Stop giving Man glory for what God has given you!

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Isaiah  42:8

It is easy to unintentionally glorify people instead of God. When someone brings a blessing or pivotal change into our lives, our natural reaction is deep gratitude. But without realizing it, we often praise their actions and words as if they were solely responsible, giving them the glory that belongs only to God. While it’s good to be thankful, we must remember that people are simply instruments in His hands. Whenever we lose sight of this, we end up praising the tool rather than the Craftsman—celebrating the finite while neglecting the Infinite..

We place false trust in medicine, crosses, and so-called good luck charms. While medicine may offer relief, the body’s ability to heal ultimately comes from God alone, He is the one who restores health and grants the breath of life. Yet, influenced by popular culture, many cling to the cross as if it possesses protective power. A physical cross cannot and will not protect you; its origins are entirely pagan. Under the “law of first mention,” something originally created for evil cannot be made holy. Christ is not the cross, nor is He still hanging on it, and God the Father is certainly not the cross. The stake was a cursed instrument designed for torture and the worship of pagan gods. Regardless of how pious church leaders appear, how vast their congregations are, or how often they claim to hear from God, it is astonishing that this fundamental truth is some how missed by the same God that told them about the sins of others and how they need to let go of unholy things and actions. Why is the cross forgotten? Or do we hear what we like to hear from God more than what we should be hearing.

This has long been a major issue for me across every denomination, especially those claiming to hear directly from God or professing to be the “one true church.” They all seem to receive clear divine revelations about the end times, the sins of secular society, and the corruption of every other congregation. Yet when it comes to their own false doctrines or hypocritical actions, God is mysteriously silent about informing them of their false understanding, belief, or action. Why??

At the end of the day, all of mankind is flawed. This is why we must be careful not to idolize people simply because God used them as an instrument.

Think about it: once you finish building a house, you don’t spend your time thanking the hammer. You don’t praise the hammer on the house’s anniversary every year, and you don’t thank the hammer every time it rains and the roof holds up. You can appreciate a hammer for being an effective tool, but that is where it ends. You don’t say, “If it hadn’t been for this hammer, I never could have built this home”….giving the tool the credit that belongs to the builder. People are merely the tools in God’s hands; only the Creator deserves the honor.

Study Lesson : A god and a creator…is not the same as The God and The Creator Christ.

Lesson: Title vs. Name — Discerning Biblical Monotheism from Cultural Syncretism

Scriptural Anchor:
“For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” — 1 Corinthians 8:5–6

1. The Theological Distinction: Ontological Title vs. Personal Name

In biblical hermeneutics and Semitic linguistics, a clear distinction exists between a category/title and a revealed name:
“God” (Elohim / Theos): These are generic descriptors denoting divinity, status, or ontological category. In the Old Testament, Elohim can describe pagan deities, spiritual beings, or even human judges, depending on context. It designates what someone is, not who they are.

The Revealed Name (Yahweh / YHWH): When God revealed Himself to Moses at Sinai, He did not offer a mere title; He gave His personal, covenantal memorial name: “I AM WHO I AM” or I be .or I become wholatever I need to to fulfill my purpose (Exodus 3:14–15).

The Incarnate Name (Yeshua / Jesus): The New Testament anchors salvation not in the generic concept of a supreme being, but in a specific historic and covenantal name: “There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

2. The Trap of Universalism and Theological Ambiguity
When believers conflate the title “God” with the covenant name of the Creator, theological confusion inevitably follows:
Ecumenical & Marketplace Neutrality: Cultural institutions readily tolerate invocations of a generic “God” or “higher power” precisely because the title functions as an open vessel into which any deity, philosophy, or personal preference can be projected. Conversely, invoking the specific name of Yeshua/Jesus immediately divides the room because it declares the particularity and sovereignty of the biblical Christ (1 Peter 2:7–8).

Interfaith Conflation: Believing that any reference to “God” or “the Creator” across different religious systems equates to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ignores fundamental theological divergence. The deity of the Qur’an or the supreme principle of deism does not equate to Yahweh, who has revealed Himself uniquely in His Son.

Christological Clarification: Misunderstanding “God” as an exclusive personal name rather than a divine title leads to theological error. Trinitarian theology recognizes that affirming the deity of Jesus Christ (Theos in nature and authority, as in John 1:1 and Hebrews 1:8) does not diminish the Father (Yahweh), but fulfills the divine counsel that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9–11).

3. Practical Exegesis: Guarding Against Cultural Deception
Examine Public Professions: Social media declarations or public figures claiming to have “found God” must be evaluated through the lens of biblical confession. Scripture warns against a generic spirituality divorced from the Gospel.

The Exclusive Standard: In John 14:6, Yeshua explicitly removes any ambiguity: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” A generic faith in “God” that bypasses the crucified and risen Christ remains outside the covenant of salvation.

A Call to Repentance!

” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Matt 4:17

We are at a crossroads, children of God. You are witnessing one of the biggest steps toward overcoming the saints of God that we have seen in hundreds of years. People are rising to greet evil in numbers unseen before. The world is ready to cast its call against Jesus in record numbers. The voters of the Democratic Party celebrate in pride, as they believe that their party represents the right way, when it does not in the sight of God. The false god of this world has tied together his demonic ways into the soul and body of the Democratic Party so much so that you cannot stand for justice for Black people unless you support the same bill and direction to support the homosexuality and transgender agenda. You cannot support women unless you support abortions. Everything on the surface is what they want you to believe you are fighting for, when in reality you are fighting to put people in place who have one agenda, and it is not Christ. You will pridefully stand for this because you think that the side you vote for will fix one problem with something legitimate, while it will also open the doors for a great many others.

Nobody cares what faith or belief system their choice of vote will bring more than they care about the color or party of the person. They do not think that far in advance, and yet the Bible warns you to be careful who you cast your lot in with, because everything they do falls on your hands. And make no mistake, this works on the Republic side as well. This is why I do not vote. There is nothing you can do to slow, stop, or make a future come to pass that has already been foretold. This is the biggest misconception people have about their voting and the future of this world. God, and God alone, determines who is placed into control, even if the person placed into command is a bad person. Everything is a part of His plan and control to bring about all that is needed to move us along to Judgment Day, and trust me, it closer than it has ever been.

For Christ followers, our eyes should be on preaching the Gospel not Politics. We don’t control the outcome and never will. Not even Christ himself got involved with the government and laws. Why? Because he knew it was always in the control of his Father, one. And secondly, no man can save this earth until he does it himself when he comes back and places all authority and rule under his feet. Until then our jobs are to heed the Call of Repentance, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. We are heading for a outcome that will create a world that is capable for celebrating beheadings of Saints in the streets and there is nothing you can do to slow it down, make it move faster, or stop it. You already see it on social media when you see women hero worshiping a woman that killed her kids or celebrated the killing of a man who preached against homosexuals and false gendor pushing. Women celebrating abortion rights (aka..killing babies). Satan is the one that wants Christians tied up into politics because he knows if we are there, we are not where we are suppose to be(reaching the lost). Everyone has their part to play and ours involves in giving what belongs to Caesar, to Caesar and leaving him behind to following after Christ. We must prepare ourselves for Christ is coming back. Who your are when he does, falls on you if you are still alive when it happens.

Salvation isn’t a game of who can come up with the best explanation about God wins it!

Nobody is good enough and can do enough to gain salvation. The moment you can, you have reached salvation without the need of Christ, and there is no salvation apart from Christ. Inside Him dwells the entirety of God bodily. Christ is the very Lord of our confession and the our was referring to the Jews of the OT and the gentiles of the new testament. This is what makes our confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. Not “a” lord, not “a teacher”, but LORD. This is why context divides false belief from true belief. You can try all you want to twist LORD into a different meaning all day, but you cannot remove the context. The confession that Christ is LORD for a Jews means absolutely everything because it directly without controversy, link him with the Jehovah of the ancient days just like Christ confession of I am. This is why Christ was killed; this is what made Him a threat. Not because someone called Him a teacher. Not because someone called Him “a lord.”. That meant nothing. No, He was killed and attacked because Christ proved He was the LORD come in the flesh. Jehovah Himself dwelt inside the human body of Christ. The Son was both God the Father and the Only Begotten Son. This is what the disciples believed. They did not believe in the Trinity that we see today; they believed in one God and Lord, and Christ represented both and completed the representation by sending back His Spirit, aka the Holy Spirit, to dwell inside man. No disciple would have explained God the way the church does today with it Greek philosophy influenced belief system.

The disciples accepted nothing of theology or Greek philosophy. In fact, they warned us to stay away from philosophy, but this is exactly what man did at the Council of Nicaea, when man formulated the doctrine of the Trinity that you see today. None of the disciples believed that God dwelt inside the Father; they believed God to be the Father, period! Not just a person the Spirit of God dwelt inside. In fact, most Christ followers today have no idea that the official doctrine of the Trinity says this and will deny that they believe it; if shown, they will just brush it off as if it means nothing while still holding onto their Trinity doctrine because they believe that if they do not believe in it, it means they reject Christ and God and that their salvation will be lost if they do not agree with a concept that mere men invented hundreds of years after the disciples died—men who were not even filled with the Holy Spirit or given approval from God to do what they did.

News flash: your salvation is and will forever be linked to Christ being the Messiah, Son of the living God, and upon believing that he is Lord, died for all of us, and was raised bodily three days later. Your salvation isn’t based on man’s philosophies and theology. We have been trained so long to believe that if people who are respected create something about God, they must be followed and what they say must be true, even if the very scripture goes against it. Denominations are formed on this very concept. Your salvation was never built on your ability to explain God, but solely based on your living faith in him and what he did through Christ, the only begotten. You don’t have to have an explanation on hand on what happened before Genesis. No man has this, and every single person who claims to know otherwise is a liar and God is not in them; yet, most of the false beliefs we have today are solely based on the assumption that someone has the explanation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit before creation. Yet, not a single scripture tells you this.

It’s time people start aligning themselves with the beliefs of the disciples at the time of writing had. They were the ones set over the church. They were the only people who directly was taught by Christ and blessed directly by him to write the new testament. They culture , history, and belief views are vital to remain faithful to when reading their letters. We can not read their letters through the lens of Greek philosophy and cultures that came hundred of years after the disciples. And above it all remember Deuteronomy 6:4…Here of Israel the Lord thy God is ONE“. God is not going to spend 4000 years telling us this just to turn around and tell you that if you believed him …then you are condemned to hell for believing him. Think about it people!!

The Majority of our Sin problems are because we like it.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15

Lets first define SIN…

Key Biblical Definitions and Meanings

• Lawlessness and Transgression: The Bible describes sin as breaking God’s moral commands (1 John 3:4). It includes both active disobedience and failing to do what is right.
• Missing the Mark: In the original Hebrew (hata) and Greek (hamartano), sin means “missing the mark”—failing to live up to God’s standard of righteousness and character.
• Rebellion and Independence: Sin is a willful turning away from God to center life around self-will, distrust, or pride, starting in the human heart (Mark 7:20-23, James 1:13-15).

Origins and Spread of Sin

• The Origin: The concept originates with Lucifer (Satan), who rebelled out of a desire to be Equal with God (Isaiah 14:12-15).
• The Fall of Humanity: Sin entered the human race in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit because she wanted to be Equal to God( the same sin of Satan) (Genesis 3).
• Original Sin: According to Romans 5:12, Adam’s choice to follow his wife’s condemnation introduced a sinful nature and spiritual death to all of humanity (“original sin”), meaning every person inherits a tendency toward disobedience.

Consequences and the Biblical Solution

• Separation and Death: Sin breaks the relationship between humans and a holy God, bringing spiritual and physical death (“the wages of sin is death,” Romans 6:23).
• The Remedy: Christianity teaches that human effort cannot erase sin. Instead, salvation comes through Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life, took the penalty of human sin on the cross, and offers forgiveness and spiritual renewal as a free gift of grace (Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Many churches teach and try to describe sin as something separate and foreign that is not supposed to be there. They tell us the story that sin of the flesh is like an unknown infection, that we are not sin, and that it is there to convince us to do things we do not want to do. While this may have existed before the resurrection of Christ, it does not exist anymore today in any human born thereafter.

Now, regarding the redemption of the world, not just followers of Christ, you have to remember that his action redeemed the whole world and freed us from the law of sin and death; most churches think that his work only applies to followers of Christ, but it does not.

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for OURS ONLY but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD.“1 John 2:2

You see, when Paul spoke about the sin that he did which he did not want to, he was referring to who he was before Christ did what He did. All men were slaves to sin. We only knew sin, and everything in our hearts was sin and evil. This is what the Old Testament covenant was exposing. This is why the New Covenant was put into place and why Christ’s death redeemed all who would be born thereafter to a life of choice. Now our sins are truly ours, not Adam’s. Now, when man stands in front of a just God, no man can say it was because of Adam that he sinned and did not have a choice. No more are you born into sin. This was what Christ died to stop, Christian or not: the debt of Adam and the curse of sin on all the earth. Now you have a choice to live for Him or not; to sin or not. This is why, today, our sins come from our own desires and our own choices. Very few sins man commits today are not a result of our own desires and wants.

Basically, you like to sin. You do not fornicate because you did not want to; no, you wanted it and did it. You did not curse or lie because you did not like it or want to at the time; no, you liked it, it felt good to curse, and it even sounded better. You did not lie by mistake or against your own will; no, you knew you did not want to face the consequences, so you lied. You did it, not Satan, not your flesh. You were not overridden by someone against your will. We have to start being honest: it is because you wanted to do it because you liked it.

Once you start to understand the true reason why you sin, you can take more responsibility for it. I remember a pastor telling me that through all of his counseling, he found the same truth. Everyone claimed they didn’t want to sin, but what they really meant was that they didn’t like the outcome of it. They liked it and desired it in an overwhelming number of instances. They were hurt by the results of such things and felt guilt because of them. But not a single person committed a sin that they didn’t first desire or enjoy at the start. Not a single person has ever typed PORN into a browser and went in to watch unwillingly. Not a single person who committed adultery ever drove, met up, and removed their clothes unknowingly or unwillingly. Not a single person ever didn’t purposefully cheated or lie on their taxes because they didn’t want to. I could go on and on about this, but I think you get my meaning.

We must first be honest enough with ourselves to take responsibility for the sins we commit. Our choices, our desires, and our will are the triggers and the ultimate root of our sin’s birth. Finally, we do it because we like doing it. Not everything requires a fallen angel named Satan. Once you accept this and deal with the desires and likes of your life until they become something you detest, you will not see changes in your Christian walk. Holiness will be less of a myth and more within reach than ever before when this is present and active in your life.

Are you Abandoned? You share the suffering of Paul.

• The Apostle Paul “At my first defense no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them” (2 Timothy 4:16.)

When you are faced with abandonment by people you trust at work, in your family, or even among your friends, know that God is still the one for you. He is our true friend, family, and God. We should truly look to Him instead of others. Mankind will always fall short of God’s trust and protective abilities. Why? Because it is in our nature to look at things from a selfish point of view. Even our own spouses are not immune to it. Humans have a sense of self-preservation. They may stand by you long enough to convince themselves that they are decent people, but deep inside, when the world turns against you, they will find a way to distance themselves from you emotionally, physically, or even spiritually.

Proverbs 18:24: “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

They will justify why they do not have time for you or why they were just too busy. And yet you know in your heart that if they hurt, you would hurt because you care so much. And even your own parents or brothers and sisters will pick self-preservation eventually over you if being around you puts them in a bad light or costs them something. It does not matter if you would stand by their side no matter what; others are not you.

Psalm 41:9: “Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”

This is what Paul learned in his letter to Timothy, and the scary part about this is that it reveals the other disciples were part of the same people who abandoned him. Just like Peter, who said he was ready to fight by Jesus’ side until he didn’t know the man, Paul was abandoned by his own kin, the churches he helped build, and even the disciples. He had only one person to turn to: Christ. Could this have been part of God’s plan all along? Maybe, but it shows that it is not uncommon for people to leave you because you are not something they want to associate with, for fear of being identified by guilt by association. Most churches do not talk about that; in fact, I have never heard a single preacher ever reveal that Christ’s chosen disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit and believers of God and His Son, did nothing to support Paul. He was abandoned by friends, family, the church, and the disciples. John, who saw heaven, Matthew, Luke, and others could have stood by Paul’s side, and they did nothing. Why? Self-preservation and fear.

You see many people claim holiness and righteousness, and many people even have gifts from the Holy Spirit, such as healing the sick and casting out demons. But one true fact remains: abandonment is the real underlying theme of the scripture. This lesson is taught from the birth of Christ to his death, and then taught again after he rose and left 11 men in charge( 12 save Judas, who went the way of Cain and ultimately killed himself). It is taught in the lessons of Peter before Christ’s death and is even shown in the abandonment by the disciples and doubting Thomas. Finally, we see it in Revelation, shown after a thousand years of peace, when the world and its people turn on and abandon God yet again.

Paul could have condemned the disciples and others, but he did not. He could have really focused on their fears and lack of loyalty in his writing in detail, but he did not. Instead, Paul asked that this act would never be counted against them. This is true discipleship and forgiveness, and the reason why Paul, above all other disciples, proved what Christ’s ways look like more than any other disciple. He went through more than any other disciple and stayed more humble than any other disciple. He was a realistic person who had gone through his own sins and failures and still found a way, all the way up to his death, to forgive, taking on a Christ-like mindset. This is the lesson we can learn. Pray for and forgive those who abandon you during your time of need when it is something they have done out of fear or self-preservation. Find a way to keep your hope in Christ more than man, no matter who that person is to you. This is why your love for God can have no equal. Not even your parents can be loved more than God.

Psalm 27:10: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”

The Outcome: Paul noted that despite human abandonment, “the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength” (2 Timothy 4:16-17

Gaslighting and the Bible, by Dr Alison Cook.

Below are some of the highlights of Dr. Alison cook subject of Gaslighting from a Christian Prospective. All of us have been a victim of Gaslighting in one point or another in your life. What most people don’t know, even those that do the Gaslighting on purpose or not, is that it’s spiritual in nature and a form of manipulation. But more importantly, the next thing you have to do is know the signs of it.

You may be dealing with gaslighting if you often find yourself:

• replaying conversations over and over, trying to prove what really happened
• apologizing just to end the conflict
• doubting your memory, motives, or perception
• feeling confused after simple conversations
• walking on eggshells because the truth keeps shifting
• feeling responsible for someone else’s anger, disappointment, or behavior
• needing outside confirmation that you are not “crazy”

It is very, very important to know this fact….

Gaslighting is not the same as ordinary disagreement. Healthy people can misunderstand each other, repair, and seek truth together. Gaslighting uses confusion as a tool of control.

What Not to Do When Someone Is Gaslighting You

• Do not keep explaining yourself in longer and longer paragraphs.
• Do not try to win by producing more evidence.
• Do not assume the right words will suddenly make them honest.
• Do not let their accusation become your assignment.
• Do not confuse peacekeeping with peacemaking.
• Do not make their distorted version of reality your home.

‍1. Limit your words and interactions.

• Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words. (Proverbs 23:9)
• Escape quickly from the company of fools; they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words. (Proverbs 14:7)
• Don’t respond to the stupidity of a fool; you’ll only look foolish yourself. Answer a fool in simple terms so he doesn’t get a swelled head. (Proverbs 26:4-5)

In other words, “less is more” when it comes to communicating with someone who is consistently gaslighting you. You will not win a war of words. Instead, limit your communication to the necessary facts. Resist attempts to explain or get them to understand you. Actions speak louder than words.

‍4. Surround yourself with wise people.

• Wise people take advice. (Proverbs 12:15)
• Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces. (Proverbs 13:20)

If you have to deal with a gaslighter on a regular basis, it is critical that you surround yourself with good people who love you and bring out the best in you. You will need reminders of who you are and whose you are. Wise people help you anchor yourself in what is true, noble, and good. They form a hedge of protection around you heart, soul, mind, and body.

So I hope this helps you as it has helped me identify things better in my life as well. If you interested in reading more about Dr. Alison Cook you can find her page here : Note…I don’t know more about the author than this. So I do not support all views they may or may not have. But upon this subject I was able to find meat I felt could be useful.

Inner Peace of the Holy Spirit of God is real

Philippians 4:6–7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds…

We all suffer and have seasons of suffering, and once we are in that state, it is so hard to focus or even think about anything good or positive. I believe this is where Satan has the advantage; the enemy attacks because you are doing things that hurt his kingdom, and as long as you are a threat, he will continue to do so. It is like pain compliance: he makes us suffer to stop us from doing the work of the kingdom, and most of the time it works. If it did not, he would not use the same tricks, as Satan uses what he knows has worked; so, how do we fight?

We fight using the Word of God; it is the absolute only thing that can bring true joy and happiness back into focus during times when the enemy wants us to focus solely on our suffering. He uses this time to bring up fears of loss, fear of death, fear of pain, and doubt of God’s will in our lives. I know because I am currently going through it myself. The more I focused on what I could do to help more people, the more attacks have come into my life. And they are typically the kind of attacks that are out of the blue and uncalled for, which helps you identify them as being from the enemy because he wants you to believe it is God’s punishment on you so you will not seek freedom from it. I mean, if you believe you are being hurt by God, why would you rebuke the attacks? You would not. But as long as you understand who your enemy is and where they come from…

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

It is here in Paul’s warning to us that we know our fight is a spiritual one, not of flesh. It is here that we know we wrestle not against mere demons, but against fallen angels and evil powers and principalities. This is not something we can win on our own. God and His angels are the ones who fight those battles for us. God even tells us in these war events to sit still, and He will fight the battle for us. So many of us think we should get involved, and yet it is the Lord who will stand for us and redeem us or justify us in front of our enemies. So don’t act; that’s what Satan wants you to do. He wants your actions to give him authority to continue to multiply his attacks against you so God has less authority over our actions. This is why it’s important to wait on the Lord. That peace which you can’t explain to others will reside in our minds and hearts soon, if we just hold on and trust Him.

Christ is not done with you yet!

“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:39-4.     

If you are reading this and it connects with you, know that the Holy Spirit placed this on my heart for you. Too many of us are walking around with doubt in our hearts about God’s forgiveness and will for our lives. We are destroyed by our failures, our contradicting ways, and our hypocrisies, even toward others. We know in our hearts we struggle and have asked for forgiveness before, only to fail to grow from what we repented of time and time again, and we do not believe there is any more forgiveness left. Many of us look at others as better off and more successful in these areas, and we think we are alone in our failures. We revisit our old sins in our hearts and in our guilt, things long since forgiven, and yet we see ourselves through those same eyes and as that same person He has called us away from.   

Just like the thief hours before his death, he had a life deserving of judgment. How many times must he have felt guilty or even sought forgiveness in order to arrive at the point of forgiveness in that hour? The context of the scripture and the words show a man who had not just messed up once but had a life of transgression, one who, like you, felt he deserved punishment. And yet, he was seeking another way hours before his death. He showed faith that despite his failures, despite his circumstances even that very minute, after already being judged by all who looked upon him and even his own friends or family possibly, he might yet be forgiven and allowed another chance at redemption and salvation. And it was accounted to him, not because he proved himself, not because he made amends with those he had done wrong. No, his salvation was granted to him because of the mercy of the Lord Christ. 

   “On this day I tell you, you shall be with me in Paradise!” This is the actual quote, despite many Bibles and people believing he said that they would be in Paradise that day. In fact, I submit to you he said, “On this day I tell you, you will be with me in Paradise,” not saying that today you will be with me in Paradise. Why? Because first, the commas and periods were never there in the original scripture, and second, we know that Christ did not go to Paradise, and the word there means Heaven, not Abraham’s bosom as some try to say. No, Christ went to Sheol for our sins, and he did not go to Heaven until long after he had already risen and showed himself to thousands. It was there that Christ took back with him those who had fallen asleep, or died, that were of his Kingdom to Heaven from Abraham’s bosom, or Sheol for the prophets and righteous. That place was not a Paradise. Paradise always referred to Heaven, and it is there that the thief was granted rest and his final resting place. Just like the thief, who did not stop and just give up on who he had always been, even after being judged by others, so now are we. It is not too late, and no, Christ is not done with you. I tell you this day, you will be with him in Paradise if you do not give up, if you continue to seek repentance and seek a better result on this day, at this hour, and in this very minute. We can fight knowing that he is still willing to tell us that very thing: “Today I tell you that you shall be with me in Paradise.”!

Why “Our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ”…is not debatable.

“While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,”Titus 2:13

In Titus 2:13, the Greek construction uses a single definite article that directly links the titles “great God” (theos) and “Savior” (soter) to one person, Jesus Christ. Under the Granville Sharp rule, when two singular, personal nouns of the same case are joined by “and” and share one article, they refer to the same individual, thus making this a clear affirmation of Christ’s divinity.

The most direct parallel to Titus 2:13 is 2 Peter 1:1, which follows the exact same Granville Sharp grammatical construction to identify Jesus Christ as both God and Savior.

The Greek Construction in 2 Peter 1:1

* English Text: “…by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ”

* Greek Text: τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (tou theou hēmōn kai sōtēros Iēsou Christou)
Structural Breakdown

* Definite Article: τοῦ (tou – “the”) appears once at the beginning of the clause.

* First Noun: θεοῦ (theou – “God”), in the genitive case, singular, personal.

* Connector: καὶ (kai – “and”).

* Second Noun: σωτῆρος (sōtēros – “Savior”), also in the genitive case, singular, personal—lacking a second article.

* Proper Name in Apposition: Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Iēsou Christou – “Jesus Christ”).

Because the single definite article covers both nouns joined by “and,” Greek grammar requires both titles to refer to the identical person: Jesus Christ.

Perfect example of where this is used again for proof…

*Non-Deity Contrast: Demonstrating the Rule Elsewhere

1.To demonstrate that this is a general rule of Greek grammar rather than a theological invention, consider Ephesians 6:21:

* Text: “…Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister…”
* Greek: ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἀδελφὸς καὶ πιστὸς διάκονος (ho agapētos adelphos kai pistos diakonos)

* Function: A single article (ὁ) governs both “brother” (ἀδελφὸς) and “minister” (διάκονος), proving grammatically that Tychicus is one individual fulfilling both descriptions.

Titus and Peter are not revealing a demi-god or another god; they are clearly showing and consistently proving that inside Christ dwelt the fullness of the one true God, Yahweh (everything that is God and all of His substance and power), bodily. Both disciples understood Yeshua as being both in one person, just as His name means and just as His title, Emmanuel, revealed: “God with us.”.

Changing the meaning of the text and adding to it is a direct violation of God’s law, and the only way to claim a different conclusion is to do so at the cost of the original text and grammar clearly laid before you. There is no room for deviation or any other grammatical rule that exists in Greek to come to a different conclusion unless you add to or subtract from His Word and change or ignore the grammar followed in the writing, the same writing guided by the Holy Spirit in the exact manner it was given.

“Unto us a child is born, a son is given, his name shall be Mighty God, and Everlasting Father.” Isaiah 9:6 is a prophetic vision of the Messiah to come that laid the foundation of who he would be. Everything that makes Jehovah both God and Father existed inside Jesus Christ bodily. Both Son and Father were one, which is why only the Son of God is seen on the one throne of heaven. There are not two thrones, and there is no mention of ever seeing a third person called the Holy Spirit in John’s view of the throne room in Revelation. Jesus himself told us that the Holy Spirit was his spirit, not a different person. And finally, the historical and unavoidable Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one… one Jehovah.