--- What Is Possible? --- Are you doing works greater
than Jesus Christ?*1a & 1b (John 14:12)
Do we influence "control" our future?
Written: December 2023
Do you fear all the turmoil in this world, much of it from the near total loss of respect for law and order and even for basic integrity... It is causing one government after another to falter and fail under the onslaught and burden of that rebelliousness and hate and chaos. Does that give concern for your future?
Wouldn't it be a foolish person who didn't have fears? Or, maybe, people who feel protected by God don't fear... It seems nearly everyone alive is joined as part of some sect of mankind; chanting "no justice, no peace," in what usually amounts to a terroristic threat! No matter how misguided or judgmental they might be, they all feel completely justified in their cause. (Mat 27:25 of 24-26) More than that, many are prepared to do anything at all to get their way! Some are even willing to shoot or blow up children... All this wickedness (Rom 1:24-32) has been tolerated by God in preparation for our day's judgment period, "his"judgment period. (Acts 17:29-31) My love for mankind, my love for you, is manifest and set before your eyes in this letter. It is my best effort to detail what I have learned; to set my Bible faith in order as it applies to "our" day in the Bible's revealed stream of time: (Luke 1:3-4) Jesus taught we are each one, all of mankind is, facing a cataclysmic life altering event. (Mat 24:37-39) The terrors you rightly do recognize in this world are "your" sign Jesus told you to watch for. (Luke 21:25-28) Having noted that sign, and gaining some additional insight from God's Word, we are all all people of good sense and good will are trying to figure out how to be blessed by God! (1 Cor 4:1-5; Job 33:24-25 of 13-30) Be careful: Only the Bible can be depended on to explain how. Don't be fooled by any person or sect asserting your salvation is tied to them. It doesn't matter what any man or group thinks of you. (1 Cor 4:3 of 3-5) It is dangerous and makes you foolish if you put your faith in any human group; groveling for their approval and directions for your life. (John 5:43-44) Jesus "did warn" you should shun sectarian group approval. (Luke 6:26; Mat 24:23-28) In view of Jesus's teachings, what you and I should each be asking ourselves is this: "What is possible; 'for me?' What does 'my' immediate future hold?" Please consider this loving request: Could I convince you to believe, or at least to seriously consider, the same thing I myself am trying to believe... My best effort is to have faith, to maintain a real day in and day out belief, that what is actually possible for you is exactly what "YOU believe" is possible. That is, really, what you "believe" is what "will" happen! For me too, of course! Anything we have an unwavering scriptural faith in; that is our future! And here is what is important: Isn't that exactly what Jesus Christ taught? (Mat 8:13; Luke 6:19; Mat 9:27‑30; Mat 9:22; Eph 2:8; Mark 10:52; Luke 7:50; Luke 17:19; Luke 18:42; Acts 14:9; Luke 8:48 of 42‑48; John 7:37‑39; John 19:34) Please try and seriously consider the reality that "your own personal faith" defines "your future," if that future aligns with these scriptures. If you are like me, that will be new; and maybe hard! You see, I have always been a cause and effect kind of guy. If I couldn't see it, touch it, hear it, smell it or taste it, and understand how it works so as to repeat it at will, I didn't "really believe" in it. Even so, and somewhat in conflict with that thinking, I have believed in God since I have memories. [Don't know where I got my faith in God; it almost seems like it came with me at conception. (Rom 1:18-20) Family influence likely helped!] Anyway... Without understanding or maybe even realizing, I have all my life entertained that internal contradiction between believing what I can "know" to be real must be only what I can perceive through my five senses; and at the same time, attempting to have faith in God and his son and in the Bible's being "God's letter" to me... Aaaah! The ignorance of youth...?
For you to comprehend, or certainly to seriously consider what is now being set before you, will require some basic faith on your part. To start, you must be one of us who believe there is a God and Creator who both exists and is good. (Heb 11:6) Following that basic foundation of faith, you must believe in the cornerstone of "Christian" faith: That Jesus Christ is the son our God sent to explain himself to you. (Eph 2:20 of 11-22; Luke 2:34-35 of 25-38; John 1:14-18; John 3:16-21) Then, or maybe in part as a basis for faith, you must believe in the Bible as the word of God; (2 Tim 3:16-17) while giving special attention to the message Christ delivered (Mat 17:5) in the Gospels recording his life and teachings. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) It would also seem you need some basic understanding of that Bible Theme. Then, with that basic faith in hand, please consider:
Jesus said something about your future that might be the most valuable words you have ever heard:Matthew 24:37-39 . . .For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence [or second coming] of the Son of man will be.
Did you note about the earth full of people who were destroyed in Noah's day, that they took no note, not even one of them took note... [Or, they had no care as another translation words it.] If any one of them had taken God's warning seriously, he or she could surely have joined Noah in building the Ark; and preserved themselves alive. They all died because they took no note, though, of what? Was what they overlooked something hard to notice?
They every one died because they failed to take to heart God's warning. It was absolutely not, however, because they "didn't actually know" about it... Noah and his family spent 50 or 60 years constructing the Ark up on the side of a mountain; far from water. The Ark was at least 1 and 1/2 football fields long and a little wider than a football field. It was over 45 feet tall. Their neighbors and no doubt the whole earth heard about "Noah's project," which the world obviously dismissed as foolishness. The Bible makes clear that Noah, as a "preacher of righteousness," did his best to let everyone know they were facing a cataclysmic event; the destruction of the earth. (2 Pet 3:6 of 5-7; 2 Pet 2:5 of 5-9) Still, the whole world took no note until the flood came and swept them all away. What about you... Are you taking note? But once again for us, "taking note" of what?
Mankind is once again facing the destruction of the earth by God! And once again, it is hard to avoid seeing it! There are, of course, those fools who say our day is no different from the past... (2 Pet 3:3-7) Please! We read above where Jesus said his return would be just like the days of Noah, with, it seems logical to assume, most people once again paying no attention. He said something else that helps understand what YOU "should take note" of! He said: Luke 21:25-28 “Also, there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and [its] agitation, 26 while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift YOUR heads up, because YOUR deliverance is getting near.” [All righteous people, those who are seeking God and have found him in the Bible, (2 Chron 16:9) can now see the son of man coming (or that he has come, actually); but invisibly to those without faith (as if he is "in the clouds"). He is made visible to those who believe, by their faith in his words; in these words you are now reading!] As Jesus also said:
Mark 13:19-22 ESV For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. (20) And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved[or, "no one will be left alive" - from the Contemporary English Version; "nobody would survive" - Good News Bible; "no flesh would have been kept from destruction" - Bible in Basic English]But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. (21) And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. (22) For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect [the ones being chosen].
Those indicators making up the "sign" Jesus mentioned are not hid in a corner. Are you one God has chosen for the preservation of life? (John 15:16 of 11-16; Mark 13:20) Everyone who is searching for God can see the tribulation Jesus foretold... It was the fool who didn't notice Noah's preaching and construction work some 4500 years ago. It is the fool who today refuses to recognize the sign Jesus told us to watch for. Also comprehend, everyone on the ancient earth was proved wicked by rejecting that warning; except Noah and his family! Jesus says there in Mark 13, we will be just as foolish (or worse - Heb 10:26-31) if we pay no attention to the latter day sign Christ Jesus gave us. One thing Jesus warned is the earth is full of religions worshipping false Gods. (Mark 13:22-23; 1 Kings 18:25-40) Today, we see a church for every little community, each with different teachings and condemning everyone who isn't a member. Why do they have different teachings to judge each other? Because they are all following their doctrines framed by men instead of the Bible teachings by Christ. (Mat 15:9 of 6-9; John 5:44 of 39-44) Danger: The Bible should "must" be your only doctrine. If you have a baptism or membership approved by men, you likely don't know Christ... In addition to fake Christians, we have religions that "read" chicken bones thinking they are getting God's message, or dance around poles in the firelight, or worship and follow the words of some human or group. (Acts 17:29-31) Just like Jesus said, the earth is full of "false Christs and false prophets." (Mark 13:21-23) Then, right in among all the Religionists and anti-Religionists [those godless hordes who deny God's existence] of this world; in among all those ignorant or wicked individuals and groups joined in fighting among themselves to destroy each other and our world; (1 John 5:18-21; John 8:24) are those known only to God, known by having their names inscribed in heaven. (Luke 10:20) There in the midst of the chaos brought on themselves by wicked and/or ignorant humans, "there are many" "there are a few" "there are some" individuals who actually are getting the sense of who God is (Mat 13:14-15) and demonstrating it by following God's command to listen to his son. (Mat 17:5) Is there a lot of us? Well, Jesus did say it will be just like the days of Noah... Danger: Actually following Christ is not something you can accomplish by following some sect of men. Some of them may mean well but... You must hear God's command (Mat 17:5) to read your Gospels and follow only Christ. (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) Another indicator Jesus gave is just recognizing the tribulation inself. He mentioned a whole big bunch of problems that would overwhelm the earth. (Mat 24:3-14) Today, we see em all! If his father didn't intervene, he went on to warn promise, no flesh would be left
alive. (Mat 24:22) Are you different from the people of Noah's day? Do you recognize Jesus warned you to be on the watch for the wicked world we now see?
Thank God, He has intervened. If you will just express faith in the words of Jesus Christ, you can preserve yourself alive. (John 8:51; 2 Kings 5:1-14)
*1a Assuming the above described reasonably basic faith, then, please consider what is "really" [scripturally] possible for YOU? (Heb 5:11-6:3) It is a miracle nearly too wonderful for an imperfect human to comprehend! You can do works greater than Jesus Christ did... "What...?" I'm sure you're now asking. It's not me saying it, though. Jesus Christ himself did say you could work works greater than he! (John 14:12) What greater works could we possibly work?*1b
If you claim faith in Jesus, you must have begun that journey by hearing and believing God's command to listen to everything Jesus said? (Mat 17:5) Do you also believe the Bible's account of everything Jesus did? (Mat 14:25-31) We must, right?
If you truly believe in Jesus, doesn't that include abandoning your faith that you can truly depend only on what your five senses can reveal to you? Our physical senses are our reliable window onto our physical world, but the spiritual world is largely invisible to them. (2 Cor 4:16-18) Your faith must be your tool that opens your window onto that spiritual world. (2 Kings 6:15-17) [Loop start:*] Just being alive as witness to Creation logically demands a Creator. (Rom 1:19-20) The fact that God has existed forever, and will always be, "seems impossible." That not being true, however, "is impossible." Logic defines there must be a cause for Creation, but, a "'big bang' series of happy accidents" Creation is just silly. And yet, the fact that all we see and know came into existence from the power of our Creator (Rev 4:10-11) still "seems impossible." After meditating on it all, however, trusting any explanation apart from the Bible is both "impossible" and nonsensical. So, after you have run through that little inevitable loop [*restart loop] in your mind the thousands or millions of times it takes to wear in a rut of acceptance and belief, what can we do with the faith we have reasoned out? (Rom 12:1-2)
Well, if you truly do believe in a grand and good Creator, and in his son, you must believe everything about Jesus. Here is where our required "new" thinking comes into play: Do you believe it is possible to walk on water? Do you really...? Jesus demonstrated it is possible to use God's spirit to do just that. (Mat 14:23-34) Peter also demonstrated it; until his faith wavered. That leads to the point of all this: Do you "believe" in the power of God's Spirit? Do you believe one of the things Jesus came to teach was how to make use of God's Spirit? (John 6:63) What do you think the Spirit's limits are? Tough questions, right? If you are a Christian with hope and faith to survive this tribulation, I believe your use of Holy Spirit will play a big part in your continuing alive. [Please know; I'm not talking about showing off your spirit gifts in front of others. That seems unlikely. People would flock to God only seeking his spirit. (John 6:26-29)] Jesus said our faith would save us. How? By God's spirit! (Acts 10:38) He said it over and over and over... (Mat 8:13; Luke 6:19; Mat 9:27‑30; Mat 9:22; Eph 2:8; Mark 10:52; Luke 7:50; Luke 17:19; Luke 18:42; Acts 14:9; Luke 8:48 of 42‑48; John 7:37‑39; John 19:34)
So, is it your faith God will use his spirit, or allow you to use it, to protect you and preserve you alive? Do you even believe you can use God's spirit in your own behalf? Jesus clearly and distinctly said that we can! (John 15:16; Mark 11:22-24; Mat 17:19-20) The only question left for you: What do you really and truly believe? It is the same question I constantly ask my-own-self! It is the same question every person alive should be facing... Do you have a faith that is protecting you alive? In other words; have you stepped into God's latter day Ark of salvation? And yet again: Are you, in your unwavering faith in God and his Christ, singing the Song of the Lamb? Do you realize all three are one and the same thing? Do you believe God's Word when He says you can live forever? (Psa 37:27-29 of 27-34) Let us have faith, then, to continue alive; regaining our youthful health and vigor, right on into eternity... (Job 33:24-25 of 13-30) Are you my brother or sister in that faith? (Gal 3:26-29; Rom 4:13-5:11) This world is overcome and being destroyed by division and judgment and hate. This nation, this religion, this race, etc... Most of humanity has banded in groups to judge others lost to God and unworthy of life. Abandon and have no part, either to approve or condemn, (1 Cor 4:5; John 12:47-48; John 8:15-16) any of those judgments by this wicked old dying world system. (John 8:24) Once people express faith in Christ, true faith of false, they take responsibility for themselves to themselves... Just you actually listen to Christ to shun being enticed to take sides in this world's (1 John 5:19) judgments and skirmishes, as this world's groups kill and harm each other while each one asserts they are servants of God and/or are being blessed by him. (Mat 24:23-28) Becoming the spiritual opposite of this world's sects, you should quietly become joined with those who have heard and are singing the song of Jesus Christ...
Don't let your old friendships, and even your own family relationships, be shattered by allowing religion to turn you against the righteous. Please don't fail to understand, that is what all religious groups do. [Religion being the antitype of Christianity!] Realize; becoming a zealous member of any religious sect defines you an enemy of everyone who wasn't "wise" enough or "righteous" enough to join you in joining what you and your sect have judged to be the only "real" religion! Jesus said we would need to be cautious to avoid being misled in that way. He realized and warned his own words would cause division, by causing the wicked to hate the righteous. (Mat 10:34-36) We can't stop the hate by the wicked! [Nor would we want to. The judgment of other people by the wicked actually serves as their own judgment of themselves. It is what will bring their destruction by God to set us free... (Acts 17:31 of 29-31; Isa 2:2-4)]
In the midst of the destruction of this wicked old world system, and no matter how bad it gets, you must continue to show love. (John 13:34-35) Jesus said love does not include prayers for the wicked people of this world, but only for the followers of Christ. (John 17:9 of 6-10) We can't and don't need to know who is who... We can't judge who is righteous and who is deceptively practicing wickedness, (1 Cor 6:9-10; Rom 1:24-32) but we can extend loving-kindness toward all; by talking with them about the promises of Jesus. Our prayers, however, without any need to know who they are, are only for those righteous and sincere followers of Christ. (John 17:9) Your loving-kindness toward all makes you a beacon of light in the midst of this dark world, in the midst of this tribulation; or maybe even, in the midst of Armageddon. (Mat 5:14-16) And, you must maintain your personal faith in God's promises. I am 76 years old and my "old" friend [both a year older than myself and a friend of 60 years] lamented his discouragement over some health problems. Knowing my hope of living forever while returning to my youthful health and vigor, (Job 33:22-25 of 13-30) he said he just "can't seem to get younger." I do get that! I have soreness in a shoulder I had a skin cancer removed from a few years ago. I have gout that has incapacitated me to the point of being bedfast several times. [And just FYI, gout can be more painful than I could possibly express.] I have also started to have tremors. I read coffee might help relieve my gout but the coffee makes my tremors and balance problems worse. So, in what can feel like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, as they say, I do what I think is best to avoid being bedfast. [I told my wife I am becoming a weeble. They were self-righting "tiny people" toys when we were kids that advertised with a little jingle: "Weebles wobble but the don't fall down."] Point of telling you all that, I "do get" my friends concern about his health and I wonder about my own. What, then, can we do? Well, in addition to the lesser important trying to eat right and take care of myself, what I try to do is maintain my faith that things "will" get better; "are" getting better! I am convinced my faith is the important thing! God did promise my deliverance would come; but "when"? "When we were about to go down to the world of the dead," is what He said! (Job 33:22-25 of 13-30) So... "Any time" now, right? [That expresses "my" vote in the matter.] Past mid seventies, without God's intervention, my old friend and myself are nearing the world of the dead. However, please note this important point and my reason for writing this: The tribulation makes it a new world today! With the tribulation[or maybe even Armageddon] consuming this world, not just the old and the sick, but everyone alive is nearing the world of the dead. If God didn't intervene, mankind would soon destroy themselves completely. Remember Gaza and Ukraine and... (Mat 24:21-22) Just know this: God has intervened... He sent his son to help you. If you are able to make sense of these teachings by Christ, (John 6:44; 2 Chron 16:9) God has given you the truth in these words so you can preserve yourself alive. In the midst of all the turmoil, having faith in such a simple solution can be difficult (2 Kings 5:1:14) or even seem foolish to some. (1 Cor 1:18-27; 1 Cor 2:10-16) Still, wonderfully simple as it is, faith in the words of Christ is the only hope. (John 11:24-26; 1 Cor 1:18-31) When I was young, I served as a combat infantry soldier in Vietnam; forefront and center of the U.S. war effort. I saw 60 to 70 of the 100 or so men in my company killed or wounded during my tour. [28 of us killed. See: VietnamJC.com] Even seeing it so bad, with only thirty-some of the 100 of us coming home unscathed, it never entered my mind anything would happen to me. Even back then, in all my ignorance of who God is, and in spite of my very dangerous circumstances, I did have faith in God. It never entered my mind the danger would touch me. (Psa 91:7-16) [Men who seemed righteous did die around me. Maybe God spared me so you can be reading this now... I am NOT saying that is true. May be, though... Then again, maybe I was just fortunate! We can't know... The thing you can know and depend on are the words of Christ!] Today, then, in spite of the tribulation and danger from this old world system, I try to feel that same hope. God will preserve the righteous alive at Armageddon! God will preserve the righteous alive... (Psa 91) So, then, I'm just trying to be one who is judged righteous. (John 3:17-19) While you should love and care for your family and friends the best they will allow, you should also understand your real family and your only true friends are those who demonstrate their own personal faith in Christ. (Gal 3:26-29; Gal 3:5-9) You can't give it to, or force in on, anyone. Just lovingly maintain your own unwavering faith in what God has promised... (Rom 4:13-5:11) What you "can do," is encourage everyone toward their own personal faith in protection through the words of Christ! (John 6:63; John 11:26) Share these scriptures, these words of Christ...
*1b Here, then, is a work you can work that is greater than Christ's... (John 14:12) Because of our need, Christ volunteered to come as a human and die for our sins. (Heb 10:5-10; Psa 40:8-10; John 6:35-38; John 4:34) His looming death was something he wrestled with, or was troubled by, all his human life. (Luke 12:50; John 12:27-28; Mat 26:36-39) Jesus was born headed to a horrendous death. You and I, because we are favored to be alive at the time of Christ's return, can be set completely and eternally free of the fear of death. (Heb 2:14-16 of 10-18) It's not a promise we won't die, but it is a hope we have of never dying, a hope Jesus could never have. We can hope to live forever... (John 11:25-26; Job 33:13-30) Having the hope promised in Job of living forever, while gaining a youthful health and vigor better than we have ever known, is the only work I could imagine that is better than even Jesus could do. Jesus was, of course, resurrected to even greater glory than he had ever known. (1 Cor 15:12-28) That doesn't change or negate the suffering he had chose (Mat 26:53-54 of 48-54) to endure for us... (Phil 2:5-11)
Do you in your faith hear the chorus of angels, along with all the righteous men and women alive, all of them singing the Lamb's Song? (Rev 15:3-4) Singing the words of his letter... Join them; now! Where? Just as God's Word says; in your secret interior rooms... God will protect you there. (Isa 26:20-21) But, then, just where are our interior rooms. Where they "are not"; is huddled in some church or meeting hall expressing your group judgment God is protecting those joined with you in your sect. You can't ever know who is sincere! (Mat 24:23-25) Would you huddle with God's enemies? (Luke 13:24-27) Where your interior room "is"; is in the safety inside your own mind and heart. Only our Father and his Christ know [can judge] if your are there. (John 12:46-50) Your secret interior room is your personal expression of faith in the words of the son of God. Jesus's words, faith in those words, are spirit and are life... (John 6:63; John 6:68)
Hallelujah! (Rev 22:18-21) Join in singing the Lamb's song by sharing this message, by sharing these scriptures, with people "with everyone" you know! Warn everyone: Our days are like the days of Noah "are the days" of the tribulation! (Mat 24:37 & 1 Pet 3:20) Share this warning letter with your family and friends and even your political representatives! Who is there knowing... (Joshua 6:22-23; see also Joshua 2:12-21 and 6:22-25)
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Wouldn't it be a foolish person who didn't have fears? Or, maybe, people who feel protected by God don't fear... It seems nearly everyone alive is joined as part of some sect of mankind; chanting "no justice, no peace," in what usually amounts to a terroristic threat! No matter how misguided or judgmental they might be, they all feel completely justified in their cause. (Mat 27:25 of 24-26) More than that, many are prepared to do anything at all to get their way! Some are even willing to shoot or blow up children... All this wickedness (Rom 1:24-32) has been tolerated by God in preparation for our day's judgment period, "his" judgment period. (Acts 17:29-31) My love for mankind, my love for you, is manifest and set before your eyes in this letter. It is my best effort to detail what I have learned; to set my Bible faith in order as it applies to "our" day in the Bible's revealed stream of time: (Luke 1:3-4) Jesus taught we are each one, all of mankind is, facing a cataclysmic life altering event. (Mat 24:37-39) The terrors you rightly do recognize in this world are "your" sign Jesus told you to watch for. (Luke 21:25-28) Having noted that sign, and gaining some additional insight from God's Word, 
If you truly believe in Jesus, doesn't that include abandoning your faith that you can truly depend only on what your five senses can reveal to you? Our physical senses are our reliable window onto our physical world, but the spiritual world is largely invisible to them. (2 Cor 4:16-18) Your faith must be your tool that opens your window onto that spiritual world. (2 Kings 6:15-17) [Loop start:*] Just being alive as witness to Creation logically demands a Creator. (Rom 1:19-20) The fact that God has existed forever, and will always be, "seems impossible." That not being true, however, "is impossible." Logic defines there must be a cause for Creation, but, a "'big bang' series of happy accidents" Creation is just silly. And yet, the fact that all we see and know came into existence from the power of our Creator (Rev 4:10-11) still "seems impossible." After meditating on it all, however, trusting any explanation apart from the Bible is both "impossible" and nonsensical. So, after you have run through that little inevitable loop [*restart loop] in your mind the thousands or millions of times it takes to wear in a rut of acceptance and belief, what can we do with the faith we have reasoned out? (Rom 12:1-2)
Well, if you truly do believe in a grand and good Creator, and in his son, you must believe everything about Jesus. Here is where our required "new" thinking comes into play: Do you believe it is possible to walk on water? Do you really...? Jesus demonstrated it is possible to use God's spirit to do just that. (Mat 14:23-34) Peter also demonstrated it; until his faith wavered. That leads to the point of all this: Do you "believe" in the power of God's Spirit? Do you believe one of the things Jesus came to teach was how to make use of God's Spirit? (John 6:63) What do you think the Spirit's limits are? Tough questions, right? If you are a Christian with hope and faith to survive this tribulation, I believe your use of Holy Spirit will play a big part in your continuing alive. [Please know; I'm not talking about showing off your spirit gifts in front of others. That seems unlikely. People would flock to God only seeking his spirit. (John 6:26-29)] Jesus said our faith would save us. How? By God's spirit! (Acts 10:38) He said it over and over and over... (Mat 8:13; Luke 6:19; Mat 9:27‑30; Mat 9:22; Eph 2:8; Mark 10:52; Luke 7:50; Luke 17:19; Luke 18:42; Acts 14:9; Luke 8:48 of 42‑48; John 7:37‑39; John 19:34)
So, is it your faith God will use his spirit, or allow you to use it, to protect you and preserve you alive? Do you even believe you can use God's spirit in your own behalf? Jesus clearly and distinctly said that we can! (John 15:16; Mark 11:22-24; Mat 17:19-20) The only question left for you: What do you really and truly believe? It is the same question I constantly ask my-own-self! It is the same question every person alive should be facing... Do you have a faith that is protecting you alive? In other words; have you stepped into God's latter day Ark of salvation? And yet again: Are you, in your unwavering faith in God and his Christ, singing the Song of the Lamb? Do you realize all three are one and the same thing? Do you believe God's Word when He says you can live forever? (Psa 37:27-29 of 27-34) Let us have faith, then, to continue alive; regaining our youthful health and vigor, right on into eternity... (Job 33:24-25 of 13-30) Are you my brother or sister in that faith? (Gal 3:26-29; Rom 4:13-5:11) This world is overcome and being destroyed by division and judgment and hate. This nation, this religion, this race, etc... Most of humanity has banded in groups to judge others lost to God and unworthy of life. Abandon and have no part, either to approve or condemn, (1 Cor 4:5; John 12:47-48; John 8:15-16) any of those judgments by this wicked old dying world system. (John 8:24) Once people express faith in Christ, true faith of false, they take responsibility for themselves to themselves... Just you actually listen to Christ to shun being enticed to take sides in this world's (1 John 5:19) judgments and skirmishes, as this world's groups kill and harm each other while each one asserts they are servants of God and/or are being blessed by him. (Mat 24:23-28) Becoming the spiritual opposite of this world's sects, you should quietly become joined with those who have heard and are singing the song of Jesus Christ...
Don't let your old friendships, and even your own family relationships, be shattered by allowing religion to turn you against the righteous. Please don't fail to understand, that is what all religious groups do. [Religion being the antitype of Christianity!] Realize; becoming a zealous member of any religious sect defines you an enemy of everyone who wasn't "wise" enough or "righteous" enough to join you in joining what you and your sect have judged to be the only "real" religion! Jesus said we would need to be cautious to avoid being misled in that way. He realized and warned his own words would cause division, by causing the wicked to hate the righteous. (Mat 10:34-36) We can't stop the hate by the wicked! [Nor would we want to. The judgment of other people by the wicked actually serves as their own judgment of themselves. It is what will bring their destruction by God to set us free... (Acts 17:31 of 29-31; Isa 2:2-4)]
In the midst of the destruction of this wicked old world system, and no matter how bad it gets, you must continue to show love. (John 13:34-35) Jesus said love does not include prayers for the wicked people of this world, but only for the followers of Christ. (John 17:9 of 6-10) We can't and don't need to know who is who... We can't judge who is righteous and who is deceptively practicing wickedness, (1 Cor 6:9-10; Rom 1:24-32) but we can extend loving-kindness toward all; by talking with them about the promises of Jesus. Our prayers, however, without any need to know who they are, are only for those righteous and sincere followers of Christ. (John 17:9) Your loving-kindness toward all makes you a beacon of light in the midst of this dark world, in the midst of this tribulation; or maybe even, in the midst of Armageddon. (Mat 5:14-16) And, you must maintain your personal faith in God's promises. I am 76 years old and my "old" friend [both a year older than myself and a friend of 60 years] lamented his discouragement over some health problems. Knowing my hope of living forever while returning to my youthful health and vigor, (Job 33:22-25 of 13-30) he said he just "can't seem to get younger." I do get that! I have soreness in a shoulder I had a skin cancer removed from a few years ago. I have gout that has incapacitated me to the point of being bedfast several times. [And just FYI, gout can be more painful than I could possibly express.] I have also started to have tremors. I read coffee might help relieve my gout but the coffee makes my tremors and balance problems worse. So, in what can feel like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, as they say, I do what I think is best to avoid being bedfast. [I told my wife I am becoming a weeble. They were self-righting "tiny people" toys when we were kids that advertised with a little jingle: "Weebles wobble but the don't fall down."] Point of telling you all that, I "do get" my friends concern about his health and I wonder about my own. What, then, can we do? Well, in addition to the lesser important trying to eat right and take care of myself, what I try to do is maintain my faith that things "will" get better; "are" getting better! I am convinced my faith is the important thing! God did promise my deliverance would come; but "when"? "When we were about to go down to the world of the dead," is what He said! (Job 33:22-25 of 13-30) So... "Any time" now, right? [That expresses "my" vote in the matter.] Past mid seventies, without God's intervention, my old friend and myself are nearing the world of the dead. However, please note this important point and my reason for writing this: The tribulation makes it a new world today! With the tribulation [or maybe even Armageddon] consuming this world, not just the old and the sick, but everyone alive is nearing the world of the dead. If God didn't intervene, mankind would soon destroy themselves completely. Remember Gaza and Ukraine and... (Mat 24:21-22) Just know this: God has intervened... He sent his son to help you. If you are able to make sense of these teachings by Christ, (John 6:44; 2 Chron 16:9) God has given you the truth in these words so you can preserve yourself alive. In the midst of all the turmoil, having faith in such a simple solution can be difficult (2 Kings 5:1:14) or even seem foolish to some. (1 Cor 1:18-27; 1 Cor 2:10-16) Still, wonderfully simple as it is, faith in the words of Christ is the only hope. (John 11:24-26; 1 Cor 1:18-31) When I was young, I served as a combat infantry soldier in Vietnam; forefront and center of the U.S. war effort. I saw 60 to 70 of the 100 or so men in my company killed or wounded during my tour. [28 of us killed. See: VietnamJC.com] Even seeing it so bad, with only thirty-some of the 100 of us coming home unscathed, it never entered my mind anything would happen to me. Even back then, in all my ignorance of who God is, and in spite of my very dangerous circumstances, I did have faith in God. It never entered my mind the danger would touch me. (Psa 91:7-16) [Men who seemed righteous did die around me. Maybe God spared me so you can be reading this now... I am NOT saying that is true. May be, though... Then again, maybe I was just fortunate! We can't know... The thing you can know and depend on are the words of Christ!] Today, then, in spite of the tribulation and danger from this old world system, I try to feel that same hope. God will preserve the righteous alive at Armageddon! God will preserve the righteous alive... (Psa 91) So, then, I'm just trying to be one who is judged righteous. (John 3:17-19) While you should love and care for your family and friends the best they will allow, you should also understand your real family and your only true friends are those who demonstrate their own personal faith in Christ. (Gal 3:26-29; Gal 3:5-9) You can't give it to, or force in on, anyone. Just lovingly maintain your own unwavering faith in what God has promised... (Rom 4:13-5:11) What you "can do," is encourage everyone toward their own personal faith in protection through the words of Christ! (John 6:63; John 11:26) Share these scriptures, these words of Christ...
*1b Here, then, is a work you can work that is greater than Christ's... (John 14:12) Because of our need, Christ volunteered to come as a human and die for our sins. (Heb 10:5-10; Psa 40:8-10; John 6:35-38; John 4:34) His looming death was something he wrestled with, or was troubled by, all his human life. (Luke 12:50; John 12:27-28; Mat 26:36-39) Jesus was born headed to a horrendous death. You and I, because we are favored to be alive at the time of Christ's return, can be set completely and eternally free of the fear of death. (Heb 2:14-16 of 10-18) It's not a promise we won't die, but it is a hope we have of never dying, a hope Jesus could never have. We can hope to live forever... (John 11:25-26; Job 33:13-30) Having the hope promised in Job of living forever, while gaining a youthful health and vigor better than we have ever known, is the only work I could imagine that is better than even Jesus could do. Jesus was, of course, resurrected to even greater glory than he had ever known. (1 Cor 15:12-28) That doesn't change or negate the suffering he