Redeeming The Time

What is the best way to respond to Halloween?

Many of the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) understand that Halloween is sick and twisted.  It celebrates death and serial killers.  It promotes Pagan myths like the living dead.  It has been instrumental in the rise of Neo-Paganism.  It is not hard to see that it glories the Father of Lies.

Yet, in America, there is no getting away from Halloween.  It is everywhere you go.  There are Halloween decorations in stores, schools, offices, yards, houses, and even churches!

So, the Children of Truth have struggled with the best way to respond to Halloween each year.

One response has been Halloween alternatives.

Once a church I went to for many years started out having a Bible dress up party on Halloween night.  Everyone had to come as a Biblical character.  One guy came as the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan Aka The Devil).  Some people were upset at him, but he had not broken the rules.  The Father of Lies is mentioned frequently in the Book of Truth (The Bible).

Soon other people said, that they were going to come as Jezebel, Canaanite priests, Nebuchadnezzar, the Man of Lies (The Antichrist aka The Beast), Pharaoh, and the like next year.  After all, there are many wicked and scary things in the Book of Truth.

So the next year, the pastor changed the Bible dress up party to a Harvest Festival.  No one was allowed to wear anything that was scary.  People were to have costumes within certain themes.

This Harvest Festival was great fun, but people showed up wearing costumes that were out of theme like super heroes, for example.  Some people were upset when my daughter won the best Hillbilly contest.  They were really upset when they found out that we had just dressed her up in some of her normal clothes, because we were too poor to afford a costume.

So the next year, the Harvest Festival was changed to not have themes, and people could wear any costumes as long as they were not scary.  However, some people complained that it was on Halloween, because their kids wanted to go trick-or-treating with their friends.  So the Harvest Festival was moved to another date and became a Halloween supplement, instead of a Halloween alternative.

Another response has been to try to ignore Halloween altogether.  This is pretty easy to do now, because our city has created an ordinance that says if the front porch light is out, then trick-or-treaters are not to knock on those doors.  For the most part, people obey this ordinance.

However, this response did not work very well before this ordinance was passed.  Some very young participants could be quite persistent.  Eventually, I would have to open the door, and politely tell them that I did not have anything to give them.  Some of them would take it personal and cry.  The only way to avoid this trick-or-treat drama was to not be home.

Since trick-or-treaters were going to be knocking on my door and ringing my doorbell, I came up with another response to Halloween.  I decided that I was going to hand out Gospel tracts that explained what was wrong with Halloween.  So, a week before Halloween, I prayed for the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) to guide me to the best tract to give out, and then I headed to my local Christian bookstore.

When I got to the Christian bookstore, they had a fine selection of Gospel tracts explaining what was wrong with Halloween.  Some were like small graphic novels that would interest kids.  Still, I did not get that "this is the one" assurance from the Spirit of Truth for any of those tracts.  I was getting frustrated.

When I was about to leave the store empty-handed, I felt the leading of the Spirit of Truth to go to another section of Gospel tracts that I had not noticed before.  So, I went over there.  Immediately, I found a tract where I got that "this is the one" assurance from the Spirit of Truth.

I was very confused, because this tract said absolutely nothing about what was wrong with Halloween.  It simply told in a very easy to understand manner what was right with the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ).

Instead of talking about how evil Halloween was, it talked about how good the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) was.  Instead of telling about how people are influenced by the Spirits of Lies (devils aka demons aka unclean spirits aka gods) on Halloween to live wickedly, it told about how people are influenced by the Spirit of Truth to live holy.  Instead of telling about the sacrifices that Druids made in the wicker man, it told about the sacrifice that the Man of Truth made on the cross.

This was not at all what I had came to buy, and yet, the Spirit of Truth was making it very clear that I should buy a lot of these tracts.  So, I did and went home, awaiting further instructions.

When I got home to tell my wife what had happened, I learned that the Spirit of Truth had been talking to her as well, while I was at the store.  She told me what she had heard.  The Spirit of Truth was witnessing to my spirit to listen to my wife, so we started putting her plan into action.

We asked our pastor to make a bunch of labels, that told about when and where our church met.  These labels fit exactly in the blank space on the back of the tracts.  So, we started applying the labels.  When we ran out tracts, we found that we had also ran out of labels.

Next, we bought a bunch of small blue and pink zip-lock bags.  We also bought some whistles and bracelets.  Finally, we bought some full-sized chocolate bars - the really good kind.

About an hour before it got dark, we assembled our bags.  We put one of our tracts and a chocolate bar in each bag.  We then put the whistles in the blue bags and the bracelets in the pink bags.  We were now sat in anticipation of the first trick-or-treater.

Soon the doorbell rang.  They were here!  Children, who had never been to church, or heard about what the Man of Truth did for them, were coming to our door with the great expectations!

We gave each boy a blue bag, and each girl a pink bag.  These bags far outdid what was already in their containers.  Soon, word got out that our house was where the good stuff was.  It was a busy evening as lost children came to our house to get something great!

Late in the evening, we had a few very late stragglers.  We had just the right number of blue and pink bags left for them.  We gave them the last of our bags, and that was the end of children seeking us out.

However, the story does not end there.  Those tracts did what they were intended to do.  A number of those children came to our church the next Sunday.  One little boy particularly stands out.

This little boy convinced his parents to drop him off to attend the service that we had for children.  He came up to altar call at the end of the service.  From that moment on, his life was never the same.

His parents noticed the change in him, so they came to our adult service to see why.  Soon, they were also answering an altar call.  Their life began to change dramatically from that day on.

His father got sober and got a job.  He also quit beating him and his mother.  His mother got sober as well, and stopped spending the grocery money on lottery tickets.  Over time, they learned how to be a family.

The Spirit of Truth gave them the strength to live as the Father of Truth had intended families to live, because they surrendered control of their lives to the Man of Truth.  They surrendered control of their lives to the Man of Truth, because they finally understood how much the Father of Truth loved them.  They learned how much the Father of Truth loved them, because a Gospel tract that told them what was right with the Man of Truth, instead of what was wrong with Halloween.  They got that Gospel tract, because their little boy came to the house where the good stuff was.

Their little boy came to get a whistle and a good full size chocolate bar.  What he really got was healing for his broken family through surrendering control of their lives to the Man of Truth.  He got a better future in this world and a better eternity in the world to come.

The Children of Truth should not be afraid of Halloween, but rather take advantage of the opportunity that it gives us to bring people to the knowledge of the truth.  We should be redeeming the time, acting in wisdom, not fear, because we do live in evil days (Ephesians 5:15-17).

We need to be the real deal, so people can see the Man of Truth in us.  This will make us stand out in a world, where so many people are wearing a costume when they go to play church.

We need to let them know about the friendly ghost that will lead them into righteousness.  We need to let them know that the Man of Truth can deliver them from the monster within.  We need to let them know that the Father of Truth sent the Man of Truth to die in their place, because He does not desire that they go to the Chamber of Horrors.

The Great Commission is not for us to tell people how terrible Halloween is.  It is for us to tell people how wonderful the Man of Truth is (Mark 16:15-16).  People need to know how good the Father of Truth is, so that they will come to Him in repentance (Romans 2:4).

We are to overcome the evil of Halloween with good, instead of living in fear of being overcome by the evil of Halloween (Romans 12:21).  We have nothing to fear from Halloween, because greater is the Spirit of Truth that lives in us, than the Spirits of Lies that live in the world (1 John 4:2-4).  We have no fear of Halloween, when we learn to love people like the Father of Truth loves them (1 John 4:16-18).

Take advantage of the opportunity of Halloween!  When else are you going to have so many lost people seeking you out to give them something good?  What is there to give them that is better than the Good News?

It may seem strange to do what my wife and I did that year, but the wisdom of the Man of Truth in reaching the lost, means doing what seems wrong to those with a religious spirit (Luke 7:30-35).  The Children of Truth need to follow the leading of the Spirit of Truth to find the best way to respond to Halloween each year (Romans 8:14-16).  They need to have the wisdom to be redeeming the time, by finding ways to tell people what is right with the Man of Truth (Colossians 4:5-6)!

This is the best way for the Children of Truth to respond to Halloween!

Do not complicate things by going into the evils of Halloween.  You can only give them head knowledge, but that will not convince them to abhor Halloween.

They have to have the second of the two kinds of knowledge, before they want nothing to do with Halloween from their hearts.  They are saved by faith, but grow by knowledge.  After people come into the House of Truth, they will grow to hate Halloween all on their own. 

So, give them the simplicity of the Gospel.

Let them know that, if they will surrender control of their lives to the Man of Truth, because they believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead, then they will come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:9).  After they renew their minds in the House of Truth, they start learning for themselves how to redeem the time, when Halloween comes around each year (Romans 12:2)!

Come into the House of Truth!

The Final Harvest

What will happen to the Children of Truth after the Final Harvest?

Every autumn, there are all kinds of celebrations at the end of the harvest.  Where I grew up, Lincoln had the Arkansas Apple Festival at the end of the apple harvest.  In like manner, Tontitown had the Grape Festival at the end of the grape harvest.

These festivals are hardly new, nor are they limited to climatic fall (September - November).  Every spring, there was the Stillwell Strawberry Festival.  At the very beginning of climatic summer (June - August), there was the Jay Huckleberry Festival.

In like manner, there are three harvest festivals, one near the middle of climatic spring (March - May), one near the beginning of climatic summer, and one near the middle of climatic fall, in the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law) (Exodus 23:14-16).  Each harvest seasons was a time of great joy, especially when the harvest was completed (Isaiah 9:3).

The first harvest festival was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that occurs near the middle of climatic spring (Exodus 34:18).  This festival marked the beginning of the barley harvest, when the first sheaves of the barley harvest were offered up on the inner Feast of Truth called "Firstfruits", that occurred on the Sunday inside of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:10-11).  No one could eat of the barley harvest, until after the sheaves were offered up on Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:14).

The second harvest festival was the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot aka Pentecost), that marked the beginning of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22).  This festival occurs seven weeks after Firstfruits, near the beginning of climatic summer (Leviticus 23:15-21).  Like the barley harvest, no one was to eat of the wheat harvest, until first of the wheat was offered up on the Feast of Weeks (Numbers 18:12-13).

The third harvest festival was the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), when the last of the crops of the agricultural year were gathered in (Exodus 23:16).  This festival was near the middle of climatic fall, that marked the end of the fruit harvest (Leviticus 23:39-43).  Like the barley harvest, no one could drink of the new wine from the grape harvest, until the best of it was offered (Numbers 18:12).

No one could plant, or harvest, barley, wheat, or grapes, during the Year of Release (Leviticus 25:3-5). The Feast of Tabernacles marked the final harvest of the agricultural year, because it marked the end of the Year of Release (Deuteronomy 31:10).

So the grape harvest was the final harvest, and the Feast of Tabernacles came after it.  The Feast of Tabernacles was the time of great rejoicing, that came after the final harvest (Deuteronomy 16:13-15).

This rejoicing during the Feast of Tabernacles, after the final harvest was over, was so important, that the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) were commanded to actually spend part of their tithe money, to buy whatever whatever food, and drink, especially wine, that they needed for rejoicing (Deuteronomy 14:22-26).

Wine can cheer people up (Judges 9:13)!  Wine can make people shout (Psalm 78:65)!  Wine can make people glad (Psalm 104:15)!  Wine can make people merry (Ecclesiastes 10:19)!  Wine can make people sing (Isaiah 24:9)!  Wine can make people rejoice (Zechariah 10:7)!

This is why King David gave everyone, who came to celebrate the placement of the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle of David, a flagon of wine (2 Samuel 6:17-19).  The wine was as important to the rejoicing, as the singing of praises to the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) (1 Chronicles 16:1-6).

So, right after the final harvest, there came a time of great joy for the Children of Truth.

Today, the Final Harvest is approaching.

The greatest harvest of souls in history will soon be ripe, and the Final Harvest will begin (Mark 4:26-29)!

Like the barley harvest began by men, marked the beginning of the long harvest season, so also the harvest of the people of Israel began by the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ), marked the beginning of the long harvest season (Matthew 9:33-38).  Like the wheat harvest began by men, marked the beginning of diversity of crops during the long harvest season, so also the harvest of the Gentiles began by the Man of Truth, marked the beginning of diversity of people during the long harvest season (John 4:35-38).  Like the grape harvest finished by men, marked that the long harvest season was over, so also the Final Harvest finished by the Man of Truth, will mark that the long harvest season is over (Revelation 14:12-16)!

In the Final Harvest, the Children of Lies (those who disobey the Father of Truth because they do not love Him) will be taken out of the congregation of the Children of Truth (Matthew 13:24-30)!  In the Final Harvest, the Children of Lies will be destroyed, while the Children of Truth will be preserved (Matthew 13:36-43)!

After the Saints go marching in, and the grapes of wrath have been crushed in the winepress of Jerusalem, then the time after the Final Harvest will begin!

The Children of Truth will shout for joy after the Final Harvest, because the Children of Lies have been destroyed (Psalm 5:10-12)!  The Children of Truth will shout for joy after the Final Harvest, because they trusted in the Father of Truth (Psalm 32:10-11)!  The Children of Truth will shout for joy after the Final Harvest, because the Children of Lies will never oppress them again (Psalm 35:25-27)!  The Children of Truth will shout for joy after the Final Harvest, because the Man of Truth will be sitting on the throne of King David (Psalm 132:9-12)!  The Children of Truth will shout for joy after the Final Harvest, because the Man of Truth will be reigning over the Earth from Jerusalem (Psalm 132:13-17)!

The Children of Truth will begin to experience unending joy, after the Final Harvest!  This is what the Feast of Tabernacles tells about as the seventh act of the Greatest Play Ever!  This is why the command to rejoice during the Feast of Tabernacles is so serious, that the Children of Truth are told to spend part of their tithes to do it!

The Final Harvest will bring about a time of great joy for the Children of Truth, but the Final Harvest has not yet began.  It will be obvious when the Final Harvest begins.

The final harvest of the grapes began with a shout (Isaiah 16:10)!  In like manner, the Final Harvest of souls will begin with a shout (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)!

Until the Final Harvest begins, there is still a harvest going on! 

There was continual harvest of different kinds of fruit during the long harvest season, that came between the wheat harvest and the grape harvest (Exodus 22:29).  The Feast of Tabernacles came after the harvest of these different kinds of fruit ended (Leviticus 23:39-41).  The harvest of these different kinds of fruit continued all during the long harvest season (Deuteronomy 26:2).  There was always a harvest of some kind of fruit going on, before the final harvest (Nehemiah 10:35)!

In like manner, there has been a continual harvest of different kinds of people during the long harvest season, that came between the day, when the Man of Truth left the Earth, and the day, when He meets the Children of Truth in the air!  There has always been a harvest of some kind of people going on, before the Final Harvest!

Until the Final Harvest begins, the Children of Truth need to heed the warning of "People get ready!".  They need to learn how to fully carry out the Great Commission.  The need to be doing their part to carry out the Great Commission, because there is still a harvest going on right now!

The Children of Truth need to be wise enough to harvest souls (Proverbs 11:30)!  [The Hebrew word translated as "win" here means "to take" (in the harvest).]  The Children of Truth need to pray for more of them to join in the harvest, that is going on right now, because not nearly enough of them are working in the harvest (Luke 10:2)!  The Children of Truth need to be harvesting the fruit that is ripening, just before the Final Harvest begins (Romans 1:13)!

The Children of Truth harvest a soul, whenever someone decide to make the Man of Truth their king, because that person believed their witness, that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9)!  The Children of Truth begin harvesting souls, whenever someone becomes the first one to respond to their efforts (Romans 16:5)!  The Children of Truth gain help harvesting souls, whenever one of the souls they harvested, decides to help others come into the House of Truth (1 Corinthians 16:15)!  The Children of Truth harvest souls, whenever people are born again, through hearing them preach the Word of Truth (James 1:18)!  The Children of Truth need to keep harvesting souls, while they wait for the Final Harvest to begin (James 5:7-8)!

Come into the House of Truth!

You Have To Start Somewhere

When is the best time to tell people about the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ)?

Tulsa has had a triple digit (at least 100 F / 38 C) day in every month except January, since it was founded a little over 100 years ago.  Tulsa has also had tremendous snow storms as early as October and as late as April, since I have lived here.   That is the way it goes in Tulsa, you simply never know what kind of winter that you are going to get.

Some winters, it is just down right cold.  I remember one winter day, when the high temp was 7 F / -14 C.  Naturally, I had to take care of some things outdoors on that day.

Last winter in the Tulsa area was pretty mild.   It only snowed a few large flakes that melted as soon as they hit the ground.   Still, it did manage to get very cold a few times.  On the coldest day last winter in Broken Arrow, where I live, the high was 20 F / -9 C.  This day was particularly memorable, because of what happened on that day.

I was taking my turn to stay home with my youngest daughter, who was too sick to go to church on that Sabbath.  It was very cold, and very peaceful.  When I had went out to feed the dogs earlier, it was strangely quiet.  The usual highway noise, and the sounds of people or their pets being out in their yards, was completely missing.  Nothing was outside unless it was absolutely necessary.  So I settled in for a very quiet afternoon, expecting to spend it sipping hot cocoa while watching a sermon from our pastor on YouTube.

While I waited for my daughter to wake up, I was enjoying the quiet peace of the Sabbath.  I was spending time talking to the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) when my home Sabbath routine was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

So I got up and looked through the peep hole to see who it could be.  I saw a group of about a half dozen people standing on my porch.  I thought, who could they be?  Jehovah Witnesses?  Mormons?

I was pretty sure, that my house had been marked as "avoid" again by the Jehovah Witnesses. 

I have a habit of going out to meet them, and then using their own translation of the Book of Truth (The Bible) to show them the error of their doctrine.  For example, I show them in their own literature where their founder said that the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) was forever dead.  Then I borrow one of their own copies of the Book of Truth, and show them where it says that no one can be saved by a dead Jesus.  Sometimes this sinks in with some of them and they leave the Jehovah Witnesses, so they can come into the House of Truth.

So the people in charge of the Jehovah Witnesses in Broken Arrow, would mark my house as "avoid".  Then I would not have them coming to knock on my door for a few years.

Similarly, the Mormons have marked my house as "avoid" occasionally.

It is a really simple matter to make a comparison of the Book of Mormon and a copy of the Book of Truth that they are carrying to show them why both books cannot be true.  Sometimes this sinks in with some of them and they leave the Mormons, so they can come into the House of Truth.

So I decided to go out and talk to these people, so that maybe some of them could come into the House of Truth.

When I stepped outside things were not at all like I expected.  These were not Jehovah Witnesses or Mormons.  These were people from the local Baptist church in my neighborhood.  They had no tracts to hand out and were not there to persuade me to join their organization.

Instead, they asked me if I had anything that I needed prayer for.  This was new.

So I asked them, why they were going door to door in freezing weather to ask people, if they needed prayer.  The young man who was leading them explained,that they believed that the Father of Truth would answer those prayers, and that this would cause people to seek after Him.  They were not necessarily seeking to have people join their church, but they did want people to come into the House of Truth.

Now that I was out in my yard where I could see them more clearly, I realized that one of them was a woman in her eighties.  It absolutely astonished me that she was willing to spend all day in this freezing weather, just so people might have the opportunity to come into the House of Truth.

Now that I understood what they were doing, I realized that they were among the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him).  So I offered for them to come into my house and warm up.  They did not have time to do so, but they did take some of the hot cocoa that I offered them.

So I stood out there with them and told them about my situation while they sipped on hot cocoa.

I showed them the memorial pillar in my front yard.  I explained how the Man of Truth had stood between my daughter and death on three separate occasions.  I told them that I was not angry at the Father of Truth for her condition, because I know where sickness comes from.

I explained to them how important producing the sound of power had been in each of these episodes.  I explained to them that as I spend time with the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost), how the commandments of the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law) started being written on my heart.  I explained that the Spirit of the Law was by no means at odds with the Law of Truth.  I explained to them that I had come to understand why it matters what I eat, and who changed the Sabbath.  I told them about how I had become like the Mensch who killed Christmas.  I explained that instead I kept the Feasts of Truth, even though I was playing with broken toys, because it is not possible to keep these feasts exactly as written in the Law of Truth at this time.

Then I went on to explain that none of these things saved me, and that I had not lost sight of the simplicity of the Gospel.  I let them know that people are saved by faith, but grow by knowledge.  I told them about the two kinds of knowledge, and how the second kind of knowledge had caused me to make all of these changes.

I then told them that the seeds for all of this had been planted long ago, when I was a child, by my mother who took me to the Baptist church in our neighborhood.  I probably would never arrived at the point where I am at now, if I had not began hearing the Word of Truth back them.  I had to start somewhere.

I let them know that I was so thrilled to see them out in this brutally cold weather, because they cared enough about people to demonstrate the power of the Father of Truth, so people would seek after Him.  While there were many differences between my understanding and practices and those of the Baptist church, what we had in common was more important than those differences.

I admired their willingness to sacrifice their temporary comfort, so others could experience eternal comfort.  They were doing what they could to bring people into the House of Truth.  I sincerely wanted them to have success in their endeavor, because people have to start somewhere.

So when everyone was done drinking their hot cocoa, we prayed together for the complete healing of my daughter.  Then I asked them, if I could pray for their success in their endeavor.  They consented, so I laid hands on the young man leading them and asked the Father of Truth to fill them with the Spirit of Truth, so they could have boldness in telling people about the Man of Truth.

Then I stayed outside and watched them go to the next house.  While there were many things that we did not agree on, I knew that their journey was not over.  I am also still learning, and who knows what I am ignorant of today?  I had started where they were at and it had been enough, because you have to start somewhere.

I obviously recognize the importance of knowledge.  If it was not important, then I would not have learned how to rightly divide the Word.  I certainly would not have spent thousands of hours applying those principles to deepen my understanding of the Father of Truth.

However, knowledge is not the most important thing.  I was taught this by the Spirit of Truth a long time ago.

One Sunday night, we were having a discussion about the Book of Truth (the Bible) at a Pentecostal church that I attended in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  One of the ladies told us about how she thought that the Baptists had a better grasp on grace than we did.

Now this lady went on to explain, how the Baptists, at least the ones that she had been talking to, had told her that basically the grace of the Father of Truth would let her willing disobey the Father of Truth, that is to say sin, as much as she wanted.  I cannot verify that this is what these particular Baptists really told her, but it is what she reported.  I can verify that the Baptists in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, where I went when I was young, did teach this at that time.

Of course, I know that not all Baptists teach this.  There are over 150 Baptist denominations that meet together for the Southern Baptist convention.  What they teach about various subjects covers about every imaginable position.  As far as I can tell the word "Baptist" in their name is about the only thing that they have in common, except for a belief in the resurrection of the Man of Truth.

Still, it was time to set the record straight. 

So I showed her where the Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament) plainly states that His grace is not meant to cause His Children to sin more (Romans 6:1-2).  I showed her where it plainly states that people can fall from His grace, if they leave the House of Truth (Galatians 5:4).  I showed her where it plainly states, that His grace is meant to enable us to obey Him more fully (Philippians 2:12-15).  I showed her where it plain states that it is not His will for us to use the liberty that comes His grace as a license to sin (1 Peter 2:15-16).

This then lead to a wider discussion of things in the Book of Truth that this church understood better than most Baptists.  As I sat there listening, I realized that this group really did have a much better understanding about a lot of things in the Book of Truth than most Baptists.  This is understandable, since being baptized in the Spirit of Truth is such an advantage that the Man of Truth told his disciple to not leave Jerusalem without it (Luke 24:49).

Yet something was bothering me about the whole thing.  I thought to myself, since the Baptists have all of these things wrong, then why does the Father of Truth send so many of them out as missionaries?  Immediately the Spirit of Truth said to me, "Because they will go.".

At that moment I understood that being willing to take action is more important than getting every last detail of doctrine correct.

While the members of this church spent a lot of time and effort discussing doctrine, they did not spend any where near as much effort in bringing people into the House of Truth.  Many of the Baptists, on the other hand, spent a lot of time and effort on bringing people into the House of Truth, even though they did not spend any where near as much effort in discussing doctrine.

Many Baptists took the part of the Great Commission that they understood very seriously, and it moved them to take action.  So even though their understanding of the Book of Truth was not near as great as this other church, they were being sent, because they were willing to go and teach others, what they did understand.  It did not matter how much this other church understood, if no one in it was willing to go and teach others what they understood.

The fact is, correct doctrine only matters after people come into the House of Truth.  Nobody suddenly understands everything the moment that they come into the House of Truth.  After the Baptists brought people into the House of Truth, then they could start growing into a greater understanding.  The Baptists were being used mightily to bring people into the House of Truth, because you have to start somewhere.

For example, it has taken me more than half a century to get where I am now. 

I did not know much when I started.  I have learned something from every congregation that I have been involved in.  The beginning of my understanding started with the Baptists.  Then I went through many other congregations, including Methodists, Non-denominationals, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Nazarenes, and Messianics along the way. 

Each one prepared me for the next stage of becoming more like the Man of Truth.  Yet none of this would have happened, if everyone involved had waited to get everything perfect before they did something.  They acted on what they understood, because you have to start somewhere.

The ironic truth is, that the more people seem to understand the message of the Book of Truth, the less their zeal to reach others tends to become.  Over the years, I had many Baptists reach out to bring others into the House of Truth, a few Charismatics, but not one single Messianic.

One reason, that I have never seen any Messianics handing out tracks, or witnessing to others, is that they frequently put the cart before the horse.  They tend to stress things that took them a decade to learn, instead of focusing on the basics, when talking to those who have not come in the House of Truth.

This is not a good idea.  When someone is uneducated, you don't start them off with PH. D. material.  You start them off with kindergarten material. 

Yet those who have developed a deeper understanding, often seem to forget where they started.  They should remember what brought them into the House of Truth to start with.  That is what they need to focus on, in order to bring others into the House of Truth.

After people come into the House of Truth, then they can begin to be educated, starting with the most basic principles.  It should be no surprise that if it took the teacher a decade to get where they are at, then it might take the student a decade to get there as well.

So the best strategy for teaching others about the Man of Truth is to find out what they already know, and then go from there.  The goal of is to engage their heart and mind by using what they already know, because you have to start somewhere.

So when is the best time to tell others about the Man of Truth?

Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)!

You do not need to wait until you have perfect understanding of everything before doing anything.  If you wait until everything is perfect, then you will never do anything (Ecclesiastes 11:4).

If you are in the House of Truth, then you already know enough to tell others about the Man of Truth.  For example, Andrew the Jew (The Apostle Andrew) told Peter the Jew (Cephas aka Simon aka Simeon aka The Apostle Peter) about the Man of Truth as soon as he knew about him (John 1:36-41).

All that you really need to know is that people must make a commitment to obey the Man of Truth, because they believe, that Father of Truth raised him from the dead, in order to come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:8-10).  So start telling others how to come into the House of Truth based on what you already know, because you have to start somewhere (Romans 10:14-17).

Come into the House of Truth!



 

Ellen DeGeneres

How would the Man of Truth (Yah'shua aka Yeshua aka Jesus aka Mashiach aka Messiah aka Christ) treat Ellen Degeneres?

Ellen DeGeneres is a very talented comedienne, actress, and talk show host.  She is also the voice actress that brought "Dory" to life in "Finding Nemo".  She has been noted for being one of the most generous of all celebrities both with her money and her time.  Unfortunately these fine qualities are not what many people know her for.

Ellen DeGeneres has been in the news a lot lately.  Every time I go to the store there is some tabloid going on about whether or not Portia de Rossi is going to divorce Ellen.  Similar stories keep showing as trending in social media and some times showing up in seemingly unrelated searches on the internet. 

Ellen has tried to deflect attention from this by texting that she had a big surprise for the University of Illinois.  This is somewhat effective because she has a long track record as being one of the most generous donors to charities of all celebrities.  The anticipation of this surprise has even had some people referring to the state as "Ellenois".

None of this is new for Ellen DeGeneres.  She has had more than her share of controversy.

Ellen created a rage when she told America that she was a lesbian.  It brought about the swift end of her successful television show.  After that her and Portia de Rossi were married under the laws of the state of California.  Just the appearance of Ellen in a 30 second Christmas display lead a group called One Million Moms to call for boycotts of JC Penney's in 2012.

The choices that Ellen has made concerning lesbianism and other matters has put her at odds with conservatives in general.  In fact, many conservatives refer to Ellen DeGeneres as "Ellen Degenerate".

This got me thinking about what the Man of Truth would say to Ellen DeGeneres, if they were to meet, or he was asked to be a guest on her talk show.  Would he call her names like "Ellen Degenerate"?  Would he treat her lesbian lifestyle as irrelevant?  Would he tell her that His Father made her to be like that?  How would the Man of Truth treat Ellen Degeneres?

Although we cannot know the exact conversation that they would have we do not have to speculate about how the Man of Truth would treat her.  We can look at the Book of Truth (The Bible) and see how he treated people like Ellen.

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth to appear on her show or meet her for dinner?

He would do so because he came to call sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:10-13).  He would agree to do so because he is known as a friend to sinners (Matthew 11:19).  He would meet with her if she was interested in hearing what he had to say (Luke 15:1-2).  He would not insult her by calling her some demeaning name but would instead show her respect by calling her by her name, Ellen, just as he called Zacchaeus by his name (Luke 19:5).  He would go into her house even though he would be criticized by people who vainly imagine themselves better than Ellen just like he did with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:6-7).  He would do so because Ellen is no worse than anyone else since all people have sinned (Romans 5:12).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth about how she was made?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that she was made in the image of His Father (Genesis 1:26-27).  He would tell her that the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) made her on purpose in the womb of her mother (Psalm 139:13-16).  He would tell her that she was made to live a life that reflected the character of His Father (1 Peter 1:14-16).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth why she was made as a woman?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that she was made to marry a man, have children and create a family (1 Timothy 5:14).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth about marriage?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that His Father made men and women different so that the Earth could be populated by joining their bodies together (Genesis 1:27-28).  He would tell her that women were made to help men accomplish this very purpose (Genesis 2:18-22).  He would tell her that women were made to marry men so that there is no need for shame between a man and his wife (Genesis 2:23-25).
 
What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth if being a lesbian is acceptable?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that it was never acceptable for people of the same sex to join their bodies together (Leviticus 18:22).  He would tell her that it is still not acceptable (Matthew 5:17-19).  He would tell her the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law) was made to deal with those that defile themselves in such a manner (1 Timothy 1:8-11).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth if homosexuality is a choice?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that she has a choice because he can set her free from homosexuality (John 8:34-36).   He would tell her that the only reason that people ever seek to join their bodies to someone of the same sex is because they have rejected knowing His Father (Romans 1:24-26). 

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth how she could stop being a lesbian?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that she could remain free by deciding to live in His Word (John 8:31-32).  He would tell her that he can only help her do this if she lets him live in her (John 15:4-6).  He would tell her that if he lives in her then His Father will take away those desires if she asks Him to do so (John 15:7-8).  He would tell her that she would want His Father to do this because she would want to do what was pleasing to him (John 15:9-11).  He would tell her that she would become addicted to doing what was right instead of homosexuality (Romans 6:17-19).  He would tell her that he would give her the strength to overcome every temptation (Philippians 4:13).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth if he came to condemned her?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that His Father did not send him into the world to bring condemnation but freedom (John 3:17-19).  He would tell her that anyone that will surrender to him will escape condemnation (John 5:24).  He would tell her that there is no condemnation for those learn to live by the leading of the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) so that they do what the Law of Truth says is right (Romans 8:1-4).  He would tell her that His Father has been sending messengers to her so that she could be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth what will happen if she continued to be a lesbian?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that those who do such things deserve to be put to death (Leviticus 20:13).   He would tell her that when people engage in this kind of behavior that they are abusing themselves and that they will not enter the kingdom of His Father (1 Corinthians 6:9).  He would tell her that she will end up being tormented forever in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth how could the Law of Truth be fulfilled without her being put to death for her lesbianism as it demands?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her about the woman caught in adultery who the Law of Truth also demanded death for her sin (John 8:3-5).  He would tell her that he stepped between the woman caught in adultery and the righteous demands of the Law of Truth like he would do for her (John 8:6-8).  He would tell her that he would bring an end to the condemnation that she deserved just as he had done for the woman caught in adultery (John 8:9-11).   He would tell her that those righteous demands of the Law of Truth were met when he died in her place on the cross (Colossians 2:13-15).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth why did he do that for her?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that His Father so loved Ellen that he sent him to die in her place by being lifted on a cross so that she might have eternal life (John 3:14-16).  He would tell His Father did this to show his love for Ellen while she was still in rebellion against him (Romans 5:6-9).  He would tell her that His Father did this because He wanted Ellen to become part of His family (Romans 8:29).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth what she has to do to become part of His family?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that like Zacchaeus she has to show true repentance by changing her actions (Luke 19:8-10).  He would tell her that like the woman caught in adultery she must go and sin no more (John 8:11).   He would tell her that doing what he commands is the proof that she loves him (John 14:23-24).  He would tell her that there is no salvation without repentance (Acts 5:30-32).  He would tell her that she must choose to obey him because she believes that His Father raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).   He would tell her that repentance and faith in His Father is the foundation of salvation (Hebrews 6:1).

What if Ellen asked the Man of Truth what would happen if she put him in charge of her life?

He would tell her the truth.  He would tell her that His Father would circumcise her heart so that she can obey Him from her heart (Deuteronomy 30:6).  He would tell her that the Spirit of Truth would give her the ability to do everything that the Law of Truth said was right (Romans 8:3-5).  He would tell her that old things would pass away and that all things would be made new making her into a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17).   He would tell her that her sins would be forgiven (Colossians 1:13-15). He would tell her that because her heart has been circumcised that she would be separated from the desire for lesbianism and every other sin (Colossians 2:10-11).  He would tell her that she would be able to obey the Law of Truth because it would be written on her heart (Hebrews 8:10).  He would tell her that every talent that makes Ellen DeGeneres unique would still be there because His Father gave her those talents (James 1:17).  He would tell her that with the ugliness of sin removed from her life there would only remain the beauty of holiness that His Father always intended for her (1 Peter 1:14-16).  He would tell her that His Father would even call her by a new name - perhaps even Ellen The Generous (Revelation 2:17).

How would the Man of Truth treat Ellen Degeneres?

He would treat her with respect but still tell her the truth in love.

If you call yourself a Child of Truth (someone that obeys the Father of Truth because they love Him) would you treat people like Ellen DeGeneres in the same manner as the Man of Truth?

If you do not let people like Ellen know that what they are doing is wrong then you actually hate them (Leviticus 19:17).  If you do not warn people like Ellen when they are doing what The Father of Truth says is wrong then He will treat you as if you had murdered them (Ezekiel 3:18).   If you hate people like Ellen so that they perish in their sin without warning them then you are a murderer and do not have eternal life (1 John 3:15).  If you show hate to people like Ellen by not warning them then you do not love the Father of Truth (1 John 4:20-21). If you do not warn people like Ellen so that they might be saved from the Lake of Fire then you will end up there with all other murderers (Revelation 21:8).

If you love people like Ellen then you will tell them what they are doing is wrong instead of pretending to love them by saying nothing (Proverbs 27:5).  If you warn people like Ellen and they do not listen then they alone are responsible for the consequences (Ezekiel 3:19).  If you love people like Ellen then you will not treat them with disrespect or look down on them as if you had never sinned (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  If the Spirit of Truth lives in you then you will be able to treat people like Ellen with love (Galatians 5:22-23).  If you love people like Ellen then you will tell them the truth in love (Ephesians 4:14-16).  If you love people like Ellen then you will warn them of the consequences of their sin (Revelation 3:19).

Perhaps you have never came into the House of Truth because people that call themselves Children of Truth have not treated you with respect while telling you the truth in love.  Now that have been told the truth in love you need to come into the House of Truth.  Anyone that will come into the House of Truth will pass from death to life (John 5:24).  Anyone that will listen to the Word of Truth can come into the House of Truth by putting the Man of Truth in charge of their life because they believe that His Father raised him from the dead (Romans 10:8-10).  Anyone that comes into the House of Truth will be made clean no matter what they have done (1 John 1:9).

Come into the House of Truth.

All That Really Matters

Do you know what really matters?

Not long ago I was faced with the prospects of two jobs after a year of unemployment.  One job was at a large bank doing the kind of work that I love to do.  This job offered excellent benefits and long term stability.  The other job was doing the kind of work that I had not done in five years and that I did not wish to return to doing.  This job was a short term contract position with limited benefits.  On the surface, it seemed like an easy decision to make but I was not at all certain which job was the right job for me.

You see things like long term stability, higher wages and excellent benefits are not the most important things to me.  I learned a long time ago that it is always better to be doing what the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) wants than looking a company to take care of me.  He is the one that takes care of me and doing His will is all that really matters.

I brought this up to my congregation when they asked for prayer requests.  I was not well at the time and every time I tried to get quiet so I could clearly hear from the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) I would end up falling asleep.   I thought I knew what to do but I was not 100% sure.  I told the congregation how I had pursued the first job and was on the short list to get it.  In fact, they had advertised for months to find someone with my skills and I was the only candidate they had interviewed that actually had the experience they were looking for.  This other job came about because a recruiter kept calling me and I reluctantly agreed to interview with her company because I believed that would put an end to her pursuits.  After all, five years is a long time to have not worked in a technology.  Still I wanted the will of the Father of Truth more than I wanted my own will because that is all that really matters.

In a short time His will became known.  The first job simply vaporized.  In fact, a friend I have that worked in the information technology department of the bank told me that the entire department was being reorganized.  At the same time I had an interview with the client company and gave a mediocre interview even though I was doing my best.  Within two hours, the recruiter called me back with a counter offer from the client company.  I accepted with the understanding that I might get a better offer from the bank.  I'm not sure what I would have done if I had been given a better offer because for me doing His will is all that really matters.

I started the next Monday and things were less than stellar.  I was still recovering from another illness that I got from a mosquito bite and my daughter was in the hospital.  I learned that I would not even be working for the man that hired me but for another manager in a technology that I had never even heard of.  I was not given my own workspace but instead we were placed around a table to work.  I had worked from home for eight of the last ten years and had always been given a cube in the corner with a lovely view when I worked in an office.  I found it quite distracting to be working so close to other people.  On top of that we had no coding to do at first but rather spent out time setting up our development environment and learning about their project management methodology.  I was able to accomplish setting up my environment much quicker than everyone else and it was obvious to me that the project management methodology used by the company would not produce solid results as quickly as the way I was used to working.  On top of that, there were long periods of time where we were told to sit tight while they figured out what we should do next.  If people could actually die of boredom then I think I would have.  I was not at all happy with the way things were going but I remembered that I had asked for the Father of Truth for His will instead of my will because that was all that really matters.

However, this turmoil and trouble was no indication of being out of His will.  I always enjoyed helping people so I started helping them set up their development environments.  Then we began to talk about things that were unrelated to work since we had nothing else to do and we were sitting around a table by ourselves.  Most of them were from India and I had always had a fascination with India ever since I had heard stories from Miss Luther about her adventures there as a missionary when I went to vacation Bible school as a young man.  So I asked them all kinds of questions about India and told them all kinds of things that I knew about India.  They told me that they were not all Hindus but one was Muslim and one was a Knanaya which were a branch of Nasrani (Saint Thomas Christians) that immigrated to India from Edessa (just north of Syria in Turkey) in 345 AD.  Soon they began to ask me questions as well and in particular about what I believed.  That is when I began to tell them about all that really matters.

We often ate together in the office and I agreed to leave the office to eat lunch with them once a week.  As time went on we became great friends particularly Reddy, Shamira and I.  We were an unlikely trio, a Hindu, a Muslim and a Child of Truth (one who obeys the Father of Truth because they love him) but we came to love each other as our own souls.  They were not just my friends but my family opened up our home to them for the holidays, family barbeques and the like.  They met my daughter Savannah who the Man of Truth had saved from death in a miraculous way on three different occasions.  They loved to discuss and laugh with Miranda about my quirks. Shamira even wants us to come to India for her upcoming wedding.  They became like family to us because we included them in our lives to show them all that really matters.

They began to see for themselves that there was a difference between their religions and being part of the family of the Father of Truth.  One day, Reddy asked me if he could go with me when I met with my congregation and has been attending every since.  You see it was being isolated from the rest of the company on the top floor with people that were interested in hearing about the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) and not having enough to do that allowed me to talk about all that really matters.

Eventually, space became available in the main part of the office.  I was working from home on that day but Reddy and Shamira made sure that I had a cube that was next to their cubes. We continued to help each other in so many ways.  I figured out what was important to our manager and helped them to make sure that we made her look good to her boss.  I helped them become better programmers while they helped me improve my people skills.  It turns out that working alone for years on end had caused me to lose many of my people skills.  I loved being around people but it had been necessary to work from home to take care of Savannah.  I needed to regain my people skills because I need to communicate with people all that really matters.

Of course by this time we had gotten quite used to eating together at lunch and talking about whatever was on our minds.  Sometimes we would go back to the top floor but other times when we were shorter on time we spend a few minutes eating together in one of our cubes.  One day, a Jewish man (by religion) that was in the cube next to Reddy let me know that he found our conversations entertaining and interesting.  I had been explaining to Reddy how the Man of Truth had fulfilled all that the Prophets of Truth had written about him and apparently he had overheard.  My voice carries and apparently other people had been hearing me talk about all that really matters.

A new developer joined our team named Jonathan and it soon became apparent that he too was a Child of Truth.  I had been surrounded with people that went to church on the weekend but they would never dare talk about the Man of Truth or anything like that to their co-workers - even when they were out of the office on their lunch hour.  They were simply more afraid of losing their jobs than their co-workers losing their souls.  It was so refreshing to find someone else that was not ashamed of the Man of Truth.  So we began to include him in our lunchtime discussions of all that really matters.

Then suddenly, without any warning, our manager, who had became fond of us, told us that the company had decided to get rid of all contractors.  She was very upset and explained that the company was really ran by stockholders and analysts.  While our division had been very profitable the other divisions had not performed as well as expected.  So the executives had decided to break faith with all of their contractors across the company to make their end of year report look better to the stockholders.  Just like that it was over even though our manager stressed that she had been pleased with our performance.  I am so glad that I took this job and that I did not wasted my opportunity to talk about all that really matters.

You see the story does not end there.  Reddy wants to stay in Tulsa and continue to learn about the Man of Truth with me each weekend.  Even though Shamira wants to stay in Tulsa she is going to move to where her fiancée lives so that she can get married.  They are like family to me so this is really hard for me because I have no assurance that I will ever see them again.  I want them to be part of His forever family then I know I will see them in eternity.  That is all that really matters.

How about you?  Do you spend your life in pursuit of temporary things that you will either one day lose or leave behind?  Will you put His will in front of your will?  Are you ready to trade in the boredom of living for temporary things to gain the joy that comes from living for all that really matters?

A lot of subjects are covered in the weekly posts of this blog. None of them are meaningless for each post provides answers from the Book of Truth (The Bible) to important life questions.  However, that does not mean that they are all of equal importance.  The answer to the question of what you are doing with your life is all that really matters.

People are the only thing that you can take with you when you leave this Earth and the eternal well being of other people is the only thing really worth pursuing (Proverbs 11:30).  If you spend your life seeking security by storing up treasure on this Earth then one day you will die and realize that you have been a fool (Luke 12:19-21).   At the end of life it will not matter how much you earned or accumulated because you are not taking any of it with you (1 Timothy 6:7).  People are the only thing that you can take with you and they are all that really matters.

Do not get me wrong.  I am in no way advocating that you should become a "holy loafer" and not work to earn money.  The Father of Truth wants you to gain wealth so that His covenant can be established in the Earth and the human race can be saved (Deuteronomy 8:18).  He wants you to be diligent in your work so you can prosper (Proverbs 10:4).   He wants you to be diligent so that you can be put into a leadership role (Proverbs 12:24).  He wants you to be diligent in your business so that you can influence those in power (Proverbs 22:29).  He just does not want you to accumulate wealth for the sake of accumulating wealth but to give into His hands by using it to bring people into His kingdom so that your treasure is in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).  He wants you to gain wealth so that you can help send others to reach people that you could never reach (Romans 10:13-15).  If the Father of Truth has placed wealth in your hands then He did it so you could use it to help bring other people to know the Man of Truth because that is all that really matters (Hebrews 11:24-26).

The great work that the Man of Truth has given to every Child of Truth is to tell other people the Good News because they are living in a burning house (Mark 16:15-16).  However you will face opposition if you decide to live like you are not are not ashamed of his name (Luke 21:16-17).  Do not let this discourage you for the Man of Truth has already overcame everything that the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan aka The Devil) can throw at you (John 16:33).   He laid down his life for you so now you need to lay down your life for him (Romans 12:1).   So whether you are out in the workforce in a regular job or a religious professional you need to make every day count (Ephesians 5:15-17). You need to use every opportunity to rescue people from the burning house that they are living in because that is all that really matters (Colossians 4:5-6).

If you are a Child of Truth then you must be more concerned with doing the will of the Father of Truth than your own comfort or safety (Matthew 7:21).  If you do not proclaim the name of the Man of Truth to others then he will not proclaim your name to His Father (Matthew 10:32-33).  If you do not confess him before those you work with then it is because you love their praise more than you love His praise (John 12:42-43).  If you love the Man of Truth then you will remain in the House of Truth by obeying him to the best of your ability and understanding (John 14:21-23).  If your love for him is not deep enough to obey him then you will be put out of the House of Truth because that is all that really matters (Revelation 3:15-16).

Perhaps you have yet to come into the House of Truth because no one has had the courage to tell you the truth until now.  The truth is that you must come into the House of Truth by surrendering everything to the Man of Truth because that is the only way for you to come to know the Father of Truth (Matthew 11:27).  He is pleading with you to come into the House of Truth and let go of your heavy burden of sin (Matthew 11:28-30).  You can only come into the House of Truth to meet His Father by obeying the Man of Truth (John 14:6-7).  The truth is that you must come into the House of Truth by making the Man of Truth your boss in every area of your life because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-11).  You must come into the House of Truth so that your name will be in the Book of Life and you will not suffer in the Lake of Fire for all eternity because that is all that really matters (Revelation 20:15).

Come into the House of Truth.

The Burning House

Do you know how to save others from a burning house?

In 1977 the Beverly Hills Supper Club caught fire and a bus boy named Walter Bailey decided to help people escape the burning house because he knew the firemen would arrive too late to save those in the Cabaret Room.  Walter knew that he could not force one person to leave the burning house against their will so he did the only thing that he could do to save them.  Walter took to the stage of the Cabaret Room, told the drunken crowd that they were in a burning house and gave them instructions on how to leave safely.  If everyone had followed his instructions immediately then not one soul in the Cabaret Room would have been lost.  However only some of the patrons paid attention to him and were saved.  The rest waited until it was too late and burned to death.  Many were found dead on the edge of safety at the main entrance.  Those that perished had been warned that they were in a burning house and given instructions on how to reach safety just like those that were saved.  They alone were responsible for the Hell that came upon them.

Perhaps some of those that perished were too drunk to understand the warning.  Perhaps some had not given credence to the warning because Walter was only a bus boy - the lowest position in the night club.  Perhaps some did not listen to the warning because Walter was young.  Perhaps some intended to follow the instructions after they finished whatever they were doing.  Perhaps some did not follow the instructions immediately because they would have had to leave something behind that they valued.  Perhaps some did not follow the instructions because they did not want anyone telling them what to do.  Perhaps some did not follow the instructions because their friends or family members would not follow the instructions.  Perhaps some thought that Walter hated them for shutting down their party and telling them that they had to follow his instructions to be saved.

In like manner, when we warn others that they are in a burning house due to the consequences of sin (disobedience to the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD)) and give them instructions on how to be saved then they may hate us.  It was telling others that they were in disobedience that caused people to hate the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) (John 7:7).  If you are a Child of Truth (someone who obeys The Father of Truth because they love Him) then you will also be hated for telling others that they were in disobedience (John 15:18-19).  However, it is love, not hate, to tell someone to leave a burning house.

Those that are not following the Man of Truth are in a burning house.  They will perish unless they leave the burning house (Luke 13:5).  They must come into the House of Truth to have their sins blotted out (Acts 3:19).  Those that come into the House of Truth are saved from perishing in the burning house (James 5:20).

The Father of Truth and all that are with Him rejoice when people leave the burning house (Luke 15:10).  The Father of Truth raised the Man of Truth from the dead to bring people out of the burning house (Acts 5:30-31).  The Father of Truth has granted those that do not know Him an opportunity to leave the burning house (Acts 11:18).  The Father of Truth commands that people leave the burning house once they are warned (Acts 17:30).  It is the goodness of the Father of Truth that brings people out of the burning house (Romans 2:4).  The Father of Truth had the Book of Truth (The Bible) written so people could be warned that they were in a burning house (1 Timothy 2:3-4).  The Father of Truth wants everyone to come into the House of Truth so they can be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4).   The Father of Truth brings people into the House of Truth when they leave the burning house (2 Timothy 2:25).  The Father of Truth does not want to leave anyone in the burning house (2 Peter 3:9).

The Man of Truth was sent to warn people that they are in a burning house and to tell them how to leave the burning house (Matthew 9:13).  The Man of Truth warned those in the burning house and told them how to leave the burning house (Mark 1:14-15).  The Man of Truth has sent the Children of Truth to warn others that they are in a burning house and to tell them how to leave the burning house (Mark 6:12). 

If you are a Child of Truth then you must do what you can to save others from the burning house. The Man of Truth has told us that we must warn others that they are in a burning house and tell them how to leave the burning house (Mark 16:15-16).  The Man of Truth has commissioned us to warn everyone that is in the burning house to leave by coming into the House of Truth (Luke 24:47).  The Children of Truth save others from the burning house by the foolishness of preaching that the Man of Truth was crucified and raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 1:18-21).   The Children of Truth are to use both compassion and fear to convince people to leave the burning house (Jude 1:22-23).

If you are a Child of Truth and you do not do everything in your power to warn others that they are in a burning house and to instruct them how to leave the burning house, then the Father of Truth will require their blood at your hands (Ezekiel 3:18).  If you are a Child of Truth and you do everything in your power to warn others that they are in a burning house and to instruct them how to leave the burning house but they remain in the burning house, then the Father of Truth will hold you guiltless (Ezekiel 3:19).

If you are not a Child of Truth then you are being warned that you are in a burning house.  You can come out of the burning house and into the House of Truth by calling the Man of Truth the boss of every area of your life and by believing that the Father of Truth raised the Man of Truth from the dead (Romans 10:9).  There is no salvation without repentance and there is no repentance without total surrender (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).

Come into the House of Truth.