Thought for the Day – What Do You Do?

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:48 (KJV)

What does one do when the Scriptures say something different than what we have been taught? We have been taught all our lives that our church fathers and church traditions are as inspired as God’s words so we must obey what the church says in order to be “saved.”

The Bible, however, says differently. Jesus’ own words in John 12:48 say that God’s word, the Scriptures, will be what shall judge us in the last day. Jesus’ words, recorded in the Bible, will be what is used. Just as the laws of the land judge a criminal, so will the Scriptures judge each one of us.

So put aside religious affiliation for just a moment and read what God says in His word about this topic. We all know that God is not capable of lying, but man is.

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Romans 3:4 (KJV)

Since God is incapable of lying, it stands to reason that His word contains the truth. We are to obey His word – above any words of man.

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29 (KJV)

If man says, “I have found ancient documentation which says we must follow church traditions” but yet church tradition contradicts God’s word. How is a person suppose to handle this? Will church tradition and church fathers be the ones to judge us come Judgment Day? John 14:28 says that we are going to be judged by God’s word, not man’s words or traditions. Therefore, if tradition contradicts Scripture, it stands to reason we would obey the truth found in Scripture.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? Gal 3:1 (KJV)

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? Gal 5:7 (KJV)

Paul had the same problem with the Galatians. Those wishing to follow traditions were leading others astray. Paul exhorted them to get back on track and obey the truth of God’s word! It’s important, friend! It will make all the difference in whether you heed what you have been taught all your life or heed God’s word. How important is God’s word?

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Psalms 138:2 (KJV)

God magnifies His word above His own name! How important is that??? Is it any wonder God’s word is attacked today? It is the word of God that cleanses us – it leads us to salvation in Jesus Christ! (Psalm 119:9) The born-again Christian keeps himself clean by heeding God’s word! We set ourselves apart by heeding God’s word.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. John 17:17-19 (KJV)

Is it any wonder that the devil would distract mankind with religion? It is not religion that saves. It is Jesus Christ (John 14:6) that saves – it is His word that we must obey – it is according to His word that we will be judged. Wouldn’t you rather obey God rather than man so that you are certain rather than obey traditional religion and not know for certain? (1 John 5:13)

The Family Bible

Old Brother Higgins built a shelf
for the family bible to rest itself
lest a sticky finger or grimy thumb
might injure the delicate pages some.
He cautioned his children to touch it not
and it rested there with never a blot
though the Higgins tribe were a troublesome lot.

His neighbor, Miggins, built a shelf
“Come children,” he said, “and help yourself.”
His book is old and ragged and worn,
with some of the choicest pages torn,
where children have fingered and thumbed and read.
But of the Miggins tribe I’ve heard it said,
each carries a bible in his head.

~Author Unknown

Reading the Word of God

This was written by Pastor Mike Walls – I hope this is a blessing to you. Our spiritual walk revolves around reading the Word of God!

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Nehemiah 8:3-4

Introduction: Before getting into the message, a little background is needed. These people had just returned to the land of Israel after seventy years of captivity in Babylon. They had not had the opportunity to read or even hear the Word of God read to them in all those years. Ezra the scribe read the Word of God for three hours. Some people would think that was really boring. But these people were starved for it. When he opened the Bible, the people stood and continued to stand during the entire reading.

The person who can read has a much better opportunity of knowing and understanding the Word of God than a person who has to take the word of another of that is what the Bible says. You can hear it but what you get from the Bible is fresher than what you are giving from the Bible.

Reading the Word of God is a very important part of communicating God’s word to God’s people. Public scripture reading was a regular part of the worship services in Israel and in the early church. In fact, in the account of Jesus going to the synagogue, He is given the scriptures to read aloud. It was His way to announce the commencement or beginning of His ministry.

In the day in which we live, we are blessed above all people in history. Not only does most people know how to read but there is enough copies of the Bible available so that everyone may have a personal copy.

Today I want to give you some suggestions to aid you in receiving the greatest benefit from reading the Bible. Let me suggest before going much farther that you get a pen or pencil and a small notebook to write down you questions. There are no dumb questions especially when you sincerely want to learn the Bible.

1. Read your Bible prayerfully. You have the Holy Spirit to meet your heart’s need as you read. Psalm 119:18

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”
John 16:13

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
This is very true if you have been saved for a short period of time. You don’t know all you need but the Lord knows and can guide you if you ask for the help.

Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

2. Read your Bible thoughtfully. Think about the meaning and propositions of what you are reading. It is not the speed of your reading or how much you read that counts. It counts that you read and want to know more and more about the Bible. As you learn more about the Bible, you will find out that you know more about the Lord.

3. Read your Bible carefully. Take careful note not only the words that are used but also how they relate to one another. Let me show you a verse and see how this works.

Ephesians 3:20
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”

What does this mean? There are several key words. First key word and without it, this verse would mean nothing. It is the word “Him”. Without Jesus we would be nothing. Actually we would be like the zero with O rubbed out. The next key word is “do”. To think that our Saviour is able to do and will do is joy unspeakable. Then we see two words that relate to each other. They are “exceeding abundantly”. This means it is beyond we could ask or even think. Our God can do this. For my wife, son and Miss Amber and if Pastor Jose was here, at the beginning of the year, I chose this verse as our verse for this year. Nothing in my wildest dreams could even believe that this many people would get saved and see growth in people’s lives is a fulfillment of this verse.

4. Read your Bible repeatedly. It helps to read the passage over and over again. You could do this for a month. You will be surprised what you will see each time when you have the Holy Spirit teaching you. If you are reading a short book of just a few chapters, read it daily. Larger books break down in manageable portions. Take the book of John. It has twenty-one chapters. You could read three chapters a day and you would be able to read it four times in a month.

5. Read your Bible extensively. Sometimes it is of great help to read or even listen to large portions of the Word of God at one time. This does take planning. Do it a time when you are least likely to be disturbed during your reading. This is one of the reasons why I get up early in the morning. I can read and pray without bothering or being disturbed by my family or the telephone or the cats.

6. Read your Bible habitually. It will help you to have a regular time every day when you habitually read your Bible. Most of us don’t have a driving discipline to do something regularly. So this helps be disciplined to start our life as a believer right.

7. Read your Bible faithfully. There may be days that you fail to read your Bible. Don’t let this lapse discourage you. Restart again and try to be faithful. No one I have ever known started walking and never fell. In fact they fell a lot and restarted. But as far as I can tell, everyone walked in today. Why? They picked themselves up and walked as a young child and have continued. God will bless your faithfulness.

8. Read your Bible obediently. Why? The Bible was written to you. It is essential to obey when it speaks to you.

Conclusion: Let me end with some suggestions that will make your Bible time more enjoyable. Don’t make reading something you have to do just for the sake of reading your Bible. That makes it a chore. After a while, chores is dreaded and put off. Read your Bible with an anticipation that God is going to speak to you through His word.

Start with books of the Bible that will help you. As a new believer, the book of John will help you. I suggest that you make this book a must read for several months. Why? Within its pages is great words like “believe”, “love”, “eternal or everlasting life”. It is a book that Jesus dealt with many individuals.

Another great book of the Bible to read regularly is the book of Proverbs. It will deal with some sins that you may have and cannot seem to shake. These can be anger, lying, pride and so forth. This book has a habit to be very much to the point.

Reading your Bible must be a joy. If you approach it that way, you will be surprised to how much you can learn in one year’s time. Let me encourage you to start tomorrow in your new journey.
Don’t be afraid to write down your questions and ask one of us that have been saved for a while. As I said earlier, there are no dumb questions when someone sincerely wants to know the Word of God. I have been saved for over thirty-six years and still have questions. Finding the answers is easier now but I still enjoy learning it. This Bible is timeless and you will never learn it all. But it is fun trying.

Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
jmichaelwalls@juno.com
Isaiah 41:10

How Serious is Your Faith?

Is your faith based on religious beliefs or on a real relationship with God? Is God just God to you or is He your Heavenly Father – your Abba Daddy? As you read today’s Psalm, does it mean something to you or is it just dry reading? To the true born-again believer, these words are like gold – they are precious and full of meat. The born-again believer reads, studies, gleans and applies God’s Word to his life. Is this true of you, dear catholic?

~Psalm 1:1-6 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (1) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (2) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (3) The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. (4) Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. (5) For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (6)

Examine your own heart, my friend. Can you sit here truthfully and say that you meditate in God’s Word and you delight in it? Or have you allowed your religious leaders to guide and direct you? How do you know what they teach you is from God’s Word? How can you be certain? Do you double check to make sure?

~Nehemiah 9:34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

How can one be certain that he is being taught the truth? You can’t just “hope” that you are being taught the truth, my friend. You, alone, will be held responsible for your own spiritual condition.

~Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

What would seem right to a man as it relates to his spiritual condition? I believe that this means that a man’s religion seems right to him but God warns that his religion is the way of death.

What is religion according to God’s Word? The word “religion” is only used five times in the Bible. The number five represents grace in God’s Word. How appropriate it is that God’s grace saves us from religion!

~Acts 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

~Galatians 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

~Galatians 1:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

~James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

~James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Wow! Even Paul, being in the strictest sect of Judaism (a Pharisee) considered his religion wrong. Surely the Pharisee fulfilled James 1:26-27! However, something was different in this born-again “religion.”

Do you keep yourself unspotted from the world? How can one possibly do this? In the flesh, one cannot. As an unsaved person, one cannot fulfill James 1:27 because he is dependent upon his own works to do so. For example, as a catholic I fulfilled visiting the fatherless and widows but that did not save me. Why not? Because I also did not keep myself unspotted from the world. I did as the world and then went to confession. These were my own works and they did not bring peace. I was depending on myself, not on Christ’s complete work on the cross!

The Word has all that we need to guide and instruct us, my friend.

~Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

The born-again believer desires God’s Word so that he may learn and grow spiritually. This desire draws him closer to God.

~James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

As a catholic, I was desirous to grow close to God. However, the way that I was taught to do so only drove me further from God. What was I doing wrong? I was not cleansing myself through the Word. I was double minded in my religious beliefs. I believed what the catholic church taught me but I never once opened the Bible to find out whether these teachings were of God. God will teach us. God will “spank” us when we are doing wrong. We do not need the penances of the catholic church.

~Psalm 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

The catholic church has made God’s law void. They want the poor catholic members to rely on the church rather than rely on God’s Word.

~Psalm 119:126 It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.

The Bible promises that God’s Words will not go out void, however. That is why I have dedicated my life to this blog so I can reach the dear catholic who has depended on his church to save him.

~Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

My friend, God’s Word is never ending. He has not left us to our own devices. He has provided us truth in the Bible. He has provided us instruction in righteousness and truth. Christ, the Word of God, has given Himself for us. He removes all doubt – He removes all debt – He replaces it with eternal life!

~Psalm 119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

Turn to the Bible today and read it. Let Christ show you salvation as He intended it to be. God wants to set you apart from the world. He wants you to be different. He wants you to be born-again, not the words spoken when you were baptized as a baby. Born-again is a newness of life – no longer following after the works of darkness. Search the Scriptures whether these things be so, dear catholic!

~John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Rejoicing in God’s Word…

Where do you stand as it relates to God? As a catholic, can you say that you can read your Bible and walk away with the same spiritual satisfaction as David did? You can, you know. Read these precious verses from Psalm 119. Note David’s heart,

~Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

~Psalm 119:164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

~Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

David loved God’s Word like someone who had found a precious treasure! Is God’s Word a treasure to you? Do you treasure God’s Word in the same manner as David? When you open your Bible, do you turn each page believing that what you are about to read is worth more than a treasure? If not, why not?

David praised God seven times a day because God’s judgments are righteous. Everything that God does is holy and righteous. He provided a holy and righteous Son to take on our death penalty, my friend. Jesus Christ is our Saviour – He alone provides complete and total salvation. It is no wonder that David wrote the 165th verse! The person who loves God’s Word to this extreme will have great peace and there will be nothing that will cause them to stumble because they have the Word to guide them.

~Psalm 119:102-105 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. (102) How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (103) Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. (104) NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (105)

So dear catholic, can you say you live by these verses? Do you let God’s Word teach you or man’s words? If you are the same kind of catholic I was, I dare you say you don’t. If you are the same king of catholic I was, you don’t even open your Bible but you depend on your priest to interpret the Scriptures for you.   It is not man that will teach you without error but you can totally depend on God to teach you without error! The catholic church has its members convinced that only the priest can accurately interpret the Word of God. But David was not a priest yet he penned these verses. David was not a priest yet he had God’s heart according to Acts 13:22. David was not a priest yet God taught him (~Psalm 119:102), God’s Words were like honey to him (~Psalm 119:103), God’s Words gave David understanding (~Psalm 119:104), and God’s Words gave David clear direction (~Psalm 119:105)!

If you are the typical catholic, as I was, these words are like a foreign language to you. They are foreign because you choose to listen to a priest instead of opening the Bible and reading for yourself. What harm can come to you if you read your Bible? If the catholic church is the same today as it was when I was a member, you are told not to read the Bible yourself because you will misinterpret it. God says differently in Psalms, doesn’t He?

How very sad indeed! Christ desires for us to have this kind of relationship right here – right now – this very moment – on this earth! Won’t you open your Bible and read? The Holy Spirit of God will enlighten you if you do!

What are the Traditions of Men?

The catholic church and its leaders will be accountable to God for much. Most of catholic beliefs stem from the traditions of men – but they call it sacred tradition. There is nothing sacred about contradicting what God has said in His Word. In fact, the Bible calls it blasphemy!

~Matthew 23:23-24 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (23) Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. (24)

Romanism is famous for straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. The poor catholic is bombarded with sacraments, prayers, penances, indulgences, traditions, catechism, etc. but their leaders are just as lost as they are. They pray the rosary and much words but yet never speak to God.

~Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

The Word of God is the whole law – it brings judgment upon us and reveals our sin to us – it shows us the mercy of God and His salvation to us – and shows us how to be saved, through faith and that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast!

Does this not sound like the catholics picked up exactly what the Jews/Pharisees were doing? Romanism has its members wrapped up in doing just that.

~Galatians 1:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

~Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

~Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

~Matthew 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

~Mark 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

~Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

~Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

~Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

~Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Peter himself encouraged the believers to do as the prophets had done and to search diligently for themselves and not to take the word of mere man.

~1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

~1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

~1 Peter 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

~1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

~1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

~1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

~1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

~1 Peter 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

~1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

~1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

~1 Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

~1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

If Peter was the first pope as the catholics proclaim, why would he encourage the believer to be “in the Word” and to search things out and to obey those who followed after the Word and not after the traditions of men? What Peter exhorts the believer to do here is totally in contradiction to what the catholic church claims.

How can you follow after a church that teaches so many things that are contrary to what God’s Word says? Where do you draw the line?

The Anvil of God’s Word

The Anvil of God’s Word

Last eve I paused beside a blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

“How many anvils have you had,” said I,
“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”
“Just one,” said he, and then, with twinkling eye,
“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed–the hammers gone.
–John Clifford

What is in a book?

Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read. ~Isaiah 34:16

God gave His Word to man so that we may seek Him and find salvation within its pages. The religions of man will add to and take away from God’s Word – they also state that traditions are equal to in importance as the Word of God.

What does God say in the matter? His Word is so important to God that He spoke of it 130 times. The word Bible is not in the Bible but the word book is. The Greek word for Bible is “a book.” It can be found from the first Book of Genesis all the way through to the last Book of Revelation. God did not leave us without a way to find Him. He breathed His Word onto every page and left it in written form so that His creation could find Him and find the salvation that He freely provided as a gift to us.

I pray that you will take the time to read these verses and let them speak to your heart. May your eyes be open that God speaks to us through His Word and we do have His Word today in a preserved state. For a topic to be so important to Him so as to mention “the book” in 130 verses, it stands to reason that He would protect it from destruction and the corruptions of man. The Creator of the universe is quite capable of preserving His Word through the ages.

Why list all 130 verses? Because the Word is that important!

~Gen 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

~Exo 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

~Num 21:14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

~Deu 28:61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

~Jos 8:31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

~Jos 8:34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.

~Jos 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

~Jos 23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

~Jos 24:26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.

~2Sa 1:18 ~Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.

~1Ki 11:41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

~1Ki 14:19 And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

~1Ki 14:29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~1Ki 15:7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

~1Ki 15:23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

~1Ki 15:31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~1Ki 16:5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~1Ki 16:14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~1Ki 16:20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~1Ki 16:27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~1Ki 22:39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~1Ki 22:45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 1:18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~2Ki 8:23 And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 10:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~2Ki 12:19 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 13:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~2Ki 13:12 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~2Ki 14:6 But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

~2Ki 14:15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~2Ki 14:18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 14:28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~2Ki 15:6 And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 15:11 And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

~2Ki 15:15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

~2Ki 15:21 And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

~2Ki 15:26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

~2Ki 15:31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

~2Ki 15:36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 16:19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 20:20 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 21:17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 21:25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 22:8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

~2Ki 22:11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

~2Ki 22:16 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

~2Ki 23:2 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

~2Ki 23:21 And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

~2Ki 23:24 Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

~2Ki 23:28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~2Ki 24:5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

~1Ch 9:1 So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and, behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.

~1Ch 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,

~2Ch 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

~2Ch 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

~2Ch 16:11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

~2Ch 17:9 And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

~2Ch 20:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

~2Ch 24:27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

~2Ch 25:4 But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

~2Ch 25:26 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

~2Ch 27:7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

~2Ch 28:26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

~2Ch 32:32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

~2Ch 33:18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

~2Ch 34:15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

~2Ch 34:16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.

~2Ch 34:21 Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.

~2Ch 34:24 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:

~2Ch 34:30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

~2Ch 35:12 And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.

~2Ch 35:27 And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

~2Ch 36:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

~Ezr 4:15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

~Ezr 6:18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.

~Neh 8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

~Neh 8:3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

~Neh 8:5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; ~for he was above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

~Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

~Neh 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

~Neh 9:3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

~Neh 12:23 The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

~Neh 13:1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;

~Est 2:23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

~Est 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.

~Est 9:32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

~Est 10:2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

~Psa 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

~Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

~Isa 29:12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

~Isa 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

~Isa 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

~Jer 32:12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

~Jer 36:8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD’S house.

~Jer 36:10 Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD’S house, in the ears of all the people.

~Jer 36:11 When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,

~Jer 36:13 Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.

~Jer 36:18 Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.

~Jer 36:32 Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.

~Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

~Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

~Nah 1:1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

~Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

~Mar 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

~Luk 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

~Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

~Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

~Luk 20:42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

~Act 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

~Act 7:42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

~Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

~Php 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

~Heb 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

~Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come ~in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God.

~Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

~Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

~Rev 5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

~Rev 5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

~Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

~Rev 5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

~Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

~Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

~Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

~Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

~Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

~Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

~Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Why is the Bible So Important?

~1 Kings 17:24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

What does the catholic church do with its former popes who did not abide in truth?

~Psalm 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

If God’s Word is right and all His works are done in truth, there would be no additions or need for change as the catholic church has done with its dogmas, traditions and magisterium.

~Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

If God magnifies His word even above His name, why would He allow anything to come ahead or equal to His word?

~John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

It is Jesus and His Gospel that is Truth. He would not change it, add to it or take away from it because it would no longer be truth!

~John 17:17) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

It is not traditions or magisterium that are truth but God’s Holy Word is Truth!

~2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Allowing traditions and magisterium to be equal to Scripture is handling the word of God deceitfully. The previous verse says that God’s word is truth – nothing else.

~Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

and

~Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

and

~1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Is it any wonder that the catholic church adds tradition and magisterium to be equal to the Word of God? It is because they do not want the dear catholic to find true salvation. Salvation outside the Word of God is not the truth!

~2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Is it any wonder that the catholic church fills its members heads full of catholic history so their minds are pre-occupied with catholic history instead of Bible?

I pray these verses will speak to the heart of a dear catholic today!

Auto Repairs 101

This is a picture of a Toyota Corolla very similar to mine. When we first got our Corolla, it didn’t have a scratch. Oh the smell of a new car! There’s nothing like it! What is it about a new car? I love to look at it – I love to drive it. But one thing is for sure, I do not like the repairs and costs associated with it!

My husband likes to tinker with our vehicles. He always makes sure that he purchases the manual for each of our vehicles so he can work on them. Whenever something goes wrong, out comes the manual and he looks up the “symptoms” and diagnoses the problem. Once he knows what the problem is, he can get to work to fix it. He pulls out his “How To” manual and follows the instructions on how to fix a 2006 Toyota Corolla.

We also own a Nissan Titan and, as you can guess, he owns the manual for that as well 🙂 However, he would not take the Nissan manual out to fix our Corolla, nor would he take the Corolla manual out to fix the Titan. The Toyota manufacturer has complete guidelines and instructions for their vehicles (as do all other manufacturers) and if anyone knows how to repair our Corolla, they would. They would not relinquish the responsibility of documenting their repair instructions to another manufacturer – that would be absurd! So the car buyer knows that he can trust Toyota’s documentation because it is written by those who manufactured the car. No one else knows a Toyota better than those who build it, right? With that thought in mind, you wouldn’t turn to a Ford manual to work on your Toyota would you? Of course not.

It is the same with “religion.” To those who are searching for God and wanting to know how to get to heaven, they must turn to the only source that has the truth. They may turn to a specific “church” or organization for the answers, but why not go to the Source who documented the truth? If anyone knows about heaven and how to get there, it is God and He recorded the way in the Bible. Some think they know the way because they go to a specific church or they were “christian” all their lives. However, the Bible says,

(Pro 14:12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Is it possible that the way you think is the right way could be the wrong way? Don’t you want to know?

Do you let people deceive you in your finances? Do you fall for gimmicks on television? Are you a sucker for every good deal that crosses your path? If you’re like me, you like to research and investigate before you spend your hard-earned money. I don’t throw away my money frivolously. I make sure that I am getting my money’s worth. Nothing is too good for my family so I watch out for the best deals and make my dollar stretch. I can’t put a price on their health and well being. But what is the price of their soul? What is the price on where they will spend eternity? That, my friend, is priceless! It is my duty to show my children the way to heaven. God did not leave us without direction. The Bible offers the instructions on how to repair our souls, just as my husband’s Toyota manual offers him the instructions on repairing my car!

(Joh 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (Act 4:12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

No matter how many men tell my husband he can put a Dodge part into his Toyota, he knows that it just won’t work. Why? Because he has read the manual and he has learned from the master mechanics at Toyota how to repair his vehicle. He doesn’t travel from manufacturer to manufacturer trying to find another way or a work around solution. He knows that the truth about fixing my car is found in its manual. Salvation is no different! No matter how many muslims, mormons, catholics, hindus, etc. tell us that their way is the only way, we must compare what they say with what God says in His Word. Will you take the words of men or will you take the words of God? Who is the authority on the subject but the author? The Author, God, has penned His instructions – His directions – His map, if you will – and we find those words in our Bible.

(Heb 5:9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Heb 12:2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus is the Rock and foundation of our faith.

(Deu 32:4) He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. (1 Cor 10:4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

When we follow a church’s teachings blindly, we will fall as they fall (Luk 6:39). Don’t be guilty of placing your eternal destination in the hands of another. It is your responsibility to seek out the truth and decide for yourself. God has left you His manual in the Bible!