TRUE PEACE IS KNOWING THE GOD WHO IS IN CONTROL

Posted on by

True peace must be rooted in something lasting. Only our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, God will do. Combining these in order, the words translate to “all-powerful, all-knowing, and “all-present” or “present everywhere”

The peace of God is found in the decisive victory of a monumental conflict. The alienation of humanity from God by the product of our willful rebellion against His authority put us clearly on the wrong side of an unequal equation. We became God’s enemies, and any peace we could offer fell solidly into the counterfeit category. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, we were without hope and God in His world. But by the blood of Jesus Christ, God preemptively made the offer of peace to his hopeless enemy:

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near” Ephesians 2:13–17

We can be at peace only when we are reconciled to God through Christ. In Him, our anxieties are alleviated, and our hostility is put to death. Nothing can disrupt that kind of peace. Wars and rumors of wars will still rage, but the person who walks by the Spirit will walk amid the storm to a voice that cries, “Peace! Be Still!”

God has given us detailed information on the fast-approaching end of this era for Earth. It is a time of intense tribulation for Christians so only those in Christ will have peace and be able to be used by God to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to all the world.

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:6-14

You need to be Living Eternal Now – Ready for Jesus Return. Available as an ebook or paperback on Amazon.

WE ALL NEED HOPE

Posted on by

If there was ever a time that our kids needed to hear the message that God created them, loves them, and they have a future, now is the time. We all need hope. Without it, this world is all there is and all I have to look forward to is growing old and death. There is no purpose or meaning to life, after all the world says I am a descendant of apes.

No wonder only 45% of young Americans say they feel in good mental health. At least 10% have thought of suicide in the past year. There has been a 56% increase in suicide rates from 2007 to 2023. 42% have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. (Stress in America: Gen. Z, American Psychology Assoc. Dec 12th, 2023)

If your entire view of self and life is subjective, then it is inherently unstable and uncertain. Is there anything less stable than a teenager’s feelings?

One of my favourite Scriptures is Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Do you want joy and peace? Do you want to abound in hope? Do you want eternal life? God gives them all to those who accept the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ and are prepared to repent of their rebellion, and past sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Note you have all joy and peace in believing by the power of the Holy Spirit. To all those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour our heavenly Father sends the third person of the Trinity to be their counsellor, teacher, comforter and helper. He will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life. joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self-control. He also provides the gifts of the Spirit for ministry.

Ministry Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31): Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing Spirits, Speaking in Tongues, and Interpreting Tongues. These are the tools that the Holy Spirit utilizes for the church’s ongoing ministry.

You need to be aware that when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you become an enemy of Satan who is Prince of this world. You are in spiritual warfare big time so you need to put on the full armour of the Lord daily. Note that the only piece of armour that is not defensive is the Sword of the Spirit.

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

There is only one answer to the identity problem we need the truth and there is only one solid foundation for the truth, our Creator’s revelation of who we are and how we got to where we are now. The Bible provides the true history of this world. Evolution is a failed theory. The discovery of DNA which is complex information that controls all of the functions in living cells rang the death knell for evolution. There is only one source of information and that is an intelligent designer. Also, the electron microscope revealed complex machinery in each cell that manufactures all the molecules needed to fuel and maintain life. It also revealed transport devices taking the chemicals to where they are needed. All of this equipment is controlled by the information on the DNA and needs to be correct on day one. It could not have evolved.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

THE FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART, “THERE IS NO GOD”

Posted on by

“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.”—G.K. Chesterton

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1

“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:21-23

“When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.“ Proverbs 19:3

As much as atheists pretend otherwise—talking as if ‘reason’ and ‘science’ are exclusively atheistic values— it is actually the rejection of God that requires ‘leaving your brain at the door.’ And the effects of both godly and godless thinking on the world make this abundantly clear to any honest observer.

We must remember that just ten generations from Adam this is what God said about the wickedness of man and He destroyed all but eight people when He poured out His wrath upon the earth with the flood of Noah’s day.

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5

The Bible is a true, authentic, historically accurate, reliable, and trustworthy revelation from God. It states that the way to true fulfilment, lasting peace, and joy in life is found in the person, Jesus Christ. N.B. what Jesus said to the apostle Thomas.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

You too, can have a relationship with the co-creator of all that exists.

Many Bible scholars tell us that up to one-third of the Bible is predictive prophecy and all of the prophecies up to date have been accurate so we can expect the many prophecies of Jesus’ second coming will also be accurate.

Jesus tells us that God will pour out His wrath again upon an unrepentant world with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements (Revelation 8 & 16). It is at the trumpet blast when the seventh seal is opened that the rapture of the Saints happens and the Trumpet judgements begin.

Will you be foolish and deny God’s existence and face the coming wrath of God, or will you repent and turn from selfishness and reckless living without God? If you do repent, you need to acknowledge and thank Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross that has paid your debt of sin and guilt in full.

If I can be of help you can contact me on ron@bakb.com.au

USA MASTERS GOLF WINNER SAYS HE PLAYS GOLF TO GLORIFY GOD

Posted on by

New Masters champion Scottie Scheffler said he’s “trying to glorify God” through his golf career, giving all the credit to the Lord as he spoke with reporters after his stunning victory. Scheffler was asked how he balances his desire to golf competitively without letting it define him as a person. “The reason why I play golf is: I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life.” The 25-year-old champion golfer didn’t stop there. He went on to say his “identity isn’t a golf score” and shared how his wife, Meredith, recently offered an encouraging reminder of that reality. “Like Meredith told me this morning, she says, ‘If you win this golf tournament today if you lose this golf tournament by 10 shots if you never win another golf tournament again,’ she goes, ‘I’m still going to love you, you’re still going to be the same person, Jesus loves you, and nothing changes,’” Scheffler said.

Scottie Scheffler wins the 2022 Masters.

Scheffler said his wife regularly prays for him to experience peace, something he always wants to have on the golf course. Additionally, he seeks to experience “God’s presence.” “Every day when we go out there, Meredith always prays for peace, because that’s what I want to feel on the golf course, is peace and have fun and just feel His presence,” he said. “So that’s her prayer every day. That’s my prayer, and I really felt that today. I felt at peace.” Earlier in the press conference, Scheffler shared how overwhelmed he was before his win. He felt Sunday morning like he might not be ready for all that was unfolding. But Scheffler came to some critical realizations after talking with his wife. “My wife told me, ‘Who are you to say that you’re not ready?’ Who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life?” he said. “What we talked about is: God is in control, and the Lord is leading me, and if today’s my time, then it’s my time.”

THE VALUE OF KNOWING YOUR CREATOR

Posted on by

When you do, you can live life to the full and be joyful. In this wide-ranging video, the 51-year-old “Growing Pains” star, Kirk Cameron explains how.

Kirk Cameron, who began acting at just 14 years old — referenced a quote he learned from one of his now-grown daughters. Scrawled on a piece of paper, she wrote: “It’s the same boiling water that softens potatoes that hardens eggs. It just depends on what you’re made of.”

“So the same difficult challenges and influences of Hollywood that turns some people sour and makes them narcissistic and bitter and joyless and afraid to not fit in,” Cameron said, “is the same pressure that actually softened my heart and caused me to embrace gratitude and be thankful for the life that I have and want to use a platform and this Hollywood industry to advance the good.”

“I really think it’s what you’re made of,” he continued. “And if you don’t know what you’re made of, don’t look to your environment or your industry or other people to give you an identity.

There is somebody who made you — ask Him. And you can be sure that the ending of the story is gonna be fantastic.”

For Cameron, it wasn’t until he was in the entertainment business that he became a Christian, revealing he actually defined himself as an atheist until he was around 17 years old.

Sitting in his sports car after dropping a girl off at an acting class, Cameron recalled pondering the afterlife, wondering if there really was a heaven and a hell and a creator and a plan for eternity.

“I knew that if there was a heaven, I wouldn’t be going there,” he said, noting he had lived life with a “self-centered, conceited, ‘I’m all that,’ ‘I’m the G.O.A.T.,’(Greatest of All Time) celebrity Mike Seaver guy” mentality, never pausing to consider something outside himself.

It was at that point he decided to pray for the first time, asking God: “If you’re there, would you please show me. … Would you forgive me for all the wrong things I’ve done and make me the person that You want me to be.”

While certainly the most important, coming to Christ wasn’t the only way Cameron changed thanks, at least in part, to Hollywood. He was also introduced to his now-wife on the set of “Growing Pains.”

Cameron said one of his nephews frequently asks him if he “took advantage” and “didn’t waste” the opportunities he had to go out with so many different girls at the height of his sitcom fame.

The actor said he has reminded his nephew he “found something so much better” instead.

“I found a girl,” Cameron said. “She’s beautiful on the inside; she’s beautiful on the outside. I married her and we’ve been married for 30 years. You have no idea how much more valuable that is. I’ve got six grown children who love God and still ask me my opinions about things, who still love to come home and be with me and my wife, and I’m on PragerU’s ‘Stories of Us.’ I mean, the story doesn’t really end much better than this.”

STORMS OF LIFE BUT PEACE IN THE STORMS

Posted on by

Jesus promised believers in Him two things that are certain in life. First, you will experience storms while on planet earth. Second, you are promised perfect peace during the storms.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.” John 14:21

Note what Jesus told his disciples about peace before He knowingly went to the Cross. Also, He acknowledged who was ruling the world then, and even today two thousand years later it is obvious to Christians that this is still the case. The good news is that we also know from God’s Word, that Satan’s rule is coming to an end. Scripture gives us incredible detail about the final seven years before Jesus returns to this earth. Look what happens in heaven when the seventh trumpet is blown at the end of the Trumpet judgements being poured out on planet earth.

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” Revelation 11:15-18

The Bowl judgements follow and then the wrath of God is finished. Shortly thereafter Jesus returns with the glorified Saints to rescue Israel and set up His Millennial Kingdom.

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels, with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished... Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” Revelation 16:1

The Thousand Years

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:1-6

GATHERING FRUIT FOR ETERNAL LIFE

Posted on by

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthews 9:37

“Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.” John 4:36-38

Jesus made it abundantly clear that all of us are called to make disciples not just the clergy.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Are you gathering fruit for eternal life? Do you even think about rewards in heaven and on the new earth? And yet Jesus taught that being an obedient disciple of Christ brings its reward, even great rewards. You need to be living eternal now not just for eternal rewards but for peace and joy in this life that can only be realised when you are in a right relationship with God, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in your spirit.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” Luke 6:22-23

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

Don’t you want to abound in the hope that Paul had, as expressed in the above and following two Scriptures. I do!

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Romans 8:18-21

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38

What role will you have in the Kingdom of God during Jesus Millennial reign on earth? What you do on earth in this life will determine that role.

PRIESTLY BLESSING

Posted on by

The ‘Priestly Blessing’ or the ‘Aaronic Blessing’ (after Aaron the priest), this blessing has been spoken or sung by Jews for thousands of years over their children or as a benediction over a congregation. The Priestly Blessing can be found in Numbers 6:24-26.

CHOOSE TODAY WHO YOU WILL SERVE

Posted on by

God is in control of our circumstances but He left us in charge of our choices. In these “last days” our daily life choices are crucial so that we live our lives by the grace of God, in His strength and to His glory. Tomorrows regrets are today’s wrong choices. These thirty Biblically based life principles provided by Peter Rahme (Inner West Baptist Church, Chullorah) will help you choose wisely and well, so you wholeheartedly serve our deserving Lord.

It is crucial you let the indwelling Holy Spirit play His role as your counsellor, comforter and teacher concerning all thirty of these Biblical principles. Let Him direct your choices and you will be able to do all thirty, without Him you will do nothing pleasing to the Lord.

  1. Today I choose to experience Forgiveness from God (and others) and express it freely to others, rather than hold on to bitterness.
  2.  Today I choose to be Grateful to God (and others) for His amazing grace, rather than be angry at Him (and others) for almost everything that seems to go wrong in my life.
  3.  Today I choose to extend Love and Grace to my family and friends rather than being critical of them.
  4.  Today I choose to exercise Mercy towards my family and friends rather than being condemning of them.
  5.  Today I choose to experience Peace with my family and friends rather than being contentious with them.
  6.  Today I choose to make Restitution with others, rather than take revenge on them.
  7.  Today I choose to be set Free, serving God and others, rather than be under the bondage of the spirit of ententitlement.
  8.  Today I choose to learn from and let go of the past, rather than being held back by it.
  9.  Today I choose to live in the present, rather than miss out on it.
  10.  Today I look forward to the future rather than worry about it.
  11. Today I choose to accept responsibility for my own action and behaviour, rather than blame others for theirs.
  12. Today I choose to come clean with my painful memories, rather than camouflage them with a fake smile.
  13. Today I choose to be Humble and Reasonable in the way I treat others, rather than be proud and arrogant in the way I mistreat them.
  14. Today I choose to be careful not to re-offend and be much better at understanding, rather than be easily offended at the slightest misunderstanding.
  15. Today I choose to be comfortable in my own imperfection, rather than look to find faults in others.
  16. Today I choose to lift people up and have fun, rather than put people down and making fun of them.
  17. Today I choose to be able and willing rather than stubborn and unwilling.
  18. Today I choose to be positive, exploring ALL the options available to me rather than negative opposing ANY opportunities presented to others around me.
  19. Today I choose to be proactive in going forward rather than reactive and getting nowhere.
  20. Today I choose to be productive getting things done rather than busy doing things and getting nothing done.
  21. Today I choose to be a User Friendly person rather than a person who is User of Friends.
  22. Today I choose to function according to my design rather than exist in a dysfunctional state of failure.
  23. Today I choose to function at an Interdependent level rather than a Co- dependent one.
  24. Today I choose to focus on the Us and What Is rather than ME and What if.
  25. Today I choose to focus my effort, energy and emotion on doing my best rather than being the best.
  26. Today I choose to make my priority in my business is to serve the people rather than sell a product.
  27. Today I choose to do life for the betterment of all rather than the detriment to any.
  28. Today I choose to connect and contribute rather than control and be contentious.
  29. Today I choose to take the necessary action to do my life goals rather than talk needlessly about doing them.
  30. Today I choose to give and receive rather than grab and run.

A WATERSHED END TIMES EVENT – PART TWO

Posted on by

On December 13th, the heads of state and top officials from Islamic nations gathered together at an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Turkey, in an attempt to forge a unified Muslim world stance against Trump’s move.

The Istanbul gathering of heads of state and top officials from the 57-member OIC could offer a strong response by the Muslim world to Washington’s move.

Abbas says America’s role in middle east peace process is over

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan— the current president of the OIC — called on countries to urgently recognise the Palestinian state and Jerusalem as its capital.

Erdogan has been among the most vocal critics of Trump’s announcement. In remarks to the summit, he said Israel is an “occupying state” and a “terror state.”

Palestinian Authority head, Abbas, called Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a “crime” that threatened world peace.

These bizarre statements explains why there already has been three major battles by these Muslim nations in an attempt to destroy Israel. Miraculously, Israel won them all despite overwhelming odds. Sadly, Jesus prophecies a coming battle during the prophesied 70th week of Daniel which Israel does not win. It is before His prophesied return to earth to restore Israel after the final battle of Armageddon.

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-24

Are you living as if we are in the prophesied “last days”? Are you in a church that understands the times and is raising up disciples to reach the lost? As you would know from reading my posts, I believe the last days church will be like the church described in the Book of Acts. Leaders such as Francis Chan and Torben Sondergaard are leading the way in this regard. With the Holy Spirit’s prompting, one further step I have taken is to connect with like minded Christian brothers to provide sermons and videos which will equip the “last days” church for the escalating tribulation that is prophesied. Take a look at the website, which is a work in progress, http://www.powerpointsermons.net  and the resources already there. Feedback is welcome and please sign up to get a regular Newsletter. Also, please get the word around to churches that could benefit from the resources that are there, and will continue to be added, as we connect with more Christian leaders that can contribute resources to the site.