“Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand” (Psalm 149:3-6).

People like to cheer. Whether it’s watching a small boy step up to the t-ball stand and actually hit the ball or cheering for a professional baseball player when he hits a winning home run. We get excited and jump with joy and shout. Political rallies also bring out much enthusiasm, as our favorite candidate promises lower taxes, less government, more freedoms, and much more. The problem is that home run hitters don’t always hit the ball over the fence, and political promises are easily forgotten.

I wonder why we get so thrilled over these temporary things but have no joy in what really matters. What matters for eternity is putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Why put your faith in a mere human to bring joy and happiness when Jesus forgives the sins of a truly repentant person and gives eternal life?

Jesus is the only One who deserves our praise, but very few church services have any enthusiasm. Preachers preach watered-down sermons to the point that these sermons have become lullabies, and many people use that time to take a nap. I attended a church once where the preacher spent a good chunk of the sermon boasting of his many theological degrees and quoting rock and roll singers and secular psychologists. There was no joy in the Lord.

The first of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

In today’s world, we seem to have forgotten that truth. Christians aren’t under the Law because Jesus fulfilled the Law, but He didn’t destroy it. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17).

That means that Jesus shed His own blood as the sacrifice for our sin, and you must believe in that sacrifice for redemption. God’s moral law is still in force. We know that we sin if we steal, lie, covet, etc., but through Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. We no longer have to shed the blood of animals in order to cover our sin. Animal blood could never take sin away. Jesus was God incarnate; His blood was pure and untainted by sin. Salvation only comes by true faith in Jesus. He was fully God, so He could redeem us, and He was fully human so that He was our kinsman. Because of Jesus Christ, we can live eternally with Him.

Why don’t Christians get excited over that? Preachers need to study Scripture to see how Peter spoke to people on the day of Pentecost and brought 3,000 men to salvation. The Apostles had no problem confronting sin, even though it was politically incorrect to call sin, sin. God’s truth was more important to them than being seeker-friendly. Jesus was God and chose to step into His creation. He knew that He would be killed, but His love was perfect, and He fulfilled every prophecy concerning His life and death. His sacrifice is something we need to really understand and praise Him with all of our heart. Put your faith in Jesus, not a man.

In today’s world, sin is sugar-coated and made not to seem as bad as it truly is. Preachers “tickle ears” and compromise God’s truth so they don’t offend the congregation. Sin is truly ugly, and when it’s accepted within Christian circles, it’s disgraceful.

God created all things. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4).

Jesus is the Word and created all that exists. That’s exciting! Still, people choose to believe lies about evolution and take the glory away from God. Think of living in a beautiful garden with all the food you could possibly want. Read about it in Genesis chapter 1. There were no genetically-tampered-with vegetables, no pesticide-poisoned food, or other manmade dangers. It was food the way God made it to be. The water was pure and plentiful. There was only one thing that was forbidden, and that was eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

“And the LORD God commanded the man saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

God wasn’t being mean, just protecting Adam and Eve from eternal death. If you have diabetes and go to a lunch buffet, you find lots of good nourishing food available for you to eat. There are also desserts. These are not to be eaten by diabetics. Is that mean, or is it protecting your health and life? It was the same way in the Garden of Eden. There was plenty to eat, and only one thing was forbidden. Eve listened to Satan’s lies, and Adam listened to Eve, and they found out what God meant about death.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Thank God for His mercy and grace. Sin and death entered the world because of a man, and that sin still separates humans from God. Redemption came when God shed His own blood as our final sacrifice to take sin away. Isn’t it time that you placed your faith in Jesus? Isn’t it time you share the joy of your salvation?

Because of false teachings from pulpits and books written by people who twist God’s truth, sin doesn’t seem so bad. Sin is bad, and you must repent. It’s true about God’s love and forgiveness, but don’t forget about repentance and turning from sin. Many people believe that Jesus was a historical figure but don’t repent of their sin. Faith has to be real and should motivate you to do good works in the name of Jesus.

“Thou believest that there is one God: thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).

Head knowledge of Jesus makes you acknowledge that He lived, but heart knowledge makes you want to live for Him. It will make you excited that He forgave your sins, and it will move you to a desire to turn away from sin and live for Him. Jesus is the only way to salvation, and no man could have ever taken sin away.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

The only way we can show Jesus how much we love Him is to live to please Him. Our joy needs to be in Him. We can’t have that joy if we hold on to our sin and live for the world.

There was joy in being with Jesus. I would love to have been there to hear His words. Did He say we had to repent of sin?

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

By His example, Jesus taught His disciples how to preach. “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; and commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: but be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats” (Mark 6:7-9).

How many preachers today are content with so little? Certainly not Rick Warren or Joel Osteen or any mega-church preacher. They also don’t preach the true Gospel or repentance.

The Disciples preached truth. “And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:12-13).

Perhaps if we put our faith in Jesus rather than in a man, we could have the power of the Holy Spirit work through us, just as the disciples did. They cast out demons rather than accepting the sin these devils caused. They healed the sick. What a blessing!

Today, people are deceived into believing that there are many ways to Heaven. Wrong. Jesus is the only way. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

No man could ever bring salvation. Instead of cheering for humans, following human leaders, or buying into worldly ways, we need to give our lives to God. Jesus Christ gave everything to purchase our redemption; that’s exciting and humbling. God loved us enough to sacrifice Himself so we can live. Repent and follow Him, not a man. Jesus is the only way of salvation. All roads do not lead to Heaven. If there was any way to Heaven except through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then God wouldn’t have had to become human and shed His blood for our salvation.

Study Biblical prophecy. It fills a very large portion of Scripture, so God thinks it’s important. He wants us to know what’s ahead. It will also show you how important faith in Jesus is today. There will be many wars, and wickedness will abound. The time of Jacob’s Trouble is approaching… the Great Tribulation. It’s easy to be afraid as we watch world events. Christians have the Blessed Hope found only in Christ. We will be taken Home prior to the events of the Great Tribulation. What a blessing! And it only comes through faith in Jesus.

Politicians promise if we vote for this man or that man, all will be well. Only Jesus can give true Hope.

Study prophecy, and it will help you to witness to people. We are living in a time when many prophecies are being fulfilled, and even non-believers can feel there’s something big about to happen. Beware of AI, microchip implants, and other “miracles of science.” If you study prophecy and keep tuned to what people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab, George Soros, and others have planned for humanity, you will be dumbfounded. They are bringing about the Mark of the Beast and other end-time prophecies. This is a witnessing tool that will show people they must trust Jesus, not a man.

A very good source of information is videos by Billy Crone. Share the Gospel with a friend and lead them to repentance and faith in Jesus.

The world around us seems to be falling apart, and wickedness is winning the spiritual war, but Scripture tells us something different. The Rapture is drawing near.

Jesus described the Tribulation period in the Olivet Discourse. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except these days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Christians won’t be here for the Tribulation, and we should be full of worship and praise for our Lord because of this. We must put our faith in Jesus Christ because if we put our faith in a man, he just might be the Anti-Christ.

Only Jesus deserves our praise. So, if you’re tempted to go to a rock concert and scream and yell praises to a band that sings about drugs, sex, and demonic things, ask yourself, “What have these people done to earn my praises?” Ask yourself that same question when you go to a sporting event or a political rally. Why don’t Christians find joy in walking with the Lord? Ask yourself every day, “What did Jesus do for me?” and then praise Him accordingly.

Put your faith in Jesus, not a man.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

Every Christian has a testimony, and we should share what Christ has done in our life. How do you go about witnessing? That’s a very good question.

Each of us has strengths and weaknesses, and if we turn all of them over to God, He will show us how to serve Him. Many Christians wear t-shirts with Bible verses on them or phrases pointing to Jesus. This is a good way to make it known that you are a Christian. It also draws attention to your words and actions. Do you wear a Christian t-shirt but pepper your words with foul language or gossip? What kind of witness is that? If you love Jesus, you’ll let His love show through your “conversation” (way of life).

Maybe you have a bumper sticker that says, “I love Jesus,” but you display road rage if someone cuts you off or tailgates. That isn’t being a good witness. My daughter works in a retail store, and every so often, an elderly man comes into the store and strikes up a quiet conversation about Jesus. He ends by handing her a small tract and inviting her to attend church service. We would go, but it’s many miles from where we live.

How ever you’re led to witness, be sure you glorify Jesus. There are many ways to witness for Christ, but you always need to have answers to questions people may ask.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear; Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

The word “conversation” is how King James translated the Greek word “anastrophe,” which means the way you behave. Live your life in such a way that people can see Christ living in you. Then, be sure you are able to answer any questions they may have about Jesus. If you don’t have the answer, tell them you will get back to them. Then, do some research. When my husband met Jesus, the change in him was very dramatic. He was a living witness to family and old friends. He studied Scripture and was able to answer questions easily. You can’t have answers unless you study Scripture. Study in context and take all of Scripture into account.

It’s also possible to be a poor witness for Christ. I bowl in a league, and there’s a man who is a Christian. He is one who can easily work Jesus into a conversation. He also has a temper and gets angry with fellow Christians if they unwittingly offend him. He talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk. Then there are those who don’t witness for Jesus but push their own agenda. This happened to me this past weekend.

My daughter and I make items and sell them at craft sales (I keep tracts on my table to hand out). We were set up next to a Christian group that was handing out supposedly Christian information. One of the ladies came over and began talking at me. I say “at” because she had no intention of listening or finding out what I believed. Her group had what my husband called a “one-verse theology,” and that was all she cared about. Her enthusiasm was good to see, but not once did she mention Christ or salvation, repentance, or being born again. By the time she went back to her booth, I was not at all happy.

Always remember that our faith is based upon Christ, and it’s all about what He did for us upon that cross. He shed His blood as the final sacrifice for sin.

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

Works should be a result of our faith, but those works should all glorify Christ.

The Apostle Paul was a man who was changed by his encounter with Christ. Paul was a Pharisee and knew the law forward and backward. When he met Christ, his whole life was turned around. He fully understood the Gospel and that only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus can bring salvation.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Any “gospel” other than this is not the Gospel at all. If the doctrine you follow is “Faith and ____ (fill in the blank with anything),” then your faith isn’t in Christ; it’s in man’s ideas and work. Paul understood that when we witness for Christ, that witness must be about Christ, not false doctrine.

The Christians in Corinth were trying hard to be “seeker-friendly” and were very worldly. Paul wrote, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

This is how witnessing should be done. Share Christ and Him crucified. Why was He crucified? If you don’t know, you’d better find out. You may be a great orator or someone who has trouble organizing thoughts, but either way, make your witness about Christ.

Witnessing is a very important part of our Christian life. It’s important that we share the Gospel, not our own agenda. When we try to put our own spin on Scripture or water it down to make sin seem not so bad, we have compromised the Gospel. The main subject of our witness must be Christ.

Sin separates us from God, but repenting and placing our faith in Christ brings salvation. Some say that nothing in our life needs to change once we accept Christ. It’s true that we cannot work to earn our salvation, but Jesus told Nicodemus to be born again.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

That means we need to change. We can’t hold on to our favorite sin and still claim to have repented and placed faith in Jesus. We must be born again. Does that mean we are perfect? No, but our faith should bring responsibility and gratitude to Jesus for what He did. We must repent of our sin… change our mind about it, and turn from it. If I’m a Christian, can I lie? Can I cuss? Can I be sexually promiscuous? Technically, yes, but why would you want to mock Jesus and continue to be identified with the world? That is a very poor witness for Christ. He died for our sin, not so we can continue sinning but that we will be free from the eternal result of sin. Remember that sin has wages… eternal death.

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

When you witness, be sure you point out that sin separates us from God and we must repent and allow Christ to change us. “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Paul wrote these words to encourage the readers to let Christ rule their life instead of Satan. Paul does not promote works, just gratitude.

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the things which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:25-29).

Our behavior does matter. We must honor God with our life.

None of us are perfect, but we can’t let that stop us from witnessing to others. I get very disappointed in myself when I am not as “good” as I should be. Thank God for His grace and mercy. Our salvation is secure even when we goof. Still, we need to try to live for Him.

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).

Can I witness even if I’m not perfect? Yes, we are all a work in progress, and we can use our failures to show God’s love and mercy.

If you want to learn to witness effectively, study Scripture. Learn how Jesus interacted with people, and study how the Apostles shared the Gospel. You’ll find that they were direct and that Jesus was the focus.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).