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Michael The Archangel

Michael : Heb. Mika’el, literally, “who [is] like God?”

The name “Michael” appears only in passages that are linked with the apocalypse.

Archangel: occurs only twice in the Bible. ἀρχάγγελος

Archaggelos (1Thess. 4:16 and Jude 9).

There are only 5 verses in the entire Bible that mention Michael, the Archangel. Here they are:

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Daniel 10:13

But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Daniel 10:21

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. Jude 1:9

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, Revelation 12:7

2 Thessalonians 4:16 says, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”

John 5:28 says, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his (Jesus’) voice. See also John 11:43,44 (Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead).

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25

Jesus said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:18

To Jesus alone, is ascribed the power to raise the dead.

Jesus is referred to as an angel or angel of the Lord.

In the Bible Jesus is often referred to as “the angel of the Lord”. In Exodus 3:2 says, “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him (Moses) in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”

Who was this “angel of the Lord?” Verses 4-6 gives the answer. The angel of the Lord is Jesus Himself.

Judges 2:1 says, “And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.”

Who is this angel of the Lord? It is none other than Jesus.

Joshua 5: 13-15 says, “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

¹⁴And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

¹⁵And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.”

Notice that Joshua worships this being without rebuke prohibition. The only person worthy of our worship is one who is a member of the Godhead.

John tried to worship an angel and was refrained from doing so. Revelation 19:10 says, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Here we see clearly that no other being is to be worshiped but God Himself. An angel, though a more exalted being than man is not to be worship, only God is to be worshiped.

Conclusion: Michael, the Archangel is non other than Jesus, the captain of the Lord’s army. It is by the call of His voice that the dead in Christ will rise (see 2 Thessalonians 4:16.

Are the Dead Really Dead

The very first lie recorded in the Bible is told by the serpent (Devil) where he says to the Eve, “You will not die” regarding her eating of the forbidden fruit. This is a lie that has been perpetuated throughout the world’s history.

So, what does the Bible say about death? What happens when we die? Why is there so much confusion and mystery around the subject of death? Do we go to Heaven immediately when we die? Are there disembodied spirits praising God right now around His throne in Heaven? Can we communicate with loved ones who have passed away? Are the dead really “dead”? Rest assured, God has given us enough evidence from His Word so that we need not be confused.

The Immortality of the soul

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul is ubiquitous. This is a teaching that is present in most of the world religions, that even though the body may die, the soul lives on. One of Celine Dion’s greatest hits, “My Heart Will Go On” supports that very idea. There are a plethora of songs and movies that support the doctrine of the immortality of the soul; that the soul never dies, but is an immortal entity of the real you.

So, what exactly does the Bible have to say on the subject? I am happy to inform you that there is an abundance of information on the state of the dead found in the Word of God.

Ezekiel 18:4 God says, “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.” But what exactly is the soul? Well, the first mention of the word “soul” is found in 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.” Notice that the Bible does not say, “man was given a soul”. It says that “man became a living soul”. This is extremely important to know.

Genesis 2:7 gives a brief overview of how God made man; first, he was made from the dust of the ground, second, God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Man BECAME a living soul. This is crucial to know. Man composed of dust and the breath of life became a living soul.

The best way I can explain the existence of the soul would be to use the example of a lit bulb. A lit bulb (the soul) does not exist without the union of electricity (breath of life) and the mechanical components (body). Without electricity, the bulb’s physical properties (body) is rendered useless. The tungsten filament, glass enclosure, screw thread, electrical foot contact and a few other components of the bulb represents the dust, or physical material God used to form man. The bulb with all its physical components represents the body that God created. Without electrical contact, there will be no lit bulb or soul, if you will. Once electricity (breath of life) is applied, instantly, there is light. You now have a lit bulb.

In a very similar way God made man. He first formed man from the dust of the earth; formed all his organs and set in place the intricate cells, skeletal structure, brain, various systems and wrapped them in skin. But despite of this masterpiece, man did not yet exist. This was just a lifeless body until God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life. It was then that man became a living soul. This process can be broken down into a formula which looks something like this, body + breath = soul.

Without the body, the soul ceases to exist. The Bible explains just what happens at death, which is the reversal of creation, where body and breath of life are separated. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” The word “spirit” here is not referring to a separate living entity apart from the body but the breath of God. How do we know this? The original meaning of the word, “spirit” is Ruach (breath, wind, spirit). This reversal of life is further emphasized in Psalm 146:3,4 which says, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” This is the process of death. The breath of life makes its grand exit leaving the body and returns to God who gave it. The body is returned to the earth from where it came to perish in the process of decomposition.

Are the Dead Really Dead?

Let us notice that Psalms 146:4 goes on to say of the deceased that his thoughts perish. There is no thought process in death. All cranial functions are terminated. There is no remorse, sorrow or anticipation in death. There is no planning or scheming; no visions or imaginations. The Bible says that the thoughts perish. Ecclesiastes 9:5,6 says of the dead that, a. He doesn’t know anything, b. He has no more reward for his memory is forgotten, c. His love, hatred and envy is perished, and, d. He has no more portion forever for anything done under the sun. I believe this is abundantly clear, don’t you?

Do the dead praise God?

I attended a funeral back in 2015 where the priest, in his attempt to comfort the bereaving, exclaimed that the deceased was “soaring with the angels in heaven.” You may have heard similar rhetoric. In many instances, people are told that their deceased loved ones are in Heaven, praising God around His throne. As comforting as this may seem, it is not supported by the Bible. Psalms 115:17 says, “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.”

What about Samuel the prophet?

The story of Saul going to a sorcerer to summon up the spirit of Samuel the prophet has been part of a long debate in the topic of the state of the dead. The story is found in 1 Samuel 28. Before we even go there, let’s remember that God Himself gave the prohibition against consulting with sorcerers or those who have familiar spirits (see Leviticus 19:31). The Bible also says that Jesus is the one who holds the keys to life. He is the resurrection (see John 5:40; John 6:40 & John 11:25). If you put these two truths together, it will help you to understand what happened and what didn’t happen in the story of Saul and the sorcerer. The two points are: 1. God forbids any attempt to communicate with the dead and 2. God alone has the power to raise the dead.

In this story of King Saul, we see a man who has forsaken God’s commands and has gone so far in his rebellion that God no longer hears or answers him. I will hasten to say here that no matter how far you may wander from God, He will forgive you if you truly confess your sins (see 1 John 1:9). King Saul did not do this. The Bible says that when the host of Philistines gathered against Israel to annihilate them, King Saul, in desperate fear inquired of the Lord, but God did not answer in either dreams, Urim or by the prophets (see 1 Samuel 28:5,6). So, what did Saul do? He went to the witch of Endor to summon up “Samuel” to enquire of him. What really took place in this story is what we would call today a séance. Remember, the only way that Samuel could have been raised from the dead would be by the power of God, and God was not in this transaction. God does not work in contradiction to His own laws and principles. Saul was having a supernatural experience with demons. How do we know that God was not in this transaction? Turn to 1 Chronicles 10:31 where it says, “Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it.”

Where are the dead?

To those of you who are agonizing over your deceased loved ones and wondering where they are right now. The Bible gives sufficient answers to your questions – if you will believe. Jesus says in John 5:28,29 that the time is coming when all that is in their graves will hear His voice. They will come out, both the righteous and the wicked in their due time, either at the resurrection of the righteous or at the resurrection of the wicked. See also 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

In Acts 2, Paul speaks about the patriarch David. You know, the man described as being “after God’s own heart.” He says of David in verse 29 that he is “both dead and buried.” In case you are saying, so what? This is only talking about his body, we read further down in verse 34 where it says, “David is not ascended into the heavens.” This is amazing because as blessed as King David was, the Bible clearly states that he is not in heaven. Now if David is not in heaven as we speak, what makes you think your deceased loved ones are there? The Bible is clear. The dead are resting in their graves until either the first or second resurrections. We have great things to look forward to.

For further study:

Job 14:10-14, Job 27:3, Psalm 6:5, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Isaiah 38:18,James 2:26

Who Will Welcome Him?

The Fall & the Plan After man’s fall, God revealed His great plan of redemption when he said to the serpent, “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 (Gen. 3:15-KJV).” This tightly woven passage of scripture is loaded with the theme of the Great Controversy between good and evil; between Christ and Satan. Within these few simple words the condescension of the Son of God, wrapped in humanity is revealed. God would send His son, born of a virgin to live a life of loving service and humiliation and ultimately offer up Himself as our atoning sacrifice, by dying a cruel death on an old rugged cross. This would be the bruise to the heel. But in dying on that cross, Satan’s kingdom would be defeated. It would be his death knell, for Jesus would have won the decisive battle which would seal Satan’s fate in the cosmic war against Good and Evil. Satan will ultimately be destroyed in the lake of fire, which is represented by the “bruised” or “crushed” head. Isaiah 53:5,7-KJV – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” Isaiah 9:6 says, “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.” Selective Understanding The Jewish leaders read the prophecies with selective understanding, picking and choosing the parts that sounded more pleasant and appealing to their perceptions of the anticipated Messiah, while dismissing all texts that dealt with His suffering and death. Hence there was a gross misunderstanding and resentment of Jesus, his message and His mission. Spiritual Darkness The Jews had become so proud of their heritage as being God’s chosen people that they hoarded the truth to themselves. Instead of being God’s ambassadors to the fallen world, they became the agents of Satan Himself. In the New Testament, Jesus had some choice words for the Jewish leaders:

“Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them (Luke 11:47).”
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness (Matt. 23:27).”

The Bible says, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not (Isaiah 53:2 KJV).” Jesus is born When Mary and Joseph entered the City of David, the Bible says “there was no room in the inn (Luke 2:7).” The only available shelter for the King of Kings was a lowly stable where the dumb animals were kept. This was the night that prophets of old had foretold.

There were no parades
No marching bands
No priests or rulers to welcome the redeemer

The Shepherds For the unsuspecting, this was just another night. But God would not allow this night to go unnoticed. This was indeed a Passover, for the angels of Heaven Passed over the “elite” of the nation and proclaimed the savior’s birth to a band of simple shepherds on the hillside. And how glad they were to receive it; for the Bible says in Luke 2:15,16 that they said to one another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” Wise Men from the East Matt. 2:1,2, says, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Note:

It is tradition that mentions there were three wise men. Scripture does not support this. There were, however, three gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matt. 2:11).
Tradition also gives them the names “Gaspar, Balthasar and Melchior”. This too is unfounded. No names are given in scripture.
The idea that they were kings is derived from Isaiah 60:3 & Rev. 21:24. This too is unfounded.

When they saw the mysterious star, they set out, with their gifts to welcome the King of Kings. But not after they had verified with the sacred scriptures they had been studying.How strange to find a people who had, for centuries, longed for a Savior, a Redeemer; a people who had been blessed with the sacred scriptures and writings of scribes and prophets and yet were so ignorant, so careless on such an important night as this; the night in which the Desire of the Ages, would finally come. The Dedication of Jesus Forty days after the birth of Jesus, according to Jewish custom, Joseph and Mary took Him to the temple in Jerusalem to present Him to God and to offer their sacrifice. So poor were they, that the one of the simplest options of sacrifice was chosen. Not a lamb, but two turtledoves, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering (Luke 2:23,24; Lev. 5:7,11). They were dressed in simple clothes and the officiating priest, casually and indifferently took the child, unaware that he was holding in his arms the Majesty of Heaven and the King of Glory. This was the One who spoke the world in existence; the one who parted the Red Sea; The Great I AM and the Saviour of the world. Upon entering the city of Bethlehem, they expected to see the people electrified and joyous over the greatest event that the earth has ever seen; for this was the moment that had been faithfully retold for thousands of years. But to their amazement, their inquiries were met with indifference and even contempt. These were upright men of integrity and wisdom. They studied the Hebrew Scriptures including the Messianic prophecies found in the Old Testament. There was the words of the prophet Balaam who wrote, “There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17). No doubt, they must have also studied, and understood, the time prophecies of Daniel 9:25,26. But God would not allow this event to pass without proper recognition. Luke 2:25-32 says, “²⁵And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. ²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, ²⁸Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ²⁹Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: ³⁰For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, ³¹Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; ³²A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” Anna also, an aged prophetess, who also waited and longed for the coming Messiah, entered the temple “and gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem (Luke 2:38).” What About Us Today?

What about us today, who have been given such a wealth of knowledge and precious truth for this time? On the verge of the most climactic event the world has ever seen; the second coming of Jesus.
Are we any better than that unfaithful nation?
Are we hoarding the truths to ourselves? Or are we sharing them with our neighbors and friends?
Are we guilty of the same “Selective reading” of the Word of God; picking out the parts that best suits us and discarding the areas that trouble our conscience?
When Jesus comes again, who will greet Him? Will you?
Are you ready for Jesus to come?Isaiah 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
I’m so glad the story has already been written. The battle has already been won. God wins, Satan loses. And if we are faithful to the end, we will receive a crown of life.

Isaiah 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

“Secret” Rapture – Unveiled

The subject of the Secret Rapture has taken the evangelical world by storm; even more so after the block buster series, “Left Behind” a series of 13 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, first published 1995–2007. The series has morphed into three action thriller films with a reboot released in 2014, starring Nicolas Cage. The original series of films are Left Behind: The Movie (2000), Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002), and Left Behind: World at War (2005). Box office Mojo has released that as of November 18, 2014, Left Behind has grossed a whopping $13,835,530. The message of the Secret Rapture is based on Matt. 24:40-42 & Luke 17:34-36 where Jesus is describing to His disciples, the nature of His coming. We’ll take a look at the Matthew account, seeing that it is perhaps the most popular version. In Matt. 24:40-42 we read, “Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming (RSV).” At the surface, this passage may seem to support the doctrine of a Secret Rapture of God’s church near the close of the ages, but is that really what the text is saying? Is Jesus coming back secretly to rapture away His church? Context Let’s look at another well-used text, 2 Peter 3:10 which starts off by saying, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief (RSV)”. What will come like a thief, the Lord or the day of the Lord? The scripture is clear. It says, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief”. Do you understand the significance? Does “came as a thief” mean that it will come and go unnoticed or that it will come unexpectedly? Your understanding would be the latter, because with all the fierce winds, torrential rain and destruction, you wouldn’t miss it. Let’s continue reading, “and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up (RSV).” So although the day will come as a thief, unexpectedly, the events of the day will not go unnoticed. The Lord will come in a manner that all will see. In fact, Revelations 1:7 says, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (RSV). The 2 Peter 3:10 account does not sound like a secret rendezvous to me. How about you? In fact, it sounds like a terribly noisy event. I would guess that Jesus’ Second Coming will probably be the noisiest event this world will ever see. A Shout! Another passage of scripture that highlights the second coming of Jesus is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (Please take a moment to read this passage). Vs. 16 says that Jesus is going to “descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Did you get that? The Second Coming will be so loud that even the dead will hear it. If the dead will hear it, then it must be a very noisy event, wouldn’t you agree? This is no secret, my friends! But it does not end there. Vs. 17 says that all those “which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” So all of God’s faithful, whether dead or alive, will one day be caught up into the clouds to be with Jesus. The verses must be read in their proper context in order for us to have a clear understanding of what is being said. 1 Thess. 5:2-4 says, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (ESV).” Here it is clear that the word “thief” is describing the unexpected manner of Christ’s return. However, It is not saying that He will come and go in a secret manner, hence the words, “sudden destruction.” There are so many other verses which describe the manner in which Jesus will come again.

“Our God comes and does not keep silence; a fire devours before Him, and round about Him a mighty tempest rages (AMP).” Psalms 50:3
“Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it (KJV).” Isaiah 13:9
“Behold, the Lord comes with His myriads of holy ones (ten thousands of His saints) (AMP).” Jude 1:14

“Rapture” Not In the Bible The word “rapture” does not appear anywhere in the Bible. It means, “The act of transporting a person from one sphere of existence to another, esp. from earth to heaven.” Do I believe in the rapture? Of course I do. The Bible clearly supports it (in principle). Do I believe in the Secret Rapture? Absolutely not! There is no supporting scripture for it. The only thing “secret” about His coming is the time (Matt. 24:36). The Danger The Secret Rapture not only teaches that Jesus will come in secret to gather His church, but that there is a second chance; a seven year tribulation period. So if Jesus comes and you are not ready…no worries, you have another kick at the can. This is dangerous! There are thousands, perhaps millions, who adhere to this concept. The Bible is abundantly clear as to the manner or nature of Jesus’ second coming. “Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your heart (Hebrews 4:7-AMP).” The second chance is now. Don’t wait, for tomorrow is not promised. Further Study: Matthew 16:27;24:42;44;25:31-46, Mark 14:62; Acts 1:9-11, 1 John 3:2; Revelation 6:14-17;19:11-16;22:12

Wicked Manasseh

Have you ever done something so bad, that you felt as though God could not forgive you? You felt weighed down in guilt and remorse? Perhaps you are currently in this condition; if so, I want you to know that God has not abandoned you. In fact, He specializes in forgiveness and reconciliation. If ever you are caught in this maze of guilt, just remember the story of wicked king Manasseh. Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh was only 12 years old when he became king. The Bible says that he reigned fifty five years (697-642BC) in Jerusalem (see 2 Chron. 33:1). He was an exceedingly wicked king who re-established the high places and erected an altar to the worship of Baal; made a cult object to Asherah; worshiped many other gods in the temple courts and even went as far as to sacrifice his own sons by fire in the valley of Hinnom (vs. 6). Manasseh consulted sign readers, fortune-tellers, and sorcerers, and used mediums and diviners. He was so successful in his campaign for evil that the Bible says, “he seduced them (Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem) to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the Children of Israel” (vs. 9). The Lord Himself declared concerning Manasseh, that he had shed very much innocent blood, “till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another” (2 Kings 21:16). “And the Lord spoke to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken (vs. 10).” Manasseh’s refusal to repent of his sins brought upon him and his people the wrath and judgment of God. 2 Chronicles 33:11 says that the captain of the host of the king of Assyria placed Manasseh in chains and fetters and carried him off to Babylon as their prisoner. Now, after reading his story, so far, our human tendency would be to say, “Serves him right! I hope he gets what he deserves!” But the Bible says that while Manasseh was in affliction, “he besought (urgently implored) the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him (vss. 12 & 13).” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 2 Peter 3:9 says the Lord “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Did God hear the prayers of that wicked king? After he committed such atrocities and abominations? You bet He did! 2 Chronicles 33:13 says, “He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.” Wow! How could God forgive such wickedness? How could he reinstate such a wicked king after such flagrant violations of His laws? But the Bible says that God forgave him. So what about you? Are you feeling guilty for sins you have committed that you think are too great for God to pardon? Have you done something so terribly wrong and so disgusting that you feel not even God can forgive you? Remember Manasseh. Remember how far he fell into sin. Remember that while in the dungeons of despair, he cried out to the Lord and the Lord heard and forgave him. Not only forgave him, but reinstated him to his throne. Remember, it is Satan’s prime objective to hurl accusations against you; to keep you wallowing in your sins so that you never go to the Lord for forgiveness and ultimately become lost in your sins. He is called “the accuser of our brethren (Rev. 12:10).” Let us be doubly reminded that God is mighty to save. That is what He came to do (John 3:16). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7 Are you feeling so guilty, that you think God has forsaken you? Why don’t you go to Him right now? He is waiting. Further Study: Ezekiel 18, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 85:2; 86:5; 103:2-4; Jeremiah 33:8; Daniel 9:9; Micah 7:18; Matthew 6:13-15; 18:21,22; Luke 23:33-35; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 1:13,14; James 5:15,16; 1 John 1:9

Wine of Communion

Have you ever been to a communion service where the priest served wine? I mean real, fermented wine. Priests are often drunk by the end of the service due to the amount of alcohol they have consumed from serving at the “Lord’s Supper.” Does this match up with scripture? Should the communion wine, representing the blood of Christ be fermented? Does it even matter? Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say. Manna In The Wilderness When Moses led the children of Israel into the desert, they began to complain about the scarcity of food. So God sent manna to feed them (The story is found in Exodus 16). They were given manna six days of the week. Each day they were to gather enough for that day only (See Exodus 16:4). They were not to gather for the following day or else it would spoil (see Exodus 16:19,20). Many listened, but some were disobedient and hoarded for the next day. What was the result? The manna spoiled “and it bred worms, and stank” (vs. 20). A funny thing happened on the sixth day, however. They were told to gather twice as much so that there would be enough for the Sabbath (vs. 5). Unlike the other days, the Friday manna that was kept overnight until Sabbath would not spoil, but would remain fresh and perfectly preserved (vss. 22-24). This was a marvelous reintroduction of the Sabbath to a people who were held so long under oppression and cruelty that they had lost sight of the blessings of the Sabbath rest. It was a wonderful lesson that God was trying to teach His people. But there was another important lesson that many have often overlooked. Jesus’ Take on Manna Let’s fast-forward to the New Testament. We find in John chapter 6, the story of Jesus feeding the multitude with five barley loaves and two fishes (vs. 9). After this Jesus crosses over the sea and comes to the city of Capernaum, with His disciples. Many of the people followed him there and asked of Him, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” (vs. 28). Let’s pick up the story as found in vss. 29-33. ²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. ³⁰They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? ³¹Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. ³²Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Did you catch that? In a nutshell, Jesus said that the manna which came down from Heaven was a representation of the “True bread from heaven.” The manna represented the body of Jesus. Spoilage and Sin So why was it so important that the manna not be allowed to spoil? Because it represented the body of Christ. This was vitally important because Jesus was to be without spot or blemish (see 1 Peter 1:19). He lived a sinless life in order that we might be redeemed from our sins. If Jesus was to have even one trace of sin in Him, His mission would have been in vain. Any form of decomposition or spoilage symbolized sin and thus could not be found in those symbols of His body. We see this same lesson played out in the Passover story, as found in Exodus chapter 12. On the night of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage, they were instructed to eat a lamb roasted with fire (along with bitter herbs), and unleavened bread (vss. 5-8). In this story, both the lamb and the unleavened bread symbolized the body of Christ. Note that the lamb was to be roasted whole, without any bones broken (vs. 46). This was a direct foreshadowing of the body of Jesus, whose bones were not broken (see John 19:33,34). Also the lamb must be “without blemish” (vs. 5), which symbolized sin. The unleavened bread, symbolized the body of Christ. Leaven symbolized sin. See also Exodus 12:15 where the people are instructed to rid their houses of all leaven for a seven day period of cleansing preparatory to their deliverance from Egypt (vss. 15-17). Jesus Is Without Spot or Blemish So we know that the lamb representing Christ was to be without blemish; blemish representing sin. We know that the bread representing His body was to be without leaven; leaven representing sin. So would it not make perfect sense that the wine; representing Christ’s blood be free from fermentation? Jesus Himself said of the wine, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matt. 26:28 For further study: Proverbs 20:1, Judges 13:14, Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-32; Isaiah 5:11, 22; Ezekiel 44:21; Daniel 1:8; 5:1-4; Luke 1:15, Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 5:8

Praise in your Days!

Praise is mentioned over 290 times in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Praise can be misunderstood, It is giving thanks specifically and should be done in the appropriate time and place. “How much You, Oh God, have done for me from day to day up until this very moment. Lord, You have all power to influence my life.” http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/amazing-facts/video-player/more-praise-in-your-days-302835.html

Signs and Wonders

John 4:48, Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” Today in our world, would we have the faith we have if we did not have the signs and wonders that we see with increasing frequency. Imagine a time without extreme weather. It was not that long ago. A time before the pope declared that God is not divine nor does he waive a magic wand, supporting the theory of evolution as fact. We look at these things and realize that time is drawing to a close. Signs and wonders. We see these things and believe. But what if these things were not happening in such frequency? Would we have the faith we have?

For Real?

“…I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” They say the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing people he doesn’t exist. But this is not new. We see the battle between good and evil demonstrated in popular entertainment. Could this story about the cosmic battle between Satan and God be just that, an epic story? The following is taken from http://www.everystudent.com/wires/devil.html In cartoons and comics, the devil appears as a cute, benign tempter, pushing you to do something that’s fun or a little bit wrong. In reality however, Satan is anything but cute. Who is the devil? He is not God’s counterpart, because God has no equal, no opposite. God has always existed, and everything else that exists now, including angels, were created by God. The devil (sometimes referred to as Satan or Lucifer) is an angel who rebelled against God. He is the enemy not only of God, but also of humankind, relentless in his mission: to kill, destroy, or enslave us. We’re warned, “…be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The devil’s power is laughable compared to the power of God. Yet, he is a real threat to humans, and has the capacity to ruin a person’s life. Satan has one primary tactic: to deceive us. He seeks to deceive entire nations, the world, and individuals. He twists and distorts what is true, and there is power in his lies. Dr. Neil Anderson made an astute observation. He said the Bible describes Satan in three ways: – The tempter – The accuser – The father of lies Dr. Anderson noted, “If I were to tempt you, you would know it. If I were to accuse you, you would know it. But if I were to deceive you, you wouldn’t know it. The power of Satan is in the lie. If you remove the lie you remove the power.” In what ways does the devil lie? Here are just a few examples. God created Adam and Eve with free will to choose and make decisions, just like humans can today. The Garden of Eden contained perhaps hundreds of fruit-bearing trees. The only instruction God gave to Adam and Eve was to not eat from one particular tree. It was a straightforward instruction to follow. Just don’t eat from that one tree or you will die. Simple enough. Yet Satan persuaded Eve, “You will not surely die.” That’s the initial lie. Now he lies further, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan deceived Eve, convincing her that God was withholding something wonderful from them, that this fruit would make them like God. And wouldn’t that be a good thing? The problem was, it wasn’t true. Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie, rather than what God told them, leading to horrible consequences. That’s exactly how the devil operates. He distorts the truth in order to harm the person. How the Devil Accuses God Satan’s greatest desire is to keep people far away from God. He will seek to either cause you to deny God’s existence or to slander, lie about God’s character. Here’s an example. God repeatedly affirms his love for us. “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” “…not that we loved God, but that he loved us…” “See what kind of love the Father has given to us…” “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” But what does Satan say? “God doesn’t love you. Look at all the problems you have. If God loved you, you wouldn’t have these problems.” Sounds convincing. Yet all people face problems. It’s part of life. What Satan neglects to tell you is that if you have a relationship with God and depend on him, God can lead you through those problems. You do not need to shoulder or solve them on your own. God can give you wisdom and real strength in the midst of those problems. Not only that, but he says while we face difficulties, “…my peace I give to you…”7 Why? Because the person knows that God can be trusted. Without God, a person is described as “without hope in this world.” That is not God’s desire for anyone. How the Devil Accuses You Not only does Satan try to deceive you about God’s goodness, but Satan also slanders you to God. Satan did this with a man named Job. Satan said if Job suffered, then Job would curse God to his face, which Job never did. Satan seeks to undermine you and condemn you before God. But not only that. Satan turns his slander and condemnation toward you. He convinces you, “God wouldn’t want you. You could never be holy enough. Look at all the junk in your life, all the ways you’ve failed, the things you do, the addictions you have. God would never accept you or want you. You’d never make it.” Again, all lies. God is very clear that none of us need to become “good” in order to be accepted by God, nor to become sinless in order to maintain that relationship with God. Jesus said of Satan, “He was a murderer from the beginning…there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” The contrast between the devil and God is stunning. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus says of those who believe in him, “If you abide in my word…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Instead of being deceived by Satan, there is an opportunity to know what God says is true about himself, about your life, about relationships. While Satan would like you to be enslaved by his deception, God wants you to know what’s true, to be free and experience real life. In addition to being a liar and an accuser, Satan, through his lies, tempts people toward slavery and addictions. “Oh go ahead. One more won’t hurt you. No one will find out. You’re not really hurting anyone. And you’ll feel so much better.” How to Deal with Satan If you decide to begin a relationship with God, you will still be tempted by Satan. You still have free will, making whatever decision you’d like to make. However, in many situations you would also know what’s true and be less likely to give in to Satan’s lies, less likely to feel helpless, confused or fearful. Further, God offers his help. We’re told, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Who is Satan? A tempter, slanderer, and liar. His intent is to keep people isolated from God, so they will listen only to Satan, joining in his rebellion and experiencing destruction. Nothing he says about God or your life is true. God desires a relationship with you and for you to experience his love. He created you not to live in darkness, confusion, but to know what’s true. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

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