“I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.”

Isaiah 48:17-19

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17

Our Lord Jesus Christ is our Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. He is the Holy One of Israel because He was indeed an Israelite from the tribe of Judah, in earthly terms. He was born by the Holy Spirit, not by the semen of a man, and is the Son of God. “Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:34-35 The Lord God says to us, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Luke 9:35

He is the Lord our God Who leads us in the way that we should go. If we look towards the approval of the majority of people to lead us in the way that we are to go, we would be lost indeed, “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. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

For over fifty years [I’m 67 today] I was ignorant about how people could know so much, have a keen intuition about everything, be so skillful and talented, have such amazing physical abilities, and be so authoritative over others. Obviously, I felt inferior to most people and was never successful nor able to achieve like most other people who were excelling in mainstream society. They always gave me a sense of acceptance and approval when I lived by the ways of this world, by the desires of the flesh, and as long as I was respectful of them. Unfortunately, their approval of me came only when I wanted girls for sexual purposes, when I was smoking marijuana, cruising in a fast car, listening to rock-n-roll music, going to “parties”, being aggressive with others, etc.

When I came to Jesus Christ, I left that self-destructive lifestyle and no longer was paying much attention to their approval but wanted to live for Jesus who gave me a constructive lifestyle. From that time, mainstream society became cold as hardships and afflictions were constantly hurled at me as I tried to live an honest life from day to day. I was experiencing a degree of persecution for living for Christ Jesus. Living for my Lord Jesus is a lifestyle that is more compatible to longevity of life. Now, through the teaching of Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Bible, I realize that those of mainstream society are living by the beast that gives them what to do, think, say, and feel. They live by the power of darkness that thrives on conflict, death, and destruction.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24

I can now truly say to My Lord Jesus, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.” Psalms 119:105-107

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. We are not lions, tigers, bears, snakes, stallions, etc., but we are docile, peaceful, meek, gentle, and harmless sheep. As sheep, we are led by the Good Shepherd, as Jesus Christ says, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own…My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish;” John 10:14, 27-28 As the sheep of the Good Shepherd, we do not hear the voice of lions, tigers, and bears, etc. but we hear His voice Who came not to destroy but to save lives.

Jesus teaches us to profit, not the type of profit that comes by the rewards of social approval but teaches us to profit according to the riches found in Him, “…to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27 Within my heart, mind and soul I say, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Romans 11:33 With Paul, I can say, “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” Ephesians 3:8

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthe w6:19-21

“Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:18

The State of Israel is the perfect example of the meaning of when the Lord said, “Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Today, the Israelis have been in 19 wars since the year they were recognized as the State of Israel in 1948. Click for a list of those 19 wars. They are very far from knowing peace like a river and just as far away from their righteousness being like the waves of the sea.

2000 years ago, the Jewish people rejected Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. If they would have said “Yes!” to Him those many years ago, none of the conflicts upon them today would ever have existed. That’s because the State of Israel would never have existed. Instead of being a Jewish culture, or known as Israelis, they would have been Christians. As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not have a nation on this earth to call our own. We are in every country on all seven continents, we are many different colors, many different nationalities, many different languages, and within many different cultures. As Christians, our country is the eternal New Jerusalem in the new heaven and earth.

As quoted, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29

Righteousness does not come from external appearances and the righteous words that are spoken for other people to hear but come from the Holy Spirit living within our heart and soul. That is the same place from where our peace comes. Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 Here’s an example of the righteousness of the Pharisees, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28 Click for the scripture text from Matthew 23.

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

“Your descendants also would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.” Isaiah 48:19

The descendants of God are His children who are born-again through Jesus Christ, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29 The promise was made to Abraham that his descendants would be like the sand of the sea, “…blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore;” Genesis 22:17 He “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11-13

Our Lord Jesus says to the Jewish culture, whom He wanted to be part of His descendants that have multiplied like the sand on the seashores, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you will see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:37-39

The Jewish people have been cut off from the presence of the Lord and His eternal Kingdom has been given to everyone who shows the fruit of repentance by faith in Jesus Christ, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.” Matthew 21:43

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
“I am coming soon. 
Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.’”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1

Normal isn’t coming back,
Jesus is.