Dear friends, recently, it has come to my attention that certain misguided Christians have been rather quick to condemn those churches and pastors who have voluntarily chosen to abide by the quarantines, curfews and social distancing guidelines which are currently being implemented by government entities, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. To be honest, I can’t believe that these misguided people have so easily criticized and condemned their Christian brethren for something which they should not be condemned for at all. Even worse, these misguided — and sometimes self-righteous — Christians are taking certain Scriptures out of context, in order to try to justify their position, such as the following verse which is found in the Book of Acts:
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29, KJV
Based on verses such as the previous one, these people claim that we should defy the current government guidelines, even going so far as to boast that they would rather die than stop attending church. Some of them have likewise accused these churches and pastors of denying their faith, because they have closed their doors.
However, the fact of the matter is that these misguided brethren are leaving out a very important part of the story in the Book of Acts. If we read more closely, we discover that Peter and the Apostles replied in the manner in which they did when they were specifically ordered to NOT preach in the name of Jesus Christ. This becomes evident when we read the verse which comes before the one that I quoted above, as we see here:
“Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Acts 5:28, KJV
Obviously, I agree. If a national government or city government were to order us to not preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then, yes, we would most definitely have to go against their wishes, defy their order and continue to fulfill our mission and obligation to preach the Gospel of Salvation in some manner.
However, any level-headed Christian should realize that the current government guidelines are NOT meant to restrict our witnessing endeavors or to shut down our faith. It is not some evil conspiracy to destroy Christianity, contrary to what some Christians may think. Rather, they are simply meant to contain the coronavirus, and to prevent more people from catching it, by keeping people from congregating in large groups. These very same guidelines are being implemented across the board for any large public, social gatherings. Thus, to suggest that we Christians are being singled out is ludicrous fear-mongering to say the least.
To those misguided Christians who are currently grumbling and condemning their brethren, let me ask you something. Did not Jesus teach us to love our neighbors as ourselves? In case you have forgotten, please consider the following group of verses:
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40, KJV
“. . . and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:9-10, KJV
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Galatians 5:14, KJV
“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:” James 2:8, KJV
Please notice that in the previous set of verses, the Apostle Paul writes “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour.” So if you gather in a large church congregation where either you or others may possibly be sick with COVID-19, and someone else is infected because of you, is that not working ill to your neighbor? So, in my view, limiting church attendance right now is in fact loving our neighbors. It is showing preference for the well-being of others, and NOT just for ourselves. Why? Because by temporarily refraining from congregating in large groups in our churches, we are in fact helping to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, and that is the name of the game right now.
Let me also remind you that in South Korea, the first several hundred people to be infected with COVID-19 in that nation were all members of the same church — which is actually a cult — the headquarters of which is in the city of Daegu where the epidemic began in South Korea, as I discuss in my three-part series entitled “Coronavirus: Just the Facts, Ma’am”. In fact, I have a longtime Christian friend who lives in Daegu. Thankfully, he and his wife have thus far been protected from the coronavirus.
Finally, allow me to inform you that if as a Christian, you choose to defy current government requests to avoid large gatherings, then you are in fact in defiance of God’s Word as well which clearly teaches us to obey the powers that be — or “higher powers” — as we can determine by verses such as the following:
“Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.” Matthew 5:25-26, KJV
“They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21, KJV
“And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.” Mark 12:17, KJV
“And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.” Luke 20:25, KJV
“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:18, KJV
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.” Romans 13:1-5, KJV
“These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” Titus 2:15-3:2, KJV
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” 1 Peter 2:11-17, KJV
In conclusion, in light of everything that is happening at this current time around the world, perhaps now is a good time to consider starting some real home-based Churches and fellowships, just as the Apostles and Disciples did during the First Century.
For those of you who may have possibly missed some of my previous coronavirus-related writings, following is a list of everything I have written to date regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that you will find a lot of useful, factual, instructive and Scriptural information in this material. Please feel free to share this list on your own timelines, pages, in your Facebook groups, and on any other social networks where you happen to participate. Thank you so very much, and God bless you!
Bill’s Bible Basics Coronavirus Information Center:
Yes, folks, here I go again. I don’t know what is going on, but this pandemic is really affecting some of my Christian brethren in a very strange way. I have seen so many posts and comments in my news feed, and on different Facebook pages in recent weeks, where instead of pointing their readers and visitors to God’s Word to find the answers, some of these brethren — quite a few of them, in fact — are spouting off nonsensical conspiracy theories regarding 5G, Bill Gates, George Soros, the NWO and the Globalists, Agenda 21 and global depopulation, and other ridiculous stuff for which they can offer absolutely no solid proof. Of course, in their foolishness and delusion, they consider YouTube videos and information that they find on questionable conspiracy theory websites to be valid proof. SMH.
If that is not enough, they are instilling fear in people with talk of martial law coming any day now, forced vaccinations with a microchip secretly embedded in it, and other fringe ideas. I find it all quite ridiculous, and sad. After all, aren’t we supposed to be promoting God’s Word? Isn’t that why God called us into His Kingdom? That is, to be His emissaries? Isn’t the Good News supposed to be found in God’s Word? So why then are all of these misguided brethren delving into all of this worldly conspiracy theory nonsense? Is that going to win anyone to Jesus Christ? I seriously doubt it. It will just trap more people in the conspiracy theory net. As I said, it just fills people with fear and paranoia and deceives them.
If you are wondering what set me off this time, well, I just saw a post in my news feed where a particular Christian friend — who I have considered to be a bit strange and “out there” for a while now — was berating other Christians simply because they are wearing face masks when they go out in public. According to this misguided individual, those of us who wear face masks don’t truly believe in Jesus, because if we did, we would trust Him to protect us by not wearing face masks. At least that is what this person claims.
To make matters worse, this same person twists the meaning of Roman 12:2, and claims that by wearing face masks, we are conforming to the world, and are full of fear. My gosh. Anyone with even an ounce of understanding and Spiritual Discernment knows that that is NOT what Romans 12:2 is talking about in the least. For those of you who are not familiar with the verse, here it is:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2, KJV
If you really want to know what that verse means, then please consider studying the following four KJV Bible Verse Lists on the Bill’s Bible Basics website. Trust me when I say that the true meaning of Romans 12:2 will become very clear to you:
This same person also made a slight reference to Psalm 91, and mentioned how if we drink poison, God will protect us. They also mentioned twice in their comments how if Jesus were here today, He would most certainly not be wearing a face mask. Well, yeah. I mean, after all, He IS the Son of God. In other words, in this person’s mind, we should have the same level of faith as Jesus Christ. Yes, that would be nice. But quite frankly, I don’t have that degree of faith. Do you? Can you move mountains or raise people from the dead? Can you even perform a simple miracle of healing? I can’t. So, no, I don’t have faith like Jesus, and I am not afraid to admit it. So I will wear a face mask.
I must tell you; I was floored by what I read. This person was basically condemning other Christians who don’t have the same degree of faith as they supposedly have. I just couldn’t believe that someone would be advising other Christians to not wear face masks when they go out. In recent weeks I have likewise seen multiple comments where different Christians on Facebook have openly stated that they will defy any curfews, lockdowns and other government-issued guidelines. What is wrong with these people?
Well, I knew ahead of time exactly how this person would react, because I have dealt with such people before regarding this pandemic. Sadly, some of them have removed my comments, or unfriended me, or even blocked me completely, when I have tried to set them straight regarding their misguided ideas. At any rate, despite knowing this, I still felt compelled to try to get through to this person. So, I left them the following comment:
—– Begin Quote —–
I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you drink a bottle of bleach and let me know what happens. I’ll be waiting. Seriously. You know full well that you are not going to drink a bottle of bleach, because not only do you not really have the faith for it, but you know that it will kill you.
Not conforming to the world does NOT mean not wearing a respirator when people are getting infected by the hundreds of thousands around the world by the coronavirus, and dozens of thousands are dying from it as well. If you don’t care about your own life, then please at least think of the others you might infect if you yourself become infected unknowingly. So be smart and wear a mask! That’s called loving your neighbor as yourself, and preferring others. If they get sick because of you, is that love?
You say we don’t truly believe in Jesus because we follow the government’s guidelines and take safety precautions? That is just a ridiculous comment to make. What you are telling people is both foolish, stupid and dangerous. Furthermore, the Bible says to NOT tempt the Lord. That is another reason why you should not drink that bottle of bleach. It is also why you should wear a face mask if you have to go out in a heavily infected area.
I just can’t believe all of the foolish, stupid, dangerous, crazy things some of my brethren are saying, as a result of this pandemic. Where is your common sense, people?
—– End Quote —–
Upon reading my comment, this person said that they were sorry that I was walking in fear — which is the furthest thing from the truth — and then they rambled on again about Jesus not wearing a mask, and something about people who fear will “enter fire and brimstone in the second death.” Then there was something about “So-called Believers walking around with diapers” and “Christians walking around in diapers.” I still have no idea what this person was referring to. Perhaps spiritual immaturity. I am not really certain. To be honest, their comments are rather disjointed, and they don’t connect all of their thoughts very well. They concluded by telling me to stop saying that God’s Word will not keep them safe, which I never ever said even once. In response, I then told this person the following:
—– Begin Quote —–
I am NOT in fear in the least. However, I DO know how to exercise wisdom and caution, while you obviously do not. Worse yet, you are leading others down your suicidal path with your nonsensical talk. Yes, we need to trust in the Lord, but we also need to give Him some COOPERATION, and exercise a little COMMON SENSE. Let me leave you with a verse for your consideration. It in fact talks about protecting ourselves from harm, lest we suffer the consequences for our foolishness and lack of action:
“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 22:3, KJV
—– End Quote —–
As I said earlier, this is not the only person who is making outlandish comments during this pandemic which are potentially harmful and dangerous to others. The following day, another person came along and added their two cents to the discussion. Here is how they responded to the aforementioned person, and then to me as well. To protect the privacy of the original poster mentioned above, I have replaced their name:
—– Begin Quote —–
You need to stay in center of road on this. Christians who are carnal and not filled to overflowing with Holy Spirit need to protect themselves with masks. Christians filled with the Holy Spirit don’t need masks . . . Would Jesus need to wear a mask? Would Peter and Paul need one? . . . [This person] is partially right and partially wrong. They assume all Christians are walking in that high place in God and filled to overflowing with God’s Spirit. Only a small remnant walk in that power and anointing which Peter walked in where even his shadow brought healing to people who came near. However, [they] should not tell average carnal Christians not to protect themselves against Covid-19.”
—– End Quote —–
Can you believe it? So according to this person, any Christian who gets the coronavirus must be a carnal Christian who lacks faith. Well, sorry, but personally, I am no Jesus, Peter or Paul. Are you?
So friends, that is just another example of the nonsense I have seen coming from my Christian brethren since this whole COVID-19 pandemic began. I am tired of seeing all of this conspiracy theory talk coming from my brethren. I am tired of seeing all of the defiance they are exhibiting. And I am also tired of the bad advice they are giving to others. Sadly, short of snoozing their comments, or unfriending them, there isn’t much else that I can to in order to stop seeing their ridiculous posts in my news feed.
For those of you who may have possibly missed some of my previous coronavirus-related writings, following is a list of everything I have written to date regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that you will find a lot of useful, factual, instructive and Scriptural information in this material. Please feel free to share this list on your own timelines, pages, in your Facebook groups, and on any other social networks where you happen to participate. Thank you so very much, and God bless you!
Bill’s Bible Basics Coronavirus Information Center:
This message is directed to anyone who has nothing better to do than to complain about the current situation regarding the pandemic, and to use the pandemic as a vehicle to propagate fear and baseless conspiracies, and to criticize the government. I was motivated to write this commentary after reading a post on a certain person’s Facebook timeline where they complained about how negatively affected some businesses have been due to the quarantines, shutdowns and social distancing which is currently in effect in countries all around the world. It might interest you to know that after reading my response — which is all that you read below — and after making a few false accusations against me, unbelievably, this person then said “this is not a pandemic. Not even close and doesn’t even fit the definition.” Wow! Can you believe that someone is still that deceived after everything that is going on around the world with this virus right now? SMH. At any rate, if you agree with what I have stated here, please feel free to share this post on whatever social networks you happen to participate in. By doing so, maybe it will help to wake up other people who have fallen under such deception, and who likewise believe that the pandemic is not real. I wrote to this person as follows:
—– Begin Quote —–
“If you honestly cant understand the medical and health reasons behind the current social distancing, shutdowns and quarantines, then you obviously haven’t been paying attention to what has been said by those who are in a position to know. Either that, or you have been so taken in by conspiracy theories, that you have lost touch with reality.
Let me tell you about my reality, okay?
Certain members of my extended family are currently in quarantine until early next month.
Why?
Because one family member was unknowingly exposed to a work companion who later tested positive for COVID-19. This person passed the virus to my family member, who has displayed symptoms for the past three days, including fever and sore throat.
It gets worse. Another family member is very high risk, because they are diabetic. If they get it, it will be even worse, even life-threatening because their immune system is already compromised.
A third family member also developed a fever a few days ago, but appears to be okay thus far.
They are all stuck together in their home with nowhere to go due to doctors orders. The virus is probably all over that place by now.
Five days ago before they realized that they were infected, the first family member to be infected paid me a brief visit to deliver something to me. So now I have to wait another ten days to see if I develop any symptoms. On top of that, I have been fighting a chest cough for the past four weeks.
And BTW, due to my age and underlying health issues such as developing Deep Vein Thrombosis and Acute Bilateral Pulmonary Emboli, for which I am now on anticoagulant for life I am also high risk.
That is my reality. So before you complain about what the government has been forced to do for your OWN protection, and display your ignorance, please stop and think before you speak!
A lot of people are facing financial hardship right now, as well as medical tragedies, stress and a host of other issues. We are all in this together, and dealing with it the best we each can. It is a sacrifice for everyone in some way. Furthermore, health and medical professionals, and many others, are putting their lives on the line for us, spending long hours away from their families. Everyone is hurting, and everyone is suffering, or afraid and wondering how much worse it will get. And most assuredly, we haven’t seen the worst of it yet.
The real heroes are those who take all of this in without complaining, and without criticizing the very government and individuals who are doing the best they can to bring this pandemic to an end as quickly as possible. It is sad to see that like some others, you have politicized this global tragedy, and used it as a vehicle to criticize the government.
No government is perfect. They all make mistakes. And, yes, President Trump is far from perfect. At times he even makes a fool out of himself, and displays his vanity. But I am sure that he and the team who are working with him are doing the best they can, given the current circumstances. So why don’t you be a little more understanding and give them a break?
Thanks!”
—– End Quote —–
In conclusion, my friends, I believe that it is extremely important, and in fact that we have an obligation, to our friends, and to anyone else who may read our posts, to make certain that we are disseminating accurate and factual information regarding the current coronavirus — COVID-19 — pandemic.
If you are one who has taken the time to read my original three-part series “Coronavirus: Just the Facts, Ma’am”, or any of the coronavirus-related BBB Blog posts which I have made since that time, or viewed any of my coronavirus-related graphics, then you will know that this is exactly what I have strived to do. I have presented actual, often up-to-date facts and figures to keep my readers abreast regarding where we currently stand with this pandemic. In addition, where possible, I have backed up my position with Scriptures, so that you can see directly from God’s Word, why I believe as I do.
Furthermore, in some of the aforementioned pieces — including this one — I have likewise exposed some of the misguided attitudes, misplaced beliefs and ridiculous theories which I have seen posted on the social networks in which I participate. Sadly, they are not a few. It seems that no matter what I do, and what I say, or write, some people still choose to hold to their delusions and their wild conspiracy theories. The tragedy is that in the words of the Apostle Paul, not only are they deceived themselves, but they are deceiving an undetermined number of other people as well with their fantasies. If you are one of such people, it is time for you to wake up, and to get your head out of the sand.
For those of you who may have possibly missed some of my previous coronavirus-related writings, following is a list of everything I have written to date regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that you will find a lot of useful, factual, instructive and Scriptural information in this material. Please feel free to share this list on your own timelines, pages, in your Facebook groups, and on any other social networks where you happen to participate. Thank you so very much, and God bless you!
Bill’s Bible Basics Coronavirus Information Center:
“And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth . . . And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” 1 Kings 18:1, 41, KJV
“Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:” Job 5:10, KJV
“When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:” Job 28:26, KJV
“Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof: Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.” Job 36:26-28, KJV
“God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.” Job 37:5-6, KJV
“Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?” Job 38:25-28, KJV
“Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.” Psalm 68:9, KJV
“Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.” Psalm 135:6-7, KJV
“Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.” Psalm 147:7-8, KJV
“Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.” Isaiah 30:22-23, KJV
“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11, KJV
“But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.” Jeremiah 5:23-24, KJV
“He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.” Jeremiah 10:12-13, KJV
“Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.” Jeremiah 14:22, KJV
“He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.” Jeremiah 51:15-16, KJV
“And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I WILL RAIN UPON HIM, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, AN OVERFLOWING RAIN, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.” Ezekiel 38:18-23, KJV
“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” Joel 2:23, KJV
“And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.” Amos 4:7-8, KJV
“Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.” Zechariah 10:1, KJV
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44-45, KJV
“Nevertheless he [God] left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17, KJV
“For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:” Hebrews 6:7, KJV
“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” James 5:17-18, KJV
Before you complain about the rain, consider reading my KJV Bible Verse List called “God Causes Droughts” at the URL below:
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31, KJV
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6, KJV
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John 5:30, KJV
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13, KJV
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, KJV
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Ephesians 6:10, KJV
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13, KJV
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1, KJV
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.” John 15:5, KJV
“And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.” Joshua 10:25, KJV
“Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.” 1 Chronicles 22:13, KJV
“And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 28:20, KJV
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14, KJV
“O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” Psalm 31:23-24, KJV
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10, KJV
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13, KJV
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Ephesians 6:10, KJV
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1, KJV
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13, KJV
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Ephesians 6:10, KJV
“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1, KJV
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58, KJV
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9, KJV
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” 2 Corinthians 4:17, KJV
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober . . . But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8, KJV
“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach . . . “Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.” 1 Timothy 3:2, 11, KJV
“For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;” Titus 1:7-8, KJV
“That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience . . . That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children . . . Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.” Titus 2:2, 4, 6, KJV
“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” 1 Peter 1:13, KJV
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7, KJV
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8, KJV
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalms 19:14, KJV
“The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;” Psalm 58:3-4, KJV
“Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.” Psalm 101:5, KJV
“Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.” Proverbs 4:24, KJV
“A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.” Proverbs 6:12-15
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13, KJV
“He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:18-19, KJV
“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him . . . Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:13, 21, KJV
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Proverbs 25:28, KJV
“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” Proverbs 29:11, KJV
“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2, KJV
“For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:37, KJV
“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” Romans 9:20, KJV
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath . . . If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:19, 26, KJV
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” James 3:5-6, KJV
“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:” 1 Peter 3:10, KJV
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” Psalm 37:8, KJV
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger . . . A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” Proverbs 15:1, 18, KJV
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Proverbs 16:32, KJV
“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” Proverbs 19:11, KJV
“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Proverbs 25:28, KJV
“. . . let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil . . . Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:26b-27, 31-32, KJV
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” Colossians 3:8, KJV
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” Hebrews 12:14-15, KJV
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19, KJV
“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Acts 26:28, KJV
“He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:20-22, KJV
“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Romans 14:5, KJV
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39, KJV
“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12, KJV
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13, KJV
“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31, KJV
“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” Romans 12:11, KJV
“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:11-12, KJV
“And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house . . . Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one NIGHT AND DAY with tears.” Acts 20:20, 31, KJV
“Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:8-10, KJV
“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:14-30, KJV
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise . . . How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?” Proverbs 6:6, 9, KJV
“The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute . . . The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.” Proverbs 12:24, 27, KJV
“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4, KJV
“The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.” Proverbs 15:19, KJV
“He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” Proverbs 18:9, KJV
“A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.” Proverbs 19:24, KJV
“The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” Proverbs 20:4, KJV
“The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.” Proverbs 21:25, KJV
“The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.” Proverbs 22:13, KJV
“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30-34, KJV
“The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.” Proverbs 26:13-15, KJV
“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:14-17, KJV
“So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” Luke 17:10, KJV
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30, KJV
“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1-4, KJV
“Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:10-12, KJV
“And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 14:7-11, KJV
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:6-10, KJV
“Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” 1 Peter 5:3-6, KJV
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18, KJV
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16, KJV
Just because you have already read a particular Bill’s Bible Basics article or series does not mean that you should not read it again. Quite to the contrary. You see, I am constantly improving my articles by fixing errors, making them more readable, or by adding new information to them. For this reason, it is a wise practice to check the “Last Updated” date when you see my articles advertised on one of the social networks.
As I said, you may be missing important new information if you don’t read the updated versions of my articles and series. Sometimes the new information I add can be quite substantial, and can increase the size of the article by one or more parts.
As some of my longtime friends will know, since about the middle of 2016, my online Christian ministry has been known as Bill’s Bible Basics, and can be found at https://www.billkochman.com. However, what some of my newer friends probably do not know, is that prior to July of 2016, the BBB ministry was known as Endtime Prophecy Net. In fact, it was called by the latter name since the year 2000 when I first purchased the domain names endtimeprophecy. net and endtimeprophecy. org. Furthermore, it was during the early part of those sixteen years that I began to create the over 5,000 Bill’s Bible Basics graphics which now populate many corners of the Internet, such as on eight of the major social networks.
For reasons which I have explained before, in July of 2016, I took both www.endtimeprophecy. net and www.endtimeprophecy. org offline, and I replaced them with https://www.billkochman.com. It was the same content as before, but with a new ministry name, and a new website URL. While I took them offline at that time, I did not fully relinquish ownership of those two domain names until November of 2017 when my registration for them expired.
So why am I sharing the previous information with you? Well, for several reasons.
First of all, given the nature of the Internet, many of the original versions of my graphics are still floating around on the Internet. These original and older versions have the domain name www.endtimeprophecy. net on them. Since creating all of those original versions years ago, ALL of my graphics have been both enlarged, as well as updated and improved in quality, making them better than the originals. You will know if you are looking at a newer version of one of my graphics, because the domain name on it will be www.billkochman.com, and NOT www.endtimeprophecy. net.
One reason why I am telling you this is because I really don’t want anyone sharing the older versions of my graphics which have www.endtimeprophecy. net on them. One of the main reasons behind my making this request is the following:
After I relinquished endtimeprophecy. net and endtimeprophecy. org back in 2016, some unscrupulous person — who remains unknown to me — purchased the endtimeprophecy. net domain name, and for years now they have been using the domain name to advertise a hotel chain. Obviously, it has absolutely nothing to do with our Christian faith. So what they are doing is both dishonest, as well as misleading.
If you put www.endtimeprophecy. net in the location field of your web browser, you will be taken to a page which shows a very old — and broken — version of the Endtime Prophecy Net website. Of course, none of the links will work, because the site is dead, and the page is bogus. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you will see a pile of links for the aforementioned hotel chain.
So as I said, that person is using my old domain name for dishonest and misleading purposes. They are using our faith, and my former website name and website URL as bait. Shame on them! For the record, a few years ago, I made efforts to get them to stop, but they refused to even communicate with me. Furthermore, I was unable to locate any information regarding the ISP they are using. So, it was basically a dead end, and they have continued with their scam.
So that is why I am asking everyone to please NOT use or share any of my old graphics which have www.endtimeprophecy. net on them. Because if you do, you will be unintentionally leading people to that bogus website. Please direct all of your online friends to Bill’s Bible Basics at https://www.billkochman.com instead. All of my original content — articles and series, poetry, graphics, KJV Bible Verse Lists, etc. — can be found there.
Regarding the endtimeprophecy. org domain name, if you attempt to go there in your web browser, you will be taken to a page which contains a number of related links, and which will inform you that endtimeprophecy. org is for sale, and that it can be purchased via networksolutions. com.
Let me also mention that over the years, certain dishonest individuals — particularly on Facebook — have stolen literally thousands of my images, altered them, and chopped them up. In particular, they intentionally remove my www.billkochman.com website URL from the graphics, and they place their own URL there instead, or something else. Again, this is shameful, and a poor Christian example.
In conclusion, I hope you all continue to enjoy and are blessed and edified by the material which I freely share online via the Bill’s Bible Basics website, the Bill’s Bible Basics Blog, and on the various social networks. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it.
It seems that so many Christians today have become lost, seriously sidetracked and disproportionately involved in discussing the current affairs of the world, from COVID-19, to political gossip and intrigue, to questionable conspiracy theories, to social injustices, etc. These are all things which pertain to this present world. Thus, they belong to the children of the world, and naturally occupy the minds of the children of the world.
For many people, including some Christians, turning their attention to these things has resulted in unwarranted fear, paranoia and in some cases, anger. It has also resulted in division and a lot of time-wasting, needless and fruitless debates. Some people, again, including some Christians, have become quite nasty in their remarks.
However if you are a Christian who truly believes God’s Word, then you must also acknowledge that we Christians are not of this present world. We in fact belong to a different Kingdom entirely. As such, we should not be overly concerned with the world’s happenings, or become deeply involved in its affairs. It should suffice to know that God is in control of each and every situation, and that all things occur according to His Divine Purposes. This truth should give us peace in our hearts, and not worry or fear.
As the founder of the Bill’s Bible Basics ministry, I have always striven to remain primarily focused on sharing and explaining God’s Word in my posts, in my graphics, in my poetry, and in my articles. No more, and no less. That is why I have not allowed in-depth discussions of the aforementioned topics on any of the social networks where I currently have an account. I have little interest in such things, and I have no time for them; particularly if they will lead to futile debates, impart fear and worry, or sidetrack us from discussing God’s Word.
Sharing God’s Word is what the first century Apostles and Disciples were all about, and that is what the Bill’s Bible Basics ministry is all about as well. Christ crucified and resurrected. It is God’s Word which points people to Christ, and not all of those other things. It is God’s Word which saves people and changes people’s lives, and not all of those other things, which in the end, lead to nothing that is profitable for the Kingdom of God.
So, if you are tired of all of the endless, fear-generating discussions which are occurring on the social networks, please consider visiting the Bill’s Bible Basics website, and refresh yourself in the waters of God’s Word. Don’t let the spirit of the world drag you down. Be uplifted and encouraged by delving deeply into the mysteries of the Word of God! If you are looking for a place which is solidly focused on sharing God’s Word, and God’s Word alone, you have come to the right place. To increase your Heavenly Vision, please consider reading the following BBB articles and KJV Bible Verse Lists:
Following is an excerpt from my 1997 six-part series entitled “Mary Worship, Christianity and Roman Catholicism”. It perfectly describes my personal belief regarding the issue of denominationalism:
—– Begin Quote —–
To reiterate, when it concerns Christian doctrine and other aspects of our faith, the Scriptures should be the primary source and authority to which we all should refer, and not some local priest, pastor, shepherd, deacon, bishop, Sunday school teacher or anyone else. Please don’t forget that the reason why different denominations exist in the first place, is because of their differences of opinion regarding proper interpretation of the Scriptures. As a result, no matter who you go to, they are going to have a strict set of doctrines and practices which they will adamantly adhere to and defend at all cost. After all, their very legitimacy as a church or denomination depends on defending those particular doctrines, regardless of whether they are right or wrong.
If you approach a certain church or denomination in the hope of acquiring answers to your questions, you should be mindful of something. If you demonstrate that you believe contrary to the way that they believe, they will not hesitate to tell you that you are wrong, and they will endeavor to convince you to believe as they believe. Do not fool yourself into believing that they are going to come around to your way of thinking, because it is very doubtful that they ever will. You need to realize that churches and denominations are extremely rigid institutions. More than likely, they have probably embraced their particular doctrines and practices for decades, if not for centuries. They are not about to change, even if you do point out an obvious error in their thinking.
The bottom line is this. Either you conform to their set of doctrines and practices, and become just another sardine in their can, or you might as well forget it, because you will never fit in otherwise. While this may seem harsh to some of you, the simple truth of the matter is that each denomination is very similar to a self-contained, cookie-cutter religion which mass produces members who think, believe and act just like themselves. It is very much a group-think environment. Whether we are talking about churches, denominations or even cults, they are all pretty much the same in that regard.
So again, if you really want to know the truth, then please go directly to the Word of God for yourself in order to find the answers, and don’t be spiritually lazy. If you truly and sincerely want to know the truth, I have no doubt that God will reveal it to you by His Spirit through His Word.
—– End Quote —–
If you are interested in reading the entire series, please go here:
Going by the many comments I have read on Facebook in recent months, I think it is fair to say that many of us realize that the potentially mandatory implementation of COVID-19 vaccines, and the government issuance of so-called “vaccine passports”, whether on a local, state, national or international level, is a loaded gun. Many people are already fired up over this issue.
From my own reading and understanding of the issue, it has already become clearly evident to me that lines are being drawn in the sand in regards to this explosive topic. People are either on one side of the fence or the other, with a large swath of undecided people still caught somewhere in the middle. As many of us already know and have experienced for ourselves, this division over coronavirus vaccination even affects our immediate families. Some of us are in favor of being vaccinated against COVID-19 for whatever our reasons, while others of us are adamantly opposed to it for our own reasons as well. Thankfully, it is currently our choice to make.
However, what if governments begin to take away our choice, and engage in a “campaign of inconvenience”, so that life and our daily affairs become difficult — if not impossible — to carry on, if we refuse to go along with their vaccination program? I first wrote about such “campaigns of inconvenience” in articles I wrote two decades ago. They are real, and they are happening all the time, as the masses are subtly herded in one direction or another, according to the whims of our overlords.
As some of you are already aware, the issue of vaccine passports is even now being debated in the halls of some governments around the world. In a few places — such as Israel, for example — vaccine passports are ALREADY becoming a reality, and in other nations, vaccine documents in one form or another are now being seriously contemplated, and may possibly soon be implemented.
One of my personal concerns is the following. The fact is that the potential rise of more contagious and more deadly strains of COVID-19 could shift the weight of the argument to those individuals, institutions and governments which are in favor of making vaccinations and vaccine passports mandatory. It would make their actions — regardless of how oppressive they may be — appear more justified and needful in the eyes of the general public. But here’s the thing. If they can force us to subject ourselves to COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccine passports, once they taste of that power, what will they attempt to do next? So you see, this is indeed a very slippery slope we are on. It sets up a very dangerous precedent which should make all of us very uncomfortable.
If mandatory vaccination and vaccine passports were to happen, where would you personally stand? Would you bow to pressure in order to make your life easier, or would you hold your ground? Indeed, it would be a very tough call to make, but it is one which only you can make. No one else can do it for you.
Having stated all of the above, I just read a very interesting article in the New York Times. I know that many of my online friends hold adverse sentiments when it comes to reading the New York Times. I can’t say that I blame you. After all, as many of us know, it is an extremely liberal — and oft times ungodly — publication. Some of their views, opinions and positions are quite contrary to our Christian beliefs, and outright contradict God’s Word.
But occasionally, the New York Times does publish in-depth articles which are worthy of our time. I think you will find the article below to be one of them. It is a bit lengthy, but they do make some valid points in it. If you feel so led, please post your comments below after reading it. Thanks!
For those of you who may have possibly missed some of my previous coronavirus-related writings, following is a list of everything I have written to date regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that you will find a lot of useful, factual, instructive and Scriptural information in this material. Please feel free to share this list on your own timelines, pages, in your Facebook groups, and on any other social networks where you happen to participate. Thank you so very much, and God bless you!
Bill’s Bible Basics Coronavirus Information Center:
