I woke up this morning at 3:30AM with an urgency in my spirit. I had been sick in bed for a few days and couldn’t work on my message for this week. I started my morning prayer; Lord, get me out of this bed and…

At first, as my feet hit the floor, I felt weak and jittery. My emendate thought was, “get back in bed!”

Choices, life is full of options. I preach that all the time; now, it was my turn to make a choice.

Getting up and doing what I felt, without a doubt, was what the Holy Spirit was telling me to do or accept defeat and crawl back in bed.

As I started the day, I kept a running conversation going with the Lord as I did my morning routine. Many people who don’t know me would probably think I was talking to myself as I did these things, but in truth, this is an excellent time for a one-on-one with God. 

He told me to keep asking and answering challenging questions from believers and non-believers alike. 

Here’s one that jumped out at me the moment the Lord said that; Are there more books to the bible than we are told?

Wow! That was one I received from a reader just before the China pandemic (covid), so this is a great time to get into it.

Where do we start? ( The inspired Holy Word of God)

Did you answer that question right?

Let’s get started with the first of many concerning this question.

If God has revealed Himself to humanity in several divinely inspired books, why didn’t He provide a Bible with a divinely inspired table of contents for humanity? Why didn’t He set the limits of His authoritative Word?

God Has Not Told Us Why He Did Not Give Us A Divinely Inspired List Of Books.

To begin with, we were never told why God did not provide a list of books in Holy Scripture. For reasons known only to Him, He did not give any authoritative list. Consequently, any answer would only be speculation, and Scripture is clear that we should never speculate about the ways of God. The Lord has said. My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9).

Paul wrote. O, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33) 

Different authors wrote the Books of the Bible at various times.

There is another point to remember. The various books were initially written on individual scrolls and not produced simultaneously. This process was 1,500 years in the making. The only practical way such a list could come about is that either God predicted in advance the exact number of books along with their title and author or, in the last book written, there could have been some exhaustive list of the books that He divinely inspired. God did neither of these things.

Early On, There Was No Need For A Fixed List

During the New Testament era, there did not seem to be a need for such a list. The Extent of the Old Testament was clear to everyone. When the New Testament was written, the apostles of Jesus were still living and able to give eyewitness and authoritative testimony to His words and deeds. The need arose after the completion of the New Testament and the death of the last of the Apostles.

God Has Given The Extent

However, the extent of the Scripture has established the limits of the OldTestament  at the time of Christ. There was no honest debate over which books are divinely inspired and which are not. As far as the New Testament is concerned, there is sufficient evidence available that the books that now make up this part of Scripture are the correct books with nothing added and nothing lacking.

There Are Three Categories Of Old Testament Books That Claim God’s Authority In the New Testament

We can list books that claim divine authority into three different categories. In the Old Testament, some books were accepted by all, books that were accepted by some, and books that were rejected by all.

The books accepted by all would include the present thirty-nine books of the Old Testament.

The Roman Catholic Church includes several additional books in the Old Testament that Protestants and Jews reject. These books are the “Apocrypha” by Protestants and “The deuterocanonical books” by the Roman Catholic Church. The books accepted by some would be the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha.

The Ethiopic Bible includes two other books to the Old Testament that are not in the Apocrypha: 1 Enoch and Jubilees. However, there is no compelling evidence why it should consist of either. In the Old Testament? Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

The books rejected by all would be the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (forgeries). Neither Protestants nor Roman Catholics accept these writings as Scripture.

The New Testament Also Has Three Categories

The books that have had divine authority claimed for them in the New Testament period can also be divided into three categories. In the New Testament, the books accepted by all would be our present New Testament writings. Some Christians received several books in a limited geographical area for a short period. These books include works such as the “Shepherd of Hermas” and “Third Corinthians.” Many books were never given serious consideration for being Holy Scripture. These include the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip. They were always rejected as Scripture. There Was Unanimous Agreement On The Old Testament Books Among Jews and Christians concerning the divine inspiration of the Old Testament; there is unanimous agreement upon the thirty-nine Old Testament books. The Samaritans, who are half-Jew and half-Gentile, accept only the Law of Moses as authoritative Scripture.

Among Christians, there is no doubt concerning the authority of the twenty-seven New Testament books. The only exception is some branches of the Syrian church, which reject 2 Peter, 2,3 John, and Revelation.

Apart from these two obscure groups, there is unanimous agreement on the divine authority of the sixty-six books of Scripture among Christians.

There Were Some New Testament Books Questioned

There have also been questions concerning seven New Testament books: Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation. However, the case for the canonicity of all these books is solid. Summary The Scriptures do not contain any divinely inspired table of contents. God has not told us why this is so. Since He has not told us, it would only be fruitless to speculate.

Seemingly, the only way He could have done so was to predict the exact number of books and their titles or authors ahead of time or to have an exhaustive list of the last book in which He divinely inspired. He chose to do neither. However, He did not leave us in darkness. The Old Testament had been complete for about four centuries before the time of Christ and had clearly defined limits.

The evidence also demonstrates that the New Testament contains exactly those writings that God intended to be added with the Old Testament as Holy Scripture. Therefore we are not in darkness when it comes to recognizing the Extent of the canon of Scripture.

Concerning the Old Testament canon, we can classify the books into three categories: books that were accepted by all, books that were accepted by some, and books that were rejected by all.

Regarding the New Testament, there were books accepted by all, books taken by some, and books rejected by all. Seven of the New Testament books have been disputed at one time or another during church history, but there are no strong reasons to doubt their divine inspiration. I believe this is true of all books in our Holy Scriptures. While there is no heavenly table of contents, all books found in Holy Scripture belong there.

I profoundly hope this answered some of your asked and un-ask questions about other existing books of the Bible. Of course, the answers are and always will be controversial. One thing isn’t, though, and you can take it to the bank; we’ll all know for sure when we meet our savior face to face on that glorious day.

Until next time, stay safe, be blessed, and always, “KEEP LOOKING UP!”

Semper Fidelis

Dusty

Heavenly Father, 

Our faith and trust lay in You, Lord. Without You, there is no hope. Your word is the sword against evil and the answer to the questions of life.

Lord, please forgive us of our sins and guide our paths to do your will, not ours. Jesus, I pray for a revival to start in this nation and roar worldwide, destroying ALL the evil and bringing peace, tranquility, and love to this unholy world. I pray for an instant healing for all these satanic, man-made diseases. In other words, I pray for one of your greatest miracles. Lord, I ask for this message to reach the multitudes in all walks of life, and it’s in Your precious name we give all the praise and glory, for it’s in Your name we pray.

AMEN

I’m glad you returned to the third and final part of this series from 1Thessalonians. We’ve attempted to clarify Paul’s meaning in chapter 5, verses 16-18. In the last two messages, we did an in-depth look at verses 16 and 17, so let’s take a look at the final verse in this segment, verse 18 (¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.).  

Your first question is, EVERYTHING; what do you mean everything? Well, yes, that’s what it says, “everything.” Before you ask, yes, it means the bad too.

Besides, in Thessalonians, think about what Paul also wrote in his letter to the Romans, that he “gloried in tribulations”—he welcomed them! Because Paul was convinced of what abiding in a living faith towards God would produce in his life—something eternal! He had partaken of faith wherein he could “rejoice always” and give thanks in everything, even those things which were not only unpleasant but also seemingly unbearable. His thankfulness truly honored God! And he reminds us to do the same: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Is it any wonder that he, with such an attitude, had a “feast” in his heart every day?

This thought goes along with another scripture; take a look at this;  Romans 8:28 ²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Usually, unschooled Christians forget to add the part after, “works together for the good,” and to me, that’s the most crucial part. (to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.) Now, this verse makes it even harder to swallow a commandment like that, especially with all that’s been going on in all our lives (actually since the beginning of time) lately.

Well, I’ve opened another can of worms, but if you stick with me, we’ll get to the bottom of this conundrum and others along the way. If you have any bible questions, contact us in the comment section or email: prospectorsforgod@gmail.com. We’ll certainly find it for you if we don’t know the answer.

Come back next week, and we’ll tackle Romans 8:28 and hopefully get everybody on track. Lastly, don’t forget any primaries in your neck of the woods. You only have two choices: don’t vote for personalities; vote for what they stand for, God’s laws, or to further satan’s hold on this country. You know it really is your choice. You’re either a Christian or not. No middle ground. (Revelation 3:16 ^{16 “}So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”) so you say that’s harsh? No, it’s to the point.

Until next week, many blessings to “ya all.” KEEP LOOKING UP!

Semper Fidelis

     Dusty

My prayer for you:                                 

Heavenly Father,

We humbly come before You, asking forgiveness for our sins. Lord, we need Your help in every segment of our lives and divine guidance for each step. 

Father, I pray for a revival, an awakening to fill the hearts of every American. I pray our nation will once again become a Godly nation.

Lord, We ask ALL this corruption and deceit perpetrated by our government be revealed and brought to Your Godly Justice, not man’s. 

Lord, I pray for our country to return to You as our founding fathers designed. Heavenly Father, I’d like to add this verse as part of our prayer this week; a man named Francis Scott Key wrote it in September 1814. It’s the 4th verse of our National anthem.

4. O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Father God, we thank you for all you do and give You ALL the praise and glory in the precious of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

                      AMEN

Last week I ended the message by saying we would continue looking deeper into 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. So let’s get started with 1Thessalonians 5:16. Rejoice always. What was Paul instructing? “Rejoice always.” Are we supposed to be dancing in the streets every waking moment? I don’t think that was what he was trying to say. Christians are commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to “rejoice always.” It sounds like an excellent command; God wants us to be joyful! But when you measure it against each person’s suffering in life, it seems like an impossible command. How can you continue to rejoice when your child dies? Or when you lose your job or your health? Or when a close friend betrays you. We cannot just ignore these issues and put on fake happiness. So how can we possibly rejoice always?

The Bible in no way ignores man’s suffering. Still, through the examples of men like Peter, Paul, and Silas, it is possible to be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.).

The key to rejoicing always is understanding the gospel. Without knowing God’s love for us and the lengths, He went through to have a relationship with us. There would be no basis for hope or joy in suffering. Even times of ease and pleasure would be meaningless without the cross.

In 1 Peter chapter 1, Peter describes Jesus’ victory over death, resulting in a living hope and an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time; see 1 Peter 1:3–12). He points out that this inheritance is the reason we can rejoice, even though “you are grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,). When you know the weight of what Christ has done for you and understand the glory to come, joy is your foundation through trials. You can rejoice to know that. And you now have Christ’s righteousness: Romans 5:1–2
“Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” 
The Bible also reveals that we can rejoice all the more knowing that we are not just hoping for eternity with our Savior but that our sufferings produce good in us on this earth. James tells Christians to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4). We are sanctified and made more like Christ through trials; we can rejoice. God is not wasting your pain; He has a plan for pain that will result in His glory and your good. He uses sufferings to prove the genuineness of our faith as a witness to the truth of the cross. By God’s grace, our suffering is a witness to the world of God’s goodness and strength (Colossians 1:24 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.) if we as Christians never faced hardship or lost joy in the midst of it, we would present a weak gospel to the world and a God who cannot hold up to the evil and sufferings all humans encounter.

Knowing the hope to which we are called and the purpose of our suffering gives us a reason and ability to rejoice always, but that is not the end to the reasons for rejoicing! God’s goodness extends further than we deserve, and He has blessed us with a multitude of reasons to be glad and take comfort, take time and look these scriptures up:

• We rejoice in our salvation (Luke 10:20).
• We rejoice in God’s justice and sovereignty (Psalm 67:4).
• We rejoice because God works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
• We rejoice because we have victory in Christ (1 John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 10:13; John 16:33).
• We rejoice, knowing nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:35–39).
• We rejoice knowing that God will provide for us richly (Philippians 4:19)
• We rejoice in God’s peace (Philippians 4:4–7).
• We rejoice because God works for our healing (Isaiah 61:1–4).

God has blessed us with an abundance of reasons to rejoice, and He has blessed us with a joy that is not weak. We follow the example of Christ, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). The same joy that sustained Christ in the face of the cross can sustain us through this life; therefore, we rejoice always!

I hope this message helped you understand what rejoicing in all things means. If not, let me know if it doesn’t, and I’ll try to do a better job. That goes for any biblical question you might have, or if you want to drop a comment go to the comment section and send us a note. We’re always glad to hear from you.

Next week we’ll finish up with the last verse in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18. Verse 18 says, “in everything give thanks”  Really?

Until next time YA ALL be blessed, stay safe, and KEEP LOOKING UP!

Semper Fidelis

 Dusty

My prayer for you:

Heavenly Father,

We ask for forgiveness for our sins and the strength to do better.

Lord, we need as a nation for all this deception and persecution to stop, and we ask for You to intervene and bring all this evil visited on our country by the unholy politician brought to light. We pray for You to reveal Your will and guidance to follow it. I believe in my heart without Your divine intervention. Our country is doomed.

Jesus, we thank you for Your love and mercy; we give You all the praise and glory. It’s in Your precious name we pray,

              AMEN

It Still amazes me sometimes, even at my age, how God’s love abounds in our lives. He comes to us when we least expect Him and gives us that extra touch when we need it the most.

In this time in our country, you don’t have to look very far for someone hurting in their struggle with life. Some struggles will be financial, while others will struggle with fear of the unknown future. We can neither change the past nor predict the future.

The scriptures address both these problems. But to take advantage of these blessings, you must meet the life-changing requirements in the same scriptures that reveal these blessings to you. Let’s first look at; Romans 10:9-10  ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth, he confesses, resulting in salvation. The first and most important thing you must do is accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Doing this gives you the power of the Holy Spirit in you, which takes care of your past by asking for the Lord’s forgiveness. Along with repenting, you start new each day.

Now, what about the worry concerning the future? Let’s read; Matthew 6:34 ³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The only one who holds and knows the future is God. The scriptures tell us  God controls the future, and it’s our job to full fill His will. In other words, have faith in Him and trust He will guide and direct each tomorrow and before you ask. No! that doesn’t mean you’ll sail through life without a problem. If you believe that being a Christian means life is trouble-free, you need to read the scriptures about Job.

As the saying goes, We all have a cross to bear. Each day brings new challenges, and I pray you seek God in all things before moving forward. Even the little things in life need prayerful consideration before making a misstep in the wrong direction. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18  Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

1 Thessalonians 5: 17 says, “pray without ceasing” I’m sure you’re asking yourself, how do I do that? None of us are monks living in a monastery high in the mountains. So what was Paul saying to us?

I believe Paul is encouraging Christians to pray continually. Naturally, this does not mean being in a state of prayer every waking moment. Instead, we ought to be in a constantly “prayerful” condition and frequently speaking to God in actual, dedicated prayer. Even amid trials, believers should recognize the immeasurable value of maintaining fellowship with God through frequent prayer.

In the following message next week, we’ll look a little deeper into the scriptures we used in this teaching. So come on back and pull up a chair, and together we’ll try to understand better God’s Word and how our lives fit into it. Until then, many blessings, and stay safe. 

KEEP LOOKING UP!

Semper Fidelis

       Dusty

    Email me with your comments at: prospectorsforgod@gmail.com

My prayer for you:            

Heavenly Father, We seek forgiveness for our sins with repentance in our hearts.

We pray for a revival like none seen before. 

 Lord, I pray the evil running rampant in government be exposed and the guilty ones brought to justice. 

God, I pray that all who read this blog better understand Your Word and apply it to their lives.

Lord Jesus, we love you and give You all the praise and glory, and it’s in Your name we pray,

                                            AMEN