Julie's Bible Journey
May Jesus guide our every step, may our hearts not be divided between Jesus and the world, and may we learn to be clean not just on the outside, but on the inside as well.
Search This Blog
Friday, May 29, 2026
Visions of the Great Falling Away: Ichabod! Written by my Husband
Exodus 2:1-10: Moses, A Miraculous Beginning
Exodus 2:1-10: Moses, A Miraculous Beginning
Before I delve farther into the book of Exodus, I want to make this plea with you: Please skip all the "religious" movies about Moses as they are all inaccurate, some worse than others. If you want an accurate picture, just read the Bible instead. Hollywood changes the Biblical details and all the gaps they try to fill in are not necessary to see God's mighty hand on the life of Moses or any other person from the Bible. Hollywood is full of every filth the Bible speaks against, so why let it be your history teacher? Instead, let the Bible be your guide through history. Don't even take my word for it, but always check your Bible for the Truth.
This is where the story of Moses begins. His life is story is shared in Exodus 2 and continues through to Deuteronomy 34.
If you call from the book of Genesis, God blessed Joseph with dreams and the interpretation of dreams. because of this, he was able to accurately predict an upcoming 7-year famine. Because he wisely prepared and stored food, he saved many lives. Due to his actions, the Hebrew people thrived and grew in great number. Many years later, a new Egyptian king (Pharoah) who did not know Joseph, is very threatened by the growing number of Hebrews and wants to have male babies killed.
Moses' life begins with an act of love as his mother, Jochebed, hides him for three months so Pharaoh cannot kill him along with the other male babies he has ordered to be killed.
Moses' mother, Jochebed must have been a woman of faith, and we can easily assume she must have prayed over her little boy as she placed him near the river. God spares the infant's life as he is drawn from the banks by Pharaoh's daughter (not his wife), which is why she named him Moses. Note that nowhere does it say Moses was placed in the water and floated down the river, but it was still miraculous that he was found safe and that Pharaoh's daughter did not follow her powerful father's laws to kill the Hebrew baby boy.
God blesses Jochebed by allowing her to nurse her own son a little while longer. The reason why Jochebed is allowed to stay in her son's life is because his older sister Miriam is watching out for him and sees Pharaoh's daughter save Moses. Miriam suggests her own mother be her brother's nurse.
From the very beginning, God's hand was on the life and care of Moses. It took his mother, Pharaoh's daughter, and Miriam to play their parts. It shows how God uses all of us, if we are willing, to help others in their divine purpose. So never begrudge even the small tasks in life that may help another person be used for God's greater purpose.
God is always in control, even at the beginning of our lives, so let's sit back and let Him lead!
(Exodus 2:1-10) And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?"
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go."
And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages." And the women took the child, and nursed it.
And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, "Because I drew him out of the water."
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Jesus Said He is... Series, Part 10: Love (He Is our Friend)
Jesus Said He is... Series, Part 10: Love (He Is our Friend)
This will be the last part of the series. As I said, not all Jesus said He is will be included in this series, but I thought I would end with what we need to really to understand. Yes, there are rules in life we need to follow, but what everything, and I mean everything, boils down to is this, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all about love!
Yes, this is another writing where Jesus did not specifically use the phrase "I am.." in reference to the subject matter of the post, but he often stated He loved people as well as His actions showing it in abundance. He also tells us that He is our friend.
Jesus' sermons were all about loving each other through actions such as turning the other cheek rather than seeking revenge (Matthew 5:38-39 - "Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,' But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.), praying for others that are cruel (Matthew 5:43-44 - "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." ), helping others in need (Matthew 5:42 "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."), unlimited forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22- Then came Peter to him, and said, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" Jesus saith unto him, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."), and the list goes on.
(John 15:9-15) [Jesus said,] "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
The ultimate act of love was God giving us His son and that Jesus was willing to die for the sins of those who would reject Him repeatedly from the beginning to the end of time on this earth.
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
There is never any way we could repay such an act of love, and we are not expected to earn His free gift of salvation. However, we are expected to obey His commands if we truly want to be the friend of Jesus. Let me repeat two sentences from John 15 above, verse 10," IF ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love" and verse 14, "Ye are my friends, IF ye do whatsoever I command you." Yes, Jesus says, "if," just in 1 John 1:9 that also uses the word if: IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So what does Jesus command? Let's start with:
(Matthew 19:16-21) And, behold, one came and said unto [Jesus], "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?:
And He said unto him, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
He saith unto Him, "Which?"
Jesus said, "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself... If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."
Notice that Jesus does not list the more than 600 rules of the Old Covenant, but only from the 10 commandments written in God's own hand (Exodus 31:18 - And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.)
We keep His commandments not to be stifled, but because there is True freedom in obeying Jesus Christ (John 8:36 - "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."), not freedom to sin. And as 1 John 4:19, says, "We love Him, because He first loved us."
1 John makes it very clear that if we claim to be a follower of Jesus, and yet refuse to obey what the Bible says, we are lying about our love of the Lord, and we are not really Christians. But when we choose to walk down paths of righteousness, the love of God is perfected in us.
(1 John 2:3-6) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, "I know Him," and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
John goes on to say that we should only love the Lord and not the world, or God's love is not in us. For the sins of this world have nothing to do with the matchless love of God.
(1 John 2:15-17) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1 John 4 perfectly sums up this writing, as well as giving a clear message of the gospel, and of course, is written much better that I could ever write (please read the entire chapter):
(1 John 4:7-12 & 19-21) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Message today is so very simple. God so loved the world He gave His only Son, and that Son was willingly tortured and murdered so you and I could have eternal life with Him and not suffer in Hell. Yet, if we want to hold onto these beautiful free gifts and not toss them in the garbage, we need to show Jesus that we love Him too and want to be His friend and not his enemy (James 4:4 -Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.) The Holy Trinity is pure love and yearns to be the best friend we will ever have.
I will leave you with the same set of verses from yesterday so that we can all truly understand how to honor so great a love and spend eternity in His eternal Light of Love.
(There are a lot of beautiful songs about the love of God, but I chose just one. At the end of the verses is a song that I hope will minister to you as it does to me.)
(2 Corinthians 5:10-11 & 15-17) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
(Revelation 20:11-12 & 21:7-8) And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
(Galatians 5:16-26) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
(Revelation 20:12-15) 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. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
(Revelation 21:1-27) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
And He that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new... It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
And there came unto me one of the seven angels... And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal...And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Monday, May 25, 2026
Jesus Said He is... Series, Part 9: The Resurrection & The Life
Jesus Said He is... Series, Part 9: The Resurrection & The Life
Jesus said He was the Resurrection and the Life right before He raised Lazarus from the dead (you can read the entire story of Lazarus in John 11:1-45).
(John 11:25-26) Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
He also used this Heavenly power several other times that we read in the gospels as well as, I am sure, many times that were not recorded (John 21:25 - And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.). The same power that raised Jesus and the others from the dead is accessible to all who believe and obey Him. We can apply His gracious power to help us overcome sin in our lives as well as ask for His help for circumstances as well.
Beyond Jesus aiding us with our needs, and more importantly, He has the power to give us eternal life. Through His death and resurrection, we can obtain eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Jesus told His listeners that He had the power to give them eternal life, but only if they followed His ways, and His ways alone. Note the words of Jesus below:
(John 8:51, NIV) [Jesus said,] "Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
He makes it clear we must all obey in order to receive the precious gift of eternal life. So how can we obtain this precious gift?
I want to reshare an excerpt from a recent post I wrote in my series about Heaven and Hell, from part 6 (you can read the entire writing at this link https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2026/03/heaven-hell-series-part-6-how-to-choose.html ):
Terrifying reports of hell and beautiful heavenly descriptions beyond measure are all fascinating and get people to really think about where they want to spend eternity. But if all one does is think they would love to go to heaven as casually as they would love to visit the castles in Germany, then what good is that information in reference to your soul? What we really need to understand is how to choose heaven over hell.
This writing is not based on my arrogant or self-righteous opinions but taken directly from Jesus himself and from other godly men who wrote the inspired Word of God. I pray you carefully read all these scriptures and let them seep into your soul.
Let me just start by saying, yes, I believe salvation through Jesus Christ is a free gift we do not have to earn. But we still have rules to follow if we want to keep this precious gift and not lose it. Being a Christian is so much more than just being a kind person, it is becoming a new creation in Christ, which means giving up sin and choosing paths of righteousness. No, we cannot earn our salvation through our good works, but we will absolutely be judged according to our works.
Satan wants you to believe that the rules are not there to rob you of joy, but Jesus says following Him brings us true freedom. (John 10:10 - The thief [Satan] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.) The rules protect us from hurting ourselves and others. Jesus loves us and wants us all in heaven with Him. He longs for all of us to obey His rules not because we want to live in paradise, but because forever would not be paradise without Jesus. Not because we want a mansion and a crown, but because we want to lay our crown at the nail-scarred feet Jesus. The sacrifice of God and Jesus should be enough for us to want to be with Him. (John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.) His love, mercy, grace, patience, protection, and holiness should be enough for us to want to do the right things. (Romans 2:4 - The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.)
Jesus said in Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." But if you think you have fallen too far from grace and the works you will be judged for can never be forgiven, think again! 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that "The Lord... is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." And 1 John 1:9 promises us that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us just how gracious God is when it says, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Once you truly claim Jesus as your Savior, and repent of your sins, the sins you repent of will be under the blood of Jesus and will be remembered no more. Psalm 103:11-12 says, "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."
After we accept the free gift of salvation, we cannot then just do whatever we want and stay saved. The Bible tells us we must daily choose to crucify our flesh and not sin (Luke 9:23 - Jesus said, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.") The Bible also makes it very clear that we are not to abuse the grace of God (Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?) because, yes, we can lose our salvation if we chose to live in rebellion against the Lord.
Whether for the first time, second, or more time, it is never too late to turn your life over to Jesus and choose heaven over hell.
I will leave you with just a few more verses that help you better understand how to make the choice of heaven over hell, as well as ending with a beautiful description of Heaven.
(2 Corinthians 5:10-11 & 15-17) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
(Revelation 20:11-12 & 21:7-8) And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
(Galatians 5:16-26) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
(Revelation 20:12-15) 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. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
(Revelation 21:1-27) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
And He that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new... It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
And there came unto me one of the seven angels... And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal...And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Jesus Said He is... Series, Part 8: The Way the Truth & The Life (Only Way to Salvation), Written by my Husband
(John 14:5-7) Thomas saith unto him, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"
Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him."
A common belief among many is that all religions worship the same God, or there are many paths of truth. However, Christ said, that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him.
Donald Trump, Joel Osteen, and the late Billy Graham all believe that people of many different religions are saved. Graham and Osteen have stated that God judges people according to the light (knowledge) that they have. Graham denied that you need to accept Christ to be saved on the Robert Schuller program, as well as on Larry King Live. Osteen also denied Christ, on Larry King Live.
Donald Trump also believes that all of the popular religions of today, worship the Same God. Trump said that the Jews are God's chosen people and they do not need to accept Christ to be saved. He also said that if the Jews didn't need to believe in Christ, then why not also try praying to Allah and see what happens. This universalist theology is very dangerous because you cannot have the Father without the Son.
(Matthew 7:13-14) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leads to eternal life. Jesus Christ is the sheep gate. Without Christ, you cannot enter God's Kingdom or receive of His Holy Spirit. It is by the indwelling Holy Spirit that you receive eternal life. The Holy Spirit is that living water from above that springs up to eternal life.
Christ made atonement for the sins of mankind upon the cross of calvary. However, you must repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ to be saved. Mohamed, Buddha, Joseph Smith, and Ghandhi are all dead. However, Christ's tomb is empty, and Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Salvation is God's way, or Hell's way. There is only one truth, and his name is Jesus Christ! Jesus died on the cross to remove your sins, not Mohamed, or Budda.
Another heresy is Israel worship. John Hagee, as well as most people within the Hebrew Root's movement (Messianic Judaism) believe that Jews can be saved through Torah observance, apart from Christ. The truth is that the true Israel of God are those in Christ. Paul refers to Jews who deny Christ, as the Synagogue of Satan. There is neither Jew, not gentile, in Christ for we are one body.
I love the nation of Israel, and I pray for her salvation and protection. However, I don't support Netanyahu, or the government of Israel. They have committed brutal war crimes against humanity. I believe that God has restored the Jewish people to their ancestorial homeland in hope that a remnant will be saved. I believe that when Christ returns and splits the Mount of Olives, many from Israel will mourn over the one whom they have pierced and will flee to him for salvation. Israel will worship the Beast for a period of time, then a remnant will be saved by Christ upon his return. Israel worship is idolatry. Repent of this and worship Christ, for he alone is worthy.
Please consider these Scriptures.
(Matthew 11:27) All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Jesus Said He is... Series, Part 7: Meek & Lowly in Heart
Jesus Said He is... Series, Part 7: Meek & Lowly in Heart
I am someone who finds it difficult to share my feelings with others because I do not want to be a burden to them. Everyone has their own share of problems, and I don't want to diminish what they are going through by speaking of my troubles. Also, there are plenty of those I have chosen to be vulnerable to, and with the exception of my precious husband, they have betrayed my confidence with gossip, lies, and/or criticisms. Therefore, I have learned to keep my life as private as possible. I think the majority of you can relate.
Although Jesus spent 33 years in human flesh on this earth, please never confuse Jesus with the flawed humans around us. When He asks us to cast all of our burdens on Him, He is sincere, will not use your circumstances to humiliate you, and when we are able to truly surrender our cares to Him, He will bring us a supernatural peace.
How much I love Matthew 11 when Jesus promises us that He will help us bear all our sorrows. Such a beautiful promise! What a strong and mighty God to help us bear all of our burdens!
(Matthew 11:28-29) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
Before you think Jesus was saying He was weak, let me give you the definition of the word meek: According to dictionary.com, being meek means to be "humbly patient or quiet in nature, as under provocation from others." That seems pretty profound to me. It goes beyond just saying or doing something nice or not being antagonistic, it is the epitome of both patiently enduring trials as well as turning the other cheek when we are treated poorly.
Jesus Christ was by far the most incredible example of meekness anyone could ever have exhibited. It is why so many scriptures refer to Him as a lamb. No, He was not weak, as being meek does not make one cowardly. Yes, He corrected the Pharisees of their legalistic ways and scolded His disciples when they were too stubborn to understand His words. However, He spoke the Truth in love. He wept and prayed for all those he walked among just as He still intercedes for mankind today. When led to His own horrendous crucifixion, He did not fight back but allowed His false accusers to torture Him so He could die for our sins. That is not only meekness personified but also sacrifice and love exemplified. Doesn’t that only make you want to be meek as Christ was (and still is) meek?
There are 29 scripture references that use the word meek and 14 for the word meekness (when searching the King James Version), but I will narrow it down to just four.
I love Psalm 25:9 that says, "The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way." That alone makes me want to pursue meekness. I yearn for God's teachings so I may better serve Him and others. I want His righteous and fair judgements to change me so I can be used for His glory. (Psalm 139: 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.) I welcome God's guidance as I learn to not question God's perfect plans. I am also learning to be more gracious and less argumentative with others who disagree with or purposefully antagonize me. God is more likely to use one who has surrendered to His will and who is not overbearing or impatient with others.
Isaiah 29:19 pairs beautifully with another fruit of the spirit, joy, when it says, "The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord." It is so much easier to find joy in the Lord when we can relax and accept that God is in control. Yes, humanity often goes outside of God's will and not everything that happens is in God's plan, but we can still learn to believe that God can work even the bad things for our good when we are living for His glory (see Romans 8:28). It is also much easier to find joy when are not constantly arguing with others, and we can learn to be humbly patient as we walk away from those want to fight rather than stay and escalate the argument. As the Bible states, it best to turn the other cheek and then pray for those who refuse to listen to anyone else's opinions because they have a need to always be right. Remember that often the most antagonistic people are the ones hurting the most and need to learn to accept God's love, grace, and joy just as much as you do.
(Matthew 5:38-39 & 43-44) [Jesus said,] "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
As you can see by now that meekness should not be equated with weakness. In fact, quite the opposite as it takes a strong person to resist the devil telling you to curse God (as Satan has told me to do, but instead I sang songs to bless the Lord). We need to remember, that it is not in our own strength that we can be brave, but only when we pursue the fruits of the Holy Spirit that enable us to stand strong in the Lord. Only then can we be humble and patient as we endure trials and tribulations without giving up on the love of Jesus.
It also takes a spiritually strong person to not give into the flesh and fight back. It is much more difficult to keep your mouth shut and walk away than it is to stay put and yell. Proverbs 20:3 says, "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife." Let's honor God by learning to respect one another as we meekly love instead of quarrel.
Just to be clear, when you are standing up for the morals of Jesus Christ it is not wrong to argue about what the Bible says is right or wrong. However, we should ask the Holy Spirit to help us know how and when to do so in a gentle and meek way so as not to turn others away from Christ. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to know when to follow the advice of Matthew 10:14, "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city [or from a relationship], shake off the dust of your feet." The quarreling I have been speaking of that displeases the Lord has more to do with issues where we need to learn to agree to disagree, and not to treat others with disrespect or disdain.
You will see in 2 Corinthians 10 below that Paul mentions the meekness of Jesus along with being bold for Christ. He is bold in reminding those reading his letters to be obedient to the laws of Jesus and to fight against the sins of the flesh. He was bold for the ways of God as well as being humbly patient while he endured prison, beatings, and other persecutions. He followed his own examples and showed love to his enemies as he risked his life to lead them to true repentance and salvation. I pray I always have that same meek boldness to stand up for my Lord!
(2 Corinthians 10:1-5) Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ... am bold toward you... wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.










