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Faith building Holy Ghost inspired Sermons - by Dwaine Anderson (Shepherd of H.G.S.R.) God's Not Dead... He's Still ALIVE!!!! Welcome to the Holy Ghost Speak Revivals' Sermons' Page
Are You Committing Scriptural Suicide?
The Bible says, there are some things in the scriptures that are
hard to be understood which the unlearned and unstable wrest unto
their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16. Knowing this shouldn’t you
ask GOD if what you believe and are doing is correct? One day GOD
will require an answer of you. Matthew 7:21-23.
If He ever saved, He still has to save.
If He ever did miracles, why all of the sudden did the GOD that
says He is always the same stop? Has anyone bothered to ask GOD if
He stopped? Or if He has changed? Is it even necessary when the
word says He does not change? Yet why do so many believe and say
that GOD still saves, but He no longer heals or do miracles,
prophesy, or you name it. Why? Because they being rebellious and
stiff-necked have found one scripture out of sixty-six books which
they have twisted unto their own destruction. Jeremiah 17:23. They
have committed scriptural suicide!
Yes, the blood has not lost all of its power. If Jesus healed
yesterday, rest assure that he can heal today. If Jesus
performed miracles yesterday, he can still perform them today.
He can still prophesy, give a tongue or its interpretation, heal
and do wonders. The reason why you don’t see it is because
you don’t believe!
You have limited GOD to the point where He is unprofitable to you.
Mark 6:5-6; Luke 18:8. It takes faith to please GOD. Hebrews 11:6.
Anything that is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23. If this is
important to you then ask GOD to forgive you of your scriptural
ignorance and rebellion, and to turn this thing around for your
good. James 5:19-20.
If you have any questions, or simply need prayer, or deliverance contact
us.
May GOD bless you, mightily! Be Ye DOERS of GOD's WORD! Some mostly read the word of GOD, others only study it. But he that DO and KEEP the word of GOD is blessed of the Lord. For this is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. In order to receive this blessing we have to DO something. For it is not written in the epistle of James for nothing that, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." [James 2:14-17] You see
beloved, GOD wants us to live and walk in His commandments. We
are to be DOERS and not just hearers of the WORD. For Jesus
said, "And why call
ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Also in the days that Ezekiel prophesied, there were those who were hearers of the word only, and not doers of the word! "Also, thou
son of man, the children of thy people still are talking
against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and
speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come,
I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from
the LORD. James is forthcoming and tells of the state of the forgetful hearer. "But be
ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own
selves. Wisdom is known of her children, beloved. Given so great a witness to the workings of the word of GOD. Shouldn't we give ourselves wholly to GOD and His wonderful word of truth? Let us no longer serve sin and the flesh unto our own destruction, but let us be DOERS of GOD's Word, passing our time in the flesh in total subjection to Him that bought us and gave himself for us. I pray that these words sink down into your ears. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Praise ye the LORD. -Dwaine Anderson (Shepherd of Holy Ghost Speak Revivals, inc.)
Revival begins in the soul and you carry it with you always. It is that newness that only GOD’s Spirit can bring. It is like the freshness of the morning dew upon the dry places of the earth. It restores that which was lost and causes the dead and decaying to revive with life again. The outpouring of GOD’s Spirit causes the desert to blossom into a fruitful place. Wherein there was death and all hope was lost, the seeds of faith are planted unto a fruitful field. Oh, what a marvelous time, when GOD’s Spirit is poured out upon us from on high.
Revival brings strength, restoration, newness and a new source of power. Why not search your heart and ask GOD for revival in your life and church.
Shopping for a Religion: Most people shop for a religion. You say what do I mean by that? That is, they look for a religion that fits their own lifestyle and belief system. They let their conscience be their guide. If it makes them feel good and comfortable they buy it. Friend, your religion should be based solely upon the Word of GOD and not the dictates of your own conscience. Read Heb. 9:14 and 10:22; Jer. 17:9-10. It amazes me how many people want to serve God on their own terms and not according to God's terms. The majority of people today believe that if their religion makes them feel good then GOD is pleased. My brothers and sisters, be no longer deceived. GOD is not pleased with your carnal mind. What I say has nothing to do with who's right or who's wrong. But it has all to do with rather or not you are saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. GOD says, your religion should not be a matter of personal choice. He is the creator and has a specific way He wants to be worshipped. Though it is your individual right to choose either life or death, heaven or hell, or to serve GOD or satan -- The Word of GOD remains clear: we have to obey His commandments in order to enter in. But this must start with a repentant heart. A heart that truthfully seeks to serve and worship GOD will wholly follow His commandments. An individual's preference and opinions must take a back seat to what GOD has commanded in His Word. In the beginning our fore-parents, Adam and Eve, tried to serve GOD according to the dictates of their own conscience, according to the vileness of their flesh. Immediately after satan first deceived Eve, and then her husband, the carnal nature took hold of man. He began to serve the gods of his own imagination; taking hold of idols, carved with the hands of men, which could never see, hear nor speak. This disobedience introduced SIN into the world. And where there is sin, death is sure to follow. Only the blood of Christ can atone for these crimes against GOD. A TRUE worshipper of GOD is first humbled and then shamed by these abominable acts, praying to GOD for mercy. Have this truth in you -- that GOD is a Spirit, and those that worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! For the Father is pleased with such a worship as this! Give glory to GOD and not another then ye shall LIVE. He who KEEPS the Word of GOD is blessed of the Lord. In the former days the Jews built for themselves high places for worship. But GOD had commanded that He be worshipped only in Jerusalem. The Jews were practicing their own form of Religion, and not what GOD had commanded through the prophets. Again, in the days of Elijah, when the worshippers of Baal leaped upon their altar, and cut themselves until the blood gushed out; the fervency of their religion could not save them from the wrath of the TRUE and LIVING GOD. This form of worship was empty and fruitless. But thank GOD that in the days of Elisha there was one who changed his form of worship from idols to the TRUE and LIVING GOD. That man was Naaman the Syrian, a stranger to the covenant and promises of GOD. (You can read the entire story in the fifth chapter of II Kings). After the LORD GOD of Israel healed Naaman of his leprosy, he vowed to serve no other god but the TRUE and LIVING GOD. Only this GOD can save, heal and deliver! For He is a miracle working GOD! Oh, that you would experience that which Naaman experienced! He is still a GOD that is near! Call upon His name today and be saved! If you want to get to know this miracle working GOD then say, Father GOD, LORD of all heaven and earth. I have sinned and separated myself from your love and kingdom, but O' GOD I repent of my sins. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD and died on the cross of Calvary for my sins, was raised from the dead so that I might have eternal life and be an over-comer over sin, sickness, and the devil. O Father send now the gift of your Holy Spirit so that I may lead a life that is pleasing to you for the rest of my days. Amen. That's it! If you confessed the above out loud and really believed it in your heart then you are saved and accepted of GOD. You have found THE TRUTH! The highway of holiness, the true path to salvation and righteousness. Now live holy for GOD! For he said, be ye holy, for I am holy. GOD's call to us is: "Come out of her my people and be ye separate." If you truly seek Him He will be found. I pray that you have turned from these worthless idols, which do not profit, unto the TRUE and LIVING GOD. Write or call me today and let me know that you have made the right decision for GOD and Christ. May GOD bless you mightily. Dwaine Anderson is the Shepherd of Holy Ghost Speak Revivals, Inc.
Sanctification and Holiness: Text: Exodus 19:14-15 "And Moses
went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the
people; and they washed their clothes. God's vision for the Church TODAY is the same as it was yesterday. It has never changed! Holiness and Sanctification are two missing ingredients in today's Churches. Today they have been substituted for ceremony and ritual. In the body of Christ each person must work out their own sanctification. In the above example, the Israelites presented themselves before GOD. They had to come READY! GOD Himself required that they be sanctified. In order for the congregation in the wilderness to be holy, they had to be sanctified first. Sanctification precedes holiness. Sanctification is being set apart unto the LORD. However, only the LORD can make you holy. Holiness comes from the LORD, not man. Holiness and sanctification go together, like a brother and a sister, a mother and a father, a husband and wife. You can't have the one without the other. Santification is not the way one dresses, sings or worship. But sanctification is a READY heart, soul, body, mind and spirit prepared to meet GOD, as the Israelites did in Exodus chapter 19. That we are
to be holy and sanctified in our bodies is evident from the
scriptures. "For this is
the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should
abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know
how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour."
[I Thessalonians 4:3-4]. And again,
"Ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." [1
Corinthians 6:11]. GOD bless you. -Dwaine Anderson -- (Shepherd of Holy Ghost Speak Revivals, inc.)
Our Faith Will Move GOD: Text: Mark 11:23-24 Our faith will move GOD! “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). Know not that what and how we think determines how GOD will move in our lives? Your faith can cause GOD to move in a positive direction for you while your lack of faith can cause GOD not to move at all in your life. A positive heart and mind reinforces our faith. However, fear and doubt will always defeat your faith. “For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6). To go from faith to fear, and doubt to faith, and fear and doubt again is an unfruitful exercise. “For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord” (James 1:7). “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). When Elijah prayed earnestly that it might not rain, he was not filled with the spirit of fear and doubt. Instead he had confidence that GOD would answer his prayer. You see his prayer was mixed with faith -- not fear and doubt! GOD will always honor faith: for “without faith it is impossible to please GOD” (Hebrews 11:6). In order for your faith to move GOD you must not doubt in your heart that GOD can bring a thing to pass. We must cast aside all fear and doubt, looking to Him who alone is able and willing to help us in our time of need. Repent for your unbelief and take all limits off of GOD today. Say, “Father I repent of my unbelief and lack of trust in your heavenly promises. I believe you alone are able to take care of me in every situation. I trust you and give my life to you in the name of Jesus!” Amen. If you prayed this prayer from the heart I would like to help you begin your new walk of faith with GOD in Christ Jesus. Write me today so I can personally show you how to live a victorious life of faith in Christ Jesus, and how to get the answers from GOD. God bless you. Holy Ghost Speak revivals is about : One-On-One Pastoring, Prophecies, Faith, Signs, Miracles, Wonders, Healings, Answers from GOD
Fasting By The Spirit: Text: Matthew 6:16-18 Fasting by the Spirit: The Holy Ghost prompted me to write this brief sermon concerning, fasting; the power of fasting; correct and incorrect fasting. Here are some points about fasting: 1) Fasting allows us to get closer to GOD! 2) Fasting allows us to get the answer from GOD! 3) Fasting allows us to do the works of GOD! Recognize that there can be no fasting without prayer. In fact, we dedicate our fast with prayer. When we fast it should be done in the Spirit. Fasting outside of the Spirit is no fast at all. This type of incorrect fast is merely diet or starvation. This kind of fast makes you even more aware and conscious of your flesh and its ungodly desires. Now satan can really come in and wreck havoc because you have given him an entrance through the flesh to tempt you. Fasting and prayer together allows us to breakthrough into the heavenly places, where GOD is. Here we receive the answers to our questions and GOD can perform some miracle on our behalf. This type of fasting should always be done in secret, and not before men. Matthew 6:17-18. Jesus tells us that if we obey him and fast in secret GOD will reward us openly (KJV). [Note: this important spiritual truth has been removed from modern bibles or is simply relegated to a footnote]. This is why it is so important to fast GOD’s way, and not your own way. Because you can lose your reward! Now a correct fast allows us to do the works of GOD. This can be seen in Isaiah 58:3-12 and Matthew 17:21. This type of fast which the LORD has chosen will accomplish several things for us. According to Isaiah chapter 58, it will allow us to LOOSE the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed GO FREE, and BREAK every yoke. There is POWER in this type of fast! We can expect results from such a fast. This type of fast will bring deliverance. Be ye led and commanded of the Spirit as to when and how to fast. It does no good to call a fast and not get the results that you desire. Imagined if we all fasted the way GOD wanted us to, we could loose and destroy every yoke and bondage that holds us back. GOD will release His miracle working power and perform a miracle for you. Why are we so slow to grasp this powerful truth in GOD’s word? I’ll tell you why: It is all REBELLION! If GOD commands a thing to be done a certain way, who are we to say and do otherwise? Imagine all the power of GOD at your disposal to break every yoke and bondage! Prepare your hearts today for a miracle from GOD. If this sermon has blessed you, or you are in need of prayer, or have any questions, please write me today. Thank you and may GOD richly bless you. - D.A.
Repentance In The Latter Times: Text: 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 and Revelations 18:4-5 Dear friend, The earth is full of the glory of the LORD. Just look around. The evidence of the CREATOR is all about you! Every person manifests the glory of the LORD. For we are made in the image of GOD, though our days be evil and short. Now GOD has commanded that people everywhere REPENT and BELIEVE on GOD’s SON, the Lord Jesus Christ, before it's too late. Do not ignore this call! GOD’s wrath is about to be unleashed on the sinful and unrepentant everywhere, unless they REPENT. When the Lord returns you will look up and behold the skies: blood red and on fire, parting like a garment. At that time it will be too late for repentance. For it is a time of the Lord's wrath! So repent now unless you all perish. These are evil times and they require a just recompense of reward. GOD is not slack concerning His promises. It is His will that all repent and come to the knowledge of the truth. You can only find the truth in the Father and the Son. There are no shortcuts to heaven and there is no other way to the Father except the way He has provided and sanctified. Repent you sinners and believe on the Son of GOD and you shall be saved. Let the Lord wash you clean through and through. Let his healing touch come upon your worn and tired bodies. Let him wash you with the eternal word of life. O' sinner fall down on your knees and say, GOD forgive me for every sin I have committed against you. I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ died for all of my sins and was raised from the dead so that I might have eternal life. Father, pour out your Holy Spirit on me now so that I might live a life pleasing to you. Amen. If you prayed this prayer and really believed it in your heart then you are saved, washed, sanctified and accepted of GOD. Now begin to thank GOD for His love and mercy on you. I would like to help you begin your new and abundant life with GOD. Write me today so I can personally show you how to live a victorious life in Christ Jesus. I will show you how to read GOD’s word, the Holy Bible, in the Spirit, so that you are spiritually nourished. I will also show you how to get the answer from GOD. So write me today. God bless you.
Are Your Treasures Upon the Earth? Text: Matthew 6:19-34 Are your treasures upon the earth? Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19 to “lay NOT up for yourselves treasures UPON THE EARTH.” Why? because these earthly treasures are temporary and do not last or endure. Jesus said, that they are susceptible to moth and rust and can corrupt. Also thieves can break through and steal them. Our treasures can neither be safe nor secure, no matter how hard we try to shield or protect them. What are considered our earthly treasures? These are our earthly possessions or things. They can be monetary gain or the hoarding of things to ourselves. They can also consist of a promotion, a new car or house, money in the bank, stock options and investments, the latest fashions such as a fur coat, a new dress, jeans, a leather jacket or the latest sneaker. Beloved, these are things that are open to thieves and can be taken away from us. Our clothes are susceptible to moths and our things to rust. Does GOD want me to be poor and not have things? Beloved, NO! GOD wants you to have the desires of your heart, except they must be according to His will (Read Psalms 37:4 and 1 John 5:14). David said in Psalms 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the RIGHTEOUS forsaken, nor his SEED begging bread.” Yes, GOD wants not only to bless you, but your generations to follow, too. Our possessions must be just that -- possessions! Our things must not POSSESS us to the point that we start to COVET them and put things or people before GOD. This is IDOLATRY! It is the KISS OF DEATH and will sentence us to an ETERNAL HELL FIRE! Jesus further warns us in Luke 12:15 to “take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s LIFE consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Instead, he says we should “lay up for yourselves treasures in HEAVEN, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves DO NOT break through nor steal.” (Matthew 6:20). What are heavenly treasures? Heavenly treasures are LOVE, MEEKNESS, KINDNESS TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, GIVING TO THE POOR, OBEYING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS, and the such. These are recorded in heaven for all eternity. Also they are not susceptible to moth or rust, neither can thieves break through and steal them. For the scripture says “While we LOOK NOT at the things which are seen, but at the things WHICH ARE NOT SEEN: for the things WHICH ARE SEEN are TEMPORAL; but the things WHICH ARE NOT SEEN are ETERNAL.” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Beloved, our heavenly treasures, though not physically seen, are eternal in the heavens. So much of today’s gospel message promises us material wealth and material gain. But Jesus tells us that “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot SERVE GOD and mammon.” (Read Matthew 6:24). Now mammon is your material wealth, gain or possessions. We cannot claim to love and serve GOD if we love and serve money or our possessions. The Bible tells us that “the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil: which while some COVETED after, they have ERRED FROM THE FAITH, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (Read 1 Timothy 6:10). Conversely, if we love and serve GOD, “the BLESSING of the LORD, it maketh RICH, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Read Proverbs 10:22). Jesus further instructs us to “take no thought for our life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.” “For after all these things do the Gentiles (that is, the children of this world) seek; for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of GOD and his righteousness; and ALL these things shall be added unto you.” (Read Matthew 6:25,32,33). Beloved, GOD is not blind to the fact that you have need of the bare necessities in order to live. What must I do? You must REPENT OF YOUR SINS and call on the NAME OF THE LORD JESUS! Say, “heavenly Father forgive me of my trespasses and sins against you and your most holy name. I repent and will no longer serve, sin, satan, money, wealth or material gain again. Give me a new heart that will LOVE and SERVE only you all the days of my life. I accept Jesus as my only Lord and Saviour. I believe that he died for me and rose on the third day. Baptize me with your Holy Spirit and show me the way to live a life pleasing before you.” Amen. That is it! If you truly BELIEVED what you said, GOD will come in and help you live for him. If you have any questions about the Bible or what you have read, please write me today. -D.A.
When Satan Attacks!
How Does The Spirit Of GOD Really Speak To Us? It is written that “GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2)". It is by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ that GOD speaks to us now. He speaks from within you! Though he speaks from within, he has his own voice. Often people confuse this voice with their own inner voice. This has caused all manner of lies and confusion in the churches today. Below are some samples as to how the Spirit of God speaks to us! Please prayerfully read and study them. Concerning the prophetic word we read: “The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue (II Samuel 23:2)” Now listen to what Ezekiel 3:24 says, “Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.” Ezekiel 11:5 reads: “And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.” Concerning divine inspiration: “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you (Matthew 10:20).” John 14:16-17 says: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” Also John 16:13 says: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Concerning a holy tongue: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).” In 1 Corinthians 14:2 we read: “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto GOD: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.” (God is a Spirit so we must fellowship with him by the Spirit, and with our spirits)! Concerning a true and spiritual confession of the mouth: “Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of GOD calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3).” Concerning the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our mortal bodies: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of GOD dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his (Romans 8:9).” And in Romans 8:11 we read: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Regarding the prophetic spirit 1 Peter 1:10-11 says: “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10)! Is it no wonder that so many are in error teaching lies for the truth? Why? It’s because the Spirit of GOD does not speak from within them. It is another spirit! The true believer has God’s anointed Spirit! In 1 John 2:27 it reads: “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” In this world sin and confusion abounds! Therefore, II Timothy 3:13 warns us: “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Today’s churches preach doctrines of men that run contrary to the word of GOD. Denominationalism divides churches. Covetousness abounds in and out of the pulpit, while greed, lust and fear run amuck in the church pews. Many who are not truly called of GOD are behind pulpits prophesying, preaching, and teaching in the name of the Lord. They are fat wolves feeding off the poor and defenseless sheep! It is altogether as in the days of Jeremiah: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied (Jeremiah 23:16,21).” A man or woman who is truly called of GOD should speak as the oracles of GOD. See I Peter 4:11. Not from their own heart or mind, but by the Spirit of the living GOD. See also II Peter 1:21. This glorifies GOD and blesses the people. In order to truly hear GOD you must be filled with His Spirit! Remember, that nothing unclean, sinful, or that maketh a lie will neither inherit the kingdom of GOD, nor tarry in his sight. Therefore, seek GOD for yourself, and get the Holy Ghost. One of the reasons why GOD, the Father, sent the Holy Ghost is to keep you from error. He is called another Comforter in John 14:26. This means that just as Christ on earth was a light and comfort among his disciples, so, too, the Holy Ghost is a light and comfort in the believer. In essence he is the same as Christ and is the Spirit of Christ in each believer. Just as Christ would not lead you astray, the Holy Ghost will not lead you astray, but into all truth. See John 15:26 and 16:13. The Holy Ghost is our guide. He will tell you what to do. An example of this can be found in Acts 8:26,29, 39, where “the Angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.” Now to a fleshly mind, that is, a mind that is not fully yielded to the Spirit of GOD, this would have sounded ludicrous because he was told to go to “the desert.” You see the Spirit knew that there would be a man of great authority from Ethiopia traveling in a chariot, and that he would be reading from the book of Isaiah. In verse 29, we see that “the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot." The rest as we say “is history!” Philip preached Christ unto him and he was saved! In verse 39, the Spirit being his guide caught Philip away, the eunuch seeing him no more, so the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. Philip’s obedience to the voice of the angel, and the Spirit, resulted in the salvation of a thirsty soul seeking after the holy and living GOD. Don’t you want to bear fruit in this manner? If so, get the infilling of the Holy Ghost, and be obedient to his voice. Seek the face of GOD, calling on the name of Jesus who is our only saviour and mediator. May the LORD open your eyes and ears to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Dwaine Anderson (Shepherd of Holy Ghost Speak Revivals)
The Fire Came Down Text: 2 Chronicles 7:1-3
-D.A.
What To Do When There Is Lack…
Have
you ever noticed that when God picked out a widow to sustain
Elijah in the famine, He chose a POOR widow, and not a rich
one? Read 1 Kings 17:8-16. If He had chose a rich widow then
He would not have gotten any of the glory. The rich widow’s
money would have delivered the hungry prophet and there would
have been no need to thank and praise God. People would have
lauded the rich widow instead, and told her how great and
merciful and generous she was. They would have erected a
public statue to her for all to see. They would have named a
building after her, or even perhaps put a plaque in the local
synagogue in commemoration of her because she had shown the
hungry prophet such great compassion by feeding him throughout
the famine. In all of this God would not have gotten the
glory. That is why He chose a POOR widow! Not only poor, but
one that was scraping the very bottom of the barrel, and one
that was ready to die, one that was ready to give up, both she
and her child. By choosing one such as this God was able to
show His miracle, working power. He would show the world that
He could deliver a hungry prophet, a poor and dying widow, and
her hungry child. God could get the glory. This is the type of
God we serve; One that does not share His glory with flesh, or
needs to lean on the arm of flesh to deliver you out of your
troubles. God can handle anything that you throw at Him. God
can pay your mortgage that is about to be foreclosed on, or at
least get you a job to pay for it. God can deliver you from
cancer when the doctor is shaking his head and saying, there
is no more hope. God can feed you and your hungry children
when the pantry and refrigerator are empty. God can do
anything, but fail. God can do anything, and God will do
anything because He wants to get the glory. He gets the glory
when you testify of His goodness and mercy that He showed on
you. Now this is why it is hard for a rich person to be saved
and to inherit the kingdom of God (Mark 10:23-25), because
they don’t need God. They don’t trust God. They don’t want to
give God any glory, they want to reserve that for themselves.
They trust in their riches to deliver them. When trouble comes
they write a check. There money is their deliverer. But what
happens when the money runs out? Where do they turn to then?
You see a rich person doesn’t need to depend on God. Why
depend on God when your riches can supply all of your needs?
Your trust and confidence is in your money and possessions,
not God who gave them. Now
let us turn to the new Testament and take a look at the
disciples and Jesus’ attitude of faith concerning lack, as
illustrated in Mark 6:31-44 (the feeding of the five
thousand): 31
And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert
place, and First,
notice the attitude of his disciples. For in v.36, they said,
“Send them away… for they have nothing to eat”. They could not
humanly meet the need of this great multitude. For they had
said, send them away and let them buy their own food. Jesus is
quick to challenge their faith, or lack thereof. He responds
by laying this burden back at the feet of his disciples. For
in v.37, our Lord said, “Give ye them to eat”. The disciples
responded with the wrong answer: “Shall we go and buy two
hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?” The
disciples were presented with a problem of lack and failed to
respond correctly, that is, by faith. No
matter the size of your lack; rather great or small, it is
still lack. Have faith that God can fix it. The
key here is that by faith Jesus gave thanks to the Father
for what he already had and God miraculously multiplied it.
God
supplied them with such an overabundance of loaves that they
could feed upward to about five thousand men. God so greatly
supplied the needs of the people that the disciples had
leftovers. Yum! I bet that was a wonderful meal, no doubt the
best they ever had, prepared straight from heaven’s kitchen.
God’s miracle leftovers came to twelve baskets full of
fragments, and of the fishes, vv. 43-44. God will use the weak and beggarly things, the things of nought, to confound the wisdom of the wise, to confound the scoffers, skeptics, modernist and unbelievers. So that no flesh can glory in His presence. God can create something out of nothing, if you believe Him and don’t doubt. God can only move for you according to the size of your faith. In other words, the bigger your faith is, the bigger God shows up in your circumstance or adversity. Conversely, little or no faith will cause God not to move on your behalf at all.
The
People’s Failure To Believe That God Could Meet Their Needs
Under
the old covenant when the children of Israel complained about
eating the same old Manna that fell in the wilderness it
displeased the LORD so that His anger was kindled. The result
was that the fire of the LORD burnt them up in the uttermost
parts of the camp. This people had suffered lack but God gave
them Manna from heaven, and they still complained because they
missed the delicacies of Egypt (Numbers 11:1-34). They whined
and complained about not having flesh to eat to the point that
the burden of this people was so hard on Moses that he wished
for death vv. 11-15.
What Must I Do?
D.A.
Why You Need The Holy Ghost Why should every believer have the Holy Ghost, and how important is the Holy Ghost to you? How important is the Spirit in your worship, and even in your daily life? God has given me some reasons why every believer should have the Holy Ghost. Note: you do not automatically receive the Holy Ghost when you first believe, as so many falsely report. If they are correct, (and they are not), then why are there over 30,000 Christian denominations in the United States alone? Why so many? Why can't churches agree on the simple things of the faith, like the return of Christ, what is and is not sin, speaking in tongues (known and unknown), healings, baptism, and the Godhead? They can't even all agree on the same bible to read! Isn't the Holy Ghost supposed to teach and guide us into all truth? (Prayerfully read John 14:26; 16:13; 1 John 2:27 with 1 Corinthians 1:10). If ALL automatically receive the Holy Spirit when they first believe, then why can't churches locate the same truth? Why can't they all agree? However, see, they have ALL agreed to disagree! Could it be that all of the churches are carnal, and in the flesh? Therefore, they cannot please, or truthfully know God! Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his! Also, if the Holy Spirit was automatically given when you first believed, then why did Christ instruct us to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13)? And Paul while in Ephesus asked certain disciples there, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (Please read Acts 19:1-2 and Acts 8:15-17 with Ephesians 1:13)! Therefore, it is quite possible to believe on Christ without ever experiencing the Holy Ghost baptism (Romans 10:8-13), and only his conviction (John 16:8-9)! You must by faith, and from a sanctified life, ask the Father for the Holy Spirit to dwell in your heart. This will take some effort on your part! This is not done automatically, but with much prayer and fasting to the Father! With God there is no respect of persons. This generation will not experience God any different than the first generation of believers did in Christ! Don't think that you get a Holy Ghost free ride in Christ because you read a modern bible or live in a modern century! Now
we see that the Holy Ghost is the means by which Christ
commands his church. One reason why Christ has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost is because by it he can give his church instructions. This takes one who is open and obedient to the voice of the Spirit. Christ speaks by the Spirit to his church so he can direct it, in the way it should go. The church should obey the Holy Ghost. If a church is not obeying the Holy Ghost then it is obeying another spirit or the whims and directions of men. The Holy Ghost was promised by God. The
Holy Ghost gives us power to be mighty witnesses for
Christ. The
Holy Ghost is necessary in order to worship God.
The Holy Ghost is the means by
which the gifts operate in the church. The
Holy Ghost is the means by which Christ dwells in the
believer. Blasphemy
of the Holy Ghost carries an eternal weight of punishment,
in this world and in the world to come. See, it was by the Spirit that Jesus casted out devils. To deny this fact and speak against it is considered blasphemy in the eyes of God. The same is true today if a saint of God by the Holy Spirit casts out demons, and someone speaks against it. For the disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. Let us spiritually discern in truth. -D.A.
What’s Wrong With Churches? The World In Churches There
are some who might say that there is nothing wrong with the
churches. I declare unto you that that person is part of the
problem and not part of the solution, if he or she is too
blind to see that the modern churches have something wrong
with them, then you really need to get saved. The Holy Ghost told me that there are far too many personal opinions in churches and not enough “THUS SAITH THE LORD!”
Now
the Christian churches have emulated the world in almost every
aspect. In fact, the world has infiltrated the churches to the
point that it is unrecognizable to both saints and sinners.
The true saints cry out to God in shock and horror, as to what
they see, while the sinners mock and shout: “Hypocrites, are
you all!” Churches have turned a deaf ear to God, to both His
commandments and the Bible. Many self professing Christians
today do not even believe in the supernatural wonders of the
Bible, let alone a miracle working God who can heal the sick
or raise the dead. Many have turned to science for the
answers. Not the miracle working God of the Bible. See 1
Timothy 6:20-21. Churches brazenly say, "I am not of the
world... I am unspotted from the world, yet, their lips are
moving, but nobody is listening; because their hearts are far
away from me and their thoughts are not mine, saith the Lord." The
world has infiltrated churches by bringing in worldly
doctrines, entertainment, songs, dance troops, corporate
savvy management and worldly administration. Since
when does God need to imitate the devil? Some churches have
even sunk to the deepest level of depravity. Churches have
began to cater to homosexuals and lesbians. Not to help them
get right with God, but to give their depraved lifestyle
credence and support. This is not as uncommon as you might
think and is gaining more acceptance day by day. Everyone
appears to be searching for a hook to draw the people in; they
don’t care how the people are drawn, just as long as there are
plenty of bodies to fill the seats. It doesn’t matter if they
are redeemed bodies or not, just as long as they can pay the
tithe and shout hallelujah a little bit. They offer these
confused souls free coffee, donuts, movies, and entertainment
just to draw them in. As if the WORD of GOD is not enough to
draw the people. Jesus said in John 12:32: “And I, if I be
LIFTED UP from the earth, will draw ALL men unto me.” The
blood of Jesus has not lost its power. Instead, people have
forgotten how to BELIEVE, they have forgotten how to be holy.
Worldly music and rhymes set to Christian words and themes
does not make it holy. Who can bring a clean thing out of an
unclean? not one.” (Job 14:4). Churches
have replaced good old-fashioned Holy Ghost anointed preaching
and teaching with worldly gimmicks and fads. Just because you
see large, mega-churches (with thousands of confused souls on
their way to Hell) does not mean that a ministry is Godly or
successful in the eyes of the Lord. Just because a man or
woman has a big ministry doesn’t mean that God called them.
Just because they wrote some popular books and are applauded
by worldly crowds does not mean that God has blessed them, or
is pleased. God did not tell them to write a book, nor did He
increase their ministries, or gave them plenty of money, but
the thousands of confused souls on their way to hell did. The
devil takes care of his own crowd until it is time for his
payoff. His reward is misery, woe, sickness, and death!
Hirelings In Churches
The only power that the devil has is the power of persuasion, and these fleecers use it to the fullest. They have persuaded many simple souls into believing that what they say and do is of God. However, the weird thing about it is the people love to have it so (Jeremiah 5:30-31). They love to have their ears tickled and to have smooth sayings prophesied unto them. See 1 Timothy 4:3-4 and Isaiah 30:10. The truth and sincerity of God’s word is far removed from them. They don’t want to hear it. They could not bear it. Most preachers have already figured this out, that the less they talk about sin and the devil, the more bodies they will have in the pews. Never mind telling the people what God says about sin. After all, we don’t want to hurt or bruise anyone’s feelings. They know that none of these people will ever support a real Holy Ghost move of God. No, not with their prayers, and especially not with their money. It is foreign to them. But they will support a worldly gospel. One that looks like the world and acts like the world. They are all children of the wicked one. Read Matthew 13:37-39; John 8:42-44; 1 John 3:8-12.
Why There Should Be No Churches
THE
CHURCH can be found doing the works of Christ. Open up to
the book of ACTS and you can read for yourself what the
early Christians did. They were busy doing exactly what they
saw Jesus did. They sowed the WORD of God into the lives of
countless millions, they were baptized in the Spirit, they
spoke with new tongues, they healed the sick, raised the
dead, made the lame to walk and the blind to see. They had
no time to play church, they were THE CHURCH. They added
souls to the Lord, not to a church register or building
(Acts 5:14), THE CHURCH was built up one soul at a time, not
one building at a time. “...Ye are God’s building”. Read 1
Corinthians 3:9. God received the glory, not men. Read
Hebrews 3:4-6. Now it is clear from the Scriptures and the testimony of the Holy Ghost that WE are THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH is Christ-like (1 John 3:2). To be Christ-like means not only in holiness and humility, but in power and authority, too (Luke 9:1; 10:1, 17; Mark 16:17). THE CHURCH will exercise the spiritual gifts for the profit of all (1 Corinthians 12). Are WE doing this, or are we playing church? D.A.
The Hidden Pot Of Manna What The
Hidden Pot Of Manna Signified To The Old And New Testament
Church In Exodus chapter 16, God commanded Moses to take a pot of manna and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. When Moses led the
congregation in the wilderness, God allowed the people to suffer
hunger, then He fed them manna from heaven. This backbiting,
never-satisfied congregation had tasted of the heavenly meal.
This manna represented
the all-sufficiency of God. The Hebrews had a need in the
wilderness. They lacked bread to eat. So God in His goodness and
mercy gave the murmuring congregation to eat. There was an
immediate need and God met it by doing something entirely new:
He rained bread down from heaven for them. By doing this for the
rebellious children of Israel God was able to prove or try them,
whether they will walk in His law, or no. By
providing the congregation with manna to eat God was able to
meet the needs of each person.
“This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, gather of it
every man according to his eating, an omer for every man,
according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for
them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did
so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete
it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and
he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man
according to his eating” (Exodus 16:16-18). If
God proved Himself by meeting and supplying the needs of a
bunch of sinful, ungrateful and complaining people, then
what need would there be for them to have continued in their
unbelief, rebellion and sin? They
shouldn’t have continued in sin, but true to their nature,
they did! For it was not long thereafter that they cast off
their Glory and exchanged it for a golden calf (Exodus 32).
Now the manna was to be
stored up as a testimony or witness to all generations to follow
that God fed them in the wilderness (Exodus 16:32). That God
sustained them and that no one suffered lack or died from
hunger. For forty long years did He feed them. Forty long years
they saw God’s miracle working power in action, yet they
continued to prove and tempt Him in their unbelief (Hebrews
3:9). Throughout all of this God remained faithful to His
covenant promises, even if the people did not. God
wanted to show them something else, that “Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Moses tells the congregation that
God humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee
with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers
know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by
bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of the LORD doth man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Instead of
murmuring and complaining about their condition, they should
have trusted in the Word Of God. They should have let "the
Word Of God" be their food. They should have tasted that the
LORD is good. The
manna testified against the church in the wilderness because
with the exception of Joshua and Caleb the entire
congregation failed to believe the Word Of God.
The manna was a miracle
from heaven; a sign from God, that was to be testified of from
generation to generation by the presence of this stored-up pot
of manna. “Yet they believed not in God, and trusted not in his
salvation: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and
opened the doors of heaven. And had rained down manna upon them
to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat
angel’s food: he sent them meat to the full.... For all this
they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works”
(Psalm 78:22-25,32). Seeing
how the fathers acted, is it no wonder that their children
did not believe when God sent His Son to testify of His
goodness and mercy and to give his life as a ransom for
many? For the
Holy Ghost has declared another reason that the manna was
rained down from heaven. It was to show the Hebrews that this
bread was temporary and that it was to sustain them for only a
certain period of time. That manna signified the true bread of
life that was to come - Jesus! Jesus tells the Jews in
John the sixth chapter that, “I am the bread of life. Your
fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and ARE DEAD. This is
the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and NOT DIE. I am the LIVING BREAD which came down from
heaven: if any man eat of this bread, HE SHALL LIVE FOREVER: and
the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for
the life of the world” (John 6:48-51). Jesus
gives us a new revelation about the manna. He informs us
that He is the bread of life that came down from heaven, and
that this bread is in reality his flesh.
This type of revelation will no doubt lead sinners, doubters
and unbelievers to strife, debate and arguments. Why? because
it was a revelation of the Spirit (John 6:63); and the carnal
mind and heart cannot comprehend it. John tells us that “the
Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this
man give us his flesh to eat? (John 6:52). This saying was so
hard for them to understand that many of his disciples went
back, and did not walk with Jesus from that day forward ( John
6:60,66). Jesus
gave the revelation of the manna as a sign to them, that
only in him can you have eternal life.
This hidden manna is promised to those that overcome in
Revelations 2:17. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith, unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the hidden manna...” This hidden manna
signifies the saints’ right to eternal life. The hidden manna
will give us a taste of everlasting life. Why is this manna
hidden? Because it is stored-up like Moses’ manna for the World
To Come -- promised to the overcomer. It represents a
never-ending supply where there is no lack, no hunger, no
suffering, and no dying. Christ will feed his flock with this
hidden pot of manna, which is himself. The old testament church
was not deprived of the hope of this manna; for it is written
that they who were baptized of Moses in the cloud and in the
sea, did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the
same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that
followed them: and that Rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:2-4). Now the manna, although
formerly hidden, is eternal in the heavens and can sustain the
souls of those who are called and chosen forever. Eat the Word Of God forever. For it is life, it is pure, it is tried, it is precious and true.
The New Jerusalem - The Truth About Israel
What should be
the attitude of believers concerning an earthly Jerusalem and
the nation of Israel? I have heard over and over again many
television preachers say, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6). Some have
said that it is biblical to support the state of Israel with
your dollars. These very same preachers and teachers refer to
Israel as God’s chosen people, even though the vast majority
of Jews still revile and hate Christ. But what does God have
to say about the situation? Does God want believers supporting
an earthly Jerusalem? The Spirit of
the Lord told me, “that as long as the Jews continue to reject
Jesus Christ, then God will continue to reject them as a
people and a nation.” Any Christian who truly has the Holy
Ghost will not question or doubt this. What good is it for
believers in Christ to support a nation that rejects our
Saviour? People have put their own feelings and interpretation
(personal theology) above the WORD of God. Based on the things
that they say, I sincerely doubt if they have ever felt God’s
Spirit. Now some of them do this through ignorance, but others
because they willingly want it so. The latter stitch together
a bunch of scriptures that they feel gives them credence for
supporting an earthly Jerusalem and nation of Israel.
Out of a
knee-jerk reaction to the holocaust an (U.N.) United
Nations resolution stupidly created the state of Israel
without giving concern or consideration to the people that the
Jews would immediately displace and make homeless. Notice that
it was a resolution; that is, man’s resolve for a
Jewish statehood, not God’s. A person must first realize this
if they are to ever come to the truth of the matter. Do you
think that God needs the help of men to do the work that He
promised to do Himself? Jesus answers his disciples question
regarding the restoration of the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).
Jesus tells them that “IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW the times or
seasons, which the Father hath put IN HIS OWN POWER” (Acts
1:7). Notice that Jesus told his disciples that the
restoration of the kingdom to Israel was none of their
concern. An (U.N.) resolution does not change or make void
what Jesus told his disciples! All of a sudden because men
have created a state for the Jews to live in does not fulfill
what Jesus told his disciples. It was none of their concern
THEN, and it is none of our concern NOW. God will restore the kingdom to Israel, for He keeps His word, but in His own time and in His own power. It is not up to us to fulfill God’s promises. It is up to Him to do that. Neither does he need our poor and pitiful help. We’ll just mess it all up. Hence, the mess you now have in the middle east. Man got in the way and tried to play God, man tried to do the work of God and fulfill God’s promise; but you see the result -- chaos and destruction. As long as men are involved in the peace process of that region, there never will be peace, it is impossible. Men should have left it alone and left it to God. When God does a thing it is done RIGHT. When God does it there will be no need for the citizens of Israel to fear their neighbors, if they will do them bodily harm. Neither will Israel have to fight their own battles, for the battle will be the LORD’s and His alone to FIGHT (Isaiah 8:9-10).
Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem
If not an earthly Jerusalem, then what should the believer be looking for? The answer is the same land that Godly Abraham looked for! “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10) -- the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2). This is the city every Christian should pray for and look for. See Hebrews 12:22; 13:14. If God said that this is His will and His plan shouldn’t it be ours, too? No doubt this was Abraham’s desire, yet he was able to pray for it and look for it sight unseen. I assure you that Abraham’s eyes were not on a piece of dirt that was temporary, but on a heavenly prize that no man could take away. This he rejoiced at!
If Ye Were Abraham’s Children Ye Would Do The Works Of Abraham
The Jews that inhabit present day Palestine can learn a thing or two from Abraham. There was no unrighteousness found in him. He was a friend and lover of God and being a stranger in another man’s land he was a good neighbor to those people whose land God told him that he and his seed would possess. His neighbors were not his enemies nor were they at war with him because he tried to displace them, or remove them forcefully from their land with the help of war, man, or holy writ. That was God’s promise and so it was God’s duty to perform it in His own time and as He so determined. Now it is not the right of the (U.N.) United Nations or the Jews to take into their own hands to fulfill the promises of God. God doesn't need your help or assistance! Why not do as He says and let God be God.
In Christ's
day, the lord tells the unbelieving Jews that “They are like
unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to
another, and saying, We (John the Baptist and Jesus) have
piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to
you, and ye have not wept” (Luke 7:32). The Jews in their days
were like silly little, stubborn children that refused to go
along with the program, that is, God’s program. Like a
rebellious child, they stubbornly wanted to do things their
own way. They failed to enter in at the strait gate (Luke
13:24), which is Christ. Now these words of Jesus could be no more plainer than the nose on your face, and no misrepresentation or misinterpretation of other Old Testament Scriptures can ever change them nor make them void. The Jews of Christ’s day blew it! They missed it! But it is not too late for their seed or offspring to get it right, to make amends (Romans 11:23).
Dear reader
please understand that prophecy can be conditional.
Prophecy depends upon the unchangeable word of God, and the
obedience of His people. Now God is faithful and cannot lie,
but people are fickle, and are full of doubt and unbelief, and
people do lie. Now God will not give His promises to
unrighteous and wicked people. “...If we deny him, he also will deny us:... if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:12-13). God and Christ will not deny their own witness (John 8:17-18). There is only ONE GOSPEL that is preached, not two, that is, one for the Gentile, and a separate and special one for the Jew. Being Jewish does not give anyone a special pass into heaven! If the blood of Jesus does not sign your name in heaven then you will never make it your eternal home. Signing your name in a church or synagogue registry book might get you some special privileges here on earth, but it will never get you into heaven. I repeat there is only ONE GOSPEL message and hope of salvation for ALL of mankind -- the Lord Jesus Christ, the WORD of God. This is God’s plan of salvation and this is how He wants it. Those who believe are the chosen and elect of God, no matter if they be Jew, Gentile, male, or female. They are ALL ONE in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-29). - Dwaine
Anderson
It Pays To Serve GOD
What Must I Do
How do I do this? All you have to do is trust Christ. Believe that He is the only sin bearer sent from God to earth to redeem all of mankind from sin, and the Devil, and the world, and an eternal hell fire. Believe that God has raised Christ from the grave, that he forever destroyed death and the works of the devil. Make it a point to live for him and trust him everyday. In your own words sincerely repent of all your sins, ask God to forgive you. Promise to serve Him the rest of your life. That's it! If you can do this with a sincere heart God and Christ will enter in and save you with an everlasting salvation.
Psalm 86:12-13: I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Abide in His Love, faithful ones! D.A.
Fast Food Christians
God has strategically placed men and women in the body of Christ to help and assist you. So that you are no longer a babe in the word but full grown and mature. So that you no longer be tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by cunning men who want to deceive and take advantage of you. See Ephesians 4:14. The goal is your total and complete salvation, that is, you make heaven your eternal home. Anything short of this is vain and a waste of time. Children fear God and obey His commandments. Dwaine Anderson
Unrighteous Mammon
Being Good Stewards
of God’s Money
Introduction
This little booklet is written for the
believer and unbeliever. It will be different from anything
that you have ever read. It comes straight from heaven and is
a guideline for those who want to be good stewards of God’s
money. Yes, I said, God’s money. The Bible tells us that the
silver is
mine,
and the gold is
mine,
saith the LORD of hosts (Haggai 2:8). In reality you are only
a steward of what belongs to God. Most people don’t know this
or even care to know it. So
many of us are constantly struggling with our finances and
wonder why we never have enough money to pay our bills, or
afford the things that we desire. Some people get a hold of
money but can never seem to hold onto it. They earn wages only
to put it into a bag with holes (Haggai 1:6). Some of you might
have even tried to tithe to a local church, but you never seemed
to be able to get on top of your bills. It is a never ending
cycle of doubt and disappointment. However,
there is good news! God has a way for you to properly manage
your money and become a good steward of what He gave you. In the
Bible God talks about being good stewards of our possessions. He
gives us proper instruction and the correct attitude we should
have towards our earthly things. Here are five reasons why so
many of us fail at being good stewards of God’s money: 1)
We don’t acknowledge that it is God’s money we are spending and
not our own. 2)
We are not doing what the LORD God commanded us to do. We are
not listening to His voice. We are doing our own thing. 3)
We are not following God’s word (biblical instructions and
directions) for a bless life. We have become the Lord of our own
things. 4)
God is secondary or non-existence when it comes to the
discussion of our money and how it is spent. We rely on men to
help us manage our money. We follow a worldly system for saving,
investing and managing our money. 5)
We are not thankful for what little we already have. After
you have finished reading this booklet you will be set free and
know how to be a good steward of God’s money. Further, you will
be more blessed in your giving and management of what God has
given you. So sit back and get comfortable. Don’t forget to get
your Bible and to ask God to confirm what you read. Now let us
hear what the LORD has to say about a believer’s attitude and
responsibility towards our bills, money and finances.
It’s
God’s Stuff
In
order to have financial freedom and blessings you must first
acknowledge that your stuff is God’s stuff. He gave them to us.
Many people are in denial and don’t want to come to this
conclusion. They figure that it was their hands and their feet
and their brains that got them the money to pay their bills. Since
God is the one who created all things doesn’t it make perfect
sense that all things belong to Him. Correct? Then why do so
many of us ignore the God that gave us the air to breathe, and
the sun and rain to grow our food, also water to drink so we
don’t die of thirst, and animals and plants to feed and clothe
us so we don’t starve to death or freeze in the winter time?
Your science did not create the air, sun, rain, lakes, rivers
and springs, plants or animals. God did! In fact, if God were to
remove His air, sun, rain, lakes, rivers and springs, plants and
animals everyone would die. We would all cease to exist. So why
don’t you acknowledge God? Some of you of can’t, that is, some
of you won’t. You are atheists and agnostics. You are
unthankful. You trust in science and medicine more than you
trust in God. You are stubborn as a mule and so full of pride
that Satan has you blind to the true source of your prosperity
or what little prosperity you might have. You can’t create your
own air, or your own sun to warm your body on a cold, wintry
day. None of creation happened by accident, or by big bang, or
by cosmic soup, like so many would have us to believe. The
universe was created by an intelligent and loving God, who gave
men wisdom to build homes and ways to prepare food. He gave them
knowledge to create all manner of medicines, and technology for
various creature comforts. He gave men wisdom and knowledge to
fly like the birds of the air. However, men used this wisdom and
knowledge to watch his brother starve and to drop bombs on his
neighbor. Why can’t you acknowledge this great and wonderful God
who loves you and cares for you despite your ungrateful
attitude? After all, His sun rises on the good and evil, and He
sends rain upon the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45). Unlike
wicked and sinful men that are prejudiced and filled with self
pride, our God treats all men the same --- as equals. Therefore,
He is no respecter of persons (2 Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34;
Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; Colossians 3:25). Recognized
that you are made in the likeness and image of God (Genesis
1:26-27; 5:1-2), and not some animal. Some of you treat your
beloved pets better than you treat human beings, who are made
in the image and likeness of God. Surely a human being is of
more value than a dog, or a cat, or a bird (Matthew 10:31).
Because you don’t love and respect God you don’t love and
respect other human beings. Come on, you can at least throw
your creator a little bone, and acknowledge that He exists.
Perhaps this can also be the start of you acknowledging that
your stuff is in reality God’s stuff, and that you are a
temporary steward of His things. Some of you are so proud of
your new, shiny car, and your nice home in the suburbs. You
want to guard them from thieves and all hurt and harm. You are
so happy and proud of your possessions. But what happens if
they are taken away? Let’s face it, so many of you define
yourselves according to what you possess, how you live, and
what you do for a living. But what happens if these things are
taken away from you? You wouldn’t know what to do with
yourself. You wouldn’t know how to go on living. Some of you
would want to commit suicide because you no longer have
anything that you can control and feel proud of, or call your
own. You would no longer have anything to boast about to your
friends. You are so full of pride and self delusion. Jesus
asked the question: What should it profit a man, if he gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what should a man
give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36-37. Don’t let things
control or determine who you are. Instead give them to God, in
whose hands they belong anyway. In His hands those things are
blessed and have their proper perspective.
You
Must Obey God
When
Adam and Eve were first created they lived in the Garden of
Eden, in the lap of luxury. They rejoiced and delighted in the
LORD. They had pleasure and enjoyment in the LORD. They did not
have to grow their own food; they did not have to toil or labor,
or go to some dead-end job. They had access to plenty, they
wanted for nothing. They didn’t even have to water the garden. A
river watered it for them. See Genesis 2:10. There was no
sickness, death, crying or shame. They had everything they
needed to live comfortably and peaceably forever. They even had
access to plenty of fine gold and precious stones. See Genesis
2:11-12. They had all of this because they:
1)
Recognized and feared the LORD (Genesis 3:2-3)
2)
Kept His commandments (Genesis 2:16-17)
3)
They were blessed of the LORD (Genesis 1:28; 5:1-2). If
God blessed and prospered them in the beginning, then it makes
perfect sense that He would want to bless and prosper us now.
God wants us to be blessed, too. We are all the offspring of
Adam and Eve. But even better we are the offspring of God, both
physically and spiritually (Luke 3:38; Acts 17:28-29; John
1:12-13; 3:5-5; 1 John 5:1-2). Don’t
let that old dirty serpent (Satan) trick you out of your
blessings like he did Adam and Eve. The Devil’s trickery cost
them everything. Their failure to overcome the temptation of the
Devil and to keep the commandments of God not only cost them,
but it cost us everything, as well, because we are their
offspring. We have inherited their confusion. It cost them their
creature comforts, their freedom, their land, yes, even their
very souls. They went bankrupt. Things were never the same
again. I can hear them now; Remember when we used to sit around
in the Garden of Eden in the lap of luxury and talk to God.
Remember how we were so blessed. We had plenty of food, water,
warmth, pleasures of God, plenty of gold and precious stones.
Remember the calm, peace and quiet we felt as we sat in the cool
of the day and the cool wind blew softly upon our faces.
Remember how good and how free we once felt. We never got tired
or bored. There was nothing to hold us back. We wanted for
nothing. But now, look at us. Worn out, broken down, tired and
bored, spiritually dead to God. We had it made back then, but we
blew it! Don’t
let the Devil steal your blessings. It might be too late for
Adam and Eve but there is a way to get back to the Garden of
Eden. God has provided a way. That way is His Son Jesus Christ
whom He sent to die for you and me so that we can make it back
into the Garden of Eden, right into the very presence of God.
See Revelation 2:7; 21:15-23; 22:1-5. But this time built upon
more sure and better promises (Hebrews 8:6), where that old
Devil can’t break in and deceive and steal anymore (Revelation
20:10). God
has given us the Bible as a road map and instruction guide so we
can live the way He wants us to live --- happy, fulfilled,
blessed and free! If you follow the instructions that he has
laid out in the Bible then you can be blessed like Adam and Eve
were in the beginning, (the way God planned and purposed it to
be). All you need is a little bit of faith and the help of the
Holy Spirit to get started.
Jesus’
Parable about the Rich Man and the Unjust Steward
Luke
16:1
And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain
rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused
unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called
him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of
thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest
be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within
himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me
the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am
resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the
stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So
he called every one of his lord's debtors unto
him, and said unto the
first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An
hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy
bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said
he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An
hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy
bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the
unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the
children of this world are in their generation wiser than
the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to
yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that,
when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting
habitations. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least
is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the
least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not
been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit
to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is
another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will
hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to
the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon. Dear
reader, please notice that this steward was accused of wasting
his lord’s goods (Luke 16:1-2). This is exactly what many of us
are doing. We are great wasters of what God has entrusted to us.
We show absolutely no responsibility for the things God has
given us. Often we are unfaithful in managing that which God has
given us. Is it no wonder we often end up on the short end of
the stick. In order not to be a waster of God’s stuff, we need
to have the proper attitude and the right heart towards the
things of God. We have to think like God thinks concerning
stuff. We need to adopt the same attitude that God has towards
things that are temporary. We must get the mind of God. If our
thoughts concerning things are the same thoughts that God has
concerning things, then we have peace with God and are in
harmony and agreement with God. This puts us in a position to be
blessed in every way. God is able to trust us with the things
that are temporary, and more importantly, the true riches (Luke
16:11). Now many of you cannot be trusted with MUCH because you
have shown yourselves unfaithful in LITTLE. God cannot trust you
with His stuff. You’ll just waste it. You’ll just spend it on
your own pleasure and lusts. You’ll just be unthankful. You’ll
never acknowledge the source of your wealth. You’ll just say I
made all of this with my own hands. I did this! God can never
trust you; not until you have a change of heart and change of
mind concerning Him and His things. A
lot of us are like this unjust steward. After he finds out that
his lord is going to take away his stewardship, he thinks to
himself, that is, he relies on his own intellect, talents and
cunning to get him out of a situation; so he starts to scheme,
he gets sneaky, like some of you. He thinks that he can go
behind his lord’s back. He thinks to himself, he’ll never find
out or hear about what I have plotted and schemed. The unjust
steward doesn’t want to dig for a living (he is too lazy and
does not want to get dirt under his fingernails); he is too
ashamed to beg (he has too much pride, and is afraid what his
friends might think), so he thinks that he can scam his way to
financial freedom and prosperity. He thinks that he can
circumvent the system, like some of you. He thinks he can pull
one over on his lord. Therefore, he uses trickery and all of his
street smarts to set himself up financially after his
stewardship has ceased. He decides to call his lord’s debtors in
one by one and with slight and cunning, cheaply satisfy and
settle their accounts in hope that he might gain favor and
admiration in their eyes; so that they may take him into their
own homes and estates after his stewardship is ended. When
satisfying their accounts he cheats his lord, but makes himself
look very good. Like so many of you he is a cheater and swindler
of another man’s goods. Like so many of you he looks to himself
or some other man to help him out of a tight spot. The thought
of God never enters his mind. Instead he has pulled one over on
his lord. In fact, his lord commends him for having such
(worldly) wisdom and savvy. He commends him for using his own
wit to get out of such a tight fix. After hearing this, the
unjust steward must have thought that he had done well for
himself. Like so many of you. You think you are doing well after
pulling one over on someone. In fact many of you believe that
you are doing just fine, and are blessed. You say to every
church member that you meet, “I am blessed”. You think God does
not care that you are pulling one over on your brother. You
think God does not care that you have robbed your own neighbor.
You think God has looked the other way, or has forgotten what
you did. You think God has turned a blind eye to your schemes.
You think because God has not visited you yet that it must be
okay to pull one over on the unsuspecting. Well, God sees you
and one day God will ask you to give an account, like he did to
this unjust steward. Do you not know that your own sins will one
day find you out? See Numbers 32:23.
Ye
Cannot Serve God and Mammon
Some
of us want to have it both ways. You want to lust after evil and
wicked things and serve God at the same time (1 Timothy 6:10).
Well, you can’t do that. You can’t straddle the fence. You can’t
halt continually between two opinions. It’s either God’s way or
it’s the highway. It’s 100 percent of God, not 10 percent, not
50 percent, or even 99 percent, but ALL of God or it’s nothing
at all. This really comes down to you doing this thing God’s way
or your own way. If you want the true blessing of God then you
are going to have to do things God’s way --- the way He said to
do it. If you want to keep getting what you are getting then by
all means continue doing things your own way. God wants the
preeminence in your life. He wants first place. He will not play
second fiddle to anyone or anything. That’s just the way he
wants it. If money and things are more important to you than
having a close relationship with God then you are asking for big
trouble. One day you and your money will perish; then whose will
those things be? Where will they be? God
offers you the true riches; Riches that will endure throughout
all eternity. When will you ever learn that everything you see
and have is temporal? When will you learn that everything you
possess belongs to God, including your own body and spirit (1
Corinthians 6:19-20). You are God’s very own property and He has
an investment in you, namely, the shedding of the blood of His
own Son. Now God wants you to give your own body as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him (Romans 12:1). If you
are willing to do this then you can be truly blessed and inherit
the true riches.
The
shed blood of Christ is the New Testament (Matthew 26:28; Luke
22:20). Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament (Matthew
5:17-18; 2 Corinthians 3:14). You can find all manner of
spiritual types under the Old Covenant that find their true
meaning in Christ. However, no one ever wants to talk about the
Old Testament tithe finding its fulfillment in Christ. It is
never a topic of discussion or preached about in churches or by
TV televangelist. Churches want to forever refer back to Malachi
3:10. (If you ask me, there are too many “Malachi 3:10”
churches). They say churches are supposed to receive the tithe.
In the Old Testament the tithe was given to the priest, the sons
of Levi. See Hebrews 7:5. This is true. However, what happens
when all believers are priests of God, as in the New Testament.
See 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6; 5:10. If this is true, and it
is, then who gets the tithe? Some unlearned person will say, are
we then to pay tithes to every believer? Now this is going to
blow some of your minds. (Here is where wisdom is justified of
her children - Matthew 11:19. Only the wise can accept and
understand these things.) Your money, or should I say God’s
money, should be:
1)
Distributed
to the poor and to those who are truly in need and in
affliction. (See Proverbs 19:17; 21:13; 22:9; 28:8,27; 29:7;
30:14; 31:9,20; Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:12-14;
18:22; 19:8; Acts 20:35; Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5;
9:6-13; Galatians 2:10; Ephesians 4:28; Philippians 4:14-16; 1
Timothy 5:9; Hebrews 13:16; James 2:14-16; 1 John 3:17-18).
Note: this also encompasses the ministry of “helps” (1
Corinthians 12:28), and is considered a great sacrifice and
gift in the sight of God.
2)
Therefore,
it should also go to “the help” of the ministry. (See Proverbs
11:30; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 8:1-3; Acts 15:2-4;
Romans 15:24; 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 9:14; 16:15-17; 2
Corinthians 1:15-16; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:3; Titus
3:13-14; 3 John 5-8). Note: the duty of “ministry” is to win
the unsaved and lost, and admonish, edify and perfect the
saints of God. If a local church is not doing this then they
do not deserve to get your money. But,
some will still insist that the tithe belongs to churches, or
to a man. Most churches use the tithe to pay for the upkeep
and maintenance of a building, to pay for seminars and
conferences and trips, and to pay the rent and bills, to make
sure that the attendees are comfortable and are well fed, and
the like. Now there is nothing wrong with a little comfort,
but not at the expense of souls for the Listen,
what you give in reality should go to God and not to men. Now
how and where to give should be settled in your own heart and
with a willing mind, according to how God has prospered you. A
man cannot give what he does not have. See 1 Corinthians 16:1-2;
2 Corinthians 8:11-15. However, sacrificial giving (that is,
giving beyond your physical means and limits) proves the
sincerity of your heart, and your love for others, and is
commended of God, and is very pleasing to God. See Mark
12:41-44. If
you can receive it, (He that hath ears to hear let him hear what
the Spirit is saying to the churches). Here is the New Testament
fulfillment of the tithe: It is the giving of your own body as a
living sacrifice unto God. Not ten percent of what you earn or
possess, but it is the giving of your entire life, body, spirit,
soul and mind unto God. See Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:20. Further,
Jesus (not some man, or demon-possessed prophet, or
denomination) received the eternal Melchizedek priesthood so
that He can now receive the tithe, make intercession, and bring
in everlasting salvation for all. See Hebrews 7:8, 11-28. We
know that Jesus is the head of the church, which is, his body (1
Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22-23). Therefore, when we give
to others, we are in reality giving to the Lord (Proverbs 14:31;
19:17; Hebrews 6:10). Jesus said, Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
me (Matthew 25:40).
If you want God to bless your giving
then give as He commanded. Giving your money to pay for a
church’s cooling or heating bill is no sacrifice at all unto
God, and cannot profit your soul. However, giving your money
to the poor and to preach the Gospel so that souls are saved
for the glory of God has a great recompense of reward, in this
life and in the next. This is where God wants your money to
go. It will profit you and God will bless you.
The
Power to Get Wealth
We must never forget that it is the
LORD GOD who gives us the power (supernatural ability) to get
wealth. It is He who prospers and blesses our way. God is your
source and fountain of blessings. He has given you the power
to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) so you can bless others and
spread the Gospel of the At
the beginning the covenant people obeyed the commandments of
God, so they were blessed. However, they decided to ignored God
and His commandments, so they were cursed and perished from the
land. God’s holy standard of righteousness has not changed. He
is still Holy and on the throne. He still requires obedience and
the blood of the lamb (Christ) applied to our hearts. To put
money, or our lusts and greed above the commandments of God, and
the blood of Christ is sacrilege. You must choose whom you will
serve. If it is God then serve God, and not money. Do not chase
after money. But chase after God. God cannot use you or bless
you if you are chasing after money. If
you want to tap into this supernatural power to get wealth then
you are going to have to follow God. You are going to have to
become one of His children. God is not in the business of
handing out blessings to Satan’s children. Why should He? They
would just go ahead and do a better job for the Devil. Why would
God want to help out Satan? We should be in the business of
tearing down Satan’s kingdom, not helping him to build it, or
make it stronger. There are enough strongholds in the lives of
people who are seeking something better for themselves, no
matter the means or consequences. I say enough is enough. Let us
walk with a new desire and purpose of heart. Let us give
everything that is not like God up forever. Let us put them
under the blood of forgetfulness, and let us live a Godly and
Spirit filled life that is pleasing to God. Then the blessings
will flow in our lives and hearts. Then you will get the stuff,
but this time you want be eyeing the stuff, that is, it want be
your main focus or concern, but God will be your primary focus
and doing His business will be your only concern. Happy is the
man or woman that serves the LORD.
The
Conclusion Now
that you know what the problem is, and why you cannot prosper.
Be ready to repent and ask God for forgiveness, and for a
willing and clean heart, so you can follow and obey Him. Ask for
a renewed mind, too. Everything is riding on this. In order to
receive the true riches that no man can ever steal or take away
(because they are eternal in the heavens), you must first
sincerely repent, then obey God. You must acknowledge that what
you own belongs to God. Give God the praise, honor and glory for
setting you free and giving you a new and exciting life in
Christ Jesus. Now money and all of the problems that come along
with it are a thing of the past. You have eternal life. In the future let us be diligent and responsible with God’s money. Let us learn to be thankful for what we already have, no matter how small. Let us obey God and be wise and faithful stewards of those things that He has entrusted us with. Let us not forget the poor, especially, those who are full of faith, and wait on God with pure and patient hearts. Let us not forget to support the Gospel of peace, and to pray for one another. Please
write me and let me know if this little booklet has made a
difference in your life. I would love to hear from you. Shepherd
of Holy Ghost Speak Revivals, Inc.
The Waters of Shiloah
I recalled where in the Scripture that this is mentioned. It was in the book of the prophet Isaiah. “Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly...” - Isaiah 8:6. Later
that morning I began to see by the Spirit that the place where
those horses drank freely from was typical of God’s life
giving Spirit, apart from which we will die if we don’t take
of it and drink (Isaiah 55:1-3; John 7:37-39; Revelation
22:17). Some people stubbornly refuse to obey the Lord, and to do things His way. If things aren’t ran the way people think they ought to be ran then folk get all bent out of shape, they get an attitude, their hearts become cold and callous towards the Lord. Folk like this go and seek another source; one that tickles their fancy, one they like or prefer. Forget that the Lord wants them in the place He has chosen. The Holy Ghost through David warns and instructs us in Psalm 32:9 To “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” Also read James 3:3. The horse and mule are stubborn beast being without understanding. These creatures refuse to obey, and must be trained to listen and obey. They must be controlled by bit and bridle. This is typical of those who claim to follow the Lord on their own terms and under their own conditions. They must be controlled, they must be brought under the voice and command of the Lord, but they refuse. Now Isaiah tells us what shall become of them, because they refuse to hear and obey the Lord. And since they continue to rejoice in their own ways, and they refuse the waters of Shiloah that go softly... “Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.” - Isaiah 8:7-8. In
this dream the Lord reminded me that “you can lead a horse to
water, but you can’t make him drink”. No matter how much you
pray for folk (not that prayer doesn’t work but they like to
continue in their own rebellion and get rejected by the Lord -
see Jeremiah 15:1), or if you try to lead them down that
straight and narrow path some just don’t want to follow. Like
the children of Israel they want to continue in their own
stubborn way, they want to continue on their own path of
destruction. What they like to hear and do has blinded them
(Matthew 15:14). Don’t they know that if they continue therein
they can never enter into His promises, let alone His heaven?
The more they continue to rebel and vex His Holy Spirit the
more God will draw away from them. The Spirit will die if ye
continue to do things your own way. The
Holy Ghost, says, Some have a “packaged theology” that is so
far removed from the Lord. They prize their own
denominational teachings and preachings above the Lord
himself. What is left but vanity. You cannot feed off of
briers and thorns. They are unprofitable and can never
satisfy the soul. Unlike the word sown in good ground it can
never take root in their hearts. It is dry ground. It is
barren ground. The salt has lost his savour. It is good for
nothing. Their lamps have all gone out and the door is shut.
They are tares sowed among the wheat whose end is to be
burned. Sincerely ask the Lord if you are in rebellion? Ask Him if what you believe is of man, or is it of God? Humble yourself and admit that you could be wrong. This is your only hope. If your heart and mind are hardened then God cannot enter in. He cannot give you a new heart or a new mind because you have desired to hang onto the old one. He cannot give you to drink of the waters freely because you have refused them. Trust not man-made doctrines, commandments, teachings and denominations. Let us trust and obey the Lord only, for He is the only ONE with a heaven or hell to put us in. - D.A.
When Science Meets The Bible Scientific Facts Versus The Truth
Today’s
Scientists think themselves more wiser and enlightened than
Newton, but, the fact is, without Newton’s laws and
computations men would not know how to fly, or explore outer
space, or any of the things we modern people take for granted.
Newton’s laws are the basis for these things. This man came up
with his own branch of mathematics called "calculus". Men
would be hard pressed to build sound structures without the
knowledge and existence of this branch of mathematics. Newton
knew that it was God that gave him the wisdom and
understanding to figure these things out. Who else but God
could give a man wisdom to figure out the laws of gravity
based on an apple falling from a tree? This seems so simple,
but it is true. How many apples fell from trees before Newton
came along? This is how our God works. He takes the seemingly
foolish things of the world to confound the wise at heart. See
1 Corinthians 1:20, 25, 27-29. If Newton could read these modern Scientific books on Evolution and the Big Bang theory that are espoused in our institutions of learning, he would no doubt laugh these Scientists to scorn. You see Newton knew that there is a God and that He exists.
Now sinner, I
know you don’t think that God exists. But God demands FAITH
from His people. If you don’t believe in God then you cannot
be one of His. Faith is the first step towards God, therefore,
you must first seek Him! See Hebrews 11:6; Isaiah 55:6-7. To
be devoid of faith or have very little faith is no good at
all. You must with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength
believe that there is a God. Now Scientists cannot put this
under their microscopes, neither can they measure it. Faith is
a spiritual act and can only be examined and measured by the
heart. See Romans 10:8-11; 2 Corinthians 4:13-14. All of God’s miracles demand faith! Scientists cannot measure a miracle because it surpasses all of their intellect and limited human knowledge and understanding. They can only speculate. They can never explain an all powerful, mighty, miracle working God. They will tell you, well, Noah’s flood was only a local flood, or where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea was only four feet deep, or the blood in the Nile river was only red mud, or an earthquake toppled those walls of Jericho, or that cancer is in spontaneous remission, or was misdiagnosed! The list goes on and on! They don’t believe anything they can’t see! They don’t believe anything they can’t figure out! If they can’t reason it out, well, then it must have been something else. It can never be a miracle from God. If it is not plain to their senses then it should not be believed. This is their error and they lead others down the same path of doubt and destruction. Don’t they realize that they make God out to be liar when they say it happened this way, or that way. Evolution is a theory and is not compatible with what God said in Genesis chapter 1. It can never be. Big Bang makes God out to be a liar because the Bible reads “In the beginning God...” Now God CANNOT LIE. It is impossible. See Numbers 23:19; 2 Timothy 2:13; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18. It is men who lie, and who are filled with hatred and self love. Man must be saved from himself.
Planets and
stars have a purpose for existing. For that purpose please
read Genesis 1:14-18. It is not for man to try to inhabit
these other worlds. It would not be in his best interest. Man
is terrestrial, earthly, not celestial or other worldly. Man
is best suited for this planet -- earth; and is made up of the
very dust of the earth. See Genesis 2:7. So you see it makes
no sense to go elsewhere. Man is not suited for Mars or some
other planet. God will not let him get away with going to
another planet. See Genesis 11:4. When God created the entire
universe as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis there is
no mention of other worlds with life on them. If it were so,
God would have told us so. Man and earth are the unique and special creations of God in the entire universe. God explains His creation in very simple terms and details, so that a small child could understand them. So that a fool could not error therein. He simply explained the creation to Moses with all of His power and wisdom, put in a way that even the foolish could understand and not get it wrong. However, the wise in heart get it wrong, and the evil mind misunderstands these truths contained in the first chapter of Genesis because they don’t have faith.
I tell you an apple looks the same today as it did on the first day of creation! Why? because when it was created by God it was created after its own kind or original prototype, and it produced fruit after its own kind. Fruit good for eating and full of nourishment for the human body. No man goes to a banana tree looking for apples or oranges. You would think that man was nuts. Yet the evolutionist do this very same thing. They go to apes and monkeys to find a man when they should look to a wonderful, miracle working God to find themselves. Now man is created after THE GOD kind, and is no product of any animal, or beast, or amoeba dragged from the seas, or from the vast reaches of outer space. A man is created after the image and likeness of God, his Creator. God is man’s prototype and man is created after God’s likeness. You cannot mix a fish and a monkey and expect to get a man. Everything is a product of its kind or prototype. Man is the offspring of his creator and is like his creator in every way. See Acts 17:28-29; Luke 3:38. Life forms might be able to adapt, but they can never evolve from one lower life form to something entirely different, or better. Every life form has the DNA of its original prototype programmed into it, and that DNA can never change, or evolve, or morph into something else entirely different than what God originally intended. God, the great designer of the universe has intelligently encoded every living thing with its very own unique DNA code. You cannot get a man from a monkey, or an ape. This is satanic in thought and makes God out to be a liar who clearly states that man was created in His image and after His own likeness. Furthermore, these theories are satanic in nature because they are just excuses for these people to not believe that God exists, or so they don't have to get saved and filled with the Holy Spirit of promise, and serve God. There are no excuses that they can ever come up with for not believing and serving God. At the judgment they can never hold water. They are all in rebellion because man wants to have things his way, and not God’s way. Forget about what God wants. Man wants to be the captain of his own ship. This is outright rebellion.
God said that He gave us His only begotten Son so that we might be saved and have life more abundantly, and yet, they don’t believe that. No, not for one second! They don’t want to hear this! Instead, they choose to close their ears and their hearts to the Gospel message, calling it religious madness (Acts 26:24-25). Why believe in the existence of Dinosaurs and not God? Why believe with all of your hearts and minds in the theory of Evolution and the Big Bang theory, and yet, not believe in God, or His testimony and record concerning Himself? Why turn the back and heart and mind on God? He did nothing to hurt or offend you. Why give more credence to your Science than you do to God? I will tell you why. It is because you are a wicked and adulterous generation that has no faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God, let alone be saved. Give God the glory you scoffers and nay sayers! Believe God and your Science will fall in line with His truth. Believe not your so-called facts. Don't you know that your Science cannot save or deliver you from the storm that is about to hit ( 2 Peter 3:9-12)? Maranatha! Dwaine
Anderson
The Manifold Wisdom of God "The Refutation of the spirit of this age"
Unless otherwise stated
all Scripture quotes are from the Authorized King James Version
of the Bible The Holy Bible boldly states in Ephesians 3:10: "To the intent that NOW unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD". God wants to display His holy power not only to the church, but through the church, and thus to ALL mankind. God wants to show His miracle salvation power to the world. It is not enough to hold this thing inside or to keep it all to ourselves, but God wants to display His power for ALL to see and hear. The church is to exhibit this supernatural power and wisdom to all of God's creation and it is contained in your bible and in our hearts. Now this scripture is fascinating because it gives us a peek into the supernatural mind of God. It reveals forever His plan of salvation in Christ Jesus to His church and it is manifested by plain old WISDOM. I don't mean man's wisdom. Wisdom that is learn or taught by rote, but God has displayed His heavenly wisdom that is far above, and more far-reaching than our pea brains can ever attain to. God showed me just what is meant by the phrase "the manifold wisdom of God". He showed me that His wisdom, which is supernatural has MANY LAYERS to it. This God kind of wisdom shows us His power through salvation, the way He saves the souls of men by the blood of Jesus. Hallelujah! Our God is rich in salvation. Has the blood been applied to your cold, dead heart? This God kind of wisdom, God's miracle plan of salvation that delivers and confounds the wise in heart and mind, uses the so-called foolish things of the world to refute the thoughts of the so-called wise. Let me show you what I mean. In Genesis chapter one, that great chapter of creation begins with "In the beginning God..." Wait! Let's stop right there. For the wise in heart and mind this concept of God is foolishness (Psalm 14:1-3). This is a joke to him because his science, technology, culture, and intellect will not allow him to even fathom such an ideal as God "in the beginning". He thinks that any talk of a Creator is foolishness, that it is nothing but a myth, that it is unreasonable thinking for nowadays. The modern man thinks that this is stuff Hollywood legend is made up of, or something you would read in a comic book. Man's mind is trained to look for facts, things he can touch, smell, hear, feel, or see. Never mind faith (what you cannot see, feel, hear, smell, or touch), because this is nonsensical to his trained mind. Man comes into the world with a consciousness bent towards God, something or SOMEONE greater than himself, but he is quickly trained to jettison this thought. His modernistic, unbelieving environment is quick to resist the notion of God, or heaven, or hell, or angels, or the devil. To his trained mind this is stuff fairytales and legend are made up of. But you see how our Infinite and WISE God has caused them to stumble and trip over their own so-called wisdom? Not because He gets a kick out of deceiving people and seeing them confused, but because they have stumbled on their own, they have all stumbled into a pit, where there is no recovery. They are all reprobate of mind and heart because they resist God and what is clearly in front of them (Romans 1:20). If they are honest, they know that this world did not appear of its own volition (Hebrews 11:3), so they invent ways to explain its origin. This is what man's so-called wisdom say, an explosion, called the Big Bang, spontaneously occurred of its own volition, it spewed a bunch of chemicals that hitched a ride on a comet, or asteroid, then deposited these chemicals into earth's already existing oceans, where these chemicals all spontaneously came together to spawn life on earth, and the world order that we see all around us today. Now doesn't that sound foolish? It sounds just as foolish as a two year old in a lab filled with all the chemicals known to man coming forth after an hour or two of playtime with a fully functional sky, trees, fruits, birds, fishes, animals, humans, or whatever your mind can imagine. That is just silly! We know that it takes a chemist; someone with intelligence; someone with a mastery or degree in chemistry to at least make some sense of what is before him or her, may I say, you need a Divine Designer or Architect to perform such wonders. It takes "Manifold Wisdom"! Read Proverbs 8:22-31. But a spontaneous, self-evolving universe, that's the crap they are trying to sell us. They will say, No! The ideal of a God," in the beginning", who created all the order in the world that we see around us today is unsound learning, and should be relegated to myth. You see dear reader how God in His "MANY LAYERS OF WISDOM" used something so simple as... "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"... to confound the so-called wisdom of man? For man thinks that the idea of a Creator of all things is foolishness -- something to be mocked or scoffed at. But you see God used Scripture in the plain old language of man; in terms so terse, so powerful, so simple, that ALL of Humankind can understand it for ALL time. He did not use scientific terminology, philosophy, theory, or a complex formula or metaphor to tell His story. God is shouting to the hearts of mankind everywhere, Hey, I EXIST! I am Here! He used simple Scripture for all to read, so simple that even a four year old can understand them. So man is without excuse. Now that's the manifold wisdom of God. The Scriptures can save because they tell us how to be saved (Romans 10:8-13). They also can show us the wisdom and mysteries of the universe if we trust, obey, and believe God's Word (Proverbs 8:22-36). The Age of our earth But one will argue, what about the age of the earth? Doesn't Science prove that the earth is at least four billion years old. Now God in His infinite wisdom did not speak of time in this manner of billions of years. I said before that God did not use complex things or formulas to explain something that He wanted to simply communicate to man. Instead, He used simple words of wisdom to confound the so-called wise. I say, again, God did not use a stop watch or time piece when He created the heavens. For a day with the LORD is as a thousand years (Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8). According to the Hebraic perspective creation was based on a 24 hour clock (evening and morning equals a day), but God is outside of our perspective of time and space. THE GREAT I AM, His clock is not the same as our clock, for He lives throughout all eternity, and there is no clock or stopwatch in eternity. I say this because we do not know how long the earth was left in a state of emptiness or voidness and darkness as described to us in Genesis 1:2. We do not know the date, year, or hour, or how long it was before God caused the dry land to appear. See Genesis 1:9,10. Neither do we have the date before God fashioned, and filled the earth with all manner of life. God did not tell us, neither was man there to record it, or to time it on his watch. Man is not qualified to put a timestamp or date on creation, because, simply, he wasn't there! Man is qualified to only guess using his modern instruments, mathematics, physics, scholarship and science. Just because a man-made date appears in your bible does not mean it is totally and one-hundred percent right or without error. Neither was the vastness of the earth's darkness and watery chaos caused by Satan -- a so-called Lucifer flood. It was instead caused by God. Why? Because He wanted it that way. Please read Psalm 104:6. The earth in its original created state was not unlike any other planet or moon found in our universe, THAT IS, God made them totally EMPTY AND VOID. How do I know this. Well, because God didn't tell us that He created life elsewhere, and doesn't your so-called science bear this out? They might hope and search for life elsewhere but they will never find it. They might tell us that this planet has an ocean or a sun and a moon and the conditions are ripe for life, but it will never come to fruition. God is the ONLY creator of life, He is the Prime mover and shaker of Worlds, not your physics and science or some accidental chemical mix-up that resulted in a big bang explosion. And to say that Satan caused a Pre-Adamic flood on earth, or, that there were other humans before Adam, well, that is just plain old foolishness, and the so-called wisdom of man trying to marry God's creation story with modern Science. Once again, man's so-called wisdom is turned into foolishness. So let God be true, but every man a liar! (Romans 3:4). Adam created from the earth Now how about a man being created from the dust of the earth and in the image of his Creator (Genesis 1:26 and 2:7)? Surely, the wise in heart and mind will say, this is pure fantasy. Modern man in his own wisdom who is under the deception of the enemy (Satan), says, man spawned from the oceans. He is not a terrestrial creature, but a water bred creature instead. You remember that comet that deposited life in the earth's oceans? They will say it also deposited humans in a tadpole form, who later on slimed their way out of a watery chaos onto the dry land to later on become a monkey that eventually evolved into an upright, speaking, thinking, rational human being. Surely, they are certain this is the way it happened. Wrong! Not so! Because, as the bible states, man was created out of the dust of the earth, therefore, I can find minerals and chemicals that make up the dust of this earth in the body of every living, breathing human being. For man's foundation is in the dust, therefore, it makes perfect sense that he returns to it (Genesis 3:19: Job 4:19; 34:15; Psalm 90:3; Ecclesiastes 12:7). I can also find in the hearts and minds of people a rational, and thinking being not unlike their Creator. Although the way we treat our fellow man (Genesis 4:8) some of us act like we did indeed climbed out of a primordial soup, instead of being formed out of the very dust of the earth by the hand and living breath of God (Genesis 2:7). But don't blame that on the Creator. Blame it on the flesh of man and that old serpent, the devil, whom man loves to serve, instead of his Creator, God. A Woman From A Man What about a woman being built from the side of a man (Genesis 2:21-23)? The carnal and fleshly mind blinded by science will immediately reject this notion. The wisdom of God will not be mocked. Paul knowing the wisdom of God explains it in 1 Corinthians 11:8: "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man". But for the arrogant and self righteous he adds in verses, 11 and 12: " Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God." Oh, wise man, doesn't your science tell us that the man having the "XY" chromosome determines the female gender of the baby? Therefore, the woman having only the "XX" chromosome is dependent on the male for her gender? The woman needs the male to supply her the "X" chromosome, otherwise, she would not exist at all. Once again God used the so-called foolishness of "Adam's rib" to confound the man-made wisdom of your Science. Before the advent of man's microscopes, genetics, and science, God's wisdom proved to human beings through the Scriptures, that the woman does indeed come from the man! I AM YOUR CREATOR. I EXIST! The Man and Woman Are To Marry Here's a good one. What about a man and a woman, of the opposite sex, being married as it was in the beginning? Matthew 19:4-6. The world's laws, governments and courts would have this to sound foreign to us nowadays. They would like to make palatable the marriage and union of a woman with a woman, or a man with a man. They think this is love, and equal rights, but it is only perversion. It was perversion in the beginning, and it is still perversion today! Read Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Genesis 19:5; Romans 1:26-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Jude 7. Now God in His manifold wisdom wanted a man and woman to marry so that they could procreate and make more people. God wanted to reproduce Himself in the earth (Genesis 1:27; 5:1,2; Malachi 2:14, 15). God wants a pure marriage between a man and a woman so that they could produce godly and holy seed. This is impossible with two people of the same sex. "I was born this way"! God made me like this, so they unabashedly claim! If this were really true then it would be impossible to birth more people on the earth. Liars they all are! For they make God into a lie. In fact there wouldn't be any people on the earth. The human race would die completely out in about 150 years if the entire world took to this gay agenda, or may I say, gay spirit, for it is an unclean and perverted spirit. You need a male and female to keep seed alive on the earth (see Genesis 6:18,19; 7:2,3; 9:1). God knew this when He commanded male and female to "Be fruitful and multiply"! But modern man in his own so-called wisdom doesn't want it this way. The modern man in his perversion thinks that those who follow God's commandments concerning homosexuals, lesbians, and transgendered people are all an intolerant, hateful, and sorry lot. They think that God's people are not showing biblical love not to put up with their shenanigans. Well, they have it all wrong, turned upside down, and have perverted the ways of God who commanded a man and a woman to marry (Genesis 2:23). This is the WILL OF GOD and not the other! Read Genesis 1:27,28; 2:18, 21-25; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 19:3-9; Hebrews 13:4. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Now how about a tree of knowledge of good and evil planted in the midst of Paradise's Garden? Nonsense, huh? When Adam, the first man, was placed into the garden of Eden, he was as harmless and innocent as a three-month-old baby. But his mind was like unto God's. He not only had the mind of God, but the wisdom of God, too (Genesis 2:19-20). Man was at his best. He wouldn't have hurt a fly (Genesis 2:19). Man had morals. Man had a God-like conscience. But that old slippery serpent entered into the picture and corrupted the conscience of God's good creation -- Man! Satan exploited man's newly gained knowledge of good and evil (something God did not desire man to possess - Genesis 2:17; 3:3-7; 6:5,6; 11:6). He knew and understood that from here on out man's leaning would be towards the flesh and evil, always. See Genesis 6:5; 8:21. Satan exploited man's disobedience to God, so that he would only obey Self, the Flesh, and Satan. Now you have what you see in today's world; a world in a heap of trouble, a world full of violence, sin, and corruption. Human beings that are inherently evil and violent, that every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Is it no wonder man doesn't want to believe in or trust his Creator? Is it no wonder he will lie, cheat and steal his way to preeminence among his brothers? God gave man dominion over this world and the creatures in it (Genesis 1:26); not over each other, to exploit, or have rule over one another! So you see the foolishness of man wins out again. God has used a simple story of Scripture that a little child can understand to confound the so-called wisdom of man throughout the ages. Reader this is "the manifold Wisdom of God" at work in Scripture and in your hearts; to prove to man that he is NOTHING without God. Without God man will just annihilate himself and all of God's creatures along with him. What a fool man is! Noah's Flood I am tired of Satan and his minions saying, when are you Christians going to stop believing a lie about a world-wide flood? That flood in the bible was only a local flood made out and sensationalized to be a global flood. Stop telling lies. Don't they know that the Bible is not a book of science? It is a book of FAITH! For "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things NOT SEEN AS YET, moved with fear, PREPARED AN ARK TO THE SAVING OF HIS HOUSE; by the which HE CONDEMNED THE WORLD (not a local village or place), and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith". - Hebrews 11:7. The Scriptures, the Word of God, is for the believers, those that have faith. Noah was a believer, not a modernist, skeptic, doubter, or hater of God. He was a believer, and it was this belief that fearfully spurred him on to prepare an ark to the saving of eight souls. If Noah wasn't a man of faith, then there would be no earth's population today; so through one man's obedience, an entire world was birthed (Genesis 7:13; 9:18,19). The ways of that old, wicked generation, which passed away by mighty flood waters is forever marked. Read Job 22:15-17. They, like people today, asked, "what can the Almighty do for them?" God is concerned about both the righteous and the wicked, only He wants the wicked man to turn from his evil ways. This is called repentance. People perish because of unbelief. God in His manifold wisdom has given us a glimpse into the heart and mind of God, by slowly peeling back the layers of His grace, love, mercy and wisdom. It does no good to fight against God. You can't win that fight. The flood is a reminder of God's wrath towards sin and sinners, and God's grace and mercy towards those that love Him and keep His commandments. Noah's flood is no lie, but is God's revelation of His truth in Scripture. A once disobedient world was destroyed by water will once again be destroyed, but, this time, by fire (2 Peter 3:6,7). You will do well to take heed and save yourself from this untoward generation. For God has not appointed His own to wrath, but to salvation. Some dead, cold, modernistic, unbelieving bible scholar will say that Noah's flood is a story derived from an older Sumerian mythological account. These so-called bible scholars make the grave mistake of understanding the Scriptures through the lens of Israel's ancient neighbors. Now why would these so-called bible scholars do this? I will tell you why! Because this gives them an excuse not to believe in a miracle-working God who can destroy the earth with a flood. This allows them to remove the workings of a super-natural God and replace them with the mythological accounts of the heathen. This gives the biblical record in their natural eyes more of a human origin that was borrowed, copied and modified from Israel's heathen neighbors. Now, yes, there are some similarities in these stories. But, why, wouldn't there be? They are both ancient accounts of the same story. Although the two accounts, share some similarities, they are totally different. Read them for yourself. The Sumerian account is filled with stuff like a hero, myth, legend, and a whole pantheon of gods. The story of Noah's flood is a real account of what happened. Satan and his corrupt minions, that is, man, have corrupted and morphed the true story of Noah's flood into myth and legend. Satan will always take the pure things of God and corrupt them. Satan will pervert God's truth into a lie. In fact there are flood stories on all of the habitable continents. You will find them in Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, North America, and Australia. This attest to the biblical flood’s widespread fame and validity. Such a catastrophic event could never be erased from the hearts and minds of men, no matter how corrupted they have become. You see after the fall of man, the human race was sold out to Satan and demonic gods. Is it no wonder a backsliding race will try to redefine the truths and reality of God's word. But thank God, there were a few souls in that backwards generation that were not sold out to the devil, but, instead called on the name of a pure and holy God (Genesis 4:26c). We still need this today. We need a few souls to stand up for the word of God in this unclean and corrupt generation. About sixteen years ago my future wife and I were traveling through the Grand Canyon. And we stopped along the side of the road to behold an astonishing site to see. There were these seashells along the side of the road. We were thousands of feet above sea level. We were far, far away from any ocean. I thought, at first, maybe someone put these seashells there, but our guide assured us that that was not the case. I did some research and found that this was a worldwide phenomena. These seashells are even found in the deserts, not just on the tops of mountains like Mt. Everest. Now man's so-called wisdom, that is, his science, will try to explain away this phenomena. They will tell you that these mountains had to at one time be under water. Well, duh? I agree with that. See Genesis 1:2,9,10; 7:19; Psalm 104:3,6 (Poetic); 2 Peter 3:5,6. But man's science will go further and say that the seabed was raised by the activity of plate tectonics; that it was the buckling and shifting of the earth causing the mountains to rise and form. If Science were truly honest it would admit that such a cataclysmic event as the seabed rising would trigger a massive flood of global proportions anyway. Nevertheless our God from the beginning established the earth so that it cannot be moved or shaken, and the shores of the sea so that they cannot pass beyond what has already been decreed (Psalm 104:9; Proverbs 8:28,29; Jeremiah 5:22). This does not mean that God does not shake the earth from time to time to get our attention, or to draw us back unto Himself (Job 9:6,7; Isaiah 29:6; Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5; Matthew 24:7; Revelation 16:18). However, these seashells are not only found on the top of mountains that are thousands of feet above sea level, but, they are also found embedded inside of these mountains. Man's Science has already told you how the mountains were formed, and most of you will take it as the absolute truth. Now if two different tectonic plates are pushed into each other causing the land to buckle and mountains to form, wouldn't the mountains mostly form along the newly formed crack or point of the upward shifting of the earth? Yet, we see high mountains all over the planet, not just along the fault or the Great Global Rift. Would not such a violent action as two different plates crashing into each other crush, erode, or even destroy the seashells found on top, or inside of these mountains? But, no, we see them perfectly deposited and preserved on the tops and inside of these mountains. Science tell us that floods erode mountains and deposit their sediment in valleys. Duh? Yeah! See Psalm 104:6-8,10. Wouldn't the Bible give a better explanation for the preservation of these seashells? Now look at the "Manifold wisdom of God" as found in the Scriptures. The Bible tells us that during Noah's flood not only were the heavens pouring down rain, but the seas overflowed their banks, and the subterranean waters gushed out, too. Here's how it reads in Genesis 7:11. "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened". Here we see the floods of the deep pushing upwards and the floods of the heavens pushing downwards until the waters prevailed upon the entire earth in a very, very short span of time; only forty days and forty nights. The great upward and downward force of these great waters could have easily deposited these seashells inside and on top of the mountains without being eroded or crushed, but preserved perfectly as a witness to all generations to come. This sign along with God's great Bow in the sky (Genesis 9:11-17) are reminders of His covenant with all flesh, that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy ALL FLESH. "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches" (Psalm 104:24). Some wise guy will say, what about the fossils? Fossilization does not need millions or billions of years to occur. Many years ago my wife and I were walking along a canal near the Desert Botanical Gardens and we saw a fossilized fish. It looked as if it were a million years old, but it was not. Fossils can form very quickly. It only took forty days and forty nights for these fossils to occur during Noah's flood. That's because of the great force of the waters and its impact on the soil of the earth. Over time sediment builds and hardens into rock. Now I am no scientist, but I do have the wisdom of God. It is so easy for man to trust and believe in his science rather than trust and believe in God. After all it requires faith to even approach God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is something which by nature most folks are totally devoid of and which Satan eagerly wants to steal from the hearts of man (Luke 8:12). It is not foolish to believe in a God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is therein. However, it is foolish to believe that the heavens and earth and all things therein were created or formed of themselves and by themselves. This does not pass the common sense test nor are they worthy of a rational mind.
The Preaching Of The Cross Let me now come to the real crux of the matter. A Savior who died on a cross for your sins and mine and who was raised from the dead and was caught up into heaven where he awaits the great trumpet call from heaven to settle the score once and for all with Satan and fallen man. Sounds foolish, huh? Well, that is exactly what the Greeks thought upon hearing the Gospel message. And to the people the Messiah came to (the Jews) he was and still is a stumbling block to them and their religious leaders. See 1 Corinthians 1:23. You see man in his own so-called wisdom tried to comprehend the meaning and work of the cross but it was foolishness unto him and a thing to trip over or stumble upon. God had sent His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners and the world from corruption. The Messiah’s mission was a message of reconciliation to the world. God wanted to be reconciled with man and man reconciled to Him. But man in his haste to be wise missed it! Aren’t we still missing the point of the Gospel today? God wants men to call on His name again (Genesis 4:26). Not see Him as a fairytale or the figment of some man’s imagination or something you would read in a comic book or read about in a fantasy novel. The Gospel is man’s final curtain-call to either get right with his Maker or face the final onslaught of death and destruction. People need to flee into the "ark of safety" and be delivered and saved from this wicked world. Hallelujah! God has sent His DELIVERER. The ONE TRUE GOD has put all things into the Messiah’s hands and under his feet. God will settle the score once and for all with the devil and his cohort, wicked man. The preaching of the cross may seem foolish to some but it is the way of salvation to those who have been called to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The blood can never fail to save and deliver. Get right with God today. For now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Receive the love of the truth and be saved before it is too late (2 Thessalonians 2:7-14). Dwaine Anderson Holy Ghost Speak Revivals. inc. A Study of Hell The Enemy's Secret
Strategy Against The Word of God Man left alone to the stubbornness of his own heart will never consent to the reality of Hell! The King James bible has been under the constant attack of the enemy since 1881. Why 1881? This is when fifty scholars from Great Britain and America revised the King James bible using a different set of manuscripts primarily from Alexandria, Egypt. Now there was nothing new about revising the King James bible! The revisers had done it many times before. The Authorized King James Version Bible was first published in 1611, and subsequent printings of the text corrected a number of translation errors and spellings to reflect the modern vernacular; these revisions or updates occurred in the following years: 1612, 1613, 1616, 1629, 1638, 1660, 1683, 1727, 1762, 1769, and 1873. However, there was something different this time around. The manuscripts chosen this time were thought to be older, better and closer to the original manuscripts penned by the Apostles and Prophets through the Holy Spirit. Although very ancient, these manuscripts proved to be on the most part, unused, heavily revised, and corrupt. In fact, the monks that formerly had them in their possession had no real use for them at all because they were corrupt, and contained additions and subtractions, omitted sentences and entire sections of the biblical text, and were corrected by the hands of different monks down through the centuries. Before some of these so-called better manuscripts ever came to be known to the public they sat in their perspective monasteries; one rotting away on a bookshelf for centuries, called the "Codex Vaticanus": while leaves (pages) from the other, called the "Codex Sinaiticus", were casted into a wastebasket, only to be used as fuel for a fire to help keep a bunch of monks warm on those cold days and wintry nights inside their monastery. The flames should have consumed these corrupt manuscripts, then they would have only been a small footnote in the history of biblical scholarship, but instead they were rescued from the fire, and have become the basis and foundation for every new, and modern bible translation that has ever come out to date. As stated before these monks had no real use for these manuscripts. Isn't it ironic that other men's garbage has become the treasure of the modern bible translators? These new bibles are read in Christian homes and churches every Sunday. What a cunning work Satan has done on the so-called Christian church! The crooked scholars who discovered these ancient and corrupt manuscripts had a hidden agenda: they were hell-bent on destroying and replacing the long and illustrious legacy of the widely accepted Byzantine (i.e. the Majority text) and Received Text (i.e. the Textus Receptus) family of manuscripts used to translate the King James version and other bibles of the Reformation! The Vaticanus and the Sinaiticus manuscripts have primarily now formed a new and modern foundation for an eclectic Greek text based solely on the corrupt and heavily revised manuscripts of the Alexandrian or Egyptian school of thought. Today these eclectic Greek texts called: "UBS5" from (the United Bible Societies), and the "NA28", or (Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece) are the standard textual foundations for all new and modern bible translations of the New Testament, and are usually updated and revised every several years. Do you notice the numbers (5) and (28) after the above named Greek texts? Well, this tells us that the "UBS" is currently in its 5th edition, while the "NA" is currently in a whopping 28th edition! This means you now have a biblical Greek text that is moveable (ever changing, evolving), and not at all static or permanent (never changing). This means that the edition of the modern bible you are probably reading can change at any time. A change to your modern bible could be issued based solely on some new discovery, the revision of some Greek word or definition, or the whim of some bible scholar. Just because a thing is old does not necessarily make it accurate or the best thing for the job. It's just old! Around the mid-1800's the discovery of these corrupt manuscripts ignited the wicked imagination of some very learned and well-studied bible scholars of that era. Men in their own fleshly and worldly wisdom began to retire the word "hell" from the Holy Scriptures. This was a devilish inspired work done in order to diminish its true meaning! The word "hell" had to go! It had to be rejected and retired to the so-called pagan past of history. It had to be collected and filed into the category of myth and fantasy. These bible translators no longer believed in a Holy Bible, but, now believed in a bible after their own making and liking. They put their own knowledge and wicked imaginations to work to outdo the Word of God. But the Word of God cannot be outdone, let alone, by any man, or any devil! Now if you own one of these modern bibles, I want you to stop reading, and attempt to count from Genesis to Revelation how many times the word "hell" appears in your bible. If necessary, use an online concordance or book that is specific to the modern bible version you are currently reading and studying, then in comparison to the King James Version search how fewer times the word "hell" appears in your bible. The King James bible had been the authorized standard bible of the entire English speaking world for generations. Now it has been tossed aside for the so-called better and easier to read translations of the bible. Did the King James translators translate every Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek word of the Scriptures correctly, flawlessly, and without error? Of course not! If anyone thinks it is a perfect translation then they are out of their minds and are not being completely honest. If you have ever read "The Translators To the Reader" in the front section of a good and faithful 1611 King James bible, then you will see clearly that the translators themselves felt that they had fallen short of any sort of perfection. So all of your boasting and arguing will never make that which is an imperfect translation a perfect one. The true focus should be on the Hebrew and Greek family of manuscripts the translators used. Are they reliable? Are they the true Word of God passed down from generation to generation. English is not Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic, and can never be a true replacement for these languages. In order to fully express the true intention of the biblical writers, these foreign tongues must be translated, understood, then given an equal or corresponding word or thought in the readers' own language. This can only be done correctly through much learning, prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit of God! The King James bible may not be perfect but I tell you it is the closest thing to the original manuscripts that you will ever find today! Now have you done your own individual search and comparison for the number of times that the word "hell" appears in your modern bible? I have done half of the comparison work for you. Now the word "hell" appears a total of 54 times from Deuteronomy to Revelation in the King James version of the bible. How many times does it appear in your bible? Let's dig a little deeper. Primarily, behind the Old Testament word "hell", in the King James version is the Hebrew word "Sheol", (which we will discuss later and in much greater detail), and it is translated as "hell" 31 times. This same word is also translated as "grave" at least 31 more times, and "pit" at least 3 times. In the New Testament the King James bible translates the Greek word "Hades" as "hell", (which we will also discuss later and in greater detail), and this word appears 11 times. Only "once" is it translated as "grave", (see 1 Corinthians 15:55), in the New Testament. Another Greek word that the King James bible translates as "hell", is the Aramaic word "Gehenna". Again, we will discuss this word later in greater detail. It appears at least 12 times in the King James version. Atheists, Skeptics, Scoffers, and modern bible scholars have given the word "hell" an antiquated meaning and mythological status! You can hardly find the word in your bibles! If you did a fair comparison earlier you will see that I am right. Often it's not there! Because man has removed it just to satisfy his ego and to lead others astray from the pure and true Gospel of God and Christ contained in the Holy Scriptures. The true bible, the King James Version, teaches us that there is still a "Hell"! Science, the god of the modern atheist, will tell you that there is no such thing as "hell". Scoffers view it as a myth. Can your science see the unseen? Can it measure the unknown? Does it know the way of the Spirit? Scoff on if you must! But know that there will be a day of reckoning for their insolence! The bible has been modernized and translated over and over again just to satisfy a whole hosts of unscrupulous agendas and hidden motives! All of which are not entirely biblical or truly holy, and have fallen short of the glory of God. Most modern bibles don't even have the word "Holy" on their covers anymore. This new thing is entirely the work of the enemy. God's Word is under attack and most modern Christians blindly and willfully go along with the enemy's program to water-down and make of none-effect the truth and power of the Word of God. These modern versions are not the Word of God but are of another work! A strange work! The work of the enemy and his many minions! The enemy's work is aggressively driven by people of like-mind, who push his wicked agenda. They want to water-down sin! They want to make that which was unacceptable and an affront to God since the beginning of creation now acceptable, palatable, and normal. They no longer want to believe that their actions have a severe penalty. Don't judge! Mind your own business! Accept my truth no matter how sinful it might appear! Love me and accept me the way that I am! Again, please don't judge. Is it no wonder they scoff and laugh at the notion of an eternal hell fire? And no longer want the word "hell" to appear in their bible? They have chosen to follow their own stubborn and wicked imaginations. There can be no profit in this! A Future Apart From God People don't want to think about what happens to them after they die. They refuse to give it any thought. They have the attitude of those that forget God: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die! They figure if I don't believe in it, or if I don't think about it, then it must not be real, therefore, it does not matter to me. This is the attitude the enemy wants you to have. I tell you that you are ripe for his picking! Isn't it amazing how quick sinners are to believe in a Heaven, but not a Hell? They are so very quick to put even the worse of sinners into God's heaven after they have departed this life. You will hear them say of the dearly departed racist, or drunkard, or fornicator and adulterer, or deceased lesbian, or homosexual, or gang-banger, or thief and robber, that he or she was a good person! Open the pearly gates, Peter! My friend or loved one is coming! The truth is sinners love each other, and will do for one another. Sinners don't want to be faced with or to even think about a dear loved one or friend suffering in the torments of an eternal hell fire so they reject a God of vengeance for a God of love and tolerance. They say God is Love! Yes, He is! But He is also a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29)! Yes! That's in the New Testament, people! The God in the Old Testament is still the same God as in the New Testament. He is the same God and can never change. It is against His nature to change. God will never be put into your own little personal box. He is too big for that! God will never change or contort for you or be stuffed into your own personal belief system. Let God be God and every man a liar! I further find in some churches and organizations that people have traded a place of eternal fire and brimstone for a single day of total annihilation. Many hold to the doctrine that sinners and those who don't believe or worship the same way that they do will be resurrected with the wicked, only to be suddenly obliterated out of total existence. This annihilation thing is ridiculous! Don't they know that only the body and soul can be destroyed in hell -- not the spirit (Matthew 10:28 with 1 Thessalonians 5:23), which is eternal and indestructible? GOD, too, is Spirit! Angels are spirits! Can they ever be annihilated? Come on people! The enemy's agenda does not stack up well against the true Word of God. It never can no matter how folk try to twist and contort the truth of the Word of God to fit their own agenda and personal doctrinal belief system. This is nothing but a trick of the enemy! Man's fear of hell has made a way for a God of love who never punishes the wicked or disobedient; a God of love who never judges or sees the sins and deeds of people. The modern skeptics and bible scholars have jumped on the devil's bandwagon and have conceived a newer version of God's justice -- one without hell or the eternal punishment of the wicked. They believe that if they can remove the word "hell" from their bibles many gullible souls will fall in line and not believe in a "hell". The sad thing about it is that the enemy's agenda is on the rise. He has run a successful campaign. You have been a victim of his scam! Many of you have fallen for his dirty tricks. But enjoy being a victim of his schemes. Some of you love doing the devil's bidding. The truth is God wants all of His creation with Him. He does not want to lose any human being, and is willing that all be saved, and come to the everlasting knowledge of the truth, by the blood of the slain Lamb of God. Come, all who hunger and thirst after righteousness! Come, all who are weary and faint of heart and mind! Come, for He will give you to drink out of the wellspring of eternal life! God wants converted hearts and seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Anything less is a lie and will not meet the standard that Almighty God has set! We, too, must seek after God from the bottom of our hearts and live a life according to His will and commandments if we want to enter into His Heaven. Hell is a place of separation from God. It is a place of eternal punishment. A place where there is no rest for the wicked. Now a human court has a special place for evildoers. Sometimes mankind's penalties are very severe for wrongdoers. Sometimes (considering the circumstances) an evildoer might be sentenced to death if they have committed a heinous crime. Is God any less Just if He has a special place in "hell" for sinners and evildoers? If it is right for Human courts to punish the wicked according to man's laws, shouldn't we afford the Holy God the same Right, (and then some), being the Creator of ALL, to punish the evildoer and wicked person that intentionally breaks His laws? Yes, even man's own corrupt conscience will lead him to convict a wicked person. How much more God? Doesn't man's own conscience and convictions lead him to fight a just war and to kill his fellow man in an effort to dispense justice and keep peace in the world? If a wicked person is convicted of a crime doesn't man's judicial system separate that wicked person from the rest of society? Can a civilized society function properly if wickedness has gone amuck and violence is prevalent on all sides? Well then, God, too, has laws, punishments, justice and governance to keep His kingdom aright! His Kingdom cannot tolerate the deeds or presence of wicked people. There must be a separation. The Origin of the Word Hell Attention, skeptics and scoffers! Attention, so-called bible scholars! Attention, agnostics and atheists! The enemy knows that if he can steer you away from the reality of hell he can take your heart, mind, and soul captive! He wants you to be in a dark and fiery torment with him forever rather than to bask in the glorious light of God. He prefers you to think that a belief in "hell" is only for that old religious crowd. A myth for yesteryears. But God's Holy Word is filled with references to this dark place of separation and torments from His Holy presence. Where did this word "hell" come from in the first place? What does it really mean? Why is there a "hell"? Now I know dear reader that most of us have already been pre-programmed or predisposed to believe a certain way, or not to believe in anything at all, including the notion of a "hell". But with much praying, studying, and especially, with the help of God, and the Holy Ghost, I will attempt to convince you of the true meaning and the reality of "hell". Maybe we can finally get this thing right - - (for the some of you), perhaps for the first time. Indulge me for a moment and let me take you on a journey about the origin of the word "hell". Ready? I pray most of you can follow me. I wish to avoid getting too scholarly on the subject. But here we go! Words are important! Words are how we communicate with each other. We cannot fully understand each other without them. In the tedious work of translation, language must match word for word, line for line, thought for thought. This is necessary if we are to communicate effectively to the one who is without understanding of an unknown language. The reader must know what is being said or spoken. Words matter! Therefore, in order to discuss the word "hell" we must first define it, and seek its origin or source. This should dispel the growing myth that the word "hell" does not belong in your English bible because it is of pagan origin. This is just another lie from the devil! Our English word "hell" is just a cognate word for a similar word expressed in the ancient Greek tongue. Since most of you don't read Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, you have to use a translation in your native tongue, or you would never understand what is being conveyed to you by the biblical writers. For most of us that language is English. So where did the word "hell" derive from in the English language? The origin of the English word "hell" is as follows: Old English hel, hell, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hel and German Hölle, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘to cover or hide.’ Our English word for "Hell" stands out and clearly means to hide or cover. "Hell" is a place that is hidden, a place that is covered. This word "hell" was the closest Anglo-Saxon word equivalency that our English bible translators could find to convey the meaning of the Greek word "Hades", which literally means, "unseen", in the Greek language. As we will soon see this method of translation was not unlike the one used by the Jewish translators of the Septuagint. Now you know why the word "hell" is in our English bible, and where it comes from. In contrast, you may also compare the corresponding Latin word for "Hades", that is, "infernus", which means lower, that which lies beneath, belonging to the lower regions. Notice the different Greek , Latin, and English interpretations of "Hades" drawn out from these carefully chosen words? The Greek understanding means "unseen"; while the Latin understanding is a place located in the lower regions; and the English understanding is a place that is hidden or covered. You see words do matter! If they so desired, the translators of these different languages could have transliterated the word "Hades" into their own tongues. It was their choice. But, who without a background in the ancient Greek classics would even have had a hint or clue as to its real meaning? A word equivalency in their native tongues had to be found. You see in reality the English word "hell" did not truly have its origin in pagan Germanic culture as some would have you believe. Its true source goes even further back to the Greek word, "Hades". Now one might say, isn't the word "Hades", a Greek pagan word? Okay. That's a fair question. Yes, it is. To the ancient Greeks the concept of "Hades" would conjure, the god of the dead, who is called "Hades". This god was also associated with Pluto, the god of the lower regions; for the ancient Romans he would be called "Orcus", a god of Roman mythology. This god conjured the nether world or the realm of the dead. Now listen carefully to what I have to say. Millenniums before there was any ancient classical Greek, or before philosophy became the standard of the ancient Greco-Roman world; or before the founding of the Holy Roman empire, or ever before German or Norse tribesmen sprang up and out of Europe: the Hebrews wrote about, taught, and believed in "Sheol", or our "hell" as it appears in the English bible! In the 3rd century B.C., (before there was any New Testament, or any such thing as a Christian), supposedly, "Seventy" Jewish scholars got together to translate the ancient Hebrew Scriptures, (our Old Testament), into the Greek language. This translation is commonly called the Septuagint. During the process of translating the ancient Hebrew bible these Greek speaking Jews had to find a corresponding word that would convey the meaning of the Hebrew word, "Sheol", to their Greek speaking audience. Who of course on the most part were ignorant of the Hebrew language and culture. For these Greek speaking Jewish translators of the ancient Hebrew bible, "Hades" seemed to be the closest word equivalency in the Greek tongue, that even came close to expressing their Hebraic understanding of the word "Sheol". In a very small way it suggested some level of similarity with the Hebraic understanding and thought of "Sheol". Let me further elaborate -- these Hebrew speaking translators could have transliterated the Hebrew word "Sheol" for their Greek audience, (as so many translations do in error today), but what good would it have done? Their intended audience weren't familiar with the Hebrew tongue and knew very little of Hebraic laws and customs; much less the Hebraic understanding of "Sheol". Therefore, they found the closest word equivalency in the Greek language. So now we can infer from the Greek word "Hades" that the Jewish translators had no objections to also defining "Sheol" as an "unseen" place, too. I should further note that according to the Hebraic usage of "Sheol" it is also defined as the place of departed spirits. Now this suggests some small similarity with the Greco-Roman concept of hell. However, to a Mosaic law-abiding Hebrew these strange, foreign and pagan gods had no place or dominion in their understanding and usage of "Sheol. The Hebrews were monotheists! The Greeks were polytheists! Most Jews living at that time in Alexandria, Egypt were, of course, very familiar with Greek culture and thought. However, most faithful Jews did not like the influence of Hellenism. (For example, compare the Jewish "War of the Maccabees", which was basically started as a rejection of Greek culture and assimilation. Also compare the prophesies in Daniel 11:30-32 with Zechariah 9:12-13). Therefore, the Greek word "Hades" as conveyed in their translation of the bible had to be modified, redefined, that is, stripped of all its pagan symbolism. For "Hades" could not have the exact same understanding and meaning to them as it did for the Greeks. Since there was no exact word equivalent found they had to exercise the Greek with Hebrewisms, so to speak! Hades to them only suggested a very small corresponding kinship to their word "Sheol". You will not find the gods Hades, Pluto, or Orcus in "Sheol". Since it was proper and right to strip "Hades" of all its' pagan gods and symbols, so, too, must modern man strip away any notion about a devil with a pitchfork and horns. This should totally be rejected, as well! These are all fantasies of man's wicked imagination. The stripping of real things seen or unseen of their pagan symbols is not something new to the Hebrew Scriptures. It occurs in the first chapter of the book of Genesis. In Genesis 1:16, Moses by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, tells us that God created two lights in the heavens - one greater light, and one lesser light. Literally, in the Hebrew tongue, one big light, and one small light. Moses obviously knew the names of the sun and moon, yet, the Holy Ghost did not allow him to use them, because they are prone to be worshipped (by men of ancient times) as deities, and figured prominently in their pagan creation stories. He instead employed the language of a little child -- a big light and a little light. Thus, not putting these celestial bodies out and upfront in the creation; but making them instead as almost afterthoughts of the creation, and in turn stripping them of all of their pagan symbols and symbolism. Only God is left as the sole creator of the heavens above! There is no hint or suggestion of any celestial objects, or gods to be worshipped and adored. Compare Deuteronomy 4:19. In the ancient Near East, "Shamash", the sun god was worshipped. The Hebrew word for "sun" is "Shemesh". I tell you, of a truth, that Hebrew is really an ancient Canaanite language, (compare Isaiah 19:18), stripped of all its paganisms and symbols, as the Greek was. What "Shemesh", (Hebrew for sun) meant to the ancient Canaanites, did not mean exactly the same thing to the ancient Hebrews. To the Canaanites "Shemesh" or "Shamash" conjured the sun god. To the Hebrews "Shemesh" meant (just the sun) -- a big or greater light! The Canaanite language was so rich and steeped in paganism and symbolisms is it no wonder the Israelites often backslid? They were constantly reminded of their pagan surroundings, not only through sight and sound, but also through the language they spoke! This must of been a great source of temptation for them to serve other gods. "Everyday words" and "things in nature" reminded them of the strange gods that the surrounding nations worshipped. For example, even something as simple as the sea, had its corresponding god, named, Yam, the god of the sea. The Hebrews used this very same word for the "sea", minus, of course, its paganism. How about a word that affects all of mankind -- the word (death). For the Canaanites, death conjured, Mot, the god of the underworld. The Hebrews used the same root word, (Mat or Maveth) to describe death, yet, minus, its paganism! The Hebrews spoke the same language as the Canaanites, but because of their Hebrewism of the language, they were able to wipe it clean of its pagan influences. That is why we call it Hebrew, and not Canaanite! Now there is a modern day equivalency for all of this. We can still see vestiges of paganism in today's modern society. Just look at the days of the week! Let's specifically focus on, SUNday, or, as it was once known as, the Day of the Sun, or, on MONday, formerly, known as the Day of the Moon. These pagan symbols and symbolisms are still with us today, despite advancements in travel, science, medicine, and technology! However, you must see that the days of the week have all been stripped of their paganism and symbols. Who still worships the Sun on the day of the Sun -- Sunday? Who still worships the moon on the day of the Moon -- i.e., Monday? In fact, who worships Thor, the god of thunder on his day - - Thursday? Or the god Saturn on his day -- Saturday? So you see we have "modernized" the days of the week by stripping them of their paganism! The discoveries of ancient Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian cuneiform clay tablets have caused the modern bible scholars to go crazy and recast, revise, rethink, reinvent, and reinterpret the ancient Hebrew Scriptures. In their love for research they think that they can give the Scriptures their own fleshly truth by making them more understandable in the study and light of these ancient Near Eastern cuneiform tablets. Only the Holy Ghost can help you properly understand the bible, not ancient Ugarit, Chaldean, Hebrew, or Greek! These modern bible scholars and translators think they can cast a giant light on the Hebrew bible. But the Holy Scriptures casts an even bigger shadow on their modern day theories and translations. They try to introduce a pagan influence on the Holy Scriptures when all paganisms and their symbols have already been stripped away by the inspired writers of the Holy Bible. Like the ancient Near East pagans of old they want to make us believe that the bible describes the earth as flat with a solid dome over it to keep the water above the sky out. They want us to believe that the Holy Scriptures teach that the sun and moon are described as lamps hanging from a dome, with the stars as small holes poking through this dome, and that the rain is caused by water leaking through the dome. These are all lies of the Devil! These are the lies of some Scientists, Skeptics, Atheists and Agnostics! Oh! How they love to tell this tale. This is fuel for their dying flames! This lie brings an arrogant and proud smirk to their repugnant faces, and hardens their hearts even more, to the point that their minds have become reprobate. The enemy and his many minions want you to believe that only they and their Science have the answers! They don't realize it, but ancient discoveries like "Enuma Elish", Gilgamesh and Enkidu, or "the Code of Hammurabi", for example, only strengthens the originality, purity and truth of the Holy Scriptures. God in the very beginning left Himself a witness in the earth as to the real story of His creation. That is, until wicked and sinful men got a hold of it and turned it into something ugly and grotesque! The real truth, the real story of creation, can only be found in the Holy Bible! Not in any of your false narratives, false Sciences or empty theories! "In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth". Atheist, what are you going to do with that? Have you ever cared or gave this a passing thought? Now we know that ancient ideals and cultures were often shared or were unwillingly forced upon others through war and conquest. We can clearly see from many of these ancient cuneiform texts that ancient peoples were often in agreement and shared concepts relating to: death, life, the after-life, gods, sacrifices, worship, culture, the sacred, the unclean, days of rest, time of sowing, harvest, buying, selling, laws, judges, courts of laws, rites, language, craftsmanship, kingdoms, royalty, slaves, the emancipation of slaves, war, peace, weapons, money, food, drink, feasts, diseases, mourning, building, and labor. But because of sin and rebellion against God people often built cults and rituals around these everyday concepts and things. Man being fashioned and found in the image of God is a free-thinker and is very capable of doing great things on his own. However, man's work is tainted with the stain of sin, rebellion, and iniquity. This iniquity and rebellion cause man to slowly progressed into something different from his Creator, something unrecognizable, something very strange! People began to create stories consisting of a pantheon of gods, after their own likeness, they exchanged the image of the Living God for four-footed beasts, celestial bodies, and the defiled bodies of men, they did this until it became this gross monstrosity and misrepresentation of the True and Living GOD. These pantheon of gods usually acted like untamed men that were very bloody and capricious in nature. God had to "Do Something"! This thing had to be restored as it was in the very beginning! It had to be made clean again! So God called out a few folks to worship Him and to restore this thing to its original state. God promised fallen Mankind a Redeeming Saviour and Deliverer in the book of Genesis! In that very same Book, God called Seth, the head of the Messianic line! God called Enoch, the seventh from Adam who prophesied about the coming of the Lord, a man who walked with God, and was translated in his godless generation! God called Noah, to preserve all of mankind and the Messianic line with it! God called Shem, as the progenitor and head of the Shemitic line: from this line He called Abraham, as the father of Faith and head of the Messianic nation, i.e., the Hebrews! God also called, Isaac, heir to the covenantal promises! He also called, Jacob, the father of Israel and the faithful promises! God chose Judah, as the tribe of the Messiah, and, finally, God sent His Only Begotten Son, into the world, made of a woman, born under the law, to suffer and die for us and to be resurrected from the dead, thus, defeating the enemy of all flesh -- death and Satan! Now Jesus Christ, through, faith, and the shedding of His blood, and the power of his resurrection by the Spirit of God, has restored all things, as it was in the very beginning. We can only find the original meaning and true essence of God's will and purpose for all of mankind in the Holy Bible. The Translation of the Bible Now when Jesus by the Holy Ghost commanded the writers of the New Testament to go preach the Gospel to all of the world, it was at that time predominantly Greek speaking, so they on the most part used the Jewish translation of the Old Testament, or the Greek Scriptures contained in the Septuagint. Now this is how the word "Hades" came to be used in the Greek New Testament. Thus making Greek the sacred lingua of the Apostolic period. Only to be later eclipsed by the Latin tongue, via the Latin Vulgate. Now the Latin bible ushered in a period of darkness because of the sins of the Clergy and that no man could understand or read the Latin except the learned and Priests. The common man was left to the whim and mercy of the Priests! Therefore, God in His grace shined a great light on the translation work of the men of the Reformation. William Tyndale, being one of the martyrs of the Reformation once famously said, in response to a Catholic priest, " If God spare my life, before very long I shall cause a plough boy to know the scriptures better than you do!" For speaking these words, William Tyndale would pay dearly with his life, but it was nothing but the Holy Ghost speaking through him. Years later he was strangled and his body burned for putting the Holy Scriptures in the language of the common man. Tyndale's translation is the foundation and basis for the King James version. The King James version is the only contemporary bible that I know of that was translated during times of persecution and the spilling of the blood of martyrs. How does your modern bible version stack up? A Study on Sheol To the Hebrew "Sheol" was a real place (not a metaphor) where all people went after death, both the wicked and the righteous. Unlike the cultures of the ancient Near East, Greece, and Rome, "Sheol" was not filled with myth or capricious gods that ruled in the nether regions of the earth. But "Sheol" was a final resting place for the bodies and souls of all those departed spirits that waited until the final day of resurrection and Judgment. (Compare just a few verses in Ecclesiastes 12:7 (read with verse 14); Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2). According to the translators of the King James bible, the word "Sheol" suggested death, the grave, and the realm of departed spirits. The Hebrew word, "Sheol", appears at least some 65 times in the Hebrew manuscript that the King James Version translators used to translate the Old Testament, namely, (the Ben Chayyim Masoretic text). As we have seen above, the KJV translators used the words "hell", "grave", and the "pit", to translate the Hebrew word "Sheol" to its English speaking audience. Hell, pit, and, the grave are all synonyms for the word "Sheol" in the King James Version, which shows you its' nuance or various shades of meaning. The
very root of the Hebrew word "Sheol" comes from a three lettered
Hebrew verb: Shin, Alef, and Lamed, (Hebrew
is read right to left), that is,
"Sha'al", which
means, to ask, or
inquire. (Never
mind that modern scholars are currently
trying to
reassess
and reassign
its true and
proper meaning
to some
other origin or source of a different Near Eastern language.
Regarding modern biblical scholarship and words that have had
generational and traditional meaning in the
Holy Scriptures
for
millennia,
they
will often change
words, times, and definitions in order to
push or
move
the goal post in their own interests. We should not be shocked
at this since their agenda is purely fleshly and satanic in
origin. Nevertheless, the foundation of the
Holy Scriptures
is
sure and true).
I tell you that anyone who can read a little Hebrew can clearly
see that the root word embedded in the Hebrew word "Sheol" is
"Sha'al" (for
example, compare
the Hebrew name of King "Saul",
which means asked, inquire, request).
It has no other meaning! Now why would the Hebrews use the root
of the verb "to
ask"
or
"to inquire"
to form the noun "Sheol"? Well, it
is because
God put
it in the conscience of ALL ancient peoples to know that there
was something else after death, something beyond this life and
the grave, they knew in their hearts and minds that death was
not just all blackness, and oblivion in the grave. Only in
today's modern world of science and technology did folks start
to deny an existence of an after-life. Unlike today you would be
hard-pressed to find any atheists in those ancient times. I
would say it would be nearly impossible. Now they might have
taken license and mythologized the meaning of the grave and the
after-life, but they were only given a small window into that
truth, even though they turned it into something else outside of
the true knowledge of God. You see the Hebrews
knew that "Sheol" meant more than just the grave,
as we
have already seen
above.
"Sheol" is a
place where after death,
the
dead
are
in a state of spiritual
consciousness, a place where
departed
spirits
(sometimes called in the bible "Rephaim", i.e., "spirits") went,
therefore,
ancient peoples
wanted "to
communicate",
that
is, "ask and
inquire",
of them,
often
through the
means of Necromancers,
or people who can talk to the dead. Necromancy
rested on the idea that there was some communication between the
living
and the
dead,
and the realm
below.
(Compare Isaiah 8:19, 20). This type of communication was
strictly forbidden in the Old Testament. (Compare Deuteronomy
18:10-12). If the dead are truly gone forever, then why try to
talk to them? If God can create with just a sentence this great,
big, old universe that cannot be measured, surely, He can raise
our dead and corrupt bodies with just a word! This is just not
too hard for God! Necromancers are what we would call spiritualist today. Compare 1 Samuel 28:7-20 and Isaiah 8:19; 29:4, for a few examples. The ancient world was filled with these types of people, even in ancient Israel. As we have seen, talking to the dead is recorded in the Holy Scriptures, but this does not make it right! No more than the righteous King David committing the act of adultery with Bathsheba makes adultery okay now. The following are a few Hebraic facts regarding "Sheol", which is, the Greek New Testament equivalent of "hell": Sheol or hell was a place that was set on fire from the LORD, read Deuteronomy 32:22 and Isaiah 30:33 (compare here the New Testament "Gehenna" and "Lake of Fire" which we will discuss later). Fire here suggests some kind of torment or punishment. It is vicious and it is persistent! Some scoffers will say that the fire or flames are metaphorical, and are influenced by pagan teachings in Persia or Babylon during the years of Jewish exile. They are not! Only the later Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal writings were given to a deep influence from the Greek, Persian, and Babylonian mythologies. These writings were rejected by most Christians and law-abiding Jews, so they were never part of the holy canon or the corpus (body) of Spirit-inspired Scriptures. If hell isn't real, if it is only a myth, then why do men strive so hard against the belief in it? Sheol or hell is a place without measure, read Isaiah 5:14. And is very deep, too. Compare Job 11:8. Compare the Greek word "abussos" for the abyss or bottomless pit. Sheol or hell is a place where all the wicked, and the nations that forget GOD are sent to, read Psalm 9:17; Isaiah 14:9; Matthew 11:23, 24 (Hades). Sheol or hell is a place where people sought deliverance from, read Proverbs 15:24; 23:14; Psalms 16:10; Jonah 2:2, 6. Sheol or hell is hidden from people, it cannot be searched out by men or his Science, only God can see it, (compare Job 26:6; Proverbs 15:11; Psalms 139:7, 8 and Amos 9:2). For men cannot search out hell no more than they could heaven! Sheol or hell is just another word for the pit or the grave, read Genesis 37:35; 42:38; 44;29, 31; Numbers 16:30. In the New Testament Gospels another word for "hell" is used. It is the word "Gehenna". As stated above it appears at least 12 times in the King James bible. And is really the transliteration of an Aramaic word. This word is often found in the mouth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Gehenna was a real place and is used as a type or symbol to describe the place called "hell" and "the Lake of Fire". Both places befitting the future eternal punishment and destruction of the wicked. The word Gehenna has its origin in a small valley located in Jerusalem where the residents later on burned their garbage and waste. However, in times past many wicked and disobedient Jews sacrificed their children to the flames there. The valley of Gehenna was to the people of that day a daily reminder, a vivid depiction or picture, of an everlasting burning hell fire, for all to see in living color. The word Gehenna was not limited to Jesus alone. It was also used by the Rabbi's of his day and even appears in the Talmud and other Jewish writings. The prophet Isaiah in comparison gives us an interesting description that looks a lot like this Gehenna: Isa
66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of
the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall
not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be
an abhorring unto all flesh. You can compare the above Scripture with Mark's Gospel.
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. This phrase is repeated in the King James Version of the Gospel of Mark at verses 9:44, 46, and 48. This repetition was used by Jesus to emphasize the eternal condition of the wicked, but the Alexandrian manuscripts removed this repetition. What was their motive? Mark chapter 9 is a clear illustration of the fiery torments of an eternal hell fire and destruction of the wicked. Now why does the reality of hell cause
men to lose their minds and go contrary to the Word of God? We
have already touched on some of the reasons why, above. But may
I give one more reason. It is because people want to do what
they want without impairment, consequence, or fear of judgment
for their actions. They hate being judged for what they do! They
believe that there will be no day of judgment! They think that
their evil deeds will go without punishment. The God-hating
atheists wants you to consent with them that there is no God,
that there is nothing after this life, and that there is no
hell! They rejoice in shipwrecking your faith. They don't want
there to be any faith left on the earth. They think that after
this life there is only blackness and nothingness; that there
are no consequences beyond the grave; that you are destroyed
like a dead dog. Yes, death is darkness, but it cannot hide from
God, for He overcame it by the death and resurrection of His
Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth! God laughs at death! For it is
foreign to Him, and cannot touch Him. It is under the feet of
Jesus! Abraham's Bosom and the Lake of Fire Burning with Brimstone Jesus Christ of Nazareth tells us about "Abraham's Bosom" in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar. (Read Luke 16:19-31). Abraham's Bosom is a place located in the heart of the earth where the righteous go after death only to be separated from sinners by a great gulf (chasm) that has been fixed (Luke 16:26). Some denominations and organizations will tell us that this is just a parable, and it is not real. It is just a story. Well, I have news for you, this story is real! It is just as real as a beggar on skid row, or a rich man on Wall Street! It is just as real as people dying and being buried, every day. If these so-called Christian denominations and organizations think that angels are real... if all the other things in this parable are real, then why can't hell be real, too? Oh! Could it be that their doctrine doesn't teach the existence of a literal hell? Therefore, they have a vested interest to destroy your belief in it. Now it is highly possible that the phrase "Abraham's Bosom" originated with Jesus. It is found only once in the later Rabbinic writings of the Talmud. Perhaps its later appearance is purely coincidental or this phrase was already known to the Jews of Jesus' day and thereafter. Nevertheless, I can tell you that no one was ever puzzled as to what Jesus meant by "Abraham's Bosom"! Surely, this was no story that he made up just to entertain people. In Ḳiddushin 72b (Gemera), Adda bar Ahava, a rabbi, known as an amora, of the second generation (third and fourth centuries), is said to be "sitting in the lap or bosom of Abraham," which means that he has entered paradise. Look here! Do you see how quick sinners are to put each other in heaven? This is the way of sinners. Their favorite phrase is, "Don't judge"! But they are the first to lineup and enter into God's heaven, no matter how evil or blasphemous their words and deeds have been. Jesus came to his own people first so that they might have eternal life and be the people God called them to be. However, they rejected him and God in turn rejected them, (unless they repent), and believe in the One whom God sent down from heaven to save them from their sins. Sinners usually pave their own slippery ways to heaven, but it is paved with fool's gold! Now you might think, why use the phrase "Abraham's bosom"? Because he is the father of faith! And was an example for all others to follow. Read Romans 4:11,12, 16. Abraham's bosom was a place of comfort, safety, and protection, as clearly illustrated by the arms of Abraham which held and comforted the beggar close to his chest (Luke 16:23). You can also compare the imagery found in Isaiah 40:11 and John 13:23,25. Did anyone notice that the beggar was carried by angels, but the rich man was simply buried (Luke 16:22)? From the illustration of Abraham's Bosom we can clearly see a far-off separation of the righteous from the wicked who are in "hell" (Greek, "Hades"). Abraham's Bosom is just another name (Euphemism) for "Sheol", and like "Sheol" it is a place where both the wicked and righteous went after their death and burial. For the rich man while even in torments could see and talk to Father Abraham (Luke 16:23). Have you ever wondered what happened to the righteous who went to Abraham's Bosom? Well, the righteous in Abraham's Bosom were delivered from "Sheol" or "hell" (the place of departed spirits) when Jesus died, and descended to the lower parts of the earth, otherwise, known as hell or the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40), i.e. the unseen realm of the dead. In the short time that Jesus spent there he went and preached or herald the Gospel message of his resurrection unto the spirits (namely, the dead of the past disobedient and rebellious generations) who were in prison (that is, "Sheol", or "hell"). And, thereafter, delivered Noah and the rest of the Old Testament saints from "Sheol" into Paradise, where he led captivity captive, and ascended to His Father in great victory and glory. (Compare Job 17:16; 38:17; Ephesians 4:8-10; Hebrew 11:7; 1 Peter 3:18,19; Matthew 27:52,53). You see, by preaching to the spirits in prison, Christ by the Gospel proclaimed or herald his triumphant victory over sin, death, and the devil! While in hell Christ did not offer salvation to save and deliver any of the past wicked and disobedient generations. He only proclaimed or herald his victory! Hell is permanent and irreversible for the wicked and disobedient. There is no purgatory or escaping it (Luke 16:25-31)! Now at the end of time hell,
death, and all of its inhabitants
will be thrown into the Lake
of Fire and brimstone, the
place of fiery eternal torment, (Revelation 20:10, 14, 15;21:8;
Isaiah 66:24), not total
annihilation, as many
erroneously teach and preach. Unlike Hell or Abraham's Bosom,
the Lake of Fire and Brimstone is not located in the unseen
lower parts of the earth, but is in the very presence of the
holy angels and the Lamb of God (Revelations 14:10). The
righteous being in the presence of the Lamb will also be able to
look upon the souls and spirits of unrepentant sinners in this
eternal and fiery torment. The fire and brimstone are
reminiscent of the judgment and wrath of God and the lamb being
poured out on the rebellious and sinners. Compare Genesis 19:24;
Luke 17:29-30; Psalms 11:5-6; Isaiah 30:33; 34:8-10; Ezekiel
38:22; Daniel 7:9-11. Does God Send people To Hell Originally God did not ignite the eternal flames of Hell and the Lake of Fire just to punish people. He ignited those flames to punish those fallen and disobedient angels that left their first estate, namely, that glorious and holy place called Heaven! Read Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4 (the word hell used in Second Peter is from a different Greek word, "Tartarus" - it is a prison, [compare Jude 6]; a deep dark abode for the wicked angels where they are imprisoned for their evil deeds. NOTE: There are no Giants or Titans in the biblical meaning of the word). Hell was originally meant for the devil and his angels. Not for people made after the image and likeness of God. But humans wanted to follow the devil; they wanted to be his children and imitate his rebellious deeds; they wanted to be like him! So don't they deserve the same punishment as he does? Don't they deserve to be with their master, always? This is why sinful human beings will share the same fate as the Devil and his angels being casted into hell and the Lake of Fire together as an eternal punishment for their rebellion and sins (2 peter 2:4; Revelation 20:10-15). Is this how you see God? Is He such a capricious ogre who on a whim or out of spite condemns people to a burning hell fire? Do you see God as someone who likes to torture people? Do you think that He delights in the sufferings of mankind? Or does He derive pleasure from seeing people burn? God forbid! Of course not! But some of you think He does. The enemy has so twisted your minds that you think God only exists only to put you in pains or to be the killjoy in your life? Such foolish and reprobate minds you people have! God does not send anyone to Hell! You fail to realize that it is your very own actions, and stubbornness of heart and mind, that will condemn you to an eternal hell fire. Not The Just and Holy GOD! He is Just because He must be fair in His judgment. He cannot be bribed or seduced like humans. He does not lie or cheat like humans. He is Holy and the True Judge of our hearts and motives. He does not want to condemn you to death. This is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so that you might repent and be delivered from Hell and the Lake of Fire. If He were a mean ogre like some of you erroneously think then He would not have sent His Only Son to die for a bunch of uncaring and ambivalent sinners. He would just have let us perish in our own miseries. The door has been opened. The door to the ark has yet to be closed and sealed. Repent while it is today! God has thrown you a life-line. Be wise and grab hold to the anchor of your souls. Only you can determine if you want to escape an eternal hell fire and damnation! It is your own choice -- Not God's! What are you going to do? Are you willing to take the chance that there is no such thing as hell? This is a personal decision! No one can make it for you -- not the Pastor, Preacher, so-called holy man, Rabbi, Imam, Pope, potentate, mother, father, sister, brother, cousin, or Social Worker. Only you can determine if you will end up in hell! How To Avoid Hell To sum up this is how we avoid hell: 1) From the sincerity of your heart you must repent of your sins, and believe on, and accept Jesus Christ of Nazareth as your own personal Saviour! This has nothing to do with what theories you subscribe to, or what church, mosque, temple, or synagogue you attend or belong to. It is a personal choice of the heart and mind. 2) You must follow Christ! This means to obey his commandments and do the will of the Father. For Jesus did the Father's will in every way without error or deviation. We, too, must imitate Christ if we want to spend eternity with him in heaven. Do not sin willfully! This does not mean that you will live a perfect life without any mistakes, faults, or sins for this is why Christ shed his blood on our behalf! So God has provided something called "repentance". (1 John 1:8 - 10). Use it every day! 3) Pray always, praise and thank God often in the Spirit for the things He has done for you, and for victory and deliverance over the enemy! For it is God who gives us strength, power and victory over the Devil. 4) The bible is our road map to heaven so we should make sure that the primary translation we are reading is not faulty or inaccurate. If we use the wrong map we will get lost and lose our way. So make sure you are reading the right bible. 5) Exercise your faith in God and Christ daily and help others to overcome sin and the Devil! May God grant you grace and peace as you
travel on the road to heaven! Dwaine Anderson Shepherd of Holy Ghost Speak Revivals, inc.
What is God's Name This should not be such a big deal, but the way to say God's name has divided Christian denominations, organizations, individuals, and even bible scholars. How do you pronounce God's name? Are we even allowed to say God's name? Now it is obvious from the Holy Scriptures that God does have a proper name. He told it to Moses (Exodus 3:14). He spoke to Moses as the "I AM THAT I AM" (KJV), or literally, "I will be, what I will be", that is, the Unchanging God Who exists forever! This self-expression, or shall I say name, is found written in the Hebrew Bible almost 7,000 times, as the so-called "Tetragrammaton" (meaning four-letters), and is most often articulated as, Yahweh. This Divine Name is expressed in Holy Scripture in two contracted forms, namely, as YHWH (or YHVH, or JHVH), or the even more shortened form, YAH, (or JAH)! (For truly there is no "J" sound in the Hebrew, but you will find it in the Latin and the German, instead). Compare Psalms 68:4 in the KJV. In former times there were no vowel points, punctuations, and stress marks, only consonants in the original Paleo-Hebrew script; therefore, today, one has to rely on the traditional vowel points and marks supplied by the Masorahs (about 500 A.D. - 900 A.D.). These were the masterful gatekeepers of the traditional Hebraic text. These widely accepted vowel points, punctuations, and stress marks tell us what words mean, where to pause while reading the text, and how to properly pronounce the fixed consonantal Hebrew text out loud. These gatekeepers of the sacred text being obedient Jews did not believe it was right or proper to read or speak God's holy name out loud. So out of reverence for God they added vowel points from the other titles addressed to God, such as, "Adonai" (meaning Lord) and "Elohim" (meaning God) to the consonants of God's name, so that when you come across His name in the biblical text it is not announced or read out loud. You would read Yehovah or Jehovah instead. In addition, the Rabbi's would often substitute God's holy name for Elohim, Adonai, EL Shaddai, or Ha Shem (Lit. the Name). This frequency for not saying God's name is also found in the New Testament. Although, YHWH can be found scribbled on a few ancient Greek manuscripts, the holy name of God is widely substituted for the title, κύριος, "LORD". This comes by way of the Greek translation of the Old Testament called, the LXX, or Septuagint. Why are religious men so averse to speaking God's name? Doesn't He have a name? Doesn't He want us to invoke it in times of trouble or when at prayer? Even Jesus instructed us to pray, "Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy NAME" (Matthew 6:9 and Revelation 14:1)! If Jesus himself told us to hallow, that is, glorify, set apart as holy, God's name, then shouldn't we be able to pronounce it, or say it aloud in prayer with holy reverence, despite what tradition or religious teachers might say? I
don't see why the pronunciation of God's Name is such a
mystery or is still taboo to many! Many Jews might not realize
it, but they speak and read God's holy name all of the time.
Follow me for a second. If you ever read the names of the
Hebrew prophets or kings, (not so much easily
distinguishable in the Anglicized pronunciation of their
names), but the Hebrew pronunciations of their names,
you will see that God's name and how to properly pronounce it
are right there in front of your eyes for all to see and hear.
Just to name a few: For
example, the
Anglicized Isaiah
in the Hebrew tongue is: Yesha-YAHU
(YAHU
or YAH is my Salvation)
[pronounced yahoo] ישעיהו
ישעיה Jeremiah
is Yirmi-YAHU
(YAHU or YAH has uplifted)
ירמיה ירמיהו Josiah
is Yoshi-YAHU
(YAHU
or YAH Supports or Despairs) יאשיה
יאושיהו Hezekiah
is Hezeki-YAHU
(YAHU is my Strength)
חזקיהו Zechariah
is Zekhar-YAH
(YAH remembers)
זכריה
Elijah,
whom the Jews call on every Passover is, Eli-YAHU
(My God is YAH or YAHU)
אליה So you see the Prophets and Kings have the supposedly unspoken holy name of God -- YAHU, (sometimes contracted to YAH), appended to their names. So that when you read or speak the name of these prophets or kings you are also invoking the holy name of God! Even when a modern Israeli reads or speaks the name of their 9th Prime Minister -- Benjamin "Bibi" (Netan-YAHU), בִּנְיָמִין "בִּיבִּי" נְתַנְיָהוּ, they say the holy name of God! The 4th century B.C., Aramaic texts found at Elephantine (a Jewish garrison or military colony. See Syene in Ezekiel 29:10; 30:6) bears witness to the true pronunciation of the holy name of God. (Aramaic is a close cognate language to Hebrew). You will see in their correspondence to the temple Priests and Jews in Jerusalem that God's name is written, read, and pronounced with ease and without fear of punishment. It was written as YAHO, or YAHU! Furthermore, there are two Egyptian texts that record the Divine Hebrew Name of God, one dated to the period of Amenhotep III (14th century B.C.), and the other to the age of Ramesses II (13th century B.C.): both refer to "Yahu in the land of the Shasu or Šosū-nomads" (written in Egyptian Hieroglyphics as, t3 š3św yhw), in which yhw/Yahu is a toponym. - See the Wikipedia article: Shasu of YHW
Now regarding the name yhw[3], Michael Astour observed that the above "hieroglyphic rendering corresponds very precisely to the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH, or Yahweh, and antedates the hitherto oldest occurrence of that divine name – on the Moabite Stone – by over five hundred years." - Astour (1979), pg. 18. We have already seen that you will not find the holy name of God in the New Testament. However, the New Testament does give us a better revelation of the holy name of God. I can truly say that it gives an even more intimate name than YAHU! It is the title that the Saviour used. It is Father! This is the most intimate and loving name of our holy God. For as soon as a baby is able to speak it does not speak the titles or the names of its mother and father, but calls them mama or dada, that is, Mother and Father. The child knows that his or her parents are the ones who loves them, and that they are the ones who will nourish and protect them from all hurt, harm, and evil. So it is with our Heavenly FATHER! We ought to call God our Father, for this is the most intimate name He has. This mystery was not loss to the people of God in the Old Testament. For we read that God is our Father (Deuteronomy 8:5; 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chronicles 17:13; 28:6; Psalms 89:26; Hosea 11:1). We read in the New Testament that God is not only our Father, but He is our ABBA, FATHER (Mark 14;36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6)! For even when we are old we still call our parents mama or Mother, and, daddy, or Father. Not out of reverence or fear, but out of familiarity because we know them and are known of them. So it should be with God! I also find that people have turned the so-called seven names or titles of God into doctrine. They are as follows:
These seven names or titles of God are simply the revealed attributes of God; qualities that are characteristic of Him. They highlight and bring to remembrance the things He has done for us. God does not have to be addressed by any of these so-called titles or names in order for you to be heard by Him. The most intimate and effective title to use when calling on God is our Father! -Dwaine Anderson (Shepherd of Holy Ghost Speak Revivals, inc.)
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