to go to heaven. That should be a no-brainer. But Jesus died and rose again on the third day to save us from the penalty of hell. While He was on the cross, He took all our sins upon His body. All you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and tell Him you want Him to be the Lord of your life and tell Him you accept what He did for you. You could also tell Him something like, “Lord please guide my life and help me learn as I read the Bible.” It’s not a magic formula. Just talk to Him however you want. It’s your prayer, not anyone else’s.

I hope this brings peace to someone’s life. Have a good one.

Saved By Grace - Not By Works (Continued)

This post is a continuation on the post Saved By Grace - Not By Works.

This post is not meant to offend anybody, but it's a video debate on Errors in Catholicisms. This debate originally aired on the John Ankerberg show. I just want my Catholic brothers and sisters to know the truth. Purgatory is the topic at hand.

There are three playlists consisting of 2-3 videos from the original 9 part video series. Each playlist is about 30 minutes long. It's pretty technical and theoligically driven, but if you get through that, you'll learn the truth behind Purgatory.

As a bonus, I've added a short 3 video playlist on an additional topic debated on the Ankerberg Show. The subject is the extent of Mary and her true Biblical role in Christianity.

And now, the bonus videos on the Mary debate.

Jesus Forgave Us, Can't We Do The Same?

In this blog, there isn't really much on forgiveness. That's a thought I had about three weeks ago. Then things came together one day when I was watching Daystar, a Christian network, and the message was on none other than forgiveness, preached by Marcus Lamb. He shared a story about Corrie Ten Boom. He talked about how she went through the atrocities of the concentration camps. Long story short, when she met one of her Nazi captors years later, she had a decision of forgiveness and God helped helped her make that decision. I'm sure that's the only way she would have been able to do it. I don't konw if any of you have gone through any horrible circumstances but I know for certainty Jesus will give you the strength to forgive. There's nothing that will destroy you quicker than hatred and unforgiveness. Marcus said that forgiveness is a decision not an emotion. Yeah, but sometimes there are situations so bad that there is a grieving process and it takes time for that person to forgive.

So that's enough of me talking. Here's an audio of Corrie Ten Boom sharing her testimony. The clip is about an hour long but it's definitely worth your time to listen to the whole thing. It starts off slow but eventually gets to the part about forgiveness. And after that, I have a song.



Here's a fitting song about forgiveness by a Christian group named Disciple. Be sure and press the play button to listen.

Saved by Grace Through Faith - Not Works

This post is not meant to offend anybody, but it's a video debate on Errors in Catholicisms. This debate originally aired on the John Ankerberg show. I just want my Catholic brothers and sisters to know the truth. Justification is the topic at hand.

There are three playlists consisting of 2-3 videos from the original 9 part video series. Each playlist is about 30 minutes long. It's pretty technical and theoligically driven at first, but if you get through that, you'll learn the truth behind Justification.

Heartfelt Music for a Heartfelt God

Hey everybody, just wanted to share some music from the 80's with a Jewish flare. Also wanted to share some heartfelt worship. It's kind of hard to describe. You'll just have to watch and see for yourself.

Here's the first two videos, both, to my knowledge, based on Psalms.





The next videos are more modern. This seems to be some of the most sincere worship I've ever stumbled upon. The last few videos feature the singer, Kari Jobe.









I hope everybody can find the joy in worshiping God, because I know it brings joy to His heart when we do.

Divine Graffiti: God Was Here

Have you ever heard of the Golden Ratio? It's this crazy mathematical formula that's apparently in everything. It's based on thirds. Does that sound like hmmm... maybe the trinity? It's God's mathematical genius at work. Take a look at these two videos on the subject. Afterwards, there are two other ones on a similar subject.





Here are two videos on the subject of Laminin, the rebarb of living tissue. These two videos will knock your socks off! Enjoy!

Who knew sharks liked Christian music?

Check out this music I found on grooveshark. These are some great Christian jams spanning the 80's to 2000's. Grooveshark is pretty nifty if you've never used it before.

I first heard the Steve Camp and Phil Wickham songs on internet radio 365 station, ccm classics enhanced. I was already a fan of Five Iron Frenzy but never got around to buying any cd's. Anyway, I thought you'd like this eclectic mix of Christian songs.

I Wonder If Jesus Wears Bling?

In this video, there's a 3-D model of what the Jewish Temple might have looked like in Jesus' time.



Check out this video about the crowns the Jewish high priests used to wear. They're pretty neat looking and Jesus might wear one since He's our high priest.



Here's a video to do with some prophetic things from the Book of Daniel, which is usually pretty confusing. The speaker makes it easy to understand. Sorry the video is incomplete, but you still learn quite a bit from it.



This video is a 3-D model of the temple in Ezekiel's vision. But the thing is, it's in Russion and has some goofy music. But it's still amazing all the same. Some believe the temple will be built when Jesus reigns for a thousand years on earth. After the video, there will be a link to The Word Was God blog that deals with the fascinating design of the temple.



The Word Was God blog link

Thoughts on being a Watchman on the Wall

In this post, the Lord wants us to learn about using every opportunity we get to be a witness to the world around us. I was reading these scripture this week and I felt led to talk about them. Please take the time to read these scriptures. I’ll explain them afterwards.

Ezekial 33:1-20 (New Living Translation

Ezekiel as Israel’s Watchman

1 Once again a message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, give your people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman. 3 When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. 4 Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to take action, it is their own fault if they die. 5 They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. 6 But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths.’
7 “Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. 8 If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 9 But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.

The Watchman’s Message

10 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’ 11 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
12 “Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. 13 When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. 14 And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. 15 For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. 16 None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live.
17 “Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but it is they who are not doing what’s right. 18 For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die. 19 But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live. 20 O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.”

As you can tell from the scripture above, God really takes it seriously about warning people of coming trouble. Probably in most instances now, it’s about repenting from sin and returning to God. Either way, if you die without your sins being forgiven, the consequences of hell are sure to follow, and that’s no good for anybody. So I encourage you and I’m sure the Lord does too, to be a watchman on the wall. Use every opportunity the Lord gives you to be a witness of him, to share about the good news of Yeshua Ha’Machiach (Jesus Christ), because it can be a matter of life or death. And we can do that by listening to the calling of our Lord, the good shepherd.

Here’s some scripture. It has to do with the good shepherd. You can click here to read it or have it read to you. Obviously the scripture is talking about Israel. As you can see most of the things in Ezekiel 34 have already been fulfilled. So I’m gonna be a watchman on the wall and tell Israel the Messiah has already come. The scriptures have been fulfilled. Yeshua of Nazareth is your savior and He will return. And here are some more scriptures where He speaks of His return.

Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 34 - New International Version

Listen to this passage : Ezekiel 34

Mark 13

Mark 13 - New International Version

Listen to this passage : Mark 13

The portion of the scripture in Mark 13 makes it obvious why we need to be a watchman, no matter what wall we’re on. And this last portion of scriptures shows us how we can always be prepared to give the call by living a pure life, with the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit.

Colossians 3:1-17

Rules for Holy Living

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I hope this post blessed your socks off! Have a good night!

Check Out Christian Techno Artist Matthew J. Bentley

The other day on God's DJ's Internet Radio, there was this artist named Matthew J. Bentley DJing a show called Infiltrationg In Trance. It was pretty neat, so I went to his website and discovered you can download his music for free! He's got two whole albums worth of material available, all for free! Here's a tracklist from the first album, the tracklist for hte second album is on the website. Here's a link to his website.

Intro (Select Your G-d)

Hosanna (Feat. Rachel Hennessy)

Paul & Silas

Revelation Song (Feat. Kyah Hanzal)

Can’t Get Away (Feat. Phil Parramore)

Wait For Eternity

Hide In My Arms (Feat. Gloria DeGrave)

Desert Song (Feat. Rachel Hennessy)

Inside of You (Feat. Rachel Hennessy)

Byzantine Icecaps

O Holy Night (Feat. Rachel Hennessy & Charlie Severson)

Searching (Feat. Nate Schlatter)

See (Matthew J. Bentley Remix)

Thoughts on Coming Out the Wrong Way

I was reading my posts on this blog and I realized I may come off sounding selfish. Just thinking about that horrified me. There were statements like: "Look what I found," or "Look what God did for ME." But being selfish is the furthest thing from my mind. I just want things on this blog to be an encouragement for others, that God can use you as well. God has special gifts for everyone. He's given each of you unique gifts to witness of His glory. Doesn't matter what situation you're in. If you're in a wheelchair, or have medical issues, young or old, rich or poor. If you haven't discovered the gifts the Lord has given you, all you have to do is ask the Lord to reveal His gifts and He will do that. Sometimes you have to pray for a while, but don't let that discourage you. If you want to share what the Lord has done for you or if you feel like the Lord wants you to share something from His word, email me, and I'll consider posting it.

Please forgive me if my words came out the wrong way. I'll try to do better in the future.

On that note, here's a funny video from youtube. I don't recommend watching too many of the comedians other videos due to the risk of foul language.

Divine Appointment

In this post, I’d like to show you what happened to me the other day (October 7th, 2010).

The day started with my normal routine. I was gonna go outside and drive around while I listen to my MP3 player. Since it was nice, I decided to go as far as the construction site a couple blocks away from my house. So I was driving down the sidewalk for a while, on my way to the point where I had to turn right to go down another sidewalk, so I could get a good view of the progress at the construction site, but something happened along the way.

As I was nearing the construction site, I felt my MP3 player slipping down my leg and I knew it was gonna fall on the sidewalk. I thought to myself, “Oh great,” because there’s no way I could have picked it up on my own. I must have been sitting there looking like a lost puppy. I looked around to see if there was anyone I could ask to assist me. There’s a bunch of restaurants and business around there. I saw two construction workers, and I thought I’d ask them, but they went back to work. Then I thought about it, whoever helps me, I could give them a track. I waited around a while but there was still nobody I could ask.

There was a business back in the other direction, and I thought, “This is gonna be embarrassing.” I figured I was gonna have to go in and ask somebody for help. So that’s what I did. I drove into the business, but once I was in there, I was hesitant to ask anybody. So I went and looked at the clearance aisle and there were some cross decorations that caught my eye. One said, “For God so loved the world,” and the other one said, “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Then I remembered later that was a scripture I’d been reading all week. After that, I went up to the front and waited for some customers to leave, and then I asked for some help. There was a girl behind the counter and she called for somebody in the back to help. A guy came up to the front and I tried to explain to him about my dilemma, but sometimes my voice is hard to hear and he misunderstood. He thought I said parking lot, but I actually meant way down the sidewalk. I told him I’d meet up with him where it was. I wanted to make it as quick and painless for him as possible.

Once we got outside, the guy went to the wrong sidewalk. Eventually we met up where the MP3 player had landed but it was gone. He asked me how long ago I dropped it. In mild frustration, I said, “10 minutes ago!” But then I got over it. There was no point in getting upset. So I asked him, “Can I at least give you something for your trouble?” He said, “Oh no. Don’t do anything like that.” But I was thinking about a track. I wasn’t gonna give him money. I assume that’s what he thought I meant. Then I explained to him it was just a pamphlet that talks about my life and what gets me through. He said, “Oh sure.” He took one and looked it over. I told him God’s really transformed my life. Then he said, “Oh, I’m Jewish.” I said, “Oh, that’s awesome.” Then he said, “Oh, I’m not anti-Christian or anything. I love Yeshua.” That’s what he said! Then he started back toward the business. I hollered, “Thank you,” to him. He hollered back, “You’re welcome.” And for those of you who know me, I feel called to reach out to Jewish people. I want them to know their promised Messiah has already come. Yeshua or Jesus (Yeshua is Hebrew for Jesus) Christ. Here’s a link to my blog, where I talk about my calling.

Shortly after this, I saw two ladies walking up the sidewalk. I moved over so they could get by. One of them asked if I had dropped something. I said, “Yes, my MP3 player.” The woman then pulled it out of her pocket and gave it back to me. I wanted to tell them a little bit about what had just happened to me so I asked them if they had a second. They said, “No.” They looked to be in a hurry or maybe just on a lunch break.

When I got home, I realized I never found out what the guy’s name was. Then I also realized I forgot to tell the lady thank you.

I hope the Lord blesses that guy with Messiah’s saving grace.

So that’s pretty much what happened. And that’s why I call it a “Divine Appointment.”

Thoughts on Oprah Video

I accidentally clicked on this Oprah video. At the time it was kind of interesting so I favorited it. The other day, I was gonna delete it, but I thought some rebuttals to the argument would make a good post. It’s kind of old, but if you can get through the low quality and actually hear for yourself what Oprah advocates when it comes to Jesus Christ, you’ll be surprised.



If every religion or way can get you to heaven, that’d mean the religions that murder people or have human sacrifices would be there, too. There’d be no consequences for your actions. Why would that be considered fair? That goes for Nazis and white supremacist, as well, if we go by what Oprah says.

One of Oprah’s arguments that there must be more than one way is, “If you never hear the name of Jesus.” God created nature to be a witness to us: plants and animals and the stars and things like these. Romans 1: 19-20 “19 Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” I’ve heard examples where people never hear the name of Jesus, but then hear about Him in a dream or vision, giving them a longing to leave their country and find the Truth.

It seems to me the most fair way would be to have one way, rather than a million ways. One God, one way: Yhwh or Yahweh. In the Bible, God tells you how it is. He plainly tells of the consequences for sin.

God has rules. Just like good parents have rules. Good parents don’t want to have to punish their children, but realize rules and punishment are necessary. Punishment teaches children not to do the wrong thing, or something that could harm them. I can guarantee nobody likes it when they’re out in public and some kid freaks out because they can’t get what they want. And then, inevitably, the kid’s parent give in. What does that teach this kid? Who’s raising who? With God, there is no mistake. We are His children. He’s given us rules for life. He’s the Creator, and we need to give Him credit for that.

Oprah seems to think there doesn’t need to be rules. Admittedly, Oprah is in a tough spot, having to appease her sponsors and general public. Unfortunately, Heaven isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a reward. Oprah, I sincerely hope you find the Truth, so you can see the reality of God’s only Savior, Jesus the only Messiah. It’s about a relationship with him. Not a cold ritualistic religion.

John 3:11-17

11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

God is the Great Physician and He Says Homosexuality is a Missed Diagnosis

The world says that these practices are okay and normal, but it is as far from the truth as you can get. It’s like when pharmaceutical companies put out a pill, and then they have to recall it because it causes cancer or some other adverse affect. Another example is like Lasik surgery, and then come to find out it can make eye problems worse.

God never designed the human body to do these things. Babies are supposed to be made after a man and woman get married. Male to male nor female to female can make a child. God doesn’t want His children to do certain things for a reason. He’s not some cosmic killjoy. He’s a loving, forgiving Father. It’s for our own protection. Committing sexual sin can highly increase your chance of getting an STD, which nobody needs. If you convince yourself of something being right, how are you supposed to be able to repent or return to God if you think what you’re doing is “fine and dandy”? If you hear a lie long enough you begin to believe it. The diagnosis of homosexuality is a sinful nature being encouraged by the lies of the world.

The whole reason I feel like I should write this is because of what happened a couple days ago. Tyler Clementi, a student at a Rutgers University, took his life after someone broadcast his homosexual activity on the internet. I was disturbed thinking about the world telling him his lifestyle was okay, and then you have people making fun of him and being malicious with their words. Probably something in his spirit was crying out, saying there’s something wrong with my body and I don’t know what it is. This poor individual was so disturbed that he felt the only way he could escape was by killing himself. If he would have known Jesus, He could have helped him escape the lie of homosexuality.

Homosexuality is like any sin. It can get to the point that they need someone else’s help: counseling or medication. Some homosexual tendencies can be caused by a chemical imbalance. I’m no expert but I’ve heard that chasing after that kind of sin can make the chemical imbalance worse. There are many different scenarios that lead to this type of sin, but one thing I know for sure with the help of God’s Holy Spirit you can overcome any addiction or stronghold.

If anyone is struggling with this let me give you some scriptures to read to help you.

1 Corinthians 10:13

13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

These scriptures may be a little rough, but if you read them all the way through, you’ll find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Romans 1:18-32

Listen to whole chapter : Romans 1

God's Wrath Against Mankind
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 2:1-16

Listen to whole chapter : Romans 2

God's Righteous Judgment
1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Romans 5:6-11

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

You don’t change yourself to go to church you go to church to be changed.

Too many times churches are hateful and evil-eyed toward sinners. They forget they were sinners once, too. We are all sinners saved by grace. Jesus has taught us to flee from evil and the things we once did. Let the power of Jesus’ love set you free from the chains of bondage.

Hebrew Music Rocks!

Here's some old school music I've always enjoyed. I just wanted to share it with everybody out there. Starting with "Jehovah Jireh, My Provider". Followed by the Vicki Yohe's rendition of "The Mercy Seat". And lastly, Amy Grant's "El Shaddai".

God's Got Your Back

In this post, I’d like to share with you some Hebrew words and their translation. They have some personal significance in my life. God does watch over us all.

Jeremiah 1:11-12

11 The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied. 12 The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."

When God calls Jeremiah, the prophet sees an almond tree in his vision (1:11), and God responds. Just as Jeremiah sees an almond branch, God watches that His word will be fulfilled. In Hebrew, the words for almond branch and watch have the same root. God uses a play on words to show Jeremiah that His word will be fulfilled.

almond (tree)
Original Word:

Transliteration: shaqed
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-kade')
Short Definition: almond


to watch, wake
Original Word:

Transliteration: shaqad
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-kad')
Short Definition: hasten

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve shared a post of some pictures I drew and one of them was from when I had a vision. My vision had a banner in it. If you want to check it out, here’s the link. For some reason, when I was a kid, I always liked the phrase, Jehovah-nissi, but I never knew what it meant. It turns out, this Hebrew phrase means God is my banner. It’s incredible, because this was in my vision for years, and didn’t know what Jehovah-nissi meant until 2010. Like God told Jeremiah He was gonna watch out for him and use him to accomplish His will, He in similar way, He told me the same thing in His unique way. God is awesome!

Jehovah-nissi (God is my banner)
Original Word:

Transliteration: Yhvh Nissi
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-vaw' nis-see')
Short Definition: Jehovah-nissi

READ ALL ABOUT IT: PROPHETS OF OLD PREDICT FUTURE!

On tonight's post, I just wanted to share this documentary from the History Channel via Youtube. It has to do with some of the prophets from the Old Testament and their prophesies from God, and how they were fulfilled. Even the ones about Jesus, our Messiah. So it's very interesting and surprisingly error-free.

(Warning, there are some disturbing Holocaust images, so be advised. Not throughout the piece, but just here and there.)

Thoughts On A Hardened Heart

In this posting, I need you to read the scripture so I can explain this posting.

Romans 9:14-26

14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses,
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25As he says in Hosea:
"I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," 26and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,
'You are not my people,'
they will be called 'sons of the living God.'”

After reading this, some may say that that means God creates people just to use them and then send them to hell. And I don’t think that’s the case at all! ‘Cause if Pharaoh wanted to, he could have turned away from his false gods and started serving the one true God after seeing His mighty plagues. Yes, God hardened his heart. And the wrath of God came on Pharaoh. But during or after the wrath, any point in time he could have turned from his ways. The same thing goes for Judas when he betrayed Jesus. If he hadn’t killed himself so quickly, he could have asked the Lord to forgive him of his evil doings. In either case, they could have turned from their wickedness and destroyed their old way of life – with God’s forgiveness and mercy. So as the scriptures says, they would put the old man to death, which would have referred to their old way of life.

Yes, there are consequences to sin. But it doesn’t stop there. Thankfully there’s God’s love and grace. Now, I’d like to show you the scripture that brought me to this awesome conclusion.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Made Alive in Christ
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

So if you really want change, and you don’t want to live the way have been, and you want to get rid of the things that are plaguing your life, all you have to do is cry out to God and tell Him you need and want His forgiveness through His Son, who died for you and rose again. It’s all about trusting God to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. We need his Holy Spirit to help us do what we can’t do on our own. It’s not about memorizing a bunch of verses or a bunch of religious words, it’s about your heart and how desperately it needs help and be honest with God, because he knows all about you. Trust God and what He says. Start praying and have a conversation with God. Praying is just having a conversation with God. The Bible is great way for you to learn what God is about and what He wants from us. It’s a relationship, believe it or not. Life might not always be easy, but God will be with you every step of the way.

God bless and catch you later…

Yom Kippur War

Today is Yom Kippur. This is the day that the priests would go into the Temple of the Lord and enter into the Holy of Holies. This only happens once a year. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement.

When I was exploring Youtube for more information, I stumbled on this documentary on the Yom Kippur war, which took place in Israel in 1973. I found this video before I started studying the 7 Feasts of the Lord. Now I see how it was such an insult to attack Israel on this Holiest of days.

Here is the documentary in full. Most Aericans aren't familiar with this war. As you watch these videos, you will see the Israelites show their resolve as Israel is often outnumbered and yet they persevere with God's hand.

Ever since the inception of the Jewish State in 1948, it seems as though Israel gets a lot of flack for merely defending itself. As you watch this documentary, which seems unbiased, you'll see that the Israelite's ferocious self-defense is necessary in order to survive, even to this day.

So when you hear someone griping about Israel, remember that Israel is surrounded by countries that want them dead. How can Islam say Israel has always belonged to them, when Islam was created 300 years after Jesus Christ, who was a Jewish man living in Israel, where it is now.

Rosh Hashanah Add-On Post

This is sort of an add-on to the Rosh Hashanah post I published on Friday.

I was curious about the foods Jewish people enjoy on Rosh Hashanah and found this informative video on youtube.



I also was interested, since the trumpet or shofar is so closely related to Rosh Hashanah, I wanted to hear a sample of it. So here is a video featuring a shofar.

Thoughts on what church should be about.

This is a great scripture from the New Testament. It’s an incredible example of what church should be about. Sometimes we need a reminder of what church is supposed to be like, because there are a lot of churches who have veered away from the pure essentials. The scripture is very self-explanatory.

Colossians 3:1-17

Rules for Holy Living
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This scripture pretty sums up what life and our relationship with the Lord should consist of. I know it’s one thing to read and a whole other thing to live it. But I know with the help of God’s Holy Spirit we can attain this lifestyle.

May the Lord bless you and have a great day!

We Must Not Forget 9-11

My heart goes out to every family that was affected by the extremist Islamic act of terrorism. May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless you and fill your life with the joy of His love.

Ay! Did You Just Hear A Trumpet?

In this post I’d like to share with you about Rosh Hashanah, one of the fall feasts of the Lord from the Old Testament that is still significant to Jews and Gentiles today, especially as it correlates to the Messiah. Rosh Hashanah, in Hebrew, means “Day of Blowing”. It is also known as Yom Teru’ah, in Hebrew, meaning “Head of the Year”. The origin of this holiday goes all the way back to the Torah.

Leviticus 23:24-25

Feast of Trumpets23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.' "

Rosh Hashanah started Thursday the 9th of September and ends on the 18th, when Yom Kippur starts. Some more info about Rosh Hashanah: It marks the beginning of the Jewish year; it lasts ten days; each day there is a special service where trumpets are blown a hundred times, If I’ve learned correctly; also a time of repentance and remembering God’s atonement for our sins as well as His mercy. It can also be a time to remind us of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites in the Old Testament when He brought down the walls of Jericho after they marched for 7 days and blew the trumpets.

It’s so amazing all the things this one holiday represents. One of the greatest things it represents is Jesus Christ, our returning Messiah. I can’t wait for us to be caught away when we hear the trumpet blast of God.

Mathew 24:29-31

29"Immediately after the distress of those days" 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Before I leave you with one more scripture, I wanted to say it’s neat that Jesus celebrated this same festival. And He’s going to fulfill it, prophetically, someday. I hope this gives somebody some new insight. It’s something I just learned about. I was very excited to get this post published. So, please no hate mail if I left something out. I’ll leave you with this encouraging scripture. Ay! Did you just hear a trumpet?

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Thoughts On Tradition

We need to be careful and not let tradition rule our lives.

Mark 7:1-23

Clean and Unclean
1The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. 3(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
5So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"
6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
14Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' "
17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")
20He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

Philippians 4:8

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

James 3:17-18

17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Tradition can be as bad as trying to earn your salvation. That just doesn’t happen. How can we possibly do enough things to impress God? No. We must rely on his grace and forgiveness. His grace is like mercy, giving us what we don’t deserve. Forgiveness and reconciliation from the curse of sin through the crucifixion death and resurrection of Yeshua, the Son of God is all we need to know and believe in to receive a spot in heaven. So next time we hear a style of Christian music we don’t like, we shouldn’t get so upset. I’m talking to me, too. Let’s try to do something fresh and new for the Lord, not something old and dusty. But that doesn’t mean old things are bad, necessarily. We must learn from history so we don’t make the same mistake twice.

Everybody have a good day. And I hope this blog spurs somebody forward to do something new for Christ.

Doodles

This was taken from a vision I had when I was really sick. It was very encouraging and relevant in my life.

For those of you who don’t know, I used to draw things to glorify God using paintbrush on windows. I didn’t always draw things to glorify God. I used draw goofy things like superheroes and video game characters. I did the same thing when I used to be able to draw with a pencil, before I discovered the mouse and paintbrush. I could actually make some detailed images with paintbrush. Here are a couple of my Godly pictures you might like. So, take a look.

This image is Jesus sitting on the stairway to heaven. It's unfinished, since I've been unable to draw anymore. I still have these ideas of pictures that pop into my head all the time.

This was an idea I had for the now retired Sower of the Seed website. There may be another website in the future. For now, I'll keep blogging.

If anyone would like to email me some Godly pictures that glorify the Lord that I can post please do so. If you feel so inspired, feel free to build on my drawings by editing or expanding them.

Thoughts on Re-Relationships

If you’re thinking, “How could I ever start a relationship with God?” or “Get to know Him better?” or “Get to know Him better again?” one way is to look at your life and look for things that get in the way of or draw you away from God.

If there’s anything that takes away from prayer or praising the Lord or reading His Bible or witnessing to people, these are the things you need to stop doing. Getting rid of those things would be a step in the right direction and that even goes for people who are Christians. We have to look for things everyday that take us away from the Lord, because everyday is a battle. Sometimes only the Lord can help us stop doing things that take us away from Him. There are some strongholds that only He can break.

It all starts when we stop looking selfishly at ourselves and willingly give things up. If we’re always looking at ourselves we can not hear God or see what He’s up to. I remember when I was a younger person in the Lord, the last thing I wanted to do was give things up to the Lord. Once I started doing that the Lord started showing me more and more things that were getting in the way of my relationship with Him that I never knew.

Good things start happening when these things start dropping from your life. You start hearing the direction of the Holy Spirit more clearly. You feel inexpressible joy more often. How can we not give stuff up to Jesus the Son of God? Giving things up is not a requirement for salvation, but it sure makes things difficult when it comes to a closer relationship with the Lord. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the ones we love.

What good is gaining the whole world, if you

Mathew 16:24-27

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds

Look what His Father has given us. Look at nature and wildlife around you. Think of all the clouds and weather phenomena. Look at all the beauty of space with its stars, planets and nebulas.

If you’ve never known the Lord let me share some scriptures that will show you how to do that.

John 1:8-10

8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives

Romans 3:9-26

No One is Righteous
9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
13"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways,
17and the way of peace they do not know."
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Righteousness Through Faith
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Jesus died a cruel death on a cross for us and He never even sinned. He rose again the third day. He loved us that much. That means you. Just put your trust in Him and confess that you’re a sinner and want His forgiveness. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and help you turn away from them and guide you by His Holy Spirit if you truly mean it.

Hope to see you in the Spirit in the sky.

Catch you later.

Hey, it's that girl from the Facts of Life!

Wanted to share some more old school Christian music. Check out these songs from the 70's and 80's. Imagine my surprise when I saw that one of the artists was Blair from the Facts of Life! I never knew any of them sang Christian pop music. Learn something new everday.

Check Out Josh Harmony!

The other day, I was listening to a rebroadcast of Rimmerama on cross rhythyms and he did an interview with Josh Harmony. Harmony has made a name for himself as a professional skateboarder, but it turns out he is a gifted singer/songwriter/guitarist as well, using those gifts to share the word. During the interview with Mike Rimmer, Harmony shared his testimony, about how God delivered him from drugs. I was really impressed with this young man, and I think any age would enjoy his music.

A short time after listening to the interview, I checked out a link to Josh Harmony's MySpace page. There, I found various ways to check out his music, including a link to his website. If you're looking to buy or download some great music, I encourage you to support Josh Harmony.

Here's a sample of what I mean. The following are 2 videos of Harmony, one where he's playing one of his newer songs and one where he's skateboarding. Also, I've thrown in a video that's just basically music.

Thoughts on Old & New: Part 3

Welcome to the final installment of the series “Thoughts on the Old & New”, a study of prophecy in the Bible and how the Old and New Testament come together to create a picture of Redemption through the Messiah. I heard a pastor say the Old Testament reveals the New Testament and the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament. In a way, the two parts complete a circle or circuit of understanding.

On a related note, be sure to try and read the whole Bible for yourself. The Bible consists of 66 books in all, 39 in the Old and 27 in the New. Make sure and pick a version that suits you best and presents the Word in the most accessible way for you. That way, you’ll get the most out of it. I personally like to use different versions, sometimes cross referencing to get the fullest understanding. The versions I like to use are the New International Version NIV, English Standard Version ESV, New Living Version NLV, and King James Version KJV. But the choice is yours. Another thing I find very helpful is to utilize the various aids, especially when they refer to the original Hebrew or Greek words. The more you learn about the original languages, it’s almost like the closer you’re getting to God.

Continuing in the same vein, here are some more scriptures being prophesied and fulfilled.

Psalm 22:18

18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

John 19:23-24

23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it."
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
"They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

There are many places in the Old Testament that come together to create the final picture revealed in John 19. It’s quite astounding, when you think about it, how it all comes together. Here are three Old Testament scriptures followed by a New Testament verse.

Exodus 12:46

46 "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.

Numbers 9:12

12 They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.

Psalm 34:20

20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

John 19:28-37

The Death of Jesus
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

Here’s another scripture foretelling details about the Crucifixion of the Messiah. This one is quite unique in that it also appears in Revelation, where it suggests that some Jewish and non-Jewish people will be left behind, after mistakenly following the Antichrist. When this happens, even the most stubborn Jews and Gentiles will know that Jesus was the real Messiah.

Zechariah 12:10

Mourning for the One They Pierced
10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

John 19:31-37

31Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

Thank you for reading the series. Hopefully it was as inspiring to you as it was for me.

Now, I’d like to leave you with this last scripture from Romans, where Paul says it best, what Yeshua, the Messiah did.

Romans 3:21-31

The Righteousness of God Through Faith
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.