Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Like the antediluvians, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Israelites before us, we are in danger of taking our eyes off the goal. In theory we may think we have our eyes on the goal, yet there seems to be a huge disconnect between our theory and our actions.
It appears to me that our churches have fallen for this “saved by grace” nonsense and therefore feel that they can go on sinning and still get into Heaven. This concept, of course, comes from Catholicism.
Another aspect of this “saved by grace” is manifested in, “I can believe anything I want and still get to heaven.” “I can pick and choose what verses I want to believe and ignore those I don’t like.”
We are way too involved in the world and what it has to offer. The blood of Jesus and His sacrifice for us is no longer appreciated. Since the 1960’s we have had it so easy, we have no idea what sacrifice is all about. We are taught to avoid pain, sacrifice and reality. Everything is “virtual” and surreal. Our lives have no meaning since money and power are seen as the only goals to achieve. But even there, we no longer have to “work” for them, they are given to us by the government or DEI.
Few who call themselves Christian understand what it means to be Christian. Christianity has been boiled down to “go to church and support the church”. That’s it! Do that and you get a free pass into heaven.
1 Peter 1:1-25
From: Peter, an apostle of Jesus, the Messiah.
To: The exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the people chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying action of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus, the Messiah, and to be sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be yours in abundance!
They had forgotten! Keep in mind, this is not Paul speaking, but Peter approximately 64 AD, 30 years after Jesus. He is talking to “exiles of the Dispersion”. These were Jews, or converts to Judaism, who had been hunted and persecuted by the church in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem had forgotten to “be obedient to Jesus”. It was all about their organization. The Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity were relearning how to live in obedience to the Ten Commandments instead of a church organization. They had been “sprinkled with his blood” and therefore recognized the holiness of obedience to the Ten Commandments as Jesus was.
“Sanctifying action”. Have you had the sanctifying action in your life? Are you living in obedience to Jesus?
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah! Because of his great mercy he has granted us a new birth, . . .
As I type this, tears are in my eyes. As I think of His great mercy in granting me a new birth, it is hard to fathom such love. For most, going to church and belonging to a denomination or believing in a set of beliefs is thought of as “a new birth”. It isn’t. Yes, we must have a renewing of the mind, yet, that renewing will be evident in our actions. Living like everyone else, or sitting in church an hour a week, isn’t a new life.
For some reason, many believe God is obligated to give us a new life. He didn’t have to! There was absolutely no reason for God to graciously offer us eternal life. If Heaven and the other worlds had taken a vote, probably we would not have the option of eternal life. But God in His great mercy offers eternal life to us.
. . . resulting in an immortal hope through the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, from the dead and to an inheritance kept in heaven for you that can’t be destroyed, corrupted, or changed.
I believe salvation has been so watered down, few recognize the “immortal hope” that is offered us. Most hope for a new car, a beautiful wife to take care of our every want and wish or a bank account full of money. I don’t think many hope for eternal life. It probably never crosses their mind.
Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of this era.
“Through faith”. Not many have faith. Most confuse belief with faith. The devils believe, but they don’t have faith. Most believe in “a” god, but few have faith in the Creator God. Faith that if we live in obedience to what He commands, He will keep His Word to us. Jesus had faith. So much faith in His Father’s Word, He refused to save His own life but submitted to the will of His Father. Not many have that kind of faith. Most “faith” is a faith that God will do what we want, instead of us doing what God wants of us.
What “era” is Peter talking about? As I look back upon earth’s history, I see four eras since the fall of man. The first was before the flood. They are the only people to have seen what the world was like before sin? They could look into the Garden of Eden and see the angels who were guarding the gate. The world of that era had an opportunity to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life. What a world there would have been if they had. Sadly, that era came to an end because they refused to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.
The second era comes after the flood and travels down to the exodus. During this era the world was starting over. People were more separated and sin was confined and less pronounced. There were people who, with the knowledge they had, were living in obedience to God. Even though the sons of Noah had an opportunity to fill the earth with the praise of God, they instead filled it with the praise of men. The knowledge of a “Messiah” who would come to pay the penalty for our sins was passed down through generations of mankind. The world, both the righteous and the wicked, were looking forward to a Messiah. However, a pagan system developed that prevented man from understanding who God was.
The third era was the Exodus. God called a nation, a mini-world, to display to the world the attributes of God. The temple services were not like the pagan services. God’s plan took the eyes of man away from man and onto a loving Messiah who would give His life for the sins of the world. The pagan services offered up human sacrifices; God offered Himself.
The fourth era was the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus down to His second coming. Sadly, when He did arrive, the world, both the church and the pagans, rejected Him. However, God kept His Word. He came and fulfilled His obligation for our eternal life.
Now, that we have the historical fact of God giving His life for our sins, it is up to us to accept that sacrifice in our lives for our eternal life. We accept His sacrifice by living His sacrifice in our own lives. That sacrifice will be rewarded if we live in obedience. His power will sustain us until we receive His salvation.
You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trial for a little while, so that your genuine faith, which is more valuable than gold that perishes when tested by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus, the Messiah, is revealed.
In the Bible, suffering and trials are always used to test and develop genuine faith. Without suffering and trials, we have no real faith, only a belief that will not save us. The devil offers us eternity without suffering or trials. He offers us whatever we want that will bring us pleasure. But in the end, eternal death. The only way we get to heaven is through suffering and trials. These don’t bring us pleasure, but they do bring us joy. I have experienced this concept in my life.
Just keep in mind, this conflict has been going on since Adam and Eve. Eve was asked to “sacrifice” by not eating from the “Tree of Good and Evil”. She took the easy way out and went with pleasure. When the devil offered Jesus the easy way out, He graciously declined. Will you?
Though you have not seen him, you love him. And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
How do we know we are receiving the salvation of our souls? Because we are experiencing in our lives the same suffering and trials that Jesus suffered. We can rejoice in that. Simply put, if we suffer for Him, we will receive the same reward He received for suffering for us. “Suffering” is simply rejecting temptation—no matter how small the temptation.
Even the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, carefully researched and investigated this salvation.
“Grace that was to be yours”. Not one of us would have salvation without the death of Jesus. Moses, Elijah and Enoch would have been returned to earth to die without the sacrifice of Jesus. That “grace” was to be theirs, yours and ours upon His death. Otherwise, there would be no “grace” of salvation.
It was so amazing to the prophets, this salvation grace, that they studied into it trying to understand how it worked. They wanted to determine when it would happen.
They tried to find out what era or specific time the Spirit of the Messiah in them kept referring to when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.
As the Spirit of God moved upon them to write about the future sufferings, trials, persecutions and death of the Messiah, they wanted to know when. From Adam, Abraham, to Samuel, David, Isaiah and Jeremiah, along with the minor prophets, all were trying to find out when the Messiah would come. But that information was not given to them. But eventually, it was given at the right time to the right person in the right place: Daniel. Why? Because he was closer to the time of the Messiah. Close enough that people would not forget and would be able to see the events leading up to the Messiah.
The same is true today. I believe that the Spirit of God is giving information now that people can follow and learn the closeness of the Messiah’s second coming. God never leaves His people in the dark but reveals what is soon to take place to those who are trying to “find out what era or specific time” He will come.
When people say we do not know the day or the hour, including Jesus, they are taking text out of context. That was for them, as they were too far away from the event, as the earlier prophets were too far away. And as for Jesus not knowing, well, He was still on earth as a “man”. But upon returning to Heaven, He took up His God responsibilities and nothing was hidden from Him.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you in regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who brought you the good news through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things that even the angels desire to look into.
When a prophet prophesied, it never was about himself. Prophets are sent by God to serve His people. For most prophets, prophesying was hazardous. Many lost their lives. No one chooses to be a prophet. We are called by God, in most cases against our will. But we serve God no matter what the consequences to ourselves.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep a clear head, and set your hope completely on the grace to be given you when Jesus, the Messiah, is revealed.
There are three (3) distinct graces revealed in the Bible:
- The grace that keeps us alive. The wages of sin is death and therefore, we should all be dead.
- The grace of Jesus in giving His life to open the door for salvation.
- The grace of God in actually giving us eternal life when He returns.
Keeping a clear head is the problem in today’s world. TV, radio, cellphones, tablets, internet, church and a mired of other distractions are fogging up our minds and keeping us from looking deep into the Bible for what is about to hit us. Our hope is not to be set on our churches, denominations or pastors, but on Jesus Christ alone.
As obedient children, do not be shaped by the desires that used to influence you when you were ignorant.
Have you checked lately? Have you checked your desires lately to see if they are the same ones you had before you accepted Christ? I think most who call themselves Christian are still being shaped by the desires they had before their “belief” in Jesus. Most are not “holy”, or should I say, “wholly” committed to the Christian life. For most, “holy” simply means going to church and believing in a set of beliefs.
Instead, be holy in every aspect of your life, just as the one who called you is holy.
We cannot get to Heaven unless we are just as “holy” as Jesus. Now you understand why very few will enter into Heaven.
For it is written, “You must be holy, because I am holy.”
How “holy” are the songs you listen to? How “holy” are the conversations you have? How “holy” are your relationships? How “holy” are your TV, radio, internet connections? How “holy” is your church?
If you call “Father” the one who judges everyone impartially according to what they have done, you must live in reverent fear as long as you are strangers in a strange land.
I think that is the problem, we don’t count ourselves as “strangers” in this world. No, we think we belong here. We work very hard at belonging here.
Have you ever been to a “strange land”? I have. I spent a year in Germany while in the United States Army. There are very few conversations. Why? Because I had very little in common, especially the language. I think we have learned far too well the language of this world. I wonder if we shouldn’t be learning the language of heaven?
For you know that it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you have been ransomed from the worthless way of life handed down to you by your ancestors, but with the precious blood of the Messiah, like that of a lamb without blemish or defect.
That is the problem. We really don’t count the blood of Jesus as precious. We think of the blood of Jesus no different than the Jews thought of the blood of the lamb they were ceremoniously slaying. How did they think of it? They didn’t! “Next lamb!”
Oh, and what was that “worthless way of life” that was handed down? Church!
On the one hand, he was foreknown before the creation of the world, but on the other hand, he was revealed at the end of time for your sake.
That is correct! Jesus was God. He created the world and everything in it. The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit worked together in creating. He was “foreknown” by the universe before being revealed at the “end of time”. What was that “end of time”? Ask any Jew of the day and he would have told you it was the end of the time spoken by Daniel. And, yes He was revealed for “your sake”. He came for humanity. He came to die for us. He came to die for me. Unbelievable!
Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.
That is a very true statement. If we don’t believe in Jesus, we don’t really believe in God. It is only through Jesus that we are able to understand God. God in the Father is the same God in Jesus. By knowing the one, you know the other.
Now that you have obeyed the truth and have purified your souls to love your brothers sincerely, you must love one another intensely and with a pure heart.
It is through obedience that we purify our souls. Jesus can’t do it for you. That would go against the rules of Heaven: free choice. But He has given us the method to purify ourselves. As a man thinks, so is he, therefore, by thinking and living in obedience to the Ten Commandments, we purify our minds, which in turn, purifies our souls. As our minds and souls become purified, we will love as intensely as Jesus loved us. That is how we can judge our purification process.
Few love each other “intensely and with a pure heart”. So few! Love is not sex. God loves you, yet, not once has He had sex with you. Love is a principle that motivates the life of selfless sacrifice for the good of others.
For you have been born again, not by a seed that perishes but by one that cannot perish—by the living and everlasting word of God.
How are we born again? By putting into our minds, heart and soul the “living and everlasting Word of God”. As we behold the Word of God, all of it, from Genesis to Revelation, our minds, hearts and bodies become “born again”.
For “All human life is like grass, and all its glory is like a flower in the grass. The grass dries up and the flower drops off, but the word of the Lord lasts forever.” Now this word is the good news that was announced to you.
The good news has never changed since it was proclaimed in the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve. That Word, the “Word of the Lord”, is eternal. It has never failed or changed. Humans have attempted to steal it, cover it up or change it, but it comes back brighter than before. What is our Good News? That Jesus would come, uphold His law and die for our sins. That He would give us the example of how to live the Ten Commandments perfectly so we also could do the same. What love. Let us love as Jesus loves us. Sacrificing our lives for the good of others.
Dear Brother Ron,
This is brother Ed from Guam. I just want to thank God for having blessed me for a great friend and brother in Christ. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know that it is never to late to find and know God. Although I’m still learning and gaining all the knowledge I can with everything you’ve given to me. It is a wonderful gift, CYLB. Not only teaches the truth, but also brings me closer to God. I’m closing, I want to introduce a friend. His name is Anthony. He is here in prison with me and has put in 16 years. He has been reading his Bible every day now and I thought I’d help him know God better by introducing him to you. You are an inspiration to me, and I share it with others.
Anthony, Guam
INMATE LETTERS
Hi,
I am sentenced to life without parole, plus 150 years. I M interested in what your ministry has to offer. I have read the Bible and Jesus said with the faith of a mustard seed you could tell a mountain to move and it would. I want to know how big of a mustard seed, because I believe and I pray but sometimes I feel like my prayers fall on deaf ears. I just could use more understanding. Jesus preached love and I am in a place where love is scarce.
Sergio, CT
To Whom It May Concern,
I had seen the “Change Your Life Biblically” Bible study from one of my fellow peers and friend. I looked through it and was impressed with all its contents. I want to ask you to please send me a “Change Your Life Biblically” Bible study so that I can use it to do Bible studies with my fellow Christian brothers.
Victor, IL
Dear Ministry,
I have recently found God. I have seen the Bible study you provide. I would be interested in it. I would be very thankful to receive it.
Nicholas, CA
Hello,
I’m writing to ask for any Bible studies, books or reading material that may be available.
Kathleen, CA
Good Morning Ron,
The book you supplied me with is the most in-depth and comprehensive study I have yet to come across in prison. The questions themselves give a whole different dynamic and personalize the information and study. The personal ownership and application of the knowledge you provide gives one the ability to provide the same critical thinking and application in sharing the message with my peers. Thank you for your valuable wealth of information and study for me.
Jerwoody, TX
Brother Ronald,
Thank you for your letter. I’m very humbled by your words. I started getting locked up at 16 years old. Accepted Christ around 20, of course I didn’t understand a lot. I was all kind of confused on what truth is. I started reading my Bible, but still never gave up my street. Along the way, misinterpreting Paul’s words to justify actions I didn’t want to let go of. Your study helped me with both of those things. Until recently, all my life I’ve lived very selfishly, often wondering what my life purpose is. I was sentenced to “life without”. I’ve been incarcerated 18 years. Thanks to your lessons I’m now able to keep and understand the Sabbath on Saturday and be truly obedient with only focusing on Jesus and those 10 Commandments. Thank you for your clarity brother Ronald.
Gergio, WA
Testimony for God’s Children
My Dear Family in Christ,
As I look out over the world today, I see so many families ruined by sin. Selfishness is tearing apart our own lives, the lives of our families and society. True Christianity is simply no longer taught. Church is taught. Religion is taught. But true Christianity that changes the life is not taught.
In the following article, “Religion” is a word that was used in the 1800s to signify Christianity. Today, “religion” signifies going to church. Therefore, when reading the following article, substitute “Christianity” for the word “Religion”. Let us put true Christianity into the heart and live it in order to heal the wounds sin has caused.
Religion in the Family
Brother G, you must be a converted man or you will lose eternal life. You cannot be a happy man until you obtain the meekness of wisdom. You and your wife have too long worked at cross purposes. You must lay down this faultfinding, these suspicions, jealousies, and unhappy bickerings. The spirit which is developed in your family is carried into your religious experience. Be careful how you speak of each other’s faults in the presence of your children; and be careful how you let your spirit control you. You see only the bad and evil in your oldest son; you give him no credit for the good qualities, which, should he die, you would suddenly become convinced that he had possessed. Neither of you pursues a consistent course toward your son. You dwell upon his faults in the presence of others and show that you have no confidence in his good traits of character.
In each of you there is a disposition to see the faults of the other, and of all others; but you are each blind to your own faults and many errors. You are both nervous, easily excited and irritated. You need the meekness of wisdom. You cling tenaciously to your own frailties, passions, and prejudices as though if you let them go you would no more have happiness in this life, when they are thorns, pricking, bruising thorns. Jesus invites you to lay down the yoke you have been bearing, which has been galling your neck, and take His yoke, which is easy, and His burden, which is light. How wearisome is the load of self-love, covetousness, pride, passion, jealousy, and evil surmising. Yet how closely do men clasp these curses, and how loath are they to give them up. Christ understands how grievous are these self-imposed burdens, and He invites us to lay them down. The heavy-laden and weary souls He invites to come to Him, and take His burden, which is light, in exchange for the burdens which they bind upon themselves. He says: “Ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” The requirements of our Saviour are all consistent and harmonious, and if cheerfully borne will bring peace and rest to the soul.
When Brother G once takes a position on the wrong side, it is not easy for him to confess that he has erred; but if he can let his wrong course pass out of his mind and pass from the memory of others, and he can make some changes for the better without an open acknowledgment of his wrong, he will do so. But all these errors and unconfessed sins stand registered in heaven and will not be blotted out until he complies with the directions given in the word of God: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” If Brother G has found another plan besides that given us by our Lord, it is not a safe way and will prove his ruin at last. This other way is ruinous to the church, and ruinous to the prosperity and happiness of his family. He needs to soften his heart and to let tenderness, humility, and love into his soul. He needs to cultivate unselfish qualities. Brother and Sister G, you should cultivate qualities of mind which will make you pure, forgetful of self, and more interested in those with whom you are brought in contact. There is a vein of self-love and care for self which does not increase your happiness, but brings to you grief and sorrow. You have a conflict with yourself in which you alone can act a part. Both of you should control the tongue and keep back many things to which you give utterance. The first evil is in thinking wrong; then come the words which are wrong. But you leave undone the work of cultivating love, deference, and respect for each other. Be kindly considerate of each other’s feelings, and seek to sacredly guard each other’s happiness. You can do this only in the strength and name of Jesus.
Sister G has made strong efforts to gain victories, but she has not had much encouragement from her husband. Instead of seeking God in earnest prayer for strength to overcome the defects in their characters, they have been watching each other’s course and weakening themselves by finding fault with the course of others. The garden of the heart has not had attention.
If Brother G had received the light that the Lord sent him months ago and had frankly conversed with his wife, if both had broken their hard hearts before the Lord, how different would be their present state. They both slighted the words of reproof and entreaty of the Spirit of God, and did not reform their lives. But closing their eyes to the light God had sent them did not make one of their faults less grievous in the sight of God nor lessen their accountability. They have hated the reproof which the Lord in pitying tenderness gave them. Brother G has naturally a kind and tender heart, but it is crusted over with self-love, vanity, and evil surmising. His heart is not callous, but he lacks moral power. He is a coward as soon as the necessity of self-denial and self-sacrifice is brought before him, for he loves himself. To control self, to put a watch upon his words, to acknowledge that he has done wrong or spoken wrongly, is a cross which he feels is too humiliating to lift; and yet if he is ever saved this cross must be lifted.
Brother and Sister G, both of you need to watch your words; for just as surely as there is not a sentinel placed over your thoughts and actions, you will discourage each other and make it a sure case that neither of you can be saved. Both of you need to guard against a hasty spirit, which prompts hasty words and actions. Resentment, which is indulged because you think you have been misused, is the spirit of Satan and leads to great moral evil. When you are controlled by a hasty spirit you deprive your reason, for the time, of the power of regulating your words and your conduct, while you make yourselves responsible for all the evil consequences. That which is done in haste and anger is not excusable. The action is bad. You may, by a single word spoken in haste and passion, leave a sting in the hearts of friends which may never be forgotten. Unless you exercise self-control you will be a most unhappy couple. You each ascribe your unhappy life to the faults of the other; but do this no more. Make it a rule never to speak a word of censure to each other, but commend and praise whenever you can.
Some think it is a virtue to be unrestrained, and they will speak in praise of their outspoken habit of talking out disagreeable things which are in the heart. They let an angry spirit exhaust itself in a torrent of reproach and faultfinding. The more they talk, the more excited they become, and Satan stands by to help on the work, for it suits him. The words irritate the one to whom they are spoken, and they will be thrown back, giving provocation for still harder words, until a little matter has blazed into a great flame. Both of you feel that you have all the trials that you can possibly endure and that your lives are most unhappy. Resolutely commence the work of controlling your thoughts, your words, your actions. When either of you feels the rising of resentment, make it a rule to go by yourself and humbly pray to God, who will hearken to the prayer which goeth not forth from feigned lips.
Every passion must be under the control of enlightened conscience. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
If you live upon the plan of addition, adding grace to grace, God will multiply unto you His grace. While you add, God multiplies. If you cherish a habitual impression that God sees and hears all that you do and say, and keeps a faithful record of all your words and actions, and that you must meet it all, then in all you do and say you will seek to follow the dictates of an enlightened and wakeful conscience. Your tongue will be used to the glory of God and will be a source of blessing to yourself and to others. But if you separate from God, as you have been doing, take heed lest your tongue shall prove a world of iniquity and bring upon you fearful condemnation; for souls will be lost through you. 4T 240-244.