It depends.  In big corporations decisions tend to be made in the best interests of the bosses and to maximize stock prices.  In small businesses, although the best interest of the boss is definitely considered, they tend to make decisions based on what is best for the business.  If the business fails, the boss (owner) and the workers all lose their jobs.  It is actually in the best interest of all that the owners make decisions based on the best interest of the company for this reason.  Sometimes they have to cut costs by firing, cutting hours, or even cutting pay, but this hardship is so the majority can continue making a paycheck.

As a small business owner, I have always taken good care of my employees.  We have always had one or more key employees that make more than us and there have been times when we haven't cashed our paychecks for 6 months straight so we have the cash to pay our employees and keep them employed.  Don't assume the boss is cleaning up and never sacrificing.  You might be surprised.  (Of course this behavior is much more common in small businesses than in big corporate environments)


It does, but it is worth it.


I'd love to get rid of all spending, but pragmatically you can't just shut it off in one day.  You have to have a process to eliminate it.  I was giving a pragmatic process for reducing in hopes of getting rid of it all.


I hope you are OK.


Put me in the "thinks she's going to melt/bake/die" category.


What could possibly go wrong with US spy bases on one side of Cuba and Chinese spy bases on the other side?


When I was in school, you counted how many teachers there were for each bureaucrat.  Now they count how many bureaucrats there are for each teacher.  In most cases, I'm betting they could eliminate 80% of the non-teacher staff and hardly notice a difference for the students.  Of course this would require turning down Federal funding, so schools didn't have all of the federal reporting requirements.  (About 10 years ago in my state, the federal government paid for less than 10% of the education costs.  I'm betting it is the same and that the cost of compliance is much higher than the money received.  My husband tried to write a bill requiring a committee to investigate the cost of compliance with Federal regulations and compare it to the amount of money received to see if it was worth it.  Almost every legislator was afraid to vote for the bill because they didn't want to be seen as anti-education.  Of course, if the cost of compliance is higher than the federal funds, then eliminating both would put more money in education, but nobody seems to think that far ahead.


I would love to get there, but it would be a difficult transition and it would be fought tooth and nail by most people.

Pragmatically in the short term, I'd switch to a system that supplied anyone who wanted to homeschool something like $500-$1000/year (could be up front or reimbursement for purchases made for the student) and up to something like $5,000/year for those who wanted to send their kids to private school (I'm betting most private schools would suddenly manage providing schooling for $5,000/year).  Currently states spend $16,000 - $25,000 per student per year based on one article I checked. This would massively reduce spending while giving parents choice.   Over time, as more choices became available, fewer and fewer students would attend government schools and they would slowly be closed or combined until there were few, if any, left.  This would allow a smooth transition and allow new options to slowly come into existence.  Once most of the students leave the government schools, then they could be eliminated entirely (to reduce costs).

These amounts could be tweaked as needed (different cost of living in different states or more variability based on hybrid options or helping with some daycare) and potentially there could be a payout amount between the homeschool and private school options for hybrid schooling, where the parent does much of the education, but pays for schooling in areas the parent feels unable to teach.

It isn't perfect, but it would be much better than what we have and would give a smoother transition.


I was reading a thing on spaceweather.com:

" WATCH FIREFLY ALPHA PUNCH A HOLE IN THE IONOSPHERE: Firefly Aerospace launched its "Noise of Summer" mission on July 3rd with an Alpha rocket carrying 8 cubesats to Earth-orbit. En route to space, the burning engines punched a big red hole in Earth's ionosphere. Watch the movie on today's edition of Spaceweather.com."

I showed the picture to my son and we read the description.  My son asked me what a cubesat is.  I initially told him all I knew was it was some kind of satellite.  He asked, "cube shaped."  Then my snarky side popped off, "a borg satellite".

OK that probably isn't what it is, but it made sense to me.

#space  #satellite  #spaceweather  #science  #startrek
https://image.nostr.build/742bedf49c97d09338660926c6f061827151ffb17bee1bea805d66d586ea08f7.jpg


There are many cultural/mythological things in many post-flood cultures which you can tell are corruptions of the truth explained in the first 11 chapters of Genesis.  That is one of the things that makes it obvious that those chapters are true and literal.

For more information on taking Genesis literal (scientifically, historically, and textually), check out my 6 part series.  https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/literal-genesis  If you don't have time for all 6, read 4-6 which are better organized.


That is sad.  We've got a fantastic church.

Sometimes a church has problems, but is still worth attending if there are no other options.  Sometimes they are so apostate and anti-biblical that they cause more harm than good.  I don't know what your situation is.

It is true that it is getting harder and harder to find a church that truly believes and preaches the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation without putting a huge cultural spin on it and leaving out the parts they don't like.


https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/will-you-shrink-away-in-shame

This post, although I’m including it as part of the Left Behind series, is not directly about the End Times, but I feel I need to add this to it because in the end times, our relationship with Jesus (or lack thereof) determines everything. Are we saved or unsaved? Have we trusted Jesus or not trusted Jesus? Are we children of God or not? We must know the answer to this question because our very life depends on it.

For the most part I am going to answer this question using 1 John, but to start I want to include one other passage to make sure we all consider this carefully.

> “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Sadly, there will be people who think they are Christians, but they are not among those saved by Jesus. Their hope was in their works, their church attendance, the fact that they were better than someone else, or even just their positive attitude. They never really knew Jesus. They never truly trusted Him. They never truly submitted to Him. Yes, we can really know for sure, and we need to make sure our faith is real.

> This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

If we are saved, our lives should show it. There should be a difference between us and those of the world. It should be obvious to others that we are different.

Even among the unsaved, there are many, who most people would consider “good” people. They are friendly. They are generous. They are helpful. They are likable. Unfortunately, if they haven’t confessed their sins, submitted their lives to Jesus, and believed what the Bible says about Jesus, then they are not considered good by God and they won’t be joining Him in heaven. These people who seem “good” are actually defiant towards God. They have hidden vices and hidden evil thoughts. We all have sinned, but only those who have submitted to Jesus will be cleansed “from all sin.”

> If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10) {Italicized phrases used below}

Only those who have confessed their sins will be forgiven. With so many things in life, before we can be cured or fixed, we have to admit we have a problem. We all have a sin problem. Jesus promises, “*If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness*,” but we have to confess our sins. We can’t hold onto the fantasy that we are “good” people. Anyone who thinks they are good without Jesus will NOT be saved.

> My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

Trusting Jesus and submitting to Jesus should lead to less sin. Instead of sin just being a regular part of life, it should become a rare exception. In addition to believers sinning less than they did before trusting Jesus, they also are defended by Jesus and covered by His righteousness.

**Advocate**
NOUN

* a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.
*
* a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor.
*
* a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.1

When we trust Jesus, “*we have an Advocate with the Father*” who pleads on our behalf, who is an intercessor for us with Father God. He defends us in the court of God. He defends us and protects us from the wrath we deserve.

**Propitiation**
NOUN

* the act of propitiating (making favorably inclined; appeasing; conciliating.); conciliation:
*
* something that propitiates (makes favorably inclined; appeases; conciliates.).2
*

Because Jesus bore our sins and gave believers his righteousness, he covers our sins and makes God favorably inclined towards us instead of wrathful towards us.

> By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6)

If we have truly trusted Jesus as savior and submitted our lives to Him, there should be a change in our actions, words, and thoughts. We should be a new creation. We should be more like Him.

Now it is true, we don’t go instantly from being sinners in open defiance of God to being perfect imitators of Christ. There should, however, be a continual transformation to become more like Christ. Yes, we may have a few digressions, but the general trend should be becoming more Christ-like. If our thoughts, words, and actions are not becoming more Christ-like, we need to investigate what our true relationship with Jesus is. If we are continually becoming more Christ-like, then “*By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked*.”

> Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:7-11)

One strong sign that a person is a child of God, and saved by Christ, is that this person is loving. They love God. They love fellow believers. They love the lost and want to win them for Christ (not just beat them in an argument or verbally discipline them). Because the believer cares for the souls of the lost, understands that the unbeliever’s words and actions are aimed at Jesus, and understands that they are due to the unbeliever’s feelings of guilt, believers should pity the lost rather than hate them. “*By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.*” (John 13:35) Anyone filled with hate needs to investigate whether they have truly trusted Jesus.

> I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 John 2:12-14)

If you have confessed your sins to God, believed that Jesus (the son of God) died and was raised to take away your sins, and submitted your life to Jesus’s rule, you can know that you are saved. You can know that “*your sins have been forgiven you*,” “*you know Him*,” “*you have overcome the evil one*,” “*you know the Father*,” and “*you are strong, and the word of God abides in you*.”

> Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

A true Christian should be looking forward to their eternal home and not be focused on the things of this world. That doesn’t mean that a Christian doesn’t work, or have a family, or enjoy entertainment, or relax. It does mean that everything should be done with a view of eternity. Our actions should point others to God. Our activities should draw ourselves closer to Jesus and help us to become more like Him. Our words should encourage those around us to trust in Jesus. We should long for God’s word, revel in the company of believers, and relish helping others, whether meeting their physical, mental, or spiritual needs. Our eternity with Jesus should be more important than our momentary comfort or happiness.

> Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

As the end times approach, we will see many antichrists, people who try to take the place of Jesus Christ. They may attempt to replace Him as leader or king. They may attempt to replace Him as high priest or spiritual leader. They may attempt to replace Him as God and try to say what is good and what is bad. As Christians, we need to know our Bible so we are not misled. We need to lean on the Holy Spirit to guide us and enable us to know who speaks the truth and who speaks lies (including those who speak lies believing the lies).

> They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:19-24)

We’ve known many people who seemed to be Christians, but who left the faith and turned to the world. These were people who claimed the label of Christian, but who were not children of God. They were false Christians. There will also be some who pretend to be Christians, and may even be leaders in churches, who speak lies and speak what is contrary to the word of God. Some may do a good job in their Christian act, but if “you have an anointing from the Holy One” and know the truth (the Bible), you will not be misled. Do be on the lookout for these many little-a antichrists who lead people astray.

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

> These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

In addition to studying the Bible, Christians can lean on the Holy Spirit for inspiration and guidance. The Spirit will help you to see those who speak lies, so you will not be misled. The Spirit will help you to do and say what you should. The Spirit will help you to understand the words you read in the Bible. The Spirit will help you witness to unbelievers. The Spirit will help you to obey God and to live the life He wants you to live.

And now for the blessing for all those who have truly put their faith in Jesus Christ, have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and have submitted to the will of the Father:

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. (1 John 2:28-29)

Believers have no need to “*shrink away from Him in shame at His coming*.” We can look forward with joy and anticipation to His return. Hallelujah! Come Lord Jesus, Come!

Trust Jesus.

FYI, If you are interested in learning more about end times, especially as it relates to current events, you might be interested in following [Tipping Point Prophecy Update](https://endtimes.substack.com/). They have both posts to read and videos to watch, so it works no matter which you prefer.

Will You Shrink Away in Shame - End Times Part 3

A guide to help you judge if you have saving faith in Jesus in preparation for End times  (Rereleased in longform format for easier reading.)

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxqcnjwp38ymrgd3sq5342e


https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/to-mark-or-not-to-mark-that-is-the

After the rapture of the church, things are going to get progressively worse, but the progression from normal to horror will start slow and build up to become worse than anyone could possibly imagine. As times get bad and the culture goes from bad to worse, everyone will have to make a choice, to choose Jesus or to choose Satan.

> “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Mathew 6:24)

We will obey Jesus or obey Satan. We will choose a hard life here on Earth and a marvelous, joyous, pain-free eternity in heaven or choose an easier life here on Earth and an eternity of pain and loneliness. This should be an easy choice, but most won’t find it so because they will have trouble seeing beyond the here and now. Just as Esau1 sold his birthright to his brother because he was hungry, most people will do what makes it easy to fill their hungry bellies rather than trusting their creator and making the choice that will lead to the best eternity. Most people aren’t good at looking a month or year in the future. They will find it impossible to see into eternity.

There will be two kinds of mark during the tribulation. God will mark 144,000 Jews with His name to be his witnesses to the world.

> Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. (Revelation 14:1-5)

Satan will also try to mark his followers. The False Prophet will force everyone to make a choice, to get the mark of the beast if they want to be able to buy and sell.

> Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:11-17) {emphasis mine}

During the seven year tribulation, every person left on Earth will be given the choice: to receive the mark of the beast so they can buy and sell and function in society or to refuse the mark and submit to Jesus, but be unable to buy and sell and provide for themselves and their family. Most people will take the easy path and receive the mark, so they can go on with their lives. Unfortunately this will be a deadly choice that can never be undone or fixed.

> Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11) {emphasis mine}

This choice to take the easier path will lead to eternal torment. This refusal to listen to our creator God and our savior God will mean eternal separation. These people will grieve their choice forever.

There will be a good number of people who will choose to follow Jesus and refuse the mark, but they will pay the price for putting off this decision until the time of the tribulation.

> Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4) {emphasis mine}

Many may wonder, if they experience the tribulation, how can they stand firm on their faith when they know that doing so could (likely will) lead to them and their family either starving to death or being beheaded? The trick is to keep your eye on God and to keep your eye on the prize.

> I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:13)

A perfect example to follow in times when our faith is challenged comes from Daniel (but my idea to use it here came from Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, The Book of Signs, Chapter 25)

> Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. … Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language, that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” (Daniel 3:1, 4-6)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were given a choice. They had to choose to obey God’s 1st and 2nd commandments:

> “You shall have no other gods before Me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God (Genesis 20:3-5a)

They had to risk being burned to death in a fiery furnace or they had to choose to disobey God and earn His wrath, but avoid the furnace. When exposed by others, who were jealous of their position, they stood firm and refused to worship the idol. Nebuchadnezzar even gave them a second chance to bow down when faced with the furnace. They chose faithfulness and I love their statement of faith.

> Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18) {emphasis mine}

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego had the faith to know that God was capable of rescuing them from the fiery furnace (which He did), but notice their faith did not depend on being miraculously rescued. “*But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up*.” They served and obeyed God because He is God, not because of what He could do for them. We need to be the same. We need to stand with the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego when we are given the choice between faith and physical death. This is made easier because, if you are a true Christian, death on Earth means life in heaven. It means absolutely everything gets better. Dying in Christ is better than living without Him.

As you can see, if you are left behind after the rapture, it is critical that you choose to trust Jesus and submit to His will and to NOT receive the mark of the beast no matter what it costs you.

For those who trusted Jesus before the tribulation, we’ll all be celebrating at the marriage supper of Christ in heaven and have nothing to worry about. For those who didn’t trust Jesus until the tribulation, your remaining time on Earth will be exceedingly hard, but your reward will actually be great as stated in Revelation 20:4

> Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4) {emphasis mine}

I hope you won’t put off trusting Jesus and you will live your life like He is coming back any moment. He is coming back soon.

### Many may wonder what the mark is.

For most of my life, I assumed the mark would be something like a tattoo, but I never understood how people could be prevented from buying and selling. How do you stop my neighbor and I buying and selling from each other using cash? It didn’t make sense.

Now we have technology that enables the mark. Most of the countries in the world are working on CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) is working on a CBDC interface that will let all of the national CBDCs transact with each other. These CBDCs will allow programmable money. Whoever is in control can make your money expire, make it only good for certain purchases, make your money only work in a particular area. The CBDC can make your money completely go away if those in control don’t like what you do, say, or don’t do. If we are moved to a CBDC, all buying and selling could be controlled. As all of the world’s fiat currencies are destroyed by money creation causing massive inflation, it will be easier and easier to get people to switch to the CBDC to rescue them from losing all monetary value.

We also have implantable microchips that can act as ID or credit card or bank account access and all a person has to do is scan their hand to buy or get admittance into a particular place. This technology already exists and is being used in small ways. I believe the mark will be a combination of a CBDC and an implantable microchip that will give you access to your “wallet”. The technology is here in a way that could not have been imagined just a decade or two ago. I believe our time is short. We need to live our lives with this understanding.

Trust Jesus.

To Mark or Not to Mark?  That is the Question -- End Times Part 6

A summary of the Tribulation and the Mark of the Beast  (Rereleased in longform format for easier reading)

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxqcnjwfjxgcnjwphyzrq6g


https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/walk-in-the-light

I was recently reading in Revelation about how there is no sun, moon, or stars but all light comes from God/Jesus. It made me think of all of the references to God and light, so I decided to do a study on the subject. I’ll start with the Old Testament. Then I’ll investigate the New Testament. Lastly I’ll investigate Revelation in particular. I won’t post every verse, but those that seem to have the deepest meaning and relevance.

### Old Testament:

> Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Studying God’s word leads us to the truth. When we don’t know God’s word (and John refers to Jesus as the word of God), we will have a wrong understanding of everything around us: relationships, religion, science, beginnings, ethics, etc. Belief in Jesus and knowledge of the Bible helps us to understand things properly. If we don’t have the right foundation, we can’t understand the things around us.

> For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light. (Psalm 36:9)

Faith in Jesus helps us to see things as they really are. It helps us see the truth. It helps us see the good that God does through everything, including what we would consider the bad things in life.

When we don’t know Jesus and don’t have the Holy Spirit in us, all of the sin in the world is only seen as bad. When we do have them, we can be grateful for all of the good in our lives and the good things that God is doing even through the bad decisions of others and the other bad things that happen. We know that everything will end with the righteous judgment of God and an eternity of joy in heaven with Him. All darkness becomes light in Jesus.

> Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:5)

Although this verse specifically calls Jews to *“walk in the light of the Lord*,” other verses show that this call is given to all of the world. We can chose to walk in our own strength and knowledge or we can chose to walk in “*the light of the Lord*.” We can chose the darkness and despair and failure of walking according to our own desires or we can chose the light of walking the path designed for us by Jesus from the beginning of creation. When we walk the path we were designed to walk, we will find joy and fulfillment. We will make right decisions. We will make a difference in the world for good. We will honor our God.

### New Testament:

> Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

It is amazing the clarity that comes from believing in Jesus and submitting to His will. Everything is better (though not necessarily easier). We can know what we should do and how we should do it. The light of Jesus not only affects the life of His followers, but also shines on those who don’t know Him. Some of these will eventually come to trust in Him as well. Others will run from Him or try to attack Him through His believers because of the guilt they feel when the light is shined on their sins.

> This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

Because Jesus is light, we cannot have fellowship with Him and live a life of sin and darkness. He has blessed us by covering our sins and giving us the Advocate (Holy Spirit) to guide us and to help us live according to His will in a way that we could never do without His help.

It is amazing how being a follower of Jesus can help us have fellowship/friendship with those with whom we might never have a close relationship. When I was in high school, we went on a boat down the St. John’s River with my parents and my Dad’s cousin. My parents aren’t Christians, but my Dad’s cousin is a Christian and a pastor of music. We talked nonstop as if we had been friends our whole life. After the trip, my Mom asked what in the world a high school girl and a married, middle aged man had in common. I told her we were both Christians. Although my Dad’s cousin and I have always lived states away from each other and have never seen each other face to face since that time over 3 decades ago, we still stay in touch. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and that makes close, just as 1 John says “*if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another*.” Faith in Jesus really makes our lives different, or at least it should.

> Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:7-10)

The light of Jesus should change our lives. No matter how dark and evil are past lives were, we should continually grow closer to Jesus and more like Him. We should convert from darkness to light, from evil to righteousness, and from hate to love. A true believer should have “*the fruit of the Light*.”

> This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)

When I was a young Christian in college, I attended a Sunday School class with a teacher who I would describe as an expert at exhortation. He would talk and ask question, to help lead you to the truth instead of just telling you what to do or what to think. Frequently these questions were uncomfortable to me as a new Christian who had not grown up doing “Christian” kind of things. In the beginning, I’ll admit I did my best to hide from him because I didn’t want to be asked the questions because I didn’t like the answers that I knew were right. You could say I hid from the light or that I “loved the darkness rather than the light.”

Thanks to the grace of God, I learned to love the light. I learned to seek the truth. I learned to expose myself to the truth so I could grow in Jesus. I spent more and more time around him, so I could learn from his wise questions. Now I love that kind of relationship. I learned to prefer the light instead of the darkness as I grew closer to Jesus. We all need to expose our sins to the light, so we can grow in the light.

> So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” (John 12:35-36)

Our desire in life should be to “*become sons of Light*.” We need to trust and obey Jesus, so “*darkness will not overtake you*.” Although Jesus no longer walks among us, we do have the Holy Spirit with us to guide us. We can also surround ourselves with mature Christians to help guide and teach us, always comparing this advice to the Bible to insure that it is truth.

### Revelation:

The passage below is the passage that inspired this whole post.

> The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; (Revelation 21:19-26) {emphasis mine}

Notice that this description of the New Jerusalem in Heaven is described as “*the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb*.” This whole city, and presumably the whole universe, will be lit by the glory of Jesus. It will be a light brighter than the Sun, but not harsh like the Sun. It won’t blind us. It won’t beat down on us. It will expose us all to the joy of His glory and the beauty of His new creation. As I read about heaven, I don’t think there will be shadows. Every inch of Heaven will be fully lit by His glory.

The city is made of precious jewels which will transmit the light of His glory throughout the city and glow in beauty only surpassed by the glory of God. John describes the streets as “*the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass*.” On Earth gold doesn’t look like transparent glass. It is opaque, but in heaven it looks transparent. I think this might be more due to the quality of light of the glory of the Lamb rather than the quality of the gold. His light will shine upon and through everything bringing out the beauty in everything.

> And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

There will no longer be night and there will no longer be darkness. Without sin in heaven, we don’t need to hide. We can revel in the glory of God. We will be illumined by God.

Trust Jesus.

A Summary of Bible Verses referring to God/Jesus as "light" and what this means for our lives.  (Rereleased in longform format for easier reading.)

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxqcnjwphxcenyden4xj349


https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/a-change-of-heart

For most of my Christian life I haven’t been focused on end times or heaven. I wanted to go to heaven, but not now. I had other things I wanted to do that were monopolizing my attention. I was focused on what is happening here on Earth, not preparing for my heavenly home. Although the Bible, both New and Old Testaments, are full of prophecies about the end times, it just seemed so far away and so confusing, so I pretty much blocked it out as far a study and effect on my life.

As the world started going crazy, with shortages, pandemics, crazy government policies, and wars starting all around the world, I started working to prepare my family for these hardships. I got involved with politics. I kept extra food on hand. I kept my car’s gas tank above a half of a tank. I started a garden and got 3 bunnies to breed for meat. I was doing all of this based solely on my own effort. In the back of my head, I knew God would provide for my needs. I had seen how he took care of me in the past, but I was still trying to do everything on my own. I worried about what would happen to my family if something happened to me because I was taking care of them. What I should’ve been doing is giving all my problems and worries to God and letting the all powerful creator God take care of things. I worked by my own power until my health suffered.

Recently, as the world has gotten crazier every month, I finally had a change of heart and mind. I looked back at how God had provided for me through every hardship. I read the Bible and saw God’s promises for the future. My prayers changed from praying the solution that I wanted, to praying the problem and letting God do what He knew was best because I’d already seen in my life how God gives us what we don’t want, but what we need: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

I went from worrying about my needs to trusting God for my needs (not saying I don’t prepare for hard times, but in a relaxed, non-worrying, good steward kind of way). I went from trying to change the government and politicians to trying to change hearts and minds for God. I went from avoiding reading end times prophecy to studying it as if my life depended on it. I went from worrying about the future to looking forward to the future. I went from worrying about my needs to worrying about the needs of those that don’t know Jesus.

I can’t say that I never worry. I do, but I’ve learned to give my worries to God. Recently my son was asked to volunteer at a pro-life fundraiser. Shortly after he said yes, I received a prayer request because a pro-abortion group planned to raid the fundraiser and cause mayhem and destruction. My first thought was to tell my son (who is 19 and a Godly young man) that he couldn’t go to the fundraiser, but then I stopped myself and decided that God had this. I know my son is a faithful Christian, so if the worst happened, he would meet Jesus early. I decided to let him go and I just prayed fervently. There was a church service going on at the same time as the fundraiser. This confused the protestors. They couldn’t figure out what to do and therefore did nothing. God confounded their plans and I learned a well needed lesson to trust everything that is important to me to God. He is faithful.

It used to be that, when I saw things going wrong in my country, state, county, and city, I would vote harder, get involved with politics, work with the party to improve the platform and resolutions, and help campaign for my favorite candidate. Now I’ve come to the conclusion that we get the candidates we deserve. I still vote, but I put my effort into sharing the gospel and turning people to Jesus. We can have a bigger influence by changing the hearts of the people than by campaigning for a particular candidate. We not only can benefit all of us on earth, but also make a heavenly difference. It isn’t that campaigning for and voting for Godly candidates is bad, but thinking a person can save us is bad. There is only one savior, Jesus Christ. Our faith needs to be in him and not in a politician, a party, or a government.

As the world goes down hill, I am filled with hope. The rumors of wars, the growing evil, the pandemics, the storms, the move towards global governance means Jesus is coming soon and I am getting excited about it in a way I never was before.

I hope you can turn from worldly interests to the Savior. I hope you can get excited to see Jesus face to face and to meet him in the air.

Trust Jesus.

My change of heart from worry to trusting Jesus in the storm  (Rereleased in longform format for easier reading)

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxqcnjwp4x56rjvf53fu49n


https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/left-behind-part-1

> For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Lately I have been feeling an urgency to write. This is partly because I feel our time left on Earth is short. So many things seem to be lining up with Biblical prophecy in books like Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians. When I face God, I don’t want to have to admit that I didn’t do all I could to call people to repentance and faith in God. I also believe that the church (true believers) will be raptured before the seven year tribulation as described in 1Thessalonians.

> For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep {died}. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) {emphasis mine}

This rapture of the church will occur not only to those who are alive at the time, but also to those who died in Christ in the past. The time before this event is the last chance for people to avoid the terror and hardship of the tribulation and I believe that time is short (I will never claim to know when, but I feel in every ounce of my being that the time is short). There will be some saved during the tribulation, but they will all go through major hardship and most who become Christians during the tribulation will most likely be martyred. If there is anything I can do to prevent people from going through this experience, I feel called to do so. “*To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some*.” (1 Corinthians 9:22) Of course only Jesus can save. I hope that these words will draw you closer to Jesus whether that means you accept Him as your Savior or it just means your faith is strengthened and you are encouraged to witness to the lost.

I feel like I need to write about making sure we have a saving relationship with Christ, so we get raptured, and what those who are left behind need to know going into the tribulation (I will discuss this in a subsequent post). This is way out of my comfort zone, but I am going to do my best and let the Bible and the Holy Spirit guide me. I’m sure this will be a multipart series, but I’m not yet sure how many parts or how I will divide it.

> “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:11-14)

This verse talks about how we need to wake up, turn to Jesus, and obey Him as the end times draw near. This verse says to Christians “*The night is almost gone, and the day is near.*” For Christians, this current time of evil and hardship is night. It is the hardest time we will experience. After the rapture, we will experience the day. We will experience a time with no sin, no pain, not illness, and no death. It will be marvelous!

Unfortunately for those who have not trusted Jesus, I say “*The day is almost gone, and the night is near*.” This current time of evil and hardship that we experience today is the best that unbelievers will ever experience. The night is coming when todays sorrows and hardship and evil will seem like paradise compared to what they will experience during the tribulation and during eternity in Hell. It is so important to trust Jesus and to submit to Him while we still have the chance.

We are also told (not specifically for end times) “*Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit*,” (Matthew 28:19) I’ve always known I need to do a better job of sharing the gospel with unbelievers and discipling believers, but that burden, that need, has multiplied as I feel time is running out. I am trying to be faithful.

Something like 30 years ago, I was traveling and went to the local Christian book store to get a book to read. I grabbed this interesting sounding book titled Left Behind. While reading the book during my flight, I got to the part where the Christians were raptured. The pilot, but not the co-pilot was raptured and multiple passengers were raptured right from their seats in the plane. I have to admit, it kind of freaked me out and I was looking around me to make sure none of the passengers on my plane were missing. When the rapture happens for real, it will cause mayhem, sadness, and fear.

When all of the Christians disappear, the already depraved culture will get much worse without the Christians here upholding God’s word as a reference of right and wrong. Many atheists, like Richard Dawkins, who says he loves Christian culture, but wishes that nobody actually believed in Christ, will be shocked to find that Christian culture doesn’t work without Christ and Christians.

When the Christians are raptured to meet Jesus in the air, nobody will be unaware of the disappearance of the church (although I suspect that there will lots of excuses made for why they are gone, ie. removed by aliens for the good of mankind, etc.)

When Jesus returns after the tribulation, nobody will miss His coming. His return will be seen by all. Those who trusted Him during the tribulation will see Him with joy. Those who rejected Him will see Him and despair.

> "And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:10-11)

As Christians, we do not need to fear the coming tribulation, the wrath of God. God has promised we are not under His wrath.

> For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. (1 Thessalonians 5:8-10) {emphasis mine}

When this verse says “*whether we are awake or asleep*” it is saying “whether we are alive or dead”. The Bible always speaks of dead believers as being asleep because we will awake to be with Him at His return.

> Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

As we see the last days approaching and the world turning to evil unimaginable we need to have hope in the promise of God that we will join Him in heaven. We need to be fearless and share the gospel with even more urgency. We need to encourage each other in “*love and good deeds*.”

I hope you will be encouraged in your faith and your service to God

> And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance. (Mark13:21-23)

When the church is raptured, everyone will know it. There will be no mistaking this event. You don’t need to wonder. You will know, whether you are gathered to be with Jesus or whether you are left behind. You will know.

Trust Jesus.

A summary of the Rapture of the Church and what we all need to know and do about it.  (Rereleased in longform format for easier reading)

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxqcnjdehxs6rvdfszshkzw


https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/the-carrot-or-the-stick

I have been feeling an urgency in my writing because I think our time left on Earth is short (although nobody knows the hour or the day). I am working on a series to help us all get ready for the rapture (when Christians, dead & alive, are sent to heaven with Jesus) and/or the tribulation (the final judgment for sin and the last chance for the unsaved). I don’t want anyone to be unaware. It may take some time for me to finish this series because it is a bit out of my comfort zone to talk about end-times prophecy, but I am doing it because I believe it is important and is getting more critical every day.

At the end of time we will all be put before God in judgment. We can face the Judgment seat of Christ or the Great White Throne Judgment. The judgment seat of Christ will judge Christians to determine their rewards (yes rewards!). The Great White Throne Judgment will determine our punishment for denying God and disobeying His clear commands. Every person will face one or the other judgment. The only question is whether we will be rewarded as children of God or punished as criminals against God.

> Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:15-18) {emphasis mine}

If we have trusted Jesus as savior, we have nothing to fear. “*We may have confidence in the day of judgment*.” because God will see the perfection of Jesus in us instead of our filthy sins.

> Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) {emphasis mine}

Many of us have a hard time thinking that we will receive rewards in heaven for our actions on Earth. We have known that “as it is written, “*There is none righteous, not even one*;” (Romans 3:10), so it is hard for us to consider that we will receive rewards for our actions, but there are many verses saying it is so. When we are children of God, we are judged differently than those who are outside the family of God, just like we, as parents, judge our children differently than those outside. We encourage, praise, and reward our children for earnest attempts to obey and please us. In the same way, God rewards us for what we do in obedience for Him.

Our works here on Earth will be judged. Our focus on Earthly things will be burnt up like “*wood, hay, straw*.” All of our actions done in obedience and for the glory of God will be rewarded from the smallest action to the biggest accomplishment.

> “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)

> Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

God does not judge us on how many souls accepted Him or how many people we got to attend church or any other end measure. He judges us solely on our willingness to obey Him and to share Him with others. Whether they accept Him or reject Him isn’t our concern. God determines the outcome.

We should act as Paul does:

> To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. (1 Corinthians 9:22-23)

The end result is up to God. If He has called someone, they will come to Him whether we have obeyed His command to share the gospel or not. A weak and poorly worded call will not turn someone away if it is God’s will that they accept Him. Despite this, we are held accountable for whether we obey or refuse to obey His call to share the gospel.

> And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’ (Ezekiel 33:1-6)

We are called to be the faithful watchmen. We are called to share the good news and to warn of the coming judgment. We are not responsible for the response of those we warn. They are responsible for their own wise or unwise actions.

Unfortunately, not all people will get the benefit of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Not all will be judged generously to receive rewards. Many more will have to face the Great White Throne Judgment, which is the judgment of those who rejected their creator God and savior. They will face the omnipotent, holy God in all His glory and receive their just punishment.

> Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

There is a way for all to avoid this judgment, but the decision has to be made ahead of time. You can’t put it off till the end times. If you haven’t accepted Christ, I am including some verses to help you understand what you must do.

> But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; (Romans 3:21-24)

> For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

> They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 13:31)

That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “*Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed*.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “*Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved*.” (Romans 10:9-13)

> If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:6-10) {emphasis mine}

> You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. (Mark 13:13)

> Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, (Philippians 1:27-29)

If you are a Christian who has trusted Jesus as savior, you have nothing to fear. If you have rejected Jesus, you have everything to fear. Don’t let another day go by without Jesus.

> And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ” (Job 28:28)

Trust Jesus.

P.S. As we consider God’s judgment I do want to add an aside about us being judgmental because it effects our judgment.

> “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

The Carrot or the Stick:  Which Judgment Will You Face - End Times (Part 1)

A summary of the Judgment Seat of Christ vs the Great White Throne Judgment.  Part 1 of series.  (Rereleased in long form format for easier reading)

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxqcnjd3cxs6njwf37ssy2p


A more detailed explanation for anyone interested.

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/the-carrot-or-the-stick

#Jesus  #WordOfGod  #Christian  #Bible  #Scripture  #Wisdom  #Judgment  #biblestr  #God  #EndTimes


I like the whole serenity prayer.  The first 4 lines are easy to remember and implement, but the rest is even more biblical.

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

                                            Reinhold Niebuhr


Find a good, Bible believing church.  Read your Bible so you know if what you are being taught is Biblical or just psychological.  New Christian friends will help you in your walk with Christ.


Amen


Yes, it is true that God made Satan.  That doesn't make him part of God's consciousness.  It makes him a rebellious creature.  They are not friends and God doesn't get bored.  God does put a limit on the mayhem Satan can cause and only allows bad things that lead to God's desired outcome.

Satan is an angel, the most wonderful angel, who was corrupted by pride and wanted to take the place of God.  Even though he is a being created by the God he foolishly thinks he can thwart and replace.

"12How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
13But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
16Those who see you will gaze at you,
They will ponder over you, saying,
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,"  Isaiah 14:12-16)

The first mention of Satan is in Genesis 3.

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  (Genesis 3:1)

We know the serpent was Satan because there are several verses, like this one, that equate the serpent with Satan.

"And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."  (Revelation 12:9)

Of course Satan does not look like the stereotypical picture of Satan.  I recently leaned where the silly picture of Satan all in red with horns, a pitchfork, and cloven feet came from.  In the Middle Ages, they knew that Satan's fall was caused by pride.  To "keep away the devil", they made a comical effigy of Satan to mock him and his pride.  Unfortunately future generations saw this effigy and thought it was a proper view of Satan and it persisted.  In reality, Satan is a physically beautiful angelic being who has become corrupted morally.

"No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."  2 Corinthians 11:14)

I'm sorry, but this is all I have time for at the moment.  Have a blessed day.

If you want to learn more about God, check out https://trustjesus.substack.com/


Awe.  That's so sweet.


That would be great.  I could make an index for my whole series on the Fruits of the Spirit, another on my series on prayer, another on my end times series, and another on my Genesis series.  That would be awesome to have them so well organized.  That would make things even better than on substack where I have been posting them.  I am looking forward to it being released.


I'd bet more than half of the ingredients in our food (especially by number) are not food and are toxic.  The FDA does more harm than good.


In most ways the founders were far superior to what we have today, but they still had too many lawyers.


My irrigation pump went out late last summer and just got fixed.  I had something like 150 raspberry bushes planted.  100% died.  I am so jealous of yours.


Boys were expected to act like men from a young age.  I found it amazing when I was reading about President Jefferson creating the first US Navy to battle the Barbary Pirates.  One of the ship captains of one of the only 4 ships in the entire navy was 18 years old.  He had been working on a ship since he was 6 years old.

Kids today are coddled and have limited skills and little work ethic when they become "adults".  Parents and the government are not doing kids any favors when they prevent the kids from working,  from having responsibilities, and from having any consequences to their actions.


I hate canola oil, but that is pretty.


Kind of like chapters in a book?


Sadly, I think there are more of these than faithful pastors who correctly share the word of God.


freeborn | ἐλεύθερος


But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.  (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Key phrase being "Avoid such men as these."


This is the uncomfortable truth.  If you already are saved, it should encourage you to witness (people don't just cease to exist, but spend eternity in Hell).  If you aren't saved, you should repent and trust Jesus.  If you don't know, I'd be happy to talk with you.

nostr:nevent1qy08wumn8ghj7mn0wd68yttsw43zuam9d3kx7unyv4ezumn9wshsz9mhwden5te0dehhxarj9ehkuumpw3ejummjvuhsz8thwden5te0dehhxarj94ex2mrp0yh8wmrkwvh8xurpvdjj7qgawaehxw309ahx7um5wghxy6t5vdhkjmn9wgh8xmmrd9skctcpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhsz9mhwden5te0wfjkccte9ec8y6tdv9kzumn9wshsz9nhwden5te0v4jx2m3wdehhxarj9ekxzmny9uq3jamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwwdhx7un59eek7cmfv9kz7qg3waehxw309ahx7um5wgh8w6twv5hszxmhwden5te0dehhxarj9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetk9uqs6amnwvaz7tmzwf3zu6t09uq3samnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwvd6hyun9de6zuenedyhszrnhwden5te0dehhxtnvdakz7qghwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejz7qpq69zs9kdjdf2jpeq0qjqzx9zl4w6led9mz9zz4mtx33dgmqfqwh7q4z56at


I sometimes feel like that when talking to my son.  His brain processes commands exactly like a computer.  You had better say what you really mean or you could get something totally unintended.


It really is scary that parents will purposely bring their kids to demonic events like that.  It is child abuse.

I was trying to figure out why parents would do something like that.  I finally came to the conclusion that many parents put being woke and fitting in above what is best for their kids.  Also, they just don't think through anything.


That is the best response of them all.


Always and forever.


One of the best things about homeschooling my kids was I relearned what was interesting or important; I unlearned some of the lies that I had learned; and I learned new things that the government schools never taught me.


He is play testing with friends and family.  He has been for almost 6 months.


I actually thought that would be the easiest way to get Joe to step down.  Clearly Jill wants power otherwise she wouldn't put her husband through what she has put him through.  Of course that makes her dangerous, but I could see the Dems replacing Joe with Jill


It is called "Last Student Standing".  There are dorms, students, classes, locations, and events.  You build a deck .  You get some number of cards in your hand (based on your dorm).  The goal is to graduate.  You are using different students to take your classes for you.  If your GPA drops below a 3.5 you are kicked out of the honors floor.  If you get too many points (for being bad), you are kicked out of school.  You want to graduate.  You play students on buildings and try to get students to classes.  Different students cost different amounts and have different skills.  It is pretty cool.  He has put a huge amount of work into it.  He is even going to get some cards professionally printed.


How many of you have had a child stay up too late because they were doing math (not math homework)?

My 19 year old son said he stayed up late doing math because he was calculating probabilities for the card game he is designing.


I love a good double rainbow.  It is rare to get such a good photo.  Nice Job!


Because the God of the Bible is the true God and creator of everything:  matter & energy, time & space, things seen and things unseen, He is not a God who can be fully comprehended.  There are things about God that make our heads hurt when we try to fully understand them.  He is not an easy to understand God made from the mind of man.

### What is the Trinity?

One trait of God that is particularly hard to comprehend is the fact that He is 3 persons in 1 God.  There are even arguments over this trait because it is so hard to understand.

First, let’s get out that the word trinity (or any form of it) is not used in the Bible.  I don’t believe a word to describe His 3 in 1 nature existed.  We come to the understand His 3 in 1 nature by reading descriptions of God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son (Jesus).  God also frequently refers to Himself in the plural.  Although the easy to understand trinitarian nature does not come until the New Testament, even the Old Testament suggests this nature from the very Beginning.

> “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)”  {emphasis mine}

Notice how God refers to Himself as “Us” and “Our”.  God refers to Himself as plural.  This is the first reference to the trinitarian nature of God.  Like many other things, like salvation through faith in Jesus and God caring for the whole world and not just Israel, the trinity is not made clear until the New Testament.

### Is Jesus God?

When people argue against the trinity, the biggest argument is that Jesus is not God.  They think He is a prophet, a wise teacher, and a good man, but not God.  Unfortunately for them, Jesus does not leave this option open to us.

> So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?  …  So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”  As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. (John 8:25,28-30)  {emphasis mine}

In the English translation, the translators added the word “He” for ease of reading, but that word is not there in the original Greek, therefore what He really said was “*you will know that I am*.”  Why is this important?  Jesus was claiming to be God.  In the Old Testament, when Moses asked God’s name, He replied, “*I AM*.”

> Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” (Exodus 3:13-14)

A Jewish man using the term “*I AM*” about Himself would be blaspheming because He is applying the name of God to Himself.  A man claiming to be God, who isn't, cannot be a good man.

As C.S. Lewis says:

> “I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic– on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg– or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

When the Jewish leaders heard Jesus talking, they understood that His statements were claims to be God.

> For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.  (John 5:18)  {Emphasis mine}

When the Jewish people heard Jesus talking,  they understood that His statements were claims to be God.

> I and the Father are one.”

The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?”  The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”  (John 10:30-33)  {Emphasis mine}

Also Jesus said,

> Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. (John 8:42)  {Emphasis mine}

Jesus claims to have “*proceeded forth … from God*.”  Everyone knew He had been born by Mary.  How could He “*proceeded forth … from God*” if He was born naturally like every other man.  If He was born no differently than any other man, then He wouldn’t be God.  Of course we know that He was born differently.

> Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.  (Matthew 1:18)

> Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”  Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”  The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-35)

This was no normal birth and Jesus is no normal man.  Being born of Mary and the Holy Spirit enabled Him to be fully God and fully man at one time.  It is hard for our human minds to comprehend, but we serve an awesome God who can do things beyond our understanding.  This is one of many unimaginable miracles of God.

Jesus also claimed to have “*all authority*”.

> And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”  (Matthew 28:18)  {Emphasis mine}

Is it possible for anyone other than God to have “*all authority*”?

If you believe the Bible at all, it has not given us the option of thinking that Jesus was anything less than God.  Not only does Jesus claim to be God and his listeners understand Him to be claiming to be God, but other books of the Bible also refer to Him as God.

> who [Jesus], although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:6-11) [Clarification mine]  {Emphasis mine}

This is one of the clearest declarations of the deity of Jesus in the Bible.  It says Jesus *“existed in the form of God*." This sounds like the Bible is calling Jesus God.  It also says Jesus “*did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped*.”  In other words, Jesus was totally God, so He didn’t have to try to act like God, speak like God, or claim to be God.  His Godhood was clearly evident.

This passage says Jesus’s name is “*the name which is above every name.*”  Does anyone actually believe that God the Father, Yahweh, would put any other name above His own?  Of course not!  Jesus’s name is “*above every name*” because He is one with God the Father and one with God the Holy Spirit.

This passage says “*at the name of Jesus every knee will bow*,” but we know every time someone bows to anyone other than God, including angels or prophets of God like Paul and Silas, the people are immediately told to bow to no one but God.  Here it states that “*every knee will bow*.”  This would not be true unless Jesus was God and one with God the Father.

It also says, “*that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father*.”  Would calling Jesus Lord be to the glory of God if Jesus was not God?  I think not.

### Is the Holy Spirit God?

The Bible says:

> All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;  (2 Timothy 3:16))  {Emphasis mine}

but it also says:

> But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.  (2 Peter 1:20-21)  {Emphasis mine}

If the inspiration of man comes from God and comes from the Holy Spirit, that makes the Holy Spirit the same God.  The two are spoken of in the same way.

> Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)  {Emphasis mine}

In the same way, if our bodies are “*a temple of the Holy Spirit*”  and we are a temple of God.  If we are a temple of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit isn’t the same God as God the Father, how would this “*glorify God in your body*?”

> But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”  (Acts 5:3-4)  {Emphasis mine}

This Bible passage equates lying to the Holy Spirit to lying to God.  This is true since they are just to parts of the One true God.

We’ve already proven that Jesus is God.  In the verse below Jesus refers to himself leaving and the Father sending the Holy Spirit.  All three are given equality as God with each having a different purpose in the totality of the will of God.  In this passage “I” and “My name” refer to Jesus, while “Helper”, “Holy Spirit”, and “He” refer to the the Holy Spirit.

> “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  (John 14:25-26)  {Emphasis mine}

Also …

> Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  (Ephesians 4:30)

In this verse the Holy Spirit is referred to as separate and independent, though still part of God.  He is one person in the totality of God.

In this verse the Spirit of God is compared to the spirit of man.

> For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,  which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.  (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)  {Emphasis mine}

Just as the spirit of man is part of a man, so also is the Holy Spirit part of God.  In Genesis God creates man in His image.  I’ve heard it said that part of being in God’s image is a trinitarian design of man (although we are never as separate as the 3 persons or as one as the one God).  Man is body, mind, and spirit just as God is the Son (Jesus), the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

### Is the Father God?

I’ve included this section for completeness, but I don’t think anyone who believes the Bible even a little bit denies that the Father is God.  Some may believe that He is the only part of God, but they don’t deny the Father’s deity, so I won’t go into this any farther.

### Doesn’t the Bible speak of God as One?

The most common argument against the trinity is the use of this verse in Deuteronomy.

> “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!  (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Jesus even confirmed that this was a critical understanding of God when asked what is the greatest commandment.

> Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;  (Mark 12:29)

The problem is that this verse is speaking against a pantheon of gods such as those of Greece and Rome.  The trinity may have 3 persons, but He is still only one God.  They aren’t separate.  They are of one mind and one will.  They can’t be separated from one another like the “gods” in other religions which have a multitude of “gods” that usually fight among themselves.  This is hard for us to understand, but it is clearly communicated in the New Testament.

As a help to understanding the 3 in 1 nature of God, I’ll include a little excerpt from my upcoming book *Why I Need Jesus*  I hope it helps, but I have doubts that any human mind can fully understand the 3 in 1 nature of God.

> Another incomprehensible thing about God is that He is a trinity:  three in one.  He is one God, but three persons – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. Our finite minds can’t comprehend how someone can be three persons, but only one God, but that is what God is.

There are a number of analogies that help us understand the trinity, but none of them fully explain what the trinity is.  We can not fully understand the trinity until the time we spend in eternity with Him, and although we will understand more in the afterlife, we may never fully understand.

One analogy of the trinity is the different roles of a person.  I am a wife, a mother, and a business owner.  I act differently acting in my different roles, but I have certain traits that are universal because I am me.  As a wife I am encouraging, loving, submissive, romantic, and supportive.  As a mom I am encouraging and loving, but I guide, teach, act as an example, and punish.  As a business owner I encourage, train, discipline, and help my employees.  You’ll notice there are commonalities between my roles, but I also act differently in my different roles.  The trinity is kind of like that, but they are more one and more three than my example.  Although I sometimes talk to myself, I can’t really interact socially with myself like the trinity can with the different parts of the trinity.  I am more one.  I can’t truly be 3 persons.

The Trinity is also somewhat like the 3 states of water:  ice, (liquid) water, and water vapor.  They are all water.  They are all H2O, but if you look at ice, water, and water vapor, they all have different traits and don’t look or act the same.

I’ve also heard the example of three blind men that discover an elephant.  One puts his hands on a leg and describes it as tall, strong, and built like a tree.  Another blind man puts his hands on an ear.  He feels something that is thin and wide and feels something like a large leaf.  The third blind man puts his hand on the trunk.  He feels something long, flexible, and shaped like a hose or a snake.  Each part seems so different, but they are all parts of the elephant.

The last example I’ve heard came from a Southern Baptist pastor who has a food analogy for almost any Biblical principle.  He always said that the trinity is as simple as cherry pie.  If you have a cherry pie and cut it into three slices, when you look at it, it is clearly 3 different pieces of pie, but inside the cherry filling runs through the whole pie and is one cherry pie.  There is no separation between the pieces.  He would state, “the trinity is as simple as cherry pie.”

If someone was making up a god to manipulate people, they would not make up something so confusing and incomprehensible about their god.  On the other hand, a god who is the author of everything that exists is likely to have personal traits that are impossible for His creation to fully comprehend.

The trinity also is important in who God is.  A loving God that is all alone would need his creation because he would be lonely and have no one to love.  A trinitarian God has company and someone to love in the other two persons of the trinity.  This God doesn’t NEED his creation even if He wants and loves his creation.

By the above sections you can see that the Bible clearly talks about one God which includes three persons.  The fact that this is hard for us to understand doesn’t make it any less true.  We can’t pick and choose which verses we will listen to and which we will ignore. If we say there is only one God and deny the deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we are apostate.  If we say that we worship three separate Gods, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, we are equally apostate.

The God of the Bible, the one and true God, is three persons in one God.  We need to trust God and believe His word even if we can’t fully understand how it can be so.

### What are Some Mentions of the entire Trinity?

There are many passages that refer to the three persons of the Trinity working together as one.  When Jesus was about to arise to heaven after rising from the dead, in His last words He said:

> And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:18-20)  {Emphasis mine}

As Christians, we are called to be baptized “*in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.*” We are to acknowledge all three persons in the Godhead.

> Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,  and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”  (Luke 3:21-22)  {Emphasis mine}

Likewise when Jesus was baptized to fulfill the law of God, all three persons were present.  Jesus was fulfilling the Law of God so He would be a worthy sacrifice to take away our sins.  The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus as a helper and as a sign to John the Baptist that Jesus was the predicted Messiah.  God the Father spoke blessing the actions of Jesus in fulfilling their mutual will.  The three persons of God acted as One.

> “These things I [Jesus] have spoken to you while abiding with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  (John 14:25-26)  {Emphasis mine}

This verse also speaks of all three persons working in concert.  It also clearly separates the Spirit (Helper) from Jesus because as one (Jesus) leaves, the other (Helper) comes to help us.  Once again the Bible shows the three persons of God acting as One.

>  He who hates Me [Jesus] hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me [Jesus] and My Father as well.  But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

 “When the Helper [Spirit] comes, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He [Spirit] will testify about Me [Jesus], and you will testify also, because you have been with Me [Jesus] from the beginning.  (John 15:23-27) [Clarification Mine]  {Emphasis mine}

Once again this verse shows all three persons of God working as One.  Just as John 8:42 (above) describes Jesus proceeding from God, John 15:26 describes the Spirit proceeding from the Father.  They proceed from God/Father because they are all One.

> Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.  (1 Corinthians 6:11)  {Emphasis mine}

Our sanctification and our justification come from all three persons of the one true God.  If we do not believe this, can we truly be saved?  If we do not believe in the Godship of Jesus can we truly be a child of God?

> Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”  (John 14:6-7)

Jesus explains that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father implying they are one and the same.

Trust Jesus

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

A Biblical explanation of what the Trinity is and what the Bible says on the subject.


Can you imagine how the US economy would boom if the US quit printing money and reduced spending within their budget?  We should be able to cut taxes and start slowly paying down the debt as well, but even if we didn't, just quitting money expansion and not running up more debt would be huge!


I have a terrible time memorizing any kind of numbers.  I want tech to help me store any digital addresses (phone#s, IP#s, npubs, etc.).  My brain can't handle it.


It is a debt/theft system.  All money is created as debt so there is not enough money to pay back the principle and interest.  That means the banks slowly syphon off all the wealth until the system collapses.  It is amazing how evil the monetary system is.


I'm content with my few gray hairs, but I'll never dye my hair partially because it is too much work.  Most people start when they have a few gray hairs.  It isn't too bad.  As they gray more and more it becomes more and more obvious they have a dye job.  They have to have regular touch ups.  If they finally decide to go gray they look awful for 6 months to a couple of years depending on how fast/slow their hair grows and how long they want it.  That is way too much work.  I haven't even gotten a professional hair cut in more than a decade.  There is no way I'm going to a salon to get my hair dyed.


Most likely.