Matthew 7:13-15, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Merely claiming to be a Christian, or joining a Christian organization, or partaking of a Christian culture, or ascribing to some Christian philosophies, or claiming to be a "Cultural Christian" (the latest bizarre trend) isn't the same as being born again.
I was shocked recently when I learned a new term, “Cultural Christian.” A "Cultural Christian" is someone who likes and embraces all the aspects of Christianity, but rejects the doctrine. Avowed atheist Dr. Richard Dawkins claims to be a Cultural Christian. You couldn't make this insanity up! That's like calling yourself a Cultural Republican, but then voting Democrat. Could the world get any crazier?
Elon Musk (an agnostic which effectively makes him an atheist) professes to be a Cultural Christian. A lot of people want all the goodness of Christianity, but without Jesus Christ. Sorry, it simply doesn't work that way. Without Christ there is no Christianity!
Acts 4:10-12, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Like it or not, Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven, the only way to make peace with the Father. I witnessed to a Roman Catholic man once who literally cried while speaking about how much he loves God, but when I mentioned the precious name of Jesus (the name above every other name according to Philippians 2:9-11) he snarled and expressed contempt for the dear Savior. What saith the Scripture? 1st John 2:23, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
The term “Cultural Christian” is a misnomer. It should be called a “Fake Christian.” We are living in strange and wicked times when avowed atheists are becoming ordained pastors and claiming to be Christians. Yes, there are atheist pastors who have publicly renounced their faith while still engaging in ministry or community leadership roles. Sadly, Richard Dawkins, Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey will split Hell wide open the moment they die, unless they repent of their unbelief and solely trust Christ to be saved. Some have even started new organizations or communities focused on secular values and support.
Psalms 107:31, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
If there has ever been a time in human civilization when people ought to be thankful to God with gratitude and appreciation, it is in these modern times of plenty and convenience.
20 Brutal Truths About How Pioneer Women Actually Smelled Like
I was indeed horrified after watching the preceding video. The average family in the 1800s lived in a 14' x 16' cabin for a home. Can you imagine? Today that is merely the size of an average large bedroom. We are so spoiled rotten compared to how humans lived centuries and millenniums ago. I understand that there are still many unfortunate people on the planet today, the poor, but the vast majority of us are living large in comparison to the 1800s and prior.
And in that 14' x 16' home they had no choice during those brutal winter months but to keep all their livestock animals inside the home. There was a makeshift wall of some sort that provided some separation but not from the foul odors. They kept pigs, chickens, goats and even a horse during extremely cold days, et cetera. The feces and urine from the animals saturated the ground beneath the straw, because there was no floor to the home. It was essentially a house and barn combined. Needless to say, they didn't place pee pads on the floor for their animals.
During frigid winter months, it was too cold for the family to use the outdoor toilet (a shed with a hole in the ground) in the wee hours of the morning. So, they kept a pot near or under their beds to defecate and urinate in, inside the house to use in the presence of family members, until the waste could be disposed of properly outside the next day. Can you imagine the smell?
The family wore the same uncleaned clothes for weeks at a time. There were no feminine products back then for women. Toilet paper was first marketed by Joseph C. Gayetty in the United States in 1857, and it was only available in certain areas, if you could afford it. And it wasn't double-ply comfortable toilet paper like we have today at Walmart. A pleasant smelling bar of soap was a rare commodity in the mid-1800s in the United States and Europe. Most people used lye mixed with animal fat, and that's how it stank. The lye would eat the skin off your hands if not used with caution. Bars of soap were given as gifts back then to your sweetheart, and she loved it! Today, a bar of soap means nothing
The average American today uses about 80 gallons of water per day. Back then in the 1800s they had about 3 gallons per day, and that wasn't for bathing. There were no local hospitals. When you got sick you toughed it out at home and hoped you recovered. Pastor Jack Hyles' had two sisters who both died at age 7 at home like this. Times were harsh back then!
As I watched this shocking video about how women smelled back in the 1800s during primitive times in America, I thanked God repeatedly for putting my spirit into this body at this time in human civilization. Did you ever think about that? Why did God place my spirit into this particular family at this specific time in history? Perhaps I am thinking a bit too much, but the thought intrigues me as a human being. God could have placed my body into my uncle's (my father's older brother's) family, who was sadly killed during the Korean War (1950-1953).
Did you ever stop to realize that most of our freedoms were paid for with teenage blood? Most soldiers are just kids, barely 18 years of age. Millions of American teens shed their blood and sacrificed their lives so that we could enjoy freedom today. They never got married or became fathers, so that we could. THANK YOU to all of our nation's courageous veterans!
I frequently order things that I need from Amazon and Walmart. They bring it right to my front door, place the items on the outside table, ring my door bell, and leave. And wallah, whatever I want is delivered to me. Any order of at least $35 is free shipping from both Amazon and Walmart. I love it! I feel so blessed and spoiled rotten as an American today.
After watching this horrific video about poor hygrine conditions in the 1800s, and realizing that I can order over 12,000,000 products at the click of a mouse online from Amazon, I am bewildered and awestruck at God's goodness to Americans. Amazon sells over 600 million products across various categories. Most of these products are listed by third-party sellers, with only about 12 million sold directly by Amazon itself. I thank God to be an American, despite how messed up our country has become.
Most of the people on the planet don't have it so nice as we do in the United States, where we are free and blessed by God. Our economy is in bad shape, and inflation will continue to rise I assure you unless something drastic is done about it, but at least we have access to things that weren't even available to most people in the 1800s. We take so much for granted today. The following items simply weren't readily available in the 1800s: chocolate, toilet paper, soap, leather goods, feminine products, medications, et cetera.
Many items that we take for granted today were not readily available in the 1800s, such as canned goods, which only became common after the Civil War (1860-1865), and baking powder, which was sold commercially starting in the late 1860s. Other everyday items like processed foods and modern kitchen appliances were also not available during that time.
Many items we take for granted today were not readily available in the 1800s, such as canned goods, which only became common after the Civil War. Other everyday items like processed foods and modern kitchen appliances were also not available during that time.
Ready-made clothing did not exist in the 1700s as we know it today; most garments were custom-made or homemade. The concept of mass-produced clothing began to emerge later in the 19th century after the Civil War. So, for thousands of years you couldn't just go down to the nearest local retail store (e.g., Target, Walmart, JC Penny) to buy socks, underwear, shoes, pants, a dress, skirt or a shirt. Those simple things that we all take for granted today simply didn't exist for millenniums. Think about that dear reader!
The 1800s lacked many conveniences that we now consider essential. Canned foods became common only after the Civil War. The first commercially successful canned product was beans in tomato sauce, introduced by Van Camp in 1861. Baking powder was not available until the late 1860s. Prior to this, leavening was achieved using sour milk, molasses or other natural ingredients. Many processed foods we enjoy today did not exist. Items like hot dogs weren't introduced until the 1880s, and ketchup was first bottled by Heinz in 1876. Can you even imagine a world without ketchup? Modern kitchen appliances, such as electric mixers and refrigerators, were not invented yet. Cooking methods were much more labor-intensive, relying on basic tools and manual labor, which took several hours each day to prepare.
Anesthesia for surgery was first successfully demonstrated on October 16, 1846, when dentist William T.G. Morton used sulfuric ether during a surgical procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital. This marked a significant milestone in the history of medicine. Before anesthesia, doctors relied on speed and physical restraint to perform surgeries, often using alcohol or opium to dull pain. Patients were typically held down while undergoing procedures, which were extremely painful and traumatic. I cannot even imagine such horrors. That sounds more like popular “Saw” horror movies series. I THANK GOD for our modern medical technologies!
And yet, with all of our modern advancements in technology, we still cannot make an automated phone system that works properly. Go figure.
Modern man cannot build an affordable home security camera that can actually read a license plate number 40 feet away. I spent $2,200 for a GW Security camera system. My neighbour next door was robbed last year. My camera captured the thief's vehicle's license plate in their yard, but even at the highest quality settings, the video quality is so blurry that the license plate cannot even begin to be read. A decent security system starts at $15,000 and up.
It is tragic how corporate greed has ruined American society. I could write for hours about the inferior quality of so many things today—from the way that businesses and government agencies are poorly run, to the disgusting lack of quality in store bought bread today. Europeans make the best bread!
There is something very wrong with today's bread, that can sit for months in a bag and not mold. Today's bread can sit for months without molding due to the use of preservatives and emulsifiers that inhibit mold growth and staling. Yuk! Those additives make the bread hard. When I was a kid in the 1970s bread still began to mold after a few days, and that bread tasted great. I dread buying white bread anymore, because I cannot find even one loaf that is truly soft. I remember as a kid in Chicago eating Butternut brand of bread, which was super soft to touch. Those days are long gone!
Hey, but I am not complaining! In the 1800s, Victorian bakers added plaster of Paris to bread to whiten it and increase weight. They literally marched with their bare feet in the batch of dough to kneed it. Gross! Fresh Plaster of Paris foot-kneeded bread anyone?
The first public radio broadcast took place on January 13, 1910, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, featuring a performance by tenor Enrico Caruso. Although the broadcast quality was poor, it marked the beginning of public radio broadcasting.
The first public demonstration of television occurred on January 27, 1926, in London by Scottish inventor John Logie Baird using a mechanical scanning system. The first commercially made electronic television was produced by Telefunken in Germany in 1934, but the first widely recognized television service began in the UK with the BBC in 1936. Early TVs were expensive luxury items, making them accessible primarily to the wealthy at that time. In 1946 only 6,000 wealthy American households owned a television, but by 1952 that number skyrocketed to 22 million households. Sadly, television has emptied the churches.
There were no radios or televisions in 1800s! These clever devices hadn't been invented yet, if you can imagine that. 2026 marks the centennial anniversary of the first television broadcast. We are living in amazing times of technology and information. Just yesterday on August 30th, 2026, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (NGRST) was launched from NASA. This innovative new telescope will take large photos so big that one image would require 3,000 digital television screens to display. As a fan of astronomy, I eagerly await the photos and data.
I hope I have given you a small glimpse into the not too distant past dear reader, so that you can even more appreciate how blessed we are today in the United States. God has been so good to us. And, remarkably, if you could go back in a Time Machine and talk with those people who struggled to survive throughout the 1800s and before, they would praise God and testify to the Lord's goodness to them.
“The expectation of nothing is the foundation of gratitude.” —Pastor Jack Hyles
And if those early pioneers could take a trip to our future in the same Time Machine, to see just how marvellous we live today, with exceptions, they would be absolutely astounded with disbelief. When I was growing up, it wasn't uncommon to see people surviving in cardboard boxes in utter poverty in some alley in Chicago. Today the homeless use tents right out in the open, in parks and on public sidewalks, et cetera. But the problem of homeless is not one of living in a bad time; but rather, the wickedness of a society who doesn't care about them. Proverb:30:14, “There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.”
If you take some time to think about the literally thousands of modern inventions, material items, conveniences and helps that we have available today, it is astounding to say the least. Psalms 145:9, “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”
James 2:8, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.”
I don't like fictitious stories, some people do. Something that has bothered me for a long time is that there are thousands of fake video stories on YouTube. I was looking at banjos tonight and YouTube suggested a video for me to watch. I clicked on the video. It is a story about a corrupt judge and a black woman. This is a fake racist story intended to demonize white people. ...
Black Woman Fined By Judge, Who
Doesn't Know She's The Bar Association Leader
I listened to the story almost in its entirety, but then became curious if it was a true story, because it was so racist. I was saddened and a bit angered to see a disclaimer all the way at the bottom of the comment section, out of sight, saying that the story is fake. I think it is dishonest and shady. There should be an obvious warning at the beginning of each video, notifying the viewer that the content is not real. I'm sure that some people don't mind the deception, but I do, very much so. I hate being deceived by anyone for any reason.
The same “Black Robe Stories” YouTube channel fabricates racist videos portraying white people as racist bullies who prey upon blacks. The channel so far has posted 69 disgusting videos, and every video is a fictitious story about white people abusing blacks. This is racist to the core! Kindly said, I don't think YouTube should allow these type of inflammatory videos which discriminate against whites.
If someone made a YouTube channel portraying Jews or black people in a negative light, portraying Jews and blacks as bigoted racists, I'm sure YouTube would have removed and banned the channel permanently already for abuse. Why is YouTube allowing this channel to exist? That is just my humble opinion. I don't think anybody should be allowed to fabricate racist videos to demonize white people.
To see why videos like this are so dangerous, please watch this eye-opening speech given by Professor G. Edward Griffin back in 1969 titled, “More Deadly Than War: Revolution”...
More Deadly Than War - G. Edward Griffin
The subversive Luciferian powers behind the deliberate chaos and destruction of the United States want racial tension and division, and they create it. Only a mentally deranged person full of bigotry, racism and hatred would create several dozen fake videos that demonize whited and victimize blacks, instigating racial tension and division in society.
Remember, I didn't go looking for this garbage, YouTube dangled it in my face as a suggested video. Out of all the millions of videos YouTube could show me as a viewer, why promote racist videos that generate racial tension? I would have much preferred seeing more banjo videos.
The main thing that I want you to take away from this article dear reader, is to see that part of the Globalist's plan to form a sinister New World Order is to create public unrest, racial division, economic hardship and chaos. The Lucifierian elite (Satan's minions who pull the puppet strings in Washington DC, newsmedia, Hollywood, corporations, religions, et cetera) want a revolution.
Syndicated radio host Alex Jones in 1998 made an eye-opening 2-hour video titled, “America: Destroyed By Design.” I believe that out of the chaos and ashes of the United States will arise the Man of Sin, Antichrist. Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) clearly saw this development, which he explains in this insightful 1970 sermon titled, “Why The Antichrist Must Come Soon.”
Revelation 17:10-11 teach that the the 8th king (Antichrist) will arise from the 7th king (which I believe is the now forming New World Order). The United States has never been more divided on so many issues than it is today. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Remember, I didn't go looking for this garbage, YouTube dangled it in my face as a suggested video. Out of all the millions of videos YouTube could show me as a viewer, why promote racist videos that generate racial tension? I would have much preferred seeing more banjo videos.
1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
As you already likely know, Dolly Parton (1946-2026) died last Tuesday. A lot of people are curious about the famous country singer's religious beliefs, now that she has died at age 80.
I came across something disturbing today called, “The Gospel According To Dolly.”The Gospel According To Dolly is a neo-evangelical church series (which started on October 19, 2022) that uses Dolly Parton’s life and songs to talk about suffering, joy and longing for “home.” It began as a three-part series, drawing on how she grew up with Bible stories and church music in Tennessee. But there is a more sinister aspect to the series.
According to the Progressive Church Media website in an article titled, “The Gospel According To Dolly Parton,” it reads:
A Gospel for Our Time
In an increasingly polarized world, Dolly Parton transcended cultural divides, not by avoiding difficult issues but by leading with empathy. She reminded us that progressive Christianity must be both inclusive and deeply rooted in action. For pastors and ministry leaders, Dolly Parton’s faith offers a fresh lens through which to explore how to share the gospel—not just in word, but in deed. SOURCE
In layman's language, that means deteriorating Christianity in America needs to embrace the Satanic homosexual movement. What you just read from the Progressive Church Media is evil propaganda! They are teaching that we should compromise like Dolly Parton did, to share God's love via accepting unrepentant homosexuals and their filthy deathstyle. This is a FALSE gospel. What saith the Scripture? James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” Kindly said, Dolly Parton was God's enemy.
If You Truly Follow Jesus, The World Will Hate You
2nd Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Do you know what it means to “live godly in Christ Jesus”? It means that you refuse to go along with the sinful world. 1st Peter 4:4-5, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” Dolly pandered to the wicked world, going along to get along, dipping her sails, and the heathen world loved her for it (John 15:19). They're about to rename the Nashville International Airport after Dolly.
In April of 2022, at age 76, Dolly Parton appeared on the “Worklife with Adam Grant” podcast, in which she wickedly stated: “I modeled my looks on the town tramp,” flaunting her rebellion against God's command for females to dress modestly. Dolly proudly declared: “I look like a Jezebel.” She sinfully appropriated a popular Christian fundamentalist term of derision as a badge of honor. The inspired Holy Bible commands women to adorn themselves in “modest apparel” (1st Timothy 2:9-10). Proverbs 7:10 condemns “the attire of an harlot.” What Dolly Parton sinfully mocks and jests at, brings the judgment of God (Colossians 3:5-6; Romans 1:32; Matthew 5:28; Jude 1:7; Hebrews 13:4).
Dolly's Corrupt Gospel Is Devoid Of The True Gospel
Furthermore, looking at the preceding quote again from Progressive Church Media, please notice that there was no mention of the actual “Gospel” (i.e., Jesus death on the cross, His burial, and bodily resurrection from the dead three days later) anywhere in Dolly Parton's world. The ONLY true Gospel is found in the Holy Bible in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. There is no such thing as: “The Gospel According To Dolly Parton.” Wicked sinners are attempting to spread Dolly's toxic philosophy that we should just love and be nice to everyone, regardless of how wicked they live their lives, while claiming some shallow faith in a ambiguous non-specific higher power, and that's The Corrupt Gospel According To Dolly Parton.
2nd Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” According to Romans 1:16 that saving “power” is the Gospel (the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen). I am sick and fed up and tired of hearing celebrities talk about faith in a higher power from within one's self (new age heresy), which is all Dolly Parton ever talked about, but there is no faith in the Gospel truth. ...
“We all believe in God, and we’re very close.” —Dolly Parton
James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
It is clear from Dolly's unbiblical comment, “We are all God's children,” that she has never been born again:
“I know [trans people] and love them all, and I do not judge… And I just see how broken-hearted they get over certain things and I know how real they are. I know how important [gender-affirming care] is to them. That’s who they are. They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton, you know, the way people know me. If there’s something to be judged, that is God’s business. But we are all God’s children and how we are is who we are.”
First of all, we are not all God's children. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Unless you have been born anew from above by God's Holy Spirit in response to your faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you are not a child of God.
Secondly, I do not believe that homosexuals cannot help what they are. If that be true, then God made a mistake by forbidding the sinful practice of homosexuality. The Bible strongly condemns homosexuality as a vile sin that goes against the laws of nature (Romans 1:24-32). I am not saying that Christians should bash or be unkind to LGBTQ people, God forbid. We should love everyone and be kind to others, but we should also make it clear to those around us that we openly reject such wickedness and will not sanction or celebrate sodomy. Romans 1:25, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
I have been around homosexuals in public, and they always seek acceptance from others, especially Christians. Over my dead body! I will never remain silent if I have a say in the matter. I will speak up. As a Christian who fears God, I would never form a close personal friendship with a homosexual. That is not bigotry, that is Biblical separation from the heathen world (Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 1:10; 2nd Corinthians 6:14-17).
Practicing homosexuals want to be openly accepted by society, even as members in good standing in local churches, and that is evil dear reader. Any church that openly accepts homosexuals and refuses to preach against the sin of homosexuality is the Devil's church. I am of the belief that everyone should be welcomed to come to a church, but they are going to hear me preach against all sins if I am the pastor, including homosexuality, if they attend. 1st Timothy 5:20, “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”
To Dolly Parton entertainment was her God. I find no evidence whatsoever that she ever became a born again child of God. Dolly's popular so-called “gospel” has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus' death, burial and resurrection; but rather, to embrace homosexuals and all walks of life while merely professing to be a “person of faith.” That's exactly what Satan does to deceive his victims, masquerading as an angel of light (2nd Corinthians 11:13-15).
Dolly Parton's so-called “gospel” is not the true Gospel of 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. It is a ruse to further creep the homosexual agenda into the churches, which sinister plot I assure you will ultimately fail and bring the wrathful judgment of God. Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The following is chapter 28 ('Be Careful What You Pray') from Pastor Jack Hyles' awesome book titled, 'Exploring Prayer With Jack Hyles'...
Dr. Jack Hyles (1926-2001)
This chapter could be called, "Safety in Prayer," "Safeguards in Prayer," or "Don't Pray the Wrong Thing."
In a previous chapter we dealt with the great heart of God and how God wants and loves to answer our prayers. Now because He does have such a tremendous desire, we must be very careful for what we pray. We have such promises in the Bible as, Ask what ye will." This places a great responsibility on the Christian to be careful got what He prays. With a God Who loves us so much and Who in many ways almost places a carte blanche before us if we walk close to Him and abide in Him, we must take special care for those things that are best for us and for God's work.
There is an interesting story in Numbers 22, Balaam had been invited to do an unwise thing; that is, to leave the will of God and go to Moab. Balaam, being the faithful preacher that he was, went to God and asked God what he should do. God very plainly said, "Thou shalt not go with them." (Numbers 22:12) Balaam returned to the princes of Balak and said in verse 13, "The Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you." Now that should have settled it, but Balaam was not careful in his prayer, for Balak became more insistent than ever. Balak sent more princes with more authority than the others, and again sought for Balaam's willingness to come to Moab. Balaam was again very emphatic when in verse 18 he said, "I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more," but he made a tragic mistake! In verse 19 he said, "Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more." The Lord didn't have to say anything more to Balaam! He had already told Balaam what to do, but Balaam did not build a safeguard around his prayers. He came back again, and for some reason known only to the great heart of God, God told Balaam this time to go ahead!
Why did God change His mind? Was He allowing Balaam to go ahead just to show him the consequences of doubting God's commandment? Was He trying to teach Balaam to be careful in the future? Did God acquiesce because He was weary? Was it that God wanted Balaam to have what he wanted? I don't know, but I do know that Balaam went to Moab and that an entire race was corrupted because of it! Tragedy came to thousands and thousands of lives because Balaam was not safe in his praying.
This same type of thing is found concerning divorce. God never wants any couple to divorce for any reason, but He does give a permission for divorce in the case of fornication. God is saying, "I want one thing, but I will permit another. I would prefer you not to divorce ever for any reason, but because your hearts are hard, I will allow you to do it for just one reason."
These safeguards in prayer that we will mention in this chapter are needful because God does tell us to ask WHAT WE WANT. Mark 11:24, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." John 15:7, "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Psalm 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." John 14:14, "If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it." All of these promises and others remind us that with such a blank check, we must be careful, very careful!
Of course, in prayer, as in salvation, we can come to God only through Jesus. Hebrews 4:14-16, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." Hence, all prayer goes through Jesus, or to use a figure of speech, passes across His desk before it goes to the Father. Of course, all prayer is heard by Him because He is sitting on the right hand of the Father all the time.
There are several different attitudes that Jesus could have concerning our prayers as they come through Him to the Father. He may approve them; He may endorse them; He may recommend them; He may even plead for them. Hence, you can see that He could show different degrees of enthusiasm. There are many Scriptures in the Bible that teach us that the Father seeks counsel from the Son. Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." The word "counsellor" here deals mainly with the relationship that the Father has with the Son. Jesus is the wonderful counsellor. Especially is this true in His relationship with the Father. He counsels with His father; so as Jesus counsels with the Father, He may approve our prayer requests. He may be even more enthusiastic than that—He may endorse a prayer request; or He may go farther than that—He may recommend it; or He may even go so far as to plead for it. I wonder how many earthly parents love their children so much that they give them too much in response to the child's request. When one stops to realize how much God loves us, it is no wonder that we should be careful when we come to Him in prayer.
There are, thank God, some safeguards that we should remember concerning prayer.
1. Pray according to Bible principles. The Christian should know his Bible and know it well. This will lead him to pray according to the principles set down in the Word of God. This gives a great security, safety and safeguard to our praying.
2. Pray in the will of God. I John 5:14,15, "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." Notice how Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26:38,39, "Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me. And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." He told the Father His will, but then He prayed for the Father's will to be done. It is commonly believed that Jesus was talking about the cup of death, the cup of suffering or the cup of becoming accursed for sin. No, no, no! Jesus wasn't asking the Father to keep Him from dying; He knew He was going to die! He came to die! His death was called "the glory that was set before Him." He set His face like a flint toward Jerusalem. He wanted to die for us. He gladly laid down His life for us.
When He was praying, "let this cup pass from Me," He was afraid that He was going to die then; that is, there in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew that it was not the plan of God for Him to die there. He knew that He was supposed to go to Calvary on the day of the Passover and become our Passover and in so doing, pay the penalty for our sins. He was saying, "Father, let the cup of death pass from Me now." Let Me wait for the cross. That is why I came." Then He says, "Nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done." He said, "Father, You know best. I want it to be done according to Thy will." Added light is thrown upon this in Hebrews 5:7, " Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared." A real safeguard in prayer is always to pray in the will of God.
3. Live a spiritual life. Psalm 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." John 15:7, "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Psalm 1:1-3, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." If we walk in the Spirit and live a spiritual-filled life, we will then pray in the Spirit. How dangerous it is for a Christian to get in the flesh, as perhaps Balaam did when he came the second time and sought for God's permission to go to Moab!
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make your list of requests that you are to take to the Father. Romans 8:26,27, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." As is mentioned in another chapter of this book, the intercession that the Apostle speaks about in Romans 8:26 is the Holy Spirit making intercession TO the one praying. In other words, the Holy Spirit tells us what to pray. Ah, here is a blessed safeguard! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make your prayer list. With His help and His leadership there is great safety, and we can avoid making foolish requests. In verse 27 the intercession means intercession WITH us. Once the Holy Spirit has made intercession to us in telling us what to pray for, He then goes to the Father with us and makes intercession with us before the Father. Actually the Holy Spirit becomes our prayer partner as we present our petitions to the Father. This is a great way to prevent making a prayer that is a foolish one and risking God allowing us to do something that is not His first choice, such as in the case of Balaam.
5. Pray from the will of God. Oh yes, pray in the will of God, but always pray from the will of God. Always be in His will. When we are praying from His perfect will or, if we have forfeited His perfect will, from His permissive or acceptable or improvised will, we are adding another ticket to the fence of protection against an unwise request.
6. Remember how the prayer worked out in the past. Stop to think if it was best before. Use the past as a pattern for the future.
Because we have a God Who loves us so much, Who delights in answering our prayers and Who has given us so many amazing promises, we must be careful what we pray.
Ecclesiastes 8:12-13, “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”
Proverbs 16:4-5, “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” The “day of evil” here means judgment.
The Bible teaches that God has made everything for His purpose, including the wicked for the day of judgment. This biblical truth emphasizes that even those who do wrong are part of God's overarching plan, which includes judgment and justice.
Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) comments on Proverbs 16:4-5:
All things will result at last in the glory of God. Earth’s long tale of sin and sorrow will eventually result in magnifying His love and His holiness. Those saved by His grace will praise Him forever; but the wicked will also acknowledge His justice in the day of their condemnation. He detests pride; all who walk pridefully will be broken before Him, try as they may to resist His power. They will be declared guilty when He sits on the throne of judgment. How much better to bow in repentance now, while He is on a throne of grace! See His word regarding the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 7; 2 Peter 2:6). SOURCE
I was thinking today why God allows a rebellious wife to make her husband's life miserable, year after year, and there is little or nothing that he can do, except love and pray for his defiant wife.
I thought about wicked King Herod in the Bible, who was a madman. Herod had John the Baptist murdered, as part of a promise gone wrong to Herodias, his niece who danced sensually before him. Why did God allow John (the greatest born among women according to Matthew 11:11) to be so recklessly murdered, a beautiful man killed for no valid reason? By the way, John wasn't martyred for preaching the gospel, but for preaching against the sin of adultery, Herod's adultery with his brother's wife. Preaching the truth can get you killed!
I could mention the contemptible name of thousands of wicked people in the world today, who hurt other people. Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to mind. That man is a liar! His word means absolutely nothing. The same can be said of that lunatic madman Kim Jong Un in North Korea, who murdered his own brother to protect his tyrannical reign of power. Why does God allow such evil men to continue murdering millions of victims?
I am comforted to know that God sees everything, and has promised to hold all men accountable for every deed, whether it be good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
Ecclesiastes 5:8, “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.” Nothing escapes the eyes of God.
Ecclesiastes 8:12-13, “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” Dear reader, no one is going to escape God's wrath and justice!!!
Hebrews 4:13, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” There will be justice!!!
Life is truly a test for every human being. We are all being tested by God. A faith must be tested. When all is said and done, and life's journey is over, we will understand it finally.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” —Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
1st Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
I admit that it does little to solace my grieving heart concerning all the horrible evil happening in the world today, to learn from the Holy Bible that it is all a part of God's big plan. That is very frustrating. I mean, when a monster attacks a little child, and God lets it happen, the Bible says that He made the wicked for the day of judgment. That doesn't make sense to me. That being said, who am I to judge and question God? He is the Potter, I am the clay. Isaiah 64:8,“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” I exclaim with broken Job in Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
Every human being at some point in life will have to decide to either place God on trial, or blindly trust Him. The inspired Scripture tells us not to lean upon our own frail human understanding, and I think that is the key to living the Christian life. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” The heathen world make the dire mistake of leaning upon their own flawed sinful human understanding.
We can no more understand God, than we can understand how Jesus spoke the universe into existence by the mere power of His Word (2nd Peter 3:5; John 1:1-3, 14). Scientists tell us now that the James Web Space Telescope (JWST) has so far discovered at least 2 TRILLION galaxies (not stars, galaxies). When the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (NGRST) launches in September of 2026, for an exciting 5-year mission to take an inventory of the universe, I am confident that it will discover 20 TRILLION galaxies or more!!!
Dear reader, have faith in God (Mark 11:22). Don't foolishly try to understand something that wasn't meant for you or anyone else to understand, not in this lifetime at least. Just settle it in your soul once and for all that God is good (Psalm 145:9), faithful (1st Corinthians 1:9), honest (Titus 1:2), and He cares (1st Peter 5:7).
I don't know precisely why God allows evil people to get away with their crimes. I really don't. But I vaguely do know it has something to do with the Lord's grand plan for humanity. To me it's kind of like a painter. To paint a picture, you need to start with a blank canvas, and then use different colors to create contrast to form an image. If all you had was yellow paint, you couldn't create an image, because it would all be yellow.
This is why the Apostle Paul beautifully said in 1st Corinthians 11:19, “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” We need false prophets! We need them to provide contrast, so that faithful preachers who are learned in the Scripture can tell THE TRUTH, using those heretics as a canvas upon which to paint THE TRUTH. Amen! I like that biblical illustration.
So, without evil people, how would we contrast the righteous? If we lived in a world without evil, how would we recognize righteousness? This is a profound concept, but a biblical one, and I humbly think it helps explain why God allows evil people to continue doing evil. Thankfully, their days are numbered, and their day of reckoning is soon coming. We are already on the winning side through faith in Jesus Christ. ...
1st John 4:4-5, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Isaiah 1:4-6, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”
We must Make America Godly Again, before she can become “Great Again.” America was “great” when she was good, and she was good when she had great churches. I don’t even recognize the country that I grew up in back in the 1970s.
We are now living in a low character culture. As of mid-2024, about 25,890 of Los Angeles’s roughly 223,000 streetlights were inoperative, with theft of copper wire a major cause. Unfortunately for LA’s citizens, the city’s work crews simply cannot repair the inoperative lights faster than the thieves are disabling them to steal the copper wiring to sell. The current price of copper is $6.58 per pound as of August 21, 2026. But with all the increasing homelessness (unaffordable housing) and lack of decent-paying jobs that pay a livable wage nationwide, can we really act surprised?
I assure you dear reader that things will only become much worse in the future, and President Trump fully knows it. The fraudulent Federal Reserve has bankrupt the U.S. economy and that wretched Satanic beast is not going away. Many concerned young people today blame capitalism, failing to understand that they’ve never experienced honest capitalism in America. All they have known their entire life is a fraudulent rigged economy controlled by private selfish banking interests (aka, the Federal Reserve). What we have in the United States today, since 1913, is called a Fractional Reserve Banking system, and it is not capitalism!
This corrupt system allows the U.S. federal government (same in Europe) to spend taxpayer money recklessly without accountability. The sinister banking institutions via the U.S. Treasury print the money out of thin air from nothing, to LEND to the public. Proverbs 22:7, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
I cringe and roll my eyes every time that Congress votes whether or not to raise the so-called Debt Ceiling. Of course they are going to raise it, they have to, or the whole Ponzi Scheme collapses. And although ChatGPT and dishonest controlled media sources will vehemently deny that the Federal Reserve is an elaborate Ponzi Scheme, it most certainly is if you understand how the whole racket works.
Illegal immigration, deindustrialization of American industries and the corrupt Federal Reserve are DESTROYING our economy. This is all intentional by design, for I believe out of the chaos and ashes of the United States will arise the coming Antichrist, the Man of Sin. That is why it was blatantly obvious that President Joe Biden was allowing tens of millions of illegals to flood into the country between 2020 and 2024. And although President Trump is putting on a good show to make it look like there is justice, deporting some of the worst of the invaders, when all is said and done when Trump leaves office in 2029 there will still be TENS OF MILLIONS of illegal aliens residing in the United States.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if the next ungodly Democrat U.S. President makes the invaders all U.S. citizens. Perhaps Kamala Harris (she is talking about running and I think she will win if she does). Woe unto our nation when a woman rules over us! Isaiah 3:12, “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.”
I have a strong feeling that the Luciferian powers lurking behind the scenes want Kamala Harris in office in 2029. That is a guess, nothing more. I have no special insight. I sure hope I am wrong. The only reason why I feel she might be elected is because I’ve been hearing her name a lot in the news lately, and she is determined to undo the good President Trump has done, including bringing back all of the DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusiveness) ungodliness. Kamala Harris is considering a run for the presidency in 2028. Something is going on with her. There is something wrong with a society that promotes based upon race, gender and sexual orientation; rather than character, hard work and skill.
Also, I heard Kamala say that if elected she will lower the cost of living, and I think if elected she will, the only way that all Democrats know how to finance their programs, by further raising the National Debt. If Miss Harris gets elected, you can expect to see the national Debt skyrocket to $50 trillion in her time in office.
Sadly, the vast majority of the American people today are in massive debt to the banking institutions, just the way they planned it. The average American household carried $105,056 in total debt as of late 2025 (including the National Debt), while the average American consumer had $6,595 in credit card debt in early 2026. We are a nation of debtors! By God’s grace I don’t owe anybody a penny, and I refuse to ever do so! I’ll starve before I’ll go into debt.
As long as the American people continue to embrace the wickedness of sexual immorality, abortion, divorce, greed, homosexuality, female immodesty and false religion, to name but a few sins, our nation can never return to a status of greatness. Make America Godly Again!
