False Religions Do Not Want Truth of John 3:16

It's December 26, 2017, the day after Christmas (here in the USA). It's a beautiful, semi-sunny Winter day, as I looked up from my computer and out the study window. I was rereading and meditating on John Chapter 3, about Christ and Nicodemus, this morning. I decided to blog my thoughts on what I'd just reread, and as I was about halfway into writing this blog post, the doorbell rang. I discovered the usual pair of Watchtower Society cult followers (so-called "Jehovah's Witnesses") at my door, with more waiting in the car.


As we spoke, they claimed to accept Jesus Christ as some sort of demi-god who did a lot of creating but who wasn't equal with God. In practice what they're really saying that they have at least two levels of gods, since their doctrine and words deny that Jesus is wholly and equally part of the person of God Almighty, our Creator, the everlasting Father. So, are their claims correct, or not? Either the Bible supports that Christ, Immanuel, Jesus is God or it will fail to support that idea. Let's skim through a few things that the Bible says about Jesus and about us.


Anyone who has read much of the Old Testament portion of the Bible knows that the host of heaven is made up of all sorts of creatures. Yet, in Genesis 1:26, God very specifically says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...." That statement begs the question of, "With all the differently described creatures throughout the Old Testament, who, then, could God possibly and reasonable been speaking with, who from eternity past and into eternity future, looked like and participated in conversation with God in planning all things, including the creation of humanity, and in deciding to make humanity in God's very own image?


John 1:1-5¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
²  The same was in the beginning with God.
³  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
⁴  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.    
⁵  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.


Notice carefully that there is only one Word and only one God mentioned in this passage. The word "God", in English is always understood (by reasonable people) to mean that there is only one God that that is to whom this refers, the One True and Only God. Notice, also, that the passage says that the Word is the Creator who made all things, and therefore the Word could not have been a created being, for all things made were made by the Word.


Who then is "the Word"? Comparing that passage with the rest of the Bible, even that cult admits that the Word is Christ Jesus. But, they do strange mental antics with the passage as a whole. Yet, any honest reader of that passage will admit that it literally says exactly what it literally says. But, whether one accepts God's literal message is another matter, which is precisely where the cults and non-believers step away from God's message, and they deny that Christ Jesus is God. But, let's continue, and not get bogged down, for we must proceed beyond head knowledge or agreement, alone, and move on to the question of, in what or in whom one places one's faith.

John 3:1-21
¹  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
²  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
³  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
⁴  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
⁵  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
⁶  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
⁷  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
⁸  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
⁹  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
¹⁰  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
¹¹  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
¹²  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
¹³  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
¹⁴  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
¹⁵  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
¹⁶  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.
¹⁷  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
¹⁸  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.
¹⁹  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
²⁰  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
²¹  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.


God has challenged us to put all our faith in Him, His Christ, and His plan of salvation. As Jesus points out in John 3, IF we fail to do so on His terms, then, He has informed and forewarned us, simply and honestly, that it is our own love of sin that separates us from repenting and receiving His plan of salvation in His Christ/Messiah.


John 14:1-11
¹  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
²  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
³  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.    
⁴  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
⁵  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
⁶  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
⁷  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
⁸  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
⁹  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
¹⁰  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
¹¹  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.


God makes it abundantly clear that there is no other way to get to Him or to receive His salvation, and that this salvation is and always was the same for all people, to "whosoever will" accept and receive what God offers to us.


Isaiah 9:6-7
⁶  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
⁷  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.


As my pastor pointed out, recently, the above prophetic passage in Isaiah shows the WHOLE nature of Jesus Christ, from eternity past to eternity future, including Messiah's birth, life, eventual governmental rule over all the world, and His everlasting role as "The mighty God". So, is there more than one god competing for supremacy?... or, is there is only One True God, as the Bible claims? The Bible is very clear that there is only One True God, whose physical embodiment is Jesus Christ, AND that He is from eternity past and to eternity future, always the same Word, Creator, mighty God, and everlasting Father, wholly pure, righteous; the Lamb of God and Creator in One.


Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.


I had to ask the visitors at my door what they were 'selling' and to identify their cult. Once they told me their Watchtower/JW purpose for being there, I did not let them in (as we're warned in 2 John 1:10), for their doctrine is anti-Christ, but, I spoke to them outside. They tried to get me to discuss any fears I might have of worldly troubles and play me through what they assumed would be my ignorance of God's Word. They wanted to talk about almost anything other than the Godhood of Jesus Christ, but, I stuck to God's Word and the Deity of Jesus. I kept rehearsing for them what the Bible says in the above passages, until we parted company. See, the real problem of the cults is that they do not and will not accept that Jesus Christ is the One True God, "The Mighty God, the everlasting Father", even as the Bible, literally, says He is.


Instead of accepting the God-hood of Jesus, the cult followers kept sidetracking, allegorizing, and minimizing every Bible reference wherein God's Word equates Jesus Christ with God (such as John 1). Their denials do, however, destroy the fact that the Bible is filled with great and wonderful promises about God's Messiah and God being One God.


Though that cult claims that Jesus Christ is both a created being (which is contrary to John 1) and a savior, yet, throughout the Bible, God clearly condemns any human attempt to establish anything or anyone in any sort of pantheon of gods or as another savior. God is One, just as the compilation of all of an egg's parts are required in order for us to say that we are holding a complete egg.


Another way of looking at the unity and simplicity of God, including His Christ and His Holy Spirit, is to consider who we are as individuals. We are the individuals that occupy the body in which we live. To our parents, we are children. To our children, we are parents. To our employers, we are employees. To our friends, we are friends. To our neighbors, we are neighbors. To those from whom we buy stuff, we are customers. To those to whom we might sell things, we are vendors. To our pets or livestock, we are owners and masters. We known, personally, for having all sorts of attributes and abilities, in a host of roles in our lives. HOWEVER, we are still the same individual person, both because of and despite all of those things about us and no matter what people call us. We are, yet, the same individual person, even if there are secret things about us that no one knows or things about us which no one wishes to admit.


Thinking about the egg and our own individuality, and comparing those things against the way that God describes Himself, we are left to conclude, that, even with the amazing variety of things said about God, He is still, co-equally, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While different jobs and relationships are performed by His different aspects or personalities, yet, in and through those three equal components, all of His nature and all of His attributes are manifested to give us the whole picture of God.


In a slight aside, that is, yet, related to the deity of Christ, that cult is notorious for saying that God's Holy Spirit is NOT a person of the Godhead, but some ephemeral electricity-like motivating force. However, Jesus called His Holy Spirit "he" and "him" numerous times in John 14:15-17, and elsewhere:



John 14:15-17
¹⁵  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
¹⁶  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
¹⁷  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.    



Most of people neglect to read God's Word, to accept it, or to follow and obey it. Jesus made the following points to illustrate how few people would choose Him and His salvation:


Matthew 7:12-29 (KJV) ¹²  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
¹³  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
¹⁴  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
¹⁵  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
¹⁶  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
¹⁷  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
¹⁸  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
¹⁹  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
²⁰  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
²¹  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
²²  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
²³  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
²⁴  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
²⁵  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
²⁶  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
²⁷  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
²⁸  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
²⁹  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.


As always, God gave us the options and the free will. Will YOU choose  God's Simple Plan of Salvation

Lying to Children Hurts ALL of of Us, Especially About Christmas.

We live in a society where, for the most part, we do not like other people lying to us, AND, ... we usually get very angry about other people lying to us. BUT, all too often we hold a double standard by which we allow ourselves to lie to others, especially to our children.


The following articles discuss the difference between fictional stories that children know to be fictions versus outright lies into which adults often lead children. The articles also discuss some of the problems that we create for ourselves, our kids, and our society when we lie to our youngsters. If readers are honest, one must admit the truth of what the following authors are saying.

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-you-shouldnt-lie-to-your-kids-about-santa-2010-12


http://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5835d898e4b01ba68ac3e3a7/amp


Though some might nit-pick at this, let us look at this issue from God's perspective in Mark 9:42:
"And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me [Jesus Christ], it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."

U.S. Constitution Clear On Intent of Second Amendment

I recently sent a message to some of our government officials. The following is excerpted from that message:

“The Dred Scott decision, although a travesty of human rights adjudication with regard to the man's personal freedom as a human being, stated quite clearly that, up to that point, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment was meant to be interpreted freely and liberally. Because of the common understanding of the full intent and spirit of the Second Amendment, SCOTUS denied the man's rights using, in part, the justification that they did not want a ‘black’ man freely walking around carrying a gun.

“Federal, State, and Local Government constraints upon U.S. Citizens, in the 20^th and 21^st Centuries, have evolved into the same foul spirit toward all law abiding gun owners as what was rendered in the Dred Scott decision's denial of basic human rights to protect and defend ourselves wherever we live or travel. I cite the SCOTUS decision in the “Dred Scott” case via the following link and quote: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/60/393.html:

[In the text below, “they” refers to people of ‘colored’/‘black’/‘negro’ descent, usually from Africa. The word negro means black in Spanish. People were not called African-Americans at that time, so we must read the SCOTUS decision in its proper historical context, instead of in 'politically correct' terms.]

“"For if they were so received, and entitled to the privileges and immunities of citizens, it would exempt them from the operation of the special laws and from the police [60 U.S. 393, 417] regulations which they considered to be necessary for their own safety. It would give to persons of the negro race, who were recognised as citizens in any one State of the Union, the right to enter every other State whenever they pleased, singly or in companies, without pass or passport, and without obstruction, to sojourn there as long as they pleased, to go where they pleased at every hour of the day or night without molestation, unless they committed some violation of law for which a white man would be punished; and it would give them the full liberty of speech in public and in private upon all subjects upon which its own citizens might speak; to hold public meetings upon political affairs, and to keep and carry arms wherever they went. And all of this would be done in the face of the subject race of the same color, both free and slaves, and inevitably producing discontent and insubordination among them, and endangering the peace and safety of the State. "”

Therefore, do NOT let anyone tell you that SCOTUS has never spoken plainly about the Second Amendment as a clarification of the Natural Right of ALL Citizens to exercise the free ownership and carry of any and all weapons anywhere and anytime in and through any and all of these United States of America.

God bless you as you seek Him through His Word.

Santa Claus Cult Worships False God

What is worship? Here's the Merriam-Webster definition, a definition that fully explains the adoration, expectations, and activities of the idol worship that permeates the worldwide Santa Claus cult. Cults do not tell the truth.


In the Santa Claus cult, the parents (and older siblings) are priests (with businesses and advertising agencies reinforcing and cashing in on the seasonal lust and gluttony). It is mostly the parents who establish and reinforce the false religion of Santa Claus within the family, as parents brainwash their children (until the kids finally realize that the parents have been lying all along). As priests, the parents establish the familial rules and expectations within the greater context of the worldwide Santa Claus cult. Children who are fooled by the cult's lies, mantras, songs, rituals, and practices, are often looked at, with a wink, as blessed innocents safely tucked into their ignorant Santa Claus bliss. Facetiously or sarcastically, I might express the cult members success by saying, "Oh, isn't that cute! We fooled another child! We got her/his mind, heart, and spirit to look at, follow, and pray to the 'fat man in the red suit', instead of teaching the kid to look to God's Word and Jesus Christ. We succeeded in turning the kid to lust for worldly junk, and to ignore repentance from sin or trusting Christ."


In the Santa Claus cult, parents, and others, direct children to act as religious suppliants: to believe on, trust in, pray to, and expect direct actions by the false god Santa Claus. Familial and cult-wide teachings require the cult's believers to accept and promote Santa Claus as possessing supernatural powers that include the ability to make himself, animals, and his conveyance fly (and to do so around the whole world in one night). That idol is, also, imbued by believers with the ability to know everything that a child does 24/7/365. Sometimes, the threat of Santa Claus 'watching' is used to attempt to control children's behavior. In worldly cultish form, children, as suppliants, are worked into a feverish pitch of list making, letter writing, prayers, and the kids are told to expect that what they have requested of the Santa Claus idol is what they shall receive as gifts from him, according to each family's Christmas rituals and timing.


The elevation of anyone and anything to that level attempts to equate them with deity and is totally against what God tells us to do, for He has said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me.": we are to ask and expect all things of Him, God. The idolatrous cult of the imaginary Santa Claus has stolen people's hearts, minds, and worship away from God and Jesus Christ. But, it is not just parents and families that are guilty of that pagan idolatry and active attacks on God's Christ (for God says that to worship anything other than Him and His Christ is an attack against God, even as He speaks about "dumb idols"). Our Federal, State, and Local governments, in the USA, have often bowed to secular pressures to remove references to and reminders of the Christ of Christmas, only to allow the erection Santa Claus idols instead. How is it logical, moral, or spiritual to erect a lie in place of the truth? This shows the depths to which secularism has permeated our lives, today, that we smile, shrug our shoulders, and support those who have attacked the truth of Christmas, as they put up their Santa Claus cult icons and idols. Where is the Christ of Christmas, Immanuel, who came "...to preach deliverance to the captives..."?


Sin and its lusts are at the root of the Santa Claus cult, feeding on the fevered, seasonal, religious worship of the Santa Claus idol. We need to repent of this evil and return to the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of the Santa Claus nonsense, imagine a Christmas present being offered to a child whereby the giver were to say that he/she is the one giving that gift to that youngster.


Imagine the joy of knowing and thanking the giver. Imagine giving Jesus Christ the real credit for our God-given ability to give gifts to others, to tell the recipient that you're giving the gift in love for that person and because you appreciate the Divine love that God shows you in Jesus. Every good gift comes from God, picturing God's gift of Christ to us. I raise this point, because, anything that parents teach their children has a huge impact on what children choose to believe for themselves, later on.


Since I trusted Christ Jesus as my Savior (March 15, 1984), I have heard several people say that they rejected the Gospel message for a long time because of their childhood experiences in/with the Santa Claus cult. When they realized that their parents and others were lying to them about Santa Claus, then, for years, these souls threw out God, Christ, and Santa Claus, because they saw that their parents were just as false in their beliefs about God and Christ as they were about Santa Claus. It took those particular souls many years to finally put aside their childhood's idolatrous prejudicial experiences and to seek out God's Word for themselves. The Santa Claus cult basically teaches that deity is a genie in a bottle to be rubbed as desired, a false view of True Deity. Bless God that those souls were able to finally repent and receive Christ, despite the forced and enforced idolatry that had bound them to the Santa Clause cult in childhood. I was one of those idolatrous followers for years, but throwing out the True God and His Christ, along with the idol. It took decades for me to humble myself to read God's Word for myself and finally repent of my sin and receive the Living Christ. Now, I am free in Christ Jesus, never to be bound to spiritual lies again. Christ and His Word are my salvation, my foundation, my expectation. Please turn away from the Santa Claus cult, repent and return to our Creator, Immanuel, Jesus Christ.

The REAL Meaning of Christmas IS...

Over and over, the Bible shows us the real meaning of life, work, family, and it even fully explains the real meaning of Christmas, for those who want to know God's truth and take the time to read it for themselves. Here is one, of many, biblical passages that speak of God's singular truth of Christmas; the only reason that God came to live among humans in the physical embodiment of Jesus Christ.


Luke 24:36-53
³⁶  And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
³⁷  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
³⁸  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
³⁹  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
⁴⁰  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
⁴¹  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
⁴²  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
⁴³  And he took it, and did eat before them.
⁴⁴  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
⁴⁵  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
⁴⁶  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
⁴⁷  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
⁴⁸  And ye are witnesses of these things.
⁴⁹  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.    
⁵⁰  And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
⁵¹  And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
⁵²  And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
⁵³  And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Oh! REALLY? Person of the Year? TIME Magazine & Plunging Necklines

While it is good to speak up and to work against evil, yet today's fevered pitch in society’s reactionary song is sorely off-key in some regards. Blame is being fixed where convenient or politically expedient, without looking at the true underlying issues about American sexuality, and the sinful mess that it has become. Populistic or legalistic responses to human sin will never cure humanity of sin, and, seldom has law made anyone, who is bent on sin, want to do better than their natural inclinations. That is why Jesus tells us that we all must be born again of the Word and Spirit of God. Without “repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ”, as demonstrated by our personal death, burial, and resurrection in Christ, there is no eternal direction nor eternal hope. And, when there is no sense of eternal accountability, hope, or direction, the flesh takes over in one way or another. When flesh rules the person, well… you can see the results in 2017 Time magazine's "The Silence Breakers" article, if you didn't follow it on the TV, cable news services, or in the newspaper.

While it is not a popular theme, today, national repentance is needed with respect to all of our sins, as individuals and collectively. Then and only then will there ever be a real or significant lessening of the unholy, lust-centered behaviors about which so many are clamoring at the moment throughout the media outlets in our nation. Our nation has an all out war going, a volatile love-hate relationship, with sex. We lust after it, but know, deep down in our souls, that we're guilty as all get out of abusing the daylights out of what we've been given by God.

The bitter irony to the TIME cover story and others like it, is that, in the modern media, godliness, fidelity, honesty, modesty, and morality are frequently if not regularly ignored, mocked, overlooked, or shunned (and by huge portions of our culture) in favor of the self-worship of our own fleshly feelings, yearnings, and lusts. And, too often we excuse the sins of others to try to hide our own sins.

Just for a moment, look up the cover of that magazine issue and see for yourself that there are several modestly dressed women on there. But, you shall also see that some of the women are also baring portions of their chests and breasts. Now, maybe I'm going to seem stupid to some or a bit of a hick to others, but I have to ask, WHY would a woman in her right mind complain about being sexually molested AND THEN go on a worldwide medium in a plunging neckline dress and most deliberately show off her partially bared breasts? I could rest my case here, but let's develop the real issue in truth. Let us not be swayed by the famous name of that magazine or by the woman's plunging neckline.

As with this magazine and its cover, the very same media that are decrying unwelcomed sexual advances made against women… those very same media also promote whorish attire, attitudes, behavior, and how to sell one’s self sexually, or promote how to gratify or entice others who are not our spouses, sexually. If they are not doing it in their articles, they are doing it in their ads, and they know why they're doing it... for the money. Sex saturated ads on TV are straight out of the playbook of, “How can I get someone to lust after me?”… or… “How can I get into that person’s pants?”, as are many shows for children and adults, these days.  That kind of hyper-sex marketing plays almost constantly from the supermarket ‘news’ racks, in tv shows and ads, all over the internet, direct from our ‘smart’ phones, and in daily conversations and comparisons of our attire, nails, muscles, hairdos, breast and leg exposure or accents, underwear and ‘bathing suit’ promos, at proverbial watercoolers and vending machines throughout the business, in the legal and collegiate worlds, as well as in small businesses across our nation.

Sex, sex appeal, and sexual prominence are lusted after, marketed, worshipped, sold and bought, instant by instant, throughout our society, despite all of God’s warnings about bowing to or behaving like that. Yet, there is not one modern secular caveat that even hints at the dangers of corrupting people’s hearts, minds, or spirits, as so many of us allow our lives to be soaked in lust-centered advertising that seeks to drown us daily. Secular “Be Safe” and “Safe Sex” programs, that try to ward off or stay the ravages of physical disease, as people flit from partner to partner, are nothing like godly or responsible administration and use of our sexual aspects or attributes. Secular programs care nothing for the soul and spirit of humanity, but, God tries to protect and guide our whole being.

Across our society, and for many decades, God and His Word have been relegated to dustier and dustier corners of our culture, with few adherents to His way of doing things. Now, in contrast to God’s ways, from the time one is a little girl throughout womanhood abusers and hucksters, alike, try to bamboozle females into thinking that being female is primarily about sex. Unlike God’s Word and righteous preachers that strive to encourage the strengths and complementarity of men and women, in order to strengthen the man-woman relationship and the family, admen and adwomen prey on feminine insecurities for the sake of flattery and money.

The hucksters teach nothing about mutual respect or about the sexes bolstering one another for the good of family or society. Instead, the hucksters teach boldly that sex is all about supremacy of the appetites of the individual, that sex is the primary mode of social expression and operation, and how women are to focus and achieve status, respect, and advancement as they interact with men. That is NOT what God says, and the modern unholy teachings about sex make a mess of relationships, of the family, and of society. For a female, today, modernistic sexual self-marketing is all about making herself sexually appealing and available to men in general (and impurely in her mind, if not in reality, rather than dedicating herself to one man, as God intended. I'll let Romans chapters 1 through 3 speak to the issue of homosexuality, for those who want to be honest with themselves about God's view on that.) By allowing themselves to be drawn in by advertising, modern girls and women basically put and find themselves in the midst of a fashion and morality war where they are the players, the pawns, and the victims by their own participation in what they have allowed advertising to sell to them. With regard to sex, modern fashion and marketing puts each girl and woman, like a whore or slave, on the auction block of her own mind or the mind of someone else, for sexual consumption, whether visually, in fantasy, in the bedroom, in the back room, or in the boardroom. Unfettered sexual incitement and excitement, for the sake of monetary gain, is marketing’s chief aim at women, fostering their dependency on what the advertisers and/or the designers determine what they think women/girls should be sexually. The fashion and ad mongers try to push females (and the public) past any resistance in order to separate women and girls from their godliness, for without godliness anything sinful can be sold as fashion and sinful fashion makes lots of money.

Add, to the above observations, the fact that boys and men, also, see that same advertising probably about as frequently as girls and women see it. Furthermore, men have to live and work in this world with the girls and women who succumb to the wiles of the fashion and advertising industries. Given that, in general, males and females see the same ads and live within the impact zone of the same trends in society, let us honestly ask ourselves whether it is really all that amazing that, in our Christ-dishonoring, secularistic, evolution worshipping society, that boys and men are urged and provoked by the media to lustfully pursue women and girls and to treat women as sex objects? Instead of getting to know and respect girls and women in godly ways, is it any real surprise that men also follow the advertising media and their natural feelings, in the same manner as women are pushed and pulled to follow sex-centered advertising? Every day, men see women behaving exactly as media advertising says females ‘ought to be’ acting sexually, and how girls and women ‘ought to be’ provocatively dressing, putting their sexual wares out for public consumption. Are we really surprised, or so naïve, that we can then accuse and blame men for naturally wanting to try to partake of what God has said the girls and women should be keeping in private for their future or present spouse?

I'm certain that many of my comments and questions shall be taken out of their proper context in this article, but, I adamantly do NOT excuse any unholy behavior on the part of men… NOT in the least. I know that God’s Word assures us that He is holding every man, woman, boy, and girls among us personally responsible for our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors, toward Him and toward one another. More precisely, we are all accountable for any and all stumbling blocks that we put in other people’s paths, and for all enticements by which we cause others to fall into sin.

I tire of hearing men, women, boys, and girls squirm and rant as they blame someone else for the trouble into which they have gotten themselves, whether they dove deliberately into some sin, or made a poor impetuous choice. As such, publically flaunting one's sexuality was never one of God’s commandments, and that practice is biblically spoken against, repeatedly. Such vain and prideful behavior always leads us and others into greater problems in our lives and in society. Rather, God has always called humanity to modesty and self-restraint. Yet, in this sin filled world, whether in high heels or sneakers, bar rooms or college campuses, court rooms or prisons, hovels or skyscrapers, in poverty or high finance, sex, sexual advertising, sexual provocation, allurement, incitement, and sexual advances have and shall continue to be played as a high stakes game, with many addicted players, despite the big media flap this year. As wrong as these things were in their day, Washington’s and Jefferson’s peccadillos are, now, old news; Canada’s Prime Minister Trudeau is old news; Jimmy Swaggart is old news; Bill Cosby is almost old news; Bill Clinton is almost old news. The public, as a whole (and as a forgetful hole), is addicted to adrenalin and fake disgust about the sins of others. The public and public media are in lust with finding something that can titillate them while making their own sins seem insignificant, allowing them to remain protective and unrepentant about their own pet sins.

The Bible does NOT speak against sex, its attributes, or its benefits, WHEN sex is part of a proper husband-wife relationship. But, society has twisted sex and sexual pleasures out of God’s proper context. That TIME article and the current media frenzy that were brought to my attention show the tortured tip of the frantic immoral iceberg that is our society. The tormented modern fruit of humanity’s perversion of sex (that harkens back before the Flood of Noah, and later to Sodom and Gomorrah) belies the goodness of God’s gift to a husband and wife.

World IS AGAINST Christ and Christians. Stand In Christ, Anyway.

Too often, we, Bible believing Christians, fall into the self-set trap of feeling sorry for ourselves about the world wanting to isolate us or destroy that for which we stand, or we delude ourselves by ignoring that the world is corrupted by sin and that the world is not the friend of godly righteousness. Too often, we try to ignore or deny that the world is bent toward spiritual cannibalism. Largely, in our time, our delusions about sin and the world derive from ecumenicism, wherein, religious and secular elements of the world falsely unite in opposition against God's Christ and biblical Christianity. In their false unity, they perfectly illustrate the old adage, "The enemy of my enemy is my ally." The perfect biblical case is when Jesus was being tried and shuttled between Pilate and Herod.


Luke 23:12 ¹²  And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.


For those who do NOT see God's point immediately, the Bible is teaching the opposite of ecumenicism. Throughout the Bible, God insists of adherence to His Truth, not to worldly alliances. Ecumenicism proves itself to be the coming together of opposing basic principles, beliefs, and religions simply for the sake of worldly gain, conquest, or appearances of worldly unity, that form a collection of false prophets who are, "just trying to get along". IF the ecumenical "common enemy" of the biblical Christ, biblical salvation, and biblical Christianity were removed from the ecumenical equation, then the falsely united ecumenical allies would revert to tearing each other apart.


Christians, like Christ Jesus, Himself, and according to His Word, we, who are truly His followers, must stand and grow in whatever situation God has planted us, as a testimony to the lost souls around us, that they might see and hunger for His Light and be saved from their sin. Fulfilling God's mission for us, in place and without complaint, is supposed to be in honor to our Savior and Creator, also. As the Bible says, let us, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, not whine or lament our sufferings, whether inflicted by the world or brought upon ourselves by our own sin. But rather, let us find cause to praise God, throughout, for as we learn to be thankful in terrible things we shall also overcome them and learn to be more thankful and rejoice more abundantly in pleasant things. May all glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ, especially for the salvation that He alone has secured and continues to offer to every soul that is willing to come to Him on His terms, in repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. May you, also, submit to Him who is King of kings and LORD of lords, our blessed Creator.

Jesus Christ Clarifies the End Times

Speaking with His disciples, as they admired the architecture and decoration of the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem, Jesus Christ warned His followers of things that MUST come to pass in this world, as the ungodly world system and sin try to undo the work of God. These warnings are for those who believe on and trust Christ, for those who have accepted His salvation, so that we do not need to despair nor fear the chaos in the world nor the worldly terrors that shall come upon us as we strive daily to share and spread His message of repentance and redemption that only comes through the finished work of Christ, via His sinless blood, death, burial, and resurrection. As real Christians, Bible believing Christians, we have zero reason to fear anything that comes upon us in this life, for in Christ and through Him we have already overcome the world in His Spirit and His Truth.


Luke 21:5-19
⁵  And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
⁶  As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
⁷  And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
⁸  And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
⁹  But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
¹⁰  Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
¹¹  And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
¹²  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
¹³  And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
¹⁴  Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
¹⁵  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
¹⁶  And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
¹⁷  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
¹⁸  But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
¹⁹  In your patience possess ye your souls.


If you are not already a biblically born again believer and disciple of Jesus Christ, you need to be. Otherwise you face a bleak and lonely eternity.

God Wants To Save Rich & Nice People, Also, "For All Have Sinned"

There are some preachers and populists who seem to be jealous of rich people, or of people who try to work hard and live a life of peace and doing what's right (even nice people who think they shall get into heaven just because they try to do everything right). Raging against other people whom God has blessed is not a good thing for any of us to do, but, we need to heed God's warnings about failing to speak God's truth. We all need to get in tune with God's point of view and understand that God's will is that all people should repent and be saved.


First, let's consider Jesus' comments about how difficult it is for rich folks and self-righteous people to repent and trust in God's way of doing things.


Matthew 19:16-26
¹⁶  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
¹⁷  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
¹⁸  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
¹⁹  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
²⁰  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
²¹  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
²²  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
²³  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
²⁴  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
²⁵  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
²⁶  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.


Now let's see how Christ's warning and admonition bore the fruit of repentance in the life of Jericho's chief tax collector, who literally put his money where his repentant heart and mind met Christ in truth.


Luke 19:1-10
¹  And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
²  And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
³  And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
⁴  And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
⁵  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
⁶  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
⁷  And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
⁸  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
⁹  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
¹⁰  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.


Are you willing, like Zacchaeus, to admit your sin, to turn from sin to Christ, to accept the salvation that Christ offers to you, and to let His Holy Spirit change your life into a godly life that also cares about the eternal destiny of those around you, as well as caring about the fallout from your own sin?


For those who were brought up on the unholy idea of penance (trying to pay for your own sin to save yourself), penance is NOT what God wants from us. Penance is religious misguidance that has nothing to do with godly repentance (calling our sin what God calls it, being sorry that we sin, that we choose sin, and that we are sinners, and then turning away from our sin toward God's Christ). Our repentance is the first thing that God commands of us, and is the first step to allowing God and His Christ to have HIS WAY with our lives, that godly sorrow for our sin leads us to trust ONLY in God's salvation in Christ Jesus. God wants all people to trust in His plan of salvation, but He also knows that not everyone is going to choose Him and His ways, yet, He takes no pleasure in the death of lost sinners who neglect or reject Him and His salvation in Christ. From God's viewpoint, there are only two kinds of people in this world, lost sinners who have not trusted God's salvation, as opposed to saved sinners who trust only in God's salvation through Jesus Christ alone. We CANNOT be saved if we fail to admit that we are morally and spiritually lost and in need of God's Savior.

Not Sharing Truth About Repentance Tells Souls To, "Go To Hell"

God has given all those who really believe in God, and His Word, the wonderful mission of telling others to repent and trust in Christ Jesus. While God-hating cultures make that mission seem like a dirty secret or nasty mandate, Jesus made that command a commission clear to His disciples, after He rose from the dead and was about to ascend bodily into heaven. As they dined, Christ corrected their lack of understanding and reemphasized the message that He had been empowering them to fulfill the whole time that they were walking with Him during His earthly ministry. The eleven apostles dining with Jesus were, obviously, physically incapable of personally talking with every single soul throughout the whole world within their own lifetime, so, in line with numerous scriptures and examples throughout the Bible, that command automatically defaults to God's baseline of an ongoing commission to every believer to, likewise, go forth and continue telling other souls about God's singular salvation. The Old and New Testaments are loaded with examples that point out such principles, about trusting God alone for salvation, and sharing that with other people. That salvation is only available through Jesus Christ, as Isaiah 53 speaks of God's only Messiah, and as explained in Luke 1, Matthew 1-3, and Mark 1:1-11.


If we do not understand and accept that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh (the physical embodiment of God), then we cannot have adequate understanding of His sinless perfection and His ability to pay wholly and exclusively for our sin. Then, also, if we neglect to understand, acknowledge, and admit our lost spiritual condition, then we shall not be saved by any religious or other experiences.


Mark 16:14-16
¹⁴  Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
¹⁵  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
¹⁶  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.


Earlier on, Jesus had to reinforce the foundation of the gospel message (among His followers) before He was crucified, because of the lack of understanding of His followers. Throughout the Bible, we see the repeated theme of human failure to understand, acknowledge, and act upon what God wants us to see, hear, and do in life.


Luke 18:31-34
³¹  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
³²  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
³³  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
³⁴  And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.


Even later on, as the faith of Christ, and biblical churches, spread abroad, the last apostle that Jesus 'hand-picked', Paul, had to restate for the biblical record, in 1 Corinthians 15, what the real gospel was, is, and always shall be. For without the foundational understanding that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, coupled with "repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ", there is no other way of salvation at all for anyone. If Christians do not share THAT two-pronged message with those around us, then we are not fulfilling the job that Jesus sent us out to do. In our neglect to share the message of the sinless Godhood of Christ coupled with repentance and faith in Christ, then we are telling them to, "Go to Hell".


Hebrews 2:1-3
¹  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
²  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
³  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;


Sinless and holy, Jesus Christ Himself said plainly that He is THE ONLY hope of salvation. If we, who say we believe, do not take that clear message of His Deity and the human need for repentance and faith in Him, to everyone around us, in tune with God's Word and Holy Spirit, then we are failing to stand in our primary life's work assigned to us by our Creator, as we have previously read. He and His commission are also evidenced by His Creation, as testified in Old and New Testaments of the Bible. His true awesomeness (even to those who have not read His Word) commands our attention and our obedience, calling us to repentance and faith in God's one true salvation. Believe Him, for He cannot lie. And always be willing to tell others of their urgent need to be saved. Take godly heart, Christian, and let God do His work through you, for, surely, few among us have striven with sin to the point of our blood being shed. Furthermore, God's Holy Spirit says to every biblical believer...


Ephesians 5:14-20
¹⁴  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
¹⁵  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
¹⁶  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
¹⁸  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
¹⁹  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
²⁰  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;


Therefore, let us go forth and do let God do the work, through us, that He wants accomplished.

Do You Believe On Jesus Christ? Don't Give Up The Battle Against Sin

Every day there is something or other in which I fail to live godly and do what is right in God's eyes, according to His Word. My sinful flesh is my constant antagonist. As the Bible says so aptly, my flesh wars against my spirit that wants to do right and my God seeking spirit wars against my decadent flesh. The following verses quickly show this to be true AND point me to God's solution... IF I would but remember God's whole counsel and put it into practice. From cover to cover, the Bible shows us the struggles of humanity, between our sin nature (seeking our own way, instead of God's way) versus our need to choose to live godly lives.


Romans 3:9-31
⁹  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
¹⁰  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
¹¹  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
¹²  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
¹³  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
¹⁴  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
¹⁵  Their feet are swift to shed blood:
¹⁶  Destruction and misery are in their ways:
¹⁷  And the way of peace have they not known:
¹⁸  There is no fear of God before their eyes.    
¹⁹  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
²⁰  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
²¹  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
²²  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
²³  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
²⁴  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
²⁵  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
²⁶  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
²⁷  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
²⁸  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
²⁹  Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
³⁰  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
³¹  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.


James 1:19-24
¹⁹  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
²⁰  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
²¹  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
²²  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
²³  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
²⁴  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.


James 1:2-18
²  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
³  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
⁴  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
⁵   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
⁶  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
⁷  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
⁸  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
⁹   Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
¹⁰  But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
¹¹  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
¹²  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.    
¹³  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
¹⁴  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
¹⁵  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
¹⁶  Do not err, my beloved brethren.
¹⁷  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
¹⁸  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.


Jeremiah 17:7-10
⁷  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
⁸  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
⁹  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
¹⁰  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.


Proverbs 1:7
⁷  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.


Psalm 111:10
¹⁰  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.


Psalm 103:13-18
¹³  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
¹⁴  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
¹⁵  As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
¹⁶  For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
¹⁷  But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
¹⁸  To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.


Proverbs 24:15-20
¹⁵  Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
¹⁶  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.    
¹⁷  Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
¹⁸  Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.    
¹⁹  Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
²⁰  For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.


Psalm 139:23-24
²³  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.


Luke 18:1
¹ And he [ed. Jesus Christ] spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;


Hebrews 12:3-4
³  For consider him [ed. Jesus Christ] that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.    
⁴  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.


Do you really believe in God? Then trust His only salvation that He provided. That only way is in Jesus Christ. Do you really believe in and on the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you trust Him as much as that chair in which you are sitting? Then don't give up doing what God says! Don't quit!