When you think of God, how do you picture Him? Does He look like the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Maybe you think of Him as a tyrant who only sends fire and brimstone or directs entire groups of people to be killed. To our judgmental human minds, His destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was wrong, but if you think of God as a tyrant, then you do not know Him.

His love for humans is perfect. When God sent fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, there was a serious reason. Much like today, sin was out of control. If God hadn’t stepped in, there would have been much disease and evil attitudes spread to all humanity. Sin is serious to God, yet humans treat sin as something to be admired and promoted. The same sin that gripped Sodom and Gomorrah is now spreading its evil to the entire world.

Sexual sin is encouraged by Satan, and people who are deceived by his lies; it isn’t acceptable. Another evil that God opposes is human sacrifice, yet evil people speak loudly in favor of killing babies in the womb. They call it abortion and a woman’s right; God calls it sin.

God created the world and all that’s in it, so He knows how to run it properly. John confirmed that Jesus, the Word, existed before time began, and that He is God and was with God. John also confirmed that Jesus created everything.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).

We wouldn’t dream of putting water into our car’s gas tank and expect no problems. A car is made to run on gas, not water. That’s the way cars are designed. Humans are designed by God to run a certain way. Sexual relations outside of a one-man/one-woman marriage is sin and not ordained of God. Abortion is simply child sacrifice, the murder of a baby. Our society today embraces sin and evil, and then we expect God to keep us from the consequences of our sinful choices. Our choices need to line up with God’s truth.

The Old Testament makes it very clear what God sees as sin and how He feels about it. Is He a tyrant? Not at all; He’s protecting humanity.

The nation of Israel periodically walked close to God, but then embraced wickedness. God told them, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

This promise was written to God’s people, Israel, but Christians need to pay attention. God is always willing to forgive, but the repentance must be sincere. If you believe in Him, confess your sin to Him, and turn away from the sin for which you have asked His forgiveness.

God is patient with people and honors our free will, but it hurts Him when we choose to sin. There comes a time when our choice to sin forces Him to act.

Was He overreacting when He sent the Flood of Noah’s day? When you consider that God created everything after its own kind, and that “kinds” aren’t supposed to mix, He wasn’t overreacting. Some of the angels had rebelled against God and then genetically mixed with humans, thus creating a half-angel/half-human hybrid known as Nephilim. These abominations had to be destroyed before there were no pure humans left. Evil was everywhere and had contaminated most of humanity.

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

It seems to me that humanity is swiftly moving in that direction again. Mad scientists today are tweaking genetics and messing with DNA. In order to keep the human genome pure, God had to destroy all of creation, except what hadn’t been genetically corrupted.

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:8-9).

Noah wasn’t sinless, but tamim, which is a Hebrew word meaning “sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity.” A word study of tamim is very eye-opening. Jesus came into our fallen world to offer salvation to humans, not hybrids, so protect your genetics. Like Noah, Christians aren’t perfect, but we have found grace in God’s eyes because of Jesus. Noah walked with God, and Christians should walk with Him too.

God’s grace is only imparted through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. Repentance is important in a Christian’s walk. Sometimes we seem to look down on people who are non-believers, but we have no right to do that. We are sinners, but we are saved by grace. Instead of feeling self-righteous over our perceived perfection, we should humbly study God’s word and compare our own thoughts and actions to the righteousness of God to see if we are without sin. We aren’t.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2).

Works will not save us. Only faith in the grace and mercy of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ can take sin away. The Rapture is very, very close. Jesus said in Luke 17:26 that it would be like the days of Noah (genetic manipulation and wickedness) and also like the days of Lot (he lived in Sodom but had to be removed prior to the fire and brimstone falling). Brothers and sisters, walk close to Jesus. Don’t follow the way of the world, but follow Jesus. Your pastor may teach worldly ways, but don’t follow after Satanic lies. Believe God’s word.

Why do you believe you are saved? Were you baptized as a baby? That’s not salvation. You didn’t choose to be baptized, which is only an outward evidence of inward faith. The choice has to be your own.

“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” (Romans 10:9).

A baby can’t make that choice or confess. Have you done that now that you are mature enough to recognize that you are a sinner in desperate need of salvation and forgiveness through Jesus? If you haven’t done it, then do it now.

Let’s take a quick look at Job. He lived long before the Messiah was born, but he had strong faith in God and knew the Messiah would eventually come.

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters” (Job 1:1-2).

A few verses later, we see that these sons and daughters liked to party, and most likely didn’t believe in God. We also find out that Job knew his children didn’t honor God as they should. After his children had their feasts, Job did what he could to have their sins forgiven.

“…and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (Job 1:5b).

Job’s faith couldn’t save his children, but he did all he could. He was an example to them, but they had to make their own choice. Every true Christian parent has this love for their children and prays for them to find Christ. Satan wanted to destroy Job, so he went before God and asked permission to torment him. Satan said Job loved God only because God protected him.

“Hast thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land” (Job 1:10).

Satan wanted to prove Job only had “fair-weather” faith. God allowed Satan to test Job, but he couldn’t take Job’s life. So, Satan got busy. All of Job’s wealth was destroyed, his servants were killed, his health was attacked, and while his children were eating and drinking, a strong wind blew the house down and killed them. You see, all of Job’s faith could not save his children; they had to have their own faith in God. Parents, love your children enough to be sure they know Jesus and personally confess and believe.

What are we to believe about Jesus? Is it enough to believe He was a nice guy who did good works? So many people say they know Jesus, but which “Jesus” do they mean? In some cultures, Jesus is a common name, but if you know “Jesus Hernandez,” that doesn’t mean you know Jesus Christ as described in Scripture. You have to understand that Jesus is God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2).

He was a very nice guy who did good works, but more than that, He was God incarnate. You must believe in the deity of Christ; otherwise, you don’t really know Him. Jesus had to be fully God in order for His blood to be pure and untainted by Adam’s sin. He also had to be fully human because He came to redeem humanity from the curse that Adam’s sin put on all of mankind. He could only do that if He was human. When He walked this earth, He made this clear on many occasions. Once, when He had a very heated exchange with Pharisees, He made the statement, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).

We know He said that He was God because in the very next verse we read, “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him” (John 10:31). They understood His words to be blasphemy.

Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity. He shed His blood in order to give you and me the opportunity to live with Him eternally. I believe and confess this truth, do you? Be sure you know Jesus and follow Him.

Brothers and sisters, soon we will celebrate Jesus’ birth. Instead of reading The Night Before Christmas, read Luke chapter 2. The angels rejoiced at His birth, and the lowly shepherds left their flocks to find Him. A few years later, the magi came from the East to find Him.

Have you found Him? Are you even looking for Him? Every sin can be forgiven, but only by Jesus. A human priest can’t forgive eternal sin, so go directly to Jesus. Do you believe in your heart? Then confess with your mouth. Don’t wait.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

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

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

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

 

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4).

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving was an important day. My grandmother cooked all of her special recipes (I still make them today), the best dinnerware was set on the table, cloth tablecloths were used, and the family would gather to give thanks to God. We all wore our “Sunday best” clothes; the girls wore dresses, and the boys wore slacks and dress shirts. It was a special day, and even as a child, I knew I had a lot to be thankful for. Not only for the feast that was about to be devoured, but for the blessings of family and the blessings of a home to live in and not facing hunger.

The older generation taught the younger generation the importance of giving thanks to God for all He provides. That gratitude has never left me, but I often wonder about those who have no belief in God. They celebrate Thanksgiving, but to whom are they thankful? Christians know exactly who blesses us every day, and we know we need to thank God for everything, but do we?

These days, it seems as if the day set aside to be thankful is spent watching football. The kids are stuck on their phones, and very little thankfulness or family time is stressed. Even in Old Testament times, the great heroes of Scripture thanked God. The feasts of Israel are all centered around God. The Psalms are filled with praises to God, and Job made the great declaration “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

Job, King David, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, and others knew God, and they served Him; they believed His promise of redemption and were thankful. Did they understand all of the details of Jesus’ birth? No, but they believed God and looked forward to the Messiah coming. The Psalms have more joy and thanks giving to God than is found in many Christian hearts today.

Is God an imaginary being who lives somewhere in the wild blue yonder, or do you know Him as your Saviour?

God is not imaginary; He is real, and His love is the greatest love there is. “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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18).

God’s Son willingly left Heaven’s glory, stepped into this fallen world, and shed His own blood for the salvation of everyone who believes. Now that’s something to be thankful for. God is very real, and Jesus is God. Jesus was crucified, but the grave couldn’t hold Him. He arose from the grave and conquered death. Thank you, Jesus, thank You so much!

When we humble ourselves and repent of our sin, our salvation is secure. Like Job, we know that our redeemer lives!

The difference between Christians today and the people who lived in Old Testament times is the cross. Jesus brought grace and mercy to mankind, and reconciliation for the curse of the sin we all inherit from Adam. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Are you thankful for that? You should be. We all should thank God every day for His love and blessings. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

We all are born into this world, and even the most precious baby has a sinful nature.

Only being born a second time – born of the Spirit through faith in Jesus – is the only way that sin can be forgiven. No works and no other religion can bring salvation. Only God can be thanked for that.

Christians are heirs to the promise of God. Our redemption is secure, and no matter how rich or poor we are in this life, our eternal home is a mansion being built by Jesus. “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).

Jesus shed His blood to purchase our redemption. Faith in Him means you are purchased by the Blood of the Lamb and sealed by the Holy Spirit. That seal cannot be broken, and our salvation is safe. Will we ever sin again? Yes. Will that sin cancel our salvation? No. Should we thank God for that promise? Absolutely!

Jesus referred to himself as our Good Shepherd. Sheep need a shepherd to keep them safe, and Christians are safe with Jesus as our Shepherd. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

We have so many reasons to give thanks to God.

As I’m writing this, I’m feeling very humble and thankful. I’m just one woman who tries to serve Him, but too often I fail. When I think of how small I am and how mighty and powerful He is, I’m overwhelmed. He knows me and gave His life for me. I’m not just a number like a social security number, or the next to be served at a donut counter. The God of all Creation knows me, and the Holy Spirit lives inside of me. If you’ve accepted His free gift of salvation, then this is also true for you. Are you thankful? I hope you are.

But all of this brings up the question about who are non-believers thankful to?

I have been to a funeral service where I sat next to a friend who didn’t believe. During the service, the pastor asked everybody to bow their heads in a silent prayer. I prayed for God to comfort the family and give them strength to face each new day. The young man who had died was a Christian, so that was a comfort. What did my friend do? Who did she pray to? Did she even pray, or was her mind a blank?

I’ve been in similar situations on a few occasions, and I always wonder about the non-believers. Then along comes Thanksgiving. In America, we celebrate a day of Thanksgiving every year on the fourth Thursday in November. The Pilgrims knew who had kept them alive on their journey to this new land, and they knew it was God Almighty who had provided them with food to sustain them through harsh times. They were thankful to God, and we who celebrate Thanksgiving in this modern time need to understand that we also need to be thankful to God.

“Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Psalm 97:12). God is holy and is to be praised.

As Americans prepare to celebrate a day of thanksgiving, let me encourage each and every one of us to take a look at our blessings. Family, friends, homes, and food are all things to be thankful for. God is the one who gives us all blessings. Be thankful to Him. Remember, too, that God the Son gave His life so that everyone who truly believes in His death, burial, and resurrection will live eternally with Him. Thank God for that blessing.

May everyone who reads this have a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving.

God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

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

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

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).