CHURCH, Homeward Bound

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CHURCH, Homeward Bound         “WORTH CONSIDERING              2/1/23

On the web and in the news much is happening in the world as it heats up in selfish contentions to fight over power and stuff.   The Bible has a lot to tell us about today.   St. Paul writes about it from his day in 2 Tim.3:1-5.  And our Creator God tells us that what ever He is up to He is going to tell us about it prior to doing it.  Amos 3:7, “ Surely the Lord God does nothing [a] Without revealing His secret plan [of the judgment to come] To His servants the prophets.

So the question really concerns the CHURCH which began to be constructed by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2 and the Church began to be built in Love, Holiness & Power and looked like Jesus.   It began with a 120 disciples who were like Jesus and thousands game to Christ Jesus as LORD as the Love, Holiness and Power was so obvious.  So this began the building of one of the families of God.   The is an O.T. family that was like Enoch and another family in Noah, and another in Abraham, and another in Christ Jesus as HIS Bride/Wife and another from the Great Tribulation and the last to Bless Abraham in all of God’s Promises to be fulfilled as promised.  And there may be more that I don’t know about as the Prophets of the Bible focus on what we need to know to find our way into the Kingdom of God.   John the Baptist noted this in John 3:29, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this pleasure and joy of mine is now complete.   Note here the John considers himself to by the friend of the bridegroom and not the bride.  In Gen 12:3, “And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you (Israel). And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. (Jesus)”   Israel as also noted in Rev. 12 as the woman with 12 stars, tribes.  Also as noted by Moses in Gen.28:14. So my understanding is that the unique Church was conceived  at Pentecost and is born at the 1st resurrection ( 1 Cor.  15;20-57)  and prior to the beginning of the Great 7 year Tribulation.  And notice that this happens in the “twinkling” of an eye, or very quickly.

So there is no question as to as to the Church being resurrected very quickly but what about the time line.   Jesus warns us to be ready as we only get to go if we are ready and have our light on and shining bright, Matt.25.  But He told us that certain things would be in place and we would know when we are getting close.  So what are the signs of his return for HIS Church?

Apostle Paul tells us that the judgement starts as a time when the world is saying peace and safety.  So the snatching away of the Church as in the days of Noah, Matt.24:37-44 will be at a time of false peace and safety, 1 Thess. 5:3.   No time during the Great Tribulation of 7 yrs. will the world be peaceful.  In Rev. 4 & 5 apostle John is caught up into to heaven, like above, and views  the beauty and glory of Christ Jesus, this is  after the church age ending in 3 and it seems that Chapter 6 starts the Great Tribulation from a position of false peace, (White Horse.) And this begins the 7 years of the Wrath of God. But Matt 19:25, Mark 10:26, Rom. 5:9, & 1 Thess. 2:16 tell us that Jesus saves us from that Wrath.  So seems to me that the Church must be snatched away into heaven prior to the Great Tribulation.   And other scriptures to support that position as well.

In 2 Thess.2:5-9 St Paul writes: “5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him (antichrist) now [from being revealed]; it is so that he will be revealed at his own [appointed] time. For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he (Must be the Holy Spirit) who now restrains it is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming.  The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies].  So when the Holy Spirit is to be removed from earth then we as Christians go with HIM.  Eph. 4:30-31.  So the Holy Spirit came to conceive the church on Pentecost and when born it goes home in the first Resurrection, Rev. 20:6.. “Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) and holy is the person who takes part in the first resurrection; over these the second death [which is eternal separation from God, the lake of fire] has no power or authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with Him a thousand years.”  But those who miss this first Resurrection will fine themselves in 2 Thess.2:9, “ The coming of the [Antichrist, the lawless] one is through the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies], 10 and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not welcome the love of the truth [of the gospel] so as to be saved [they were spiritually blind, and rejected the truth that would have saved them]. 11 Because of this God will send upon them a misleading influence, [an activity of error and deception] so they will believe the lie, 12 in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe the truth [about their sin, and the need for salvation through Christ], but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness.”  So here we are to understand that those who know and have rejected the Truth of God, will not get a second chance to change their position.

Also Rev. 12 heads in that same direction,  if I understand it correctly: 12:1 Like Joseph’s dream,  the woman is Israel,   the child is Jesus, Verse 5, Jesus is caught up with the rod of iron (which is the Church).  And in verse 6 after 3 ½ yrs, then in 12:11, the Church, Rod of Iron, boots lucifer/satan and his minions out of the heaves to earth.  And in verse 14 we have the last half of the Great Tribulation of 3 ½ years and Armageddon  Rev. 12:17,  Rev.20:6  with the return of Jesus with the Church to create, on earth, the Kingdom of Christ Jesus as Lord for a thousand years.

At this point in time, it seems to me that the prophesies for the birth pains for the Church to jump to light speed are really on the head lines of our local news today.   I counted 15 prophesies that Jesus told us to watch for and they all seems to be happening at this time.  In fact in Matt. 24:22, Jesus tells us:  And if those days had not been cut short, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (God’s chosen ones) those days will be shortened. So you just might not wake up in your bed tomorrow?????  Just like today with all of the world destruction Nuke talk.  Seem we have made about 15,000 very powerful nuke’s that we are sitting on,  world wide.  Enough to kill all humanity many times over.   “So no human life left”, is a reality today like never before.

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful Grace & Mercy,   Ken<>< www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE Church of Christ Jesus as LORD on planet earth;
And all who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.

TRUTH, HUMILITY & OBEDIENCE

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TRUTH, HUMILITY & OBEDIENCE   “WORTH CONSIDERING”   1/27/23

The Holy Spirit has been encouraging me to do some exercise each day and listen to a CD of the Old Testament.   I don’t like my little exercise bike and the O.T. for me, seems a little boring but today the Holy Spirit told me, it was not an option.   That I know the Truth and in humility I  need to become obedient so HE can bless me.   So I have been fighting about it and keeping busy with other things, but it just does not go away.   So today I got on the bike, it was really not that bad and tonight will listen to the O.T. before I go to sleep.   Already starting to feel lighter.   So I thought about tonight’s Bible Fellowship?   I wonder how many of you go through the same thing and find out that what God want’s you to do is really not as difficult as it is made out to be.  Seems the enemy has his foot on the scales and tries to make what ever the Holy Sprite is encouraging us to do for our own Spiritual Growth and development.  What does that add to me? A very needed OBEDIENCE FACTOR.    You think our Creator God is going to turn a lot of self centered, what about me, disobedient folks into HIS perfect Kingdom of Heaven????   Think Again. God’s Heaven is secure,  Nevo hapin,   as my Japanese friend use to say to me in 1950 in Japan.   He was a little short on English, but got his point across.  He was great in taking me to unique places in Japan.  Obedience in the AMP comes up 45 times in the O.T. and 32 times in the N.T. so rather important.  Starts off with Able, goes through Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many others in bringing us to Jesus who gives us the absolute perfect example concerning obedience even to a very painful death on a cross of Rome.   And our Creator God, sets Jesus before us as to how HE wants us to become.

In Hebrews, the writer (Paul, I think) shares with us:   “Although He was a Son [who had never been disobedient to the Father], He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered.” Heb. 5:8 and again, “Then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” [And so] He does away with the first [covenant as a means of atoning for sin based on animal sacrifices] so that He may inaugurate and establish the second [covenant by means of obedience].  Heb. 10:9
And share about the obedience of Abraham in Heb. 11:10 and of Moses in Heb 11:26.   So we see that Faith, Humility and Obedience as being a major part of our Sanctification process of being made in the image and likeness of God, Gen.1:26.   So our will is either a part of the problem or part of the cure.   And as for me personally, even when I deeply know the Truth I also deeply need the help of the Grace (power) of God in the Holy Spirit to get the changes done.   Paul really nails it in Romans 8, the whole chapter but especially Rom. 8:10-18,   “If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides]. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.  12 So then, [a] brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]— 13 for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever. 14 For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as children [the Spirit producing adoption] by which we [joyfully] cry, “[b] Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. 17 And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.  18 For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!”

According to Jesus, our placement in eternal life is based upon believing in God’s Truth. God’s Truth is everywhere, Romans 1:17–22. Isaiah 28: 9–20 tells us that God’s Truth is line upon line and precept upon precept. So in order find and know God’s Truth we need to search through HIS prophets, in context and grow in HIS truth and become sanctified and like HIM. The big problem is not in finding HIS truth but in avoiding the lies and the poisons of this world. So pure faith is a growth in God’s Truth in humility and obedience. But if you find God’s Truth and don’t walk it out you may become stuck in the mud of this world so badly that you could easily miss the next. God is creating an eternal family that loves HIM and each other and that wants to be like HIM. All others, need not apply. Interested? Read John, Acts & Romans, especially Romans 10:9–10 in the Amplified Bible

Quora, Question:   What is the predestination controversy?   
Some folks believe they are the way they are as God made them that way,  like homosexuals and as do many Christians.  But they edit out the word foreknowledge in Romans 8:29.  In other words,  from GOD’S dimension HE foreknew the future before it happened in our dimension.  HE knew that I would be writing this note at this time before the first bit of HIS energy became an atom.  But all through the Bible man is totally responsible in Free Will for his actions and will be judged accordingly.  It is obvious that we were not created to be a bunch of robots and what kind of a family would that make.  And True Love would not even exist as love must have Free Will to be valid.  And Revelation 22:14–23 would be invalid if we were predestined without God’s foreknowledge only confirming our personal decisions.  If alive, you have the right to decide to live in God’s Light in Christ Jesus with a new body or deepest darkness for eternity without a body.  Your soul is eternal either way.  To not believe in the Bible is also a personal choice.  As for me,  I believe it to be valid for faith and practice.

Quora Question:    What is the best way to respond to someone who says they will never waver in their faith, no matter what happens?   Good, if built on stone, but if on sand it will wash away when God’s flood of Truth find it.  Isa. 28: 9–20,  Matthew 7:24–26,  1 Cor.3:11–15.  Even many so called Christians are living on sand as they have a selected emotional truths for themselves as a “Progressive Gospel” and their faith is built on an edited edition of God’s truth.  Our Creator God is seeking to invest HIS Love, Holiness & Power into our lives if we are truly the disciples of Christ Jesus.  St. Paul tells us that if there is no power,  we are building on sand,  2 Tim.3:5.   But it is up to us to want God’s Truth and to seek God’s help in securing it for our lives.  Romans 1:18-20

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful Grace & Mercy,    Ken<><    www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE CHURCH of Christ Jesus as LORD on earth;
And all who Love, Honor and Obey HIM are eternal members.

WORD OF GOD

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WORD OF GOD         “WORTH CONSIDERING            1/26/23

“Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever.   1 John 2:15-17

SO HOW DO WE KNOW THE WILL OF GOD>?
The Bible,   Hebrews 11,   Faith or Fear (as both the same) brings to pass what you have faith or fear for. Our Creator God holds all creation together by HIS faith. It is HIS faith that holds the electron to the neutron and proton in an atom as the electron travels far to fast to be held otherwise. Our Creator God is intent in teaching us how to live by faith as well, if we will allow HIM to. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Want more faith, spend more time learning about faith from the Prophets of God. Be blessed in your quest and be it unto you according to your faith IN THE WORD OF GOD.  (It is in the context that we find His Truth.)

We are now living in a world full of fear, and like Job noted in Job: ““For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me,  And that of which I am afraid has come upon me. “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, and yet trouble still comes [upon me].”  (In other words Job was doing all he knew to do to prevent it in fear but it happened anyway,  Job 3:25.)

Look at today’s NEWS:
Finland Ponders Joining NATO Without Sweden After Koran Burning Angers Turkey
Finland says it may join the NATO military alliance without Sweden as Turkey blocks Swedish membership, citing a Koran burning by far-right activists and pro-Kurdish protests in Stockholm.
US Sending 31 Tanks To Ukraine; Germany Over 100   U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the United States would send 31 powerful Abrams tanks – the equivalent of one battalion – to Ukraine.  Chinese military jets and naval vessels enter Taiwanese space amid concerns of invasion in 2027 Days after Taiwan’s foreign minister said he believes China may invade Taiwan in 2027, the country’s Ministry of Defense announced that Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels again trespassed into Taiwanese air and sea space early on Wednesday.
Russian frigate tests hypersonic missiles with nearly 600-mile strike capacity Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that its frigate Admiral Gorshkov has successfully tested Zircon anti-ship hypersonic missiles that have a range of over 560 miles, i24NEWS reports. Much harder to track and intercept than traditional projectiles, hypersonic missiles can travel more than five times the speed of sound and maneuver in mid-flight.  Scotland: Convicted male rapist may serve time in women’s jail after claims he is transitioning to female A 31 year-old Scottish man convicted yesterday of raping two women may serve his sentence in a women’s prison because he claims that, since being charged with the sex attacks in Glasgow, Scotland, he has become a trans woman, the Daily Mail reports.

So not much faith for our future in the World’s News Today  
So if we are interested in seeing a move of the Holy Spirit it will be because we fill our hearts and minds with positive faith as Jesus Taught and not as the world or the so called church teaches today, 2 Tim. 3:5.  So lets take time here to consider what Christ Jesus taught.  There are 598 verses of scripture in the Holy Bible on Faith, so plenty of context and 418 of them in the New Testament.  So let us consider a few of what Jesus taught: When we have it right, we will see Jesus in His great love healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out demons as usual.

“For I also am a man subject to authority [of a higher rank], with soldiers subject to me; and I say to one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following Him, “I tell you truthfully, I have not found such great faith [as this] with anyone in Israel. 11 I say to you that many [Gentiles] will come from east and west, and will sit down [to feast at the table, and enjoy God’s promises] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven [because they accepted Me as Lord], Matt. 8:9-11.   Read the whole account from Matt.8:5,
“But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.” And at once the woman was [completely] healed.”
Matt. 9:22
“And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.”  Matt. 10:38,   Matt. 16:24
“Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.”
Matt. 15:28
“He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matt.17:20
“So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming.”  Matt. 24:42
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’
Matt. 25:21
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. 2 For by this [kind of] faith the [a] men of old gained [divine] approval.   By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God ] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.   Heb. 11:1-3

Yours, in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy,    Ken<><   www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE Church of Christ Jesus as LORD on earth;
All who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.

REVIVAL

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REVIVAL    “WORTH CONSIDERING”          1/23/23

This Morning from George Baltimore:
Walk in His righteousness! Romans 5:17-19 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Are you righteous? If you are truly a believer in the Lord, then you HAVE received His gift of righteousness! Righteousness is a gift we receive when we come into saving faith. Righteousness is not something we earn, but rather it’s a gift to be received from our Messiah! According to this passage, you have received the gift of righteousness through Him. Not because we have kept the “law” or lived a holy life. It can’t be bought with money, or earned through self-effort, or by doing “religious” works. It’s a gift!   And in His free gift of righteousness, we have right standing with God! When you walk in His righteousness and make Jesus your LORD (Master), then you can approach His throne boldly – expecting the Lord to answer! The devil would love to bring up your sins and keep you bound thinking you can’t come to the Lord, however the Scripture is clear, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!” [1 John 1:9]    Don’t let the enemy bind you in sin – but claim fresh and anew today His gift of righteousness, approach His throne with boldness, and expect the Lord to answer – because you are walking in His gift of righteousness!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
From:  George Baltimore, Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com&gt;        1/16/23 <b94ae97bb66e693a4850359ec.0f484aa80e.20230116101446.97c157f546.acd93a9f@mail129.sea71.mcsv.net&gt;    (World  news from a Christian view point.)    More concerning “Blackout Day.”
https://darkagedefender.com/watch/taliban?id=97824061&affid=333&cid=1107&s1=rickdarkage0118&s2=&s3=&s4=&s5=

Ken’s Notes: The understanding of God’s gift of righteousness  brought me into salvation  4/28/55 as being guided through 1 Cor.3:11-15 with Floyd  Ayers when I was at 23 working in the Eng. Dept. of the City of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA. and supporting a wife and 1 & ½ kids.  The truth of that message totally changed my life, which deeply needed changing.  But the predestination concept can make  us into robots.  Our Creator’s absolute foreknowledge needs to also  be considered in the equation. (Rom.8:29.)  Love can not exist outside of free will.  Our loving Creator God has invited us to join HIM in HIS eternal Kingdom as HIS elect, ( Rev. 22:17)  , if we are up for it,  and are willing to repent and to make the needed changes to become like HIM,  Rom. 8:13.)   So predestination is totally illogical,  how could a just and loving God ever judge for doing what was programed by HIM to do?  Atheism is also illogical as you must know all about everything we were to KNOW that something does not exist.  Our eternal soul, at the present time,  is locked into a temporary body in a temporary time dimension and we only know about in part,  1 Cor. 13:12.  Our Creator is not going to allow the puss of rebellion and pride on earth loose to mess up the rest of HIS creation.  Look what pride and rebellion has done to this planet.

Hindrances To Revival
We cannot emphasize too strongly our conviction that all hindrances to revival in the Church are due to sin! The appalling fact is that every sin found without the Church is found also within the Church although perhaps to a lesser degree.   It is sin in individual Church members, whether at home or on the foreign field, which grieves and quenches the Holy Spirit! I imagine that we would lose much of our self-righteousness if we were to find that pride, jealousy, envy, greed, bad temper, backbiting, gossip, talebearing, and all their kindred are just as heinous in God’s sight as the so-called grosser sins.     All sin in the believer, of whatever kind, mars the redemptive work of Christ. The filth and blood guiltiness of the churches can only be swept away by the Spirit of Judgment, and the Spirit of Burning.     In view of the prominence that is given to confession of sin in this article, perhaps I ought to make plain my own views on the subject.   We have a strong feeling that sins committed before conversion are under the blood of God’s Son and never should be confessed.  To do so is to bring dishonor upon Christ’s Calvary sacrifice.     We believe that as regards secret sin, that is sin which is only known to the individual soul and God, to confess it at the private altar is, as a rule, sufficient to ensure pardon and cleansing. Yet there are times when secret acknowledgment of secret sin is not sufficient and public confession is the only way to secure relief…   As to sin against an individual, the Scriptures are quite plain.  “Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matt. 5:22,24).     It is vain for us to pray while conscious that we have injured another. Let us first make amends to the injured one before we dare approach God at either private or public altar.   I am confident revival would break out in most churches if this was done. Then again, as regards public sins, experience has shown us that those can only be swept away by public confession.  True, this amounts to crucifixion; but by our willful disobedience,  we have put the Lord of Glory to open shame, and it is the price we must be willing to pay if we are to see revival sweeping through our churches.  ~Jonathan Goforth.

So if we really want to see the Holy Spirit bring a full revival it will need to start some where.  Why not with you?   Like to experience God’s supernatural Joy?  Then we are going to need to go by HIS rules and commandments for it to happen.  The Holy Spirit can not confirm traditional lies of vanity, hypocrisy nor lies of any kind and bring a powerful revival into existence as it would only end in becoming a basket of rotten fruit in no time at all.  Sometimes sin is obvious and sometimes sin is traditional vanity (pride) and not clearly seen.   Sometimes it is just being stupid and untrained.   But sin always ends in pain.   It never deliverers the Love, Joy & Peace as promised.  We are being given the opportunity to get ready to jump to light speed and to live with our Creator.  But we need to be willing to make Jesus LORD and change to become like HIM, it is up to us.  But the decision that we make while on earth is eternal to live in Light with our Creator or to live in absolute darkness for eternity as an eternal soul without a body.  Think about it, no body for eternity but with a perfect recording of every thing done or said and opportunities lost to replay for eternity. As for me,  I want to enjoy a full on God Powerful, Holy Spirit Revival one more time prior to graduating.

Yours, in HIS great Love and Wonderful Grace and Mercy, Ken<>< www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE Church of Christ Jesus as LORD;
All who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.

GOSPEL

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GOSPEL   (Good News)       “WORTH CONSIDERING”       1/6/23

Question?  How can I know if I am truly saved? How can I know my faith is genuine?

When you wake up in the morning who is the boss, you or is Christ Jesus. Do you try to find out what the Holy Spirit would like for you to do or do you just do your own thing?  Do you know what Christ Jesus has commanded of you in the New Testament or not. He has tried to guide us into HIS freedom with over a thousand commandments, have you bothered to find them? Salvation has a beginning when we make Christ Jesus our LORD, Rom. 10:9–10, and decide to follow HIM rather than the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life we inherited from Adam’s pride and rebellion. If this is your prime directive, regardless of the ups and downs you are saved. 1 John. 1:9–10. Salvation is a process, “He that endures (in faith) till the end, shall be saved. Matt. 24:13, Mark 13:13, 2 Tim.4:8. Our Creator God has the power to make us like HIM, Gen.1:26, but he will not violate our Free-Will to do so. HE needs our permission each and every day for that to happen, 1 John 4:17, But we can jump the fence at any time we want to. Without Free-Will, LOVE can never be valid, we would only be robots. Our Creator God wants to create a family in HIS image and likeness. There will be no jails in God’s eternity. Only souls who  want to walk in loving faith and righteousness will be invited, Rev. 22
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Sharing your faith,
Looking for God’s  light in someone and recognizing the light in everyone is totally different.  Jesus taught that straight and narrow was the way into HIS Kingdom and only a few would find it.  In John 3 Jesus taught that we were  all born dead spiritually and need a new birth from above which only can come through HIM.  So from my point of view I need to have a loving tolerance for everyone and the very best way to get rid of an enemy is to make a friend out of him.  But for those who love the darkness after the first and second or even 3rd try, if they will have none of the light,  go do something more profitable for the Kingdom even if family.  As far as personal safety,  I try to trust the LORD and be fearless in HIM.  As far as my family is concerned for their protection, I will do all I can to keep them safe.  The commandment that was translated  not to kill really means murder.  “Thou shalt not murder.”  In fact on the mount of olives Jesus told Peter to buy a sword,  Luke 22:36.  So personally,  I feel the Quakers go a notch too far in their tolerance. I was a “friends” church member for a season.  But if you enjoy the light of the Holy Spirit it gets brighter as it is shared  in lifting up Jesus as LORD.  If you can not find it in the Bible then you are probably following a vain (prideful, man-made) tradition that will not work and has little or no power, Acts 5:16, 2 Tim.3:5.

At one time the Angels had free will as we do as spiritual beings.. Lucifer was a perfect creation by our Creator God as also Gabriel and Michael.   Lucifer, as the covering (overseer) Angel for earth, decided to keep earth for himself and become a god,  Isaiah 14:12–21 & Ezek. 28:12–19, So Lucifer did as Adam would also do later.    And in God’s absolute foreknowledge,  our Creator God has also allowed us that same testing of pride and rebellion.   Gabriel and Michael made an eternal choice to go with their Creator God along with 2/3rds of the Angels.  So our Creator gained 2/3rds of HIS Spiritual Angelic Creation.    In order for love to exist there must be free will and the decision is final and eternal for us as it was for the Angels. So the Angles are created to assist God and us as we seek to walk in God’s Truth. In the AMP Translation,  Angel is mentioned 333 times in using Bible Gateway.    In Heb.1:4 Jesus is shown to be above the Angels. And as we are invited to be in Him and become Joint Heirs ( Rom.8:17, Eph. 3:6 ) which would put the obedient also in the same place with Jesus.   So the obedient Angels are created to assist us as we go through the test of our faith in becoming like Jesus.  And the disobedient angels, (now demons) are allowed now,  to be the weights in our spiritual gym to give the resistance needed to make us strong in Christ Jesus as LORD. So it is our decision with God’s grace (power) that draws us into the Kingdom of God to become like Jesus, 1 John 4:17. And as long as we are alive we will be in this spiritual gym that either makes us strong to live with God or sends us off into a black eternity without a body. We have an eternal soul, we are created spiritually to live forever. The choice of where, while alive, is up to us. Only those who decide to love God will be given a new eternal body. This is, of course, a Biblical, Christian perspective. Think about it,  living totally with your own thoughts and memories without a body in total darkness for eternity.   I would not want my worst enemy to experience that ordeal.
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So the Christians Disciples of Jesus are commanded to evangelize.  Psalm 107:2,   “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His compassion and loving kindness endure forever!  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,   And gathered them from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the [a] south.    Rev. 22:17,   “The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, believers) say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take and drink the water of life without cost.   Matt. 28:19,   “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” John 17:20-26,   “I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message,  that they all may be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe [without any doubt] that You sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one, just as We are one;  I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected and completed into one, so that the world may know [without any doubt] that You sent Me, and [that You] have loved them,

Yours, in HIS great love,  Ken<><      www.OhanaChurch.Life    
(Have other Questions? check the search engine on the “Worth Considering” link at the bottom of the Homepage.)

There is but ONE Church of Christ Jesus as LORD;
All who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.

IMAGE OF GOD

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IMAGE OF GOD, Gen.1:26           “WORTH CONSIDERING”        1/3/23

From:   Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com&gt;   George Baltimore

Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek was king of Salem, kohen (priest) of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,

Hebrews 7:7 Now it is beyond dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater.

Our life, the life of faith, is pervaded by paradox. Life faces us with apparently irreconcilable conditions and realities which we struggle to understand and integrate, sometimes throughout an entire lifetime. The Lord himself exemplifies this reality in his dual identity as the express image of God and Jesus, a fully human male, who suffered the worst consequences of sin…without deserving them. We live daily within the paradox of God’s perfect holiness and our fundamental human imperfection, needing constantly to accept His grace as we strive toward His perfection.

Much of the life of faith is learning to abide in love and peace within our paradoxical existence, and Yeshua gave us His Holy Spirit to make it possible. He also offered us a pile of “paradoxical” advice exhorting us to behave or respond opposite to human nature. You want to be great in the Kingdom? Become a servant to all. An enemy strikes your left cheek? Turn to him the right one. Overcome evil with good. There are many of these if you look for them, and they begin to describe a lifestyle which distinguishes a true believer in ever increasing uniqueness.

This passage in Hebrews reveals that Melchizedek blessed Abraham, according to this principle: the lesser is blessed by the greater. Given the greatness of Abraham, we might be surprised to discover the dimension of Melchizedek’s status. His name means “My King is Righteousness”, suggesting that he is a type of Messiah, and quite (paradoxically) qualified to bless the father of faith.

This paradoxical life, perplexing, frustrating, tempting, tormenting as it is, incites most of us to react badly in one way or another, producing endless cycles of revenge, hatred, retribution, and remorse. But God, who is the greatest of all, blesses us who are “lesser”. And He also invites us to the greatness of blessing…our neighbors, our children, even our enemies. The temptation of paradox is overcome by the opportunity to bless. It’s a way of God whose life and heart are full of blessing. If we desire to be like Him, increasing in stature and overcoming evil, we’ll seek the Spirit’s power to bless others.  Our life, the life of faith, is pervaded by paradox. Life faces us with apparently irreconcilable conditions and realities which we struggle to understand and integrate, sometimes throughout an entire lifetime. The Lord himself exemplifies this reality in his dual identity as the express image of God and a fully human male, who suffered the worst consequences of sin…without deserving them. We live daily within the paradox of God’s perfect holiness and our fundamental human imperfection, needing constantly to accept His grace as we strive toward His perfection.

Much of the life of faith is learning to abide in love and peace within our paradoxical existence, and Yeshua gave us His Holy Spirit to make it possible. He also offered us a pile of “paradoxical” advice exhorting us to behave or respond opposite to human nature. You want to be great in the Kingdom? Become a servant to all. An enemy strikes your left cheek? Turn to him the right one. Overcome evil with good. There are many of these if you look for them, and they begin to describe a lifestyle which distinguishes a true believer in ever increasing uniqueness.

This passage in Hebrews reveals that Melchizedek blessed Abraham, according to this principle: the lesser is blessed by the greater. Given the greatness of Abraham, we might be surprised to discover the dimension of Melchizedek’s status. His name means “My King is Righteousness”, suggesting that he is a type of Messiah, and quite (paradoxically) qualified to bless the father of faith.

This paradoxical life, perplexing, frustrating, tempting, tormenting as it is, incites most of us to react badly in one way or another, producing endless cycles of revenge, hatred, retribution, and remorse. But God, who is the greatest of all, blesses us who are “lesser”. And He also invites us to the greatness of blessing…our neighbors, our children, even our enemies. The temptation of paradox is overcome by the opportunity to bless. It’s a way of God whose life and heart are full of blessing. If we desire to be like Him, increasing in stature and overcoming evil, we’ll seek the Spirit’s power to bless others.

Ken’s remarks,
George said it so well that I don’t think I could have said it any better.   Personally, every day I am leaning on God’s wonderful loving securing grace.   I am so prone to react to things in the flesh.  And need to remember, “Except for the grace of God, there go I.”   One of my great grand children now living with me, the 3 yr. old by the name of “Rain” gives me the most need of God’s Grace.  She knows exactly how to rain on my parade.    She will test me at every opportunity to match her will with mine.  I have yet to spank her, though I have permission, as I know that I will be binding her a bunch and don’t want to break her.  I remember spanking a puppy once and it destroyed her.  She was never the same after that.  And I also know that to spare the rod is to hate the child.  But then a Great Grand Child?   Really don’t want to end in a negative outcome.   You know the saying, “Troublesome two’s and Terrible Three’s”.  Well that is the idea, and then she comes over and gives me a big hug…  And we start all over.   Her little brother Noah, not one yet, when he sees me come crawling at 90+MPH to climb up my leg and sit only my lap and try to eat my suspenders.   It is like I am back in the 1960’s again with my 7 kinds getting to learn more about God’s Grace of what I should have learned back then.

So I would suspect that if you are at a place where God has told you to do something and you have yet to do it that you will be recycling on that same spot, over and over,  until you learn what God has for you to learn there by HIS grace.   HE is absolutely committed to teaching you to learn to walk in the HOLY Spirit.  Rom. 8:13, “.for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.  14 For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons (children) of God.

Yours, in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy, Ken<><   www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE Church of Christ Jesus as LORD;
And all who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.

TIME

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TIME            “WORTH CONSIDERING”           12/30/22

In just 1 day now we will be saying Good Bye to 2022.   Being born in 1932, a big surprise for me to still be in the land of the living.  But enjoying every moment of it with my great grand children. (Got a bunch of fireworks for tomorrow night) & still being able to write to you.  It is amazing how fast my life has gone by.  And considering that my soul is eternal, my life is just getting started.  Actually I was 23 when the Holy Spirit really got my attention.  It has been a bumpy road for me.  But at this time it seems very  clear and straight.   And it all started with repentance.  The following came in from a church in Texas and felt worth sending along for your 2023 celebrations.   

Today’s Scripture:    On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”  Jonah 3:4, NLT
    
Don’t Miss Your Moment:   God told the prophet Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh that in forty days He was going to destroy their wicked city. God put a time period on it. He was saying, “You have forty days to get your lives right.” He didn’t say, “Whenever you feel like it is okay, just as long as you do it.” When Jonah told the people, they and their king immediately confessed their sorrow and declared a fast of repentance. They didn’t wait a week or twenty days, and God spared the city.  Is there something you could change in the next forty days, and you would see God’s favor in a new way? Maybe God is saying, “You have this much time to get your priorities in order, to forgive that person, or to get serious about your relationship with Me.” I don’t know what it is for you, but there’s a window of grace that doesn’t last forever. It comes with a time limitation. Don’t miss your moment. Be quick to obey.
    
A Prayer for Today:  “Father, thank You for how You speak to my heart and for giving me windows of grace that help me change and see Your favor in new ways. Help me to be sensitive to Your still, small voice and hear any alarms, promptings, and suggestions, and to be quick to obey. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Ken’s Thoughts:
TIME is only a temporary dimension in creation.   Our Creator God lives in a dimension without time.   But for us to be able to learn about love and free-will without destroying the universe we have been placed in a small capsule of time.  So each of us has a built in clock for our life time created in the foreknowledge of God.  In eternity God already knows who will be HIS “Elect”, but in time we don’t know,   1 Cor. 13.   Our Creator God has allowed for our life in this temporary dimension of time to exist for 7,000. of our years in which to birth HIS eternal family.  We are now about 6,000 years into the completion.  When Jesus returns at Armageddon the world will have the last 1,000 yr. Sabbath Rest of the LORD left to complete the week of thousand years.  This will also be the time when all of the promises of God to Abraham are totally fulfilled.  2 Peter 3:8.

But for us, God gives us 120 years ( Gen.6:3 ) If we use it wisely and do the proper maintenance. But if we through stupidity or rebellion or pride cut our time short by being stupid.   And of course others can also, due to free-will, shorten the of others in so many ways today.   If you watch films, we learn how to terminate others in so many various ways today.   Almost seems like an obsession.  Like the crowds of Rome going to the Colosseum only it is right in our own homes and living rooms.  
So what is our Creator God’s plan for us down here to learn in our short life time.  Basically it is for us to learn to want to go for the light and not the darkness.  To find, learn and submit to HIS commandments so in eternity there will be a loving peace and joyful obedience as a God family. There will be no jails nor bathrooms nor night in God’s Heavens.  So in our life time on earth we are in the process of learning to live with our Creator God and to make the jump to light speed or we are absorbed into being self centered and submitted to the physical pleasures of this world.

So each day we are either learning and submitting on how to live in eternity with God or we are being deceived in seeking after the temporary physical pleasures of this world like we were going to live forever.   So in actuality this world is set up to either make you fit to spiritually live in eternity with God.  Or this world will lead you into an eternity of absolute darkness all by yourself alone.  Personally I would hate to see anyone go into that darkness alone for all of eternity.   I was shopping in Costco yesterday and people were like water flowing in all directions, old and young and I was praying, Lord Jesus, teach me how to reach them.   And in my heart HE said learn to do what I did from the sources that I had and you can do what I did and even more than I did.   So I need to go through the O.T. and see what HE was talking about.   But I know that it was God’s Power through HIM that caused the people to come to HIM for God’s Truth.   And if we can learn to do as HE did we too can draw the multitudes to HIM as in Acts 5:16.   Our problem is knowing the difference between man made vain traditions of the churches and the simple powerful truth of God as found in the Holy Scriptures of God’s word.  When we get it right then the Holy Spirit will then be free to confirm what we teach with God’s Power in mighty signs and wonders.   In 1 Cor. 12 we note that the Body of Christ has many parts.  And then there is also the Unity factor of John 17:20-26.

So if we really want to enjoy seeing the glory of Christ Jesus among us to draw others into the image and likeness of God it is going to cost us all we have as He also set the example.   Jesus taught: “And Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves.”  John 6:53   And in John 14:21 Jesus taught:  “The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him”  Also in John15:10 “If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.”    And our Adamic nature is going to cry out against this concept all the way.  I have yet to find anyone who has made a personal list of the commandments of Christ Jesus?  Of course we could start with the Decalogue of the big 10 except Jesus excluded the Sabbath Rest, which He fulfilled.   My search came up with 1,050 New Testament Commandments of Jesus under 49 Basic subjects.  So please find and Obey HIS commandments if really a Christian and want to begin to experience God’s loving healing and deliverance in your short life time.  Want to experience God?   Dump the vain traditions,  find and obey the Word of God.    https://www.commchbj.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/49-Commands-of-Christ.pdf

Yours, in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy,   Ken<><   www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE Church of Christ Jesus as LORD on earth.
and all who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.

PERFECTION

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PERFECTION               “WORTH CONSIDERING”             12/26/22

Pretty much we are taught that nothing is perfect, yet we use the word a lot.  Used 103 times in the Bible, 34 in the Old Testament and 69 times in the New Testament.    The word perfection is used 14 times in the Old Testament and 8 times in the New testament.

And in Gen. 1:26 the word is implied.  As God is perfect, then to make man in HIS Image and Likeness would mean God’s original vision for man would be perfection.   For me, it is interesting that Jesus was the first to be perfected and come to be in the image and likeness of God.  “Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [ rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God]. Rom.5:11.  Col. 1:19,  
The writer of Hebrews (Paul I believe) had this to say about perfection:   “Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of teaching about washings (ritual purification’s), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.] 3 And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.  Heb. 6:1-3      Peter says it this way:   “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  1 Peter 2::9-10

And we clearly see Perfection as being God’s plan for those who are HIS.   “and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 And this, so that I may know Him [experimentally, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did];  [a] so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead.”       “Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on [b] so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. [c] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature [pursuing spiritual perfection] should have this attitude. And if in any respect you have a different attitude, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us stay true to what we have already attained.  Brothers and sisters, together follow my example and observe those who live by the pattern we gave you.  Phil. 3:9-17

So how come our churches don’t preach this and we have such a difficult time doing it?   So let’s look at it sort of like an archery contest.  When you practiced for the contest did you aim at the side of the target or the center of the target.  With enough practice you learn to hit what you are aiming at.  So for Christian, what is the center of the target?   If course it is Jesus or the Holy Spirit if you are a Christian.   If you are a just a church member or a social christian then it does not matter as your name may not have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, as yet, anyway.   As was lucifer (as prior to his defection) he was even made perfect. Ezekiel 28:12, “You had the full measure of perfection and the finishing touch [of completeness], Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. And due to free will,  chose badly, lost out.  And the same with Adam, he was made in the image and likeness of God, but chose poorly, lost out.  We also if we choose poorly can loose out as in Rom.11:20-21, “ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by your faith [as believers understanding the truth of Christ’s deity]. Do not be conceited, but [rather stand in great awe of God and] fear [Him]; for if God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], He will not spare you either.”  This goes right along with 2 Pet. 1:4, “For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature.

So we see that the more we find and believe in the Precious Promises (2 Pet.1:4) of God the more like God that we become.   And the more of the world that we believe in, the more like the world we become.  It is a battlefield of the heart but we have the Victory as per Paul in Romans.   “What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? 32 He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]. 34 Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. Who shall ever separate us from the love of [d] Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 Just as it is written and forever remains written, “For Your sake we are put to death all day long;  We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.”  37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. 38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:31-39……   “ In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world.  1 John 4:17

Yours, In HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy, Ken<><   www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE Church of Christ Jesus as LORD;
And all who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.

 
A good Christian World Wide News Source:
George Baltimore:   Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com&gt;

JESUS BIRTHDAY, 2022

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Celebration of Jesus’ Birthday, 2022    “WORTH CONSIDERING”       12/21/22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMgxfkwZL4k        (Please play while reading)
It is amazing to me that the whole world celebrates the Birth of Jesus Christ even if it is all mixed up with vain traditions and tinsel and round glass balls, Christmas Trees and lights and such.   The Season in some parts of the world has nothing at all to do with the Birth of the Lamb of God into the World for the Salvation of Sinners.  And actually Bethlehem, Israel will be down to about 44 degrees F. on the 25th with no good grass on the meadows for feeding any sheep in the fields by night.   But so what if we really don’t know the exact day Jesus was born.  Fact is, HE was born and we can get saved from our sin.  Even in Japan which is less than 2% Christian, there is a big turn out our Western Season of gift giving.   Now is the opportunity to share Jesus as LORD & SAVIOR more than any other opportunity of the year.   Seems to me that everyone should get a good dose of Charles Dickinson’s “Christmas Carol”   About now and go out and find a Tiny Tim to help.

And as for Santa,   So What?  It is not up to me to make the world change.  It is up to me to help the world find Jesus and to use what I can to focus on HIS kingdom which is not of this world.  My parents were social Christian but when the Christmas season came they knew how to flow with the season and family.   Most of my Christmases as a child were during the Great Depression and so every one knew how to make the Indian ride the Buffalo.  (To hold on to a nickle so tight that the Indian on one side ride the buffalo on the other side of the coin.)   So I usually got a sock with an orange in it with some whole nuts and small hard candy in it and one main present.  And something that would make my head work and give my hands something to do.   Tinker Toys, Erector Sets, Play Dough.   But we always sat by an open fire place in the evening and drank hot chocolate and cooked popcorn over an open fire and read: “Twas the Night Before Christmas” Moore   Https://www.teachervision.com/christmas/twas-the-night-before-christmas-full-text-of-the-classic-poem    Of course it was all traditional junk, but there was a certain feeling out of it that I really liked as a kid and later on that little light got me to Jesus and HIS salvation.   So in your pride don’t put out the little lights but simply add what fuel you can to make the little flames become the fire of God in hearts to serve the King of Kings and LORD of LORDS with all you have which, by the way,  is the first of the Ten Commandments.

So of that light, what do I remember.   First memories were of family Love,  joy and peace where everyone was focused on the season.   I remember making vanilla ice cream out of snow, vanilla , cream and sugar.   I remember finding a Christmas tree in the fence line of Picketts’s Farm next door and getting my little hatchet at 8 or 9 and very carefully cutting that tree down and removing it’s branches from that clutching rusty fence.   Then dragging it home in the snow as proud as punch.  My dad opened the door from me and that beat up sorry looking Christmas tree, and gave me the appropriate hugs and thanks.   And then Mr. Pickett’s knock on the door with his hand out for $5 for that junk of a tree.   Dad paid and smiled,   don’t remember seeing that tree again after that…  But any other time and it would have been my hide.  I remember the toys and the stuff back over the seasons of my life and through all of the dark clouds I still remember the touch of God’s Love through my family which was reserved for this time of the year with Mary and Jesus on every corner as a boy and with little understanding at all.  So it seems rather than being smug about knowing better, it would be to the LORD’S Joy that we gave ourselves to Love, Peace & Joy of the Season and as much as we can try to help the light and fire even burn brighter and more full of Jesus Truth and HIS joy of life. 

So find some one to give an extra bit of special love to that can not be returned to you.   And this is a perfect opportunity to use some of my own advice.   It is so easy to say Bah Humbug! and be like Scrooge in the Christmas Carol because I can think,  “I am just too old and caught up with my own stuff.  After all who knows exactly when Jesus was born, anyway ?”   And/or that it is so full of pagan stuff is just too offensive to my weak faith to endure.   Now I an not suggesting that you go get one of those plastic green things called a Christmas Tree or such.   But neither burn them ether.   Just allow the Love, Peace and Joy of Jesus to flow during this season in which so many doors are open.   I have been upset with Spectrum for many years now.  But talked to a young man there, this morning and the Love, Joy of the season was obvious and the Lord’s peace came into the conversation and I was set free from being upset with Spectrum…  P.T.L.   And there are others on my list that I need to let go of and let the flow of Jesus wash me totally clean.  Listening to the above Christmas Carols as I write and deeply feeling HIS presence that all that our Creator God wants to give us comes through repentance to make room for HIM, and then to Love, Honor and come to Obey HIM as really our  LORD….  The hymn just came on “Fairest Lord Jesus” And when I was about 12 my Aunt Tilly,  dressed me up and had me sing that hymn for her woman’s club at church.  I really did not enjoy the experience at the time, pants were way too short.  But that hymn has been a great friend to me every time I hear or sing it and is full of love and Jesus..  So much of what we do or go through today may not be comfortable now but by and by, when the filters are removed it will bring us great joy.   I can remember another season when I was very lonely on Christmas at a military academy and on a back porch of the mess hall where I was a paid waiter.  I thought I was alone and was singing “Silent Night” And someone mentioned near by, “What a lovely voice.”  It made me cry as I needed love so badly at the time.  I was not a Christian but could feel the draw of the Holy Spirit.   Many times in my life I have felt HIS touch and it is so worth going for.  There is so much freedom in HIS loving Truth & Light,   seems there is no end to it.  Why has it taken me so very long to come to this place?   I pray that the Love, Joy and Peace of the Lord that I send with this little note makes this season of HIS birth remembrance more real for you and yours.       Yours,   in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy,   Ken<><   www.OhanaChurch.Life

FREE WILL 2

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FREE WILL             “WORTH CONSIDERING”                         12/19/2022

Free-will: A voluntary choice or decision, (I do this of my own free-will.)  2.  Freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes of by divine intervention.

So in the Bible does God have free-will, it would certainly seem so.  So when God created the angels, it sure looks that way as well.  Ezekiel records though prophesy in Ezek.18:15 that it seems that lucifer also had free will and influenced a third of the heavenly angles to follow him into pride and rebellion.  He had been appointed the anointed cherub that was watching over what God was creating on earth. (verse 14)  And so he decided he wanted to have earth for his own possession.  And as the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, lucifer thought that he could steal it. (Rom. 11:29.)  But lucifer underestimated God and God gained the totally an undivided support of Gabriel and Michael along with providing the resistance that we would need in order to have a fast spiritual growth factor in our creation.  Free-will is the necessary factor for love, humility and obedience to be real and valid.  Otherwise we would just be  robots following a program.  God’s original purpose was to make man in his image and likeness, Gen.1:26.  God would like to be a Father to a family of children that love and obey HIM because they want to.  Of course to test that free-will there was a (NO!) Tree in the garden with all of the other YES trees.   That tree was left for lucifer..  Free-will is not functional without choices.  So as the story goes, Adam and Eve allowed pride and rebellion to take root in their heart and they were disobedient and spiritually died as Jesus shares with us in John 3:16. But in the fall of man, he was also left with a promise of redemption in learning to walk by faith.

And for this training in humility and obedience to be without any manipulation there must be no empirical  knowledge of GOD at all.  God wants every soul that decides to want to be in HIS image and likeness to decide so out of their own free-will.  In that way God’s heaven and family will be full of souls who really want to be there. and bring joy and peace with them, no jails in heaven..  Of course Jesus was also tested  even with horror and a very painful death HE never allowed pride or rebellion to make HIM disobedient..  So HE was the 1st one to make it through and make a way for all interested to submit to HIM as LORD and bring them with HIM into the Kingdom of God.

So we also need to learn how to hear God’s voice and keep his covenants: Derek Prince: does an exceptional teaching about this…  Derek was/is as anointed  prophet of God.   I had a very painful broken tail bone healed under his ministry.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU1GK-ta510  

So today the darkness is getting darker, for sure.   But the light is getting brighter, for sure.   And though we have inherited Adam’s fleshly impulses, Rom.8:13-14,   “For if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever. 14 For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

So every day was are experiencing a spiritual gym where it either kills us or makes us stronger spiritually.  And where we end up at our graduation (death) is where we will spend your eternity, as we are an eternal soul in a temporary body at this time. So about rewards:  1 Cor. 3:10-15.   According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work. 14 If any person’s work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward. 15 But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.

So Jesus is the Stone of Isaiah 28:16,   “Listen carefully, I am laying in Zion a Stone, a tested Stone,  A precious Cornerstone for the [secure] foundation, firmly placed.  He who believes [who trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone] will not [b] be disturbed or give way [in sudden panic].”    So it is up to you to set Jesus as LORD in your life and begin a spiritual relationship with HIM.  Then out of love for HIM what you do for HIM will be rewarded by God.  In fact you will only be able to keep what you do send ahead.  The thief on the cross is a good example of God’s loving grace.  He never was able to do a thing, not even get baptized.  Yet he confessed his sins, submitted to Jesus as LORD and believed in the resurrection and got in to God’s Kingdom that very same day.  And Jesus said, simply, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  So God honored the faith of the thief as righteousness and Jesus brought him home.  The Thief,  in the very last few moments of his life, exercised his free will to repent, believe in the resurrection and make Jesus LORD and was saved.   Of course death sometimes is unexpected so best not to wait and perhaps hardened by this world.   And also best to send some stuff on ahead for the Glory of The King and to enjoy in eternity

Looking for a real relationship with Jesus through the HOLY Spirit.  Want to walk in God’s Kingdom of Love, Holiness and Power?  You are going to need to toss out all of the vain (prideful) religious traditions that we believe in that have no Biblical support what so ever.  The church today is harmless and comfortable.   The Early Church was exciting, powerful, (2 Tim.3:5) & even dangerous.  Look what happened to some folks that only were a little hypocritical by today’s standards, Acts 5 & 1 Cor. 11:17-21.  In 1 John 4:17 we are clearly shown what a Christian is supposed to be like:   “ In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love]. 19 We love, because [a] He first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates (works against) his [Christian] brother he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him.”

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful Grace & Mercy.   Ken<><    www.OhanaChurch.Life

There is but ONE Church on earth with Jesus as LORD;
And all who Love, Honor & Obey HIM are eternal members.