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For me it's a hard question. I should say my mom and my sister who took me to the church. I was separated from them and brought up by my father who was the biggest materialist I have ever known. Still..my father has bigger impact on my life than anyone else. I think we also should consider all the people around us - even though they were not Christian - who made our personality as it is today. My strength is like my father's...my heart is like my mother's. Who had bigger impact on my life? Is it my mom who took me to church and thought me everything about the Bible from a distance or my dad who dinied everything but his hand feed me since I was a baby? I slept next to him until I was 13. I'm still not sure how come I got here. Was it my father or was it my mother? I think it was Jesus who called me and said 'Be mine'

Various kitties acting cute with their owners...

Hi Melinda, I also do not like swearing or taking the Lord`s name in vain. However we need to remember that people are in darkness and it is a habit which is demonically inspired. The name of Jesus represents His character and authority. The enemy is trying to belittle that in people`s eyes and thus it is used as a swear word, blasphemy. People would not know why they use His name, but maybe would say - everyone does it, it makes me feel better, (ie angry expression). If you have an opportunity with some one and can gently say - ~Did you know that all legal documents must have a date related to this man`s birthday?` (eg 2018 AD or 200 B.C.) The word `bloody` is also used as a swear word. Now blood is life giving and the blood of Jesus is the most precious thing there is for cleansing us of our sin. regards, Marilyn.

hi I came across this snopes article. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/brett-kavanaugh-foreclosure-accuser-parents/ Thanks

What a neat memory and an unusual toy! I have never seen anything like that. I wonder where it was sold. Maybe a Christian book store? I am glad you enjoy "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus," too. You are right about music. It serves necessary purposes in our lives...it helps us lighten our loads and of course, worship our Lord. Plus, it is takes us back to times and places gone by. As you pointed out in the true story you shared. Music is one more special gift our Creator has blessed us with.

Neighbor and others, you are going to love this!! I found a hysterically funny video on YouTube where Spock and the Enterprise Crew mock the fake news reporters of the hurricanes. There is a reporter in a canoe plus others.... it's soooo funny! Hopefully the video will be approved soon.... it's in the Comedy Video section here at Worthy.

The yes/no/later response strikes me as one-dimensional. It's like the only element involved in prayer is putting in an impersonal request form and God pulling out one of 3 stampers to put a response on our request form. The issue of unanswered prayers is one that has vexed Christians for millennia to some extent. There is sometimes an element of us thinking we know best in what we ask for. We can pray to win the lottery; but perhaps what we should be praying for wisdom and guidance for how to support ourselves. There is also sometimes an element that we really don't trust God and think He is holding out on us for some reason if we don't get the response we expect when we expect it. I think our view of unanswered prayers ultimately comes down to how we think of God's heart toward us. Does He have our best interest at heart as a loving Father? Or is He just waiting for us to fall short so He can smite us or play games with us? Do we trust Him to do what's best in that we don't see the big picture? or do we assume that He should do things the way we expect? There is also the issue that prayer is much more than just asking things of God; it is meant to be communion with God as well. It is a time to reflect, meditate, and rest in His presence, and not just rattle off a list of prayer requests. As a bigger part of our spiritual life, prayer is a time of getting away from the world and just being with God. When prayer becomes primarily about asking for things, I think we are missing the biggest part of it.

Certainly. It is a worthy command. Keep your praises strong and uplifting as you do. Praise God too, that while we have the breadth to lift those hands, we should indeed.

I have no issue hanging out at such events, as long as you yourself are not sinning. Especially since from your discription it sounds like most of the people were well behaved, even with the presence of alcohol. Its just a soccer game.

I'll chime in... I won't address this so much with my religious convictions as I will with my secular view of professional sports. Well maybe. I lost all interest and following of professional sports decades ago when 'the love of the game' was lost; and greed, money and business took over and replaced it. Not to even mention taking a knee during the National Anthem, talking to your business agent on the cell phone in the dug-out during a game, etc. In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with supporting and watching your sports team. It's the replacement and worship of the players / teams that is of concern to me. Just my brief thoughts.

on@onedirection....it's not about being clever...you are too much in your head analyzing & not enough in your heart. Put yourself in her position & try to understand her. It's not up to you to hold her accountable. She doesn't need a parent. She needs a partner. Sure you need to have good boundaries..but that is about protecting yourself NOT about trying to change her behavior in some way by holding her accountable. You cannot change her!! Henry Cloud has some great books called "Boundaries in Marriage." I just think you are thinking, thinking, & overthinking. Try just using your heart a little more. It is a big piece of what's missing for you....

Are the Jewish High Holy days for all believers? The reason that I have begun this writing with “Jewish” High holy days is because this is what most of Christendom believe when the holy days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot are mentioned. But in reality, they are “God’s” Holy days for ALL believers. Why do I say this? Let’s keep on reading. In Genesis 1:14 Elohim says; “and God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons” This is not talking about the 4 seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The Hebrew word “seasons” here is “Moedim” which means “appointed times when God instructs man to come to worship” these are special times with special meanings. Elohim originally called his people Israel to celebrate these appointed times, yet when they came out of Egypt, not only did members of the 12 tribes come out but also many Egyptians and probably Nubians as well followed the Israelites out. They became part of Israel by their own choice. God made a covenant with his people, and He also had in mind these peoples who followed the true God, YHVH. In Deuteronomy 29:10-15, Adonai speaks through Moshe stating that everyone that was standing that day, from the most important person down to the lowliest common laborer, standing before Adonai were being made HIS PEOPLE, and he mentions in verse 11; “your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp” the mention of the word “stranger” usually means one who is not of the 12 tribes, “that thou should enter into covenant with YHVH thy Elohim. He included ALL into his covenant to be HIS people. From that time up til now, the people of the 12 tribes have been spread out over all the earth and from the original 12 tribes, the Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and the Falashim groups have been formed whose roots are in Israel, yet they are from the nations of East Europe, Spain and Middle East, and Africa. Christendom may be divided up into denominations, but we are all still part of the Commonwealth/community of Israel, extended outward into the world. So, we can well say that all the appointed days of Adonai are for ALL believers and followers in Yeshua/Jesus. So, these are not “Jewish” appointed days, but “God’s” appointed days. From September 9th to the end of this month we are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. How do these appointed days point to Yeshua? To be very brief, we could say the following; The sound of the trumpet or shofar which is heard on Rosh Hashanah, or Yom Teruah marks the time of repentance and inner reflection. It reminds us that the “King is coming” and for us to ready our hearts and minds. It is time for us to “Shoov” or “return” to HIM who redeemed us from the curse of sin. If we have fallen short of the mark, we should take better aim and point ourselves back to our relationship with Yeshua. Yes, we all sin and come short, yet God invites all repentant sinners to come home. The father welcomed his wayward son who had gone astray. He was returning home. He was “part” of the family already, he had just gone astray and realized the error of his ways, and returned into the arms of his beloved father. Repentance in the Hebrew is “Teshuvah” which means “a return” or “change of mind and heart.” As we think and ponder upon our relationship with our Savior. We come to “Yom Kippur” or the “Day of Atonement” Under the old covenant, the high priest could come only once a year into the “Holy of Holies” in the Tabernacle and later in the temple. That was where the “Aron HaKodesh” was kept, the “Holy of Holies” in this box were the tablets of the commandments. The high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat and when the “Shekinah” or the “Holy Spirit” looked down upon the mercy seat, he saw the blood of innocent animals and not the broken commandments. Yet this was only temporary, as the blood of animals could not really atone for sin, only “cover” sin. The animal blood points us to the blood that really counts, to the blood of Yeshua, whose one time only sacrifice on the cross not only covered our sins but paid the entire price of sin, eternal separation from God. His blood for our salvation. We are now rejoined with God and not separated from God. During Yom Kippur, two goats were brought to the priest. One was sacrificed and the other sent away. A priest placed his hands on the goat’s head, symbolically placing all of our sins onto the goat. The other goat was sacrificed What does this ceremony mean? It means that just as our sins were dealt with on the cross, they are also “driven away from us” never to be remembered, never to return upon our heads. The words “Yom Kippur” mean “day” (Yom) “Kippur” comes from “Kafar” meaning “covering” or also “Yom Hakipurim” (Day of the coverings) because more than one animal was sacrificed at this time. So, it wasn’t a singular “blood” (dam) but “Bloods” (damei) therefore “coverings.” Yet Yeshua’s blood was unique and ONE (one of a kind) Sinless and perfect. Just like Adam had when he was originally made in the image of Elohim. It is also a day of prayer and fasting, when the Word of God says; “afflicting one’s soul” it is a time of taking note of our sinful state, and spend the day in fasting. This year, Yom Kippur starts the evening of Sept 18 and ends the evening of Sept 19th. In mainline Jewish belief, the books that God has concerning people are closed. The state of the soul in written in those books and it will be so for one year. However, we know that the books are “always open” since the line from man to God is open 24-7 for repentance. Yeshua’s death on the cross is for all time. The final appointed day is “Sukkot” or the “Feast of Tabernacles”. This is a time of joy, gladness, rejoicing that the “King is here”. We can look at Rosh Hashanah as saying; the king is coming, get ready, Yom Kippur we could say “the King is at the door, really get ready, if you need to repent, do it now! then Sukkot would mean; “The King is here, he has come, so rejoice!” This festival of “Tabernacles” symbolizes the coming of God to this earth. A “tabernacle” is a dwelling place, usually a temporary dwelling place like a tent. YHVH came down first to his people on Sinai, in a cloud of fire and smoke on top of Mt. Sinai. There he invited Moshe up to commune with him, he gave him the commandments for HIS people. Then he came down all the way to rest on the “Mishkan” (The Tabernacle) in a cloud by day and a column of fire by night. He led his people through the desert for 40 years. Eventually, the tabernacle was replaced by the Temple. Then YHVH came to earth in the form of flesh and blood, as a man, as God-man, as Yeshua. He came around this time towards the end of September or early October. This can be proved mathematically. I am not going into “Christmas bashing” at this time, but December 25th was set aside in ancient times by Rome to commemorate the festival of Saturnalia. It celebrates the birthdate of all the pagan gods of Rome. Sukkot is a seven-day celebration, culminating on the 7th day as “Hoshana Raba” the great day of the feast. This was when Yeshua was in the temple and said; “whoever comes to me from him will flow rivers of living water” The priests at that time poured out near the altar water and wine, as Yeshua poured out his blood mixed with water on the cross, when the Roman soldier stuck a spear in his side. During this festival was when Solomon dedicated the temple. On the 8th day, it is a time to rejoice in the Torah, that we have God’s Word in our midst. The Hanukkah lights are lit for 8 days to remind us of the dedication of the first temple, and also to remind us that today we are the temple of YHVH. Our bodies contain the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God at one time inhabited the Tabernacle and the temple. The entire chapter of Leviticus 23 speaks of the “appointed days” set aside to worship and to get right with Him. Of course, it is the choice of every believer to either celebrate or not to celebrate these days. Life is all about choices. We can either ignore these days or celebrate these days. We should not judge our brother or sister if he or she chooses not to. We are saved by grace through Yeshua, not through observance of the commandments. However, if we love the LORD we will want to do as He commands in scripture. If you want some detailed info on these Holy Days, you can go to www.hebrew4christians.com. When you go to that site, look to the left and under “home” look for and click on “Holidays” and you can get detailed info under the “Days of Awe” . Shalom Rabbi Ben Avraham

A very brief but interesting video about the church in Kuwait...

Outside of the word of God is the saying believe none of what you read and half of what you see. A great example is the video gone viral ( Millions upon millions of views now) of the reporter faking severe conditions during Hurricane Florence. It is an absolute riot to watch this fraud exposed live and now recorded on video. These people will do most anything to excite worry in order to sel soap and personal hygiene products on cable tv. Shame on them. But it is funny! !!! It is all over the internet, but here is one link- go down to the second video and click on "the Report" http://thehill.com/homenews/media/406808-weather-channel-defends-reporter-seen-in-viral-hurricane-florence-video What is worse is the lame excuses being made by the weather channel stating the man was standing on wet grass while the people calmly walking along in the background were on pavement, and the reporter has been up all night and was unstable- Ya right. They really need to confess their fraud, apologize to viewers, and turn about to more honest a presentation, if they are to ever have any confidence in their reports again by listeners. Fact at this point why watch them at all unless it is for comic entertainment purposes?

In the book of Ephesians Paul emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and redemption through God's holy inheritance. In Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8-10 Paul mentions redemption as something you cannot take credit for because faith is God's gift to you. Redemption was a major part of how the lord shows kindness and forgiveness towards those who have transgressed. This is something you are not to take credit for because God's love was a gift he gave to you when he created Heaven and Earth. In order to live right by faith we must love one another in order to fulfill God's holy promise. In Ecclesiastes the philosopher (David's son) mentions that God will judge everything we do in secret good or bad. The idea behind the philosophers point of view is that the things we do in secret that are good are things done when no one is watching. Serving the lord wholeheartedly means serving him through praise and repentance when speaking to the lord in private. A private intimate conversation with the lord allows him to hear you when you are struggling and provide an answer to your prayers. However, those who transgress against the lord in private the lord will not be lenient in his judgement on Judgement day. In the lord's eyes transgression is most prevalent when a sinner blasphemes God's holy name using profanity, or when a married woman commit's adultery in the eyes of the lord. For not slanderers or adulterers will have any acceptance into God's holy kingdom.

Thanks Turtletwo, I don't know where my gran even found something like that. WE grew up in Africa and my gran would often send packages with clothes and such for us. She was always on the lookout for good deals and such. Hope that you have a great day.

Thanks. I am touched by your comment. Lately, the Lord has been bringing me back to Calvary where it all began. I wrote this from a heart filled with appreciation as I meditated upon it. I hope and pray it inspires others to do likewise and that the spotless Lamb of God will be glorified.

This is funny! Love the female reporter in the canoe!

Hi Melinda, so glad you are enjoying it. Once I get a new prayer report for next month, I can post more ministry reports. Always interesting to hear of the underground work going on in these Muslim countries.

Did you take the time to read the entire letter by the Gospel for Asia founder? If you did, you can see he explained the false reports are being circulated by people that are anti-Christian and seek to hinder their work, especially in India. Below is the link to the letter so everyone can read it. We must be careful not to slander other Christians. Anyone that has questions about things they read on the internet are invited by the founder of Gospel for Asia to contact them directly. Contact info is in the link to the letter.

Shalom Rocky, Thank you for your very kind words and checking out the website. Yes, I know what you mean. It's very tricky to write a study trying to be "impartial"for the benefit of the non-believer. It makes it difficult to assess the material cynically at times! I'm currently working on the "heart" side of the non-believer section of the website, then I'll go back to the "mind" side to complete the God Experiment test. That will be fun. A site map is a good idea. Perhaps a menu from the top or side... Thank you again Rocky. May Yahweh bless you. Love & Shalom

Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.

Gary , THIER IS NO JOY like the JOY OF THE LORD . You throw those hands up and praise the LORD and holler out with JOY to the LORD .

So to question is, does your unbelieving husband still wish to leave you? If he does, you should let him go.

Welcome to the Unprecendeted Event George. The time has come indeed for the Bride of Christ to pray come, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” (Revelation 22:17) and “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Martin Luther hung out at pubs sipping ale as he wrote “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” our Lord Jesus Christ ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners, “29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” (Luke 5:29-32). If we isolate, and avoid the world how shall we make disicples? (Matthew 28:19). The point is to minister but not be polluted, “Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.” (Jude 1:23 NLT).

There is a book, "THE FLOOD, IN THE LIGHT OF THE BIBLE, GEOLOGY,AND ARCHEOLOGY" Alfred M. Rehwinkle copywrite 1951 There are a few archeological digs documenting findings that were believed to be pre flood. A French expedition under M Jacques de Morgan and later in 1929 a British American expedition under Leonard Woolley in the area of the ancient site of Ur. You might find a copy on amazon. You also may find a few pieces of information that can be very helpful to add to your site. An interesting piece for those of us who are saved is every layer of civilization above the one they found below a thick layer of clay had idols. The civilization believed to be pre flood they found no idols and the artifacts were of a higher quality craftsmanship than the ones above. No idols? interesting.

Hello Tzephanyahu! What a fantastic site you have created. As for an opinion about anything you may have missed or what might be unclear, that is still a work in progress on my end. My "objectivity" is somewhat compromised because of my faith; I believe scripture 100% as given in the Bible, so I do not need convincing of a worldwide flood in Noah's time. Never the less, I am trying to comprehend your work from my pre-believer days! I just wanted to thank you for this terrific effort at this point, as it obviously must cause any open minded non-believer to pause and consider the evidence you are presenting. One point is a site map for easier navigation of the site. Does one exist, since I have missed it? Congratulations on such a fine effort Tzephanyahu! Cheers!!!

ok so what about folk who are new to all of this then can you give some clear sources please. who is truly independant? not on the net surely!

Hi Turtle, Thank you so much for taking time to share about your mom. I really do appreciate it. It does give me a greater appreciation for the relationship you have with your mom; as well as an encouragement to me as a mom with my girls. I love that way you called her a light in a dark place. That reminds me of a lighthouse! I love lighthouses. God bless.

Hi Debp, thanks for taking time to share about your mother and grandmother. I loved the reminder that sometimes it is not the great and elaborate things that we do that necessarily makes an impact, but the consistent small things that we can keep on doing. it is so good to hear from you. God bless.

Hi Gandalf, As a I read through your response, I was reminded of the story of the Sower and the Seed. I am sure that there are many people along the way who have sowed seed in our lives. And yes, I hadn't thought about it, but I am sure that there are people who have had both a positive as well as negative impact. Hope you have a great day. God bless.

Hi Turtle, I love the chorus to this song, it is a great reminder that we need to consciously change our focus from our situation on to the Lord and make sure that He is our focus. I can remember growing up I had one of those wind up toys that would play a song. The one toy was a church, and I used to love hearing the song coming out from the church. It is amazing what memories we have when it comes to music. I hope you have a great day.

How about the link to SNOPES fact check? Using Duck Duck Go ( I use it instead of Google) ask for search "reporter faking weather florence". I did that using Duck Duck Go. The link is then available. Click on the link to SNOPES story and just scroll down past the first stationary still shot to the video when you get the page.

I will happily join those who are eagerly awaiting and praying for the soon return and appearing of our Lord Jesus, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:8. Much of the church, and of course the world, could care less about our Lords return because they love this world and the things that are in this world. The Lord said that the way to life was narrow and that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. It's a joy to look up if our treasure is in heaven.

Thank you turtletwo. What a beautiful way to say "I love you" to our Lord.

Shalom brothers & sisters, We say “bless you” to each other a lot. But what is that exactly? Blessing the person is blessing them with… what? Um, blessings… Erm.. Nondescript from God… Err, you know, just a nice…. blessing. I think blessing is actually giving selfishly, caring for someone or even just listening to them. You can bless a person with a gift, by doing something for them or helping them with something. We associate blessings with miracles, but that's how Yahweh blesses. As for us, we can give and help selfishly and freely out of love. Maybe we have inherited our Father’s traits of being able to ‘make things be’ with our words. After all, we are created in His image. We can surely give someone a good day, helpful advice or make them smile with just words - so surely we can give our creative words to God as well. So, why do we say “bless you God”? Aren't we just saying that to God without giving Him anything? But what can we give or do for the Master of the Universe? We can give him thanks, appreciation, recognition, words of love, adoration and share our thoughts with Him. These things we can give the Father freely and out of love, which He wouldn't have otherwise. We can “bless” Him with our words. Not giving him a gift per se, but our love creatively. The sacrifices of the patriarchs and in the Levitical system were a gift to God. Not that He needed it, but it was the free will offering itself that counted. Have we stopped giving gifts when we just say “bless you God” instead of actually offering a true sacrifice of praise? Well, what about when we say “bless you” to our brothers and sisters? “Bless you” and then no gift or warm, personal words to help. How is that a blessing? I think we have fallen into a bad and lazy habit here. Saying “bless you” or “blessings” does reflect our heart intention, but it fails to actually bless someone. We may as well say to each other “hope God looks out for you!”. Instead of saying “blessing”, as if we're calling them down from God, we should DO the blessings for each other. We should give to each other, speak loving encouraging and personal words to each other, share each others burdens - physically and mentally. That's a blessing. “Blessed is he…” the Messiah says in the beatitudes. That is to say, Yahweh will reward him with life, peace and fullness. That's a blessing. So maybe next time we see a friend instead of saying “bless you”, we should say “is there anything I can do to help you?” or “it's such a joy to see you again!”. Love & Shalom

Shalom, Tzephanyahu. First, allow me to point out that "bless" and "bliss" come from the same root in English. To "bless" someone is to make that someone "happy!" To pay truly for someone's meal or to provide clothes for someone's back or to provide a roof over someone's head IS to make that someone happy! However, we need also to discuss the Hebrew word translated as "bless" in the Scriptures: The word is usually a form of "baruwkh," the imperative form of the verb "baarakh." 1288 baarakh (baw-rak'). A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason) -- X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank. So, to "bless God" is to "kneel to God" or to "bend the knee before God." Such obeisance would be pleasing to God and make Him happy. After all, He is worthy of our adoration and our reverence. When God blesses us, He doesn't move; so instead, He is lifting US up in some way! That is, He is exalting us or He is giving us something beneficial, whether that be status, monetary benefits, or benefits in some other way, such as health. He is treating us as His dear, special children. And, the Bible word for "special" is "holy." "Holy" does NOT mean "righteous"; it means "singled out" or "special." We become someone whom God has noticed and singles out, usually to benefit Himself in some way, as well. He gives us the means by which we can perform His will in some way. We become mutually beneficial to each other.

the old covenant did not offer salvation at all.... it was given to the Israelites to have long lives and a land to live in with protection..... any eternal thing even then was through faith as Abraham had. It wasn't until Jesus died for our sins that we are able to be born spiritually and become sons of God and have an eternal future in heaven.

Shalom Tyler, The TaNaK or Old Testament is vital. The New Testament doesn't make sense without it. As for the relevance, it's all relevant for us to learn. Not all of it talks to the jews, not all of it talks to gentiles. All of it speaks of Messiah. Blatantly and crptically. As for the Torah i believe that Father would have us keep all of the Tem Commandments at least, and even more. Not all because some isn't relevant but the Spirit will guide you in these things for you individually is you study and meditate on the Torah. But the first and foremost is to love Yahweh and love your neighbour. If you cannot do this, don't bother with the rest. If you can or are trying you best, let the Spirit lead you to the next step. Make sure motive is not for righteousness though but to please Father, to learn about his ways and to care for others. Remember, its a step at a time. Take your time, be open to the Spirit of Yahweh and to change. Remember you are saved by mercy, not by following Torah. Most importantly, love him and your neighbour. The Old Testament and the New Testament highlight this is the whole Torah summarised. The rest of it is "guidance for life". From the Creator of the universe, surely that's worth a constant study! Love & Shalom

@Tyler S. For the first post: these verses of the OT do apply to us as we as gentiles are now "ingrafted into the vine" because of what Jesus did on the cross, and the OT and NT are of the same perfect Word of God (prophecy*) so the OT applies to the gentiles too. *The books of the OT prophecy the events of the NT and the books of the NT fulfill the prophecies of the OT. These verses can ease our minds because of this. @ambc It used to be "a tooth for a tooth" in the OT but now through Jesus "it is is said a tooth for a tooth but now I say love your enemy" (paraphrase - research that verse). So why have the OT in this case? With the law we would not know what sin is. OT is a benchmark to know what sin is and the NT is fulfillment of the law through the cross which by grace we receive through faith. Jesus died for our sins.

I agree, I hold double imputation Righteouness: the imputation of believers' sin to Christ and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers; that Jesus takes our sins and gives us His righteousness (1 Peter 2:24, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Galatians 3:13, Romans 4:25).

Cutting right to the chase... 2 Peter 1:20–21 (NASB95) 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. All scripture came prophetically from the Holy Spirit in this way, therefor this refers to all scripture. The Word of God is not fractured or schismatic as those who try to carve it us suggest (this is for Jews, that is for Gentiles, this is of Jesus , that is of Paul, then there are the Yahwists versus the Elohists in Genesis, and on and on and on)... It comes from a lame attempt in Higher / Lower criticism of the Bible (I'm a bit rusty on this but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth after all these years... go figure). The Word of God applies to all (but not in the same way since circumstances change as the progression of the Word of God increases and with reference to which side of the cross a people exist on). I do not believe Tyler S. is willfully engaging in the tactics of some very misled German theologians around the time of Martin Luther... but their poison seeps in through unnoticed. We should view the scriptures as a whole and the same Holy Spirit who interprets them as the same Holy Spirit who wrote them. The covenants changed on the cross of Christ (Hebrews 9:16-17). And that's what makes the difference (Galatians 3:24-25). But it's not as though we cannot benefit from the Old Covenant Schoolmaster... just remember to apply Grace to Law and not Law to Grace.

A Time To Pray And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:12 For Peace For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 Hosanna LORD, Save Now~! And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 ~ Be Blessed Beloved Of The KING Love, Your Brother Joe

God creates a new, clean heart in all His children, beginning from the day we commit ourselves to Christ. But it's a slow process! None of us will stop committing sin altogether, until the day we die, and no amount of praying is going to change that universal rule just for you. Having said that, we are called to fight against our sinful natures, "putting to death" those things within us that are contrary to God's nature. It isn't easy - as GandalfTheWise has explained, some areas of our lives can be brought under the Spirit's control fairly quickly, but in other areas it's more of a struggle. Your strong desire for holiness is a good sign; don't get frustrated by an apparent lack of progress in the short term.

In war, as a soldier, the closer you fight to the battle front, the more likely you will be wounded. The further you stay away from confronting/engaging the enemy, the less of a threat you are, the less effective, the less attacked. Spiritual warfare is the Christians battle ground. Not with people . But what/who is driving/influencing them? The demonic. As believers, God has taught us how to engage the enemy, the wiles of the devil, the adversary, seeking whom to devour. The reason God gave us weapons of warfare, is because we are in a spiritual war with spiritual enemies. 2 Corinthians 10:4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds". Ephesians 6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. take unto you the whole armour of God, your loins girt about with truth, the breastplate of righteousness; feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to (quench all the fiery darts of the wicked) the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. We will be, as believers, in spiritual battle as long as we breathe. We may not always realize it, or want to accept it. But we must study to show ourselves approved unto God. And continue to grow, leaving the milk of the word and getting into the meat. When I was a young believer, for maybe five years, I got into reading/studying a lot about the devil/ demons, and one night I read till about two o'clock, and could actually feel a heavy evil presence, so went to bed, praying mucho. The next morning at coffee, my wife told me she felt that presence also, while in our bedroom the previous night, though I thought she was asleep. I quit reading books about the enemy, and started to concentrate upon the one who defeated our enemy, at the cross, Lord and King, Jesus. I read more and more about the promises of God, who is Light, and in Him is NO darkness, at all. I flooded/saturated my mind/heart with scripture. And Prayer. Prayer is warfare. Warfare is prayer. (spiritual) Faith, the shield of faith, is what God has given us to quench those fiery darts coming into our mind, like doubt, fear, anxiety, etc. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word! (Be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart) I do not claim any power over the devil, rebuking him, but I claim the promises given me from God, who has the authority. The reason you/us get attacked, is the enemy sees a soldier for Christ who isn't AWOL, but engaged, studying the word, hiding it in your heart, ready for attacks, building up the faith, and praying without ceasing. When I'm tempted of the devil, or my mind has some lust I simply say "Resist the devil, and he will flee from me". Usually takes replying more than once or more, as it's hard not to think about a pink elephant.....It really is a battle for the mind. But only those who are in Christ, with the mind of Christ, dead to sin, alive unto God. I live, but not I, but Christ lives in me. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. What I came to realize from experience dealing with the battle running in my mind, was, to find preconceived faulty data stored prior to receiving a mind alive unto Christ, (strongholds) and replace it with true data, truth, the word of God. I do not blame my sin on the devil, but confess any and all sin. I agree with God, completely. And then press on. All day long, thinking more on the goodness and mercy, and greatness, and faithfulness, of our awesome almighty ABBA, daddy. God is on the throne, and He will watch over those who are fighting the good fight. For sure! Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 1 John 4:4 "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." 2Co 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 1 John 4:1-21 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. ... Rom 16:17-20 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and **avoid them**. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Sounds like the enemy don't want you knowing or seeing the signs of the times . So one can be lulled to sleep into thinking and just going with the flow . My advice is IF the enemy is attacking your mind so bad , Examine your walk , really dig in the bible and learn JESUS for yourself . Don't just listen to what men say about him . YOU LEARN HIM and submit to GOD , resist the devil and he will FLEE. Yep, that is in the bible too. Get grounded in the holy bible . I mean just get grouned and read them gosples for hours and the letters the apostels wrote . just read , read and read .

I'm with your pastor on this one. The most important thing any of can do is to grow spiritually and learn to walk with God more closely. The reality is that reading and viewing a bunch of material where people are guessing who the antichrist is, what is going to happen to fulfill prophecy, and similar things often ends up generating more fear and worry than it does positive spiritual growth. I've been a Christian for over 40 years. Way back, I used to worry about this a lot and read countless books on the subject and read Revelation extensively. In hindsight, the main reason I was doing it was fear of the unknown. I simply didn't have enough trust and confidence in God to just leave my future in His hands. I wanted to figure out everything I could about what was going to happen. Now, I don't worry about it much. Yes, the Lord's return is closer now than when I first believed, but I've been hearing some Christians talking about how the latest newspaper headlines might be the fulfillment of prophecy for decades. Yes, at some point they will be right. But I'm glad I haven't spent the last 40 years worrying about it and listening to people who were wrong about various predictions. Back then, I'd have to say that fear, doubt, and worry characterized my Christian life. Over time, that disappeared. If the Lord returns in my life time, cool. If not, fine. If persecution comes in my lifetime, I'm much better prepared to face it having walked with God for decades than if I'd spent excessive time worrying about all the possible forms it might take. Peace, calm, contentment, and trust and confidence in God is something that emerges more and more in our lives as we spend time with God. Over weeks, months, and years, as we see what God does in our lives and those around us, our trust and confidence in Him grows more and more. I'd recommend taking all the time spent worrying about prophecy and put that into Bible reading, prayer, ministry, fellowship, and things that will help you grow spiritually.

You are right, but do not ignore the writing of that law and many others. We as Christians are to read the Old Testament which includes the Law and the harshness of its consequences. In fact, reading from Genesis through Malachi is vital. I cannot stress that enough. Why were consequences so harsh for people in those days under the Law? God was going to raise a Messiah from the Israelites - his chosen people. They MUST be a holy people. Holiness was the most important thing. They had to display holiness from disposing of fecal waste and mold in a specific way to refraining from immorality with rigid consequences. Why? Because God literally lived with them. He told them that he was going to physically and literally live with them. He was literally manifest in a cloud by day and fire by night. He literally lived among the people and his literal abode was on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. God cannot dwell with unholiness - so witchcraft, adultery, rape [which God said he equates with murder], rebellion, and more was punishable by death. Those things are still sins, and God lives in our hearts while at the same time exists everywhere. But God does not live manifested like he was to the Israelites with us today. We see no cloud or fire or have an Ark which cannot be touched or approached. God is with us via his Son and his Holy Spirit. Sin is to be punished. Jesus Christ took that punishment. Sin can be repented of, and still bear a consequence. But we are not to kill those who sin today like God had people killed then when his physical presence was in their midst. The law and severe consequences are just a small part of the Old Testament. There is so much more.

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." - John 10:11 We are the hands and feet of Jesus, we are the "good shepherd." "Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You feed, where do You lie down at noon? For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of Your companions?" - Song of Solomon 1:7 Finally, we discover that we can no longer be satisfied to drink from the overflow of another's blessing, or to feed upon the testimony or experience of another, and we began to look for the Lord Himself. Immediately, the Lord responds: "If you know not, most beautiful among women, go in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents" (Song of Solomon 1:8). The Lord is telling us that we should feed the sheep he has put in our lives ("feed your kids"). Without the mentorship of someone who has an active, personal relationship with Him, the spiritual path can be obscure to "baby Christians". "He saith unto him, 'Feed my sheep.' He saith unto him the third time....'Feed my sheep.'" - John 21:16,17