Impaled?

You know, we read the Bible and believe that what it says is truth. At least we should, right? I would like to add an asterisk to that statement, and it reads like this:

The Bible is 100% true *

* in the original text

Example: The Thief on The Cross passage found in Mark 15:27. If you go on BibleHub.com and explore the 43 different Bible translations for this verse, many different words describing who was crucified next to Jesus appear - robbers (25), thieves (5),  bandits (4), criminals (4), rebels (2),  revolutionaries (2), and outlaws (1).

So which one is right? They're all similar. "Robbers" seems to be the most popular. If you look up the verse in a Greek Interlinear Bible you will find the Greek word 'lēstai' which translates as "robbers." That coincides with the most popular translation. But why did other translators choose the words they did if "robbers" was the best choice? Unknown.

Here's another example from the same verse, just two words before "robbers." The word 'crucified.'

"With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left." - Mark 15:27

Look at this screen shot from the interlinear Bible. It says 'impalling' in the blue colored text. What? Jesus was impaled? Okay, what is the definition of impaled then? Because I thought impaling was like what happened to Haman in the Book of Ester. He was impaled on a pole.

Merriam Webster - "to pierce with or as if with something pointed. To torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake."

That's what happened to Haman alright.

I enjoy digging into the Bible's words to see what their true meanings are. And each time I do, I always come away with a new, deeper understanding.

In this case, Jesus was crucified. Exactly how it was done is up to human interpretation. He died. Does it truly matter how? Nailed to a cross or to a tree (which the Bible says elsewhere), or impaled on a pole, He died next to two men. Truth.

He died as a sacrufice for OUR sins, rose again from the dead, spent 40 days walking and talking with the disciples, then He ascended into heaven. The Gospel, the good news, is pretty simple. We should keep it that way.

Have You Been Sealed?

"Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He annointed us, ²²placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come." - 2 Corinthians 21:22

Ou and I received the promised Holy Spirit when we came to believe in Jesus, repented of our sins, and followed The Lord. But how do we know for sure we have received the Spirit? 🤔 Are there any observable signs? Yes, thankfully there are! This is from C.S. Lewis:

Five Signs You Are Marked by the Holy Spirit:

You experience a deep hunger for God’s Word - The first sign is a growing desire for the Bible. When the Holy Spirit marks you, your desire for God’s truth becomes insatiable for the scriptures. The scriptures start to feel alive and you realize that they hold the answers to life’s biggest questions. As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live be bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Your perspective on sin changes - Another clear sign is a clear sensitivity to sin. The things you once ignored or excused now weigh heavy on your heart. This isn’t about guilt. It’s the Holy Spirit guiding you to live a holy life. Romans 8:13 reminds us “If by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live." This transformation shows that you are being refined for God’s purpose.

You have a burden for others - The Holy Spirit stirs your heart for people – friends, family, strangers, even enemies. You feel a deep compassion and a desire to share God’s love with them. This aligns with Jesus’ command in John 13:34 “Love one another as I have loved you.” Your life becomes a vessel of God’s grace, and this love, is one of the clearest signs of being marked by the Spirit.

You encounter spiritual battles - Being marked by the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean life becomes easier. In fact, it often brings spiritual opposition. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, and spiritual forces of evil.” These battles are a sign that Satan sees God’s work in you as a threat. But remember, “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4

You see God’s purpose unfolding in your life. - When the Holy Spirit marks you, you begin to see God aligning circumstances for His greater plan. Doors open where they once seemed closed and you realize He’s leading you step by step. Romans 8:28 assures us,  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Note: Being marked by the Holy Spirit is a journey of transformation, love, and purpose. If you’ve experienced ANY of these signs, know that God is at work in your life.

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14

Find Me In The River

At first I didn't understand the title of the song I was listening to. Find me in the river? My first thought, upon seeing the title, was that it was a song about fly fishing. Nope. What is the song about then?

The last story I wrote was called Testimony. It contained a link to a song by Jeremy Camp. Jeremy's testimony contains a love story about how he met and married his wife, only to lose her to cancer just four months later. How incredibly sad.

This story, part of his testimony, was made into a movie called I Still Believe. I have not seen the movie yet, only a trailer for it. But I DO know that I WILL be watching it. What a wonderful story! But what is this "river" and why should we want to be in it?

At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus said this:

"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." - John 7:37-39

Ahh. With that in mind, do you think Jeremy Camp thirsted, spiritually, as he sat there, watching his wife die? Do you think he wanted to be surrounded with God's love?

"The River" that Jesus spoke of is the Holy Spirit. All of those who have received Christ have also received His Spirit. As a result, we simply cannot deny His Holy Name, because His Spirit lives in us. It changes is. And it does indeed flow from within us, out from our hearts and into the world. This river contains compassion, mercy, grace, and love. "The flow" is made up of God's love.

"The river" does not begin with us however. We are merely a channel. The river comes from God, and IS God.

As a side note, we must be careful not to pollute His river nor redirect it in any way. Just let it flow. May God ALWAYS find US in His river.

Find Me In The River - KJ Apa & JJ Heller

I Still Believe Trailer

Testimony

We all go through life, experiencing ups and downs. Some of those events can have profound effects on us. Some can even be life changing.

When we look back on our lives, what are the key "steppingstones" that got us to where we are today? And what if we took those turning points and turned them into a story . . . about God?

That's our testimony. It is a story about how God changed our lives for our good and for His glory. Do you have such a story? You should.

The Apostle Paul had quite a testimony. You can read about it in the Book of Acts.

"About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

⁸‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. ⁹My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

¹⁰Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

¹¹Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. ¹²There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, ¹³came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

¹⁴Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice. ¹⁵You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’" - Acts 22:6-16

Wow! That's quite the testimony! Most of us don't have a story to tell that can compare with Paul's, but we all have SOME kind of story to tell.

And what does Jesus want us to do with our story? Here's what He told a demon-possessed man to do after he was healed.

“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." - Luke 8:39

Ans so should WE do.

If you look at Paul's testimony, he has a before, during, and after phase - his life before meeting Jesus, meeting Jesus, and his life after meeting Jesus. His life after meeting Jesus testified to his changed life.

Our next Youth Night Bible study is about giving our own personal testimony. The three adult leaders will be giving theirs. What is yours?

"They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." - Revelation 12:11

Here's one more word of advice from an angel of God who was speaking to Lot and his family.

"As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back." - Genesis 19:17

Don't look back at your old life and think about what once was. You have been saved! Saved FROM it. Look at what awaits you in the future instead! Give glory to God by sharing what He has done in your life and how He has helped you to overcome.

Overcome - Jeremy Camp

God's Promises

This past Friday night our church held another Youth Night. It was our fourth (one each month). This last one was different than all the previous ones in that we were teaching the kids about apologetics and preparing them for life outside "The Bubble."

As an aide, and as an encouragement, we gave them each a book entitled God's Promises For Your Every Need. The book contains only scripture but the verses are arranged by topic. The Bible is a big book, abs it contains ALL of verses, but, if you are looking for a verse dealing with a certain topic, the one you are looking for CAN be hard to find.

After one of the boys received the book, I noticed him flipping through the pages, searching for something.

"What are you looling for?" I asked.

"Something about confidence," he replied.

"Try the index up front," I suggested.

[He was really looking for this! And then he found it!]

"You Need Confidence! Page 146!"

Flipping, flipping, . . . then he arrived.

"I can do all things through Christ to strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

"Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise." - Hebrews 10:35, 36

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

There were several verses as well. 

The teens of today need to be prepared for when they leave home and set foot in this worldly world. What better way for them to be ready then by arming them with God's Word.

If you would like to arm yourselves with this weapon for use against the forces in the spiritial realms, it's on Amazon for less than five bucks. That said, it is actually priceless, if it can help save just one of these little ones.

God's Promises For Your Every Need - Amazon

Purim

"Purim is the account of a genocidal decree overturned on a single, decisive reversal. These events unfolded in Persia, which is modern-day Iran, where Haman plotted the annihilation of the Jewish people. What was intended for destruction became deliverance. The God who preserved His people in the days of Esther still reigns over the nations and rulers today. And history consistantly proves that evil designs do not have the final word.

This year, Purim will be observed March 3rd. It coincides with the one-month ultimatum that President Trump gave the Islamic Republic to accept his terms for a deal. Wouldn't it be something if that regime were confronted with the same resolve shown against modern-day Hamans on that very day?" - Amir Tsarfati

As Amir stated above, this year Purim occurs on March 3rd. Something else happens on March 3rd as well - a blood moon.

"The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.” - Joel 2:31

A blood moon is often associated with divine judgment, prophetic events, or even divine intervention.

"And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red." - Revelation 6:12

There have been "blood moons" before. Just like there have been earthquakes before. They are nothing new. But the Bible DOES say that there will be a blood moon when Jesus opens the sixth seal judgement.

And this is from the Talmud . . .

"When the heavenly lights, i.e., the sun and the moon, are eclipsed, it is a bad omen for the enemies of the Jewish people." - Sukkah 29a

Will the U.S. and Israel attack Iran on March 3rd? I don't know. I'm not predicting anything. I just find it interesting that so many things are happening on that one day. What do YOU think?

An earthquake is also mentioned. Will a major earthquake happen in Iran on March 3rd. I have no idea.

There have been lots of things happening on the world stage lately. Could it get any crazier? I DO know this: it will.

Here's a question for you. What do you think would happen if suddenly all of the Christians were no longer here? The Rapture is also a prophecy, just like a blood moon and an earthquake.

One thing we DO know for sure, and that is this: When God makes promises, they WILL be fulfilled. It was promised in the Bible that Jesus would return one day. Jesus told us to look for signs. We are currently seeing the signs He spoke of on our nightly news broadcasts.

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." - Jesus, Matthew 24:30-31

And lastly this: God does not lie. When He promises something, will He not do it? What do you think? 

"God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?" - Numbers 23:19

Book of Esther

The Tribulum

One of the many things I love about the church I attend is our pastor's teaching. He dives deeper into the text than most pastors I've heard. This past Sunday we were just beginning Romans 5, when he paused after reading this verse: 

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance..." - Romans 5:3

Then he said something like this: "Tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum or tribula. A tribulum was used for treshing out the grain."

Really? That's interesting. During the tribulations we go through in our lives, WE are the grain. Here's another verse dealing with threshing grain.

"His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” - Matthew 3:13

We are the wheat, unbelievers are the chaff, the barn is heaven, the threshing floor is earth, and the winnowing fork is Jesus at The Judgement.

I'm thinking that being "wheat" is better than being "chaff." Being burned up "with unquenchable fire" just does not appeal to me.

The picture above is what rhe underside of a tribulum looks like. The white things are jagged rocks embedded in the wooden planks. Imagine getting THAT dragged over you until your skin comes off. TRIBULATION!!

The tribulations that we face today pale in comparison to those of Jesus' day. Crucifixions, 39 lashes, or being burned alive. Yet, burning for all eternity is what awaits those who sin (all of us) and have not repented of those sins and made Jesus their Lord. By making Jesus LORD, then He becomes our SAVIOR. And we ALL need one of those.

And boy, do we all need Jesus!

You Don't Own Me

Occasionally, thoughts of my old self come back to me. I wonder, "How could I have done some of those things I did before?" Before Jesus. Thankfully, I am no longer who I once was.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

One of the first things I noticed after coming to believe was that I began looking at things differently. Through a new set of eyes, so to speak.

"There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!” - John 9:25

I also had an insatiable desire to read the Bible, God's Word. This has not abated in my 20 years as a believer in Christ. If fact, it has increased. What else?

Love. I now love more deeply, more sacrificially, that I ever did. My love before was self-centered. Now it is other-centered.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Yet, despite all this, we are constantly vulnerable to spiritual attacks. Satan absolutely hates when God gets love, praise, and glory. So, he attacks.

And that brings us to the title of this story - You Don't Own Me. Remember these words from Jesus.

“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” - Matthew 16:23

Although Jesus spoke those words to Peter, they still have meaning for us when we encounter those who disagree with what we know to be true. We will always be a target from those who don't revere Jesus. Let us stand firm then in our faith!

"Finally, be strong in The Lord, and in the strength of His might, put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." - Ephesians 6:10-11

You Don't Own Me - Disciple 

The Heavy Stone

Did you notice how suddenly Benjamin Netanyahu came to see President Trump this past Wednesday? He was originally going to come to Washington NEXT week, but SOMETHING happened and became very urgent. That made me think....

Many Christians believe that we are living in the last days - the days before the rapture of The Church and the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. I am one of those people. So, I have been watching Israel and the Middle East very closely.

There is a prophecy in Zechariah that mentions Israel standing alone in the last days . . . saying "in those days," speaking of a future event. It also says ALL the nations will stand against her (Israel). I can see that easily happening in the VERY near future.

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. Judah will be besieged, as well as Jerusalem.

³⁰On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who would heave it away will be severely injured." - Zechariah 12:2-3

For many years these verses spoke about a future time that sounded like it was WAY into the future. Today, it seems like it could happen at any moment.

The thing about Zechariah's prophecy is that it says ALL nations - even the United States presumably. The U.S. has always been an ally of Israel. How could that change? Could Israel ever do something to upset the U.S.? Yes, it has already done that by attacking Doha, Qatar on September 9, 2025. Trump made Netanyahu apologize.

It could also be that a new president, who hates Israel, comes to power A Mamdani type perhaps? Either way, once the U.S. removes its support from Israel the stage will be 100% set for The Ezekiel 38 war.

The opposition is already positioned - Iran, Turkey, Russian, and the entire Muslim Brotherhood nations list. They're just waiting for the opportunity. And for God to act. Yes, this war will be from God.

In my lifetime I have never seen anything like what is happening in the world today. And these things are increasing in frequency and intensity. We are in the last days. Are you ready?

"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." - Matthew 24:34

Ezekiel 38

The Unrequiting

The term unrequited means "unanswered; not returned; not reciprocated; or not repaid," according to The American Heritage Dictionary. "The Unrequiting" are those people who choose not to return something or reciprocate in any way.

An example of this can be found in the relationship between my wife and her cat. Normally their interaction during the day is very loving. My wife feeds the cat and pets it, talks to it, and picks it up and cuddles it. However, at 4AM my wife my is very unrequitive, wanting to sleep just a bit more.

The cat tries to get beyond the closed bedroom door with clawing and mournful meowing but my wife ignores the cat,  choosing sleep over requiting. Poor kitten.

We humans can be the same way in our relationship with God, if a relationship even exists. Most who don't know God are just fine without Him, even though HE might "stand at the door and knock."

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20

But even those of us who believe can go through times when we ignore God. That usually doesn't end well.

"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah, son of Amittai, saying, ²“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”

³Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD." - Jonah 1:1-3

That didn't go so well for Jonah. He ended up on a beach in a pile of fish vomit.

People who refuse to hear the Gospel or ignore the knocking of God at their door, are destined for a fate far worse than Jonah on the Ninevah beach - eternity in Hell.

What should we do then, for the unrequiting; for those who are unwilling to return the love of God and His offer of forgiven sins and eternal life? All we can do is pray for them. If they refuse Almighty God's knocking at their door, do we think they will open up for us?

It hurts when those we love refuse to even consider a relationship with Jesus. Why? Because we know what awaits them. And that, for all eternity. How incredibly sad.

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’" - Matthew 22:13

Do Not Be Deceived

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you." - Matthew 24:3-4

The text days that Jesus was talking about "the end of the age," but I wonder if He was also talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI). And I also wonder if we have arrived at "the end of the age" that Jesus was talking about. There is definitely a lot of deception happening these days.

There was a time, and not that long ago, when we had no reason to doubt news stories, photos, or videos that appeared on our newsfeeds. Those days are gone.

My wife was sad to learn that the LIMU emu was computer generated saying, "I thought it was real!" She's not alone in her thinking.

Pretty much any movie that comes out of Hollywood these days is fake. Or at least has some CGI in it. The movies are as fake as the actors in them - hired to play someone else in a green-screen sound stage somewhere.

And isn't that what WE are in danger of becoming? Every night we watch "fake news" orchestrated by a bunch of suits sitting around a conference table in a board room dozens of floors above the sidewalks where their audience walks.

Deception is everywhere, except in God's Word. It is constant. It is truthful. In the original text. Yet even some translations have become corrupt through "fleshly" interpretations. Stay away from The Message "Bible" for example, which is NOT a translation but a paraphrase written for kids. There are others.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have their own Bible (The New World Translation). So do the Mormons (The Book of Mormon). Both groups claim to be Christian, but their "religions" both features a fake Jesus.

There is only one Church, despite all the denominations on the planet - those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. No green screens are needed for the miracles and wonders that HE performs. He is the real deal. 

The Parable of Our Cat

Well, our cat is running back and forth throughout the house right now. Sunroom to living room, living room to bedroom, bedroom to sunroom. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Is our cat insane? Yes, but that's beside the point. I think our cat is simply happy.

Our cat is a "used" cat and by that I mean that my wife is the second owner. Our cat's previous life was spent in a small duplex with high, curtained windows . . . and a dog. Not that any of that is bad, but now it is living in a bigger, window-filled, dogless house and I think the cat is merely expressing joy in its new home.

The parable here is simple - a joyful life IN Christ. Think about it. Did we ourselves not journey from one "owner" to the next? Have we not been given a new heart? Are we not loved and cared for? We have all we need and SHOULD be joyful.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." - Philippians 4:4

Granted, our cat still gets into trouble from time to time. It's a curious cat. But we too can stray from the path of righteousness. But then we are corrected and forgiven.

My wife absolutely loves her cat. And the cat knows it. It will sleep on her lap and waits for her outside the bedroom door each morning. And then, when her owner finally emerges, well, let the joyful romping begin! Oh, to have a faith like that!