Tag: Perilous Times Page 2 of 4

Are We in the End Times? Day 29

On December 18, 2021

Good morning, dear Reader. If you have resisted the temptation to walk away from this devotional, I commend you for sticking with it and encourage you to finish! There is nothing more on this earth that I want than to lead you to salvation through Jesus Christ and Him alone.

(Act 4:10) Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
(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.

Just as there truly is a heaven, there is also its opposite which is a place of everlasting punishment called hell. No one wants to hear about hell. In fact, the world has made it a joke to the point that it’s no big deal. Just ask those in your circle of friends and family.

It’s not a popular subject, but you must confront the issue. Here’s an account in Scriptures that explains it perfectly and it was spoken by Jesus:

(Luk 16:22-24) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; (23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The average human being can’t completely understand that such an awful place exists. But what does the Bible say about Hell?

Everlasting fire: (Mat 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Eternal fire: (Jud 1:7) Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Furnace of fire: (Mat 13:42) And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Lake of fire and brimstone: (Rev 14:10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:(Rev 20:10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Outer darkness: (Mat 8:12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Blackness and darkness: (Jud 1:13) Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
Chains of darkness: (2Pe 2:4) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Bottomless pit: (Rev 20:3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth: (Mat 8:12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Everlasting destruction: (2Th 1:9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Endless torment: (Rev 14:11) And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

As I’ve told you before, Hell was not created for man but for the devil and his angels.

(Mat 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

But for those who reject salvation through Jesus Christ to be born again:

(2Th 1:8-9) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (9) Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Hell is so hot that it is unbearable – the pain and suffering never ends and goes on for all eternity. Just imagine if you put your hand on a hot iron and left it there. Our reaction is to pull away quickly, but this won’t be possible in Hell. Your screams and pain would never end. And this would not only be just your hand, but your entire body! There would be no escape. And it would last forever.

Are you sure you want to leave to chance where you spend eternity? Do you think being a member of a certain church will keep you out of Hell? No! Scripture is loud and clear about what happens to one who is not born again. There are not many ways to Heaven – there is only one way and that way is through Jesus Christ.

(Joh 3:3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
(Joh 3:7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Hell is not some made up place. If you believe the Bible to be truth, then you must believe that Hell is real and people actually die and go there. So what must one do to prevent this?

(Act 16:31a) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
(Luk 13:3) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Are We in the End Times? Day 28

By Kate Plourde

On December 17, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

Eph 5:14-18 “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

Good morning! Once again, I have chosen a picture with a beautiful sunrise! It’s as though the Lord Jesus Christ is shining down His light to attract unbelievers to Him! Can you see it? Look up and I will give you light to save your souls if you are not born again! 😃 For you who is born again, He sheds the light of His Word to encourage you during these end times!

Today’s Scriptures encourage both believers and unbelievers alike to wake up and recognize the times we are in. Christ shall give you light because He is the light of the world.

(Joh 8:12) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The Scriptures also say “redeeming the time” because the days are evil. The word “redeeming” means:

REDEE’MING, ppr. Ransoming; procuring deliverance from captivity, capture, bondage, sin, distress or liability to suffer, by the payment of an equivalent.

In these end times, we have seen how evil the world has become – more so now than EVER before. We can all agree that we would never have thought that there would be riots, the burning of buildings, the stealing from store owners, as we do today! We’ve never seen a pandemic that has shut down the ENTIRE world. These are the times where the unsaved, those who are not born again, must realize that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that light is Jesus Christ. He redeemed you from your sin debt so you would not be liable for the penalty of an eternity in Hell. Jesus also said that those who follow Him will NOT walk in darkness but shall have the light of life!

Friend, what is holding you back? You’ve heard the Gospel throughout this series. It cannot be made any plainer. If you don’t decide today, there may never be another opportunity to hear/read it again.

(Isa 66:4) I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. (Joh 12:48) 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. (Heb 12:25) See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Each time you hear or read about salvation and choose not to be born again, you are sealing your soul to an eternity of burning and darkness, separated from God. There is a Hell, friend. Do you believe that? If you do, then why is it such a hard decision to be born again? If you don’t believe in Hell, stay tuned tomorrow where the post will be all about this horrible place that was created for the devil and his fallen angels. It was never meant for mankind. But because man choses not to be born again, Hell will be his destination.

Are We in the End Times? Day 27

By Kate Plourde

On December 16, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(Rev 1:3) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Good morning, Reader! Today’s picture shows the beauty of nature! I love the symbolism of Winter. The beauty of Spring, Summer and Fall have died and are replaced with freezing cold temperatures and beautiful white snow. But as we look at the picture more closely, we see that despite the coldness the sun still rises! God displays His creation’s beauty with every single day. He gives us these little blessings to remind us who He is and what He is capable of doing. 🥰

We all love to receive blessings from friends and family, don’t we? Then you will love to receive this blessing from Almighty God Himself! Today’s Bible verse is right at the beginning of the Book of Revelation and it’s location is quite poignant. The Apostle John wrote penned this book and it’s quite apropos for a time like this. Revelation is all about what will take place in the end times.

Many people avoid reading the Bible because they don’t understand it. If you’re not born again, you don’t possess the Holy Spirit who would interpret these things for you. The Holy Spirit is vital for the believer. The Spirit provides us with the ability to interpret the Bible by ourselves. Sinners are in spiritual darkness until the Holy Spirit brings the light of Christ into their minds and hearts. We depend on the Third Person of the Trinity to illuminate us as we read. He awakens us to the truth from the Bible. He reveals to us its commands, its challenges and God’s promises, such as we’re seeing in today’s verse. It is His job not only to interpret the Scriptures for us but to guide us in our lives.

(Joh 14:26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Therefore, Revelation 1:3 says that when we read about Bible prophecy, when we hear the words of that prophecy and when we keep those words, we will be blessed! Why? Because we will not be afraid of what the end times will bring. We have the warnings; we know what to expect. But to those who are not born again, the signs of the times and Bible prophecy are scary and they would rather not think about it.

Are you one of those that sits on the fence? Do you want to believe but you don’t want your friends and family to think you’ve gone off the deep end? Dear reader, who do you want to please? Will your friends keep you out of Hell? Do you really want to stand before God when you die and have your whole life reviewed? Each and every sin you’ve committed, in thought or deed, will be covered:

(Mar 4:22) For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
(Mat 10:26) Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
(Mat 12:36) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

God will not be mocked, friend. He will reward born again believers with eternal life in Heaven. But He will also give the one who turned down salvation to be born again eternal punishment in Hell. God doesn’t want to do this but it is not His choice; it’s yours! God gives everyone a choice – He did not create robots. He created man with a free will and choice.

(Gal 6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
(Mat 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
(Mat 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
(Rev 20:15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Your name can only be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life if you are born again. You must set aside your fear of what friends and family will say. They will not be standing beside you on Judgment Day defending you. They will have their own time of judgment to deal with. Please, I beg of you to receive the free gift of eternal life through Christ!

It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Are We in the End Times? Day 26

By Kate Plourde

On December 15, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(2 Ti 3:9) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

Good morning, blogging friend! 😊 Are you excited about the times in which we live? Does the news make you look forward to the future and that of your children? I know I speak for many born again Christians who long for the day that the Rapture will happen and we are taken to Heaven before the events (like no other time in history) of the Tribulation will occur. This is where one should be extremely concerned about the state of their soul.

We are encouraged in the Scriptures to listen to wisdom and apply that wisdom to our hearts.

Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding.

It is only the wisdom of Scriptures that we should listen to. Man makes mistakes but God does not. Friend, today’s verse is an extremely important one! Why? It’s important because all the warnings of 2 Timothy 3:1-8 come to a conclusion in this verse! So exactly what does folly mean? Noah Webster defines it as:

Weakness of intellect; imbecility of mind. want of understanding.

Wow! If you can’t see your sin or need for a Saviour, then you are the one that this verse is speaking to. The Scriptures have been shared with you and every opportunity has been given to you to accept Christ as your Saviour. If you haven’t abandoned this study and are still reading it, then you leave the destination of your soul to the devil himself. How can I say that? Let’s re-read today’s verse:

(2Ti 3:9) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

I found this meme that summed it up pretty accurately:

Upon your death, your soul immediately stands before Christ and you will have to give an account of your sins. It will be as if they will be projected onto a screen and your whole life will be reviewed before everyone. God will show you each time the Gospel was presented to you and you rejected it. You will not be able to make excuses as the Gospel was clearly laid out for you. You cannot say that you never heard it because I have clearly explained it on this blog.

The Bible says:

(Mar 8:36-37) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

If you are saved and reading this, please share this blog with those you are praying for salvation.

Are We in the End Times? Day 25

By Kate Plourde

On December 14, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(2 Ti 3:8) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Good morning, Reader! Winter is here and the beautiful warm days of Fall have disappeared and ushered in the bitter, windy cold. The sunshine is deceiving when looking out from a nice warm house. 😎 Once I stepped outside, Winter reminded me exactly what season we’re in LOL!

But isn’t this example indicative of mankind? They appear to have a good life on the outside, but their heart on the inside is a an evil and reprobate heart. This heart is one of those sins evident in the end times and we can truly see it today, can’t we?

If you’re not famlilar with the word reprobate, its meaning as it refers to the faith from today’s verse is:

REPROBATE, a. [L. reprobatus, reprobo, to disallow; re and probo, to prove.]
Abandoned to error, or in apostasy. 2 Tim 3.
REP’ROBATE, n. A person abandoned to sin; one lost to virtue and religion.
I acknowledge myself a reprobate, a villain, a traitor to the king.

The Scriptures are our source of truth, as we have learned thus far, amen?

Jer 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
(Jer 6:19) Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

Jeremiah tried to explain the attitude of the heart of man during these end times. As you read verse 15 above, these people will not be ashamed at their sinful abominations, nor will they “blush” with shame and embarrassment when these sins are spoken. What are the abominations spoken of in Scripture?

Homsexuality – Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Pride, lies, shedding of innocent blood, a heart that schemes wickedness, feet that run to cause harm, damage; a false witness, one who causes problems amongst church members. (Pro 6:16-19) These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Sacrifices of the wicked – Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Person who turns away the Gospel – Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Thoughts of the wicked – Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

Everyday, ordinary people are guilty of most of these abominations! Jeremiah continued to say what happens to the reprobate:

Jer 6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.

Are you going to be one of those people who fall under the five categories above? Are you:

➡ a homosexual ➡ prideful ➡ liar ➡ have had or promote abortion ➡ do you continue to do something evil ➡ do you cause harm to others or damage to their property ➡ are you a false witness ➡ do you cause problems in your church ➡ are you religious and perform sacrifices thinking that will earn your way to Heaven ➡ have you turned away the Gospel ➡ are your thoughts wicked

My friend, this is just a reminder to us how evil these end times are. The heart of man is wicked, even though you don’t think yourself as wicked, at least not compared to the next guy. But compare yourself to God – He is holy and He is the measuring stick for our morality.

(Jer 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

If you are born again, spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before it is eternally too late to do so. Rapture can happen at any moment and that opportunity ceases.

Are We in the End Times? Day 24

By Kate Plourde

On December 13, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(2 Ti 3:8) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Good morning, Reader! As you can probably tell, I love lighthouses, sunrises, sunsets and nature. All of my pictures are images that friends have shared with me and given me permission to use. Todays ‘picture blesses me because I look at lighthouses in two different ways. First, I see the lighthouse as Christ’s light shining to show us the way to salvation. Secondly, I see the lighthouse as Christians lighting the way for unbelievers to find salvation. I pray that this blog would be a lighthouse to all who come here: whether it is to grow in Christ so you can be a lighthouse to others or to find Christ. I pray both are accomplished here for His glory and honor! Praise Him!

Today’s verse is a continuation of yesterday’s post but to further define the hearts of Jannes and Jambres. Yesterday we saw that they resisted the truth. Today, we dig deeper and see that they were men of corrupt minds. Corrupt in today’s English is not as harsh as Noah Webster’s definition:

To vitiate or deprave; to change from good to bad.
Evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Cor 15.
To waste, spoil or consume.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt. Mat 6.
To defile or pollute. Exo 32.
To entice from good and allure to evil. 2 Cor 11.
To pervert; to break, disobey or make void. Mal 2.
To pervert or vitiate integrity; to bribe; as, to corrupt a judge.
To debase or render impure, by alterations or innovations; as, to corrupt language.
To pervert; to falsify; to infect with errors; as, to corrupt the sacred text.

I shake my head in disbelief when I read through each of these. The definition caused me to understand exactly why Jannes and Jambres were described as this. Now we see more meaning in the verse, don’t we?

Now compare the definition with what is currently going on in this world and you will be able to unequivocally see that we are in the end times. Remember, these two men were so evil that they drowned in the Red Sea along with Pharaoh’s army! They didn’t die alongside their countrymen in war but along side the enemy! Worldwide today we see that mankind is at the same level as Jannes and Jambres. Let’s break down the definition and compare it with today’s attitudes and what the Bible says about this:

To vitiate or deprave; to change from good to bad. Evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Cor 15.

(1 Co 15:33) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

When in time have you ever seen the audacity of people on social media and the news? Things are said that would never have been put on the news or spoken in public like we see today! Song lyrics are filthy and billboards reveal half naked women (which used to be considered pornography when I was growing up). It doesn’t end there – just stand in line at the grocery store and listen to people speaking around you. It won’t be but a minute when you hear evil communication coming out of their mouths. But can you imagine if you were surrounded by people such as these? If you’re not a born again Christian, you will fall into the same pattern as them and will speak the same way. If you are a born again Christian, you cringe and try to remove yourself from the situation.

Men of corrupt minds will try to deceive, just like the master deceiver himself, Satan. They corrupt the Bible by diluting its truth through various versions (over 100 today) and corrupt teaching. Homosexuals preach from the pulpit and push the LGBTQ agenda. The world has accepted into law the sin of murdering children.

(Pro 6:16-17) These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
(Psa 127:3) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

If being pregnant (the fruit of the womb) is God’s reward to mankind, then surely He considers their death as the shedding of innocent blood and it brings punishment, not reward. Did you know that every girl baby in the womb already has the eggs she will need to have future children? A woman, therefore, is not only killing her own daughter, but she is killing her future granddaughters as well! That’s a lot to think about. What makes matters worse, it is now OK to kill that baby right before it is delivered! It is murder, plain and simple, and it is the law of this land!

Corrupt minds, just like corrupt politicians, have one thing in common and that is to spread that corruption. They turn a truth into a lie and repeat it often enough that people begin to believe that lie. We see it in abortion, we’re currently seeing it in what the media reports.

But the Tribulation is coming, friend, and the antichrist will deceive many. If you are not born again, you will be alive to see this. The trigger for the end times was Israel becoming a nation in 1948. Jesus said that the generation who witnessed this event would not pass away and would be alive for the end times. Israel is referenced as the fig tree in Scriptures:

(Mat 24:32-34) Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: (33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

What is Jesus referring to when He says “when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”? We must read the beginning of the chapter:

(Mat 24:3-12) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows. (9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. (10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. (11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. (12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Just reading through this list of things that have already happened and will happen, convinces me that we are in these times. Jesus said, these were all to happen after Israel became a nation.

You may be thinking that you have a whole lot of time ahead of you but you do not know if you will die today or not! You also do not know when Christ will Rapture the church. Once He does, that door is closed and you will have to go through the Tribulation. Those who become Christians during the Tribulation will lose their lives.

(Rev 6:8-10) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (9) And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Right now, at this point in time, things are getting worse with every week that goes by. People are easily deceived and they follow the one with the loudest voice who agrees with and promotes their sins. Because we see this attitude in our Country, God says:

(2Th 2:11-12) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Friend, are you born again today? If you are, let this be motivation for you to tell others. If you are not, this post is for you! It’s your wake up call. There will come a point where you will no longer able to see, hear or understand the truth. Don’t let that be you!

It is no coincidence that you are here reading this. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Are We in the End Times? Day 23

By Kate Plourde

On December 12, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(2 Ti 3:8) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Good morning! As we approach the Christmas season, I am reminded of the real reason Christians should be celebrating this time. It should not be a time of gifts but the fact that we are rejoicing that a Saviour came to die for us, amen? Let’s admit that we cannot go a day without the realization that we are sinners, saved by the grace of God. His mercy is never ending! I can keep going to Him for forgiveness and there is forgiveness to be had! Praise Him!!

Today’s Scripture verse revolves around resisting the truth. I searched the Scriptures for Jannes and Jambres but they are not named in the Old Testament. My research revealed that according to Jewish tradition, they were sons of Balaam. If you recall, in Numbers chapters 22-24, God would talk to Balaam and he would seek God’s word to pass on to Balak. Balak wanted Balaam to curse the Israelites. But Balaam told him that he could not “go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.” (Lev. 22:18) Although it appeared that Balaam was one of the good guys, he actually did not end well. His love for riches would get the better of him.

(2 Pe 2:15) Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Balaam’s sons must have followed in their father’s footsteps, and ended up the worse for it. According to tradition, it is said that the sons were at first teachers, then opponents of Moses. They perished with the Egyptians in the Red Sea.

So what, you may ask, does this have to do with today’s Scripture? Their names are there for a reason. Scripture said that they withstood (opposed) Moses and resisted “the truth.” Moses was God’s representative to the Israelites in whom God used to give the Law (the Ten Commandments). Some people just don’t like to be told what to do. It’s the sin of pride that bubbles up in their heart and they won’t admit they need someone over them.

So what is this truth that they resisted? It’s like the question, “What is the meaning of life?”. But the truth is actually much easier to find because we have THE TRUTH right at our fingertips. The truth can be found in God’s Word because Christ is the Word of God and He left us all that we would need in the Bible, all of which is truth!

(Joh 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.
(Joh 1:17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
(Joh 4:23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

There is no other truth, Reader. Christ is the truth – Scripture points to Him in the Old Testament and Christ the Messiah is revealed in the New Testament. All of Scripture points us to the truth. With truth comes great grace! According to Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, grace means:

“The free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him.“

Praise the Lord that we can receive God’s grace because there’s nothing we can do of ourselves to purchase or earn that grace. It is FREE and undeserved love and favor from God! This is truth!

(Joh 8:32) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Why would God point us to truth if it’s not going to do a bit of good on where we spend eternity? That would make Him a liar and a cruel God. We all know that He is not.

(Num 23:19) God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Dear Reader, please know that you are so important to God because you are His creation. He created us to have fellowship with Him. By our own choice (first with Adam and Eve), we sin and separate ourselves from Him. But in His great mercy, our Father provided a way for that gap (separation) to be mended (healed) through Jesus Christ. Jesus, the King and LORD of Lords, left His heavenly throne to take on human form. In that human form, He lived a sinless life so He could be the sacrificial Lamb of God for all man. He died on the cross to shed His own blood for the forgiveness of our sins. In so doing, He paid our sin debt and we are set free from sin’s bondage❣ It did not end there! Christ rose from the dead and went back to His throne. He will come to Rapture believers to Heaven before the Tribulation begins. We know we are near that great hour of Tribulation because of the state of humankind. You are seeing this through this study; I beg you to please respond to the call of the Holy Spirit.

(2 Co 6:2) (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Don’t resist the truth, I beg of you! If you are saved, please use these devotionals to set a fire in your heart to tell others. That is the whole purpose of this blog! If you happen to be reading this and are not saved, it is no coincidence. God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Are We in the End Times? Day 22

By Kate Plourde

On December 11, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(2 Ti 3:7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Good morning, Reader. Have you ever wondered when you will ever stop learning? It’s as though we learn something new every day. It can be from a DIY show or a cooking network – whatever one loves to learn about, it’s out there for us at our fingertips. We are in the age of technology and that same technology that teaches us “how to,” also contains evil and wicked things. It is also the foundation of pornography, sex trafficking, etc.

It’s as though the world has gotten smarter but yet this it is heading straight for Hell because of its over abundance of knowledge. How sad to be so smart yet to be so ignorant! I’m not trying to insult the great minds of today. But how smart are they about the Scriptures? In the end times, even those who appear spiritual, will be further from the Truth and won’t be able to preach the truth.

(Tit 1:16) They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

The Bible says that after salvation, we are to work for the cause of Christ and show His love to mankind. James spoke of this three different times in his book:

(Jas 2:18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
(Jas 2:20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
(Jas 2:26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

One who is born again will want to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. This believer will also reach out to those in need, either financially if they are able or by helping them anyway they can with whatever resources they have. This isn’t to say that good works save an individual from Hell, because it doesn’t. Many religions today say that good works get you into Heaven, but that is a lie. The Bible says:

(Eph 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

First we are saved by Christ’s grace (unmerited favor) through faith in His death on the cross as payment for our sins. This is God’s gift to mankind! It cannot be of works because if it were, we would be able to boast about our good works to God. We would be able to stand before God at judgment and show Him all of our good works and He would have to let us enter.

(Joh 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.

But what about our sins? No one can enter Heaven with even just one sin. Have you ever lied, even once?

(Jas 2:10) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Just one lie makes you guilty of breaking each of the Ten Commandments, which is the Law. Is it any wonder we needed Jesus Christ to come die and shed His blood to pay the penalty for our sins? We can’t keep ourselves from committing even one sin so how do we expect that our good works would succeed in gaining entrance to Heaven by a Holy God? God is not a liar and won’t contradict His Word just because I performed a ton of good works here on earth.

Do you see why those who are ever learning and are the intellects of this world won’t believe the Bible? Intellects think they know better than what the Bible has to offer. Salvation is for all and is made so simple that even a child can understand it. They know they have done wrong so they recognize the need to make things right.

(Pro 20:11) Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Jesus knew that children were open to salvation because they were innocent and had faith. Children are trusting because they do not have a lifetime of sin and exposure to the world as adults do. They hear the Gospel’s truth and accept it without excess knowledge getting in their way of their thinking!

(Mar 10:14) But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

If salvation can be understood by a child, why allow the intellects to interfere with your salvation? Your salvation is between you and God. God has shown you the way through His Word. I’ve laid out the Scriptures so that you can no longer claim that you never “heard.” It is up to you to accept this gift of salvation by faith! Don’t be distracted by what your family or friends say. You do not know if you will die on the way home from the grocery store today or possibly have a massive heart attack.

(Luk 12:20a) But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
(Heb 9:27) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Your hour of death is not known. But when that hour comes and you stand before God, there will be no one there to defend you. It will be between you and God and all your sins will be exposed before you. There will be no turning back at this point. So don’t wait – don’t delay even one more minute! Settle this once and for all, dear Reader.

Heavenly Father, Holy One Almighty God, I lift up today’s devotional to You and beg You that even one reader would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross! Draw them to You, Lord. I beg You to hinder the evil one at this time so that even one reader would be saved from an eternity in Hell. In the Mighty Name of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, I pray! Amen!

If you have decided that this is your hour of salvation, please take a moment to pray asking God for forgiveness for your sins. Accept that Christ is the Saviour for your sins and that He paid your penalty so that you can be saved. Ask Him to enter your heart and change you. He will do this and the burden of your sin will be completely taken on by Jesus. He is your Saviour and is waiting for the invitation to come into your life. If you sincerely prayed for this wonderful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will be with you always and will teach you through the Bible. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It! It will take you through the Scriptures that prove out your salvation according to God’s Word, not man’s. Then, please, comment here and I can send you, free of charge, a wonderful discipleship series that will help you to grow in Christ.

Are We in the End Times? Day 21

By Kate Plourde

On December 10, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(2 Ti 3:6) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Good morning! It’s a rainy morning and I’m so thankful to be able to sit in a warm house and sheltered from the storm! We are so blessed, dear reader, so blessed!

As I started writing about today’s verse, I was wondering why Paul used the term, “silly women.” It didn’t make sense to me so I figured the word couldn’t mean what I thought it meant. I love picking apart a verse in order to get its true meaning, don’t you? It opens a window allowing the light of God’s Word in!

The term silly women is used only once in the Scriptures. As well, the word silly is found three times in the Bible. This lack of usage makes it stand out to me. One of the verses is found in the oldest book of the Bible:

(Job 5:2) For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

This warning from Job describes what happens to foolish and silly people. Silly, as you and I know the meaning today, is someone who isn’t serious. But here are the modern definitions below and Noah Webster’s:

Merriam Webster’s definition

Having or exhibiting a lack of good judgment or common sense; foolish. synonym: foolish.
Lacking seriousness or responsibleness; frivolous.
Semiconscious; dazed.

But now let’s look at Noah Webster’s definition:

Weak in intellect; foolish; witless; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; simple; as a silly man; a silly child.

Does this not bring clarity to today’s verse? Paul tells us that those who are guilty of the sins in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 make their way into the homes of silly women, who are burdened with sins, desiring various sins. These silly women are weak in intellect and cannot see that they are being led astray by false doctrine.

Do we not see this occurring today, Reader? People don’t hunger for the Scriptures but they are willing to listen to pleasant homilies and “teachings” from the pulpit. They listen to televangelists and fill his bank account with money because all he preaches about is the “love” gospel. This desire to listen to something other than true doctrine is also mentioned by Paul in the following chapter of 2 Timothy:

(2Ti 4:3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

In other words, silly people (those with a weak mind and who fall for lies) in the end times won’t want to hear about the Truth of the Bible but will surround themselves with those who will teach what they want to hear, not what they should hear. They want a pastor or televangelist who will support gay rights, abortion, etc. They say that you are who you hang around with, correct? But Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:5, “from such turn away”!

So what does someone who is seeking the truth do? Let God’s Word teach you, that’s what you do! The Bible is the source of truth and God never lies!

(1Sa 15:29) And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

If you are not born again, what you have read thus far is a warning to you. I’m sounding the alarm to try to wake you up and take notice of what is going on in this world and what it means for you!

Are We in the End Times? Day 20

By Kate Plourde

On December 9, 2021

In Devotionals, End Times

(2Ti 3:5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Good morning! There are times that I am excited to sit at my laptop and embark on the writing for the day. I look forward to writing but I must say it is not always enjoyable. I’m led to humbly beg God: Heavenly Father, my heart weighs heavy on today’s topic! I pray that You will illuminate and inspire so that the words written are not of my own fleshly thoughts but those inspired by You, Lord. Please have mercy on those who read it and guide them through Your words. Inspire them with the Truth of those words and show them the Blessed light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. In Him, we receive His grace to be saved and I am so grateful for that grace and mercy. I don’t deserve salvation but I praise You for providing Your own Son to die for me so that I may spend eternity with You! I ask all these things in Christ’s precious and beloved Name! Amen!

Oh my word, today’s verse is one that truly disturbs me to my core! I shudder because the end times will be a time of godlessness. However, this verse says they will have a “form of godliness.” I see this godliness to be a deception, don’t you? One that has been culminating over the past few decades and now will be epitomized as the one-world religion. Do you remember when I previously shared with you how Satan is disguised as an angel of light? He and his workers will lead many to believe they are on the right path.

(2 Co 11:14-15) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

These end times are riddled with this type of religious person. They go to church and sit in their pew. They listen to the preaching but don’t change. Some churches have a short homily and the attendees leave just as sinful as when they first went in. What’s worse is that their pastor or minister is in the same sinful state as his congregants.

I challenge you, readers, to seek the Scriptures for yourself and prove me wrong. It is no small thing that the devil uses today’s sin in verse 5 to lead many astray! Please don’t be one of them!

This form of godliness is hypocrisy! It reminds me of the Pharisees in Jesus’ days. This was a display of religion on the outside and the devil on the inside. Paul tells us in today’s verse to turn away from people like this! Jesus didn’t mince words at all. He said:

(Mat 23:15) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
(Mat 23:27) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

The hypocrite plays at religion and does it well. He may know his Bible, he may even be able to show you the plan of salvation. But hidden in his heart is deception. This is what we are seeing today. Tele-evangelists preaching but only to receive money! They are “religious salesmen” at best. They twist God’s holy Word to meet their own lustful needs.

It is so sad to me because the unbelieving world sees this hypocrisy and thinks all Christianity is like this. IF you are like this “Christian” and think yourself saved, you must search your heart! If you say that Christ dwells in you, are a reprobate?

(2 Co 13:5) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

A reprobate is one who is totally abandoned himself to sin. He first tasted the truth of the Gospel but never actually allowed that seed to be sown on the good soil of his heart. It was good for a time. This was evident in the Corinthian church – they were known as a very carnal church. Many were not saved yet they were accepted into the church and spreading their sin. Paul had to reprimand them several times for their worldliness.

Examine yourself, Christian. If you find yourself straying in your faith, you must first humble yourself and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. Repent of this form of godliness and hypocrisy and turn from your wicked ways. It is Christ’s life that we are to pattern ourselves after, amen? It is your life that the unsaved world is looking at to see Christ. You are first a “walking Bible” that people are looking at.

Now if you are not born again, no amount of going to church or doing good things makes you a Christian. You can sit in your garage 24-7 but it will not make you a car! It doesn’t matter if you belong to the biggest or best church on earth. Membership is not a pre-requisite to going to Heaven. Jesus told the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to His baptism:

(Mat 3:7-9) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: (9) And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

If your spouse is born again and you’re not, you won’t be able to hold his/her hand when the Rapture happens! My husband said that to me many years ago. He thought it was funny then but it’s not funny at all. Each one of us has to make an individual and personal choice to either accept or reject Christ’s death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. The Bible says that there has to be shed blood/death in order for there to be salvation:

(Mat 26:28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Jesus had to die in order to shed His own blood because the blood of lambs could not forgive sins. These sacrifices were a teaching tool pointing the Jews to their Messiah, Who would die and shed His own blood for their sins. Reader, we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God! (Romans 3:23). The penalty for not accepting Christ’s salvation through His blood is death.

(Rom 6:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Eze 18:4) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

You cannot be part of a church or take part in that church’s rules and rituals and expect to go to Heaven. This is not how the Bible says it must be. Take a look at each of those rules/rituals. Does your church say you have to be baptized? Death is not required to partake in baptism. Does your church say you have to have to be a member? Death is not required here either. Does your church say you have to do good works? Again, death is not required.

The only time death was required was when Christ died on the cross and His shed blood as forgiveness for your sin. Once you accept His payment for the price of your penalties, your sins are forgiven and you are born again! The first time you were born, you were born in the flesh. This time, you are born of the spirit! There’s a saying I once heard and I love how it explains the difference:

Born once, die twice; born twice, die once!

I don’t know who said it but it’s quite applicable. If you insist on having a form of godliness and denying the power thereof, you will die twice; once at your physical death and again at your spiritual death when you are judged by God and cast into the Lake of Fire.

(Rev 20:11-15) 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. (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. (13) 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. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

If you are born twice (at birth and when you’re born again), you die a physical death but then your soul automatically goes to Heaven and you will not suffer that second death!

(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.
(2 Co 5:8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.