Matthew 19:1-12 Remember that every time the Pharisees test Jesus with a question, it wasn't because they wanted the answer, it was to test Him. So the question they ask is purposely a binary choice. A question with intentionally so, only two possible answers, yes or No. In Jesus’ day there were two schools of thought on the subject of divorce. The liberal school taught that divorce was permitted if your wife burned breakfast. Yeah, literally that's in the language of the scholarly books. The conservative school taught that divorce was not permitted, at all in any way but only permitted in cases where the spouse was unfaithful, so it was two extremes on opposite ends. So the Jews test Him, because either answer isolates half of the population. So Jesus answers the fundamental issue under the question will God allow divorce? And Jesus's answer is very firm, at marriage, two bodies are joined into one flesh. And God considers the marriage indelible, permanent from the beginning. The truth is no, God doesn't want divorce for his people. God never intended divorce to exist. He allowed it to exist because of the hardness of the hearts of the people. However this does not say that an abused spouse must stay in such a relationship because to divorce would be a sin. It does not suggest anything close to that. If a spouse or child is being abused for that there is no good excuse. But Moses gave the Israelites an out. If your husband is unfaithful, a divorce frees the wife to remarry. And vice versa with the wife being unfaithful. Remember too that in cases where someone commits adultery there is likely a death penalty coming. So a divorce may not be called for simply because the guilty party is taking a dirt nap after being rocked to sleep. How serious is Jesus's advice? He's telling the men that the question of marriage being permanent is truth and as God intended. So they say, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” And they were right. Then Jesus contemplates eunuchs. Eunuchs were men who were so dedicated to God that they had their sexual organs removed, and anesthesia had not been invented yet. And please understand that Jesus isn't advocating for sexual organs being removed He is saying, “men, if you can't resist the urge to commit adultery, you're better off not having it.” In other words, get a grip on yourself if you can't resist temptation, learn to control yourself as a single or as a married man. And yes, there are some people who God gifted with the talent and personality to remain single. Sadly, sometimes those people marry anyway in defiance of God's plans. And the beginning of trouble in their life occurs when they realize their mistakes. There are others who feel they are on the opposite end of that position, people who feel incomplete or lost if they aren't in a relationship. These people hop from partner to partner looking for the “one“ but never actually finding them. Then you have the partners that are never satisfied with their partner. Nothing is ever enough for them. Wives who would sacrifice their family for their own happiness while their man will sacrifice his happiness for his family. This seems to be a trend of modern women for whom the end goal in life is their happiness. Jesus Is saying that divorce is a horrible thing that was never supposed to exist. That for some it is better to castrate themselves than to marry. It should serve as a reminder that the decision to marry should not be taken lightly. [1] When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; [2] and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. [3] Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” [4] And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, [5] and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” [7] They *said to Him, “Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” [8] He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. [9] And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” [10] The disciples *said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” [11] But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. [12] For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS. SERMON TOPIC: BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP FOR A BROKEN WORLD Leading with Character, Courage, Compassion and Christ Key Texts: Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 10:42–45; Nehemiah 2:17–18; 1 Timothy 4:12; Micah 6:8 THE WORLD DOES NOT JUST NEED MORE LEADERS We are living in a broken world. Families are broken. Trust is broken. Institutions are struggling. Young people are searching for direction. Many people have influence but lack character. Some have position but no compassion. Others have power but no wisdom. And here is the question: Who will stand in the gap? The answer is not necessarily people with titles. God is looking for men and women whose lives can become examples, whose character can become a message, and whose leadership can bring light into dark places. Biblical leadership is not about sitting at the top and commanding everybody beneath you. Biblical leadership is about serving people under the authority of God. Jesus did not define greatness by how many people served you. He said: > “Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister.” — Matthew 20:26 The world says, “Climb to the top.” Jesus says, “Go down and serve.” The world says, “Protect your position.” Jesus says, “Use your position to bless others.” 1. BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP BEGINS WITH CHARACTER 1 Timothy 4:12 > “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Before God gives a person a platform, He develops the person. Position can introduce you, but character sustains you. A leader may have: Intelligence without integrity. Influence without wisdom. Authority without humility. Education without godliness. Money without compassion. But leadership without character eventually becomes dangerous. Joseph is an example. Joseph was given authority in Egypt, but his greatest qualification was not merely administrative ability. He had character. When temptation came through Potiphar's wife, Joseph said: > “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” — Genesis 39:9 Joseph understood something important: A leader must know who he is when nobody is watching. Your public leadership should be an extension of your private walk with God. Spiritual insight: God is more interested in the person you are becoming than the position you are occupying. 2. BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP IS SERVANT LEADERSHIP Mark 10:43–45 Jesus said: > “Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister.” Then He gave Himself as the ultimate example: > “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” Jesus had all authority, yet He served. He washed feet. He touched the rejected. He fed the hungry. He welcomed children. He listened to people. He carried the burden of humanity to the cross. True leadership asks: “How can I help?” Not: “What can I gain?” A father leads by serving his family. A mother leads by serving her home. A pastor leads by serving the flock. A teacher leads by developing students. A young Christian can lead by being a godly example among friends. You do not need a title before you can become a leader. Influence begins wherever responsibility begins. 3. BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP REQUIRES COURAGE TO REBUILD WHAT IS BROKEN Nehemiah 2:17–18 Nehemiah saw the broken walls of Jerusalem and said: > “Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem.” He did not merely complain about the problem. He became part of the solution. That is leadership. Anybody can identify what is wrong. A leader asks: “What can I do to make it better?” Nehemiah saw destruction, but he also saw possibility. He saw broken walls, but he believed they could be rebuilt. He saw discouragement, but he mobilized people. We need Nehemiahs today. People who will say: “I will help restore my family.” “I will mentor a young person.” “I will speak truth with love.” “I will serve my church faithfully.” “I will use my gifts to bless society.” “I will not contribute to the corruption I complain about.” “I will rebuild instead of destroy.” God does not call leaders merely to criticize brokenness. He calls them to participate in restoration. 4. BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP SPEAKS TRUTH BUT WALKS IN LOVE Micah 6:8 > “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good... to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” A biblical leader must balance truth, justice, mercy and humility. Truth without love can become cruelty. Love without truth can become compromise. Justice without mercy can become oppression Mercy without justice can become irresponsibility. But biblical leadership brings these qualities together under God's authority. Jesus was full of grace and truth. In a broken world, leaders must refuse two extremes: Compromise: “I don't want to offend anybody, so I will say nothing.” Harshness: “I will tell the truth, but I don't care who gets hurt.” Biblical leadership says: “I will speak the truth, but I will speak it in love.” 5. BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPS OTHER LEADERS One of the greatest failures of leadership is building a system where everything depends on one person. Moses learned this lesson. Exodus 18:17–23 Jethro told Moses: > “The thing that thou doest is not good.” Moses was trying to handle everything himself. Jethro instructed him to appoint capable people to share the responsibility. A great leader does not create followers who cannot function without him. A great leader develops people who can continue the mission after him. Jesus invested in twelve disciples. Paul invested in Timothy. Elijah invested in Elisha. Moses invested in Joshua. Ask yourself: Who am I preparing to succeed me? If your ministry, business, family responsibility or assignment will collapse the moment you leave, then you may have built dependence rather than leadership. 📖 BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: NEHEMIAH — A LEADER FOR A BROKEN GENERATION Nehemiah received terrible news. Jerusalem was broken. The walls were destroyed. The people were discouraged. But Nehemiah did four things. 1. HE CARED He did not become comfortable with the suffering of others. 2. HE PRAYED Before he acted, he sought God. 3. HE PLANNED He did not rush emotionally into the assignment. 4. HE ACTED Eventually he said: > “Let us rise up and build.” — Nehemiah 2:18 That is biblical leadership: Compassion + Prayer + Wisdom + Action. 🌍 REAL-LIFE APPLICATION: OUR BROKEN WORLD NEEDS WHOLE LEADERS Look around us. Young people need mentors. Families need godly fathers and mothers. Churches need faithful servants. Communities need honest leaders. Schools need teachers who care. Businesses need people of integrity. Governments need people who understand that leadership is stewardship. And the Church needs believers who understand that Christianity is not merely about attending services. We are called to become light. Jesus said: > “Ye are the light of the world.” — Matthew 5:14 Light does not argue with darkness. Light enters darkness and changes the environment. 🛠️ PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS 1. Lead yourself before trying to lead others. Control your words. Control your habits. Control your emotions. Strengthen your prayer life. Study God's Word. 2. Become trustworthy. Do what you said you would do. Keep your word. Be honest when nobody is watching. 3. Serve someone intentionally every week. Find someone you can encourage, teach, support or mentor. 4. Stop complaining about everything that is wrong. Identify one problem you can help solve. Don't just point at the broken wall. Pick up a brick. 5. Develop someone younger than you. Share knowledge. Give opportunities. Correct with love. Encourage growth. 6. Keep Christ at the center of your leadership. Never allow ambition to become your god. Your leadership belongs to God. 🔥 DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS 1. Leadership is stewardship, not ownership. Your influence belongs to God. Your position belongs to God. Your gifts belong to God. One day, you will give an account of how you used them. 2. Your character is your first ministry. Before you preach to people, your life is already preaching. People may forget your sermon. They may forget your title. But they will remember how you treated them. 3. Broken environments need whole people. You cannot heal everything around you, but you can refuse to become part of the brokenness. Don't allow a corrupt environment to corrupt your character. 4. Leadership is influence before it is position. You may not be the pastor. You may not be the chairman. You may not be the director. You may not have a political position. But if people are watching your life, you have influence. Use it for God. 🤔 QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 1. What kind of leader am I becoming? 2. Can people trust my character? 3. Do I lead by serving or by controlling? 4. What broken thing around me am I called to help rebuild? 5. Who am I mentoring? 6. What would people say about my leadership when I am not present? 7. If Jesus examined my leadership today, would He find humility? 8. Am I building people or merely building my reputation? 🙏 POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS 1. Father, make me a leader of character. Let my private life agree with my public testimony, in Jesus' name. 2. Lord, deliver me from pride, selfish ambition and the desire for human applause. Give me the heart of a servant. 3. Father, give me wisdom to lead my family, ministry, workplace and community according to Your will. 4. Lord, make me an instrument of restoration wherever there is brokenness around me. 5. Father, give me courage to speak truth, defend what is right and stand for righteousness without hatred or compromise. 6. Lord, help me discover and develop the people You have placed around me. 7. Father, raise godly leaders among our young people who will carry truth, integrity and faith into the next generation. 8. Lord, let my life become a light in a dark world and a blessing to my generation. 🔥 CLOSING FACTS: WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP? The world is broken. But God has not abandoned it. He has placed His people in it. You may look at your community and say, “Someone should do something.” Perhaps God is saying: “You are someone.” You may look at the Church and say, “We need better leaders.” Perhaps God is saying: “I am preparing you.” You may look at your family and see brokenness. Start rebuilding. You may see a young person without direction. Become a mentor. You may see injustice. Stand for truth. You may see discouragement. Speak hope. You may see darkness. Shine. Don't wait for a title. Don't wait for a microphone. Don't wait for an election. Don't wait for someone to recognize you. Start serving where God has placed you. Because biblical leadership is not about how many people are beneath you. It is about how many people become better because you followed Christ. And when history looks back at our generation, may it not say: “They saw a broken world and complained.” May it say: “They saw a broken world, trusted God, stood in the gap, served their generation, and helped rebuild.” Arise. Lead. Serve. Build. Shine. Be the leader your generation needs—and let Christ be the Lord of your leadership. “Let us rise up and build.” — Nehemiah 2:18 If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do so by joining a Bible believing Church. You can get inspirational ebooks from my selar/Amazon shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar.com/m/umoedem https://www.amazon.com/author/umohedembooks CONTACT - WhatsApp +2349024173027, +2349055447540 Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/share/1K8DhEEVZV/ #UMOHEDEM

TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS SERMON TOPIC: GOD'S ANGER IS REAL, BUT HIS MERCY TRIUMPHS SERMON TEXT: Psalms 103:8–13; Hebrews 12:5–11 Many people picture God in one of two extremes. Some think He is always angry, waiting to punish every mistake. Others believe He is never angry and never judges anyone. Neither picture reflects the whole counsel of Scripture. The Bible reveals a God who is holy, just, compassionate, and full of mercy. His anger is never uncontrolled or sinful like human anger. His discipline is motivated by love, and His greatest desire is to bring people to repentance and restoration. > Psalm 103:8 "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love." This means God's mercy is His delight, while His anger is patient, measured, and righteous. 1. God's Nature Is Love and Mercy Key Scriptures 1 John 4:8 John 3:16–17 Lamentations 3:22–23 God loves sinners and desires their salvation. His first response is not destruction but invitation. Every sunrise, every breath, and every opportunity to repent demonstrates His mercy. Spiritual Insight God does not enjoy seeing people suffer. He continually extends grace and calls people back to Himself. 2. God's Anger Is Holy and Directed Against Sin Key Scriptures Romans 1:18 Nahum 1:2–3 Ephesians 5:6 God's anger is not emotional instability. It is His righteous response to evil, injustice, and rebellion. Unlike human anger, God's anger is always fair and never excessive. Application God hates sin because it destroys lives, families, churches, and nations. 3. God's Discipline Is an Expression of Love Key Scriptures Hebrews 12:6 Proverbs 3:11–12 Revelation 3:19 There is a difference between punishment in judgment and discipline for God's children. A loving father corrects his children so they will grow. God's discipline is designed to restore, not destroy. Deep Truth Sometimes what feels painful is actually God's loving correction leading us back to His purpose. 4. Jesus Reveals Both God's Justice and His Mercy Key Scriptures Isaiah 53:5–6 Romans 5:8 2 Corinthians 5:21 At the cross, God's justice against sin and His love for sinners met perfectly. Jesus bore the penalty for sin so that everyone who believes in Him can receive forgiveness and eternal life. The cross shows us that God is both just and merciful. Biblical Story: Jonah and Nineveh God sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh because judgment was coming. When the people repented, God showed mercy and did not bring the announced destruction. This demonstrates that God's warnings are often invitations to repentance rather than a desire to destroy. Practical Action Steps 1. Repent quickly whenever the Holy Spirit convicts you. 2. Never take God's patience for granted. 3. Receive God's correction with humility. 4. Walk daily in obedience to His Word. 5. Share God's message of both truth and grace with others. Questions for Reflection Am I responding to God's mercy with obedience? Is there an area where God may be correcting me? Do I understand the difference between God's discipline and condemnation? Am I extending the same mercy to others that God has shown me? Powerful Prayer Points 1. Father, thank You for Your unfailing mercy over my life. 2. Lord, forgive every sin that separates me from You. 3. Help me to receive Your correction with humility. 4. Create in me a heart that hates sin and loves righteousness. 5. Let Your mercy triumph over every area of failure in my life. 6. Fill me with the Holy Spirit to walk in holiness every day. 7. Use my life to reveal both Your truth and Your love to the world. God is not a cruel God looking for opportunities to punish people. He is compassionate, patient, and rich in mercy. At the same time, He is holy and just, and He does not ignore sin. Through Jesus Christ, God offers forgiveness, restoration, and new life to everyone who turns to Him in faith. Today, do not resist His loving call. Receive His mercy, walk in His truth, and allow His loving discipline to shape you into the person He created you to be. Micah 7:18–19 > "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity... He delights in steadfast love... He will again have compassion on us... and You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do so by joining a Bible believing Church. You can get inspirational ebooks from my selar/Amazon shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar.com/m/umoedem https://www.amazon.com/author/umohedembooks CONTACT - WhatsApp +2349024173027, +2349055447540 Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com Join our Facebook page for more messages below https://www.facebook.com/share/1961KAm5b5/ #UMOHEDEM

❤️EVIDENCE OF OCCULT OPPRESSION AND SUBJECTION. Part 3 of 3. (7) Magic practices. Continued. In the neurotic person, for example, a symptom may be only the outward indication of more serious inner disturbances. An alcoholic may be suffering, not merely from a bad habit, but from a serious neurosis. Such nervous afflictions as stuttering may be relieved through hypnosis, only to be replaced by neurotic tensions which affect the entire personality. Migraine headaches relieved through hypnotherapy may be replaced by some form of psychosis. In the second place, contrary to popular opinion, there are many instances where criminal or immoral acts have been performed by a person subjected to someone else through hypnosis, which the subjected person would not have done in his conscious state of mind. When one thus surrenders his will to another individual, he then wills to do whatever the person who hypnotized him cares to suggest. He may even perform ridiculous or morally reprehensible acts, if the hypnotist uses the correct techniques of suggestion. For example, a hypnotized individual may be led to disrobe in public if told that he is in the privacy of his own bedroom. From time to time, the newspapers report cases such as the woman who plotted to murder her husband, while under hypnosis by her lover. Women have been abused, crimes committed, and other scandalous acts performed by individuals under hypnosis. To make matters worse, cheap literature on the newsstands today popularizes the subject, encouraging young people to practice hypnotism on one another, sometimes with serious mental, emotional, and psychic consequences. The danger of amateur hypnotism is that it can induce psychoneuroses or arouse deep-seated complexes, compulsions, phobias, and other permanent mental and emotional disturbances. Even professional therapists are not always able to cope with the results of hypnotherapy. How much less can a stage hypnotist or novice, who lack the knowledge of the functioning of the mind and emotions! When one thus surrenders his will to another, he becomes susceptible to hypnotic suggestion from then on. In fact, he may even become "psychically dependent" upon the other person. This danger is also encountered in telepathy, especially if these practices are carried on repeatedly. However, the greatest threat in the hypnotized state of the surrendered will is the fact that the individual is open to the invasion of evil spirits. In order to be hypnotized, he has set aside the one divinely endowed moral and spiritual safeguard against such intrusion: the free and independent exercise of his personal will. In other words, he has at that point forfeited his independent, moral right to say "yes" or "no." So-called medical or therapeutic hypnosis obviously has no more safeguards against this danger than does the amateur hypnotist. Demons have admitted through the lips of those possessed that Satan himself is the power behind the hypnotist! The moral and spiritual implications involved in hypnotism of any sort should be obvious to any concerned person. (8.) Spiritism and mediumistic powers. In addition to the extrasensory powers of clairvoyance, telepathy, divination, psychometry, and so forth, certain other paranormal or psychic abilities can result from occult subjection. These include self-induced trance states; spirit writing; levitation (the lifting or floating of objects) and table-tipping; astral projection (projection of the spirit or psyche out of the body to another place); spirit knockings or rappings; telekinesis (objects are caused to move mysteriously about the room; musical instruments play as by unseen hands); apports (articles made to appear in locked rooms); materializations (the power to materialize the alleged spirit of the dead, as well as other objects, into visible form); parakinesis (PK, or the ability to control objects by the power of the mind and will); and many other forms of psychic phenomena. Many of these occult and psychic powers are found, not only in those who are practicing mediums, but also in those who have had occult associations. Involvement in occultism often results in such total subjection to these powers that the individual is almost, if not entirely, dependent upon fortune tellers for information and advice; astrologers for guidance in the daily affairs of business and life; magical practices for healing, controlling the forces of nature, or influencing others; and so on, until the victim is hopelessly entangled in a labyrinth of evil influences and control. 2. Occult Oppression. The foregoing forms of psychic powers and extrasensory abilities, which result from occult involvement, are indicative of occult "subjection"; that is, such persons have been brought into subjection to the powers of darkness (although they do not always recognize their source). As a result of having opened themselves to these demonic forces, they have become "psychically" subjected. However, occult participation does not always result in such sensitivity; often only a form of "oppression" occurs. In any event, oppression in some form will be the final outcome; but those who have become "psychic" or clairvoyant will usually suffer the most. At this point we shall note the most significant forms of psychic oppression which result from occult involvement. (1) Poltergeist activity. Poltergeist (German for "noisy ghost") activity is not uncommon, and has been observed by many reliable witnesses. These are malicious works perpetrated by demonic spirits to terrify victims as a consequence of occult involvement. This form of oppression involves psychic attacks in the form of bizarre occurrences. The individual sees objects floating about the room. Sometimes they fall to the floor with a loud crash, as though thrown by some unseen power. Mysterious fires break out in his home. He hears strange noises, rappings, knockings, and often rattling chains, moaning, weeping or crying. Disembodied spirit voices speak threats and obscenities. Articles suddenly appear or disappear in closed and locked rooms. Furniture moves about the room. Unseen hands begin to play the piano in the middle of the night. The bed suddenly rises off the floor and the covers are unceremoniously yanked off the victim. Doors mysteriously open and slam shut. The doorbell begins to ring incessantly, but upon investigation, the frightful confusion ends as suddenly as it began. Light bulbs burst. Rocks, dirt, broken glass and other rubble pour down through the ceiling leaving no trace of how they entered, for the ceiling remains undisturbed. All the lights in the house suddenly flash on and off. Phantom footsteps are heard on the stairs, or strange noises, such as a trunk sliding across the floor, are heard in the attic. Stones and china are sometimes thrown about with abandon, or the furniture is upset. Personal objects disappear or are hidden from the owner, and it is not uncommon for violent and vicious attacks to be made upon the victim himself. Incredible as it may seem, few people seem to realize the relationship between this form of oppression and the occult involvement of the victim. As a result, even Christians have been unable to cope properly with it in their attempts to liberate the oppressed. Unless one deals with this oppression from an occult standpoint, there can be no assurance of deliverance and liberation from these psychic or poltergeist attacks. Poltergeist activities are sometimes confined to the particular residence or area in which they occur, often as a result of seances, Spiritualist meetings, or some other form of occult activity having been conducted there at some time. Nevertheless, it is the present or past occult involvement of the individual, or within his family, that makes him personally susceptible to these attacks. A certain pastor seen further evidence for this from their counseling experience in that, before liberation, one oppressed individual continued to suffer even after moving to other places of residence. (2) Apparitions, specters, monstrous phantasms. Appearances of ghostly figures, specters, and demonic creatures, such as headless figures, weird animals, or other hideous creatures (often dismissed as hallucinations), are frequently experienced by those who have had some kind of occult connection. One oppressed victim was almost driven insane when, upon smelling fire and brimstone in the room, turned and saw a filthy, slimy demonic creature. Another was confronted by a headless body. Another encountered a faceless specter upon opening the door. Such things as dwarfs; dark, ugly, leering faces; disembodied hands; serpents; and other fearsome phantasms are sometimes seen. The voice or apparition of a friend or relative of the oppressed individual may appear as a portent, warning of an impending accident or serious illness, or the death of the friend or relative, often at the moment of the tragedy or shortly thereafter. Others under occult oppression may sense the presence of an invisible intelligence or some oppressive, dark creature or power, which lurks about the room, or even follows its victim about. At times, malevolent spirits may actually attack an oppressed individual, choking, biting, throttling, or otherwise molesting the victim. Psychic attacks in the form of persistent nightmares are also common. (3) Incubi and succubi experiences. This is an attempted assault upon a human by an unclean spirit or demon of lust for the purpose of gratifying its sexual appetites. Women and men alike are known to have suffered such attempts at sexual molestation, as well as actual attacks. Both history and a certain pastor’s counseling experience confirm the reality of such experiences. II Peter 2:4, and Jude 6-7, taken literally, provide adequate Scriptural basis for the reality of such bizarre occurrences. C. Spiritual Subjection and Oppression. Occult involvement invariably affects one spiritually, frequently causing serious damage to one's spiritual life and faith. The spiritual effects and influence of the powers of darkness are readily apparent in the symptoms which follow, not all of which would necessarily be found in any one individual, nor to the same degree. Often there is progressive spiritual deterioration, and disintegration in the area of faith, unless deliverance is effected. Evil influences continue their destructive work even in the lives of Christians. This is true even if the occult participation was insignificant; regardless of how far in the past it took place; and even if it took place before the individual became a Christian. 1. Indifference to spiritual things. Spiritual deterioration is seen in a noticeable indifference to the Word of God, prayer, worship, and spiritual matters in general. Often this happens against the individual's own will, and he has little success in overcoming this state, though he may try repeatedly to reverse his increasing spiritual apathy. 2. Serious problems concerning doubt and unbelief. Extreme and persistent doubts concerning the teachings of Scripture, especially the supernatural, or difficulty in exercising faith, are clear evidence of spiritual deterioration as a result of occult associations. Often these individuals seem to be powerless to resist the temptation to doubt, waver, question, and distrust God, His promises, and His ministers. At times they feel almost overwhelmed by skepticism, suspicion, incredulity, disbelief, indecision, and other misgivings. 3. Religious aberrations. Religious delusions, heresies, and errors, ranging from agnosticism to affirming the doctrines of Spiritualism, Modernism, New Age religion, or other religious cults, indicate occult subjection. Other aberrations include pious self-righteousness, spiritual pride, and hypocrisy. Many religious extremes, such as abnormal aversion to certain foods (which the individual is well prepared to justify on personal, religious, or medical grounds), serious deviations from Scripture in doctrine or practice, asceticism, and extreme antagonism toward other religious bodies or Christian groups, are also found. 4. Inability to receive the Holy Spirit. Frequently, those with occult associations find a spiritual barrier when they wish to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, although some have earnestly desired and sought the experience for years. Liberation from occult powers, which act as hindrances, is the only solution we have found. Resistance. A very significant indication of the spiritual effect upon some who have had occult involvement is their resistance to the teaching concerning the reality of occult subjection and oppression, and their indifference to the dangers involved. This is one of the characteristic marks of occult delusion and enslavement in some who have been guilty of occult sins. Their hostile reaction is often the work of a spirit of pride which prevents them from admitting their gullibility, sin, and delusion. It may be motivated by their reluctance to sever occult connections. The powers of darkness struggle against being discovered and removed from their position of influence and control. The very resistance itself, in view of the plain teachings of Scripture condemning these practices, is evidence enough of occult subjection in such individuals. This resistance is often expressed as unwillingness on the part of the oppressed individual to accept the fact that a Christian can be oppressed by Satan-even though this individual is usually suffering such oppression at the time! Of course, he blames his problems, for which he is seeking help, on some other source or on causes unknown. Experience has shown that, unless the oppressed or subjected person recognizes and admits the source of resistance to the fact of occult oppression and subjection, and unless he personally resists in faith the powers of darkness at this point, deliverance from this condition is impossible. 6. Occult bondage and opposition to God. Where spiritual damage is severe, the person may be in such a state of bondage to the powers of darkness that severe forms of occult subjection are observed: . Inability to believe on or confess Christ, even where there is a desire to believe; . Difficulty in praying or reading the Word of God, often accompanied by extreme drowsiness or an inability to concentrate; .Too easily being distracted during the preaching or teaching of the Scriptures, or difficulty understanding them; . Inability to acknowledge the fact of the efficacy of the blood Atonement, or the Deity of Christ; . Unclean thoughts and sexual images entering the mind when trying to enter into a time of private devotions or prayer; . Dependence upon, or enslavement to, various forms of occultism. . Opposition to God, as seen in the following characteristics, is unmistakable evidence of demon possession: . Blasphemous thoughts against God, Christ, and the Trinity; . Opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit; Aversion to all references to the blood of Christ or His Deity; . Scorn, mockery, and ridicule toward the Bible, preaching, believers, Christianity, or divine and holy things in general. Such persons often manifest violent raging, cursing, and blasphemous opposition against all attempts at deliverance-even when this liberation is being sought by the subjected individual himself! Usually, however, their bondage to occultism is greater than their will power or desire for deliverance from such enslavement. D. Physical Oppression. Certain physical symptoms indicate the presence and activity of demonic powers. These are related to outward behavior, bodily appearance, and to the physical condition. Of course, the mere presence of just one of these symptoms is not conclusive proof of demonic oppression and activity, but could be the result of some other cause. Inexperienced individuals need to be warned against the temptation to evaluate the spiritual state of others on the basis of these symptoms alone. 1. Speech and behavioral abnormalities. The oppressed individual will frequently manifest one or more of the following symptoms, and usually in a noticeably abnormal manner: excessive talkativeness; unusual loudness of tone and voice; hysterical laughter; persistent restlessness and uneasiness; silliness; giddiness; unusually foolish talk and behavior; incongruity of actions; muttering to oneself; incoherence in speech and thought; compulsive shouting or screaming when provoked; the absence of certain normal reflexes, or the exaggeration of others; peculiar postures (e.g ., unrelaxed, abnormally rigid and ramrod straight; or exactly the opposite state of lethargic, sluggish droopiness); deep sighing, denoting despondency or feelings of self pity; shunning or withdrawal from public scrutiny; odd, annoyingly repetitious eccentricities of speech. In actual cases of demon possession, especially when the evil spirits in the individual feel threatened with exposure or expulsion, or when they find themselves in the presence of the power of the blood and the Name of Jesus, more violent physical manifestations are often seen, such as: foaming at the mouth; retching; screaming; cursing, blasphemy; raging against Christianity; physical resistance; threatened or attempted violence; and at times, convulsions, with pains and cramps, or a state of catalepsy. Often at such times spirits will speak through the possessed victim. An intelligence is manifested that does not belong to the individual himself. Sometimes a possessed individual can understand or speak a foreign language which he has not studied (not to be confused with Biblical tongues, since in demon possession it is the demon, who knows the language, speaking through the person). Frequently, there is knowledge of hidden facts, a prognostication of future events, a display of physical feats of supernormal strength, or other supernatural phenomena. 2. Abnormal facial characteristics. The face of an oppressed individual is often contorted by fear, chronic doubts, incredulity, or anxiety; his countenance maybe strained, uneasy, or tormented. Such individuals seldom smile, and have no joy in their conversation or life. They commonly wear a morbid expression, and often think of suicide. Others display a defiant, wicked, scowling, perverse, dark or sullen appearance. At times the complexion is also affected, being dark and somber, or pallid and corpse-like. Other extremes of facial expression are a stereotyped, frozen smile or grimace, or an impassive, stoical absence of expression. Some have abnormally bright and protruding eyes; others, a glazed, trance-like, or hunted, animal-like stare. In others there is a wicked, defiant glare, or a demonic leering in the eyes. 3. Abnormal physical ailments. Chronic, persistent physical ailments, diseases, or pains that do not respond to prayer or treatment of any kind, but which seem to linger on and on, may indicate occult oppression. Mere prayer for healing is insufficient, since one must deal with the occult cause of the affliction, not just the physical effect. In these cases, deliverance from occult bondage is a crucial step in receiving liberation. E. Material, Domestic, and Social Forms of Oppression. Most people are unaware of the far-reaching effects of occult participation. Occult associations can also result in oppression which affects the lives of others. It may, for example, produce serious marital problems, often culminating in divorce. One person traced the beginning of marital strife and incompatibility to the day following a visit to a seance. Discord between parents and children; disputes with neighbors; friction and strife between business associates or others; and church divisions and irreconcilable schisms can result. This form of oppression is the operation of divisive and factious spirits whose primary objective is to work in the affairs of men to divide, disrupt, confuse, deceive, distract, disturb, perplex, and disorganize. Their sole aim is in every way to destroy unity, harmony, and peace; to cause as much affliction, sorrow, agony, anguish, grief, misery, misfortune, privation, distrust, suspicion, doubt, anxiety, and confusion as possible in the daily circumstances of life. Persistent financial distress, material loss, and subjection to poverty, need, scarcity, and other material privations, can also result from occult involvement. Deliverance from all forms of oppression and subjection resulting from occult involvement can come only in one way, and it is to this that we now turn to in our next studies. Edited. Shared. To be Continued. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

Daily devotion for July 15th The Secret Of Our Identity I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18 Here Jesus tells us the secret of our identity as believers. The most fundamental fact of our life as Christians is there: Jesus says that He is not going to leave His disciples desolate or as orphans. These men are frightened. They know that He is going away. They remember the intimations He has given that it will be by violence, by being taken and beaten and ultimately crucified. And they are fearful--not only for Him but for themselves. But now He reassures them: I'm not going to leave you orphans; I'm not going to abandon you. I will come to you. He is not talking here about His second coming. His reference to that is in verse 3 where He has said that He will come again and take them to Himself. At his second coming, John tells us, Every eye will see him (Revelation 1:7). But here is a way of coming that the world will not see, but in which the disciples will not only see Him but live by Him: Because I live, you will live also. That is more than merely a reference to His resurrection and the promise of our resurrection some day. It is really a reference to His coming by the Spirit, the result of which will be you in Me, and I in you. And that is to be the secret of our lives, as His relationship with the Father was the secret of His life. I find Christians all over this country who do not understand this truth about their new life in Christ. The truth from which they get their identity is this fact: Jesus is in them and lives in them. It is to this fact that they should return whenever there are pressures and problems and demands made upon them, because it is from this fact that the secret of life will flow to them. The day of the Spirit began on the Day of Pentecost, when suddenly the Spirit of God was poured out upon these believers, and they became changed people. And that day is still with us. It began over two thousand years ago, and it hasn't ended yet. In fact, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and bracketed its extremes--the events that would mark the beginning and the end of the day of the Spirit. It begins with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, as prophesied by the prophet Joel. Peter quotes that prophecy. He says, This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel (Acts 2:16), this pouring out of the Spirit upon people. And it ends, he says, when, The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord (Acts 2:20). Lord, what a privilege to live in this new day when the Spirit has been poured out and even makes His home in me! Teach me to reckon on this profound reality today

A Nugget of Truth. CAN EVERY CHRISTIAN CAST OUT DEMONS? Why Are So Few Doing It Today? One of the most debated questions in the Church today is whether every Christian has the authority to cast out demons or whether this ministry is reserved for a special group of believers. The answer may surprise you. ## What Did Jesus Say? When Jesus sent out His disciples, He gave them authority over demons: *"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases."* (Luke 9:1) Later, Jesus expanded this authority beyond the Twelve: *"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons..."* (Mark 16:17) Notice that Jesus did not say these signs would follow only apostles, pastors, or evangelists. He said they would follow **those who believe**. The authority comes not from a title, position, or spiritual rank, but from the name of Jesus. ## The Early Church Practiced Deliverance The Book of Acts records believers casting out evil spirits as part of normal ministry. *"Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And he came out that very hour."* (Acts 16:18) The early church viewed deliverance as evidence that Christ had conquered the powers of darkness. ## If Christians Can Cast Out Demons, Why Do So Few Do It? ### 1. Many Churches Never Teach It Many believers have never heard a sermon on deliverance. They know about salvation, worship, and prayer, but have never been taught how Jesus ministered freedom to the oppressed. What is not taught is often not practiced. ### 2. Fear of the Supernatural Some Christians fear demonic manifestations and would rather avoid the subject altogether. Yet Jesus never taught His followers to fear demons. He taught them to exercise authority over them. *"Behold, I give you the authority... over all the power of the enemy."* (Luke 10:19) ### 3. Abuse and Extremes Some ministries have sensationalized deliverance, leading others to reject it completely. But abuse does not cancel proper use. The answer to counterfeit money is not to stop using real money. The answer is to learn the genuine article. ### 4. Lack of Spiritual Preparation Jesus taught that some spiritual battles require prayer and dependence upon God. Deliverance ministry should never be approached casually, pridefully, or as a form of entertainment. Believers must walk in obedience, humility, faith, and submission to Christ. ### 5. Misunderstanding Spiritual Warfare Many Christians assume every problem is psychological, emotional, or physical. While many struggles do have natural causes, Scripture also teaches that there are genuine spiritual battles. Wisdom is needed to discern the difference. ## Does Every Christian Have the Same Ministry? Not every believer will be called to a public deliverance ministry. Just as not everyone is called to be a pastor, missionary, or teacher, some believers may be used more frequently in helping people find freedom. However, the authority of Jesus belongs to every believer. The question is not whether Christ has given authority. The question is whether we are willing to believe what He said. ## The Goal Is Not Demons—The Goal Is Jesus Healthy deliverance ministry does not focus on demons. It focuses on Jesus. The purpose of deliverance is not to create dramatic stories but to see people restored, healed, discipled, and brought into a deeper relationship with Christ. Jesus never commanded His followers to become demon experts. He commanded them to preach the gospel, make disciples, heal the sick, and set captives free. ## A Challenge for the Church If Jesus cast out demons, if the apostles cast out demons, and if Jesus said that believers would cast out demons in His name, perhaps the better question is not: "Can Christians cast out demons?" But rather: "Why have so many Christians stopped believing they can?" The kingdom of darkness has not disappeared. The authority of Jesus has not diminished. And the need for freedom is as great today as it was in the days of the early church. *"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."* (John 8:36)

The Spirit Beyond Honor and Insult :- The true spirit is beyond honor and insult. It does not become greater when praised, nor does it become lesser when criticized. Honor and insult belong to the realm of the ego, emotions, and worldly perceptions, but the spirit itself remains unchanged. A spirit that is free from pride remains balanced in every situation. It does not seek recognition, applause, or human approval. Likewise, it is not disturbed by rejection, humiliation, or persecution. It remains steady because its identity is rooted in God rather than in the opinions of people. Such a spirit has no worldly enemies and no worldly friends in the ordinary sense. It loves all people without partiality and seeks the good even of those who oppose it. It is not attached to human praise, nor is it overcome by human hostility. The greatest example of this spiritual disposition is Jesus Christ. Throughout His earthly life, He received both honor and insult. Crowds praised Him and welcomed Him as King, yet later many mocked Him, rejected Him, and crucified Him. Despite these extremes, He remained steadfast in His mission and obedient to God. When honored, He remained humble. When insulted, He remained compassionate. Even on the cross He prayed for those who persecuted Him, saying, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Therefore, spiritual maturity is not measured by how much honor a person receives, but by the ability to remain peaceful, humble, and loving in both honor and insult. The spirit that dwells in God remains even, tranquil, and free from pride, following the example of Christ.

Faith in a Cancel Culture World — How Should Christians Respond? We live in a time where one mistake, one opinion, or one disagreement can quickly lead to rejection, public criticism, or being “canceled.” Social media has amplified voices, but it has also amplified division, outrage, and unforgiveness. In what many call a cancel culture world, people are often judged instantly, labeled permanently, and dismissed quickly. But how should Christians respond? As followers of Christ, we are not called to mirror the culture—we are called to reflect Jesus. The Bible teaches us to stand for truth, but also to walk in grace, forgiveness, wisdom, and love even in difficult times. 1. Respond With Grace, Not Revenge When attacked, misunderstood, or criticized, the natural reaction is often anger, retaliation, or public argument. Yet Jesus calls believers to a higher standard. “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” — Matthew 5:44 Christians are not called to hate those who oppose them. We are called to pray for them. This does not mean we compromise truth or approve wrongdoing—but it means we respond with Christlike character. Jesus Himself was falsely accused, mocked, rejected, and persecuted, yet He still showed mercy. If our Savior endured rejection without hatred, we too must learn to respond with grace. The Christian response is not revenge—it is redemption. 2. Speak Truth Without Becoming Harsh In today’s world, many believers face pressure to stay silent about biblical convictions. Some fear criticism, rejection, or being misunderstood. Yet Christians are called to speak truth—but truth must be carried with love. Truth without love becomes harsh. Love without truth becomes compromise. The Bible reminds us: “Speak the truth in love.” — Ephesians 4:15 Christians should never be ashamed of biblical truth, but neither should we become arrogant, disrespectful, or hateful in defending it. Our words should point people toward Christ, not push them further away. You can stand firm in biblical convictions while still showing kindness and compassion. 3. Practice Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World Cancel culture often leaves little room for repentance, grace, or second chances. But Christianity is built on redemption. Every believer knows this truth personally—we have all failed, sinned, and fallen short. Yet Christ forgave us. The Bible teaches: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32 As Christians, we should not join a culture that permanently condemns people without mercy. Instead, we should believe in repentance, restoration, and transformation through Christ. People can change. God still restores broken lives. 4. Expect Persecution — But Stay Faithful Standing for biblical truth may bring criticism. Following Jesus has never been about comfort or popularity. Jesus warned His followers that persecution would come. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” — John 15:18 Not every disagreement means persecution, but believers should not be surprised when biblical convictions are unpopular. The question is not: Will following Jesus cost us something? The question is: Will we remain faithful when it does? 5. Be a Light Instead of Fueling Division Social media often rewards outrage, arguments, and division. But Christians are called to be different. Before posting, commenting, or responding, ask: Does this reflect Christ? Am I speaking truth with love? Is this helping people or only creating more anger? Would Jesus be honored by my response? Being bold for truth does not mean being cruel. Being gracious does not mean compromising convictions. We are called to be salt and light in a dark world. Final Thought In a cancel culture world, Christians must resist two extremes: compromise and cruelty. We must stand for biblical truth without hatred. We must show grace without abandoning conviction. We must forgive while still honoring righteousness. Jesus never compromised truth, yet He showed mercy to sinners. He confronted sin, but He also offered hope. The world may cancel people. But Christ still redeems people. Prayer: Lord, help us respond with grace, truth, wisdom, and forgiveness in a divided world. Teach us to stand firm in faith without hatred, and to reflect Christ in every conversation. Give us courage to speak truth and compassion to love even those who oppose us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have You Wondered? I’ve had some interesting comments from a few people lately, about my book series. Because I know most Christian fiction is very ‘sanitized’ and ‘proper,’ and most people therefore, think it all should be, I feel like I need to address that. Especially on a website specifically geared for Christians, and where so many things are designed for shoring up your day and leaving you feeling good. (Although if you dig into the series and meet the characters, you’ll feel good at their love and care for one another just as much). I wrote an email to someone today, and I’m going to use part of it, along with past comments to address that. I also have another literary breakdown video for you, that I asked specifically to speak to this concern. Why Write About Such Dark Subjects? I had a lady a couple of years ago say ‘I LOVE that the God’s Men characters are sooo Godly… but I HATE the bad guys being so bad. Can’t you make them just a little bit bad, so I don’t have to confront that level of evil? I really like a story that makes me feel good.’ The Answer: The people this was written to reach will NEVER watch bible teaching videos... but they still need that level of knowledge. They WILL read an edgier series, but most Christian writers won’t go there, because they’ll be judged just like I’ve been for doing so. This shows it up close and personal. I do my best to just allude and give an idea, without true graphic vulgar descriptions. I say enough for adults to understand what’s going on at times, but never use pointed details, or name most body parts. That’s not what I’m going for. How Do You Know? I took Russ Dizdar’s occultic crime scene class for years, and have all the books recommended., along with many other sources. They are incredibly graphic, with details that are all but soul destroying. I actually have a plaque on the bookshelf in front of them all to keep from offending people. God’s people are so easily offended today… but I digress… I’ve studied good vs evil, since I was a child. It goes on daily, even in America. He knew that. I know that. I wanted to show the two extremes of people that the two kingdoms utilize and always have. Today’s Christians never ask themselves what it was like to see the gigantic statues of Molech and hear the screams of the children offered up. Or walk down the streets of Jerusalem and see the crucified people. Or sit behind a wooden door hearing the screams in the colosseum… knowing they’re next… with their young children beside them. I believe it’s coming, sooner than we know, if we don’t spiritually awaken this nation. Look what’s happening in other countries. Why Not Write A Feel Good End-time Tale? People today don’t need another left behind series. They need to see the TRUE two choices. And the spirit behind each kingdom. It’s being played out in our streets, while movies are continually more sexual, and graphically depict violence and horror. Our children are sexualized and have their innocence destroyed at school or daycare centers. Please don’t count me out as unrighteous, unknowledgeable, or simply trying to gain income, from this series. I do need the income, but God called me to do this, and I know at least one chapter in most of the books WILL offend the church... but it has a true purpose. It’s not really for the church. Most of them are as lost as the rest of the world, but will never admit it. Well… Who’s It For, Then? This is for the ones who need it the most, but won’t darken a church door, or buy books that we will. But... I need the ‘church’ to endorse it and start to buy copies and put up attractive reviews. The ‘worldly people’ will move as others want it. They desire what’s popular. What’s currently ‘trending.’ So how do I make it popular? Writing all bible studies, won’t do it. We both know that. How Bad IS It?! It’s edgy. Dark in places. But mostly, it’s a primer of how to be a truly dedicated man or woman of God, targeted for their faith (like in the NT) and attacked on a level people were in OT times, and soon will be again. It’s hard to convey that to people who’ve never read the bible without readers and reviews. Be aware, my main characters mess up morally at times, like all people. I can’t show the consequences of sin, repentance, or God’s grace, if they don’t. That too, will offend some ‘pew sitters,’ but I find it necessary for people to relate to the characters. It’s also necessary to bring people to the brink of despair, like so many lives today, and then exhibit how to heal from the worst Satan and his henchmen can throw at us all. Too many need it. How Much Is About Evil? First, please know that 95% of this story is told from the godly group’s perspective of very godly and biblically well-versed men and women. It depicts their love and concern for one another as they live within a world where they have been targeted by others who worship those insubordinate rebellious beings we call ‘fallen angels’ and the spirits of their half-breed offspring that were doomed to ‘roam the earth’ ‘tormenting humans.’ They also have long-buried secrets that are finally coming out, and they all have to deal with it. The one who’s secret is being shown, along with the people who have to deal with the knowledge, as well as help them move past it. Major emotional and spiritual healing is broken down, as they do. Tell Me You Don’t Have a Secret Be honest… you’ve had a secret or two in your life… a sinful choice you’ve had to bear the results of… and had an enemy come against you, that did major damage to your life, and you didn’t always do well in the response. If you haven’t, stop reading right this second, hit the dirt on your face, and thank God that you’ve escaped what a major portion of humanity live with daily. Be glad, if you’ve never been forced to do something against your will, been held captive, or psychologically demeaned on a daily basis. I’m happy for you. I really am. But I’ve met too many, who’ve lived things you can’t even wrap your brain around. This story is for them. Maybe for you. I have to use 5% to depict the ‘dark side’ or the level of spiritual and kinetic warfare won’t be justified, or what’s really happening to humanity world-wide. Most Christians—and a large % of other people—turn a blind eye to evil, unable to handle the truth of it, and therefore, it flourishes and will continue to darken and broaden as the beast system takes over the globe. Read the word. It’s there. I just break it down and explore it, and what it would be like to live through those days. Hint: It’s closer than you think. Why Make Videos ‘Glorifying’ the Evil Characters? Also, I know you didn’t understand the purpose of the last video about Waya, or why I made it. Or why I have the ‘dark side’ represented at all. This video will explain that. The next two are similar, but here’s the purpose and strategy. (Note: I decided to give you a ‘video hug’ after this one. Later tonight, or tomorrow, I’ll put up an extremely ‘feel good’ one under two minutes, that will offset it) Purpose: One, it’s my belief that one reason the world (and those inside today’s modern churches) keep getting sucked into sin, and accepting so much as normal—even homosexual marriage—Is that humanity as a whole has lost the real sense of how evil, evil really is. We go to church (or have left it because of these things) and all we hear is a watered-down theology that shows a mild-mannered Jesus, that forgets He ran the leaders out of the temple with a whip. Or that for most of history God had to continually tell them to ‘not do what the pagan’s do.’ You know… things like sacrifice people, including their children. Things like, at the change of the seasons, go to ‘groves’ and celebrate with wild music, using one another’s wives and daughters for pleasure, while everyone watched; and burnt people in wicker cages so they could read the way the charred bones lay, as an auger to predict the coming success of the next crop harvest. Where they called on the ‘old gods’ for answers, power, or pleasure. What I write about in this series is NOTHING new. Yeah… it’s all in the bible. Just read the entire thing from cover to cover. That, and the news, along with almost 40 years of study, is what I drew on for this incredible story. If you think its not relevant to the modern church and modern ages, turn the news on. Every day I read of a child trafficking situation. Or where parents have murdered their children, or starved and caged them. Or children have murdered their parents, siblings, or class members. In America. Where kids are targeted at school and led into degrading situations and mind-altering decisions, while their parents are kept in the dark. Why? What Do We Do About It? I’ve long despaired of people being willing to confront these things, rather than yawning, being offended, or using it for gossip fodder at lunch with their friend. My entire ministry platform is Raising the Bar of Knowledge, Healing Hurting People, and Spiritual Warfare. What else would I write about? I had someone comment on me using all the platforms for a ‘marketing strategy.’ And…. Who else would I market it to, but God’s men and women. But you’re not my real target audience. There’s an entire world out there that has no concept of Christianity, or the true war against humanity. Each believe another group of people are their enemy. And some are. But the true enemy… the hand in the glove of evil humans… are the fallen ones at war against God, heaven, and all of us. That is what has to be made known. And how to combat it. People Are Dying People are dying daily and going to an inescapable eternity. Many have no true concept of what they will face there. Even church members. I was called to teach the word. Multitudes need that. Most won’t seek it out. It has to be brought in a way they can receive it. God called me a while back to write. He’s given me this story. He’s given me the mandate to write it. It’s not just a marketing strategy to me. It’s a spiritual warfare, and healing hurting people, manual. It’s teaching the true war and what God expects from us, even in a world that refuses to hear Him, or live according to His commands. Its ministry on a broader level. Do I hope or need to make income from it? Sure. But God said the workman is worthy of his hire. I’ve written for over seven years. A paycheck for all those hours would seriously help me. But mostly, it’s written as a primer in order to get some deeper-level theology to an audience that will never read what you and I do. (speaking to those who study the deeper things, like me) And I’m painting us all with a mighty broad brush there, because I’ve spent years in the word, and ‘studying to make myself approved to shew myself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ Then Why Write A Novel? Why Not Just Start A Bible Class? People are hurting everywhere. Many have lived through horrific things, and when they go into a church for help, encounter people who don’t want them there. Many have been trafficked, assaulted, beaten, and psychologically browbeaten. Many don’t know you can get help, why it matters, or what God can do for you. Many don’t know the pathway to Him, or, how much that goes on are simply attacks from the enemy of us all. Many don’t know—or want to know—how to help another walk their way out of continuous humiliation and tormented souls. But they do read novels and love a good sage. Hurting people, like tales about hurting people, and how to heal from abuse. This is glimpse at it all. Why Is It So Important You’ve Spent So Many Years Writing? Years ago, God gave me a vision. I was standing before Him, and He said, ‘Look behind you.’ I did and there were thousands of people there. I turned back, puzzled, “Who are they?” “Those are people that wouldn’t be here, if you weren’t faithful.” I don’t know that many people. I don’t have that kind of influence. I’ve pondered it for years. I’m a stay-at-home kind of person. I garden. I read. I study. I ponder things, and question why my life had been the way it way. I raised kids, grew vegetables, and taught Sunday school. I sang at the Witness for a while. How would I ever bring that many people to Jesus? Then my life fell apart, and the opportunity to do even that, vanished. But God has a sense of humor… and a VERY long memory. In my early 20’s I was making a bulletin board at church, and I put a blank check there, and asked everyone ‘If God gave us one, and asked us to sign it and give it back to Him, without filling in the amount…. You had to trust Him with that… how many would do it?’ The Blank Check I did. I signed it, and laid in on the altar, believing God would use me. But MY idea of that was being a leader in our church. And I was. By raising Godly kids. And I tried. By having a marriage that was a pattern to others. But the ‘hubby’ wasn’t on board, and it all disintegrated. Now what? I moved, to pick up the pieces of it all, and God put his finger in my back. I distinctly heard the words, ‘It’s time.’ He began to give me the story. The volumes grew. I continually say ‘Whoa… didn’t see that coming!’ and I’ve read thousands of books, and so many series, it’s ridiculous. But I can truly say, I’ve NEVER read one that’s touched me like this one. Even if He did choose me to write it. Watch the video, for why the evil they face is a part of the story. I try not to get vulgar or overly graphic… just real… as much as you can handle. As the hits keep coming, and the pressure gets to them, they react like anyone would at time. I live in Texas. I grew up in Arkansas. I’ve seen people in rough situations and how they react. Don’t judge them... or me… Someday it could be you. Or all of us. It’s coming. It’s here. It’s Ministry It’s not marketing to me. Its ministry. On a scale that only God could have given. I had no idea how to get it into the hands of those it’s for. Please help. I’m just a mom who grows vegetables and loves my chihuahua (that’s the word for an 8” terrorist… who loves you better than God…). Wait till you read it. It’s bigger than me and will challenge you in ways you can’t imagine. I know. It did me, first. And still does. Don’t give up on me yet. I made book one free for 90 days. It’s a good time to start. https://youtu.be/jOa0eN2p83w

A Little Light Reading. How to keep the Sabbath Holy. Doug Bachelor. During the Paris Olympics in 1924, Scotsman Eric Liddell, the son of a missionary and a celebrated sprint- er, was expected to win gold in the 100-me- ter race. However, he discovered that the time trials for his event were going to fall on a Sunday, which he believed to be the biblical Sabbath. Even though he had relentlessly trained and his country had emotionally and finan- cially invested in him, he absolutely refused to run in a race on that day. This difficult decision put him under immense pressure from politicians, teammates, and even some How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 7 2/13/14 2:45 PM 8 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy friends. “God will understand,” they plead- ed. “Your country is counting on you! Do it just this one time!” But he said, “No. I can’t do it—not even once.” Well, it later turned out, providentially, that Liddell could run in another event that did not conflict with his beliefs: the 400-me- ter run. However, during the time trials, he didn’t perform very well. Teammates won- dered about his ability to secure even a bronze medal. But Liddell believed the re- sults were in God’s hands; all he needed to do was do his best. Then, just prior to running the final heat, he was handed a slip of paper from an American trainer with this profound mes- sage written on it: “Those who honor me, I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30). When the start gun sounded, Liddell went off like a shot, ran like lightning, and broke the standing record to finish first! Eric Liddell firmly believed in obey- ing God no matter the cost—and that meant following every one of His Ten Commandments, including the fourth. This How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 8 2/13/14 2:45 PM 9 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy deep faithfulness and devotion is to be ad- mired; even if he had the specific day wrong, he had the principle right. For him the Sabbath commandment was no less important than the ones that say, “Do not murder,” and, “Do not commit adultery.” It’s very difficult for some people to wrap their minds around that idea; “After all,” they say, “It’s just a day!” But I also believe it is absolutely true that this commandment is as equally important as any other. Very few people, after accepting Christ, dispute nine of the Ten Commandments, but the fourth they often see as a “personal preference” or an optional commandment. But it’s not just a recommendation from Moses; it’s the very law of the Almighty. The Bible tells us, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). The devil doesn’t care whether your sin is adul- tery or idolatry or murder or Sabbath break- ing, just as long as he can get you to sin and separate you from God. He knows that in God’s view, the Sabbath commandment is not any less important How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 9 2/13/14 2:45 PM 10 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy than the other nine. That’s why I believe it is the devil’s plan to erode our convictions about the Sabbath through rationalizations and compromises, so that when the big test of the last days comes, when we must choose whom we will worship on penalty of death, many people will have been so trained to stumble that they won’t be prepared to take a stand. That’s why it is so important to be faithful now in keeping the Sabbath holy; it’s all about preparation. But before we delve too far into the hows of keeping the Sabbath holy, let’s first begin by determining what it means for a day to be holy … What Is Holy? Let’s start our study of the Sabbath by taking a careful look at the commandment itself, found in Exodus 20: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 10 2/13/14 2:45 PM 11 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the sev- enth day. Therefore the Lord bless- ed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (vv. 8–11, my emphasis). God says there is holy time; what does He mean? The word “holy” means something “ded- icated, set apart, or consecrated to God.” And it’s clear from the Bible that some things are holy and should not be profaned or treated as common. For one, marriage is called holy. You can court someone for years, but it’s not a holy relationship until you seal the covenant and marry him or her. Profaning that holy rela- tionship is a violation of the commandment against adultery. Tithe is also called holy How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 11 2/13/14 2:45 PM 12 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy (Leviticus 27:30). It can be hard to grasp that one dollar among every ten dollars of income you earn is considered holy by God, but nonetheless, using that sacred 10 percent to make a car payment profanes something God has declared to be sacred. Well, likewise, God also points out in the Sabbath commandment that a certain amount of time each week is holy—not be- cause a particular church teaches it, but be- cause He said so. No man in the world can call common what God has blessed as holy. Nor does God say, “Remember the Sabbath to make it holy.” We can’t make it holy; God is the one who makes something holy. In the fourth commandment, He is saying, “I’ve al- ready made it holy, so recognize what I have done and respect me.” Keeping the Sabbath holy is all about a love relationship with God. The Sabbath Before the Commandments Did you know that the fourth command- ment takes us all the way back to Genesis? How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 12 2/13/14 2:45 PM 13 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sancti- fied it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:1–3). The Sabbath was not made only for the Jews but for all humanity. This is why Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27). He is referring back to the time of the garden of Eden; the Sabbath was made for all mankind. The idea that the Sabbath was first presented at Mt. Sinai is a common misunderstanding. Exodus 20 might be where we hear God first speaking the fourth commandment—in fact, He hasn’t even written it down in stone at this point—but it is in Exodus 16, a few chapters before the commandment is actual- ly spoken by God, that the Lord rains down How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 13 2/13/14 2:45 PM 14 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy manna from the heavens six days a week. On Fridays, the Israelites were to collect twice as much manna because there would be no manna raining down from the sky on the seventh day of the week. God was treating the Sabbath as if it was something the Jews already clearly understood. When some of them went out on the Sabbath looking for bread, God responded, “How long will you refuse to keep my laws?” He was calling the Sabbath a law before they ever arrived at Mt. Sinai. Does mankind need rest? Yes! This principle comes from the very beginning. Some believe that because the Bible is si- lent on something, it must not have existed. Yet because you don’t read a lot about the Sabbath in Genesis, it’s no reason to assume that it wasn’t there or didn’t exist. Still, it’s quite obvious that it was there when God rested on the seventh day and hallowed it at the creation. In fact, there is no spo- ken or written commandment before Mt. Sinai that says we’re not to commit adul- tery, but Joseph acknowledged that adultery was a sin even before God wrote it in the How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 14 2/13/14 2:45 PM 15 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Ten Commandments. It’s clearly stated in Genesis 39:9. And, of course, it was a sin for Cain to kill Abel long before God said, “You shall not murder.” Also take notice—when you look at the Ten Commandments, how many of them involve the word “keep”? “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The com- mandment does not say, “You shall not keep adultery.” There is one place in the commandment dealing with idolatry that says “showing mercy unto thousands that love me and keep my commandments.” But that’s really a general phrase for all of the commandments. So the only law that spe- cifically uses the word “keep” is the Sabbath commandment. It seems strange, then, that it’s really the only commandment that much of the Christian world says is no longer an obligation to keep. But as we’ve seen, it was there in creation at the beginning. And the Bible promises it’s going to be in the New Earth (Isaiah 66:22, 23). God wants us to keep it now—it is an eternal, holy gift to all creation! How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 15 2/13/14 2:45 PM 16 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy A Dangerous Topic Unfortunately, it is easy to be misunder- stood or to appear to be extreme when some- one is committed to Sabbath observance—it might even be labeled “legalistic.” In the time of Jesus, two fanatical religious groups struggled for supremacy, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. They were, for lack of better words, the liberals and the conservatives of their day. The Sadducees didn’t believe in angels or resurrection; that’s pretty liberal theology. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were so meticulous in their Sabbath keep- ing, they manufactured many intricate rules to ensure you didn’t walk too far on Sabbath or carry anything that might be considered a burden. For instance, I understand that de- vout Pharisees carried a ball of string they would unravel to measure off the distance they travelled to ensure they would only walk the appropriate distance on any given Sabbath. They didn’t want to carry a burden on the Sabbath day either, and if you carried How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 16 2/13/14 2:45 PM 17 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy a handkerchief to blow your nose on the Sabbath, it was a burden and you were con- sidered to be working. So they got around their own rules by sewing the handkerchief to their clothes. They’d blow their nose on the hankie, which was now considered a part of their clothing. It doesn’t sound very good to us to blow our noses on our clothes, but they figured at least they wouldn’t be carry- ing a burden! They had hundreds of such manmade rules about the Sabbath and other religious duties. Well, Jesus often battled with the Pharisees regarding Sabbath observance; He would heal somebody that day and then be accused of breaking the Sabbath. While the commandment certainly doesn’t forbid heal- ing on the Sabbath, and Jesus, God Himself, did it, we should also realize that Jesus never responded to His accusers by saying, “You don’t need to keep the Sabbath anymore.” Every debate He had about the Sabbath was about how to keep it holy, not whether or not to keep it. Interestingly, the spiritual problem in the time of Christ was certainly more about How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 17 2/13/14 2:45 PM 18 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy legalism. But before then, in the time of Jeremiah and Isaiah, Sabbath problems were more like the problems we face today. The Jews in their time were largely ignor- ing the Sabbath, not keeping it any better than the pagans. They were being careless in their Sabbath observance. And that’s the crisis in the Christian community at large today: We treat God’s commandment with sloppy indifference. As a pastor, I’m not just writing to you. I’m writing to the Batchelor family. My wife, Karen, and I are constantly educating and reminding ourselves about what is right and what is not right on the Sabbath. We are liv- ing in such a relentlessly busy culture that it takes conscious thought, planning, and effort to really rest. I confess that at times I’ve neglected to keep the Sabbath the way I should—so this isn’t about judging you; rather, it’s a Bible study for all people who love the Lord and want to do His will. It’s not legalistic to love the Lord and want to please Him by showing you’re serious about keeping the Sabbath day holy according to His commandment. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 18 2/13/14 2:45 PM 19 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy So don’t let people accuse you of being legalistic because you’re asking practical questions about what a person should and shouldn’t do on the Sabbath. That’s our pur- pose here—to ask realistic questions that help us get closer to God’s will for our lives. Finding Out How to Keep It Holy The Ten Commandments are, in some ways, an abbreviation of the law of God. For instance, when it says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” the commandment doesn’t go into great detail to explain every possible way in which a per- son could take God’s name in vain—wheth- er it’s swearing, using God’s name carelessly, or claiming you’re a Christian but living as a hypocrite (Exodus 20:7). The commandment that says to not commit adultery is pretty brief (see Exodus 20:14). But I think you and I know there is a lot more to that one statement than a commentary on husband and wife. What How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 19 2/13/14 2:45 PM 20 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy else does it involve? How about two people who aren’t married having sex? Is it adultery then? You must invest a little practical study and understanding in how to rightly obey the adultery commandment when you’re mar- ried and when you’re not married. As Jesus clearly teaches, it’s broader than the summa- ry statement you find etched in stone. So the details of the law require our further study, and you’ll find examples of this command- ment being honored or disregarded in other ways in many places in the Bible. In regard to our goal of better under- standing the fourth commandment, we also need to look at the specifics of Scripture through a study of Bible principles. For example, in Hebrews 4:11, we read, “Let us [labor] therefore to enter into that rest” (KJV). Laboring to rest? That sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? But that’s really what happens when we prepare for the Sabbath. We invest additional labor so that we might enjoy the blessed rest of the Sabbath more fully. While I’m not compar- ing the Sabbath with a typical family vaca- tion, if you’re going to have a good vacation, How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 20 2/13/14 2:45 PM 21 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy it does require extra work, planning, and preparation to make it happen. I believe that in order for us to really enjoy the release and peace that God has designed for this holy day, we must labor to enter the Sabbath rest. And this involves educating ourselves. God throughout His Word gives us a lot more details about what is involved in keeping the Sabbath holy. As we’ll see, it does not mean that you simply swing in a hammock all day long, sipping pineapple juice through a straw. There’s a lot more to God’s rich rest! Of course, the fourth commandment is also the longest of all the commandments— precisely because it goes into the most detail. It says that people are to rest, their animals are to rest, their servants are to rest—every- body within their gates, their borders of au- thority, are to rest and enjoy the fruits of the Sabbath day. The Sabbath commandment is also somewhat different from most of the others because it makes statements in both a posi- tive sense and a negative sense. Most of the others are only stated in the negative—“you How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 21 2/13/14 2:45 PM 22 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy shall not.” The Sabbath commandment says, “You shall keep it holy” and “you shall not work.” It gives both sides, so I’m going to ap- proach this message in the same way. Preparing for the Sabbath John Wesley tells a good story about a devoted new convert to Christianity who was hurrying to shine his shoes just before the Sabbath. It took him about 15 minutes to do each shoe. Well, he got one shoe done, but realized the sun would go down before he could finish the other one, so he put it away. Did he make the right decision? He went to church the next day with one bright, shiny shoe and one dull, scuffed shoe. Would you call him a fanatic? Maybe even a Pharisee? I believe to call this fanaticism is to misun- derstand the principle that specific time is declared holy by God. We think, “How can it be okay to be shining a shoe one moment, but then after a few more ticks of the clock, it’s suddenly a sin?” How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 22 2/13/14 2:45 PM 23 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Well, in a similar way, a young man might have a girlfriend he is very fond of, but it’s inappropriate for him to gaze upon her unclothed form or to be with her inti- mately. But after they make some vows be- fore God in a wedding ceremony, suddenly what was once a sin is now holy and good. So yes, little things, like the tick of a clock or saying “I do,” can mean all the difference between holy and common. In many of our Sabbathkeeping homes, we have become very sloppy, saying, “Oh, the sun is down, but I’ve still got a few more dishes to do.” And why stop mowing the lawn at sundown when you only have a few more passes to make to complete the job? “It’s not that big of a deal … right, God?” For one thing, what is your unbelieving neighbor thinking as he drives by and sees that the sun is down and you’re still mow- ing? What message are you sending to your family and your neighborhood? In your mind, the devil is saying it’s not a big deal. In the mind of the witness, the devil is calling you a hypocrite. It is part of Satan’s game to highlight our inconsistencies and to erode How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 23 2/13/14 2:45 PM 24 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy our commitment. Please don’t let him use you as a pawn in his game. And most important, God is watch- ing. So it truly is better to leave something common undone than to defile the edges of the Sabbath. What Is Your Attitude? Does God want us to dread the ap- proaching Sabbath? No! He wants it to be a blessing. But if we don’t have a love rela- tionship with Jesus, we’ll be watching the clock instead of enjoying time with Him. When the Sabbath nears, we’ll be thinking, “Oh, heavens! I’ve got all this stuff to do. Is it Sabbath already? Now I don’t have time to do it.” It’s as if the Sabbath is a burden rather than a blessing. That’s not the attitude God wants us to have. God wants us to eagerly look forward to the Sabbath. And who hasn’t heard a young child say, “Is it still Sabbath?” They’re looking for the moment they can do whatever they want, right? I’ve even caught myself looking How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 24 2/13/14 2:45 PM 25 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy wistfully out the window at twilight and wondering if the Sabbath is over so I can get on with my next project. I’m ashamed of having done that. Should we have that kind of attitude? It means we need a change in our hearts. The Bible mentions that this very thing was a problem even in Old Testament times. In Amos 8:5, people say, “When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?” They were waiting for the sun to go down and the Sabbath to be over so they could do their own thing. Well, let’s suppose a young man is smit- ten by a young woman, but because of their schedules, they can only spend a few hours a week together. He arranges his schedule to get all of his business concluded, but while they’re together, she’s talking to him and he doesn’t seem to be paying attention. As they’re walking side by side, she says, “You seem like you’re a thousand miles away.” He confesses, “Well, you know, I’m thinking about my next work project I’ve got coming up this week.” How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 25 2/13/14 2:45 PM 26 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Or what if they’re sitting together over a dinner that she’s spent time preparing and he keeps checking the text messages on his phone or looking at the clock, saying, “Is our date over yet? You mind if I leave ear- ly?” What would that say about his heart? Would that hurt her feelings? His words and attitude indicates something is wrong with the relationship. We want the Lord to have our hearts, and when He has our hearts we won’t be asking those kinds of questions about the Sabbath. God wants the Sabbath to be a delight. And I believe the more we come to know and love God, the more delightful the Sabbath will become. The Sabbath is a time for rest, so it should start and end with peaceful and biblical worship. There ought to be de- cisive beginnings and endings too—we should “guard the edges” of the Sabbath. We shouldn’t be scrambling around an hour after the Sabbath has begun and say- ing, “Well, I guess we should stop what we’re doing and have a little prayer.” Instead of really worshiping, singing, and reading How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 26 2/13/14 2:45 PM 27 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy something of substance, we’re in a state of hurried panic. True, it does take a little more effort and planning to give God the honor He de- serves. If a great king were coming to visit our home, we would plan how to prepare for his entrance and receive him with hon- or and respect. Jesus, our true King, said He will come again. We want to do all we can to be ready to welcome Him when He returns, right? Well, every Sabbath we have a chance to practice welcoming our King as He comes into our homes to bring us a blessing. Why put off God to the last minute any- way? When catching a plane, I like to get to the airport early. If I’m going to wait a little while, I would rather wait at the terminal, packed and ready to go, than to wait at home and fret over whether some traffic problem is going to make me miss my flight. I say be ready early! And that’s the way it is with the Sabbath. When it’s coming to an end, don’t watch the clock, blow the whistle, and an- nounce, “It’s over! We can finally do our own thing now.” That makes Jesus feel like you’re in a hurry to show Him the door. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 27 2/13/14 2:45 PM 28 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Remember, if you keep the Sabbath with your heart, you might be accused of being legalistic and Pharisaical and fanatical, but it will always be worth it in your relationship with God. Jesus is the one you are seeking to please. In fact, let’s take some time to see how God’s people honored Him over their own self-interests and in the face of persecution and the doubts of those around them … Daniel and King Darius I once watched a Muslim friend excuse himself from our lively game of racquet- ball, find a corner in the middle of a crowd- ed health club, roll out a prayer rug, and begin praying toward Mecca. Although it might have seemed odd to most people, the devoted man knew it was the time for his prayers—and he did not care what anyone else around him thought. He was more in- terested in what his god thought. Similarly, in Daniel chapter 6, we read about a political law that required an entire How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 28 2/13/14 2:45 PM 29 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy nation to pray to King Darius for 30 days; those who refused faced a grizzly execution. This meant that the Jews in the land were legally forbidden to worship their Lord, but Daniel had a custom he was not about to break. Three times a day he’d go to an upper room in his house, kneel down, and, in front of an open window, pray and give thanks to God. He always faced toward Jerusalem, as Solomon said, so passersby would know the identity of the God he worshiped (see 1 Kings 8:48). When the law was enacted, Daniel had to make a choice—to obey an earthly king or to obey God. But what we sometimes miss in this story is that Daniel had actually made the choice a thousand times before when he boldly and openly prayed to his God in a pa- gan land. It was his custom. So even though he risked getting torn limb from limb by rav- enous lions, it was his custom to honor God with his regular devotions. He could have compromised—perhaps even just a little bit. How easily he could have said to himself, “Well, look … I don’t want to offend the king. It might be a bad witness. I How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 29 2/13/14 2:45 PM 30 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy could look obnoxious, so I’m just going to shut my window.” It would have been easy for him to argue within himself, “I’m going to kneel and pray quietly, but I’ll face the royal palace so people don’t know that I’m really praying to Jehovah.” He had so many rationalizations at his fingertips, but he re- fused to grasp on to them for selfish reasons. Did God honor Daniel because Daniel honored Him? Yes! The Lord delivered his faithful prophet and destroyed his enemies. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Then, of course, you have the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. The three Jews faced an- other government law requiring false wor- ship. The Bible records the decree as saying that if anyone failed to bow and pray to the golden image that the Babylonian king set up, they were going to die in the flaming fur- nace. The Jews could even see the colossal oven smoldering in the distance. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 30 2/13/14 2:45 PM 31 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy How easy it would have been for the three Hebrew slaves to say, “When the music plays and everyone else bows down to the idol, let’s all just stoop down to adjust our sandals. I’m not actually going to pray to the image, but, you know, we don’t want to be a spectacle and disrupt the king’s party.” They could have found any number of additional excuses to look innocent and not really wor- ship the king. They’d totally pray to the Lord with all their hearts. After all, that’s what really matters—right? How many rational- izations they could have found to just cut corners, but they said, “No! We will not even appear like we’re compromising our worship of God.” They stood up for God, and God stood up for them! I can guarantee you—in the same way the three young Hebrew men probably had some friends tugging on their trousers to bow down when the music played, you will be challenged and tested when you de- termine to keep God’s Sabbath. As every- one else bowed to the image in Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prob- ably heard, “Get down! Are you crazy? Just How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 31 2/13/14 2:45 PM 32 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy this once. Don’t be a fanatic!” Yes, the world, even some in the church, probably thought they were fanatics, but God honored them, because Jesus said, he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. Mordecai In the book of Esther, we find a similar story regarding Haman the Aggagite, one of God’s enemies, who was descended from the Amalekites, the first nation to attack the children of Israel when they left Egypt. A law was made by the king of Persia that said everybody was to bow down and worship Haman. Mordecai, a Jew living in Persia, said, “I can’t do that, even if it means that I lose my life.” He knew that his people would be targeted for his actions, but even though his devotion might lead to the suf- fering of others, he said, “I’m not going to compromise.” And indeed, a law was made to exterminate all of God’s people. Did God intervene to deliver His people despite the threats? He most certainly did. I encourage How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 32 2/13/14 2:45 PM 33 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy you to read the story for yourself and marvel at how God will bless you if you choose to make His worship supreme. Desmond Doss I had the privilege of becoming friends with a man who received the Congressional Medal of Honor. It’s the highest award that can be given in the United States. It was awarded to only one non-combatant in his- tory—a Seventh-day Adventist Christian named Desmond T. Doss. When called to serve during World War II, he said, “I will serve. I will try to save lives, but I refuse to pick up a weapon or take lives.” He also told them right from the beginning that he wouldn’t work on the Sabbath un- less it was a medical emergency. Actually, he didn’t say, “I won’t do it.” He said, “I can’t do it, because as much as I respect my officers and superiors, God comes first.” The army would try to put a rifle in his hands, and he wouldn’t hold it. They would try to make him work, and he would say, How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 33 2/13/14 2:45 PM 34 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy “On the Sabbath, I can’t. I’ll work six days a week, 24-hours-a-day, but from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, I can’t work.” If a life was in danger, he would gladly assist— but when it came to chores like sweeping the barracks or shoveling dirt, he flatly refused. And for this commitment, he was jeered, tormented, ridiculed, and given the most unpleasant assignments all through his mil- itary experience … that is, until they got to the front lines in the Pacific theater. His unit participated in some of the worst fighting in Okinawa during World War II. They were once called to storm a Japanese-held escarp- ment, and a hail of fire was coming down on them. Many marines and soldiers were killed, and scores of wounded lay on top of the bluff. Doss heard their pleas for help and went up the cliff time after time to tend to them, and then lower them back down to safety, all while under a constant blizzard of ene- my bullets. Every time he got back, the other soldiers would say, “You better stop. Don’t push your luck.” But when he heard anoth- er person calling out, he went back. No one How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 34 2/13/14 2:45 PM 35 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy else went. In the end, Doss singlehanded- ly brought back 70 wounded men! He was fearless, saying, “I’d rather die than disobey God’s Sabbath.” Remember, the Bible says, “Those who honor me, I will honor.” The Attitude of Devotion During World War II, many Jews in con- centration camps were told they had to go dig up potatoes on Sabbath. The Nazis loved forcing people to compromise their beliefs. I have Jewish relatives who experienced this evil firsthand, and they were made to work on the Sabbath. Some of the victims were deter- mined to be true, saying, “I cannot do this. It’s God’s Sabbath.” And they were either killed or tortured. Just like that. Others, of course, did compromise to save their lives, and I’m not here to judge them in that experience—it’s nothing I’ve ever had to face in my life … yet. In the days of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when they stood up, do you think they were the only Jews in the crowd that day? I’m sure there were some who How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 35 2/13/14 2:45 PM 36 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy bowed down. I’m afraid to say that there will be some Sabbathkeeping Christians who will go along with the world in the last days to save their lives. That’s why this message is important. And if you don’t know how to make a decision to honor the Sabbath when it is relatively easy, you need to ask the Lord for help now. Here’s why … A Last-day Test In these stories of Daniel, Mordecai, and the three Hebrew slaves, the issue was about whether to obey the commandments of God or men. (In fact, a dispute over true worship was also the issue involved when Cain killed Abel; see Genesis 4:2–15.) Could it also be that the last test before the end of time also revolves around the issue of proper worship? Revelation 13:15 explains that in the future, a terrible law will be enacted by the beast power, who is “granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the im- age of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 36 2/13/14 2:45 PM 37 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the beast to be killed.” A law is going to be made regarding worship, that if you do not worship in the way the beast power dictates you should—at first you will not be able to buy or sell, then, ultimately, they will declare the death penalty. In Revelation chapter 14, where we find the three angels’ messages, an angel declares, “Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (v. 7). That’s a quote right out of the Sabbath commandment! “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea.” Then Revelation 14:12 says, speaking of the saved, “Here is the pa- tience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God.” It is contrasting those who keep the commandments of God with those who worship the beast— “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His in- dignation” (v. 9). How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 37 2/13/14 2:45 PM 38 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy The most fearsome curse in the Bible is found right here in Revelation 14, and it’s identifying those who worship the beast. Just a few verses later, on the other hand, it talks about those who keep the commandments of God. And it doesn’t mean some of the com- mandments, because everybody keeps some of them. It’s talking about a people who con- sistently keep all of the commandments. And whether you know something is holy or not, it’s still holy. Yes, there are go- ing to be many people in heaven who might have kept the wrong day as the Sabbath; they simply did not know the full truth, and the Lord will judge and bless them accord- ing to the light they had available. But they honored what they believed to be His com- mandments, just as Eric Liddell did. So now that we have explored and un- derstand the principles of why keeping the Sabbath holy should be our priority, what about some practical ways to ensure you’re keeping it the way God wants you to keep it? We’ll cover that in the next section … How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 38 2/13/14 2:45 PM 39 Part 2 A Cornell University study con- firms the detrimental effects that work-related stress can have on families. Married couples with children and also burdened by long hours of work report the lowest quality of life among couples. Additionally, 43 percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress, and at least 75 percent of all physician office visits are at- tributed to stress-related ailments, according to the American Psychological Association. Stress is also linked to the six leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 39 2/13/14 2:45 PM 40 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy and suicide. So many people are in desper- ate need of rest! Before Moses approached Pharaoh to seek liberation for Israel, he met with the op- pressed Hebrew leaders. During this meet- ing, Moses encouraged the people to conse- crate themselves to the Lord and told them that God was about to deliver them from slavery with a mighty hand. The Israelites had been laboring seven days a week to maintain their heavy work- load for the Egyptians. But after this meet- ing, they evidently decided to renew their covenant with God and began resting again every seventh day. A furious Pharaoh said to Moses, “You make them rest from their la- bor!” (Exodus 5:5). The angry king figured he must do something drastic to keep the slaves under his control, so in an effort to crowd God from their thoughts, he drowned them further in rigorous labor and increased their workload (see Exodus 5:7, 8). But in an incredible way, God liberated His people from their bondage. Well, God is about to do great things for His people again. Soon they will be delivered How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 40 2/13/14 2:45 PM 41 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy from the slavery of sin and journey to the heavenly Promised Land. And, once again, as God is now trying to turn the minds of His people toward the importance of the Sabbath rest, the devil is seeking to drown this generation in work and stress. Most people in the world don’t un- derstand the dire consequences of break- ing the fourth commandment. Even many Christians believe the Sabbath is just a day where you put in your two hours at church and then go to a football game, visit the mall, or mow the lawn. But is this trend a bibli- cal one? How is a Christian to keep God’s Sabbath day holy? And again, before Christ comes, the Bible teaches that loyalty to God’s Sabbath will be a dividing issue between God’s people and the rest of the world. If someday keeping the Sabbath will potentially cost us our lives, should we take a soft approach to this sacred day right now? It’s like taking a pop quiz in school with questions that will appear on the final. We’ve been warned that these quizzes will happen, so we make choices to prepare ourselves for How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 41 2/13/14 2:45 PM 42 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the final test by being ready for the pop quiz- zes. Passing a weekly quiz now helps us to be ready for the final test—and in the case of the Sabbath, that means determining our commitment to God. Remember Reminder The fourth commandment begins with the word “Remember.” Why does God begin the Sabbath law with this word? Perhaps be- cause the Lord knew how inclined we would be to forget! In fact, notice how within this one command you will find the what, the where, the who, the how, the when, and the why for keeping the Sabbath. God must have known we would have a lot of questions about the Sabbath, so this commandment has more specifics than any other. Let’s look at the different parts: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy [what]. Six days you shall labor and do all your work [how], but the seventh day [when] is the Sabbath of How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 42 2/13/14 2:45 PM 43 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the Lord your God [who]. In it you shall do no work [how]: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger [who] who is within your gates [where]. For in six days the Lord made the heav- ens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [why]” (Exodus 20:8–11). God covered a lot of ground in just this one commandment. Some people think that this is the least of the Ten Commandments, one that we can modify on a whim or totally skip over. But Jesus said, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these command- ments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). Is the Sabbath a “little” commandment? If you were to pick one commandment to break, perhaps you might think the Sabbath is How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 43 2/13/14 2:45 PM 44 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy not as important as not committing adultery, stealing, or worshiping idols. Yet, in the Old Testament, the penalty for Sabbath breaking was death. There was retribution for stealing, but the Sabbath law had a severe penalty. Perhaps you’ve read about this incident of Sabbath breaking in the Old Testament: “Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day” (Numbers 15:32). Here was someone who was clearly violating God’s holy commandment and went against the express will of the Lord. This purpose- ful sin was met with the penalty of death (vv. 35, 36). I am certainly not recommend- ing anyone be executed for breaking the Sabbath, but obviously this commandment is very important to God. A message from the Lord through Ezekiel also brings out how seriously the Lord takes the significance of the Sabbath: “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. Yet How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 44 2/13/14 2:45 PM 45 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statues; they despised My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they great- ly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them” (Ezekiel 20:12, 13). Not only is the Sabbath a sign of our saving relationship with the Lord, breaking the Sabbath is not an issue God takes lightly. Verses 20 to 24 also bring out how earnestly the Lord feels about profaning the Sabbath day. If we let our consciences be our guide and let our feelings determine how to keep the Sabbath, we will ignore the specific in- structions given in the Bible for keeping God’s day in a way that honors Him. Avoiding Both Extremes Before sharing some specifics on how to keep the Sabbath, I want to highlight a couple How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 45 2/13/14 2:45 PM 46 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy of extremes that can distort our thinking on how to honor this distinct day. When Jesus was on this earth, the Pharisees taught people to keep the Sabbath in an extremely legalistic way. They went so far as to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath! Of course, Jesus never sinned or did any- thing that violated the Sabbath command- ment as outlined in Scripture. Jesus said, “I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10). Christ did violate some of the Pharisees’ manmade traditions regarding the Sabbath. He said, “For laying aside the command- ment of God, you hold the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8). Just before this, Jesus explained, “In vain they worship Me, teaching as doc- trines the commandments of men” (v. 7). Worship and the Sabbath are intimately con- nected. Mankind’s traditions should never set aside or eclipse God’s requirements. Neither Jesus nor His disciples ever broke the Sabbath or taught others to turn away from observing God’s holy day. In fact, the New Testament gives us plenty of examples of Christ and the apostles worshiping on the How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 46 2/13/14 2:45 PM 47 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Sabbath. Luke writes how Jesus “went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). Christ not only wor- shiped on Sabbath, He also participated in the service. It was His custom. Most of the conflict over the Sabbath in the Gospels was Jesus working to clear up the Sabbath from manmade restrictions. Another example of distorting the Sabbath is found in how we might inter- pret the word “pleasure,” found in this Old Testament passage that speaks about how to keep the Sabbath. “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your plea- sure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall hon- or Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord” (Isaiah 58:13, 14). How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 47 2/13/14 2:45 PM 48 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy The word “pleasure” in this passage doesn’t mean anything that you enjoy do- ing is automatically wrong on the Sabbath. In fact, this passage calls Sabbathkeeping “a delight.” It is actually speaking of following your own personal pursuits, your own busi- ness plans, and your own selfish ways. If we understood this passage to be a restriction on anything in which we might find enjoyment, then we probably wouldn’t even sit down to a delicious Sabbath meal. Obviously, that’s not what the verse teach- es. It means to set aside pleasures that are self-focused and not God-focused. Walking through the beauty of nature is pleasurable, but going water skiing or snow skiing for the adrenaline rush would likely cause us to focus more on our own selves and not on the Lord or His glorious creation. So we need to avoid extremes in how we keep the Sabbath holy. We should not be- come so legalistic with manmade rules that we find the Sabbath a burden, but neither should we focus so much on our own plea- sures that we lose sight of our Lord who gave us this day. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 48 2/13/14 2:45 PM 49 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Let’s now consider some guidelines and activities, based on the Bible, for leading us to truly keep the Sabbath day holy, as God asks us to do in the Ten Commandments. A Time for Corporate Worship The Sabbath is a day for us to come to- gether in community worship. Notice how the Bible speaks about coming together for worship on Sabbath: “ ‘And it shall come to pass that … from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:23). In another place it says, “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:3). A convocation is an assembly or gath- ering of people. In Leviticus, it refers to a coming together of God’s people to worship the Lord. The last book of the Bible tells us how important it is to worship. The first angel’s message states, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 49 2/13/14 2:45 PM 50 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy has come; and worship Him who made heav- en and earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7, my emphasis). Worship fo- cuses on the Lord as our Creator. I once read an article in a Christian magazine that suggested staying home and worshiping God is just as appropriate as go- ing to church. To make its claim, the writer quoted Exodus, where Moses told the peo- ple there would be no manna on the seventh day; God says, “Let every man remain in his place” (Exodus 16:29). According to the ar- ticle, they were to keep the Sabbath by stay- ing at home. But that’s not what it means. Moses was telling them not to go out of the camp to look for manna (or firewood). The sanctuary, where they would gather together and worship the Lord, was in the camp. The Sabbath is not a day to stay at home. Now, I realize that some people, because of illness or injury, are homebound and can- not get out. This isn’t about their situation, and God is understanding and merciful. But the Bible doesn’t support the idea that you can be blessed just as much by staying at home on Sabbath as you can be in coming How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 50 2/13/14 2:45 PM 51 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy together with God’s people. It’s not a time to just hang out in your “tent” at home; it’s an opportunity to corporately praise and wor- ship the Lord as a church family. I once stumbled across this point while reading the story of the Shunammite wom- an’s son who died. When she told her hus- band she was going to see the prophet Elisha, he answered, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath” (2 Kings 4:23). Did you catch the point? In other words, Sabbath was a day to come together with others, not sit at home alone. There are lots of examples in the Bible that show Sabbath is a day for corporate worship. One of my favorites is, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assem- bling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approach- ing” (Hebrews 10:24, 25). Not only do we come together to worship the Lord, but also to encourage one another. That’s difficult to do when you are cooped up by yourself. And How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 51 2/13/14 2:45 PM 52