Satan is full of lies. He will never have your best interest at heart and will always make sin look harmless. He has used the same tactic since the Garden of Eden and wants to deceive you and me. Lies, deception, and confusion are his weapons of destruction.

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1.

Yes, God had said that to Adam, who was supposed to be sure Eve understood the rule. There was lots of food in the Garden of Eden for them to eat, but there was one fruit that was forbidden for them to eat. That was the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That’s where Satan focused his attack. He lied and twisted God’s words and made Eve think God was just putting unnecessary rules on her. God knows best, but she listened to Satan instead of the One who loved her. Satan made sin look good and God look bad.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5.

Eve found out that God was right. She and Adam found out the hard way that “The wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. God was right. Ever since that time, Satan has been convincing people that sin is fun and that God is a killjoy. Unfortunately, Eve listened to Satan.

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6.

This fruit appealed to her senses. It was food, so it must be good to eat, it looked tasty, and she desired it. She wanted to be her own god. God Almighty had entrusted Adam with the command not to eat that fruit, but Adam closed his heart to God and followed Eve in sin.

Sin may seem like it’s no big deal, but simply put, God says to turn from sin, and it’s best to obey. God had a perfect plan, but Adam and Eve listened to bad advice and lost Paradise. God still had a plan to redeem people. We all sin and fall short of God’s perfection, but He loves us.

“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.” John 3:16-17.

God allows each person to make the choice to accept His free gift of salvation or to reject it. If you have rejected God and are dabbling in any kind of sin, repent now and accept Christ for salvation. Many people read that verse and stop with the truth that God loves the world; they don’t read the part about believing in Jesus. God loves atheists, but without faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, they’re lost by their own choice. Don’t be foolish and love sin and Satan’s lies more than you love God’s truth.

America, as well as the entire world, has been sinking deep in sin for quite some time. For those of us who know the truth of God’s word, it’s sickening to watch. Sexual sin is probably the most common sin embraced, even by many believers. How many “Christians” do you know who engage in “one-night stands” or lust after members of their own sex? Brothers and sisters, we have Scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Why then does sin seem so tempting? Jesus was God incarnate. He came to earth to walk among people and teach us God’s ways of salvation.

“…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23b.

The people loved Him, but the religious leaders wanted Him out of the way. Jesus knew He would be crucified and had a very serious talk with His disciples. These were the men who would share God’s truth with the world, and they needed help. Jesus was going to be crucified, raised from the dead, and then ascend to Heaven, so the disciples needed guidance, and so do we. Jesus promised help.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18.

Another Comforter? This, of course, is the Holy Spirit…the third person of the Holy Trinity. Yes, the Holy Spirit is God. In Greek, there are two words that are translated into English as “another,” but in Greek, there are specific meanings. Heteros is a word that means another but not identical. For instance, if I had a tuna sandwich and asked for another sandwich, not caring if it was tuna or pastrami, I would use the word heteros. But if I specifically wanted another tuna sandwich, I would use the word allos. Jesus promised “allos parakletos,” which means “another one just like me to guide you.” Jesus is God, so the Holy Spirit is also God. The Holy Spirit would live in them and in us.

The people of the world who reject God cannot know the Holy Spirit, and He doesn’t indwell them. Anybody who has truly accepted Christ for salvation is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He will guide us and draw us closer to God. The Holy Spirit is the little voice that leads you away from sin and keeps you strong to resist temptation. He guides you away from the evil in this world.

“Quench not the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19. Don’t ignore His voice.

Christians can choose to ignore the Holy Spirit. The more we ignore Him, the quieter His voice becomes. He is always with us, but when Christians choose to ignore God (like Adam and Eve), then bad things happen. America has been in a terrible state of sin. It doesn’t take a lot of thought to see that the voice of Satan is being followed rather than the Holy Spirit. Satan whispers, “Did God really say homosexuality is wrong?” The answer is yes, He did.

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Leviticus 20:13.

Satan has convinced much of the entertainment industry that homosexuality isn’t really bad, and God just doesn’t want us to be our own god. What about abortion? Doesn’t a woman have a right to do whatever she wants to her own body? The baby in the womb is not the woman’s body. It’s the baby’s body.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.” Leviticus 20:1-2.

Molech was the name of a demon god worshipped by the Ammonites and Phoenicians, and babies were sacrificed to him. Today, abortion is nothing less than child sacrifice to demon gods.

In the Presidential election of 2024, the platform of the liberal Democrats was not about the economy or lowering taxes, but it was about legalizing sin. Gay pride and murdering babies were the top priority. Christians finally took action. We prayed, and we prayed. We spoke out and prayed some more. Then we voted. God heard our voice. President Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20, 2025, but we cannot stop praying. We must continue to stand strong for Christian values. The Holy Spirit is ready to fight for us, but we need to stop being double-minded. Christians cannot pray against the sin that is leading to destruction while we participate in the evil. That would be like Adam, with his mouth full of the forbidden fruit, chastising Eve for disobeying God.

“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8. We can’t say, “I am a Christian,” while we follow Satan’s lies to sin.

God will always forgive sin. No matter what the sin, His love will forgive it all. The important thing to remember is that we must repent in order to be forgiven. We must see sin for what it is. It’s seeing ourselves as gods and living opposed to the one true God. When we repent of our sin, God will forgive.

“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 was written to Israel, but Christians are called by Christ’s name, and we must turn from our wicked ways. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” James 4:8.

We need to continue to pray for Mr. Trump that he will also listen to God’s voice and lead this nation in a way that honors God.

Brothers and sisters, don’t quench the Holy Spirit. We need Him to guide us.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

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

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).

In this world, we are warned about many things. Geologists warn us that a major earthquake could strike at any time. The San Andreas fault is way overdue to shake California. The New Madrid Fault along the Mississippi River seems to be giving warnings of an upcoming large quake. Many volcanoes seem to be rumbling and warning of possible eruptions. Recently, there was a tornado outbreak in the southern part of the United States, and the US Weather Service issued “Take shelter now” warnings.

When these warnings are issued, prudent people immediately take shelter. The tornado may not affect everybody who receives the warning, but if the warning is ignored, it could result in death. People tend to pay attention when a weather alert says to take shelter, but those same people will ignore God’s warnings. God gives us many warnings in Scripture; we call it Biblical prophecy.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21). 

He tells us what to expect in the future, so we can be ready for what is coming. Jesus is the only shelter we can trust for perfect protection. Put your faith in Him and take shelter now.

People tend to listen to other people and think they have all the answers. They don’t. True wisdom comes from respecting God and living to please God.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Fear of the Lord means we need to study His word and understand what God desires of us. We learn how to conduct our lives so that we don’t contract disease or cause ourselves or other people grief. Christians have no need to cower and tremble before the Lord, especially if we aren’t living sin-filled lives. On the other hand, non-believers have every reason to fear God and tremble before Him. The Ten Commandments are not Ten Suggestions. The way we gain wisdom from God is to study Scripture and pray.

There are many Biblical accounts of men who failed in their service to the Lord, but if we study their failures and learn from their mistakes, we gain wisdom.

Joshua led the Israelites in the conquest of the Promised Land, but instead of driving out all of the tribes that were trespassing in the land God gave to Abraham, Joshua left a few pockets of squatters. These are areas of contention today. Joshua would have been wise to fear the Lord and finish the job.

When two angels were sent to rescue Lot and his family from the wickedness found in Sodom, Lot’s wife would have been wise to heed the warning to not look back. The husbands of Lot’s daughters would have been wise to leave Sodom and the sin found there and escape judgment. They preferred dying in the sin around them. Had they taken shelter with the Lord, they would have been wise.

Scripture warns us about sin. It’s anything we do that’s opposed to God. Adam was given one rule, and that was to not eat the forbidden fruit. He was also told what the result of that sin would be. Did Adam listen? Did Adam explain it to Eve? Eve spoke with the serpent who twisted God’s words and convinced her that she could be a god herself if she ate the fruit. Well, that spoke to her pride and was too tempting. She ate the fruit and then convinced Adam that there were only benefits in sin. The fruit looked good and tasted good, so God must be wrong.

“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

Had Adam and Eve heeded God’s wisdom rather than Satan’s stupidity, they would have been much wiser. They did learn a lesson that we all need to take to heart: God is always right, and His rules need to be respected.

“For the wages of sin is death….” (Romans 6:23a). 

When you’re tempted to sin, take shelter in Christ. We all sin. Whether we think angry thoughts toward other people, look lustfully at another person, or judge others for things you do yourself, we all sin. The good news is that we can find forgiveness through repentance and faith in Jesus.

“…But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Don’t just give Him lip service. Take shelter in Him, and mean it when you repent of sin and turn to Him for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

When you admit you have sinned and ask Him to forgive you, mean it.

One of the warnings we must heed is the way many pastors teach God’s word. It’s the fad of our times for preachers to make life easier on those sitting in the pews. Sin seems to be acceptable, and even encouraged, and the Bible is considered outdated. If God’s truth is preached, or too deep of study of Scripture is taught, the pew-warmers won’t like it, so God’s word is compromised in order to keep membership up and collections high.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:2-3).

Paul warned Timothy to stay true to God’s word. Preachers need to teach sound doctrine, but the congregation needs to study God’s word and not get miffed if the preacher speaks against your favorite sin. The time that Paul warned about is ours. We need to pay attention to that warning and take shelter in God’s truth now. Study Scripture for yourself.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). 

Jesus’ disciples were curious about when He would establish His kingdom on earth. Christians should be very curious about that, too. Jesus gave His disciples some warnings to watch for. He warned them (and us) to watch for wars and rumors of war, earthquakes, disease, famine, and more. God will only put up with sin for so long, then He pours out His judgment.

Jesus used two examples of when God poured out judgment because of sin as signs to watch for before He returns. One was Noah.

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all” (Luke: 17:26-27).

What was happening during the days of Noah? Genetic manipulation, and it’s happening now. Study Genesis chapter 6 and understand what the Nephilim were. They were hybrids from the union of fallen angels and human women. All of God’s pure creation was genetically tampered with. It’s happening today, but most Christians are blind and not paying attention – eating, drinking, marrying. We’ve been warned, and it’s time to take shelter in God’s truth.

The other judgment was upon Sodom and the surrounding cities. “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:28-30).

It was the same attitude as Noah’s day. People were steeped in sin but accepting it as normal and just living life as usual. They were numb to the sin around them. Sodom was filled with sexual sin… the men of Sodom lusted after the two angels and after other men. Judgment came. Today, it’s all happening again. Jesus Himself gave warning, and we need to pay attention and take shelter in God’s truth; repent, turn away from sin, and honor God.

The warnings are clear to anybody who pays attention to Bible prophecy. God doesn’t want us to be surprised. The wars and rumors of war, disease, and famine are all happening, as are sexual deviance and genetic tampering. He doesn’t want us to be surprised at the wickedness that is filling the whole world but doesn’t want us to take part in it. God wants us to see the warning signs of the Rapture, and take shelter immediately in the Lord. The Rapture is the blessed hope we have to be safe from the coming judgments, just as Enoch was taken prior to the Flood, and Lot was removed from Sodom prior to fire and brimstone falling. Paul spoke of the Rapture when writing to the congregation in Corinth.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

Only those who truly believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus will be taken to Heaven prior to the judgment which is soon to fall on all of mankind. Don’t ignore the warnings.

King David knew about God’s protection over those who love and trust Him, and he wrote psalms about it. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust” (Psalm 91:1-2).

There is no safer place to be than under the protection of God Almighty.

Heed God’s warnings and take shelter now.

God bless you all.

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

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

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).