What has gone wrong in this world? The answer is simple. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

We can give lip service to God all we want, but unless we die to self, take up our cross, and follow Jesus, our faith will be a secret, hidden even from God. If you love darkness and the evil therein, you can’t love God with all your heart and soul.

God told Moses, “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil” (Deuteronomy 11:13-14).

God will bless those who love and honor Him. Is that only an Old Testament command? A scribe asked Jesus what was the first commandment of all. “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and will all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:29-30).

How do we love God? We obey Him. How can we obey if we don’t study Scripture? It seems as if modern preachers are afraid to preach Scripture from Genesis through Revelation. It’s all God’s truth, but the darkness of evil in this world has made it wrong to step on toes and call sin, sin. If a preacher preaches about the literal six-day creation, that flies in the face of the lies taught by public schools. If a preacher preaches that a little girl is genetically born a female and a little boy is genetically born a male, again, that flies in the face of the evil darkness that is sweeping over the land. People love darkness.

Many preachers have little to do with Scripture because if you aren’t politically correct, you lose the tax-exempt status. The almighty dollar is more important than Almighty God. If preachers preach that sexual sin is an abomination before God, then the congregation might be upset and stop putting money in the collection plate. Christians must return to Scripture. We can’t please God and please the world. It’s better to please God.

The Old Testament gives many examples of God doing mighty works after His people returned to a covenant relationship with Him. Joshua led the Israelites to conquer the Promised Land, and their first battle was at Jericho. Before he led them to battle, he first led them back to a right covenant with God. During their exile in the very pagan land of Egypt, the people had picked up the pagan ways and forgotten to honor God. When Abraham was called, the covenant God made with him and all his children was that all males were to be circumcised. While in Egypt and wandering 40 years in the desert, the people had forgotten this covenant, and it was time to reaffirm it. It would hurt, but they had to be right with God in order to honor Him and be blessed by Him. After the men were circumcised according to God’s covenant, Joshua understood that they had to remember all that God had done for them….

God brought them out of bondage in a pagan land. “And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho” (Joshua 5:10).

After God was put in the proper place in the Israelites’ hearts, He showed up. “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:13-15).

God had led the Israelites through their wanderings, but after their hearts had been made right in the sight of God, God was made real. Joshua saw the pre-incarnate Christ.

Joshua led the Israelites in the conquest of the land which God had given them through the covenant with Abraham. When the battles were over, Joshua had words of wisdom to share with the people. “If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you after that he hath done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:20-21).

The people meant the words, but it wasn’t long until the time of the judges came to Israel. The recurring theme during that time was Israel following pagan ways and being less than obedient to God. God would always raise up a man, or in one case, a woman, to protect Israel. People would be obedient to God, and His blessings would flow, but then they would allow the influence of pagan cultures to lead them astray. Children would be sacrificed to demon gods, and the true God of all creation would be ignored.

God is always willing to forgive those who are truly repentant, and we see that pattern throughout Israel’s history.

King Ahab and his evil Queen Jezebel led the Northern Kingdom of Israel to destruction. In spite of many prophetic warnings, they continued in the worship of pagan gods and were destroyed. These gods and goddesses (real demons) required child sacrifice and sexual perversion.

Do you see the parallel between the evil that is permeating our life today and the judgments of God in the past? Even those who claim to be Christian live with a “significant other” with no covenant of marriage. Babies are sacrificed, and it’s called “a mother’s right to choose.” Children are taught it’s OK to have two mommies or two daddies with no regard for God’s truth. Gender is now erroneously taught as being a choice. We are living in a very pagan, God-rejecting society and wonder why evil is so strong. Go back and read John 3:19. People love the darkness of Satan even though that darkness causes us to stumble, fall, and hurt ourselves.

There is a pattern in Scripture showing that God is always ready and willing to forgive the sin we embrace.

King Solomon built the Temple, and when it was finished, it was a magnificent building to honor God. Solomon had many problems in his life and was far from perfect. He had a weakness for pagan women. This allowed the gateway for pagan worship in Israel. God honors His promises, and a promise to King David, Solomon’s father, was that his kingdom would never end. So, God didn’t send judgment upon Solomon, but over the years, Solomon brought on his own judgment. None of his treasure, wives, or worldly pleasures brought any joy to his life. God had not forgotten Solomon, and after the Temple was built, God spoke to him and made a conditional promise:

“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).

Does that promise only apply to the Jewish nation? The truth of those words is for all people. We cannot claim to be Christian while embracing all manner of sin. As Christians, we need to repent of the sin that grips our life, and serve Jesus. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

Jesus also said, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30). Embracing sin is not loving God, but serving mammon.

We must return to Scripture. It’s very obvious what happens when God is ignored and Satan is embraced. Illegitimate babies are created, then either raised by a single mother or murdered in the womb. Men have no idea about the responsibility of supporting a wife and family. Drug and alcohol abuse is prevalent, which increases mental illness, demon possession, and crime. Children are taught that gender is a choice and they might even really be an animal; they are encouraged to be a dog if they think they are a dog. Everyone does what is right in his or her own eyes.

Scripture is God’s word, and Christians need to walk away from congregations that tickle ears and teach a watered-down version of Scripture. We are living in the very last of the last days. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Shame on those pastors who compromise God’s word, and shame on Christians who don’t study (not just read through) Scripture. The times are very evil and treacherous.

The Old Testament tells of Solomon dedicating the Temple and reading God’s Law publicly so all could hear. Eventually, the Temple was destroyed, but God would eventually restore it. Even though he lived in the Kingdom of Babylon, Nehemiah was heartbroken over the destruction of the Temple. The king allowed him to return to the Jewish capital of Jerusalem to rebuild the wall of protection, then the focus turned to rebuilding the Temple. He had men working with him who loved the Lord. When it was all restored, the first celebration was the observance of Passover.

After some time, the people returned to their land, stood in the street, and asked Ezra to bring the book of the Law of Moses. Ezra did just that. The people were hungry to hear God’s Law as given to Moses and had great respect for hearing it.

“And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:3).

We need this same heart today. A desire for God’s word and men who are not ashamed to openly declare their faith and lead others to a closer walk with Jesus.

We are in a time of great sin amongst “Christians,” and that’s a sad comment on our faith. God knew this time would come, but that doesn’t mean He approves. The Apostle Paul, writing under the direction of the Holy Spirit, wrote a letter to a young pastor named Timothy and encouraged Him to preach God’s truth.

“Preach the word, be instant in season, and 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; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:2-4).

Don’t wait for someone else to start. Be a leader and eschew the erroneous teaching of the “name it and claim it” lies, the purpose-driven mistruth, and the opinion that you can sin all you want and then ask forgiveness and sin some more. Be the man or woman to lead a return to Scripture. Return to the pure word of God. Humble yourself before God and allow Him to rule over your life.

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.

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

I remember the angst of my teenage years. The questions with no answers. “Why was I ever born?” “Why am I unlovable?” “Is there any purpose for my life?” The sad thing is, I was a Christian, but as I cried to my mother, her answers didn’t help. They were the truth, but I wanted more. She reassured me that she loved me, but even more so told me that God loved me and had a purpose for me. At 16, that just sounded like nice words with no meaning. Now, at age 70, I look back and see my mother’s wisdom. She was right.

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14).

Each one of us fits into God’s plan, and God has a purpose for everyone. When life gets tough or lonely, remember that you are indeed “… fearfully and wonderfully made.” You aren’t an accident or a freak of nature; you certainly didn’t originate from pond scum or any form of evolution. God created mankind in His own image.

Jeremiah was a young man who had a calling from God. He felt inadequate and questioned God’s choice in choosing him as a prophet. God told him, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

What has God called you to do? Maybe a wise prophet like Jeremiah, or maybe a Godly witness to your community. It’s OK to question. Jeremiah did. “Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! Behold I cannot speak for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 1:6-8).

Jeremiah did go where God sent him and spoke God’s words. That’s what we all need to do. We need to take God’s message to a lost world. Will they mock you and laugh at you? Possibly, but that shouldn’t stop you. Your mission is to obey God and leave the results up to Him. “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19).

Jesus said that to His disciples soon before He went to the cross. Thankfully, those men remembered His words and took the Gospel to the entire world. It’s only our human fear that stops us from sharing the Gospel.

What are you doing? Are you sitting back feeling pretty full of yourself because you’re saved and your neighbor isn’t? Quite often, we call to mind that precious promise in Ephesians “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Unfortunately, most Christians stop there. That’s called “one-verse theology.” Pick out a verse that suits you, and live by it. It’s true that we are saved by grace. We cannot do anything to save ourselves because Jesus Christ paid the price for our redemption. We can do nothing to earn it. We can show our gratitude to Him, though. Go back to your Bible and read on. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

You see, we are created to do good works even though we aren’t saved by those works. Grace is amazing, and it’s free. Yet, our gratitude should prompt us to live for Christ.

Jesus was God incarnate. His blood was pure and untainted by the sin that permeates our life. He had no sin of His own but willingly took the sin of the entire world upon Himself in order to give us the only way to live eternally with Him. That’s a lot that we have to be grateful for. Have you said, “Thank You”? Have you even tried to turn from your sin? “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).

How do you go about becoming a living sacrifice? Start with Scripture. Learn God’s ways. Learn to discern the ways of God from the ways of the world, which is controlled by Satan. It’s a spiritual battle.

“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 strongholds;) 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” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

The Holy Spirit is sealed inside of us from the moment we sincerely accept the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our salvation. He will guide us if we allow it. “Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

On our own, we can never be good enough to make it to Heaven. Only through the righteousness of Christ can we be good enough. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

We need to give our best to the Lord because we belong to Him. That’s what “peculiar” means. We need to ask Him to show us our sins and help us to live a life that pleases Him. His grace is a blessing, but He wants more from us and for us. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

The word “conversation” doesn’t mean the way you talk, although that is part of it. It’s from the Greek word “anastrophe” and means your manner of life, conduct, behavior, and deportment. The word “holy” is the Greek word “hagios” and doesn’t mean you run around with a halo and call yourself “saint.” God is holy and not a part of the worldly ways, and we are to be separated from the world, physically pure, morally blameless, and consecrated to God. We are to be like Him.

So, the question is, what are you doing? Are you resting peacefully in your salvation and not caring about others? Maybe you’re blending in with the crowd and not drawing any attention to the fact that you claim to be a Christian. As we look around at the world in which we live, we can see the moral decay of the entire world all around us. We need to be a light that shines in a dark place. Many people have never had anyone share the Gospel with them, and many others have rejected it. Christians need to wake up and understand that it’s up to us to share the Gospel. That means use words and speak to the lost.

I know too many who are ashamed to talk about Christ and believe the way to share is to do works and hope the recipient will understand the Gospel. Good works are beneficial, but putting a roof on a house never saved anybody. It’s the Gospel that has to be shared using words. Jesus gave the marching orders. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). If the Gospel is not shared, how can anybody hear the Good News of Jesus Christ?

Whatever you’re doing, be sure it’s directed by the Holy Spirit and that it glorifies God. If you’re doing all kinds of good things, but you take the credit, then your good works will be burned up like wood, hay, and stubble. Christians will face the judgment throne of Christ. It won’t be a judgment of “Heaven or Hell,” but ours will be a judgment of our works.

“Now if any man build upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Our works won’t save us, but any works we do for our own glory will be burned up on the day of judgment. The things we’ve done for Christ will earn rewards which we will throw at Jesus’ feet out of humble gratitude for what He’s done for us. I want a crown so I can say, “Thank You, Jesus, for what You’ve done for me.”

I know I’m not doing enough, but I’m praying that I’ll hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit in my life. Are you listening for His voice, too?

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.

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