Spiritual warfare, like the traditional sort practiced by military forces around the world, has its own special set of rules. We have weapons, armor, and tactics to use against our enemy. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul describes the weapons, armor, and tactics we use against our enemy — as well as the dangers we must be careful of during battle. Starting with verse 10:

“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

There is a lot of information in these nine verses — and they describe quite neatly the dos and don’ts of spiritual warfare. Let’s start at the beginning.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” This may sound a little obvious, but we cannot fight this battle alone. Before anything else, before we prepare for battle, before we put on our armor or ready our weapons, we must realize where our strength comes from. We cannot fight the enemy if we rely solely upon our own strength and power.

This is what is so difficult. We live in a world where reliance on our own strength and abilities is pushed strongly from a very young age. We’re taught that we don’t need help from anyone, and asking for help is a sign of weakness. If we can’t do it on our own, then we either need to work harder and get stronger, or just give up and not do it at all. So we need to be strong in the Lord—we must gain our strength from him. Once we realize that and give up on trying to do it ourselves, can we finally move on to continue preparing for battle? Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This is the obvious next step, right? By realizing where our strength comes from, we are, in a sense, realizing who is in charge of our army — we recognize our General. Once we understand whose side we’re on, the next obvious step is to determine who our enemy is — the devil himself.

When most people hear words like “devil”, “Satan”, “Lucifer”, and so forth, they typically get images in their heads of a horned man with a pointed goatee, wearing a red suit, with a pitchfork and a pointed tail. In all honesty, that image is kind of silly — yet it’s such a part of our culture that I’m sure many of you had it pop into your head at least for a short time when I started this paragraph. In reality, though, the image of Satan is nothing like that. The images we have of Satan are not found in the Bible. We made these images ourselves because we needed something to remind us that evil is real, and it wants nothing more than our complete destruction as believers.

So now we know whose side we’re on and who our enemy is. Now is the time to actually start putting on our armor! When Paul describes the armor of God in these next few verses, he does so with a specific purpose. Each part of the armor has a specific meaning that only makes sense for that part. We’re going to skip over verse 13 for now and go back to it later so we can start discussing the actual armor of God. In verse 14, Paul describes the first piece — the Belt of Truth.

At this point in history, Rome ruled the area where Paul did all his missionary work, so the Roman style of armor was likely the most well-known to the common person. In the Roman army, only legionnaires and officers actually wore armor. This armor had two belts — one called a Balteus, which was slung over the shoulder and was used to carry the sword. The other, called the Cingulum Militare, was worn around the waist. It was used to carry a small dagger and was studded with metal fittings that denoted the officer’s rank. So, which belt did Paul mean — the Balteus or the Cingulum Militare? Let’s look back at the first part of verse 14: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,”

Clearly, Paul wanted us to wear truth like a Cingulum Militare — and, when you think about it, this makes perfect sense. The Cingulum Militare had two purposes: to hold their defensive weapon and to show others their rank in the Roman Army. And this is exactly what truth does! The truth is that when attacks come, the truth will set us free. Truth says that when everything else is lost, the truth of what Jesus did on the cross and therefore what awaits us when we die is nothing scary or negative, but a beautiful eternity with our Savior. Truth also tells the world our rank in the Army of God — we are all sons and daughters of God! Princes and Princesses of the Most High King hold a very high rank indeed — and truth reminds us of that, especially when the devil tries to make us forget or convince us that we’re worthless.

The reason that the Balteus belt was not intended is that the belt does nothing more than hold the scabbard for a sword. If we’re constantly at war with our enemy, our sword should never be sheathed, but should always be held at the ready! We’ll go over the sword more in a few moments, but for now, let’s continue on in the armor of God with the second half of verse 14: “with the breastplate of righteousness in place”. This part of Roman armor, called the Lorica Segmentata, had iron strips fastened together with leather straps that covered the torso of the legionnaire. In Rome, this part of the armor covered both the front and the back of the wearer — but the Greek Word Paul uses here, “thoraka”, simply means “breastplate” and could refer to something that covers only the front or both sides. At any rate, this is armor that is intended to protect the heart. Righteousness, therefore, is intended to protect our hearts. But how?

Righteousness literally means “morally right.” Now it makes sense! Righteousness is designed to protect our hearts — not against being stabbed by swords like the Roman armor, but against the temptation and sinful attacks of the devil. Together with Truth, Righteousness protects our body from attack. Just like the belt and breastplate protect the Roman soldier from attacks, so do truth and righteousness come together to form the core of our armor.

Next, Paul describes a very important — but sometimes forgotten — piece of armor: sandals. Verse 15: “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” A Roman soldier wore a type of leather sandal called caligae as part of his armor. Most armor is designed to protect the wearer against attacks, but this was designed to protect the wearer from the elements. They had a very open design, allowing increased airflow across the foot, which helped prevent ailments like trench foot and even blisters. This was often considered one of the most important parts of a soldier’s armor — if one can’t move, one can’t fight. Roman soldiers had no jeeps or armored transports, so they were forced to march from place to place — sometimes, from one side of Europe to the other. Without quality shoes, these marches would have crippled the Roman army. It was therefore no accident that Paul chose Roman caligae to represent peace. Without the peace of Christ, we cannot move. We would be so frozen in fear and doubt that we wouldn’t be able to function as effective soldiers in the Army of God.

So far, we’ve discussed the belt, breastplate, and shoes. But these are all parts of armor that are really only useful in close, hand-to-hand fighting. Thankfully, there is a type of armor that protects against attacks from afar — the shield. Verse 16 says, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” The shield of faith. In a Roman Legion, the shield, or scutum, was large, rectangular, and light — it only weighed around 20 pounds, but it could withstand direct attacks from swords or arrows. The shield was important to a soldier not only because it helped protect the bearer, but also because it protected the entire legion. The Romans had a tactic called “testudo”, where the soldiers would kneel and cover themselves with their shields. The legion would be so close together that the shields would end up overlapping, making it much more difficult for an enemy to get a successful attack past the shield wall.

Similarly, our faith is not just our own shield, but can also serve as a shield for those around us. Allow me to explain. Faith can serve as our own shield when it reminds us who we’re fighting for and against. Remember, the battles are already won — and we’re all on the winning side. However, the flaming arrows of the evil one are filled with lies, trying to convince us that we are all failures, that we are unloved, that the battle is lost, and that there’s no longer any reason to fight. We know that’s not the truth, but if one of those arrows hits, the pain is all too real. However! When we use our faith to protect ourselves from these attacks, we remember that Christ died on the cross for us personally. We remember that we are on the winning side. We remember that there is nothing we can do that’s so bad or so evil that God can’t still love us. We remember that the devil is the father of all lies, and then the arrows seem to lose their power. Our faith in Christ protects us from the attacks of the devil just like shields protected a Roman legionnaire two thousand years ago.

But I mentioned that the shield can protect others as well. What about them? Well, our own faith can encourage others. Just as the Roman legions would form the testudo formation when attacked, ensuring that everyone could work together in protection, we must, on occasion, use our own shields of faith to help protect the believers around us who are struggling.

There is one glaring omission in the list of armor pieces so far — a helmet. Like modern helmets, the Roman version protected the head and face, but it had one other quality that many modern helmets lack — intimidation. Roman helmets had a large crest on top that made the soldier look taller and wilder, instilling fear in their enemies. Paul knew this when he wrote in verse 17, “Take the helmet of salvation”. Salvation is our helmet. It protects our heads and faces—we know we’re saved, so the devil’s lies no longer apply. It helps prevent the secret attacks of temptation from entering our thoughts. We’re saved! A Roman soldier would never fight without his helmet, because a single glancing blow to the side of an unprotected head would spell doom. Likewise, we must never fight the powers and principalities of darkness without our own helmet of salvation, otherwise a single glancing blow would spell doom for us as well!

So far, all we’ve discussed has been defensive. Now we finally get to the offensive weapons! The second half of verse 17, “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The Roman sword, called a Gladius, was a nasty weapon. It was between 2-3 feet long, double-edged for cutting and slashing, with a pointed tip for stabbing and a large knob on the end of the handle for beating. A trained Roman soldier could do a lot of damage with just one Gladius, but if they were untrained, they were more liable to hurt themselves than anyone else.

The same is true for the Sword of the Spirit — the Bible. Knowledge of the Bible is important because it gives us the ammunition to attack the devil. As Christ did during his temptation, someone trained in the Word can counter every temptation the devil tries to send our way with scripture. However, if we’re not trained in the Word, we can do much more harm to ourselves than good. If we don’t know the proper scripture, we can’t effectively fight the devil’s attacks! So, how do we get trained in the Word, then? Easy — read. Read the Word! Meditate on it! Pray about it! And don’t just do it once, but do it all the time. Make it a habit; something you do without even thinking about.

But there is one more weapon that many people omit when discussing the armor of God — Prayer. We’ll end with verse 18, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” This reinforces everything that has already been discussed — without prayer, none of this would be possible. We must pray to know the truth; we must pray to know righteousness; we must pray for peace; we must pray to understand faith; we must pray to be saved; and we must pray while studying the Word of God in order to use it as a weapon. But above all, we must be persistent in our prayers—we cannot just pray once and be done with it. Persistent prayers, not only for ourselves, but for “all believers everywhere,” encourage and strengthen us all, allowing us to effectively fight the battle with the Lord on our side.

We also must be wary of breaking the rules. Instead of charging headlong into the enemy’s camp of sin and temptation, we must realize that our General, Christ, has already won the war, so we need to follow His lead. By putting on the full armor of God, we can be certain the battle will be won.

I hope Ya all got something out of this, and you put on your armor every day. We’re in a war for souls, yours, mine, and everyone we come in contact with.

Remember, there are no accidental meetings. Each person you meet is a divine appointment. If you handle it with that in mind, God will give you the boldness and the words needed to say the right thing!

My Prayer for You:

Lord bless all your children, giving them mercy and your loving touch as they journey through life. Never meeting a stranger they didn’t know as a brother or sister, needing to know you and your loving kindness.

Thank you, Lord, for sending your Son, Jesus. It’s in His precious name we pray.

AMEN 

To have Dusty speak at your event, contact us at: prospectorsforgod@gmail.com

Anti-aging is almost a comical term. “Anti” implies against, indicating a battle against aging. The primary issue with this is that aging is an inevitable process. It is going to happen. So, how do we cope with it?

How should a Biblical view of aging be lived out? I will tackle the question, What does the Bible say about aging?

1. Aging Is a Result of the Fall

Skin care products or not? Go gray, or dye your hair? Cosmetic surgery or wrinkles naturally? There are a variety of viewpoints on these and many more decisions that men and women face as they grow older. It can feel frustrating to age. Our faces change, and our bodies are not as strong and vibrant as they once were. Our hair color fades into that crown of glory. The fact is that aging is a result of the fall.

Genesis 3:19 reminds us that we were created from dust. “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

As we age physically, our appearance reveals our age and reminds us of the consequences of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. It is the outward sign that death is coming, and Jesus is our Savior. It tells us that we humans need a Messiah for the hope of heaven. Aging is 100% a result of the fall. It is the physical evidence that all have sinned, and we are in a broken world.

The Bible highly praises aging, which can be a sign of wisdom and maturity. Not everyone who is a senior citizen possesses wisdom, but many elderly believers do because of Christ within them.

Deuteronomy 32:7 says, “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father, and he will tell you; ask your elders, and they will explain to you.”

Asking questions and listening to our elders is very beneficial. Passing on what we have learned to the next generation is also a beautiful blessing. The enemy would love nothing more than to separate us due to age. However, we are called to be in community with one another, which means all ages have a place in the body of Christ.

Instead of assuming our elders are outdated simply because they belong to a different generation, what if we learned from their experiences and found common ground? Instead of wasting our words on those younger than us over pointless conversations, what if we were more intentional in sharing meaningful and personal insights?

3. People Who Have Aged Can Be the Most Beautiful

As believers in Jesus, we know that the Scriptures say, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Just because someone is classified as old, a grandparent, or gray does not mean that they cannot be one of the most beautiful people on the planet.

Beauty is much more than an eye-catching appearance. It is the essence of who someone is: the way a person lives, how a person loves, and the purpose which a person serves. The Holy Spirit makes us beautiful.

If we are being honest with ourselves, we can only offer filthy rags. We are not righteous, so we cannot honestly provide a fruit-filled love without His help. He is the One who beautifies our hearts and enables us to live the most beautiful lives.

“Beautiful One, I love
You’re beautiful, one I adore
Beautiful One, my soul must sing”

Jesus is beautiful, and when we have Him in our hearts, we cannot help but adore Him. Then, we recognize that we are beautiful too because of Him.

4. Elders Have Witnessed God’s Faithfulness

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4).

When someone has been walking with God for a long time, there is a stunning witness of His faithfulness. The longer we are here on earth, the more trouble, hardships, victories, and memories we make. When someone is older, this means that the Lord has carried them before and will carry them again.

Elders can look back over a long lifetime and thank the Lord for His presence. Spending more time in a relationship with God means having more opportunities to recognize His steadfast love.

5. A Gray Head Is a Crown of Glory

“A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31).

Just as royalty wears a crown, Scripture encourages us to see older people as those with gray hair. This verse does not guarantee that following Jesus will result in a long life. However, it does remind us that following His ways is a blessing and protection over our lives. When I ponder the crown of glory, I think about how God values what the world does not. What we so long to reverse, remove, or redesign, the Lord speaks into that to tell us that He is the One in whom our identity lies.

Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

As servants of Christ, we can be motivated by the fact that our goal is to please God alone. If others recognize us, compliment us, or we get great health reports, these are all encouraging. However, we cannot be defined by human accolades. Mankind is fickle, so we will never measure up forever. But through the cross of Jesus, we have fullness in Christ, forgiveness of our sins, and freedom forever. We can know that these signs of aging are not just a representation of a future death, but of a future life. New life and new bodies are on the horizon. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed by life. God has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, he has given us the Holy Spirit.

(2 Corinthians 5: 4-5) While we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so what mortal will be swallowed by life? Now, He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Holy Spirit as a pledge.

One of your missions in life should stem from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of your greatest joys in life is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures.

(20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen)

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

Semper Fidelis

Dusty

A prayer for YOU:

Heavenly Father, 

Our faith and trust lie 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 begin in this nation and spread worldwide, destroying all evil and bringing peace, tranquility, and love to this troubled world. I pray for 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, the name of Jesus we pray.

                        AMEN

It has been an extremely long time since I’ve written on this site. Before I address the reason for the hiatus, I want to thank the loyal followers who stayed in touch by text and email; you all are great … Thank You!

As I reviewed the comments (some robotic ones I disregarded), I realized how few the responses there were for the dedicated effort involving a great deal of time it took to research and write each message.

Many of today’s Christians want it both ways; what I mean is; they want to pick and choose what part of the scriptures they want to believe and which one they will obey.

Some pastors (a lot) want to keep people happy with feel-good sermons rather than preaching a soul-saving message that might(would)convict a large percentage of the Sunday morning Christians. These are the ones that count on the screen up front to display the scriptures being used because you and I both know they wouldn’t know where to look for them in the bible they carried as part of their Sunday morning wardrobe.

Next time you go to a bible study(if you ever do), look around at who’s there. The missing ones always have a(good)reason for not coming. I have a list available for most of them; I’ve heard them all.

Anything outside of making their “look at me, I’m a Christian” appearance on Sunday morning is inconvenient, and they don’t have time for it. This includes getting in the word or reading blog with Christian teaching. To be blunt, it’s called middle-of-the-road or fence riding; call what you like; it all has the same results. Revelation 3:15-16 is and will be the final judgment.

You all know who I’m speaking of… we know they’re not reading this, so if you like, pass it on; I’m sure it won’t be received with joy… but it is the truth!

Coming soon to this site will be a weekly podcast with the good news and bible teaching from the word of God. Check back when you can; we’ll be waiting for you…

KEEP LOOKING UP!

Dusty

My Prayer For You:   

Heavenly Father,

We are so thankful for your love and mercy; we would be lost without them. We ask your forgiveness for our sins and strength to do better. Guide our footsteps in the the direction you would have us go, and let us be a light to our brothers and sisters.

Lord, I pray for our nation and its leaders; I pray for their salvation and for the truth to be exposed so our country can return to you, Lord.

In The Precious Name of Jesus, We Pray

                                      AMEN

To keep peace in your family, how far will you go? Or, to put it another way, how far are you willing to compromise your Christian integrity?

You ask yourself, What is he talking about with questions like that?

Let’s start with parents standing by while one or all of their children live together, playing house with another person out of wedlock. Do you overlook this situation and go along with the politically correct society so that you can keep the peace? What do the scriptures say about “shacking up”? There are several in the bible but let’s start with;

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 ¹⁸ Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?²⁰ For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body

That’s pretty plain and to the point. So you’re willing to help pave the road to hell for your kids so no one will get mad at you for making waves?

Of course, living together leads to other problems, like children out of wedlock.

How can that be a problem, you ask?

In truth, it’s a huge problem and a heartbreaker,  not the birth of the baby, but the premarital sex was the sin. Children are a blessing from God, according to Psalm 127:3-5. Behold; children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. ⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. ⁵ Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate 

GOD IS THE ANSWER

We must never lose sight of our loving Father in Heaven, who loves ALL of us very much, and He has an abundance of mercy and grace. His forgiveness for our sins is only a prayer of repentance and asking for the Lord’s forgiveness.

Don’t condone sin for peace; the cost is too high. God’s way is the only way to guarantee eternity; remember, to paraphrase, “the road to hell is broad, and the road to eternity is narrow.”

The world around us is in chaos, and for the non-believer, there’s no hope. Now more than ever is the time to let Jesus Christ shine through us, and doing so with our families is a great start. Do it in love so we all can spend eternity together. When the storms of life surround you, Jesus is our shelter and anchor, and I promise to trust that He will see you through the roughest storm on the darkest day. ” He is the way, the truth, and the life.” hands down, there is no other!

HELP IS A CLICK AWAY

Here at “On The Road For Christ,” we a concerned about your well-being and would help in any way we can to further your walk with the Lord. In the comment section, you can voice your opinion, ask questions, seek prayer, or say, “howdy!

Don’t forget, if you would like a private conversation, you can email us at: prospectorsforgod@gmail.com or give us a shout at: (907) 315-3394.

Until we get together again, stay safe, KEEP LOOKING UP, and many blessings to you all!

Semper Fidelis

       Dusty

My Prayer For You:

Father, life is a series of decisions, and I pray for strength and boldness for everyone this message touches to decide to walk with you. I ask Blessings to all the lay their hand too.

I ask forgiveness for our sins and repentance to flow through America like a giant tidal wave. 

We thank you, Lord, for your love and mercy, and It’s in Jesus’s name we pray!

                                                                           AMEN

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

As those of you that have followed us through our website/blog, you know we travel around this great nation spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Along the way, we like to stop and visit churches and then make comments about the insight we gained from these visits, not judgments.

The music God has given us has allowed us into various venues and stops at these local churches. It’s always great to have the opportunity to share our testimony with other believers when they let us.

The moniker that describes us and what we do is; traveling evangelist, but the accurate identification, if one is needed, is missionaries to the USA. Our country is in desperate need of Jesus Christ. We need many more people doing what we’re doing in our own country and not posting all the missionaries overseas.

Don’t misunderstand, Yes! Third-world countries need our missionaries’ help too, and I pray for the mission fields around the world…, but what about Here, America?

I’ve been to Africa and seen the need there. I’ve also seen this country’s slums ( a third-world existence), and the souls living there without hope have, on the whole, given up. They need to have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus, but the supply of Christians willing to go into these areas is small in number, and most aren’t ready to make the sacrifice it takes to commit to a ministry that gets so little help.

Let’s face it, to do what we do doesn’t sound as romantic as being in a foreign land, and it’s a lot more costly because of the cost of living here compared to a third-world country.

When God called us to this ministry, we sold everything to follow Him, trusting Him to supply our needs. We pay our way and seldom get love offerings from other Christians along the way. In the 10+ years, we’ve been on the road, we’ve pretty much gone through our savings.

We pray that God will bring someone with the heart to help this vital ministry. The price of fuel alone is mind-boggling, then add in advertising, the bibles we give away, and of course, places to park, etc.

We also need boots on the ground, someone willing to get on the phone and book places for us to minister; that’s a tough job! It’s not selling (we don’t charge), but there are still a lot of nos you have to wade through. Our message is straightforward and simple, Jesus Christ is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings; there is no other! We aren’t politically correct and don’t fit in the woke movement. Maybe that is the problem. Many churches have opted to be people pleasers rather than follow God’s word, so obviously, we wouldn’t be welcome in any of those environments.

Churches are closing phenomenal rate, and people are turning away from God. Why is that happening?

After visiting many churches, I believe there isn’t just one answer.

Not long ago, I had a fellow come up to me and ask, “Why should I believe in a God that never answers my prayers?” Unanswered prayer is probably on the list of reasons for walking away from God; I believe it is a Lack of faith. Here’s another one, “My pastor passed away or moved, so I left the church; he was the reason I went.”

The church shouldn’t be a popularity contest! The first responsibility of the church is a place for like believers to gather and worship the Lord and study the scriptures. That doesn’t mean socializing can’t be a part of it, but it should never become the main reason for attending church.

Many churches make a significant mistake by putting their pastor on a pedestal. Your eyes should always be on the Lord, not a pastor or man. Your pastor is there to be a shepherd and teacher. Not be glorified. As scriptures tell us, pastors should be respected and held to a higher standard, but praise and worship belong to the Lord. Too often, when a long-term pastor leaves, a church folds or almost folds. How do you answer the problem? It’s simple. Most likely, their eyes were on the man leading them and not first on God. In that scenario, what was the pastor’s legacy? A collapsed church, or did he build in them a more vital trust and faith in God to continue after he’s gone? A pastor’s heart should always be for furthering God’s kingdom, not self-glorifying.

We see the attitude of self-importance (self-righteousness) every day in our political leaders, and it’s a very undesirable personality trait to display for anyone. In my opinion, it’s unacceptable, especially when a man or woman of God carries this attitude.

I believe what God wants is a bible believing, bible teaching church with spirit-filled Christians with true faith. Willing to do His bidding with boldness and love—coming together not because of the pastor or any other man but because of His only Son, Jesus Christ.

No one man or “special family” who is a significant financial contributor has control of the direction of any church just because of what they give. That power is God’s alone. Sooner or later, a church ran for man’s glory will fail. God is the source; He will supply!

It’s essential to have a good paster that follows ALL the bibles teaching, not taking passages out of context to justify his opinion to make his point instead of God’s. Love your pastor, listen closely to his instructions and always hold him to the word.

We here at On The Road For Christ love all our faithful readers and pray you to keep coming back for more. Until we get together again, stay safe and be blessed, and PLEASE KEEP LOOKING UP! 

Semper Fidelis

      Dusty

My prayer for you:

Heavenly Father, please forgive our sins and strengthen our path to you.

I pray that only the teaching of the Word of God go forth wherever we gather in Your name.

We ask this in the precious name of Jesus, 

                      AMEN

Are you suffering? That’s one of the great questions for all times and I believe it’s answerable but probably not the answer you’re wanting.

My grandma was the most special person in my life as I was growing up and the wisdom she imparted to me has stayed with me all my days, albeit I didn’t always follow it. Looking back now I realize I should have.

The holy spirit woke me in the wee hours of the morning, before daylight, and started to talk to me about suffering. I know we’ve all had some type of suffering in our life, whether it be a scratch or a catastrophic accident, or a life-changing event. Depending how strong or weak our vulnerability is will play into how serious these events will affect our lives.

Now let’s put some of this self- suffering into perspective, first of all, a little grandma wisdom, we were poor and didn’t have much, and when I would complain she’d show me the validity of my whining… Like when one day I complained about my old shoes she came back with this; ” You complain about your old shoes until you see a man with no feet…” That even brought a young boy like me to a whole new perspective about real suffering. She sure had a way of bringing things home to roost. 

I know her words of wisdom saved my life while being left by myself in the far-off jungles of North Vietnam and their still serving me well at this juncture in my life.

Now let’s look at real suffering, keeping in mind our own obstacles in life, and is our suffering worth complaining about? Is it real or are we at a pity party looking for somebody to feel sorry for us? I’m not saying there isn’t suffering in the world because there is. I’m just asking you to realize the difference between REAL suffering and whining… One person and only one can be said to have suffered the most and it was all done to pay a price for you and me. Don’t stop here… Keep reading.

The Jews are looking for a Savior King to deliver them from the enemy’s oppression. He will come again, deliver them, and establish them in the world as a glorious nation. But first, He had to come as the suffering servant. Let’s notice His sufferings as recorded in Isaiah 53  Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? ² For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of the dry ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we would look at Him, nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him. ³ He was despised and abandoned by men, a man of great pain and familiar with sickness; And like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised, and we had no regard for Him. ⁴ However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore, and our pains that He carried; Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted, struck down by God, and humiliated. ⁵ But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds, we are healed. ⁶ All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. ⁸ By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off from the land of the living for the wrongdoing of my people, to whom the blow was due? ⁹ And His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. ¹⁰ But the Lord desired to crush Him, causing Him grief; If He renders Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. ¹¹ As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant will justify the many, for He will bear their wrongdoings. ¹² Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the plunder with the strong because He poured out His life unto death, and was counted with wrongdoers; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the wrongdoers.

I. The Suffering of Christ FROM Men.

Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

                    1. He was despised by men.

   The word “despised” means, “to hold in contempt; to be                    despicable; to be vile, and worthless.” Can you imagine the              leaders of the Nation of Israel holding Him in contempt?                    Herod killed all the male children from two years old and                    downward in an attempt to kill him.

1.           2. They despised Him not for what he did, but for what he didn’t do. They wanted a fighting Messiah; He offered them a       Messiah that was a peacemaker. They wanted a Messiah that rode on a white horse; Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. They wanted Jesus to deliver them from the bondage to Rome, but He came to deliver them from the bondage of sin.

1.         3. He is rejected by men.
2. John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.

There is nothing more hurtful than to experience rejection. In Jesus’ case, He was rejected by His special people. They accused Him of being the devil and using his power to cast the devils out.

II. The Suffering of Christ WITH Men.

Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

                         1. The word “borne” means, “To carry away.”

                         2.“Griefs” means, “sickness” and “sorrows” means,                              “pain”.

Jesus in some mysterious way took on Himself our sickness and sorrows.

“Christ not only assumed a true human nature, capable of sorrow and grief, but he took all the natural sinless infirmities of it; or his human nature was subject to such, as hunger, thirst, weariness, etc.; and to all the sorrow and pain arising from them; the same sorrows and griefs he was liable to as we are, and therefore called ours and hence he had sympathy with men under affliction and trouble.

And, to show his sympathizing spirit, he healed all sorts of bodily diseases; and also, to show his power, he healed the diseases of the soul, by bearing the sins of his people, and making satisfaction for them; since he, that could do the one could do the other; wherefore the evangelist applies this passage to the healing of bodily diseases, Matt. 8:17 This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “He Himself took our illnesses and carried away our diseases.”

Though the principal meaning of the words may be, that all the sorrows and griefs which Christ bore were not for any sins of his own, but for the sins of his people; wherefore these griefs and sorrows signify the punishment of sin and are put for sins, the cause of them and so the apostle interprets them of Christ’s bearing our sins in His own body on the tree.”

III. The Suffering of Christ FOR Men.

In this, He atoned for man’s sins. Verse 5 says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with His stripes, we are healed.”

                       1. He took our place He suffered for our sins. In doing          this he bore the penalty of our sins away. The believer’s sins            have been borne away.

1.                2. Therefore Isaiah says, “with His stripes, we are healed.”
2. He suffered for our sins. In doing this he bore the penalty of our sins away. The believer’s sins have been borne away. This is spiritual healing. We all had a spiritual fatal illness until we came to put our trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and were born again, at the moment we did this our sins were atoned for. Now we are free. Praise the Lord.
3. We still live in the greatest nation in the world, even though it doesn’t look like it the way we’re headed now. But keep praying! The Lord hears every one of our prayers and He will prevail.  Roe V Wade is a great example, although I was blown away by how few positive responses came from the churches around America and the world. I pray your faith and trust in the Lord grow daily and you pray fervently for one another. Until we get together again, many blessings… and KEEP LOOKING UP!
4. Semper Fidelis
5.     Dusty
6. To bring Dust to your event email at: (prospectorsforgod@gmail.com)

My Prayer For You,

Gracious Father, I come before you with repentance in my heart and ask forgiveness for my sins. Lord, I pray for eyes to be opened and hearts changed and souls to turn toward you.

I pray to you to heal the suffering, sick, and lost. I pray a change in our government comes about that will bring You back to the forefront of our leadership.

I pray for believers to step out in boldness proclaiming your gospel to all that will listen. We thank you, Lord, for your love and mercy and give you all the praise and glory in the precious name of Jesus!

             AMEN