Spirit of Truth/The Bible on Trial

In out daily lives the idea of knowing and understanding the truth of salvation takes second place to cleaning the house, taking the kids to school, going to work, paying bills, and spending time with family and friends. And this is as it should be, because living life is what responsible human beings do.  Yet every once in a while it is important to spend some time thinking and taliking about the truth with people both of like mind and not. It is for this reason God gave the people of His Kingdom the COMMAND to take a day off from our regular routines and think about our relationship with "The Way, the Truth, and the Life". Keeping the 4th Commandment is actually not all that difficult to accomplish, especially when you consider the result to your physical, mental, and emotional constitution in not doing it. This is one of the reasons we here at Spirit of Truth Ministry provide a way for Truth Seekers to attend a forum once a week on Sabbath where the ideas, concepts, and proofs of truth are openly and honestly discussed, in a non-denominational format. Join us today for our continuing discussion and presentation of and about truth, justice, judgment, and the Kingdom of the Heavens.

"FIRE"! The word 'Fire' is used in a variety of contexts. In the job market it means something totally different than the result of saying it on a shooting range. But in Westen U.S. the word can have a chilling effect on the hearts of people that face forest or brush fires, that force them to evacuate their homes and property, and can bring both destruction and death to those involved, both as civilians and fire fighting personel.  Yesterday afternoon It was very hot at my house (101 deg), and I was outside watering some of our more sensitive plants on our front porch when I heard the sound of a low flying 'heavy' aircraft coming toward me from the Southeast. Soon into view came a DC-10 air tanker conversion (Foscheck), so I got my phone out and quickly took a short 10 sec. video as it passed overhead, on its way to resupply at the San Bernardino International air termnal. I quickly posted it on Face Book.  Seeing this massive aircraft that was flying in support of the ground crews that are working the fire near Mountain Center on San Jacinto (mountain) actually gave me a sense of peace, knowing that if they had those kinds of resources available to fight that fire, then those involved in the 'fire fight' would eventually get it under control, and put it out. We are now in the spiritual 'fire fight' for our lives. And many people are in dispair, not even necessarily know why they feel lost, hopeless and helpless. People need to realize the extent of the massive spiritual forces that are arrayed both against them, and on their behalf. The words of Jesus that He gave to His disciples are just like a spiritual DC-10, that have the power to put our the fire of lies and deception that Satan has brought against them to prevent them from having eternal life. The words of Jesus are the only things that can put that evil fire out.

The golf world is watching with wrapped attention the greatest contest in the world - The Open Championship. It is being played at Carnoustie, Scotland, for the 8th time in the 147 years that it has been played.  When a player recieves his invitation (an invitation that is earned) to play there is an expressed excitment that does not happen for any other tournament, or so I am told those that have been there, and done that. It has been said (and I agree, having been a player and a high school golf coach) that "Gold is God's game", because it exemplifies the qualities and actions that followers of Jesus Christ must exhibit in order to 'play the game' of salvation, which is 'by the rules'.  Now imagine that instead of playing the match and winning by the lowest score for the four days of play, the Royal and Ancient Golf Association decides to put the lifetime accomplishments and desires of each of the 'invitees' into an A.I. computer, and using an algorithm that says "as long as you believe that you can win by faith we will grant you the win by the grace of the R & A'. Sounds silly, doesn't it! At least it should, because it would remove all incentive to have to accel at the game of golf, and remove all need to 'play by the rules', because the rules would no longer matter in achieving victory. This is what the 'apostle' Paul has done in inventing a religion that uses that very same algorithm to provide salvation for the practitioners of Christianity. For them, there is no longer any need to accompish anything with respect to the 10 Commandments and the words of God in the Old Testament, and the words of Jesus in the New Testament. These WORDS are the 'rules of the game', and must be put in the intellect (heart), and practiced dilligently, in order to come to righteousness and see salvation.

This is The Bible On Trial, brought to you by Spirit of Truth Ministy. Each week we challenge ourselves to understand not just the Truth, by why people don't understand that truth. Join us for a unique study that will open your eyes to truth that is previously unknown.

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill". Matt. 5:17. Christian use this verse to justify doing the opposite of what Jesus said. They believe that Jesus 'fullfilled the Law' for them, and now they don't have to obey any law, all they have to do is 'believe' on the name of Jesus Christ, and they are saved. We are seeing a similar understanding by well meaning people in numerous countries that are having problems with illegal entry across boarders. The drive in this movement is to eliminate all boarders so that there is no such thing as an 'illegal alien'. This movement to a boarderless society is gaining traction as a result of a violent reaction to the separation of children from parents and others (MS-13) that use these children to gain entry to these countries, especially the U.S.A.  Through prophecies in Daniel and Revelation Jesus gives us the understanding that there will be a One World Government, ruled over by a malevolent consortium of beings that are controlled in the end by Satan. The direction the world is taking today is toward this goal, with an end to the Laws of God, and a dissembling of Common Law-the 10 Commandments. The word 'fulfill' in the text above indicates that Jesus explained the Law and the Prophets in a way that 're-established' them, and His own words, as the way into the Kingdom of God. And THIS has made Satan VERY angry, because Jesus has exposed him and his intentions to the light of truth. "So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus". Rev. 12:17. This Kingdom of the Heavens has boarders; not physical boarders, but spiritual ones, based upon the Law of Truth.

It is difficult when anyone you know dies, but it is especially bittersweet when it is a family member; in this case, my wife's mother, Mary, died this past Monday at the ripe old age of 100 1/2 years. Even though my wife (and me for that matter) know that this was the right outcome, that Mary was not really 'there', and that it was her 'time', it still hurts. The hurt will become less painful as time goes by, but the hurting will not be contained until that time when our Master returns to earth, and we all see Them coming in the clouds. This particular death was gentle. Friends were there at the transition, praying with her and singing favorite hymns. And it is reported that when Mary took her final deep breath she smiled; and it would not surpise me to learn (after we are all translated) that Mary was seeing the coming in the clouds as she let out that final breath here on earth. In the 'where' and 'when' that we now live death is part of life. But those of us that love the truth can rely on the words of Jesus;  The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.' John 8:52. There is no discernible passage of time for those that have the Words of Jesus in them. Those that "Keep the Commandments of God, and hold to the testimony of Jesus" will never "taste of death", the death that is forever. Yet most of the world (including Christians) have been deceived by the idea that it doesn't matter 'what' you believe, as long as you simply 'believe that you are saved by grace through faith'. Unless these people come to understand that the way to eternal life is not in 'The Power of the Blood' of Jesus, but in His Words, and in obedience to His Commandments, they will taste the death that is forever.

Last night at about 11:00PM my wife and I went out onto our front lawn and looked up the hill at a 1000 acre fire (the Valley fire) that is threatening a small mountain community called Forest Home. The fire is about 15 miles from us (as the crow flies), and was clearly visible as a dull red glow, with an occasional bright flare. It was kind of spooky, and reminded me of the flames that might have come out of the mouth of a mythical fire-breathing dragon as it slept in its mountain lair. We are right now in combat with another kind of dragon that is breathing the fire of lies and deception, that would make all the world come under his domain. That 'fire' is enticing in many ways, because it is what the whole world wants to hear and believe as the truth. That Red Dragon, that Old Serpent the Devil, and his evil angels, want nothing more than to make people believe that they already have all of the truth that they think they need to receive salvation by grace through faith. This Dragon is NOT asleep, but is biding his time getting ready for the final battle that is just ahead.  Jesus told His disciples in Matt. 24:4, "See to it that NO ONE deceive you." And that 'No One' is the same dragon that has deceived everyone that has ever been born upon this planet, except for the ONE that has come from Heaven to bring us the Truth, Jesus Christ the Son of the ONE TRUE GOD! We must believe what HE says, and not the one that claims that title, but is in reality that Red Dragon. We must learn and practice the truth in order to find true salvation.

Claiming Jesus~ It is quite common today for a Christian to 'claim' Jesus as their own. Even in the Christian church there is some confusion as to just what it means to 'claim Jesus'. When a Christian 'claims' Jesus does it mean that they claim to love Jesus, as He loves them? Well, EVERY Christian claims that. Does it mean that they 'claim salvation by His blood'? Well, EVERY Christian claims that as well.' Does it mean that they 'claim the gospel of Christ as their own way to the Kingdom? Well, EVERY Christian claims that. It seems that if you don't 'CLAIM' Christ as your personal savior then you (indeed) are not a Christian. Most Christians believe that Jesus was the founder and is now the leader of the Christian church on earth, and is Himself a Christian. But if this is true then Jesus would of necessity have to 'claim' Himself as His OWN Savior; because everyone that is a Christian must 'claim' Jesus as their SAVIOR. Most Christian denominations make the metphoric claim that the Woman of Revelation 12:1-2 is the Church; and this would make sense except for one 'minor' difficulty that is found in Rev. 12:5 - "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne." You see, if this spiritual 'woman' is the church, then instead of Jesus giving birth to the church, the church would have given birth to Jesus, and THIS is completely impossible. It follows then that Jesus DID NOT establish the Christian Church on earth, any more than the church established Jesus on the earth. It seems logical that laying 'claim' to Jesus as a means of salvation and eternal life doesn't work. So what does make salvation possible? HIS WORDS living in His followers.

Have your words ever made someone so mad that they wanted to hit you? Have you ever said something that provoked a violent response from the person to whom you addressed those remarks? Has the reverse ever been true for you, where someone deliberately accosted you with angry or hurtful words? I believe we have all been in a situation where what we said, or what someone said to us, has caused harm to a relationship. Expressing a belief that is diametrically opposed to the beliefs of a freind, colleague or family member has, I am sure, caused at the very least a temporary rift between parties; a separation that can take years to fix, or maybe never. Jesus spoke words that caused separation, which we might term a 'dividing sword'. Jesus even spoke of His words as "a two edged sword": "In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength." Rev. 1:16. This sword is not the sword of the spirit of which Paul spoke in Eph 6:17, because that spirit is the spirit of deception that cuts only one direction.  The sword of which Jesus speaks are HIS words that He gave to His own eyewitness disciples; and those words are the 'Gospel of the Kingdom'. It is THIS gospel that must be preaches to the entire world before Jesus comes. It is not the 'gospel of God' that Paul created out of whole cloth (lies), that has deceived the entire Christian world. Words are powerful things, and can be used as both Truth and Lies. The trick is to undersand which is which. One thing is for sure, the words of Jesus that He gave His eyewitnesses are ONLY Truth.

We are now in the fight of our lives. Lies that masqurade as truth are rampant in the world, and it is 'nearly' impossible for us to tell the difference. Yet, the operational word here is 'nearly', because if it was impossible to tell lies from truth the Jesus would have lied when He said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, SHE will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." John 14:26.  We can be assured that as the Son of the Most High, Jesus will NEVER lie to us; e.g., it is not only possible, but it is manditory that we know and practice the truth. It is by PRACTICING the Truth that we come to the light (righteousness); "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:21. The war that we are fighting right now is not a yet a war of guns and bombs, but it is a war of ideas and concepts. Jesus was hated by the religious 'establishment' when He was here on earth, and because we are His followers we also will be hated by those that believe they already know all the truth that is fit to print, and need nothing else (Rev. 3:17). "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you." John 15:18. And this is the war, that the Kingdom of God knows the truth, practices the truth, and teaches the truth that brings the world out of the darkness into the light. For this the world will hate us. Because the world hate us we know that we have the truth of God.