Some don’t like it when I complain about Mr. Obama or his policies.  That’s too bad as Bush got enough flack from every quarter and most of the news media was completely against him.  Even Michelle Obama admits that the news media has treated them kindly.  They’ve treated them too kindly, in my opinion.

Where is the media with Solyndra? Why aren’t they getting to the bottom of the situation? There are so many things the media has simply chosen to ignore because it is not expedient for them to have to deal with them.  If they deal with them, they are admitting that there are chinks in Mr. Obama’s armor.

It seemed like the very day Bush took office (actually way before because of the debacle with the election and all those voting cards), the media would not give him any room to make a mistake.  From the way he pronounced words (or left them out) to the way he responded when terrorism declared war on the United States, nothing the man could do was ever good enough.

Please don’t get me wrong.  I am by no means a George W. Bush-worshipper.  In fact, there are any numbers of things he did that I completely disagree with, but I’m talking about the media and how they hated Bush and love Obama.  They loved Clinton and hated Bush Sr.  It’s almost categorical down the line knowing how the media would come out and what they would say.

There is precious little to no real journalism when it comes to the Obama Administration.  Chris Matthews and too many like him seem unable to suck up to Mr. Obama enough.  What I object to are people who believe that he was handed such a raw deal from Bush that it is impossible for him to really do anything about it during his first term as president!

Mr. Obama himself said (just after or just before being elected) that he would rather be a great one-term president than a mediocre two-term one.  He seemed at that point to understand that he was inheriting problems but also seemed determined to fix them and understood that he needed to work quickly to do just that.

In other words, Mr. Obama WAY back during the days of his campaign seemed to clearly understand what he was up against, yet he was not dissuaded from moving forward.  He was going to solve our problems.  Change was coming.  Now, nearly four years later, he continues to blame Bush and the GOP in spite of the fact that Congress was overwhelmingly Democratic for the first two years of his presidency.  What changed?  Either Mr. Obama was way too optimistic or he is a completely inept president.  I think it was a combination of both.

We expect something from our public employees and those in Congress and in the White House are on the public dole whether they care to admit it or not.  We expect them to be leaders, not destroyers.  Too many in Congress are concerned with their pet projects (“I want all guns to be outlawed!” “I’m here to ensure that all women everywhere can have abortions any time, any place, and at the tax payer’s cost!”, etc.) and far too few seem to care about the little person.

Is it any wonder that people are so upset and want HUGE change in our government?  It has become so bloated that it’s leaking lard and still some legislators and the president want to add MORE debt to an out of control debt-cycle.  When does it stop?  Where does it stop?

If people think I’m taking Mr. Obama to task simply because I do not like the man, they are wrong.  I’m taking Mr. Obama to task because of his failed Marxist policies.  He seems to have no real agenda other than making the government larger at the taxpayer’s expense.

I’m sorry that I have to say there is nothing about Mr. Obama that impresses me.  At the same time, there was little about both Bushes that impressed me.  I tend to appreciate Bill Clinton because when he speaks, he seems to BELIEVE what he says and to prove it, he can speak off the cuff.

It’s pretty sad when me – a conservative – can say that I would prefer Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, but that’s the truth at least for me.

If people reading my blog don’t like it, that’s really their problem, isn’t it?  No one is forcing anyone to read my blog and in fact, if NO ONE read my blog, I would still be posting solely because it is a catharsis for me.  This is one way in which I let off steam and get my thoughts in order.  I also play the drums and other musical instruments and I wouldn’t like anyone sitting there listening to me play drums telling me how badly I was doing.  It’s for fun and relaxation.

If you love Mr. Obama, that’s fine.  Do that.  Love the man.  I WISH I had respect for him, but I don’t.  Even with that, I do not refer to him as anything but Mr. Obama, so I’m doing my best to show respect for someone I have little to no respect for and believe me, it is difficult.  He is called so many names and I refuse to participate in that because it’s simply wrong.

But don’t think that because you happen to love Mr. Obama that you have the right to come here and tell me that I cannot dislike the man and his policies.  For you to do so is the highest form of demagoguery whether you think so or not.  I hope I’ve made myself clear but if not…feel free to read this entire post again….and again, until it sinks in.

You know, it boggles the mind.  In a time when this administration is suggesting that the interest deduction for homeowners be eliminated, it continues to send some 770 million U.S. dollars to foreign countries to help repair their mosques.

I believe this program began with either Clinton or Bush, yet it continues today in spite of the fact that we simply do not have the money to do it and when this administration is looking for new ways to either tax Americans or do away with tax deductions (ultimately, the same thing) that we’ve enjoyed for generations.

Why is the United States sending ANY money abroad to help repair mosques?  Churches are not being refurbished; just mosques.  In fact, churches are being destroyed by radical Muslims throughout numerous places in Africa alone.

The Muslim Brotherhood has essentially gained the majority in Egypt, something that Mossad Yousef said would “never” happen because there are allegedly too many young people who want Democracy.  Well, it happened and in spite of them and their desires.

The United States does not have the money to continue refurbishing mosques anywhere.  If they want them rebuilt, repaired, or refurbished, let the country they are in do it without American dollars.

This situation is so asinine, it’s pitiful.  This country is in dire straights and while some might think that 770 million dollars compared to the overall deficit is nothing, the truth is that this is only one program that is helping to push this country toward bankruptcy.  So far, all this administration can do is blame the GOP in spite of the fact that for the first two years or so of his presidency, Mr. Obama had a majority Congress that was in his favor.  Rather than own up to his own problems, he continues blaming Bush or the GOP.  Get over it already and repair our OWN country.

What that means essentially is that Georgians will not be voting for the man even if they want to because he is completely and legally ineligible.  I tell ya what…that makes me happier than a pig sipping his swill!  Shoot.

Mr. Obama’s “critics say he never met the constitutional requirements to occupy the Oval Office, and the states and Congress failed in their obligations to make sure only a qualified president is inaugurated. His supporters, meanwhile, argue he won the 2008 election and therefore was “vetted” by America.” [2]

Don’t expect to hear about this in the liberal media, or even FOX News for that matter.  Everyone is just hunky-dory hush, hush about it!

What’s funny is that neither Mr. Obama or his attorneys even bothered showing.  They would probably tell you that they would not dignify the proceedings with their presence, but how many times has Mr. Obama already ignored legal proceedings against him or things like his healthcare bill?  When it doesn’t suit him, he’s not at all concerned about legal proceedings.

“In Georgia, a state law requires “every candidate for federal” office who is certified by the state executive committees of a political party or who files a notice of candidacy “shall meet the constitutional and statutory qualifications for holding the office being sought.”

“State law also grants the secretary of state and any “elector who is eligible to vote for a candidate” in the state the authority to raise a challenge to a candidate’s qualifications, the judge determined.” [3]

Will this be appealed? No idea if it even can be, but if the court’s ruling is final, I guess that’s all she wrote.

Read the entire article at the link below.

[1] http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/georgia-court-told-obama-slam-dunk-disqualified/

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid

1. Satan’s Subterfuge
2. The Book of Jude (commentary)

they will be available completely free as digital downloads through Kindle!

Starting tomorrow, January 25, all day, grab your free copy of these books.  Tell your friends and pass the word.

Jesus was fully God and after incarnating as Man, was also fully Man.  He is the God-Man.  Because of that, confusion arises as to the reality of Jesus.

We see passages of Scripture like that of John 5:30 which states, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”  This makes us think, “See? Jesus really doesn’t have the power in and of Himself.  He can’t be God.”  This is a misnomer because at times like these, Jesus was simply responding to life’s circumstances as a Man would do.

The object of Jesus’ life on earth was to:

1. fulfill the dictates of the Law – all of it
2. live a life that modeled the way we are supposed to live

With respect to number 1, only God would be able to live a life that fulfills the Law.  I’ve run across orthodox Jews who tell me that obeying the Law is not that difficult at all.  Of course that’s the case if you are merely looking at externals.  Anyone can live a life of following the letter of the Law, but that’s all they’ll be doing.  This is why Jesus spoke of internal lust which amounts to adultery as far as God is concerned.

So Jesus lived a perfect life; a life only God Himself could live.  Regarding number 2, He showed us how to live our lives from the human perspective.  We were created to live a life completely submitted to God the Father.  Rather than simply tell us about that, He showed us how to do it and He did it perfectly because He was/is God.

So with respect to John 5:30, there is no contradiction.  Jesus is God and is Man.  It’s that simple to state, but difficult to comprehend, as He had two complete natures; deity and humanity.  We have only one and it is racked by sin.

Now, there are many passages in Scripture that showcase Jesus’ deity.  One such passage is found in John 9.  Let’s look at it.

“As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” ⁶ When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. ⁸ Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.” ¹⁰ So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” ¹¹ He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

Here we have the perfect example of Jesus creating.  You can disagree with that all you want, but never has anyone – so-called faith-healer or other – ever done what Jesus did.  Here we read that Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, then took the clay and rubbed it into the man’s eyes.  Jesus was essentially creating eyes that could see for the man!  Note the man was born blind, which means the nerves to the eyes and back did not work correctly.  Who knows if they were even there?

Jesus did what He did in Genesis 1-2, when He took dust from the ground and formed Adam.  This act of healing the man’s blindness is reminiscent of that initial act when Jesus first created humanity.

We know that Jesus existed before all time.  Jesus says He is “I Am” in reference to being before Abraham.  Colossians also tells us that He created all things and He holds all things together.  We also learn this from Hebrews and let’s not forget that John tells us “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” (John 1:1).

The beginning of what? Time.  Jesus was already here when He created time.  But there is also a passage from Isaiah that says this:  “I am Jehovah, that is My name.  And My glory I will not give to another…” Isaiah 42:8.  In fact, there are many passages like this throughout Isaiah, the Psalms, and elsewhere.

If God will not share His glory with another, how is it that Jesus could do what He did if He was not God?  In this case, obviously Jesus would be an imposter.

The fact that He did and said things which claimed deity tells us that either Jesus was/is God or He is simply attesting to something that is untrue.  It can’t be that God gave Jesus the ability to do what He did knowing that Jesus would receive praise, honor, and even glory.  Had God done this, then He becomes a liar, doesn’t He and God is not a liar!

Jesus is God.  He proved it over and over.  Whom do you say that He is and what is your reasoning for doing so?

The problem is that the rhetoric coming from the mouths of people like Ahmadinejad and Abbas is nothing less than murderous.  Most are aware of Iran’s President Ahmadinejad and his desire to kill all Jews.  The world casts him off as a man with the ravings of a lunatic.

Yet, Ahmadinejad is not the only one who wants to see the eradication of Jews.  “The principal Palestinian Authority’s religious leader, the Mufti Muhammad Hussein, speaking last week, presented the killing of Jews by Muslims as a religious Islamic goal.” [1; emphasis added]

What have we here?  Mufti Hussein – who represents the religious arm of the Palestinian Authority – has decreed that if Muslims slaughter Jews, well then, so be it.  These are not the type of people that one can bargain with in good faith.  Where is the world in condemning this desire for another Jewish holocaust?

Where is Hillary Clinton, who was quick to condemn the actions of several marines recently, yet has nothing to say about the desire for this atrocity?  Where are the world’s leaders in quickly condemning such violence against a people?

Israel is not stupid.  Her leaders realize what they are up against and are very likely working diligently behind the scenes to ensure their own safety.j

But what we certainly may have is the makings of Ezekiel 38-39, which many have called the Northern Invasion.  I could easily see a scenario in which Gog of the North groups himself with other nations to attack Israel when she least expects us; possibly on a Sabbath Day when she would be unable to protect herself.  It happened before at the start of the Six-Day War and could easily happen again.

However, when it does occur, God clearly defends Israel before the threat gets too close.  According to Ezekiel 38, as the Gog-led coalition places foot on the Mountains of Israel, God moves into position with His wrath spilling over.  First, an earthquake, then blood, pestilence, and disease.  Then, to make matters even worse, the soldiers who have joined in the cause to overtake and possible eradicate Jews and Israel will begin fighting amongst themselves.

To add insult to injury, God tosses fire and brimstone on the whole scene from His throne in heaven.  The vision we have of it is one of chaos and death, yet not one Israelite will die or even be wounded.

What bothers me more than anything is that individuals can stand up and go on the record as saying that they want another Jewish holocaust.  This is fine with them.  They see no problem with it because they see the Jews as the problem.  This is satanic because it comes straight from his mind.

Satan has always hated the Jews because Jesus the Messiah came from the Jewish nation.  Though Jesus has come and gone into heaven, waiting for His time to return to the earth, Satan continues his murderous plans to eliminate every Jew on the face of this earth.  Why?  Simply because if there are no Jews left when Jesus arrives, then there are no Jews who can go into the Millennial Kingdom with Jesus.  If they can’t go in, they can’t possess the Land.

What Satan does not consider is that he has no chance at all of bringing his dream to fruition.  He has tried and failed too many times throughout history and will ultimately fail again.  He knows he must try though because he has nothing left.

Folks, if you do not support Israel, you are literally standing against God.  If you can read Ezekiel 38-39 and somehow come to the conclusion that God is not referring to Israel or Jews here, then you have misunderstood Scripture.  The only way you can arrive to your conclusion is by allegorizing Scripture.  If you understand it literally (not literalistically), you will arrive at the correct conclusion.

Ezekiel was a prophet to Israel.  The entirety of that book bearing his name represents why God must chastise Israel and how – in the process – He shows His love for them and His complete disdain for those who stand against Israel.

As the Scripture says in a variety of places like Daniel, Ezekiel and elsewhere, Israel will continue to be the “problem child” for the world until Jesus returns.  Why?  Because of the Times of the Gentiles when Gentile nations and powers will tend to control what happens in Israel.  Moreover, the Temple Mount is trodden down by Gentiles.  Currently, it is very difficult for Jews to go to the Temple Mount area and at times, even Christians are not permitted.

Israel is a stumbling block to the world.  That will one day change.  “Much of Christendom has been in chaos since abandoning literal interpretation, and losing the distinction in Scripture between “Israel” and “Church”. In fact, most replacement theology leaves Israel only curses.” [2]

You’re either on God’s side or you stand against Him.  Which is it?  Do you support Israel or not?  Forget what the world says about Israel as if they are the only nation that has problems.  It doesn’t matter because God will deal with Israel.  He has promised to do that.  You don’t need to stand against Israel.  You need to stand with God and you can do that by supporting Israel through your purchases and your prayer.  You can be willing to stand up and state your reasons for supporting Israel.

If you need some biblical reasons for doing so, then please go to the URL listed in the second reference below.

It is amazing to me that nearly the entire world wants to see Israel gone.  That is fully satanic and nothing less.  Yes, they rejected their Messiah, but that was also prophesied.  There will come a day when they will call out “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord,” (Luke 13:35).

God has a plan for Israel that still needs to occur.  If you – like many leaders and nations throughout this world – stand against Israel, you need to consider the fact that you are opposing God Himself.  I would then take the time to read the parable of the Sheep and the Goats found in Matthew 25:31-46.  It is there we read that nations are judged by how they treated Jews (Christ’s brethren).  He is not talking about the Church there.  He is talking about Israel and their relationship with the rest of the world.

It is the height of arrogance to believe that Israel should sit down at the bargaining table with people who are wishing for nothing more than the death of every last Jew.  I wish people could see that for what it was – the final attempt by Satan to kill all Jews through the next Jewish holocaust.

Where do you stand?  Better be sure…

[1] http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151758#.TxQ3HvlDa8A

[2] http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/judeochr/biblical.html

It’s interesting that Jesus doesn’t simply heal the man, but takes the time to forgive the man’s sins.  He normally does not do this when healing people, at least as far as we know since in all the biblical record, we do not see this happening much.

Yet, with this man, Jesus forgave the young man first saying, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.“  Do you recall the time Jesus healed another paralytic and the disciples asked who sinned, the man or his parents?  Jesus responded with neither.  He meant that neither party sinned, which directly caused the man’s paralysis.

In this case, because Jesus takes the time to forgive the man, it seems clear enough that here, the man had sinned, which caused his paralysis.  What could the sin have been?  It likely had something to do with sexual sin and sexually transmitted diseases.  During Jesus’ time, there were many temple prostitutes.  These were not associated with Herod’s Temple for the Jews.  They were associated with the many pagan deities that were worshiped at that time in the pagan temples created throughout the land.

Nonetheless, whatever the cause, Jesus forgave the man.  What does that mean? It is clear that the Pharisees and religious leaders understood what Jesus was saying because immediately they began thinking thoughts like, “The fellow blasphemes.”  In other words, they rightly understood Jesus to actually be forgiving the man’s sins from a judicial level, which is something that you can I cannot do.

I can forgive a sin against me, but that does not mean that God does.  When I forgive, all I’m really doing is refusing to hold a grudge.  I normally cannot forget that sin against me.  I also do not forgive the sin judicially.  This is something only God can do and Jesus did it.

Jesus forgave the man’s sins and then healed him because Jesus knew that simply healing the man would leave the reason for his paralysis intact.  Jesus literally pushed the man’s sins out of the way.  How could He do that?

Jesus was then and is now, God in the flesh.  He is not A god.  He is VERY God and I discussed this in my last two articles on this blog.

As far as the Pharisees were concerned, what Jesus had said was worthy of death.  Had they had opportunity, they would have found stones and stoned Him to death.

Notice Jesus’ response to them.  “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…“  This is a tremendous statement because it more than adequately addresses His deity.  Yet, people argue that Jesus was only forgiving the man’s sins as you and I would do with another person.  Not true, because unless Jesus was God, the man had not sinned against Him.

There are many, many proofs of Jesus’ deity.  Most of them are found in the book of John and Paul’s writings.  We’re not even there yet, as we are still in Matthew.  Matthew did not write his gospel to prove Jesus’ deity, yet he winds up doing that indirectly with all of the examples he has given.

You will one day need to deal with this very question:  who do you say that Jesus was/is?  If you deal with it on this side of eternity with the correct response of Romans 10:9-10, then you will gain eternal life.  If you continually reject it on this side of eternity, you will die in your sins and they will simply not be forgiven.  Given those two options, it would obviously make sense to seek Him today; now.

However, many of you who already do not believe that Jesus was/is God, will not be convinced until/unless God opens your eyes.  This is what I pray for; that He will open your eyes so that with the thief on the cross who one moment was ridiculing Jesus and the next understood who He was, can say with him, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom,” (Luke 23:42).

The thief’s eyes were opened and he understood that Jesus was truly the King of the Jews.  He knew it.  He saw the truth and embraced it.  He didn’t merely see the truth and then reject it as many had done before.  This thief is in heaven with Jesus now and for those who will also be going to heaven, we will see him and talk with him.

Do you want to die or do you want to live?  If the former, there is nothing God can do for you.  If the latter, then you need to stop trying to earn what you cannot earn.  All that does is build PRIDE.  It enables you to say, “See what I have done for God?“  In actuality, you have done nothing for God.  Jesus – God, very God – did it all.  It is yours to simply receive or reject it and thus far, you have rejected it if you are not one of His.

You cannot earn salvation.  It is impossible, namely because neither you nor I can live a perfect life.  We are born in sin and continue to sin throughout our lives.

Even those of us who are Christians – meaning, we have entered into a relationship with Jesus – we will still sin from time to time.  Quickly admitting our sin re-establishes our deep relationship with Him.

Salvation is FREE.  No other religious ideology offers what Christianity offers.  You do not need to change before you come to Him.  You only need to be willing to change after you see the truth and He is your helper, allowing you to grow into what He wants you to become.

You can spend your entire life trying to “do good,” yet God says that your goodness (and mine) is as filthy rags.  It is only when your sins are expunged and you are credited with Christ’s righteousness that you are truly acceptable by God.  This only happens with the new birth as Jesus pointed out to Nicodemus in John 3.  Unless you and I are born again, we will not have eternal life.  It is so simple, a child can comprehend it.  Yet too often, adults put too many barriers in front of it.  It’s too difficult for our minds to wrap around, yet there it is, in all its simplicity and beauty.

Please, stop rejecting Him and His eternal life.  Stop making excuses.  Stop trying to earn what you cannot earn.  Just come to Him and ask Him to give you the eternal life that is found only in Jesus.  It is not found in Joseph Smith, or Muhammad, or within the Jehovah’s Witnesses system.  It is not found within the New Age.  It is found only in Jesus Christ, who, by the way, is God, not a swear word.

Come to Him today for the only gift that truly matters and will last forever.

That Jesus was and remains God is not at all difficult to ascertain and prove from Scripture.  Yet, many will view this same Bible and assert that Jesus was not God.  What they fail to realize is that Jesus had a dual character.  He was fully Man and at the same time was fully God.  He incarnated into humanity through the virgin Mary.  This does not mitigate His deity.  It simply clothed or hid it with His human shell.

Many are aware of the passages from Philippians 2 and Colossians 1, as well as Hebrews 1 and John 1.  These passages attest to the fact that Jesus was God in eternity past prior to becoming incarnate Man.  Philippians tells us that Jesus, “6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

 ⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

 ⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

I can imagine how difficult it was for Paul even under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to explain the incarnation, yet there it is for us.  Jesus was “in the form of God.”  What that means is that Jesus was fully God before He incarnated as a human being.  It’s so simply that even a child can understand it.  Paul is telling us that before Jesus was born into humanity, He existed and He existed as God.

However, because He loved us so much, He chose to become a Man, while retaining His deity.  He became a Man and lived as a Man only using His deity when it perfectly coincided with that of the Father.  Again I’ll say it; like begets like.  The Father tells us He has a Son and He begat Him.  He did not create Jesus.  He begat Him, which is a huge difference.  He simply anointed or appointed Jesus to be the Son of Man (cf. Hebrews 1:2).

I know that nothing I say will convince anyone who does not agree with this already.  Many constantly – no matter how many times they are corrected – wrongly believe that orthodox Christians worship more than one God.  This is absurd.  Orthodox Christianity does not worship multiple gods.  We worship One God who happens to be three in one.  Does that confuse me? A bit, yes, but that does not mean it is not true.  It simply means that my finite man cannot capture the true essence of God.  I simply have to understand that God – being infinite - has told me that He is three in one, yet there is only one God.  Okay, that’s what I go with.  Others who do not understand that or are not willing to understand it continue to accuse orthodox Christians of polytheism.  Wrong.

Let’s look at the biblical picture for a moment.  Matthew 8 is filled with miracles performed by Jesus.  Beginning with verse 5, we read of the Centurion and his ill servant.  The Centurion came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his servant.  Jesus said He would come and heal him.  The Centurion said that He did not have to trouble Himself.  All He had to so was say the word and the servant would be healed.  Jesus was amazed at the man’s faith, saying He had not seen such great faith in all of Israel.  That was not an exaggeration.

Why was Jesus so amazed?  Because He understood what the Centurion was saying.  The Centurion told Jesus that as he – the Centurion – also had people under him to whom he gave orders and they obeyed, Jesus could simply do the same thing.  What is he talking about?  He’s talking about the fact that whatever ailed his servant would have to leave if Jesus commanded it and the Centurion knew that Jesus could command the disease to leave, from a distance.  Like demons, diseases would have to flee.  Jesus did not need to be present for this to happen.

This is an attribute of God.  We cannot command that diseases leave (from a distance).  We can pray for people, but ultimately, it is up to God whether or not He will heal that person.  I prayed fervently for my sister to be healed when she was on her deathbed.  He chose not to heal her.  I do not have the authority to command diseases to flee.  Jesus did because He is God.

Immediately after this incident, starting with verse 14, Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, which of course tells us that Peter was married.  This alone negates the situation where priests within the Roman Catholic Church are forced to remain single.  Marriage is a gift given by God, between one man and one woman.

Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law by simply touching her hand (cf. v. 15).  This is true healing, not the dramatic responses of people who are allegedly healed in the tent of some charlatan faith-healer.  Jesus was not that dramatic.  He simply and quietly did things like healing people.

In verses 23 and following, we see Jesus perform another miracle.  He calmed the sea.  As soon as He spoke, the winds obeyed.  This is something only God can do, folks.  Next time there is a storm, go out and speak to the wind.  If it obeys you, consider yourself lucky.  It’s doubtful that the storm would cease though.  We can pray that God will stop the storm, but we do not have authority over things like the wind or nature.  That’s God’s department.

Notice the apostles/disciples asked, “What kind of a man is this…?”  There is only one kind of man; the God Man.  Their eyes were starting to open but they were still blind to a great deal about Jesus.  Only God can do what Jesus did.

Jesus also cast out demons, as we read starting in verse 28.  But note that it is not so much that Jesus cast out demons, but their response to seeing Him that is noteworthy.  They knew who Jesus was and they were petrified! They were afraid Jesus was going to send them to hell before their coming time of judgment!  Note the demons called him “Son of God.” Again, this title is something that Jesus was given by the Father.  Jesus has always been God, the Son, but He was not God the Man until He was born of a virgin.

There are many, many more proofs of Jesus’ deity throughout Matthew.  However, other gospels like the gospel of John really go into depth concerning Jesus’ deity.

Jesus’ mission in life was twofold:

1. to live a perfectly holy and sinless life so that He could willingly die for humanity
2. to show human beings how we are to live; a life that is also holy and fully submitted to God the Father

The above two reasons for Jesus coming to earth in the physical form of a man is why we have a chance at eternal life.  Our chance comes through faith; believing that He is God and that He died for us.  Without that, we are completely lost.

Every other religion besides Christianity has for its base, works.  They are all works-related.  Satan has convinced people that they must work to earn something that is impossible to earn.

We cannot please God without faith in the One He sent to us.  The Bible tells us that:  without faith it is impossible to please God, (cf. Hebrews 11:6).  If that is the case, then why are you involved in a religion that requires you to do things in order to have any hope of salvation?  It doesn’t matter whether it’s Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Rosicrucianism, Yoga, New Age, or any number of other religious ideologies, because they all lead away from God, though you are deceived into thinking that you are actually approaching God.

I would encourage you to search the Scriptures because in them contains the truth (cf. John 5:39).  Salvation is but a “faith” away.  Romans 10:9-10 states clearly and unequivocally, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Becoming a Christian is extremely difficult because most people don’t believe it is as easy as believing in Jesus and what He has done for us.  Most people prefer to work for their salvation because that gives us something to do.

This does not mean that once we become Christians, there is nothing to do, but none of that is dependent upon our salvation.  Once we become a Christian, we actually enter into a relationship with Jesus Himself through the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. John 3).  The Holy Spirit works to create within us the character of Jesus.

Jesus Himself is the Author and Perfector of our faith as we are told in Hebrews 12.  He does it.  We either cooperate with Him (making it easier on ourselves), or He will do it His way even if that is against our will.

We have been bought for a price and the price was Jesus’ shed blood.  Once we become Christians, we give up ownership of ourselves.  We understand that Jesus now owns us and can do what He will do to create us into His image.

Jesus is God.  He remains God.  He always was God and never gave that up when He became a Man.  He calls us to believe in Him and His finished work on Calvary’s cross.  Those who do not die in their sin and no matter how good they think they were in this life, it amounts to sin still.  All sin will be forever burned in the Lake of Fire and the people who choose to ignore such a great salvation will suffer the same fate.  Why?  Because they have chosen to side with sin and God hates sin.

My sin has been fully expunged.  It is gone.  He no longer remembers it and that is because of my faith in Jesus and His finished work on Calvary.

Please stop trying to do what you are completely unable to do.  Come to Jesus who will actually give you eternal life.  Please do it now.