Elections of National Leadership

Bold Faith ministry is conservative, period.  I, Rev. Joe, am also conservative politically, and I cannot comprehend how a faithful Christian could be anything else.  With that said, you can rest assured that I will vote for the candidate that best represents my personal belief for the direction of the United States of America.  And that is directed at all elections, not just national.

The 2nd Coming of Christ (aka: Post Tribulation Rapture)

BLOG 2024.09.30

This is the best explanation I have yet to hear that refutes the concept of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture is taught NOWHERE in the Bible.

More precisely, BOLD Faith Ministry teaches and believes that the Second Coming of Christ can ONLY happen AFTER the Great Tribulation.  Follow this video link to hear/view this teaching from FAI and Maranatha Studios... they do a masterful job of presenting this material.  https://youtu.be/9ifs4kGli0g?si=1yIIecCMDe_hQycu click the link or copy and paste it into your YouTube search bar.

Note: I am providing this link without permission of FAI or Maranatha Studios.

Blog: 2024.08.13
God’s Family Plan
Rev. Joe Parker

In the beginning, God had a plan. part of this plan was the Man being followed by the Woman.

Genesis 2:18 - 24 New King James Version

18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man
should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 

19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 

20 So Adam gave names to all cattle,  the birds of the air, and every beast of the field. But for Adam, there was not found a helper comparable to him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and he slept, and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 

22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This is the origin of the “nuclear family” and the way God designed us. 

Life was fairly easy: Life in God’s Garden

Gen. 2:8-17 NKJV

8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden,
and there He put the man whom He had formed.

9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree, grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.

The Tree of Life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.

11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

12 And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.

13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that goes around the whole land of Cush. 

14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one that goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to [e]tend and keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it
you shall surely die.”

But Satan hated God and His creation, so he stuck his nose into the mix: 

The Temptation and Fall of Man

Genesis 3:1 - 6

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

3 but of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 Then, the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate it.

My understanding: This is in effect the breakdown of the family. Eve (took the lead) gave the forbidden fruit to Adam (and he FOLLOWED HER LEAD). Granted this doesn’t say much for Adam’s understanding of the way God had ordered things, but they were learning. In this case, a very HARD lesson; one that man is still trying to learn. And satan hasn’t stopped perverting the family dynamic since.

Today, women are working outside of the home to earn more money so the “family”, where there is one, can afford to provide for the members. But to make things worse, girls have been taught that they don’t need men. and that they should be independent and self-sufficient. At one time, when I was young, it was expected that a gentleman would hold a door for a lady. Today, we can’t define the word FEMALE or more pointedly, Lady. And because of these societal changes, men have become soft and less masculine. And, in response, these men have virtually given up on finding a mate (female). That only leaves one other gender, and that is an abomination to God. 

You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. It is an abomination. 

What does the New Testament have to say about this? The Apostle Paul tells us in no uncertain terms.

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

Leviticus 18:22 (NKJV)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who [d]suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 

19 because what may be known of God is [e]manifest [f]in them, for God has shown
it to them.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [g]Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like [h]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,

25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their [i]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 

27 Likewise also the [j]men, leaving the natural use of the [k]woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

29 being filled with all unrighteousness, [l]sexual immorality, wickedness, [m]covetousness, [n]maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,

30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 [o]undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, [p]unforgiving, unmerciful;

32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Opinion: Most of us have varying degrees of acceptance or tolerance of some of the things noted above, GOD has NONE. As Christians, we should follow God’s lead, with one caveat: Love the Sinner, not the sin. The only way anyone involved with sin can change is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

What is the best way to Love a Sinner? 

Tell them the truth. Don’t sugarcoat the word of God. The best verse that I can offer, to put the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in a nutshell, is: 

John 3:14 - 21 New King James Version

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  

¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

  (God loved His creation so much, that He provided His only Son to BE the sacrifice for our sins.  That man could return to fellowship with God through Him (Jesus).)

¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.  

²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  

²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Opinion: But there is more to becoming a Christian, than just belief as we generally understand it, in this case, we must include repentance from our sinful life and complete trust in God through Jesus.  Belief must be Active, meaning we must not only believe with our mouths, as many of us do.

If you want to know the saving grace of Christ, pray in your own words, for understanding, and that your eyes would be opened to the falseness that you are inundated with daily. Get a Bible, I use the New King James Version as I have done in this Blog. But there are many versions. One that might work for a new or aspiring Christian is the New Living Translation, which uses more modern language in a more familiar format. 

Be forewarned about some versions, there are several that omit some key verses and, in some cases, teach lies.

If you live in the contiguous 48 states and need a Bible and cannot find one locally, contact us and we will do our best to get one to you. It won’t be fancy, but it will be complete. 

Also, if you have prayer needs, please let us know. 

And finally, if you ever find an error in what we share, let us know and give us scripture that supports your understanding. We will always consider another’s viewpoint. We may want to discuss this with you, so email is the best way to contact us.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Word, Your Son, the Holy Spirit, and for those who follow our website, Preacher George’s sermons, and my Blogs. And thank you for allowing us another day to serve you and our followers. Without you, none of what we do would be possible, so we give you praise and honor. Lord, Please Bless those who watch and read our website and mine and Preacher George’s
Facebook pages. In Jesus Mighty Name, AMEN and Amen.

Blog 2024.06.29

When are we Washed by the Blood of Jesus?

This phrase comes from one of my favorite songs: https://youtu.be/8QH5lpYSBpI?si=vkKMD6y0WUObtrKI

The link above will lead to that song.  But the question remains.  We, Preacher George and I, have both touched on the concept of "Once Saved, Always Saved" and we hope we have done that subject justice, but to recap; we do not agree with that teaching.  We have discussed this at length and our combined study has yielded this blog and Preacher Georges sermon that he may have given by the time anyone sees this.  If interested, please check out the sermons tab above.

When are we washed by His redeeming Blood?  Every time we confess our sins before Him.  Salvation is not the destination, it is the road we must travel to get to the destination, the Kingdom of God (Heaven).  When we accept His gift afresh, we are washed by His blood.  When we commit another sin, even if it's the same thing, we must confess that issue to the great physician, Jesus Christ, who will forgive us because of His mercy and grace.  Now there are other problems when we commit sins and we are aware that we are doing so, that is just thumbing our noses at God.  I have been told that there is nothing that cannot be forgiven by God, if we only seek his mercy and confess our wrongs.  The ONLY sin that will not be forgiven, is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  How is that done?  Attributing something NOT godly or contrary to His nature, to an act of the Holy Spirit.  Or, possibly contributing an act of the Holy spirit to Satan, or an act of actual evil.

You will note that there is no scripture given here, that is because I am writing this on the fly and not based on in depth study.  

There is one other misconception regarding instant salvation or the once saved crowd.  That is that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and because of this s/he cannot commit a sin.  Hogwash!  The Bible doesn't support that concept at all, as far as I know.  I don't have the scriptures memorized, and cannot just pull up a scripture reference.  But if this idea were true, then the idea that we have free choice / Agency, to decide for ourselves what we are going to do at any one moment, is a lie.  But that is in the scriptures, again as far as I understand... we confess our sin and are forgiven, no being washed free of the stain of sin, doesn't work that way.

In conclusion, read your Bible daily and study what God says.  You will see for yourselves.

Thank you for your time, Please keep us in your prayers.

This Blog, for 24.05.27 is taken from a video, please watch and pay CLOSE attention to the content.

https://youtu.be/oD9Rkz71XSQ?si=aLFpgPNNqWT36UQF

I share this to hopefully awaken many of you that have been lulled or duped into believing what you are seeing makes good sense.  Note, there is NOTHING good about what is going on in this world today, save that it was prophesied in the old testament and by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  PAY CLOSE ATTENTION!

BLOG 2024.5.10

Pre-destination (ordination) or Free Will?

Today, Preacher George and I had a discussion regarding the subject of this blog.  There is a common idea that God has already determined which of us will accept Him and His offer of grace through Christ.  But we still have free will.

HOW does that work?  God is JUST, not a dictator.  Jesus said that He wants all souls to come to Him.  But we must CHOOSE to do so.  If we must choose His grace, how are we then preordained to do so?

Now, I’m not saying that no one falls into the “pre-ordination / destination” category.  But I believe this is a small group. 

Matthew 20

New King James Version

¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last. For^[d] many are called, but few chosen.”

This chapter is about the vineyard and the people that were recruited to work there on one particular day.  The person that is being addressed was one of the first people called, and was offered a specific amount of money for a days work.  In the course of the day, more people were called to work in the vineyard.  But at the end of the day, when they were to be paid, the people that started later in the day were paid the same as the people who started first.  This person felt he should have been paid more because he worked longer, but since he accepted the initial offer, as did all the others, he was paid what he agreed to. So, was he cheated?

In comparison, are we called to salvation?  Or is salvation offered to us?  May we CHOOSE to accept this offer, or to reject it?  Do we have the freedom to make that choice?

What is the work we are to do in salvation?  Jesus tells us to be like Him, to take up our cross and follow Him.  We who call ourselves Christian, need to examine our lives and actions carefully to be sure we are TRYING to live a life that honors Christ.  There is ONLY ONE REQUIREMENT to be saved, acceptance of the GIFT of Grace, in Christ.  Jesus DIED that we might live.  He told us, many times, that His path was difficult to walk.  For us, it’s very nearly impossible, because of our sin nature.  We commit sin automatically sometimes.  I know that this is true for me.  It’s like a reflex.  I have been known to drop an “F” bomb occasionally or think an impure thought about an attractive woman.  I am constantly chastising myself for these failings, and I confess them to Christ when I pray.  But frequently I don’t feel that my prayer is heard or accepted.  I have said many times here in this blog and website, that neither I nor Preacher George are perfect.  We are both products of our past environments, but as ministers of the Gospel, that is no excuse.  We ask that those few that follow our site to pray for us and our ministry.  That we can become more Christ like and that our future will be long on the internet, etc.

We are blessed to have a number of people following us and some have joined our ministry as visitors, to those we are very grateful, we pray that our site is a blessing to you all, in Jesus’s name. We would be honored if everyone that views Preacher George on Facebook would also join us here.  

My blogging is a bit more personal than what Preacher George posts, most of the time.  That’s because I am an introvert and tend to be introspective, I examine my life with a VERY critical eye.  And frequently find myself being short of my own standard.  

If anyone has any questions regarding this Blog, I welcome the opportunity to clarify anything that is confusing.

God Bless you all,

Rev. Joe

Why have Christians stopped Attending church?

This question recently popped up on a Facebook page.  And I felt that I should weigh in.  This is not a verbatim recitation of my response but is my candid opinion.  Hang On.

I have to admit my own failure in this practice since I haven't attended or indeed belonged to a specific church body for probably nearly a decade now.  Why?  Same reasons as many others.  Disillusionment, not feeling like a part of the group, "Church Hurt", disagreement with the leadership or what or how they shared the Gospel, or in some cases the lack of the Gospel being preached/taught.  I have attended small churches where the pastor was, for lack of a better descriptor, a tyrant.  I have attended large churches where the goal was "wallets in seats", some of these larger churches placed high value on "Entertainment or Shock Value", and others that had a professional worship team, that used frequency manipulation to influence the peoples reactions. Yes, unfortunately that is possible.

I was a lover of the contemporary service, for several years, until I discovered this last tactic.  Today, it seems that I rarely if ever listen to Gospel music, contemporary or otherwise.  I long for the days where we had only one or maybe two instruments and the whole congregation would sing, as the pastor lead us.  Even a contemporary song can be offered in this manner.  However, I have discovered that many of those "new" songs are not biblically sound.  For legal reasons, I won't name any here.  Well, to be totally honest, I also don't know any off the top of my head, so...  Which is why I just don't usually go there.

I also miss the small country church.  The type with one big room for the congregation to meet in, pray, worship, sing, and learn from one minister.  This is the type of church I wanted to lead from a young age.  And I had intended to go to Pensacola Christian College (Florida), and then to Seminary; but part of me went a different route and instead I quit High School (11th grade) and enlisted in the US Army.  That was a definite path change for me, and while there I attended one of the church services on base.  That was my first and last taste of the Pentecostal style of preaching, at least for a time.  As a child I attended a Presbyterian church, where a guy could catch a good nap, if he wanted to.  And from what I saw, many men and boys did.  I have been associated with many church denominations in my life: Baptist, Methodist, Church of God, Church of Christ, and even having joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  All are good churches as far as they teach the Bible, some are better at this than others; but they all have one thing in common: denominational doctrine.  The denomination is based on the teachings of one or a very few individuals, and NOT on the BIBLE itself.  Excuse me for stating this so bluntly, but I have looked deeply into these doctrines, and they are NOT the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ.  They have bits and parts in common, but that is where they stop.

How do we change this situation?

As Christians we are expected to read our Bibles.  But many of us don't, or rarely do.  Sure, we dust off the cover to make it look read, but what do you find inside?  I have known people that have added pages to their Bibles to include their "interpretation" of a passage.  Some have colored their Bibles with markers, And others write in the margins.  These are great ways to find a passage when you are seeking a specific answer you had already found, if you can remember what Book the passage is in.  Most of the time I can't quote scripture off the top of my head, and for a minister, that's sad.  But this situation has a remedy.  Open your (my) Bible and read/study, take notes.  Read a commentary written by others that lived long ago, but not when Christ was still in the flesh.  The Church fathers, Wesley, Spurgeon, and others had a good grasp on interpretation, but were they ALL RIGHT?  One thing I teach anyone that will listen, is to not take a single scripture and make an entire teaching based on it.  My suggestion is that when you are trying to make a point Biblically, use a basic premise and then find every scripture that speaks on that topic.  From there, search the verses, paragraphs, entire chapters, or even the whole book; to determine if your premise is supported.  I was taught ages ago, to use the rule of "Thirds".  One premise with three points, proven by three verses or better paragraphs... then research what the writer(s) meant.  That may entail the use of a lexicon or a dictionary or maybe a Biblical encyclopaedia.  But what ever it takes, make sure you understand what you are trying to say.  Note: in doing this you may find that your initial interpretation was way off.  And thus, may need to rethink your premise.

As always, I pray for each of those of you that take the time to read my blogs.  I appreciate your input, or would if anyone ever put in... I believe that together we make a stronger union, whether that be as Christians or Americans.  And if you have any questions or comments on this blog, please send me a message.  You can find my contact info in several places in this website or you can use the "Contact Us" link as well.

God Bless You All.

Salvation is not a license to commit sin.  Nor does it prevent us from it.

Blog 2024.2.23

GOT GOD?

Exodus 3:13-14

New King James Version

¹³ Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

¹⁴ And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” …

I AM,

Listening: I hear every word and thought

   Watching: I see everything you do

      Waiting: I want you to follow ME through Jesus, The Christ.

            Here! All you need to do is pray to be forgiven and I will bring you back into the family.

A few years ago, I added this to the back of my business cards.  Unfortunately, after handing out very nearly all of them, I had no response to my offer: “Wanna Talk, call Rev. Joe.”  I was at a loss as to why no one contacted me, then.  Now, I see the condition of our world and the lack of faith.  Specifically, the lack of faith in God, in His Son, and in the Holy Spirit; also known as the Trinity.  Maybe this is part of the problem:

2 Timothy 3

New King James Version

Perilous Times and Perilous Men

3 But know this, that in the last days ^[a]perilous times will come: 

² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 

³ unloving, ^[b]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 

⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 

⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 

⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 

⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 

⁹ but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

And…

1 Timothy 4

King James Version

4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

² Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Opinion: In v4, departing from the faith I believe to mean that they will leave their faith in Christ (et al), and will begin to believe the lies of Satan: take a look at the “Woke” movement or Critical Race Theory; these teachings are contrary to the Word of God, are they not?

V5: Watch what the “left” is saying in their accusations of the “right”, as it has been for several years, the left accuses the right of doing EXACTLY what they themselves are guilty of.  (Hypocrisy)

The left’s lack of concern regarding out borders, not just the one to the south.  They turn a blind eye to the drugs that enter our nation, and many other evils… is this not a “seared conscience”?  Yes, my friends we are INDEED, living in the last days…

Do you have any questions regarding this blog?  Any commentary on my opinions?  Email me at: rev.joe.parker@gmail.com Please provide biblical support if you believe I am in error.  I will take your input into consideration and respond as best I can, in kind.

God bless all who read my blogs and follow our website: www.rlm-bfm.com

Wednesday's Blog

My apologies for being late to post this, but here it is.

The Second Coming or the Rapture, are they related or the same thing?

I believe this to be the case.  And the following scripture should bear this out.

While I claim total ignorance of Biblical Interpretation,  I have only the following verses to support my claim, but please review my thoughts and tell me what you think.

Mark 5:35-43

New King James Version

³⁵ While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

³⁶ As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 

³⁷ And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. ³⁸ Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw ^[g]a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 

³⁹ When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.”

⁴⁰ And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 

⁴¹ Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 

⁴² Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. 

⁴³ But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it and said that something should be given her to eat.

1 Thessalonians 4

New King James Version

Plea for Purity

4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God. 

² for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 

⁴ that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 

⁵ not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 

⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 

⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 

⁸ Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who^[a] has also given us His Holy Spirit.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 

¹⁰ and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more. 

¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 

¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[b]asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 

*(dead and buried) *

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who ^[c]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[d]asleep. *(Be raised first.) *

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

New King James Version

*(To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord.) * 

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. 

¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Matthew 24

New King James Version

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

24 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 

² And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 

⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 

⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for ^[a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, ^[b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 

⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 

¹⁰ And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 

¹¹ Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 

¹² And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 

¹³ But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The Great Tribulation

¹⁵ “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 

¹⁶ “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 

¹⁷ Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 

¹⁸ And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 

¹⁹ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 

²⁰ And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 

²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

²² And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the ^[c]elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

²³ “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 

²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 

²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand.

²⁶ “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 

²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

²⁸ For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁹ “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 

³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

³¹ And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His ^[d]elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

³⁶ “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of ^[f]heaven, but My Father only. 

³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

³⁸ For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 

³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 

⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 

⁴² Watch therefore, for you do not know what ^[g]hour your Lord is coming. 

⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known what ^[h]hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

 ⁴⁴ Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

*(An example of a surprise visit.) *

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

⁴⁵ “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food ^[i]in due season? 

⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 

⁴⁷ Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 

⁴⁸ But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying ^[j]his coming,’ 

⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 

⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 

⁵¹ and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Regardless of all the above "argument"; maintain a state of Christian Preparation and expectation for an event that is not specifically called, the Rapture. 

In closing, as I always do, I invite anyone to discuss my interpretation with biblical content as your support, as I have here.  Concrete evidence that refutes my assertions here will gain my respect and concurrence.  However, If I choose NOT to agree with you, and/or change my mind, it would be because I don’t feel compelled that your argument is strong enough.  We may have to agree, to disagree. (Rev. Joe Parker)

Blog for Sunday, 1/14/2024

Respect

Respect is a two-way street.  To earn respect, you have to show respect.  As Christians this is decidedly true.  Jesus told us to 'Turn the other cheek', but He didn't mean to just let someone slap you around either.  I had a reality check today, and I appreciate the situation. And I made my apologies.  Will I make that mistake again? Unfortunately, probably so, and I will again apologize.  I sincerely mean it when I apologize to anyone.  The last thing I want to do, to anyone, is hurt their feelings.  However, when an issue becomes common place, it behooves us to point this out, regardless of feelings.  

Men, in general crave respect.  It's more common now for men and women to disagree on different subjects, but when that person is you spouse, it takes on a whole other meaning.  Respect can go a long way to soothing frayed nerves and bruised egos.  But it will never repair a lack of trust.  But that's a subject for another blog.

Women deserve out respect as well.  They are the homemakers, the person that literally bares the children and all that entails.  Lord knows, I don't want that chore. 

I believe that a household (family) should share the household duties divided among the strengths of the individuals and their ability to carry them out.  No one would expect an 8 year old to paint the house, dog or cat maybe, but not the house.  Likewise, we wouldn't expect a 60 year old to play hopscotch with that same 8 year old, even if able.  There is a realism trade off.  And that is being respectful of those persons abilities.

Preacher George and I combined our two personal ministries out of mutual respect for each others interests and abilities.  I administer this site and help with the technical junk in the background.  And I blog, like this one today.  Preacher George does his sermon and may post the odd blog occasionally.  He likes to talk, and I don't; so this works for us.  We trust each other enough to share what we post, most of the time, with each other prior to posting.  But we will help the other hone their input when needed.

We have stated in the past, that Preacher George and I don't always agree perfectly on everything, but that's because we were created as individuals and remain that creation.  God, created us and He don't make junk.

Respect also needs to be extended to others that do not share our Christian views.  Some denominations, no offense meant to anyone or any church, are more legalistic that others.  Calling out another person or "church" because we do not agree with the doctrine they follow is wrong.  But there again, does have it's place; when done with LOVE and Caring.  Saying, "you are wrong"! Without showing that person what you perceive as their error and not giving them a chance to explain, is also Wrong.  It makes better sense to sit down and have a high quality Bible study and search out the truth of the subject in contention.  Who knows, you may BOTH be wrong, or right for that matter.  

As always, if you have questions or comments for my blogs, never hesitate to contact me by email, my address is on the contact us page.  All that Preacher George and I ask is that you specify what your issue or concern is, and support your argument biblically.

God Bless you all, and I pray that this new year is MUCH better than the last for all of us and the world.  Amen.

Feeling discouraged?

King David, The Psalmist

I am sure David, did.  And probably quite often, especially in those moments when he realized that he wasn't living up to God's expectations.  But then he made a conscious effort to unburden his heart to God in prayer.  This Psalm gives us something to lean on when we feel discouraged, in how it shows us who and what God is.

Psalm 19^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice^[b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
⁵  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
My Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

God is merciful even in His greatness

While we make mistakes and fail not only ourselves and others, the one that makes the most difference in our lives is, and should be, our God.  He is the maker and master of time and the universe, yet he took the time to make us.  And our parents (Adam and Eve) failed Him.  Sin is a necessary evil, it separates us from God, and that is necessary.  Yet, when God gave us free agency (will), He knew that we couldn't handle the responsibility.  That is why Jesus was born, that is why Jesus was necessary.  God came to live among us in the form of His own Son, and took the responsibility upon himself to pay the price for OUR sins.  Jesus was sinless, and yet He was crucified for the failures in our lives that separate us from God, so that we might be rejoined to Our Father in Heaven.

How to be Reconciled

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The Father Revealed

⁷ “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

.  (John 14:6 NKJV)

The way to be reconciled is simple, maintaining that is not as simple.  First, begin reading the New Testament, I suggest the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)  Read them through once, stopping only as you MUST.  Then get a notebook, and read them again, writing down verses that reach out to you.  Then read through them again.  Try to do this out loud.  The more you read these book, the more you will remember the words and the various aspects of who Jesus was.  Will you, can you, memorize them; possibly. Is it necessary?  That depends on what these books say to you.  But here is the KEY: Jesus lived and DIED, so you could live, after your body dies, and you could live eternally with God the Father.

Pray, in your own words, for forgiveness.  Confess to God, your sins / sinfulness.  And accept Jesus' and God's free gift to you that you may be free of the penalty (the second death in hell/eternal torment) of those sins and that sinfulness.

You may not feel any change in yourself, immediately, but over time you will see a change in your actions and attitudes.  Continue reading your Bible and never stop trying to learn more about your savior.  The Bible will tell you a lot about history.  A magazine called: Biblical Archeology is fabulous in sharing the most recent discoveries regarding Biblical times.  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/

This site should give you access to past articles, which prove the existence and validate much of what the Bible says.

Finally, get involved in a local church, or join with us here at Bold Faith & Redeemed Lion Ministry.  Contact us at the link on the navigation bar above.  Or email either of us directly.

God Bless you and may the Lord watch over each of you.  Amen

Rev. Joe's Illness update

I hate being sick!  I dislike being in the hospital, for ANY reason, except visitation when requested.  This took me by complete surprise! Due to my bodies response to the sickness I was severely dehydrated and nauseous for the duration.  I was prescribed some medications, one for the Covid junk and a couple of others for pain and the nausea.  I stopped the Covid treatment one dose early because I am convinced that the drug was keeping my stomach in knots.  While using that drug, my body continued to react and I stayed nauseous and such... I won't go into any more detail on that.

The good thing is that as I am writing this, on Christmas Eve day, I am feeling much better.  I am eating and am staying hydrated.  I had, during the initial stages, stopped taking ANY medications on my normal list.  I am now back to taking those as they were prescribed. And I am still doing better than before.  I have lost a few pounds, but don't know just how much.  I am looking forward to the New Year, both for myself and for our website.

I would like to request that anyone that reads my blogs, to please share our website with your family and friends.  The more people know about us, the better.  Remember, we do not, at this time, ask for any type of funding.  Preacher George and I have a continuing discussion on that point going, but for now we are strictly self funded.

I pray for everyone that follows this website to have a wonderful holiday season and that the New Year (2024) will be a blessing to you all.  God Bless you all, this ministry, and the United States of America!

Changes to our Ministry

Pastor George will be doing a LOT more on this site for a while to come.  I, Pastor Joe, was diagnosed with Covid on the 7th of December..  Being a former Navy man, this date has particular significance, Pearl Harbor day.  And I appear to have been "Pearl Harbored".  I won't go into details but for two days and two trips to the ER, I was REALLY sick.  I am taking medications and fighting with the help of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Ultimately, everything is in His hands, anyway.  And I trust Him completely.

Even though my faith remains strong, prayers from our followers are always welcome.  Thank you in advance, and God Bless you ALL!

The Rapture (Blog: 2023.11.26)

There are many theories out there.  Pre, Mid, and Post - Tribulation explanations abound.  I believe in what Jesus said.

The following are Jesus words regarding His return.  Read this here, and again in your own Bible.  Understand that Only God the Father in Heaven knows exactly when the rapture will take place, but here Jesus describes it in such a way as to tell us that it will be AFTER the Tribulation of those days.  I suggest everyone read this in context, that is within the chapter, because the verses before give some insight as to the TRIBULATION he refers to here.

The Coming of the Son of Man  (NKJV)

Mark 13:24 - 27

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;

25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His [h]elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

People will always come to their own conclusion, and will try to convince others that their view is right.  I am the same way, however; in things pertaining to "religion or Christianity", I turn to the source, The Bible.  Now, we could go into the argument about which is the right Bible, but again, that is a matter of personal taste.  Read the above scriptures in YOUR OWN Bible.  If these scriptures are missing, you are NOT reading God's Word, it's just that simple.

If you disagree, prove your concepts with more than one verse.  Here I have used a few connected verses to give my opinion and belief.  If additional discussion is needed, other than the words of Christ Himself, then let me know where I am wrong and the correct scriptures that support YOUR interpretation/opinion, and we can go into the discussion via email.

If you succeed in changing my mind, I will post that in a future Blog.

Blog 23.11.11                                       The Beast is Wounded but NOT DEAD.                               By Rev. Joe Parker

Revelation (NKJV) 13:1-10

The Beast from The Sea

13 Then ^[a]I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having ^[b]seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. ² Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 

⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

⁵ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to ^[c]continue for forty-two months. 

⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 

⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every ^[d]tribe, tongue, and nation. 

⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 

¹⁰ He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the ^[e]patience and the faith of the saints.

Revelation, the most misunderstood book of the Bible.  Much of it is symbolism, all of it is intriguing.  In this passage we read about The Beast, the world ruler who is probably alive now, but is yet to be recognized.  God has been merciful to his creation (us) because he has given us insight as to who the Beast is and how to recognize him.

While I am not an authority on the Bible and certainly NOT the Book of Revelation, I do believe I have been gifted with wisdom, understanding, and the ability to speak (write) what I believe to be true.

Remember, I have never been formally educated in the Bible (Bible College) or Seminary, so please don’t rely on what I say or write but verify everything as best you can.  If I am wrong, show me, in the Bible, what I have gotten wrong.  And tell me what you understand to be the correct interpretation or intent.

The Beast from the Earth

(The False Prophet)

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon (Does this mean someone was resurrected?)

¹² And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 

It would appear that the first beast is injured in some way that should have killed him but didn’t.  That is the second clue as to who this Beast (Antichrist) is.

¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

¹⁴ And he deceives ^[f]those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

 ¹⁵ He (the false prophet) was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

 ¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,

 ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has ^[g]the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Who are these men?  How do we know they are men?  Are they real or symbols?  I cannot answer the first question here, yet.  But everyone will have that opportunity because they will reveal themselves.  First by their speech, but then by the “signs” which the False Prophet performs, but only(?) in sight of the Antichrist (Beast).  When that happens, his name in Hebrew will add up to 666, and those that discover this may try to expose him.  I know that if I am still alive, I will certainly post my suspicion.  Note: When I post that; I will be hunted down and killed for having spoken against (exposed) the Antichrist. (If I am still alive.)

No, I have no idea who these two men are.  But there will be peace in the world when they come onto the scene, how else would they be able to accomplish all that we read about in the previous verses?  But make NO MISTAKE, they ARE VERY REAL.

Watch the current and emergent world leaders.  From what I have read in Revelation it would appear that there is one or more world leaders that will have an understudy, someone that they will endorse to take their place.  But the new person will seem to be nice and placating (meek as a Lamb) but will also speak (as a Dragon) about war and destruction.  This is the person to watch closely, because HE will probably BE the Antichrist (Beast).

There is much speculation about who this person may be.  There has been a book written “The Antichrist and a Cup of Tea”, that gives a LOT of evidence as to who this man is.  I won’t go into that evidence here, but I do recommend that anyone interested in learning more search for the underlined title given above and look for interviews with the author.  The longer the interview, the more evidence is shared.  The information is compelling.

Well, that’s it for this Blog.  I hope that I have given some insight and knowledge on this issue.  Please drop me a note when you read this Blog and tell me what you think.  I very much appreciate your reading my blogs.  I love you all, and I wish God’s grace on each of you and your houses. (Amen)

Deuteronomy 7

New King James Version

2023.10.18  What's New?

Some potentially exciting things to come.

Preacher George and I (Rev. Joe) have been kicking around some ideas and while we haven't carved anything into a stone tablet yet.  I thought I would set a sort of poll for those that may view our site.  

One of the ideas that Preacher George brought up was for us to try to set up a weekly video conference call.  Just a few people, maybe 20 total, on no particular week.  Those interested would have to request access and once the 20 attendees were present no more would be allowed to join in.  Each session would be recorded and posted later here on the site.  Of course, the technology side is the fly in the ointment (funny, I used to say "oink"-ment when I was a young child), meaning trying to find the best way to make this happen.  Preacher George and I both have Facebook Pages and Groups, so we are considering Facebook Messenger as a potential option for this process.

Another thought that has been nagging at the back of my mind, has been the inclusion of small groups.  Right now it's only an idea.  But we have gone through a process with a previous church we attended for several years, that provided some interesting ideas that we had never experienced up to that time.  I guess I'm going to have to give my testimony in a future blog, so this will make more sense.  But the process begins with the "Altar Call", moves to a process called "Consolidation", and then the Classes: New Converts/Christians, Christianity 101, School of Disciples, School of Apostles (Leaders), and then continuing sanctification classes, to keep us on the right "Straight and Narrow" path.  Preacher George and I will be working quietly on these classes.  Nothing that we offer here is ever required.  But if you are interested in becoming a ministry leader, then we would be very happy to have you join us.  As we develop things we will try to keep you all informed either here, or via group messaging that we can do from this site.  It's a very cool feature that we haven't really tested yet.  And there are others.

Well, that's all I have for today's Blog.  I would appreciate someone actually contacting us and letting us know that there are warm bodies out there watching.  May God Bless you ALL, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

Blog For 2023.09.24

Reaching People for Christ.

Welcome to my Sunday Blog.  I pray that everyone is safe, healthy, and happy, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Today I am continuing my discussion about evangelism, in this blog my focus will be on “Defending the Faith,” also known as Apologetics.

Any time we get into a discussion with someone about Christianity as a whole, we must be prepared to explain our belief in Christ, and all that He is about.  Arguments range from “There is no God,” to “Pixies and Fairy Dust”, or the ever present, “If God is so Good and powerful, why is there suffering in the world?”

To the people making these arguments they are valid questions.  There are some specific scriptures that can be used to explain this phenomenon, but I am going to skip that for now.  Direct answers to these questions may not be the best route to take.  There is a real danger that the “new evangelist” might be argued out of their own position, “That GOD is Real and He has a Plan that is working toward His purpose.”

I believe that trying to disarm the prospect at the outset is a good option.  How do I do this?  By meeting them on equal terms.  I will ask them their first name and introduce myself.  If I have business cards with me, I will hand them out.  And explain about the combined ministry that Preacher George and I (Rev. Joe) have running online.  

Note: our website is: www.rlm-bfm.com  Please visit us and look around.  If you have any questions for Me or Preacher George, there are several links to contact us including our email and personal Facebook pages/groups.

To continue. I have been approached with; ‘do you know Jesus,’ many times.  I have been a believer for the bulk of my 65 years, there was a period that I was decidedly not a Christian, but I did still believe.  That head knowledge will get us burned.    

I had some business cards printed that had on the back: the scripture reference to God and Moses’ first interaction, where Moses asks God His name.  “I AM THAT I AM.”  So, I had printed on the back of that card:

And God said, ‘My name is I AM;’ Listening, Watching, Waiting, HERE.  The idea was to give the reader an opportunity to ask questions if they had any.  The funny thing is that I had intended that each person read this as I AM, Listening; I AM, Watching; etc. And I am fairly sure that you just read this the same way that everyone else seems to.  If you read it as I had intended, I would be shocked and impressed.

But you ask or are thinking, what does this mean?  Simply this: The Creator of Everything in the Universe, is Listening to every word you utter (and every thought in your mind).  That alone should frighten us all into His arms.  However, that is sadly not the case.  Continuing with the next line: I AM Watching.  Same deal as with He is Listening.  He sees everything we do, in the open but also in secret.  We can hide NOTHING from our Heavenly Father.

I AM Waiting.  Means that God is waiting for us to come to Him to receive forgiveness through our belief in Christ Jesus.  Jesus taught that, HE, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; NO One comes to the Father except through me.”  Meaning He is the ONLY way to access and commune with GOD.

I AM HERE, is our invitation to you to come and meet the Father and LORD of all creation.  To understand who and what HE is and how we can Repent of our Sins and be forgiven.

Note:

No one is righteous, no, not one.

For us to become righteous we need to seek out our Savior.  We will not find that in alcohol, drugs, or sex; those are sure ways to Hell.  Everyone has their demons, even I; but we do try and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is a good step in the right direction.  Here are the steps: Pray to Jesus for forgiveness, Repent (turn away from) your sins and confess them to Jesus in prayer.  Then, get a Bible, and read.  (If you need one, and cannot afford one, contact us and we will do our best to get one for you.  Unfortunately, we are on a very tight budget (self-funded), so we are limited to the contiguous 48 states due to shipping costs, etc.  And we can only afford one Bible at a time.  It pains us to admit this, but we have had to decline requests for multiple Bibles to be sent to other countries: African nations, India, and the Middle East.  The shipping is prohibitive (way too expensive) for us to fulfill.)

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments; please contact us.  We may not be speedy in response, but we will acknowledge your message and get an answer back to you as soon as we are able.

God Bless you all.

Rev. Joe Parker

Blog for 2023.09.20 

Does God Truly Have a Wonderful Plan for Your Life? 

This blog is based upon the book; “God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life. (The Myth of the Modern Message) by Ray Comfort. 

You may purchase copies of all books referenced in this blog at, www.LivingWaters.com and I strongly recommend that every Christian read these books for themselves. 

Due to copywrite restrictions and the fact that I have not obtained written permission to use the content thereof, I shall put the following in my own words. The way evangelism is done today, mostly in the churches or as a home visitation by a Pastor upon request, the message that we have been sharing will convert some to Christianity. Unfortunately, it is just as likely that the message, while valid and potentially successful, will result in a False Conversion. Why? 

As a youth, new to the Faith, I was taught “Romans Road”, except the scripture references provided were not just in the book of Romans. In fact, I was bouncing all over the New Testament. I have written these scriptures down on 3 X 5 cards in the past, and I have tried desperately to memorize them, to no avail. 

Then I found and read the book: “Hell’s Best Kept Secret”.  The way we have been trying to reach people for Christ, works to an extent, but there seems to be a problem with making the message stick. And that problem is that the person we are talking with is not being convicted of their sins, by the Holy Spirit. Our job isn’t to convict or convert people. It’s our job to share WHY they need Christ, not JUST that they NEED Him. Ray uses some great illustrations regarding this matter. And I for one agree that we MUST change our approach to evangelizing. We need to emphasize why we NEED a Savior and what we will be being saved from. Turn in your Bible to Exodus Chapter 20, Verses 1 through 17, this is the presentation of the Ten Commandments, in some circles referred to as Mosaic or Levitical law, or the Law of Moses. But this is inaccurate, the Ten Commandments are GOD'S Moral Law, and Jesus (Yashua) referred to them directly when He said in, Matthew Chapter 5, Verses 17 through 20. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He continued by explaining the Law in a nutshell in the following verses: Matthew 5:21 – 48. The intent here is to allow the Holy Spirit to show your prospect that they are guilty of sin AGAINST GOD. That they have doomed themselves to the second death. The judgment of Christ will be final and the penalty is eternal torment in Hell. (Keep watching this Blog for a post on Hell, coming in the future.) I shared this approach with a close friend and his response was that I don’t want to scare people into accepting Christ.

Unfortunately, fear is a great motivator. If you neighbors home was on fire, you would kick in their door and drag them outside to save their lives. That would be a scary experience, probably for you all. Going over and ringing their doorbell to invite them to a weenie roast in their own front yard would be a weak argument for them to leave the house. And quite possibly seen as an insult or at least a strange request. No, you NEED to express the importance of getting out of the house. Screaming “FIRE!” may do the trick. Sharing the Ten Commandments is just like screaming “FIRE”! There are some churches today that use the soft approach in trying to reach the lost. Inviting a community to the Church property for a Weenie Roast is a great way to start meeting the neighbors. And you may reach a few that may return to hear more. But expressing urgency, even though no one knows when they will die and few want to consider the end of their life, may lead them to hearing the Gospel, that Christ provides a way to avoid Hell. Everyone dies. That’s an absolute truth, it is inevitable that our physical bodies will eventually cease to function, die. But dieing in our sins, dooms us to Hell, and that is something that most of us do NOT want. Next week, if I am able to obtain written permission from Living Waters Ministries, I hope to share the process of sharing the Ten Commandments as a Mirror to the Soul.

Until then, May you all find peace in Christ and receive His Blessings a hundred fold. Amen

What is Christian Love?

Blog for 23.08.27

The Bible says that we are to love everyone as Christ first loved us.  

John 13:34 NKJV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Jesus said that love is the greatest commandment.  And that is what we should do.

But what does Christian Love look like?  How do we demonstrate our love for others, especially in these trying times?

If someone strikes you on one side of your face, turn to them the other also. (paraphrased)  This doesn't mean that we should allow ourselves to be a punching bag,  But not quick to return in kind.  I read an excerpt from the "Satanists Handbook(?)" that read, "If someone strikes me on my face, we should smash that person in theirs." (Again paraphrased, from memory.  And yes, I have read a lot of strange stuff. That book I DO NOT recommend.)

As Christians we are supposed to be gentle and mild mannered.  Not quick tempered or looking for a reason to fight.  And sometimes that is very hard to do, especially with the condition of the world around us.  Remember, the things we see coming to pass today were prophesied centuries ago.  The evil we see today on the march around the world is The Principalies and powers Jesus warned us of manifesting in the form of riots, LGBTQ++, and the perversion of our educational system.  So, in Christian Love how do we respond?  Pray for these people, ask the Holy Spirit to protect you, give you power to resist the evil and to respond in kindness and mercy.  Again, we are not expected to be punching bags, not to give our lives away foolishly. But we can publicly proclaim our love for Christ and our fellow man(kind).  

The gender confusion is but one expression of this escalation of demonic activity.  Do not be fooled by things you see. Question everything that is NOT of God.  Read your Bible daily. (If you don't have one and you live in the United States or territories and need ONE, please contact us and we will see what we can do.)

Closing prayer: Heavenly Father, You are aware of the evil in this world today.  Please provide us with Your love and power to share the Hope we have in You.  Bless us all as we strive to show Christ Like love for our fellow mankind.  Remind us that we can be forgiven if we make a mistake in the heat of the moment, but likewise help us not to allow that to happen. Amen

God Bless everyone that visit's our website. Amen.

What Is BOLD FAITH?

Christ Jesus had it, in abundance!  When HE spoke, hundreds listened, as did his disciples.  They didn't always understand though He tried to make his statements plain to the people of his day.  The ability to speak, proclaim the Christian perspective is truly a gift from the Holy Spirit.  As Christians it is our duty to testify of our faith in Christ and to try to be what He wants us to be.  The hardest part is DOING.  We learn how to defend our faith by doing.  But we need to KNOW what our faith is about.  That information is found in the pages of the Bible.  Belief in Christ Jesus, will only get you so far if you don't know and understand what you believe.

The word FAITH has a unique definition:

Hebrews 11 (NKJV)

By Faith We Understand

11 :1 Now faith is the ^[a]substance of things hoped for, the ^[b]evidence of things not seen.  

      ² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 

    ³ By faith we understand that the ^[c]worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

What is our purpose?

Blog: 2023.08.13

What is the purpose of our Christian faith?  To honor the teachings of the namesake of that faith, Christ Jesus.  How do we then fulfill that purpose?  Learning the meaning behind those teachings and trying to fulfill Jesus' Great Commission, to go forth into all the world, preaching and teaching God's word, in His name.  Training others to do the same.  And to preach salvation to the Lost and Seeking.  God's word shared among others shall not return void.
If you profess to be Christian, avoid all appearance of evil, and cling to our savior. Repent of our sins and accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then read your Bible. If you don't have a Bible and live in the United States, send me an email with your mailing address and I will send you an New King James Version free of cost to you. One Bible at a time please. My ministry is self funded meaning that I do not ask for and money in any way or at any time.
God Bless you all, believer and unbeliever alike. May you be granted peace and be guided to Him who saves. Amen.

Blog Date: 2023.7.18

The Holy Bible

66 Books in two sections called Testaments.  A bunch of words all coalescing to explain who and what God IS.  Lets start with the whole: where do we get the word BIBLE?  In my opinion it's a shortened form of Bibliography, since in effect it is a collection of books that all relate directly to God, the Almighty.

Testament, there is an interesting word, the root or a form of Testimony.  Each book contained in either of the Testaments, are a Testimony of the writer regarding their interaction with God.  When we tell others about out experiences with God and developing our relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ, His Son; we testify to the truth of who and what God is.  We ARE witnesses to that relationship, we don't witness to others, we testify to them. The church has misused these words for a very long time, and we seem to be caught up in that process, when we need to make that correction. This is very important because accuracy matters when it affects eternity.

Translations: AKA Versions

The Christian Bible has been translated into almost, if not, all languages of the known world.  But that hasn't been enough, we have versions based on aspects of these language translations.  The earliest translations were done from the original manuscripts, or transcribed words of the persons noted in the individual books.    The "Authorized" King James Version is in many cases the ONLY accepted version. But why?  I believe that if a version works for you, and has been faithfully translated, it is acceptable for learning, and reproof.  There ARE a few versions that need to be addressed though: Any version that comes from a specific denomination, is suspect in my mind.  Example: the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Joseph Smith, I am sure meant well when he started the LDS Church, but failed when he made edits of the actual text and claimed that he was shown the corrections.  I was a part of this group of people for a few years, I was married with a beautiful Mormon lady for a couple of those years.  And I was Baptized into the church.  I was also already an ordained Evangelical Minister, but not living the life correctly.  When I heard the missionaries talk about Jesus and Lucifer being brothers, I could not believe my ears.  If anyone is in doubt about what the Bible says on this subject, I direct you to John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY begotten Son... That kind of cinches the deal for me, and it told me simply that the LDS church does not fully embrace who Christ Jesus IS.  Now, I love the people of the LDS Church, they are, for the most part the nicest and most reliable people you will ever meet and are worth knowing, even if you do not agree, scripturally.  There are many other churches that are scripturally unsound, but since my opinion in this area may be a bit skewed, I will not go into character assessment.  I will say, that we are directed not to judge with our mind or heart, but to observe and determine if a person or group are grounded in Christ. Lacking that we should befriend, but also be wary of their doctrine.  If a person or group tells you that there is no God and will not discuss the matter rationally with you, then decide what your association with that person is or should be. 

Honestly, I could go off into a series of rants here but I need to stay focused on our main subject, the Christian Bible.  There are a couple of heretical versions of the Bible and that may be growing.  But the Gay Bible and the "Politically Correct" versions, have changed so much of the Bible, the first one omitting or changing the parts that tell us that sexual immorality are anathema to God.  I would recommend staying as far away from these as one can. However; how do we argue our point if we don't know what has been changed?

Okay, I hope I have been informative and enlightening.  Read your Bible daily, I recommend the NKJV, the Amplified, and the ESV bible versions. As long as the version you use speaks to you, and conveys God, you should be good.

If you are in doubt about a version, or Christianity, or pretty much anything; please email or send us a message via our Contact Us form.  We would LOVE to hear from you.  May God Bless each of you that visit our website.  And please, share our website with others, if you believe what we say will be beneficial.

Blog Date: 2023.6.30

The Final Installment of the Series:

20 Questions to Help You Find a Biblical Church

Here we are again, this time with the closing part of this series.  I pray that this series has given you the opportunity to review your own answers and that it will lead you to find your HOME church.  Remember, typically one visit will not be enough, I personally recommend at least 4 visits, consecutive and with the intent to determine if the experience changes from one visit to the next, also for you to take notes as this will aid in a family discussion, or if you are moving house, a discussion with your current Pastor.  Remember, if you are not being fed GOD’s WORD, then maybe these questions are even more necessary.  Finally, before we get started on the questions.  There is a copy of the 20 Questions without answers included at the end of this series, that I suggest you print and physically hand to the prospective pastor.  Directions for completion is at the top of the page for the Pastor and the church leaders to follow in their responses.  There is a blank space for you to add your email address as a place for them to send their answers.  God Bless You as you seek Him.

Questions 16 - 20

16: When you celebrate the Lord's Supper (Communion), do you emphasize the need to examine yourself?

Rev. Joe’s Response: I am sorry, ashamed, to say that I haven’t in the past.  But I certainly will in the future.  As for when we (I) serve this sacrament, I believe that there is only one specific time we should perform this ritual: Passover.  This was the last meal that Jesus ate with the Disciples before he was arrested and crucified.  I know that Jesus admonished us to “do this oft, in remembrance of Me”.  And we may also do this in our homes on special occasions or maybe at the evening meal on Saturday, the final meal of the week.  But my thoughts regarding the “oft” Jesus was referring to would be read as “regularly”, as in reverence to the day,  of Passover, and the following day of Pentecost, the arrival and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  I look forward to understanding these words from Christ Himself after I am gone from this world.

17: Can a person, who is living in a willful and persistent, unrepentant lifestyle of sin inherit eternal life?

Rev. Joe’s Response:  My simple answer is No.  But let’s be clear and follow what I believe (interpret) the Bible says (paraphrased); when we sin, we push God away, and as we continue in sin, God is pushed further away.  At some point, He is no longer a part of us or our lives through our willful disobedience; and we stop trying to emulate Christ.  When we confess our sins to Him, He is just and loving and will receive us back into fellowship with Him.  We must remember God is NOT like His human creation.  We tend to become suspicious and wary of someone that continues to do things we have warned them against.  The Apostle John said: “God IS love”.  That means He loves us as His children, even when we mess up.  But He is also right to Correct our behavior.  The worrisome part is the failure to “Repent”, to turn away from, and stop doing any particular sin. Repetitive sin is a serious problem for most of us, although those sins vary.  

Lying is probably among the top three, Lust, maybe the 2^nd, and last, although certainly not least, would be Adultery.  Lying is, I believe, the most frequent sin, for all of us.  Whether we do it to feel better about ourselves or just general lying, it is never an acceptable practice.  God considers it worthy of the Death penalty, and not just physical death, but also death after the last Judgment, eternal torment in Hell.

18.  Does your church exercise church discipline?

Rev. Joe’s Response:  Our ministries are personal in nature, and not in a regular church setting, we conduct our “church” online primarily.  Occasionally, we will do some remote preaching/teaching activities, but for the most part, we are just online, via this website, and our social media pages and groups, etc.  This puts us in a unique position regarding discipline.  I guess the strongest tool we would have, as far as discipline is concerned, is the removal of a violator from our congregation (online connections).   I personally believe in a Three Strikes and You’re OUT, policy.  Violations regarding our Website and our Social Media connections are quite simple:

Each violation would result in a warning, Typically by instant message first, then email (written and format), the third contact would be notification of the last infraction and that that person is now removed from fellowship.  Also included in that email, would be the steps to take to return to fellowship.   And those would be determined on a case-by-case basis

Don’t be Abusive toward other congregants, or ministers (George and I).  Name-calling, or unsubstantiated accusations, will not be tolerated; but would still be afforded the process noted above.

Be kind in your attempts to correct anyone, if you perceive an error in anything said or written; include what was said that you believe is wrong; the Scripture, if given; and your explanation of correction with scriptures in support of your position.

Do not use foul language.  This not only includes “expletives” but ethnic slurs, and guttural language regarding someone’s Gender (or Sex, which are synonymous).  While we do not recognize more than two genders/sexes; we support others’ right to their opinions.  Note: I (Rev. Joe) do not recognize “Personal Pronouns”.  I believe in only males and females, as gender/sex.  The typical pronouns for those are: He, She; Him, Her; They, Them.  If this makes you feel uncomfortable, I suggest, you are not arguing with me, but with God who designed us, and created you to be the gender/sex you were born with.  I understand that this is an unpopular stance among one part of our current society, and I will not apologize for following God and His Word.  I do NOT hate anyone, but I reserve the right to disagree.

19.  What criteria are used to determine if someone is qualified to be a Sunday school teacher or youth volunteer?

Rev. Joe’s Response: Again, I remind everyone that Bold Faith & Redeemed Lion Ministries is not a physical church, and is present ONLINE only.  As such, we do not currently have “Sunday School”, in any formal sense.  Preacher George preaches a sermon once a week.  Typically, you can find those on this website, under “Sermons”.  I, Rev. Joe; post a blog about once or twice per week, or at least try to.  If anyone that is following us and reading our website posts regularly, and agrees with us (more or less), and you are interested in adding an occasional teaching or giving a lesson; please contact us and we will discuss what you have in mind.

20.  What are the essentials of the Christian Faith?

Rev. Joe’s Response: The Trinity (God, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit, Belief is these three as living beings, and specifically that Jesus was born of the Virgin, Mary; that he lived a sinless life, that He was crucified on the Cross on Calvary; that He died for our sins, so we wouldn’t have to; that the Bible is the inerrant word of God (as far as it is correctly translated); that Jesus was buried in a gifted tomb, that He rose from the grave after three days, and today sits at God’s right hand awaiting the day He will return to claim all those that believe in him and will Judge all mankind for their sins.  Then establish His Kingdom on the earth and reign for 1000 years.  After this, satan will be released from the bottomless pit, for a short time; but once he is stopped and cast into the lake of fire, the old world will pass away, and all things will be renewed.  That Jesus was sent to mankind to reconcile them to Himself and declare the Kingdom of God.  And finally, that NO human other than Christ Jesus has or will ever be perfectly righteous, except through Him.

In closing: I pray that this series has been a blessing to you, the reader.  If it helps you to find the church that works best for you, hopefully, they preach and teach the Bible from the Bible.  Or if you are interested in becoming a congregational member of Bold Faith & Redeemed Lion Ministries, we would be honored to hear from you.  Comments are always welcome, even if you disagree with what we say.

God Bless all of you, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Blog 2023.6.23

Part 3 of the 4-part series, 20 Questions to ask A pastor when Seeking a biblical church.

11.  What church growth model do you follow?

Christ Jesus was the most prolific teacher of all time and He set the standard for all Christians (His followers).  His model is simple and straightforward.  Share the Good News, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and The return of the King (Jesus) is imminent.  And then teach the same lessons that Jesus taught and train others to do the same thing.  We don’t need fancy degrees from colleges run by men (women, too) and certainly using any doctrine apart from what Jesus preached is false doctrine.  Therefore, the only true doctrine is the Christian Holy Bible.

12.  How much do you give to missions and the hungry?

Rev. Joe’s Response:  Right now, my personal income is very limited.  I’m not making excuses, some of the expenses I incur revolve around my own ministry, Business Cards, internet access, the ministry phone line, and this website (where you are reading this blog), all come out of my pocket.  I do not request or seek donations or tithes to offset these expenses.  That may come about one day but is not expected anytime soon.  As for aiding the hungry, I try to donate to local food banks twice each year.  Is this enough?  I believe each of us does what we can within our means.  For me, at present, this is what I can do.

13. Do you believe the Bible contains any errors?

Rev. Joe’s Response: My simple answer is NO.  A more complete answer is, there are factors to consider.  The translation being used is one of these, the language translated into is another.  Was the translation directly from the original documents, as far as they are available?  So, in general, I say no; but realistically I would have to admit that it is possible there may be some misinterpretation therein.  Some people have answered this as “In as far as it is correctly interpreted and translated.”  I tend to agree with that statement.

14. Do you believe in a literal six-day creation?

Rev. Joe’s Response: Yes.  I also believe the Bible interprets itself.  And that if God can create Man, all the beasts of the field, etc.  And He is omnipotent, meaning all-powerful; then why not?  Biblical archeology is constantly surprising us in our historical record and supports the Bible and what it says about all things that God created.  If God had decided to do it, He could have created us as we are today… technology and all, in an instant.  Instead, in His infinite wisdom, He decided to give us time to develop ourselves.  So, God gave us free will, the ability to determine (choose) our own path.

15. Do you believe in a literal hell and eternal punishment?

Rev. Joe’s Response: Yes.  The Bible says this: who am I to question God and His word?  

I believe that Lucifer was a beautiful angel that was found to be prideful, arrogant, and full of lies.  And I believe that the Lie is the first and anchoring sin.  It is easy for Humans to lie.  We stretch the truth, embellish it, or make up our own version of it; but it is still a sin.  Lucifer, now Satan, is the father of all Lies; and while he knows the truth, he refuses to acquiesce to it.

Blog 2023.6.19

Stress and Depression kill a LOT of people, typically in the form of heart attacks.  But there are other situations that arise.  In this Blog, I want to try to address these two issues (demons?) through the Bible, Specifically, via Psalm 23.

Amplified Bible

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want.
²  He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
³  He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness
 for His name’s sake.

⁴  Even though I walk through the [sunless] ^[a]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
⁵  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You have anointed and refreshed my head with ^[b]oil;
My cup overflows.
⁶  Surely, goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

In all things, when we call upon Christ for strength to deal with the stresses of the day and the depressions that follow, He is just and faithful to come to our aid.  When in doubt, meditate on these words, from King David.

Part 2 of the series: 20 Questions to help you find a Biblical Church

Questions: 6 through 10.

6. How seeker-sensitive is your church?

Rev. Joe’s response: Since we are not part of a traditional “brick and mortar” church, that is  trickier to answer.  Especially in the present day.  For the most part, I would say that our ministries are very open and approachable overall.  But however, I for one will not allow another person’s delusions to change what the Bible says, nor will they dictate what I say verbally.  In today’s “society”, there are those that would have us call them by their specific “pronouns”.  Anything but in reference to what gender/sex is on their birth certificate, at the time of birth.  I refuse to give a platform to those that would deny the God of the Bible and His Word.  That is not to say that I don’t support free speech, but in this case;  speech is only free of debate, in a one-sided aspect, theirs.  And after putting my life on the line in the US Military establishment for 8 years, granted primarily during peacetime, I stand behind my oath of enlistment, to this day.  I support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, from ALL enemies both Foreign AND Domestic.  Do I agree with the rights guaranteed therein?  Not all of them, but I am not permitted to make that distinction.  I support them as they are, right or wrong.  But if they are wrong, I seek the legal and proper method to change them.

Am I open to all that SEEK, God, and the Christian Faith?  Yes, I will discuss all that these entail with anyone but don’t expect me to compromise God’s Word.

7. How do you handle complex theology in your sermons?  

Rev. Joe’s Response: For me, the answer is simple, I don’t “sermonize”.  Complex theology is best tackled by breaking it down into bite-sized parts.  If the subject is going to be multiple verses or chapters, it just makes sense to separate the individual points and cover those individually.  Then summarize them at the end of the overall coverage.  I try to support my argument(s) with scripture, with the intent to provide at least 3.

Since I blog, I deal with complexities in the same manner, only in writing.  As I am here, in this series.

8. What is your mixture of topical vs. expository preaching?

Rev. Joe’s Response:  Here again, since I don’t “preach” as Preacher George does, I have a different take on how I approach most things.  Especially when it comes to theology and the Bible.  I guess I work mainly from a “topical” perspective, even when just sitting down and letting the Holy Spirit express Himself.  Sometimes the topic is more obvious than other times, like the series we are working through.  This topic is important for different reasons to each person.  Your reason may be due to a personality conflict with someone(s) within your current place of worship.  Or there may have been a change in leadership or governance that you don’t agree with.  These factors I cannot address because they are based on your own perceptions.  I would recommend that you address ‘your’ perception with the source of your grievance first and express your feelings.  Allow them to explain themselves or the situation that has warranted the change, that is bothering you; before you walk away from that church.

Preacher George and I welcome anyone interested in what we say and how we say it.  We try to be open and honest in all that is Biblical.  Do we use other sources than the Bible?  Yes, but the Bible itself is the final authority.  However, we have stated on this platform, frequently, if you believe we have made an error in quotation or interpretation, please let us know, where and how.  Then we ask of you, in any instance of this, to provide biblically based support for your position: Scripture, whether your objection is based on the teachings of a specific denomination or person, or it is based on your own interpretation. Once we receive your objection or comment, we will acknowledge the same and will begin working on our response as soon as we are able.  Please be patient.

9. Describe your youth programs.

Rev. Joe’s Response:  Preacher George may have something to add to this or anything that has already been said or will be said in the future.  But my response is, we are ONLINE ONLY ministries and therefore do not have “Youth Programs”.  If that is what you are seeking, other than biblically based presentations of Christianity, then maybe we are not the right venue for you.  We do not offer “entertainment” for children, youths, or adults; that is not our calling.  And the “Mega-churches” pretty much have a lock on that.  We do not offer “distractions” from our messages, and we try to make those as simple as possible, in the desire to reach as many as possible viewing our posts and site.

10. Describe your evangelism programs.

Rev. Joe’s Response:  We are simple people, trying to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in as simple a way as possible.  Jesus came to us for one reason, to warn us that God’s Kingdom is coming.  Even so, its arrival is imminent.  Jesus will be the King of us all and peace will be the word of the day.  The Book of Revelation describes this magnificent time and gives some detail, I encourage each of you to read that Book for yourselves.  Maybe multiple times, if you want to really drive home the wisdom and knowledge contained within those pages.

God Bless you all.  And may God watch over all of us for eternity.  Amen.

How to Find a Biblically based Christian Church

Four-part series - 20 Questions for a pastor

Introduction to the Series concept:

These questions were posed initially by Todd Freil of Wretched Radio/TV and I believe this is of paramount importance for the future of Christianity and the True Church as God intended it to be.  Join me as I answer these questions in my own way trying to explain how I think and believe in our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit

Part One

Questions 1 -5:

1. What is man's biggest problem: Sin or Self-esteem?

Rev. Joe's response

The Fall of Lucifer

^{Isaiah 14:12 NKJV  (Bible Gateway+)}

¹²“How you are fallen from heaven,
O ^[d]Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
¹³ For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’

In this scripture, we see how Lucifer doomed himself through his self-esteem.  So, is Self-esteem a sin?  That would depend on the level of that esteem.  Lucifer esteemed himself to be equal to or higher than the Creator of the Universe, (GOD).  And in doing so, he told himself a LIE.  Quite probably the biggest and most damning lie ever told.  And this was in my humble opinion the FIRST and CHIEF among all sins, the LIE.

Is SIN a problem for man?  Of course, but I would venture that at the bottom of every sin, is a lie. 

2. What must a man do to inherit eternal life?

Rev. Joe's response - The New Birth

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of Man be lifted up,  

¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should ^[c]not perish but have eternal life.  

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  

¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

¹⁸ “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.  

²⁰ For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  

²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

3. How do you deliver the salvation message?

Rev. Joe's response 

From what I have read and the scriptures above, I believe that salvation occurs when we accept the gracious gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and fully believe His message that the ONLY way to God the Father is through Christ Jesus himself.  Now, there are those who that teach there are steps to take to "salvation".  But I have come to believe that those "steps" are more of WORKS, than belief.  

How does a public profession of faith save us?  How does being baptized save us?  Are these both outward expressions of our faith?  I think that our salvation is based upon our faith in the story of Christ as told in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  These four books are the testimony of four witnesses to Who Jesus was and what He did during his three-and-a-half-year ministry.  Reading and learning these books are our best source for true Christian living and the defense of our faith in Him.

4. How hard is it to become a Christian?

Rev. Joe's response 

I believe becoming a Christian is actually quite simple and easy.  All we must do is believe in our hearts that Christ Jesus is the true messiah and the living Son of God, that He died on the Cross in our place to pay for our sins, etc. as explained in the four gospels.   The trickier part is to hold fast to that faith in HIM, regardless of outside forces.  It is so much easier to live in the world.  But to share Christ openly and faithfully, especially today, can get you killed.  No one wants to die before their time, but to die because I am expressing my faith openly and boldly, would be an honor.  While I still have some of the 'world' in me churning around, I pray for strength and guidance daily, sometimes moment by moment, and I Lean on HIM.  Amen.

5. How often do you discuss sin, righteousness, and judgment?

Rev. Joe's response 

Honestly, not often enough.  Sin is all around us every day, all day long.  The trap is falling prey to the sinfulness of the world in which we live.  We need to lean on Christ who lives within us as Christians and listen to that "still, small voice" at the back of our minds when we are told that we are messing up.  Because we hold the Ten Commandments (God's Moral Law) within our hearts, normally when we are about to sin, we are reminded that what we are considering is wrong.  Following Christ is a difficult journey because we often find ourselves being attacked more frequently.  Those attacks vary in content; such as vulgar clothing, LGBTQ+ stupidity (calls GOD a liar), and the violence we see everywhere; are prime examples.  

The consequences are not as simple as many would have you believe.  The worst that can happen to us while we are alive, is to be killed.  But there is more coming.  After the resurrection of the dead, and the rapture of the saints; there will be a trial.  All people will have to give an account of what and who they were during their "life".  There are only two verdicts: Guilty or Not. There is ONLY ONE PUNISHMENT: eternal damnation in Hell.  Is that eternal torment as some like to preach?  Or is that eternal silence, or is there a place where we can yet still be reconciled to God?  I don't know for certain, but I am learning and will continue to search the Scriptures for answers.

I STRONGLY recommend reading your Bible daily.  Even if only a single verse.  Don't have a Bible?  Here are some options: check with a local church, if they have a used Bible that you can have for personal Bible study.  Check with area thrift stores.  I cannot guarantee results, but ask the manager if you can HAVE a Bible, for free or maybe work off the cost of the Bible.  If I were the manager, I would be more than willing to help.  These two are maybe the best ways to immediately help someone that is seeking.  However, if these options do not or cannot help; please contact us via our contact form or email, and we will try to get one to you as soon as possible. (Domestic only, Only one Bible per request; as we are limited also.)

Pray, Prayers, Praying

Blog for Wednesday, May 24th, 2023

There are several scriptures that deal with this subject.  I will try to remember to list them at the end of this BLOG.

I don't know about you but I have always preferred a prayer that is short and sweet.  Maybe not so short as to be crazy brief, but not so long as to be like a run-on sentence that seemingly never ends.

Listening to a speaker drone on and on gives me a headache.  Brevity is the KEY to holding your congregation's attention.  I have only a few "canned" prayers, one is the meal blessing:  "Heavenly Father, bless this food to the health of my body and the glory to your Kingdom, Amen."  You can't get much shorter than this. Unless everybody at the table just yells "Grace" when saying grace is requested.   Frankly, I understand the intended humor but also find it quite disrespectful to God and the Host of the gathering.  

Prayers do not need to be LONG, because many words do not make a good prayer.  My morning prayer is aimed at all the peoples in every part of the earth and is in part simplicity itself, "God Bless everyone on this planet and lead them to know you and Christ Jesus."  No, it doesn't NAME everyone, frankly, I don't know all their names.  Do I have a prayer list?  Not anymore, the number of people contained at one time began to read like the old-style white pages phone book.  This new prayer gives me the opportunity to pray for literally everyone, even though I haven't named them.  We have all heard that God knows our needs before we ask him, this short prayer honors that expectation.  

When we are praying for something specific, NAME it, and then do so once, praying for the same thing repeatedly begins to seem that we don't believe that God hears our prayers, or that if we badger Him, that will force His hand in honoring our prayer.  

When and how God responds to our prayers is in God's hands, accept the fact that there are only three answers that you will get; Yes, No, and Wait.  But also recognize that His response also depends on what and how you ask.  Prayer that doesn't line up with God's character and what He says in the Bible will often get a resounding NO, but sometimes the answer here will be "Wait".  In that latter case, God is expecting YOU to see your error and correct it.  In that instance, the timeliness of His response and the answer itself depends on you.  

It is with prayerful intent that I present this blog to all of the ministry's followers.  I pray that you find these interesting and informative, as well as biblical.  If you disagree with anything I ever write, please let me know.  Include in your message or email, your name and contact information, what of my writing is bothering you, and how & why.  If I have misunderstood, misinterpreted, or misquoted a scripture; please provide your understanding and give some supporting scripture, if possible.

God Bless you all, and may the Holy Spirit fill your lives with blessings and wonder.  Amen.

Scriptures

1. 2 Samuel 24:25

   And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

2. Psalm 72:20

   The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

3. Isaiah 1:15

   When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

4. Matthew 23:14

   Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

5. Mark 12:40

   who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

6. Luke 2:37

   and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

7. Luke 5:33

   Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting

    Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

8. Luke 20:47

   who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

9. Acts 2:42

   And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

10. Acts 10:4

    And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

11. Romans 1:9

    For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

12. Romans 15:30

    Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

13. Ephesians 1:16

    do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

14. Colossians 4:12

    Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

15. 1 Thessalonians 1:2

    Their Good Example

     We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

16. 1 Timothy 2:1

    Pray for All Men

     Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

17. 1 Timothy 5:5

    Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

18. 2 Timothy 1:3

    Timothy’s Faith and Heritage

     I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

19. Philemon 1:4

    Philemon’s Love and Faith

     I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

20. Philemon 1:22

    But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

21. Hebrews 5:7

    who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death and was heard because of His godly fear,

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

22. 1 Peter 3:7

    A Word to Husbands

    Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

23. 1 Peter 3:12

    For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

24. 1 Peter 4:7

    Serving for God’s Glory

    But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

25. Revelation 5:8

    Worthy Is the Lamb

    Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

    In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations 

More Scriptures

There are many more, but I think you get the picture.

The Rapture

Pre, Mid, or Post Tribulation

I don't know about the rest of you, but if you have read any of the prophecies regarding the end times, you are seeing the beginning of sorrows or "Birth Pangs", occurring almost, if not, daily.  Pestilences, Famines, Wars, and Rumors of Wars; turn on international news and you will see that some of this is on our very doorstep.  Natural disasters; flooding, earthquakes, and volcanos all around the world, all point to the earth itself in agony.  

Now, I know the Bible says we don't know the hour or the day and I'm not bringing up this topic to set a date or time for such.  My suggestion and Preacher George will absolutely back me up on this, is we need to be ready at all times.  Most of us aren't.  It's a chore to stay prayed up and keep our sins confessed at all times.  At best many of us only pray once or twice a day.  And for most of those of us in the USA, it's much less.  Some denominations seem to teach that someone else will pray for you, or maybe that you need to light candles or confess to another person, to obtain forgiveness.  And still, others believe that salvation is a bunch of hooey because a Merciful God wouldn't allow harm to come to His children or Bride.  Keep reading because I'm not going to tell you how you can KNOW for certain which school of thought is correct, but I'll give you a link to a source that may if you are willing to follow it.

Pre-Tribulation Rapture

This school of thought (teaching?), says that the church will not be on earth during the Tribulation, the final 7 years before Christ's return.  That Christ will take home all saints, so they won't experience the wrath to come.

Mid-Tribulation Rapture

This version of the Rapture teaches that the Rapture will or should happen when or just after the Anti-Christ is revealed.  Reveals himself?  The concept says that 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation, the rapture will occur.

Post-Tribulation Rapture

And the third of our options, which is rarely taught, expects the church to not only be on earth but to endure a LOT of hardship and privation during the last 3 1/2 years.  The Antichrist will NOT be a pleasant experience and many believers will die because of his policies and actions.  But, I believe Christ will return before the executions are in full operation.  And THAT will be His Second Coming!  The dead in Christ will rise first, incorruptible, and meet the living saints in the air to meet Christ and Join His army to take captive the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet and put them in a type of Holy Prison, called the "Bottomless Pit".

An outside source:

Here is a link to a teaching series, this link takes you to the introductory episode of this teaching and will set the stage for what I am alluding to above.  I will (or at least intend to) be taking this course too because I want to know if I have gotten any of what I believe and have taught in my past, wrong.  Mainly so I can post apologies and corrections as needed.

https://youtu.be/N60vvzg3cv4

Yes, this is a YouTube channel that is not Preacher George or myself, and I have posted this link without the permission of the people that have produced it.  I did this out of an abundance of love for my followers and everyone around the world.  I have also shared it on my FB group pages Bold Faith Ministry or BOLD Faith Ministry.

God Bless you all and PLEASE, at least watch this video, even if you disagree with what I am saying.

BLOG 03/14/2023, or the Hebrew month of Adar, 5783.

How many years until Christ returns?

Blog 3/3/2023 - What is the CHIef sin?

I was thinking recently and an idea just bloomed in my mind.  The LIE is the leader (ROOT) of all SIN!  How do I support this assertion? Well, I'm glad you asked.  Let's start with the Fall of Lucifer.  He was the Bright Morning Star, the most beautiful of all the Angels, and a Chief Angel as well.  But unfortunately, he got too big for his britches, as we say in the south USA.  He had the audacity to think he was better than GOD himself.  

Isaiah 14:11-13  Amp

¹² “How you have fallen from heaven,
O ^[a]star of the morning [light-bringer], son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the ground,
You who have weakened the nations [king of Babylon]!

¹³ “But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the remote parts of the north.

Footnotes

1. Isaiah 14:12 Many students of the Bible have felt that the passage which follows applies to Satan (cf Luke 10:18). It is clear from the larger context that the passage addresses the king of Babylon, but that does not rule out a secondary reference to Satan. Many commentators are of the opinion that the arrogance expressed here is satanic and that the passage correctly represents Satan’s attitude because he was working through the Babylonian ruler. The Hebrew for this expression is translated as “Lucifer” (“light-bringer”) in The Latin Vulgate and is translated this way in the King James Version. But because of the association of that name with Satan, it is not used in this and other translations. Some students feel that the application of the name Lucifer to Satan, in spite of the long and confident teaching to that effect, is erroneous. The application of the name to Satan has existed since the third century a.d., and is based on the supposition that Luke 10:18 is an explanation of Is 14:12, which many authorities believe is not true. “Lucifer,” the light-bringer, is the Latin equivalent of the Greek word “Phosphoros,” which is used as a title of Christ in 2 Pet 1:19 and corresponds to the name “radiant and brilliant Morning Star” in Rev 22:16, a name Jesus called Himself. This passage here in Is 14:12ff clearly applies to the king of Babylon.

In these moments Lucifer committed a number of sins, according to the Ten Commandments.  Among these were Lying (Bearing false witness), Idolatry (worshiping something or someone other than the One True God), and Blasphemy (Putting himself above the King of ALL things, GOD).  Through his actions, he committed theft and murder (stole the lives that Adam and Eve and their offspring could have had) and killed all of us including the first murder, Cain and Abel.  

In doing these things God stripped him of his position as Chief among angels and renamed him Satan.  Then Satan was cast down to earth with his follower angels, about 1/3 of the Host of Heaven.  Today, Satan is the thorn in our sides.  He continues to lie to us, convinces many that they know better than any of us, and claims that he is better than God.

And it is he who will bring about the eventual destruction of the Heavens and the Earth, which is coming.

How does one escape this event?  That is the subject of my next blog.  Rev. Joe, signing off.