Monday, March 24, 2014

the name of the star is Wormwood

Revelation 8:11
the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
Revelation 8:10-12 (in Context) Revelation 8 (Whole Chapter) Other Translations





 

Revelation 8

New International Version (NIV)



The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

8 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.



The Trumpets

6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water — 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Footnotes:
Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.


 
 
 
 
 



Revelation 8

New King James Version (NKJV)



Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

8 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.



First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck

7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth.[a] And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.



Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck

8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.



Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck

10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.



Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck

12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.

13 And I looked, and I heard an angel[b] flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Footnotes:
Revelation 8:7 NU-Text and M-Text add and a third of the earth was burned up.
Revelation 8:13 NU-Text and M-Text read eagle.




New King James Version (NKJV)


 



Revelation 9
New King James Version (NKJV)


Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit

9 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.



Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power[a] is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries[b] or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Footnotes:
Revelation 9:19 NU-Text and M-Text read the power of the horses.
Revelation 9:21 NU-Text and M-Text read drugs.
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Revelation 10



New King James Version (NKJV)


The Mighty Angel with the Little Book


10 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices,[a] I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,[b] “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand[c] to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.




John Eats the Little Book


8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”

9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”

And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. 11 And he[d] said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

 

 

Footnotes:
Revelation 10:4 NU-Text and M-Text read sounded.
Revelation 10:4 NU-Text and M-Text omit to me.
Revelation 10:5 NU-Text and M-Text read right hand.
Revelation 10:11 NU-Text and M-Text read they.



Revelation 11

New King James Version (NKJV)


The Two Witnesses


11 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood,[a] saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God[b] of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.




The Witnesses Killed


7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our[c] Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow[d] their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.




The Witnesses Resurrected


11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they[e] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

 

 

 

 




Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed

 


15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms[f] of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,[g]
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.


 


18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

 

19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant[h] was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

 

 

 

Footnotes:
Revelation 11:1 NU-Text and M-Text omit And the angel stood.
Revelation 11:4 NU-Text and M-Text read Lord.
Revelation 11:8 NU-Text and M-Text read their.
Revelation 11:9 NU-Text and M-Text read nations see . . . and will not allow.
Revelation 11:12 M-Text reads I.
Revelation 11:15 NU-Text and M-Text read kingdom . . . has become.
Revelation 11:17 NU-Text and M-Text omit and who is to come.
Revelation 11:19 M-Text reads the covenant of the Lord.























This Robe That Mother Mary Created

This Robe That Mother Mary Created
Written by Ephraim Caleb



Your robe was white

Created of one accord

Made of the finest of wool, White and unspoiled

What a carpenter named Joseph’s wife Mary could afford



It was given to you

Out of a mothers purist love

Given by both your earthly parents

Perhaps for a special occasion, allowed to be worn



Made by a mothers hand

A labor of so many hours

For in this one months have passed

Then to be given in honor to a most wonderful I st born Son



 

Perhaps,

even touched by tears

From your mothers weary eyes

Tears of not sadness, Love in your mothers eyes



Mary knew in her heart

That this Robe that she made was to be his last

It was to be worn through Jesus’ ministry

Perhaps Mary even knew it would be His last.



 
 

Greed, and the Death of the American Dream

Greed, and the Death of the American Dream

What has happened?


Why has the American Dream indeed, the very way of American life die?
In one very chilling, destructive word, (Greed). Yes, the reality is the American Dream, the American lifestyle was destroyed by Greed.

To work hard, to save, to budget, to work towards goals and dreams, To make sacrifice was somehow replaced by uncontained promises by loan & mortgage companies, real-estate moguls and an out of control housing market gone quite mad.

The Bubble just had to explode someday and we all could see it. We saw it coming and still blindly fell into it most seductive bindings of such promised out of control greed that led to unfathomed wealth. We ended up mortgaging our very souls to the so called Company store so to speak. How did it all end, it ended The American Dream?

 



The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit
Alive and well in the 2014

 
 
 

 
i have written alot on the Holy Spirit, i talk about Him all the time, but i have not sat down and devoted a complete sermon to this very important subject. Before you read this message you may want to read Gifts of the Spirit. Not all gifts are for all believers. We are diverse. The Holy Spirit fellowships with us as individuals, one to one. Once you have read that, and searched out the Scriptures quoted, come back and let me introduce you to the closest friend i have in this world...

John 14:16-17 "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."

John 14:26 "
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 16:12-14 "
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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 show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."
Now if you are not Saved by Grace, or are not absolutely sure of your salvation, this message is not going to make alot of sense to you. First you must know Jesus. There are some seeds of salvation here, but this is a Word more toward believers. You may want to read the sermon on Salvation first, then jump right in here.


To start off, let me clear up some theological points. First of all, the Holy Spirit did not have some short term mission in Judea. He is pre-existent with the Father. Genesis 1:2 "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." The words there are ruwach 'elohiym, literally the breath of GOD. He didn't just show up at Pentecost. There are many examples of His activity in the Old Testament Scriptures. King David was filled with the Holy Spirit, and danced before the whole assembly. In the Gospels, John the Baptist lept in his mothers womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit as Mary approached. Nor did He leave us and return to Heaven some time in the first century after the Church was established. The Holy Spirit has been active in this world from before its creation, right up until this day, and will remain until the end. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He is God. But He is not the Father...
That brings up another point that must be addressed. The Trinity. This is a hard one for any mortal mind to understand, but we are no longer mortal, we have life everlasting in Jesus Christ, so lets give it a shot. Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:" (yehovah 'elohiym 'echad yehovah) GOD is GOD! There is no other, none with whom HE must share. HE is our Father, our Creator, our LORD, our Master, our Salvation, our Judge. I AM . That says it all. Jesus is the Son of GOD. The only begotten of the father, King of King, Lord of Lords. But Jesus said "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."

All Jesus is, all Jesus said and did, was by the will of His Father. Yes He is God and yes He is equal to GOD (the Father) but only because GOD said in Psalms 110:1 "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Jesus is God, and worthy of our praise and worship, because GOD the Father wills it to be so. And in the will of the Father, Jesus too is from everlasting to everlasting. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." But the Spirit of Christ is not the Holy Spirit (ruwach 'elohiym), the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove at His Baptism, nor is either the Father, GOD spoke at that time "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." So the three are not singular, nor are they ultimately equal. (though from our limited human perspective they are) GOD is GOD and both Jesus and the Holy Spirit acknowledge HIS ultimate preeminence.
But i digress, i could do a whole series of sermons on the Trinity. But lets get back to the Holy Spirit. Ruwach 'elohiym, the very breath of GOD. He is the force of Life in the universe. All things are ordered and held together by Him. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that angels fly, that a child is formed in its mothers womb, that atoms bind together to form a star, and by His power that light streams across the universe to become a twinkle in the eye of a child. The Holy Spirit flows through all things, bringing order and life to GOD's creation. Jesus called Him the "Comforter". And promised that in the Name of Jesus, we would have a personal relationship with Him. He (the Holy Spirit) would lead us to all knowledge and truth. He would give us power and life. Once we received the Holy Spirit Jesus said "and greater works than these shall (we) do;"


i hope we all agree on the Divinity and Authority of GOD, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So lets focus on the relationship we have with the Holy Spirit. First, He is in us, around us, as He is in everything. We would not have life without Him. But, as the Word says "the wages of sin is death" and "all have sinned" so our life is forfeit. When we confess our sinful nature and fall on GOD's grace through Jesus Christ we are quickened and the Holy Spirit brings Life. We are "Born Again", born of the Spirit. We are alive, truly Alive for the first time.


We are Baptised in the Holy Spirit and the spark of life, only possible through the Breath of GOD (ruwach 'elohiym), begins to grow within us. But that is a gift not a relationship. We are promised a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Yes He is with us, giving us new life, eternal life, and He guides us and speaks to us, but our salvation is perhaps more like conception than birth. We are alive, but there is so much more.
As a child, cradled in its mothers womb, we live. We even experience some stimuli from the world beyond, hearing the muffled sound of voices, our mothers strong heartbeat. But there is a greater reality, and bit by bit we are drawn beyond our safe world into that greater life. To be 'born' we must give up all, release ourselves to a will beyond our will. Trust the Spirit beyond all reason, against all logic, that He will lead us on a journey we are unable to take alone, to the arms of our Father. We must be willing to die, to cast away all we know and hold dear, to throw ourselves without reserve in the hands of the Holy Spirit. When we were saved, we acknowledged our inability to save ourselves and our need for Jesus as our Savior.
Through Jesus Christ we are washed of our sin and justified before our Father, we are given Life and the Holy Spirit as our Guide and Comforter. When we are truly Born of The Spirit we enter a new form of being, old things are passed away and all things are made new. We are no longer simply cradled in the Spirit or even Baptised in the Spirit, we are Filled with the Spirit, shaken, pressed down, and overflowing. Every cell in our body shines in the light of redemption. We are a new creation in Jesus Christ. Totally sold out to GOD. Everything in our lives now take on a new perspective, a Spiritual perspective. We see things in the light of eternity, not the mundane cares of this world. Not to say we become super saints or free from sin, the flesh is still alive and kicking, but if we sin, we are not in fear of punishment, but deeply saddened by our own weakness and our failure to GOD. Our "religion" becomes a lifestyle and an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.




Now comes the controversy. What is being Filled with the Spirit? Many deny anything beyond salvation. They maintain that we receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved and that is the end of it. Either you are saved or not, either you have the Spirit or you don't. Some go to the other extreme, yet come to the same conclusion. They say you are not truly Saved unless you are Spirit Filled. Some demand you display Spiritual Gifts as evidence of your salvation, while others deny those Gifts are still available. As i said at the beginning, if you are not saved, all this is not going to make alot of sense. If you are not filled with the Spirit, it is hard to imagine the possibilities. When we are saved it is hard to believe there could be anything more wonderful. We have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit guiding us, giving us life. We were dead and in a twinkling of the eye we are alive. But there is more...






The Holy Spirit is as active now as when He moved across the primordial chaos. Yes, if you are saved by Grace the Spirit is with you, guiding you, leading you to GOD. But if you let go, if you forget the cry of ego, the needful morning of the flesh, the constant clamor of self, and look into the eyes of GOD; with no strings... no preconceptions... no thoughts of punishment or reward... only love and a burning desire to do HIS WILL... then the Holy Spirit, the ruwach 'elohiym, the very BREATH of GOD, will fill the void that once was your SELF. We are saved within our own selflishness. We don't want to die, we don't want to go to hell. So we seek forgiveness, salvation. But when we go beyond that selfishness, life and death, heaven and hell, have no desire or fear. There is only GOD and HIS will. Then we follow Jesus up the hill of Golgotha and say "nevertheless not my will but thine be done". We have at last become the Children of Obedience, the later fruit.



Spiritual gifts are another subject left for another sermon. But they too are active today as Jesus promised. They didn't end with the beginning of the "Church Age". Jesus promised we would do greater works. But again, when you experience the infilling of the Holy Spirit, that is not important except in how it can further the Gospel and serve GOD. We are given the Gifts we need to complete GOD's will for our life. If we need to speak in tongues, we will speak in tongues, if we need to prophecy then prophecy. But gifts are not evidence of your salvation nor evidence of being filled with the Spirit. GOD can and will work through you even if you kick at the goads. They can be used as evidence to the unsaved, bringing them to repentance, but they can be used without being filled with the Spirit. Many speak of the "Annointing" of the Holy Spirit and if you have experienced that then you have had a taste of being filled. Let go... Let GOD take control... Sink into the Holy Spirit and lose yourself in the greater reality of GOD's WILL.




Some who read this will silently Amen, others will possibly take offense. Don't listen to me, Listen to GOD. Open yourself to the Holy Spirit, put aside you own thoughts, fears, desires. Lay yourself bare before GOD and let HIM breath into your nostrils the Breath of Life. Forget all the coverings you have made for yourself, there is only One covering, Jesus. Cast away your will, it's what got you in trouble to start with. Just ask HIM to take control. You've accepted the Gift of Life through Jesus, accept the Comforter He sent. He is not some dusty old relic of the pre-church age who just splashes you once when you get saved. He is active right now, ready to take the lead and usher you into the throne room of GOD. Get to know Him.



Sermon from The Mojave Desert #8

It’s All A Matter Of Faith
Sermon from The Mojave Desert #8


Definition of faith: The Biblical Definition Of Faith


Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).

Hebrews 11:1 is probably the most concise definition of faith found in the Bible. It is considered the classical definition of faith. Faith is both the substance of things hoped for and the evidence that things exist that are not yet perceived with the senses.


1. Faith Is Substance
The New Testament was written in Koine [common] Greek. The Greek word translated "substance in Hebrews 11:1 is hypostasis, literally, "that which stands under." The derived meaning is "that which has real existence, the basic essence, the actual reality, the substance of something" [Hobart E. Freeman, ThD, Faith (Claypool, IN: Faith Publications, n.d.), p. 3]. It is a condition of the human heart that is as real to God as the thing we asked for will be to us when we receive it. It is the exact image of the thing for which we ask (hypostasis is translated "image" in Hebrews 1:3). When we receive what we have prayed for the image is replaced by the actuality.


2. Faith Is Evidence
The Greek word translated "evidence" is elegchos, which basically means "conviction." John writes,


And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him (1 John 5:14-15, KJV).
The existence of the God-kind of faith in the human heart is the evidence that what we have prayed for exists. Faith, based on the Word of God, is the evidence—not what we see or don't see—not good or bad circumstances. Faith is not based on human feeling but rather it is based squarely on the fact of what God says. The evidence is not found in the feeling, rational, visible or sense realm.


3. What Faith Is Not
Faith is not mere human hope. Faith is based on the Word of God alone. Human hope may be based on the sands of wishful thinking or human desire, rather than on the rock of the Word of God. Doubt and hope raise the question, "What shall I do?" Faith says, "I have done!" The common phrase, "I am hoping and praying" is incorrect. "I have prayed and am believing" is more scriptural.


Faith is not natural human faith. In order to function in life, we must exercise a natural faith. We have faith in natural laws such as gravity and inertia and assume that they will work the same every day. If the universe were unpredictable and untrustworthy, chaos would reign and life as we know it would be impossible. We trust inanimate machines. By turning an ignition key, flipping on a light switch, boarding an aircraft, we exercise faith in machines. We trust vegetables and animals—we assume they will perform according to our past experience. We trust other human beings. We trust our surgeon, our spouse, our pilot, etc. However, faith in God is supernatural—a gift from God. We will examine the nature of faith in God in the next chapter.


Faith is not mental assent. John Wesley warned in his time that there was a dangerous substitute for faith that he called "mental assent." He was caught in this dangerous trap and only escaped after failing as a missionary in America. Faith is of the heart (human spirit) and not merely the head (human reason). Simply agreeing that God exists and that his Word (the Bible) is true is not Biblical faith. James states that demons believe in this manner and tremble in fear of judgment:


Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble (James 2:19, KJV).
Faith is not a psychological attitude. Mere positive thinking may have some good results, but it is not Biblical faith.


Faith is not sight. Faith is not based on mere sensory perception or human reasoning. Paul says,


We live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7, New International Version).
4. Attributes of Faith
Faith thanks God beforehand. If a husband tells his wife that he has placed a hundred dollar bill in her purse for her birthday, she thanks him immediately. Why? Because she trusts him. She knows it is hers before she sees it. Jesus says,


Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24, New International Version).
God does not answer biblical prayer with "No" or with substitutes. Paul says,


For no matter how many promises God has made, they are `Yes' in Christ. ... (2 Corinthians 1:20, New International Version).
Faith will endure to the end. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac to be born. Caleb waited 40 years for his land. Noah waited 120 years for his physical salvation. Faith does not look at the calendar, but to Christ. Hope may last a few minutes or a few months. Faith will endure until it is replaced by the thing for which we are believing. D. L. Moody said,


Faith that fizzles out at the finish, had a flaw in it from the first.


Conclusion: Dr. Freeman concludes:
Faith is not hope. Faith is the means by which we receive those things we hope for. Neither is faith sight. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Faith can only operate in the realm of the invisible concerning those things we hope for and do not yet see. Faith cannot exist in the visible realm. When the things we hope for are manifested to our sight, then faith, the invisible "substance," having done its work, is supplanted by the visible substance, that is, the things we hope for. When the actuality comes into view, then the image (faith) vanishes. (Hobart E. Freeman, Faith, p. 4).
Biblical faith is an absolute requirement for answered prayer. The writer of Hebrews states,


But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6, KJV).



Know as you can see the biblical definition of faith is very extensive yet in the very first sentence it really says it all. Lets reread that sentence and expand it from there in its most wonderful and loving explanation that I have learned over these many years off growth and exploration into the Word and Love of our father God….



Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).
Now let us begin from here…..



When I was but a very small child, I went to a Catholic grammar school called Saint Mary’s of Mount. Carmel Catholic School in Chicago Il. I lived just 3 house from school same block. 6741 South Wood Street. The very first numbers I learned in first grade there were my address.



In first grade we were taught how to read and it was also our first instructions concerning this wonderful Personage known to us as God the Father. I for some reason, not even to this day, for the first time realized that somehow I always new in some sense this wonderful creator they called Father God. Please, do not think for one moment that I am claiming to be or thought I was special to have known this personage of God. Oh no not in any sense. What I am saying is Father God knew my soul even before I was born, since after all He created me in the first place? No?



 

Ephriam

Sermon From The Mojave Desert #7

Sermon From The Mojave Desert #7


 
I woke up at 2.30 am this fine Wednesday mourning. I realized just how important family and close friends are in this very shaky and stressful place called the world. I remember that being Christians that we are no longer of this world. I know the feeling of not even wanting to be here, in this place that mankind had so created. I feel such a great loss of being a fallen soul thanks to our Mother and Father Adam and Eve. I just wish so very deep in my soul we just Trusted our Father God and just told that serpent, No!

Well, we are here know and as Children of God we are called out of this world but still exist in the world never the less. In these times of great stress we need not only put on the Armoire of God thus shielding ourselves in the Word of God, to have complete trust in The Holy Spirit of God that indwells within each and every child of our Father God. We need to be strong and help and love one another as if these are the Last Days. In reality they are my Children of God, they really are.

Please do not point fingers at one another and never , ever judge any one, unless you be judged. Love one another as Jesus has taught us. Today, this day, ask Father God, Lord and King Christ Jesus, and The Most Holy Spirit to guide your heart and soul. Pray each and every day as if it were your last. Pray for God to forgive our most beloved America. Ask Father God to save this country from those that wish to destroy what it was always meant to stand for. One Nation under God.

I am asking this as a child of our Father God, as a subject of our Lord and King Christ Jesus, as a vessel of The Holy Spirit. Pray ye children of God, pray for not only for the body of Christ, The Church, but for the Salvation of this our most beloved country America. Amen, by Ephriam Caleb

 


Sermon in the Mojave Desert #6

Sermon in the Mojave Desert #6
By Ephraim Caleb

Back-Sliding-Even for One Day


Back-Sliding even for one day can make you feel so dis-located from our Father God. Can you imagine being separated from Father God, our Lord & King Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. Even for one day?


You will feel this separation in the most disturbing of ways. You will be the one that has chosen to be separated from our Father God. God had not chosen to be separated from you. In reality Father is still with you, however when you chose to back-slide it was you that whether out of shame, embarrassment, you moved away from God, Jesus, as well as the Holy Spirit. That my friend is such a horrible and lonely feeling. Ever been there before? I have and I just cannot bare that separation for more than a day and as I am older in the Faith, even an hour seems like an eternity.

We all have sinned and have fallen short. So many times in the Christian walk, a long and narrow walk, we have fallen so short. The main thing to remember is that no matter how ashamed you are, how crevice the sin was, please to not ever pull back from seeking out our Father God. Never back away no matter how horrible you are feeling. If you are truly sorry, God will forgive you. The biggest mistake is that we pull away because of our shame. Never pull away, go to our most beloved Father, confess your back-slide and embrace Him. Father God will forgive you and you learn it is ok to forgive yourself also.

God Bless you all, in the Name and Blood of our most Excellent and Loving Father God, Lord and King Christ Jesus, and our most Awesome Holy Spirit, Amen



Sermon from the Mohave Desert #5-Written by: Ephraim Caleb

Sermon from the Mohave Desert #5
Written by: Ephraim Caleb


 
The Journey Home

 
It was never about the Rewards of Heaven, nor the Crowns of Glory. Nor the power to rule over People and Principalities for me.
This in my heart is not at all why I am so wanting, so needing, so hopefully searching for to find in Heaven. For me it is just finding my way back home.

It is a Jewish believe of old that there is a place called the Guff.
A place were unborn Souls reside. In each of us is an in-born God particle. A homing device if you will. This partical ,, so called homing device, that will pull and tug at our souls that makes us yearn to go back to a home that we all once upon a time knew deep in our hearts that we came from. To go back to our home to be with Our Father God, a place that we call heaven.

Our greatest goal in our life, to me is Salvation. To accept the sacrifice of our Christ Jesus. To know in your heart of hearts that Jesus is the Son of God. To realize His ultimate sacrifice he made was for us, for me. Finally for all of mankind-only if they would search their souls, they would realize that this Jesus is the Son of God….

This is not about the rewards of Heaven, but about the love of God, King Jesus and The Holy Spirit of God Period!
As you mature in your Christian faith, you will come to realize one very special day, that you will come to turn over your whole life, without reservation over to Father God. Know is the time to let the Holy Spirit of God inside you , that inner voice, guide you, teach you, and without reservation become you.

Do you realize how much God Loves You?
Father God only wants your happiness, your love, and most important, Father God wants you to come back Home.

 
Love and Happiness,
Ephraim

 


Sermon from the Mojave Desert #4

Sermon from the Mojave Desert #4
 
 
 
Posted by Ephraim Caleb on March
 

Good mourning Members,  All is well and we are growing in our numbers and I am so very happy with that. We have just added two new members and I am so honored to see our little site grow. little only in our infancy so to speak. In a year we may even hit the 50 member Mark.

When I started this web-site it was my way of Witnessing to a disbelieving world. I wanted some way to get the message out that it is time to prepare for the return of our Christ Jesus. But a way for people who may be sometime home bound like I was from a broken spinal cord and chronic pain. Plus a bit of shyness on my part. Well not shy any more. Every year I grow stronger in the faith I could not wait to witness out load for all to hear. I love Father God, I love Christ Jesus, I love The Holy Spirit, my personal Holy Spirit.

My prayer life has grown so very much and I really enjoy talking to Father God several times of the day. My night time prayers are more personal and that is when I give myself in whole to Father God. I tell Father honestly how I feel. I do not want to keep any feelings or secrets from Him. Even though Father knows all, He still wants to hear my voice, my thoughts, from me. This is when I say that ....................

God will know us by our voice, this is true. So that on that day of my Resurrection when I am called before the Book of Life, Father God will ask Jesus, do you know this man my Son. and I hope that Jesus will say, yes Father I know Carl by his voice that I have herd all these years in his prayers, and the father might say, Yes, His name is in my Book of Life.. On that day I will cry like a child, not in sadness but such joy and love and hope. all these emotions except fear, loss, sadness.


My Father God, how much do I love you, how much do I need you, how lost am I without you.

So to our Members to I offer to you your own page to make Witness to this old, tired, worn out sin infested, dying world. Take advantage of this offer to express your love for God, The Christ Jesus, The Most Holy Spirit. make your claim to the world that you are a Child of Father God. We do not know when the end of all things will come. Only The Father Knows this Time. So please make your declarations of Love, be Bold and do not fear what the world may do. Stand firm in the Rock of all Ages, Declare your Heart and Soul to Christ Jesus, become one that is written into The Book of Life.
If I did not Love and care for you all, I would not tell you what is yet to come.

God Bless You all my Children of God, In the Name and Blood of Our Christ Jesus, Amen.


Protection Prayers


 
 
Protection Prayers


to ward off evil or demonic forces or entities, protection prayers are recited. These prayers are not necessarily considered to remove demons that are already present. Instead, they are meant to prevent demonic entities from entering into or otherwise influencing a person, home, property, or object.
Paranormal investigators and professional exorcists often use the repetitive recitation of protection prayers as a chant to shield themselves from harm or fear whenever engaging malevolent spirits or demons. Since demons cannot really be destroyed, so to speak, but only banished from one individual or space to another, these prayers also prevent demons from “jumping.”
When demons jump, they shift from a currently possessed individual or space to a new one. Demons have been known to do this in order to temporarily fool exorcists into believing they have successfully cast them out, when in fact the targeted demons have only moved to a new space. In extreme cases, when serious mistakes are made by an exorcist, demons have even been known to attempt jumping from the possessed person or space to the body of the acting exorcist. Reciting prayers of protection can offer a protective shield against the demon being engaged.







The Circle of Light

The “Circle of Light” prayer is a very good, spiritually universal, nondenominational protection prayer. Sometimes, this prayer is recited after lighting a blessed (or just a normal) candle. The individual, before reciting the prayer, first envisions that he or she is completely surrounded by a strong circle of protective light.
Some alternate versions of the prayer are available (some only recite the first four or five lines), but the majority of them are similar to the following:
The light of God surrounds us (me).
The love of God enfolds us (me).
The power of God protects us (me).
The presence of God watches over us (me).
Wherever we are (I am), God is.
And all is well.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


The Prayer to the Archangel Michael

One of the most powerful prayers of protection against demonic forces is the “Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel” (for more on Michael and other archangels, see our Quick Guide Angels 101: The Seven Archangels of the Throne). There are several known alternate versions of this prayer. The longest version is also the original, which Pope Leo XIII issued and ordered to be used as a protective exorcism prayer against Satan and other demonic forces.
Three primary versions are most commonly used by today’s exorcists, mediums, and paranormal investigators. Those who regularly deal with demons and malevolent spirits usually memorize the shortest version and believe they gain strength when a group recites the prayer in unison. This short version is as follows:
 
 

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do thou, Oh Prince of the Heavenly Host, by God’s power, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

 


Prayer to the Spirit of God

Prayer to the Spirit of God




 
 
 
Breath in me, Spirit of God,
that I may think what is holy;
drive me,
Spirit of God,
that I may do what is holy;
draw me
Spirit of God,
that I may love what is holy;
strengthen me,
Spirit of God,
that I may preserve what is holy;
guard me,
Spirit of God,
that I may never lose what is holy.


Psalm 111




Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord:
in His commandments he shall take great delight.

Mighty on earth shall be his seed:
the
generation of the righteous shall be blessed.

Glory and wealth shall be in his house:
and his righteousness endureth for ever and ever.

He is risen in darkness, a light to the upright:
He is merciful, and compassionate, and just.

Acceptable is the
man that showeth mercy and lendeth;
he shall order his words with judgment:
and he shall never give way.

The righteous
man shall be in eternal remembrance:
he shall not fear an
evil report.

His heawrt is ready to
hope in the Lord:
his heart is strengthened:
he shall not yield till he despise his enemies.

He hath distributed and given to the poor;
his righteousness remaineth for ever:
his power shall be exalted in glory.

The sinner shall see it, and be enraged;
he shall gnash his teeth and pine away:
the desire of sinners shall perish.

Ant. He that feareth the Lord,
in His commandments shall have great delight. Amen





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Prayer to the Holy Spirit


Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.
Amen.



 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


A Prayer for those who don't know Christ

A Prayer for those who don't know Christ

Lord Jesus! You,
Who in the most bitter moments of Your passion
showed an ardent thirst for souls,
grant that we may share in this thirst.

Give us the light to grow
in the
knowledge of Your word
and grant us
strength so that,
by collaborating in preaching this word

at every moment of our lives,
we may bring to You,
through Your holy Church,
and the
intercession of Your holy Mother,
innumerable souls who live far from the truth.
Grant this so that with You,
through You and in You,
they may be reconciled to the Eternal Father,
in union with whom,
together with the Holy Spirit,
You live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.


Sermon from the Mojave Desert-#3

Sermon from the Mojave Desert-#3


 

My old life is dead

I am not the person I was or was going to become

For if I did not become a new Creation in Christ Jesus

New, Reborn It would have been better I would be died



There has been a great Spiritual Shift

A great Groaning of the human soul

Persecution and martyrdom are increasing world wide

This has become the last warning to man



 

The time can be only now

Time to re-affirm your vows to Father God, Christ Jesus

Love and Honor your Holy Spirit deep down inside of you.

Give your life and soul totally to Jesus fully, no reservation

For tomorrow may be much too late.



Remember this, we all have a past

Yes every last one of us grown adults unto Christ.

We before the Holy Spirit were all dead to the will of Father God

We were all unclean, unsaved, lost, concurred by our personal sins.

All Without exception, yes even you!



I have become a new Creation in Christ Jesus

New, reborn, that other person, the old man as it has been called is dead.

That person being I no longer exists. I except that because I except the will of God. I am reborn unto the Spirit of God.

Do not judge me for what I was but who I am know.



 

Sermon from the Mojave Desert #2

Sermon from the Mojave Desert #2
 
 
We are living in great and dangerous times my Children of God, have we been not wormwood ? There are coming times of great upheaval that we as humans can not even pretend to imagine. It can all begin with a natural disaster like Wormwood that could destroy 1/3 of the world and it's peoples as has been prophesied. This alone would bring every country in the world to its knees. This alone could rock the very foundations of mankind, it's cities, it's countries, it's everything.
Know, that the time is now to get your house into order. Please I cannot tell you any more than to please for your souls and your families sake, please pray. Pray every day with such hot fervor not cold or luke warm, but with hot vigor and harder than you have ever prayed before. Do not take for granted that you have time. On that day when the time comes and the Seven years of Tribulation thus begins. Will you and your loved ones be ready? ask yourself, Is my house ready for the return of Christ Jesus, and remember this time Jesus comes
 
Will you and yours be ready? will you be ready. Ask yourself this my children.
I am praying that I Rev. Carl am........

 
 
Will Wormwood will be a natural disaster, nevertheless it comes from Father God as a mighty judgments upon this earth for what mankind has done to sin upon it's crust. Be aware my Children of God, time is near and Wormwood is out there and coming to our Earth very soon. I do not want to create fear of the end but hope for the future of all of Father God's Children. Please, make yourselves ready, please. Love
 
 
 
 

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