General Articles

Babes Need to Grow :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: by RR10

It’s not easy to live a God-honoring life and still live our daily lives in the world. Still, that’s exactly what we are supposed to do. Christians are to be in the world but not of the world. It’s difficult for a person who has been a Christian for many years, but even more difficult for a babe in Christ who needs to learn and grow in the faith.

Jesus had many verbal confrontations with the Pharisees, and in one such battle of words, Jesus told them, “And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23).

One of the descriptions of Satan is that he is the god of this world, and Christians need to turn from serving him and only serve Jesus. Christianity is faith, not religion, so there isn’t a list of rules you must follow. You don’t have to knock on doors or empty your mind through meditation. Jesus is our example, and Scripture is our guide. Placing faith in Jesus is what makes the difference between eternal life and eternal death. It isn’t a complicated thing to do. The Apostle Paul says how simple it is. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

Of course, each denomination has a list of rules they feel must be followed, but that’s religion and has nothing to do with faith or being saved.

When a person truly understands they are a sinner and that sin separates them from God, that’s when they need to confess Christ as their Lord and Savior. That’s called justification. A change should be evident in the way they speak, dress, and live. That change may happen immediately, or it may take time. That’s called sanctification and will continue throughout our life on earth. That change is a choice each one of us makes daily. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

Being a living sacrifice means that we live our life to honor God. Jesus lived His life on earth as an example of how we should live for Him. He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Works don’t save us, but doing good for others glorifies God.

The change from a worldly attitude to a God-honoring attitude may take time. If that change doesn’t happen, does that mean the person isn’t saved? Only God truly knows if the confession of faith was true. We face many temptations in the world, and a person who has been living a life that reflects worldly thoughts and actions may make a true, honest, and heartfelt profession of faith, but the pull of the world is strong. Satan is the god of this world and isn’t happy when someone turns to Jesus. Old ways of life may pull that person back into the ways of the world.

Where are the Christian mentors who can lead the babe in Christ to live for Him?

Jesus told us how to combat temptation. “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Prayer is important in the life of a Christian. It isn’t a magic incantation but a heartfelt conversation with God. He listens, but so must we listen for His answer.

One of the biggest failures among Christians today is a lack of mentoring. The Gospel is shared, but if the person hearing the message receives Christ, there’s little or no follow-up. In truth, that’s when the struggle begins. Satan doesn’t like to lose a follower, so he and his minions target new believers with temptation and place thoughts in their minds to discourage them. Unfortunately, there is very little support and encouragement from older Christians to help the new babes in Christ to grow and become strong in their faith, and too many pastors only feed the flock milk, but no meat of Scripture is taught.

Peter was told directly from Jesus to feed the lambs and to feed the sheep. “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs” (John 21:15). The lambs are young in their faith and need to be gently fed the truth in order to grow. Quite often, the new ones are children, but they are also adults who have professed faith and need to learn Scripture. We usually don’t seem to have a problem sending our children to school and college to be taught and mentored by secular humanists who contradict Scripture. Shame on us for neglecting to mentor children and adults in God’s truth.

Many new believers feel that the pews are filled with hypocrites and are uncomfortable in a church setting. All Christians are sinners saved by grace, and we all stumble at times. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:10-11).

It’s true that there are many people sitting in pews who think they are “holier than thou.” That’s a wrong attitude. A babe in Christ must be mentored and guided by a person with a heart to serve Christ. They need encouragement and human forgiveness when they fail. God forgives; so must we.

The truth is, we all need encouragement from fellow believers. We also need to be encouragers and help our brethren to walk close to God. When a person first realizes they are a sinner and bound to spend eternity in Hell, that’s when they understand that faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only way to find forgiveness.

At the moment we first believe, all our sin is forgiven. Not just the sins of the past but also future sin. That’s something that’s hard to come to grips with. We all fail in our walk with Christ, but He knew that we will fail and loves us anyway. As Christ hung on the cross, all of your sins were in the future. He willingly spilled His blood for you long before you were even born. As the Son of God hung on the cross, looking at those who had pounded the nails into his hands and feet and at those who had cried out for His death, He felt love and compassion. “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34). Jesus asked God the Father to forgive those sinners as they kept on sinning. His love for us hasn’t changed.

When we first come to Jesus, there’s usually excitement, and the new life in you is very real. Then, after a short time, the pressures of life close in, and you’re back to your job, and co-workers annoy you. The office gossip is still tempting you to share the latest scoop with others. After work, your friends want you to join them at the bar and possibly find a “one night stand” who is willing to tempt you to sin. This is when you need a mentor to help you see that Jesus still loves you but that you are in a spiritual battle and need Christ to give you strength in the fight.

Sadly, most churches drop the ball in helping new Christians. Instead of helping the babe in Christ to understand that failures are forgiven, many older Christians shake their heads and shun anybody who fails. Too many pastors care more about not offending anyone than they care about calling sin what it is… sin. Remember, Jesus cared about sinners but never accepted the sin. Jesus changed sinners; the sinners didn’t change Christ. No matter how much sinners want to change God’s word to condone their sin, God’s word hasn’t changed.

When Jesus called the men who would follow them, they left their old lives behind and followed. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him” (Matthew 4:19-20). Jesus didn’t call the religious elites but called fishermen, tax collectors, and other sinners. Then He spent the next three years helping them to change.

How long are you willing to mentor and teach a man like Peter, or even Judas?

Many people have a bad feeling about stepping into a church building, so why not open your home to a Bible study? Or possibly go to a park and let others hear and be drawn to the teaching.

When I was a teenager, my youth group went on an outing. We stopped at a hamburger stand to eat, and while we ate, we began asking our pastor questions. Then someone who wasn’t a teenager asked a question. I looked around, and a large number of people gathered and were very interested. That was amazing and taught me never to be afraid to talk about Jesus.

Before a person has placed their faith in Christ, they cannot understand anything about Scripture. They may pick and choose verses that seem to contradict other verses, or they just don’t understand why Jesus being crucified and rising from death is the greatest event in history. Why are they so blind and deaf to God’s truth? “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). It’s the Holy Spirit that makes understanding and discernment possible. When a person first truly believes, the Holy Spirit is sealed within them. God wants us to know Him better and learn.

The Holy Spirit is given to all Christians in order for us to understand more. “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12-14). That seal is unbreakable. The Holy Spirit lives in you and will help you to understand Scripture.

As with all things, you have a choice whether to let Him guide you or to ignore Him. There are many, many excellent Bible teachers, but there are also some who twist God’s truth. The Holy Spirit doesn’t want you to fall victim to false teachers. Ask God to help you discern truth from lies.

If you are a new believer, ask God to guide you to a Christ-centered, Bible-believing place of worship. Ask Him to lead you to a mentor who will help you to grow. Babes in Christ need to grow into full-grown sheep and be able to reach others.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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Undefeated :: By Daymond Duck

Published on: by RR10

In 2015, following a home football game, Washington State Bremerton High School assistant football coach, Joe Kennedy, went to the 50-yard line to kneel and pray with fans and students as he had done many times before.

An employee of a different school witnessed the event and complained; Kennedy was suspended, and his coaching contract with the school district was not renewed because he refused to stop kneeling and praying.

Coach Kennedy believed his freedom of religion was being violated; he sued the school district, and his case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court twice (they refused to hear it the first time). It took seven years, but he won, and on Mar. 13, 2023, a school official announced that Coach Kennedy was getting his job back.

One of the attorneys at First Liberty, the group that represented Coach Kennedy, said, “We are thrilled that Bremerton and Coach Kennedy are back together, and we hope they go undefeated.”

This reminds me of the time Daniel was told not to pray to anyone but king Darius for 30 days because people that didn’t like him wanted him to lose his job (Dan. 6).

Daniel refused to stop praying to his God, went home, kneeled in front of his window, and prayed and gave thanks to Jehovah as he had done many times before.

This got him thrown into a den of hungry lions, but God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel went through the night unhurt.

The next morning, king Darius had Daniel removed from the den of lions, restored him to his job, and had his accusers and their families cast into the den of lions, where they perished.

God didn’t promise His people that we would not have trouble as the Tribulation Period nears, but He promised that we will be delivered from the Tribulation Period, and, even if times get so bad that something should kill us before then, we will go undefeated (the resurrection and Rapture).

Here are some recent events that seem to indicate that we are getting close.

One, concerning immorality and the abandonment of Christian principles: on Mar. 21, 2023, the Pres. of Uganda, a predominantly Christian nation, signed an anti-homosexuality bill that was unanimously passed in the legislature that strengthened Uganda’s commitment to Biblical marriage and sexuality.

Western leaders are furious.

U.S. Sec. of State Antony Blinken said it undermines the fundamental human rights of the Ugandan people.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said LGBT rights are a core part of our (America’s) foreign policy.

As I see it, Kirby’s words mean the denial of Biblical marriage and sexuality is a core part of America’s foreign policy.

(More: Four states in the U.S. have passed laws requiring students in public and charter schools to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their biological sex. Lawsuits have been filed in two of those states to throw out those laws.)

Two, concerning the surrender of America’s sovereignty and open borders: on Mar. 22, 2023, it was reported that the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said it has encountered 4,366 Chinese nationals crossing America’s southwest border since Oct. 1, 2022 (in less than six months).

Most have been released into the U.S., and Biden wants money for America’s military in case we get into a war with China.

Three, concerning the Gospel going all over the world during the Tribulation Period: it was recently reported that two members of Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu’s government proposed a law that would sentence Christians (or anyone else) to jail for one year (two years if they were witnessing to a minor) for trying to get Jews to convert to another religion.

Their proposal triggered a big backlash among Christian evangelicals, and that triggered a response from Netanyahu on Mar. 22, 2023, who said, “We will not advance any law against the Christian community.”

(My opinion: God may have caused Netanyahu to stop this because the 144,000 and the Two Witnesses must evangelize during the Tribulation Period, and all Israel must get saved.)

Four, concerning corruption and deceit in the White House: the Democrat party, the U.S. Dept. of Justice, the major news media, the social media, etc., the evidence of influence peddling by the Biden family keeps piling up, and all of these groups continue to be in denial of part of the coverup.

  • There was a mountain of evidence, including e-mails on Hunter Biden’s laptop.
  • Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, said he met with Joe and Hunter to discuss a business deal in China.
  • The National Archives has released e-mails that show that Joe Biden was involved while he was vice president.
  • An audiotape of Pres. Biden calling Hunter about an article on the corruption has been discovered.
  • Photos of Pres. Biden meeting with Hunter and some of his foreign associates have been found.
  • The House Oversight Committee has proof of the transfer of $3 million from a Chinese company to a U.S. company that then transferred $1.3 million to former Vice Pres. Biden’s family (Biden’s son, brother, daughter-in-law, and a fourth member of the Biden family identified only as Biden).

Anyway, the House Oversight Committee is investigating the Bidens, the committee keeps finding undeniable proof, and it is obvious that many people have tarnished their once-good reputations by deceiving and lying to the American public.

Five, concerning the Mark of the Beast: on Mar. 23, 2023, Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan Chase & Co is planning to test new technology that will allow customers to pay for goods and services with a face or palm scan.

If the test is successful, the service will be offered to all of JPMorgan’s customers, and the company is anticipating that it will be used by about three billion people to make about six trillion dollars in transactions by 2026.

There should now be no question that the technology will exist for the False Prophet and the Antichrist to require a Mark in the forehead (face) or the right hand (palm, etc.) that can be used to track all buying and selling by the middle of the Tribulation Period.

The timing of this technology with everything else that is coming on the scene (world government, false religion, WOKE culture, etc.) is incredible and no coincidence.

Here is a link to the article.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-23/jpmorgan-test-will-ditch-cards-to-let-consumers-pay-with-palm-or-face-instead?leadSource=uverify%20wall

Six, concerning the deliberate global attack on farmers and ranchers to create food shortages, drive up food prices, seize farmland, and more to meet Sustainable Development goals and justify the establishment of a world government by 2030: The New American posted an article by Peter Rykowski dated Mar. 21, 2023, about the introduction of Senate Bill No. 84 (S.B. 84)in Missouri.

In Rykowski’s own words:

  • B. 84 is important because farmers and ranchers are under attack globally. Countries around the world are implementing severe restrictions on farming and ranching, including taxing cattle, mandating reduced fertilizer usage, and even seizing farmland. This attack on farmers is closely connected to the UN’s Agenda 2030 “sustainable development” scheme to eliminate private property and totally reshape society in the name of fighting “climate change.” It is also underway in the United States; it is imperative that state governments stand up for farmers by enacting strong legislation such as S.B. 84.

According to the article, S.B. 84 will:

  • Prevent the federal government from using interstate commerce laws to interfere with the right of farmers and ranchers to sell or consume the food they produce.
  • Prevent the governor from idling farmers and ranchers by declaring a state of emergency.
  • Prevent the use of Credit Scores, the requirement of ID cards of any kind, etc., to purchase food.

I pray that the Rapture happens soon, but if it does not, I pray that this bill passes and that more states enact similar legislation as soon as possible for the protection of their citizens.

Here is a link to the article.

https://thenewamerican.com/missouri-bill-would-protect-farmers-ranchers-from-government-overreach/?mc_cid=e72d6d6b90&mc_eid=551904ee4c

Seven, concerning famine and natural disasters: as I write this, California is in its second snowiest winter on record, flooding caused by a dozen heavy storms has devastated many parts of the state, and another severe storm is approaching with heavy rain, snow, and dangerous winds.

California is perhaps America’s largest producer of Agricultural products, many California farmers say they have lost everything this year, and some experts say the storms will impact America’s food security.

Impacted items include milk, beef, grapes, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, nuts, rice, and more.

The storms have killed 28 people and put many out of work.

Eight, it seems that some people are nauseated by reports that some nations are pushing and allowing crickets, locusts, and mealworms to be put in food for human consumption.

On Mar. 26, 2023, it was reported that Hungary has passed a law that requires food that contains insect proteins to be clearly labeled and displayed separately from other foods that are being sold.

According to the same report, Italy has banned the use of insect flour in pasta.

One must wonder why officials in the U.S., Canada, and other nations are not insisting on clear labeling and segregation of products containing insects, insect flour, etc.

This would probably be a popular issue with many voters.

Nine, concerning famine: on Mar. 22, 2023, about 400 farmers in Germany drove their tractors in an event to protest EU and German government limits on how many animals a farmer can own.

According to the farmers, limits on how many animals they can own will reduce the amount of food they produce, increase hunger, and cause some of them to lose their farms.

Ten, concerning an economic collapse: on Mar. 27, 2023, it was reported that low-interest rates in previous years caused a real estate boom.

Now that the U.S. Federal Reserve has increased interest rates several times, housing and commercial real estate sales are tanking.

Many potential buyers are backing out because of the higher payments.

Builders are stuck with buildings they cannot sell, and banks are stuck with builders that cannot pay their bills.

Do not be fooled by those that say America’s economic problems are over.

Problems still exist, and many small and medium-sized banks are aware of them.

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com