Simple Truth About End Times

SIMPLE TRUTH ABOUT END TIMES

Our Creator knew we would be interested in knowing about what would happen in the future, so He had a Book written called the Bible which tells us all we need to know. He chose certain people from all walks of life, and had His Holy Spirit to inspire them to just use the words He wanted them to say, (2 Tim 3:16). He chose to use Hebrew and Greek as the languages to have His Word written in, so consequently most of us have to depend on translations to know and understand His Word. He chose special people like Moses to record the first 5 chapters, called Genesis which means "beginning", and certain men like Isaiah and Daniel to write what we refer to as "The Old Testament" (OT), and people like John and Paul to record part of "The New Testament" (NT). It seems He chose Daniel to write about what will happen just before life on this planet will come to an end.

 

Our tiny Planet called Earth was created to sustain life of all kinds, but especially "human" life, because He tells us in (Gen 1:26) "God said let us make human beings in our image, to be like us". (NLT) As we said it would appear that God chose Daniel to be the OT prophet to whom He revealed more information to about the "end times" of life on earth. Daniel was a young teenager when he was taken to Babylon from his home in Jerusalem. He was a faithful worshipper of his God while in Babylon, and won favor with King Nebuchadnezzar because of his God given wisdom. He was the only one who could tell the king what his strange dream meant. In chapter 9 he started a long prayer to God confessing the sins of his people, and in verses 20-27 we read about the angel Gabriel being sent from God to give Daniel the answer to his prayer. It concerned a period of 70 years, divided up into 7 years plus 62 years for a total of 69 that would pass and then a period of 7 years which we refer to as "Daniel's Seventieth Week" would come sometime later. And we know from reading (Matt 24:4-14) and certain sections of Revelation plus part of Paul's letters, what will happen during this important 7 year period. All signs point to this period of 7 years as being the final 7 years of life on our planet, and it starts when a certain man who pretends to be a "man of peace" signs a treaty with Israel for 7 years, but at the "mid-point" he will reveal his true identity as the "man of lawlessness" as Paul calls him in (2 Thess 2:1-12), or in other words The Antichrist. Only Father God knows when all this will happen, but He has warned us through His servant Daniel what to expect, and when it will happen. So look for the signing of this treaty in the future!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                          05/08/14

A Quite Rest A QUIET REST We read in (Mark 6:30-32) where Jesus and His disciples had been busy ministering to the crowds “Then Jesus said let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile. He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His disciples didn’t even have time to eat”. Actually David Roper was the author of a devotional article in ODB on Jan 25, 2015, where he told a story of helping a friend move some equipment to a backcountry ranch in Idaho. The road was not passable for a truck so they were using a wagon pulled by team of mules. There was no electricity or phone service to the ranch, only a satellite radio. When asked about how the rancher made out in the winter, and how he endured it, his reply was simply “I find it right peaceable”. How often do we feel like we need to draw back to some quiet and peaceful place to get rid of the constant noise and confusion of our world? If Jesus and His disciples needed to do this, then so d

A QUIET REST

 

We read in (Mark 6:30-32) where Jesus and His disciples had been busy ministering to the crowds "Then Jesus said let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile. He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His disciples didn't even have time to eat". Actually David Roper was the author of a devotional article in ODB on Jan 25, 2015, where he told a story of helping a friend move some equipment to a backcountry ranch in Idaho. The road was not passable for a truck so they were using a wagon pulled by team of mules. There was no electricity or phone service to the ranch, only a satellite radio. When asked about how the rancher made out in the winter, and how he endured it, his reply was simply "I find it right peaceable".

 

How often do we feel like we need to draw back to some quiet and peaceful place to get rid of the constant noise and confusion of our world? If Jesus and His disciples needed to do this, then so do we. In (Matt 11:28-30) "Then Jesus said come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light". We can depend on Jesus to follow through with his promises since he returned to His Father in heaven (Ps 110:1) and They sent the Holy Spirit to take His place on earth. Now the Holy Spirit is available to every person who has by faith received Jesus as Lord and Savior, to be their indwelling guide, who promised to "never leave us nor forsake us".

 

In (Ps 4:7-8) the Psalmist David gives us these encouraging words "You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season when their grain and wine have increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety". With promises like these from both Jesus and King David, why would we ever refuse to accept them? The only reason I can think of is the chance that you have never yet put your faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. And if you have not done that yet, you can do so today by simply recognizing your need of confessing your sins (1 John 1:9), and receiving forgiveness!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                          26/01/15

 

 

A Thousand Years as a Day

A THOUSAND YEARS AS A DAY

 

We find this expression in (Ps 90:4) "For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past. And like a watch in the night". Then in (2 Peter 3:8) we read "But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day". We can only assume that Peter was probably referring to Psalm 90 verse 4 when he made this statement. A few years ago one day I was trying to understand the difference between time and eternity. I took a new piece of white paper and drew a circle in the middle of it, and called that circle our "Time and Space World" and the rest of the sheet of paper I called Eternity. As I understand scripture our "Creator God", who has always existed as Father, Son, Holy Spirit, or in other words a "Triune" being we refer to as "The Trinity". From His position in eternity whenever He views our world He sees things that took place thousands of years ago, as well as those things that only happened today. For that matter because of His "Foreknowledge", He knows what will happen in the future! This little diagram helped me to understand certain scriptural passages, like (Rev 20:1-10) where John tells of a vision he saw in which the Devil was bound for 1000 years, and afterward released for a little season. As soon as he is released he goes out to deceive the nations to cause a mighty army to come together to attack God's people and the holy city of Jerusalem. But God sent "fire from heaven" and consumed them all, after which the Devil who deceived them, plus the Beast and the False Prophet were thrown into the "fiery lake of burning sulfur" (hell) for ever and ever. This event is often confused with the thousand year reign of the Lord called the Millennium which happens after the end of the 7 year period that is known as Daniel's seventieth week". This period in (Rev 20:1-10) leads up to the "Battle of Armageddon" which comes near the end of the 7 year period prophesied by Daniel in (Dan 9:24-27).

 

That is why Revelation cannot be read like Acts, where every chapter fits together one after the other, and this is why we need the help of the Holy Spirit to make sense of this wonderful book that God uses to close out His Divine Book we call the Bible. But is the "summary" so to speak, of everything out Creator wanted us to know. So when we read the Bible we should always ask the Holy Spirit to tell what He told the authors, and why He chose the words He told them to use. (2 Tim 3:16)!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                          27/08/14

My Big Problem

MY BIG PROBLEM

 

I confess to having a problem that seems to be getting bigger every day, since I started to spend more time studying the Bible several years ago. It has to do with certain well known Bible teachers teaching doctrines that according to my new understanding of scripture are not true. I used to believe and teach these same doctrines for years, but since changing the way I have been approaching scripture lately, God has been showing me a different way of understanding certain passages. I had been taught they meant certain things by my leaders, but once I started using a "Face Value" method of understanding scripture, and laying aside what I had been told, the scriptures suddenly came alive to me! I have been given more "illumination" on certain well known scriptures by the Holy Spirit, that changes the meaning all together. And my problem centers around the area of "why do these experienced teachers" still keep spreading the same old lies to their hearers? This is the basis of my problem!

 

All I did was to realize that the same Holy Spirit who inspired the authors of scripture, (2 Tim 3:16-17), is the same Holy Spirit that indwells me as a simple follower of Jesus, and I could just ask Him to show me what He had in mind when He told them what words to use. It is a very simple process, and the results have been surprising, giving me a completely different understanding of passages that I thought I knew what they meant. Then I have to be bold enough to make public this new understanding, which often comes against the doctrines of "long standing" in our churches! This can result in you being considered a "rebel" or perhaps a "heretic", or worse. Everyone desires to be well thought of by their peers, and I am no exception, so it is still hard to dispute the doctrines that have been accepted, and taught, in our church circles for years, without being challenged. This is also part of my problem, and I will have to settle it with the Holy Spirit as to what to do with the new things He is showing me. So I would ask you to remember me in prayer, that I might have humility and wisdom as I try to introduce some of the results of this new "illumination" that God has been bringing to me   that are quite a bit different from what we have been taught. I certainly do not consider myself any sort of an expert on Bible interpretation, but simply a follower of Jesus, trying to walk in such a way that my life, and my actions might please the Father. I believe this should be the goal of all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                              30/11/15

Our ComprtehensiveEquipment

OUR COMPREHENSIVE EQUIPMENT

 

This rather different expression showed up in the devotional article in ODB today Jan 1, 2015, and caught my attention. It was listed as a quote from

J. B.Phillips who wrote a version of the NT. The author David McCasland was quoting from (2 Tim 3:1-5, 10-17), apparently from this translation. This is a very interesting passage of scripture, that we should all be aware of, especially verses 16-17, "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work". NLT This is part of Paul's instructions to his young assistant Timothy, and certainly contains important information for all of us today who are followers of Jesus. Many people want to know at the start of a new year, what we will hold to? Will it be better or worse than last year? Only God knows what the future holds, but He has given some things to look for in His Word. And this passage gives us some insight as to what lies ahead of us this year.

 

Take time to read this whole chapter carefully and see what Paul told Timothy to expect. Paul warns of the things we can expect to happen in these last days, but we can know what he tells in (1 Cor 10:13) which is encouraging "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful; He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure". NLT This truth applies to any and all situations that may come your way in the future. Our author states "as the spiritual darkness of our world grows deeper, the light of Christ shines more brightly through all those who know and love Him. Jesus is our joy and hope—today, tomorrow, and forever". This is certainly a true scriptural truth that we can depend on, and share freely with others. Our author then includes this prayer "Heavenly Father, the trouble in this world can divert our eyes from You. Thank You for Your Word that helps us stay focused. May we find our delight in Your love and share it with others today". Then he ends his article with these words "The powers of evil around you are no match for the power of Jesus within you". To this I add my AMEN!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                             01/01/15

Remember The Wrapping

REMEMBER THE WRAPPING

 

I was impressed by the devotional message from Joe Stowell in the ODB today Dec 22, 2014. He called it "Remember The Wrapping", he was referring to what Jesus chose as His divine wrapping when He came to earth to be "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", (John 1:29). He and Father could have chosen a completely different introduction of God the Son to our world. They could have made it a celestial show of glory, but instead made it a humble birth in a lowly animal trough in a stable outside an inn in the village of Bethlehem. See (Phil 2:6-7) NLT for the details of the wrapping that was chosen for Jesus, when He took upon Himself the "likeness of a human being". Remember what God said in (Gen 1:26) "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us". And we know that Adam and Eve were the first specimens of the new species created in the image of God, as perfect human beings. And of course they were deceived by our enemy Satan into disobeying God and allowing sin and death to enter creation, and it became a "fallen world". (Rom 5:12-21).

 

Why is this "wrapping" that Jesus chose to come to earth in so important to us? Because Jesus humbled Himself and became a human like us He knows every sort of emotion that we might experience. He was unjustly accused, and abandoned and betrayed by friends, scripture tells us that "He was tempted in everyway like us, and yet without sin". Because He was the one and only "God/Man" who was 100% God yet was also 100% man, so His death on the cross was the only adequate payment to settle the debt we all owed because of the inherited sin of our original parents, plus all the other sins we have committed in our lifetime (Rom 6:23). As Paul states so clearly in (Rom 3:9-26), Jesus who knew no sin became sin for us humans, so we could take on His righteousness. (2 Cor  5:17-21). This is the main point of the "good news" of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. This is why it is so important to understand the miracle of Christmas that Jesus became one of us, in order that He could give His life as a sacrifice on the cross on Mount Calvary some 2000 years ago, (no one killed Jesus). He freely gave up His Spirit, so that we who are sinners can be saved by placing our faith and trust in the finished work of the cross. What a wonderful Savior is Jesus Christ our Lord, Praise His wonderful Name!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                                  22/12/14

FOR SALE "AS IS"

FOR SALE—"AS IS"

 

We often see an article for sale with this sign attached, whether it is a used car or an old house. It usually means the present owner does not want to spend the necessary cost of repairing the item. What it really means is for "the buyer beware", it will probably cost more to repair it than it's worth.

Aren't you glad our Creator doesn't feel that way about us when He calls us to come to Himself through His Son Jesus? He receives us "As Is" in our sin and darkness, knowing that His Holy Spirit has the power to clean us up from whatever condition we may be in. All He needs from us is a decision to believe by faith what Jesus did for us on the cross, and accept Him as Lord and Savior. Then Father does the rest by adopting us into His family and gives us the gift of His Holy Spirit to abide with us forever. This is the "Good News" of the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and is available to anyone who chooses to receive it.

 

As believers in Jesus, and committed followers of Him as members of the "Body of Christ" we have the privilege of sharing this good news with everyone we meet. All we need is to know Jesus as Savior through the "New Birth" experience, and a desire to share Him with others. Jesus tells us clearly in (John 14:6) "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me". And the Apostle Paul explains in

(2 Cor 5:17) "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old is gone, a new life has begun". NLT Then if we read verse 18-21 we are told that "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors. God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, come

back to God! For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Him". NLT

 

This is certainly good news, that God can take us "As Is", and make us into a completely new person by His marvelous grace. All by a simple choice on our part have you done that yet? And if not why not? God always leaves the choice up to us, so I would suggest you take Him at His Word!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                                     01/12/14

 

 

 

 

 

True Love

TRUE LOVE

 

In the daily devotional in ODB today Oct. 31, 2014, the author Bill Crowder called it "What Love Is", and he used a line that caught my attention "Real love has a lot to do with sacrifice". This word "love" in our English language can be used in a number of different ways with completely different meanings. For example we might say "I love pizza", or "I love my dog or cat", or "I love my new car", or we can say "I love God". This one little word can be used for all these different examples, but we are limited to this one word. The Greek language that most of our NT scriptures were written in had several different words for "love", for example [Agape] and [Eros]. These two words in Greek were both translated into English as love, although their meaning is quite different. Agape is used in (1 John 4:7-8) where we read "God is Agape". Every time John uses love in these verses the Greek word was always Agape.

 

The best example of "Self sacrificing" love is what we see in (John 3:16-17) or in (Rom 5:8) where our Creator God loved us so much that He allowed His own Son Jesus to become "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"  (John 1:29). This is the type of love that we as followers of Jesus should be continually showing towards the other members of the "Body of Christ". If the world around us saw more of this type of "self sacrificing love" operating in our churches, I'm sure they would be more interested in knowing more about the Good News of the "Gospel of The Kingdom of God" that we are to represent! As part of the true Church that Jesus said He would build (Matt 16:18), we who are followers of Jesus and part of this true Church, often referred to as the "Body of Christ" have our work cut out for us.

 

How do you suppose we could improve our witness to the world around us, to show them more clearly the change of heart that happens to us when we are "born again" and become a child of our Father? I think we need to give this some serious thought, and do as Peter commands us in (1 Peter 3:15) in the NLT version "Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it". That doesn't sound too difficult does it? The main thing is to be showing sacrificial love to others in the Body of Christ that will cause others to notice, and ask you the question "why are you doing that"? Then tell them!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                                   31.10/14

The Ultimate Reunion

THE ULTIMATE REUNION

 

This topic was brought to my mind this morning by the devotional in ODB by Joe Stowell. He used (1 Thess 4:13-18) for his text, which is commonly referred to as "the rapture passage". Paul was addressing the question of what happens to those loved ones who had died "in the Lord", and if they would ever see them again? This is a clear explanation of what will happen at the return of Jesus to receive His "Church/Bride", and includes "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall ever be with the Lord". This will definitely not be "a secret quiet little affair" as some believe, but I expect will be quite "noisy"! And of course only Father God knows when this will occur (Matt 24:36), although many people have made predictions of when this rapture will happen, but they are all "false prophets" according to Jesus.

 

But we can be certain that it will happen in God's perfect time, until then Jesus will remain at His Father's side "until" certain things happen, See

(Ps 110:1) or (Acts 3:19-21) for details. This should end all of those theories that Jesus might return "at any moment", these are definitely not true and are impossible according to scripture. But this will be what Joe calls "The Ultimate Reunion" with family or friends who knew Jesus as Lord and Savior, and have already passed on. This is our glorious hope if we have obeyed the advice given by Paul to Titus in (Titus 3:1-8), which is part of the "Gospel of the Kingdom" that must be preached to all nations and tribes and tongues before the "end of this age" (Matt 24:14), which are the words of Jesus.

 

Most everyone has at least a few people who you know had a relationship with Jesus before they died, and are now enjoying His presence in heaven. This is the "Ultimate Reunion" you can look forward to if you have that same relationship with Jesus here and now in this life. If you are not sure where you stand with Jesus, I would suggest you read (John 14:6) and then (Eph 2:1-10) where Paul explains clearly how we can be sure of this relationship with God. This is how we can be sure of having this "ultimate reunion" with those who have gone on before us!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                                 27/09/14     

Whose Side Are You On

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

 

In a recent article by Joe Stowell in ODB, he mentioned a quote by President Lincoln about whose side God was on in the US civil war. Lincoln replied, "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right". That is a very accurate quote, and represents an attitude towards God that we should all embrace. In the book of Joshua, he had a strange encounter with a stranger with a sword in his hand. (Joshua 5:13-15) NLT Joshua demanded "are you friend or foe?" To which he replied "neither one, I am the commander of the Lord's army". This would probably have been the Arch Angel Michael, who was in charge of a great number of warring angels, whose job was to protect God's people. Joshua fell on his face in reverence and said "I am at your command, what do you want me to do?" The commander of the Lord's army replied "take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy" and Joshua did as he was told.

 

This is probably the proper response to any command we read in God's Word, instead of our often attitude that we will do things "our way", and ignore His way. Read (Is 55:6-11) for a clear instruction from God as to how we should respond to the hearing of His Word. Actually this whole chapter is an excellent read, which in the NLT version is headed up "Invitation to the Lord's Salvation". It makes it very clear that His ways are far above our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. In (Ps 139:23-24) we read "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life". Then in (Ps 73:28) we read "But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do". NLT

 

"So let's ask ourselves: are we on the Lord's side? Being on His side means that we will reflect His love to the world around us in the way we interact with others. We will forgive, treat others justly, and seek peace. God's ways are always best". That's how Joe finishes his article, and then ends with this prayer "Father, teach us to search Your ways so that we may know how to be on Your side of the critical issues of life". He closes with this punch line "When you draw near to God, you are sure to be on His side".

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                               04/12/14

 

Second Best

SECOND BEST

 

No one likes to be "second best", but always want to be first, its part of our human nature. There is a story in the OT that deals with this matter, it is found in chapters 29 and 30 of the book of Genesis. It involves Jacob who had gone to find a wife among his relatives in a place called Haran, where he met the daughter of his uncle Laban, who invited him to stay with his family for a month. Laban had two daughters named Leah and Rachel, and Jacob loved Rachel who was the younger of the two. Jacob agreed to work 7 years for Laban in return for Rachel as his wife, but Laban tricked him into marrying Leah, because of some custom that demanded the first born child must be married first. Anyhow Jacob stayed and worked an additional 7 years for Rachel and had them both as his wife. Rachel proved to be barren while Leah bore him several sons. She named the first one Reuben meaning "See a Son", the second one she named Simeon, meaning "Heard", and the third she named Levi, meaning "attached". Clearly she had been trying to please Jacob by bearing him sons, but she seemed to change at this point and bore him a fourth son and named him Judah, meaning "Praise", and then she stopped bearing children. Her attempts at gaining Jacob's love never worked for her, which reminds me of some people's attempt by various religious "works" to please God, who already loves the whole world so much that He allowed His only begotten Son Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16).

 

We can do nothing to deserve or gain His love because He is love according to (1 John 4:8), and the word John used here for "love" is the Greek word [Agape] which always means a God kind of love, because "God is Agape". Because God is Agape, therefore all of His creation including every person whether they know it or not is loved by Him, and Jesus Christ His Son, our Lord and Savior is the door or entrance into a relationship with Him. (John 14:6) Bob Mumford points out in his teaching in "The Agape Road" that the 7 fold DNA of God consisting of 1/ Compassion, 2/ Grace, 3/ Slow to anger,

4/ Mercy, 5/ Truth, 6/ Faithfulness, 7/ Forgiveness, so we can rest assured that there is no such thing as being "second best" in His Church, which is the "Body of Christ". As long as you have made the choice to "believe by faith", accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and Father has adopted you into His Forever Family, you are part of His Family for Eternity!! That is certainly why the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is called "Good News"!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                             14/02/13

Secret Affairs

SECRET AFFAIRS (revised)

 

While recently reading again Jesus' "sermon on the mount", my attention was drawn to (Matt 5:27-30) where He addresses the topic of "adultery". He here compares the Old Covenant by first saying "You have heard it said----but I say to you----"then proceeds to list His interpretation of the topic at hand. In every case His words are stronger than the Old Covenant law. This made me think of the common practice of men viewing pornography today, which would be classed as "adultery", and I have read some statistics as high as 50-70 % of men in our churches regularly are involved. And under the OT the penalty for adultery was "death by stoning". And as I understand the penalty spelled out by Jesus, of losing an eye or a hand, is not a death sentence, it is still quite severe. It seems to me we would see a lot of men with one eye or one hand. How are we to deal with this present situation I wonder?  Thank God we live in the period of grace, when all sin can be forgiven because Jesus bore the sins of the whole world on the Cross of Calvary. Men need to be told that this is what God's Word demands, but because they are quite often Bible illiterates, because they don't read the Bible for themselves, or perhaps attend a church of some kind, that does not preach the pure gospel of the Kingdom of God, they simply don't know this.

But ignorance of the facts is no excuse, so unless these men are made aware of the truth of God's Word, they will all suffer the consequences.

 

Most people don't believe in a literal "hell", and we often hear expressions like "surely a Holy God wouldn't send a person to hell". And that is correct, God doesn't "send" anyone to hell, but because He is just and righteous, that is why He allowed His one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the debt we all owed. (Rom 3:23) and (Rom 6:23), but He leaves the choice to us. The choice is simple, chose eternal life in Christ, or don't chose Him and suffer the consequences of a wrong choice. The Bible is very clear on this point, there are only two choices, the right choice is "heaven" with Jesus, and the wrong choice is "hell" with the devil and his fallen angels. Hell was a place created for them, but because of people making the wrong choice either because of ignorance or rebellion, a lot of "good" people will end up there. Just imagine if you can, how out of place a known "sinner" would feel in heaven surrounded by millions of redeemed sinners praising Jesus along with millions of God's holy angels! I expect that is why our merciful God provided a special place for these people.

 Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                               23/04/12

The Beast Empires

THE BEAST EMPIRES

 

A careful study of world history will disclose that there was certain nation Empires that because of their hatred toward God's chosen people Israel over the years could be called "Beast Empires". That is the term that Robert Van Kampen chose to use in his book called "The Sign". Starting with Egypt, when a new Pharaoh came to power after the former one had welcomed Jacob and his family of 70+ souls to settle in a fertile section of the country called Goshen. Their family increased so rapidly that this new King was afraid they could become more numerous than the Egyptians, so he made them slaves, and their life became hard under bondage. We know from scripture that when they cried out to their God, He sent Moses to lead them out of bondage.

 

According to Van Kampen in chapters 6 and 7 of his book he lists a total of 8 beast empires starting with Egypt and ending with the rule of Antichrist as the eighth. On page 113 he gives a very interesting diagram showing these different Empires with their leaders. Number seven is not really identified but Nazi Germany under the leadership of Adolph Hitler and his attempt to exterminate the Jews would certainly be one possibility. The fact that this WW 2 happened just prior to the Nation of Israel being established back in their own land in 1948, and the demonic reign of Hitler and the holocaust he masterminded, all would lead to him as the most likely person in my opinion. In any event there has to be a seventh who received a fatal wound but who was restored to become the final Beast, (Rev 13:1-10)!

 

This is one of the more interesting parts of the "end times scenario" that Van Kampen includes in "The Sign". The main theme of his book would be how God is going to provide for Israel, His chosen people. As we know the enemy "Lucifer/Satan" has always been the avowed enemy of God since he was cast out of heaven long ago (Is 14: 12-23) and (Ezek 28:11-19). These 2 OT passages explain the very beginning of sin and wickedness that we see in our "Fallen World", and how our Creator will deal with this problem before He creates a "New Heaven and a New Earth" as described in (Rev 21:1-10). Our God who has always had a plan for this world way before He created this time and space world out of nothing, so to speak, will be sure to finish what He started. We who have a "relationship" with Him through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:6), have a glorious future to look forward to!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                                 30/08/14

Two Gardens

TWO GARDENS

 

The Scriptures mentions two gardens, Eden, and Gethsemane. We are told that the "Garden of Eden" was a special place prepared by God as a home for our first human and his wife, Adam and Eve. Read Genesis chapter two for the details. It seems that God's plan for His first family on earth was to have them multiply and populate the earth with humans created in the "Image of God", (Gen 1:27-28). But we know that God has had an enemy ever since the Arch Angel Lucifer had to be cast out of heaven because "the sin of pride" was found in him and he rebelled against his Creator. See (Isa 14:12-17) and (Ezek 28:11-17) for details. Lucifer chose to make his new home on our planet Earth, which is the only one created to sustain life. He goes by different names here as Satan, Devil, Destroyer, Deceiver, and Beast etc. Because he was cast out of heaven, he has been the avowed enemy of God ever since, and naturally the enemy of God's children. When he entered Eden as a "talking snake", which should have tipped off Adam and Eve, that something was wrong because normal snakes don't talk. Then he lied to them about God's instruction to not eat the fruit of "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" or else they would die. They believed his lie and disobeyed the command of God, and brought the curse of "sin and death" on all of creation. See chapter 3 of Genesis for the details of this original sin, and (Rom 5:12-21) for Paul's list of the consequences of this one sin.

 

As we know, God's plan to remedy this situation was for His only begotten Son Jesus to become a human by way of the "Virgin Birth" of Jesus through the womb of The Virgin Mary of Nazareth. She was a Jewish maiden who was especially chosen to be the natural mother of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. After his life on earth was nearly finished, we see Him praying in the "Garden of Gethsemane" (Mark 14:32-42), the night He was betrayed. Jesus was the one and only "God/Man", 100% God and 100% Man, and of course He knew what faced Him on the cross. So His humanity was crying to His Father "if it is possible take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done and not mine". Our eternal salvation all depended on that decision made that day be our Savior Jesus Christ. He suffered the unimaginable horrors of Calvary for us sinners, what are we willing to suffer for Him as His followers today?

 

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                                 12/09/15

The Army of God

THE ARMY OF GOD

A popular chorus back in the "charismatic renewal" days of the 60's and 70's, before some of you were born, came to mind last week and with it the following thoughts. First let me give you the words of this chorus. "God's got an army marching through the land Deliverance is their song, with healing in their hands Everlasting joy and gladness in their heart And in this army I've got a part."

 

I'm not so sure that God has ever had an army, in the true sense of the word. We could sing the songs and pretend that we were, but when it came to going into battle against the enemy forces, many people went "AWOL"(Absent Without Leave) in case you've never heard the term! Two of my brothers were involved in WW2, one in the RCAF, the other in the Merchant Marines. I was too young of course, but I heard lots of stories after the war ended with the celebrations of VE Day in 1945. I'm sure that God wants an "army" to do battle against His enemy Satan and his kingdom of darkness, but does such an army really exist? Consider what an army, or "armed forces", the more politically correct term used today, actually consist of. The methods of fighting a war have changed drastically since WW2, but the requirements for the armed forces involved has not changed much. Basic "boot camp" is still the starting point for new recruits, where they learn the difference between their old life as a civilian and their new life as a soldier. This includes, but is not limited to, learning to obey orders even if they don't make sense. Some day their life may depend on it! How many believers do you know that have learned to obey a command given by their leaders to do something that they don't understand the reason for? We live in a society that is very "independent", and accustomed to making our own decisions based on what is best for us, with no thought to how it might affect anyone else! This is definitely not allowed in an army setting. We must know our "superior officers", and obey their commands. One of the problems in the church today (who we consider to be God's army) is that they are not submitted to leadership who has been appointed by God to lead His people. We have more "self appointed" leaders today, or ones elected by a group of people, and not set in place by God. How can we consider this thing we call a church the "army of God"? How do you suppose God calls it? I expect He would use some other word, and perhaps we should too!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                              11/10/11

 

A Biblical Church

A BIBLICAL CHURCH

 

I recently put together an article that I called "THE NEAR PERFECT CHURCH", in contrast to what I have seen as a "false church" that we see around us today. I refer to it as being false because it in no way represents what Jesus had in mind when He used the word [ecclesia] in (Matt 16:18) to describe the Church He would build. Derek Prince has written a book that was published in 2006 called "Rediscovering God's Church", in which he explains in detail just what this Greek word really means. I would suggest you obtain a copy and read it if you are interested in knowing what I am now referring to by this word "Biblical Church". I suppose a more accurate definition of what I have been referring as a false church, would be to use "unbiblical church" instead. I never thought of this term until it was pointed out to me by a brother in the Lord. Because some people, who have been involved in what I have been calling the false church, may think I am "anti-church", which is far from the truth! I love the "Biblical Church" that Jesus has been in the process of building, but have no use for a so-called "church" that ordains  homosexuals, endorses so-called "same-sex marriages", and allows or promotes any type of behavior that the scripture forbids! So in the future I will change the words I use to define what type of "church" I am referring to. I will no longer use true and false, but will try to always use either "Biblical Church" or "unbiblical church" so anyone who reads an article I  put together will have no question about what I am referring to!

 

I confess to promoting some rather radical ideas as to how we should "do church", as we say, because I believe there is only "one way", and that is the way we see clearly from the scriptures. Since I started to understand scripture at "face value" a few years ago, as opposed to believing doctrines I have been taught by the various churches I have attended, scripture has taken on a completely different "value" to me. I now understand that much church doctrine has been established by well meaning men, who promoted certain teachings that were not really based wholly on scripture, but partly on their own theories, but were accepted as truth and gradually became "doctrines". I may be wrong, but that is the only way that makes sense to me! If anyone cares to discuss this with me I am open for correction or suggestions.

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                                                   17/11/11

 

 

 

Right Side Up

RIGHT-SIDE- UP

We often hear the expression that everything seems to be "upside down", when our piece of bread, spread with peanut butter falls on the floor, and lands with the buttered side down! Or if things don't work out like we think they should in our life situations. This is also the attitude we might take when we read scriptures like chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew, where the words of Jesus are recorded. This is commonly called His "Sermon on The Mount", which starts with the "Beatitudes" (Matt 5:3-11). This would apparently be the first recorded full message of Jesus, in which He was attempting to lay out God's expectation for how His Kingdom on earth should be lived. To the natural mind that has not been "born again", much of what Jesus said seems to be upside down too, and impossible for humans to do. And in the natural they are impossible, that's why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to replace Him on earth when He went back to heaven to be with the Father until the time of His second coming. In the gospel of John chapters 14, 15, and 16, Jesus explains to His followers what the Holy Spirit would do when He came. He would not only be "with them" as Jesus had been, but because He would be Spirit, He could also be "in them"! As the indwelling Spirit He can give us followers of Jesus the inside revelation, or understanding, of the scriptures He had inspired writers like Matthew or John to record.

 

So with the help of the indwelling Spirit, we can understand scriptures like the Sermon on the Mount, and see exactly what Jesus meant. He can make statements that seem to our natural mind as being upside down, to be turned "right side up"! This sermon by Jesus was His attempt to describe to us, who attempt to follow Him, guidelines to follow. We might consider them the bylaws, or regulations to govern our behavior, just like traffic laws govern the speed at which we can legally drive our vehicle. Because our Creator God is a God of perfection and absolute order, His Kingdom must have rules and regulations to govern it. And Jesus said we are to pray for this Kingdom which governs heaven, would come to earth. (Matt 6:10). If we are to see this happen, it stands to reason this must involve changes from the way we normally live our lives in this "fallen world". No human being enjoys change, because we are creatures of habit and resist change, even though we know we need it! That is why Jesus never told us it would be easy to be His followers, even though some other teachers today might!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                                              Revised 10/07/15

Summum Bonum

SUMMUM BONUM

 

This is a Latin phrase meaning "The highest good above which there is no other good". Or in other words, this is the ultimate word for "perfection". Bob Mumford uses it on page 30 in his book entitled "Nourishing the Seed" to identify the true meaning for the Greek word [Agape]. He has spent many years studying two Greek words [Agape] and [Eros], which resulted in his book called Agape Road, and the series of his teaching on this topic in 2000 which is available on CD's or DVD's. The interesting thing is that although these two words are nearly opposite in meaning, they are both translated into English as "love". This has caused considerable confusion in certain versions of the Bible, where some other Greek is used for love besides Agape. There are several other Greek words that also mean love, but thankfully Eros is not one of them, it is never used in the NT because of its meaning is really "Sensual" or "sexual" and from it came the word "Erotic" which is often used to describe many sinful activities. But Bob does an excellent job of explaining the difference between these words, both in the CD's and the DVD's, and later in his books "The Mysterious Seed" (2011) and "Nourishing the Seed" (2012). They are both excellent reads, and are laid out as a series of short daily readings, with 3 questions after each one.

 

So Bob says that Agape is definitely the highest possible thing that we can ever imagine, because "for God is Love [Agape]" (1 John 4:8). We know from many scripture passages in both the OT and the NT which define God as the Supreme Ruler of His Mighty Kingdom, often as a description of Himself by Himself. But because most of us have never lived in a nation that is ruled be a King, we really can't appreciate what that might be like. Most of us live in a Democracy or a Republic form of government where we have certain freedoms guaranteed by some charter or laws. But to be ruled by a supreme ruler who has complete authority over you, especially if he is a human "fallen" individual like ourselves would be a scary thing I would think. Thankfully our King is our Creator God, Father, Son, and Spirit, who has always existed as a loving family in complete unity! And He has adopted us into His family when we choose to receive him, and come to Him by "faith". See (John 3:16), and other scriptures like (John 14:6) plus many others in the Bible that reassure us that He loves with an "everlasting love" because after all, "He is Agape"!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                 19/03/13

 

The Careful Walk

THE CAREFUL WALK

 

This was the title of the devotional in ODB today, June 2, 2014 by Dave Branon. He based it on (Eph 5:15-21) which in the NLT version starts with the heading "Living by the Spirit's power". This passage from verse 15-21 gives us some wonderful advice from the Apostle Paul about how we should live our lives. Verse 15 starts with "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise". And 16 carries on with "Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days". I don't think anybody would disagree with that statement that we are living in evil days in this 21^st century. We see the results of it every day on the evening news broadcasts. But Paul doesn't leave us there, but goes on in verse 17 to say "Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do". This is probably where many people are today in their walk with the Lord!

 

Paul goes on in verse 18 to state one of the most important verses in all of scripture "Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit". The tense of the verb he uses for being filled in Greek is one that implies a "continuous action", in other words be continuously filled with the Spirit at all times. We hear a lot today about the need to receive the "Baptism with the Holy Spirit", once you are born again. And we know from (Acts 2:4) that the initial sign of being filled with the Spirit is to speak with tongues as He gives the ability. These tongues can be either "of men or of angels" (1 Cor 13:1), or in other words on the day of the original outpouring of the Spirit they were definitely "known tongues" of the 14 different nations listed in verses 7-11 of Acts chapter 2. Then in (1 Cor 14:2) we understand Paul explaining speaking in a "heavenly" tongue of angels, to communicate directly to our Father. So apparently there are 2 different types of tongues, one for communicating with people of a different nation, and the other a "prayer language" for use in communicating directly with God. Not everyone I have met in Pentecostal or Charismatic circles seem to understand this, and certain confusion has been the result. The fruit of this being constantly filled is given in verses 19-21. Notice that speaking in tongues is not mentioned, but things like "Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God". NKJV We certainly need the Holy Spirit infilling to do these last few things mentioned, especially "submission to others"!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                     03/06/14                                                                                 

Stop & Listen & Obey

STOP! & LISTEN & OBEY!

Back on July 6, 2012 Joe Stowell wrote the devotional thought for ODB based on (Ps 131:2) which reads "surely I have calmed and quieted my soul". I wonder how many followers of Jesus could truthfully say that today about their very busy and stressful lifestyle. I know it seems like there is no way to escape the pressure of the "information overload" that our high technological world of emails and smart phones etc. places on the average person, but stop and consider how Jesus handled the pressure He must have felt by times. He was often followed around from town to town by throngs of people looking to be healed by Him, and remember He was Divine but He was also human, the only God/Man who ever lived, and scripture tells us that He was "tempted in all points such as we", so He would know personally what His followers would face. Check out (Mark 6:31) to see how He handled the situation, where it is recorded that He said to His disciples "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile". If we claim to be His followers today don't you think the same advice would apply to us?

I think the same words that the Psalmist used in Psalm 131 that we quoted at the start of this article would certainly apply to us today, because it is part of His eternal Word. So how can the average follower of Jesus in this very busy world we live in, in this 21^st century cope? I would think that common sense should tell us, "The same way they did in the first century". It should be a "no brainer", all we have to do is stop and listen for the still small voice of His Holy Spirit, and then obey immediately what He says to us. That is one of the functions that Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would do when He came to earth to replace Jesus when He ascended to the Father after He had completed His task He was sent here to accomplish. (John 14:16-17). So it would appear to me that the first thing we should do when we feel overwhelmed by the pressures of our stressed out life is to simply follow the pattern laid down by our Lord. But of course that presupposes that you already know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and if you haven't yet done that, of course that is your first step. Just read (Eph 2:1-10) and follow the clear instructions given to us by Paul the apostle. Of course there is a maturing process to become a fully mature child of God, but the Holy Spirit will help you understand the Word of God as you faithfully read it!!

Sincerely submitted

Dave Jamer                              11/07/12                                                                                           11/07/12

The Church Awakening

THE CHURCH AWAKENING

 

This is the title of a book that both Dora and I have read since Christmas, it was written by Charles (Chuck) Swindoll in (2010), and is subtitled "An Urgent Call For Renewal". He starts with a quote from D. Martin Lloyd-Jones "When the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first". Dora read it first and kept telling me about parts that impressed her, so when she finished reading it I had a good understanding of what it contained, and breezed through it in a few days. It is a very challenging read, and I would certainly recommend it as a "must read" to anyone who is part of the Church that Jesus has been faithfully building for the last 2000 years. (Matt 16:18). He uses the word "erosion" to explain what has happened to the church over the years. He tells a story of how his grandfather showed him the truth about the effects of erosion, by driving a stake into the ground near his cottage that was located near a cliff overlooking a bay in Texas. They measured the exact distance from the stake to the edge of the cliff, and checked it each year to see how much the erosion had shortened the distance. Some years it would be only a few inches, but other years it could be a few feet, depending on the number of storms. He uses this truth very effectively to describe how the church can erode little by little from the "Truth" and not even be aware of it.

 

Here is a list of the contents by chapters, 1/ The Church: Let's Start Here, 2/ Challenges, Struggles, Solutions, Priorities, 3/ Distinctives of a Contagious Church,

4/ Worship: a Commitment----Not a War, 5/ What Must The Church Realize? 6/ How Should the Church React? 7/ The Church on a Long Drift, 8/ It's Time to Restore the Years, then The Conclusion, and Notes.

 

Probably chapters 3 and 4 might have been my personal favorites, but they were all very well written. Chuck is an experienced pastor and a proven church leader, having spent several years as president of Dallas Theological Seminary, before starting the church he still pastors today.

 

I found him to be very clear on where he sees how the church needs to change, in order to prevent the erosion he sees that is happening. But he does it in a very compassionate way because after a period of 10 years, he realized the church he had helped to start had already needed some correction, so he speaks the truth, but not in words that come across in a negative way. All in all, I believe any devoted follower of Jesus could certainly benefit from reading this book!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                   01/02/14                                                                                                              

 

The Catcher

THE CATCHER

 

This was the title of an article in Our Daily Bread this morning by Joe Stowell, one of my favorite authors, He tells of hearing a pastor at a funeral who had told about a trapeze artist who told about always having another person prepared to grab him from another trapeze bar in case he should miss his grip, and start to fall, this teammate could grab him and prevent him from falling to his death. They referred to this man as "The Catcher", and the pastor compared this man to the role of Jesus, and used the common scripture of (John 14:1-3) as his text. This scripture is often used at funerals to bring comfort to the family members. The Greek word that is sometimes translated as "mansions" in verse 2 is translated as "abode" or sometimes as "home" in verse 23 of the same chapter. Paul,  "the apostle to the Gentiles", when he wrote his letter to the church he had started in Ephesus, used this very same Greek word in (Eph 2:22), where it is translated as "dwelling" in the NLT version, or "abode" or "home" in others. Paul here is clearly referring to the "Church" that Jesus has been in the process of building for the past 2000 years.

 

This confusion that was caused by using "mansion" in this one instance has caused most people to believe Jesus is up in heaven building their idea of a personal luxury home for every "Christian". When it is very clear that this word refers to "His Church" that He is building, with the help of the Holy Spirit here on earth, that will be transported from heaven to earth someday. (Rev 21:1-3) The Holy Spirit was sent to earth to replace Jesus when He returned to the Father, after He had completed the work of "redemption". Now He is awaiting the Father's permission to return to earth at the proper time to receive His "Church/Bride", that is being prepared here on earth now. This true Church is composed of all "born again" sinners from every tribe, nation, and race, who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and been "adopted" by the Father into His Forever Family! So this title used by Joe in this short article, can indeed be used for Jesus in His role of "Savior", or as "The Catcher" to save His people from their sin. That makes me think of an old hymn called "He Hideth My Soul", and the first verse states "A Wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me". I remember one time in the hospital a few years ago when I was waiting for a transfusion after losing a lot of blood, early in the morning about 3:00 AM, and the enemy thought he had me, those words revived me!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                  14/03/12                                                                            

Seven Eros Giants

SEVEN EROS GIANTS.

 

These were first made known to me by Bob Mumford in his teaching called The Agape Road. In this teaching he points out the difference between the two Greek words [Agape] and [Eros] which are both translated into English by using the same word "love". But their actual meaning is nearly opposite from each other, this is a common problem with translations. Thank God for having His Word written in Hebrew and Greek which are both very accurate languages? Agape is used for God in (1 John 4:8), and is often referred to as "God's kind of love". On the other hand Eros is never used in the NT because it comes from Greek mythology and has a "sensual" or sometimes even a "sexual" context. The English word "erotic" comes from the same root. So Bob says that where Agape is a word that means "Giving" as in (John 3:16), the word Eros is a word that means "taking", as in a case of "rape" or a situation of "incest" in a family. That is why I say they are opposite in meaning, although we often use expressions like I "love" my "cat" my "car" and "God" or "pizza" and use the same word love. How crazy the English Language can be!!

 

Bob lists the seven things he called the Eros Giants, 1/ Look Good. 2/ Feel Good, 3/ Be right, 4/ Stay in control, 5/ Hidden agenda, 6/ Personal advantage, 7/ Remain undisturbed. Consider these 7 things carefully, and see how often we use one or more than one in our daily relationships with friends and family members, especially with our "spouses". No wonder that so many marriages end in "divorce"! If we expect to improve relationships we must give close attention to these "giants", that we all incorporate into our regular activities whether we realize it or not. Even once I heard about them and see what Bob means by their danger to relationships, I still have a hard time to wean myself off from using them.

 

But in reality this is simply a part of learning to "walk in the Spirit" as the apostle Paul exhorts us to do in (Gal 5:16-21) and in several other of his letters like Colossians or Ephesians. Actually there is much more involved in being a follower of Jesus than most of us were ever told. After many years of following Him I realize how much simple disciplining that I missed, because it was never offered as part of the programs of the churches I attended I guess, or else I slept through them!! How about you?

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                16/11/12                                                                       

 

Saint or Sinner

SAINT OR SINNER

We know from reading (2 Cor 5:17) that anyone who is "in Christ" is a new creation, and we know from (John 3:3) that this happens when a person is "born again" by the Spirit of God. By this act on our part of confessing our sinful condition and receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Savior from sin, we become "saints". Paul wrote several letters to groups of believers gathered together to form churches. He always extended his greeting to the "saints", or holy people, who resided in that city. In other words the believers, or followers of Jesus, were called saints. Because over the years the church has set certain people apart, and called then saints, usually long after they are dead, we have been confused about the true meaning of this term. We often hear well meaning believers refer to themselves as just a "sinner saved by grace", but this is not correct. If they are indeed saved, they are no longer a sinner, but a saint. Their true identity has been changed and their position before God can never be reversed. If and when a believer sins after being saved, they don't revert back to a sinner, they are merely a saint who has sinned. God has made provision for restoring such a one back into fellowship with Him. (1 John 1:9)

In the natural world around us we see beautiful butterflies, that were once ugly worms before they were supernaturally changed. Now a butterfly can land in a mud puddle and get wet and dirty, but they never revert back to a worm because of this mistake. As soon as they dry off they can fly again as usual. Neither does a saint revert back to a sinner because they fall into some form of sinful behavior after they are saved. By following the provision of God in His Word, they can be cleansed and restored. There has been much confusion in the church over this issue of a Christian sinning. Some say they are lost again, while others have maintained that they are eternally secure. I believe if we separate membership in God's family, from our position in His Kingdom, we have the answer to this debate. In other words our sinful behavior does not affect our position in the family of God, but it may affect our place in His Kingdom. In (1 Peter 1:3-4) we read about a "precious inheritance" which is being reserved in heaven for us! I believe this is our part in the Kingdom of God. A careful reading of (1 Cor 6:9-11), (Gal 5:19-21), and (Eph 5:3-5) will clearly show that this type of sinful behavior listed in these passages will affect a believer's place in the Eternal Kingdom. We enter God's family by means of the new birth, which is a gift of God's grace, but we are transferred into the Kingdom,(Col 1:13). If we are transferred in, we can be legislated out if necessary! Check these scriptures out for yourself. (Acts 17:11)

Sincerely submitted

Dave Jamer                                          24/04/12   

Jamer                                                   24/04/12

A Call To Comfort Others

A CALL TO COMFORT OTHERS

 

When we read (2 Cor 1:3-11) we see the Apostle Paul offering some good advice on how to express comfort and encouragement to anyone going through a time of loss. When we know someone who has recently endured the loss of a loved one through death, or some other tragedy, this is a good passage to turn to. Bible scholar W. E. Vine, who wrote "Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words", says the Greek word that is translated as "comfort" in this passage means "A calling to one's side". Paul uses this word several times in this passage, for example in verse 7 we read "We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us". So in other words when we take time to share in another person's suffering, we can also share in the comfort we both will receive from God, as Paul expresses it so well in verse 4. "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us".

 

I recently read a line someone had written, "God comforts us so that we can comfort others". And this is certainly a true statement that we find repeated often in scripture, because our God is defined by the Apostle John in his first letter (1 John 4:8) as [Agape] the Greek word for "love". Actually there are two Greek words that are both translated into English as love. They are [Agape] and [Eros] and have a completely different meaning, [Agape] is the word used for God, but [Eros] is used for sensual or erotic love, the word that the world uses to express love. Sometimes the word used to express the true meaning of Eros is taken from it and is "erotic". It is much used today in our sinful society, and shows the weakness of English as a language compared to either Hebrew or Greek.

 

Our God wants to comfort us in any trouble we might find ourselves in at times, because He loves us with His unending unconditional Agape love. And this is the kind of love and concern for others that He gives us once we become part of His Eternal family when we place our faith and trust in His Son Jesus Christ. When anyone who does this is "born again" as Jesus told Nicodemus he must be in (John 3:1-8). At that moment Father God adopts them into His family, and they become citizens of heaven, and a member of the "the Holy city, the New Jerusalem" that John saw coming down from heaven to earth as recorded in (Rev 21:1-4), our eternal home!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                              26/05/14

A Challenge

A CHALLENGE

I would like to issue a challenge to those believers in Jesus who have been taught that the return of Jesus to earth to receive His Church/Bride could happen at "any moment". This is a very popular belief that is known as the Pretribulation Rapture Theory, which had its roots back in 1832, when what has been often referred to as the "secret rapture" teaching began. This teaching was made popular by John Darby a popular Bible teacher, and later when Dr C.I.Scofield brought out his popular reference Bible in the early 1900's which declared that all of history could be divided into seven dispensations, then when the secret rapture teaching was combined with Dr Scofield's dispensational teaching, apparently the Pretribulation Rapture doctrine was born. So with that brief background, which can be checked out in church history records, here is my challenge. I hereby challenge you to check out three scripture passages, and study them carefully without depending on your preconceived ideas about when the timing of the rapture might be.

1/ (Matt 24:1-36) these were words spoken by Jesus to His disciples, in which He answered two questions they had put to Him. Pay special attention to "time words" like "then", "Immediately after" etc. which helps to follow the sequence. Remember these are the reported words of Jesus, which are definitely true!

2/ (2 Thess 2:1-17) these are words written by the apostle Paul to this church he had planted several years earlier. And like all scripture it is inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16). Notice how clearly he declares that Jesus can't return until after the "man of lawlessness" (the antichrist) makes his appearance!

3/ (Rev 13:1-10) these words are part of the description of the "antichrist" who will arise at some future date, given by Jesus to John in a vision. Notice some of the expressions he uses about this man being given "authority" to do the things he will do to God's "holy people", often referred to as "saints", or the "Elect". Who gives him this authority? We know from Jesus' statement recorded in (Matt 28:18) "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth". Could it be that Jesus will give him this authority in order to purify His Church, to make her ready for the rapture? This is the conclusion I have come to after many years of studying these and many other scriptures. What conclusion have you come to?

Sincerely submitted

Dave Jamer                                               25/04/12                                                                                         

A Cornerstone

A CORNERSTONE

 

A common practice in past centuries when constructing a public building like a city hall or library was to have a special stone carved from a permanent type of stone like marble or granite, to build in at the most prominent corner of the building. It was meant to be seen by all who visited that building. There was always a special celebration for the "cornerstone laying ceremony", involving city and political officials. There was always a special metal box containing items of interest of the day that they wanted preserved as a memorial that was built in the wall behind the cornerstone. In Paul's second letter to Timothy in (2 Tim 2:19) we read in the NLT "But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription 'the Lord knows those who are His', and 'All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil'". As you know a cornerstone has two sides exposed so it can be seen from both directions as long as the building stands! I consider that this simple statement by Paul should be given close attention by all followers of Jesus in our 21^st century. We know that "God's Truth" is a person, His only begotten Son Jesus, made clear by the apostle John in

(John 14:6), a scripture that we should all be aware of.

 

The critical question for us as followers of Jesus is simply how well are we showing forth to the world these two qualities that Paul mentions here? This is probably more important for men to consider, because they are often more exposed to the world in their daily activities than their wives. But these two things mentioned by Paul are equally critical for all to consider. So we must search our hearts continually, to make sure that every little closet or drawer that we all seem to have, where we place little odds and ends that we keep because we might find a use for them in the future, is not concealing articles that are not "pleasing to the Father"! I trust I am not the only guy who has these places, that he doesn't want his wife to clean up, because then he can never find things when he needs them! Right? Well it just might be that some things stored there that you are guarding from your wife's tendency to want to keep everything "in order", just might be items the Father is not pleased with either! We were all given the gift of the Holy Spirit when we received Jesus as Lord and Savior; He will help us in these areas if we ask Him to, according to His Word!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave  Jamer                                                                                                                         23/01/12

 

 

Wisdom Seekers

WISDOM SEEKERS

 

This was the title of an article in ODB today May 22, 2015 by Joe Stowell that caught my attention. He used (Prov 3:1-18) for his main thoughts,

and university students who are just graduating this time of the year with a head full of knowledge, but not the wisdom to put it to use. In (Prov 3:5-6) we read "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path   to take". NLT The key to success in life will be in wisely applying everything you have learned, in scripture this is called "wisdom", and we are told to seek after it. We read in verse 18 of Proverbs 3 "Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; (notice the female pronoun) happy are those who hold her tightly". It is interesting to note that wisdom as a noun in scripture is always referred to as a female, that is not meant to imply that the female gender is more important than the male gender, actually when women and men accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior they become one person spiritually "in Christ" (2Cor 5:17).

 

But scripture does have a lot to say about wisdom, for example read from (Rev 5:12) where John records hearing millions of angels "And they sang in a mighty chorus worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing". Then from Paul's letter to the Colossians we read (Col 1:15-20) about

"Christ is Supreme" in the NLT version, and in (Col 3:16-17) "Let the message about Christ, in all its riches, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving through Him to God the Father". There are lots more good passages about wisdom in the NT, but notice they are all about Jesus in one way or another. Jesus is the only begotten Son of Almighty God, who left heaven's splendor to become the only sinless

"God/Man" who was qualified to become "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", (John 1:29). Whenever we think of "wisdom", realize it is all possible for any of us as followers of Jesus because of what He did for us on the Cross of Calvary long ago. If you have not yet received Him as Lord and Savior I would suggest that you read (Eph 2:1-10) and follow the Apostle Paul's clear advice on how to be "born again" and become part of God's family!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                            22/05/15