The truth is unpopular, and upon hearing the truth many are angered

Most people, and I do mean most, will not come to terms with the truth contained in the Bible and often times the truth angers them.

Matt 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Make sure you grab your Bible and follow along. I have included the video version of this lesson

The Bible says when we share the pearls of wisdom coming from a holy GOD many will totally reject this wisdom and then turn and attack you.  How unfortunate is this occurrence, it is unmeasurable in it's offense because it dishonors a Holy GOD.  It must be painful to GOD to watch His highest creation mankind, turn on Him and attack HIM. It was very painful for Jesus to announce His ministry in the synagogue as recorded in Luke 4:18 and then to have HIS people attempt to throw HIM off a cliff . Read this account of the rejection of Jesus  referenced below from the infallible Holy Bible:

Luke 4:16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.
Luke 4:17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
Luke 4:18 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, 
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. 
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, 
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, 
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
Luke 4:19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."
Luke 4:20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
Luke 4:21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

We would expect this announcement by Jesus would be recieved by cheers and praises to GOD. The Messiah had arrived our salvation has come Yet this is not the case Jesus's announcement was met with rage anger and would be violence had He not escaped.



Luke 4:28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;
Luke 4:29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.
Luke 4:30 But passing through their midst, He went His way


Sharing spiritual truths come with risks. While you are thinking you are doing something wonderful by sharing the life saving , eternity  granting WORDS of life contained in th Holy Bible, others will trample the Word under their feet.

Jesus suffered mightily because not only did He tell the truth but He is the truth.  I remember in my early days of ministry I was part of a street witnessing team from my church. We received many threats when we would share the Gospel in spiritually dark places in the city like the havens for drug use and prostitution and other illicit activities. But not only in the dark places but also in places that we expect to be beacons of light. Yes churches who are more like social clubs and when you expose their hypocrisy they indeed become angry and they let you know you are not welcomed in their church. And the claim that it is their church reveals the problem. The Church is the property of Jesus Christ alone He purchased it , paid in full by His blood.

Jesus is instructing us not to cast our pearls before swine and not to give what is Holy to the dogs  Jesus says the consequences of sharing that which is Holy to unworthy people will result in an attack!!!The world at large has it's own morality and code of behavior. Speaking against homosexuality angers people, saying fornication is sin gets people angry , and saying that Jesus is the ONLY way to GOD gets people angry.

We are not to use the shot gun approach to Christianity just spray everyone with the Gospel and perhaps something might stick. Jesus did NOT do that , He was very purposeful in ministry. There were multitudes of people around the LORD,  Jesus would not openly and plainly share His pearls of wisdom with everyone because they were not worthy to receive such a precious and valuable gift.



Matt 13:10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
Matt 13:11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted



GOD is Holy people, and He just does not share HIMSELF with everybody, another truth that will be met, in many cases, with anger!!


Matt 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, 
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, 
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, 
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, 
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, 
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, 
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'


The Bible just described the dogs and swine of this world who are not worthy to receive the wisdom of the Kingdom of GOD.

But this Bible verse describes you my brother and sister:

Matt 13:16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear

The reality of Hell - No one wants to talk about it, Why????

The reality of Hell - No one wants to talk about it, Why? - Going to hell is the most tragic sentence we can have. The sentence is for all eternity - No parole board, no getting out in 10 to 20 years. You will be there forever, yet no one wants to talk about it. I guess if we do not talk about it everything will be all better.

The Bible warns us that without the saving power in the Gospel the reality of Hell will be experienced by the condemned.  We find few pulpits admonishing (waring firmly) people of lifestyles that will generate a hell sentence.  I feel disappointed that I find myself providing a Bible lesson on one of the most fundamental tenants of Christianity that Hell is reserved for the unsaved.

As always I validate this lesson with references to the infallible Word of GOD.

Matt 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Before proceeding let us apply some logic, some reasoning to the subject. The scripture I list above comes from the Bible, The Bible is 100 percent accurate, the scripture gives us a warning about hell and therefore hell is a reality. If you can not accept the Bible as the source for truth then I suggest you read no further.

Without hell Jesus would have not had  to hang on the cross and die for  my sins and your sins.
The fact is, and the reality is, Jesus did die for us and GOD raised Him from the dead. Jesus died for you so that you would not have to go to hell.

So how is it that mainstream Christianity talks so little about Hell since the purpose of Jesus leaving heaven and then shedding His precious blood for us was all done to prevent me and you from being condemned.

John 3:16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

Hell indeed is real, here is a Biblical account of a man who missed the saving power of Jesus;

Luke 16:24 And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have pity and mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.


Many people  feel secure that hell will not be their final destination. Unfortunately many people have been mislead, many are deceived, because they only know a watered down Gospel,  so watered down that many will still have hell as their fate. Many will find hell and only a few will find salvation. Here is some insight into the process of being saved. Did you know that repentance is necessary before water baptism. That's right BEFORE you can get baptized you must repent and therefore preaching just come as you are is NOT true.

    Matt 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming?
Matt 3:8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];


How many times have we heard preachers teach come as you are??? There is no Biblical basis for telling people to come as they are.


Matt 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.
Matt 7:14 But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.


We have two (2) gates that lead to two entirely different destinations. One very large group of people will enter through the wide gate and one small group of people will enter into the narrow gate. Many will enter through the gate that leads to hell and few will enter the gate that leads to heaven.

What is the difference between the two groups?  People who are of the small group, shared share this characteristic;

whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish

The faith that gets you into heaven is a passionate earnest faith.  You have to trust in Jesus, you have to cling to Jesus and you must rely on Jesus.

Pleasing Jesus is foremost in your heart and mind , your focus in life is to please GOD. That atitude I've just describe gets you into heaven. It means that you love the Lord with your whole heart mind and strength.


Matt 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize--a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].


People who listen to the watered down , come just as you are Gospel, will likely stay as they are unsaved and hell will be their destination. There is no change in the way they live.

For further discussion on salvation and the requirements to be saved visit my link below:

http://ormond-todaysbiblestudy.blogspot.com/2007/07/salvation-1-2-3.html

Message to the Hard Hearted

The Bible uses a multiple of analogies  to relay the message of the Bible. For example the ground often is a reference to the heart of man, like in the parable of the sower.


Matt 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and ate them up.


Meaning of Matt 13:4 is -Matt 13:19 While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.


You see the ground represents your heart and a hard heart is the result of an unrepentant heart. And a unrepentant heart can not know Jesus.


The unsaved - Eph 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;


My suggestion to the hard hearted - Hos 10:12 Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.


There is still hope for you if you are reading this. Change your life through changing your ways. Ask the Lord for forgiveness today and join the family of GOD.

Ps 51:17

My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

The Apostles of our LORD Jesus Christ - Credentials Yesterday, Today and Forever

The word apostle in the Greek is apostollos or "one sent forth" as an ambassador of the Gospel. An apostle is a minister sent directly by God to do a specific work  Consider the definition for a moment, sent one. This means they are sent to do something specific, a specific work. An Apostle first and foremost should be able to tell you what they have been sent to do.

What qualities do we look for in an apostle? Is it someone with a great speaking voice ? Should they dress nicely and drive a nice car? Should they be educated preferably with a PHD and call themselves Doctor?

Should they be well known with all the Gospel singing groups? Should they have celebrities in their congregation that say wonderful things about them?  Should they live in a spacious million dollar plus mansion?

How does the Bible describe the credentials for the office of the Apostle?  As an example let's look at Paul's appointment as an Apostle:

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel;

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

  No man ascribes to himself the function of an Apostle, this assignment comes from GOD alone.

Secondly , what also determines a true Apostle will be signs ,wonders and miracles. If these proofs are not evident in the Apostle's work he is a fake. GOD will not send out an Apostle without equipping him properly for the job.

2 Cor 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles

Acts 5:12  At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. 

1 Cor 2:4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

The Apostle is subject to intense suffering with his final reward more often than not leads to death for Jesus sake.

Acts 9:16 For I will make clear to him how much he will be afflicted and must endure and suffer for My name's sake. 

Phil 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

And Lastly, An Apostle must have seen the LORD- That's right even today. Jesus is alive not dead and if He is going to assign you the service of an Apostle, He will pay you a visit.

1 Cor 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

In America, the Church is a place of trends, popularity movements and various  winds of doctrine. One trend that I see is an escalating number of people who ascribe the name of Apostle to themselves. Now I can not say if these people are really Apostles or not. However,herein  we note the qualifications and the cost in human flesh of being a true Apostle. If your ministry is not lining up with the Bible's definition of an Apostle then you are simply impersonating an Apostle, may GOD have mercy on you. Are there Apostle today, absolutely and you will know them because the signs of an Apostle are clearly demonstrated in the lives.

Note the chart below as an indication of a likely occurring event  in the Apostle's service, once the job he was sent to do is accomplished.


2 Tim 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
2 Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;.

Apostle	Where died	When died	Manner of Death
Peter (Simon Peter), Bible writer	Rome, Italy (Nero)	54-68AD	Homicide: crucified head down, at his own request
Andrew, son of a John & brother of Peter (Matthew 4:18)	Edessa, Greece	?AD	Homicide: severely scourged & tied by ropes on x-shaped cross where he hung 2 days to expire
James, son of Zebedee & Salome and elder bro. of John (not bro. of Jesus) the Bible writer	Jerusalem, Israel (Herod)	44 AD (the 1st martyred)	Homicide: beheaded with sword; Mark 10:39 & Acts 12:1-2
John, son of Zebedee and bro. of James; Bible writer	Ephesus, Turkey or Turkish Isle of Patmos	98 AD	thrown in boiling oil but unharmed; died of Natural causes in Ephesus
Philip of Bethsaida	Hieropolis, Syria		Homicide: crucified
Bartholomew (Nathaniel)	India or Armenia		Homicide: beaten/flayed, and crucified head down
Thomas (Didymus)	Edessa, Greece		Homicide: lanced by idolatrous priests & burned up in an oven
Matthew (Levi), of Capernaum the Bible writer	Nadabah, Ethiopia	about 60AD	Homicide: axed to death with a halberd
James (son of Alphaeus); Bible writer (? half bro. of Jesus?)	Jerusalem, Israel	AD66	Homicide: thrown down from the Temple tower & not dead so clubbed to death with a fullers club at age 94
Jude (Thaddaeus...Judas Lebbaeus)	Edessa, Greece	AD72	Homicide: crucified
Simon the Zealot (the Canaanite)	Brittainnia, Europe		Homicide: crucified
Judas Iscariot	Jerusalem, Israel		Suicide: by hanging Matt. 27:5
Matthias (the 11 remaining Apostles chose him to replace Judas)	Jerusalem, Israel		Homicide: stoned and beheaded
Paul (chosen by Jesus on the road to Damascus)	Rome, Italy	66 AD	Homicide: beheaded

I do not care if the world turns completely upside down and spins backward

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

I do not care if the world turns completely upside down and spins backwards. Because no matter what happens to Christians, Jesus has provided a safety net.


Prov 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; 
The righteous runs into it and is safe.

Even death it's self is of no consequence because Jesus conquered death and the grave.. Praise His Name...Now and Forever.


1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?