Questions That the Religions of the World Ask ── VII) – Why, if God’s living Word is Inspired, Does It Reflect Flawed Morality?

by Leonard V Johnson

We pray and hope that this article will help you better understand this question that many have.

Let me explain what I mean──the other day I heard on a television program, “The God of the Old Testament was hard; the New Testament God is much nicer!” They go on to say, “The God of the Old Testament would have you killed for breaking the holy Sabbath!”

Today, many worldly churches are promoting and teaching ideas that… according to the LORD God are immoral—such as the inclusion of people that are “immoral.” They go on to ask, “Why does the Bible reflect prejudice rather than love—a timeless principle?”

God’s living eternal word does not reflect prejudice; it reflects flawed and immoral people. The very idea that we are supposed to be all-inclusive with immoral people is supposing that the LORD God’s definition of what is and is not moral has somehow changed, so that the timeless principle of love has somehow changed.

It has not──God is love (1 John 4:8).

Notice this blasphemous statement from a liberal pro-LGBTQ+ female bishop of the United Church of Christ ──

Yvette Flunder—UCC bishop out of Oakland, head of “The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries” 🤮 —stood up with a mic and said what a lot of people whisper but won’t admit out loud. She said the New Testament is not the Word of God. Said the Bible is “problematic.” Said we need a “Third Testament.” Said if certain pages offend—rip them out. Pour them out. Rewrite the thing.

(https://wltreport.com/2026/04/20/pastor-we-need-third-testament-bible-has-become/).

Well, in truth, God’s living word DOES NOT allow for female bishops! And, I know that this is a controversial subject──why, I do not know; God’s living word is clear──let me just add… God’s word presents a clear pattern in which men occupy the pastoral office of elder/overseer, specifically tasked with governing and doctrinal responsibility within local congregations. However, at the same time, God’s word also shows us that women were mightily used by the LORD God in various teaching services, hospitality, and leadership capacities that do not equate to the pastoral/elder/overseer office.

Of course, this false minister is also a lesbian, which is considered abominable to the LORD God ──

“Therefore A MAN shall leave his father and mother and be joined to HIS WIFE [note today’s societies have even changed the definition of wife! Note Webster’s definition of “wife” – “a woman acting in a specified capacity. A female partner in a marriage.” 1], and they shall become ONE FLESH.” – Genesis 2:24.

And yes, it’s equally sad that many today don’t properly know the definition of “woman” ── “an adult female person. A woman belonging to a particular category (as by birth), a distinctively feminine nature.” 2

That one verse is enough to show us that “one flesh” undergirds the LORD God’s view that marriage and sexual intimacy were designed for a male-female union. The absolute prohibition of same-sex activity among men (Leviticus 18:22, “’ You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.’”) reflects the overarching principle that sexual relations outside of the LORD God’s established male-female covenant are not in harmony with His design for mankind.

Romans 1:26-27 directly references women engaging in same-sex relations, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.” His inspired words conclude here that such behavior stands outside of the LORD God’s original intention for sexuality.

So, this vile Yvette Flunder desiring a “Third Testament” so that one can rip to shreds God’s inspired word should come as no surprise since she is a faithful servant of Satan himself, ‘transforming herself into a minister of righteousness, whose end will be according to her works.’ – cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. She outright refuses to accept the LORD God’s living word!

She, who claims to be a Christian, DOES NOT believe the following from our beloved Apostle Paul ──

“ALL SCRIPTURE [the whole of the 66 Books of the Inspired Holy Bible!] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Minister Fred R. Coulter had this to say in his commentary ──

“Indeed, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians that he was to help ‘complete the Word of God’ with his epistles (Col. 1:25). Paul also wrote to Timothy concerning the Old Testament … Paul is showing that salvation involves not only faith in Christ and New Testament teachings, but that the Old Testament teachings are necessary as well. Paul then shows that ALL SCRIPTURE ── Old and New Testament ── is inspired by God. …” 3

Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us ──

“ … ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4.

The Holy Bible ── which surely, in Yvette’s Bible, has whole passages marked out, and pages torn out! WARNS US ──

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2) For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3) unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5) having a form of godliness but denying its power! And from such people turn away!” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

He goes on to say that such people are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” vs. 7.

“But evil men [and I add editorially, and women] and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” – vs. 13.

Truly, “’ There is no [reverent] fear of God before their eyes.’” – Romans 3:18.

Yet, sadly, her abominable statement about a “Third Testament” is not uniquely her own ── the World Economic Forum (WEF) (which I’ve spoken about in the likes of “Connect With Jesus ── Only $1.99 per minute”) stated something similar ──

June 10, 2023

WEF Calls for AI to Rewrite Bible, Create ‘Religions That Are Actually Correct’

A top official with the World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for religious scripture to be “rewritten” by artificial intelligence (AI) to create a globalized “new Bible.”

Yuval Noah Harari, the senior advisor to the WEF and its chairman Klaus Schwab, argues that using AI to replace scriptures will create unified “religions that are actually correct.”

(https://slaynews.com/news/wef-ai-rewrite-bible-create-religions-actually-correct/. Retrieved April 14, 2026).

Of course, now they are denying saying it! 4

Having certainly discovered that AI like Alexa+ can provide wrong answers to not only historical questions with theological connections (there is a clause at the bottom of the Alexa+ app in very small letters, “Alexa may not always get it right”), having AI rewrite a Bible or blasphemously pretend to be Jesus should not sound like a good idea to anyone who is rightly seeking the living truth of the LORD God!

God’s living word, that is alive, clearly warns us ──

“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death [speaking of the second death].” – Proverbs 14:12.

The types of immorality that people are justifying in their own eyes will ultimately lead them to death! This so-called “new morality” ── where people are doing what is right in their own eyes (Deuteronomy 12:8) ── well … in truth, most people simply DO NOT CARE what the LORD God says!

We are at the 11:59 Hour, where more and more people want to censor God’s living word ── the Holy Bible ── a world that, like in the television show Young Sheldon, wants to make Christianity a butt-of-a-joke, wants to make anyone who believes in a Creator “crazy” and “irrational.” I found his comments highly offensive and inappropriate on that show! Prophet Isaiah was inspired to warn the rebellious children of God ──

“’ Woe to the rebellious children, ‘Says the LORD, ‘Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, … 8) Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever:

9) That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the Law of the LORD; 10) Who say to the seer, ‘[You’re outta your mind! Your very belief in a God is dumb!’] And to the prophets, [‘You’re not speaking the truth, America was founded upon the belief that all people are welcome!’ 5]. Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel [because, as they like to say, ‘We have a different God, not the God of the Old Testament!’] To cease from before us.’

12) Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel [our Lord Jesus Christ is the same God of the Old Testament!]: ‘Because you despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them, 13) Therefore this iniquity shall be to you Like A BREACH READY TO FALL …’” 

And let us think of the United States of America today; it’s interesting to think that President Donald Trump’s border wall could be thought of as a metaphor for the BREACH THAT IS READY TO FALL once he leaves office! If you can honestly imagine this “breach,” think about what the United States would have been like under a Harris Administration!

… ‘A BULGE IN A HIGH WALL, Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.

14) And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel, Which is broken in pieces; He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments A shard to take fire from the hearth, Or to take water from the cistern.’” – Isaiah 30:1, 8-14.

YES! The LORD God is holding back this BREACH THAT WILL COME! The same as the LORD God has postponed the evil Islamic Regime of Iran from creating or obtaining a nuclear weapon! The great damage to Jerusalem is coming! The utter further decline of our societies and of the United States as a whole ── and even the loss of our sovereignty ── is coming! And much of it will be directly tied to this so-called “modern morality”!

The LORD God has created TIMELESS ETHICAL PRINCIPLES!

Now, it is true that many of the LORD God’s statutes were for the governing of the physical kingdom of Israel. The specifics are not wrong; they are simply in conflict with this new “modern morality.” Various penalties for wrongdoing ── some penalties required even death ── were placed into law by the LORD God to dissuade and discourage others from wrongdoing and criminal acts. Let me give you a couple of examples ──

“Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks ON THE SABBATH DAY. 33) And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. …” ── now, the people had already been told by the LORD God, ‘the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is a native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people.’ “ … 34) They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. 35) Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.’ 36) So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.” – Numbers 15:32-36.

“’ If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. … 4) If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.’” – Exodus 22:1, 4.

We know from our history that there used to be public hangings in the United States. It was used in order to try and dissuade the behavior for which the criminal was being hanged. In an article I posted a while back, “Personal From… Capital Punishment,” of which I mostly speak concerning corporal punishment of children, I wrote ──

Does God use capital punishment?

To properly understand God’s kingdom, we must first study His Way of governing people. And we can learn this from the Way that He dealt with ancient Israel in the past. We also need to learn how God deals with us even now, and what He will do in the immediate future. You are going to need and use this vital information.

The administration of the civil government of ancient Israel actually reveals to us God’s method of dealing directly with unconverted, fleshly, sinning people. To be factual – the government of ancient Israel had church and state combined – though it was physical, the administration of civil and religious statutes and ordinances was combined. Bear in mind ── ancient Israel was NEVER promised salvation at that time. The promises under the Old Covenant were material – cf. Leviticus 26:3-12. They were not converted, nor did they have God’s Holy Spirit; hence they could not understand spiritual things. They were like the majority of people today. God dealt with them in a purely physical manner – PUNISHING THEM FOR THEIR CRIMES.

Most people will surely disagree, but the LORD God will implement these types of punishments again upon the establishment of His kingdom. The LORD God’s statutes—His laws, commands, and decrees—are portrayed in Scripture as eternal, unchanging, and universally applicable. Yet, we know that the LORD God will place within people ‘a new heart and put a new spirit within [them]; will remove [their] heart of stone and give [them] a heart of flesh.’ – cf. Ezekiel 36:26. So, I pray that those harsh punishments will not be necessary in His holy and righteous kingdom.

Some unclean meats per Leviticus 11 & Deuteronomy 14 (AI-generated)

Furthermore, let us consider that God’s word teaches us the prohibition of eating certain unclean meats. Indeed, science has proven that these unclean meats are unhealthy to a human body, often subject to being too toxic—at least a good part of the time, people in California are warned not to consume shellfish. Also, it is known that many diseases and viruses have been associated with the consumption of the LORD God-forbidden unclean animals, sea creatures──or whatever is in the waters──birds, flying insects and creeping things. So with this too, there is a timeless benefit, despite this God-ordained dietary law going against a “modern morality.” A law that is for all of humanity, not just the Jews.

Certainly, this so-called “new morality” is nothing new. It has been immoral in the eyes of the LORD God from THE BEGINNING. Let us consider some things that were considered immoral some 1,968 years ago, and are still immoral today in this 21st century present evil age ──

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Rome, and to us dear saints as well ──

“For the wrath of God is REVEALED from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20) For SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and God head, so that THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE, 21) because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

22) Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23) and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man ── and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24) Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25) who exchanged the truth of God for THE LIE and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26) For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27) Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men COMMITTING WHAT IS SHAMEFUL, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28)And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a [reprobate] mind, to do those thing which are NOT FITTING; 29) being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30) backbiters, haters of God, violent, PROUD, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,31) undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32) Who, KNOWING THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” – Romans 1:24-32.

This so-called “modern morality” is NOT based upon the living word of the Eternal One!

Ancient Sodom Genesis 19:24-25 (ChatGPT-generated illustration for COJCOM)

In truth, it is far better for all people to obey the Commands of the LORD God than to claim that they cannot, will not, or should not!

God’s living word tells us of an early event that happened in the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah around 2065 – 1895 B.C. ──

“Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25) So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” – Genesis 19:24-25.

Why did the LORD allow this to happen?

Our beloved apostles Peter and Jude both speak of why ──

“For God did not spare … 5) … the ancient world, but … 6) … turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, MAKING THEM AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE AFTERWARD WOULD LIVE UNGODLY.” – 2 Peter 2:4, 5, 6.

“But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, … 7) as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth AS AN EXAMPLE, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” – Jude 1:5, 7.

Indeed, “sexual immorality” includes what had occurred in Genesis 19, “the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, … called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally’” ── homosexuality (which is the term lesbian for females), what the LORD here calls “strange flesh.”

The LORD God allowed the utter annihilation of Sodom & Gomorrah 6 for AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE AFTERWARD WOULD LIVE UNGODLY! Yet, despite this grave warning, ‘that they once knew,’ many modern church ministers either gloss over this warning from the LORD God, or a great many try and deny that any sexual assault was involved in this incident! These false ministers continue to proclaim that “God was just angry over the Sodomites’ inhospitality to strangers.” In fact, when I asked AI regarding Sodom & Gomorrah, its answer was just that ── “Most scholars view Sodom’s sin as broader wickedness, especially hostile hospitality and violence against strangers.”

The context, however, is undeniable: what their intentions were – a sexual assault. In America, about 443,635 people (age 12+) experience sexual violence each year. Nearly every minute, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that someone is a child. 7

Like what America HAS BECOME – the Sodomites were not ashamed of their social or sexual values and actions. With their smug and self-assured PRIDE, the inhabitants came to accept what to them was an “enlightened” and “free morality.” Again, they screamed in their streets, “No one has the right to tell me what to do or be!” They became enraged against Lot when he told them of their wickedness – cf. Genesis 19:9.

Our God’s word warns us of such false ministers and “scholars” that are leading people astray from His truth ──

“ … ‘O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.’” – Isaiah 3:12.

“For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.” – Isaiah 9:16.

Church leaders and scholars who blatantly ignore what the clear and plain teaching of the LORD God is leading others to destruction ── and to ultimately, their own.

Sadly, despite what most people are now claiming, this “modern morality” is immoral. And they will not come to the knowledge of the truth of the LORD God. □

Sources & Notes:

1 Webster, M. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Tenth Edition, Merriam-Webster’s Incorporated, 1996, pg. 1353.

2 ibid. 1, 1360.

3 Coulter R. F., The Holy Bible In Its Original Order A New English Translation, Chapter Four The Unity of Scripture, York Publishing Co., © 2009, pg. 30.

4 Source: Trela, N., False claim WEF wants to use AI to write new Bible that is 'correct' | Fact check, USA Today, 29 June 2023.

5 Thomas, C., “The Premise of Our Founding”: Immigration and Popular Mythmaking, The Panorama, 24 Feb. 2025.

6 Note: In 1973, Walter E. Rast and R. Thomas Schaub discovered or visited a number of possible sites of the cities, including Bab edh-Dhra.

7 Rainn, Facts & Statistics: The Scope of the Problem, retrieved 11 Aug. 2026.

Questions That the Religions of the World Ask ── VI) If the LORD God is all-knowing, why create humans, knowing most would go to “hell”?

by Leonard V Johnson

We pray and hope that this article will help you better understand this question that many have.

I have a new question for you here──If the LORD God is omniscient, why were human beings created, knowing that most would go to “a place of eternal torment and punishment”?

Well … A conversation I had recently with AI touches on this subject, “‘An Epiphany Concerning the Original Sin’.” You can also listen to this article HERE.

Will Everyone Be Offered Eternal Salvation?

As we proclaim unto the world──the LORD God has had a Master Plan… From the Beginning!

God’s living word teaches us that “God is love” – 1 John 4:8. That “Our God is the God of salvation” – Psalm 68:20. That “’ No one is good but One, that is, God’” – Mark 10:18. And, that there is no other than God, there is none like Him, “declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done” – Isaiah 46:9-10.

In fact, this very question was the first question placed before me as I began this life-long journey of learning and discovery of God’s living word, “Stop and think! Would a Creator, having supreme intelligence, wisdom, and love, to think out, plan, design, and bring about all creation - this earth and all life upon it - have left human beings in ignorance of His purpose?”

The answer is a resounding and definite no.

Could this not be one of the major reasons why our very own Creator was sent to Earth? ──

“’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [on] Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’” – John 3:16-17.

“’ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.’” – John 10:10.

Well… is the view that the LORD God had originally──from the beginning──planned to offer eternal salvation to every human being biblical? The answer is a definite yes. And it can be proven by and through God’s living words.

Sadly, however, the overall majority of people worldwide, who claim to believe what the Holy Bible says, have been taught that salvation will not be offered to all, and that most will have to suffer eternal torture and torment for not being saved in this age.

Yet… let us see and hear clearly what the Spirit has to say ──

“’ and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’” – Luke 3:6, the Challoner-Rheims Version of the Catholic Bible.

“The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.” – Isaia 52:10, Confraternity – Douay Version of the Catholic Bible.

Both our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul have called this coming age “the age to come” – Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; Hebrews 6:5. The Greek word is “aiōn,” meaning eternity, age (time period). It’s also known as “the times of restitution” ── in Greek, “apokatastasis,” meaning restoration. This Greek word is used in the Book of Acts 3:21, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” – KJV. Our mighty Lord and Savior’s government ── truly, the only real hope for world peace ── will be established upon the Earth!

We are told by our beloved Apostle Peter to always remember this one thing, that ──

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9.

In the LORD God’s “age to come,” eternal salvation will be offered to all that has ever lived or will ever live! And as I had an epiphany concerning the “original sin” ── that had Adam not sinned, the original sin would not exist; however, his descendants, also having free will, would each need to decide for themselves whether to choose ‘the tree of life’ or ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ (cf. Philippians 2:12).

We believe with all our heart, soul, and mind that God’s living word teaches us that all will ultimately be offered and given an opportunity for eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, and will be forgiven their sins upon their repentance unto God. And “upon their repentance” is all throughout God’s living word ── cf.

“’ If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land.’” – 2 Chronicles 7:14.

The LORD God promises to forgive and heal UPON THEIR REPENTANCE.

There is no other name under the heavens “given among men by which we must be saved” – Acts 4:12.

“’ Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2) as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3) And THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’” – John 17:1, 2-3.

Pay close attention to the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ only speaks of two Gods here ── not “three in one.” (Be sure to read and study today, “Is God a Trinity?”).

Truly, truly, as the LORD lives, “every knee” shall come to bow before the LORD – cf. Romans 14:11; Isaiah 45:23.

Nearly everyone who has ever lived or will ever live (surely, 99.99% ── note Luke 15:4-6) will come to repent and accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and will ultimately be gifted eternal life within the family of God – the kingdom of God! And… the few who absolutely refuse will not be given eternal torment and punishment but will rather be given ── eternal death (cf. Revelation 20:15; 21:8).

God’s living word does not teach anywhere that there is, in any version, some type of Dante’s Inferno that so many people believe is so ── within the crust of the Earth! God’s word does not teach blanketed universal salvation unto all ── but rather, the glorious gift and opportunity for eternal salvation will be offered to all, either in this age, or the age to come.

L O V E was the motivating factor for God the Father to send His only begotten Son to be victorious and to die a most horrible and excruciating death to be resurrected unto life ── so that the world would not be condemned but may be saved. It truly means that all could be saved (not that all will be saved). Yet, all ── even unto the most vile and evil of all peoples ── will have an opportunity to repent with all their heart, their soul, and mind unto the LORD God for their lawlessness, and will have an opportunity for eternal salvation! The LORD God’s Plan is not limited to only a select few “special ones” like so many religious groups teach ── God’s Master Plan includes all human beings that have ever been born or will be born.

Do you believe that our Lord Jesus died for the world or only a few?

“My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And ALL FLESH shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.” – Psalm 145:21.

Here the Hebrew word for “all” is kōl, meaning all, everyone, everything, totality of a mass or collective. “A very common particle, occurring about 5400 times. Of these all but about 800 are in a genitive relation with the following word, signifying thus, ‘the whole of something.’ It is commonly translated ‘all’ if the following word is plural, and ‘every’ if the word is singular … It can also have a suffix attached to it: ‘the whole of it, all of it.’” 1

Our beloved Apostle Paul wrote, under divine inspiration ──

“For the LOVE OF CHRIST compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15) and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-15.

Logically, for our Lord Jesus to have died for all, then all must have an opportunity for eternal salvation. And since the LORD God is indeed omniscient, they had a Plan from the beginning that nearly everyone who would live would have an opportunity to choose ── eternal salvation.

Again, our beloved Apostle Paul ──

“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in [judgment], even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came TO ALL MEN, resulting in justification of life.” – Romans 5:18.

Indeed, Adam’s offense brought world judgment, but our Lord Jesus’ righteous sacrifice opened the door FOR EVERYONE ── yet each person must still receive that free gift through acceptance, repentance, and faith. Individual choices are crucial within the LORD God’s Plan… From the Beginning.

As mentioned earlier, the Apostle Peter, “REPENT therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing [restoration] may come from the presence of the Lord, 20) and that He may send JESUS CHRIST, who was preached to you before, … 21) … which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” – Acts 3:19-20, 21.

And we find this to be true ── one of the first known holy prophets, Enoch, spoke of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was preached (cf. Genesis 5:18-24; Jude 14-15).

The vast majority of people have NEVER HEARD the True Gospel ── especially the truth concerning the kingdom of God. And, of those who have heard it ── those who had been awakened to God’s living truth from the 30s to the 60s were also exposed to some very serious doctrinal errors. Again, the vast majority of people have never heard the True Gospel of “the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence,” including the truth concerning God’s Master Plan of Salvation… From the Beginning.

The worship of an ancient Asherah Pole (AI-generated)

Note that the Prophet Isaiah ── prominently regarded as a Messianic prophet ── reveals to us that the LORD God has shut the eyes of idolaters, so that they cannot understand, yet also reveals that the LORD God is willing to blot out their transgressions upon repentance ──

“And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’ 18) They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.

21) ‘Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! 22) I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. RETURN TO ME, FOR I HAVE REDEEMED YOU.’” – Isaiah 44:17-18, 21-22.

Now, will the LORD God condemn to eternal death those who worship false gods for something He has not let them properly understand yet? No, of course not. We challenge some pretty traditional views about this supposed hell and its eternal punishment.

The Apostle Paul, standing upon the Areopagus speaking to some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (Acts 17:18-32) (AI-generated)

As the Apostle Paul stood upon the Areopagus in Athens, he said ──

“Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30) Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but NOW commands all men everywhere to repent.” – Acts 17:29-30.

Ignorance of the Law is no excuse

Yes, the LORD God commands all men everywhere to repent (see: Luke 13:3, 5), But we are also told that, though the LORD God has allowed Satan the Devil to ‘blind all who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them’ (2 Corinthians 4:4), the Law of God is written (almost instinctively) upon men’s hearts ──

“’ If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, THOUGH HE DOES NOT KNOW IT, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.’” – Leviticus 5:17.

“’ And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48) But he WHO DID NOT KNOW, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For Everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.’” – Luke 12:47-48.

Our Apostle Paul also explains it this way ──

“For as many as have sinned WITHOUT law will also perish WITHOUT law, and as many as have sinned IN the law will be judged by the law 13) (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14) for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15) who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my [which is also our Lord’s] gospel.” – Romans 2:12-16.

The Apostle Paul ── divinely inspired ── is teaching about the LORD God’s impartial judgment and how both Jews and Gentiles are held to the same divine standard. He’s highlighting how this moral awareness isn’t a learned behavior, but something much deeper ── like a divine fingerprint on every person. Even when people claim moral relativism or say they don’t know right from wrong, their own conscience betrays them by feeling guilt or defending their actions. Conscience serves as this internal witness, constantly either accusing or defending our actions. Again, it’s like the LORD God having a moral fingerprint embedded in every person, making everyone accountable regardless of whether they’ve heard the Law or not.

This is what the Apostle Paul is addressing here ── those who sin WITHOUT the law will perish WITHOUT the law, but he also shows that the LORD God judges people according to the light they’ve received. Our Lord Jesus says, ‘Much is given, much is expected in return.’ The conscience still bears witness even without ever hearing the True Gospel, so there is still accountability, but God’s judgment takes into account what knowledge each person actually had access to. However, this moral law written upon the hearts of all men means that ignorance isn’t a valid defense before the LORD God.

And what he is saying in Acts 17:30 ── the era of ignorance and of overlooking such things as idolatry is done. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrection unto life changed everything, making repentance a worldwide command, not a suggestion.

Certainly, the LORD God knows that all men will not repent in this age, so the LORD has planned an ‘age to come.’

Now, the LORD God allowed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to be destroyed for their wicked sins which were grave (Genesis 18:20; 19:24), the very same wicked sins that “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” – Galatians 5:19-21. Now, if what the Protestants teach and believe is correct, then all who were in Sodom and Gomorrah will be tortured and tormented in “a place of eternal torment and punishment.” Yet, it is not correct; notice the living words of our Savior ──

“’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day [speaking of the Day of Judgment] for Sodom than for that city [that city that outright rejected His Gospel Message]. 13) Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14) But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15) And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades [the grave].

16) He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.’” – Luke 10:8-16.

This passage is showing us our Lord Jesus sending out seventy disciples as messengers ahead of Him, giving them specific instructions for their mission. He is preparing them for both acceptance and rejection, emphasizing that they should carry nothing and stay in one house when accepted. In verse 12, our Lord Jesus makes a powerful point: He emphasizes that outright rejecting His Gospel Message carries heavier consequences than ancient Sodom will receive. Our Lord Jesus is distinguishing between different levels of responsibility based on knowledge. And we can connect this to what our Lord Jesus says in Luke 12: 47-48. Fewer stripes for those who didn’t know. Both are guilty, but there’s definitely a difference in the severity of judgment. This is the key principle that our Lord Jesus is laying out here──accountability scales with knowledge and opportunity.

Let us now turn to Ezekiel 18 ──

“’ For I have no pleasure in the death [the second death] of one who dies,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘Therefore TURN AND LIVE!’” – Ezekiel 18:32.

The LORD God clearly wants all men to live. Would the Lord GOD then have devised a Plan that would result in the overall majority of mankind going to “a place of eternal torment and punishment”?

Our LORD God certainly did not.

The Apostle Paul's inspired, uplifting, and comforting words ──

“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven [the Third Heaven] itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25) not that He should offer Himself OFTEN, as the high priest [had entered] the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another── 26) He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, ONCE at the end of the ages, He has appeared TO PUT AWAY SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. 27) And as it is appointed for men to die [the first death] once, but afterward the judgment, 28) so Christ was offered ONCE to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time apart from sin, for salvation.” – Hebrews 9:24-28.

So, there is coming a time that whoever calls upon the Lord shall be saved ──

“’ And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’” – Acts 2:21.

So, it was the Plan since the foundation of the world that the Son of God would be slain for many──not the few. Of course, the LORD God knew that Adam and Eve would sin ── they had, like their descendants have, freedom of choice; therefore, the LORD God has a Master Plan… From the Beginning! Also, and I want you to notice, that it was appointed for men to die once (a physical death), but then judgment. (Be sure to read and study, “Why Death?”).

Only a Few In This Present Evil Age

In this age ── and one can ask, “How many ages have there been since creation?” The standard historical or theological interpretation is six, which came from Alexander of Hippo (whom we at the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries do not believe that he ever was a saint of our glorious LORD God). God’s living word doesn’t actually mention how many ages there have been. But, in this age, only a few will truly be called by Father God, accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, believe the gospel message, properly repent, be properly baptized, having hands laid upon them, and receive the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit──only a few, as our Lord Jesus speaks to us in the likes of Matthew 7:13-14 ──

“’ Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to [eternal] life, and THERE ARE FEW WHO FIND IT.’”

Our Lord and Savior Jesus came to save more than just a few. And He will in the ‘age to come,’ since only a few were prophesied to remain faithful in this age.

Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us (which is consistent with Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 7:2 - they all use this directional language symbolically rather than pointing to specific geographic regions) that there are those last who will be first, and there are first who will be last──in the kingdom of God. I speak more concerning this in the sermon “Least in the Kingdom.”

The Apostle Paul before the high priest Ananias, Governor Felix, and Tertullus in Caesarea. Acts 24:1-22 (AI-generated)

God’s living word speaks of two resurrections from the dead ──

“I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept [speaking of the Pharisees here], that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just ① and the unjust ②.” – Acts 24:15.

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and HAS BECOME the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. … 23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, AFTERWARD those who are Christ’s at His coming.” – 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed── 52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at THE LAST TRUMPET [the SEVENTH TRUMPET BLAST]. For the trumpet will sound, and the DEAD [IN CHRIST] will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” – 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

“’ Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. … 28) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice. 29) and come forth──those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, ①

And those who have done evil, to the resurrection of [judgment]. ②’” – John 5:25, 28-29.

“And I saw [in vision] thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the [life] of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. [Be sure to read and study the online booklet “Who or What is the BEAST That Rises Up Out of the Sea?” to learn just who is the final beast, and this mark]. And they lived and reigned with Christ [on the Earth] for a thousand years. 5) (But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished). This is the first resurrection.” – Revelation 20:4-5.

Verse 6 ── “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, …”

The second death (see also Revelation 20:15; 21:8) is a permanent, eternal death.

We should not fear people who can kill the physical body but cannot kill our spirit. But rather, we should fear Him who can destroy both the spirit (and it cannot be truly destroyed but can be separated from God) and the physical body in Gehenna (Matthew 10:28). If the incorrigibly wicked, after their resurrection from the dead──having been gifted the opportunity to repent, to change, to seek the LORD God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and to accept our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and to believe the True Gospel Message──refuse, then they will be “cast into the lake of fire” which is the second death.

So, to be clear: This second death is permanent. And I want to make this distinction ── When the Prophet Elijah stretched himself out THREE TIMES on a widowed woman’s son in Zarephath, and cried unto the LORD, ‘I pray, let this child’s life come back to him’ and he revived and lived again (1 Kings 17:17-22), or Lazarus of Bethany, whom our Lord Jesus loves, died, and our Lord Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11: 11-44), or even many of the saints who had fallen asleep, having their graves opened, and raised from the dead (Matthew 27:52), shows us that people can physically die, be resurrected, and then die again.

This being thrown into “the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death,” is not an eternal torture, torment, or writhing forever and ever. In Revelation 20:10, “forever and ever” is properly translated “into the ages of eternity.” It is a permanent death.

God’s living word DOES NOT speak of an eternal torment──but rather, those who outright refuse the LORD God after the second resurrection will simply be put out of their misery for their own good as well as for others who will accept the LORD God’s Way. □

Sources:

1 Harris L. R., Archer, L. Gleason, Jr., and Waltke K. Bruce. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1980, #985a, pg. 441.

Questions That the Religions of the World Ask ── V) Why Does the LORD God Appear to Answer Minor Prayers, But Seem to Ignore Important Ones?

 (Ai-generated illustration for COJCOM)

We pray and hope that this article will help you better understand this question that many have.

The LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God – which at this time consists of our Heavenly Father and our loving Elder Brother, Savior, and soon-coming King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ) does not ignore the prayers of those who are obeying them. And anything we ask that is according to their will, they hear us and will answer. (cf. Jeremiah 7:16; 1 John 5:14-15).

However, the LORD God does not always answer our prayers the way we might expect.

Why?

Well … in the simplest terms, it’s not always according to the will of the LORD God, or within our best interest.

I gave a couple of examples that are personal in nature in my life, in one of our last Questions: II) Why Doesn’t God Intervene When People Desperately Seek Him? My friend in Gulfport, FL, was becoming increasingly ill after having had a heart attack. For months, I prayed for his recovery of his health. Then, one day, in prayer to Father God and our Lord Jesus, I asked why he wasn’t appearing to get any better. I know, beyond any shadow of doubt, that the LORD God could have healed him completely. When suddenly a thought entered my mind in prayer ─ he hasn’t asked. That answer shook me to my core! Hadn’t he asked?

So, even though a “fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16) ─ “’ … who has known the mind of the LORD? Or, who has become His counselor?’ … For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” – Romans 11:34, 36. We MUST never forget that it is the LORD God that is the ultimate provider and or Judge of all that we have and need – cf. James 4:12-15.

The other personal example: The Eternal One has made many promises throughout His living word. But He has nowhere said that He will answer our prayers immediately, or in the way we necessarily want. I’ve been praying to the LORD God now for a little over a year for the removal of an evil and vile person from my family’s life. “Why,” I ask Father God and our Lord Jesus, “have You not removed this vile man from our lives?” Often, the LORD God doesn’t completely remove terrible people from our lives, certainly because there is something we must learn. I have even fasted before the LORD for weeks on end over this IMPORTANT subject.

There just might be an important or specific reason behind why our prayer hasn’t been answered ── yet.

King Solomon wrote most of Proverbs as Wisdom instruction addressed, actually, to the world ── to all who would listen and heed. This great and awesome Book opens with “my son” as a teaching style that was common in ancient wisdom literature of the time, where teachers would address their students as ‘sons’ ──

“When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28) Then you will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

29) Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the [reverent] fear of the LORD, 30) They would have none of my counsel And despised my very rebuke.

31) Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. 32) For THE TURNING AWAY of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.” – Proverbs 1:27-32. NKJV throughout, unless noted otherwise.

This is a powerful passage where Wisdom is speaking about the consequences of rejecting her call. In verse 27, it’s talking about the utter calamity that will come ‘like a storm and disaster like a whirlwind,’ and verse 28-33 is describing for us how THOSE WHO REJECT KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM will call out to the LORD God but won’t receive an answer, because they had hated knowledge and hadn’t reverently feared the LORD.

It’s showing us that the LORD God’s silence isn’t arbitrary but often reflects one’s relationship with them ── or lack thereof. When someone consistently rejects Wisdom and refuses to fear the LORD reverently, then they cry out only in a crisis; they find silence. And it’s not that the LORD God is playing favorites with ‘minor prayers’ versus ‘important ones,’ but rather that one’s heart posture and an ongoing relationship with the LORD God affect how they respond. God’s living word here is about seeing Wisdom as a Way of life rather than a last resort.

Sadly, I have heard people crying out in desperation unto the LORD God, apparently receiving no answer. Because, up to that point in their life, they had always ignored the LORD God ── hadn’t even spoken to them and certainly hadn’t feared them reverently.

When people live their whole lives turning away from Wisdom ── from the LORD God’s wisdom ── and then suddenly face a crisis, they discover that relationships cannot be built overnight, or in the blink of an eye. It’s not that the LORD God is unmerciful to their plight, but that genuine seeking requires more than just desperation ── it requires the reverent fear of the LORD God that they have been rejecting.

There have been times when my wife has said to me, “I believe in God, I know that He exists.” And my immediate response to her is, “Yes, that’s good, but does God know that you exist?” And it’s not that the LORD God doesn’t know that she exists, of course, but rather ── has He even heard from her? There is a huge difference between believing in God and actually having a relationship where they know you’ve reached out to them.

To help assist you with prayers, we do have a PDF online Bible study: A Morning Bible Study – How to Pray. Here are some excerpts ──

Question 6) What did our Lord Jesus tell us to pray for in the second half of Matthew 6:10?

“ ... ‘Your will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven.’”

We should also ask our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus to help us understand and do Their will. We need to ask the LORD God to help us study the living Word, Truth, and ultimate Plan. To study the Holy Bible with our Lord Jesus Christ guiding us into all the truth (John 16:13), such as this world’s ultimate and biggest questions. God’s living word has a right answer for them all: Why was I born? Who am I? Why am I here? What happens after death?

We should also ask our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus for Their inspiration and guidance in expressing the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Ask for meekness, humility, and the power of self-control over your emotions and temptations. “’ And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. ...’” – Matthew 6:13.

Ask daily for the LORD God to ‘create in you a clean heart, And renew a steadfast spirit within you’ – Psalm 51:10. …

Question 8) Are we also to ask daily the forgiveness of our sins?

“’ And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.’” – Matthew 6:12.

Truly, the word “debts” would have been better translated “sin.” The Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary writes, “A vitally important view of sin. ... directs us to seek” forgiveness of sins. Also note, “our” sins, not “my” sins, should be asked to be forgiven.

Note that even though the sins of Sodom were very grave, the Prophet Abraham asked of the LORD, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” –Genesis 18:16-33. …

Remember, the LORD God will forgive us only if we are willing to forgive others. If you cannot rid yourself of feelings of bitterness, jealousy, envy, and resentfulness (a negative manifestation of anger) towards others, then ask our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus to clean up your heart and mind. Replacing those negative emotions with the positive ─ the fruits of the Spirit.

‘Worship In Spirit and Truth’

Sadly, millions of people do not properly understand WHO and WHAT God is. And because of this, they often do not pray to the true Creator God ── the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ── the very Elohim of the Bible (cf. Genesis 1:26).

John 4:7-26 (Ai-generated)

It appears to be of the belief in this wannabe “interconnected ecumenical approach to religion” world, that praying to Mary, Allah, Shiva, Buddha, or even their so-called Trinity is the same as praying to the true Creator God. Yet, this is NOT TRUE!

Let us notice that our beloved Apostle Paul speaks of our true Elohim ──

“For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6) yet for us there is ONE GOD, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST [here, notice two distinct separate beings!], through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” – 1 Corinthians 9:5-6.

Two separate beings!

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, teaches us ──

“’ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24) God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” – John 4:23-24.

Let’s walk through this wonderful and powerful conversation our Lord Jesus had with this Samaritan woman. Here, our Lord Jesus was breaking down social barriers by even talking with her, then offering “living water,” which symbolizes eternal life. When she questions Him, saying, “Sir, … our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that IN JERUSALEM is the place where one ought to worship,” Our Lord Jesus reveals that true worship isn’t about a location, a place, but connecting with the LORD God from our heart. He then boldly declares, “’ I who speak to you am [the Messiah].’” This conversation and meeting transform her whole life and spread throughout the town. This was revolutionary ── worship isn’t about religious rituals or customs, but genuine connection in spirit and in truth with the LORD God.

Millions of people think and or believe that it doesn’t matter how they worship, only that they attempt. Our Lord Jesus here says, ‘Father desires those who worship Him to worship Him in spirit and in truth, wherever you might be located.’

He went on to say, recorded by the Apostle Matthew ──

“’ HYPOCRITES! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8) ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9) And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” – Matthew 15:7-9.

People the world over may be praying out loud or in silence, but notice that they can be worshiping in vain if they are teaching or following the imaginations of their own mind ── the ‘teachings as doctrine, the commandments of men.’ Such as intentionally or unknowingly praying toward the east to worship a false god ──

Ezekiel 8:15-16 (Ai-generated)

Ezekiel 8:15-16 – “Then He said to me, ‘Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.’

So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.”

Let’s set the scene: Ezekiel 8 is a powerful vision from 592 BC, about 14 months after the Prophet Ezekiel’s first vision. Ezekiel is being transported in a vision to King Solomon’s temple, where he sees shocking idolatry right in the sacred place of the LORD. Verse 15 shows us that the LORD God asks Ezekiel if he’s seen enough, then warns that he is about to see even ‘greater abominations than these.’ Verse 16 is describing sun worship right there in the sacred place of the LORD God!

These twenty-five men were practicing sun worship, a form of idolatry that had infiltrated the temple. They were likely priests who had abandoned their covenantal duties to the LORD God, turning instead to pagan practices that were common in the ancient Near East.

Certain worldly holidays cause you to unknowingly pray toward the east ── toward the sun, i.e., Easter and its Sunrise Worship. Then, there are religions in which they purposefully worship toward the east, i.e., several “Christian” traditions, especially the Oriental Orthodox churches, such as the Coptic and Indian Orthodox, that pray facing east. Hinduism also often faces the rising sun. Also, and I believe it's important to point this out ── because apparently not many brethren know this ── early true Christians also faced east while praying, which would often lead non-Christians to think they were worshiping the sun.

So, even though God’s living word doesn’t specifically say that the Apostle Peter was facing east when he went up on the housetop to pray around noon, he was in the city of Joppa, which is northwest ── he easily could have been facing northeast toward Jerusalem. He was following Jewish prayer customs at the time. This practice, called “ad orientem,” meaning ‘to the east.’

“The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.” – Acts 10:9.

In my home, I pray to Father God and our Lord Jesus from all directions in spirit and in truth ── cf. John 4:23-24.

Let us notice something that our Lord Jesus prayed ──

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: ‘Father, the hour has come. … 16) They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17) Sanctify them by Your truth. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH. 18) As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19) And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by THE TRUTH.’” – John 17:16-19.

Sadly ── even though sales of the Holy Bible reached historic highs in both the United States and the United Kingdom in 2025 ── most of the world compromises with THE TRUTH and refuses to believe that the living word of God is TRUTH. Apparently, most, like what my wife often says to me, “Well, the Bible has been written by men, and has been translated over and over, and over again,” believe that it’s truly not inspired by an actual Creator of the heavens and of earth ── that it’s just merely “Jewish” ancient writings, especially the Old Testament, with all its “thees” and “thous.”

While many will play ‘lip-service’ to the idea of believing what the Bible says ── ‘the Book of Prophecy does have some insightful wisdom ── Books such as the Song of Solomon, surely must be some man’s fanciful romantic thoughts.’

Yet, the Lord our Savior tells us, “’ Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4.

The Holy Bible is God’s living word in print.

You Must Believe That He Is

God’s living word tells us that those who come to Him must believe that He exists. Well … in truth, I’ve heard people begin their prayers with, “If you’re really there …” Anyone who truly doesn’t even believe that the LORD God exists, certainly won’t get their prayers answered ──

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6.

Our Lord Jesus Himself teaches us that those who pray need to have faith ──

“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. 23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.’” – Mark 11:22-24.

We MUST have faith that the LORD God will answer our prayers ── again, if it is the LORD God’s will. True faith can indeed move mountains.

Now, where does faith come from? The Apostle Paul answers, inspired by the LORD God ──

“So then FAITH COMES BY HEARING, and HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.” – Romans 10:17.

It’s important to know whose prayers the LORD God hears ──

“ …’ But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.’” – Isaiah 66:2b.

Again, those ‘who tremble at His word,’ meaning those who truly believe that what the LORD God says ── the LORD God means. God says what He means and means what He says!

Our Lord Jesus speaks of us having to have this poor and contrite spirit ──

“’ Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom [from] heaven.’” – Matthew 5:3.

We are told of the LORD God ──

“’ For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. 9) ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.’” – Isaiah 55:8-9.

Let us be humble enough to believe the LORD God above any of our own ideas or opinions, or feelings, or intuitions. All the time ── every time.

Continuing here in this subtitle ── even demons believe and tremble.

“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe ── and tremble!” – James 2:19.

Of course, every single demon believes that God is ── and they also know that the LORD God “’ will render to each one according to his deeds.’” – Romans 2:6.

Our faith should go far beyond just believing that the LORD God exists. The Apostle James ── inspired by the living Spirit of God explains ──

“ … faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18) But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. … 20) But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” – James 2:17-18, 20.

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” – verse 26.

Every single morning between 3AM and 11AM, I “work” on our ministries’ website. Yet is this what saves us? No. “For by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it [faith itself] is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, …” So, our “works” ── our works being “the work of God, obedience to God, the keeping of His holy and righteous commandments, the helping of orphans and widows in their need and keeping oneself unspotted from the world” ── does earn a reward ── but it is not salvation. In the same respect, the “works” ── of our sin ── do earn something ── but it is not eternal salvation ── what they earn ── the WAGES they earn ── is ETERNAL DEATH!

So, even the demons have faith in God, yet do not obey. They have the “works” of their master ── Satan the Devil. One-third of all the righteous angels wholly gave in to their temptations and allowed themselves to be completely manipulated by the “evil one.”

Our beloved Apostle John recorded for us concerning those who truly know Him ──

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and DOES NOT KEEP His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5) But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6) He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” – 1 John 2:4-6.

Having the Right Priorities When We Pray

Matthew 6:26-30 (Ai-generated)

Our Lord and Savior of all mankind, Jesus Christ, laid out for us a prayer guideline ──

“’ And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.’” – Matthew 6:7.

Truly, vain repetitions aren’t just about saying the same prayer repeatedly. It’s more about the heart behind the words. Our Lord Jesus was truly getting at the idea of praying with genuine meaning rather than just going through the motions. The LORD God knows what we need, so we should have a real conversation, not just rattling off words.

As an example: The Jews praying (shuckling, rather) at the Western Wall, with their rhythmic swaying during their prayers ── is the same pattern our Lord Jesus was addressing about vain repetitions vs. genuine conversation.

During our Lord Jesus’ time, Jewish prayer practices were already pretty established. They prayed three times a day ── morning, afternoon, and evening ── and they used specific blessing prayers. Our Lord Jesus would have encountered these practices at the Temple and emphasized genuine, heartfelt prayer rather than just going through the motions.

And what is gloriously wonderful ── because of what our Lord Jesus did for us on the cross, the veil in the Temple was ripped asunder, which means that we don’t have to go to a priest anymore to speak with Father God ── we have an audience with our Heavenly Father directly through our Mediator, Jesus Christ! We have direct access, no more middleman needed! Our Lord Jesus tore down that barrier, so we can talk straight to the Big Guy anytime!

Sadly, what so many call the “Lord’s Prayer” they treat like some kind of a magic formula and not as the guide our Lord Jesus intended. It’s as if they miss the whole point about having a real conversation with the LORD God. It truly covers everything we need ── honoring the very name of the Eternal One, seeking His kingdom, asking for daily provision, forgiveness, and protection – Matthew 6:9-13.

I personally pray about three times daily. I pray to Father God and our Lord Jesus like I might be having a conversation with my own physical father and elder brother – with great love, reverent fear, and respect. My afternoon prayer is more lengthier ── details about the online ministry, daily needs of others, forgiveness not just for myself but forgiveness for others, details about daily needs for my family and others (the LORD God already knows what we are in need of), asking for protection of those who are leaders over us, and often a reminder concerning our true or perceived enemies ── ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.

Yes, we truly always want to do the LORD God’s will ── ‘Your will be done.’ So, our Lord Jesus teaches that His faithful followers should have the right priorities. Notice some of what He teaches us ──

“’ Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

26) Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27) Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28) So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30) Now if God so clothes the grass of their field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31) Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’” – Matthew 6:25-34.

Brethren, our prayers and our entire approach to this life need to have the right focus ── including first and foremost ‘seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness.’ The spiritual needs of others and ourselves are more important than our physical needs.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. 15) And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” – 1 John 5:14-15.

‘By Nothing But Prayer and Fasting’

Mark 9:17-29 (Ai-generated)

Some matters are more serious than others that require intense prayer and fasting.

Let us consider the following ──

“And when He [our Lord Jesus] came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15) Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16) And He asked the scribes, ‘What are you discussing with them?’

17) Then one of the crows answered and said, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18) And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.’

19) He answered him and said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.’

20) Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

21) So He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. 22) And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’

23) Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’

24) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’

25) When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’

26) Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead.’ 27) But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28) And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’

29) So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’” – Mark 9:14-29.

Now, there are a great many people in this world who will try to exercise Satan the devil, and his minions from others. There were, in the days of the apostle Peter, some of the itinerant (traveling) Jewish exorcists who took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus Christ over some who had evil spirits within them.

Well, we need to be especially careful! As our Lord Jesus Christ shows us here, more serious matters require intense prayer and fasting.

Acts 19:15 – “ … the evil spirits answered …’” – recall Regan MacNeil, possessed by Pazuzu in the movie The Exorcist, mockingly responded, ‘What an excellent day for an exorcism.

“ … ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?’ … 16) … the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

They were beaten up and bloodied because they thought they had power over Satan the devil and his demons. We do not have power – in and of ourselves – over Satan the devil. It is only through JESUS CHRIST and through our faith in Jesus Christ – recall, even the archangel Michael “dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ – cf. Jude 1:9.

Judges 20:18-26 (Ai-generated)

Also, there was once a grave situation with the tribe of Benjamin ── the children of Israel had taken military steps which the LORD God had approved (Judges 20:18-20). Yet, ‘on that day the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah, and on that day cut down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites!’ – verse 21. And then, on the second day, ‘the children of Benjamin cut down to the ground eighteen thousand more of the children of Israel!’ – verse 25.

Then, ‘all the children of Israel ── rather, all the people ── went up and came to Bethel and wept unto the LORD, they prayed and fasted that day until evening, offering burnt offerings and peace offerings unto the LORD.’ – verse 26.

And then came victory – verses 33-36.

So, there are times when our prayers unto the LORD God ── even though consistent with the will of God ── require fasting to help.

Now, we should indeed heed our loving and glorious Savior’s instructions on fasting ──

“’ Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17) But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18) so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.’” – Matthew 6:16-18. □