There’s a battle raging, and it’s the epitome of Good vs. Evil. God is Good, and Satan is Evil. Of course, this battle isn’t one we can see with our eyes. It’s a spiritual battle that has been raging since Satan rebelled against God. We can feel the battle, and there are times that it manifests in the natural world, but the battle is supernatural. This world and all of humanity is the battlefield.

Sometimes it seems as if evil is winning. Especially in this day and age, when all manner of evil and wickedness have been legalized, and if a person speaks out against the insanity, that person is labeled a “hater.” How can we hold on? I really don’t know how people cope if they don’t know Jesus. He is the Rock of our salvation and our strength in times of trouble. We certainly have trouble today.

“[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,]] I will love thee, O LORD, my strength, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:1-2).

Fear can cripple us and is a weapon of the enemy, but when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is with us, we have nothing to fear. He is our fortress.

There have been troubled times throughout history, and Martin Luther lived during troubled times. He was born in 1483, became an Augustinian monk in 1505, and was ordained as a priest in 1507. The Roman Catholic Church had/has many false teachings, and Luther began to reject things like “indulgences.” He tried to reason and discuss the issues he had but to no avail. Pope Leo X demanded Luther renounce the ideas he set forth in the Ninety-five Theses. Luther refused and was excommunicated. What heresy could have caused him to be excommunicated and declared a criminal? He spoke about grace through faith in Jesus alone.

“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).

He angered the pope by believing Scripture above the pope’s decrees. He believed that the Bible was the only divine revelation from God. He also considered all true Christians to be priests.

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Luther read Scripture and believed it. Brothers and sisters, this is a very important point to understand. No matter what your preacher preaches, if it disagrees with Scripture, he is wrong. Sadly, Luther was also antisemitic, so use discernment if you study his life and teachings.

Martin Luther trusted the Lord through all of his hard times and wrote hymns that encourage and strengthen our faith. As Christians, we need to look to God as our mighty fortress in these evil times in which we live. We must stand strong on God’s truth rather than fall for Satan’s lies.

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD

Words by Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper he, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing

For still our ancient foe
Does seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Satan has always tried to put fear and confusion into the minds and hearts of those who look to the Lord for strength. We see it so much in the Psalms of David. He faced many battles, even before he became king. At a young age, he fought a bear and a lion, which prepared him to fight the giant Goliath. King Saul tried many times to kill him. After David became king, he fought many foes, including his own son. David always turned to the Lord for strength.

“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me” (Psalm 31:3).

God never failed David, nor will the Lord fail us in our times of battle. Spiritual battles are hard because the enemy is unseen and attacks our minds to draw us from our God. Remember, God is our rock and fortress, not our enemy. Many Christians aren’t armed for a spiritual battle. Pastors seem to ignore our mortal enemy and choose to preach “feel good” sermons. There is a vicious spiritual battle raging, and looking at the news headlines, Christians are failing God in the battle and siding with Satan. Pastors need to stop tickling ears and start arming the soldiers for battle. Turn to Scripture for God’s truth, and then don’t be ashamed to stand upon His truth.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Seeker-friendly preachers won’t tell you that it’s God who can destroy body and soul in Hell. All they preach is “God is love.” He is love. Like sugar is sweet and water is wet, God is love. It’s His nature to love. He doesn’t send us to Hell, but by rejecting Jesus Christ for salvation, we send ourselves to Hell. Still, God has “rules,” and if we reject the only way of Salvation, then we have made our choice. When we accept the sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross, the Holy Spirit is sealed within us, and salvation is secure.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

If your profession of faith was earnest, then the Holy Spirit is sealed inside you, and your salvation is secure.

Did we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing.

You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
From age to age the same;
And he must win the battle.

Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Christianity is not a religion; it is faith. Faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “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).

It’s not by our own strength that we can accomplish anything for God. It is only through Jesus. He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. We are no longer under the Law of Moses, but that doesn’t mean the Law is null and void. We still have the moral law of God. In Christ we have rest and no longer have to do works to try to save ourselves.

“And he said unto them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is the Lord also of the sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! His doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him.

Do you doubt there are demons in this world? Scripture tells us they are real. Jesus cast out many demons from people. Paul also cast them out. I have no doubt that all of the Apostles and those who followed their teachings also cast them out. These evil spirits are in the world today. Too often, their handiwork is named as a medical condition. Drugs weaken our minds, so these demons can possess people.

Satan had a field day in the 1960s. Many people smoked pot or used some other mind-altering drug. LSD was very popular. Since that time, the moral decay around the world has been incredible. We cannot battle Satan or his minions on our own. We get attacked by Satan in many ways. He may confuse your mind, like he confused Eve, and cause you to doubt God’s truth. Another way demons can take control of you is through Yoga, which is designed to open “chakras” and release the kundalini spirit in you. A person is encouraged to clear their mind. This opens you to any passing spirit that might want to take possession of you. We are to meditate on our Lord, filling our hearts and minds with His Holy Spirit and His love.

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Timothy 4:12-15).

The more you think about God and all that He has done, the harder it is for Satan to confuse and control you. Satan will never stop trying to destroy God’s people, but the battle was won on the Cross. Believe in Him and resist the wiles of the devil.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Not by your strength, but by God’s power.

That Word above all earthly powers
No thanks to them abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still
His kingdom is forever!

God’s word is above all, and He never changes. Satan is attacking so many things that God sees as precious. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by Him, but today it’s being perverted. Children are special to Him, but many people see it as a woman’s right to murder the baby in the womb. Children are taught evolution instead of truth, and you can read in the first chapter of Romans to see what depravity that leads to, and it’s “legalized” today.  When we understand that we are sinners on the road to eternal damnation, that’s when we realize we need Jesus.

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee Ye must be born again” (John 3:5-7).

God’s truth never changes. In order to enter into His eternal kingdom, you must be born again. That takes faith. Faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When you realize you’re a sinner, you must repent of your sins. If you’re a person who gossips or lies, repent and change your mind about these sins. If you’re a man who has sexual encounters with other men, repent and turn from that sin. Same goes for women. If you have any sexual encounters outside of a one man/one woman marriage, repent and ask God to forgive your sin. God’s grace and forgiveness are a blessing, but if you continue sinning, then you haven’t earnestly given your life to Christ.

“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 choice to repent and live for Christ may cause family to disown you. Jesus didn’t come to make life easy. In fact, faith in Him may cause much friction in your family.

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36). Don’t pick a fight with your family and friends, but don’t deny your Lord.

The spiritual battle is real, but we have a mighty fortress that will never fail; Jesus Christ is our fortress. God provides the spiritual weapons for the spiritual battle we are fighting. Study them in Ephesians chapter 6.

“Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the evil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

Use these weapons to fight against the wickedness; don’t fight for Satan. The evil in this world is all caused by Satan; he is pure evil. You cannot win a battle with him by yourself. God is your fortress. Stand firm upon His word without wavering. He is your fortress in times of battle.

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). 

His kingdom is forever.

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).

So many people today are confused. The confusion comes from “disinformation” and being at odds with God. Somehow, people seem to be under the impression that gender is a choice. Even public school, which should be teaching facts, are confused about gender. There are many differences between male and female, and there is no “in-between” gender. It is not a choice.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them“ (Genesis 1:27).

That seems pretty clear to me. There are no “sub-genders” and no fuzzy line that questions male and female. All people have chromosomes that are located inside cells. They are made of protein and DNA. Parents pass chromosomes to their children, and each person has 46 chromosomes, but other creatures have different numbers of chromosomes.

For instance, a dog has 39 pairs. If you are confused and think you are a dog or a cat, you should have your chromosomes counted. Male and female chromosomes differ. Chromosomes take the shape of an X or a Y; human females have pairs of X chromosomes in their cells, but males have one X and one Y chromosome. If you’re confused as to whether you are male or female, check your chromosomes. God created male and female. Adam had an X chromosome and a Y chromosome, while Eve had 2 X chromosomes. That’s because God created them male and female.

The importance of male and female is obvious. Life cannot continue without babies. A very basic fact of biology is you have to have a male and a female in order to make a baby. I understand that there are some creatures that just separate rather than mate, but when we are talking about humans, it takes a male and a female in order to continue life.

After God created all things, Adam sinned, and he and Eve were exiled from the Garden. We don’t know exactly how many children they had, but Scripture tells us Adam fathered sons and daughters.

“And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: and all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died” (Genesis 5:3-5).

Adam’s sin brought death into the world, but his children brought even more sin and corruption. The good news is that Seth honored God and didn’t join in the sin happening with the fallen angels. His son Enos also avoided the sin, as did his son Cainan. This line of men who didn’t corrupt themselves with the sin of genetically mixing with the fallen angels followed through to Noah. Because of godly men who chose godly wives, there was a pure genetic line, and humanity could be saved. Genetic corruption will always be a sin.

Eventually, the fallen angels corrupted the human genome to the point that only Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives were genetically pure.

“And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3).

God always gives a chance for repentance, and mankind had 120 years to repent. Why would Noah be saved from God’s judgment? It was grace.

“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God“ (Genesis 6:9).

Does that mean Noah was sinless? Not at all. The word “perfect” is from the Hebrew word “Tamim,” which means “sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity.” This means Noah, like his fathers before him, didn’t join in the sin and corruption around him, which was sexual activity with fallen angels that led to all-out wickedness and corruption of all of creation. Noah and his family were fully human. This word also describes the lamb to be sacrificed on Passover.

“Your lamb shall be without blemish…” (Exodus 12:5a).

Of course, we all know that the Passover was a foreshadowing of Christ, our final sacrificial Lamb, who was perfect and without blemish… tamim.

Back to Noah and the fallen angels. Noah had conducted his life to please God, so when judgment was imminent, he found salvation.

“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1).

The word “righteous” comes from the Hebrew “sadiq,” which means just and righteous in conduct and character. Noah didn’t give lip service to God but lived his life to please Him. That’s something Christians need to keep in mind. So many people say, “I’m a Christian,” but their way of life tells a different story. Will you be saved from the completely evil times that are soon to come during the Great Tribulation? Will you be saved through faith in Christ and be taken in the Rapture?

Noah’s great-grandfather was Enoch, who was also a man who obeyed God. “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:23-24).

God took Enoch away from the judgment of the Flood because he “walked with God.” The writer of Hebrews also mentions Enoch. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5).

Enoch is a foreshadow of Christians and the Rapture. True Christians will be saved from the Days of Jacob’s Trouble. We are saved by Grace through our faith in Jesus Christ, but we need to keep ourselves from the corruption of the sin around us.

Is judgment coming today? God will not put up with the corruption of His creation, and through prophecy has told us that judgment will come. You might say that it’s different now than it was in Noah’s day. No, it isn’t. Noah was “tamim” and “sadiq”… genetically pure and lived a just and righteous life. Only through Christ can we be righteous. There’s much corruption in the world today. Every time I hear someone say, “My pronouns of choice are he/she/them/they,” I cringe. There are only two pronouns, and a person is born either male or female. It isn’t a choice. Deal with it.

Paul wrote, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28).

Paul wasn’t saying that gender isn’t real but that a man in Christ is not superior to a woman in Christ, or a worker is not inferior to the boss if they are both in Christ. In Christ, we are all equal. Israel has always been loved by God, but if a person has accepted Christ for salvation, there is no racial or national difference, but we are all equal.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

By faith we become part of the family of God and are equal in His sight. God hasn’t changed, and neither has His Word. Make choices based upon Scripture, and you will please God. Men and women are given different roles in Christian circles, and both have important works to do, but God has set the standard.

Pronouns aren’t optional. If you are male, your pronouns are he and him. If you are female, your pronouns are she and her. No matter how much you mutilate yourself or get shots to try to be what you aren’t, you haven’t changed the truth. If you were born a male, take your proper place in God’s plan. Live a godly life and honor God. If you were born female, don’t usurp the authority God gave to men. Don’t try to be a man. Honor God and submit to His authority.

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).